Chapter 99 : The Blacksmith (3)
Chapter 99: The Blacksmith (3)
The old woman's crimson eyes sent a chill down Leon's spine.
Faced with the eerie atmosphere she exuded, his hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword.
“Hohoho, don't be so frightened. This old woman is merely asking out of pure curiosity.”
With those words, the old woman smiled harmlessly.
Even so, the tension never left Leon's face.
He could understand how she had deduced that he was a warrior.
After all, anyone could tell from his appearance that he was a warrior of Elphrel.
But mentioning his bloodline was an entirely different matter.
'How did she know I was a descendant of the Grand Warrior?'
At first glance, the old woman looked like someone one could find anywhere.
Her face was covered with wrinkles and age spots—the ordinary appearance of an elderly woman.
But those eyes...
Those eyes were different.
The old woman's crimson gaze awakened the fear buried deep within Leon's subconscious.
No matter how hopeless the situation had been, Leon had always struggled until the very end.
Ordinarily, this should have been another moment to draw his sword.
Yet for some reason—
As he faced the old woman, he wanted to give up on everything.
It was an unfamiliar feeling.
Had his will always been this weak?
As confusion filled his mind, the old woman suddenly spoke.
“You're more cautious than I expected. Normally I wouldn't offer advice so freely, but... engrave the feeling you're experiencing right now into your heart.”
“…What do you mean?”
“All living creatures possess a weakness. With enough training, one may overcome it, but the world never unfolds exactly as one wishes. You are still young. In the future, you will experience this very feeling countless times. When that moment comes... remain just as you are now.”
Her words were difficult to understand.
More precisely, they were difficult to comprehend through reason alone.
Yet somehow, they resonated deeply within Leon's heart.
He nodded.
“…I understand.”
“Good.”
“There are times when one must know how to let go of oneself.”
“If you stubbornly endure forever, you'll eventually break.”
“Never forget that.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
Only then did Leon realize the tension constricting his body had disappeared.
His instincts had finally judged that the old woman was not an enemy.
“May I ask your name?”
“My name is Circe.”
“Come to think of it, we never introduced ourselves.”
“And what is your name, young man?”
“Leon.”
“I see.”
“So then, Leon.”
“What brings you to a place like this?”
Circe's face held nothing but pure curiosity.
There wasn't the slightest trace of probing intent.
Leon briefly explained his circumstances.
“Hohoho...”
“What a remarkable coincidence.”
“No... perhaps it was fate.”
Circe laughed softly.
“Leon.”
“Although it may appear to be coincidence, our meeting was destined from the very beginning.”
“Destined?”
“Indeed.”
“Do you truly believe your arrival here was merely accidental?”
“Until now, I did.”
“Then let me explain.”
“To begin with, it was already contrary to reason for my granddaughter to encounter Goblins.”
“There is a barrier surrounding this area.”
“Not only does it prevent Demonic Beasts from entering...”
“It also keeps outsiders like yourself from finding this place.”
“A barrier?”
“You mean the techniques used by the Holy Kingdom?”
“Not every barrier in this world belongs to the Holy Kingdom.”
“But before that...”
“I should first explain who we are.”
As she spoke, Circe extended a hand toward the entrance of the cabin.
WOOOOONG—!!
The talisman attached to the doorway emitted a strange resonance before glowing crimson.
“As you can see, we are different from ordinary humans.”
“A thousand years ago...”
“We were known as Witches.”
“I see.”
“Then what exactly does being a Witch mean?”
“Hohoho.”
“So humanity truly has forgotten us.”
Circe chuckled.
Still smiling nostalgically, she continued,
“If I had to compare us to another race...”
“We are somewhat similar to Elves.”
“Our lifespans are nearly the same.”
“So you're one of the Long-Lived Races.”
“Is that what people call those with long lifespans nowadays?”
“In any case, we are similar to Elves.”
“Though unlike them...”
“Our appearance isn't particularly beautiful.”
Leon glanced toward Bestie.
She was certainly an uncommon beauty.
But not breathtakingly beautiful like an Elf.
Feeling his gaze, Bestie narrowed her eyes.
“Benefactor...”
“Why are you looking at me?”
“I was comparing whether you're more beautiful than an Elf.”
“…I won't ask what conclusion you reached.”
“A wise decision.”
Having essentially heard the answer already, Bestie puffed out her cheeks.
Leaving her behind, Leon turned back to Circe.
“I understand what Witches are now.”
“But I'd like to hear more about the fate you mentioned.”
Circe smiled warmly.
“You don't seem particularly interested in our circumstances.”
“Would you prefer that I be?”
“Not particularly.”
“It's simply that ordinary humans tend to be very interested in other people.”
“I expected you to pry into every little detail.”
“For example...”
“Why we secluded ourselves deep within these mountains.”
“I am interested.”
“I simply believe I already know the reason.”
“So I didn't think there was any need to ask first.”
Leon met Circe's crimson eyes directly.
Just looking into them filled one with an ominous feeling.
An ordinary person's mental fortitude wouldn't even allow them to maintain eye contact.
'People tend to trust their instincts to an extreme degree.'
Without hearing a single story, Leon could already imagine how others had treated Circe after seeing those eyes.
Meeting Leon's gaze, Circe slowly widened her own.
Then she closed them and murmured,
“I see...”
“I think I finally understand why the heavens allowed us to meet.”
“Wait.”
“You just said... the heavens?”
Unable to ignore those words, Leon's eyes sharpened.
“You said the heavens brought us together?”
“Yes.”
“To put it in terms you'd understand...”
“That would be the Supreme God, Solar.”
“……”
Leon sighed inwardly.
Judging from the context, he had already guessed Circe was referring to Solar.
That was precisely why he found it so absurd.
“Why would Solar arrange for us to meet?”
“That, I do not know.”
“But I believe our encounter occurred because of Solar's design.”
“Hm...”
Leon sank into thought.
After all, he had received the blessing of a god.
He already knew Solar was watching over him.
But he had never imagined that Solar would intervene even in his destiny.
'At this point...'
'I can't help but wonder.'
'Is destiny something that's already predetermined?'
As though she had read his thoughts, Circe slowly shook her head.
“Whatever you're thinking...”
“You're mistaken.”
“Not even a god can interfere freely with fate.”
“Then why did you call our meeting destiny?”
“Because this was the outcome Solar desired.”
As she spoke, Circe took two talismans from within her robes.
She tore them apart.
“Watch for a moment.”
The instant she finished speaking—
Leon's consciousness abruptly faded.
Within endless darkness—
Leon slowly opened his eyes.
“This is...?”
It was pitch black.
Even after circulating Internal Energy into his eyes, he couldn't see a single inch ahead.
“Where am I?”
“A place within dreams.”
At that moment—
Circe's voice came from behind him.
“I put you to sleep.”
“There was something I wished to show you.”
Leon couldn't see Circe at all.
The space was completely enveloped in darkness.
Even if she stood right beside him, it would've been impossible to see her.
But her presence was unmistakable.
Turning toward where he sensed her, Leon asked,
“You wished to show me something?”
“Indeed.”
“What I am about to show you is both the secret art of our Witches...”
“And the countless possibilities of this world.”
FWAAAAAAASH—!!
Suddenly—
Light burst forth within the endless darkness.
It was so brilliant that Leon instinctively narrowed his eyes.
Beginning as a tiny point of light—
It gradually expanded before countless thin strands spread outward in every direction.
Within that light—
Leon saw a story.
And within that story—
He himself existed.
After saying goodbye to Sibelte—
He left the Holy Kingdom and traveled toward Elphrel.
His figure moved like the wind.
The scenery flew past.
It was Leon—
Exactly as he had been before meeting Bestie.
But the Leon inside that story witnessed a completely different scene.
He crossed the mountain valley without stopping even once.
Ordinarily—
He should have rescued Bestie from the Goblins by now.
Frowning, Leon continued watching.
Yet the Leon within the story never encountered Bestie.
The vision only showed him arriving safely in Elphrel.
Only then did Leon finally understand Circe's words.
The countless possibilities of the world.
This—
Was one of the futures that had never come to pass.
Leon asked,
“So...”
“Can Witches see the future?”
“In a sense, yes.”
“But tell me.”
“Does this truly look like the future to you?”
At some point, the darkness had vanished.
Instead—
Countless lights representing innumerable futures illuminated the space.
Walking among those lights, Circe spoke.
“How can an unrealized future truly be called the future?”
“What we Witches see are merely countless possibilities.”
“The power to observe every event that could have occurred within this world.”
“That is the power possessed by Witches.”
“……”
Leon couldn't say a word.
After all—
This was the power to observe the future.
No matter how many possible futures existed—
Such an ability was anything but trivial.
It was a power worthy of being called divine authority itself.
As Leon stood there with a complicated expression—
Circe smiled faintly.
“I know what you're thinking.”
“But this power is far from omnipotent.”
“We cannot reveal future events to others.”
“Ah...”
Leon let out a quiet sigh.
Even in his previous life within the Martial Alliance, he had heard such stories.
To reveal Heaven's secrets invited Heaven to claim one's life.
He didn't know the exact details, but he vaguely remembered that the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Realm had forbidden such acts.
Apparently, Circe faced severe restrictions regarding the disclosure of the future as well.
“We can only show futures that never came to pass.”
“The truly important knowledge remains locked within our own minds.”
“Even so...”
“It's still incredible.”
“You may not be able to tell others.”
“But you yourselves can make use of that power, can't you?”
“Make use of it?”
Circe smiled.
This time, however, there was an unmistakable chill in her expression.
“Yes.”
“We once used it.”
“And as payment...”
“We were forced to hide away in places like this.”
“Our power is not a blessing.”
“Anyone who attempts to exploit it...”
“Will inevitably pay the price.”
“……”
Her tone carried unmistakable self-mockery.
From those words, Leon glimpsed the wounds buried deep within Circe's heart.
“In any case, the reason I showed you this is simple.”
“There were countless possible futures.”
“But in the overwhelming majority of them...”
“You never came here.”
“That is why I called this meeting fate.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we Witches possess the art of the Blacksmith.”
“…What?”
“I think I finally understand why Solar brought you to me.”
“Your sword...”
“I shall forge it myself.”