Chapter 111: Apate
She waited. Unlike before, this connection was taking far longer. Minutes passed. Then tens of minutes.
And eventually. An entire hour. Only then did the plate finally react. Its surface rippled, and a new projection slowly came to life. It was a man. Immaculately dressed.
White hair framed a youthful face completely untouched by age, not a single wrinkle visible anywhere upon his features. His deep crimson eyes stared directly at the woman without the slightest hint of hesitation.
Yet despite that intense gaze, his expression resembled that of a mischievous child who had just discovered a new toy.
The very moment his eyes landed on her, a playful grin spread across his face.
"Oh, Apate."
His voice was light. Almost teasing.
"Perfect. I was wondering where you ran off to."
His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Everything going well on your end?"
"Yes, sir."
Apate lowered her head slightly, her tone as polite and composed as ever.
"And thank you for asking."
A brief pause followed.
"There is... a slight issue, sir."
The moment those words left her mouth. The man’s playful expression vanished. Completely. The mischievous grin disappeared as his crimson eyes sharpened, locking onto Apate with sudden seriousness.
"Did something happen to the boy?"
His voice was calm. But beneath that calm...Was unmistakable concern.
"No, sir."
Apate answered immediately.
"He is fine."
Only after saying that did she continue.
"I am facing an issue regarding two seeds."
For the first time, even her voice carried the faintest trace of gravity.
"They have vanished...One of them is the girl we promised to the elves."
The moment he heard that most of the tension in the man’s face disappeared. And just as quickly as it had come. His playful demeanour returned.
"Oh?"
A grin slowly spread across his face once more.
"Well, that’s certainly an issue then."
His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Do you want me to take a look?"
"If it’s not too much trouble, sir."
Apate replied without hesitation.
"The girl you already know Kei."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"And the other seed who vanished with her... is Kelly."
The man raised a brow.
"The kid you were planning to take under your wing, hmm?"
Apate gave a small nod. A silent confirmation. Seeing that, the man’s grin widened slightly.
"Then..."
He leaned forward ever so slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming with interest.
"Let me take a look."
The moment the man said that. His eyes began to change.
Slowly. The crimson in his pupils faded, replaced by an overwhelming white. And within that endless whiteness...
A reflection began to form. A world. An endless expanse that seemed to stretch into infinity itself.
Then. His eyes began to move. At speeds no ordinary being could ever perceive. As though he were scanning every corner of existence itself. Ten seconds later. The reflection vanished.
The endless whiteness receded, and his eyes slowly returned to their usual deep crimson. Once again, he looked exactly as he always did. Calm. Perfectly composed. Smiling.
Yet beneath that ever-pleasant smile. A faint trace of fatigue was impossible to miss.
"Sure enough..."
The man spoke at last.
"They’re gone...Not a single trace."
His grin turned slightly amused.
"Well...That’s a new one."
He looked at Apate.
"Sorry, Apate."
His tone remained light, almost casual.
"But it seems they’re most likely dead."
"Thank you for your help, sir."
Apate lowered her head slightly.
"I thought as much."
A brief silence passed before she continued.
"Still... the elves will make an issue out of this."
"Sure they will."
The man shrugged as though it were someone else’s problem.
Which, to him...It was.
"Anyway..."
A lazy grin spread across his face.
"That’s not my department."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Let them handle the elves."
His crimson eyes rested on her once more.
"Don’t sweat about this, Apate."
His smile deepened slightly.
"Just take care of the vessel."
"Thank you, sir."
Apate replied politely.
And with that. The projection vanished. Once again, silence filled the room. For a moment, the woman simply stood there with her eyes closed, lost in thought. Countless possibilities passed through her mind before, at last, she opened her icy blue eyes once more.
Her gaze shifted toward the group that was on its way back. Then, Toward the boy who still lay unconscious. For a brief moment, she silently observed him, as though weighing something only she could understand.
And then. As if finally making up her mind. She began walking toward them. As for the earlier incident. Now that the deaths of the seeds had been confirmed, she didn’t dwell on it any longer.
To her. The matter was already over. And with that final thought crossing her mind. She simply accepted it.
’Perhaps... that was their fate’
"Which woman?"
"AHHHH!"
Startled by the sudden voice right behind her, Kei reacted purely on instinct.
Without even thinking, she spun around and threw a punch at the person behind her.
THUD
But her fist stopped dead in its tracks.
It was like punching a wall.
Kelly had caught her hand effortlessly, his grip tightening around her knuckles with unnatural strength. The force was so overwhelming that pain shot through her hand instantly, making her body tense and squirm.
Kei looked up at him. He stood there as if he had merely caught a minor nuisance, his face wearing that same cold, unreadable expression that was becoming far too familiar to her.
Even so, Kei refused to let the pain show on her face.
She stared straight at him and said through clenched teeth,
"Let go."
Hearing the command and obvious Displeasure in her voice, Kelly immediately let go of her hand.
The moment he released her, Kei quickly pulled it back and rubbed her now-reddened knuckles, glaring at him fiercely.
"What the fuck was that? Are you acting like a ghost now? Just say ’excuse me’ like a normal person! No need to scare the living shit out of me!"
"Oh."
