"What's this layer of Energy Screen? Are you afraid someone might peep at you?" After sitting comfortably inside, Irja commented with a teasing smile on her face.
"I'm about to sleep, you know? I don't think we're close enough to be visited like this." I answered without being affected by what she's showing.
I don't know what her goal is by coming here but from how her attitude changed upon noticing things about me, that's the only valid explanation to why she's here.
"You're right. We're not. But you see… I might be someone on the weaker side even among the Rank 2 Transcendents but…" Irja paused for a bit as she fiddled her silky black hair hanging from her shoulder. "… my sensitivity when someone is watching my every move is high."
I see. So this is why she kept on approaching me. Not only is she trying to prove that she was being watched, but she's also confirming that it's because of me.
Whoever's tasked with watching her was doing a lousy job. To be detected in a span of less than a day.
"I only looked at you once or twice… or maybe at least six times since seeing you for the first time outside that prison. You're not here because you're suspecting it was me, right?"
Naturally, I chose to feign ignorance. Even though the chance is high that she's already certain of her assumption about my identity, I just needed to act like how I acted with her when we haven't seen each other's faces yet.
"No. Not you but it's connected to you. For that, I am certain. You're shrouded in mystery for a Rank 1 Transcendent. And don't try to deny it, Ember. You're quite clever to not give out any definite information about you but because of that, it's easy to connect everything that happened since yesterday."
And like I thought, she answered with complete certainty before continuing.
"If I die or mysteriously disappear after meeting you, that old rug will surely know that it's because of you."
"Wait. Wait. Wait. You lost me there, Irja. I don't get why you think I'm connected to that. Do I look like a Great One's descendant to you? To tell you the truth, I'm also baffled why that Exalted visited me last night and this morning. How did I get her attention?" Without breaking my act, I put out some truths in my words. Alwyn's visits weren't noticed by her. Otherwise, she would have included it in her long-winded accusation.
Upon hearing it, her slightly opened mouth froze as a surprised expression instantly formed on her face.
"… She visited you? Then I am right! You really are someone special! What did she say?"
"Now that I think about it, you're right. She brought me a basket of fruits to eat. What do you think? Did she fall for me? Do I have a chance to hook up with someone two ranks higher than me?" I put a hand on my chin and lifted it as I went near her, letting her see me clearly.
Putting on a bit of a narcissistic vibe with how I carried myself instantly weirded her out which led Irja to crawl backward to put a distance between us. "Don't get too close to me, idiot! You're not lying, are you? What the hell is this? But all the coincidences… once is fine, twice is also still good but thrice... there's no way that's still a coincidence."
"Look at me, if I'm lying, will it not be easy for you to determine that? Ah. Perhaps is it because of the way I speak that you became suspicious of me? I'm a bit courageous talking even to someone terrifyingly stronger than me after all. Now that I think of it, that Monarch probably threw me in that prison because of my tongue. I couldn't help but admire her allure and enchanting figure that I ended up catcalling her. I should start curbing it a bit."
"Wait… No! You're trying to pull away from our conversation out of the original topic."
"Haa… Look, Irja. Suspect me if you want. We've only known each other for a day and you already exhibited some changes in the way you look and act around me. If you continue with this, I might start thinking you're also interested in me. You said you're certain but do you even have proof?"
"Stop pulling our conversation in that direction!" Irja shouted in exasperation. Because of me adding these details, the certainty she possessed earlier was already crumbling.
Well, even if she's correct. She'll just be disappointed that I'm just someone from a Mortal World. Should I just tell her my secret?
Ah, no. It will just complicate things. It's enough that only Alwyn knew or Remilia for that matter.
Irja closed her eyes and shook her head, maybe to clear the unnecessary thoughts and to rearrange her information.
"Let me think… The Chain. The Decree. Her telepathic message to you. The feeling of someone observing me. Everything pointed to your uniqueness! Ember, just tell me the truth!"
"And? Aren't you just going wild with your assumptions? If I'm really as special or unique as you think, why am I here with you assisting this tribe? They should've sent me far away by now, right?"
Stumped at my question, Irja took a whole five minutes without being able to come up with a correct response. Embarrassed, she left the tent with a reddened face.
How old is she to still act like that? Well, my Companions also act cutely like that whenever I tease them after all.
Besides, I can't really blame her. She came here to confirm her suspicions about my identity but the result was she ended up being confused instead. And I doubt she will stop at this.
For that woman to confront me this early, her self-proclaimed sensitivity to anyone observing her was probably the reason for it. Also, Klement knew about her suspicion and probably had a part in why she chose to come here. Otherwise, if he's truly someone who doesn't care about small things, he wouldn't tell me the same words as her before we separated yesterday. Beneath that lazy fa?ade of his, he's also sly and clever.
I wonder how Alwyn or the one observing them will take this visit of Irja? Will they kill them? Also what about Yatapa? Sometimes it's the silent ones who are the most deadly.
-
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A day instantly passed by after Irja visited me. That night, Alwyn once again paid a visit to me, informing me that Klement and Irja met after the woman left my tent.
I summarized what happened and like I expected, she was already about to tell the one monitoring the two to take care of them. But I stopped her.
It's not that I pity the two but like Udann, I might be able to make use of them. I need to know their real thoughts. That's why when I saw them the morning after, I greeted them normally but I already added to my character what I revealed to Irja.
The Oxflame Monarch and the other Monarchs put in charge for defending this Dimensional Space already determined the time when the Dimensional Barrier will weaken.
It will be tonight.
Because of that, the Exalted in charge of the supplies called upon us to start preparing to enter it while introducing the cargo we will be carrying inside.
"This is one of the weapons that you will be carrying inside the Dimensional Space. The Thunder Ripper."
Carried by one of his two Rank 2 Transcendent assistants, a gigantic long-ranged weapon that looked like an artillery cannon was put down in front of us. It was at least 10 meters tall and weighed more than how it looks. Considering that it instantly embedded itself onto the ground, it's more than a metric ton. Upon observing it with my Adaptability, it's far from modern weapons on earth. The weapon is just simply forged in that shape and in place of mechanisms, it's filled with at least three Formations.
However, being a Transcendent, everyone already had at least 100 Strength, lifting something like this is easily done.
They had those black pouches in this world but even to a Prime Tribe like the Dafirae, it's still a precious commodity. Apparently, they looted most of the black pouches from the Transcendents sent by a Transcendent World long ago. They then researched on that to produce their own but it's hard to reproduce even until this day. That's why energy stones and weapons such as this Thunder Ripper were still needed to be carried. If not for that, we would become their infantry aka cannon fodder instead.
As the Rank 1 Transcendents looked at it in awe, it appears that only large tribes like the Dafirae possessed this kind of weapon. It can only be operated by three Rank 2 Transcendents and will have the power of close to Rank 3.
Some of the freed Rank 2 Transcendents' role is to operate these weapons while a part of them will be fighting at the front.
After that, he continued to introduce more things that we needed to carry. Apart from the large weapons like the Thunder Ripper, crates of food and medicine were also included.
It wasn't explained before but thanks to Alwyn, I'm already aware. Once we enter the Dimensional Space, we will only be allowed to leave it after a week.
When those freed Rank 1 Transcendents, whose hope was reignited yesterday, heard about it, they instantly raised a ruckus which was also instantly quelled when the Exalted subjected them under his Transcendent Aura.
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