When everyone settled onto the various couches in the living room, we formed a large rectangle facing one another.
Enwoybi leaned over and quietly whispered something into the ear of Ramia, who sat beside him.
In response to his message, Ramia nodded slowly, then made a friendly gesture toward Velmora and Luna as she spoke: “In that case, why don’t we girls head over to that thermal pool and pamper ourselves a bit?”
Stretching lazily in her seat, Velmora chimed in, “That actually sounds wonderful.
What do you say, Luna?”
Following her invitation, Luna stood up.
“That sounds good.
Besides, this way we can get to know each other a little better,” she said.
As they exited the living room and headed toward the thermal entrance, Scatroj shot a piercing glance at Kaju, who was standing by the door.
Discerning the gravity of the situation instantly, Kaju bowed slightly.
“I suppose I should go check on the guards outside and the perimeter security,” he said, leaving us alone.
The moment Kaju stepped out and closed the door behind him, everyone remaining in the room exhaled deeply and leaned back.
Completely sprawling out on his couch, Scatroj muttered, “Being an emperor is far more exhausting than I thought…”
Ermo nodded in agreement, sympathizing with his worn-out state.
Right then, Enwoybi turned his gaze directly toward me.
“Listen, Kaan…” he said in a serious tone.
As I turned toward him, he continued, “Do you think there’s a chance that Luna—”
Before he could even finish his sentence, I cut him off bluntly: “I know exactly what sentence you’re about to form…
And yes, it’s likely just as you suspect.”
Ermo and Scatroj began staring at the two of us with bewildered expressions, utterly unable to make sense of this cryptic exchange.
Unable to contain himself, Scatroj snapped, “Enwoybi, is there a problem?
You aren’t normally a man who gets hung up on trivial matters.
Just let the kid live his life.”
Enwoybi turned to him, fully intending to speak in a stern tone, but I raised my hand to stop him.
“I apologize in advance for my rudeness, gentlemen, but…
would it be alright if we didn’t explain this matter right now and just kept it between us?” I asked honestly.
Enwoybi shook his head in refusal.
“Kaan, I am aware of the situation, but everyone here has every right to know.
I am obligated to tell them the truth.”
I waved my hand in the air as if to say do whatever you want.
“Fine, whatever, just spit it out then.”
Straightening up in his seat, Ermo chimed in: “Come on, boys, you’re seriously creeping me out.
Why are you blowing this out of proportion?
We came here to clear our heads and relax; why does every single topic eventually wind up revolving around Luna?”
Enwoybi took a deep breath, leaned back, and lowered his voice significantly: “The very first moment I laid eyes on her, I realized something was amiss.
However, I didn’t want to bring it up without definitive proof.
But just now, the moment Kaan placed that necklace around her neck, I became absolutely certain…
Luna is not an elf.
In fact, she isn’t even a frost elf.”
Upon hearing his words, I stretched completely out on the couch, draping my arm over my face to cover my eyes.
“Okay, and?” he shrugged.
“What’s the big deal, man?
She’s a girl after all, what difference does it make?”
Enwoybi chuckled softly, mocking him: “You truly are a degenerate, Scatroj.” Then, maintaining his serious expression, he continued: “Even if she were a pure-blooded demon, her body should have shown at least a fraction of resistance or reaction when a primordial necklace of that caliber was placed around her neck.
Yet, Luna’s body accepted that colossal energy with unbelievable ease, as if it were her own mana.”
Ermo chuckled softly as he interrupted: “Come on, bro, clarify a bit more.
Our Velmora could also easily wear a necklace of that power without experiencing any issues, after all.”
Enwoybi pointed his index finger sharply at Ermo.
“She could wear it, yes…
But the instant she did, her dragon aura would clash with the necklace, causing a definitive backlash of energy outward.
With Luna, there was absolutely no reaction, no ripple whatsoever.
If you want to hear the best-case scenario; that girl is likely an angel.”
Raising a single eyebrow, Scatroj asked, “And the worst-case scenario?”
Enwoybi let out a deep breath.
“An actual deity…
Or the descendant of an ancient race far worse than them.”
Faced with this heavy revelation, Ermo slowly leaned back.
“If both of you think this way so seriously, I assume you have a very solid justification.”
Enwoybi snapped, his patience wearing thin: “Are you guys brain-dead?
What have I been explaining here this whole time?”
Scatroj paused for a fraction of a second, then turned directly to me.
“Kaan…
did you know this from the start?”
I shook my head, denying it.
“Rather than knowing for sure, I was simply suspecting it deep down because certain pieces were falling into place,” I said.
Then, burying my head deeper into the couch cushion, I closed my eyes.
As if attempting to disperse the heavy cloud of suspicion hanging over the room, Ermo said naively, “But what if the girl genuinely doesn’t have a hidden agenda and just loves Kaan?”
Enwoybi locked his eyes onto mine.
“What we’re actually most curious about, Kaan, is exactly how you met Luna.
Let’s hear it.”
I sat up and drew a deep breath into my lungs.
“It was some time after that agonizing period when I first fell into this world…
Somehow, I found my way to a black market and went inside.
Then, I saw her, locked inside a cage among other cages…” Just as I said that, Enwoybi cut me off.
“You’re skipping the details, Kaan.
Tell us everything from the very beginning.”
Rolling my eyes, I laid bare every single raw and hidden detail of everything that had transpired from that first encounter up until today.
While living through all of this, how did you fail to see the bigger picture, man?”
I turned toward him and glared.
“I did see it.
That’s why, until I was completely certain of the situation, I didn’t even communicate properly with you guys to avoid jeopardizing things; I acted entirely on my own.”
After contemplating in silence for a while, Enwoybi spoke in validation: “Among us, you were the easiest person to get close to that girl and earn her trust, Kaan.
And if you think about it, when you fell into this world, you were the only person who would react exactly this way to this story, to this destiny.
Meaning…
it’s as if everything has been meticulously planned by someone from the very beginning.”
Weighing everything in my mind, I admitted honestly, “You’re actually right…
If she wanted to, she could have easily killed me there in a single move, but she chose not to.”
The moment I said this, Scatroj practically lost his mind in his seat.
Knitting his brows to the limit, he roared, “When she could have killed you?!
What the hell are you saying?”
Faced with his extreme reaction, I dismissed it bluntly without breaking my composure: “Calm down, it wasn’t even close.
She couldn’t do anything.”
Then suddenly, as all the pieces fell perfectly into place within my mind, I bolted to my feet.
“Boys…
I think I’ve completely figured out this setup, this damn story,” I said.
Instantly, everyone in the living room shifted their entire attention and focus completely to me.
I cleared my throat and coughed, setting the stage.
“The things I’m about to tell you will sound a bit too far-fetched and insane.
Therefore, so that you completely believe what I have to say, I want Enwoybi to cast a truth spell on me right now.”
Ermo immediately opposed this request: “Don’t be ridiculous, man, we’re going to believe whatever you tell us anyway.
Why ask for a truth spell out of nowhere?”
“You won’t believe me…” I said firmly.
“And before I begin explaining, I want a definitive promise from you all.”
Everyone began looking at me with curiosity, raising their eyebrows.
Infusing my speech with an even more serious tone, I continued: “Nothing you are about to hear in this room shall ever be reflected in your actions or your behavior toward Luna once you walk out that door.
Especially you, Ermo…” I said, pointing my finger directly at him.
Laughing softly, Ermo raised his hands.
“Alright, man, relax.
My lips are sealed.”
When Enwoybi raised his hand and activated the magic runes, the translucent aura of the truth spell enveloped my body.
He nodded in approval, reminding me of the rules: “Every time you tell a lie or distort the truth, the color of the spell will turn red, Kaan.
The purer the energy remains, the more truthfully you are speaking.” He then gave me a nod to begin.
Drawing one last colossal, deep breath into my lungs, I let my eyes sweep across each of them one by one:
“Boys…
Here is exactly how the matter stands…”