Vol 7 Chapter 5

It seemed Kapros wasn't the only one hearing this for the first time, as Superior questioned back a beat late.

"Yes. The one who asked that of me was you, though you no longer exist. You asked many things of me to teach the answers to the questions you would have now."

"What in the world...!"

"You'll know soon. Ah, but before that,"

Superior's staff trembled uncontrollably with confusion and surprise, scattering red light. Ilumine, as if having anticipated all this, answered calmly before suddenly turning her head toward Kapros.

"Child."

"...Yes."

That form of address still inevitably felt somewhat uncomfortable to respond to directly.

"By whose request did you return here?"

Looking at her face that seemed to ask while already roughly knowing why he had come here, Kapros realized once again that Ilumine was not someone to be taken lightly.

"How did you know?"

That he hadn't come here solely for Superior's purpose.

Ilumine smiled as if wondering how he couldn't even know that much.

"How could I not know? Of course, this wasn't told to me by the heavens either. Now, tell me who sent you to me."

"It was Kor the Flame Dragon. I came to deliver his request."

Kapros quietly spoke the name of the great dragon who had sent him here.

"...He said he felt some anomaly from the north of the world, and that dark forces seemed to be rising. Because of that, he wanted to seek counsel from other races to determine whether he should move or not, and accordingly, I came here first to hear your opinion."

Though it had been quite difficult to remember all these long words, saying them made him feel relieved.

"Indeed. So he was the proxy of the new dragon clan."

Ilumine nodded, her deep blue eyes showing a strange light.

"An anomaly in the world..."

Ilumine lowered her eyes and fell into thought. Kapros couldn't know what she was thinking. After staring at her fingertips quietly resting on her knees while sitting properly for quite some time, just as waiting was starting to become boring, Ilumine suddenly raised her head and looked at him.

"This is not a question I can easily answer alone. I cannot give you an answer right now."

"..."

Well, it was about a crucial matter concerning the world... In fact, based on experience, Kapros hadn't really expected Ilumine to give an immediate answer either. As he was nodding, Superior, seemingly unable to bear the lengthening conversation between Ilumine and Kapros, burst out through his mouth again.

"Lumi. Answer me. What did those words mean earlier? How did you know me?"

Ilumine turned her eyes toward Superior's staff.

"Actually, at first I came because I had something I wanted to ask you. My successor and I met Kor before coming here. Kor said that another me had visited and spoken with him 500 years ago. That was fine up to there, as I'm an avatar I sealed away before departing on my journey, and I don't know about my actions after that. But the me in Kor's memories somehow... strangely didn't seem like 'me' at all."

'To think Superior had such thoughts.'

An unprecedented urgency seeped through Superior's attitude as he spoke rapidly. Kapros was quite surprised, not having known that Superior had felt this way when meeting Kor.

"Others would say this is even more nonsensical. I think so too. If Kor hadn't made that nonsensical statement about new dark forces rising in this world, that thought would have remained just a thought. ...Lumi, you must know. Since you're the only one who saw what happened after 'then.' It's impossible. But according to Kor, the 'me' who visited him then had just met you, Lumi, right before. ...Do you remember that time?"

"...Yes. I remember."

"But why... no, no. Now... now I can't tell what's what anymore. What exactly do you know, and how much do you know about it?"

Even at Superior's outcry, Ilumine maintained her composure to an infuriating degree.

"Please, if you know anything, tell me everything, Lumi!"

"I know what you must be thinking. But..."

"I want answers right now!"

At Superior's urging, Ilumine, who had closed her eyes tightly and raised her head toward the cave ceiling that was dizzyingly high though the sky couldn't be seen, soon opened her eyes and looked this way while breathing out softly.

"Sigh. Yes. It seems the time has come. Follow me."

What did she just say? Kapros unconsciously opened and closed his mouth in surprise. Follow her? During the days he had been here with Kran before, they had never once seen Ilumine rise from that spot. Ilumine had always sat in the same place in the same pose while talking with them, and it had seemed so natural that there hadn't even been time to question why she never stood up.

But now that Ilumine, right after finishing her words, was slowly standing up on her own. Her white skirt hem lifted, revealing legs they had never seen before. She was even wearing shoes made of soft cloth on her feet.

'If Kran saw this, he would have been shocked.'

Kapros belatedly realized it was somewhat disappointing not having anyone to share this surprise with. Ilumine, now fully standing, smirked looking at his face.

"Let's go. Follow me."

Kapros silently followed behind Ilumine as she walked gracefully. Well now. Not even the slightest sound came from her steps. He thought he would like to learn that if it was a skill.

Ilumine advanced without hesitation to where the two paths forked. Though he thought she might continue outside, surprisingly, she turned toward the opposite path from the one they had come out of.

'This place...'

When he had first come to Ilumine's cave with Kran before, he remembered standing in this exact spot, uncertain which way to enter. At that time, Ilumine had revealed her voice telling them to come left, and afterward he had never particularly wondered what might be inside the right fork.