"Is this a face I've never seen before?"
“I brought it with you!”
A man with squinty eyes raised his hand high in delight.
"They say they came in person to seek out Ren's words!"
"Really? It's been a while since we've had a new hire."
Ren smiled, pulling up one corner of her mouth.
"Would you like to introduce yourself?"
She gestured to me and spoke. The eyes of the believers positioned all around turned toward me in unison.
'Ah. I'm screwed.'
Far from sneaking out, as a new recruit, I ended up just making an impression.
"Uh, what should I do? Should I just run away?"
Flustered, Miya whispered in my ear.
Hesitating, I slowly stood up. Miya hit my shoulder hard with a soft swab, asking what I was doing.
'But I can't just sit here doing nothing.'
I bowed my head deeply. Then, I tried to smile as brightly as possible.
"Hello. I came to visit after hearing the rumors. You are truly as beautiful as I heard. Haha."
“Hmm.”
She raised one eyebrow as if to say, "Is that all?" I quickly continued.
"I have come all the way from the North. Even here in the North, rumors about you, Ren, are very widespread. I was so curious that I decided to come here."
Ren looked at me without a word. Along with her, the mad eyes of the believers turned toward me.
'Did I get caught?'
No. I didn't know what would happen if these fanatics found out I was lying.
Feeling desperate, I started blurting out whatever came to mind.
"The moment I saw Ren, I realized something. There is no need for the sun in this world when Ren is here. Why would the sun be necessary? Ah. Ren is so dazzling that I felt a bit dizzy. I ended up staggering without even realizing it. Oops, I thought I had just slipped, but it turned out I had slipped on Ren's high nose bridge and ended up back in the North! How could this be! I hurriedly returned to the East, but I rushed so fast that I lost my wallet. However, I did not go back to retrieve it. Why, you ask? Ren is my sole pride and asset; what does a mere amount of money matter to me? Isn't that right?"
I shouted with force in my voice.
The moment I finished speaking, everyone fell silent as if frozen.
I was out of breath from pouring out words incessantly.
I was gasping for breath when I heard the sound of clapping from somewhere. It was none other than Ren who made the sound.
“Great!”
She, who had been clapping incessantly, gestured to the other believers. Then, the believers followed suit and clapped. Suddenly, I found myself receiving a standing ovation.
"I've been doing this for years, but I've never seen anyone as unique as you!"
The corners of her eyes curved gently.
Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful. Fortunately, it seemed my silly banter had pleased her. Relieved, I smiled back at her.
"Of course, it's a lie on the inside."
And at Ren's next words, my laughter stopped abruptly. Unable to control my expression, I looked at Ren with a surprised look.
Ren, who still had a satisfied smile on her lips, said.
"Did you think I wouldn't be able to see your lies?"
"..."
"Still, since you have good improvisation and problem-solving skills, that one thing is forgivable."
Ren's eyes curved gently.
"I liked it for the first time in a while."
As soon as Ren finished speaking, the people guarding the door approached me.
I hesitated and stepped back, but I couldn't escape because my arm was being held so roughly.
Meow!
Miya, who had been carelessly thrown, let out a crying sound, but could not be found because of the gathered people.
Ren, who had approached me before I knew it, leaned her upper body toward me. I heard the sounds of sighs mixed with envy from the other believers.
My reflection was visible in Ren's pale purple eyes.
Ren, who had been staring intently at me, was flustered.
"Why on earth..."
Then, she suddenly frowned.
"Henry... So you came because of that bastard?"
“Hen... who?”
"Stop pretending not to know."
She let out a mocking laugh.
However, it was a name I had truly never heard before. I shook my head vigorously in a fit of injustice, but Ren's eyes were colder than ever.
"I'll hear the story later. By then…"
She trailed off and met my eyes.
"I'll take your pretty eyes with me, too."
"See you later, Wolf," Ren whispered quietly.
I felt a shiver run down my spine, but my eyes began to slowly close.
I felt as though I were under hypnosis. No, I have to escape...
But resistance was impossible. I slipped softly into the darkness.
***
13. East
My whole body felt heavy.
It felt as if the air was pressing down on me. I slowly lifted my eyelids.
'This is...'
I was lying all alone in a place that felt like a prison.
I tried to get up first, but I couldn't move easily because my hands and feet were tied.
Looking at myself bound, I burst into a hollow laugh.
When I saw others being tied up, I would smirk and say, 'Oh, this is great!' but when I was tied up myself, it was indescribably miserable.
'I've lived long enough to see all sorts of things!'
I muttered a curse and looked around again. It seemed I needed to untie myself first.
But only cold air had settled on the floor. Nothing could be found.
'If things continue like this...'
You might have your eyes gouged out by that mermaid.
'Absolutely not!'
I moved my body like a newborn earthworm. I had to get out of here somehow.
It was then. A strange presence was heard from afar.
'Are you here already?'
I moved my arm again.
Please get fired, please...!
The shadow stretched out by the light caught on the iron bars of the room where I was trapped.
Crackle.
Along with the shadows, the sound of footsteps grew closer.
"Hey!"
I heard a low whisper. I opened my eyes wide.
“Miya?”
Miya was in front of the bars.
“Miya!”
I crawled toward the bars. Miya slipped through the bars with ease.
"I told you not to come! Mermaids are such evil beings!"
"Did you know it would turn out like this?"
"Do you know how hard it was to find you?"
Miya, who had been huffing and puffing for quite a while, approached me. It looked as if she was trying to cut the rope with her sharp teeth.
I held out my bound hands.
Not long after, the rope snapped. I quickly extended my foot as well.
"I'm going through hell because of you. Seriously."
“Sorry, sorry.”
"You have to give me a massage for over an hour later! And give me that delicious food too!"
"Of course."
Miya, with her head bowed, gnawed on the rope tied around her ankle. Before long, the rope came completely undone.
Done!
Now free, I sprang up from my seat.
Was it because of the aftereffects of being forcibly knocked unconscious? For a moment, my body swayed precariously, but I could hold on.
"So, what do we do now...?"
I grabbed the bars.
My body felt lighter, but the real problem began now. The bars before me could not be cut or broken like a rope.
'No matter how strong you are, if you break this, it will make a loud noise.'
It was just then that I was wondering if there was a way to get out quietly.
Miya easily slipped through the bars.
"Miya? Where are you going? Miya!"
Miya scurried away somewhere without answering my call. I stared at her in vain.
You didn't come just to untie the ropes, did you? If so, you're truly disloyal!
While I was huffing and puffing, holding onto the bars, Miya appeared again.
With a small key in its mouth!
Miya, who had come back inside, placed the key at my feet.
I looked at Miya with a look of disbelief.
"How did you get this?"
“There is a way.”
Miya, who had been standing proudly with her front paws, straightened up with a thud.
"I acted a little cute with the guys guarding it."
"...Is that the end?"
"How dare you ignore the cats' cuteness?"
Miya glared at me and picked up the key with her front paw again. Worried that she might snatch it back, I quickly picked up the key.
"Oh, no way. I know that all too well. A cat's cuteness is the best."
Miya nodded with a proud look on her face.
"That's right. Even the guys who asked where we crawled in from at first melted away. We sneaked in by boat while they let their guard down."
"Well done. Well done. After all, a man's true virtue is cuteness."
I quickly scratched Miya's nape and the back of her tail.
Purring, Miya cried with a pleasant sound.
'That's enough praise.'
I got up again. Then I reached my hand out through the bars and inserted the key into the hole.
Click.
The door opened with a pleasant sound.
Miya and I quickly escaped from the prison.
'I have to get out of here.'
I had something to ask the mermaid, but not now. Ren's voice, saying she would take my eyes, was still vivid.
'Retreat for now.'
I came to find the truth, not to have my eyes taken away.
Thinking that, I turned the corner. I saw a door in the distance.
I rolled up my sleeves and opened the door.
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