Konrad is sipping his tea while she stares at hers.
"I was telling the truth."
He put down his tea and looked in her direction. She met his eyes.
"I woke up in a room, alone with no memories. There were tubes attached to my body and they were connected to some machines. I was forced to take pills and given injections everyday. I escape after being given an opportunity."
"How long were you confined?"
"I lost track of time."
"Did you see their face?"
"No, They were wearing white masks."
"How did you escape?"
"I got a hold of an escape rune. It sent me to the Forest."
She told the truth omitting, the system's existence.
Konrad raised his right arm on the side. Silver and blue sparks dance around it then the sparks uniformly form a circle. Unidentified small scribblings begin to take shape around the circle sparks.
He did a familiar movement. The way he extends his hands inside the circle is almost identical to how she uses the inventory minus the circle sparks and pattern scribblings.
'SYSTEM?! How did he activate it?' She forgot to control her expression. She frowned hard at the sight of it.
'Did I miss his activation command?"
Konrad pulled a long silver stick out of thin air and placed it in front of her.
[???'s Paralyzing Hunting Spear]
"Where did you get this weapon?"
She thought she lost it during her fight against the Ogre's Chieftain.
'He had it all this time but how did he know it was mine?'
She knows she will not be able to lie her way out of this. She waved down her fingers as natural as she could and accessed her inventory. She can tell that Konrad can't see the system's screen, his eyes are focused and directly looking at her.
'This is uncomfortable.' She complained after looking away
" I can do something like this" she stretched her hands and pulled something out. Konrad's pupil dilated. The only time he gives away a reaction.
[Ogre's Butcher Knife]
The used to be heavy to lift knives feels lightweight now. She sticks the huge butcher knife on the table. The table did have a slight crack but didn't break in half.
"I found that spear inside." She didn't technically lie.
There was silence between them before Konrad rolled his sleeves. His arms are thick and had obviously undergone years and years of rigid training. Both of his arms are full of different black lines, and shape tattoos just like the guy with a face tattoo.
He pointed the box with a weird shape line at his wrist again. The tattoo he called "Code" yesterday.
"The code is something humans are born with. It is unique and serves as an identification without this you are not recognized as human."
****
She let herself fall to the floor, catching her breath. Sweat drops from her forehead to nose line. Her sleepwear is also wet from all the exercise she just finished.
She sits up straight and decides to go for shower before sleeping. She undresses herself while walking. She stares at her naked reflection from the glass window.
'Not human? No matter how I see it. I look like a human.'
The only thing that is unusual is her right side body is plagued by brown spots. The brown spots start from below the collarbone that extends in her arms until wrist, down to her thighs.
A little skinny but definitely human. She recalled an earlier conversation.
"The code disappears for a moment when the body has sustained severe damage and completely disappears when a human dies. Since when did you notice you don't have code?"
There was a heavy silence in the atmosphere before she answered.
"I never had it. . . "
****
The more she stares at Konrad the more she can't see that he is an old man. He looks to be in late 20's or early 30's. He can be mistaken as an older brother to his son.
"Stop staring and ask." Konrad said as he continued to sip on his tea. He always comes at a certain time. Yesterday they had tea, now he brought a new table and tea with afternoon snacks. As usual the servants left after serving some tea.
"What do you want from me?" she blurted out
"What makes you think I want something from you?" He countered
"Then why do you keep coming here?"
"To check if you're still human."
She felt a little twitching in her forehead.
'Is that sarcasm or will he really finish me off if he decides I am not human anymore?' Well according to him I don't fall under the category of human----- '
She unconsciously reached for her wrist and rubbed it with her thumb.
'That code is necessary for my survival. . . . .I can't go back to that place again.'
"How do I get a code?" Her throat feels dry after voicing out her worries. After her short trip to town, deep down she already know, she has more chances in the Monster's Forests than in civilization.
"You need a miracle." Even Konrad words indicated clear impossibility but at least not to her ears.
She had thought about it. . .the reason why he let her go yesterday. She could have run away but she didn't, more likely she couldn't. Like how she accepted the coat and map, everything went according to his plans.
Konrad reads her like an open book. No matter how much she goes around the scenario it ends up her going back to him.
'I would like to avoid dealing with such a person. . . ' Eyeing at her cold untouched tea.
"Do you have it?" She asked in a soft voice
' . . . but I can't resist his offers'
"The miracle, do you have it?"
Konrad smiles a little.
"If I do?"
"In exchange for it, I will help with the Monster Forest."
"What could you offer that my thousands of knights can't?"
'Thousands? I didn't see a single soul.'
"I am strong and I will continue to get stronger in the future." She confidently believes her own words as long as the system helps her, that is.
"You consider yourself strong?" Konrad's tone is a little lower than usual. It came out like he was mocking her.
". . ."
"Ogres are only Rank F monsters. The weakest among all monsters, slightly stronger than most of Rank F monsters but nevertheless Rank of their Chieftain who put hole in that shoulder falls in the same rank "
She clenches her fist. She had a hunch that they are not high level monsters but the weakest? She barely gets out alive every time.
'Did I just get lucky? Luck? luck is also a skill . . . the beginner's luck! am I alive because?'
She cannot argue but also refuses to lose.
"I will be stronger than your knights"
And Stronger than you. ' She wanted to say the last part but held it in. It is still unfounded confidence and came out of her pride.
". . ." Konrad gave her indifferent gaze.
"Your son, Is he back in the forest?"
". . . yes."
She examined Konrad's expression but nothing gave away. After visiting the town, she observed it as a normal peaceful town. No sign of monster attack at least not recently. The number of knights patrolling is not unusually high. She concluded that the monster forest can be in a very far place from there or it was isolated and guarded. Either way, his people intentionally went inside. They want something from it. The fact they went in again, it was a continuous mission and from that she narrowed down the possible reasons.
" Was it to hunt monsters or gather resources?"
"Both."
"Have you fully explored the forest?"
Konrad squinted his eyes slightly. What does that look mean?
"If not yet, I can give this to you." She continued and opened her inventory and pulled out a book from her inventory.
[Monster Forest Map]
Konrad didn't say anything and just looked at the worn out brown book.
"This will be a great help."
From the book Konrad raised his blue eyes to her face. That moment she knew, she had something useful.
"This is a map. The Monster Forest Map" she opened the book. A semi transparent hologram came out with brown landscape, lines and blank coordinates floating. She closes it after a few seconds and tosses it back in the inventory.
"How can I trust you it is what you claim it to be?"
They now both want something.
"How can I trust that you can provide the code? "
The staring contest begins again.
"It is easier to prove what I am saying than you providing me with code. If I remember correctly, it is something a person is born with and serves as identification then how will you acquire one?"
****
*Knock Knock
"Come in" An old man in a suit opened the door and bowed down to the man sitting behind the large table with piles of paper everywhere. It's been like this for days now.
"Your Grace, The young masters have arrived."
"Tell them to report immediately."
He bowed down and left the office. The count always finishes his workload and dislikes stacking workpapers at his office but the past few days, the papers in his office continue to rise in volume.
The old man went to the main door and greeted two young men that walked in .
"Welcome back Young Master Theodeos and Young Master Giovanni!" He bowed down politely and stayed like that until one of them spoke.
"Father is at his office?" Theo removes his dirty cloak and places it in the arms of a maid.
"Yes, young master. His Grace has called for a report."
"Father, We're back." Theo and Gio bow their heads slightly and turn to see their father's side profile. The count is gazing at the large heavy red curtain with gold embroidered curtains.
Theo dropped his eyes as he felt the longing in his father's eyes.
"Father," Theo said in a soft voice.
"I am thinking of giving that child her code."
"How---- " To exactly know who that child is and it hit him who's code Konrad was about to give.
"FATHER! You are giving that unknown child, Kaleena's Code?!!!" Theo raised his voice and walked towards his father's table.
Gio has the gist of what is happening. He raised his head and a set of the same blue eyes shook after hearing Kaleena's name but he remained silent and watched his older brother's confrontation.
'Kaleena's code? What will they do to her code?' he thought.
"Father, what are you thinking?!!" Theo who slams his father's table emits a dangerous level of cold aura. The stacks of paper violently glides in the air.
"Theodeos! " His father said in a low but powerful voice as he met his son's trembling eyes. Theo took a step back. He withdrew the cold air and the flying paper scattered to the floor.
". . . "
"That child is . . . like your mother." Konrad broke the silence and looked at the curtain's direction again. A space in the middle parted slightly underneath the heavy curtain was a huge painting of a woman. Her face is half shown. The color of her hair and eyes are black.
"No matter how much that child reminds you of your mother, Giving Kaleena's code is too much." Theo who just calmed down sounded sad and defeated. He can see how much his father longs for her mother.
"That child feels like Kaleena is back." Konrad, put his hands together and lean his head and close his eyes.
". . ." his sons didn't protest. In this world, having either black hair or black eyes is rare but having both is the rarest among all.
"Why Kaleena's code?" Gio's hood was removed by earlier violent air. His long silver hair hangs, as he opens his mouth. He is processing everything slowly
"I will . . . I will get you another code, just don't. . . " Gio is clenched his hands tightly so that his nails begin to dig his palms.
"Where would you get code with black hair as characteristics?" Konrad sighed and remembered his visit to that child earlier.
"It is easier to prove what I am saying than you providing me with code. If I remember correctly, it is something a person is born with and serves as identification then how will you acquire one?"
Konrad knows she is not telling the whole story. Konrad can see through her. She masked away her confusions and fears, taking calculative talks and deals for someone who doesn't have memories. She is doing a good job.
'That's right, don't trust anyone easily.'
"Good question." Konrad got up to his seat and walked towards the door but he stopped and turned to face her again.
"If I want I could just steal that book away from you." Konrad tested her limits. Her eyes changed, she looked straight at his eyes with a blank expression. The gaze he is so familiar with.
"Go ahead and try." She said flatly. No hostility nor welcoming challenge feeling just pure conviction.
'How far will you go?' Konrad was intrigued.
"I can make you give it to me willingly."
Her eyes shook strongly yesterday when Konrad told her about the code but right now she looks calm.
" Like I said, Go ahead and try. "
That's when it was clear to Konrad. Those calm eyes are a pair of dead eyes. She will risk it all.
Now that Konrad is looking at his son's eyes, anxiously waiting for an explanation why he is giving Kaleena's, their sister's code to an unknown child. Konrad had nothing else to say but . . .
"Go and see for yourself."