WOSE Chapter 23

The gloves showed no stitching lines, and red gemstones were embedded along the wrist edges—expensive at a glance.

As she stared at them with admiration, Kelgrida personally slipped the gloves onto both her hands.

'A gift.'

The lining was backed with soft fur—the texture was remarkable.

This is too generous a gift. Iyu gazed at Kelgrida in a daze.

'I may not be the savior's mother, but I can slip gloves onto your hands—or rather, make them for you entirely.'

'...Lady Kelgrida.'

At first, she felt flustered. She'd never received such warm kindness before.

After a moment, emotion surged in. She couldn't believe Kelgrida had held onto that story she'd mentioned in passing.

In the end, her eyelids burned hot. When Kelgrida had charged at the beast's maw in her place, she'd thought it was simply because she was the savior. But this—this was a gift for Iyu, not for the savior.

Tears threatened to spill at any moment. She could only clutch her gloved hands helplessly when Kelgrida embraced her.

'You won't be lonely anymore. I promise.'

That promise, delivered like a guarantee, to become a place she could rely on.

Kelgrida had fulfilled that promise with remarkable faithfulness.

During her stay at the estate, Kelgrida carefully remembered what she ate well, what clothes she preferred, and often gave her gifts. She personally selected clothes and accessories for her, and despite her busy schedule, shared meals with her.

If she subtly picked out rock radishes, Kelgrida would scold her that she mustn't be picky—even those trivial complaints left her overjoyed and at a loss.

Perhaps that's why she'd been even more unwilling to acknowledge it. The subtle change in Kelgrida's attitude after absorbing the darkness.

But the truth she'd tried to ignore until the end made a fool of her once more. This woman hadn't changed. Rather, she'd been unchanged from the very beginning.

Iyu gazed down at the smoke-gray gloves for a long while, then withdrew her eyes.

"That one's fine."

She smiled faintly, gripping the magic tools the woman had offered.

"Thank you. I'll repay you in full for what I've received."

The party departing for End Village was smaller than before. Kalix and the knights had set out to help Kelgrida track Ragnarok.

"Will you be all right?"

Kalix asked repeatedly, clearly uneasy about leaving her behind.

"I'm not alone."

Iyu shrugged, gesturing somewhere with her eyes. Kalix's gaze reached Odynne on the opposite side. They'd witnessed his overwhelming force while crossing the desert. Kalix nodded silently in understanding, his expression considerably more relieved, then departed with the knights.

Left behind, Iyu set out for End Village with Darun—their guide—along with Odynne and Tamia.

The shelter was located like a shadow beneath a gorge far from Smidrhame's center, where roads barely connected. Iyu and her companions passed through rough terrain and reached the village entrance with difficulty.

In the deliberately hidden shade stood crumbling stone walls and shabby houses scattered here and there.

Wary gazes poured through hazy windows and gaps in broken stone walls. Even with Darun—the next clan leader—present, a celestial, human, and beastfolk gathered together naturally drew suspicion.

Eventually unable to proceed further, they stood awkwardly at the desolate entrance when an old woman with completely white hair rushed out without properly wearing her shoes to greet them.

"Master Darun! Goodness, what brings such an esteemed person all the way here!"

"Noma! It's been a while! How have you been?"

"This old woman is always well under Lady Kelgrida's care."

The old woman Darun greeted warmly looked familiar to her as well.

'She was the village elder, I think.'

In the past, according to Kelgrida's explanation, she'd been one of the village's finest craftsmen, but after suffering severe burns to her hands in an accident, she'd voluntarily entered End Village and taken on a management role.

Indeed, the skin on the old woman's hands bore melted scars. Darun attempted introductions as the woman habitually rubbed her hands, the gesture trailing off.

"Oh, I have someone to introduce. This is the savior and the holy knight our mother brought..."

"Ah, so this is her!"

Before Darun's introduction could finish, the old woman approached Iyu with a face overcome with emotion.

Rough hands like tree bark seized hers abruptly. So sudden was it that Tamia beside her bristled her tail sharply.

"Savior!"

The woman pressed her wrinkled forehead against desperately clutched hands and poured out words like a prayer.

"Please, please take pity on us and bestow your compassion. So that no more unfortunate people will lose their families..."

"Noma, that's enough!"

Darun pushed between them and forcibly separated their entangled hands. Then, concealing her discomfort with practiced ease, she skillfully soothed the old woman.

"Today we've brought her to introduce End Village. There are many here who've suffered from the darkness, so please introduce them to the savior."

The calming came quickly. Noma blinked her unfocused eyes and stepped back a couple of paces.

"Ah, yes. There's an order to things... I was too hasty. Then please follow me."

Iyu slowly followed the stooped woman. Noma explained End Village like a grandmother telling old stories.

"End Village was originally a place where people who couldn't live normally in Smidrhame gathered. But after Lady Kelgrida became clan leader, she officially designated this neglected place as a shelter and volunteered to care for it. A grateful thing indeed."

In short, End Village was a place where people with fatal disabilities or too weak to survive on their own gathered.

"The village is quite large despite appearances, isn't it?"

Iyu and her companions nodded as they surveyed the sparse but continuously connected houses.

"After darkness appeared in the mines and missing persons increased, their families also flowed here. Especially many who lost family and couldn't overcome their grief..."

Noma added gloomily.

"As accidents repeated and End Village households gradually increased, Lady Kelgrida couldn't stand it anymore and left saying she'd find answers. And now she's brought the savior, so surely tragic accidents won't happen anymore."

She felt expectations clinging like dregs in dried-up hope.

Iyu roughly brushed aside that subtle demand and changed the subject.

"Is that the house?"

She pointed with her fingertip at a house that had drawn considerably closer.

Like the other houses, it was built of stone, but gave off an atmosphere gloomy as a tomb. Moss filled the gaps between stones, and metal fixtures remained neglected, covered in rust.

Noma crossed the broken-down fence—barely there at all—and knocked heavily on the thick iron door.

"Brynja, may I come in for a moment?"

Screech!

The door opened with a sound like a scream. Through the gap that opened just enough for a palm to fit, the homeowner appeared.

"...Elder? Who on earth are these people?"

The woman gripped the door until her fingers turned white, her wary gaze sweeping over them.

"Lady Kelgrida has sent the savior. She wishes to speak with those harmed by the darkness."

Ah, the woman who let out a sigh twisted her face—impossible to tell if she was crying or smiling.

"Come in."

Screech!

With an even more labored sound, the door finally swung wide open.

The woman they properly faced at last showed clear signs of illness. The area under her eyes was blackened, her cheeks hollowed and dried. The woman adjusted the wool shawl slipping over her gaunt, twig-like body and guided them to the living room.

The house interior was as desolate as the exterior. The furniture was generally worn, and the unlit hearth held only soot.

White thread balls rolled across the worn, gleaming wooden table where several half-made lace pieces lay with thin needles.

"I hope I haven't interrupted your work."

"...It's fine."

She recalled hearing in the past that Kelgrida helped End Village residents—lacking the ability and stamina to make weapons—sell such small handicrafts.

Was that why?

'When I came with Kelgrida, the atmosphere seemed warmer.'

Now the melancholy air particular to those who'd lost precious lovers, family, and friends hung thickly.

"The lace is beautiful."

When Iyu spoke as a courtesy, the woman bringing out refreshments answered dryly.

"If the savior likes it, you may take it."

"Ah, no. I didn't mean it that way."

"It's fine. I'm always in the habit of making more than ordered. My child really loved the lace I made..."

Brynja, setting the tray down in a corner of the table, couldn't finish her words and closed her mouth.

In the uncomfortable silence, Brynja, seated on the opposite sofa, asked Noma.

"So, what story should I tell?"

"It will be difficult, but could you tell us about the disappearance in detail?"

Iyu intercepted the answer.

She'd heard enough in her past life about how much they suffered, how desperately they needed salvation. That wasn't what she wanted to know.

The woman, staring quietly at Iyu with sunken eyes, began her story.