Chapter 158
She had naturally expected their condition to be poor.
But Hata’s nuance was a bit more subtle.
After pondering for a while what that subtlety meant, Cheshire suddenly realized.
‘It sounded like something bizarre is happening?’
But Hata didn’t elaborate.
After talking about other things for a time, it simply nestled tightly into Cheshire’s arms and fell asleep with a soft snore.
‘Well… what could it be.’
After all, Cheshire was well aware that the men of House Basilian were abnormal to begin with.
They were already crazy, so what difference would a little more madness make.
Cheshire brushed it off lightly.
Thus, the journey to the Palen Empire began in earnest.
The trip was uneventful and smooth to the point of boredom.
With skilled mercenaries guarding them, no dangers arose.
They peacefully left Skaya and headed toward the Palen Empire.
Before entering the empire, the group reached the vicinity of the Backworld.
The shortest path to the empire was through the Backworld, but that was too risky.
Five carriages loaded with valuable goods in the Backworld.
No matter how many top-tier mercenaries they had hired, it would be difficult.
So they decided to detour, and the group unpacked at an inn in a village near the Backworld.
Aran must have been very tired, as she fell fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Cheshire, who had a room to herself, listened to the sounds outside the door.
She could sense the presence of people standing guard right in front.
They were more like watchers than escorts.
Itar must have sternly ordered them to keep a close eye on Cheshire, the only means to meet the witch Lichesia.
‘But how could ordinary humans stop me?’
It was ridiculous.
‘Let’s go!’
Cheshire packed simply.
Once she met any of the three brothers in the Backworld, there would be no need to return here.
Rummaging through her bag, the strange clothes she had changed out of for Skaya attire were nowhere to be found.
Only a few withered flower petals remained in the bag.
They must have been clothes created in the illusory domain, scattering into petals.
Having packed lightly, Cheshire slapped a flower onto her forehead to erase her presence.
She attached one to Hata too, and before jumping out the window.
She glanced around the room one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
“…Oh, right.”
The rabbit doll lay pitifully sprawled on the bed.
Cheshire quickly grabbed it.
Hata made a short, displeased ‘tch’ sound, but she ignored it.
‘It’s inconvenient since the doll can’t talk.’
Normally, it would have been screeching at her to take it along, so she couldn’t have missed it.
‘I wonder when it’ll speak again.’
Seeing it dangle like a truly ordinary doll made her a bit worried.
Probably, she needed to regain some power before they could converse again.
She also had to find the fairies….
The tasks piled up like mountains.
Cheshire slipped out of the inn nimbly, carrying the rabbit doll and Hata.
With the goal of returning early in the morning if she didn’t meet the three brothers.
However, the ambitious midnight escape was lackluster from the start.
The sky had been overcast and gloomy all day, and now rain finally began to pour.
Cheshire placed the rabbit doll on her head and hugged Hata with one arm.
Then she produced a large flower and used it as an umbrella.
It looked a bit ridiculous, but since she was concealed, it should be fine.
“Walking from here would be too far, right?”
“A little! But Hata knows a shortcut, so it’s okay.”
Cheshire hurried her steps.
She needed to arrive before the rain worsened.
Following Hata’s guidance for a while, flickering lights appeared through the rain.
Even on a rainy night, the Backworld boasted a dazzling nightscape.
Gazing at the Backworld from afar, her heart fluttered uneasily.
She now knew that place was created hundreds of years ago by the previous fairy queen.
A barren land born from her immense power reversing itself, where no life could grow.
Stepping onto the desolate ground, Cheshire thought of her mother for a very brief moment.
But she shook her head and quickly brushed the thought away.
“Phew.”
She let out a small sigh and slowly moved forward.
The Backworld hadn’t changed at all.
The streets, forming a sleepless city as darkness fell, were bustling despite the rain.
Some drunks staggered, opening their mouths wide to catch the rainwater.
Of course, there were those sprawled in the mud too.
People in bizarre attire naturally trampled over those floundering on the ground as they passed.
Cheshire skipped through them.
“To the hat shop first!”
As Hata directed, they headed toward the hat shop.
Suddenly, a horrific scream came from a short distance away.
Someone else dying, she thought indifferently, intending to pass by without a care.
“Aaaah! Save me!!”
A man, filled with sheer desperation to live, jumped from the building above.
He tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud.
He must have broken something, but instead of writhing in pain, he crawled away frantically.
And unfortunately, in the direction where Cheshire was.
She absolutely didn’t want to get involved.
She had seen enough in the Backworld of people losing their lives by foolishly showing pity to strangers.
Here, compassion was a privilege of the strong.
‘I’m fragile right now!’
Having lost most of her power, Cheshire was as delicate as a newly sprouted seedling.
She could only manage things like hiding her form or making a large flower umbrella.
She wasn’t in a position to save some unrelated person.
Just as she tried to slip away quickly.
Splat, splat—the sound of footsteps treading the muddy path made her turn her head involuntarily.
It was a man in black leather clothes.
His slender build was hidden by a mask covering half his face and a deeply pulled hood, not a single hair visible.
Blood dripping from the longswords in both hands mixed with the rain, diluting and spreading across the ground.
She knew at once from that gruesome appearance.
It was the ‘Executioner’ she had only heard of.
The Master of the Backworld commanded several subordinates, and among them, the most infamous was the Executioner.
He moved solely on the Master’s orders.
No matter how much the target begged or pleaded, or offered bribes of vast sums, he didn’t budge.
He simply carried out the punishment decreed by the Master.
In the past, Cheshire had secretly feared the Executioner.
Having caused so much trouble in the Backworld, she worried the capricious Master might suddenly send the Executioner one day.
Of course, she didn’t think she’d lose in a fight.
But she was slightly, just slightly afraid of being banished from the Backworld if that happened.
And now, knowing that Kierne was the Master.
She was curious who this distrustful man used as his Executioner.
She found herself staring blankly at him.
“….”
The Executioner, walking after the fleeing man, suddenly stopped.
He slowly turned his head.
His gaze was directed precisely at Cheshire.
As if looking right at the invisible Cheshire.
“Huff, heave!”
While the Executioner and Cheshire engaged in a strange standoff.
The man scrambled away on all fours.
Even though he knew the man was fleeing slowly like a turtle, the Executioner didn’t move.
He stood like a statue, merely gazing toward where Cheshire was.
Clearly, he shouldn’t see anything.
Cheshire slowly backed away.
She retreated until her body was hidden in the alley’s darkness, but the Executioner followed her that far.
By now, the people of the Backworld had all fled, leaving no presence around.
Thud—Cheshire’s heel hit the wall.
The Executioner had approached right up to her by then.
Whoosh.
The pouring rain intensified.
A low voice murmured.
“…Ha, the rain smell makes it hard to tell.”
The Executioner, who had been standing still, slowly removed his hood and pulled down the mask covering his lower face.
Rain-soaked hair clung to his pallid face.
Curly golden hair mixed with red, sharp-tipped eyes, and red pupils.
‘Huh?’
Cheshire’s eyes widened as she parted her lips.
‘Huhh?’
Knowing she might look a bit dumb, she couldn’t close her gaping mouth.
And for good reason—the man before her was Karha….
That is, undoubtedly the second son of House Basilian, Karha Basilian….
‘Why is he so big?!’
Karha had become an adult.
