‘Jung Ha-Yan didn’t do it by herself.’

It was just a simple assumption, but I couldn’t help but think that the spell was too powerful for her to perform alone. She had recently become very careful, but I was sure she wasn’t this careful.

It was difficult for me to detect exactly where the mana came from and the flow of mana was different from someone I knew. It felt like it took the caster two or three times to complete this spell. Even if they had enough knowledge regarding magic to do this, I was certain they received outside help.

I immediately turned my attention elsewhere because I was really bothered by the fact that Han Sora wasn’t here right now. If the Republic revealed that black magic was involved, we could end up in a dangerous situation. All this would be resolved if we just abandoned Han Sora, but using a developing Black Mage as a scapegoat was a waste.

‘No way.’

While I was deep in my thoughts, Kasugano Yuno of Celia was walking toward me.

“Master, no, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. Are you looking for something?” Kasugano Yuno asked.

“Nothing in particular… Have you seen Han Sora from the Blue Guild?” I asked with a nod.

“Ah… she should be in her room. I think I heard her say that she wasn’t feeling well… Is there a problem? Have you found out something?” she questioned.

“I can’t provide the details right now, but I believe I found a clue. I’ll leave this place to you, Miss Kasugano. These are the samples I gathered, so you can grab the ones that are similar. Please make sure you take the Magic Crystal. I may find clues or use it for new research,” I ordered her.

“Ah…”

“I think it’s a catalyst that can be used as a high-grade material, but I don’t know exactly what it is,” I added.

Naturally, I kept the compressed catalyst because I had to see if it would show any other reactions.

“I understand,” she said, nodding.

“Miss Cha Hee-Ra will take care of the foreign affairs. If there’s an official announcement, I’ll make sure you’re able to return to our house. If possible, please investigate the traces of the incident that occurred in other areas, and if you think we need it, please gather samples,” I continued.

“Alright. Please proceed with what you think is the best,” she told me.

“Are you able to track this magic, Miss Kasugano?” I asked.

“I don’t know the details, so I’ll have to look into it more, but even if I can track it, it’ll take me a really long time,” she answered.

“What about your eyes…” I pointed out.

“I-I apologize, but I can’t see it just because I want to, but it’s probably best if you leave Laios soon,” Yuno suggested.

“What?” I questioned.

“T-To be honest—” Kasugano Yuno paused for a really long time.

I got frustrated by the pause, so when I encouraged her to talk, she started talking.

“Please continue…”

“When that same magic fell, I saw the city turning into ruins with my own eyes. Of course, it was only for a brief moment, and I don’t know the exact time…” she informed.

‘What’s this about…’

I couldn’t help but gulp. The orb that fell sent the city into chaos, but this time, Laios would turn into ruins.

“I thought about whether I should tell you or not…” she mentioned.

‘What’s there to think about? It’s better to tell me no matter what.’

It was kind of suspicious, but after hearing her explanation, I realized why she hesitated in telling me.

“I don’t know what kind of result it will bring when I tell you about the future. Unlike the past, the future can change even by the smallest incident. If you’re related to the future I had seen, it may have been created because of what I told you.”

“Are you saying it’s possible the future might happen as planned because I’m already aware of the future?” I asked.

“That’s the simple explanation. What I told you just now may be one of the processes that will lead to the future I had seen. Of course, the outcome can be the total opposite of what I had seen. It could potentially become a dangerous situation, so I decided that it would be best to tell you. Since I don’t know what’s going to happen, I think you should consider the option of leaving Laios,” she explained.

“I understand what you’re saying,” I told her.

I understood her completely. Kasugano Yuno was worried that an incident may occur because she told me about the future just now. Even if an ordinary villager heard this information, the future could change because they would surely warn the others of the danger. I was an influential figure who could influence a lot of people, and I may end up being at the heart of this incident. If I tried to stop the future Kasugano Yuno had seen, it may end up being the catalyst that could put us in that incident even faster.

‘This is complicated…’

Since Kasugano Yuno had only seen one part of that future, I definitely had to be careful. After all, she had lived a difficult life in the previous timeline because her tongue had slipped.

“I’ll… keep that in mind for now,” I said.

“Please move with caution,” Yuno warned.

“By the way, has Laios…”

“They haven’t made any official announcements yet. Miss Cha Hee-Ra officially requested the dispatch of the Sacred Democratic Country’s investigation team just now, and Laios accepted. A second attack might happen, so they’re more worried about the denizens than us. The professionals who came to our delegation said something similar, so if you’d like—”

“No, it’s fine,” I interrupted.

I knew what they would say. They would apologize for the sudden accident, comfort the Republic members preparing for any unforeseen situations, and they would say that they were doing their best to fix the situation. The neutral nation had been experiencing a lot of issues recently, and if I wanted to find a weakness politically, I could definitely find one. The situation was simply that sensitive right now, so I was sure they wouldn’t be able to clarify their position right away. I was honestly bothered by what kind of stance Laios would express, but there was an issue that bothered me even more. Kasugano Yuno’s story about Laios suddenly turning into a sea of flames caused my anxiety to start building up.

‘It’s probably Jung Ha-Yan’s doing, right?’

It was most likely because Jung Ha-Yan was the one who caused the incident in her past life. Incidents that would provoke Jung Ha-Ya would keep on occurring, and she would eventually run rampant thanks to her unstable mind, turning Laios into ruins.

This would most likely not happen, but an external attack or a natural disaster could turn Laios into ruins in this lifetime. However, anyone would say that the former was more going likely to happen.

It was a good thing that Kasugano Yuno decided to tell me because her comment made me aware that I had to be careful from now on.

‘I just need to be careful.’

I had to be cautious so that I wouldn’t end up provoking her. I had to take care of her mental health once more, but before that, I needed to find Han Sora.

‘Why is this so complicated?’

The situation was as complicated as it could be, but my priority was erasing the traces and taking care of Jung Ha-Yan.

When I walked while having different thoughts, I immediately saw our house. Unlike before when it was peaceful, the Red Mercenary Guild members were restricting the entry of other people to the point that even I had to go through a simple procedure. However, it didn’t bother me because inspections were necessary.

After entering the house, I immediately knocked on the door of Han Sora’s room. When I didn’t hear an answer, I opened the door and saw her sitting quietly on the sofa.

“Miss Sora,” I called out.

“Ah, Sub Guild Master,” Han Sora greeted.

“You know why I came to visit, right?” I asked.

“Not really… Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Don’t play dumb,” I told her.

“Is it about what happened outside? I heard there was an incident outside. I’m not feeling well today, so I’m sorry for not being able to help you,” she said.

She was definitely talented in acting to the point that I thought she was just as talented as Kim Ye-Ri and Ahn Ki-Mo.

‘Is she really unaware?’

I couldn’t help but think, but there was fear in her eyes, so I knew that wasn’t the case. However, she wasn’t afraid of me.

‘She’s afraid of Jung Ha-Yan.’

I was sure Jung Ha-Yan had warned her not to tell anyone about this incident. Han Sora was acting this way for her survival, not to mess with me.

“I don’t have time to play around like this, Miss Han Sora. I know what you’re worried about, but I need you to tell me because I have to understand the situation. If you’re worried about Ha-Yan, then it’s okay. I’ll take care of it from my end,” I assured her.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Gub Guild Master. R-Really…” Han Sora stuttered.

“Please tell me. I don’t have time,” I urged her.

“I really don’t know anything! W-Why are you doing this?” she questioned.

I didn’t know what she was imagining, but her eyes, arms, and legs were shaking. It was like she was telling me with her body to stop asking her questions. We kind of had a bad start, but naturally, I pitied her. However, I wasn’t in the situation to be considerate of her circumstances.

“Please don’t do this. I really don’t know anything,” she repeated.

‘What is she talking about?’

“And I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she added.

“I have to understand the situation to fix it, Miss Sora. I have an idea, and I know you’re related to what happened today,” I said.

“Really…” she said.

When the stalemate continued for a while, I naturally strode toward her, causing Han Sora to look surprised. Seeing that she was curling up as much as she could, it felt like she wanted to hide something. When I grabbed her arm, she looked up at me as if she was asking me not to do this. When I activated a simple spell, there was a swoosh sound and her shirt was split in half. What I had been expecting appeared before me. A large black spot was covering her chest.

‘Mana exhaustion.’

It was the perfect evidence. It was so perfect she wouldn’t be able to deny it, but as expected, Han Sora immediately started giving excuses.

“T-This isn’t what you think. It really isn’t!”

She screamed while mumbling as if she was surprised, but the evidence was too clear. Han Sora and Jung Ha-Yan were the ones who caused this incident.

“It’s really a misunderstanding. This is… you see. You’re mistaken,” she added.

“Misunderstanding, my ass,” I commented.

“It’s true. It’s a misunderstanding. R-Really! Please… spare me,” she begged.

“It’s okay,” I told her.

“P-Please spare me,” she begged again.

“Why should I…” I paused.

Han Sora was mumbling as her body kept on trembling, but I realized she wasn’t talking to me. When I unknowingly looked back, I saw Jung Ha-Yan looking at us quietly.

‘Shit…’