...Because you have a gun, that’s exactly why I feel uneasy.
"By the time you no longer need a gun, I’ll certainly feel at ease letting you carry me through these troubles, Ben," Annan silently commented to himself.
But he didn’t say much more.
Instead, he simply nodded gently, grasping Benjamin’s sleeve—this reserved and fragile gesture would likely inspire a desire to perform and protect in the heart of any youth.
He distinctly felt Benjamin’s body pause for a moment.
With Annan holding onto his cuff, the still immature Benjamin didn’t dare to move rashly.
He was probably worried about accidentally flinging "Evelyn’s" hand off his cuff, and so his arm was even suspended in the air, completely still.
...What a blockheaded fool.
Annan sighed inwardly.
This was such a good opportunity—a girl lightly holding onto your sleeve or the edge of your clothes, as if she might let go at any moment, is hinting for you to grab her hand with your other hand.
If she could hold on tight herself, what would she need you to grab for?
But Benjamin didn’t have the courage... Of course, it might also be because he was simply too stunned to think of doing so.
Such an honest child is rare indeed...
...However, this also revealed another matter to Annan.
That is, "Evelyn" herself was a person with some insecurities.
This was understandable, too.
For a teenage girl with outstanding dance talent... to have her appearance, skin, along with her future dreams all destroyed, it was already remarkable that she lived so resiliently.
Moreover, from her body, Annan could sense that... although she had left the stage, she had not neglected her daily exercises.
Otherwise, her body wouldn’t be so supple, her steps so light.
...In that case, if Benjamin inadvertently let go of Evelyn’s hand, it might be quite a blow to her.
To keep pace with Annan, Benjamin’s left arm was completely rigid, and he didn’t even dare to keep walking forward, but instead would stop every two steps to let Annan catch up.
—It’s too troublesome.
Annan simply stepped forward and grabbed Benjamin’s hand with his own.
Meeting Benjamin’s surprised gaze, Annan’s face revealed a fragile expression tinged with firmness, "I want to see.
"I feel... it must be right here."
Benjamin hesitated for a moment, his face showing a hint of reluctance and uncertainty.
But he still pulled out his gun, held on tightly to Annan’s hand, and advanced into the spider web-covered ruins of the church.
Annan keenly captured that fleeting emotion in Benjamin.
He quickly understood—
Benjamin had probably been to this place by himself before.
In Annan’s mind, he roughly pieced together the clues:
—"Evelyn" might have lost a segment of her memory.
Judging by Benjamin’s reaction, Evelyn must have first witnessed the dance of the moonlit dancer, and then wanted to search for the Pale Princess. She learned the location of these church ruins.
She told Benjamin about this, hoping he could accompany her here.
If nothing else, Benjamin probably came to explore by himself before she arrived—possibly with his parents or others. And had known in advance that there was no danger here, but also nothing Evelyn was looking for.
This could also explain where Benjamin got the weapon, and how his family was at ease with a child carrying a gun out.
It’s simple because his family had accompanied Benjamin here once before. They knew this was a mere "ruin."
—But was there really nothing here?
That wasn’t the case.
For Annan had clearly heard "voices."
"—Did you go to last night’s ball, Your Highness?"
"—How could I not, such a grand ball..."
It was as if a man and two women were discussing something, brushing past Annan and Benjamin.
Annan instinctively looked at Benjamin.
He realized Benjamin was just holding a gun with the safety not even disengaged, looking cautiously and somewhat nervously ahead, as if he heard nothing at all.
Noticing Annan’s gaze, Benjamin turned his head curiously.
"...What’s the matter?"
"...You’ve really worked hard."
Annan naturally wouldn’t say "It’s nothing."
If that’s the case, if those "voices" could also see them, Annan would have been exposed.
So Annan changed the subject and softly murmured, "Thank you."
"...Ah, ah. No problem, I just came to accompany you... No, that’s not it. I mean, it’s no trouble."
Benjamin coughed a few times, his words coming out in a confused sequence.
He stole a glance at Annan, obviously unsure if his response would satisfy the girl.
But Annan didn’t pay him any attention.
He just nodded, indicating he heard, while at the same time, he listened intently to the "invisible voices" conversing around him.
"—Hey, isn’t that little girl..."
"—Hmm. I saw her yesterday."
"—She is a good dancer. His Highness will favor her."
"—His Highness is more concerned with a pure and glittering soul."
"—But she has a pure heart too!"
"—But that’s all it is... just pure..."
In front of Annan, there was a partially collapsed ruin.
Columns had fallen, the ground was littered with dirt and debris, all the decorations had been taken away, leaving no light whatsoever.
But in Annan’s ears, many voices were talking to him—or rather, critiquing "Evelyn."
Yet Annan saw nothing.
Benjamin also had not heard these voices.
...Could these speakers be the specters of the Pale Princess?
A suspicion seemed to form in Annan’s mind.
He had begun to speculate about Evelyn’s ultimate fate...
Had she, in the end, been transformed into a "half-dead maiden"?
When Annan approached the basement, he instinctively looked to the left.
The head of the soldier statue had fallen off, nowhere to be found, and the statue itself had been toppled over, covered in dust.
That famous painting, naturally, would not be here. It served as a mechanism hiding the entrance to the secret room.
—The path to the underground secret chamber was wide open right here.
"...Do you want to go to the basement?"
Benjamin’s voice had the distinctive sound of a teenager going through puberty.
He hesitated only briefly before pulling out a palm-sized iron box from his pocket.
He opened the iron box and took out a silver, filigreed lantern about two fingers wide. Once unfolded, the lantern was connected to the iron box by a chain, resembling a pocket watch.
Benjamin vigorously turned the top of the lantern, and after three or four twists, he managed to ignite the light within.
Carrying it like a pocket watch, he held the filigreed lantern which, despite containing green flames, emitted an almost pale yellow brilliance.
Benjamin boasted, "This is green flame, Evelyn!
"Unlike black flame... it can serve as a stable light source.
"I’ve heard that Heath Tower of Black will soon popularize green flame lanterns among the public. Then, we won’t need candles at night anymore!"
Benjamin’s puberty-ridden, raspy voice revealed a hint of aspiration, "I want to go to the Black Tower, Evelyn!
"You know, the wizards who make the green flame, known as alchemists in ancient times, could turn stone into gold! The healing ointment is also their creation...
"I think... I mean, if we don’t find any clues here, don’t worry."
As Benjamin descended the stairs, he spoke earnestly, "If I can enter the Black Tower, I’m sure I can invent, invent a salve that can heal your... wounds!"
As he said this, he gripped Annan’s hand even tighter.
Annan looked at Benjamin, whose eyes first dodged away but soon steadied, looking back at the suddenly silent "Evelyn."
He waited tentatively for "Evelyn’s" response.
Yet in his trance, Annan felt a measure of... the grand power of time.
So, was this the motive that drove Benjamin to aspire to become a transformation wizard?
To become a person of the Gold rank, one must possess a strong enough desire—was this Benjamin’s desire?
—The Benjamin of today, evidently, had already been able to achieve this. Forget about the scars left by a fire, even if his entire skin was peeled off, he could likely heal it easily.
Where was Evelyn now?
Annan felt a sense of foreboding creeping in.
Because it suddenly occurred to him.
The keyword of this instance... was "the deceased."