SOTBW - 96

“Curse? Did you just say curse?”

The Chief sprang to his feet in surprise. Gwyneth stared at Najane, her face showing signs of confusion. Najane gently pressed the place where the curse resided and gave a lonely smile.

“That day, the Commander and I went to the black market to find a way to resolve my curse. After taking care of things, we joined the knights. By the time we arrived at the field, the sun had already set, so it’s impossible that he killed Sir Armunzen. Someone framed him.”

Najane calmly confessed that she had been cursed.

Gwyneth, struck by the sudden revelation, was at a loss for words. The Chief and the Deputy Commander wouldn’t keep the fact that Najane was cursed a secret. The news would spread quickly, reaching even the beggars who slept carelessly in the streets and alleys.

When people hear that someone is cursed, two things usually come to mind.

The curse of losing one’s voice, like that of a parrot, or the curse of the billy goat commonly branded on slaves. So, people would likely soon figure out that Najane had been cursed with the billy goat’s curse. If that truth spread, it was clear what the careless ones would say about her.

Gwyneth rubbed her forehead in a disheartened manner. The Deputy Commander, looking at Najane as if she were a filthy prostitute, was now glaring at her. The Chief, still stunned by the sudden revelation, paused, stroking his beard before carefully speaking.

“Do you have someone who can vouch for your curse? Not Sir Elgort, it has to be someone with credibility.”

Najane glanced at Gwyneth, who sighed and nodded.

“It’s true that Najane has been cursed. It’s a rather vicious curse, one she still hasn’t broken. I swear before the name of Sylin, I am speaking only the truth.”

“Then…”

“It could be an excuse to lie, though. We shouldn’t believe it so easily, Chief.”

The Deputy Commander still believed that Najane was lying. The Chief, uncomfortable with the Deputy Commander’s stubborn attitude, grew even more uneasy.

“Hmm.”

Lost in thought, the Chief stared at the wide window behind the desk. The spires of the cathedral were visible outside the window. Najane, trying to hide her anxiety, waited for the Chief to speak. After a long pause, the Chief turned to Gwyneth.

“Yea, I would like to seek the cooperation of the Church in one matter...”

“What is it?”

“I want to use a piece of Hilderund’s mirror.”

“That?”

The piece of Hilderund’s mirror referred to the part of the truth mirror created by the first sorcerer, Hilderund.

Long ago, when magic began to spread rapidly, many people impersonated sorcerers and committed evil deeds. The damage was immense, and the people began to despise sorcerers. To resolve this, Hilderund created a mirror that could distinguish truth from lies.

The completed mirror was used for centuries to expose evil sorcerers but was shattered during the war with Serith. However, the power contained in the pieces of the mirror still remained, and many countries used them to solve perplexing cases.

The ritual to reveal the truth was quite simple. The piece of the mirror was placed in clear water, and the hand was dipped into it. If the person spoke the truth, the water would glow brightly, but if they lied, the water would turn dark and sticky.

Since the power of Hilderund’s mirror diminished with each use, it had to be used at the right moment. The Chief thought now was the time to borrow the power of the great sorcerer from thousands of years ago.

“When I heard that Sir Armunzen had been murdered, I decided I must use it. That way, both the Armunzen family and the knights of Colnux will accept the truth without complaint.”

“Good idea. But once it’s used, it can’t be used again for years. You know that, and yet you’re asking to borrow it?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll have to write a letter to Archbishop Venus. That inflexible man should hand it over without a fuss...”

Gwyneth immediately began writing a letter to be sent to the cathedral. Najane watched anxiously, her gaze lowered. She knew about the piece of Hilderund’s mirror.

The mysterious piece that could discern the truth from falsehood in situations where it seemed impossible to uncover the truth.

If Najane were to dip her hand into the water containing Hilderund’s piece, it was obvious what would happen.

Anxiety surged like a tidal wave, but Najane remained composed, pretending it didn’t bother her. After Gwyneth sent the letter to the cathedral, a priest visited the office shortly after. The priest was carrying a large box made of ivory.

The priest greeted Gwyneth politely and handed over the box.

“Lord Luamars asked me to remind you that the power of the shard is faint, so please use it carefully and return it. He also expressed a desire for the murderer of Sir Armunzen to be caught as soon as possible.”

Inside the box, a small piece of glass, smaller than an adult’s palm, was carefully wrapped in red velvet. The glass shard, however, did not sparkle even under the sunlight, as it had been used frequently over the years, and it appeared dull, as if stained with watermarks.

Gwyneth poured holy water onto a concave silver tray and gently placed the shard of Hilderund into it. As the holy water soaked in, the surface of the shard became slightly clearer.

“Najane, are you ready?”

Wiping her hands dry, Gwyneth turned to Najane. Najane stood before the silver tray with a dignified and confident expression, as if she had spoken nothing but the truth from start to finish. Even the Deputy Commander of Colnux, who had consistently denied her testimony, looked anxious, visibly unsettled by her composure.

But Najane was in a state of deep anxiety. She had placed her palm on the shard of Hilderund to salvage the lie she had told, but she had no idea what the outcome would be.

If the water turned black, Najane would be imprisoned for perjury. Saving Maximón would become impossible, and both her and his reputations would be tarnished forever.

Yet, part of her wondered if that might be better. Instead of staying alone in Romsoa to fight Serith, being trapped in a stinking prison with Maximón might be a better fate.

As her roughened fingers dipped into the water, the mirror shard reacted to Najane’s body temperature. The Chief and the Deputy Commander watched the scene with a mix of curiosity and tension.

Gwyneth asked.

“Did you, on the day Sir Armunzen was murdered, visit the black market with Maximón Elgort?”

“Yes.”

Please.

“Is it true that you only returned when it was time to enter the field?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Please, give me a chance to save him...

After answering, Najane squeezed her eyes shut. In that moment, the water, which had been as cold as ice, warmed up.

Najane hurriedly looked down at the silver tray. The ripples of light reflected gently across her face. The holy water holding the glass shard sparkled beautifully, as if diamond dust had been sprinkled on it. The Chief, watching the scene, naturally murmured in admiration.

“It’s the truth. Najane Schnicks has spoken the truth... Maximón Elgort was framed...”

Najane clasped the warm holy water in her palm. The mirror shard sparkled as though it held stars within it.

Everyone in the room was mesmerized by the light emanating from the shard.

Najane gently caressed the shard on the silver tray. For a brief moment, her face reflected in the clear mirror before vanishing. The reflection in the mirror showed her with unfamiliar silver hair, but everyone was so captivated by the light soaring from the tray that they did not notice it.

The Deputy Commander, pale-faced, stared at the shard glowing with sacred light. The light that spread from the shard enveloped Najane in an instant. It was so dazzling that it was difficult to look directly at it.

It was unbelievable. He had been absolutely certain that Maximón had murdered Nathan, so the shock was overwhelming. Could it be that the soldiers guarding the manor had lied? Stepping back, the Deputy Commander shook his head in disbelief.

“This can’t be... This, this is ridiculous...”

But the Chief spoke firmly.

“We must release Sir Elgort from detention immediately.”

“Chief!”

The Deputy Commander shouted in protest, but the Chief remained unmoved.

“You, and the soldiers who testified, will have to pay for the lies you’ve told.”

“No, Chief! We spoke only the truth! Please, for the sake of Sir Armunzen’s honor, I beg you to reconsider...”

“Does this mean Schnicks lied? Foolish! Look at this clearly. See how brightly Hilderund’s shard shines!”

The Chief’s reprimand silenced the Deputy Commander.

The Deputy Commander, with a confused expression, looked at the silver tray, and then, with a desperate voice, he cried out.

“Then who exactly was the Maximón Elgort that the soldiers saw? Do you think they lied? You know that they spoke the truth, Chief!”

“Enough, Pasho Grider! How can you not see that the light of this shard is far more credible than your and the soldiers’ testimonies?”

The Chief shouted in an angry voice. Cornered, the Deputy Commander realized his helplessness and sank into despair. The rage and hatred toward Maximón rose deep from his chest. He couldn’t even breathe due to the guilt he felt for Nathan.

How much had he owed Nathan?

When Maximón cut off Nathan’s ear and quietly left the order, he had sworn to repay the debt. People whispered that Nathan might have been involved in Najane’s kidnapping, but the knights of Colnux never believed such rumors.

They couldn’t fathom how much they had wept when they saw Nathan’s dismembered corpse. He had sworn vengeance on Maximón, but now, due to Najane, even that seemed difficult.

The Deputy Commander glared at Najane with bloodshot eyes. His gaze was full of hostility.

“...This filthy woman. Don’t think I’ll just step back like this. I will repay Sir Armunzen’s grudge, even if I have to use despicable means.”

The Deputy Commander deliberately shoved Najane as he left the Chief’s office. Staggering from the sudden push, Najane pulled her hand away from the silver tray. If Gwyneth hadn’t been there to support her, she would have certainly fallen.

Supported by Gwyneth, Najane thought she was fortunate to have gotten through the lie. Just as she felt relieved, the strength left her legs, but she still stood upright. She didn’t loosen her tension, hoping the Chief would say something.

The Chief, gazing at the slowly fading light of Hilderund’s shard, looked up with an admiring expression. When he noticed Najane and Gwyneth’s gaze, he awkwardly smiled.

“You may go and bring Sir Elgort back. A public apology for today’s incident will be issued by tomorrow.”

At the Chief’s words, Najane barely managed to hold back the smile that was about to spread across her face. The joy of resolving the matter without much uproar surged through her. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing Maximón’s face.

She hoped he wasn’t enduring some sort of torture in prison. No matter that he was a noble, even though the guards wouldn’t treat him harshly, there was still a possibility of something going wrong.

Najane wore a nervous expression, like a child who couldn’t eat the candy in front of her, eager to see Maximón quickly. She was angry at whoever had done this to him, but more than that, her priority was confirming Maximón’s safety.

Gwyneth, along with the priest who had brought Hilderund’s shard, left the Chief’s office. The Chief, looking drained, didn’t see them off. Najane respectfully bowed to the Chief and quickly followed Gwyneth.

The priest, holding the box tightly to his chest, exchanged a few words with Gwyneth before leaving the hallway first. Gwyneth waited until the priest turned the corner and disappeared completely before draping her arm over Najane’s shoulder.

“You should be grateful to me, Najane.”

Gwyneth whispered in a very low voice.

“You didn’t ask if it was because of a curse that I went to the black market, so you should be thankful. Don’t you think so?”