The Water Magician

"......"

Abel was stunned, unable to say anything.

"I knew it."

Ryo murmured, nodding with a smug expression.

"The past of Abel, which should have been buried, has now been revealed."

"No..."

Confused, Abel couldn't even refute Ryo's words.

However, there were words that inadvertently spilled from his mouth.

"It must be some kind of mistake."

"Criminals always say that."

Ryo accused him.

"They clearly said, 'Lord Abel.'"

"That may be... true, but..."

"Abel, just admit it."

"Besides, the story Ryo just talked about is just Ryo's delusion, right? It's strange that a situation overlapping with that exists."

Abel resisted with logic.

"The story that came to my mind must have pierced through the truth. Until now, I have seen many forms of Abel. I remember all of his words and actions. The story imagined from there must have brought to light the past of Abel, which I had not consciously known or been informed about."

"That's impossible!"

"There is a saying, 'Truth is stranger than fiction.' Even if you can't believe it, the truth is the truth. No matter how much one tries to hide it, that is impossible. The sun sees all!"

Ryo deliberately mixed 'fact' and 'truth' in his pursuit.

Abel, feeling confused, found himself in an unusual state of disadvantage.

Of course, there was nothing constructive in Ryo's pursuit of Abel.

Yes, this was a futile interrogation.

Then, he noticed the curious gazes of the three people watching them.

"Look, Abel, they are waiting for your voice."

"No, even if you say that..."

Ryo urged Abel.

Abel looked at the three kneeling on one knee and opened his mouth.

"Hey, are you sure you’re not mistaking me for someone else?"

"At this point, Abel is still saying such things…"

"No, I mean..."

Ryo shrugged in disbelief, and Abel, still bewildered, retorted.

The man in the center of the three opened his mouth.

"That red hair, the rumored appearance, and the sword on your back, isn't it a magic sword?"

"Yes, it is indeed a magic sword, but..."

"See!"

Ryo provoked.

However, Abel was left with questions about the man's words.

"Did you just say 'rumored appearance'?"

"Yes."

"You don't actually know me, but you've heard about my appearance from someone else?"

"Yes. I heard it from the previous leader who passed away a year ago."

"I see."

Abel nodded significantly at the man's answer.

The confusion on Abel's face disappeared.

He then turned to Ryo and said,

"Got it? That's how it is."

"That's unfortunate. It was just a bit more."

"What do you mean by 'just a bit more'?!"

Abel's suspicion of being the leader of the bandits was cleared.

"I want to hear the details of what that leader said."

When Abel said this, the man in the center began to speak.

"The previous leader sometimes saw things about the future."

"Future sight?"

Ryo involuntarily murmured at the man's words.

Abel glanced at Ryo but silently returned his gaze to the man.

"The previous leader mentioned Lord Abel... no, King Abel, just before his death."

"Was it a last will?"

"Yes... We, the ones left behind, interpret it that way."

As the man said this, the two men kneeling beside him began to cry silently.

"We have been in conflict with a certain... faction for a long time."

The man in the center chose his words carefully as he began to speak.

"The previous leader led us for a long time but lost his life in a large-scale battle a year ago. Just before his death, he conveyed the message about King Abel to everyone."

"That... faction you are at odds with, is it the one you were fighting earlier?"

"Impressive! You even understand that."

The three men were surprised because Abel's intuition had pinpointed the truth.

Of course, it was because Ryo had informed Abel about what he sensed with his sonar.

Thus, Abel caught a glimpse of Ryo behind him, nodding in approval, which made him feel all sorts of things.

After taking a deep breath, Abel continued speaking.

"Well, since we were able to repel them, that's good, right?"

"The opponent was a cultist... a human."

The man in the center replied with a frown.

"Just because they were cultists? That means... the real enemy isn't human, right?"