Although sheltered by a canopy, some rain and cold wind snuck into the campfire, making a slight sizzle sound.
Fortunately, the black-haired girl added enough firewood, so the campfire’s flames did not dwindle…
Not only did they not shrink, but they leaped even more vigorously as grease from the grilled fish dripped down.
Iyue saw that the seasoning had already seeped into the cuts.
The white fish meat curled slightly over the fire, its edges turning a glossy, golden-brown.
She thought, ‘The heat is about right,’ so she handed the entire skewer to the black-haired girl sitting closest to her.
“You… you’re giving the whole fish to me?”
The black-haired girl did not take the grilled fish immediately.
She seemed concerned about how a passing traveler could be so kind… but her trembling hands and bright eyes both pointed to one thing: she could barely contain her hunger.
‘This child must be starving.’
“It’s fine, I have more. I can’t finish this much on my own.”
Iyue smiled and pulled an oil-paper package from her waist pouch to show the black-haired girl.
“Thank you!”
Only then did the black-haired girl take the grilled fish.
She bowed her head solemnly to Iyue in thanks and then began to eat ravenously.
“Sss, sss, it’s hot!”
“Hehehe, slow down. You’ll definitely burn yourself eating like that.”
White steam rose into the rainy night, carrying a faint scent of spices.
At Iyue’s reminder, the black-haired girl carefully fanned it with her hand and blew on it a few times before taking another small bite.
“…Delicious!”
Her eyes lit up instantly… This time, she ignored the heat and began to eat in large gulps.
“It’s good, right? These are special spices from the Western Continent. I bought them from a merchant in the Union of Autonomous Cities; their prices were a total rip-off.”
Seeing her exaggerated expression, Iyue could not help but laugh.
She placed her own portion of fish back by the fire to continue roasting slowly.
The firelight reflected on her profile, the emotions flowing in her emerald eyes exceptionally soft.
“….”
The white-haired girl sat quietly to the side.
She was perched on a tree trunk used as a chair by the campfire, her hands hidden beneath her cloak.
She was no longer looking at the tent.
Her gaze passed through Iyue, who sat slightly in front of her, and fell upon the curtain of rain and the shadows of the forest in the distance… then it drifted back, glancing at the black-haired girl beside her.
For a moment, her gaze met the black-haired girl’s.
Seeing the reproach in her eyes, the black-haired girl appeared somewhat flustered.
She quickly swallowed the fish she was chewing and asked somewhat vaguely:
“Um… where are you coming from?”
Her tone was casual, like the most ordinary greeting between travelers.
However, her gaze did not meet Iyue’s face but naturally fell upon the horse tied nearby.
Iyue noticed the direction of her gaze. She knew the girl had already judged her origins, and asking was merely a formality.
Thus, her answer was equally casual:
“I came from the northwest. I have urgent business in Cyrus.”
“Going to Cyrus? Things are very unsettled there.”
“So I’ve heard. Are you two from there?”
“Yes. The city has been too chaotic lately… so my sister and I want to return to our hometown in the north.”
After saying this, the black-haired girl lowered her head and took another bite of fish. In these few short lines of conversation, she had nearly finished the fat, juicy river fish.
“Is your traveling companion your sister? Her hair color is quite rare.”
Iyue cast a friendly gaze toward the white-haired girl, but she received only a cold glance in return.
Iyue was not discouraged. She returned her attention to the black-haired girl.
“The two of you are brave to travel such a road at night… Aren’t you afraid of encountering wild beasts or bandits?”
“It’s fine. Besides, this isn’t the first time we’ve spent the night in the wild — we have the ability to protect ourselves.”
The black-haired girl and the white-haired girl locked eyes.
She did not waver when answering this question… so Iyue was certain this question was also within her expectations.
“I can tell.”
Her gaze lingered for a moment on the scabbards of the blades and Frostblades at their waists.
“You have weapons for self-defense — they look well-maintained. You also chose a good spot for your camp… you can’t do things like this without experience. Still, I think you’d be safer traveling with a caravan.”
Iyue was not flattering them; she was stating facts and offering appropriate advice as a fellow traveler.
The black-haired girl gave a soft “Mm” in agreement and immediately lowered her head to stuff the last bite of fish into her mouth.
“Sister and I are used to traveling as a pair. Being with others feels restrictive and uncomfortable.”
She had eaten the fish very cleanly.
She picked off the bones, tossed them aside, and threw the branch used for the skewer into the campfire before sitting down beside the white-haired girl.
“I see.”
Iyue nodded. The distance between the three of them returned to what it had been before.
She did not strike up another conversation.
She knew very well that the first round of probing was over.
The tense atmosphere might have eased slightly because of her actions just now, but the two girls clearly maintained a significant level of vigilance toward her.
Especially that white-haired girl.
Even while talking to the black-haired girl, Iyue’s gaze casually drifted over her — she sat perfectly straight, never relaxing even while warming herself by the fire…
Iyue guessed that the hand under her cloak was likely gripping the hilt of her weapon, ready to react to any sudden situation.
And that was the case now as well.
“By the way,” Iyue pretended to be oblivious to their wariness, “To guard against wild beasts, we should keep the campfire burning, right? If you’d like, I can help you with the night watch —”
Before she could finish her proposal, the white-haired girl looked up slightly and spoke calmly:
“There is no need to trouble yourself. This is our campfire, and we will take turns watching it.”
“Alright then.” Iyue did not say anything more.
Her fish was also ready.
She pulled out the knife at her waist, cut off a piece to taste it, and began her meal with a satisfied expression.
Campfire sparks crackled during the silence that followed.
After a moment, the white-haired girl stood up and walked back into the tent, while the black-haired girl remained in place.
“By the way… I wonder how I should address you?”
The black-haired girl suddenly broke the silence with her question.
It seemed she was the one for the first watch. Iyue leisurely turned the branch in her hand, continuing to debone the grilled fish:
“My name is Ilya.”
This was one of her many aliases — about one-tenth of the Elves in the Empire probably shared that name.
“Lady Ilya, thank you for the grilled fish.” The black-haired girl thanked her again.
“I’m Luc, and that’s my sister, Selene. She isn’t very used to being around strangers.”
“While the connection between us might not be strong enough to necessitate exchanging names, I’m still happy to meet you. By the way, even though you’re sitting so close to the fire, you’re still wearing your scarf… don’t you find it hot?”
“Ah… that’s because I’m very sensitive to the cold.”
Iyue posed the question, and as the black-haired girl answered, she saw her eyebrows twitch slightly.
“Is that so? Then stay by the fire a bit longer.” Iyue did not press further.
Silence returned to the campfire.
After finishing her meal, she waved to Luc and walked toward her own tent.
The sound of rain continued, and the campfire behind her burned steadily.
‘These two girls are definitely not ordinary… they’re hiding something. My gut tells me that nothing this girl named Luc just told me was true — her defensiveness is a bit excessive.’
Iyue had no intention of becoming their enemy for now.
But she did not want to be kept in the dark by them, either.
No matter how hard they tried to hide things, she had the confidence and the means to dig up whatever was being concealed.