Chapter 98: A Premonition on the Azema

The eastern sun peeked over the horizon.

A vast sea of clouds churned, and from its depths, the imposing silhouette of an airship glided forth, a dormant mechanical behemoth carving its path through the nascent morning light and swirling mist.

A biting current of air swept past the ship’s side, while the metal mast reflected a dazzling brilliance, and the bulging sails snapped loudly in the air.

This was the twin-winged airship, the Azema.

Forged through the combined efforts of the Academy of Magic and the Royal Alchemical Workshop, its construction had spanned decades.

Having been in operation for many years, the hull now bore numerous marks of age and meticulous repair.

Yalin stood on the spacious lower deck, his gaze sweeping across the boundless sky in the distance, a thought forming in his mind: ‘How on earth does this contraption manage to fly?’

After all, its uncanny resemblance to a cruise ship hardly suggested an adherence to the principles of aerodynamics.

Magic, it seemed, was truly wondrous.

A full night had passed since their departure from Ailanmia, and they were now scheduled to reach the eastern regions of the kingdom later today.

A mere few hours more by carriage, and Yalin would finally return to the hometown he had left behind so long ago.

Life aboard the airship proved rather dull, leaving Yalin with little to do but stand at the edge of the deck, letting the wind whip past him as he sought to pass the time.

He had originally intended to seize this opportunity to bring Carol back for a visit; however, Carol seemed utterly uninterested in her former hometown, steadfastly insisting on remaining in Ailanmia. Yalin, in turn, had not pressed the matter.

‘He wondered how she was faring on her own, and if she had awakened yet.’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sweet, playful voice suddenly reached him from behind.

“Coming to watch the sunrise so early? You certainly have a refined sense of leisure, don’t you?”

Yalin paid no heed.

He had never seen this person before, nor did he recognize anyone else aboard the airship.

“There’s no one else here, you know? Isn’t it a bit too cold of you to pretend not to see a rare beauty trying to strike up a conversation?”

“Mister Yalin?”

‘Alright, it seems she’s addressing me,’ he thought.

Yalin sighed, then turned his head, his expression impassive.

It was merely a woman, her face obscured by a silver mask, who was approaching him with an elegant gait from behind.

Although she was draped in a magical robe and cloak, the garments concealed beneath proved remarkably revealing.

Her bustier and short skirt delineated her curves with striking clarity, and her smooth, delicate skin was provocatively exposed, making her an undeniably eye-catching figure.

Yet, Yalin found himself utterly devoid of interest in her perfectly curvaceous figure.

After all, the distinctly unpleasant scent of her kind had wafted unmistakably towards him from a considerable distance, betraying her presence.

“A pleasure to meet you. You may call me ‘Crow’.”

The woman, who introduced herself as Crow, spoke with a hint of amusement in her tone.

Her words abruptly ceased.

With merely a subtle tremor in the air, the woman’s head was sent flying high, arcing gracefully through the wind before plummeting, mask and all, into the tumultuous sea of clouds below.

The moment she entered his attack range, Yalin had unhesitatingly severed her head.

Knowing his name, she had clearly come prepared.

With his identity already laid bare, Yalin harbored no intention of feigning ignorance.

‘Regardless of her purpose, it was best to eliminate her first,’ he decided.

The woman’s body softly crumpled to the ground with a thud.

However, from the severed neck, there oozed not crimson blood, but a viscous black liquid.

The liquid flowed relentlessly, seeping into the deck’s crevices and quickly draining away.

Immediately thereafter, the corpse itself dissolved into a swirling black mist, which then dissipated entirely into the wind.

“Chopping off someone’s head right after meeting them? You truly are merciless, aren’t you? No girl will ever like you if you keep acting like this, you know?”

The same voice echoed once more, and the woman reappeared at the far end of the deck, her attire and posture utterly unchanged, as if the preceding events had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

She maintained her ostensibly friendly tone, utterly unconcerned by the recent, violent turn of events.

“It’s perfectly fine if you want to chop off this head again, you know.”

Crow said with a light chuckle, “Just a heads-up, though, this is my very last Fenrir.”

‘Why didn’t she mention that sooner? What a needless expenditure,’ Yalin mused.

Yalin let out a soft huff, withdrawing his conceptualized divinity with a palpable hint of displeasure.

“What business does someone from the Abyssal Church have with me?”

“The Abyssal Church… that truly is a name that evokes nostalgia.

However, you’re slightly mistaken; I was once a member of the Church, but I no longer am.”

Through the silver mask, Crow tapped a thoughtful finger beside her lips, as if pondering her next words.

“Hmm… how best to explain this? It’s quite a complicated matter, actually.

But if I had to offer a title, I am your mother’s only disciple—Livia’s teacher.

How about that? Doesn’t that sound much more intimate?”

Yalin raised an eyebrow, compelled to admit that his interest had indeed been piqued.

“My mother’s student? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Indeed.

After Master Livia settled down and started a family, our contact dwindled.

However, a long, long time ago, I had a clandestine glimpse of you.

You were but a tiny babe then, utterly adorable, hehe…”

Unwilling to waste time with pleasantries, Yalin cut her off directly.

“So, are you here to kill me, or to help me?”

“I’ve never once harbored the thought of killing you, truly. I am an honest person.”

Crow shook her head repeatedly as she explained.

“That being said, I have indeed changed my mind.

I once harbored no interest in you whatsoever, but now… now I sincerely hope you live a long life.”

The information she conveyed remained rather vague, yet her tone sounded remarkably sincere.

Yalin cast a skeptical, sidelong glance at her.

“Wearing a mask and using a false name,” he observed, “I fail to discern any trace of honesty in your demeanor.”

“I can’t help it, you see.

A big bad villain like me simply has to keep their identity hidden.”

Crow didn’t care for Yalin’s sarcasm, merely offering a playful smile.

“Alright, I can understand your distrust.

Therefore, to demonstrate my sincerity, I shall impart an important piece of news to Mister Yalin.”

“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you will soon die.”

A profound silence descended upon the deck, broken only by the low, steady hum of the airship’s core working tirelessly beneath their feet.

Yalin narrowed his eyes.

“Well, that certainly is unexpected.”

Crow stood silently in place, and after a prolonged moment, she tilted her head in genuine confusion.

“You don’t seem particularly surprised?”

“Everyone dies.

There’s nothing to be surprised about.”

“Alright, I didn’t realize you already knew.

Here I was, kindly coming all this way just to warn you.”

“Just a premonition.”

“Your premonitions are remarkably accurate,” Crow remarked, her tone conveying genuine admiration.

“You came all this way just to tell me that?” Yalin countered.

“Yes, precisely,” Crow confirmed with a straightforward nod.

“No clues, just this inexplicable prophecy.

You truly are ‘kind-hearted’.”

“Hehe, my apologies, but I can’t tell you anything more just yet.”

Crow spread her hands and shrugged her shoulders.

“Your distrust of me is entirely mutual, you see.

After all, this is our very first meeting, and a little caution is hardly a bad thing.”

She lowered her gaze, her eyes settling on the spot where the corpse had vanished.

“The reason you summarily chopped off my head at the outset was simply this: if I were the type of individual to perish from such an attack, there would be no need for further conversation, would there?”

“Now that I’ve undeniably proven my capabilities, the ball is in Mister Yalin’s court, wouldn’t you agree?

Nevertheless, as your mother’s student, I genuinely hope we’ll have the opportunity to cooperate effectively.”

Having finished speaking, Crow performed an elegant bow.

“However, since my warning proved unhelpful, allow me to bestow upon you a different gift instead…”

Her figure gradually blurred, eventually dissolving into a swirling cloud of black mist that vanished completely from sight.

All that remained was a scroll, tied with a delicate red string, lying silently upon the deck.