Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 964

Chapter 964

My eyes were fixed on the hand that had blocked my path.

It was pale and somewhat slender.

The contact of Noya’s grasp sent a tremor through my entire frame.

I tried to pull away, to push forward, but my efforts were futile.

Some of it was due to the raw power in Noya’s restraint.
But more than that, I was consciously fighting my own impulses.

A sharp, internal crack.

The strain made my bones ache.
I took several heavy breaths, wrestling for self-control.

“Haaah…”

I had just barely reined in my primal urge.
Even so, my eyes stayed glued to the two figures fading into the mass of people behind me.

“Stay calm.”

Noya’s grip on my shoulder was steadying.

“…”

I offered no reply. I just stood there, numb, watching until they were completely gone.

Only when there was nothing left to see did I find my voice.

“…What was that?”

I turned to face Noya, my words hushed.

“What I just witnessed… was it real?”

It wasn’t only what I had seen—it was what I had sensed.

I needed an explanation. Yet Noya, with a slight frown, answered,

“Do you believe I would have the answer? I am just as unsettled as you are.”

It was clear even Noya didn’t fully understand. His unusually severe expression said it all.

Which could only mean one thing—

‘It wasn’t only in my head.’

That feeling—
That instant of knowing—
It was real.

So then—

‘Why…?’

Why was she here?
A part of me had wanted to believe it was a mirage.
But if it wasn’t… that was far more troubling.

My hand clenched.

“…”

I made a fist, compelling myself to focus. I couldn’t face Mother now.
Not under these circumstances.

I repeated the thought over and over.
That was probably why Noya had held me back.

“…Damn it.”

But understanding didn’t lessen the frustration.
Especially when she had walked right by me.

Forget the reason for her presence—

‘Am I really expected to just stand aside and do nothing?’

The thought gnawed at me as I remained motionless, staring down the empty path she had taken.

****************

At that same moment—

“Hm?”

A woman walking through the city streets came to a sudden halt.

She turned her head, looking back over her shoulder.

“What was that?”

A peculiar feeling… a disturbance.

Her eyes swept across the bustling crowd, but she saw only the usual flow of citizens.

“Hm…”

She paused, considering. Should she raise her veil for a clearer view?

The idea occurred to her, but she gave a slight shake of her head and turned back.

It was unwise to remove it now. Doing so would invite complications she didn’t need.

Having descended after so long, she preferred to move through the world quietly.

Of course—

‘Even so… something feels unusual.’

A sense of disquiet persisted.
A faint intuition that she should not have ignored whatever she had passed.

What had she just walked by? There had been too many people to distinguish any one thing.

Beneath the veil, her crimson eyes shifted.

They glimmered like rare jewels as she glanced toward the woman at her side.

“…Daughter.”

The masked woman—Yarang—turned to her.

“Did you notice anything… out of the ordinary?”

At her mother’s question, Yarang was silent for a beat. Then, she shook her head.

“Is that so?”

The woman smiled, accepting the answer without reservation.

“I see. From now on, you must act as my eyes. Guide me well.”

Yarang nodded once in acknowledgment.

However—
Her attention remained on the path behind them.

For a brief moment, she scanned the crowd. But as her mother began walking again, she followed without a word.

“Hm.”

The woman observed the surroundings as they moved.

“It is very different from my last visit.”

How long had it been since she was last here? The years were too many to count.

Back then, this had been little more than a dense grove of trees. To see such a place now was almost entertaining.

“As ever… time moves so swiftly, doesn’t it?”

Yarang nodded in agreement.

Time changed everything in an instant.

But the time of mortals never moved in sync with her own. For her, time was simply a constant.

The passage of time held little significance. Because of that—

Because of that—

‘She pays it no mind.’

She had no cause to.

Time was infinite, so it was without meaning. Meaning was only found in things that were finite—that was what made them precious.

But for her, it was not the same. That reality had lost its color long ago.

So even as she looked upon the changed face of Yahwol, she felt little sentiment. A passing interest, perhaps—but nothing more.

“Hm.”

She took in the sights with those breathtaking, ethereal eyes. Yet the light within them was distant.

What was she truly seeing?

Her gaze passed over everything. Nothing seemed to leave a mark.

No—
Maybe she had no desire to remember any of it.

After all, what would be the point?
There was no reason to assign meaning to things she had no cause to recall.

This was the world she existed to inhabit.
The land she was bound to protect as part of her nature.

That was all.

To her, this place was nothing more than that.

To remember—
To hold onto something—

When was the last time she had truly done so?

She could not recall.

«Memory.»

Did she need to remember anything?
Had she ever truly tried?

As the woman mused on this, continuing her walk—

“Oh.”

Her eyes opened a little wider as she noticed something.

Then—

Thud—!

A figure dropped from above, landing firmly in a quiet corner.

A young man with light green hair stood there. The woman observed him with a placid, unreadable expression.

“…I pay my respects….”

Yusa, his face tight with nervousness, offered a deep, formal bow.

“It has been a long time,” the woman said, her tone mild.

Hearing her voice, Yusa swallowed and bowed even deeper.

“That someone of your stature would visit such a common place….”
“Common?”

The woman gave a soft laugh.

“What part of this land could ever be considered common?”

“…”

A faint floral scent drifted to Yusa. He opened his mouth slightly, recognizing his error.

“…My apologies. I spoke out of turn….”
“It is of no consequence. I did not ask for an apology.”

Sarak.

The woman moved closer, reducing the space between them.
Her aura—completely devoid of any Qi—was like a perfect emptiness.

Yusa shivered.

How could anyone feel so utterly absent?

“Look up.”

At her command, Yusa cautiously raised his head—
And met her crimson gaze.

Swish.

A pale hand rose gently to cradle his cheek.

“Does my being here… trouble you?”

“…How could it? There is no corner of this land where you do not belong.”

At his immediate reply, the woman offered a faint smile.

“Good. Then, may I ask you a question?”
“…I am listening.”

Yusa bowed again, nearly prostrating himself.

His once-flicking tail was now completely still, his ears pressed flat against his head.

He had assumed the most deferential posture possible.

Seeing this, the woman asked,

“I heard that something… interesting occurred not long ago.”

[…!]

At her words, Yusa’s tail gave a slight jerk.

“It isn’t strange for events to happen… but this is the first I am hearing of it.”

“…It was merely a question of verifying the facts. I intended to give you a full report once everything was confirmed.”
“Is that so?”
“It is—”

[“Is that so?”]

[…!]

A violent shudder ran through Yusa.

His heart—
No, his very spirit—
Trembled.

A constricting sensation wrapped around his throat—
Identical to the feeling he got whenever she issued a command.

“…It is… the truth.”

“I see.”

The moment he choked out his reply, the immense pressure disappeared.

Only then could Yusa finally draw a full breath.

“So, you are saying you will tell me at a later time?”

“…If you wish it, I can tell you now.”

“That will not be necessary.”

The woman waved away his offer without a second thought.

“If you say you will tell me later, then I will wait.”

Waiting meant nothing to her.
As she had said, time held no meaning.

“I have my answer. Forgive me for taking your time.”
“…Not at all….”

“How long do you plan to remain here?”

It was a peculiar question—
This was, after all, her domain.

But there was a purpose behind it.

“I will leave first thing in the morning.”

The woman had entrusted Yusa with specific duties.

“I see. Then, may you rest well.”

Having said what she came to say, she turned to leave.

But Yusa spoke up urgently.

“My lord… are you returning now?”

“Hm? No.”

The woman shook her head slightly.

“Not just yet….”

She paused for a moment, then looked at Yarang, who stood silently beside her.

“I believe I will take a short excursion.”

“An… excursion?”
“Yes. An excursion.”

The woman spoke airily, then continued on her way.

Without a backward glance, she left Yusa behind.

And as he watched Yarang follow silently after her—
Yusa bit down on his lip.

****************

After their departure, the woman and Yarang arrived at the city’s central park.

A tranquil area—
One of the few serene places within the bustling fortress.

She strolled without hurry, observing everything around her.

After being enclosed by buildings, entering this open space felt distinctly different.

Yarang followed a step behind, her watchful silence unwavering.

How long.
For what reason.
And to what end.

She could have asked these questions.
But she did not.

She could not ask—
And even if she could, she would not.

So, she simply observed.

And then—

“Daughter.”

The woman addressed Yarang.

“There is a matter I have been considering.”

Her voice was as soft and measured as always.
Each word was spoken with a gentle, rhythmic cadence.

But what she said next—

“I think… it is time to appoint a new general.”

—was anything but gentle.