“…This is the truth as I know it. The Hero became a king, and Nerian’s daughter was disguised as his own and became a princess.”

“…”

“And Mirian became another trophy, shackled at the king’s side. Considering her personality, it’s quite the tragedy.”

“…”

“That’s all I wanted to share for now. Do you have any other questions?”

Despite the gravity of the truth she had just revealed, her tone remained light—almost as if she were merely recounting an old tale for amusement.

But for me, it was impossible to simply accept it so casually.

That’s why, after a long silence, I finally managed to speak.

“How do you know this?”

“Is that question meant to verify my truthfulness? Or to accuse me of knowing and turning a blind eye to this tragedy?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does. Depending on your answer, you might feel compelled to draw your sword.”

For a moment, she gazed at me with cold eyes.

But given that I didn’t even have a sword to draw right now, she let out a small chuckle and continued.

“Don’t take it so seriously, Hero. Do you really find it so strange that a giant who has lived this long would know an old story like this? Forgotten races tend to carry many secrets.”

“That explanation alone isn’t enough to satisfy me.”

“Those who fail to see the essence of a story tend to lash out at the storyteller instead. But even if you threaten me, I won’t have many answers to give.”

“…”

“If you truly want to hear more, the least you can do is show some courtesy and take a seat.”

With an elegant motion, she gestured toward a lone chair in the corner.

Though suspicious in more ways than one, there was nothing to argue about regarding that point.

Finally, I sat down and placed my hands on the table.

At that moment, a goblin girl appeared, set down a teacup in front of me, and—without hesitation—climbed onto my lap.

“I sat here first.”

“I know.”

“Should I move?”

“Nope. I wanna watch your soul from up close.”

She snuggled up against my stomach, staring at my face with wide, curious eyes.

Being met with such an intense gaze, questions naturally started to form in my mind.

“Did you make her a necromancer?”

“No. She was born one. Humans aren’t the only ones who can break the taboo of death.”

“What’s your relationship with her?”

“You could say we share the same burden. She’s the last necromancer in this world, and I… I may very well be the last giant. We’re both abandoned beings, so we ended up comforting each other. And eventually, we started living together.”

“Then, have you ever lived among witches?”

“I’ve interacted with them, yes. Most giants have.”

For a brief moment, her gaze drifted into the past.

In her large, jet-black eyes, remnants of starlight from another time still lingered.

“No, to be more precise, I should say we traded with them. We each had knowledge the other lacked, and we were both outcasts in the eyes of humanity. In a way, our relationship was inevitable.”

“Then, have you ever met Mirian?”

“That, I can deny. Hardly anyone knew of her existence. And even fewer had any contact with Nerian, the Witch of a Thousand Leagues. Besides, I had some connections to humans, and they weren’t too fond of that.”

“What do you mean by connections to humans?”

“Well, for one, I’m registered with the Harbit Academy. I’ve never attended in person, but I do send letters regularly. For example, I make a habit of writing thorough rebuttals to Jorfe’s research papers.”

“That sounds… unnecessary.”

“Getting that fraudulent scholar expelled from the academy is one of my lifelong goals, Hero.”

For someone of her massive stature, the grudge seemed ridiculously petty.

But rather than point that out, I focused on something more important.

“So, you’re an educated giant and have interacted with witches. I understand that much. But that doesn’t mean I can easily believe everything you just told me.”

“Why not? Do you respect the king that much? Or do you simply refuse to believe that he’s incapable of fathering children?”

“That part actually makes sense to me. Given how much he indulged in women, it was rather strange that he had so few children. There must have been some kind of issue.”

“Then what is it that you find questionable?”

“Why did the king fall for Nerian’s offer so easily? And how has this secret remained hidden for so long? No matter how I think about it, it’s hard to accept.”

“You still trust the king too much.”

I had no such thoughts, but she mocked me as if I did. Resting her chin in her hand, she continued in a flat tone.

“I acknowledge his bravery and strength, but in the end, he was just a human. Witches have broken the wills of men like him countless times. And if darkness already existed in his heart, he would have been even easier to sway.”

“Darkness…?”

“Imagine discovering a fatal flaw in what was supposed to be your perfect future—infertility. A king who cannot bear an heir is no king at all. He may not have shown it, but I’m sure it was a humiliation he could never wash away.”

“So you’re saying that’s why he gave in?”

“And let’s not forget the whispers of Nerian, the Witch of a Thousand Leagues. She was one of the most powerful witches in history. If a man already holds doubt in his heart, controlling his emotions is an easy task for a witch.”

That… was something I couldn’t argue against.

Even as I wrestled with these thoughts, she continued.

“And those present at the scene? Most of them didn’t live long. The lands of witches are steeped in deep darkness. The king likely didn’t even need to silence them himself.”

“But there were still those who passed down the story.”

“They were far away from the actual event. Which means they probably never saw the exchange between the king and Nerian in the first place.”

“So you’re saying that’s how the secret was kept?”

“Of course, the king must have directly silenced some people as well. But for details on that, well… you’d have to ask him yourself.”

She smiled amusedly, even though there was nothing remotely funny about the conversation.

Idly, she spun the teacup in her hand, looking as if she was enjoying herself.

“Such a cunning man. He made a deal with a witch, yet I’m sure he constantly instilled his daughter with a hatred for witches. And since it was coming from her father, the princess would have taken his words at face value.”

“…”

“And since she had lost her memories, he likely filled those empty spaces with his own thoughts. Just like the body feels hunger, the mind experiences emptiness too. If you lack something, you tend to absorb whatever is given to fill the void.”

“Listening to you, it all sounds rather convincing.”

“That’s because it’s the truth. After all this, do you still refuse to believe me?”

She spoke as if addressing a complete fool.

At this point, it would be pointless for me to stubbornly refuse her words.

“That’s not what I meant. Someone like you, who has avoided outside contact all this time, wouldn’t go out of your way to tell me such an elaborate story just to mess with me.”

“A wise answer.”

“But that makes it all the more suspicious. Why would someone who knows such a deep secret appear before me, at this exact moment?”

“Hah.”

“Can you answer that?”

I met her gaze head-on, believing my question was completely fair.

And she didn’t avoid my eyes.

But neither did she show the slightest hint of unease.

Instead, she watched me with amusement, as if she were observing something intriguing.

“I didn’t plan anything, Hero.”

“Can you swear that’s the truth?”

“I can. To be honest, the only reason I’m talking to you now is because that child brought you here. If not for that, there would have been no reason for me to let a hero into my home.”

“So all of this was just coincidence?”

“For that child, it was likely fate. After all, no one else possesses a soul as tempting to a necromancer as yours.”

My gaze naturally lowered.

The goblin girl was still staring up at me with innocent, wide eyes.

She was so focused that she hadn’t even noticed we were talking about her.

It was hard to believe that someone like her was capable of any scheming.

Besides, her kind wasn’t exactly known for their intelligence.

“She’s quite adorable, don’t you think? She’s looking at you with so much affection—why not give her a little head pat?”

“That would only distract her.”

“Hah. You’re kinder than I expected. How did someone like you end up friends with an idiot like Jorfe?”

“Luck, I suppose. I was fortunate to have a friend like him.”

“A saint, aren’t you? Well, since you seem to be a good person, I’ll give you a little advice.”

Suddenly, she shifted her posture slightly.

But she didn’t erase the smirk on her face as she continued speaking.

“As I said, my meeting with you was pure coincidence. The same goes for that child. But that doesn’t mean no one planned for this situation to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. This could all be unfolding just as someone intended it to.”

“Baseless speculation is just an excuse to sow doubt.”

“I have no proof. But there are plenty of suspects. Mirian, for one. Or someone who resents the king.”

“That’s too vague to mean anything.”

“But I sincerely hope that suspect isn’t Nerian.”

Her voice dropped to a low murmur.

And for the first time, her smile faded slightly.

“Because if the Witch of a Thousand Leagues is the one behind all of this… then we wouldn’t even know where her plan began or where it ends.”