BVIB 36

Chapter 36

The man who had just been posing as the Khan stepped forward, a towel in his hand. He approached the woman, and as he gently rubbed her hair with the cloth, the vibrant red strands gradually shifted to shimmering silver.

She was dressed only in a short pair of trousers and a cloth draped over her chest, with a long, flowing silk robe cascading around her. The man then placed a thin, silver scarf across her shoulders—the color of royalty in Kaluta.

At first glance, she looked like nothing more than a favored dancing girl, adorned with extravagant jewelry on her arms and wrists, glittering with every movement. Yet Roselyn knew better. Most likely, the insides of those ornaments were lined with soulstones, meant to suppress her power.

Anyone needing to wear that many soulstone-laden trinkets just to contain their abilities had to be truly formidable.

“I’ve heard the story before,” Roselyn replied.

“From whom?” the woman asked.

“From Sansar. The one I mentioned earlier.”

At Roselyn’s answer, the woman simply smiled, rubbing her chin in silent amusement.

She was striking—an undeniable beauty. Even in middle age, she seemed to radiate a sensual energy that suffused the very air around her.

So this is what it means to be truly captivating, Roselyn thought. She felt that if she let down her guard even for a moment, she might find herself enchanted, compelled to spill every secret she knew. Of all the people Roselyn had met in her life, this woman was by far the most alluring.

The woman laughed softly, tilting her head in a playful gesture. “Did Sansar also tell you why only women can become Khan?”

There was a teasing note in her question. Roselyn gave a small nod in response.

“The power passed down to the Khan can only be fully controlled by a woman… That’s why the strongest woman in the tribe is chosen as Khan,” Roselyn explained.

To protect such a Khan from outside threats, the strongest man is appointed as chieftain and acts as the public face of the Khan. This, Roselyn knew, was a secret only the Kaluta themselves were aware of.

In other words, the man who had been pretending to be the Khan was merely a decoy—bait to protect the true Khan. A living shield who, if unlucky, could be sacrificed at any moment.

The woman listened to Roselyn’s explanation, then burst into hearty laughter. Straightening from her relaxed pose, she grinned and held up a finger.

“That’s correct. But there’s another reason.”

“Another reason?” Roselyn echoed.

“Our god, whom we serve, was born male—but he longed to be a woman. It’s said he adorned himself and lived as if he were one.”

Roselyn’s expression grew subtly complex. The woman continued with her explanation.

“Do you know how Kaluta became a nation—how the Kaluta tribes unified to form this land?” the woman asked.

“I do,” Roselyn replied.

“But long before that, back when we were called ‘savages,’ we were all wanderers—‘Ruta,’” the Khan said, her tone casual, as if recounting something mundane, though the subject was anything but.

Roselyn kept her expression carefully neutral and nodded.

“And every Ruta tribe had a god they served. For us, there is only one god,” the Khan continued.

“A single god?” Roselyn echoed.

“Yes. And that god’s name has been passed down through the ages.”

The Khan’s vibrant green eyes—unfaded despite her age—locked onto Roselyn.

“Sansar.”

Roselyn froze.

The Khan’s eyes rounded with a hint of amusement as Roselyn fell silent.

“Wait… You’re saying Sansar is your god? That’s… that’s impossible,” Roselyn stammered, incredulous.

“It’s only natural to doubt it. Even I struggle to believe it sometimes. Still, there were things you said—things that no outsider should ever know.” The Khan studied Roselyn’s unsettled eyes, then continued, “Did he ever leave you with any other message?”

Roselyn frowned, thinking hard.

“Just… if there ever comes a day when you need help, go to Kaluta…”

And then—

Roselyn’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“And then…”

The more she tried to recall the hazy memory, the clearer it slowly became.

“If you ever find yourself in need, go to Kaluta. If you learn this language and my name, it’ll help you.”

“Thank you,” Roselyn murmured softly.

“In return, Rose, if you ever experience something miraculous, help my Kaluta.”

She blinked, taken aback. “…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I want those children to see a bigger world. I want them to live on, not be destroyed, even if it’s difficult.”

“Lady Leon!” Roselyn cried out, her voice wavering. “What are you saying? You’ve been strange since earlier…”

Leon smiled gently. “In return, I’ll share my power with you. The day you remember this promise and keep it, it will blossom within you.”

Roselyn’s confusion deepened. “What do you mean…?”

“The thing you call the Abyss. The power that comes from the depths…”

“Sansar…?” Roselyn whispered, her eyes widening.

“Roselyn!!”

Someone shouted her name.

Roselyn’s eyes snapped open at the sound. The first thing she saw was a vast expanse of blue—like the ocean—no, a pair of blue eyes staring into hers.

Startled, she pressed her lips together, blinking rapidly as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

“…P-Prince Arma?” Roselyn stammered, sucking in a sharp breath as she found his face mere inches from hers.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped Arma as he gathered her into his arms. “Thank goodness…”

Roselyn stiffened in surprise at the sudden embrace. “…Did I do something wrong?” she asked hesitantly.

Arma shook his head, concern etched on his face. “You suddenly went rigid, like you’d fainted. You wouldn’t move at all…”

Awkwardly, Roselyn raised a hand and patted his back a couple of times before quickly withdrawing it. “I’m fine,” she assured him.

As she gently twisted her body to pull away, Arma’s posture belatedly became rigid with embarrassment. He darted back, putting some distance between them.

Watching him retreat in flustered haste, Roselyn let out a soft chuckle and turned her head aside.

“My apologies,” Arma said, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

“No, it’s alright,” Roselyn replied, offering a reassuring smile. “Are you feeling unwell?”

She shook her head. “No, not at all. It’s just… I suddenly remembered my conversation with Sansar.”

Roselyn’s brow furrowed slightly. “Sansar? Did he say anything else besides telling you to go to Kaluta?”

“I think… he wanted me to help Kaluta one day,” she replied, nodding thoughtfully.

Roselyn accepted her answer with a light nod, choosing her words carefully. She only shared what she felt she could from everything she’d heard.

…Another Abyss?

The phrase lingered in her mind, carrying an odd nuance. Not a newly awakened Abyss, but “another” one?

That wording was subtle—almost as if implying that she already possessed an Abyss within her.

But Roselyn knew, both then and now, that she was powerless.

Born with a frail body that could fail at any moment, she was a weakling who possessed only power—and nothing else.

“You? Help us?” The woman’s voice carried a trace of laughter, but her gaze was sharp as a blade.

“What, did Lord Sansar tell you that we’re doomed to destruction or something?” Khan’s words made Roselyn pause.

Now that she thought about it, Kaluta truly was on the brink of ruin.

If she hadn’t saved his son, Baatar…

If she hadn’t caught the criminal who tried to kidnap and murder Baatar…

A war would have broken out, and Kaluta would have been destroyed.

“…Perhaps he did,” Roselyn admitted softly.

Roselyn spoke calmly, her tone steady.

At her words, the sharpness in the woman’s gaze turned squarely on her.

“In any case, let’s get to the main point, Khan,” Roselyn said, doing her best not to reveal the throbbing pain in her head as she continued.

“His Majesty the Emperor wishes to form an alliance with Kaluta. He also hopes to open trade routes between our nations.”

At this, Khan’s expression soured noticeably. Resting her chin on his hand, she shed the pleasant demeanor from moments ago, now regarding Roselyn with open disdain.

Khan spoke in a flat, indifferent tone. “Opening our borders brings us no benefit. All it does is expose our lands—previously unknown to our enemies—to the outside world. We’ve always been self-sufficient, living without want.”

Roselyn fell silent, watching her carefully.

“So no matter how many times you come and try to persuade us, your proposals sound like nothing more than the tedious stories of invaders,” Khan said with unapologetic arrogance.

Listening to her words—arrogant, yet not without reason—Roselyn shifted her gaze to Kaluta’s princess, Narayan. The girl, who had moments ago been wearing a bright, innocent smile, now watched Roselyn with a sly, enigmatic grin.

…So she’s the next Khan, Roselyn realized. And as for the boy known publicly as the little chieftain, he was clearly the next head of the tribe.

“Khan, as history proves, it doesn’t take long for the invader to become the weak,” Roselyn replied, her lips curling into that famously bright, mocking smile of hers.

A muscle in Khan’s forehead twitched.

“Shall I be frank?” she continued.

She said nothing, but the silence was answer enough.

“At this rate, Kaluta will be destroyed within ten years.”

She tapped her fingertip lightly on the table for emphasis.

“And if I truly were an invader… my first target would be the next leader.”

Her eyes drifted to Narayan.

At that very moment—

Bang!

Khan slammed her fist down, splitting the table clean in two.

Roselyn managed not to flinch, though her heart lurched in her chest.