"Which is mostly important supplies."
"I am fairly certain that is alcohol."
"Exactly."
Isolde showed a wide grin that highlighted her flushed face.
Naomi stared. Isolde, on the other hand, completely let her guard down and continued.
"I only came because Aevrienne’s Trial is a rare phenomenon, I couldn’t possibly miss it. I wanted to come, meet interesting people and I..."
Isolde stepped closer, looking right into Naomi’s eyes and—
"I finally found you."
She grinned.
"A powerless human inside the Trial of a Supernatural who somehow also has a Waymark already. You are obviously the most interesting thing I will find today."
"I am not a thing."
Naomi tried to correct her, though she could already tell she wasn’t winning this.
And just as she expected, Isolde waved her hand—
"Bleeehhh~
Human, thing, chaos, death, destruction, they are all the same."
"They are nowhere near the same."
Naomi couldn’t believe she had to say it out loud.
"Bleehhh~"
The Witch kept waving her hand with a tipsy look on her face.
Then suddenly—
"So? Do you accept it?"
She asked directly.
"Travel with me, I will protect you from traps or anyone who wants your Waymark and in return, you answer my questions."
"Answer your questions...?"
"You can choose not to answer the ones you don’t want to answer, though I’d prefer you tell me, you see, I don’t want Lord Whiskers to die."
"He will die...?"
Naomi blinked.
Lord Whiskers seemed shocked as well.
"Haven’t you heard?"
Isolde stared at the two as if she were staring at ignorant countrymen.
"Curiosity killed the cat."
Naomi stared at the woman with a flat look on her face. Lord Whiskers, on the other hand, nodded, it seemed like he agreed with the Witch’s words.
Naomi blinked at that.
She then shook her head, not letting herself go along with the Witch’s flow.
"You only want me to answer your questions?"
She asked, just to be sure.
"Well, if you become Aevrienne’s contractor, I would like you to remember that I was kind to you."
The Witch answered honestly.
"What makes you think I’ll win?"
Naomi asked curiously and Isolde only laughed dramatically.
"You must underestimate me since you do not know of me."
"..."
Naomi didn’t know what to say. Isolde, on the other hand, continued—
"Ordinary humans are like pests, yet Aevrienne initiated the Trial when a pest like you was inside her Shrine, essentially making you take the Trial. Then you also found a Waymark.
Clearly, you are being favoured here.
Aevrienne likes you."
Naomi blinked at those words. The word ’favoured’ felt good, it made her feel like she was the chosen one, which clearly aligned with her theory of being a main character.
What she did not like, however, was the fact that Isolde had said it out loud.
Firstly, that was clearly a flag.
Secondly, Naomi did not like how the character she had met just a few minutes ago could tell she was the main character.
In what novel did other characters know that they were around the main character? Didn’t it usually start with main characters being laughed at until their true powers were revealed, rinse and repeat?
Something was clearly wrong here.
Thirdly, and the thing that bothered Naomi the most was—
"...who is Aevrienne?"
She asked, looking at Isolde with a confused look on her face.
Isolde blinked at that question.
She stared at Naomi for a good while, then finally—
"You really don’t know anything, do you?"
Naomi didn’t say anything.
Isolde just nodded.
"Fret not, insignificant mortal, for I shall guide your ignorant self."
"...why do you keep switching between normal and weird?"
Isolde decided to completely ignore those words. She took another sip of the wine before she looked at Naomi again and—
"So? You wanna join me?"
She asked as she extended her free hand.
Naomi looked at her hand.
Obviously, she did not trust her, not completely.
The Witch was strange.
Possibly drunk.
Almost certainly unstable.
But considering how she had no power, no weapon, and no actual understanding of the Supernatural World other than what Lucian had told her, she could see that travelling alone would be foolish.
Besides, could she possibly find a more trustworthy ally in this place than a strange drunk Witch?
Obviously not.
So with that thought in her mind, Naomi took her hand.
"Fine."
"Wonderful."
Isolde shook it enthusiastically.
Then she turned towards the corridor and raised one arm dramatically.
"Come, girl! Together, we shall conquer the winding horrors of the Unseen Road and—"
"We should keep our voices down."
Naomi interrupted.
"Yes."
Isolde lowered her arm as she looked around.
"That is probably sensible."
Naomi stared at the woman with a deadpan look on her face. The Witch once again ignored her gaze and started walking.
"I don’t think we should go there."
Naomi spoke.
"Why is that?"
"I don’t get good vibes."
"Hmm?"
Isolde tilted her head as she stared at Naomi for a few seconds, then she nodded.
"Umu. Good vibes are important.
I can’t ride where I can’t vibe."
The Witch quickly changed directions with Lord Whiskers still on her shoulder and the stuffed animals swinging from her belt.
Then, as they continued walking, Isolde turned towards Naomi again and—
"You really don’t have anything cute in your pockets?"
"No."
"A keychain?"
"No."
"A small animal-shaped charm?"
"No."
"We have much work to do."
Isolde sighed in disappointment and Naomi—
She was now doubting her decision.
The two continued moving. Naomi automatically assumed the role of a guide. As leisurely and uncaring as she looked, Isolde instantly noticed how accurate Naomi’s instincts were, so she followed her without any complaints.
Unexpectedly, the two hit it off very quickly. Naomi asked Isolde about the Supernatural World, the Witch knew much more about it than Lucian did. Isolde, too, was very interested in Naomi and asked multiple questions, all while sipping from her silver flask.
Isolde goofed around most of the time, but then suddenly, as they reached another crossing, the Witch stopped and her playful expression disappeared and—
"Naomi."
She spoke in a completely serious voice.
"What?"
Naomi asked as her body tensed up.
Isolde slowly turned towards her and—
"How much do you want to bet that something attacks us in the next ten seconds?"
And Naomi—
"...what?"
She couldn’t believe it.