“No, my lord.”


    Sang-je stared at the guardsmen through his slitted red eyes. And he only looked away when he found no particr abnormality in the both of them.


    <em>‘It’s past time to reinforce the spell on them again.’</em>


    His two faithful guardsmen were those known as ‘Taniya’, the faithful servants who obeyed every word and orders given even if the task could endanger their own lives as they were put under a hypnotized state by spell.


    But the spell neversted long as an unconscious will to resist eventually kicked in to awaken one’s mind and gradually broke the spell away. Therefore, the spell had to be casted upon them in regr intervals to keep their minds under constant control.


    Sang-je stepped into the entrance that led to the underground. There was no sign of hesitancy in his movement as he glided down into the darkness. He swiftly descended along the steps of the corkscrewed stairs which were cut high and narrow, without the need of a single beam of light. Both light and darkness seemed almost meaningless to him.


    At the foot of the steps, his translucent body easily passed through the heavy door of iron which was firmly shut in front of him. He glided further along the deserted corridor and crossed through the dividing bars that came in his way and into the room beyond another door of iron.


    Unlike any other ces underground, the room he stepped out into wasn’t surrounded by yet another darkness. But still there were nomps anywhere around the room. Instead, a dim geometrical pattern of light emitted from the floor, barely enough to make out the walls from the floor.


    Inside, a wavering silhouette of a prayer who was seated in the middle of the glowing geometric pattern had outlined against the wall.


    “Will your prayer ever be answered?”


    The olddy who was reciting her words of prayer under her breath, came to a halt and cocked her head at the sound. And with signs of fatigue all over her face, she slowly lifted her wrinkly eyelids with great effort and fixed her eyes at Sang-je impassively.


    “I guess you wouldn’t be sitting here with such a troubled look if you were already given answers to your prayer. When does your God intend to respond to your prayer? The so-called Almighty God of yours who doesn’t even grant your death wish?”


    “…..”


    Alber remained in silence whatever the provocation as she knew her response would only make him hold her up further to his ridicules.


    His frequent provocation in recent years bade well for Alber as Sang-je’s impatient behavior reflected his restlessness of mind. It was evident that his ns were falling through against his will.


    “What has be of the spell?”


    “It is still not quite ready yet.” Alber responded.


    “It’s been long since I provided everything you ever needed to work on that spell. I wouldn’t dare you to try my patience any longer!”


    “I am not trying your patience here. I do believe I have told you multiple times that an advanced level of sorcery is required in this particr spell. It is fundamentally different from the other kind of spells which could be practiced with just proper incantations. To see the future, one must be led to the door by God himself.”


    “God! So where on earth is this God of yours anyway?”


    “…God resides both everywhere and nowhere.”


    “I am not here to y word games with you!” Sang-je shouted in a voice of thunder which ringed across the whole room. His ferocious red pupil gleamed with sinister light as he red at Alber.


    “I wouldn’t get so cocky if I were you. Remember, you are no more than expendable. Perhaps it might help you to feel more inclined to be cooperative in thepany of your people down here in this very dungeon?” Sang-je threw a threat in the olddy’s way.


    Alber, who had never once lost herposure thus far, grimaced for the first time. “You have given me your word that you will leave my people out of this!”


    Her words brought a twist to Sang-je’s mouth. “We made a deal, not a promise. And there’s no reason for me to keep my word if you give me nothing.”


    “I have done everything I could in my power to help you. And yet, this is how you repay me after all these years you have benefited from the prophecies I have foretold?” Alber spat out.


    Sang-je gave Alber a slit-eyed look, observing her agitated response and snorted in disgust.


    “In retrospect, most of your prophecies were trivial in the past few years. For instance, you prophesied the birth of two Anikas for the first time in ten years. But looking back, it was a remark anyone could have made regardless of one’s ability to foresee the future as Anikas would have been born anyway in time. Moreover, it was your prophecy which held me back from exterminating Mara and the lots. Which makes me doubt that maybe you were plotting behind my back all this time. Maybe it was your intention to let Mara gain power and bring it to the fore against me.”


    “…I would never pull such a shallow trick with my tribe’s future at stake. If I had any sort of underhand plots in my mind, I wouldn’t have handed over the tribe’s treasure to you in the first ce.”