Looking at how Marian gritted her teeth and tightened her face, it was instantly recognizable that she was pissed—misunderstanding Henry's words as a joke.
Then, without warning, she grabbed him by the neck again, just like before. Her movements were so fast that Henry couldn't even resist.
"I know it sounds and seems almost like a joke, but believe me, what I'm saying is the truth. He's the man I introduced to you earlier, but for some reason, he seems to have a problem in his head… almost like he's half-awake and half-asleep," Henry said quickly as his hands reached for Marian's arm, trying to loosen her grip.
But it was pointless.
"Her arm's harder than mine... That's right, she did say she was an Enchanted. Judging from how developed her body is, she should be a bonded Enchanter," Henry's eyes scanned Marian's body. She wore strange clothes that revealed her curvy, feminine figure—her full chest barely covered by a small, triangular piece of cloth. Other than that, she only wore a short skirt and a jacket.
"Hmm… In my world—the bloody arena—I've seen all kinds of men and figures. I've seen all kinds of tricks they pull. Some appear pure, innocent, and honest but strike the moment I let my guard down. Others look crafty and sly but are more honest than a saint. Because of those experiences, I somehow learned how to judge a person not just by how they look, but by how they speak."
She paused before finishing her thought and observed Henry more closely.
She got extremely close to him, their faces just a breath apart, and gazed directly into his eyes with a look that was both intense and unreadable.
Henry felt her hot breath against his face—it was rough and wild, making him briefly question whether she was truly human or something else entirely.
"I see… You still have that shine in your eyes—just like a kid who still doesn't know what betrayal is. That's enough. I choose to believe you," she finally said, releasing Henry from her grip.
Then she turned her gaze toward Auran, who was staring at them with unfocused eyes and a tilted head.
"And as for him… well, I can't figure out anything with those unfocused eyes," looking straight at Auran She didn't try to judge his character further, clearly unable to read anything from his gaze.
"It was useless. It's been a few days, but he hasn't shown any signs of improving from the state he's in," Henry said as he got up and made his way toward Auran.
"You said he was in a half-sleep, half-awake state, right?" Marian asked as she took a step forward.
"Well, yes… but it's not exactly how it seems."
Chatas!
Henry's words came to an abrupt halt as Marian suddenly slapped Auran across the face.
"If he's asleep, then we just have to make him wake up. Come on, you lazy asshole, wake up!" she shouted and didn't stop at just one. She continued slapping Auran across the face until it turned red and swollen.
"Agh! Please stop! I don't think that's going to work. Maybe if we were able to see a healer or a medical alchemist, we'd be able to treat him," Henry said from the side, trying to get Marian to stop. But his words fell on deaf ears.
Slap!
Suddenly, as Henry was about to pressure her again to stop slapping Auran, his eyes widened—and Marian smiled.
Auran had grabbed her wrist. His eyes, now focused, stared directly at her.
"That's enough. I'm awake. Take your hands off me, you beastly woman," said auran, clearly displeased.
"Hmph. Finally awake, lazy boy. But is that how you thank someone who woke you up? I don't think I like the way you talk to me," Marian said with a dissatisfied expression of her own.
"Feel free to feel however you like," Auran showing no concern for how Marian felt.
Just a minute ago, he had been trapped in an unknown space, wandering and unsure how to return to his body. No matter what he tried, he failed. Then, at the last moment, he suddenly felt a new sensation on his face—like someone was slapping him. As the slaps intensified, he realized that whoever was doing it was actually forcing his body to respond, slowly dragging him back into it and waking him up.
At one point, when Auran fully felt the painful slapping across his face, he finally opened his eyes. Although he was relieved to be awake, he was also unhappy—his face was swollen and stung with a very irritating pain.
"Auran, it's about time you woke up," said Henry with a smile.
"Henry… where are we?" Auran asked while looking around. Up in the sky, he saw both stars and the sun. Around him were dust, criminals, towering walls, and mines. The sound of mining echoed faintly from underground.
"I don't know exactly what's going on. You were in a strange state all this time, and if not for her help, we both might've been beaten—or worse— you might never have woken up," Henry explained, giving credit to Marian for what she had done. He feared that Auran and Marian might argue, which could ruin their already fragile hope of escaping from this place.
"Really..." Auran looked at Marian and, despite still feeling the pain in his face, he realized what the most intelligent move was in that moment.
"I apologize for the way I spoke to you earlier. And thank you for helping me. Also… him," he said with a bow—the most humble gesture he could manage as a person.
"You at least have the attitude to judge a situation. That's good," Marian said with a nonchalant smile as she extended her hand to Auran. "I'm not the type to forget the main goal because of a few misspoken words."
"Marian Eyan, youngest winner of the Bloody Battle in Belgarun."
"Auran Malckoy, apprentice magician."
With those friendly words, the two introduced themselves to each other with a handshake.