And this person before her was actually a mentor from Babel Academy?

A mentor from the Eus Empire… How could he appear on Regan Empire soil?

And in such a bizarre place, no less?

Sophia didn’t know—but she knew she couldn’t dwell on it. Too many possibilities lurked beneath the surface.

"Respected miss?"

Hugh’s voice carried a hint of impatience after Sophia’s prolonged silence.

After a brief pause, Sophia replied softly, "I… accidentally ended up here while fleeing danger with my younger brother."

She reused the same story she’d told the old man earlier.

Hugh frowned slightly. He could easily tell her words were a lie.

But…

"Very well, Miss Refugee. May I ask you a few questions now?"

Hugh didn’t care much. Truthfully, he was far more curious about *how* she arrived here than *who* she was.

"We were heading to the Eus Empire," Sophia continued, her gaze clear and sincere. "Somehow, we wandered into this forest. After passing through the mist… we arrived here."

What she said was true.

Just… not the whole truth.

Anyone who’d reached mentor rank at Babel Academy likely possessed peculiar abilities—perhaps even lie-detection magic. Angering him could bring unnecessary trouble.

*Could he be deceiving me about his identity?*

But the gesture Hugh had performed earlier was a unique Eus Empire greeting among high-level mages. And the brooch pinned to his chest bore Babel Academy’s unmistakable emblem.

"Alright. Let’s assume your story is true," Hugh said, frowning again with that stern, teacher-like expression. "Miss Refugee, this place is extremely dangerous. For your safety, leave immediately."

"Dangerous?"

"Correct. You must have noticed—the time here runs completely opposite to the outside world. Moreover… all life here vanishes the moment the first ray of dawn touches the ground."

"…"

"I’m not threatening you. This place is genuinely perilous."

His gaze was sincere, yet rigid—like a professor addressing a student, full of pedagogical intent.

Sophia narrowed her eyes slightly. "Mr. Edward, I must clarify three points."

"First: I am not your student. Do not speak to me in that scolding tone."

"Second: We came here for our own reasons."

"Third: Right now, the most dangerous presence to us… is you, standing before us."

As she spoke, the drifting snowflakes in her cerulean eyes turned piercingly cold.

Hugh froze. A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes—but resignation quickly overshadowed it.

"Rest assured, I pose no threat. Or rather… if I *did* intend harm, you wouldn’t have time to utter a single word."

He let out a cold snort and lightly tapped his wand against the ground.

*Whoosh.*

A surge of formidable water magic erupted. The air thickened with moisture, dampening the surroundings in an instant.

"!"

Shock flashed in Sophia’s eyes.

She couldn’t gauge his exact power level—but she knew he wasn’t bluffing. With that display alone, he could have ended her effortlessly.

*Still…*

Dismissing all suspicion of malice based solely on this? Naive.

"Don’t worry. With me here," a calm voice cut in, "if he so much as touches a single hair on your head—consider me defeated."