Ren quickly grasped the situation once he heard that Maya couldn't move.
The despicable Emperor must have used it to blackmail the Priestess. That would explain why Aisha pleaded for him to tell them how to escape the mist.
The fire in the pit of his stomach subsided. He should be angry for being played, but he felt somehow relieved.
Previously he was controlled by his emotion, thinking that the Priestess had genuinely fallen into that scheming Emperor's hand. However, now that he had calmed down, he could see the bigger picture well.
Ren knew best that their manpower wouldn't be able to take on those from the Empire. That was why he waited until they entered the mist and reduced their own number.
He never predicted that Aisha would help these people. Archibald was right; he had severely underestimated her naivety.
Gritting his teeth, he clenched the hilt of his sword. "All men, drop your weapon!"
"Chief Advisor?"
Everyone was ready to cut each other's throats, so the new order bewildered them.
Ren glared at Archibald, who had an amused smile on his face. "You despicable man. If it were not because of the Priestess, everyone would have been annihilated by now. Yet you still have no qualms about using her and even injuring her."
"Everything is fair in love and war. Don't you think so?" Archibald said meaningfully. His tone sounded like he was making fun of the latter, eliciting a murderous look on Ren's face.
"Mark my words. I will take back the Priestess from you one day." He hissed in a low voice.
"If you are capable, then sure, do your worst. Can you stop wasting our time and show us the way out of this mist? Either way, you don't have any choice."
Ren was extremely unwilling to let these people go, but under Aisha's pleading and urging gaze, he found himself unable to argue anymore.
"As long as you follow our ship, you should be able to get out of the mist safely."
"Chief Advisor!"
A shout of disapproval could be heard from his men. They all looked at Ren as if he had gone crazy.
"Even if we have to risk our lives, we can't lose the Priestess here!"
"Is it because of your sister? Chief Advisor, I know it's hard, but you shouldn't let personal emotion block the bigger view. She is an honorable guard from Holy Shrine. Dying for people would be the greatest honor for her!"
"The cat is already out of the bag. If they escape this mist, the world will be turned upside down!"
"Yeah, if that's the case, we should use our hidden weapon now. That way, these people would—"
"SILENCE!"
Ren's overbearing yell immediately made them clamp their mouth shut. He glared at them menacingly as if he wouldn't hesitate to behead anyone who tried to order him.
"I'm the one who makes the decision here. Are you trying to question my authority?"
Aisha witnessed the commotion and felt very thankful for Ren. Ever since they were a child, Ren always had a good head on his shoulder. He was smarter and knew many things she had never heard of. She could always count on him whenever she was in trouble.
For her, he was an irreplaceable existence. And it saddened her when she thought this was the last time she would see him.
If even she felt sad, how about Maya, his blood-related sister?
Archibald noticed the pained expression on Aisha's face, and his bright mood dampened.
Did she hate to be separated from that guy that much? And the guy seemed to care a lot for her too. What kind of relationship do the two of them have?
Then, Ren suddenly looked up at Aisha. Their gazes met, and suddenly, it felt like they couldn't notice anyone else but each other. There were no words exchanged, but it seemed like they could communicate with their eyes alone.
The sight repulsed Archibald, making him impatient. "How long are you going to waste your time? Hurry up and show us the way, or we will have to force the answer out of you."
Ren's nails dug into his flesh as he clenched his fist. "No need to urge us like that. We will show you the way now."
***
People cheered in joy when they finally escaped the mist.
It felt like they had spent a lot of time inside that cursed place, so when they finally saw the clear blue sky again, they couldn't stop themselves from jumping and crying with happiness.
Aisha was the only one who couldn't feel happy about this. She didn't really mind if she couldn't return to the land, but she might not be able to see Ren anymore for the rest of her life.
Caressing the bandage on her neck, she felt warm when Ren demanded that Archibald let the physician treat her injury. Sure enough, even after they got estranged to be responsible for their respective duty, Ren still cared about her.
A small, sad smile escaped her lips as she turned her head toward him again. Ren was standing on his ship, facing her with inexplicable emotion on his face.
The distance between them grew wider as her ship started to pick up its speed. Without the mist, they no longer have to be afraid of crashing into unknown objects.
Aisha forced herself to smile. If this was the last time they would meet each other, then she wanted him to at least remember her smiling face rather than her crying one.
Then, it seemed Ren was saying something to her. However, they were too far away, and Aisha couldn't understand what he said. He later crossed both his thumbs together with the back of his hand facing outward, making a wing-like shape with his hand.
In their old custom, it was a gesture that hoped for the other's safety no matter where they were. Aisha realized what Ren was trying to say and nodded vehemently.
Right. She would survive and meet Ren again in the future. Even if it wasn't for herself, at least for Maya, who didn't get a chance to see him for the last time.
Just like that, two childhood friends separated. Unbeknownst to Aisha, a dark shadow had started to brew in the background.