3 CHAPTER 3: NEW EARTH (3)

Right as Chaerin's calloused finger was about to touch the boundary between men and monster, her vision dimmed and her legs lost their strength.

'THUD'

Just before her limp body meets the ground, a tall, muscular man caught her body. His dark and scarred arms supported her body. He turned around towards Jeanne, and his deep black eyes glared at her.

"General Jeanne, what do you think you're doing?"

"General Owen, I thought you're off-duty today?" She answered, a bit flustered.

"A soldier of the Vanguard is never truly off-duty, Jeanne. The lives of our men are in a constant threat," he shifted his gaze towards Chaerin's unconscious face, her eyes closed and her smooth black hair sprawled accross her small face, "explain this."

"Yes sir. Our squad found her a few kilometers north from the gate, she was unconscious and she claimed to have lost her memories. Though, we have our suspicions on her, hence why I thought of testing her." Jeanne bowed a little with her right hand formed in a fist in front of her chest.

"You did well in suspecting her, I myself sensed a weird mana flow from her," he paused, "however, general, you did bad in letting her roam around freely. If she's an enemy, you may lost some of your soldiers. You of all people should know this well." He said with a stern voice.

Jeanne said nothing and bit her lips upon hearing those words.

"Next time, neutralize your suspects and hostages once you gain all information you can get from them," he glanced at Chaerin once more, "come, I've neutralized her for you this time. Explain everything to the headmaster." Owen said as he turned around and passed the barrier with Chaerin in his arms.

"Yes sir. I apologize for my rash judgment." Jeanne said as she followed his footsteps.

-------------

I opened my eyes in a new place, for the second time today. Seriously, what's up with me and my consciousness? Someone definitely hit me in the back of my head earlier. That bastard.

"You're awake." A deep and slightly hoarse voice came from the man standing in front of me.

He wore a white shirt with a few upper buttons undone and a pair of black pants. His outfit is different from the soldiers I met earlier. Who is he?

"Not much of a talker, are you?" he said, crossing his arms.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" I groaned.

"Miss Chaerin, meet general Owen, he's the second general in our Vanguard." Jeanne suddenly interrupted.

"Miss Jeanne? I thought you're a general too?" I said looking visibly confused.

"That is correct. I am the fifth general and he is the second," Jeanne replied, "now, we need you to wait patiently here."

"...Sure, but do we really have to do it this way?" I looked down at the chains shackling me to a wooden chair. Even my hands are chained behind my back. I feel like the dumb main character from a horror movie when she got kidnapped by the murderer.

"I apologize for our rudeness, Miss Chaerin. I hope you understand that we must take safety precautions before we are certain of... things." Jeanne said with a straight face, but I can see that she's also a bit uncomfortable with this.

"We mean you might be our enemy," Owen pitched in, "and we are prepared to deal with you if that's the case."

Damn, I want to be mad, but from their perspective, it's totally true. Why do they have to be so smart and not act like villains in the movies where they stupidly let the protagonist go?

'Creak'

Everyone turned their attention as they hear the sound of a door being opened. A very old man with bald head and white beard greeted us with a smile. He looks very fragile and pretty small, perhaps because his posture is hunched forward. Behind him followed a red haired man with a stoic face, glasses framing his deep brown eyes. I stared at his unusually colored hair for a bit. He wore a suit while the old man was dressed in a casual robe.

"Greetings, headmaster." Jeanne and Owen bowed simultaneously.

He grinned from ear to ear, "ho ho! Long time no see, Jeanne, Owen!" the old man said with a chirpy tone.

He is the headmaster? He is very... old. Are his legs okay?

"This must be the young lady you've told me about, right Jeanne?" the headmaster looked at me with mysterious eyes.

"Yes, headmaster."

"Ah, okay then! Sorry, sorry, Owen and Jeanne are quite energetic you see? Please forgive them for being rough on you." He said while laughing.

"...I think you're way more energetic." I replied.

"Ho ho! Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You see, I just want to have a small talk with you. This old man can get lonely sometimes~" he motioned his finger and the man in the suit unshackled me.

"Uh, thank you..." I stood up and rubbed my right wrist upon the release, "...why did you unshackle me?"

"Ho ho ho! I believe conversing while being chained won't be too comfortable for you." He sat down on a couch while the suited man handed him some whisky, "do you want some?"

"Thanks, but I don't drink."

"Alright, miss Chaerin. Let me be direct," the atmosphere suddenly tensed up and I got goosebumps, "simply speaking, you have no worth for us."

"Pardon me?"

"Well, let me break it down for you. It's simple, really. You, an unknown person who claims to have no memories suddenly showed up. Not only that, but you have an irregular mana flow and you even managed to kill one injured ice orc," he started, "although it was injured and you got help from your friend, but ice orcs are quite powerful for average humans, you see."

I listened to his words in silence and gulped nervously.

"If you're a threat to us, that means you're dangerous towards average human beings, which means you're a danger to our citizens." he continued.

"And if I'm not a threat?"

"If you're not a threat, and if you're an ally, well frankly speaking we don't need your help. Humanity right now is strong enough." His gaze felt cold.

"Are you going to throw a fellow human under the bus?"

"Are you asking me to choose you over the safety of millions of civilians? And that is assuming you're not a threat."

Damn it. He's not making a room for me to convince him. I have to think of something.

"Headmaster, what are you planning on doing?" Jeanne suddenly asked, looking visibly disturbed.

"Jeanne, you're a smart girl. So I'm sure you know there is very little reason to believe her. If we make a misjudgement based on feelings, we might put our people in danger," the headmaster said without shifting his glance from me.

"I--"

"Jeanne, it's enough." Owen tapped her shoulder and stopped her.

"...I'm sorry. I know that, it's just... If she truly is a normal human, isn't it our duty to protect her?" she bit her bottom lip.

"Who says we're killing her?" the headmaster unexpectedly said with a small chuckle.

I looked up. Is there a shred of hope? Is this where the god of isekai blesses me with luck? Am I even in an isekai if I'm still on earth? I don't know, just please give me some luck!

"We are going to study her mana flow and interrogate her. After that we kill her. Tee hee!"

Oh my god you senile old man.

"Wait!" I shouted.

All eyes turned on me. I have no choice, let's just go for it.

"You're wrong about one thing." I started talking, while trying my best to look and sound confident even though my heart is beating like crazy and I'm having cold sweat.

"Oho? Do entertain me." the old man stroked his beard.

"I do have a use for you guys," I smirked, "and it's a use that only I have."

"Ho ho, don't be too confident, young lady. Or are you so desperate that you resort to meaningless lies?" he said while laughing.

"I have useful informations that only I know and only I can get."

"How do we know that you're telling the truth?" the old man raised his right eyebrow in amusement.

"Try me. You'll be the judge." I said while staring at him straight in the eyes.