"Shiki," Johan said slowly, his voice heavy and firm. "Do you think we are all fools? I may not know how you knew about this place or that we would be teleported here. But I am not blind. There was a very clear strangeness in your actions from the very beginning."
"Strangeness?" Shiki tried to deny it, even as her voice trembled.
"When you ordered us all through Mujun to gather here," Johan pointed toward the massive dragon monument that towered high enough to pierce the sky. "You equipped us with weapons and gear like leather armor, shields, and swords. Yet, strangely, everyone else was carrying only the clothes on their backs when we were teleported. Even small items like nail clippers didn't come with us—but you managed to bring all that equipment."
Shiki opened her mouth to counter, but Johan raised his hand, silencing any attempt at defense.
"Then, in the dungeon," Johan continued, his gaze sharpening further. "You seemed to know exactly which path to take to reach the Boss room as quickly as possible. That dungeon is a massive labyrinth full of traps and pitfalls. But you... you moved like someone who had memorized every corner, even with your eyes closed."
Johan let out a long sigh, rubbing his face in frustration. "Do you still want to tell me that I'm hallucinating, Shiki?"
Shiki fell silent, only able to gape wordlessly. She knew that every action she had taken was indeed suspicious. She had been too rushed to obtain the dungeon essence and increase her blood purity. However, she had never expected that Johan would notice such minute details.
Her original plan was to become stronger as quickly as possible, so that even if others were suspicious, no one would dare oppose her. But that plan was now in tatters. The Blood Ember she had managed to obtain was still in her inventory, and she hadn't had the chance to absorb it. Shiki swallowed hard, realizing how precarious her situation had become.
Shiki's mind raced, searching for any loophole to escape. A cold sweat began to dampen her forehead, and her eyes darted around sharply, looking for an opportunity to flee. However, the Spring Division had surrounded her from all directions, forming a tight circle and watching her every move with vigilance. The only way to escape was to use the teleportation circle she was currently sitting on—but to activate it, she had to state the location she wished to go.
Shiki wasn't sure if Johan and his men knew how the teleportation circle worked. However, when Shiki had used it before, many Nagawira had witnessed her simply appearing out of thin air at that spot.
Johan spoke, his voice flat yet emphasized. "However, Shiki, the truth is that if you were keeping secrets, it wouldn't be a problem for me. As a leader, it is indeed your right to keep secrets without informing your subordinates."
Shiki furrowed her brow, trying to understand what Johan actually meant. "Then why did you—"
Johan cut her off, his voice growing heavier. "But you have changed, Shiki. You are no longer the leader I once respected. Slowly, you have become someone we all hate. You have become a noble!"
"Ha? What is this, Johan? I am a noble! Didn't you know that from the start?" Shiki was nearly in disbelief, shocked by the accusation.
"Spring is not just a division to me, Shiki. They are my family. People who were never seen as human beings by nobles. People who were always used as tools for dirty work." He took a deep breath. "I used to believe you were different. You were a noble, yes, but you didn't act like them. You judged us with your sharp eyes, not with a look of disdain. You spoke to me as a comrade, not a subordinate."
Johan closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the past. His body trembled before his eyes snapped open again, staring at Shiki with profound disappointment.
"When you invited me to join the organization you had just built, I accepted the offer immediately. Not because I wanted a connection to the Ganko family, but because I saw something more." His voice softened for a second, filled with memory. "I saw calculation, ambition, and caution in you. You spoke to me not as someone who felt superior to others. You spoke to me like someone who respected me—or at least the talent I possessed. That is what made me want to follow a leader like you."
Johan sighed heavily, his voice growing hoarser, full of regret. "But as time went on, you changed. Slowly, you became the same kind of noble we've always known—arrogant, cruel, and dismissive. Gone was your caution. Gone was your respect for us, the people you consider low. You didn't even meet us in person anymore. You only gave orders through Mujun, who also has noble blood. You no longer looked at me as a comrade, Shiki. You only saw us all as tools—tools you could exploit at will and discard at any time."
Johan's eyes grew redder, and Shiki could see a pooling of tears there. His voice was raspy, filled with emotion that could no longer be contained. Shiki wanted to argue, but no words came out.
"At first, I still hoped you would return to the way you were, to be the leader I respected." Johan's voice trembled. "And in that dungeon, I saw it clearly. You didn't hesitate for a second when my people fell. Your gaze didn't waver. It was as if you had calculated all of it."
A single tear fell from the corner of Johan's eye, but his voice remained firm. "I will not let Spring become a stepping stone for your ambition. No matter how high your dreams are, no matter what you want to become at the top of this tower."
Johan stared at Shiki with a gaze full of disappointment and resolve. Shiki was silent, trapped in a whirlpool of conflicting feelings. Was it true? Had she really changed? The question arose suddenly in her mind, echoing like a whisper that couldn't be ignored.
She remembered that morning—the morning she woke up with the realization that she had regressed to three years before the teleportation. She remembered how she began to draft her plans, writing them on paper before burning them to ashes.