How to Catch a Kind High Elf

Three days had passed since the meeting with Prince Salius and Lilinrala.

"I'm back."

I had just gotten back to the shop after a meeting at the Merchants Guild.

Rit smiled. "Welcome back."

"The trading ships have all been wiped out, apparently."

They hadn't actually been attacked. However, all of them were avoiding Zoltan because

of Lilinrala's warship.

Trade with Zoltan wasn't exactly a big profit driver to begin with. It was just a

convenient place for traders to hawk whatever leftovers they had. A small profit like

that wasn't worth risking your life.

"But Zoltan is basically self-sufficient, isn't it?" Rit took my coat and put it away.

"Yeah. Food, salt, clothes, firewood, and things like that will just be a little on the short

side, and the upper crust won't be able to get any luxury items, but it won't have a big

impact. But there's a problem."

"A problem?"

"With that huge boat out there, no one's going out to fish."

Even the hardy fishers who would challenge a sea monster armed with nothing but a

harpoon were scared of the giant warship.

"Ahh, that. Yeah, your seafood stew is delicious. It's a shame not to be able to have that

anymore!" Rit responded indignantly.

"When you combine that with the lack of trade ships, a big issue arises."

"Which is…?"

"Oil."

"Oh. Right." Rit nodded. "The oils used in Zoltan are either imported vegetable ones or

those from fish caught at sea."

Zoltan exported sugar and imported olive oil and canola oil. Locals produced fish oil,

but it had an unpleasant odor, which meant it didn't see much use in Zoltan. The

surrounding villages bought it, however.

This meant the production base for fish oil was small, and there was little inventory.

And because larger merchant ships didn't visit Zoltan very often, the imported

vegetable oils generally came in smaller quantities. So the stock was low there, too.

All of Zoltan's oil reserves would run dry before long. That had been the biggest

concern at the Merchants Guild meeting. The higher-ups had pleaded with everyone

to do something, but the only thing that could be done was to buy up all of the oil, place

it under guild management, and limit sale and distribution to ration what was left.

"An army fights on its stomach. When supplies run out, morale will follow quickly," I

said.

"Yeah." Rit had experienced that much for herself during the siege of Loggervia. She

knew firsthand just how much the lack of everyday necessities could make everyone

uneasy. "So you won't be able to use oil in your cooking… At this rate, my spirits are

going to hit rock bottom." Rit's expression looked grave.

Wait, that's your problem?

"Yeah, no cooking oil will definitely be an issue. It's a reminder of just how far we've

come from eating nasty food every day."

"Also, that means no more soap, either, since oil is used to make that, too! And after I

went to all that work for silky smooth skin for you!"

Oh. That's pretty bad.

"Ah, your face suddenly got really serious, Red."

"Is there anything we can do?" I wondered.

The two of us sat down next to each other and started thinking.

"In Loggervia, we made oil using olives."

"There aren't any olive trees around Zoltan, though."

"Figures. What about trade by land?"

"Oil is relatively cheap for its volume, so trade by land would be rough."

We bounced a few ideas off each other, but none of them really stuck.

"What about using the fat from monsters to make oil?" Rit suggested.

"Anyone who could fight monsters is busy right now protecting Zoltan."

A sudden reduction in the monster population came with its own problems. Other

monsters would expand their territory to fill the gap, which might lead to even

stronger monsters near Zoltan settlements.

"Yeah, I guess that's no good…"

I brought out some tea and cookies so that we could take our time to consider the

issue. We both sipped pensively from our cups.

"Delicious," Rit remarked with a sigh. "Weren't these tea leaves imported, too?"

"It's a blend of foreign leaves and ones I gathered up on the mountain."

"Losing this would be awful. The tea goes so perfectly with sweet cookies." Rit

caressed the cup.

"The price of sugar should drop at least."

"But that's just sugar… I'm the kind of person who prefers sweet food combined with

a drink that isn't sweet," Rit pouted. "I know! Why don't you just create a recipe for

making a new kind of oil!" After saying that, though, she collapsed onto the table. "I

guess that's impossible."

But…

"I wouldn't go that far…"

"Wait, so you can?!" Rit suddenly sat up straight. "Is there anything my Red can't do?"

"No, I can't say for certain that I'd be able to do it."

I scratched the back of my head apologetically for getting Rit's hopes up.

"So which is it, then?"

"Zoltan's sugar is made using sap from coconut trees, right?" I said.

"Yeah. We used beets in Loggervia. I was surprised to find out you could use tree sap

to make it."

"The villages that make the sugar also eat the coconuts, and I've heard they also make

fishing nets from them, but that's about all, currently."

"Are you saying they can be used as a source of oil, too?"

"Yeah. It should be possible… At least I think so."

Zoltan had started as a pioneer town. It wasn't like anyone here was particularly wellversed in uses for coconuts. When it came to things like that, the locals weren't any

more knowledgeable than your average person in Central. However, the people of the

south seas allegedly considered the coconut to be a wondrous thing that could provide

everything humans needed. A single coconut tree gave you water, food, cloth, rope, a

ship, and oil—everything needed for sailing the seas.

"…Or so I've been told," I explained.

"That's amazing! If you knew that, you should have said something sooner."

"Don't get your hopes up. Remember, that's all I've got. I know that you can get oil from

a coconut, but I don't really know the process, or if there's anything that needs to be

added to make it work."

Rit slumped back in her chair a bit. "Ahhh, I see."

"I don't think there's much I'll be able to do this time," I admitted.

"Okay, I'll go to the Mages Guild and borrow some alchemy tools real quick!"

"Huh?"

"My Red truly is amazing!" Rit was in high spirits as she grabbed my hand. "If we know

that much, all that's left is to experiment, right? I'll buy a bunch of coconuts, too."

She was right. If I didn't know the answer, we could just employ some trial and error.

Rit was always showing me the way forward.

"All right, let's give it a shot."

"Yeah!"

Rit dashed outside while I stayed behind to watch the shop.

Sales had been high the past few days because of the unease caused by the battleship,

but everyone had already stocked up by now, so there weren't many customers today.

I was just watching the store by myself.

Without Rit there, it was quiet and a bit lonely.

I spent my free time considering ways of getting oil from coconuts, but I couldn't bring

myself to focus on the matter.

"Hmmm."

I didn't want to figure out how to make coconut oil so much as I hoped to find the

answer with Rit.

"Hm, I've really gone soft."

I chuckled wryly to myself before setting that aside. Fighting and worrying were things

for the city's higher-ups to deal with. I was just an apothecary.

My life with Rit was the most important thing to me.

"That's our Rit for you! Zoltan's hero, even in retirement!"

"To think there was a way to make oil like this! There's truly no substitute for the

knowledge gained from traveling the world!"

"Please register with the Merchants Guild! We would love to have you as an honorary

adviser!"

The traders crowded Rit, showering her with an avalanche of praise. I was standing

outside the throng, clapping from the side.

We had experimented in the workroom for two days. At first we had tried just

wringing the oil out like with olives, but that hadn't worked. When I'd begun

wondering whether to try heating it, cooling it, melting it, drying it out, Rit had said,

"Just do it all." She got so into it that she even used her Power of Bear enhancement

magic.

Seeing her so fired up had motivated me, too, and we'd worked through the night,

attempting everything we could think of. And fortunately, our efforts had yielded

results.

"Take the coconut meat, smash it up, add a little bit of flame grass powder, leave it in

a bucket for one hour, take the semisolids that rise to the surface, then put them into

a pot and heat until they become a translucent oil. After that, all that's left is to strain

away the dregs. There weren't any issues with the recipe. Our alchemists were able to

follow the instructions without any issues," one of the merchants said as he looked at

a document.

The Merchants Guild operated so smoothly, despite Zoltan's typical laziness, because

of men like him, who were quick and eager.

"The only part that requires a skill is making the flame grass powder. Anyone can

handle the actual oil production. There may even be a species of coconut that's better

suited for making oil, removing the need for the flame grass," I remarked.

"Further improving the method is an intriguing proposition, but the very fact that

coconut oil production is feasible is wonderful. To think it would be this simple to

acquire what was a scarce resource…" The merchant nodded in marvel and then

extended his hand with a smile. "Thank you very much, Red. Our guild is lucky to have

someone like you in Zoltan."

There was a warmth in my heart that I hadn't felt in a while, and I couldn't help

breaking out into a satisfied grin as Rit and I made our way back to the shop.

Despite having developed such a crucial new product, we'd admittedly sold off the

method rather cheaply. With trade cut off, merchants were the ones hurting for

income, not me. And we had been entrusted with the oil production and distribution;

that would be enough.

Plus, as a reward for our contributions, the Merchants Guild had waived my member

fees for five years, and the loan I had taken to get the shop open had been written off,

too.

"I'm perfectly satisfied with this. You don't need to get so worked up about it."

"Hrmph." Rit looked miffed. "You were the amazing one, but all they did was praise

me… I don't like it!"

"There were people who acknowledged me, too. It's fine."

"You should make more of a point of selling just how great you are sometimes!"

"The whole point of my coming here was not to stand out too much."

"But I want people to congratulate us together!"

So that was what was bothering Rit. She was upset that we weren't getting shared

credit for what we had done as a pair.

"It makes me happy to see everyone holding you in such high esteem."

"I just wish they'd understand how amazing you really are!"

"Ah-ha-ha, sorry, sorry. You understanding is enough for me, though," I assured her.

"Ugh." Rit covered her mouth with her bandana as she glared at me. Her cheeks were

turning a little bit red. "Saying stuff like that to make me happy is not fair."

Rit held out her hand, and I took it in mine.

"It's the truth, though," I replied.

"I know it is, but… argh." Rit smiled in resignation. "Fine, I'm going to keep fawning

over you by myself."

She blushed after saying that, and we continued home, hand in hand.

It was nearing evening the next day, and Rit and I were working in the shop.

"Shall we call it a day a bit earlier today?" I asked when customers started to get few

and far between.

"I don't mind. Did you have something to do?"

"I was thinking of going to meet Yarandrala to see if she had any advice about

gathering coconuts."

Until now, Zoltan had only used the sap of coconut trees for making sugar. The

villagers in nearby settlements either ate the coconuts or made nets from them.

Making oil required a lot of the fruit, so I'd wanted to ask an expert on plants about

how best to harvest them while being careful not to overdo it and run out.

"Oh yeah, she was coming by to hang out every day at first, but she hasn't stopped by

since after the festival," Rit remarked.

"I had actually been wondering about that, too. Considering her personality, it seems

weird she hasn't stopped by every day."

"Then let's get our work finished up quickly."

Rit started quickly checking over our sales. She was a practiced hand at that, so I left

her to it. Back when she started, she'd been a lot more awkward.

We had met again near the end of summer, and we were pushing toward the end of

winter now. Both of us had gotten much more comfortable with running an

apothecary.

"I'm done over here."

"I'm almost finished, too."

And with that, work was complete for the day.

"Good job, Rit."

"You too, Red."

We double high-fived, then hugged each other and spun around.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I'm coming with, obviously. Yarandrala's a friend, after all. I'm going to change real

quick, so just wait a minute." Rit grinned and then dashed over to the bedroom.

For a small place like Zoltan, the harbor district was the one window to foreign lands.

"There are a lot of ships."

It wasn't that there'd been a sudden rush of arrivals. Rather, all the vessels that would

typically be out fishing were still docked.

"I guess trade and fishing really are going to be a problem."

"Zoltan's never seen such a big warship before, after all," Rit responded.

We couldn't see it from where we were walking, but if we took a ship out into the water

just a little bit farther toward the river, the Veronia galley would surely be there.

It was an old-style design from eighty years ago, but it was still a combat-ready

powerful sea vessel. It was on a whole other level from the small modified merchant

ships that pirates around these parts used.

"Even if they haven't come to declare war, they could easily capture or sink any Zoltan

vessels if they felt like it. Anyone would feel uneasy with that thing nearby."

After a short stroll, we heard the drunken singing of jobless sailors hanging out at a

bar. They weren't very good, but it made for fair enough background noise as Rit and

I walked. The red sun setting over the river was lovely, and despite the recent trouble,

it still felt like a peaceful scene.

The inn where Yarandrala was staying was on the other side of the tavern where the

sailors had gathered.

"It's the first time I've been around here," I commented.

I was a little bit surprised by how quiet it was. As if the usual boisterous harbor bustle

had all been a lie.

A small creek burbled, and the trees rustled. It was almost like a little park. There were

three lodges lined up there.

"This is housing for spirit users," Rit explained. "It's pretty common for people with

blessings that let them sense spirits of the sea or storm to become sailors."

"That's right, there was someone with a Wind Druid blessing who was a privateer

captain back in the capital."

As I recalled, he'd been a slender guy, and he said his hobby was playing a lyre in the

forest for the songbirds on his days off. But that delicate-looking man was a

commodore at the head of a fleet of forty large corsairs. According to one of the crew,

he was merciless and cruel out on the seas, and had no qualms about ordering

someone to go to a nearby village to kidnap people to make up for a shortfall in crew.

I never dealt with him that much, but the army had viewed his cruelty as a problem.

Rit had a comfortable smile on her face as she looked around, perhaps because of her

Spirit Scout blessing.

Evidently, the forest had been maintained here so spirit users could be at ease.

I walked through the trees and opened the door of a lodge that felt like a little cabin in

the middle of the woods.

"I can't believe she wasn't there," Rit said. "Yarandrala moved without even telling us."

Rit and I were resting under a tree, eating some apples we had gotten at the inn. They

were crunchy, with a nice texture and a delicious mix of sweet and sour.

Yarandrala was nowhere to be found. Apparently, she had moved out the day after the

festival. The woman running the lodge didn't know where she had gone.

Rit tossed an apple core into the trash. "What should we do?"

"I was thinking of going looking for her," I responded, tossing my core into the trash as

well.

It was strange for Yarandrala to vanish without so much as a word.

"Did she get dragged into something?" Rit wondered aloud.

I thought for a moment before responding.

"That seems unlikely. If she had, I'm pretty sure she would have come to tell us."

"Maybe she just didn't get a chance to."

"With her abilities, even if she couldn't meet us in person, she'd find a way to let us

know."

Yarandrala's blessing was Singer of the Trees. She could communicate with plants.

From the timbers around us all the way to the nameless blades of grass on the side of

the road, they could all be Yarandrala's messengers. That was how powerful her ability

was.

"Maybe she stuck her nose into something she ought not to have," I suggested.

"Even so, she would tell us she was moving," Rit answered.

"Yeah, she'd definitely make a point of letting us know and telling us not to worry,

but…"

"But…?"

"Well, suppose this was a personal matter. In that case, I bet she'd rather keep it quiet

and solve everything on her own so as not to trouble us."

"Aww." Rit grimaced slightly, and then murmured, "I would have preferred if she talked

to us about it."

"Me too. But either way, I was thinking of going to look for her. Whether we end up

helping out or not is one thing, but we can provide emotional support, at least."

"I can understand not wanting to trouble friends, but I do worry about her. And I want

to see her again."

"Yeah. Want to look for her together?" I suggested.

"Do we have any idea where to start?"

"Hmmm… Nothing but asking around blindly."

If Yarandrala had left the lodge while making a point not to leave any tracks, even Rit,

with her Spirit Scout blessing, wouldn't be able to track her. My Guide wouldn't be any

use, obviously.

"Fortunately, she has only been in Zoltan a little while, and she doesn't have many

acquaintances here."

"True, that's probably a good place to start."

"All right… Why don't we start by paying Mogrim a visit."

I stood up, getting ready to head over to the blacksmith's shop back in our

neighborhood.

Before we could leave, three men approached us. One of them caught my eye in

particular. He had savage, drake-like eyes.

"Evening."

The drake-eyed man glared at me before nodding slightly and walking by. He and the

other two headed toward the building we'd just left.

"Rit, what do you say we rest here a little longer?"

"That's fine with me… Who are they?"

The suspicious group opened the door to the lodging and went inside.

"They have high-level Assassin blessings. Each is probably over level 40."

"Assassins over level 40?! That's way stronger than Albert or Galatine!" Rit kept her

voice low, but she couldn't hide her surprise.

"They definitely aren't from Zoltan. Probably came in from the outside."

"From the Assassins Guild?" Rit questioned.

"People with Assassin blessings were typically recruited into the guild, but that's not

the case for all of them, so it's difficult to say," I answered.

"I guess so. Hmm… Do you think they've got something to do with the Veronian

galley?"

"Hard to say without knowing more, but the arrival of an imposing ship and three

people with high-level blessings so close together is too strange not to think they're

connected."

"We can't forget that those three are searching the place where Yarandrala was

staying," Rit reminded me.

"It might all be connected. Anyway, it doesn't seem like they've come to cause a fuss at

least…"

I was watching carefully, but there didn't seem to be any sign of a fight in the lodge.

The rough-looking trio appeared to be talking peaceably. I'd opted to stay and watch

in case violence broke out, but fortunately, it seemed to be wasted effort.

"Looks like they are leaving," Rit whispered as she held out her hand.

I took it, and we walked out of the small grove together, playing the part of lovers

coming to enjoy the forest scene. Well, it wasn't exactly an act, so we pulled it off quite

naturally.

Rit and I could have tried speaking to the three, but without understanding the

situation, it was too risky. For now, our best option was checking with the people who

knew Yarandrala.

Thus, we made our way to Mogrim's shop.

"If it ain't Red and Rit. Come on in."

Mogrim was sitting at the counter. He broke into a smile when he saw us.

It was outside business hours, but still during the time when Mogrim stayed around

in case someone needed something sharpened or the like. His customers weren't

exclusively adventurers and soldiers. Mogrim also helped lots of carpenters and

crafters who came to get their tools mended after work was finished.

"What brings you here? Did your sword break again?"

"Saying it like that makes it sound like I'm always destroying it! I was just wondering

if Yarandrala had stopped by recently," I replied.

"Hm? That stubborn elf, huh?" Mogrim grimaced in disgust. I had thought they had

maybe started to get along a bit after traveling together, but high elves and dwarves

really did go together like oil and water. "As if that high elf would ever come 'round to

see me!"

"What makes high elves so bad? Dwarves don't seem to have any issues with halfelves," I said.

"Half-elves don't have the same disgusting arrogance and irritating irresponsibility.

They're practically the same as humans."

True. On a personality level, half-elves tended to be no different from humans. The

vast majority of elves in Zoltan were half-elves, so I hadn't ever heard of them having

issues with the local dwarves. The few high elves living in Zoltan probably didn't use

the dwarf-run smithies.

Gonz looked the handsome elf, but he was just your average middle-aged guy on the

inside.

"Okay, so she hasn't come by, then…"

"Aye, she hasn't… But…" Mogrim muttered, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Godwin mentioned he had spoken with Yarandrala and Mistorm at the Adventurers

Guild."

"Godwin and Mistorm?"

And just like that, two more names from Yarandrala's small pool of acquaintances

popped up.

"All right, you better not oversleep tomorrow, you guys!" Godwin said.

"Got it!" Three tough-looking laborers nodded vigorously.

Evidently, they were preparing to leave when Rit and I arrived.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Godwin apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Apologies for coming by all of a sudden while you were

working."

"It's no problem at all."

Godwin smiled, not looking bothered at all. I couldn't help but smile to see him like

that.

"Already getting ready for your trade route?" I inquired.

"Yep."

We were at a warehouse on the north side of Zoltan.

Godwin had been working into the night packing a horse-drawn cart full with bags of

glass. The trade between Zoltan, the zoog village, and the gem giants was gearing up.

"I was worried you wouldn't be able to get together enough guards, what with the

situation with Veronian galley and all," I said.

"Actually, more than half of the adventurers who were supposed to help me had to pull

out, and I had to rush around some to keep everything together. I ended up contacting

some old friends in the Thieves Guild who were on the outs lately and managed to

recruit a few of them."

"The remnants of Bighawk's group? Can you trust them?"

"They're all real pieces of work without any moral code, but so long as I pay them, it'll

be fine. They can tell as well as I can that they no longer have a future in the Thieves

Guild. Working for me is a much better deal."

Godwin looked far more energetic and lively than when he'd been under Bighawk's

thumb. Given Godwin's personality, I doubt he felt guilty working for the Thieves

Guild, but something had happened recently that changed his values.

"Anyway, we wanted to ask you about Yarandrala and Mistorm," Rit began. "We're

looking for Yarandrala and heard you had her and Mistorm at the Adventurers Guild

recently. Could you tell us what you know?"

Godwin cocked his head to one side. "Wait, so now you guys are looking for her? Wasn't

she the one looking for you just the other day?"

"Yarandrala moved without telling us. We were thinking that maybe she's been caught

up in something unpleasant."

"Can't think of any trouble in Zoltan that'd be too much of a problem for her. There's

that whole Veronian warship, but I've been busy getting ready for my trip, so I don't

know much about that."

"Ruti, Tisse, and Mister Crawly Wawly are investigating that one."

"Well, if they're on it, then there's nothing to worry about!" Godwin flashed a relieved

grin. "Honestly, I only just caught a glimpse of Yarandrala at the Adventurers Guild."

"Is there anything you can remember? Anything at all?" I implored.

"I saw her the morning after the festival. But it wasn't in the hall area of the guild where

adventurers hang out. I went there to see about hiring a few people for my business.

Master Mistorm put in a good word for me, so I had a meeting with Harold, Galatine,

and Kevin, the second in command of the Zoltan guard. Pretty sweet how three of the

big hitters were there for my meeting, huh? Heh-heh. Anyway, our meeting was in one

of the guild's office rooms, though all that talk ended up being pointless in the end."

"And that was where you saw Mistorm?" I questioned.

"Yeah," Godwin replied. " Around when things were mostly hammered out, a worker

rushed in looking flustered. He said that Master Mistorm had arrived. The report was

really only for Harold and Galatine, but everyone in the room heard. After that, the two

of them got up and left."

"That was still during the morning?"

"Yeah. I didn't have a clock around to say for sure, but I'd bet it wasn't even ten yet."

Rit and I had gone fishing the day after the festival. We had spotted the Veronian galley

that afternoon. Prince Salius had apparently made contact the next day. Word of a

giant warship approaching Zoltan was surely cause for Zoltan's bigwigs to call an

emergency meeting. They probably would've rescheduled Godwin's trade meeting

had they known about the galley already, so word couldn't have spread until later in

the morning at the earliest.

"Anyway, since I owed my whole business to Master Mistorm, I figured I should make

a point of saying thanks, so I left with Harold and Galatine, too. Then everyone else

started following suit, hoping to speak with Master Mistorm. Galatine got really

pissed." Godwin grinned as he recalled the scene. "Let me tell you, even Kevin cowered

a little beneath his gaze. Anyway, I used that opening to hurry Harold out of the room

and headed over to see Master Mistorm."

"I see."

"Yarandrala was with Master Mistorm when I found her, which was a bit of a surprise.

Honestly, that elf scares me a little, so I hesitated for a moment. Then Galatine ran over

and had a quick chat with Master Mistorm. Yarandrala and the two of them ended up

heading out somewhere together."

"Mistorm, Yarandrala, and Galatine?"

Apparently, the Adventurers Guild was involved, or Galatine himself, at least.

"I guess the Adventurers Guild is our next stop, then," I stated.

"Ah, wait a sec," Godwin called. "If Tisse and Mister Crawly Wawly are getting involved

with the Veronia thing, then could you pass on a message for me?"

"What is it?"

"I heard a bit of unpleasant news while rounding up some of my old Thieves Guild

buddies."

"Oh?"

"There's rumors that some of the Zoltan bigwigs who think we should give in to

Veronia have been gathering all the ruffians who worked for Bighawk."

"Assembling thieves, huh?"

"I know Mister Crawly Wawly can handle himself, but just to be safe, could you let him

and Tisse know for me?"

I guess Godwin was worried about them. He really had changed.

Northern Zoltan was primarily expansive farm plots.

The northern district was the largest one, but there were few people living there. Most

of the land was just fields for vegetables and wheat. Ruti's herb farm was on some land

she and Tisse were renting up in that area.

Part of the reason the Adventurers Guild was in the northern district was because

there were so many requests for dealing with agriculture-related issues. Zoltan's walls

were more like a suggestion—fences that could easily be jumped. The guild had been

placed in the North so it could respond to monsters and animals that hopped the wall

and went after crops and farmers.

Perhaps the storms that rolled through made it difficult for the monster population to

grow. Whatever the reason, the average level of monsters around Zoltan was pretty

low. They grew in strength through survival of the fittest battles with other creatures.

Monsters were born with sturdy bodies and powerful special abilities, and their levels

rose based on how many living things they killed. However, in areas where natural

disasters culled the local fauna population, you either wound up with an immensely

mighty individual creature capable of overpowering whatever the world threw at it or

got what Zoltan had—a relatively peaceful region where monsters barely survived

hurricanes and the like.

Since Zoltan was so tranquil, the real reason the Adventurers Guild was up on the

north side might well have been so it would be easier to hire additional help when

farms were busy.

"Oh, if it isn't Miss Rit! It's been a while!" the woman at the counter called out excitedly.

"Hi, Louise. How have you been?"

"I've been good! But ever since you retired, we've been struggling with getting people

to take more difficult quests. Mr. Bui disappears regularly and for long periods, and

Ms. Ruhr and Ms. Tifa are more focused on agriculture, so they don't take the more

involved jobs."

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, no, I'm sorry for bothering you with my complaints. This is just the norm. You

were kind of the exception."

Louise had a heated look in her eyes as she looked at Rit. She must have been a fan of

Rit the hero.

"Oh, so what brings you by today, Miss Rit?" Suddenly remembering herself, Louise's

face turned red.

"I was hoping to meet with Galatine. Is he here now?"

"I'm incredibly sorry, but Mr. Galatine has gone to the cathedral."

"The cathedral. Bishop Shien's?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Had he gone there for a meeting about Prince Salius?

No, more importantly… Maybe…

I was standing behind Rit and sinking deep in thought. Louise leaned forward with a

knowing look on her face.

"Are you perhaps looking for him about a quest to deal with the Veronian warship?"

"Hm? No, no. I'm just trying to find a friend."

"I see… It would have been reassuring to have Rit the hero on the case." Louise's

shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Sorry. However, if Ruti needs us, Red and I will be there to help."

Louise's face suddenly brightened. "Thank goodness! I was honestly really worried.

Pirate King Geizeric is infamous, even here in Zoltan. Just imagining what sort of scary

people might be on that ship… But with Ms. Ruhr, Ms. Tifa, Rit the hero, Mr. Galatine,

and the rest of the old B-rank party, I'm sure we can overcome whatever danger might

come our way!"

Rit blushed at Louise's excited volume.

"Did you say Galatine and the rest of the old B-rank party?" I asked.

"Ah, Mr. Red, the man who stole Miss Rit away from us."

"Huh? Uh, I guess… Umm, so does that mean Galatine and his companions are

assuming the role of adventurers for the situation?"

"Hm? Ah, yes! He's left the guild matters to Harold. Mr. Galatine, Bishop Shien, Captain

Moen, and Master Mistorm have reunited! It's a secret, apparently, but I'm sure it

would be okay to tell you, Miss Rit!"

"Mistorm, too?"

She was old and retired, but Rit and I both knew that her strength made her Zoltan's

most powerful mage. It made sense that Zoltan's retired heroes would rise up in the

town's time of need, but…

Rit and I glanced at each other.

"It doesn't really make sense."

"Yeah."

It had started getting dark, and the sun was almost past the horizon.

Rit and I were walking together along a street in the central district.

"What do you think about Mistorm coming back as an adventurer?" Rit asked.

"A hero doesn't depart to save their homeland covertly. They raise their sword and

move in the open to make it clear to all that they are taking action, like how Ruti

attended the assembly. Becoming a pillar of support for your allies: That's what a

champion of the people does. Whatever Mistorm's doing, if it's something she has to

keep under wraps, then it feels like there's some ulterior motive."

"True."

Rit was a hero who had saved her country. She understood precisely what sort of role

she had filled then far better than I did.

"You know…," I muttered as we walked along the well-kept road. "Wandering all

around looking for something brings back memories."

"Memories?"

"From when I was traveling with Ruti. I did this a lot back then, going from place to

place, following leads, tracking down information."

The Hero's journey hadn't been all glorious battles. Particularly at the outset, a lot of

people laughed off the very existence of the Hero. Ruti and I had to earn trust by

resolving local issues. Occasionally, the demon lord's forces sent in spies to disrupt

humanity's alliance against them.

Our party was specialized for battle, so when it came to gathering information, our

only choice was to do so head-on, from the ground up.

"After Yarandrala joined, we did things a little more like a proper Hero's party. We'd

solve mysteries quickly by talking to plants and other amazing things like that," I

explained.

Rit's expression turned wistful. "Right, you mentioned that investigation wasn't your

forte in Loggervia."

Ah, back when we were investigating the mountain village.

"I'd like to have some of that preserved food you made back then again."

"Maybe I'll make some more again."

Rit smiled nostalgically.

"Loggervia was tough, but it was far from the worst we went through. At least you

acknowledged Ruti's strength, Rit, even if you and your people wanted to protect your

nation alone. When we were just starting out in Avalonia, local lords would openly

decry Ruti as a false hero who'd tricked the king."

"Ugh, that sounds rough."

"It really got me down. Ruti never wanted to be the Hero, and she was still called a liar

by those she fought to protect." My voice grew softer as memories of the old days

surfaced in my mind. "I felt bad that she had to endure all that."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Ruti?!"

My sister had appeared out of nowhere and leaped into my arms. Although flustered,

I caught her nonetheless.

"I don't mind what other people say about me. Back then, I was happy that you got

mad at them for my sake. Those recollections are precious to me." Ruti gave me a big

hug and smiled. "Thank you, Big Brother."

"It was my pleasure. If it was a nice memory for you, then that's enough for me."

"That makes me even happier."

Ruti squeezed me one more time and then reluctantly let go.

"What are you doing around here?" I questioned.

"Looking for Moen. I heard he was at the cathedral, so I was heading there."

"I see… Rit and I are actually searching for Yarandrala."

"Yarandrala?" Ruti parroted.

I explained what had happened.

"Ah, so then we're all going to the same place."

"If Moen is there as well, then maybe what we heard about the old B-rank party getting

back together is true," I remarked.

Rit furrowed her brow. "It's unnatural for both Galatine and Moen to be out of contact

during an emergency situation like this."

"True. And they were both against giving in to Veronia. It doesn't make sense that they

would leave their leadership positions to take up arms."

"Speaking of," Rit said, looking around before her gaze landed on Ruti. "Is Tisse not

with you?"

"I asked her to go to the Thieves Guild to ask for some help looking for any Veronian

spies who may have already infiltrated Zoltan. Also, to make sure they know not to get

too ahead of themselves and cause problems for anyone who actually is unrelated."

"That's my sister for you."

"Yay. Big Brother praised me."

Rit and I smiled at Ruti's blushing, though most people wouldn't have noticed her

change in expression. Ruti seemed to be enjoying her freedom of emotion.

Smiling, flushing, getting angry on occasion, and smiling again.

Ruti was growing into a cute young woman.

The cathedral in the central part of Zoltan.

We passed through the imposing arch doorway of the cathedral in central Zoltan.

Ahead, one of the local priests was speaking to a group of anxious townsfolk.

A young monk softly called out to us upon noticing our arrival. "If it isn't Ms. Ruhr and

Miss Rit. Oh, and Mr. Red as well. Have you all come to offer a prayer to Lord Demis?"

"No, we heard Moen and Galatine were here."

"Ah, I see. Very well, I'll show you in."

The monk bowed slightly and led us to a door on the left. Rit looked a little bit uneasy.

"This works out fine for us, but should he really be doing this? Is it okay not to let them

know we're here?" she asked.

"It's standard practice for the Zoltan holy church not to reject anyone who enters, so I

guess there isn't a habit of asking Bishop Shien or Galatine whether it's okay. If they

get annoyed at the monk, we can cover for him," I replied.

"Hmm… Okay."

We left the main nave, crossed a courtyard, took a passage into a small monastery area

where the monks went about daily routines, and finally entered the holy church's

office building, where the meeting rooms and such were located.

Unlike the cathedral, which had been an expensive project built by an architect and

craftsmen called in from Central, this building had been designed by Gonz's greatgrandfather. Thus, it resembled most other Zoltan edifices.

We followed the monk two doors down from the primary conference room. Then he

knocked on a thick, sturdy oak door.

"Bishop, Ms. Ruhr, Miss Rit, and Mr. Red have come to see you."

I could sense a disturbance in the chamber. Unsurprisingly, it seemed like those inside

were taken aback by our unexpected visit.

"…Really? Please, let them in," a voice called out from inside.

The young monk opened the door with both hands.

It was a small, windowless room. A plain round table stood in the center, encircled by

four chairs. There was also a small altar and mat for meditation. Magic potions sat on

a shelf pushed up against the wall, and both weapons and tools for maintaining them

had been placed in a corner.

Looking to the side, I saw a lead sheet on the back of the door. I assumed the same

material lined the interior of the walls. It was a countermeasure against abilities that

made it possible to peer through solid objects and divination techniques.

"I see, so this is your old headquarters," I remarked.

Galatine nodded. "Indeed. It's been a while since we've used it, but I clean it every day,

so it shouldn't be too musty."

"It does look well-kept. Though I imagine it gets hot in summer," replied Bishop Shien.

"Hah-hah-hah. Moen always complained about that."

"Can we save the stories from when I was an impertinent brat for later? Or never?"

Moen smiled awkwardly at Bishop Shien's teasing. Galatine was sitting at the table

with them.

The conversation was congenial, but there was a sharpness in the trio's eyes. They

couldn't mask the uneasy air now that a group of uninvited guests had come by.

"I'll excuse myself now." The young monk smiled and bowed before heading back,

seemingly unaware of the discomfort.

Bishop Shien sighed.

"Please don't be upset with him. Given that Rit and Ruti are with me, I'm sure he

thought we'd been called here for your meeting," I said.

"His ignorance is my failure as his teacher. His mistake will be corrected, but I won't

scold him just to make myself feel better." Bishop Shien smiled gently. "Welcome to our

old haunt. It's a pleasure to host the current generation's heroes."

Rit shrugged slightly at the greeting. "There's no reason for us to be walking on pins

and needles around each other. We're all just Zoltan adventurers here, right?"

"True enough. We all share the same goal, after all. So then what brings you here

today?" Bishop Shien questioned.

"I came to discuss guard deployment and to devise plans for training maneuvers," Ruti

answered, looking over at Moen.

"I see. Well, I left my second-in-command, Kevin, in charge of those things…"

"Kevin isn't ready. He still lacks knowledge and experience. You should be leading the

guards yourself."

"Kevin has had plenty of training…"

"It isn't enough." Ruti fixed Moen with a stiff gaze. The man was quickly overwhelmed

by it, and his agitation became apparent. "It's more than that, however. Kevin is uneasy

because you have left your post amid this unprecedented crisis. It's not just him, either.

All of the guards are on edge. The loss in morale is dramatic."

"I—I see…"

Unable to provide an adequate response alone, Moen looked to Galatine and Shien for

support. Galatine grimaced as he nodded.

"Ruhr is right. You may be the youngest of us, Moen, but you're the head of your

organization. The captain of the guard is a cornerstone of Zoltan's defenses. We're just

going to have to do this without you, I'm afraid."

"Wh-?! Wait just a minute, Galatine!" Moen frantically tried to argue.

Seeing that confirmed what I'd been suspecting.

"So the one Prince Salius is after is Mistorm."

At my statement, the three men's expressions shifted.

Seeing Galatine's fists clench, Rit took a half-step back, dropping into a stance where

she could use her legs at a moment's notice if needed. Galatine's reaction was

tantamount to admitting I was right.

This time, it was Moen who sighed.

"Wait, Galatine. Should a leader of the Adventurers Guild really get into a fight with

one of his adventurers?"

We had gotten close with Moen after the incident with Ademi, so while he was on

guard, he did not show any hostility. He seemed intent on keeping things civil.

Naturally, I hoped for the same.

"Why do you believe that Prince Salius is searching for Mistorm?" Shien inquired,

eyeing me closely.

"Moen would only leave his post for his family or his old comrades."

"I see." Shien smiled with resignation. "Red, I've heard about you from Galatine and

Moen, and Mistorm as well. They've suggested that there's something about you that

stacks up even when compared to Rit the hero or Ruhr. It looks like I have no choice

but to agree with them."

"Sorry for putting you all on guard," I apologized. "Rit and I are only here because we're

looking for our friend, Yarandrala."

Shien raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Yarandrala?"

"It sounds like you've met her before, then," I said.

"We only first spoke with her yesterday. I see… So that's what led you here."

"It was never our intention to get involved in your affairs. We owe Mistorm a debt,

after all," I assured.

"You all went to the Wall at the End of the World together, right? Hearing about it after

she got back was quite the shock. I'd thought she'd retired long ago, yet she trotted off

on some perilous journey," Shien responded. Then his voice dropped low. "Honestly,

she should have asked her old friends to come with."

"She was always like that, though," Galatine added, breaking into a smile.

It was clear that these old adventurers cared deeply for their friend. I'm sure

Yarandrala would have appreciated their feelings toward Mistorm if she were there—

I certainly did.

"At the very least, I can promise you we don't betray Mistorm," I stated.

"You have my thanks. Hearing that is enough for me," Shien said. Then he glanced over

at Galatine and Moen. The two of them nodded.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

These were Mistorm's comrades, heroes who had protected Zoltan throughout the

years. I was glad we'd settled things without making enemies of them.

Long before Albert came to Zoltan, a different B-rank adventurer party protected the

city. Led by Mistorm, this group fought for decades, resolving many issues plaguing

the region.

At first, there had only been three members. Moen joined later on, bringing the total

up to four.

Mistorm the Archmage.

Galatine the Fighter.

Shien the Cleric.

Moen the Armored Knight.

Mistorm, in particular, had a powerful Divine Blessing that was rarely seen in Zoltan,

and was subsequently incredibly popular.

When she was still active, she had even been hailed as Mistorm the Guardian of Zoltan.

Incidentally, Galatine was known as Galatine the Goblin Calamity; Shien had been

Shien the Holy Wall; and Moen was referred to as Big Suit Moen.

Apparently, Moen disliked his less-than-spectacular nickname and complained about

it sadly whenever it was mentioned.

These four were Zoltan's heroes. Curiously, there were no stories of Mistorm before

she became an adventurer. People knew how Galatine had been bullied for being small

as a child, and that his parents had made sure that he never went without food, even

though they were poor. Moen was the illegitimate son of a Zoltan aristocrat who left

home and entered the guard.

But there was nothing about Mistorm.

Her name only appeared the moment she formed a party with Galatine and Shien.

"It all started with the great panic caused by Goblin King Mulgarga fifty-one years

back. The remnants of his crew attacked Zoltan forty-five years ago. Just when things

were looking grim, a beautiful Archmage appeared. She was a champion who rallied

the frightened people and led them to finally crush the remnants of the goblin army.

There are no records or rumors from before that, though," I said.

"Because people in Zoltan don't pester others about their pasts. I'm sure there aren't

many people who have inquired about yours either, Red."

"True enough. And I don't have any intention of prying into Mistorm's history, either.

Rit and I are only trying to locate Yarandrala. But Ruti is the one tasked with resolving

the current problem. Doesn't she at least deserve to know more?"

"I can understand how you feel. But even if we are her old comrades—in fact precisely

because we are her old comrades—we can't expose her secrets."

I nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that stance. That's why I'd like you to tell us where

Yarandrala is first. Is she with Mistorm?"

"Yes… Ordinarily, we'd be by her side, protecting her, but we've grown old enough now

that we can't just abandon everything to fight for our friend… We're grateful to

Yarandrala for her help."

"So then, where is she?" I pressed.

Shien pulled a map of the area around Zoltan down from a shelf and spread it across

the table. It was far more precise than the ones being sold to the public.

"Yarandrala and Mistorm are in a village in the forest," he said.

"The woods, huh?"

"A group of assassins attacked Mistorm and Yarandrala saved her. For anything more,

you should ask Yarandrala herself."

"Assassins… Okay, I understand. Thank you for trusting us," I replied.

Someone whom Mistorm would need help against… It has to be those three from the

docks.

"As for the woods, Galatine and Moen can't really leave Zoltan, so I'll guide you," Shien

stated.

"That would be best," Ruti agreed. "The guards need Moen to maintain the chain of

command. And Harold, the head of the Adventurers Guild, believes that Zoltan should

give in to Prince Salius's demands. Without Galatine around, the guild might switch

sides."

Galatine looked frustrated at that remark. In terms of accomplishments and ability, he

definitely outstripped Harold, but this was Zoltan. Harold was older, so until he

retired, Galatine would never run the Adventurers Guild.

"Ruhr's right. Shien, I'll leave Mistorm to you," Galatine said.

"You can count on me."

Despite Shien's reassuring response, Galatine and Moen looked vexed at not being able

to rush to their comrade's aid.