Ariane, the Elf Part 2

Just then, an eerie wail broke the silence of the forest. Donaha narrowed his eyes,

looking around the dusk--colored woods for the source of the noise.

"Sounds like a scavenger."

Seeing the children's concerned expressions, Ariane gently patted their heads to

soothe them.

"We should do something before any other scavengers arrive," Donaha said. "Can I

leave the bodies to you?"

Ariane nodded and immediately went about moving the slave traders' bodies all into

one location. She was much stronger than she looked.

Keeping one eye on Ariane, Donaha turned toward me, looking as if he wanted to say

something but couldn't find the words.

"Excuse me, but you are…?"

I realized then that I hadn't yet told him my name.

"They call me Arc. I'm a wandering mercenary."

"Pleased to meet you, Arc. I am Donaha, and this is Ariane. I hate to ask this of you, but

would you mind healing the other children as well?"

I nodded in response to his request, which was surprisingly timid. I then went about

casting Mending Heal on the remaining three children, each one thanking me quietly

in turn.

After I finished, I looked over to Donaha, who'd been watching us the entire time. He

had a rather conflicted expression on his face.

"Are those mana-eater collars? They won't be able to use magic if we don't take them

off. But I have no idea how to…" he muttered to himself as he looked at the black metal

collars locked around the children's necks. There was a series of strange symbols

carved into the surface of each one.

"What's a mana-eater collar?"

The term was completely foreign to me.

Donaha explained that the collar was cursed and would sap its wearer's magic ability,

preventing them from casting spells. It also prevented elves from using their spiritual

abilities.

"Ariane will be meeting with Danka after this. That leaves me to watch over these

children and take them to the nearest village… with their ability to use magic blocked."

As Donaha examined the now-healed children and tried figuring out his next move,

Ariane paused in her work with the bodies and approached us.

"Arc, was it? Can't we ask him to accompany you on the way to the village? I recall

hearing that a mercenary is a type of human who will accept money to carry out a

task."

Donaha furrowed his brow and turned his gaze toward me.

"That may be so, but…"

It was clear what he wanted to say. He probably didn't want to bring this strange

human anywhere near where the elves lived. It was fine to make requests out here,

but trusting humans was something else entirely.

"He helped us and the children, didn't he? We should be able to trust him on some

level."

Ariane continued advocating for me, pushing through Donaha's hesitation. I wanted

to tell her that she shouldn't be so trusting of people; there was something about her

innocence that awakened a protective instinct within me.

It looked like Donaha was about to cave, so I decided to offer a suggestion of my own.

I watched their expressions as I spoke.

"I have a spell that can remove curses. But I don't know if it'll work on the mana-eater

collars."

There were several spells in the Monk class line that could lift curses, specifically

Uncurse from the mid-tier Bishop class and Holy Purify from the top-tier Priest class.

Uncurse would remove curses caused by items and status effects, while Holy Purify

would remove all curses as well as cause major damage to the undead.

However, I'd never actually used them, so I couldn't be sure if they'd have the effect I

was hoping for.

Donaha looked back at me, surprised. "You can remove curses?"

"Well, I can certainly try."

I turned to one of the children and waved my hand over his mana-eater collar while I

called forth the Uncurse spell. The symbols running along the collar absorbed the light

coming from my hand. A moment later, I heard a distinct crackle followed immediately

by the thud of the collar breaking off and hitting the ground.

The child ran his hands along his neck, beaming up at me.

"Thank you, Mister Knight!"

I smiled inwardly at this, happy to be able to do something to help. The other children

crowded around me, so I lined them up and removed their cursed collars one by one.

"Thank you so much… We can now bring these children back to their parents." Seeing

how happy the children were, Ariane came over to thank me, using a hand to obscure

her eyes slightly.

Donaha let out a sigh of relief. Now that the situation had been resolved, he scolded

the children.

"Didn't your parents tell you all not to leave the village? I can't believe how careless

you were!"

"I'm sorry… I saw a spirit moving about begging for help, so I went to see what I could

do. I meant to come right back."

The child had tears in her eyes as she explained. Ariane followed up with another

question.

"What was this spirit doing?"

A different child spoke up in response. "It kept saying 'help me, help me,' so I went

after it. I found a tied-up cottontail fox covered in injuries. The humans caught me as

I tried to help it…" His voice trailed off.

Ariane and Donaha turned their eyes to me, the appreciation that had been there only

moments ago now a mere memory. A grave misunderstanding was playing out right

in front of me.

"Before you jump to any conclusions, I just want to say that I found Ponta tied up in a

bandit hideout. I had nothing to do with drawing out or capturing the elven children!"

"This is true… Cottontail foxes would never trust a person who'd caused them so much

pain… I apologize for suspecting you."

Donaha gave me a weak smile and slumped his shoulders as he apologized. The

suspicion faded from Ariane's gaze as well, and she began brushing off her armor. At

least I'd been able to nip that problem in the bud.

I looked down to find Ponta surrounded by the elven children, on the receiving end of

various pets and scratches. Everything I'd heard suggested that cottontail foxes rarely

grew close to people, but I had a hard time believing that given the sight unfolding in

front of me.

"Well, it's about time for me to take the children to the nearest village. If we don't get

going now, we won't make it before sundown. Now that you can use magic again, I'm

sure you can all watch out for yourselves, right?"

The children responded enthusiastically to Donaha and began making their way

toward the bushes that led off into the forest. Apparently, with their magic, even these

small children could protect themselves from the dangers that lurked in the forest.

Donaha collected his bags and began leading them. "We'd best be off."

"Take care, Donaha," Ariane called after him.

Donaha looked back over his shoulder and offered a quick response before he and the

children disappeared among the trees.

Once they were out of sight, Ariane turned toward me, a carefree smile on her face.

"Thank you, Arc, for helping the children back there. I am Ariane Glenys Maple, an elf

soldier."

I nodded my acknowledgement to her introduction. I had to admit, her name had a

sugary-sweet ring to it.

"You may call me Arc. I am a simple wandering mercenary. This little guy is Ponta."

"Kyiii!"

Ponta had been brushing its tail against my legs when it heard its name called out,

inciting a squeal. Ariane's expression melted, and she knelt to pet it. Ponta's eyes

narrowed contentedly, and its ears twitched with each pat.

"I always heard humans were nothing more than barbarous beasts. I was so surprised

to see a spirit creature this attached to a human."

"I'm not like most humans, so I may not be the best example to base your opinions off

of."

It wasn't that I was special, just that I wasn't from this world. My values were quite a

bit different from those here.

Ariane looked surprised at my response, though the edges of her lips began turning

up ever so slightly.

"Well, I suppose if anyone is qualified to say you're different, it'd be you."

I coughed in embarrassment at her response and decided to change the subject.

"That reminds me… You were still in the middle of cleaning up the bodies. Shall I give

you a hand?"

I glanced over at the haphazard pile next to the cart.

"If you could."

I rummaged through the belongings of the dead men as I added their bodies to the

pile, taking weapons and other valuables I could find. Ariane made a face as she

watched.

"You would take things from the dead?"

I could see where she was coming from; it wasn't exactly civil.

"You need money to live in the human world. Travel-ing about isn't cheap, either. Do

elves have no use for money?"

Ariane looked back at me angrily. "We have our own money!"

According to Ariane, elf villages functioned mostly on a barter system, though elven

money was used when performing trades between villages.

Elves used pure gold for currency, unlike the alloys used by humans, making it much

more valuable. Ariane bragged that human merchants would even do business with

the elves just to get their hands on the elven money.

At first glance, Ariane looked like a glamorous, refined woman, but when she went on

excitedly about the greatness of the elves, she looked somewhat cute. I was pretty sure

she'd fix me with an intimidating glare if I said as much, so I kept my mouth shut.

It sounded like there was at least some form of economic transaction between elves

and humans. That preexisting relationship was probably the reason Ariane and

Donaha had trusted me, at least somewhat, despite my rather sinister appearance.

After gathering all the bodies into one spot, Ariane stepped forward and ushered me

back.

I retreated a few paces with Ponta, who weaved in and out between my legs before

sitting on its hindquarters. Its ears twitched as it watched Ariane's movements

attentively.

"Great earth, I call upon you to swallow these up!"

Ariane put her hand to the ground. The earth surrounding the mound of bodies began

rippling, then split wide open, swallowing the bodies like a giant beast. A moment

later, there was no sign that the bodies had ever been there at all.

Ariane brushed her hands together, wiping the dirt away.

"That should keep the buzzards from coming."

Ponta tilted its head in confusion and began scratching at the ground, digging where

the bodies had been.

Seemed like a pretty useful spell for disposing of bodies.

"So, is that spirit magic? I've never seen it before."

Though I'd heard about it several times already, I was impressed to see it performed

in front of me.

"Strictly speaking, no. Spirit magic is the type of magic used by spirit creatures."

"Hmm. I see."

I watched Ponta scratch at the ground. That meant the wind magic the fox used from

time to time was this so-called spirit magic. But I couldn't really distinguish between

what Ponta did and normal magic; it all seemed the same to me. The only real

difference was that when Ponta used magic, its fur would glow ever so slightly.

Now that the bodies were taken care of, Ariane removed the saddles from the horses

attached to the cart and unhooked them, giving each a slap to send them on their way.

The only remaining evidence of the battle was the cart and steel cage that sat in it.

They both looked like they'd fetch quite a bit of money, but I'd definitely stand out if I

tried selling them in town. I figured we'd just have to leave them behind.

"Where are you going next, Arc?"

Ponta gave a squeak before I had a chance to respond. As I followed the fox's gaze up

into the sky, I could see a bird with beautiful turquoise wings swooping toward us.

Ariane also took notice. The bird deftly weaved through the trees and landed silently

on her outstretched arm. It was just slightly smaller than a crow. The white feathers

of its crest stuck up askew, as if it had just gotten out of bed.

Ariane explained. "This is a Whispering Fowl—it's also a spirit creature."

As she brushed the bird's turquoise feathers, it began speaking in a clear, masculine

voice.

"I was sent with a report from Danka. He has found the hideout in Diento. Ariane, you

must meet up with Danka and help him save the elves."

As soon as its report was finished, the Whispering Fowl closed its beak and cocked its

head to the side. Ariane retrieved a small, red berry from a leather pouch attached to

her waist, which the bird quickly snapped up. She brushed the bird's crest as she

spoke back to it.

"We were able to save four children. Donaha is escorting them back to the village. I'll

head to Diento now to meet up with Danka."

Once she finished speaking, she shook her left arm, causing the Whispering Fowl to

take off into the air. It deftly swooped between the trees again, disappearing into the

depths of the forest.

Apparently, the Whispering Fowl was used like a carrier pigeon, though it acted more

like a voice recorder. I couldn't help but wonder if it would convey the message in

Ariane's voice once it returned to whomever had sent it.

Ariane picked up on my surprise and laughed.

"You humans aren't used to dealing with spirit creatures, I guess. Is it hard for you to

pretend something like this is a normal occurrence?"

Ponta was busy grooming itself at her feet, bringing a smile to Ariane's face before she

turned her gaze back up to me.

"I'd like to ask you something, Arc. You said you were a mercenary, right? So, does that

mean I could hire you?"

Ariane's golden eyes held mine as she pulled five gold coins out of a pouch at her hip.

"I'll pay you five elven coins up front and five when you're finished. Not a bad deal,

eh?"

She was trying to recruit me for the mission to save the elves from Diento that the

Whispering Fowl had mentioned.

I wondered if the elf I'd met a few days ago had figured out where the slaves were

being held in town. All the time I'd spent walking the streets hadn't even turned up

anything.

But why would an elf like Ariane want to hire me, a human? Judging by Donaha's

reaction, humans were generally not to be trusted. It didn't make much sense for her

to so readily trust an unknown entity like me, especially one covered in armor. Did she

figure my actions here were reason enough to do so?

"Wouldn't Danka object if you were to hire me?"

Ariane crossed her arms, taking on a stern expression. Her golden eyes seemed to look

straight through me.

"I have my reasons. Not only did you rescue us and the children, but this creature here

has also grown close to you. It's not like I trust all humans."

She glanced down at Ponta, who was still sitting at her feet. The ability to form a bond

with a spirit creature seemed to be held in high regard among elves.

"And, of course, there was the way you came to help us. Did you use teleportation

magic?"

I gulped, remembering the moment our eyes met when I teleported in.

So, elves knew of teleportation magic. That meant it wasn't unheard of in this world.

But the fact that Ariane would want to hire me because of that magic implied that she

couldn't use it. Perhaps not many people—or elves—could.

I scratched the back of my head and shrugged my shoulders. "Yes, I can use teleportation

magic."

Ariane's response was a mixture of surprise and amazement, though the serious

expression remained fixed on her face. "I knew I wasn't mistaken! I never thought I'd

see such legendary magic with my own eyes…"

Evidently, teleportation magic was something only written about in legends, or

perhaps passed down in oral stories, not something normal people used.

"Will you help us, Arc?"

There was hardly any reason for me to turn her down. This would surely put me in

good graces with Ariane and the elves. Plus, with my teleportation magic, it would be

a standard infiltrate and escape mission. If I did everything successfully, I wouldn't

even draw any attention to myself.

"I'll accept your offer."

"It's decided then!"

After shaking my hand, Ariane gave me the initial payment of five elven coins.

These were rather different from the currency used throughout the country. They

were about the size of a one-hundred-yen coin and had intricate designs carved into

both sides, lending them a far more professional look. Judging by the currency alone,

the elves seemed to be far more advanced than humans. It was easy to see why humans

may value elven coins more highly than their own, especially if they were made of pure

gold.

"So, shall we use your teleportation magic to travel back to Diento?"

"Certainly. It's probably best to get back to town before the sun sets."

I nodded and summoned an image of Diento in my mind. Ariane readjusted her gray

cloak, covering up her ears and skin, and nodded back.

"Let's head to Diento. Transport Gate!"

As soon as I summoned the spell, a three-meter-wide, pale blue column of light

appeared at our feet.

It was already late in the day, and the forest was filling with the dark shadows cast by

the trees and overgrowth. Sunlight bathed the trees in a supernatural glow as

everything around us suddenly went black. A split second later, the trees were gone,

and we were somewhere else entirely.

Ariane's golden eyes opened wide as she took everything in, the surprise apparent on

her face.

Night was rapidly approaching, the sky taking on a light purple hue. All around, we

could hear the sounds of the grass and leaves rustling in the wind. Ahead of us was the

familiar stone bridge made of six successive arches that crossed the Lydel River.

Beyond sat the town of Diento and the walls that surrounded it.

"I can't believe it. You can teleport without even chanting!"

"That should make the rescue easier, no?"

"Absolutely. You'll be a great help to my friends."

After considering our surroundings, Ariane turned back to me with a broad smile on

her face. The rescue was looking much more promising, which seemed to have put her

in great spirits.

"Unfortunately, this spell isn't without its flaws. I can only teleport to places that I have

a clear memory of visiting. And I'm unable to teleport to plains, forests, caves, or any

other indistinct locations."

"That's fine. Elf villages are all connected by teleportation spots, but we can only go to

specific locations, and it takes a ton of magic. You're the only person I know who can

use teleportation magic at will."

I was surprised to hear this. "So, elves can use teleportation magic, too?"

Ariane made a face, as if cursing herself for saying something she shouldn't have.

"Listen, umm, don't tell anyone I said that, all right…?" She waved her hands in a panic,

bowing her head several times.

From the way she spoke, it sounded like only elves were able to use the teleportation

spots to travel between towns. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen anything like what she

was describing in any of the human settlements I'd been to. The humans would

definitely be far more advanced if such teleportation spots existed. It'd make

distribution channels more boring, but it'd go a long way toward modernizing the

world.

If humans—who weren't exactly on the best terms with elves—learned of this

teleportation magic, it could be enough to start a war between the species. I wondered

if that was what she was worried about.

I supposed the same could also be said about me though, since I was able to use the

magic as well.

I gave her my word that I'd keep it to myself. "Under-stood. I promise I will tell no one

of the elves' transportation abilities."

With that out of the way, Ariane let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Well, we can't just stand here looking out at the town forever."

"You're right. We'll need to sneak into Diento." Ariane seemed to be back to her normal

self. She pulled the hood low over her face and tied the gray cloak tightly around

herself, practically disappearing within its folds. Together, we began walking toward

the town.

Her soft, light purple skin certainly made her stand out from humans, and even other

elves, so covering up was the only way for her to avoid being spotted immediately.

I was in the same boat, unable to let anyone see the skeleton body lurking inside my

armor. At least in my case there was a sense of excitement at my new circumstances.

For her, this was something she'd lived with her entire life.

I pulled my own cloak tighter around myself as well to hide the gleaming armor

underneath and let Ariane lead the way.

Even as night fell over Diento, a large number of people and carriages still stood on

the far side of the bridge, waiting to enter the town. They reminded me yet again that

Diento was a transport hub. All the traffic seemed to be going one way, however, with

no one heading out of town.

We crossed the bridge and joined the throngs of -people, passing through the outer

gate and making our way to the second. The crowds took notice of my black cloak as I

approached, opening a path in front of me. I hardly minded the special treatment and

moved on -silently toward the inner gate.

I showed the guard my mercenary license then gestured to Ariane, who stood a few

steps behind.

"This one's with me. How much is the entry tax?"

The guard glanced at Ariane, but he seemed more interested in the large number of

people waiting behind her. He quoted the price for entry in a well-rehearsed manner.

I pulled a silver coin from the leather pouch at my waist, handed it to the guard, and

made my way into town with Ariane following.

Irregularly placed lamps lit the darkened town as its inhabitants continued bustling

about the streets. We passed through the south gate's square, doing our best to avoid

the crowds.

"Well, we've made it to Diento. Where to next?"

"I was told to meet in the square right after the gate in front of the bridge, so, right

about… here. Let's wait around a bit. I'm pretty sure Danka will be able to find us."

Ariane stepped out of the throng of people and made her way to a corner of the

courtyard. We stood there with our backs against the wall, watching the crowds pass

us in silence.

I recalled that Danka had also used a hood to cover up his elven features, so I started

scanning the area for anyone dressed in a similar fashion.

A short time later, I spotted someone making their way toward us. The figure was

wearing a brown cloak with a hood drawn low over their face. Even though I couldn't

see their eyes, I could tell they were watching us.

As soon as Ariane spotted the figure, she stepped away from the wall and approached

them.

"Who is this man, Ariane?"

The brown-hooded figure stopped in front of us, shooting me a glance while he spoke

to Ariane in a low voice. I recognized the voice immediately as that of the elf I'd met

outside of town.

"Listen, I've been through a lot. This man is a mercenary. I hired him to help us out."

"You can't be serious…" Danka's voice betrayed his incredulity.

It made sense. Hiring a human to help save elves that had been enslaved by humans

did seem absurd.

Ariane responded politely. "We'll draw attention to ourselves if we stand around

talking like this. Let's find somewhere to sit down."

With that, she began leaving the square. Danka must have realized it would do him no

good to get into an argument here and started after Ariane, though his dissatisfaction

was clear in his body language.

I followed, and Ponta made up the rear.

In the thoroughfare, rows of stalls lined the street, selling a variety of foods. There

were tables and chairs set up in front of each of the stalls, giving it something of a

festival feel. The tables were filled with noisy revelers who'd bought food and liquor

from nearby vendors to enjoy with their friends.

"I'll go buy us something."

Ariane began making her way toward a vendor, but Danka stood in her way, keeping

his eyes trained on me.

"I'll go. You get a table." He headed off to purchase food, leaving us behind.

Ariane bowed her head slightly in Danka's direction before making her way to an

empty table nearby. She spoke to me as I sat down, though her eyes never stopped

scanning the crowd.

"Are you going to eat something, Arc?"

"No, I'll be fine."

The sizzling meat from one of the stalls smelled delicious, but I couldn't take my

helmet off with all these people around. Even though my body never really grew

hungry, I still had trouble overcoming my desire to eat.

"I'll take the meat skewer, some of those beans over there, and…"

Danka made small talk with the vendor as he ordered before handing over some

money. He seemed to be able to blend in easily with humans.

While I watched him, Ponta hopped down from my head to the table, assuming a

sitting position. The smell of all that food was probably overwhelming, and the fox let

out a sad cry.

"Kyiii…"

Moments later, Danka returned with two wooden cups filled with alcohol, some meat

skewers, and a dish full of beans that looked like peanuts. After setting all the food on

the table, he finally took a seat.

As soon as he sat down, Ariane gestured toward Danka and began making introductions.

"Arc, this is Danka Niel Maple. He is also an elf soldier, and he came here to collect

information on the town. Danka, this man in the armor is named Arc. He saved Donaha

and me from a pretty sticky situation with some slave traders."

Danka furrowed his brow at this, his face contorting into a scowl.

Did she just say Maple? I knew that I'd heard that name somewhere else before—the

woman in front of me, in fact. Ariane Glenys Maple.

"If I recall correctly, you also introduced yourself as a Maple. Are you two siblings?"

Danka's scowled deepened. Ariane made a face and laughed, shaking her head all the

while.

"Elves have three names. Your first is your given name, then the name of your samesex parent, followed by the name of the town you belong to. So, we're from the same

town, but we're not related. We're from the Maple borough in the forest province of

Canada."

That was a completely different naming pattern from the one I was used to in Japan.

And what was this about the Canada forest province? And Maple borough… Just

hearing the name made me think of a town covered in syrup.

"Is this Canada forest province the same one the humans refer to as the Elf Forest or

the Lost Woods?"

"I believe that's what the humans call it. Canada forest province is the largest elf city,

named by the first elf chief. He also gave Maple borough its name."

I had a hard time believing that the Canada and Maple connections were mere

coincidences. Perhaps people like me were brought to this world from time to time.

Though the way she explained it, this sounded like it happened a long time ago.

"When was Maple built?"

Ariane tilted her head to the side and glanced at Danka.

"Hmm… About eight hundred years ago or so?"

Danka nodded noncommittally then coughed. "That's not really important right now,

is it? Shouldn't we be focusing on our plan?"

Danka turned the conversation back to strategizing for the rescue.

Ariane glanced around then waved for Danka to lean in closer. She whispered

something in his ear. Even from under his hood, I could see the shocked expression on

his face. Danka turned toward me and began questioning me in a low, harsh tone.

"You can use teleportation magic?!"

"With certain limitations, yes." I doubted anyone could hear us over the din of the

surrounding crowds, but I kept my voice low, just to be safe.

Danka looked from me to Ariane, still in disbelief. Ariane was busy feeding Ponta a

skewer, tugging playfully at the cottontail fox's ears as it ate the meat. She let go of

Ponta's ears and went back to patting its head, then turned to face Danka, a serious

expression on her face. "Anyway, you found their base, right? What's it like?"

Danka finally seemed to regain his composure and returned to business mode.

"Aah, right. Their base is located near the red-light district by the east gate. There's so

much foot traffic in the area immediately after sunset, so I plan to sneak into their base

in the middle of the night. They have a lookout posted at the entrance, and I believe

there are quite a few people inside."

Apparently, the abductors' base wasn't near the nobility at the center of town like I'd

thought. I hadn't spent much time in that area, since I was trying to avoid getting

involved with any unsavory sorts.

"Do you know how many they've kidnapped?"

"My source said there were four elves, though they're planning on bringing more in

soon."

"We put an end to that plan earlier today. But that means there are still four who need

to be rescued. With Arc's magic, it should be relatively simple to get out of there."

I could feel her eyes on me.

Danka readjusted his hood, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

"Understood. So, for now, we just need to kill time until we make our move?"

I hadn't realized we had so much time left. "In that case, I have a few errands to take

care of."

As soon as I stood up and grabbed my bag, Ponta stopped rolling around on the table

and crawled out from Ariane's hand, jumping up to my shoulder with an energetic

"Kyii!" Ariane looked on jealously.

Danka watched me out of the corner of one eye. "Don't be late."

I guessed that was his way of saying he agreed to have me along. I assured them I'd be

back shortly.

***

Danka watched as Arc grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Then he turned to his

sister-in-arms, sitting across the table from him.

"I'm surprised you'd bring someone along for this. And a human, at that."

Ariane looked away, her expression unreadable under the darkness of her hood.

"I was reckless, and the slave traders took one of the children as a hostage."

She continued staring at a fixed point on the table, her voice quiet and full of shame.

"If he hadn't come to our aid, Donaha and I very well could have been taken as well. I

overestimated my abilities and tried taking on a small group all by myself. I should

have waited for backup." Her voice was a mere whisper.

Danka's shoulders slumped as he sighed. "Eevin would've taken them head-on without

ever putting the children in danger."

Ariane's head jerked up in response.

Eevin was the most powerful soldier in Maple and Ariane's sister. Ariane had chosen

the path of a soldier in the hopes of one day becoming as strong as her. But it

sometimes led to Ariane getting in over her head.

Danka gulped down his liquor and cast her a look.

"I get that you look up to her, but constantly comparing your achievements to hers will

drive you crazy. You're incredibly strong for your age. Build up more experience, and

eventually a day will come when you're as strong as she is."

This was no small compliment. Ariane was already stronger than Danka, and she was

still only fifty years old. Danka let out a sigh. It was probably easy to underestimate

your own abilities when you had someone like Eevin in your family.

"Still… I can't get over the idea that there's someone who can actually use teleportation

magic. Are you sure he's human? What does he even look like?"

Danka changed the subject to try and improve the mood. Ariane seemed to pick up on

this and slowly raised her gaze from the table.

"I haven't seen his face. He doesn't seem to want to take his helmet off."

Danka furrowed his brow at this.

"Trying to keep his identity a secret, maybe? You really picked a strange one to hire.

Anyway, I sent a spirit to follow him around, just to be on the safe side."

If Arc was working with the enemy, he'd probably be making contact with them right

about now.

"That cottontail fox seems pretty fond of him, too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but

there's something about him that reminds me of my sister."

Danka shook his head. Try as he might, he couldn't find anything in common between

Eevin and the armor-clad man. Maybe it was something only someone who had lived

with Eevin for years, like Ariane, could see.

He recalled that Arc was keeping the timid spirit creature as a pet.

"Well, if he won't show his face, maybe that means he's one of the mountain people?"

Elves, the so-called "forest people," weren't the only species with an affinity for spirit

creatures. The "mountain people," who were treated by humans as if they were

monsters, also had a history of bonding with spirit creatures.

They, too, were often enslaved whenever they crossed paths with humans. Danka had

heard rumors of a group of mountain people who were also trying to free their

enslaved allies. That would explain Arc's need to hide his face. The mountain people

had beast-like ears and tails, making them easily distinguishable from elves—and

humans.

Ariane began poking holes in Danka's theory. "Mountain people and elves are hardly

hostile to each other, so it doesn't seem like a good reason for him to hide his face from

us. He also seems pretty powerful, magically speaking, which the mountain people

usually aren't."

"That's true. But even among the mountain people, the wolfmen have stronger magical

abilities than humans. Those who are particularly gifted are even employed as mages

in Fabunach, so it's not entirely impossible."

Fabunach was the mountain people's capital, located on the southern continent on the

far side of the south-central sea. It even included mages selected from those with the

greatest magical potential.

"I suppose that's possible…"

Ariane furrowed her brow, not entirely convinced. She hadn't gotten that impression

from her interactions with Arc.

"Well, in any case, he'll be back soon." Danka crossed his arms and leaned back in his

chair once again, closing his eyes.

***

My greaves creaked rhythmically as I walked through the quiet streets of nighttime

Diento. After parting ways with Ariane and Danka, I traveled down the thoroughfare

to a district full of shops.

As usual, Ponta sat on its perch atop my head, dutifully swishing its tail back and forth

against the back of my helmet.

All the shops were already closed, the lonely streets illuminated by the occasional

street lamp and the stray glow of light coming from the shops' windows. I arrived at

the shop I was looking for, but it was also closed, its sign marked with a sword and

shield and the name of the armorer written underneath.

I could hear a young man mumbling to himself.

"Aww, it's already closed… I guess I'll just have to come back tomorrow."

Behind me, a cart had parked in front of the armorer's shop, a man in his early twenties

sitting in the driver's seat. Judging by the various boxes stacked behind him, he was

some type of merchant.

"Do you have any business with this armorer, merchant?"

"I, umm… Oh! G-good evening, Sir Knight."

The young man's eyes went wide with shock momentarily when he saw my face. Or,

more accurately, when he saw the gleaming helmet that poked out of my black cloak.

He hurriedly climbed off his cart and bowed his head.

"I am a mere mercenary, a wanderer. You need not bow for the likes of me. Do you have

any business with this armorer?"

"Hmm? Oh! Uh, right. I was here to purchase some weapons, but I got into town much

later than expected."

The young merchant gave me a chagrined smile. What an amazing turn of fortune! I

was getting tired of dragging around the weapons I'd taken off the slave traders.

"How interesting. Actually, I was just here to sell some weapons to the armorer when

I found out they were closed. Would you perhaps be interested in buying them?"

"Really? Well, could you show me what you have?"

"Certainly. These are prizes I picked off some fallen bandits."

The young merchant looked disappointed, though he quickly put on a smile. Perhaps

I shouldn't have mentioned I'd taken the weapons from bandits?

I hefted the sack off my shoulder and onto the ground, then opened it up, pulling the

weapons out and handing them over. The merchant carefully drew each sword from

its sheath and gave it a close inspection.

His business-like smile was soon replaced with a look of excitement. The man had no

poker face, which would prove detrimental to a merchant. As a customer though, that

was fine with me.

"Did you really take these from bandits? The blades are made of some high-grade

steel! I won't even need to do any smithing. Maybe just some sharpening and I could

sell them right away!"

They were technically elf slavers, not bandits, but I figured that wasn't worth

mentioning. Judging by the way he spoke, bandits didn't usually carry high quality

weapons. Maybe that was why he'd been disappointed when he'd heard these blades

were from bandits.

After the young man finished inspecting all the items, he crossed his arms and

surveyed the weapons laid out neatly in his cart.

"All fifteen of these swords are of superb quality. This one here is particularly amazing.

However, I don't think my budget will allow me to buy it…"

The sword he held had belonged to the man they'd called Udolan. Despite his complete

lack of skill, he'd wielded the best sword of the bunch. From the craftsmanship of the

sheath to the gleam of the blade, it was truly superior to all the rest.

The merchant continued mumbling to himself, almost as if he was taken in by its

beauty. He should have kept that information to himself to buy the weapons cheap and

resell them at a higher price. I was somewhat worried about whether this young man

would even be able to succeed as a merchant.

"There's no way I could buy them all with the money I have on me… but which do I

pick? Hmm…"

I really didn't want to carry the weapons with me while I was sneaking around.

"How about 10 sok each, 150 sok for the whole lot?"

It hadn't cost me anything to acquire them, so even if I sold them cheap, I was still

turning a profit. Besides, I wasn't hurting for money.

"Are you sure? These would normally go for thirty sok each!"

"You really shouldn't talk so much, merchant."

After I scolded him for being forthright about the market price, the young merchant

quickly put his hands over his mouth. He seemed like a good man, so I was happy to

help him profit. I assured him my price still stood, despite what he'd said.

"Thank you so much! With all the monster attacks along the border to the north,

weapons and raw metals have been shooting up in price, which is what brought me

down here."

"Huh. I'd heard there was a rather large monster that appeared up the road from here

recently, in a town called Luvierte."

"Really? Thank you for telling me!"

The young man grinned from ear to ear, bowing low in appreciation. He packed up the

weapons and climbed onto his cart, heading off in the direction of the inn. He turned

back to bow his head multiple times as he made his way down the road. Even though

I'd just met this man, I really hoped for his success.

Ponta wagged its tail from side to side, as if waving back. I was sure the young man

would become fast friends with any spirit creatures he ran across.

With that out of the way, I put the 150 gold coins into my pouch and readjusted the

much lighter bag on my shoulder. I knew I should probably start making my way back

to Ariane and Danka.

When I arrived at the food stalls, the two of them were still at the table where I'd left

them. I sat down in the empty chair.

"That was fast. Did you finish your errands?"

Ariane used one of her meat skewers to try and draw Ponta in closer as she spoke.

Danka was in the same position as before, arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Yes, I was able to sell the weapons I took off the men from before."

"Oh, right…"

Ariane shot me a look, letting me know she was less than impressed. She finally coaxed

Ponta down onto the table with the meat and immediately took hold of the fox,

rubbing its stomach affectionately.

We spent the rest of the time making small talk while Ariane played with Ponta.

Once it was late enough, and most of the surrounding stalls had closed, Danka finally

stood up from his chair. Ariane silently stood as well.

"Let's get going."

Ponta woke up and ran over to me. I put the fox on its perch on my head, grabbed my

bag, and followed after Danka.

Hopefully, this plan will go off without a hitch, I whispered to myself as we made our

way through the dark, empty streets.