Ariane, the Elf

A young woman ran on uneasy feet through the moonlit forest.

The surrounding trees were dark, as if the entire world had been painted with an inksoaked brush. Despite this, the woman's pursuers were slowly but surely closing in on

her.

She was around twenty years old, with wispy, shoulder--length, golden hair tinted

with green, matching the green of her eyes. As she ran, her hair grew tangled with

small twigs and leaves, her cheeks marked by tears. Her breath was ragged, her hands

and feet covered in scratches from bushes and trees, as if the very woods were trying

to hold her back.

Her elongated, pointed ears—a trait unique to the people of the forest—picked up the

sounds of multiple pursuers off in the distance. When she looked around, however,

she saw no signs of life.

Had she been a dark elf, one of the other groups inhabiting the forest, she would have

been able to see in the dark. For normal elves like herself, however, even seeing things

in the forest during daylight was difficult enough. Night was another challenge

entirely.

Elves were generally good at sensing the presence of others. Unfortunately, this young

woman was still early in her training as a soldier and did not yet have the skills to keep

herself calm enough to properly sense her surroundings.

She had tried desperately to escape her pursuers, but she could tell they were circling

in closer and closer with each passing moment.

A split second after she registered the sound of something slicing through the air, an

arrow pierced her right ankle and she tumbled to the ground.

"Aaaaaaghh!"

Pain erupted throughout her body the moment she saw the wound, her screams

echoing among the trees. Her eyes welled with tears as she held her immobile leg,

wailing and rolling about on the ground in agony.

Moments later, the bushes around her began moving, and several men stepped out of

the darkness.

The men all wore thick, leather armor that covered much of their bodies. They were

armed with swords, daggers, and bows, and they quickly closed in on the young

woman, menacing smiles on their faces. They were clearly quite skilled at this.

One eagle-eyed man, his hand still holding the sword at his waist, issued commands

to the rest.

"'urry up and put a collar on 'er!"

Another man stepped from the underbrush and approached the woman from behind,

clasping a collar made of dark metal around her neck. He shoved a gag into her mouth,

stifling her cries of pain as he climbed on top of her. As the men finished their wellpracticed routine, a thin, well-dressed young man holding a lamp stepped from the

bushes.

"Gah, just another brat! We come all the way out here, and all we get is some filthysmelling forest urchin. This is no fun."

After inspecting the fallen girl under the lamplight and letting his disdain be known,

the man pulled an extravagant sword from the sheath at his waist and stabbed her in

the upper arm with its tip.

Despite the gag, her scream of pain could still be heard as she writhed about.

"Hey, cut it out! I can't have you scratching up our valuable merchandise!"

The leader of the group drew his sword from its sheath and glared at the young man.

The young man glared back, a vein in his forehead bulging.

"You work for my father! You can't tell me what to do!"

The leader of the group looked unimpressed as he exchanged looks with the other

men, rubbing his chin all the while. He decided to try to resolve the situation

peacefully.

"We can patch her up later. We need to get out of here before the other elves find us."

He issued his orders in a low voice before turning his intense eyes to the man next to

him. "Did you retrieve the traps?"

The man responded with a slight nod and lifted the cages in his hand, each of which

held a small animal. It was too dark to see their contents, but weak cries could be

heard emanating from within the cages.

"Good. We'll wait till morning and bring our four prizes back to Diento."

After receiving the signal from their leader, the men, accompanied by the insulting

young man with his lamp, carried their bounty back into the dark forest.

***

After leaving Luvierte, I began using Dimensional Step to travel upriver along the road

that followed the Xpitol. I passed several settlements surrounded by long walls along

the way, though they all seemed to be pretty small.

After some time, I finally reached Corna, which looked like a smaller version of

Luvierte. I decided not to stop and continued toward my next destination.

A while later, I eventually arrived at the Lydel River, the source of the Xpitol River. To

the southwest, I could see the Calcut Mountains extending into the distance. The Lydel

River gently traced the eastern edge of the Calcut foothills, apparently leading all the

way to the country's capital. If I continued heading upriver, I would reach the town of

Diento.

By carriage, this trip would take at least three days. However, I was able to cover the

distance in less than half a day thanks to my teleportation abilities.

The town of Diento was just a short ways upriver from where the Xpitol split from the

Lydel. At about three times the size of Luvierte, the town also possessed a rather

sizeable amount of land for cultivating crops. Dual walls surrounded the town, which

sat atop of a hill. Rows and rows of houses lined both the inside and outside of the

wall, with dual moats surrounding the whole area. It looked exactly like a castle town.

I lost track of time as I took in the amazing sight of the town walls dyed orange from

the setting sun, and the unobstructed view of the fields beyond them. If a town this

size still existed in the modern era, it would certainly be a world heritage site.

I shook myself from my daze and began walking -toward Diento. The fields

surrounding the town were surprisingly busy, filled with farmers working and others

hurrying home. I'd have to walk the rest of the way, since I was trying to avoid being

seen using teleportation spells.

I was still quite a ways off from the town, though.

Maybe I could at least speed up my pace… I took off in a dash, my cape fluttering wildly

behind me. The people ahead of me on the road heard my heavy footfalls, letting out

yelps as they jumped out of my way. I wanted to tell them that there wasn't anything

to worry about.

To be fair, it was entirely understandable to be afraid of a two-meter-tall, armor-clad

man running toward you at high speed.

I slowed my pace as the gate loomed close. I'd definitely draw attention to myself if I

ran right up to it.

Seven meters above me, guards walked atop the walls that surrounded the town. After

I passed the first gate, the second wall came into view.

The second gate stood slightly uphill from the first. After showing my mercenary

license to the guard, I was allowed passage into the town of Diento.

It seemed like everything in the town was made of stone, including the rows upon

rows of two- and three-story buildings. Thrust into the massive crowd of people, I was

surprised at just how noisy everyone here was, from sellers hawking their wares to

the drunks milling about.

It was almost nostalgic…

Roads wove in and out of the buildings from every direction. I could tell that it'd take

me some time to get the layout down. Upon entering a nearby bar, I found myself

among several people who looked like they'd just gotten off work and were already

well into their cups.

I called to the barkeep behind the counter. "Sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for

an inn. Do you have any recommendations?"

The barkeep responded instead with an offer of his own. "Well if it's an inn you're

lookin' for, we run one here on the second and third floors! A night'll run ya two sek."

I wondered if I could buy food here and bring it upstairs.

"Can I eat in my room?"

"I don't see why not, so long as ya bring yer plate back down when yer done. It's three

suk for a meal. Whaddya think?"

I paid the barkeep two silver and three copper coins for my room and board and

moments later received a tray with my meal on it. I took the tray up the stairwell

beside the bar to my room on the third floor.

Upon opening the door, I found a room far better than where I'd stayed in Luvierte.

There was a sturdy bed with a blanket, as well as a small table and chair. I placed my

food on the table, sat on the bed, and removed my helmet.

It had been a while since I had a proper meal.

The meal on the tray was relatively simple: flat, black bread, a bowl of bean soup, and

a salad. It didn't look like there was any meat.

The black bread was tough to chew through, so I soaked it in the soup to soften it up.

The soup itself was actually pretty good. It tasted like it was made with chicken broth.

The salad was a simple affair consisting of various vegetables on a bed of lettuce and

endive, topped with vinegar and salt. I was a bit confused by their choice to serve it on

such similar, leafy vegetables.

After I finished eating, I put my helmet back on and took my tray downstairs. The

barkeep looked at me a bit funny when I returned the tray, but I couldn't blame him. It

must have been odd to see an armored guest take their food upstairs then return the

utensils with their armor still on. But at least he didn't say anything about it.

Back in my room, I sat down on the bed with my back against the wall and assumed

my usual pose to get some sleep. I pulled the blanket over myself as well, but it hardly

made a difference with my armor on.

Early the next morning, I woke to the sound of bells ringing in the distance. Once back

on the first floor, I could see the barkeep back in the kitchen carrying out his duties. It

looked like this inn was manned in the mornings, unlike the last place I stayed. I set

my room key down on the counter, called out to the barkeep, and left the inn.

After asking a person on the street for directions, I made my way to the local

mercenary guild office.

It was a three-story, stone building, but the interior wasn't much different from the

one in the previous town, other than the fact that there were so many more staff

members behind the counter, and there was no caged bear of a man working there.

A group of men who appeared to be mercenaries crowded around the job board. They

were incredibly tough-looking, just like the staff. It made we wonder if there were any

female mercenaries; at the very least, they could hire a woman to work in the office.

As I looked over the job board, I could hear various discussions between the

mercenaries.

"Five members of our troupe went hunting four days ago, but we haven't seen 'em

since."

"Think maybe some bandits or monsters got to them? We're close to elf territory. The

monsters around that area are pretty strong, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"Nah, they were heading to the base of the Calcut Mountains, toward the capital."

This world was full of dangers, both inside and outside the towns. It sounded like it

wasn't uncommon to simply lose track of people the moment they set foot outside.

On the other hand, this was the first I'd heard of an elf species. Up till now, all I'd seen

were normal humans. I got the impression that elves lived in the forests and didn't

venture out to where the humans lived.

I'd hate to come all the way to this other world and not see one at least.

I continued looking through the job board as I mulled this over, but despite the volume

of requests—thanks to the larger population—they were still the same old boring

chores. It seemed like I'd need to join a troupe if I hoped to get any of the good jobs.

I left the mercenary guild office, figuring I could head out to the forest again and hunt

around for something to sell.

I stopped at a stall selling dried fruits to buy some provisions. The vendor said he was

selling strawberries, but they looked like some type of wild variety to me. Maybe this

was what they looked like in Europe.

The man charged me eight copper coins for a small wooden cup full of the dried fruits,

claiming it would last me half a year; I didn't think it'd even last me half a day. I put the

provisions in a small bag and threw them in my sack.

I asked a nearby pedestrian for directions then made my way to the south gate.

At the inner wall, I showed the gate guard my mercenary license, and he waved me

through. I walked downhill and exited the city through the outer wall's gate.

Ahead of me, a stone bridge resting atop six arches spanned the three-hundred-meterwide river. The bridge could accommodate three carriages traveling side by side, and

it was full of people and carriage traffic. Apparently, this was a transportation hub.

After crossing the bridge, I could see the Calcut mountain range, and the forest

running along it, off to my right. To my left was a fenced-in area filled with cows, sheep,

and horses, probably a pasture of some kind. Beyond that was a field of crops.

Farther up the Lydel River, the forest loomed close, but here on the other side, the land

was mostly open.

I decided to make my way toward the base of the Calcut Mountains to hunt around for

a bit. I took a path off the main road and made my way southwest.

The Lydel River rushed off into the forest, though I couldn't see where it went after

that. As I walked, the vegetation rapidly grew thicker, closing in around me and

blocking out the sunlight. Roots sprouted from the ground everywhere, looking almost

like tentacles trying to grab my legs and block my path.

The trees here weren't nearly as thick as those in the forest near the Furyu Mountains,

but they made up for that by growing close together. There was no room for me to

maneuver my two-handed sword in here. Well, I probably could have, but I'd take half

a dozen trees down with each swing. Dimensional Step was also practically useless

here in the dense forest.

I saw a few small animals here and there, but, just as quickly as they appeared, they'd

disappear back into the underbrush. I'd probably need to set traps to catch anything

here.

I wandered through the forest for about an hour before I encountered five men—

bandits, I guessed. They stepped out of the underbrush, wearing sinister smiles on

their unshaven faces. Their greasy hair suggested they hadn't washed in some time.

All five of them were holding short swords.

"Well, well. Where ya going, Sir Knight? Hehehe."

"Just leave yer stuff right there, and we won't need to torture ya to death. We're pretty

nice guys, ain't we fellas?"

"Can't believe our luck! Having a fancy knight like this, just wandering around in our

woods all alone. Hahaha!"

"And when we kill someone out here, we don't even need to hide the body. Gahaha!"

The men kept jeering, overly confident in the strength of their position. They eyed me

up and down, as if calculating the value of all the goods I carried. They were practically

salivating.

"So, whaddya think, Sir Knight?"

Two of the men moved in unison, stabbing their short swords into the gaps in my

armor at my neck and sides, as if they were used to taking on armored opponents. This

wasn't like the game at all. No one would simply strike at someone's armor head on.

"Hng?" I looked down at the swords sticking out of me and grunted.

"Hya hya! Just like fighting a practice dummy."

"The only thing impressive about him is his armor!"

The men continued their mocking banter.

They weren't wrong; this exquisite armor housed nothing but bones. But that meant

there were no vital organs inside for their swords to pierce. Now that they'd attacked

me, I no longer had any reason to go easy on them.

"Was that supposed to tickle?"

"Wha?"

"Huh?!"

I glanced down at the two men. They looked back at me with blank stares, momentarily

stunned into silence.

Pwaah! I punched one of the men's heads, and it went flying with a sound akin to a

balloon exploding. His body shook for a second before falling to its knees.

The other bandits' faces contorted in shock. I'd put a little too much strength into that

punch… I hadn't meant to knock his head off.

The rest of the fight unfolded as if I were watching it in slow motion. I turned and

uppercut the other bandit next to me, my fist punching straight through his jaw and

out the top of his skull. Blood exploded from his eyes, ears, and mouth, drenching the

earth.

"A gh-ghooost!"

"Save meeeeeeeee!"

A little farther off, two of the other bandits turned tail. I summoned my Rock Shot

ability and unleashed a volley at their backs, tearing rock-sized holes through them.

Rock Shot was a fairly powerful base magic skill belonging to the Magus class. The

leather armor the bandits wore stood no chance against it.

That made four. I spotted the last man weaving through the trees in a frantic attempt

at escape, almost like a monkey swinging through its natural habitat. Given the density

of the undergrowth, Dimensional Step would do me no good, so I decided to simply

run after the bandit instead.

He was much more familiar with the lay of the land than I was, and he drew even

farther away as I shoved through the bushes and trees. I tried closing the distance by

avoiding the more densely packed areas and running through the clearings.

Suddenly, my foot snagged on something. In front of me, a large boulder suspended by

a rope dropped to the earth, and my leg flew out from under me.

"Heh! Can't believe ya fell for such a beginner's trap!" The bandit had stopped and was

looking right at me, as if he'd just caught a major bounty.

I yanked my foot free from the rope, shooting the boulder high into the sky, pieces of

rope flying in every direction. A boulder that size was no match for my superhuman

strength.

I took off… and ran into another trap. This time, a wall of spears erupted out of the

ground, meant to stab any animal that came this way. I let my armor take the brunt of

it and rushed through, sending splintering wood everywhere.

Next up was a giant wooden stake that came flying at me through the air. My fist

connected with the side of it, pulling the rope taut before the wood exploded in a

shower of splinters.

Apparently, the bandits had set up traps all along the open areas. My only choice was

to continue through the dense woods and simply smash my way through. I figured if

beasts could do it, then so could I.

"Whoooa! I-It really is a ghost!" the bandit screamed in horror before taking off again.

Despite being shaken by what he'd just witnessed, the man was still able to deftly

navigate the woods.

I continued my pursuit at full speed. I was like a tank as I trampled trees with my body

and barreled over rocks. Nothing could make me change my path in my frantic pursuit.

Excitement welled up within me as the pursuit continued, prompting me to yell after

the fleeing man. "Hahaha! You think you can get away from me?!"

"Aaaaaaugh!"

Hearing this, I could see the crotch of the man's pants darken, and I caught a whiff of

ammonia. I was quite impressed that, despite having peed himself in fear, he could still

keep up his escape.

Once we made it out of the woods, I found myself staring at a cliff face around seven

to eight meters high. In front of me, a cave-like opening burrowed into the rock, with

a simple fence around it to keep animals away. The bandits' hideout, maybe?

Two men sat on the ground out front, staring into space, seemingly bored out of their

minds. They stared in surprise when the man I'd been pursuing appeared.

Wide open areas made things infinitely easier for me.

I used my Dimensional Step to teleport behind the men, drew my sword, and sliced

through all three with a single diagonal slash, staining the entrance to the cave with

blood and filling the area with the faint odor of rusted steel.

A gentle breeze rustled the forest leaves.

Despite having murdered yet another group of bandits, I didn't feel anything. It was

all like an FPS game to me; I was simply exterminating another enemy.

I stared down at my gore-drenched sword through the slit in my helmet, yet still felt

nothing. The blood slowly dripped away, and the blade's soothing azure glow

returned.

It was like I simultaneously was and wasn't in my own body. And yet, at the same time,

I felt oddly certain of who I was. Though, for some reason, I wasn't the least bit shaken

by things that should bother me.

I used to role play a character that had been cursed to become a skeleton. It was

beginning to feel like that was actually true.

I slid the glowing blade back into its sheath then opened and closed my hand a few

times, as if to test the reality of the situation.

That was when I noticed the faint cries of some sort of animal coming from deep

within the cave.

Careful not to make any noise, I crept forward and peered inside. There didn't seem to

be anything particularly out of the ordinary, so I made my way in.

The cave wasn't very deep. It curved to the left shortly past the entrance then extended

for another hundred meters or so. At the end of the tunnel was a large open area, lit

by several lamps. It seemed to be where the bandits slept.

There were various knick-knacks strewn about the place, along with a wooden box for

storing valuables. It looked much like a treasure chest. Inside, I found a large number

of gold coins. Adding them to my purse, I guessed I had over five hundred gold coins

now. Despite their small size—around that of a one-yen coin—they weighed as much

as a five-hundred-yen coin, adding quite a bit of heft to my sack.

There were also several weapons and other items lying around, so I picked up

anything that looked valuable.

I threw everything into my sack, laughing lightly as I considered that there really was

little difference between the bandits' actions and my own.

Just then, I sensed something move and raised my head to look around. I noticed a

steel cage sitting in the corner of the cave.

It stood in the shadows outside the lamplight, which was why I'd missed it. As I

approached the cage for a closer look, I could see an injured animal glaring out at me

from inside. I brought the cage closer to the lamp for a better look, revealing a fox

inside.

Well, a fox-like animal, at least. It was about sixty centimeters long. Its tail made up

nearly half that length and was covered with fur that reminded me of the fluff on a

dandelion. Its face looked uncannily like a fox's, with large, triangular ears that perked

up attentively. It had fleshy membranes between its legs and body, similar to a

Japanese flying squirrel. I couldn't quite tell its color in the dim light, but much of its

body seemed to be covered in a light green fur, with white fur on its stomach.

The animal held its tail up as high as the cage would allow, never taking its eyes off me

and groaning lightly all the while. I could see a light wound on one of its front legs and

a much deeper one on a hind leg, staining its soft fur a deep red.

I figured I'd use my healing magic on its wounds, so I undid the latch on the cage and

opened the door. However, it didn't appear like the green fox had any desire to come

out. Making sure not to leave any space for it to escape, I reached my arm into the cage

to pull it out.

"Kyiii!" The fox let out a short yelp and bit down on my finger. It didn't hurt at all,

thanks to my armored gloves, but the fox continued glaring at me, growling deep in its

throat. It showed no desire to loosen its grip on my finger.

"Hey, don't be scared…"

I tried calming the agitated fox with my best lines from popular anime characters, but

it was no use. I just didn't have the ability to calm animals down. Out of options, I

dragged the green fox from the cage by my finger, which it stayed dutifully latched on

to.

"Mending Heal."

With the fox still biting down on my finger, I summoned my healing spell. A soft light

enveloped the injury for a moment before dissipating. Possibly surprised by the

sudden light, the green fox spread out its fluffy tail and jumped backward, staring up

at me with its large eyes.

"Kyii?"

It cocked its head to the side inquisitively before attending to its hind leg, giving the

injury several licks. Then it lapped at its front paw several times before brushing its

face like a cat. Once properly groomed, the fox leaned back and sat on its hind legs, its

large tail wagging as it looked up at me.

It seemed like it was done trying to run away.

I remembered the dried berries I'd bought that morning, which were still in my sack.

The fox's nose perked up as it watched my hands closely pull out the berries. I smiled

and poured some into my hand, offering them to the fox.

It was cautious at first, only sniffing at the berries in my hand. Then it made a decision

and quickly bit down on one, running off into the corner to chew on it. After it had

finished the berry, the fox walked back over to me, bit down on another one, and

repeated the process. After going through this several times, the fox began eating the

berries straight out of my hand.

The fear that I'd seen earlier seemed to have faded entirely. I chuckled to myself at the

absurdity of it, wondering if it was really okay for a wild animal to become this friendly

with people.

Once the fox had finished all the berries, I petted its head a few times, causing it to

tense up. Its eyes narrowed slightly.

There didn't seem to be anything else of note in the cave, so I decided it was time for

me to end my short break. The green fox jogged behind me on its short legs, hurrying

to keep pace with me as I made my way toward the cave entrance.

I stopped and turned around, causing the fox to crouch on its hind legs in a sitting

position. Its fluffy tail wagged gently as it looked up at me. It seemed like the creature

had taken a liking to me.

I tilted my head to the side and looked down.

"Wanna come with me?"

I didn't exactly expect a response, but the green fox replied with a "Kyii!" and walked

over to my feet, its tail wagging against my legs. It was almost like it could understand

what I was saying.

I didn't know exactly what type of animal it was, but I didn't feel like "green fox" was

cutting it. I wracked my brain as I tried thinking of a name.

Green… fox… Hmm…

"Which name do you like better? Oage or Tempura?"

I threw out the first two names that came to mind, but the fox's tail just drooped in

response. Apparently, it wasn't a fan of either.

I glanced at the small creature's tail, covered with dandelion-like fluff.

"Hmm, how about Ponta, then?"

"Kyii!" The fox's tail popped up and wagged about excitedly.

I'd found a winner this time.

"All right, Ponta, are you ready to go?"

Ponta let out a squeak in response and jumped into the air, catching a gust of wind by

spreading out its fleshy membranes. It almost looked as if it were floating atop some

sort of invisible elevator.

"Whoa!" I gasped in astonishment, my eyes locking onto Ponta.

It seemed to be using some sort of wind magic. There was no way an updraft could

occur inside a cave like this.

Ponta continued riding the breeze even higher, landing atop my helmet. Since we'd

been facing each other, Ponta was now pointing toward my back, its large fluffy tail

drooping down to obscure the slit in my helmet. I gently brushed the tail back and

forth a few times, causing Ponta to readjust its position and clear up my view.

I knew I was in a fantasy world, but still, to meet such a mysterious creature, and one

that could use magic at that, was beyond my expectations. I'd just figured it lived

among the trees, gliding about like flying squirrels do.

I nodded once, amazed at Ponta's impressive feat, before collecting my bag and making

my way toward the cave's entrance again.

Not wanting any further trouble, should anyone discover the bodies of the bandits, I

used Fire to burn their corpses. Ponta was surprised at first by the flames, but after it

realized it wasn't in any danger, I could feel its tail swishing along the back of my

helmet again.

Once the bandits had been reduced to ash, I left their base behind.

With the considerable loot I'd just acquired, my animal companion and I should be

able to survive for a while without needing to work. It'd be nice to travel about

wherever our whims took us, like birds on the wind. I felt like a newly minted retiree

as I began considering the options.

I alternately walked and teleported as I thought about my options. When I finally made

my way out of the trees, I was able to see the sky, which was turning a pale red.

Apparently, I'd spent quite a bit of time in the forest.

Off in the distance, I could see the walls of Diento. The vast fields around the town

were devoid of any signs of life.

After walking upriver a ways, along the Lydel, I came upon the figure of a man, facing

away from me. He was wrapped in a beige cloak, his green-tinged, blond hair blowing

about in the wind. I assumed he was a man, but he looked different from all the other

men I'd seen up to that point. From behind, I could see he had the elongated, angled

ears that marked a certain species common in stories and games.

For some reason, I was incredibly excited to see one in person. I immediately

teleported behind him using Dimensional Step and called out to him. "You're the first

elf I've seen."

The elf jumped forward, spinning around in midair. As he landed, he drew a thin

sword, pointing it, and a very stern look, my way when he landed.

He had green eyes to match his green-tinged, shoulder--length, blond hair. His slim

body was covered in leather armor, his hand steady as he kept the sword tip trained

on me. His demeanor was completely different from the bandits I'd encountered in the

woods. I could immediately tell he was a soldier.

"Identify yourself, stranger."

Never once letting his guard down, the elf spoke in a low voice as he stepped back,

putting more distance between us. His gaze seemed particularly focused above my

head, or rather, on Ponta, who sat atop my helmet.

"I am Arc, a wanderer. Apologies for getting so excited."

The elf shot me a dubious look and lowered his blade ever so slightly. His eyes

wandered over my armor, as if he were trying to see through it, to figure out who the

man underneath really was.

"A human? I never knew a ventu-vulpis to take kindly to humans."

"Ventu-vul…?"

"Also known as the cottontail fox. That spirit creature sitting atop your head. What you

humans call phantasms, I think? They usually travel in packs. Where did you find it?"

"You're a spirit, Ponta?"

Ponta responded with a curious cry, refusing to move down from its perch. The elf

looked exasperated as he stared back at me.

"Not a spirit, a spirit creature. It's a type of animal a spirit resides within. If you don't

already know that, then you're definitely no elf."

I could tell he was talking down to me, but I couldn't really blame him. He had no idea

about my backstory.

"Apologies, this is the first time I've encountered a spirit creature. I found this fellow

here injured in a cage inside a bandit camp, so I set it free. It seems to have grown

attached to me after I healed its wounds and gave it some food, so I've decided to let

it accompany me on my travels."

The elf facing me maintained a quizzical expression on his face as he listened to my

story.

"Hmph. Spirit creatures are usually incredibly cautious. They rarely get close even to

us elves. But I guess there are bound to be outliers."

Outliers… The elf seemed to lock his eyes on me as he said this word. Maybe it was just

my imagination.

He lowered his sword, readjusted his cloak, and pulled his hood over his head, hiding

his distinctive ears.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked. "Are you heading into town? I haven't

seen any elves there…"

Even though he had the hood pulled down low over his face, I could still see the

dumbfounded expression the elf wore in response to my question.

"Are you really a human, stranger? Humans fear… no, hate all that is different or

superior to them. We elves are granted long lives and possess strong magical affinity.

Even here in the Rhoden Kingdom, where you've already entered a treaty with us, you

continue hunting us if we don't stay out of sight. Apparently, you sell forest elves for

large sums."

Deep within his cloak, his eyes burned with anger.

Officially at least, hunting elves was prohibited, but it sounded like no one actually

enforced that treaty. Even without knowing the particulars, the look in this elf's eyes

alone was enough to convey the atrocities committed by humans.

Maybe hunting wasn't quite the right word; it didn't sound like they were killing the

elves. If elves were vicious, war-loving barbarians, humans wouldn't have entered a

treaty with them in the first place. Nor would hunting and selling them for large sums

be illegal. So, unless elf blood was some sort of all-encompassing cure, the only other

possibility was slavery.

That meant this elf's reason for coming so close to a human town was…

"You're here to free the slaves, aren't you?"

The elf's face clouded over with suspicion, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Hmph. You'd best not tell anyone about what we discussed here. Or even that you've

seen an elf."

I sighed, letting my shoulders slump to show the elf he had nothing to fear. I spread

my hands to indicate that I meant no threat.

"Not that I can trust the words of a human…"

Before he even got the full sentence out of his mouth, the elf was already lifting his

sword again. Ponta screeched out from the top of my head, as if objecting to the man's

actions.

"Kyii kyiii!"

The elf froze for a moment, but then the expression on his face eased up, and he

lowered his sword.

"Well, you somehow managed to form a bond with a spirit creature, so I suppose an

exception can be made. Don't forget what I said."

The elf quickly walked past me and disappeared into the forest. I hadn't even learned

his name.

I'd thought this would be my chance to engage with a different species in this strange

new world, but humanity's reputation was evidently too negative to overcome.

Well, perhaps we'd meet again. If elves were enslaved within the town, I could try to

uncover some information. That way, if our paths did cross another time, I'd have

some information to share.

With that objective firmly in my mind, I made my way back to town.

As the setting sun cast its glow over Diento's walls, nothing in particular seemed

different or out of place. However, I looked on the town with new eyes, seeing only the

darkness, a cloak that hid all of humanity's worldly desires.

Several days later, I woke up as usual atop my bed at the inn to the sound of the

morning bells.

Ponta lay on the blanket, its face buried in the fluff of its green and white tail. From

time to time, a low growl issued from the back of its throat and it would make chewing

motions, as if dreaming of some delicious feast. Because of its foxlike appearance, I'd

originally assumed Ponta was a carnivore, but it seemed to be an omnivore, with a

preference for fruits and berries.

Ponta woke up, scratched behind its ears with a hind leg, then stretched its mouth

wide open in a yawn. Hopping onto my shoulder, Ponta resumed its rightful perch atop

my helmet. Apparently, cottontail foxes liked high places.

With Ponta on my head, I picked up the large, black cloak sitting nearby and draped it

over my armor. The cloak was a recent purchase from a shop in town. Not only did it

cover up my flashy armor, but it would also help me with covert activities.

But even when I covered up the gleam of my armor, my helmet still peeked out of the

black cloak, which didn't help matters. I probably looked like some sort of blackcloaked, laser-sword-wielding villain right out of a certain sci-fi franchise.

Be that as it may, I was now able to disappear into a crowd of people far better than

when I was showing off my armor in its full glory.

I went down to the first floor, offered up a greeting to the barkeep, who was busy in

the kitchen again, and made my way outside. The bar only served dinner, so I'd gotten

into the habit of buying breakfast from a street vendor in the mornings.

The road was lined on both sides with stalls, competing to draw the attention of

prospective customers. As I walked between them, the world suddenly became dark

as a certain cotton-like tail swung in front of my visor.

Whenever I walked past something Ponta liked, it would lock its gaze and turn its body

to face whatever it had spotted, eventually obscuring my vision with its tail.

I reached up and turned Ponta around, then walked in the direction Ponta had been

looking. It was a vendor selling a type of nut that Ponta had recently taken a liking to.

The light brown shells housed a green inside, reminding me of pistachios.

"Kyiii!"

Buy it, pleeease! It wasn't hard to figure out what Ponta was saying.

I paid the woman at the stall five copper coins for a small bag then broke the shells of

several nuts, feeding them to the creature atop my head. Ponta screeched in delight

and gobbled them up. Though Ponta could take the shells off on its own, this resulted

in pieces of shells falling in front of my visor as I walked.

I'd spent the past few days exploring the town, with Ponta perched atop my head.

I'd been looking around the nooks and crannies of Diento to see if I could uncover any

information about the enslaved elves. However, since I couldn't just walk up to

someone and ask them point blank if they knew where the slaves were kept, I was left

wandering around without any specific destination in mind.

Buying and selling captured elves was likely a highly lucrative business, even if it was

forbidden, which meant it was almost certainly happening under the direction of some

powerful figure.

I had my suspicions that my search would be more fruitful not in the town itself, but

the homes of the nobility closer to the center of Diento. However, my current

appearance would draw immediate attention. There were many guards near the

nobles' estates, but not nearly the same volume of foot traffic.

To be completely honest, I wasn't exactly conducting my search out of altruism. It

wasn't that the concept of slavery didn't bother me, but, as awful as it was to admit, I

was bored and simply had nothing better to do. There were probably better uses of

my time, but I couldn't -imagine just sitting around the inn without any clear goals

ahead of me.

I didn't know what I'd do if I actually found the enslaved elves. For the time being, I

was trying to keep a low profile. That way, if I did find myself in a situation where I

could help them out, I could do so quietly.

It figured that when I'd finally met elves in this alternative world—something I'd

dreamed of my whole life—it turned out they were being persecuted.

Come to think of it, I hadn't seen any other fantasy species since coming here. Did they

even exist in this world? Judging by how the elf had spoken, I supposed that, even if

they did, they were probably persecuted just like the elves. What a depressing thought.

I mulled these heavy thoughts over as I made my way to the mercenary guild office. I

hadn't been there in several days, so it was nice to be back. Pounding the pavement

wasn't getting me anywhere, so I figured I'd take on a job.

There were several mercenaries already crowded around the job board, picking

through requests. I joined the group and began sorting through the tags, looking for

something interesting.

One finally caught my eye. It was for a missing person.

The person had gone out into the woods up the Lydel River and hadn't returned. That

was five days ago.

The forest upriver lined the base of the Furyu mountain range. It was commonly

referred to as the Furyu Forest—same as the one near Rata. It stretched on and on,

covering a vast area of land.

However, the forest on the other side of the Lydel River, despite being a part of the

same mountain range, was known by a different name. People referred to it as the "Elf

Forest" or the "Lost Woods."

Not only did powerful monsters run rampant there, but the elves living within the

forest would give you no quarter if you came across them.

I wasn't interested in taking on this job right now. If I did, I wouldn't be able to

complete the job until I either found the person or brought back something proving

they were dead or alive. I'd heard an experienced mercenary telling a newbie earlier

that for jobs like these, it was best to keep the information in the back of your mind,

notifying the guild only after you found something.

I followed that advice and decided to look around in the woods upriver.

After leaving the guild office, I made my way toward the east exit, the gate closest to

the Furyu Forest.

Unlike the north and south gates, which were often used by merchant caravans, the

east gate was much smaller and only wide enough for a single carriage. This was also

where the red-light district was located, the tiny alleys filled with questionable-

looking shops. There weren't that many people out and about during the daytime

hours, but come nightfall, the streets would be filled with women calling out to men

as they walked past.

Since I was trying to stay out of trouble, I steered clear of this area at night. Besides,

even if I wanted to go there, there was nothing I could do with my body in its current

state.

After passing through the east gate and the outer town wall, I crossed two wooden

bridges spanning the moats and turned right to walk along the Lydel River. The Furyu

Forest was twenty kilometers from the east gate, and the journey only took five

minutes using Dimensional Step.

Once we entered the forest, I could feel Ponta wagging its tail excitedly against my

armor.

I wondered if the light green fur was meant to be some form of camouflage for the

forest-dwelling creature. A part of me was saddened by the thought that Ponta may

return to them if we ran across any other cottontail foxes, but I ventured deeper into

the woods all the same.

The forest was decently lit, allowing me a line of sight deep into the woods. The

undergrowth, however, was thick, making it impossible to even see my own feet. Off

to my right was a cliff. I could hear rushing water from the Lydel River echoing below.

The forest was filled with bird calls and rustling leaves, giving it an altogether relaxing

atmosphere. There were no fearsome monsters to be seen.

I continued my nature hike, basking in the sunlight streaming through the trees. But

as I made my way farther into the woods, the air took on the distinct smell of rotting

meat.

Up ahead, past some underbrush, the trees opened out into a small clearing. In its

center, I found scattered bones, teeth marks gouged deep into them. I quickly realized

what had caused such distinctive marks.

The mound of flesh in front of me, what had once been a human, was headless, making

it impossible to identify. I couldn't find a head anywhere in the surrounding area

either. I had no way of knowing whether this was the man from the job request or not.

Though it looked like the body had been gnawed on in several places by animals, its

head had been severed cleanly. Assuming the man had been attacked and torn apart

by wild animals, there was no way the neck would be cut like that. I wasn't even sure

if monsters were able to do that.

The most likely scenario was that he'd been attacked and killed by bandits. There were

no weapons or bags in the vicinity, and I had a hard time believing that someone would

come into the dangerous woods unarmed.

I decided to look around in case there was another bandit hideout nearby.

Down in the grass, I discovered a trail of blood. Though it had already dried and turned

black, it served as a guide through the forest.

The blood led me to the shore of the Lydel River, where it continued along the rocky

beach. The river was wide here, but fairly shallow. It looked like whoever left the trail

had crossed the water.

On the other side of the river was the so-called Elf Forest, which made me wonder if

the man had been killed by elves. However, I had a hard time believing any elves lived

at the edge of the forest, right along the river. It was too close to the humans. I thought

it more likely that bandits had built a hideout here, in a place rarely frequented by

humans and where elves would have a hard time finding it.

"Wanna play detective for a bit, Ponta?"

"Kyiii!"

Ponta had been drinking from the river when I called out, but it ran excitedly back to

my side. I took a knee to allow the fox to jump up onto my shoulder and back to the

top of my head. I cracked a few more pistachios and fed them to it, leading to more

excited tail wagging as it gnawed on the nuts.

I crossed the river and entered the woods on the other side. Everything from here on

out was the Elf Forest.

The forest itself didn't have a particularly foreboding feeling to it. If anything,

compared to the woods on the other side, the massive trees here gave this forest a

mystical, timeless quality. Light filtered between the leaves of the canopy above,

illuminating the undergrowth at my feet.

There was no blood trail to be found anywhere, though I did uncover tracks that

looked like a footpath. Maybe the man had been attacked as he was crossing the river,

and he started bleeding on the other side. In that case, the bandits would be on high

alert in this area, which meant it would do me no good to perform a meticulous search

of the place or to continue following the tracks. I'd just have to walk around and see

what I could find.

A short time later, Ponta and I ran across a bear. Or, rather, it had the body of a bear,

the head of a wolf, and the long, drooping ears of a donkey.

The wolf-bear glowered at us and stood up on its hind legs, moving closer. I wasn't

interested in hunting any wild animals today, so I gave the wolf-bear a quick punch,

causing it to yelp and run back through the brush into the woods.

Ponta was still tense, fur standing on end, so I reached up and scratched under its chin.

From the direction the wolf-bear had run off to, the cries of someone in distress

echoed through the woods.

We were already deep into elf territory, so that meant the person was either an elf or

some human up to no good.

Looking in the direction the cries had come from, I found a small path winding through

the forest. The path—if you could even call it that—had been roughly hacked through

the grass. It was barely wide enough for a single carriage.

I crept through the shrubs along the side of the path, using Ponta as a miniature ghillie

suit for my head. As I moved along silently, a group of frenzied people came into view,

weapons unsheathed and at the ready.

There were a dozen or so of them standing around a cart, their eyes alert and

constantly scanning their surroundings. The wolf-bear I'd sent running just moments

ago was dead at their feet, bleeding from multiple wounds. A thin, young man stood

over the two-meter wolf-bear, spitting out epithets as he kicked its body.

"Dammit, don't scare me like that! All we've done today is knock around a bunch of

stupid brats!"

He held an expensive-looking sword in his hand, though there was no sign of blood on

the blade. It didn't look like he'd helped kill the beast.

An imposing man looked over, wide-eyed, at the young man and scolded him. "Keep

yer voice down, Udolan. There could still be beasts lurking nearby."

Udolan's face contorted with rage. "Don't tell me what to do!"

The imposing man, possibly the leader of the group, averted his gaze from the young

man as he screamed himself red, instead looking back at the men surrounding the cart.

"The cloth's slippin'. Ya better fix that."

There was a large, steel cage in the bed of the cart. Four young children with

characteristic elf ears were packed inside. All of them had injuries, either on their

hands or feet, and were crying quietly to themselves.

Several of the men standing around the cart picked up a large canvas, which had

apparently fallen off during the encounter with the wolf-bear, and put it back over the

cage, once again hiding the terrified elf children from sight.

Apparently, this group was involved in the capture, -enslavement, and sale of elves.

Seeing them, I recalled my conversation with the elf I'd met outside Diento several

days earlier.

Even I'd known about the slavery, but seeing these children locked up in cages and

treated like animals right in front of my eyes gave me a totally different perspective. I

wondered if this altogether unpleasant feeling was related to the fact that I'd grown

up in such a peaceful country. Even in my own world, there were probably those who

couldn't distinguish between people from things, so long as they sold for a high price.

But I was lucky to have never been around that.

I couldn't stand idly by and let these children be taken.

I was surprised to feel this focus, this calling, well up within me. I cocked my head to

the side as I pondered over this, before returning my attention to the men in front of

me.

They were evenly spaced around the cart, so even if I teleported in, there'd be no way

to fend them all off at once. Plus, if any of the children were taken as hostages, it

wouldn't matter how strong I was.

On the other hand, for all they knew, I was just some mysterious knight in a black

cloak. If I came up behind them, I'd have the advantage until they figured out what I

was there to do.

The next problem was the matter of timing.

As I watched the group from behind a bush, I detected movement in front of the

traffickers.

"Who's there?!" a man at the front of the pack called out, quickly nocking an arrow and

shooting it off into a bush near the cart. However, the only cry of pain that followed

was his own.

Something flew out of the bush at blinding speed, ripping a massive hole in the chest

of the man who'd shot the arrow. Before his body even had time to hit the ground, a

gray shadow loomed out of the forest.

As blood erupted from the first man, the shadow broke into two tendrils that wrapped

themselves around the necks and arms of two more men and pulled them to the

ground. As they fell, I could see a lone attacker standing between them, readjusting

the silver sword in her hand.

The woman was beautiful, wrapped in a dark gray cloak, thin saber at the ready. It was

immediately apparent that she was no normal woman. Her flawless skin was light

purple in hue, almost the color of amethyst. It was accented by her ruffled, snow-white

hair, which was tied back in a ponytail and revealed elf ears, albeit shorter than those

of the elf I'd met before. Her eyes glowed an eerie shade of gold in the rapidly

darkening forest.

Underneath her cloak, the woman wore a decorative priest's robe, which was covered

by corset-styled leather armor.

The soft lines of her figure still managed to show through her simple armor. She stood

poised on long, slender legs that ended at well-formed hips, and her leather chestpiece strained to hold back her ample chest. And yet, she still reminded me of the

knights of old.

"Release the children at once!"

She glared at the men with her golden eyes, her calm, measured voice filled with

hatred as she spoke.

"An elf! Keep yer guard up, men!"

Despite having just seen three of their own slaughtered, the men responded in unison

to their leader's orders, forming a semi-circle around the elf. The two men on the ends

rushed at her from both sides, trying to stay in her blind spot. However, she didn't

seem to be in any real danger.

An instant later, the elf warrior bounded high up into the air, easily evading the two

attacking blades. She quickly slashed her blade while still in midair before landing out

of reach of the encroaching group. Her aerial strike cut one of her attackers' faces

open, causing blood to pour out everywhere. The other man fell to the ground where

he stood, three arrows jutting from his back. I caught the briefest of glimpses of an elf

archer deep in the forest before turning my attention back to the woman.

Apparently, the slave traders had been ambushed by two elves.

"Don't let yer eyes fool ya! These are elf soldiers!"

The group of men was beginning to look more uneasy now that five of their own had

been felled in a matter of minutes. However, they all hoisted their shields and

withdrew slightly to readjust their formation.

The female elf gritted her teeth and scowled. Even though she'd gotten the drop on the

group, there were still more than ten slave traders remaining, and they'd been able to

pull their ranks in quicker than she'd anticipated. It made sense though; if you were

operating in such dangerous woods, you'd have to be able to work as a team.

The two sides glared at each other, their hatred palpable. Udolan, the attractive young

man from earlier, stood behind the protection of the men near the cart, waving his

sword around frantically as he yelled.

"Surrender while you have a chance, hag! These men are about to chop you into

ribbons! The same goes for your friend in the forest!"

Udolan's veins bulged, spittle flying from his mouth as he yelled. The young man

seemed nothing like the rest—he definitely wasn't a regular member of their group.

The children, still locked away in their cage atop of the cart, suddenly found themselves

at the other end of Udolan's blade.

"So, now you use children as a shield?! And you have the gall to call yourself a human,

you cowardly beast?!"

The white-haired elven woman shot an intimidating glare at the young man before

readjusting her stance and moving toward the group. However, Udolan's next move

stopped her cold.

"Oh, shut up, will you? Take one step closer and I can't vouch for their safety!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the man thrust forward with his sword,

plunging its tip into the leg of one of the young girls in the cage.

Even with the gag in her mouth, the young girl's scream could still be heard far outside

the cage. The other children cowered back into the corners, sobbing uncontrollably

with fear.

The elf woman's face grew even fiercer, but she didn't dare move closer while the

children were hostages.

"Kyiii."

Ponta, who was concealing my head with its light green fur, chewed lightly on a paw

as it watched the events unfold.

Now that the light purple woman's advance had stopped, thanks to Udolan's threats,

the slave traders seemed to relax a bit as they slowly encircled the woman. Her snowwhite hair was in disarray, her eyes burning with hatred as she watched the oncoming

men. They hesitated momentarily, but it would only be a matter of time until they

made their move.

The male elf in the forest seemed at a loss for what to do, his bow hanging limply at

his side. At this rate, it seemed clear they would both be captured.

Tired of watching the men make their painfully slow advance, an agitated Udolan

pointed his sword at the woman and began screaming. "Don't even think of continuing

to resist! Men, go in and get that dark elf. Looks like we've caught ourselves a pretty

prize. I'll need to inspect this one myself."

A lustful grin pulled at the corners of Udolan's lips, the meaning behind his words

readily apparent.

So, this woman was a dark elf, which was quite different from a run-of-the-mill elf.

Back in the game, dark elves usually had dark brown skin, red eyes, and long, pointy

ears. Apparently, things were a bit different in this world. From the way Udolan was

talking, it sounded like they were a rare breed.

The dark elf's face contorted in a look halfway between fear and anger. Udolan's smile

only grew with each passing moment.

If these were simply bandits roaming through the woods, I may have ignored the

situation. But now that children were involved, I could no longer stand idly by.

I looked into the cage on the cart. The young girl who'd been stabbed held her leg,

moaning as tears rolled down her cheeks.

No matter what the situation, it was absolutely unforgivable to threaten innocent

children and use them as shields.

Since the men were focusing all their attention ahead of them, it'd be easier for me to

get in a surprise attack now.

Figuring things were about to get dangerous, I took Ponta down from my head and put

it around my neck, like a scarf. Then I used Dimensional Step to send myself behind

the young man. Just as I'd hoped, neither Udolan nor the other men seemed to notice

me, their attention fixed on the white-haired elf in front of them.

As I pulled back my fist to attack Udolan, I surveyed the surrounding area. My eyes

locked with the dark elf's, her surprise evident in her wide pupils.

"You seem to be in a bit of trouble. Would you care for a hand?"

Upon hearing my voice, Udolan began turning toward me, but it was already too late

for him.

"Gyaugh?!"

Unlike the last time, when I'd punched the other bandits with all my might, this time,

I merely pushed my closed fist into the young man's back. I could feel his spine break,

but rather than exploding like before, he flew into the group of men like a bowling ball

into a row of pins.

Everything seemed to stand still for a moment.

Considering that the men had just seen a black-cloaked knight in brilliant silvery

armor appear behind them, it was understandable they'd be speechless. The man I'd

punched, as well as the two men he'd collided with, lay motionless on the ground.

Everyone in the vicinity was stunned, though the dark elf was the first to regain her

composure.

She fell upon three of the men who were still staring blankly up at me, ending their

lives with some skillful swordplay. From where I stood, a mere novice, her

swordsmanship was poetry in motion.

The gruff leader of the group lunged forward to stab the elf in the chest. She spun

deftly out of the way, no more than a paper's thickness of space between her body and

the blade as she returned the blow. The rest of the men screamed aloud as they

watched the events unfold.

The formation broke down and men took off into the woods. At that very same instant,

the male elf began launching a volley of arrows at them.

One of the slave traders took off toward me, swinging his sword wildly, the deftness

he'd displayed against the elf earlier now a long-forgotten memory.

I turned toward my attacker.

"Armor Lariat!"

With no time to draw my sword, I crossed my armor--clad arms, clasped my elbows,

and ran into the man. I could hear a dull thud as I hit his sword, followed by the snap

of his neck as I threw his body into a nearby tree.

In a matter of moments, the forest had returned to its usual silence, the only sounds

those of the insects and the wind.

With the threat now gone, my first priority was to set the children free and heal the

girl's injuries. As I turned toward the cart, a harsh male voice rose up behind me.

"Stop right there!"

I turned around and saw that the male elf had left the forest. He had his bow trained

on me, drawn and ready to fire, a fierce look in his eyes.

I raised my hands to show that I had no intention of putting up any resistance.

"I am but a simple traveler who happened upon…"

Even as the words came out of my mouth, I barely managed to suppress a chuckle at

how absurd they must have sounded. I was no mere traveler. But still, I tried to explain

myself.

"I said don't move! Ariane, look for a key to the cage!"

The male elf barked a command at the white-haired woman, who seemed hesitant.

The look of uncertainty on her face only grew more intense.

"Wait a moment, Donaha. He helped us back there, didn't he?"

"I understand. But we're in elf country, and no one here wears massive armor like that.

He must be a human, just like those abductors."

Ariane's eyes widened upon hearing this. She shot me a suspicious glance.

"Get the children from the cart and begin administering aid."

The female elf responded to Donaha's command and began searching for a key to the

children's cage. Apparently, simply being human was enough to mark me as

untrustworthy.

While Ariane searched the cart and the pockets of the dead slave traders, Donaha

motioned for me to lower my hands, though he kept the bow trained on me, his eyes

alert.

"Thank you for your assistance. However, we do not trust humans, especially those

who keep their faces hidden."

I slowly lowered my hands, my palms still spread out, suppressing a laugh. It made

perfect sense for him to be suspicious of an armor-clad man who'd suddenly appeared

out of nowhere.

"Unfortunately, I cannot remove my helmet. The reasons are various, but personal."

Just then, Ponta's triangular ears perked up. After running a quick loop around my

neck and checking the surroundings, Ponta hopped back on top of my head and cried

out.

"Kyiii!"

Upon seeing this, Donaha's eyes went wide in disbelief. He lowered his bow ever so

slightly.

"Is that… a ventu-vulpis?! Are you a human or aren't you?!"

Much like the elf I'd run into before, he was also taken by surprise upon seeing Ponta.

It must have been pretty rare to encounter one of these cottontail foxes. Ariane looked

up from her search for the key, shock registering on her face as well.

"The other elf I met was surprised, too. Yes, I am -indeed human. I helped this creature

out when it was injured and gave it food. It's grown attached to me. Lately, it's taken a

liking to these."

I went back to the bush where I'd left my sack and retrieved the bag of pistachios. I

poured a few out into the palm of my hand and raised it above my head. Ponta started

chewing through the nuts' shells, stuffing their delicious innards into its cheeks.

Donaha seemed to be having a hard time believing what he was seeing. Though the

look of caution never quite left his eyes, the drawn bow lowered farther as he

continued his line of questioning.

"Who is this elf you said you met before?"

"I ran into him outside the town of Diento. He was working to set the elves in town

free."

Though the man had asked me not to tell any humans of our interaction, I figured

telling elves should be fine, especially elves with the same goal. Donaha's expression

softened slightly, as if he may know the man I was referring to.

"You met Danka? Were you the one who…"

"No, this is the first time I've spoken of the encounter." I hurried to head off the man's

suspicion, though I couldn't be sure he believed me.

Just then, Ariane called out to us. "I found the key, Donaha!"

She ran over to the cage and undid the latch, letting the door swing open with a heavy,

metallic clang. The injured elven children inside looked relieved to see her, though

they still wore black metal collars around their necks. Ariane lifted the girl who'd been

stabbed out of the cart first.

Hoping to gain some points with them, and to smooth over my relations with the other

elves of this world, I decided to offer Donaha the use of my magic.

"If anyone has been harmed, I may be able to heal them. Would it be all right for me to

look at the child's injuries?"

"You say you're a human, so why would you help us? You must be aware of the

relationship between humans and elves."

"Not all humans view elves as their enemies. There's nothing more to it than that. Like

you, I cannot stand by while barbarous acts like kidnapping, hostage-taking, and

violence against children are carried out in front of me."

Donaha turned his gaze from Ponta to Ariane and the girl in her arms. He put the arrow

back in his quiver.

"I shall trust your word, for her sake. Can you heal this child?"

I took that as permission.

I left Ponta, who was busily munching pistachios, in my hand as I approached the girl.

I thought the fox may keep the children calm. One hid behind Ariane, and the rest

cowered slightly as I approached. I put Ponta on the ground and knelt to bring myself

closer to their eye level.

The girl Ariane was holding tried burrowing herself deeper into the woman's arms,

her face tensing up. She had blood-stained bandages around her leg from injuries

she'd sustained prior to the recent stab wound. She probably had a hard time walking

under her own power. I assumed the men had done that to keep her from escaping.

I spoke in the softest voice I could manage, to try and keep the girl calm.

"Stay still. I'm going to use a healing spell on you."

I reached out and summoned Mending Heal. A soft light enveloped the girl's injured

leg, and the wound started closing.

Everyone around me looked surprised, from the young girl herself to Ariane and all

the other children. They crowded in around the girl for a closer look.

Donaha, who'd been hanging back as he watched on, spoke up.

"You must be quite powerful to use a healing spell without chanting. Judging by your

armor, I'd figured you for a knight."

Evidently, one generally needed to chant in order to use magic. There was a cooling

down period in the game before spells could be used again, but they were

automatically cast the moment they were selected, without any need for chanting. I

was thankful Donaha only thought of this as something uncommon, rather than

something impossible.

Once the girl's leg was fully healed, she dropped down from Ariane's arms and tested

her leg. After she was satisfied, she turned toward me, eyes facing downward.

"Th-thanks, mister…"

"Do you have any other injuries?"

The girl quickly shook her head.

Seemingly reassured, the other children came forward to have me heal their wounds

as well.