Building a Village Anew

When we got up the next morning, the sky was still a deep shade of indigo.

At the Calcut Mountains' base, dense white mist swirled over the forest like a sea of

clouds, giving the peaks the appearance of islands. The whole scene looked rather

mystical.

Several tough-looking men and women, laden with equipment, had already gathered

in the village square in front of Hanzo's home. A little farther away, other villagers

watched.

I stood in the center of the group, dressed from head to toe in my armor. Atop my

helmet, Ponta let out the occasional yawn. Ariane was next to me, in her usual formfitting leather armor, her long white hair blowing in the chilly morning breeze.

Chiyome—along with the village chief, Gowro, and the military commander, Pittah—

stood stoically beside us, wearing her ninja garb.

Last night, in the middle of my long-winded attempt to explain my skeleton body to

Hanzo and the others, Ponta got fed up from all the waiting and started to howl, so

we'd moved on to dinner.

The stew consisted of greens from the Calcut Mountains, meat, and flour dumplings.

It had a slightly peculiar taste, but I enjoyed it. The greens, meat juices, and salt

provided most of the flavor, leaving me wanting just a little something extra.

Later that evening, Chiyome revealed that flour was incredibly rare in the village.

They'd really gone all out for Ariane and me last night.

From the outside looking in, the village seemed to be doing all right, but the food

situation told a grimmer story about their difficulties.

I could only hope that the villagers' new home would bring them the stability they

were looking for.

***

I looked out at the people gathering in the village square. A hulking woman wielding

an impressive-looking axe was speaking with Gowro. She was slightly shorter than the

village chief, standing around 250 centimeters tall. She wore her reddish-brown hair

short, and had two round ears on top of her head. Red-dyed leather armor covered

her skin, suntanned the color of golden wheat. I guessed that she was also one of the

bear people.

Gowro bowed his head in my direction and walked over, gesturing for the woman to

come with him.

"Thank you for your assistance today, Arc," Gowro said. "This is my daughter, Rowze.

She will be Pittah's second-in-command in the advance party."

She bowed her head and offered her hand. "Name's Rowze, just like Dad said. I'll make

sure that old fart Pittah doesn't stab himself with his own weapon. I guess you'll be

looking after us for a while, eh, Arc? Thanks."

"Pleased to meet you, Rowze."

She had an impressive grip. After we shook, she flashed me a warm, toothy grin.

I had to tilt my head back to look up at her, since she had a full fifty centimeters on me.

I'd thought I was a pretty impressive sight myself, but quite a few people in this village

alone struck far more intimidating figures. The bear people were an extreme example

—a species any human would be wise to fear.

Hanzo called to me from behind. "I entrust the safety of my people to you, Arc."

I turned to see the elder wearing a warm, grandfatherly grin. Pittah, the rabbit-eared

man I met the previous evening, stood next to him, smiling as well. He wore leather

armor with a dark, almost menacing sheen, and two scimitars strapped to his back.

"Kyiiiii…"

I felt Ponta recoil atop my helmet, clearly put off by the sight of Pittah. I reached up

and scratched its chin to comfort it. There was just something about Pittah that Ponta

really didn't care for.

Pittah again looked crushed.

The advance party consisted of ten people, including Ariane, Chiyome, and myself.

Pittah was in charge, with Rowze as his second. The party also included Goemon, one

of the Jinshin clan's top fighters. The other four members were village soldiers.

The party might have seemed small for such a journey. However, speed was of the

essence. There was also a limit on the number of people I could teleport at once. I

decided to think of us as something like a special operations team.

"First, we'll teleport to the base of the mountain, where the shrine is," I said. "Please

circle around me, everyone."

The members of the advance party hefted their gear and moved toward me. I was now

surrounded by large, muscular fighters who looked at least as strong as—if not

stronger than—me. After I made sure that the villagers who came to see us off had

stepped away, I looked to Hanzo.

"I will wait here for your fortuitous report," the elder said.

I nodded, then summoned my long-distance teleportation spell.

"Transport Gate!"

Bluish-white light spread underneath our feet, forming a rune on the ground. The

world went black, and a moment later, everyone found themselves in completely new

surroundings. The mountain people, aside from Chiyome, gasped in surprise as their

village disappeared before their very eyes.

I'd teleported us to the torii at the mountain's base. Looking up, I saw the Lord Crown's

massive outline poking out near the peak.

"Hmm. Well, it certainly smells different here than in the forests near Calcut." One of

Pittah's long ears—the intact one—stood at attention as he listened intently, nose

twitching as he sniffed the air.

Rowze hefted her massive battle axe, muttering to herself as she looked around. "It's

one thing to hear it described to you, but it's something else to actually teleport like

that."

One of the village soldiers—a young man with pointy ears—stood next to her, looking

around in alarm. Rowze smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

He cried out in surprise. "Oww! Whaddya doin', lady?"

"Don't call me 'lady,' Gin. And quit being so jumpy. Act like a real soldier in an advance

party. That cottontail fox over there is calmer than you."

"Kyii?"

Rowze gave a hearty laugh as, atop my helmet, Ponta scratched its ear with one hind

leg.

Standing around 190 centimeters tall, the soldier Rowze called Gin was hardly dainty

or childish. Still, the taller, bulkier Rowze seemed to enjoy teasing him in a sisterly

fashion.

Judging by Gin's tail and ears, I figured he came from a dog or wolf species. His ears

and tail drooped at Rowze's rebuke, as though he were a scolded pet.

"Don't let your guard down. This is unexplored territory. Check your gear one last time,

everyone." Pittah glared in Rowze and Gin's direction as he gave his orders.

Silently, Chiyome came down from a tree she'd climbed when I wasn't looking. She

made her way toward us.

"Ah, Chiyome. Did you get your bearings?" Pittah asked.

Chiyome pointed into the forest. "It's directly east of our location. Maybe a three-day

trip."

Pittah nodded. "From here on out, everything we do is for the fate of the village. I want

you to give it your all!"

"Hoorah!" Rowze, Gin, and the other party members raised their weapons and gave a

hearty cheer.

Pittah took a spot at the head of the party and headed in the direction Chiyome

indicated, leading the way into the dense forest.

Ariane and I followed, with Chiyome and Goemon bringing up the rear. I felt as though

we were survivalists testing our mettle against the land. Unlike human survivalists,

however, this group consisted of species who lived in forests and mountains, and could

maintain a nearly unthinkable pace.

In fact, I was probably the party's slowest member.

We moved at about the same speed I could manage when teleporting along a road.

Even more impressively, the mountain people could smell monsters' presence.

Therefore, they could adjust the route and avoid the creatures entirely, leading to a

relatively conflict-free first day.

As night fell, we set up camp in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by massive

trees. The party members put down their bags and began performing their assigned

roles: preparing dinner, standing guard, and setting up tents.

Ariane and I were treated like guests, and weren't given anything to do. Even when I

tried to help, Pittah told me it was unnecessary. I drew the Holy Thunder Sword of

Caladbolg and started chopping down wild grass to make the camp a little tidier.

A short time later, someone called to me. "Dinner's ready, Arc! Just what are you doing

over there?"

I turned to find an exasperated Ariane with her hands on her hips. "I, umm, I wanted

to clean up the area. I guess I got lost in thought."

Looking around at the well-manicured clearing, I felt pride well up within me.

"We're only going to be here for the night, you know. We don't need it to be pretty."

Of course I knew that. "Well, I didn't have anything else to do. Besides, what's so bad

about sprucing up our camp?"

"I get it, but… really, Arc, the way you use your sword is all wrong."

Ariane's complaints continued as we returned to the group and sat for dinner, which

was a stew of simple preserved food. Everyone, except those standing watch, slurped

it down eagerly.

No sooner had I pulled off my helmet than I felt the advance party's eyes on me.

Although they had been told about my condition, it was entirely different to see it with

their own eyes. They stared intently at the skull looking back at them.

If I'd been able to blush, I would have. But alas, my skull remained expressionless.

"Get back to eating, rubberneckers. We ain't got time for that." Pittah seemed to pick

up on my discomfort. The party members went back to eating.

Like the elves, the mountain people had excellent vision, and their other senses were

far more acute than humans'. I was touched by the fact that, in spite of all that, they

still accepted me, a skeleton, as a member of their party.

I thanked Pittah, and began eating my own stew.

As I chewed the soft meat, I considered what I wanted to do once I helped the

mountain people migrate. I could now lift my skeleton curse temporarily, but I had a

dark elf's body. Perhaps it would be better to try to live among elves than humans.

A human soul in the body of an elf… I wondered if this was how bats felt, stuck somewhere

between birds and mammals. Except, in my case, the whole notion of a soul also

complicated things. Was my soul human? Or, now that my physical body had changed

so completely, was my human identity nothing more than a collection of memories

from my past life?

This was all getting rather philosophical.

Ariane nudged me with her elbow, a perplexed look on her face. "Hey, what're you

thinking about?"

"Huh?" I realized I'd stopped eating. "Ah… Umm… Nothing important, really. I was just

wondering what I want to do with my life after this."

Under Ariane's scrutinizing gaze, I lifted my bowl to my mouth.

Ignoring the problem of confirming my species, I decided that finding—and defining—

a clear place of my own was a good idea.

I thought of Ariane's parents, Dillan and Glenys, and figured it would probably be a

good idea to get their thoughts too. I took a sip of broth.

"At the very least," I said, "I'd like to avoid living like a bat. It's no fun spending your

time in a cave and only moving under the cover of darkness."

I'd meant the comment for myself, but Ariane's ears perked up as she combed Ponta's

fur. She turned a quizzical gaze in my direction.

I replied with a simple shake of my head, and turned my attention to the star-strewn

sky. It looked like a glimmering ocean that could swallow me at any moment. I didn't

know much about constellations, but the fact that I couldn't spot any of the ones I was

familiar with left me with an odd, cold sensation.

Even so, I was happy in that moment. Happy to be living in this strange world, eating

a warm meal, bantering with friends. I wasn't sure whether that positive outlook came

from the fact that I was a skeleton incapable of feeling negative emotions to any strong

degree, or if it was because I wasn't facing any real issues, like the ones I had back in

my own world.

I watched a light streak across the sky, blinking out an instant later.

I wished that tomorrow would be just as good as today.

***

On the third morning, low, cold mist still clung to the underbrush.

Our party moved at an easy pace through the dimly lit forest, winding between gaps

in the trees.

"Kyiiiii…"

Ponta let out a mew mixed with a long, lazy yawn as it scratched the back of its neck

with its hind leg.

The trees thinned, and we found ourselves standing on a hill overlooking a vast, grassy

plain. I saw a large lake a little farther off.

Actually, if I hadn't known it was a lake, I might have called it an ocean due to its sheer

size. Behind the lake, mist obscured the Furyu Mountains, giving the impression that

the water stretched on forever.

The whole party stared in awed silence, the mountain people taking in the wonder of

their new home.

Chiyome stepped up beside me, cat ears twitching slightly. "It's beautiful…"

Goemon nodded, striking an imposing figure.

"We should set our first village over there, where the land juts into the lake." Pittah

pointed to a small, round peninsula connected to the shore by a narrow strip of land.

It almost looked like an island. A small wall would be more than enough to ward off

intruders.

"That area's shape will make it easy to defend, and difficult to attack," I said.

Pittah's menacing face twisted into a smile. "Indeed. It might not support many people,

but it's a good place to start."

As we made our way through the vast field, I spotted a row of large boulders. No one

else in the party, including Pittah, seemed to pay the boulders any mind, so I thought

nothing of them. Just as we passed them, however, the earth shook and the boulders

moved, a loud scraping filling the air.

We froze as a long, red tendril broke from the earth. It moved as if it had a mind of its

own, lunging toward Rowze at the front of the group. Moving at a speed I would have

thought impossible for someone so tall and massive, Rowze drew her battle axe and

used it as a shield, deflecting the tendril.

"Nng!"

There was an awful crash at the moment of impact, like the sound of two semis

colliding head-on. I felt the shockwave deep in my bones.

Rowze's anguished cry showed just how powerful the blow was. That, and the fact that

its force drove her feet into the ground.

The tendril twisted back into the earth, pulling the battle axe—and Rowze—with it.

Looking closer, I noticed a stringy substance, almost like glue, connecting the tendril

tip to Rowze's blade. It pulled her along, as though playing tug-of-war. She glared

daggers at the bizarre, fungus-like tendril.

"Rowze!" I called.

Rowze cast a sidelong glance in my direction as she was slowly but surely dragged

along the ground, her grip on her battle axe unyielding.

I teleported to her, drew my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg, and slashed through

the sticky, glossy tendril.

It was no match for my mystical blade. Blood sprayed from the gaping wound. The

remainder of the tendril quickly vanished into the earth.

"Grwaaaawoooooooooooooon!"

A hollow, bone-chilling cry filled the air. It was followed by a loud explosion that threw

the boulders upwards. The ground beneath us trembled, sending up great plumes of

dirt. The boulders slammed into the ground, the shockwaves knocking us backward.

Ariane came running over. "It's a grand dragon!"

I readied my blade and looked up at the massive creature that now blocked our path.

It was at least fifteen meters long and around five meters tall, counting the boulders

growing from its shell-covered back. Spines covered its tail completely, like a

porcupine. The dragon's thick, tree-trunk hind legs, capable of propelling it through

the air, were neatly folded beneath it. Its front legs looked puny in comparison. I

suddenly remembered Ariane saying that her leather armor was made from a grand

dragon's hide.

"So, this is a grand dragon," one soldier said.

The creature sitting in front of me, its huge eyes darting as it took in the scene, looked

quite different from the ones I'd faced in the game. The grand dragon let loose another

eerie growl.

"Grwaaaawoooooooooooooon!"

Ponta skittered backward and tumbled to my shoulders, wrapping itself around my

neck. Its fur stood on end.

"It's like a living, breathing Frog Rock from Hyogo!" I blurted out my first impression.

The rows of sharp fangs lining the dragon's mouth made it clear just how wrong my

assessment was. However, despite its intimidating teeth, its oversized eyes gave it an

adorable appearance.

The dragon's pupils narrowed slightly. A moment later, the ground beneath us

trembled, and it was gone.

Well, not gone, exactly. Rather, the dragon had used its massive hind legs to throw itself

high into the air, and was hurtling back down straight toward me.

Despite the attack's relative simplicity—and no matter how strong I was, or what

armor I wore—I wasn't in any hurry to take this creature head-on.

"Ariane, over here! Dimensional Step!"

I grabbed Ariane's arm and teleported us away.

The grand dragon smashed the place where we'd just stood to pieces. Even this far

away, I felt the ground tremble. Rocks and dirt filled the air as the monster continued

to pummel the earth, obscuring my vision. Without a clear sightline, I couldn't use

Dimensional Step.

I'd teleported us behind the grand dragon. It was, fortunately, preoccupied with the

ground at its feet, clearly annoyed at missing its target. It hadn't spotted us yet. I

looked around for the others as I weighed my options. Either I needed to use magic to

clear the dust clouds, or close the distance and strike while I still had the element of

surprise.

The outlines of three figures appeared in the haze: Rowze, Gin, and a soldier whose

name I kept forgetting. The soldier struck the grand dragon's shell with some sort of

blunt, mace-like object. However, the shell was far too strong. Despite the soldier's

best efforts, he only scratched the surface.

The dragon let out an angry growl, swinging its body around to stomp out this new

threat. It leaned over, tensing its powerful legs.

Rowze dove in from the dragon's blind spot, striking one of its hind legs with her

massive battle axe. "Take this!"

The blade sank deep into the grand dragon's flesh, drenching Rowze with blood. She'd

avoided the main shell and struck at one of the joints, where its armor was weaker.

"Grwaaaaaaaaaawooon!" The dragon roared in anguish, slumping to one side. Rowze

ducked out of the way as its massive body hit the earth with a ground-shaking thud,

sending more plumes of dirt into the air.

I spotted Pittah charging toward the dragon, scimitars at the ready. He jumped on top

of the creature, hopping effortlessly between the boulders that lined its back. His twin

swords glinted in the sunlight.

A devilish grin spread across Pittah's rabbit-like face as he reached his target and

drove his blades straight into the grand dragon's eye.

"Grwaaaawoooooooooooooon!"

The bloodcurdling scream made my ears ring. Pittah pulled his scimitars free and

retreated.

The grand dragon lay on its side, kicking its legs and spinning in slow circles on the

ground.

The destruction the mountain people had wrought on this massive fifteen-meter beast

was impressive. It was like watching a tornado of death.

Two more figures approached. The first was Goemon, rushing toward the grand

dragon at incredible speed. The second was Chiyome, running at a slight distance from

Goemon to come in on the dragon's flank.

Goemon was unarmed, aside from the metal gauntlets on his fists. He struck them

together with a loud clang, and his body began to glow, his deep voice echoing across

the plain.

"Muscle to stone, exploding iron fist!"

Goemon's arms turned to metal from fist to shoulder, giving off a dull gleam. He

launched an onslaught of punches into the grand dragon's stomach, timing each blow

with the creature's movements as it thrashed on the ground. I could practically feel

the punches in my own gut as the dull thud of each blow resonated in the air. When

the dragon curled up and stopped moving, Chiyome took that as her opportunity to

strike. She leaped into the air, straight toward the dragon's head.

"Body to water, aqua spear!"

Chiyome's right hand glowed as water snaked around it, forming a spear. She twisted

in midair and threw the spear with all her might at the beast's remaining eye. It buried

itself with a wet thud, spraying blood everywhere.

The dragon's limbs twitched. Then it stopped moving altogether, slumping to the

ground like a marionette with its strings cut. It looked like a pile of rocks.

Chiyome yanked her spear free. Blood streamed from the grand dragon's eyes, staining

the earth below a deep red.

Ariane and I returned our swords to our sheaths.

"They really did pick the best of the best for this party," I said. "We didn't even get a

chance to fight."

Ariane nodded. "I'm still impressed that Rowze held her own against that thing's

tongue. She definitely proved her strength."

Rowze caught us watching her and flexed her massive biceps, a big grin on her face.

Ariane was no weakling, but the sheer brute strength Rowze and the other bear people

displayed was in a different category entirely. If it came down to arm wrestling with

Rowze, I doubted I'd stand a chance.

"Clever, how it disguised itself to lure unsuspecting prey. I never would have figured

those boulders were a dragon. Do you think there are more monsters in the area?" I

looked across the rocky terrain, trying to imagine what other threats might lurk.

Ariane seemed to be doing the same thing. "Grand dragons mark off pretty wide

territories, so it's not likely anything else is hiding in the rocks. They hunt in pairs

occasionally, but since a second dragon never showed up, that also seems unlikely."

Pittah approached, adding, "I figure we'll be safe for a while, at least. Seems like a

shame to leave the carcass behind, but for now, we should prioritize reaching our

objective. Could you use anything from the grand dragon, Arc? You get first pick."

I looked at the grand dragon's body, then at the hide armor that protected Ariane.

Since I was outfitted with mythical-class Belenus Holy Armor, I didn't really need grand

dragon armor. If I took its hide, I would probably just sell it for gold.

Suddenly aware of my gaze, Ariane shot me a glare and crossed her arms over her

chest. Apparently, she misunderstood what I was staring at. Well, she wasn't entirely

wrong. But still…

I turned my attention back to Pittah. "There's nothing I really need from the grand

dragon. Is its meat edible?"

Pittah's eyes widened. He broke into a broad smile, although it didn't wipe away the

fiendish look that always graced his face.

"With a suit like that, I guess you don't really need any other weapons or armor. The

meat, well, it's not all that good, but I suppose it's edible. Are you sure you don't need

its rock humps?"

I cocked my head at the question. The rocky growths on the grand dragon's back

looked like boulders to me. The only use for them I could think of would be decorative

rocks. Perhaps I should make a Japanese-style garden next to the outdoor bath.

"What are they for, Ariane?"

She shrugged. "We only use them as construction materials."

I'd hoped for a more fantastical answer, but it was starting to look like they were

basically just rocks.

When I decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble of lugging them to the Lord Crown,

especially since repairing the shrine took priority over building a garden, Chiyome

appeared.

"They're incredibly valuable to humans, you know. Nobles use them in their homes to

show off their wealth. You'd probably make quite a bit of money if you sold them."

Ariane looked surprised. "Oh? I had no idea."

It sounded as though the boulders on the grand dragon's back were similar to elephant

tusks in my world.

"Hmm. In that case, I suppose I could sell them in town to offset the cost of repairing

the shrine. I humbly accept your offer."

Pittah smiled, offering his hand. "We'll leave the dragon here for now. Nothing we can

do until more of my soldiers arrive to help carry it, anyway."

I shook Pittah's hand. "Shall we collect our bags and get moving?"

***

A short time later, a numerous mountain people milled about the narrow stretch of

land leading to the peninsula, taking in the splendor of the scene.

There were about fifty or so villagers—the first group of settlers.

After the advance party reached the peninsula, I'd left them there, and used Transport

Gate to return to the village. There, I gathered a small group of settlers and supplies,

and teleported back. I repeated that process several times.

This first village would serve as a beachhead of sorts, so the group was comprised of

the village's biggest, strongest warriors. What might otherwise have been a furry's

paradise was filled with the overwhelming scent of animals and sweat.

I watched as men and women swung massive axes, felling trees to clear the land.

Others busied themselves removing stumps, or preparing the simple accommodations

where everyone would sleep that night. I felt like I was standing in the middle of a

military camp.

"Is there anything I can do? I could at least help cut down trees."

I drew the Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg, walked past the workers, and started

slashing at trees.

The mythical-class weapon was so sharp that cutting through even the thickest tree

trunks felt like snapping twigs. I got into the swing of things, chopping down tree after

tree.

"Whoa, look at that! He's cutting 'em like butter!"

I made my way through the dense forest as if I were mowing a lawn. Knowing that this

would provide the mountain people with more land to live on made me feel better. I

completely lost myself in what I was doing until a fist-sized rock smacked the back of

my helmet.

I turned to see Ariane clutching Ponta tightly to her chest with one arm, her free hand

pointing straight toward me. Shattered rock fragments littered the ground at my feet.

I guessed that she'd used spirit magic to throw the rock at me.

I looked around and saw what I could only describe as the horrors of deforestation:

felled trees covered an area the size of a soccer field.

"Just how much of the forest do you plan on chopping down, Arc?! They've got more

than enough wood now! Besides, Chiyome's looking for you."

I slid my sword back into its sheath, stepping over the fallen trees carefully as I made

my way to where Chiyome and Pittah stood talking.

Pittah offered me a warm smile. "Well, I didn't figure we'd be done clearing the land

that quickly."

I mumbled something in response before addressing Chiyome. "You wanted to speak

with me?"

Chiyome glanced at Pittah before turning to me. "Thanks to you, we cleared the area

much faster than we expected. But it will still take us about a month to build the

village."

She paused for a moment and looked up at me, trying to gauge my reaction. They

would probably only construct the absolute minimum number of buildings necessary

to get the village running. Even so, a month would be an incredibly fast turnaround,

considering that all the work was manual labor.

"We've brought food over from the village, but they don't exactly have a lot of surplus,

so we'll need to gather food here as well. If we assign people to the task, it will only

delay construction on the village."

What Chiyome said made sense. The anxiety of living on unprotected land without any

barriers to keep monsters at bay—all while building a town by hand—would certainly

take its toll on the body. The settlers would need a lot of food to get their energy levels

back up, but securing provisions for this many people would be an undertaking in its

own right. If they split their labor force, it would take even longer to build the village.

I'd agreed to use Transport Gate to bring over the remaining settlers as soon as the

village was finished. I had nothing to do in the meantime, however, and I certainly

didn't want the construction schedule to get pushed back.

"Should I go look for food?"

Chiyome shook her head.

Pittah chimed in. "I think this would be a good time to collect the grand dragon we

killed. I hoped you and Chiyome might take it to a human town and sell it for me."

"Aaah," I said. "You'd like me to buy food in town with the money?"

Pittah smiled broadly and gave a firm nod, happy that his unspoken request made it

through to me. "I've already had some of the young folks prepare the dragon for

transport."

"Understood," I said. "Happy to help."

Heading to a large town with a wide variety of shops would probably be best. The

biggest town I could think of was the Rhoden Kingdom's capital, but considering the

mass havoc Chiyome, Goemon, and I caused there during our rescue attempt, it

seemed best to stay away for now.

We also probably needed to avoid the empire's Karyu area, where we'd laid waste to

numerous churches and nobles.

That left the port town of Lamburt.

We had gotten involved in trouble surrounding a slave-trading ring with the

neighboring kingdom, Nohzan. However, I'd built a relationship with Petros, the lord

of Lamburt, so I wasn't worried. Worst-case scenario, I figured Petros could step in

and convince someone to buy the dragon parts from us.

"How about we head to Lamburt, in the Rhoden Kingdom? It's probably our best bet."

Chiyome's long tail swished back and forth. "I agree."

It'd be good to have her along, since she'd know exactly what the mountain people

needed.

Ariane, who was listening in silence, spoke up. "I'll be going, too. You need someone to

watch Arc like a hawk. You never know what will happen if you leave him to his own

devices." She arched an eyebrow at me.

Ariane and I had traveled everywhere together. I always figured I was the person she

trusted the most. Apparently, that was wishful thinking.

"Also, I want to talk to you about something once we go back to Lalatoya."

Her gaze had some unspoken meaning, but I couldn't catch what it was.

"Well," I said. "We can stop there afterward. We need to tell Glenys about the spring."

Several mountain people lumbered up to us, pulling a simple sled laden with grand

dragon parts—rocks and stones, talons and fangs, and other assorted items.

Pittah slowly circled the sled, inspecting its contents and berating the workers.

"Tsk! Think ya packed enough on here? We'll need more discerning workers to pick

through this. There's no way they could take all this into town. They'd break their

backs!"

"Can I give it a try?"

I took the ropes from the men, wrapped them over my shoulders, and stepped forward

to get a sense of the sled's weight. I felt the ropes pull taut, but I already knew it would

be no problem. The sled creaked a bit under the heavy load as I pulled it forward a few

paces.

The men and women who'd dragged the sled over murmured excitedly.

I turned back to Pittah. "This should be fine. Will anyone else be accompanying Chiyome,

Ariane, and I into town?"

Since the humans thought of mountain people as beasts, and frequently enslaved

them, I preferred to avoid bringing any villagers with us.

"If you're okay going alone, that's probably best," Pittah said.

"I don't mind at all. A larger group would draw too much attention anyway."

Pittah nodded and took a step back.

"Well then, we'll be off," I said.

With that, I summoned Transport Gate. A magical rune appeared at my feet, spreading

to include Ariane and Chiyome.

Pittah and the other mountain people, having teleported back and forth several times

at this point, were now familiar with the process. They stepped back from the circle of

light.

The world around us went dark, and a moment later, our surroundings changed

entirely.

***

Directly beneath us, red-roofed buildings sprawled from the base of the gently sloping

hill we stood on. The vast, blue ocean sparkled behind the hill. Unlike the peninsula

we'd been located on mere moments before, the wind here carried a salty tang as it

swept across the sea. Boats of all sizes dotted the water in the port below.

It was the same sight that greeted me the first time I arrived in Lamburt.

"You know, I kinda missed this place."

No sooner had I said those words than the sled I was pulling succumbed to gravity and

started sliding down the hill. I quickly yanked the rope and planted my feet to keep it

from coasting all the way to Lamburt.

We made our way toward the north gate, as we had done last time. The closer we got

to town, the more stares we drew. Ariane pulled her charcoal-gray cloak's hood low

over her face.

"Huh. It seems like we're attracting even more attention than usual."

"Kyiii…"

Despite Ariane's efforts to hide Ponta from view, its face peeked through a small gap

in her cloak.

Chiyome pulled down her oversized hat to conceal her ears. "Everyone's interested in

the fact that Arc is pulling that sled all on his own."

Too late, I realized that a man in full armor dragging a heavily laden sled like a mule

would naturally raise eyebrows. I was even more grateful that no mountain people

had accompanied us.

We made our way past the line of people waiting to enter the town. Once we reached

the inspection point, I handed the guards the copper travel pass with the Lamburt seal

that I'd received the last time I was there. Surprise washed across the guards' faces for

a moment, but they quickly opened the massive gate to let us through.

At that point, I'd received travel passes embossed with the marks of two different

noble families. As I looked at the long, snaking lines of people waiting to enter, I was

glad I had them.

The atmosphere in town was much livelier than last time. The crowds in front of me

parted as I dragged the sled along, which I'd now grown accustomed to.

Our best bet was probably to find the local merchants' guild office, someplace similar

to where I'd sold the orc and fang boar meat in Luvierte. Lamburt was a huge town to

travel through, with both new and old districts. I didn't want to be dragging the sled

through the streets forever, hoping to find a buyer.

I figured it would be best just to ask someone where the merchants' guild was, but any

time I tried making eye contact, people immediately moved out of the way to avoid

me.

I looked back to see Chiyome keeping a close eye on the sled. Ariane walked alongside

it, her hand on her sword hilt.

It would have been difficult to draw more attention to our group than we already were.

And, of course, my appearance meant that merchants weren't exactly tripping over

themselves to buy our wares.

As we looked for an individual brave enough to talk with our terrifying gang, I spotted

a young man walking straight toward us with a shocked face.

"Sir Knight? I would never have imagined meeting you here, in a place like this!"

The young man was well-dressed and had messy brown hair. He looked to be somewhere

in his twenties.

He spoke in a friendly tone, as if we'd met someplace before. I searched my memories,

eliciting a rueful laugh from the young man.

"Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Lahki, and I work as a merchant. You

sold me some weapons back in Diento, and I would like to thank you for your

generosity."

I looked closely at the young man's face, and it all came back. "Oh, you're that

merchant!"

Here, right in front of me, was the man I'd run into on the streets of Diento. I'd sold

him the weapons I pilfered when we rescued the kidnapped elves. Just as before, he

gave off the air of a warm, affable young man, wholly unlike the average merchant.

"Don't mention it. You were a great help to me as well! Anyway, as I said last time, I am

but a humble wandering mercenary. No need to thank me so politely."

Despite what I'd said, Lahki once again bowed low. I supposed it was important for

him, as a merchant, to be polite at all times.

I smacked a hand to my helmet. "I still haven't introduced myself! My name is Arc.

These are my friends Chiyome and Ariane."

Lahki bowed in greeting before turning his gaze to the sled.

"Do you run a shop here, Lahki?"

Lahki scratched the back of his head and offered a weak smile. "Oh, no. I'm still… trying

to see if any of my connections can help me open one here in town."

"Wow! It's pretty impressive to have your own shop at such a young age, no?"

Lahki shook his head. "Not exactly. I can't open a shop without a permit, and I haven't

found a way to get one. I'm probably still years away from that dream, unfortunately."

I asked Lahki about the shop permits, and he explained in detail. To open a shop, you

needed a permit from the lord. Permits were tied to specific plots of land, like a

business registration and deed rolled into one.

With all the monsters running wild in this world, it was normal to erect walls around

towns. That made the land within the walls extremely limited, which also limited the

number of shops.

Recently, several illegal slave traffickers had been shut down, and the permits for their

shops would soon go on the market. Lahki hoped that his connections might help him

get his hands on one.

The wheels in my head turned as I listened to his story. I had an idea.

I doubted I could walk into a guild office and sell our dragon parts with the same ease

as bull boar meat. Not only would the guild office undoubtedly ask me where the items

came from, but since there was a limited market for such goods, they would need to

know to secure a buyer. That was far from ideal. However, if we could find someone

willing to sell everything on our behalf…

Of course, that person would have to be trustworthy. Fortunately for me, the friendly

young man standing in front of us certainly fit the bill. Besides, it would come in handy

to have a human-fronted location where I could sell things in future.

"This is actually great timing. There's something I'd like to talk with you about, Lahki."

Lahki looked confused.

I laughed and pulled the sled up to give him a closer look.

***

Two days later, after quickly returning to the construction site on the lake, we were

back in Lamburt. This time, however, we skipped the town entirely, and headed down

the road to the south gate.

I waited by the roadside on the town outskirts, watching the flow of people coming

and going through Lamburt's gates. I kept my gaze on the road.

A familiar figure appeared, driving a cart drawn by four horses. He waved his hand.

Next to him was a woman with fairly long chestnut hair, wearing leather armor. A

mercenary, I assumed. In the back of the cart sat a man with blond hair cut close to his

scalp. He had his hand on his sword hilt, and kept a watchful eye on their

surroundings. Another mercenary. I figured they were both there to protect the cargo,

but that seemed frivolous, considering how close we were to town.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Arc!"

Lahki steered his cart to the side of the road and offered a warm greeting. "As

requested, I used the money from the grand dragon parts to buy a cart, and filled it

with as much food as I could. Feel free to check it yourself."

I made my way to the back to do so. Thick, glossy fabric stretched over the top of the

cart to protect its cargo from the rain. I lifted the fabric and peeked inside. Countless

hemp bags stuffed with flour, dried beans, smoked meat, and more sent forth a

delicious aroma. Ponta wagged its tail excitedly.

Ariane and Chiyome also glanced inside.

"It looks as though you got everything we asked for. Now, about your payment…"

I turned back to Lahki, but he quickly shook his head.

"No, no, I can't. Your initial help was more than enough. Since you let me sell those

grand dragon parts, I was able to meet with the owners of some important shops.

You've done more than enough to pay me back. Thank you!" Lahki smiled from ear to

ear.

"Then, going forward, I would also like you to serve as my intermediary. It would only

be proper to offer a retainer for your services."

I reached into my bag, pulling out a piece of parchment wrapped with beautiful,

decorative ribbon, and handed it to Lahki.

Surprised at the sudden offer, Lahki fumbled as he reached out to take it. I gestured

for him to read. He unrolled the parchment and looked it over, then immediately let

out a hysterical scream, eliciting concerned glances from the mercenaries.

"This… Is this a Lamburt shop permit?! B-but how?! Why? These aren't even on the

market yet!"

Lahki's eyes, wide with surprise, hurriedly reread the parchment.

"I figured it would be convenient if you had a shop that I could visit now and then.

Besides, I'll need lots of materials for a personal matter. I went to the lord of Lamburt,

and, although he put up a bit of a fight, he eventually gave me this."

That elicited more surprise. "You're buddies—I mean, associates—with Marquis du

Lamburt?" In Lahki's shocked state, he slipped up momentarily and lost his usual

polite demeanor.

I laughed and turned to Ariane. She slowly pulled down her hood, letting her long,

white hair blow freely in the breeze, and revealing her amethyst skin and pointed ears.

"I'm sure you've heard that the lord's wife is an elf. That led to our connection with

him. Anyway, I look forward to working with you in the future." I pulled Ponta down

from my head and took off my helmet.

Lahki's mouth hung wide open as he looked back and forth between Ariane—a typical

dark elf—and me, a dark elf with brown skin and red eyes. His two mercenaries also

gaped at us.

The young merchant finally choked out a question. "You're… you're both elves?"

I put my helmet back on. "We try to keep out of sight among humans, so we'd

appreciate it if you kept this to yourself. It'll make working together a lot smoother,

going forward."

Lahki nodded, promising not to discuss our secret with anyone else. His companions

agreed.

As far as I could gather, those two were Lahki's close friends. I felt a little better

knowing they weren't just run-of-the-mill mercenaries.

Besides, even if the truth slipped out, the three of us were almost certainly strong

enough to deal with any ensuing problems.

After offering goodbyes to Lahki, who still looked shocked, we piled into the cart.

Chiyome took the driver's seat, as though she'd been born for it.

When I first approached Lahki to buy a cart full of food, which I could also use to

transport supplies when it came time to construct my home, I thought it was a pretty

good idea. Still, I hadn't imagined it would go this well.

I felt Ariane glaring daggers at me from behind. She hated it when I was too pleased

with myself. Even with my body completely covered, and despite my best efforts to

keep the swagger out of my step, she'd picked up on it somehow.

As I suffered under the invisible power of Ariane's gaze, Chiyome snapped the reins

and urged the four horses forward, taking us down the road until we were far enough

from town. We turned into a field, so no one would see us teleport.

Although the cart was rather large, the driver's seat wasn't, so Ariane, Chiyome, and I

had to cram in to fit. Ponta was probably the only one not feeling the crush.

Ariane sighed, annoyed. "I never imagined I'd have to meet with a human noble just to

get another human's shop permit."

I'd asked Ariane to go through Toreasa, a fellow elf and the wife to Marquis du

Lamburt, to get the permit. Since I previously pretended to be her bodyguard, it made

more sense for her to do it.

She definitely wasn't pleased at having to ask a human for a favor, though.

Petros, for his part, felt that he still hadn't thanked us properly for our previous help.

Despite what I said to Lahki, Petros had granted us the permit with an easy smile, so I

figured it wasn't a big deal.

"I'm sorry, Ariane. But now that Lahki knows Chiyome, she can come here on her own

without issues."

"I know," Ariane said. "By the way, Arc, you keep moving your head around. Are you

okay?"

"Well, when I took my helmet off earlier to show my face, I couldn't get it back on right.

My ears keep getting caught. I'm trying to find a comfortable position, but it's just not

working."

Ariane sighed dramatically and shot me an exasperated look.

The helmet fit perfectly over my skeleton's skull, but felt a lot snugger over my dark

elf head.

Chiyome tugged on the reins to slow the horses. "How about here?"

I stopped shaking my head long enough to look at our surroundings. We were far from

the road, and no one was in sight.

"This should work. We'll deliver the cart and report to Hanzo. Then we'll take Ariane

back to Lalatoya."

I summoned the Transport Gate. This time, I put a little more power into it, making

sure the rune spread wide enough to include the whole cart.

A moment later, we found ourselves at the encampment next to the lake.

As soon as the workers recognized us, and spotted the food in the back of the cart,

they cheered loudly and stopped what they were doing to come over.

An instant later, Pittah was on top of them, scolding and pushing them back.

***

Chiyome and I returned to the hidden village to report to Hanzo and Gowro. We

reached an agreement on rebuilding the shrine as payment for my assistance.

Once we finished that, I left Chiyome, and took Ariane and Ponta back to Lalatoya

Village.

Glenys sat across from me at her dining room table, taking great interest in what I

reported.

"Hmm, I see. So, you found the spring Dillan told you about, and it let you reclaim your

physical body, but its effects are limited. I never doubted that you were human, but

now that I see your true form, you do appear to be an elf."

Glenys looked at me with fascination, her angular ears twitching as she examined my

own elven ears. Her golden eyes twinkled as a gentle smile graced her face.

"Since you're an elf, what do you think about taking our village name? Assuming you

want to, of course." Glenys' head tilted cutely to the side. She looked no older than

thirty, and yet was still Ariane's mother.

I looked back, puzzled, not exactly sure what she was suggesting.

Ariane jumped in. "Are you asking if Arc wants to join our village?!"

Only then did I understand what Glenys meant. At the end of each elf's name was the

village they belonged to. Taking a village's name meant that you'd been accepted into

it.

"Do you have a problem with Arc becoming one of us? I mean, the Dragon Lord himself

said that Arc is a Wanderer, just like our founder."

Ariane seemed lost for words. She turned her gaze back toward me, clearly conflicted.

"If he were truly an elf, I'd have no objections. But wouldn't it be better for this walking

war machine to fight as a soldier for Maple than to live as a member of our village?"

She spoke as if I wasn't even there.

Her words stung, but thinking back on the mistakes I'd made across our misadventures,

I couldn't really deny her statement.

I buried my face in Ponta's belly to make myself feel better, interrupting it mid-yawn

as it lazed at the table. It started mewing and rolling around, apparently ticklish.

Now that I thought about it, my physical body resembled an elf, and I was able to see

spirits. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with me belonging to an elven

village. Honestly, it'd be nice to call someplace home, rather than constantly roaming

the world as a skeleton.

"Oh? So, you'd prefer to keep him close to you in Maple, Ariane? And here I thought

that your complaint was his species."

"You've got it all wrong!" Ariane shot back. "I'm just saying that we should get the

central council's permission first. Besides, aren't you serving in father's place right

now? You can't make Arc a member of Lalatoya on your own, can you?"

"Two beautiful women, fighting over little old me."

Since we were discussing what village I'd ultimately belong to, I figured I should join

the conversation. However, as soon as I opened my mouth, Ariane simply reached out

and shoved my head back into Ponta's belly, putting a quick end to my involvement.

"You're right," Glenys said. "But I can welcome Arc as a provisional member of the

village. Anyhow, you can't take him to Maple like this, while he's neither fully skeleton

nor fully elf, can you?"

"Arc Lalatoya, Pending Approval" didn't sound too bad to me.

Inviting an outsider into Maple, the Great Canada Forest's capital, was evidently no

easy feat. Even if I were invited in, would I want to live so far from the shrine and hot

spring? Distance wasn't really a factor, since I could just use teleportation magic, but I

was still hesitant.

It would be kind of like the way some people in Japan chose to live in Kanagawa, Chiba,

or Saitama, where it was easy to commute to Tokyo, but suited their lifestyle better

than Tokyo proper. For me, it would be more like living in Suita, Moriguchi, or maybe

even Sakai, instead of downtown Osaka. Someplace with a more relaxed, hometown

atmosphere.

Lalatoya was also closer to human lands.

I had no way of knowing how far away Maple was, but going back to my example, I

figured it had to be something like the distance between Osaka and Nose, or maybe

Misaki, two towns on the prefecture's outskirts.

While I considered these things, the conversation drew to a close.

"I'll talk to your grandfather about bringing this before the central council. But for now,

we'll stick to the idea of Arc joining our village. The final decision should be left up to

him, anyway."

Glenys must have seen my uncertainty. "Well, there's no need to decide right now.

Spend as much time in the village as you like while you make up your mind."

I told her I would think about it carefully.

Ariane huffed and shifted in her seat.

"Well, that's that, then!" Glenys said. "It's getting late, so why don't we eat dinner? We

received a shipment of tomatoes from Landfrea today, so I made that soup you like so

much."

I stood up so fast that I actually knocked my chair over. "Miss Glenys, this 'tomato' you

speak of… is it by chance a red fruit?"

Glenys stared in stunned silence at my sudden question. She nodded.

"Do you have a tomato here with you?"

At my urging, Glenys made her way into the kitchen, and returned with a pot brimming

with red soup. My eyes went wide.

After asking Glenys's permission, I dipped a spoon into the pot and took a sip. The

flavor's sheer depth convinced me. Although it was slightly acidic, this was definitely

the same tomato I was familiar with.

Ariane sighed, exasperated. "You barely remember anything about yourself, but you

sure remember a lot about weird stuff like tomatoes."

I was too absorbed in the possibilities this ingredient opened for me to even hear

Ariane's complaint. Tomatoes were like a jack-of-all-trades of the culinary world.

Seaweed and bonito were cornerstones of Japanese cooking; tomatoes served a

similar important role in western cooking, adding a deeper, more refined taste. If I got

my hands on some tomatoes, they would really keep my menu exciting.

"You mentioned that these tomatoes came from Landfrea. If I went there, could I buy

some?"

"They're grown in Fobnach, on the southern continent, and imported. Some villages

to the south also grow their own, but dried tomatoes are far more common."

Chiyome had mentioned that the mountain people had their own country on the

southern continent. I wasn't quite sure what my Transport Gate ability's range was,

but if I could teleport between the southern continent and the hot spring, I'd be able

to buy tomatoes from the source whenever I wanted.

Since the mountain people needed time to finish building their first village near the

lake, I'd been told that they couldn't yet send anyone to start rebuilding the shrine. I

might as well use that time to prepare for when I finally had a place to put my feet up.

"I'd like to visit this southern continent. Is it possible to board a ship departing from

Landfrea?"

Of life's three main necessities—clothing, shelter, and food—I'd already secured two:

my Belenus Holy Armor was more than sufficient clothing, and the shrine and nearby

hot spring would make excellent shelter.

The last necessity was food.

Glenys groaned slightly. "Weeeell, it's an elven boat, so it might be a bit of a challenge

to get you on board if you don't belong to a village."

My mind was made up. "I hereby swear my loyalty to you, and beg the honor of calling

myself Arc Lalatoya!"

Glenys clapped her hands and smiled. "That's great! I'm thrilled to have such a strong

ally join our village."

Ariane simply looked annoyed.

For my part, there was absolutely no hesitation.

My beloved tomatoes grew on the southern continent.