The villagers couldn't take their eyes off Erza as we traveled. I got a fair share of looks from the women which was surprising, to be honest, but I didn't mind it. However, Erza had the eyes of everyone, which I couldn't really blame them for. With her shining and beautiful clothing along with her natural beauty and elegant gate, she looked like royalty or something out of a fantasy, which she technically was.
The looks the men gave her did get me jealous at first, but then I calmed down. With Erza's loyalty to me, I didn't have to worry about that ever happening, and if one was stupid enough to approach her, then it would not end well for him.
"If I may ask, sir David," Dale began but I cut him off.
"Just David, I'm no sir," I replied.
"Ok, David, what form of magic is it that allows you to turn your very body into blades." He gazed down at my arms. "I've never witnessed such magic. I've seen shapeshifters and heard of those who can turn their skin into metal, but never of a mage who could turn parts of his body into blades."
"It's an innate ability I was born with," I lied. I wasn't about to tell him I got it from a magical gacha system. Firstly because I didn't need to, secondly because it would sound crazy, and lastly because he probably didn't know what a gacha even was. Hell, even people back on earth would look at me oddly when I explained a gacha to them even though it wasn't really that different from gambling, just with more variety and you always get something, unlike in gambling where you're more likely to lose everything rather than gain anything. I should know that. I'd accompanied a friend to a casino one and the bright lights and attractions had seduced me into betting and losing over five hundred bucks. That had been one of the worst days of my life, especially since I'd had to sell a bunch of my games and collector items to pay for rent.
"I see," Dale replied. "Well, it's a very deadly magic. Can you change any part of your body?"
I nodded and raised a finger. I morphed it into a double-sided blade and Dale marveled at it in wonder. He moved a finger to touch it, but I moved it away.
"Careful," I warned. "All the blades I form are extremely sharp if you couldn't tell from how I tore that goblin in two."
His hand shot back to his side. "Right. Well, once again I'm glad you two chose to come with us. This forest isn't usually that dangerous, but the greenskins have been pushing further and further in. The village these people came from was the third this month. Hopefully, the presence of all the visitors will scare them off, especially if one of the events is held here."
"What in the forest?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," Dale answered. "Some of the most powerful mages from the Arch-guild will be there. The things they can do, a simple man like myself can only dream of."
"You're a soldier right?' I asked.
"Aye, that I am," He said. 'It's honest work it is, use to be very easy before all these blasted greenskins showed up. The little fools seem like they'd be easy to take, but they don't know when to quit. They'll quite literally throw themselves onto a blade until it's dull and then the rest will swarm. Nasty fuckers they are."
Yep, those definitely sounded like the typical goblin. Stupid, green, small, and doesn't know when to give up. If that was the only thing in this forest we had to worry about then we'd been fine. I didn't think even a hundred goblins could land even a scratch on Erza. She'd probably cut them apart like Scythe through a field of wheat.
"Is there anything other than goblins we should be worried about?" I asked.
"Wolves," Dale responded. "Though they tend to keep away from people, and focus on livestock which they'll have plenty of now that these poor folks' village is abandoned. They had to leave much behind, and what little they could take won't last them long."
"So what will happen to them when they reach the capital?" I asked. "They'll become beggars?"
"Oh gods no," Dale said. "They'll be given a place to stay and fed and then sent out to work at another village or another town. They are always jobs to be done, and you can never have enough crops. It's why Pyrok never goes hungry when winter comes."
I almost made a reference at that, but then stopped myself. I doubted he knew what game of thrones was.
We continued on for a few hours longer until the sun began to lower, and the moon rose in its place.
"We'll have to camp for the night," Dale said. "There a hope we could make if we went on, but the goblins are sneaky fuckers. I'd rather we not lose even one."
"That's respectable," I noted. "Erza and I will keep guard in shifts."
"I'll take a shift to," Dale replied. "Least i can do. I've got a keen eye, and it don't take much to watch."
"Fiar enough," I said with a yawn. "I'll take the last shift, I'm used to waking up early anyway."
"Then I will take the first, m-, David." Erza caught herself as she almost called me Master, which would have misty definitely raised a few questions.
"Goodnight Erza," I said.
One of the villagers handed me a blanket, but I declined and instead found myself a tree to lay back on. It was cool, but not too cold, so I didn't think I'd need a blanket. As the villagers settled down for the night, I remained awake for a few minutes just gazing up at the night sky.
It was far more beautiful than any I'd seen on earth. An ocean of shining gems, stars that lit up the sky with many different colors, rather than just the usual white. What added to its beauty, even more, was the large aurora of light that seemed to slit the night sky in two with its splendor. It was most definitely something unique to this world as were the twin moons in the sky. One a bright white and the other darkish grey.
Underneath that blanket of stars and otherworldly beauty, my eyes shut, and for the first time in a while, my sleep was utterly and completely peaceful.