It felt like a dream. No, it has to be a dream. Yesterday, the Black leaf party returned from their most recent mission. But they were one person short. That person, was the assassin Zaru. Hearing about that, I fell unconscious for two days.
Thinking that I will never see him again, I wanted just quit my job as a receptionist and leave for my homeland, the lands of Azure elves, Halvet elvish kingdom. It felt as if I had a big gushing hole in my chest. I still couldn't belive it, no, I didn't want to belive it. Zaru, my Zaru is dead? No that can't be.
"That can't be!" my own voice woke me up. I looked around, I was in one of the inner rooms of guildmasters office. I was lying on a sofa usually used for private talks.
Suddenly, the doors opened.
"Oh, you awake now? Great. You slept for two whole day, I got worried," guildmaster, the highest ranked holy knight, a Paladin, Tongu, smiled at me. To us elves, her voice is still young, well she is only twenty nine years old human. We elves live for hundreads of years, I myself am barely ninety and am still considered very young. 'I even look seventeen to humans.'
'Tho, Zaru never complimented my looks… so stupid.'
"Miss Tongu… I…"
"Don't worry too much, we are currently trying to find out everything we can."
"I still…" I gripped my chest where a pendant Zaru gave me was hanging. 'Wait… pendant from Zaru. He gave it to me to make me less worry about him. It's a magic item!'
I quickly unbuttoned the neck part of my blouse and took out the small crystal that shone with crimson radiance.
All of the sudden, I couldn't stop my tears from flowing, my heart got warmer and warmer. "I'm glad. I'm so glad."
"Huh? What'cha got there?"
"It's a life crystal with Zaru's blood. He's alive, I'm sure about that. I'm going to find him!"
"That… can be a problem… that means the remaining members of Black leaf let him die there."
"I must go to Zaru at once! Hey! Don't stop me Tongu!"
"Hold your horses you horny elf! Why do you think they did it? By the looks they were constantly giving you I'm sure they are waiting at your place right now to assault you! Work smarter, not harder!"
"Why did you call me horny elf? Don't stand in way of my love! Zaru's alive and I will find him!!"
"That's what I'm takling about idiot!" Tongu yelled at me and I recieved a head chop.
And so I was forced to sit on the sofa and drink tea with her.
"It's evening already so wait for a morning. I will prepare a horse for you and I want you to escape. Understand?"
"Yesss…" I massaged my head, which still hurt from the chop.
"Though, it's sad that I lost the bet," Tongu smiled.
"Huh? What bet?"
"Me, Forge master and liquor store owner made a bet who of you two will make a first move. I bet on Zaru, though."
"S-s-s-s-s-s-since when?!"
"We made it when Zaru became B ranked."
"Why are you saying it so casualy?!"
"Fufufu, I'm just teasing you… but, we can be sure that Black leaf is either unaware that he's alive, or they did it on purpose. I will call them in for a talk. I have a another life crystal like this one, with blood of a friend, so I will use it to get a confession from those guys."
"They are unforgivable… Um, do you know something about that place Zaru disappeared in? The Snowy mountains?"
"There is a village of forest elves, but they have little to none contact with our kingdom. Apparently their chief had previously fought in an army of High elvish empire, but now he sewered the contact with them."
"I guess it's better then nothing. I will start there," I bowed lightly and continued the chat for a little while longer.
We put the plan into work. When the night fell I went to sleep and early in the morning I set out to my house after seeing the black leaf walk in. When I got to my house, which was a simple house that could accomodate two people. 'I wished to live here with Zaru, maybe I will have a chance after taking him back, heheheh.'
I packed all I could into my Magic bag, which I also recieved from Zaru.
"Though, I would be happier if he stopped going to brothels every now and then…"
'Though he only took an elf girls from what I got to know. Oh, boy, he must've fallen so bad for me that he could only do it with elf girls ever since, fufufu. Don't worry my dear Zaru, after I save you, I will pamper you much!'
I set out soon after packing all things in the house I could need and locking the doors.
"I shouldn't go by the northern gate… or the west gate."
As I was going to the south, I realized that right now, I'm Zaru's only hope for recovery. "I'm gonna safe you and then… I will marry you!"
With strenghten resolve I moved at breakneck speed towards the Snowy mountains and the trail that was supposed to take four whole days, took just three.
I arrived at a stoppoint village called Galinor and I headed to the local adventurers guild.
"Please! I really need your help! My village is under attack from a demon lord!"
"Yeah, that's happening now and then everywhere, just give a notice to Holy empire and you are golden," one of the adventurers waved his hand to hush the boy away.
"A demon lord appeared here? What's his name?" I asked as I scanned the people's Karma. Not suprisingly, they all had red karma, meaning they did some kind of evil deeds. But, no one could even hold a candle to the boy, who pleaded for help.
"We don't know, he asked my grandfather, the village chief for sacrifice after massacring two guards and two hunters… we need help…" the boy fell to the ground with sad look in his face.
"I understand, he didn't gave you a name… that probably means he's a newborn demon lord. So his strenght is probably around Special A rank," I deduced, "Your village, is in the mountains right?"
"Ah, yes! It's the unnamed village of elves that sells ore here every summer."
'That means Zaru must be in the clutches of the demon lord. He's still alive so he must be held there as a hostage.'
"Great. Take me there. I have bussiness there either way, so it would be nice to have a guide."
"Yes! I will guide you!" the boy smiled happily.
"Well, if missy's going, we should too. It would be bad, if such a pretty face got maimed," he send a wink my side to which I just give a simple bussiness-like smile. 'Just work for me you red karma stained pigs. I shall treat you well if you dance as I say. Well, until I meet Zaru that is.'
And so, about fifty adventurers, all with red karma started walking to the Snowy mountains, while not knowing what kind of horrors awaits them.