THE OLD MAN rested his hand against the moss-covered stone wall of the shrine and
slowly lowered his gaze. He had a flowing, white beard and long ears growing out of
the top of his head. Beneath his bushy brows, a pair of intense eyes regarded me
sternly. The man's diminutive frame and round, puffy tail marked him as one of the
rabbit people, the same as Pittah.
This was one of the craftspeople who'd come with me from the settlement.
"I heard it was a shrine, but this is a lot bigger than I imagined."
He was in the middle of estimating just how much lumber he'd need to put a roof on
the shrine, mumbling to himself as he walked the perimeter.
True to his word, Pittah had sent two craftspeople here as payment for finding Gin.
He'd also sent the wolf man and his companions along to work as laborers.
The three of them had received a brutal dressing-down from both Pittah and Rowze
before being assigned my construction work as punishment.
I'd tried to reduce their sentence by explaining why they'd traveled through the cave
in the first place, but I don't know if it made any difference.
Currently, Gin was working with the other craftspeople to build a temporary cabin
they could live in while they worked on the shrine—just a simple building that would
provide them with a place to sleep. It was probably also good practice for the wolf
people.
The shrine itself was made of sturdy stone walls, but the lack of a roof made it
unsuitable for sleeping.
I didn't really see the need to stay here while we waited on materials, but apparently
there was a lot of prep work that needed to be done.
I decided to let them make the call. Leave it to the experts, as they say.
"Assuming you want to build the roof like we previously discussed, this is the amount
of wood we should need." The rabbit man handed me a piece of wood with some
numbers scratched on it. "Are you sure you don't want us to provide it?"
"Of course. You guys still need a lot of wood for the village. Besides, you're already
offering your services. I couldn't take any more from you. I have more than enough
money to buy the wood we need. Not to mention the connections. If you need anything
at all, just let me know, okay?"
The old man offered a faint smile beneath his heavy beard and bowed his head in
thanks. "Greatly appreciated. To be honest, we're still running far short of the amount
of wood we'll need to build the village. But I can send these men if you need someone
to lug supplies around for you."
I shook my head. "I appreciate it, but my contact lives in a human town. We may have
signed a treaty, but it would still cause a disturbance. Plus I previously borrowed a
cart to transport a grand dragon into town, so that won't be an issue."
The old man chuckled. "I see, I see. In that case, I'll just keep having them do the dirty
work."
With that, he turned to check on the wolf people.
They'd said it would take just a few days to build the roof, but we decided to send them
back to their village while waiting on the lumber. Construction workers were in short
supply back at the settlement, so I'd need to get the lumber together as quickly as
possible.
My plan was to head for a port town located in the Rhoden Kingdom.
Truth be told, it was only by sheer coincidence that I'd first became acquainted with
the merchant I had in mind, but he'd grown to become a reliable source for me to sell
monster parts and to acquire the supplies needed for the new settlement.
Though he was technically quite a long way from where I usually roamed, my
teleportation magic took care of that problem. I felt quite lucky to have managed to
become acquainted with a merchant I could rely on like this. They weren't exactly a
dime a dozen.
As I was reminiscing about how our chance encounter had unfolded, I heard a familiar
voice call out to me from behind.
"Hey, Arc! Are you done with that thing you guys were talking about? We need to tell
Father what'd happened!"
I spotted Ariane. Her amethyst skin was damp, and she was drying her long hair with
a towel. Apparently, she'd taken a dip while I spoke with the craftspeople. Both she
and Chiyome were quite taken by the shrine's natural hot spring and would soak
whenever we returned here.
This time, Chiyome had chosen to stay at the village, so it was just Ariane today.
"Well, we just finished estimating how much lumber we'll need. I was thinking about
heading to Fehrbio Alsus to give my report to Dillan before making my way to Lahki's
Shoppe in Lamburt. What are your plans?"
The report she was referring to, of course, was about the underground route through
the Furyu Mountains. Even if the mountain people weren't considered enemies,
Ariane thought it best that the elven leaders know there was a way for people to pass
through what they thought of as an impenetrable wall.
Putting aside the report to Dillan, going out to visit Lahki was an entirely personal
matter, so I didn't assume Ariane would want to come. However, judging by the way
her brow furrowed when I asked her if she was interested, she'd taken the question
personally.
"Obviously I'm interested! I'm not going to stay behind while you and Chiyome go off
to Lamburt alone!"
I cocked my head to the side. "Why would Chiyome be going to Lamburt?"
She looked incredulous. "You're going to use the cart you left at the village to go to the
merchant, right? You still don't know how to drive! You'll need to ask her to help you.
Seriously, I can't believe you sometimes." She let out a loud sigh, slumping her
shoulders in a dramatic fashion.
I'd managed to work out how to ride a horse reasonably well, but driving a cart—much
less a four-horse cart like this one—was completely beyond me.
I'd originally planned on leading the horses along and walking with them, but the
more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I'd stand out if I did that.
Walking with a horse-drawn cart would be like loading up a truck and then trying to
pull it along. The idea was ludicrous.
Besides, I'd recently revealed to Lahki, the merchant I was visiting, that I was an elf. If
I came into town doing something strange, that could drastically alter the
townspeople's view of all elves. Now that I was officially a member of Lalatoya, that
wouldn't do. It would be far better if they thought I was a lout who didn't know how
to drive a cart.
That meant I'd need Chiyome.
"You're right. When I stop by the settlement to pick up the cart, I'll see if she's willing
to help."
Ariane sighed again. "Don't you think Chiyome realized all of this when you told her
you wanted to borrow the cart? She's probably waiting for you right now."
"You really think she read that much into it?"
Ariane rolled her eyes. "Just because you're bad at picking up on things doesn't mean
she is."
This comment only confused me even more. I always tried to be attentive, but maybe
I was falling short?
I mean, okay, I tended to forget things from time to time. But who didn't?
"C'mon, hurry up!" Ariane urged. "We don't want to keep Chiyome waiting all day!"
I nodded. "Hey, Ponta! Time to go, buddy!"
As if summoned by my voice, a familiar splotch of green fur appeared in the clear blue
sky and coasted toward me, landing expertly in its rightful place atop my helmet. A
moment later, I felt its large fluffy tail wagging.
"Kyii! Kyii!"
Every time we returned to the shrine, Ponta always went off to spend time with my
driftpus, Shiden. Despite the massive size difference between the two creatures, they
seemed to get along great. In fact, I'd sometimes stumble across Ponta curled up in
Shiden's mane as they slept together. There was something heartwarming about
seeing two very different creatures living together in harmony. It gave me hope for the
sentient species of this world.
"All right, let's get to work." Ariane crossed her arms.
After making sure she was close and that Ponta was safe atop my head, I cast Transport
Gate to teleport us to the capital of the Holy Hilk Kingdom.
Everything went dark, and I felt weightless for an instant before I found myself out of
the serene forest and in the midst of the bustling refugee camp.
Off in the distance, I could see the ruins of Fehrbio Alsus, the once-great capital of the
Holy Hilk Kingdom, where half of its residents had lost their lives at the hands of their
own ruler.
The sheer number of refugees in the camp had exploded wildly since the last time
we'd been here.
"These people are going to lose their minds if we don't figure out what to do with them
soon."
Glancing into the various mismatched tents lining the camp, I saw that the refugees
were mostly just sitting around, looking burned out and lost.
Up until just a few days ago, they'd been living calm, peaceful lives in their homes.
Then the living embodiment of death had uprooted all of that for no discernable
reason. Many of them were still coming to terms with this.
I looked for the sisters we'd saved the other day, but there were just too many people.
"Try to focus, Arc. Let's get going."
At Ariane's prompting, I turned toward the large tent at the center of the camp and
began walking.
Once inside, I found humans, elves, and mountain people all bustling about. A man
called out as soon as we entered.
"Oh, what brings you two here?
Dillan had been put in charge of running this refugee camp. Though he wore a gentle
smile, the exhaustion was plain on his face.
"I apologize for taking up your time. I've already told Glenys, since she's serving as
your substitute in Lalatoya, but I thought it best to let you know about this new
development."
He gave me a curious look and gestured for the others to leave the tent and give us
some privacy. Then he dropped down into a chair, crossed his arms, and looked up at
me.
"Well, from your tone of voice, it doesn't seem to be bad news. What is it?"
Ariane informed him of the events that had unfolded back at the settlement, and the
cave route we'd uncovered. Dillan listened in silence, watching me with great interest.
Once she was done speaking, he sat looking off into space.
"I left my detailed maps at home, but considering the location of the new settlement
and the size of the river you described, I'd say that sounds like the Librout, or maybe
the tributary it branches off from, which runs past Lalatoya."
Librout… The name sounded familiar. I remembered walking along a river up from the
Rhoden Kingdom toward Lalatoya. It had split somewhere deep in the forest.
Following one of those branches had led me to the village.
"If I recall correctly, the Librout River in the Rhoden Kingdom is formed where two
rivers converge upstream, one of which is the Lydel. Is that right?"
The old man nodded. "Yes, that's right. I can't say whether the Librout is connected to
this cave or not without actually conducting an investigation, but if it is, that would
mean that you could take a boat down the Librout all the way from Lalatoya and Dartu
in Canada to Diento and even Rhoden's capital of Olav."
Ariane eyes widened. "That would be amazing! Think about how easy it would be to
travel between all these places."
Since the elves had invented magical ships that didn't require the use of a sail, they
were able to move upstream with relative ease.
Moreover, the current from the river that traversed the mountains wasn't very strong
at all, so even the mountain people should be able to do it with oars and brute strength
alone. However, given the dragons that lurked near the mouth of the Furyu Mountains,
a certain degree of speed—as provided by the magical ships—would be preferable.
But there was still one issue. Before I even had a chance to voice my concerns, Dillan
spoke up. It was almost as if he read my mind.
"On the other side of the coin, this bout of good fortune is not without potential danger.
I'll speak with the high elders and have Fangas put together a party to investigate the
matter further. For now, it would be best to say nothing of this to the humans."
The human kingdoms of Rhoden and Nohzan had been brought together here to sign
a treaty guaranteeing the safety of the very same mountain people who lived behind
the Furyu Mountains. But it would be some time yet before the two groups could
actually trust each other. Even with the elven lands of the Great Canada Forest in
between, it seemed unwise to let such important information out just yet.
Ariane appeared to be of the same mind. "So we should probably also avoid using this
route for the time being?"
Dillan shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm much more concerned about the knowledge of
it getting out. After we've scouted the route and confirmed that it can be used safely, I
see no problem with sending aid to the mountain people as a prelude to opening up
trade. If we can cross through the mountains using boats, it will not only make it much
easier to transport people and goods, but it will also allow us to join forces in times of
need. This is quite a fortuitous discovery."
I could imagine how excited Gin and the others would be if they could see how happy
Dillan was about their discovery, especially considering all the trouble they'd gotten
into. If the elves were willing to offer them some support, I could see the settlement
growing to massive proportions in a matter of years.
"I'm sure they'll be overjoyed."
"We can talk specifics later. Once we get a scouting party together, I'm sure I'll need
your assistance, Arc. What do you say?"
It was clear that Dillan didn't want us to say anything to the mountain people yet. But
I had no issue with this, since it would ultimately aid in the village's development. I
answered both of his requests, spoken and unspoken, without hesitation.
"I'm more than happy to do whatever I can."
The elven leader chuckled. "I knew we could count on you. We've discussed this
already, but I'd also like to ask for your help in transporting all of the refugees to their
new homes, once the Nohzan and Rhoden kingdoms reach an agreement about what
to do with them."
"Understood."
I still had no idea exactly how many people even wanted to move elsewhere, but
without any sort of power structure in place, it seemed unlikely that they could
continue to live in this shell of a city.
Moving out into the farmlands that surrounded the capital was a possibility, but Dillan
was concerned that the area would fall into lawlessness now that the pontiff was no
longer in power.
After years of being exposed to the church's teachings, there were still many people
who simply couldn't accept aid from the elves or so-called beast people and refused
to enter the camp.
They were victims of the pontiff's abuse all the same, though, and we fully intended to
help them. Indeed, I felt that it was my duty to do so.
I couldn't really explain it, but I felt like I could see a part of myself in the Hilk leader.
If things had just gone a little differently when I'd arrived here… Well, let's just say I
could see a lot of similarities and leave it at that. Perhaps trying to help the refugees
was just my way of trying to prove how different we were.
A figure entered the tent, interrupting my thoughts. "Well, it looks like we're just about
done." It was a hulking dark elf wearing a gigantic war hammer on his back and
sporting an intimidating scar that ran down his face.
Ariane spoke up immediately. "Oh, Grandfather. Are you back from hunting the
undead?"
The old man grinned broadly. "Ariane!"
Though he struck a rather intimidating figure, Fangas Flan Maple, one of the high
elders of the Great Canada Forest, showed a much softer side when in the company of
his granddaughter.
Judging by all the war gear he was wearing, it seemed as if he had been on one of the
expeditions to clear the capital.
"Welcome back, Fangas. Ariane and Arc were just telling me about an interesting new
development."
Dillan bowed his head respectfully before informing Fangas of what we'd just
discussed.
"Hunh. Now that is interesting. I agree that it's best kept from the humans for now.
Why don't we head back to Maple so I can discuss the matter with the high elders? I'm
sure no one would object to offering assistance to the mountain people, but it still
warrants a conversation. I'm sorry to ask this of you, Arc, but would you mind taking
me to Maple?"
I nodded.
Dillan bowed his head again. "I'll entrust the Maple side of things to you, Fangas."
Fangas offered a toothy grin. "Leave it to me."
After saying goodbye to Dillan, I used my teleportation magic within the confines of
the tent to bring Ariane and Fangas to the forest capital of Maple.
Several hours later, we were finally underway in our borrowed cart, Ariane sitting up
front with Chiyome and me in back.
"For just heading back to give an update, that sure did take a lot of time."
Ariane frowned slightly. "I'm really sorry about Grandfather." She let out an exhausted
sigh.
I chuckled. "Fangas may be one of the high elders, but first and foremost, he's a
grandfather. We've been running around doing our own thing ever since the whole
Hilk ordeal. So I'm sure he was just looking for some time with his granddaughter."
Ariane held my gaze for a long moment, then let out another sigh.
As soon as we'd arrived in Maple, Fangas had invited Ariane out to lunch. She'd tried
to turn him down by explaining she already had plans with me, but he wouldn't take
no for an answer. I wound up getting dragged along as well. Not that I minded a nice
lunch, of course.
It was well past noon by the time we'd finally gotten underway.
"I'm just sorry we made Chiyome wait so long. I shouldn't have taken Fangas up on his
offer. Sorry about that."
Ponta also bowed its head apologetically. "Kyii!"
Ariane turned to the smaller figure by her side and bowed as well. "I'm sorry, Chiyome!
I'll take you out to eat the next time we have a chance, okay?"
Chiyome's ears twitched, but she showed no other signs of emotion. "I'm used to
waiting around."
Ariane bowed even lower. "I'm so, so sorry."
Ariane's impassioned plea seemed to catch Chiyome off guard. "Really, I'm fine, Ariane.
But I look forward to going out to eat."
Ariane let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to hear that."
Chiyome shot me a concerned glance, but all I could do was shrug.
She was probably telling the truth when she said she was used to waiting. Ninjas had
to sneak around and stay out of sight while conducting investigations. She would
certainly have learned the art of patience.
I turned my attention to the serene scene rolling past the cart. Looking up at the gentle
glow of the sun, I tried to gauge what time it was.
We'd eaten an early lunch, though it had still taken some time to travel back to the
village, meet up with Chiyome, get in the cart, and then teleport to the city overlooking
Lamburt.
Turning my attention back ahead, I saw the massive port of Lamburt, located on the
west coast of the Rhoden Kingdom. From our spot up in the hills, we had a fantastic
view of the whole city.
Lamburt was a prosperous merchant hub built right along the channel that fed into
the sprawling bay of Bulgoh, which ultimately connected to the South Central Sea.
Sitting on the other side of the bay was the Nohzan Kingdom, one of their primary
trading partners.
Goods would then make their way east, skirting around the Riebing Mountains as they
traveled overland to Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom.
The seaside city was built between two massive waterways that were filled with
countless boats brimming with all manner of goods. A quick look around showed a
vibrant, active metropolis, suggesting that the destruction in Nohzan's capital of
Saureah had had little impact on the local economy.
"Seems like there's something exciting going on every time I come here."
"Kyii!"
I had to duck my head to dodge Ponta's large tail before turning my attention to the
looming city gate.
I handed over the travel pass I'd received from the local lord on a previous visit. The
guard hurriedly waved our cart through.
We were heading to the new town district, to the south of the city center. More
specifically, we were heading to Lahki's Shoppe, a modestly sized establishment
located on a street packed with similar stores.
As we arrived, I spied a large number of people moving about excitedly in front of his
shop. We stopped the cart and waited only a moment or two before someone came
hurrying out to meet us. I'd been here many times before, but this person was entirely
new to me. A new hire to deal with the increased business, maybe?
I informed the newcomer that we wanted a meeting with Lahki himself. They frowned
for a moment before looking Ariane and myself over and telling us to wait where we
were. With that, they once again ducked inside.
Under normal circumstances, a guest who showed up out of the blue without an
appointment would be told to come back at another time, but it seemed that
something about our appearance suggested this wasn't the best course of action.
Sometimes, my ostentatious armor really paid off.
A few moments later, a familiar woman dressed in men's clothing, with her chestnutcolored hair tied back in a short ponytail, appeared and waved the cart inside. If I
recalled correctly, this was Rea, one of Lahki's friends from his hometown.
"Heya, Arc! Lahki's waiting for you."
We drove the cart inside the building, left the horses to the stablehand, and grabbed
our bags.
Looking around the shop, I was impressed to see a large number of employees.
Apparently, the business had grown a lot more than I realized.
We followed Rea up to the second floor, where we found Lahki sitting at a large desk
piled with parchment. After looking each document over, he would sign it with his pen
and then hand it to an employee sitting nearby before reaching for the next one.
After several rounds of this, the young man finally seemed to notice our presence and
looked up at me with a tired smile. "Ah, sorry about that. Please forgive my rudeness.
It's real busy lately."
I shook my head. "No, I should be the one to apologize, what with stopping by
unannounced."
"I mean, it's great and all that I was able to get my shipping business started thanks to
the vessel you gave me and the lord's support, but I'm beside myself trying to wrap
my mind around all these things I've never done before. I was lucky enough to have a
fellow shop owner introduce me to all these people who were able to help me out."
Lahki let out a slow breath.
The vessel he was referring to was the was human pirate ship that had tried to attack
our elven ship when we traveled to the southern continent.
It was quite a large ship, but the elves had no use for it, so I'd ultimately taken it for
myself and given it to Lahki.
There were talks about finally opening up trade between the Rhoden Kingdom and
the Great Canada Forest, so I'd approached him with the proposal of loaning the vessel
to Petros, the lord of Lamburt, for use in trade.
Petros had already heard talk about the trade through his own sources and was eager
to acquire ships, which made it easier to transfer ownership of the vessel to Lahki.
I'd figured this would do his business some good, but judging by the look on his face,
it was all becoming too much for the young man to handle.
"I know I kind of pushed the ship on you, but it looks like things have gone as planned,
right?"
Lahki nodded. "Thanks to the lord putting in a good word for me, I was able to get the
ship repaired. There are still a lot of little details to work out, but I want to thank you
for giving me such an invaluable opportunity. If there's anything I can do for you, it's
as good as done."
I could see the sincerity in his eyes. He might be out of his comfort zone right now, but
I could tell he'd be okay in the long run.
"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that. Honestly, I was a little worried that someone as
young as you could overcome the challenges involved. I can see you're a much greater
merchant than I gave you credit for."
Lahki nervously scratched the side of his head. Then he perked up, as if remembering
something, and gestured toward the back of the room.
"Excuse my manners, Arc. Let's head on back before we spend all day chatting here."
He then led us to a reception area on the other side of an ornamented door in the back
of the office. The room was plainly decorated, though what few items adorned it spoke
volumes about Lahki's personal taste. He gestured for us to sit down.
We did, and Ponta dove into Chiyome's lap, where it curled up.
Once we were all seated, Lahki got down to business. The grin never left his face as he
eyed me with great curiosity. "So, what brings you here, Arc?" He pulled a small
notepad out of his pocket.
"I'm here because I need some lumber. It's not exactly pressing, though. I can work
within your schedule."
Lahki scribbled notes as I ran through the numbers. "I see. That's certainly not an
insignificant amount of lumber. I can't get all that together immediately, but it shouldn't
be a problem. The only problem is that lumber has been in high demand. The price
has risen a fair bit, so it'll cost more than usual. Is that okay?"
I shook my head. "Not a problem. But why is there so much demand?"
He glanced around the room before responding in a whisper. "From what I hear, the
Holy East Revlon Empire is buying it all up. There're rumblings that they're preparing
for war."
Ariane and Chiyome both scowled at this news. We'd been out there once before when
we traveled to the city of Leibnizche following the trail of some enslaved elves.
Last time I saw Leibnizche, it was in ruins. I couldn't help but wonder what had
happened to it since.
Though, more importantly…"War, huh? That certainly doesn't bode well."
Chiyome gave a firm nod. "Lumber is an absolute must for war. It serves as fuel for
manufacturing weapons and armor and is also used to construct siege engines. If it
really is the Holy East Revlon Empire buying up all the lumber, then they must have a
reason for it."
Lahki nodded in agreement.
Ariane's golden eyes darted over to me, as if something had just occurred to her. "Hey,
Arc, you remember the imperial soldiers we spotted on the border when we were
heading to Leibnizche?"
I let the scene replay in my mind's eye. "Now that you mention it, yeah. I just thought
they were trying to do something about the increased number of monsters on the
border."
I cocked my head to the side as I searched further and further back into my memory.
Chiyome screwed up her face into a scowl.
"From what I learned, soldiers were being dispatched in small groups over a long
period of time. Assuming they were preparing for a large-scale invasion, that would
also validate Lahki's story."
Lahki took a deep breath to regain his composure and looked at me with fear in his
eyes.
I returned his gaze and cut to the heart of the matter. "What's their objective?"
Lahki put a finger to his chin. "I don't want to start making wild speculations, but I'd
assume that they mean to strike west. The rival empires each desire nothing more
than to be united once again… under their own control." He dropped his voice to a
whisper again. "I've also heard talk that the Holy East Revlon Empire had gained the
ability to control powerful monsters. They'd be able to make fast work of their
enemies. Of course, that could all be completely false."
The merchant allowed himself a brief laugh to try to ease the tension, but no one else
in the room joined him. Ariane and I exchanged a worried glance. There was something
familiar about this ability to control monsters.
"Hey, Ariane, you don't think they're talking about that one guy, do you?"
Ariane shrugged.
Back when we'd snuck into the empire, we'd encountered a man who could control
monsters… and also used elves for his research. He'd called forth a hydra to fight
against us, and the ensuing battle had left the city of Leibnizche in ruins.
"That guy… Fumba, was it? He said he was a monster tamer. But… I killed him with my
own hand."
Ariane scowled. Even just the memory of the man was a source of frustration for her.
"It's possible there was more than one monster tamer. Or maybe the rumor got out
before we ever arrived there."
She paused to think over these possibilities. They both had merit.
The fact that there was even one monster tamer meant that there could be others. And
then there was the speed at which rumors tended to spread. Though we were able to
use teleportation magic to travel to and from the empire in the blink of an eye, rumors
were only capable of moving as fast as the people who carried them.
Though Leibnizche was close to the Rhoden border, it was still a several-day journey
from Lamburt.
If they'd intended on using that monster tamer's abilities to wage war, his death would
have upended their plans. But would that have been enough to cause an entire empire
to stop their war preparations?
Chiyome finally spoke up. "I think it would be best to tell Dillan and Master Hanzo
about what we've heard today."
Ariane and I both agreed.
"You're right. We're pretty much done here, so why don't we head back to our
respective villages?"
I turned back to Lahki. "Apologies. I think I got us off track. I'm not terribly concerned
about the price of lumber, so please get started on it when you have a chance. Sorry
for interrupting you like this."
I bowed my head in apology, though Lahki didn't show any sign of annoyance in the
least. A warm, friendly smile graced his cheeks. "I wouldn't have this shop in the first
place if it weren't for you, Arc. I'm more than happy to do anything I can to help you."
His expression changed as he seemed to recall something. "If you don't mind my
asking, what are you using the lumber for?"
"I plan on building a roof."
"Oh? In that case you'll need a specific kind of lumber. Do you mind if I make my own
recommendations? Or do you have any preferences?"
I shook my head. "No, that's fine. I'll leave it to you."
I hadn't actually thought about the fact that there were different types of wood that
might or might not be suitable for roofing. Alas, this was all beyond me. I didn't even
know what type of lumber was even available in this world. It seemed safest to leave
these kinds of things up to Lahki and the craftspeople.
Lahki quickly jotted something down in his notepad. "All right, that's all I need. I'll load
everything up in your cart like the other times. It should take about… hmm. Between
seven to ten days, I think. Is that okay?"
"That's absolutely fine."
After agreeing on the details, I pulled a small leather bag out and handed it over as a
deposit.
I had no idea what the market price for lumber was or what Lahki charged in fees, but
I figured a down payment never hurt.
I would finally have everything in place to get a roof built. Or at least, I hoped so.
However, there was one more thing I needed to address while here at Lahki's Shoppe.
"Once this job's done, maybe I can get them to work on another one…"
I was speaking to myself more than anyone else as I lifted the bag next to my feet and
set it on the table. I pulled out a large piece of shimmering silver as thick as my arm.
It ended in a pointed tip, almost giving it the appearance of a metal stake. The next
object I pulled out was a thick metal plate.
Lahki glanced back and forth between the two items. "Do you mind if I hold them?"
I slid them toward him. "Not at all. Go ahead."
He seemed to struggle as he lifted the stake. He looked it over before tapping the metal
plate a few times and furrowing his brow.
"Given everything you've brought to me in the past, I'd be inclined to say these are
parts of some kind of monster, but I have absolutely no idea which one. I've been trying
to study up on them lately, but I'm ashamed to admit that my knowledge is still shallow
at best." Lahki scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
To be honest, I didn't know all that much about monsters myself. I'd just happened
across some of them on my travels and had brought back their parts whenever I could.
"This is a part of the shell and a stinger from a giant monster known as the morse
seperis. We encountered it recently in the Great Canada Forest. I thought perhaps you
might be able to sell it."
I had no idea what the morse seperis's body parts might be used for.
Considering how Ariane had responded when we'd encountered the thing back in the
forest, it didn't seem like they were all that common. They might even be unknown to
humans. I was hoping Lahki could help me put a price on their parts.
Lahki hefted the stinger again. "You know, I just recently ran across that name in Carcy
Held's bestiary. If I recall correctly, it was some sort of huge monster that crawls
around silently, right? Few who have encountered it live to tell the tale."
He looked back down at the morse seperis stinger in amazement. Apparently, the
creature wasn't entirely unknown to humans, though the encyclopedia painted a
pretty fierce picture of it.
The bestiary he spoke of had been penned by the famed monster researcher, Carcy
Held. I'd met him, in fact, though entirely by chance.
Carcy was an elf living under the protection of a local lord in the human town of
Branbayna, off to the west of Rhoden's capital. He was a bit of an oddball and chose to
make his home there in order to research the monsters living in the region.
He'd personally given me a copy of his book, though I didn't recall seeing anything
about the morse seperis. Then again, I'd only flipped through it and looked at the
pictures, so it would probably do me some good to sit down and actually read it.
I offered Lahki a nonchalant nod. "Yeah, it was a bit of a pain in the neck." Even my
mythical-class Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg couldn't cut through the thing.
Lahki's eyes twinkled with excitement at the metallic object in his hands. "According
to the bestiary, the material of the morse seperis's carapace is called seperis steel. It's
an incredibly valuable material used in weapon and armor manufacturing. It's
considered a rare and valuable treasure."
It was my turn to be surprised.
It made sense, now that I thought about it. If you could turn the hardened shell into a
shield and resist attacks from even mythical weapons, such an item would be coveted
by any nation.
Lahki continued. "There's only one problem. Even the most seasoned metalworkers
struggle to work the seperis steel. And those who could, the dwarves, have long since
disappeared from this continent. I'm not really sure how much unworkable metal
would actually fetch."
I shot a sidelong glance toward Ariane at the mention of dwarves. Years ago, they'd
been hunted to extinction by the humans, due to their unmatched skills in metallurgy.
Or so they thought.
What the humans didn't know was that the dwarves were still alive in the elven capital
of Maple in the Great Canada Forest, far away from any humans.
We'd given one of the monsters we'd taken down to the mountain people. The other
we'd gifted, at Ariane's behest, to one of the workshops in Maple, to get in the elders'
good graces.
I could have claimed the largest share of the monster, since I'd slain it, but I couldn't
think of any way to use the massive hunk of metal, other than to leave it in the shrine
as a decoration.
Ultimately, I only took a piece of the shell and one of the stingers, in the hopes of
getting some money out of it.
With the amount of material we'd sent their way, I figured the dwarves should be good
for a while. The humans, however, were unable to actually work the material. It would
prove to be little more than a waste of space.
"Now, this pointed one on the other hand… I'm pretty sure they could work around
the shape and turn it into a spear or something. I bet it'll fetch a hefty price."
From the way Lahki spoke, it sounded like this should at least cover the cost of the
lumber.
"I trust you," I said. "I know it'll probably be some time before you can find a buyer, so
take all the time you need to sell it. Anyway, that's all I've got for today." I stood up.
Lahki followed suit and bowed. "Well then, I humbly take possession of your valuable
items."
I felt as if all eyes were on us as we left Lahki's Shoppe, but I decided to ignore it. We'd
done what we came here to do.
"Kyiii…"
There was something plaintive about Ponta's cry. I glanced over to where it sat nestled
in Chiyome's arms to find the little fox gazing longingly at all the fruits on display at
various vendors' stands. The poor thing must have been hungry.
"Why don't I buy you a little snack, huh? You were really good back there while we
were talking business."
"Kyii!"
Ponta squealed and gave its tail an extravagant wag as I turned toward one of the stalls.
I was on autopilot as I paid for the dried fruits and handed a piece to Ponta.
I figured our next move was to head back to the Holy Hilk Kingdom. I'd hoped that
once the whole Hilk ordeal had been dealt with, I'd have some time to sit back and
relax, but it seemed like the menial tasks were going to keep on rolling in for the time
being.
Ponta excitedly gnawed away at the fruit as I watched. I let out a sigh and directed my
gaze upward, ignoring all the people who moved through the bustling Lamburt market
around us.
The blue sky above was vast and unchanging.
***
Back at the refugee camp on the outskirts of Fehrbio Alsus, a loud groan escaped
Dillan's lips. "The eastern empire now too?"
Outside the tent, the sky was dyed orange and red. As the sun set, the camp filled with
the scent of simmering stews. Dillan had been surprised to find us back here at such a
late hour, but once we told him about the rumors we'd heard in Lamburt, he'd gone
silent, deep creases lining his forehead.
Ariane offered up a more charitable interpretation of the news. "To be fair, we still
don't yet know if the eastern empire will actually make a move. It's entirely possible
that the loss of their monster tamer caused them to cancel or dramatically alter their
plans."
Dillan shook his head. "No, the soldiers you observed were likely moving in small
squads so as not to be noticed as they prepared to invade. With the number of troops
available to them, they must be prepared to strike at a moment's notice. After all, the
longer they wait, the more likely it is that they'll be discovered. And that's not even
taking into consideration all the food and supplies needed to keep an army of that size
standing by. Taken together, I'd say an attack is imminent… if it hasn't already
happened."
If things were as he said, then it only made sense for the imperial forces to be ready to
move in short order.
"However, we don't yet know that the Great West Revlon Empire is their target. I
understand little of the affairs of humans, so it would be best to ask one of the officials
here with us to offer some perspective. But even more importantly, if the empire really
was able to find a way to control monsters, this invasion almost certainly won't end
with their western neighbor."
Ariane and Chiyome both swallowed hard at this.
Fumba had been able to bend the immensely powerful hydra to his will. If the eastern
empire could control other monsters like that, entire human armies would be cut
down in the blink of an eye. Once they annexed their western counterpart, what was
to stop them from turning their gaze south toward the Rhoden Kingdom and the Great
Canada Forest?
"In any case, we'll need to watch the eastern empire's movements closely."
Dillan nodded in agreement with my sentiment. "I'll speak to the representative from
the Nohzan Kingdom. Ariane, I'll leave those from the Rhoden Kingdom up to you.
Chiyome, would you please speak to Hanzo and the Jinshin clan about this?"
Chiyome, who'd been listening quietly to this whole conversation, nodded firmly.
"Certainly."
Dillan cast his gaze across the group. "I suppose it would be best to assemble all the
representatives to discuss the situation. The Rhoden Kingdom would be the ideal
location to hold this meeting, in my opinion. Will you help make the arrangements,
Arc?"
I nodded. "Of course."
The representatives he was referring to, of course, were those who'd assisted us in
taking down the Holy Hilk Kingdom: King Asparuh of the Nohzan Kingdom and
Margrave Wendly of the Salma Kingdom. Added to these two were Prince Sekt and
King Karlon of the Rhoden Kingdom—who incidentally shared a familial relation with
the Nohzan royal family—along with Hanzo, the leader of the Jinshin clan of the
mountain people, and the high elder Fangas of the Great Canada Forest.
All told, it was a rather small group to discuss the fate of entire kingdoms.
Of the three countries that the Hilk had invaded, both Salma and Delfrent had fallen.
The lands were in chaos, and there was no official word on the fate of the royal
families.
With these kingdoms still in a state of panic, they were in no shape to muster any
troops to fight external threats at the moment.
With the Hilk threat eliminated, the various representatives were focused on undoing
the damage done to their own countries—tasks that would normally make it difficult
for them to assemble in one place, but my long-distance teleportation magic quickly
solved that issue.
In a world that relied on carriages and boats as its primary means of transportation,
the idea of being able to travel to another country in a day or two would normally be
ludicrous.
Dillan bowed his head in appreciation. "Thank you, Arc. Next, I'd like you to head to
Branbayna to see if Carcy Held would agree to meet with me. I'd like to learn more
about this monster tamer. If anyone might be able to offer some insight, I figure it's
him."
Ariane scowled. "As long as he doesn't make us join some weird monster-hunting
expedition this time."
She was recalling how we'd gone hunting for sand worms at Carcy's request.
"We're just going to talk to him this time, so I don't imagine that will be a problem. But
if you really aren't interested, Ponta and I can go to Branbayna alone."
"Kyii… Kyii!" Ponta mewed excitedly, as if to brag about how ready it was to join me on
the adventure.
This elicited a look of annoyance from Ariane. "I never said I wouldn't go. I was just
thinking about how awful it smelled." She shuddered and reached up to rub her
shoulders.
I remembered how Carcy had filled up his cart with rotten goblin corpses to use as
bait. They really had stunk. I could see where Ariane was coming from.
"I doubt we'll learn anything specific about the tamers themselves, but we should be
able to get at least some idea about what techniques they're using to control monsters,
which will aid in our understanding of the empire's strength. There's nothing more
dangerous than fighting an unknown enemy."
I was in full agreement. Humans who could control the mighty hydra were an immense
threat indeed. If we could learn a little more about their methods, maybe we could
find a way to counter them.
For example, if there was a limit to how many monsters a tamer could control at once,
or a restriction on the distance, this would greatly reduce their effectiveness.
Though my Paladin abilities could wipe out countless enemies in the blink of an eye,
it took a long time to activate these techniques, and even then, they only lasted for five
minutes and required a long period to recharge. Though powerful, these abilities had
their downsides. I hoped the same was true for monster taming.
Carcy had dedicated his life to conducting research on monsters, learning about their
unique traits, and publishing his findings. This peculiar elf had made quite an
impressive impact on the world and might even change the course of it, depending on
what insights he could provide.
"Well, I think that's about it," Dillan said. "It's almost nightfall, so why don't you visit
Carcy tomorrow? Also, would you mind taking me to Saureah while you're at it? I
apologize for the constant requests, but I'd like to discuss the issue with the king." He
hurried over toward the tent's entrance. "Wait here for a moment. Someone will need
to watch over the camp while I'm away, and I need to leave instructions."
With that, he disappeared outside.
"Well, he was certainly in a hurry."
Ariane nodded in agreement. "Arc, why don't you take Chiyome to the hidden village
now, so she can speak with Hanzo? I'll wait for Father to return."
"Got it. Are you ready, Chiyome?"
"Yes."
"Kyii!"
Chiyome held Ponta close to her chest, its little legs dangling in the air.
I cast Transport Gate and teleported us to the hidden village in the Calcut Mountains,
overlooking the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom. After dropping Chiyome off, I
teleported back to the refugee camp to find Dillan and Ariane waiting for me.
After another quick stop to drop Dillan off at the Nohzan Kingdom, I took Ariane to
see her grandfather, Fangas.
All in all, it was a busy night, though it spoke to how peaceful my life was at the
moment if this was what counted as busy. With that comforting thought in mind, I
performed one last teleportation out of Maple.
The next morning, I picked up Ariane and Ponta and took them with me to the town
of Branbayna, located along the road that ran west from Rhoden's capital and through
the expansive Hibbot wastelands.
The town was built atop a gently sloping hill. Just beyond its stone walls I saw the
outlines of large, boxy buildings. Though lacking the elegant grace of the capital, this
fortified town had something oddly nostalgic about it that I liked.
My thoughts were interrupted by Ariane. "It's been ages since we were last here."
It hadn't been all that long, as far as I could remember. While I was busy grumbling
about this trivial detail, Ariane called out to me to get moving.
"Hey, hurry up, Arc. We still need to report back on what we learn after we talk to him."
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"Kyii!"
I set Ponta atop my head and started walking across the hard-packed red dirt. I
glanced at the fields of crops just outside the town. They were the only source of green
to be seen.
A stone path led through the fields toward the entrance to Branbayna, where a lone
guard greeted us.
"What brings you here, sir? Have you lost your way again?"
From the way he was talking, I figured this was the same guard we'd encountered the
first time we'd come, when I actually had gotten us lost on our way to Lamburt.
I chuckled jovially. "No, no. We're right where we want to be this time. We have
business in Branbayna."
The man looked at me quizzically.
"We're here to meet with Carcy Held. I understand he's living under the protection of
your lord. I'd greatly appreciate it if you would let us pass."
I moved my hulking frame to the side. His expression only grew more confused. Then
he caught sight of Ariane standing behind me, and he audibly gasped as he took in her
snow-white hair, golden eyes, and amethyst skin.
The last time we'd visited Branbayna, Ariane had been wearing a dark cloak with the
hood pulled low to disguise her identity. However, I figured things would go a lot
smoother if we were up-front this time around.
"You're an elf…" The guard looked back and forth between Ariane and me before finally
coming to his senses.
He called up to two more guards standing watch atop the wall. One of them came down
to take his place, while the other ran ahead to announce us.
Once that was taken care of, he smiled at us. "Welcome to Branbayna. I will personally
escort you to the lord's manor."
This hardly seemed necessary, but I decided to accept the offer rather than argue with
him. "Greatly appreciated."
"Kyii!" Ponta imitated me, trying to project an air of toughness from atop my head.
As we walked down the road, people—particularly men—stopped what they were
doing to gawk. Ariane seemed to find the attention annoying and ducked into my
shadow as much as possible. I imagined I looked like a knight protecting his princess.
But since Ariane wasn't at all the type to need protecting, the whole situation felt quite
novel.
For a town built on the side of a lonely road, the center was surprisingly packed with
people. Beyond the crowd, I spotted another large wall with towers jutting out of it.
On the other side of it was the lord's estate.
Four guards stood in front of the entrance. The runner must have already told them of
our approach, because the gate was raised.
"Please follow me."
The guard passed us off to an older gentleman who introduced himself as the captain
before leading us through the wall.
We came to a large, square garden surrounded by an open-air hallway that ran
between several buildings. The buildings here were somewhat on the small side,
though larger than the homes in the town proper.
The captain guided us into a beautiful, two-story building constructed of stone. I
recalled having been here before, on our previous visit. He stopped in front of a
wooden door with a beautifully engraved crest and rapped the simple door knocker.
"It's oooopen!" A man's voice called out from within.
The captain of the guards opened the door and gestured us inside.
"I'll be here if you need me."
I thanked him and stepped through the doorway, making my way past a large dining
table toward a room in the back.
Little had changed since the last time we'd been here. If anything, the room was a little
more crowded.
The table at the center was covered in books and scrolls, while the shelves lining the
walls were completely packed. Even the gorgeous carpet beneath our feet was covered
in animal fangs, bones, fist-sized rocks, and other objects that didn't fit on the table.
There was no place to even stand.
Amidst this mess sat a man at a desk in front of the large glass window. He slowly
looked up at Ariane, Ponta, and me and greeted us in a sing-song voice.
"My, my… How long's it been? Not that long, actually! You know, I hadn't expected to
see you again so soon. Apologies for the mess, but make yourselves at home."
The bespectacled man behind the desk with haphazardly cut green-tinted blond hair
and the distinctive pointed ears of an elf finished his greeting with a gentle laugh. This
was Carcy Held Landfrea, famed monster researcher.
"It feels like it's been ages, Carcy." A lot had happened since we'd last met. It was good
to see him again.
Carcy seemed to read my mind. He grinned, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
"Well, it looks like you two have been putting your time to good use." He smiled
warmly. "To what do I owe this honor?"
Ariane was the first to speak. "Let me take care of this, Arc."
She went on to explain all of the events that had taken place since our last trip here.
Carcy listened with great interest.
"And so we came here to ask you what you know about monster tamers," she concluded.
Carcy crossed his arms and let out a low groan. "Wow. I mean, I never expected to hear
such an extraordinary tale. Just think, Canada joining forces with the mountain people
and humans to topple the Holy Hilk Kingdom? This is truly a monumental event! It
would absolutely blow Skits's mind if he heard about it. Ha ha ha! You know, now that
I mention it, I haven't seen Skits around lately."
Skits was the lord who oversaw Branbayna.
"Oh, my. Just imagining the battle between you and the Dragon Lord… If only I'd been
there! The sight would've seared itself into my mind's eye. A pity I didn't have the
chance." Carcy sighed heavily.
Were dragons even monsters? I couldn't say for sure, but I distantly recalled Villiers
Fim saying something about being a type of spirit. Then again, Carcy was also
interested in Ponta and other spirit creatures.
Carcy's attention suddenly shifted. "More importantly, I'm interested to hear that you,
with your legendary teleportation abilities, are an elf. Do you think perhaps I could
learn how to use them, too? Just imagine… being able to observe any monster wherever
and whenever I pleased. It would be a dream come true."
I could felt Ariane's intense gaze on me. She was clearly annoyed at how far off topic
we'd drifted.
I tried to steer us back on course. "So… do you know much about monster tamers?"
This brought Carcy back to reality. "Ah, right. To be honest, I don't."
Ariane's shoulders slumped at this.
"However," Carcy continued. "I'm intrigued by unique abilities concerning monsters
as they pertain to my research. I know a bit about monster tamers, though my
knowledge is limited."
The elven researcher stood up from his seat and approached one of his brimming
bookshelves.
"Supposedly there were clans of humans living off in the northeastern lands of the
Holy East Revlon Empire. From time to time, a child would be born there who possessed
the talent to control monsters, a talent that the clans used to keep themselves safe.
Their homeland was inhabited by even more monsters than the rest of the northern
continent, making it all but inhospitable to other humans."
Humans tended to build their settlements in locations with relatively few powerful
monsters. Unlike the elves, they intentionally avoided places where dangerous
creatures lurked nearby.
The elves had chosen to live in the forest to escape the persecution they'd undergone
at the hands of the humans. It was only thanks to their spirit magic and martial skills
that they were able to do so. The teleportation points connecting their villages also
helped a great deal.
"What I'd really love to know is whether they developed their abilities as a result of
living in such an unforgiving land, or if those abilities brought them there in the first
place." Carcy pulled a well-aged book from the shelf and began flipping through it.
"Remind me of that monster tamer's name again?"
"Fumba Soodu Rozombanya," Ariane replied.
"Hmm. This book mentions a group called the Soodu who possessed the power to
control monsters. The Rozombanya were one of the clans who lived off in the
northeastern lands. It seems like he somehow came into the employ of the empire."
It sounded as if monster tamers were relatively rare, even among the clans, but hardly
a one-time occurrence.
"So, does this mean there might be other monster tamers out there assisting the
empire?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. It says here that only a few people were born with the powers of the
Soodu. Since the clans needed these Soodu for their very survival, they wouldn't be
able to live if they just handed them over to the empire. Unless they were trading the
Soodu for the empire's protection."
Ariane shook her head. "I didn't see anyone else like Fumba in Leibnizche. So can we
assume that the empire lost their ability to control monsters?"
"Who can say?" Carcy closed the book. "Even if you didn't run into any other members
of the Rozombanya clan, that doesn't mean the empire isn't a threat."
"What makes you say that? What proof do you have?" Ariane demanded.
Carcy closed his eyes, as if arranging his thoughts. "The twin empires in the north are
immense. While the ability to control a hydra would be serious business to a smaller
country, to the rival empires, it's still not enough to guarantee a victory. If we were
talking about a Dragon Lord, that might be a different story, but beings like that are
exceedingly rare. Especially among the humans."
Ariane narrowed her eyes and glanced over at me.
I avoided her gaze and focused on Carcy.
"I don't think the eastern empire would be stupid enough to rest their entire future on
the shoulders of just one man. Sure, hydras are terrifying creatures, but they seem
more than a little inconvenient to use as weapons of war, don't you think?" Carcy held
up a finger, looking like a wizened old priest. "As further proof, let's talk about the
hydra itself. They can be found in places with large bodies of water, such as lakes or
wetlands, and not in dry places like this. Why is that?"
He looked back and forth between us. I raised my hand.
"Yes, Arc?"
"The hydra can't survive without access to water, meaning that if you intended to use
it for war, you could only do so in places with water nearby."
Carcy beamed. "Correct! The hydra's hydration needs make it incredibly unsuitable for
an invasion. It's one thing to keep a hydra in Leibnizche, since a large river runs out of
the Siana Mountains. But it's a different story entirely when you get out into the
midlands. Why, there's so little water that a hydra wouldn't last even three days."
The hydra seemed like a pretty fierce creature to me—what with its speedy regeneration
and powerful attacks—so it felt almost absurd to hear that water was such a critical
weakness.
"You're right, that definitely makes things problematic."
"Okay," Ariane said. "I get that the hydra isn't all that useful in war, but what does that
have to do with whether or not the empire can control other monsters?"
"Monster tamers are certainly powerful," Carcy said. "But even if the empire has
someone with that talent, it doesn't really change the bigger picture. You see, the
power to control monsters isn't innate, but rather a power that someone with the
talent can learn."
Ariane, I, and even little Ponta stared at Carcy in silence as we tried to comprehend
what he was saying.
"Kyii?"
Carcy smiled warmly at the cottontail fox before turning his attention back to us.
"Those born with the proper talent are thought of by the clan as suitable for training.
What they actually wield is a form of sorcery—not some miracle from the heavens,
but a simple technique, much like the spirit magic and sword skills we elves use. Not
everyone will be equally good at it, but they can still learn it, all the same. This power
is no different."
Ariane's eyes went wide. "So… you're saying that Fumba could have taught the
imperial troops how to tame monsters?"
If they'd managed to create some sort of Monster Tamer Corps… The mere thought
was terrifying.
But Carcy shook his head at Ariane's theory. "No, I don't believe it's that simple. Right
now the Holy East Revlon Empire is building up its strength by pouring a great deal of
resources into developing magical items. Specifically, ones that can be used for war.
What if they managed to create some sort of item that gives a person the ability to
tame monsters?"
Ariane swallowed hard. "All the empire would have to do is gather a bunch of monsters
and they'd have a formidable force right there. Throw them into a weakened enemy
and you could win a war with a single strike."
They could keep their human forces safely in the rear while attacking with this
monster corps. The imperial army could then overrun any remaining troops.
I imagined the haunted wolves Fumba had used against us facing off against calvary,
and ogres smashing their way through rank upon rank of infantry.
If the empire had created technology that allowed them to tame monsters, there was
no way they wouldn't use it.
"Of course, this is all just speculation," Carcy assured us. "Hard to say for sure."
Though his words offered a thread of hope, his dark expression suggested otherwise.