The tracker who returned with his wounded companion earlier has been
mostly healed up, but there are still a few wounds that Sano was ineffective
on. Still, he's a real man to be running at the front of this raiding party and
leading the way to make it easier for everyone to find where we have to go.
Our surroundings soon change from the properly built and maintained
houses to increasingly shabby dwellings, and I can see that this must be the
slums. Incidentally, it seems that Lady Nightwane's store is on the other side
from here, at the edge of the slums; it does look quite similar here.
As we make our final approach, the group splits up to cover the various
streets around the building complex, where the slavers' base is located,
according to the tracker's description. He's not coming along all the way since
he's still unable to fight.
"Once any underground passages are located Runa can seal the exterior of
the building, then we will seal all but one tunnel and use that as our entry
point." Ingrid is at the front of the raiding group, which also includes Rolan's
party. Coming to a stop in the shadow of a building across the street from the
complex, we wait and observe, to see if there are any movements around it.
"We found four underground passageways that run in the direction of the
complex." Halfdan soon joins us and points at the ground. "We'll seal all
except for the one that's right underneath us. I'll make an opening now so that
you can move into position."
Luna hears this and begins chanting immediately. It's like gibberish to me,
but I'm sure I'll learn the words she's using in due time. Once again, it takes a
pretty long time, during which two more parties join up with us and make
their final preparations before the raid commences.
"There's movement!" Ingrid hisses and points at the windows on the first
floor. Several men with bows or crossbows appear, but before they can take
aim, they are struck down by arrows coming from the rooftops around us.
Arni and his snipers are doing their job masterfully.
"Glacial Prison!" Luna finishes her incantation and announces the spell
name. So, it was really called that? She points her staff at the building, and the air around us begins to grow colder, as a white mist swirls around the
complex. Its front door is opened, but before the first person can come out, a
thick wall of ice shoots up from the ground and quickly grows skyward.
Within moments, the entire house is surrounded by ice, and some pillars even
pierce into its walls as if to anchor itself into place.
When Halfdan sees this, he gives the signal to his party members on the
other ends of the complex. Then he begins to chant and places his hands on
the ground before him. I can hear a rumbling underground, suggesting that
the passageway below us is being sealed. A hole opens up before us, and a
crude set of stairs leading into the darkness appears to grow out of the earth.
"Move out!" Ingrid raises her voice and bellows her order so that everyone
can hear her, including Arni's party on the rooftops. The four parties
consisting of twenty-one people climb down into the opening created by
Halfdan's earth magic one after the other.
Luna and I are among the last to enter. She creates a flame above her staff
and leads the way for me, as we descend into the tunnels below. The other
adventurers are also carrying torches, so our way is lit.
The walls around us are bare dirt, so I assume this isn't an old sewage
tunnel. Still, it's unexpectedly wide, and two people can stand next to each
other without a problem. The ceiling is high enough for even Gram to remain
upright in.
The other parties already ahead of us begin to move in the direction of the
complex. Apparently, there aren't any slavers trying to take this escape route,
as we don't encounter any obstacles. Our progress is quick, as we run through
the passageway.
Not far in, we come upon a closed wooden door built into a brick wall,
which is most definitely leading into the cellar of the building complex. It's
locked, but one adventurer at the front uses a heavy hammer to break it down
with a loud crash.
They know we're coming from down here now.
We find ourselves in a dark cellar, with a set of stairs leading up to the first
floor, and a door to the right. The raiding party decides to split up, with Rolan
opting to remain on this floor to search the basement, while the other three
parties go upstairs.
Shortly after we open the door to the right and the other adventurers climb
the stairs, the sounds of a battle breaks out above us already. According to Gram's reassurance, they are adventurers, that can handle themselves, so we
don't turn around to aid them.
When I think about it, I didn't hear anyone shout something like 'Police!
Freeze!', so if it turns out these are just civilians defending their homes from
intruders, it will make everyone involved a huge laughing stock.
That's just some idle musing, though. The trackers found this location by
following the trail left behind by those who destroyed Lady Nightwane's
store, and snipers were trying to shoot at us from the second floor of the
building, so there's no doubt as to the nature of those who live in here.
Luna and I are all the way in the back since we don't have any fighting
capabilities to speak of. In her case, because she takes too long to chant
during battle, and our enemies are humans that will understand that she's
using magic, so they can avoid it better than wild beasts. In my case, because
I'm officially still only a healer. I guess that still makes me someone who has
to be protected by everyone, no matter how powerful my magic becomes.
Gram and the bard split up from us, while I move with Luna and Rolan, to
cover more ground. At this point, it's quite unlikely that there are any enemies
down here since we would have already come across them when we broke
down the door.
"I found someone!" Gram shouts down the hallway, and Rolan rushes
towards the location immediately. We quickly follow, so that we're not left
behind alone.
The room Gram called out to us from is filled with more than a dozen bunk
beds crammed into a small area. There's a group of beautiful young women
wearing simple and dirty shirts huddled up in one corner and shaking in fear.
Every single one of them has long pointy ears. There are thirteen in total,
though none of them are dark elves. I guess those are extra rare.
In another corner, six dwarves are doing the same. I don't know about
dwarf physiology, but I'd say they're all males. Wearing only a loincloth and
bodies covered in curled red or brown hair, they don't give the impression of
being female to me. Their magnificent beards are well-maintained despite the
circumstances, so it's safe to assume that they're merchandise as well.
"Do you know where the others are being held?" Luna walks up to the
elves and lifts the hair over her ears. They're long and pointy, but only half as
long as those of the gathered elves. I guess a half-elf is really only half as elf
as a full-blooded one.
Seeing this, the slaves begin to sigh in relief and let their emotions flow
freely, with some breaking out in tears. One is able to gather her composure
faster than the others and begins to talk to Luna. I'll administer some healing
magic on those that have been mistreated. Even though I don't really care
about people I don't personally get to know, I do feel angry at seeing
beautiful girls getting hurt.
I don't care about the dwarves that much, though.
Under my palm, small cuts caused by whips close up quickly and leave no
marks behind, while the discoloration from bruises disappears completely.
Without my healing, wouldn't those wounds result in scars? How can you do
that to a girl's skin - especially one you want to sell? I don't understand the
way those people conduct their business.
"How many of you are being held here?" I ask the one I just finished
healing.
"Twenty-eight..." She whispers, barely audible to me. It's obvious she's
scared, even though we're here to save them.
No wait, she's looking at Senka. Damn, can nobody here understand the
charms of her design?
I relay the information to Rolan, and we begin to move upstairs in our
party. Just in case, we tell the slaves to remain here and wait for our return. It
might seem a little cruel to do this, but it's better than taking them along into
a battle. And we can't spare anybody to watch over them or lead them outside
right now, so it's the best course of actions for the time being.
When we come up to the first floor, I see several thugs bound by ropes or
lying unconscious. The adventurers that come to me for healing only have
small cuts or bruises, and mostly want to be mothered by a cute girl like
myself. It's quite clear from their expressions when they dramatize their
wounds.
Judging by how easygoing they are, the raid must be going smoothly. I
guess the slavers didn't have anyone well-trained or strong enough to stand
up against adventurers in here? They've been on the back foot since the
moment they clashed in the hallways, and several isolated members have
surrendered already.
A few of them were killed because they resisted until the very end, but
most have opted to stay alive rather than try and fight their ways out of this.
At this rate, we'll be done quickly. But I just can't shake the feeling that it's
going too smoothly...
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocks the very foundations of the
complex. Everyone stops in their tracks and cover their heads from the dust
raining onto them, fearing that the entire upper floor could come down.
There it is, the obvious unforeseen circumstance of somebody strong who
can fight back showing up!
It's obviously always the best course of action to run towards the sound of
an explosion inside a cramped building like this one. If someone's magic
caused it, doing so is the best way to get taken out in a large group. I hope
you can do the same when you choose to attack the demon castle one day.
Thinking this while I follow after Rolan and his party, as well as several
other adventurers who temporarily split from their team, we come upon a
hallway into which a big hole was opened on either side. It seems something
exploded inside the room on the right side, and broke through two walls, into
the room on the left.
When I peek into the right one, I see scorched furniture, with three burned
bodies lying on the ground. They are pretty much unidentifiable, but I can see
one of them has somewhat long and pointy ears. That must have been an
elven slave. The others wear charred armor or are clutching weapons, so I
guess they were adventurers.
Then I look inside the room on the left side and find that there's a huge hole
leading to the street outside. The lookouts on the rooftops point towards us,
signaling that whoever blew this hole into the side of the building hasn't come
out this way. Why would they do that, when they could just break through the
encirclement with this firepower and escape on their own?
In other words, there must be something they want to protect.
"Spread out and find whoever did this!" Ingrid joins us from the rear, and
her voice is filled with anger. She just lost two guild members here.
Still, great idea! This mage burned several people with an explosive spell,
and you think it's best to send more after him? I'm not sure I could withstand
that kind of magic myself, so how could a normal human being?
I doubt everyone is like Luna and requires so long to chant a single spell.
In fact, this mage must have been able to use an almost instantaneous spell.
Otherwise, I can't find an explanation as to how he could overcome several
adventurers carrying traditional weapons.
Live to fight another day, they say.
The offer for the academy rings even more enticingly in my mind, even if
only to find a countermeasure against magic.
I follow Rolan and Gram, making sure to stay behind the latter's enchanted
shield. Rolan seems fearless despite the danger of this powerful mage, and
Luna doesn't appear especially alarmed either. Are you just that confident or
is there something I don't know about battles between mages?
Another explosion shakes the entire building. A wave of scorching air
blows through the corridor but is mostly blocked by Gram and his massive
shield, since he's walking at the very front. Good to have you here, big man.
The enemy mage must be close.
We soon round a corner and find a wide corridor where the slavers have
erected a makeshift barricade consisting of crates and overturned tables. Half
a dozen thugs wielding axes, hammers, and clubs, are making a stand here.
Behind them is a heavy wooden door that must lead somewhere important.
Among the enemies is one man who stands out. He's wearing a dark red
robe with a red feathered collar and has reddish-brown hair and tan skin. That
must be the fire mage. He's even wielding a cane-sized staff with a large ruby
let into its tip.
What's with this character? It's actually funny that just by seeing his outfit
one can tell what his elemental affinity is. But at the same time, he's the first
darker-skinned person I've seen in this nation, as all others are quite pale.
There's a group of adventurers cowering behind their shield-bearer just like
we are. That shield must be an enchanted one, or they would have been
blown away. They're trying to keep the enemies in check, but it's clear that
they're at a disadvantage both in quantity and quality.
"Ignis!" The fire mage chants this single word in a commanding tone. A
ball of fire the size of a grown person's head appears above the tip of his
cane, which he then grabs with a hand and throws at the adventurers in a
single fluid motion. Upon contact with the ground in front of them, it goes up
in a fiery explosion.
"That spell...?! He must have a double fire affinity!" Luna exclaims in
shock. Double? What do you mean by that?
Luckily, it seems I was right about the fact that the shield bearer has an
enchanted shield similar to Gram's, and is holding it at an angle. The wave of
heat forces him back slightly, but nobody is hurt. However, the guy who just
peeked out to shoot his bow does it too hastily, and the arrow flies off into nowhere. The melee fighters obviously don't dare to approach the fire mage
while only wielding swords.
They're in a deadlock.
Luna, use water magic! It should be super effective, right?
Another fireball is flung at the shield bearer and hits the shield directly.
The explosion throws the man behind it backward and into his party
members. Seeing that opening, the enemy mage immediately chants another
spell to attack the exposed group with it.
However, Gram reacts quickly and jumps in front of them with his massive
shield. The enchanted steel blocks the fireball and causes the magic to
dissipate completely on impact.
What level of enchantment is on your shield, oi? Look, the fire mage is
also baffled!
"Protect me while I prepare my spell." Lifting her staff, Luna begins to
chant.
Are you sure, Luna? You will become the target for a fireball when you do
that right in front of the enemy's eyes. Now that the big man has left to
frontline for the other adventurers, we have been exposed. Rolan moves in
front of her and brandishes his sword as if signaling that he will shield her
with everything he has.
Woah, this isn't some final battle where you have to sacrifice your life to
get the win! It's just a side quest boss. Didn't you want to defeat the demon
queen?
No wait, it's better if you die here rather than become more powerful, and
one day, challenge Maou-mama! On the other hand, I still want to journey
with you guys a while longer, to learn more about humans, and their strengths
and weaknesses...
"Ignis!" The enemy mage's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
There, I knew it! A fireball flies towards us, but Rolan jumps forward and
slashes it with his sword. The fire is cut in half and fizzles out harmlessly.
Are you for real? You can do that? I have to reevaluate this party's strength,
compared to the other adventurers, who seem to be far weaker. They have
neither the teamwork nor the individual abilities that Rolan and the others
have.
Speaking of individual abilities, where's the bard? I feel like I haven't seen
him for a while now.
A crossbow bolt hits a thug in the shoulder, as he just peeked out of cover
to throw a knife at Luna. The bard was the one who fired it, now hiding
behind Gram among the other group of adventurers. Their archer also tries to
provide fire support and shoots at the mage.
I follow the arrow with my eyes and see it suddenly change its trajectory a
distance away from its intended target. There's something like heat haze
surrounding the fire mage, so it must have redirected the projectile. I can't
help but feel that creating a heat barrier must be some high-level magic.
Though, it explains why there's some space between him and the thugs
since the heat would hurt them, too.
"Tri-Natura!" Luna is finally done. This took about as long as the
Elemental Overload spell she used on the wulfar back then. But that last one
was four elements, and this one sounds like it only uses three.
An unnatural breeze forms and whips the half-elf mage's cloak around.
From the tip of her staff water and fire form, and mix into a glowing sphere.
A barrier of wind holds it into place until the sphere burns as brightly as the
sun.
Don't tell me this is fusion? Is that even how fusion works?
The fire mage sees the spell and his eyes expand in shock before he quickly
jumps behind a large crate - the heaviest cover available to him. This must be
quite the powerful magic if he reacts like that.
Luna balances the glowing orb on the tip of her staff and points it in the
direction of her opponent. From the sphere, a single narrow beam shoots out
like a ray of light, right into the crate the mage is hiding behind.
That's a freaking laser!
A sizzling hole the size of a five-hundred Yen coin is burned into the crate.
From behind it, the mage's scream can be heard, before he falls to the floor
while clutching his shoulder. The laser went right through his cover, his
body, as well as the wall behind him. Luckily, it was at an angle, or it would
most likely have pierced through half the city or something.
If I were to get hit by that, I wouldn't fare better than that guy did. I don't
have a conceptual defensive shield that I can summon to block this positron
sniper rifle! And Luna is still keeping the sphere up, meaning she can shoot it
more than once.
"Surrender, or my next shot will not miss any vitals." She announces and
raises her staff dangerously.
"Don't shoot! We surrender!" The thugs behind the barricades immediately
react by standing up with their hands in the air and dropping their weapons to
the ground. After seeing their leader getting sniped through his heavy cover,
they lost all the confidence in their own much flimsier ones.
"I... surrender..." The fire mage raises his one good arm while still lying on
the ground, and presses these words out between his clenched teeth. He's
fortunate to be still alive, considering that beam was shot through cover
blindly. If it had been off by just a few inches, it could have pierced through
his spine or even his head.
This battle here seems to have been concluded with an overwhelming
victory.
"But really, why would someone with a double elemental affinity become a
criminal?" Luna wonders after the slavers are bound and gathered up to be
taken away. "With his talent, he could have applied at a great magic school,
maybe even the Royal Academy."
Apparently, that guy didn't think so. I'm sure he has a reason for doing this,
and talented people resorting to crime exist everywhere. Crime is the easy
and fast path in life, high-risk, high-reward. It's like gambling, staking one's
future at all times. You either keep winning, or you never get to play again.
In either case, I'm interested in learning about that double elemental
affinity thing, so I ask Luna directly. Wondering about it by myself won't get
me anywhere since all I can think of is that it means to have an affinity for
the same element twice. That doesn't really make any sense now, does it?
"It means somebody who would normally have an affinity for two
elements, but both of them are focused on the same one." The half-elf
responds with a sigh as she watches the mage being led away. That
explanation isn't very enlightening. "These mages have much more control
over that element, and can greatly enhance even the most basic spells. He was
using 'Ignis', right? No matter how talented one normally is, the fire created
from that spell cannot cause such explosions."
"I see..." I think I get it somehow. As expected of fantasy, such things are
possible, too.
Now that it's been cleared up, I want to see what's so important behind that
door the fire mage and the thugs wanted to protect. Why would they make a
stand here instead of trying to flee using his destructive magic abilities?
Rolan seems to be curious, too. He asks Gram to have his shield ready so
that he can block whatever may come out from the other side when he opens
the door. Other adventurers gather around, their weapons gripped tightly and
pointed forward, as they focus on the entrance before them.
The anticipation is rewarded with a boring nothing; rather than an enemy
springing forth, there's only a large storage room beyond the door. It's filled
with crates, cages covered in sheets and stacked barrels most likely
containing all kinds of goods. Maybe this is their vault?
Among all that, a man is cowering behind a crate too small for his rotund
frame, doing a lousy job at hiding himself. He looks like a typical rich
sleazebag who made his fortune in underhanded ways; greasy hair combed
over to cover the balding top, beady nervous eyes, a fat nose with a hairy
wart sticking out on the side, and thick lips that flap open and closed,
desperate to find words under the present circumstances.
I guess the thugs outside were trying to hide him, so he must be someone
important. Considering there don't seem to be any escape routes from this
room, they were making a final stand to try and take all adventurers down.
Maybe they would have succeeded, if not for our party's intervention.
"If it isn't Lord Mogens." Ingrid walks forward with a furious expression
while cracking her knuckles. She lost two adventurers in the raid, and one
tracker was killed trying to find this place, so her anger is understandable.
Wait, 'Lord' Mogens?
"The lord governor's brother?" Rolan mutters in disbelief. If that's his
brother, it's possible that the lord governor himself is in on this, too. Did we
uncover a big scandal?
"T-thank you for saving me!" Lord Mogens' voice is befittingly highpitched for a human pig, and he's breathing hard despite not having moved
much. Honestly, he's just a disgusting creature. "These scoundrels were
keeping me imprisoned here!"
He's acting the victim, but judging by the fact that he was hiding here, not
bound and still in possession of his expensive clothes and accessories, it's
clear that he's either a buyer or the mastermind behind it all.
"Is that so. I'm glad we could be of assistance. Now, let's go and have a talk
with Lord Severin." The guild master waves over two adventurers, who
apprehend the fat and sweaty man. His attempts to struggle are so hilariously
weak that I have to suppress my laughter.
"H-huh? W-what are you doing! No, please!" Even when it should be
obvious that they've seen through him, he tries to worm his way out. His
pleas fall on deaf ears, as he's taken outside. "Believe me! I have nothing to
do with what was going on here! Please, don't bring me to my brother!
Unhand me!"
Well, I suppose the lord of this city isn't in cahoots with this guy, or he
wouldn't be so obviously afraid of being taken to him. I guess I don't have to
worry about that end of the matter, then.
Now that everyone has time to look around, they begin to take the sheets
off the cages. Most of them are empty, but there are three with wild animals
in them. And every one of those animals is noticeably corrupted.
A medium-sized cage holds a cat-like animal that has a large horn growing
from its forehead. Aside from that, it doesn't seem any special. It doesn't
seem to exhibit any aggressive behavior normally ascribed to cursed animals
and just watches us quietly.
Wait, this might actually be a naturally evolved animal in this world, for all
I know. In fact, its rich and lustrous fur combined with its regal behavior
makes me think this might just be some noble's pet that was kidnapped for
ransom.
In another cage are two lizards with weak little wings. The only reason I'm
fairly certain they aren't dragons is the fact that they look very much like
iguanas that sprouted extra limbs. They don't seem like they could fly with
those, and I doubt they're able to breathe fire either. These must be cursed
then?
The third cage is pretty big and holds a wulfar. However, this one's eye
sockets are hollow, and instead, its whiskers have grown into eight prehensile
feelers. It has six legs, and the spines that should be running along its back
have turned into insect-like arms.
Alright, this one's definitely corrupted, and it's expressing itself in a very
creepy way at that. Not even I could consider that cool or cute.
But these are just curiosities and commodities that one should be able to
trade openly - unless these were also kidnapped from their rightful owners.
Then again, maybe keeping cursed animals is illegal since they're considered
to be dangerous.
However, my attention is on the biggest cage all the way in the back of the
storage room, covered with a sheet of thick cloth. This one's big enough to hold a bear, and might contain something to match its size. The adventurers
inspect the animals, but nobody else seems to have noticed this one, yet.
I approach the cage and unhesitatingly pull the sheet that covers it,
revealing the being inside. It's a young dark elf with dirty dark skin and
unkempt hair, sitting in the corner of the cage and staring at me with a feral
amethyst-colored glare.
She's a corrupted being; her right arm is deformed, and from around the
middle of the upper arm downward, it turns into a giant crab pincer. In fact, if
she stood up and straightened her arm, its tip could maybe even reach the
floor. Unlike her skin color, it's a bright red.
A fiddler crab's arm?
"A cursed dark elf..." Rolan, who has noticed my movements in this corner
of the room, comes up to me and speaks with a look of pity in his eyes.
Hey, what's with that face? I would understand it if you directed that
expression at the animals, but not at a person! I turn to look at the girl, who
tries to hide her arm by turning away. But the crab pincer is almost as wide as
her petite body, so she's unable to cover it completely.
I actually think it looks pretty cool.
"What happens to her?" I have the feeling that she'll be treated as an outcast
in the world of humans and elves alike. I'm sure nobody in the Dominion
would mind, though. I mean, beings like me exist over there, so this is pretty
harmless.
Ugh, why do I hurt myself so?
"I don't think anyone is going to come and claim her as family... it's even
possible that she was sold into slavery by her own parents." The leader
replies in a somber tone.
That's really cruel. To think human and elven society is that backwards and
doesn't have a social care system for people affected by birth defects - which
corruption results in - and are unable to live on their own. Well, the same is
true for most countries in the world I come from, so...
I look at the cursed dark elf, and our eyes meet. Her amethyst irises appear
to be glowing faintly in the twilight of this room and are drawing me in. It
feels like I could lose myself in them forever, their mysterious patterns
seemingly swirling in the colors of the sea of stars in a clear night's sky. They
remind me of another certain dark elf. I assume all of their kind have eyes
like those.
"I want her." I find myself saying without really thinking.
"Miss Chloe? But slavery is forbi-" Rolan begins to complain, but I clear
up his misunderstanding.
"No, not as a slave. I want to free her. I want to give her a place in this
world." Looking up at him with a soft smile, I wordlessly imply 'just like you
did for me'. He closes his mouth, taken aback by my expression.
He didn't really do anything significant since I only faked my helplessness
- and still am faking it. But making him think he did allows me to manipulate
him better.
However, this girl is really in the situation I pretended to be in. When I
look into her eyes, I see only despair. While there's a tiny flicker of life in
them, it's so faint that it may disappear at any moment. Hers is a gaze on the
verge of giving up on life.
She's too young for that.
In other words, my motherly instincts are getting stirred up, when I look
into her eyes - even though I'm only seventeen years old. Well, I can also feel
something darker stir inside me, so I can't say my reasons are entirely
selfless.
Rounding the cage, I find the door. It's obviously locked, but only with a
simple mechanism rather than one that requires a key. The only reason the
little dark elf couldn't open it herself is that it's too high up for her to reach. It
requires one to turn and lift up a heavy metal bar, which would be too much
for her to do while balancing on tiptoes.
I unlock the mechanism and enter the cage.
"Wait, that's dangerous, Miss Chloe!" At the leader's voice, others turn
around to us. Gram, Luna and the bard come over with concerned
expressions on their faces.
I slowly inch towards the cursed girl, avoiding fast movements like I'm
dealing with a wild animal. She bares her teeth, her expression filled with
fear; she must have had many painful experiences with people coming into
her space before.
Luckily, I had enough presence of mind to leave Senka outside, since her
appearance surely won't do any good in such a situation.
"Please come out of there. You don't know how strong the cursed can be!"
Rolan isn't shouting, but his voice carries a certain urgency. The big man
watches anxiously since he can't follow me into this cramped space with his shield. Luna raises her staff and begins to chant, while the bard readies his
crossbow.
Stop it, or I'll get mad! I'm ready to take you all out to save this girl if I
have to! Yes, to me, she's more like kin than any of you humans are.
I move around to block the other party members' views on the dark elf girl.
That way, they can't attack her without potentially hurting me in the process.
With my arms outstretched, I step forward trying to appear as unthreatening
as possible. But she slowly raises her crab arm in response to my approach,
all the while shaking all over in fear.
I have to admit, from so close up, it looks quite scary. There are sharp
spikes on the outer ridge, and the color is like a warning signal, although it
makes me think that it's actually drenched in blood. But I'm not someone who
gets discouraged by appearances.
We're now both in range to touch each other, but I stop and lower myself to
her eye-level. I heard that this is the best way to speak to a scared child.
"There's nothing to fear." I hope I'm making a relaxing warm voice; I can't
really tell.
Ah, a little life returned to her eyes, as she looks at me in surprise. I smile
at her as best as I can, but somehow she gasps and tries to retreat from me.
The cage's bars keep her from doing so, and desperation flashes across her
face.
Did I do an evil smile just now? I have a human face, so I should be able to
tell whether I'm genuinely smiling or not. But maybe it's because she doesn't
let herself feel hope, for fear of it being betrayed? Maybe my smile seemed
dishonest to her, and she thinks that I will only hurt her in the end, too?
No point in thinking, it's do or die! I move forward quickly-
- and get slapped across the face by the huge pincer.
Ahhh, of course, that's how it goes. I'm crying over here. Big sis is crying
because you're rejecting her kindness.
"Miss Marcott! Are you alright?" Luna, of all people, is concerned about
me.
The slap was unexpectedly light, and it was with the side of the claw that's
completely smooth. Either way, physical attacks don't really work on me - at
least not ones of this level. But now that she swung her arm and it didn't have
any effect, I used the opening to close the distance and enter her range!
"Everything's alright now..." I hug the little dark elf to my chest and whisper into her long and pointy ear. She's shocked by my unexpected course
of actions and begins to struggle, but I won't let go, now that I got her. "I
won't let anyone hurt you ever again."
Of course, that's a very arbitrary promise, since nobody could ever
guarantee something like that in a world where people can fling fireballs and
shoot magic lasers. But at least it sounds reassuring. And I do have every
intention of following through with it.
Ah, she's sinking her teeth into my shoulder.
Are you a wild dog? I heard that when a dog bites you because it's afraid of
you, and you don't show any anger or hostility, it will lick the wound as if to
apologize. Well, I don't expect a demi-human to do that, but I still endure it
without making a sound. Not like it hurts at all since I have this convenient
body. Also, she doesn't have much strength in her bite and is unable to pierce
my skin.
I don't let go of her and keep my firm but warm embrace, trying to convey
the thought that I want to keep her safe through it. Finally, she stops
struggling, and lets go of my shoulder. I separate from her and look into her
eyes, noticing that her fear and desperation has faded.
She sees my expression and finally realizes that I mean her no harm, so her
body relaxes and she begins to tear up. Burying her face into my chest, she
lets her emotions run wild.
I did it.
"You're a real daredevil, Miss Chloe..." Rolan sighs behind me. I turn
around and see the tension in the room dissipate. Gram's even making an
approving gesture.
"What's your name?" I ask in a soft tone after she finally calms down and
we separate again.
"... Kamii..." She replies in a frail voice. It seems she understands our
language.
"I'm Kuroe Makoto." Introducing myself with the original pronunciation of
my name, I caress her cheek and give her a reassuring smile. She nuzzles into
my chest again and squeezes me tightly.
Ahhh, what a nice feeling~
"Mahkotoh..." She mutters, and I can feel my heart skip a beat. It's
pronounced with a childlike lisp, but it's much closer to my real name than
what the others have been calling me so far. I don't even care that she may think it's my family name since it's actually my given name.
I steal a glance at Senka leaning against the bars outside the cage, but she
obviously doesn't move while there are so many people around. With Kamii,
I just got two cute companions in the span of two days.
Bad taste? Whoever says that will get swallowed whole, and in my belly,
find a new definition of pain and suffering, as they're slowly digested over
the course of a thousand years!