Roxy Migurdia, the woman who was Rudeus' master, ended her sea
voyage in the city of Wind Port on the Demon Continent.
She stopped short as soon as she disembarked. Wind Port's townscape
was much like that of Millis' northern city, Zant Port. Even those laying their
eyes on it for the first time would be beset with a sense of déjà vu.
However, déjà vu wasn't the reason why Roxy paused. It was because
there was a clear difference in the air here compared to Millis Continent.
It's been so long, she thought. Nostalgia rose from the depths of her
chest. When was the last time she was here? It must have been about fifteen
years ago. Now that she thought about it, she realized how much time had
passed since she started envying the humans and fled from her village. When she landed in Millis Continent's Millishion back then, and ate
the sweets made by humans, she was shocked at how such delicious food
could exist in the world. She decided then that she would never eat food from
the Demon Continent again, and that she would never return, either.
A bit simple-minded, if I do say so myself, she thought.
In truth, she hadn't returned since she left Millis Continent for the
Central Continent, and she'd never even considered going back. There was so
much on the Central Continent. Everything she saw there was fresh and
exciting, and before she knew it she'd already lived on the Central Continent
for as long as she'd lived on the Demon Continent.
In all that time, the Demon Continent never crossed her mind. Not even
when she went burrowing into labyrinths and faced death did she stop to
think of the parents she'd left behind on the Demon Continent.
Despite that, now she had returned.
You never know where life will take you, she thought.
"Roxy! We're going!"
As she stood there, a woman called out to her. The woman's ears
peeked out from a mane of luxurious golden hair the color of freshly baked
bread. She was an elf, tall and slender with a small waist and a nice, round
behind. Roxy's heart filled with envy every time she saw the woman from a
distance. There was nothing she could do about it; it was how the elves were,
but she still wished she could have a body like that. And while their busts
were similar, the elf woman was well-balanced and beautiful, whereas Roxy
looked plain and childlike.
"Yeah, I'm coming." A sigh escaped her lips.
The name of that magnificent woman was Elinalise Dragonroad. She
was an elf warrior, a vanguard on the front line. She was equipped with a
shield and an estoc, which she used primarily for thrust attacks. Her skills
were just as magnificent as her appearance.
An estoc wasn't a common weapon amongst adventurers. In the Asura
Kingdom, it was used by the nobles during duels, and in the northern region
it was used by warriors when they were fully decked out in armor. The one in
Elinalise's possession was a magic item found in the depths of a labyrinth. It was sturdier than most swords and a single wave could create a wind vacuum
that could cut down trees meters away. The buckler was also a magic item
with the ability to mitigate any attack it received.
"O-ooh…solid land, it's solid land…" An elderly dwarf came tottering
out of the ship from behind Roxy. His heavy armor clanked and his grim
beard swayed as he clung to his cane, his face ghostly pale.
His name was Talhand. Formally, he was known as Talhand of the
Harsh, Large Mountain Summit. He was about Roxy's height, with more than
twice the girth. This man, with his grim beard and heavy armor wrapped
around his entire body, was a magician.
Why was a magician wearing so much armor? Even Roxy questioned it
at first. But Talhand's feet were slow, and his agility nonexistent. If a beast
attacked him, he had no way of evading it. However, with such bulky armor
protecting him, he could use magic right on the front lines.
"Are you all right, Mister Talhand? Should I cast healing on you?"
"No, it's not necessary." He rocked his head back and forth and
scooted his sluggish body forward. He was normally a bit more nimble than
this, but he'd gotten seasick and it had weakened him.
Elinalise put her hand on her hip and harrumphed. "Seriously? How
pathetic. It's just a boat."
Talhand's face went red with anger. "You… what did you just
say…?!"
These two were quick to start fights with one another, so it fell to Roxy
to intervene. "Let's fight about this later, please. Miss Elinalise, you don't
have to comment on everything. Some people are predisposed to getting
seasick."
Roxy had met them at the city of East Port in Dragon King's Realm.
The two of them were fighting in the Adventurers' Guild, and at first, Roxy
ignored them. However, she intervened when she heard amidst their
bickering that they were searching for people who had gone missing from the
Fittoa Region, and they planned to travel to the Demon Continent. Neither
one of them was good with the geography of the Demon Continent, and had
conflicting opinions as a result. Talhand argued that they should go to
Begaritt Continent since they knew the lay of the land, or the northern part of the Central Continent. Elinalise, on the other hand, said they could still search
for people even if they didn't know the way, and they could always hire
someone once they arrived. And there was Roxy, dealing with her anxiety
alone, a native of the Demon Continent. It was almost as if she were fated to
meet them.
As their conversation continued, she found out they were former
members of Paul and Zenith's party. Fangs of the Black Wolf, they were
called. Roxy had heard of them. They were one of the most famous parties in
all of the Central Continent: a mismatched party full of members with one or
two odd quirks which was once talk of the town. They rose to S-rank in a few
short years and disbanded shortly after, but Roxy remembered them well.
Still, she'd never realized that Paul and Zenith were members of the
Fangs of the Black Wolf. She couldn't hide her surprise. And the two of them
were just as surprised by her. After all, she was Roxy Migurdia, well-known
by the people as a Water King-tier magician, a young blue-haired girl who
hailed from the Demon Continent. She'd entered the University of Magic and
within a few years obtained the title of Water Saint-tier Magician, then
traversed a maze on Shirone Kingdom's outskirts that was twenty-five levels
deep. After that, she took her seat as one of the Shirone Kingdom's court
magicians.
A troubadour sang stories of her early adventures, turning them to
verse that spread her name further. It was a story about how a young female
magician left her hometown, encountered three novice adventurers, and
traveled around the Demon Continent before setting off for the Millis
Continent. Her name didn't appear in the rhyme. However, adventurers who
knew the song recognized that it was Roxy from her description.
Calling the three of them (Roxy, Elinalise and Talhand) a group of
kindred spirits would have been an overstatement, but it was true that their
objectives coincided. Roxy was headed to the Demon Continent to search for
Rudeus, while the other two were honoring Paul's request to search for his
family members. And so they formed a party together and headed off to the
Demon Continent.
The boarded a ship with Millis Continent as their first destination.
There, in the city of West Port, they used an enormous amount of money to
purchase Sleipnir horses and a carriage. A big expense, but little problem given the size of their purses.
They avoided the holy capital of Millishion, since the other two didn't
get along with Paul terribly well. Both also had a bad reputation among their
respective kin, so they kept away from the Blue Wyrm Mountain settlement
where the dwarves resided, as well as the elf settlement in the Great Forest.
Instead, they headed straight for Zant Port.
According to the pair, the rainy season would soon be upon the Great
Forest, so they should move fast while they could. But with the way they
forced the horses to move constantly, even at night, it seemed like they just
didn't want to be on the Millis Continent for a second longer than was
necessary. Roxy assumed the real reason was that they simply didn't want to
go back home.
Whatever their reasons, they arrived on the Demon Continent in record
time, so Roxy had no complaints.
"Let's head to the Adventurers' Guild first," Roxy proposed, and the
three of them started in that direction. The guild was always a first stop for
adventurers.
"I hope it's a nice place!"
Roxy pulled a face at Elinalise's words. The elf may have appeared
chaste, but she loved men. It was hard to imagine with that figure, but she'd
probably had numerous children. According to her, this was all a part of the
curse that had been set upon her, but she didn't act the least bit aggrieved
about it. In fact, she rather seemed to enjoy it. Roxy couldn't believe it.
"Miss Elinalise, we're not searching for men."
"I know that."
No, you don't, Roxy scowled. Elinalise might not have had any
problem with her so-called curse, but Roxy wished she would think of the
party she was traveling with. It was fine for Elinalise to do whatever she liked
in her own time, but this was an emergency. Besides, if she got pregnant, it
would only delay their trip even further.
I wish you'd take it easy a little, Roxy thought.
"Maybe you should get a man or two yourself and—"
"I can't do that."
Maybe if I looked as gorgeous as you, Roxy thought bitterly.
Unfortunately, none of the men that Roxy had ever taken an interest in saw
her as a woman. She was popular with children, but she had no luck when it
came to men.
***
The Demon Continent's Adventurers' Guild had a unique feel to it
compared to its counterpart on the Central Continent. Many different races
were paired together in parties.
When Roxy entered, she chanced upon a group who were very clearly
newbies. Three young boys, all dressed in warriors' gear. They approached
her timidly.
"U-um, would you maybe…form a party with us?!"
Roxy smiled wryly in the face of their plea. "No, as you can see, I'm
already in a party."
The three of them smiled bitterly at her refusal before making their
retreat. It wasn't the first time she'd been invited to a party like this; she'd
been asked numerous times by groups of three young boys. The troubadour
had told her he would write songs of her, but she never expected to become
this famous.
"Will you look at that, Roxy? You're getting invited by some fine boys
after all!" Elinalise patted her on the head.
This happened often. Roxy wasn't going to bother responding to it. She
wasn't a child. "Our ranks are too far apart. We couldn't form a party,
anyway." Roxy was currently A-ranked. Boys beguiled by the troubadour's
song were, on average, only D-ranked. She'd never been approached by any
who were above Rank B.
The first time she got one of those party invitations, she bragged about
how she was the main character in those songs, only to discover she wasn't
actually named in them, thus embarrassing herself. It was a memory she'd
prefer to forget.
She never imagined the troubadour would fail to recognize her race. Instead he wrongly assumed that she was only twelve and had become A-
ranked in a mere two years. Not only that, but the current version of the song
was so overdramatized that it said she traveled the Demon Continent and
became A-ranked in only a year.
Don't kid yourself, Roxy thought. In reality, it took her about five years
to rise to Rank A. With the Demon Continent as her base of operations, she
rose to Rank B in three years. From there, she spent two years hopping from
party to party. That was still a quick rise, though. If she were to start over
from Rank F, she might be able to obtain an A-ranking in just a year, but a
party of kids with no experience could never swing that.
"You could have shaped them into men who would suit my tastes.
What a shame."
Elinalise's words triggered a flashback to the three novice adventurers
who had first approached her back then. They called themselves the Rikarisu
Gang, three young boys who helped her out after she left the Migurd village,
when she was nothing more than a countryside bumpkin who couldn't tell
left from right.
One of them was very sarcastic, always making up lies on the spot, but
really good at looking out for people. Another loved to curse people out and
had a foul mouth, but was also very determined. The third was incredibly
clever, and the one who held the group together. He died during their
journey.
Their party had disbanded when they reached Wind Port, but she
wondered. Were the other two still alive and well? After adventuring on the
Central Continent, she understood just how severe the conditions were here
on the Demon Continent. There was a high chance they were already dead.
Nokopara and Blaze… I hope they're still doing well. She found
herself laughing when she thought that. It had been twenty years. The two of
them didn't have particularly long life spans, so they might have retired from
adventuring long ago. The only one who'd stayed the same was her.
Let's leave the nostalgia for some other time, she decided, cutting her
reminiscing short. She was here to find Rudeus or his family.
"All right, let's start gathering information," she proposed to the other
two, and started scanning the inside of the guild.
***
From the information they gathered, they found out that Dead End was
in this town—part of a new, up-and-coming group of adventurers who had
quickly made a name for themselves.
Dead End. There was no person on the Demon Continent who didn't
know that name. Even among the Superd, they were considered particularly
dangerous, beasts that targeted mainly children. When Roxy was just a child,
her mother often threatened her with that name. "If you don't behave, Dead
End will come and steal you away," she would always say.
They returned to the inn. Roxy's face soured once they pooled all the
information they had about this "Dead End".
"It's a bit difficult to believe."
"What part?"
"Hard to believe anyone in their right mind would pretend to be Dead
End."
What was it about Dead End that was so terrifying? The fact that the
actual group existed. Those on the Central Continent didn't know of it, but
the name definitely referred to someone out there. Of course, Roxy had never
seen them herself, but all the rumors she heard were terrifying. They were the
most terrifying creatures on the Demon Continent.
The Adventurers' Guild had never listed their name exactly, out of fear
of retaliation, but if there was an extermination request for those demons, it
would most definitely be S-ranked. It was the type of job that would net an
adventurer an instant S-ranking if they completed it.
"I haven't a clue, either," Elinalise said.
According to the information she'd gathered, the man claiming to be
with Dead End was fair-skinned, bald, and carried a spear with him. He was
also said to be very handsome.
"Since they said he's a good-looking guy, why don't I invite him to my
bed to get some more answers?"
Talhand hocked and spat in disdain. "That info's useless."
According to what Talhand had gathered, Dead End was a group of
three people. They referred to themselves respectively as Mad Dog Eris,
Guard Dog Ruijerd, and Kennel Master Ruijerd. The latter two were brothers.
The Mad Dog had red hair, the Guard Dog was a beanpole, and the Kennel
Master was a midget. The Mad Dog used a sword, the Guard Dog used a
spear, and the Kennel Master used a staff that was apparently a magic item.
They didn't have a particularly good reputation.
"The Mad Dog is quick to lose her temper, and the Kennel Master's
done nothing but awful things. Apparently, the Guard Dog isn't a bad guy,
though. Loves kids, has a strong sense of justice and refuses to turn a blind
eye to evil."
That's a very strange assessment for people to make, Roxy thought.
Perhaps the group had started those rumors themselves. If a party of
miscreants did something good, it would spread like wildfire. Apparently,
they weren't just violent, but canny about it as well.
"A dangerous bunch. Let's be sure to avoid them."
"Aye," the dwarf agreed. "We don't need to be drawing the attention of
the wrong sort when we're supposed to be looking for people."
"All right, then let's move on to the main agenda," Roxy said,
redirecting the conversation. Their purpose in heading to the Adventurers'
Guild hadn't been to glean information about Dead End. "Were there any
rumors about people from the Fittoa Region?"
"Not one," said Talhand.
"No, I didn't hear anything," said Elinalise.
We must be too late, Roxy thought.
The Demon Continent was not the kind of soft place that one could
survive being teleported to without the proper equipment. It was a land where
simply surviving a year could prove difficult for locals. Also, it had already
been a year since the Fittoa Region displacement. Those who were teleported
might have all perished already.
"The ones we're really searching for are Paul's family."
"So Zenith, Lilia, Aisha, and Rudeus."
Roxy had taught Talhand and Elinalise how they might identify each
one of them. Aisha was the only one she was vague about, because she only
knew about her through Rudeus' letters.
"Well, Zenith should be just fine," Elinalise said.
"No doubt about that."
The two of them knew Zenith, so they expressed no concern. Roxy, on
the other hand, didn't know how capable Zenith was, but she trusted in these
former members of the Fangs of the Black Wolf who vouched for her. If
Elinalise and Talhand thought Zenith would be fine, then she would be fine.
"Rudeus also stands out, so we should be able to find him
immediately." Roxy remembered the overwhelming talent that her five-year-
old pupil had demonstrated. He would surely be the talk of the town no
matter where he went.
Zenith and Rudeus would be the easiest to find if they dug for
information. They also had the strength to survive on the Demon Continent as
long as they landed somewhere close to civilization. That was why they
prioritized finding information on Lilia and Aisha from the start.
"Let's set a deadline. Two days to gather as much information on Lilia
and Aisha as we can, then on the third day we make preparations to hit up
other settlements in the area. Does that sound like a plan?"
"Isn't that a bit too soon?"
Roxy shook her head at Elinalise's words. "There's a high likelihood
they're already dead, and the Demon Continent is big. We'll make a single
pass through the major cities and submit missing persons requests at each
guild along the way."
The Asura Kingdom would cover costs incurred while searching for
residents of the Fittoa Region. As long as their group submitted requests at
each guild, the reward for successful completion would be provided by the
Asura Kingdom, so they could leave that for adventurers to pursue. It wasn't
an automated process, because the guild required someone to sign a request
form before they could post it. On the other hand, if the guild didn't post
those requests, then Asura Kingdom had no reason to pay the guild.
Roxy felt genuinely irritated by how atrociously the Asura Kingdom was handling such a widespread disaster. It was a major power, so she
thought they should be taking more proactive actions. In truth, the only
people actually participating in the search endeavors were Paul and those
connected to him. In other words, only those affected by the disaster.
Looks like all that talk about the Asura Kingdom's inner circle being
corrupt was more than rumor, she thought. It was the country with the
longest history in the world, so it was still hanging on even as its traditions
and power deteriorated.
"All right, tomorrow let's busy ourselves with gathering information."
"Okay, will do!"
"Roger."
Roxy wasn't the type to linger over things. No matter where she
stayed, she never wasted any time. She always finished things quickly and
then set off. That part of her personality showed up when she initiated
Rudeus, teaching him her special technique and then immediately setting off
again. Making swift decisions was her forte, but also part of why Rudeus saw
her as an airhead. Others had pointed it out to her, but Roxy still considered it
a strength.
That was why she settled on a schedule of submitting a request to the
guild on the first day, searching around on the second, and setting off by the
third. A prompt, concise schedule to be sure. If they had stayed for a week,
the results may have been a little different.
On the second, Roxy's curiosity got the best of her and she went to go
see what Dead End was up to. Their group stood out, so it was easy to find
them.
A pair were training diligently on the beach. Just as her information
said, one was a bald beanpole while the other was a young red-headed girl.
She wielded her sword in both hands with such purpose, swinging it at a
frightening speed while the bald man parried the attacks easily.
Her information said Dead End was a three-person group with one tall
person and two small people. Looks like the tiny Kennel Master isn't with
them, she thought.
The Guard Dog and Mad Dog continued their high-speed clash of offense versus defense. Perhaps clash wasn't the right word, given that the
Guard Dog simply deflected the Mad Dog's attacks, but the techniques he
used were beyond Roxy's level.
Roxy watched them from afar, peeking from behind the shadow of a
boulder. It was almost as if this were pro baseball and she was the older sister
of a pitcher who used balls of magic as their weapon in battle.
The two of them were strong, even to Roxy, who had traveled across
the world as an adventurer. That wasn't strength which could be achieved
through technique alone.
It might be good to make contact with them after all.
As soon as she thought that, the Guard Dog looked over his shoulder.
Ah…!
It felt like their eyes met. His gaze was so intense that it gave Roxy an
unspeakable sense of terror. Enough to give her the illusion that she was prey
being hunted.
She slipped away hastily.
***
Ruijerd sensed her from the very beginning. He wasn't sure what she
wanted, or if she was just watching. When he casually looked in her
direction, he saw a girl's face peeking out from behind a rock.
No, not a young girl, he realized. An adult Migurd female. He couldn't
tell from a glance, but there was no fooling Ruijerd's third eye. He didn't
recognize her presence, and there was also more than one Migurd settlement.
He figured she was probably just watching out of curiosity, but when
he looked back, she turned away and ran off somewhere. Hm. Did I scare her
away? he wondered.
He'd let his guard down momentarily, and Eris dove in. It was an
attack with power behind it.
"Guh!"
After exchanging three blows, Eris struck Ruijerd on the back of his
hand and made him drop his sword.
"Yay! Did I do it?! I did it, right?! Yeaaah!" Eris pumped both hands
in joy.
Lately, her skills were beginning to take shape. In the future she would
surely be a fine swordswoman, but right now she was still young. If she
thought too much of herself now, it might spell disaster in her future. He
hadn't planned to let her win a fight for a while, but that Migurd girl had
caught his attention and he let his guard down for a moment.
Ruijerd let out a sigh, quietly enough so that Eris wouldn't hear it.
***
Roxy looked over her shoulder countless times as she hurried back
toward the inn. The whole time, she worried that she was being followed and
that an attack might be coming. If she was going to fight someone of that
caliber, she needed to prepare a magic crystal. She might even need a magic
circle drawn in a scroll.
It didn't seem like they would attack just because she'd been watching
them, but if they were crazy enough to call themselves Dead End, Roxy
wanted to be prepared.
"Aah! Yes! Right there! Harder, harder!"
Roxy felt exasperated when she heard the moans from behind
Elinalise's door. The elf hadn't even bothered with gathering information;
she simply found a man to bring to the inn so she could enjoy herself.
"Seriously…?"
Roxy had heard about Elinalise's habit of bringing men to her room
from Talhand. No matter their circumstances, Elinalise would always fall for
some man she met and spend the night with him. That included their time in
Zant Port. According to Talhand, she even did this when they were in the
depths of a labyrinth. The woman had no principles.
At the same time, Roxy felt somewhat relieved. She would have felt helpless if she'd been left alone. As long as Elinalise was in the neighboring
room, she could prepare herself for battle and wait for her. Once the elf was
done, Roxy would seize her by the ear and head out to resume gathering
information together. That way she could also keep her eye on the elf,
effectively killing two birds with one stone.
Although I doubt they would come all the way to the inn, Roxy thought,
as she entered her room to conduct battle preparations.
The walls weren't particularly thin, yet she could still hear Elinalise's
moans filtering through. Listening to them put Roxy in a weird mood herself.
No you don't, she thought, and grabbed her right hand with her left just
as it was reflexively reaching south. She didn't have the luxury of time for
that right now.
They've been at it for a long time, she thought when three hours had
passed. Roxy had continued to wait quietly. There seemed to be no end in
sight for Elinalise's tryst. Granted, there was also no indication that Dead
End was going to launch any attacks on them, either.
Roxy felt like an idiot. Not only could she not do what she needed, but
she also couldn't express her frustration at Elinalise for being so selfish. It
was especially infuriating since, unlike the elf, Roxy was showing self-
restraint and telling herself that now wasn't the time to get busy.
When her anger hit its peak, Roxy finally busted down Elinalise's
door. "Just how long are you going to keep this up! We're supposed to be
gathering—"
"Oh, my! Roxy? When did you get back?"
"Ah…oh?"
There were five men in the middle of the room.
"Would you like to join in?"
There was a strong male odor. The men all had vulgar smiles, and
Elinalise was mounted atop one of them, looking as if she were in the throes
of ecstasy. The fact that there were multiple people, and that they were all
consenting to this, was beyond Roxy's comprehension.
"Uh, wha…"
The scene before her was so reprehensible that Roxy couldn't process
it.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Roxy let out a futile scream as she scuttled out of the room. She flew
into the adjacent one, completely out of breath and took hold of her staff.
"O spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder!
With your majestic blade of ice, slay my enemy! Icicle Blast!"
The inn was left partially destroyed.
***
They set out from the town on the third day. They'd barely managed to
gather any information after everything that happened, and they forgot to
submit a request to the guild. They also destroyed an inn, which cost them a
considerable amount.
"This is all Miss Elinalise's fault."
"You can't blame me. I was in a back alley gathering information
when they came to me with their passionate appeal."
"Still, there were five…five people, you know?!" Roxy objected.
"You'll understand someday. A strong, beautiful adventurer like me
being subdued and treated like a sex toy by five of those thugs? Ah, just
thinking about it is enough to get me pregnant."
"I don't want to understand."
When Roxy was at the University of Magic, she was still a child and
didn't understand the appeal of having a lover or being married. The first
time she ever thought about wanting something like that was when she saw
how intimate Paul and Zenith were with each other. That was when she
finally decided she wanted the same for herself.
Still, how? She'd wondered at the time. Then she remembered what an
acquaintance at the university told her. That acquaintance had met her
husband in the depths of a maze. Their shared struggle and the way they
overcame it led to their marriage. This is it, Roxy thought. If I dive into a labyrinth, I should be able to
find a partner, too.
That fantasy grew larger and larger inside her head. She would
somehow bump into someone who was tall, manly, and fashionably dressed
—a young human man with a youthful appeal—in the depths of a labyrinth,
and he would save her. Then the two of them would combine their strengths
to make their escape, and in so doing, their love would bud and blossom. The
youth would discover one of his friends had died, and Roxy would comfort
him. That would be their first night together.
When she actually did journey into a labyrinth, those fantasies were
quickly shattered. A labyrinth was a harsh place, and the adventurers who
entered them were a stern lot. The only youthful-looking person among them
was Roxy herself.
By the fifth floor there were no other solo adventurers. By the tenth
floor she decided things were tough enough that she needed to gather a party,
but people mocked her for her childlike appearance and laughed her off
countless times. She got stubborn after that and continued further downwards
on foot. Ah, the stupidity of youth. She came close to death numerous times,
but was lucky enough to escape its clutches. She never wanted to repeat that
again.
"Well, you have to start by finding your first man, anyway. How about
it? Next time, we can both—"
"Absolutely not."
The dream was shattered. Still, she held on to one hope. Perhaps it was
impossible for her to find some hunk at the bottom of a labyrinth, but she
could still fall in love the ordinary way and have an ordinary wedding. In the
meantime, she had absolutely no intention of giving her body over to a man
whose name she didn't know just because Elinalise managed to reel him in.
"Besides, I don't have the time for all of that." At least, Roxy decided
she was best off alone while she was wandering the Demon Continent.
That was how Roxy made her first misstep and began her adventure
across the Demon Continent.