The following day, Vereesa guided us to Human Duke's city. It took us two days to arrive. As we got closer, we encountered some humans, so I put on the earrings.
I felt the world getting bigger or I was shrinking. Looking down, I noticed my beautiful elven robes had changed into plain human clothes.
My slightly long, claw-like nails were nowhere to be seen. At least I still had my beautiful long hair, but it was also getting shorter along my body. It used to reach my knees, but now it barely touches my lower back.
Vereesa offered me a mirror to see my reflection, but I refused. If I were to see myself as anything other than an elf, even if it was just an illusion, I would probably rip my own face. Vereesa also mentioned that my eye color had shifted from red to blue.
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Vereesa had also changed. She became smaller, and her hair, which once reached to the ground, was now shorter. Her ears transformed into shorter, rounder shapes like a human's. Watching her ears change gave me chills. She wore a simple mage robe instead of the royal robes, but other than that, not much else changed. She still had her silver hair and blue eyes.
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We then continued along the road leading to a large city. We chose to walk since humans used horses for travel, not elks, so we decided to walk since we didn't want to attract unnecessary attention to ourselves. The city of the human duke was at least four times larger than that of the human barons. Its walls looked more impressive, and humans, along with various races like beastkin, dwarves, goblins, and even orcs, were constantly entering and exiting.
"Alright, we're about to enter the city, so let me do the talking," Vereesa instructed as we approached the gates where two human guards stood.
"(Halt,)" one of the human guards said, raising his hand to stop us.
"(Do you have a permit?)" the guard inquired.
"(No, but I doubt they have one either,)" Vereesa replied, gesturing to the human merchants coming and going.
"(They are merchants that have contracts with our city, so they don't need a permit. Now show us your permit or leave,)" the guard said, aiming his spear at us.
Just as Vereesa was about to respond, an older human appeared from behind. He had gray hair and gave the aura of an old warrior.He smacked the head of the guard who was pointing his spear at us.
"(What the—)" the guard exclaimed angrily as he turned to retaliate. But when he recognized who had hit him, he quickly swallowed his anger and stood up straight with the other guard.
"(CAPTAIN!)" they shouted, saluting.
"(This fool, do you even know who that is? She is the Witch of Dawn, an S-rank adventurer!)" The captain scolded, pointing at Vereesa while pressing down on the guard's shoulder, causing him to wince in pain.
"(NO SIR!)" he shouted, only to receive another smack on the head.
"(Stop shouting; I'm old, not deaf,)" the guard captain said with a tired voice.
"(Youngsters these days, don't stand there like an idiot; apologize!)" He shook his head and pushed the guards' heads down.
"(Lady Veronica, please forgive these young ones. They are new and unaware of your status,)" the captain said respectfully to Vereesa.
"(PLEASE FORGIVE US, LADY VERONICA. We are truly sorry,)" the guards said loudly as they knelt.
Vereesa chuckled nervously, glancing at me. who was looking at her, but I refrained from saying anything since it wasn't the time or place for us to have this kind of conversation.
"(It's okay, Oscar. They didn't offend me. They were doing their jobs, and I've been away for some time,)" Vereesa said generously, waving her hand.
"(Indeed, you've been away for a few years. I can't say we didn't miss you, but let's have a reunion elsewhere,)" Guard Captain Oscar said with a kind smile as he glanced around.
Others that were going so stopped alltogether as they watched the commission that was going on.
Then, under the gaze of other humans, Oscar guided us through the city while the guards remained kneeling.
"(How have you been, Lady Veronica?)" he asked as we strolled through the streets.
It wasn't as clean and beautiful as our city, but they weren't at least as filthy as human barons. People didn't look upset, but they certainly weren't happy either. But one thing I noticed was order—human guards regularly patrolled the streets. They were dressed in fine armor with steel swords on their waists.
"(Life has been good, Oscar, but you know how it is for an adventurer—always on the move, risking your life every day. It's a lonely path, but not for me, not anymore,)" Vereesa said, wrapping her arms around me with a bright smile.
"(I've been meaning to ask, who is this young man?)" Oscar asked, studying me closely.
"(My husband,)" Vereesa replied with a playful grin, tightening her embrace.
"(Hahaha, it looks like many young lads will be crying tears of blood tonight,)" Oscar said with a hearty laugh. "(And perhaps some girls too, hahaha,)" he added jokingly.
"(What's your name, young man?)" he asked, extending his hand for a shake.
"Do not speak to me, human," I replied coldly, disgust clearly evident in my voice, which Oscar noticed.
'Should I rip his hand off'
"Do it," Sylianner said from my shoulder, knowing me well enough to understand what I was thinking without reading my mind. Of course, none of the humans reacted to her because no one would be able to see her unless she willed it.
"(Hmmm?)" Oscar looked at me, confused, as he didn't understand Elvish.
"(He's from the north, Oscar, so he doesn't speak the common tongue, but he understands it. Anyways, how's everyone at the guild?)" Vereesa quickly shifted the topic.
After a brief glance at me, Oscar turned away and kept walking.
"(They're doing well; Lydia became guild master after Rowan stepped down. A few new members joined, and Cedric reached D rank last year. Also, your student Elinor is now a C rank. They all miss you, Lady Veronica. The guild feels dull without your lively spirit.)"
They kept talking until we arrived at the adventurer guild. Oscar said his goodbyes and left as we entered the large building.
Inside, the room was filled with humans and other races, with most of them dressed in armor and others in robes. Many were sitting around tables in groups, either drinking or eating while chatting, creating a noisy atmosphere. Listening to their disgusting language felt like a banshee screaming right next to my ear. Some were standing in front of a giant with parchments pinned on it.
As we walked in, the humans glanced our way before returning to their conversations, until...
"(VERONICA!)" someone yelled, calling out Vereesa's fake name.
Looking out, I saw a human woman in leather armor with daggers on her waist jumping towards us, as if she were attacking us. My muscles tensed as I prepared to grab her and rip her throat out while she was mid-air, but Vereesa grabbed my hand and pulled me aside just as the woman landed face-first on the floor.
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"..."
A silence took over the building as the human woman got up and dusted herself before a smile appeared on her face again.
"(By the gods, Veronice, where have you been? You vanished three years ago without a word. We thought you were dead,)" she asked with curiosity while acting like nothing happened.
"(Had to deal with some family matters, Alice, but now that it's over, I am back.)"
"(*Sigh* You and your mysterious family,)" Alice said with a sigh before her attention shifted to me.
"(And why are you holding onto this fine beastly stud?)" Alice said, her gaze traveling along my body, especially my crotch.
"(Back off, you little slut. He is mine,)" Vereesa warned Alice, stepping in front of me. It wasn't a perfect shield, but at least she covered the part that Alice seemed most interested in. Meanwhile, I was on the verge of puking in disgust because I was being subjected to the desire of a human. It was sickening.
"(You need to learn to share, girl. But whatever, your old room is still empty. Let's go there and talk. I don't want to spill your secrets while newbies are listening. They should at least pay for it,)" Alice said, leading us to the second floor while Vereesa and I followed her.