Eimme stood in front of Glaznac's shop. Behind the shop's glass windows, the displayed armors and weapons were dazzling. The swords, as always, thrilled Eimme, but this time her reason for coming was different. Besides, she couldn't keep Cladia waiting. She entered the shop, whose sign read in large, crooked letters "Glaznac's Shop." That sign always amused Eimme. While the man was incredibly skilled at forging metal, he was terrible at naming things.
As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted Cladia. The elderly dwarf was speaking to her from behind the counter. Cladia nodded eagerly, listening attentively. She was so focused that she didn't notice Eimme entering the shop.
"Oh, look who's here," Glaz exclaimed upon noticing Eimme.
Cladia turned at Glaz's reaction and saw Eimme. With a swift movement, she approached and hugged her. Her eyes were filled with tears. She must have been scared, Eimme thought.
"I'm here, Cladia."
The woman released Eimme and returned to the dwarf. The woman dressed in black followed her.
"Well? Did you manage, Glaz?"
"Who do you think I am? Of course, I did!" He continued with a smug grin. "Although it's a simpler version of mine, it works perfectly."
From under the counter, he brought out an ornate box and opened it. Inside was a silver necklace with a red gem embedded in it. It was truly beautiful. Eimme didn't want to praise Glaz (because whenever she complimented him, he became arrogant and started belittling her), but she had to admit that this necklace was indeed a masterpiece. She didn't voice her feelings, but her expression gave her away. Evidently, Glaz noticed Eimme's face because his grin grew even wider.
"This necklace allows the wearer to communicate telepathically with everyone and everything within three meters. As you can imagine, it's incredibly powerful and valuable. It'll cost you a fortune, you old dragon."
Being called "old" annoyed Eimme, but she held back. "What do you mean by everyone and everything?"
"Exactly what I said. Not just people; animals, plants, even inanimate objects like stones or weapons. It's truly a powerful item."
Cladia wasn't much different. She looked very excited. Eimme gently picked up the necklace from the box and put it around Cladia's neck. The woman gracefully leaned back, examining the necklace around her neck.
"I-it really suits you, Cladia," Eimme said, her cheeks flushed.
"T-thank you, Emi." Cladia wasn't much different from Eimme.
Hearing Cladia's voice for the first time (even telepathically) startled Eimme, and she was surprised by the unfamiliar experience. The dwarf watched the two closely.
"You lovebirds are really sweet, but I need money! MONEY! I'm talking to you, old dragon!"
"L-lovebirds?!" Cladia exclaimed. Eimme was frozen in place at those words.
"Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing. I remember when I was like you, Miss Cladia."
Glaz was strangely polite to everyone except Eimme and Emu. Eimme regained her composure and changed the subject.
"I'll bring your money, Glaz, don't worry. I'm just going through a tight spot right now."
"You always say that."
"But every time I say it, I eventually bring the money, don't I?"
The man sighed. After a short conversation, the two left the shop. Night had already fallen, and the streets were almost empty except for a few drunkards. But something felt off. The woman dressed in black felt as though she was being watched. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't spot anyone observing them, but that unsettling feeling lingered.
Suddenly, she felt her hair stand on end. She noticed a knife flying toward her leg. With a simple motion, she dodged it. It would have been impossible for a human to avoid. But Eimme wasn't human. It was child's play for her.
"Cladia, duck!"
This time, it wasn't just a simple knife but the attacker themselves lunging with a dagger at Cladia. However, thanks to Eimme's early warning, the woman managed to evade.
The gray-haired woman aimed a kick at the assailant. She didn't want to use her hands; if she did, she would likely kill the attacker. She needed them alive.
The woman barely stayed on her feet after being kicked in the side, blood dripping from her mouth. With a swift movement, she threw another knife at the dragon woman. While Eimme dodged it effortlessly, the real attack came afterward. A short sword aimed at her chest was intercepted mid-air with a simple motion.
"Is this the best you can do?"
The attacker was clearly panicked. They hadn't expected such resistance. Their next move targeted the red-eyed companion instead. A dagger flew toward her.
"Stop!" Cladia shouted (telepathically; no sound escaped her lips).
The dagger slipped from the attacker's hand and fell to the ground. It was so unexpected that both the attacker and Eimme were stunned. Taking advantage of the moment, the dragon woman decided to strike again. But this time, her aim wasn't to harm the attacker but to mark them.
Using the short sword she had taken from the attacker, she made a small cut on her arm and threw the blood-coated blade at the attacker. It lodged into their right shoulder. The attacker retreated and fled. Eimme was sure of it. She hadn't sensed them earlier, but now that she had memorized their breathing pattern, they couldn't escape her notice again.
"You can relax, Cladia. It's over," she said, hugging the curled-up Cladia on the ground.
Cladia stood up. "What was that? Why are we being targeted?" she shouted, tears in her eyes.
"I don't know..." It was a lie. She had a strong suspicion it was related to the slave trader she had killed earlier. But she couldn't tell Cladia that. "But I know where they're headed. The short sword they have is stained with my blood. That blood is part of me, so I can track it easily."
That was her plan. While she knew why they were targeted, she needed to find out which organization was behind it.
"A-are you sure? I know you're strong, but..." After a pause, she continued louder this time. "Wait, your blood?! Are you hurt? Where? Are you okay? Let's go to your home immediately. We need to see Mr. Luther! He can heal you."
The gray-haired woman couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Hey! What's so funny?"
"You don't need to worry. You won't find anyone stronger than me. Besides, I'm not hurt. I'm fine. Look." She took Cladia's hand and placed it on the spot where her arm had been cut. The wound was gone. Her skin was flawless, as if she'd never been injured.
"But earlier... What did you do? When you shouted 'Stop!', the attacker's dagger actually stopped and fell from their hand."
"I-I'm not entirely sure. I was so scared, and I didn't know what to do. So I just shouted at it to stop. That's all."
"Hmm. I think I understand. Remember what Glaz said. He mentioned you could also communicate with inanimate objects. The dagger must have heard you and obeyed. At least, that's the only explanation I can think of." After a brief pause, she sighed and continued.
"Let's forget about this for now and get some rest. Do you want to go back to my keep or stay at an inn?"
"I've never stayed at an inn before! Let's go to an inn, please."
"Alright, alright."