009 | Reunited with Rudif

I'm not being tied up again in work, especially one that specifically gives me a lower role than the one I'm working with. I won't allow myself to be in a subservient relationship again.

"I'll have to deny."

The Dark Elf stood straight and looked down on me. He seemed disappointed and was holding back his anger. Lashing out on a child many years younger than you with little to no education is seriously petty.

"Child, do you...not know who I am? I'm sure from even before you were abandoned, you surely must have heard about the stories..."

I shook my head.

"I do not recall anything about a Dark Elf."

"Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Calamno Delevoid, one of The Twelve Dukes."

"..."

"..."

We stood there, awkwardly staring at each other. Calamno cleared his throat.

"It seems I should educate you on behalf of your parents. The Twelve Dukes are well-known combatants. You could say they are the strongest people known to the public. Of course, I can't deny the possibility of other beings who exist that are far stronger than one of The Twelve Dukes."

"...I see. Then it certainly explains your overwhelming strength. Are you a magician?"

Calamno bellowed in laughter.

"Magician?! Who says that anymore? Even back in my youth, the word magician is not associated with magic! I believe the word you are thinking of is a Sorcerer. Magicians are merely entertainers who show fancy card tricks."

This was new. It seems that those who are able to utilize their mana and cast magic spells are known as Sorcerers. While the terminology of a magician is more closely related to a circus performer. How laughable indeed.

"Then, you're a Sorcerer?"

Calamno stopped laughing. He looked at me with a serious expression.

"I am, and one of the strongest ones as well. Observe."

He put his hand on my shoulder and we teleported up above the forest. I looked down to see trees all around us. It was a beautiful sight of the area. I looked around a bit further to see the river I came from, I saw mountains and cliffs near the horizon, and unfortunately, before I got the chance to check out more of the area, Calamno teleported us back down.

"How was it?"

"Well, I got to see more of this place."

"You're no fun, I thought you'd be scared. Are you really a child?"

"What does it look like to you?"

Calamno carefully examined me with his eyes. He has done that a few times by now.

"Human, let me offer a proposal. I'll educate you, in return, you shall be my friend."

"Your friend? Ridiculous. You seem like you're in your three hundred's already."

"I am 330. Wait, how did you know? Normally, people aren't able to guess my age..."

Crap. I can't tell him that I had a disciple who was an Elf. I got the information from my past life that Elves have six times the lifespan of a human. This is under the assumption that they do not incorporate themselves with magic or mana since that will allow mortals to live longer.

"My...maid once told me about Elves."

"A mere human maid? How truly interesting. Now, we ought to bring you to a suitable place if you become were to become my friend."

"B-but the age difference is just too much-"

"Don't worry about it. I've seen many humans pass and go, but if you learn from me, you'll live for more than a hundred years."

Without even having a chance to revolt, Calamno picked me up and teleported up above the forest.

We flew in one direction at incredible speeds. I could sense that there was some sort of barrier that Calamno had conjured. Otherwise, going at the speed of sound would rip me apart. Ever so often I'd feel Calamno glance at me. I can't help but think that Calamno is like a kid who found a lost puppy on the side of the road. In that analogy, the lost puppy is me.

Calamno came to a sudden stop in the air.

"What are you-"

Instantaneously teleporting down, I was entirely focused on my stomach so I won't vomit all over him.

Calamno slowly let me down on my feet.

"We're here," he says as he turns to look at me, "Human?"

"I have a name, you know?"

As Calamno was about to ask, I heard a door swing wide open and smash on a wall. I didn't even look up when Calamno let me down.

It occurred to me just now that I was right in front of a large wooden mansion. It demonstrated incredible design in its architecture, there were two large mansion doors for the entrance that seemed to be made up of some type of thick dark wood, one of them was opened with great force that it slammed the wall.

I let out a small sigh to see a mutt approaching me and yelling my name.

"Asher!"

Rudif rammed into me and gave me a strong bear hug.

Calamno raised an eyebrow, "Asher is your name? Quite a nice name you've been gifted."

As I was about to ask Rudif how he got here, Rudif started talking before I even got the chance to open my mouth.

"How did you meet gramps?"

"Gramps? You mean Calamno?"

Calamno took Rudif and started giving him a noogie while being awfully frustrated with being labeled as a senior, "You little rascal! Was it Rowan who told you to do this? There's no way my precious daughter would betray me!"

Just as I regained my composure and made sure I would absolutely not vomit, another door slammed open and against the wall, following that, a woman shouted at the old man.

"Gosh, you're like a child!"

All three of us turned our heads over to see the other mansion door open. Standing at the entrance was a beautiful Dark Elf lady wearing a simple magenta-colored fabric dress that went down slightly below her knees. She also seemed to have black tights underneath. She had a slender and curvaceous body, but from my experience, I could tell she had well-trained muscles. The gorgeous Dark Elf had long dark purple hair, it seems she also took a few strands of hair and braided it at each side of her face. Her red eyes are just like Calamno's albeit slightly lighter. From what I can infer, she stands at 176 centimeters.

Calamno let go of Rudif as the beautiful Dark Elf approached him. He put his hands up as if the cops were coming.

"Sweetie!"

"Why are you bullying Rudif, father?"

Calamno avoided her gaze.

"Patricia, sweetie~"

"Don't sweetie me until you give me an answer!"

So her name is Patricia. She's Calamno's daughter? I find that hard to believe since she's so attractive. Well, now that I look at it more, she does have a similar resemblance to her father. I guess no matter what Earth Copy you're in, Elves are undeniably attractive.

Even someone as strong as Calamno kept averting his eyes. It was hard for him to answer.

"W-well, I mean he basically like- started it first- so I just kinda- you know, haha-"

Patricia didn't take that very well. She had her hands on her hips while she looked her father in the eyes. She raised one finger, pointing up, and I felt an immeasurable amount of mana starting to accumulate exponentially at astronomical amounts in the sky. Calamno nervously laughed while looking at his daughter.

Rudif scratched his head and say "ow" as he made his way over by my side.

"Hey, Asher? Why is the moon already up? It's so close to us!"

It's been a long time since sweat started to gather on my face. A droplet condensed and rolled down the side of my face.

"That's no moon, mutt."

"Huh?"

"Take a good look, mutt."

Rudif's eyes squinted so he could see but widened shortly after.

"T-that's a big rock!"

I grinned. Who knew I already met such strong people here.

"That's right. She's able to form such a catastrophic spell in a few seconds."

The size of that meteor was no joke. It was a few hundred meters wide and extremely chunky as well. If that were to come crashing down right at this moment, even I would have trouble calculating the damage it could do.

Patricia had a precious smile that belonged to a sweet daughter all while having the capability to blow the entire area to smithereens.

"Old man, hurry up and answer her."

Calamno gave me an arrogant look. Is he so proud that just because he can probably live this attack that it doesn't matter what I say? My thoughts and what I articulated were exactly the same.

"Don't you dare look at me like that!"

I didn't realize that I was pouring out bloodlust like an ocean because I managed to make the old man shiver and he immediately started to talk to his daughter. Though, if only she listened. She was too busy scanning me up and down as if I'm a threat.

Trust me, Patricia, the only damage I can do is call you ugly.

Calamno called out to his daughter a few times. It took her a while to stop focusing on me.

"Patricia?"

"Ah, sorry, what were you saying?"

Calamno sighed, "I said I only gave Rudif a noogie because he called me gramps."

Patricia smiled and gave her dad a hug. The meteor in the sky vanished.

"And why didn't you like it?"

Calamno continued his depressed replies, "Because I'm not that old yet."

"Good~ Now say you're sorry."

Rudif hid behind me, I didn't blame him. Though there was no killing intent, Calamno glared at Rudif as if he was going to strangle him.

"I'm so sorry, Rudif."

The way the old man said it was so monotone, I was surprised that Patricia accepted it. Though, Rudif responded with an answer that Patricia didn't like at all.

"It's okay! Rowan told me to do it!"

Calamno's "precious daughter" stopped where she was and looked towards the mansion. She put on a smile, that everyone could tell was fabricated.

"Is that so? Excuse me, father, I'll have to have a word with my husband."

We all slowly followed behind her as she entered the mansion. Though, she paused.

"Actually, I think I'd rather do this-"

Patricia snapped her fingers and literally, a dozen strokes of lightning struck someplace behind the mansion.

She clasped her hands together, delighted. Whoever, this "Rowan" is; I have huge respect for him managing to wife this psycho. Having a beautiful wife is one thing, but with her being the daughter of-

What was it again?

Ah right, her being the daughter of one of The Twelve Dukes is naturally coming from a strong background. Even Calamno cowers in fear. I don't know much about how much authority and power this group of dukes has upon the world, but I presume they have quite the impact.