Signs of Malice

As we walked deeper into the dungeon, the sunlight from the outside faded away. "Guess it's time to activate Illume," I said. "Basic Magic: Illume." An orb of light hovered a few feet away from me.

Illume was one of the three Basic Magic spells of this world, allowing heroes and adventurers to have some conveniences on their quests. Any person with a little magical ability or physical skill learned all three spells before visiting a single dungeon.

"Basic Magic: Illume," Maya repeated, and a similar orb appeared near her.

We continued on, passing by moss, rocks, stalactites, and stalagmites. I had guided so many amateurs through Helmut's Cave in the past, so nothing of its configuration surprised me. Maya also seemed composed and had no trouble keeping up with me.

As we walked our way further into the dungeon, Maya continued to be as poised as she was while on our way here. Curiosity about her still lingered in my mind, so I spoke up to try to trigger some conversation.

"Hey Maya, I read about a few of the rumors about you in the papers, so I know you're pretty skilled. But just wanted to tell you that most of the monsters here are gremlins and lynxes. This dungeon does have a griffon and a minotaur, so I'll warn you when we get closer to those creatures. Do you have anything to ask before the first battle?"

"No, I should be fine, but I appreciate the information." Maya then muttered, "Hehehehe…"

Again, that chuckle sounded a little off for her. Did Maya become a different person around a dungeon? I was unsure what to really make of the slight nuances with Maya at that moment, so I let it go and continued to lead the way.

I suddenly heard a rumbling from the moss about twenty feet ahead of us. I crouched down behind a large rock and signaled for Maya to do likewise. But she continued to walk down the path.

I tried to whistle quietly to get her attention, but she wasn't even listening. When she closed half the distance to our target, she drew her sword and leaped to the moss in a flash. Maya swung and cleanly cut the moss, and even the gremlin hiding there, in two. My eyes barely kept up with her movements.

Maya then went on to slash three more gremlins that were also hiding in the same vicinity, in rather quick fashion.

As I stood there motionless, I was utterly mesmerized by Maya's movements. I'd seen my fair share of warriors who handled the sword throughout the years as a guide, but none showed the grace and poise Maya currently exuded. Her attacks were indeed swift, but there was an elegance to how she executed the maneuvers.

And what was just as impressive was how her beauty shined amidst the darkness in the dungeon. The rumors from the reports truly understated what Maya was, a stunning swordswoman who appeared to be dancing while in battle.

I continued to gape at her, utterly amazed at how an amateur could have that much skill by the time they reached Helmut's Cave. Gremlins weren't the strongest of monsters, but they did have an excellent knack for evasion. So it wasn't possible to surprise them that easily without a guide like Akane or me giving direction.

I got up from behind the rock and was approaching Maya when I heard her chuckle again, "Hehehehe…hehehehe…hehehehe…"

She hadn't sheathed her sword yet but instead pointed it towards the ground.

Even though I had just witnessed a feat so breath-taking, I wondered with curiosity about what was going on in Maya's head at that moment.

I wanted to put a hand on her shoulder to check on her, but I thought it wiser to not lay a finger at that moment. "Umm… Maya… Is everything all right?"

"Huh? Oh… I apologize... I got carried away back there. I wanted to challenge myself and gauge my skill level, and it seems that my practice has paid off."

"OK… Are you sure it isn't anything else? Helmut's Cave is usually meant for amateur heroes who need about an equal amount of assistance from a guide, so I'm just a little shocked at how wonderfully you handled those gremlins."

"Ohhh, I see." Maya finally sheathed her sword. "I planned out a list of dungeons in the order that I wanted to visit them, and I've already defeated the bosses of 12 other dungeons before Helmut's Cave. I had all the intent to come here with more preparation than the other amateurs you usually have as customers."

Wow, she really did her homework! She definitely took being a hero more seriously than any other amateur I've seen before. It was such the right choice to take this girl off Akane's hands!

"And…" Maya continued. "As you said earlier, the papers report that I have proficient skills. I am sure that they also mention that I have the potential to be the greatest hero that this world has ever seen. I want to live up to that expectation, so I have to stay ahead in my training."

Maya's explanation made sense to me. If she wanted to be the greatest hero ever, it's only natural to do all she could to be the best.

While I pondered what Maya's true abilities were at this point in her quest, she asked, "I apologize for the digression, but are we ready to continue further?"

I nodded and said, "Y-y-yes… let's proceed, shall we?"

I walked past Maya but avoided her eyes. Although she attempted to portray that self-assured demeanor, the chuckling bothered me somewhat. I had that feeling there was more to her motivation than just a desire to be the best.

I decided to drop the matter, and we continued on. Maya quickly dispatched the gremlins, but she allowed me to drive the lynxes out into the open before she finished them off. I had a final shot on two lynxes, but Maya defeated eight with her sword.

I still felt dumbfounded at how I didn't need to do most of the work, even though I was the guide. And my fascination with Maya's display of skill never waned with each kill she accumulated.

What still troubled me, though, was Maya's chuckling. She tried to cover up her mouth to drown it out, but I yet heard her. I didn't know what I should have felt or done. Would she be open at some point to tell me what's going on? I'm sure she'll say something, I'll just give her some time…

We finally reached the door to the griffon, so I turned to Maya and cautioned her about the danger we were about to face. She nodded silently and smirked before I turned to the door again. What was that smirk just now? I really do hope she'll be fine…

I opened the door, and we entered the chamber. The griffon slept at the far end, so I motioned to Maya to hide behind the rock to the right. I did likewise, crouching behind the outgrowth to the left.

It seemed that the griffon would not awake anytime soon, but I wanted to remain cautious. On some trips in the past, the griffon feigned being asleep, and those situations became really tight spots.

I already witnessed Maya's great ability, but I still didn't want to take any chances. I tried to signal to Maya to cautiously approach, but she dashed from the rock to the griffon before I finished.

She quickly drew her sword and tried to kill the griffon in one strike. As I feared, the griffon noticed Maya charging in and evaded her blow at the last possible moment. Maya recovered quickly from the failed attempt, but I didn't plan on leaving her alone to deal with the griffon, so I nocked an arrow onto my bow and jumped from the rock.

Maya was still trying for the one-strike kill, as she repeatedly dodged and went into a slash when she found an opening. Yet, never once was she coordinating with me to get that opening.

I knew we were struggling, but I kept wracking my brain to turn the situation around. I saw Maya tried her best to maintain her composure and grace in her attacks, even though she exhausted herself further and further as the fight dragged on.

I shot arrow after arrow, but only when I thought Maya could take advantage and get in an attack. She never got my signals, though, and I tried as hard as I could to stay collected.

Maya managed to hurt the griffon on a few strikes, but nothing lethal. She avoided the griffon's attacks for the most part. Still, suddenly the griffon's claws penetrated into her left arm, forming a long, but narrow gash. Fortunately, it was not her primary sword arm.

"Maya!!" I screamed. "Just watch when I shoot my arrows! You can end this with my next shot if you just work with me!"

Maya finally seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, so she nodded and pulled herself away from the griffon.

I nocked another arrow, winked at Maya, and released. For the first time in the fight, an arrow landed right in the griffon's lower jaw. Maya dashed forward and ended the griffon with one deadly blow. "Earth-Rending Slash!!!"

The griffon collapsed, large amounts of blood seeping into the ground. It was clear the griffon was dead, so I started to approach Maya.

As if I wasn't even there, Maya quietly chanted, "Die… Die… Die… Die… Die… Die..."

Concerned for her well-being, I asked, "Umm… M-M-M-Maya… are you really doing alright there?... I know it's probably not any of my business, but… I'm honestly worried about you right now… and you have a pretty long gash on your left arm that should be treated… You mind if I put some ointment on that and wrap your arm?"

Maya eventually recovered from her trance, and calmly replied, "Oh, my arm… I almost forgot… Now that you mention it, I do feel some pain there… I appreciate the assistance."

Maya sat down on the nearby rock, and I got out some ointment and cloth from my bag. I began treating her arm and avoided making eye contact with her. A part of me was still immensely curious about Maya; yet, I knew the situation was inappropriate to pry any further.

As I was about to wrap the cloth on Maya's arm, she said, "My mom and dad… they passed away when I was 7… I was there with them when they were brutally murdered by a terrifying creature… It was their dream for me to be a hero… They always wanted a son, but only gave birth to a girl… They didn't force me to be a hero, but once they died… Their dream became my dream, and I want to do this for them…"

At that moment, I didn't know how to respond to Maya. The girl I thought was so refined and elegant; it was quite a relief to me she began to drop some of the pretenses, holding onto such a tragedy for such a young girl. And if my estimate of her age was correct, she had to have been dealing with the pressure and struggles of fulfilling her dead parents' dream for more than ten years.

When I finally looked up at Maya's face, she wasn't crying, yet she looked so depressed. "I'm so sorry to hear that… My father passed away due to illness 4 years ago, but he felt happy, without regret, on his deathbed. His contentment with his life gave me the assurance to open up my guide shop, so I can only imagine how it must feel for you to grow up and try to accomplish your dream all alone with such dire circumstances."

"Your dad passed away from illness and seemed happy at the end?" Maya asked. "How fortunate for you…" She then looked away from me.

Uh-oh… I just made Maya upset. I definitely said something insensitive to her. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't try to make amends for such a thoughtless mistake. "I-I-I-I apologize… I know I just said something rude, so please forgive me…"

"It's fine… Please finish up the treatment and let us continue." Maya's tone remained indifferent, so I felt somewhat relieved I might not have offended her as much as I feared.

"Yes…" I replied. We remained silent after that until I was finished.

After I closed my bag and recovered all the still usable arrows from the last fight, Maya stood from the rock and opened the door leading out of the chamber.

We didn't encounter much trouble the further we went, Maya still quickly dispatching the gremlins and lynxes almost all on her own. I got a few more kills than earlier, but Maya again did most of the work. And her chuckling returned after every creature was slain.

Amidst my continual fascination with Maya's grace in combat, I tried to get her attention twice in between the battles. Still, she was so focused on her duties, she completely ignored me. We shared not a single word as our journey progressed.

Eventually, we reached the giant door signaling the minotaur on the other side. I turned to Maya and said, "…This is it then. The final boss of Helmut's Cave, the minotaur… I have to warn you, this won't be as easy as you think. We have to really work together this time. Do you understand?"

Maya nodded, muttering, "Mom, Dad, one more step to avenging you…"

"What was that?" I asked.

"I-i-i-it was nothing… I agree, let us work together this time. I am ready when you are."

Even though Maya seemed more determined than before when she faced the door, I was still quite curious about her exact mindset. Either way, it seemed like she understood we had to work as a team this time. I took a deep breath and reached out to open the door to the chamber of the minotaur.