Chapter 14 - The Raid And Redemption

The tracker who returned with his wounded companion earlier has been

mostly healed up, but there are still a few wounds that Sano was ineffective

on. Still, he's a real man to be running at the front of this raiding party and

leading the way to make it easier for everyone to find where we have to go.

Our surroundings soon change from the properly built and maintained

houses to increasingly shabby dwellings, and I can see that this must be the

slums. Incidentally, it seems that Lady Nightwane's store is on the other side

from here, at the edge of the slums; it does look quite similar here.

As we make our final approach, the group splits up to cover the various

streets around the building complex, where the slavers' base is located,

according to the tracker's description. He's not coming along all the way since

he's still unable to fight.

"Once any underground passages are located Runa can seal the exterior of

the building, then we will seal all but one tunnel and use that as our entry

point." Ingrid is at the front of the raiding group, which also includes Rolan's

party. Coming to a stop in the shadow of a building across the street from the

complex, we wait and observe, to see if there are any movements around it.

"We found four underground passageways that run in the direction of the

complex." Halfdan soon joins us and points at the ground. "We'll seal all

except for the one that's right underneath us. I'll make an opening now so that

you can move into position."

Luna hears this and begins chanting immediately. It's like gibberish to me,

but I'm sure I'll learn the words she's using in due time. Once again, it takes a

pretty long time, during which two more parties join up with us and make

their final preparations before the raid commences.

"There's movement!" Ingrid hisses and points at the windows on the first

floor. Several men with bows or crossbows appear, but before they can take

aim, they are struck down by arrows coming from the rooftops around us.

Arni and his snipers are doing their job masterfully.

"Glacial Prison!" Luna finishes her incantation and announces the spell

name. So, it was really called that? She points her staff at the building, and the air around us begins to grow colder, as a white mist swirls around the

complex. Its front door is opened, but before the first person can come out, a

thick wall of ice shoots up from the ground and quickly grows skyward.

Within moments, the entire house is surrounded by ice, and some pillars even

pierce into its walls as if to anchor itself into place.

When Halfdan sees this, he gives the signal to his party members on the

other ends of the complex. Then he begins to chant and places his hands on

the ground before him. I can hear a rumbling underground, suggesting that

the passageway below us is being sealed. A hole opens up before us, and a

crude set of stairs leading into the darkness appears to grow out of the earth.

"Move out!" Ingrid raises her voice and bellows her order so that everyone

can hear her, including Arni's party on the rooftops. The four parties

consisting of twenty-one people climb down into the opening created by

Halfdan's earth magic one after the other.

Luna and I are among the last to enter. She creates a flame above her staff

and leads the way for me, as we descend into the tunnels below. The other

adventurers are also carrying torches, so our way is lit.

The walls around us are bare dirt, so I assume this isn't an old sewage

tunnel. Still, it's unexpectedly wide, and two people can stand next to each

other without a problem. The ceiling is high enough for even Gram to remain

upright in.

The other parties already ahead of us begin to move in the direction of the

complex. Apparently, there aren't any slavers trying to take this escape route,

as we don't encounter any obstacles. Our progress is quick, as we run through

the passageway.

Not far in, we come upon a closed wooden door built into a brick wall,

which is most definitely leading into the cellar of the building complex. It's

locked, but one adventurer at the front uses a heavy hammer to break it down

with a loud crash.

They know we're coming from down here now.

We find ourselves in a dark cellar, with a set of stairs leading up to the first

floor, and a door to the right. The raiding party decides to split up, with Rolan

opting to remain on this floor to search the basement, while the other three

parties go upstairs.

Shortly after we open the door to the right and the other adventurers climb

the stairs, the sounds of a battle breaks out above us already. According to Gram's reassurance, they are adventurers, that can handle themselves, so we

don't turn around to aid them.

When I think about it, I didn't hear anyone shout something like 'Police!

Freeze!', so if it turns out these are just civilians defending their homes from

intruders, it will make everyone involved a huge laughing stock.

That's just some idle musing, though. The trackers found this location by

following the trail left behind by those who destroyed Lady Nightwane's

store, and snipers were trying to shoot at us from the second floor of the

building, so there's no doubt as to the nature of those who live in here.

Luna and I are all the way in the back since we don't have any fighting

capabilities to speak of. In her case, because she takes too long to chant

during battle, and our enemies are humans that will understand that she's

using magic, so they can avoid it better than wild beasts. In my case, because

I'm officially still only a healer. I guess that still makes me someone who has

to be protected by everyone, no matter how powerful my magic becomes.

Gram and the bard split up from us, while I move with Luna and Rolan, to

cover more ground. At this point, it's quite unlikely that there are any enemies

down here since we would have already come across them when we broke

down the door.

"I found someone!" Gram shouts down the hallway, and Rolan rushes

towards the location immediately. We quickly follow, so that we're not left

behind alone.

The room Gram called out to us from is filled with more than a dozen bunk

beds crammed into a small area. There's a group of beautiful young women

wearing simple and dirty shirts huddled up in one corner and shaking in fear.

Every single one of them has long pointy ears. There are thirteen in total,

though none of them are dark elves. I guess those are extra rare.

In another corner, six dwarves are doing the same. I don't know about

dwarf physiology, but I'd say they're all males. Wearing only a loincloth and

bodies covered in curled red or brown hair, they don't give the impression of

being female to me. Their magnificent beards are well-maintained despite the

circumstances, so it's safe to assume that they're merchandise as well.

"Do you know where the others are being held?" Luna walks up to the

elves and lifts the hair over her ears. They're long and pointy, but only half as

long as those of the gathered elves. I guess a half-elf is really only half as elf

as a full-blooded one.

Seeing this, the slaves begin to sigh in relief and let their emotions flow

freely, with some breaking out in tears. One is able to gather her composure

faster than the others and begins to talk to Luna. I'll administer some healing

magic on those that have been mistreated. Even though I don't really care

about people I don't personally get to know, I do feel angry at seeing

beautiful girls getting hurt.

I don't care about the dwarves that much, though.

Under my palm, small cuts caused by whips close up quickly and leave no

marks behind, while the discoloration from bruises disappears completely.

Without my healing, wouldn't those wounds result in scars? How can you do

that to a girl's skin - especially one you want to sell? I don't understand the

way those people conduct their business.

"How many of you are being held here?" I ask the one I just finished

healing.

"Twenty-eight..." She whispers, barely audible to me. It's obvious she's

scared, even though we're here to save them.

No wait, she's looking at Senka. Damn, can nobody here understand the

charms of her design?

I relay the information to Rolan, and we begin to move upstairs in our

party. Just in case, we tell the slaves to remain here and wait for our return. It

might seem a little cruel to do this, but it's better than taking them along into

a battle. And we can't spare anybody to watch over them or lead them outside

right now, so it's the best course of actions for the time being.

When we come up to the first floor, I see several thugs bound by ropes or

lying unconscious. The adventurers that come to me for healing only have

small cuts or bruises, and mostly want to be mothered by a cute girl like

myself. It's quite clear from their expressions when they dramatize their

wounds.

Judging by how easygoing they are, the raid must be going smoothly. I

guess the slavers didn't have anyone well-trained or strong enough to stand

up against adventurers in here? They've been on the back foot since the

moment they clashed in the hallways, and several isolated members have

surrendered already.

A few of them were killed because they resisted until the very end, but

most have opted to stay alive rather than try and fight their ways out of this.

At this rate, we'll be done quickly. But I just can't shake the feeling that it's

going too smoothly...

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocks the very foundations of the

complex. Everyone stops in their tracks and cover their heads from the dust

raining onto them, fearing that the entire upper floor could come down.

There it is, the obvious unforeseen circumstance of somebody strong who

can fight back showing up!

It's obviously always the best course of action to run towards the sound of

an explosion inside a cramped building like this one. If someone's magic

caused it, doing so is the best way to get taken out in a large group. I hope

you can do the same when you choose to attack the demon castle one day.

Thinking this while I follow after Rolan and his party, as well as several

other adventurers who temporarily split from their team, we come upon a

hallway into which a big hole was opened on either side. It seems something

exploded inside the room on the right side, and broke through two walls, into

the room on the left.

When I peek into the right one, I see scorched furniture, with three burned

bodies lying on the ground. They are pretty much unidentifiable, but I can see

one of them has somewhat long and pointy ears. That must have been an

elven slave. The others wear charred armor or are clutching weapons, so I

guess they were adventurers.

Then I look inside the room on the left side and find that there's a huge hole

leading to the street outside. The lookouts on the rooftops point towards us,

signaling that whoever blew this hole into the side of the building hasn't come

out this way. Why would they do that, when they could just break through the

encirclement with this firepower and escape on their own?

In other words, there must be something they want to protect.

"Spread out and find whoever did this!" Ingrid joins us from the rear, and

her voice is filled with anger. She just lost two guild members here.

Still, great idea! This mage burned several people with an explosive spell,

and you think it's best to send more after him? I'm not sure I could withstand

that kind of magic myself, so how could a normal human being?

I doubt everyone is like Luna and requires so long to chant a single spell.

In fact, this mage must have been able to use an almost instantaneous spell.

Otherwise, I can't find an explanation as to how he could overcome several

adventurers carrying traditional weapons.

Live to fight another day, they say.

The offer for the academy rings even more enticingly in my mind, even if

only to find a countermeasure against magic.

I follow Rolan and Gram, making sure to stay behind the latter's enchanted

shield. Rolan seems fearless despite the danger of this powerful mage, and

Luna doesn't appear especially alarmed either. Are you just that confident or

is there something I don't know about battles between mages?

Another explosion shakes the entire building. A wave of scorching air

blows through the corridor but is mostly blocked by Gram and his massive

shield, since he's walking at the very front. Good to have you here, big man.

The enemy mage must be close.

We soon round a corner and find a wide corridor where the slavers have

erected a makeshift barricade consisting of crates and overturned tables. Half

a dozen thugs wielding axes, hammers, and clubs, are making a stand here.

Behind them is a heavy wooden door that must lead somewhere important.

Among the enemies is one man who stands out. He's wearing a dark red

robe with a red feathered collar and has reddish-brown hair and tan skin. That

must be the fire mage. He's even wielding a cane-sized staff with a large ruby

let into its tip.

What's with this character? It's actually funny that just by seeing his outfit

one can tell what his elemental affinity is. But at the same time, he's the first

darker-skinned person I've seen in this nation, as all others are quite pale.

There's a group of adventurers cowering behind their shield-bearer just like

we are. That shield must be an enchanted one, or they would have been

blown away. They're trying to keep the enemies in check, but it's clear that

they're at a disadvantage both in quantity and quality.

"Ignis!" The fire mage chants this single word in a commanding tone. A

ball of fire the size of a grown person's head appears above the tip of his

cane, which he then grabs with a hand and throws at the adventurers in a

single fluid motion. Upon contact with the ground in front of them, it goes up

in a fiery explosion.

"That spell...?! He must have a double fire affinity!" Luna exclaims in

shock. Double? What do you mean by that?

Luckily, it seems I was right about the fact that the shield bearer has an

enchanted shield similar to Gram's, and is holding it at an angle. The wave of

heat forces him back slightly, but nobody is hurt. However, the guy who just

peeked out to shoot his bow does it too hastily, and the arrow flies off into nowhere. The melee fighters obviously don't dare to approach the fire mage

while only wielding swords.

They're in a deadlock.

Luna, use water magic! It should be super effective, right?

Another fireball is flung at the shield bearer and hits the shield directly.

The explosion throws the man behind it backward and into his party

members. Seeing that opening, the enemy mage immediately chants another

spell to attack the exposed group with it.

However, Gram reacts quickly and jumps in front of them with his massive

shield. The enchanted steel blocks the fireball and causes the magic to

dissipate completely on impact.

What level of enchantment is on your shield, oi? Look, the fire mage is

also baffled!

"Protect me while I prepare my spell." Lifting her staff, Luna begins to

chant.

Are you sure, Luna? You will become the target for a fireball when you do

that right in front of the enemy's eyes. Now that the big man has left to

frontline for the other adventurers, we have been exposed. Rolan moves in

front of her and brandishes his sword as if signaling that he will shield her

with everything he has.

Woah, this isn't some final battle where you have to sacrifice your life to

get the win! It's just a side quest boss. Didn't you want to defeat the demon

queen?

No wait, it's better if you die here rather than become more powerful, and

one day, challenge Maou-mama! On the other hand, I still want to journey

with you guys a while longer, to learn more about humans, and their strengths

and weaknesses...

"Ignis!" The enemy mage's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

There, I knew it! A fireball flies towards us, but Rolan jumps forward and

slashes it with his sword. The fire is cut in half and fizzles out harmlessly.

Are you for real? You can do that? I have to reevaluate this party's strength,

compared to the other adventurers, who seem to be far weaker. They have

neither the teamwork nor the individual abilities that Rolan and the others

have.

Speaking of individual abilities, where's the bard? I feel like I haven't seen

him for a while now.

A crossbow bolt hits a thug in the shoulder, as he just peeked out of cover

to throw a knife at Luna. The bard was the one who fired it, now hiding

behind Gram among the other group of adventurers. Their archer also tries to

provide fire support and shoots at the mage.

I follow the arrow with my eyes and see it suddenly change its trajectory a

distance away from its intended target. There's something like heat haze

surrounding the fire mage, so it must have redirected the projectile. I can't

help but feel that creating a heat barrier must be some high-level magic.

Though, it explains why there's some space between him and the thugs

since the heat would hurt them, too.

"Tri-Natura!" Luna is finally done. This took about as long as the

Elemental Overload spell she used on the wulfar back then. But that last one

was four elements, and this one sounds like it only uses three.

An unnatural breeze forms and whips the half-elf mage's cloak around.

From the tip of her staff water and fire form, and mix into a glowing sphere.

A barrier of wind holds it into place until the sphere burns as brightly as the

sun.

Don't tell me this is fusion? Is that even how fusion works?

The fire mage sees the spell and his eyes expand in shock before he quickly

jumps behind a large crate - the heaviest cover available to him. This must be

quite the powerful magic if he reacts like that.

Luna balances the glowing orb on the tip of her staff and points it in the

direction of her opponent. From the sphere, a single narrow beam shoots out

like a ray of light, right into the crate the mage is hiding behind.

That's a freaking laser!

A sizzling hole the size of a five-hundred Yen coin is burned into the crate.

From behind it, the mage's scream can be heard, before he falls to the floor

while clutching his shoulder. The laser went right through his cover, his

body, as well as the wall behind him. Luckily, it was at an angle, or it would

most likely have pierced through half the city or something.

If I were to get hit by that, I wouldn't fare better than that guy did. I don't

have a conceptual defensive shield that I can summon to block this positron

sniper rifle! And Luna is still keeping the sphere up, meaning she can shoot it

more than once.

"Surrender, or my next shot will not miss any vitals." She announces and

raises her staff dangerously.

"Don't shoot! We surrender!" The thugs behind the barricades immediately

react by standing up with their hands in the air and dropping their weapons to

the ground. After seeing their leader getting sniped through his heavy cover,

they lost all the confidence in their own much flimsier ones.

"I... surrender..." The fire mage raises his one good arm while still lying on

the ground, and presses these words out between his clenched teeth. He's

fortunate to be still alive, considering that beam was shot through cover

blindly. If it had been off by just a few inches, it could have pierced through

his spine or even his head.

This battle here seems to have been concluded with an overwhelming

victory.

"But really, why would someone with a double elemental affinity become a

criminal?" Luna wonders after the slavers are bound and gathered up to be

taken away. "With his talent, he could have applied at a great magic school,

maybe even the Royal Academy."

Apparently, that guy didn't think so. I'm sure he has a reason for doing this,

and talented people resorting to crime exist everywhere. Crime is the easy

and fast path in life, high-risk, high-reward. It's like gambling, staking one's

future at all times. You either keep winning, or you never get to play again.

In either case, I'm interested in learning about that double elemental

affinity thing, so I ask Luna directly. Wondering about it by myself won't get

me anywhere since all I can think of is that it means to have an affinity for

the same element twice. That doesn't really make any sense now, does it?

"It means somebody who would normally have an affinity for two

elements, but both of them are focused on the same one." The half-elf

responds with a sigh as she watches the mage being led away. That

explanation isn't very enlightening. "These mages have much more control

over that element, and can greatly enhance even the most basic spells. He was

using 'Ignis', right? No matter how talented one normally is, the fire created

from that spell cannot cause such explosions."

"I see..." I think I get it somehow. As expected of fantasy, such things are

possible, too.

Now that it's been cleared up, I want to see what's so important behind that

door the fire mage and the thugs wanted to protect. Why would they make a

stand here instead of trying to flee using his destructive magic abilities?

Rolan seems to be curious, too. He asks Gram to have his shield ready so

that he can block whatever may come out from the other side when he opens

the door. Other adventurers gather around, their weapons gripped tightly and

pointed forward, as they focus on the entrance before them.

The anticipation is rewarded with a boring nothing; rather than an enemy

springing forth, there's only a large storage room beyond the door. It's filled

with crates, cages covered in sheets and stacked barrels most likely

containing all kinds of goods. Maybe this is their vault?

Among all that, a man is cowering behind a crate too small for his rotund

frame, doing a lousy job at hiding himself. He looks like a typical rich

sleazebag who made his fortune in underhanded ways; greasy hair combed

over to cover the balding top, beady nervous eyes, a fat nose with a hairy

wart sticking out on the side, and thick lips that flap open and closed,

desperate to find words under the present circumstances.

I guess the thugs outside were trying to hide him, so he must be someone

important. Considering there don't seem to be any escape routes from this

room, they were making a final stand to try and take all adventurers down.

Maybe they would have succeeded, if not for our party's intervention.

"If it isn't Lord Mogens." Ingrid walks forward with a furious expression

while cracking her knuckles. She lost two adventurers in the raid, and one

tracker was killed trying to find this place, so her anger is understandable.

Wait, 'Lord' Mogens?

"The lord governor's brother?" Rolan mutters in disbelief. If that's his

brother, it's possible that the lord governor himself is in on this, too. Did we

uncover a big scandal?

"T-thank you for saving me!" Lord Mogens' voice is befittingly highpitched for a human pig, and he's breathing hard despite not having moved

much. Honestly, he's just a disgusting creature. "These scoundrels were

keeping me imprisoned here!"

He's acting the victim, but judging by the fact that he was hiding here, not

bound and still in possession of his expensive clothes and accessories, it's

clear that he's either a buyer or the mastermind behind it all.

"Is that so. I'm glad we could be of assistance. Now, let's go and have a talk

with Lord Severin." The guild master waves over two adventurers, who

apprehend the fat and sweaty man. His attempts to struggle are so hilariously

weak that I have to suppress my laughter.

"H-huh? W-what are you doing! No, please!" Even when it should be

obvious that they've seen through him, he tries to worm his way out. His

pleas fall on deaf ears, as he's taken outside. "Believe me! I have nothing to

do with what was going on here! Please, don't bring me to my brother!

Unhand me!"

Well, I suppose the lord of this city isn't in cahoots with this guy, or he

wouldn't be so obviously afraid of being taken to him. I guess I don't have to

worry about that end of the matter, then.

Now that everyone has time to look around, they begin to take the sheets

off the cages. Most of them are empty, but there are three with wild animals

in them. And every one of those animals is noticeably corrupted.

A medium-sized cage holds a cat-like animal that has a large horn growing

from its forehead. Aside from that, it doesn't seem any special. It doesn't

seem to exhibit any aggressive behavior normally ascribed to cursed animals

and just watches us quietly.

Wait, this might actually be a naturally evolved animal in this world, for all

I know. In fact, its rich and lustrous fur combined with its regal behavior

makes me think this might just be some noble's pet that was kidnapped for

ransom.

In another cage are two lizards with weak little wings. The only reason I'm

fairly certain they aren't dragons is the fact that they look very much like

iguanas that sprouted extra limbs. They don't seem like they could fly with

those, and I doubt they're able to breathe fire either. These must be cursed

then?

The third cage is pretty big and holds a wulfar. However, this one's eye

sockets are hollow, and instead, its whiskers have grown into eight prehensile

feelers. It has six legs, and the spines that should be running along its back

have turned into insect-like arms.

Alright, this one's definitely corrupted, and it's expressing itself in a very

creepy way at that. Not even I could consider that cool or cute.

But these are just curiosities and commodities that one should be able to

trade openly - unless these were also kidnapped from their rightful owners.

Then again, maybe keeping cursed animals is illegal since they're considered

to be dangerous.

However, my attention is on the biggest cage all the way in the back of the

storage room, covered with a sheet of thick cloth. This one's big enough to hold a bear, and might contain something to match its size. The adventurers

inspect the animals, but nobody else seems to have noticed this one, yet.

I approach the cage and unhesitatingly pull the sheet that covers it,

revealing the being inside. It's a young dark elf with dirty dark skin and

unkempt hair, sitting in the corner of the cage and staring at me with a feral

amethyst-colored glare.

She's a corrupted being; her right arm is deformed, and from around the

middle of the upper arm downward, it turns into a giant crab pincer. In fact, if

she stood up and straightened her arm, its tip could maybe even reach the

floor. Unlike her skin color, it's a bright red.

A fiddler crab's arm?

"A cursed dark elf..." Rolan, who has noticed my movements in this corner

of the room, comes up to me and speaks with a look of pity in his eyes.

Hey, what's with that face? I would understand it if you directed that

expression at the animals, but not at a person! I turn to look at the girl, who

tries to hide her arm by turning away. But the crab pincer is almost as wide as

her petite body, so she's unable to cover it completely.

I actually think it looks pretty cool.

"What happens to her?" I have the feeling that she'll be treated as an outcast

in the world of humans and elves alike. I'm sure nobody in the Dominion

would mind, though. I mean, beings like me exist over there, so this is pretty

harmless.

Ugh, why do I hurt myself so?

"I don't think anyone is going to come and claim her as family... it's even

possible that she was sold into slavery by her own parents." The leader

replies in a somber tone.

That's really cruel. To think human and elven society is that backwards and

doesn't have a social care system for people affected by birth defects - which

corruption results in - and are unable to live on their own. Well, the same is

true for most countries in the world I come from, so...

I look at the cursed dark elf, and our eyes meet. Her amethyst irises appear

to be glowing faintly in the twilight of this room and are drawing me in. It

feels like I could lose myself in them forever, their mysterious patterns

seemingly swirling in the colors of the sea of stars in a clear night's sky. They

remind me of another certain dark elf. I assume all of their kind have eyes

like those.

"I want her." I find myself saying without really thinking.

"Miss Chloe? But slavery is forbi-" Rolan begins to complain, but I clear

up his misunderstanding.

"No, not as a slave. I want to free her. I want to give her a place in this

world." Looking up at him with a soft smile, I wordlessly imply 'just like you

did for me'. He closes his mouth, taken aback by my expression.

He didn't really do anything significant since I only faked my helplessness

- and still am faking it. But making him think he did allows me to manipulate

him better.

However, this girl is really in the situation I pretended to be in. When I

look into her eyes, I see only despair. While there's a tiny flicker of life in

them, it's so faint that it may disappear at any moment. Hers is a gaze on the

verge of giving up on life.

She's too young for that.

In other words, my motherly instincts are getting stirred up, when I look

into her eyes - even though I'm only seventeen years old. Well, I can also feel

something darker stir inside me, so I can't say my reasons are entirely

selfless.

Rounding the cage, I find the door. It's obviously locked, but only with a

simple mechanism rather than one that requires a key. The only reason the

little dark elf couldn't open it herself is that it's too high up for her to reach. It

requires one to turn and lift up a heavy metal bar, which would be too much

for her to do while balancing on tiptoes.

I unlock the mechanism and enter the cage.

"Wait, that's dangerous, Miss Chloe!" At the leader's voice, others turn

around to us. Gram, Luna and the bard come over with concerned

expressions on their faces.

I slowly inch towards the cursed girl, avoiding fast movements like I'm

dealing with a wild animal. She bares her teeth, her expression filled with

fear; she must have had many painful experiences with people coming into

her space before.

Luckily, I had enough presence of mind to leave Senka outside, since her

appearance surely won't do any good in such a situation.

"Please come out of there. You don't know how strong the cursed can be!"

Rolan isn't shouting, but his voice carries a certain urgency. The big man

watches anxiously since he can't follow me into this cramped space with his shield. Luna raises her staff and begins to chant, while the bard readies his

crossbow.

Stop it, or I'll get mad! I'm ready to take you all out to save this girl if I

have to! Yes, to me, she's more like kin than any of you humans are.

I move around to block the other party members' views on the dark elf girl.

That way, they can't attack her without potentially hurting me in the process.

With my arms outstretched, I step forward trying to appear as unthreatening

as possible. But she slowly raises her crab arm in response to my approach,

all the while shaking all over in fear.

I have to admit, from so close up, it looks quite scary. There are sharp

spikes on the outer ridge, and the color is like a warning signal, although it

makes me think that it's actually drenched in blood. But I'm not someone who

gets discouraged by appearances.

We're now both in range to touch each other, but I stop and lower myself to

her eye-level. I heard that this is the best way to speak to a scared child.

"There's nothing to fear." I hope I'm making a relaxing warm voice; I can't

really tell.

Ah, a little life returned to her eyes, as she looks at me in surprise. I smile

at her as best as I can, but somehow she gasps and tries to retreat from me.

The cage's bars keep her from doing so, and desperation flashes across her

face.

Did I do an evil smile just now? I have a human face, so I should be able to

tell whether I'm genuinely smiling or not. But maybe it's because she doesn't

let herself feel hope, for fear of it being betrayed? Maybe my smile seemed

dishonest to her, and she thinks that I will only hurt her in the end, too?

No point in thinking, it's do or die! I move forward quickly-

- and get slapped across the face by the huge pincer.

Ahhh, of course, that's how it goes. I'm crying over here. Big sis is crying

because you're rejecting her kindness.

"Miss Marcott! Are you alright?" Luna, of all people, is concerned about

me.

The slap was unexpectedly light, and it was with the side of the claw that's

completely smooth. Either way, physical attacks don't really work on me - at

least not ones of this level. But now that she swung her arm and it didn't have

any effect, I used the opening to close the distance and enter her range!

"Everything's alright now..." I hug the little dark elf to my chest and whisper into her long and pointy ear. She's shocked by my unexpected course

of actions and begins to struggle, but I won't let go, now that I got her. "I

won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

Of course, that's a very arbitrary promise, since nobody could ever

guarantee something like that in a world where people can fling fireballs and

shoot magic lasers. But at least it sounds reassuring. And I do have every

intention of following through with it.

Ah, she's sinking her teeth into my shoulder.

Are you a wild dog? I heard that when a dog bites you because it's afraid of

you, and you don't show any anger or hostility, it will lick the wound as if to

apologize. Well, I don't expect a demi-human to do that, but I still endure it

without making a sound. Not like it hurts at all since I have this convenient

body. Also, she doesn't have much strength in her bite and is unable to pierce

my skin.

I don't let go of her and keep my firm but warm embrace, trying to convey

the thought that I want to keep her safe through it. Finally, she stops

struggling, and lets go of my shoulder. I separate from her and look into her

eyes, noticing that her fear and desperation has faded.

She sees my expression and finally realizes that I mean her no harm, so her

body relaxes and she begins to tear up. Burying her face into my chest, she

lets her emotions run wild.

I did it.

"You're a real daredevil, Miss Chloe..." Rolan sighs behind me. I turn

around and see the tension in the room dissipate. Gram's even making an

approving gesture.

"What's your name?" I ask in a soft tone after she finally calms down and

we separate again.

"... Kamii..." She replies in a frail voice. It seems she understands our

language.

"I'm Kuroe Makoto." Introducing myself with the original pronunciation of

my name, I caress her cheek and give her a reassuring smile. She nuzzles into

my chest again and squeezes me tightly.

Ahhh, what a nice feeling~

"Mahkotoh..." She mutters, and I can feel my heart skip a beat. It's

pronounced with a childlike lisp, but it's much closer to my real name than

what the others have been calling me so far. I don't even care that she may think it's my family name since it's actually my given name.

I steal a glance at Senka leaning against the bars outside the cage, but she

obviously doesn't move while there are so many people around. With Kamii,

I just got two cute companions in the span of two days.

Bad taste? Whoever says that will get swallowed whole, and in my belly,

find a new definition of pain and suffering, as they're slowly digested over

the course of a thousand years!