Chapter 1 The Lady of the Lake

Warning: The following is an original novel authored by me. It was originally written in Spanish and translated into English, so it may contain spelling errors. I would appreciate it if you could point out any errors in the comments. Thank you.

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My companions and I were trying to have breakfast; the atmosphere was heavy. We managed to survive the last battle, but looking at the city was depressing, so we limited ourselves to eating in silence.

We were all eating the fruit I brought earlier, and Chizze was devouring the remains of yesterday's ox. With everything she ate, I'm surprised she woke up hungry.

While we were having breakfast, we were discussing what to do with the sword that Blodsai stole. Leaving it in human hands could be very dangerous, and using it ourselves might destroy our bodies as it did to Blodsai.

Finally, we came to a conclusion…

"You're right, we could try to destroy it," Kharla told me.

Raiza raised her hand and said, "I have a better idea: how about we return it to the Lady of the Lake?" I was stunned and replied:

"Do you know where she lives?" I asked calmly.

"It's not exactly a place; it's another existential plane. I suppose we could try. Follow me to the living room; I'll make the preparations."

Raiza concentrated her mana in her hands and began making engravings on the floor with her mana, drawing a rhombus with several words in the Elvish language.

"Now I must prepare the offering." I replied to Raiza:

"Will you sacrifice a goat, or what are you planning to do, Raiza?"

Raiza grabbed the teapot and said, "I'll make some tea." She cut the apples into small cubes and the oranges into slices, placing them in a pitcher. She added the mint leaves and the tea leaves, sweetening them with a touch of honey. To finish, she filled the pitcher with hot water, leaving us marveling at the sweet aroma of the tea.

"Friends, stand in front of the rhombus where I indicate." Raiza positioned us in specific places, placed the tea in the middle of us, and began a prayer in the Elvish language, literally praying to the tea while holding the sword in her hand.

I felt a brief light…

The sword that was on the floor disappeared…

I asked in astonishment, "What happened to the sword?"

Kharla told me, "I suspected it, you are not human, Mister Ester…"

…

…

…

We go back a few minutes in the past with the Princess of Rusthia…

We were having fruit for breakfast. Personally, I prefer bread, but since the bakeries are closed due to yesterday's disaster... it's better to settle for what Mister Ester was able to buy...

For a second, I missed the food from the palace of Rusthia a little, but I guess this lifestyle isn't so bad, although that cursed sword in the house makes my nerves stand on edge.

"Mister Ester, I have a question."

Ester replied, "Tell me; at this point, you can say whatever you want."

I asked, "What are we going to do with that sword? It's obvious it's cursed and we can't use it, but leaving it unwatched could create another disaster like last night's."

Then, Miss Raiza came up with the idea of using the tea Ester bought and performing a ritual to see a mythological deity. If it had been anyone else, I would have laughed, but I trust Raiza with all my heart, so I followed her instructions.

We stood in front of a strange rhombus, and when Raiza finished her incantation in front of it, she placed the tea as some sort of offering.

I didn't even realize when it happened… but in less than a second, we were no longer inside the cabin.

…

The place around me is very different from anything I've ever seen, as the floor was like a mirror. I suppose any woman living in this place would be called the Lady of the Lake. I look around a bit more and see Raiza and Chizze, but there's no sign of Mister Ester or the Dryad.

"Girls, I know you have questions; I'll answer them another time, but for now, follow me." We obey Raiza and follow her without a word. Although Chizze looks somewhat uneasy, I guess she's wondering about Mister Ester.

We follow Raiza, walking over the mirror, until in the distance, through the mist, we see a rural village. It catches my attention what a village is doing here in the middle of absolutely nothing…

Once we enter the village, I don't see any people. It's a deserted place.

"Raiza, you're here again. Oh, my! You have some company. Will you introduce me to your friends?"

I see a small girl walking through the deserted streets. She's very small, with white hair, red eyes, and a formal outfit that you might wear to a noble's party, with a rather short skirt…

"Yes, it's been a long time, Lady of the Lake," says Raiza, and I add, "This little girl is the one talked about in the holy scriptures? I thought it was a tall, beautiful woman with a penetrating gaze."

The girl stands in front of me. "Sorry to disappoint you, but my form is just a reflection of who you are. I have no physical form; what you see, from the surroundings to my body, is just what your brains are capable of processing."

Chizze crouches in front of the girl and asks, "Lady of the Lake, do you know where Master and the Dryad are?"

The Lady of the Lake pets Chizze as if she were a small puppy, and Chizze doesn't seem to object. I suppose her instincts tell her who to submit to.

"Little beast woman, this plane is reserved only for heroes of humanoid races, and those two don't meet those characteristics," says the mysterious girl…

I ask, "I understand that applies to the Dryad, but Ester helped free the slaves from the Elven Forest and saved the city of Nessy yesterday. Why can't he enter?"

The little girl, wrongly called the Lady of the Lake, gives a slight smile and, in a calm voice, says, "If he had entered, I wouldn't have this friendly form. It would be something much more grotesque. Ester is not human and not a hero; he is a strange chimera that's difficult even for me to analyze. He's not a bad person, if that's what concerns you, but I would prefer not to deal with him."

I start trembling and remember when I connected with Ester, that darkness I saw…

Could it be that the darkness is actually Ester himself?

"Lady of the Lake, let's skip the chat. I came to return this." Raiza throws the sacred sword to the Lady of the Lake, and she looks at the sword with indifferent eyes.

"I remember the owner of that sword. In my reflection, he saw his perfect sword and asked me to give him a sword I never had, and he forged his own sword based on my reflection. He made that sword sacred himself. It's a shame it ended up in the wrong hands. I suppose I'll keep it so that it doesn't happen again."

The Lady of the Lake takes the sword, and it disappears in her hands.

"Anyway, we're leaving now." Raiza turned around, took us by the hand, and wanted us to follow her out of this place.

"Raiza, tell me, don't you see the reflection of your own sword when you look at me?"

Without turning around, Raiza replies to the Lady of the Lake, "I only see a silly girl who likes to talk too much."

With nothing more to say, we were about to leave this existential plane, but then I hear the Lady of the Lake say my name and throw me a ring.

"Take it as a parting gift and, by the way, thanks for that tea. It was very good."

Without even realizing it, we returned to the cabin. When I see Ester, who seems confused, I remember the words of the Lady of the Lake and tell him…

"I suspected it already; you're not human, Mister Ester, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person."

…

…

…

Now we hear the deep thoughts of a priest with glasses and white gloves…

"I what?" I didn't understand what happened… why did that sword disappear? And the jar of tea too? Why is Kharla telling me I'm not human? I don't understand anything…

Raiza says to me, "Hey, Ester, don't worry. We got rid of that sword, so we can be at ease now."

I get it now; Raiza took care of everything. I won't ask any more questions; I'll just accept it. Chizze hugs me and says, "Master, to me, you're a hero. Never forget that."

Yes, I definitely won't ask questions.

I hear a knock on the door. I excuse myself to escape from this uncomfortable conversation. I approach the door to ask who it is.

"Hello, Mister Ester. I'm Lieutenant Brikrats. Yesterday I interrogated your companions and looked at the documents proving you have the support of General Darlick. I made sure they were authentic." Great, more trouble.

I said quietly to my companions, "Girls, we have visitors, but I'll handle it. Stay inside the cabin while I deal with the lieutenant."

I went out to talk to Lieutenant Brikrats. "I know you're here to interrogate me, but I want you to answer a question first: what will you do to the people who committed serious crimes last night?" The lieutenant looked away.

"The answer won't please you because you already know it. If those crimes go unpunished, there will be discontent among the victims. And, given how you explained the orb of lust works, people only did what they always wanted to do…"

I looked the lieutenant in the eyes. "So they will be executed under the premise that they're possessed by demons." The lieutenant handed me back the recommendation the general gave me and a letter with the official version of last night's demon attack.

"If they ask you what happened, tell them that version, which is the official one. The merits of this heroic feat will be yours and your two companions', leaving out the client you are protecting and her ridiculous-helmeted bodyguard. They will be left out of the report, as it's clear there are dangerous people searching for her to have such strong people protecting her."

I stored the documents and accepted the lieutenant's words, as continuing this conversation would risk exposing Raiza's identity. "We want to continue our journey immediately. I no longer feel comfortable or safe in this city."

Lieutenant Brikrats replied, "Just show that letter I gave you, and you can leave whenever you like."

I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but the lieutenant asked me, "What do you plan to do after arriving in the capital? As a protégé of the Chess Player, I suppose you're going to fight in the war zone in Amster."

This man is very shrewd. I definitely need to keep a prudent distance from him.

"Let's say that is the case. Do you have any personal recommendations, lieutenant?"

The lieutenant turned his back to me and said, "Just don't take any regrets onto the battlefield. I've fought on the front lines many times, but sometimes things happen that can break your resolve… You know, I remember becoming friends with a good man in the middle of the war against the demons, but he died. It wasn't a heroic death, just a tragedy… It was very painful to bring the news to his fiancée… It's the kind of thing that changes you. Even so, my friend had no regrets at the time of his death. Only go to the battlefield if you can do the same."

After hearing his words, I remained silent and bid farewell to Lieutenant Brikrats.

When the lieutenant left, I spoke with my companions and told them we could leave the city whenever we wanted. My companions agreed to leave immediately, as we didn't feel safe in this place with all the attention this incident is receiving.

We rented this cabin for a month but only used it for less than a day.

By the Goddess, what a mess…

We packed our things into the commercial carriage we bought and left the city of Nessy, though more troubles were still waiting for us…