Nohzan—A Kingdom in Peril

At the southernmost end of the Great Canada Forest lay a massive elven port town

that bordered the South Central Sea. This town was where the majority of trade with

the Great Fobnach Kingdom—the land of the mountain people on the southern

continent—took place. It was far larger than the village of Lalatoya, my new home.

The town bustled not only with elves, but mountain people from the southern

continent who'd come to trade their wares.

It also brimmed with trees that had been converted into large apartment buildings—

far more than in Lalatoya—many of which were connected with aerial bridges full of

townspeople. The town looked both mystical and futuristic at the same time, the way

it combined nature and technology. The brick-and-mortar storefronts built into the

bases of the trees provided the town with a unique beauty that was accented by the

stream of elves and mountain people moving back and forth along the roads.

Standing tall in my silvery armor and pitch-black cloak, with my sword and shield at

my back and Ponta riding atop my helmet, I led our party through the crowd. We left

a trail of hushed whispers and suspicious gazes behind us as we walked. Having

experienced this the last time I was here, I didn't pay it much mind.

"I didn't figure I'd be back in Landfrea so soon."

"Kyii!" Apparently, Ponta shared my sentiment.

Trailing behind me was our usual party: my self-proclaimed supervisor, Ariane, and

our chief information gatherer, Chiyome. Behind them was Dillan, Lalatoya's village

elder. He'd come with us to prepare a rescue force to head to Drant. The rescue force

consisted of around twenty healers and soldiers. They were waiting for us at the port.

Once we made it through the tall tree buildings, we started seeing more and more

mushroom-shaped buildings—the commercial district. The road was lined with stalls

covered with goods from the Great Fobnach Kingdom. Hawkers called out to all who

passed by to come look at their wares. It was truly a sight to behold.

"Kyii! Kyii!"

Ponta's head moved on a constant pivot as it inspected all the food brought up from

the southern continent, mewing at the unique smells.

Ariane laughed lightly. "Sorry, Ponta, but we've got to head straight to the port. No

detours, okay?"

Ponta's large, bushy tail drooped down my back. The cottontail fox was clearly

disappointed to hear this.

I pulled a large leather pouch from my waist and held it up for Ponta to see. "Don't

worry, buddy. I brought some snacks for the boat."

Ponta immediately brightened up and began wagging its tail around. Chiyome's nose

twitched as she watched our interaction. Her ears perked up, and her eyes widened

with delight.

It was rare to see her show any expression on her face; her tail usually did most of the

talking. Apparently, she recognized what was in the bag.

"Hey, Arc, that smells a lot like that teriyaki chicken dish you made before."

She'd hit the nail on the head. I'd used the remaining imitation soy sauce to make a

kind of grilled and skewered yakitori chicken. I usually preferred the dish salted, but

since I had some leftover sauce, I used that to baste the skewered chicken before

grilling it.

Still, putting food dripping with sauce into a leather bag was a bit of a strange idea.

In case the sauce was too strong for Ponta, I'd also brought some dried berries as a

backup. I was shaking the bag to check its contents when something suddenly struck

me.

"How long will this trip take?"

Dillan looked a bit uncomfortable at this question. "It should take about four days.

Unfortunately, I don't handle the seas all that well…"

It had taken us a single day to make it down to the southern continent on our previous

trip, which meant this journey would be four times as long. It still wasn't all that long

in light of the distance we'd be traveling, but I imagined the prospect of a four-day

voyage aboard a ship wouldn't be appealing for someone prone to seasickness.

I glanced over toward Chiyome and noticed a conspicuous absence—the large,

muscle-bound cat man who'd joined us on our last adventure.

"Did you decide to not invite Goemon along?"

Chiyome looked back up from the bag in my hand, her expression once again going

blank.

"Goemon is continuing his investigation into Sasuke's travels in the Delfrent Kingdom.

Besides, this request was a personal one. Regardless of whether or not you agreed to

help me, I'd already planned to make my way to the Holy Hilk Kingdom, one way or

another."

A fire burned in Chiyome's eyes, the determination in her voice clear.

She was trying to figure out what had happened to someone she'd not only loved

dearly, but also someone who's life she'd taken. It was easy to understand why she was

so intent on discovering how he'd met his fate.

In fact, she probably wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she didn't uncover the truth.

"So, we might run into Goemon along the way, then?"

"It's possible, I suppose. Including its three neighboring countries, the Holy Hilk

Kingdom is far larger than the Rhoden Kingdom. But since Goemon isn't working out

of any kind of base of operations, I doubt he'll be able to catch up with us."

As we left the commercial district, Chiyome's gaze turned to the vast sea that spread

out in front of us. It was nothing but water clear to the horizon. She looked uncertain.

Ariane also looked worried as she watched Chiyome. The young girl's cat ears lay flat

against her head.

I glanced back at my pouch, remembering Chiyome munching away happily on the

chicken teriyaki I'd made yesterday.

"What is this, Arc? I've never tasted anything like it before. It's really good!" Her azure

eyes had been wide as she ravenously consumed the sauce-covered chicken.

Ariane had also looked pleasantly surprised as she popped some of the meat into her

mouth. "I didn't care for the smell while you were making it, but it smells amazing now

that you've grilled it up."

The two had nothing but praise for my imitation soy sauce.

"Well, this is quite a unique flavor." Glenys smacked her lips in satisfaction.

"I used something called soy sauce to add some flavor. I think there's still room for

improvement, but it came out pretty good for a first try."

It tasted more like a Western-style sauce than I'd planned, but I was still happy with

how it had turned out. Maybe it would even spread among the elves as a new flavor.

After Chiyome polished off her first skewer, she held her hands out for seconds, which

she gobbled up just as quickly. She turned her attention back to me.

"Hey, Arc, I'd love to introduce this to the people in my village. Would you mind

teaching me how to make it?"

I nodded eagerly. "Of course not! I'd love to see more people enjoy this."

Chiyome's cat ears flitted about excitedly.

There was a certain happiness only seeing people enjoy a dish you prepared could

bring. I couldn't remember the last time I'd made food for someone, but I'd been

fortunate enough to do so several times since coming to this world.

It was funny… the fewer people there were in the world, the closer you ended up

becoming. It was a complete reversal from the modern world I'd come from.

I let out a light chuckle as I thought about last night's dinner. I felt as though the food

I'd made helped reduce the burden that weighed on Chiyome's heart, if only for a

moment.

Chiyome was one of my few friends in this mysterious world—or at least I considered

her to be one. I had no idea how she felt about me. I was fortunate enough to be

stronger than the average person, so I was often able to help Chiyome out. I didn't

mean this in an arrogant way—it was a simple fact. Still, I didn't want people to

evaluate me purely on the strength I could bring to bear. In fact, I was all too aware

that I lacked the experience to make the most of my powers. That was why I'd decided

to double down on my sword training with Glenys after returning from the southern

continent.

I clenched my fist and looked out at the horizon.

Ariane called out to us. "Hurry up, you two! The boat's already at the dock."

I turned to find Dillan approaching one of the buildings near the port. Chiyome and I

hurried after him as he disappeared inside.

This building, part of the port facilities, had a magic lift that could lower you through

a large tunnel in the earth down to the dock. We stepped out to find numerous ships

berthed in an underground cavern.

Dillan made his way toward one of the vessels. Though by no means tiny compared to

the ships around it, this ship was much smaller than the Rievbelta. It was maybe about

half the size of the hundred-meter vessel we'd ridden on our previous trip. This new

ship sported two large masts and boasted a sleek hull made of a white metallic

material. Several portholes for cannons lined the side of the vessel, reminding me of

the Rievbelta.

A crew of burly dark elves rushed in and out of the vessel, getting it ready for

departure. A small army of around twenty more elves, marked by their green-tinged

blond hair and pointed ears, stood on the shore. They snapped to attention as soon as

they spotted Dillan. This was the rescue force that would support Drant. I recognized

one of the faces in the crowd immediately—it was Danka.

I remembered that scowling face and wrinkled forehead from back when I'd joined

Ariane in her attempt to rescue the elves who'd been enslaved in Diento.

Ariane shot a glance in his direction—a simple greeting. Once Danka caught sight of

me, however, the wrinkles in his forehead deepened. He averted his gaze, looking back

at Dillan.

He'd never really trusted me, so his reaction made sense.

Dillan, oblivious to that exchange, stood in front of the formation and began speaking.

"We've been instructed by the council of high elders to head west to the village of

Drant, off in the Ruanne Forest. I'm sure you've already been briefed, but we're

responding to a request for assistance. However, there are many out there who will

not welcome our presence. Do not argue with anyone in Drant. If you have any issues,

come speak with me personally."

Dillan paused and looked at each and every person assembled before him. He was met

with a mixture of nods and frowns. Apparently, these elves weren't too keen about

heading off to Drant. I could feel pinpricks on the back of my neck—or I would have,

if I had skin—from the overall mood.

I looked at Ariane. "It seems like the people aren't too fond of Drant."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Well, there's a bit of a history there. Father says he knows

the elder, but the rest of the village generally isn't welcoming to outsiders."

"All right, let's board. We'll ship out as soon as everyone's settled."

With that, the soldiers grabbed their bags and clambered onto the ship. Ariane,

Chiyome, and I made our way toward the gangplank.

As soon as I set foot on deck, Dillan called out to me. "Arc, could you come over here?"

We followed him into the hold. The interior of the ship was broken into different

rooms and sections.

"Kyii!" Ponta mewed greetings to people as we walked past, eliciting surprised glances

from the soldiers as they caught sight of the rare creature.

At the stern of the ship, Dillan opened a door and invited Ariane, Chiyome, and me

inside. The room itself wasn't all that large, but it was well decorated and featured two

bunk beds, one on each side of the room.

Ponta dove onto one of the beds, batting at the comforter to test its softness before

looking excitedly back at me.

"I apologize for not being able to secure a larger vessel for this journey," Dillan said.

"There aren't too many rooms, so you three will have to share."

A smile graced Dillan's lips as he left the room, saying he had other duties to attend to.

Ariane watched her father leave, then turned mechanically toward me. Her expression

spoke volumes. She wasn't in a position to complain, since her father had managed to

secure a space for us on this ship in the first place, despite most of the ship being

dedicated to the rescue force. Besides, Ariane had volunteered to help track down

Sasuke.

She sighed dramatically, apparently having come to terms with the situation. She shot

me a look. "We're splitting the room down the middle. That's your side!"

Her amethyst skin took on a rose-colored hue as she pulled Chiyome over to their side

of the room and dictated her terms. Chiyome looked confused at Ariane's behavior.

The Jinshin clan was mostly men, so Chiyome was used to spending long periods of

time with them. She probably didn't think much of sharing a room with me. Ariane,

however, wasn't so keen on it.

However, Ariane was a member of the elven soldier class, which, as far as I could tell,

was also mostly men. There was something a little princess-y about the way she was

reacting. Honestly, I found it kind of adorable.

"Kyii! Kyii!"

Ponta ran around happily, sniffing at everything in sight and paying no mind to the

imaginary line dividing the room.

A short time later, I felt the whole ship shudder. Looking out the window, I could see

the world moving outside. Apparently, we were underway.

"Welp, I guess our four days at sea starts now."

With that, I stepped back into my side of the room and sat down on my bed, setting

my bag on the ground beside me. Ponta hopped up onto my lap, wagging its fluffy tail.

It was pretty clear what the fox wanted: a snack.

"We just started, y'know. Hold on for a bit, okay? How about you and I go for a walk?"

"Kyiiii… Kyii!" Ponta quickly moved through a range of emotions, from sadness at

being denied a snack to excitement at the prospect of heading off on an adventure.

I picked it up by the scruff of its neck and headed for the door.

Ariane spoke up from behind me. "You better knock before entering, you hear? I don't

want you just barging in!"

"I wouldn't even dare."

After placating Ariane, Ponta and I stepped out into the hall.

"I don't get why she has a problem with being under the same roof as me. It's not like

it's any different from back in Lalatoya."

I shook my head in confusion at Ariane's prim and proper side.

It almost felt like a plot pulled straight out of a manga, where some perv got to stay in

a room with two women. But this wasn't a kids' story.

I made my way up to the deck. The port was already a tiny dot in the distance as we

glided west along the ocean.

"Kyii! Kyii!"

Ponta got a running start and scrambled up to the top of the railing along the side of

the ship. It narrowed its eyes contentedly as the sea breeze blew through its dark

green fur.

Then someone called out to me from behind. "Are the rumors of you joining Lalatoya

true?"

No greeting, no preamble. Just straight into a question. I turned around to find a

familiar face.

"Ah, Danka. It's been awhile."

"Kyii!"

Danka didn't acknowledge either of our greetings.

"It's true. Elder Dillan invited me to become a member of Lalatoya Village."

Danka raised an eyebrow. "You said you were a human, no? And yet you're welcomed

as an elf with open arms. So, which is it?"

I'd forgotten that I'd claimed to be a human the last time we met. To be fair, I hadn't

been lying—I only learned that I'd assumed the form of my dark elf counterpart from

the game after my skeleton body transformed back into flesh and blood.

"I was suffering from memory loss at that time and thought I was human. I didn't even

know who I was."

Danka eyed me with suspicion. "Save your lies for someone else. Even if you did lose

your memory, a simple look would tell you what race you are! You're hiding something,

and I want to know what it is."

Dillan had warned me that it was still too early to reveal the full situation with my

body. For now, he wanted to increase my standing in Lalatoya before letting anyone

else in on my secret.

After proving that I wasn't actually undead, I'd been fortunate enough to have Ariane

and her family accept me as a normal person. But I'd realized recently that this

wouldn't be the case among all elves.

Many groups of elves lived apart and even thought ill of one another. I'd originally

assumed that the entire species was a tight-knit group, but, as time went on, I came to

realize that they weren't all that different from humans. Danka had worked closely

with Ariane to rescue the enslaved elves, yet now he was in front of me, his green eyes

full of suspicion.

As a soldier charged with preserving the safety of his village, it made sense for him to

mistrust someone as powerful as me whose background was shrouded in mystery.

Thankfully, I'd anticipated running into a situation like this.

I locked eyes with Danka and repeated the story Dillan had told me to provide.

"I'm suffering from the effects of a rather unique curse. My outward appearance differs

from person to person. Elder Dillan has asked me to say no more. If you have further

questions, please speak with him."

Ponta, who'd been patiently watching this exchange, hopped up from the railing and

landed on my shoulder. My vision was instantly obscured by a large, fluffy tail.

"Watch it, Ponta! I can't see anything."

"Kyii!"

I'd overreacted a bit, due to the tense situation, but Ponta quickly obliged and wrapped

itself around my neck like a scarf.

Danka scowled and began walking away. "Whatever you do, don't you dare betray her

trust, Arc."

With that, he slipped through the door and disappeared below deck. He was almost

certainly talking about Ariane. Regardless of how he felt about me personally, at least

he accepted me as a friend of Ariane's. For now, it seemed like a crisis had been

averted.

I turned back to look out at the vast ocean and sighed in relief.

I stayed on the deck for a while, alternately watching the ocean and the crew. It felt

good to take in the sea breeze, but eventually I grew tired of the unchanging view.

I let out a yawn. Ponta yawned as well and scratched its ear with its hind leg.

"Well, how 'bout we head back?"

"Kyii!" Ponta readily agreed to my suggestion.

I made my way down to the cabin and pushed the door open—that's right, I didn't

even bother to knock. Ariane had discarded her leather armor and was only wearing

her decorative robe as she relaxed on her bed. Chiyome had taken off the top of her

usual black ninja garb.

At first glance, I thought she was just sitting there in her underwear, but upon closer

inspection, it looked more like an undershirt of some sort. Time seemed to freeze, an

eerie silence enveloping the room. This, however, only lasted a moment. Ariane hurled

her pillow at me, but it missed and slammed into the door as I closed it behind me. A

muffled tirade followed.

After the encounter with Danka, I'd completely forgotten about knocking. It wasn't like

I'd even seen anything particularly exciting, but Ariane was intent on reminding me

how little attention I paid to things.

It didn't help that this was the first day of our journey.

I promised it wouldn't happen again and things calmed down a bit.

Fortunately, nothing noteworthy happened the rest of the day.

***

Four days later, the ship carrying the rescue force approached the coastline bordering

the Ruanne Forest. Somewhere inside the dense tree cover lay the village of Drant. As

far as I could tell from the deck, the trees in Ruanne weren't anywhere near as massive

as those in the Great Canada Forest.

We trekked along the coast until we came upon a bay. The surrounding land was all

sand, devoid of any trees. Several piers jutted out into the water. The only vessels

docked there were small fishing boats. The elves of Drant apparently weren't running

any large-scale fishing operations.

Even at this distance, I could spot the characteristic pointed ears and green-tinged

blond hair that marked the elves. Their clothes were also similar to the traditional

garb worn in Canada. After determining that there was simply no way our large ship

would ever be able to dock, we sailed a short distance up the coast, dropped anchor,

and started lowering the small boats sitting atop the deck into the water.

Dillan boarded the first boat with a contingent of soldiers and took off toward the

shore.

"So, I guess we're stuck on the ship until Dillan gets permission from the village elder

for us to come ashore?" I used my hand to shield my eyes from the glare as I watched

the small boat make its way toward the shore.

Ariane did the same, her golden eyes fixed on her father and the elves who were

beginning to gather on the beach. "They really don't seem happy to see us."

Thanks to her impeccable vision, Ariane was able to get a good look at the people

coming to meet Dillan. She sounded rather annoyed.

At Ariane's side, Chiyome also watched the beach with great interest. "Are your

interactions with Drant that rare?"

"I'd say once every four, maybe five years or so."

They almost followed the same schedule as the Olympics. This seemed to have little to

do with trade and more to do with keeping the lines of communication open.

"As far as they're concerned, they believe that we in Canada have turned our backs on

elven culture. They're proud to live on their own, without any other species around

them." The irritation was obvious in Ariane's voice.

"Does that include dark elves?"

Ariane looked over at me. "Ah, well, hmm. Now that you're an official member of our

village, you'll learn about it in due time. But don't worry for now."

All I could do was nod in response to her rather vague reply.

Apparently, there were forces at work in the Great Canada Forest that I was utterly

unaware of.

The only other non-human species I knew about were the dark elves and the mountain

people. I hadn't seen anyone else, but it was possible they were living in villages

farther east.

I caught sight of movement near Dillan's entourage on the beach. They'd docked their

boat at the pier and had been approached by a group of people who'd come out of the

trees.

The person speaking directly to Dillan seemed to be in charge, while the others around

him appeared to be guards of some sort.

The leader looked over at our ship and nodded before reaching out and shaking

Dillan's hand. Dillan waved toward the ship, and the remaining soldiers began

boarding boats.

"We've got permission to land! Everyone, get the boats ready! We'll be making several

trips, so standby to leave!"

A member of the ship's crew began shouting orders, followed by shouts of

acknowledgements from the other deckhands. The soldiers began loading the boats

with supplies.

However, one of the soldiers from Drant began shouting angrily at us as soon as we

docked at the pier.

"Go no farther! No one has granted you permission to enter the village!"

The man huffed angrily, stopping us in our tracks.

"You bastards from Canada brought not only dark elves with you, but beasts as well?"

Disdain dripped from his words. Ariane, who'd been standing by quietly, tensed with

barely contained rage.

"And you, in the armor! Show me your face!"

His voice boomed across the beach. All eyes were now on me.

I lifted the helmet—with Ponta on it—off my head as instructed, exposing my face.

"Kyii!"

The man's brow furrowed as he examined me, casting his gaze across my black hair,

red eyes, and brown skin.

"What the hell are you?"

I'd taken a swig of some of the spring water from the base of the Lord Crown, which

changed me from my skeleton body to my elven form, just in case something like this

happened.

"We're simply here to travel through the forest to the Salma Kingdom. Will you allow

us to pass?"

I slid the helmet back over my head and stretched out my arms in a gesture of peace.

"Absolutely not! No outsiders are allowed to enter the Ruanne Forest!"

Dillan spoke a few words to the leader from Drant. One of the guards came running

over to the man blocking our way and whispered in his ear.

The man furrowed his brow even further and shot a menacing glare in my direction

before turning and walking away. Thankfully, Dillan had managed to smooth things

over.

After the man departed, the other guard stepped forward and bowed to us before

speaking.

"The village elder has granted you permission to travel through the forest. If you take

that path leading into the woods, you will find yourselves in the land of the humans in

about half a day's time. Please understand, however, that you have not been granted

permission to enter the village."

Once he finished speaking, the man returned to the group near Dillan.

The rescue force began making preparations to move out. Dillan waved to us.

Chiyome and I bowed in response. Ariane continued glaring daggers at the man from

earlier.

"Well," I said, "now that we've gotten permission, we should probably—"

Before I'd even finished, Ariane broke in, her resentment bubbling over as she ground

her heel into the pier. "What the hell is up with these people? I don't understand why

the high elders would agree to help jerks like these."

Chiyome sighed softly. "At least they agreed to let us pass through the forest."

I nodded. I didn't know what we would've done if we'd been forced back onto the boat.

If necessary, we could've used Dimensional Step to sneak through the forest, but I was

still happy to have official approval.

"Well, shall we get going?"

Ariane, Chiyome, and Ponta all chimed in.

"Sure."

"Let's."

"Kyii!"

We'd soon be making our way into the humans' domain again, so Chiyome pulled a

large hat over her head to cover her ears and tucked her tail into her clothing, while

Ariane drew the hood of her charcoal-gray cloak low over her face.

We made our way to the trail leading off from the beach that the villager had indicated.

We walked up a gentle incline and into the woods until we came across a clearing

marked off by three large trees with stairs running along their outer perimeter,

reminding me of large screws drilled into the ground. Though nowhere near as large

as Lord Crown, these trees were much bigger than anything I'd seen in the Great

Canada Forest.

I could see numerous homes built among the massive roots at the bases of the trees.

Apparently, this was Drant.

It looked nothing like the settlements in the Great Canada Forest that I was familiar

with. A large barrier of wood and stone surrounded the whole village like a castle wall.

Still, similar walls I'd seen back in Canada seemed a lot better at fending off attacks

than the one surrounding Drant.

I spotted a large group marching toward the village gates—the rescue party and their

guides.

Ariane frowned and looked over at me. "By the way, Arc. When did you get that spring

water? I was worried for a moment when that guy told you to show your face."

"Oh, that?"

I dropped the rucksack off my shoulder, undid the string holding it shut, and pulled

out a book of loose-leaf paper.

"I drew the interior of our room on the ship to help me remember what it looked like.

Using that, I was able to teleport to the shrine and back to get some water from the

spring."

I flipped to the most recent page and showed the image to Ariane. Chiyome leaned in

to take a look as well, her cat ears twitching.

"Oh, that's the book you bought in the Landfrea market. Is that our room on the ship?"

She looked intently at the rough sketch of our room I'd drawn that morning.

In order to use my long-distance teleportation magic spell, Transport Gate, I needed

to have a strong image of the location in my mind.

This wasn't much of a problem in unique locations, but this time I'd needed to teleport

into one of many cabins aboard a ship at sea. If I didn't have a perfect memory of what

the room looked like, it was entirely possible that I wouldn't be able to teleport back

at all.

It wasn't so hard to recall your own room, due to the amount of time you spent there,

but very few people could actually remember the details of a hotel room they'd spent

the night in.

By using this book, I was able to supplement my memory and increase the number of

locations I could teleport to. Ever since I'd gotten it, I'd sketched many of the places

we'd been. If I kept this up, I'd eventually be able to travel the whole world quite easily.

Ariane's eyes went wide. "Wait, is that me?!"

She put her finger on the page for added emphasis. I'd drawn Ariane sleeping soundly

on the bed.

"I think I did a pretty good job capturing your beauty. What do you think?" I puffed out

my chest with pride.

Ariane opened her mouth several times, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't

find the right words. She slammed the book shut and shoved it back toward me. Her

ears were turning pink.

"Just forget about it!"

Chiyome looked a little disappointed. "The blanket was over my head, so you could

only see my tail…"

She was right. I'd drawn exactly what I could see from where I sat on my bed. Since

Ponta was sleeping with me, I hadn't drawn it either.

Ponta smacked my helmet with its paws. Next time I drew a location, I'd have to be

sure to include the cottontail fox too.

"Could we take a short break here before heading out? I'd like to get this place down

on paper."

I could teleport back to the shrine any time I wanted, but I'd need to have a reminder

of some sort in order to return here. The unique design of Drant would make a great

teleportation location, and I'd almost certainly be able to recall it in the short term,

but I liked having this as insurance in case my memory faded.

Besides, having a list of places to teleport to would come in handy.

"Sure, that's fine. But I don't want any trouble, so let's keep our distance."

We moved a short way off the path.

***

Fortunately, the scene in front of me was pretty easy to draw, and I was done in no

time at all.

I compared the image on paper with the village of Drant in the distance. I was satisfied

with how well I'd done.

"Not too bad, if I do say so myself."

Ariane just yawned loudly. She stood and stretched before brushing the dirt off her

bottom.

"You done?"

Chiyome climbed down from the tree where she'd been keeping watch.

"Are we heading out?"

I nodded, only to be met with a look of confusion.

I waved my hand in front of me to check on something.

"Well, I mean, I plan to head out shortly. Just wait a moment."

I headed a short distance away from the two women before summoning Transport

Gate.

Ponta rushed over and dove through the air, landing on its rightful place atop my head.

A circle of light appeared at my feet, and the world went black for a fraction of a

second. A moment later, I was at my destination.

The dense foliage almost entirely blocked out the sky, except for faint pinpricks of light

that managed to find their way through.

I was standing in front of the Lord Crown in the middle of the ruins of my shrine. It

was still a work in progress.

I looked at the familiar surroundings. After taking a deep breath, I called out.

"Heeeeeey, Shiden! You there, boy? C'mere!"

My voice rang through the vast woods. A moment later, Ponta decided to give it a shot

too.

"Kyiiiii! Kyii kyiiiiii!"

Ponta had greater success. I could hear the rustling of an animal shoving its way

through the undergrowth. Shiden, my driftpus, soon appeared. It let out a cheerful cry

as soon as it caught sight of Ponta and me.

"Grweeeeeeeen."

I braced myself and caught Shiden in a tight embrace, bringing its headlong rush to a

sudden stop and carving massive grooves into the soft earth at its feet.

This charge was Shiden's way of showing affection. For any normal person, however,

it would be as terrifying as watching a small truck barreling toward them. The driftpus

viewed these shows of strength as vital to building a relationship.

Though it might have looked like a tiny, muscle-bound dragon, there was something

endearing about the way the driftpus acted.

"Kyii! Kyiiiiii!"

Ponta called out from atop my head, eliciting a growl and a shake of its shaggy white

beard from Shiden.

After letting the two have their moment, I butted in.

"It looks like you've gotten used to living here, but I just don't think the mountain life

is right for you. How about we go on a little trip together? You can get some exercise

in while you're at it."

I rubbed Shiden's muscular neck before throwing a saddle onto its back and mounting

it.

Shiden shook its head and let out a loud snort, almost as if it understood what I was

saying. It cheerfully pounded its feet to signal it was ready to go.

I once again summoned Transport Gate. The scene changed in an instant, and we were

back standing in front of Ariane and Chiyome.

"Eek!"

Ariane jumped back in surprise at the massive beast that had appeared before her,

sending her falling back onto her rear. Once she'd figured out what was going on, she

glared at me.

"Wanna give us a warning next time?! Jeez…"

She seemed intent on trying to cover up her sudden fright by blaming me.

"Do you plan on taking Shiden into the human kingdom, Arc?" Chiyome slowly

approached the massive beast.

"I just thought it'd be a good idea to let him run around in an open space for a bit.

Besides, it's not like we're going to run into anyone the moment we cross the border."

People here generally lived pretty close together. They tended to gather around sources

of water and flat plains suitable for farming. However, due to the threats presented by

roaming monsters here, they almost always lived in walled-off communities.

Even the farms outside the protective walls were typically rather close to the towns

and villages, since it wasn't possible to develop land far from their homes. Generally

speaking, humans lived within sight of the nearest settlement.

Besides, if we were talking about some massive creature, like the forty-meter-long

Dragon Lord, that'd be a different story entirely. But at only one-tenth the size, Shiden

wouldn't draw much attention.

Moreover, we needed to travel through a land four times as big as the Rhoden Kingdom

before we even made it to the Holy Hilk Kingdom.

With Shiden's strength we'd be able to plow through forests and dense overgrowth

without needing to find a trail. Plus, it could maintain its speed across the vast

distance.

Chiyome patted Shiden's nose, satisfied with the answer. "Thanks for the help, Shiden."

Shiden snorted loudly.

"All right, then, let's get out of the forest before we run into those Drant jerks again."

Ariane was all business as she started loading our bags onto Shiden's saddle. She'd

apparently gotten over her earlier shock.

I pulled Shiden's reins and turned it back to the path we'd been walking on earlier.

"All right, everyone ready?"

Ariane hopped up behind me, while Chiyome settled down in front.

Ponta climbed onto Shiden's head and found a spot among its white mane.

"Kyiiiii!"

At Ponta's instruction, Shiden let out a roar and began running forward.

The wispy trees encroaching on the path were immediately trampled as Shiden

barreled through the forest, forging a new trail. From time to time, a stray branch

would whip back toward us, and Chiyome would duck as low as she could, letting me

take the brunt of the blows. I hardly felt them, thanks to my powerful armor.

Ariane scrunched up to use me as a human shield.

"Gyahahahahahaha!!!"

My raucous laughter echoed ominously through the Ruanne Forest. To passersby, we

must have made a rather terrifying image—a man laughing maniacally atop a massive

beast plowing through the woods.

The trees grew less and less dense until we finally broke out into a vast plain.

While in the forest, Shiden could move at about the street speed of a car. But once we

were out on open ground, it immediately sped up. I figured not even an hour had

passed since we'd started riding.

We were now running through a vast landscape of hills and valleys that stretched

toward the horizon. I pulled lightly on the reins to get Shiden to slow down a bit.

"The forest wasn't all that big, apparently. Or maybe the path we took was the shortest

way through?" Chiyome looked back at me as she spoke, prompting me to look over

my shoulder at the Ruanne Forest and then back to the hillside in front of us.

"Getting through Ruanne was just the first step. There's no way we're going to be able

to figure out where Sasuke went across these vast plains, so we should probably make

our way straight to the Holy Hilk Kingdom. What do you think?"

Chiyome nodded. "You're probably right, but it might not hurt to find out what we can

at any towns we come across."

"All right, then we'll head toward the Holy Hilk Kingdom."

I glanced around, cocking my head to the side in confusion at the undulating hills

around us.

"Now, the question is… which way is it?"

Ariane pointed in the direction of our objective. "According to Chiyome, the Holy Hilk

Kingdom is west of the Delfrent Kingdom, right? We came in from the coast to the

south, so that means it must be to the northwest."

Considering I had zero sense of direction, I wasn't in any position to correct her.

I pulled on Shiden's reins and pointed his nose in the direction Ariane pointed out. It

seemed to be greatly enjoying its mad dash up and down the grass-covered hillsides.

Its six powerful legs kicked up massive clouds of dirt as we continued through the

tranquil countryside.

After a short time, Chiyome let out a shrill cry. "Arc, there are horses and man-spiders

coming in off to our right!"

I glanced in the direction Chiyome was pointing to find a herd of racing horses led by

what looked like a knight who, much like myself, also had a small girl riding in front of

her. Behind her was a group of well-armored cavalry, crowded close as if to protect the

girl.

Behind the rushing cavalry, I caught sight of the now-familiar creatures—their lower

bodies like those of a spider, while their upper bodies looked like two people grafted

together in the middle. They sported four massive arms, each equipped with shields

and weaponry. Even though they were unmounted, they still managed to keep pace

with the horses.

The distant scene looked almost like something you'd see in a B movie, though I could

only imagine how terrified the people being chased must have been.

"Well, talk about good timing! It looks like the people we're looking for are coming

right toward us!"

I snapped the reins, and Shiden immediately changed course straight for the charging

army, without me having to provide further direction. The driftpus was actually pretty

smart.

"After we help the people being pursued, we'll figure out where those monsters came

from!"

"Got it!"

Chiyome and Ariane replied in unison as the driftpus beneath us drove its six massive

legs even harder into the earth, increasing its speed and closing in on the monsters.

***

The Sobir Mountains defined the border between the Salma Kingdom and the Nohzan

Kingdom, its neighbor to the east.

Along the eastern side of the mountain range was the Wiel River, which cut across the

land before emptying into the South Central Sea. This area had once been part of the

Nohzan Kingdom, but it currently belonged to the Salma Kingdom.

The land was ruled by Margrave Brahniey—margrave was an upgrade from his

inherited title of marquis, since he'd brought the land into the Salma Kingdom's fold.

Brahniey's domain was covered in grassy hills and devoid of any settlements or even

farmlands. A single, barely maintained road cut through the land… A road down which

a carriage was now racing at top speed.

The carriage itself looked shoddily built, but the four horses that pulled it were of a

rather elegant breed.

Stones of all sizes covered the road, causing the carriage's wheels to rattle noisily as it

bounced along.

Ten mounted knights rode alongside the carriage, outfitted in elaborate armor, with

majestic swords hanging by their sides. It was clear from a glance that this was no

normal group of soldiers.

The knights had been dispatched from the capital of the Nohzan Kingdom in order to

protect their young charge in the simple carriage—Princess Riel.

However, since they were currently intruding into another kingdom's domain, they

didn't display any royal crests as they rushed across the land, trying to keep out of

sight.

The impromptu caravan was led by two decorated knights, a man and a woman, who

were charged with leading Princess Riel's protection detail.

Niena, a young woman with a long black ponytail, brown skin, and eyes so dark they

were nearly black, was one of the two leading the group of bodyguards. She looked

almost like a child herself.

She voiced her dismay over the current situation to the brawny man with short brown

hair riding next to her.

"We left the capital two days ago, but even though we swapped out horses to maintain

our pace, we've slowed ever since we entered the Salma Kingdom. Don't you think it'd

be wiser to keep up our speed until we reach Count Dimo?"

Zahar thought it over for a moment before shaking his head. He was a man of few

words, but his expressions spoke volumes.

"We're already in enemy territory, so it's not like we can just stop by a town and keep

changing out our horses whenever we want. Ultimately, we'll get there faster if we

keep the horses at a comfortable pace rather than running them straight into the

grave."

Niena let out an exasperated sigh, but she knew he spoke the truth.

At their current pace, they were about a half day's journey from Count Dimo's domain.

As Zahar had pointed out, they'd be in dire straits if the horses became too exhausted

to move—or even died—while they were in a hostile country.

But even though Niena knew that moving at this speed was the rational choice,

between the undead encounter back at the capital and the risk of being caught in a

foreign land, she didn't want to stay any longer than she had to.

Niena shook her head heavily and tugged on her reins, slowing her horse to pull up

beside Princess Riel's carriage.

Riel opened the window. "What's goin' on, Niena? Somethin' wrong?"

The young girl tilted her head in confusion, curious as to why her lead bodyguard

would leave her place at the head of the formation. Niena was taken aback at how

astute the young girl was, but she shook her head.

"Not at all, Princess Riel. How about you? You must be tired riding in this carriage for

so long."

The childlike innocence disappeared from Riel's face. "This isn't the time for me to

complain about creature comforts! Not with the capital in peril."

This left the nearby guard detail at a loss for words.

Despite the girl's young age, the tone in her voice made it clear that she took her

assigned task very seriously.

"Please tell Zahar to hurry, Niena. I want to get to Count Dimo as soon as possible."

Niena nodded and tugged on her reins, directing her horse back to the front of the

party.

Just then, one of the guards let out a panicked shout.

"M-m-monstrous spiders are coming in from the rear!"

Niena glanced back over her shoulder to scan the horizon. It didn't take long for her

to spot a man-spider creature running down the hill after them.

It looked like a set of massive, black spider legs stitched to two discolored human

torsos, each with its own pair of arms. It wore armor, and was armed with swords and

shields. The creature moved so fast that it seemed to glide along the ground toward

the carriage.

Niena knew in an instant that this was the monster she'd heard about back at the

castle, though its very presence raised questions.

Undead were well known here, and while they weren't particularly common, they

were hardly rare. To avoid their loved ones meeting such a fate, people typically

cremated their dead. For such a large number of undead to attack Saureah in concert,

they'd have to be under someone's control.

Not only that, undead didn't just appear out of nowhere in such large numbers, much

less outfitted in matching armor.

Niena had once heard a legend, passed down from generation to generation, about

someone who'd learned the dark art of controlling the undead, but that was nothing

more than a story… wasn't it?

She shook her head to drive away the notion. Now wasn't the time to think about such

things.

"Zahar, the same monsters that were attacking the capital are closing in on us! I want

you to lead the princess's carriage out of here!"

"Protecting the princess's carriage is your job." Zahar turned to the other guards and

bellowed out an order. "You four deadbeats, come with me! We're going to take that

monster head on!"

Zahar took off at full speed toward the incoming creature.

"We found you, little one!"

The man-spider's twin heads sported mouths that looked like crude gashes ripped

into their faces. Their voices echoed in low, eerie tones as they spoke. Their myriad

eyes focused on Zahar and his knights.

The small squad drew their swords, keeping one hand on the reins to guide their

horses.

Despite Zahar's humble beginnings, he'd worked his way up to earn the title of a

knight. Each of the guards following him into battle was an expert in combat, and they

would gladly throw down their lives for the royal family. The group spread out, with

Zahar at the lead, and tried to surround the monster.

However, sensing what the soldiers were planning, the man-spider crouched low to

the ground and, in an impressive show of strength, launched its enormous body

through the air and over their heads.

"Wha?! No way! About face!"

Even a well-seasoned warrior like Zahar was taken by surprise. After uttering a few

choice words, he yanked hard on his horse's reins and turned around. But all he could

do was watch helplessly as the man-spider rushed toward the carriage, once again

throwing its immense body into the air.

Princess Riel, watching from the window of her carriage, let out a heartrending

scream.

"Wh-what is that thing?! Nienaaaaa, it's coming closer!!!"

Niena reached out, pulling Riel's small body through the carriage window and tucked

her under her arm like a bag.

"Niena!"

"Hang on tight, princess!"

Mere moments later, the man-spider smashed into the side of the carriage with a

tremendous crash, sending splinters flying in every direction.

The four horses pulling the carriage were thrown to the ground. Two of them died

instantly. The driver's body was split in two, staining the earth a deep burgundy.

Niena seated the young princess on the saddle in front of her and pushed the horse

forward at full speed. She then glanced over her shoulder to look for the beast.

"Rwooooooaoaaaaar!!!"

The man-spider used its massive swords to spear the two horses that had survived

before belting out an angry roar. Its eyes darted across the landscape, settling on the

fleeing figures of Niena and Riel.

Before it could give chase, however, Zahar and his soldiers began their assault.

At least half of their weapons bounced off the monster's armor, hardly even leaving a

scratch. It wasn't all for naught, however. Zahar was able to land a successful strike.

The man-spider let out an annoyed roar and began slashing wildly at the knights,

though they had no intention of turning back now.

"Don't let it advance another step!"

Zahar ordered the guards to surround the creature before launching another strike.

During the first attack, he'd struck a critical blow to one of the man-spider's legs,

causing it to slump. On the next run, the knights sliced several deep wounds into its

human torsos.

The man-spider's screams of anguish only increased in pitch as black blood sprayed

out of its body like a fountain.

"Grwwaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!"

Suddenly, its eyes all fixed on Niena, and, ignoring the blood pouring out of its wounds,

the man-spider rushed past Zahar and his men in pursuit of the princess.

"It's going after the princess again! I don't care what you have to do, just stop the damn

thing!"

The knights spurred their horses after the man-spider. The beast looked back and

hurled one of its massive swords at its pursuers, cleaving straight through two of the

soldiers with a loud splurch.

Zahar watched as the two fell. He locked his jaw and gritted his teeth, a vein bulging

in his forehead.

He'd figured that the man-spider's wounds put it at a disadvantage, but that clearly

wasn't the case. He'd misjudged the creature, and two people were dead because of

him. He could spend hours beating himself up, but now wasn't the time.

Zahar clenched the reins tightly. He took slow, controlled breaths to keep his anger in

check, his eyes filled with pure hatred.

Ahead, the remaining guards turned their horses to place a physical barrier between

the monster and the princess.

The man-spider let out another mighty roar and attacked the riders head on.

One of the soldiers shouted to Zahar, "Miss Niena ordered us to assist!"

Zahar nodded in acknowledgment. Niena was certainly aware of the danger she was

putting the princess in by sending away guards, but the reasoning behind her decision

was sound. If they couldn't stop the immediate threat, there'd be nothing left to

protect.

Zahar raised his sword and issued his next command.

"I want everyone to aim for its legs! If we can stop it from moving, the princess's safety

will be assured!"

The knights let out a battle cry and rushed toward the man-spider.

Niena continued glancing over her shoulder as she rode away. Unfortunately, this

prevented her from seeing another approaching threat.

"Niena, look up ahead!" Princess Riel's voice was surprisingly loud despite her small

stature.

Niena looked in the direction her young charge was pointing. The rolling hills around

them offered countless places for an incoming enemy to hide. It was an ideal landscape

for the hunter to pursue its prey—in this case, Niena and Riel.

"You won't get away! Death to all who try to escape!"

Another man-spider had appeared from behind a hill, metal weapons held at the ready

in its four arms.

Niena's brain temporarily froze as it attempted to process what it was seeing. In that

moment of hesitation, the monstrous man-spider closed the distance and brought

down its weapons with a mighty roar.

"Nienaaaaa!"

Princess Riel's scream brought Niena back to herself. In an amazing feat of skill, she

deftly avoided the incoming mass of metal. She drew her sword and attempted to

strike back at the man-spider, but just as she was about to launch her attack, the manspider swung one of its massive swords, forcing her to dodge the blow.

Her severed arm—sword still firmly clutched in its hand—flew high into the air before

tumbling uselessly onto the ground.

"Gyaaaaaaaaauuuuuuugh!!!"

Niena's body jerked violently, the initial shock quickly replaced with an immense pain

as she and the horse fell to the ground. Riel toppled out of the saddle and rolled in the

grass, receiving minor scrapes and bruises all over her body.

Zahar watched the horrible scene unfold from afar. His voice wavered as his usual cool

demeanor cracked.

"Princess Riel! Niena!!!"

The first man-spider rose up on its injured legs and let out a raspy laugh. It placed

itself between Zahar and the princess.

"Get out of my way!!!"

Zahar and his knights were thoroughly enraged and struck the beast down with their

blood-soaked weapons. However, there was still a significant distance between them

and the princess.

The remaining man-spider towered over Niena, watching her intently as she groaned

in pain, its fang-filled mouth twisting in a hideous smile.

"Nohzan Kingdom ends here!"

The monster lifted one of its massive swords for another blow.

Princess Riel propped herself up on her elbows, tears streaming down her face. She

couldn't take it any longer.

"Stoppit!!! Leave'r alone!!!"

But her screams couldn't alter the sword's trajectory.

Right before its blade struck flesh, the man-spider froze, both of its human heads

jerking up and looking off into the distance. The hillside shook with a thunderous

boom, the earth itself groaning beneath them.

Out of a valley between two of the hills strode a gigantic figure that managed to make

even the man-spider look small.

The monster was covered with ruddy brown scales and boasted two massive horns

atop its head. A thick white mane ran down its back, rippling in the wind.

The beast ran toward the frozen man-spider, impaling it on its two horns. Black blood

oozed from two gaping holes in the man-spider's side.

The monster shouted, its voices unsteady. Spittle sprayed out of the gashes that served

as its mouths.

"Who dares interrupt us?! You will die here too!"

Three figures sat atop the large creature facing off against the man-spider—two

women and a hulking knight.

"Ariane, Chiyome, can you take care of that one?"

The knight was outfitted in silver armor, covered in intricate white and azure designs.

His black cloak was billowing behind him. The armor was simply magnificent, like

something worn by the knights of legend. His blade gave off an eerie, blue glow, while

the shield he wore on his back was marked with mystical runes.

In stark contrast with the imposing knight was the green ball of fur sitting atop his

head, its tail wagging gently back and forth.

The two women dismounted. One was still a young girl who wore an oversized hat

pulled low over black hair and simple black-lacquered greaves. She was armed with a

dagger at her waist.

The other woman was much taller and dressed in a charcoal-gray cloak that covered

much of her face. It did little, however, to hide the alluring curves of her figure.

Both women drew their weapons and, without a moment's hesitation, took off toward

the man-spider Zahar and his men were still tangling with.

The taller woman became engulfed in flames that flickered across her body before

finding their way to her sword's blade. Her chants were drowned out by the crackling

air around her, the flames growing larger by the second. Once she'd worked herself up

to a full-blown inferno, she swung her burning blade through the man-spider.

The flames lapped tentatively at the monster before consuming its body, its open

wounds charring instantly, filling the air with the distinctive smell of burning flesh.

"Aaaaaaaaugh!!!"

The younger woman closed in to put the hideous monster out of its misery.

She made several gestures with her hand while chanting a spell, her clear azure eyes

staring straight into the beast. Two wolves made of water appeared at her sides.

A white mist rose from her dagger, tracing a long trail through the air. She moved it

like an extension of her body, making multiple deep cuts in the man-spider's body.

The man-spider attempted to resist, but her wolf companions bit back ferociously,

preventing it from landing any blows. Every time it attempted to retreat, one of them

bit at its legs. When it tried to swing its blade, the other jumped up to bite deep into

its arm.

Zahar and the rest of the guards watched in stunned silence. The women's fighting

abilities were like nothing they'd ever seen before.

The man-spider finally collapsed pathetically to the ground, its energy spent, its body

covered with wounds from the flame and ice attacks. It was like watching a bizarre

dream as the two dueling elements came together to bring down the beast.

The man in silver armor stood off in the distance. He slowly began waving his mystical

blade through the air. His voice boomed through his helmet.

"Wyvern Slash!"

His massive sword cast off a wave of glowing energy that cut straight through the manspider's legs… and a massive tree behind it. The now-legless man-spider hit the

ground with a heavy thunk.

"You bastard!!!"

Its bloodshot eyes glared at the armored knight as it spewed its hatred.

"That's amazing…"

"Nnnng…"

Riel and Niena watched as the battle carried on in front of them.

Now that the man-spider was properly immobilized, the knight took the shield off his

back and approached the monster.

Sparks flew as the monster traded blows with the knight, the blades emitting earpiercing screeches with each clash. Thanks to its four arms, the man-spider was able

to launch into a second attack the moment its first was blocked.

However, the knight seemed to have anticipated this and brought up his shield with

his left hand, effortlessly deflecting the blow. He then scored a first, second, and even

a third strike past the man-spider's defenses.

The knight used his shield well, though his swordsmanship was rather unrefined,

causing the tip of his blade to miss its mark on the fourth strike. His sword embedded

itself in the ground behind the monster, carving a deep scar into the earth.

Had the blow actually landed, it would have chopped any normal human in two. Not

even a sturdy shield would have blocked it. The knight retrieved his sword.

The two powerful fighters continued dueling at a level surpassing that of mere

mortals. They carried on, blow for blow, the knight occasionally wounding his enemy.

Realizing there was no way it could win, the man-spider gave up any semblance of

defense and went into an all-out attack.

"Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!"

The knight slammed his sword into the ground, bracing himself.

"Rock Fang!"

Fang-shaped boulders sprouted up out of the ground all around the man-spider,

trapping it.

With his opponent now thoroughly stuck, the knight shouted out his next attack.

"Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg!"

Purple lightning ran up the masterfully crafted sword, which gave off a soft azure glow.

A giant blade of light grew out of it, piercing the man-spider's body.

Thick, black blood sprayed everywhere as the light blade slid out the monster's back,

cleaving its human-like torsos in two.

The man-spider slumped to the ground, like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

It twitched for a moment before melting into the earth, leaving nothing but a dark

stain.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to run into them so soon," the knight mumbled to

himself as he took stock. The blade of light disappeared as he returned his sword to

the sheath on his back.

His gaze settled on the princess and her injured guardian.

Zahar ran at full tilt, past the remains of the man-spider, and stopped next to them.

"Niena! Princess!"

Seeing Zahar's face, the princess finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation

and crawled over to her fallen bodyguard.

"Hang on, Niena!"

"Pri… Princess Riel. I'm… I'm so glad you're safe…"

Tears ran down the young girl's cheeks as Niena's face contorted in pain.

"Hang in there, Niena!" Zahar called out to his comrade-in-arms as he put pressure on

her stump. Her face was growing paler by the second. "Go get something to stanch the

bleeding!"

The remaining guards began looking around for something to use, as the silver knight

approached.

"Excuse me, but could you give me a little room?"

The knight's calm tone irritated Zahar. He glared at the man who'd saved their lives

only moments ago.

The knight gently pushed his way through the guards and knelt beside Zahar.

Princess Riel looked up at the stranger with teary eyes.

The knight poured water from his skin over Niena's severed arm to wash off the dirt.

Then he placed it against her stump.

"Nnnnggraaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zahar couldn't take any more, but all he could do was

glare at the knight, hatred flashing in his eyes. The knight paid him no mind, holding

the arm firmly against Niena's body while murmuring a spell.

"Heal!"

A warm glow shone where her stump met the rest of her arm as the skin began

knitting itself back together.

All eyes were on the mysterious knight, as if he were a god from the legends.

Riel stared, wide-eyed. She swallowed hard. Zahar and the guards were also at a loss

for words. Niena looked at her right arm as if it were some bizarre creature attached

to her.

The light faded, leaving nothing but unblemished skin where the wound had been.

Zahar's breath caught in his throat. He'd heard about the healing magic wielded by

priests and other church officials, but this went well beyond the stories. Mending a cut

or reducing swelling was one thing, but reattaching a severed limb? That was

something else entirely. It made the magic performed by priests seem like child's play.

Zahar looked up in time to see the knight's two companions approach.

They both knelt next to Niena to check on her, but they didn't seem surprised in the

least. This probably wasn't the first time the knight had done something like this.

Zahar felt himself trembling.

The other guards—the best the Nohzan Kingdom had to offer—gave the knight a wide

berth. None of them could fathom what might have brought such a powerful sorcerer

to the middle of nowhere.

Margrave Brahniey—the man who claimed these lands—had, for years, aggressively

defended them against their rightful owner, the Nohzan Kingdom.

If this knight served Brahniey, and the magnificent armor he wore suggested he was

no mere mercenary, then it would only be a matter of time before more of the Nohzan

Kingdom's land was taken. Zahar swallowed hard at the thought.

The knight looked back down at Niena. His body language radiated concern.

"Kyii!"

The green ball of fur sitting atop the knight's helmet hopped down and sniffed at

Niena's face, as if checking on her. It waved its large, fluffy tail back and forth in the air,

lightening the tension.

Seeing that everyone had relaxed, Niena passed out.

***

"Niena? What's wrong, Niena?!" The young girl immediately broke into tears at the

sight of the unresponsive woman and started screaming her name.

Judging by her decorative armor, the woman on the ground was a knight of some sort.

As soon as the stress she'd been under was over, she lost consciousness. The woman

was still breathing, though, so I figured she was all right.

"You have nothing to worry about. She just passed out. Though my magic healed her

wounds, she still lost a lot of blood. She'll need to rest for a while."

The young girl pulled her gaze from the fallen woman—Niena—and looked up at me.

I nodded, which seemed to put the young girl at ease. She slumped back into a sitting

position on the ground.

Now that I looked closer, the young girl also appeared to have some scrapes and

bruises, her once-majestic dress torn and covered in blood and mud. However, she still

managed to smile as she gazed down at her bodyguard.

The guards around us were all outfitted in expensive gear, and were clearly here to

protect this young girl. Niena had referred to her as Princess Riel, so she was probably

someone important.

"Hold still, please…"

I placed my hand on the girl's injured body, summoning another spell.

"Heal!"

A gentle glow enveloped the young girl's body, concentrated around her cuts and

bruises. A moment later, they disappeared into her skin, and no sign of her injuries

remained. Riel's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Th-that's amazing!"

The large man sitting beside Niena looked from the excited girl to me to his unconscious

comrade. Princess Riel frowned.

"What're you doing, Zahar? Stop staring and say thank you!"

The girl wiped away her tears with her little fists and waved her arms, a mischievous

smile on her face. She certainly didn't act like the child of nobles.

The burly knight—Zahar, as she called him—bowed his head low. The rest of the royal

guard followed suit.

"Thank you for your assistance. We truly are…"

He faltered for a moment, at a loss for words.

Riel stood, picking up where Zahar had left off. She spoke with an authoritative tone

that seemed at odds with her short stature.

"I am Riel Nohzan Saureah. It is thanks to you that we were able to survive this

encounter with our pursuers. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The preteen girl carried herself regally, despite her young age. Her name, Nohzan,

sounded familiar. If I recalled correctly, Lamburt, back in the Rhoden Kingdom,

conducted a lot of trade with the Nohzan Kingdom.

Given her name, and the large number of soldiers following her, the only logical

conclusion was that this girl was a member of the royal family.

Zahar looked absolutely aghast the moment the girl identified herself. Judging by his

reaction, I guessed that there must have been a very good reason why he didn't want

her to identify herself. Perhaps they were on a secret mission?

Now that I thought about it, the land on the other side of the Ruanne Forest was almost

certainly the domain of the Salma Kingdom.

What's more, this was actually an incredibly small contingent of soldiers to escort a

member of the royal family through foreign lands.

Was she here to pass a message along to the Salma Kingdom? Was she a defector?

Something else she'd said nagged at me as well. She'd referred to the man-spiders as

"pursuers."

That meant that the threat hadn't been blocking her way forward, but had rather come

from behind. Judging by the expressions on Ariane and Chiyome's faces, they'd

realized the same thing. Ponta was oblivious as usual, cheerfully scratching its ear

with one hind leg.

Zahar and the other guards exchanged glances as they tried figuring out how to fix this

situation. Zahar let out a low groan. Riel, however, appeared unconcerned, and looked

straight up at me with her large doe-eyes.

"You're pretty strong, y'know. Just who are you anyway?"

I looked to Ariane and Chiyome, wondering how to answer this deceptively complicated

question. Ariane nodded.

"I am Arc Lalatoya. We are in the middle of a mission of our own."

"My name is Ariane Glenys Lalatoya."

"I'm Chiyome."

If Riel was annoyed at our rather casual demeanor in the presence of royalty, she didn't

show it in the least. Zahar, however, looked shocked. I couldn't recall saying anything

that might warrant such a reaction. Unless he'd picked up on the elven names,

perhaps?

Riel continued. "Oh, travelers! If you aren't in a hurry, I'd like to ask you to join my

guard and escort me to our destination. What do you think? Of course, I'm willing to

pay."

Zahar was clearly beside himself at her unexpected suggestion. He decided to try and

put a stop to it.

"P-Princess?! Please consider—"

Riel put up a hand, silencing Zahar.

I could understand where he was coming from of course. Having her ask someone else

to protect her when that was his sworn duty wouldn't sit well. The fact that we were

complete strangers made it all the worse.

"We must make our way through the Salma Kingdom and to Count Dimo at all costs,"

Riel said. "I don't care what happens to us, but one way or another, we need to make

our way to the count and implore him to send his men to the capital before they're all

killed too!"

Her tiny fists clenched tightly as she spoke. She might have been a young girl, but her

intense gaze and the strength in her words made me wonder who exactly I was

speaking to. Zahar and the rest of her guards were speechless.

Apparently, they weren't supposed to be out here in the Salma Kingdom. To be fair,

neither were we. Besides, out here, where there were no clearly defined borders,

setting foot in a foreign country was a calculated risk. You'd be fine as long as no

patrols found you.

To Riel, the risk of traveling through the Salma Kingdom was worth it if she could get

an audience with Count Dimo. Judging by what she'd said, it sounded like she was

going to ask him to send reinforcements to the capital of Nohzan.

The question for me was, just who was Count Dimo anyway?

I cast a sidelong glance toward Chiyome, but she just shook her head. Apparently, she

didn't know anything about him either.

All the same, Riel's concern over the citizens back in the capital being murdered by

monsters was something we needed to take seriously.

I wondered if these monsters were the same as the undead man-spider we'd just

fought. If so, that would make the Holy Hilk Kingdom the likely culprit.

I glanced over at Ariane. She sighed heavily and shrugged. The faint glimmer of her

golden eyes, barely visible beneath her gray cloak, said it all. She was exasperated with

me, as usual.

Chiyome leaned in close to me to whisper something.

"Hmm…"

After Chiyome finished speaking, I reached up and slowly removed my helmet,

revealing myself to Riel.

"You're an elf?!"

"An elf? From Ruanne?!" Catching sight of my brown skin, black hair, and burning red

eyes, Zahar assumed I was an elf from the nearby Ruanne Forest.

Right before we'd faced off against the man-spider, I'd taken a swig of the hot spring

water, just in case something like this happened. At least, I wish that were the reason…

The real answer was that I'd been training with Glenys and Ariane in my elven form

lately, and I was hoping to see if I was getting any better.

When I stepped out onto the field of battle as a skeleton, I was fearless, and could face

any challenge without a second thought. However, once I drank the magical spring

water, not only did my flesh and blood return, so did my emotions. I often found myself

nearly paralyzed with fear.

However, gauging by how this battle had gone, my extensive training with Glenys was

at least having some sort of effect. I still couldn't quite handle the long-term stresses

involved, but in a brief battle, I was definitely able to hold my own. I'd still need more

training, though.

In the back of my mind, I could hear the jeers and gentle prodding Glenys and Ariane

offered during training to urge me on. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

My current form looked nothing like Ariane and the other dark elves in this world, but

the elongated ears were all most people needed to be convinced. I didn't bother

pointing this out, but there was one small misunderstanding I felt I should clear up.

"Actually, we're not from Ruanne. We come from the Great Canada Forest."

Ariane slowly pulled back her hood, revealing her amethyst skin. She fixed her golden

gaze on Zahar. I thought I heard someone gulp.

"Kyii! Kyii!"

Ponta, as usual, was quick to make sure that it got a proper introduction as well.

"Canada? Where most of the elves live? What brings you all the way out here?"

Zahar clearly knew about the forest, though his young charge seemed never to have

heard of the place, gauging by the look of confusion on her face.

"What's Canada?"

I went straight to business. "As you can see, we are not human. Are you still interested

in hiring us? If so, we would like to ask for payment in the form of an information

exchange. Would that be acceptable?"

Zahar and the other guards looked to Riel. There was a short pause.

Zahar opened his mouth, as if to speak on behalf of the princess, but Riel stepped in

front of him, silencing the older man. The princess puffed out her chest with pride as

she spoke.

"We'll tell you whatever it is that you wish to know, assuming it is information we can

share. It's a cheap price to pay for safe passage!"

I looked in Chiyome's direction, prompting her to step forward and pull the large hat

off her head. The moment Chiyome's cat ears came into view, the small crowd

gathered in front of her began murmuring among themselves.

"A beast girl…"

One of Chiyome's cat ears twitched at this.

I didn't sense any malice in these words, though this was perhaps due to the fact she

was accompanied by elves. It amazed me that Canada's reputation was so strong

throughout the northern continent.

Chiyome fixed her clear, azure eyes on Riel. "There's just one thing I want to know."

She spoke in a low, controlled voice. Riel, Zahar, and the rest of her guards listened

intently.

"I want to ask about my comrade, who traveled through the Nohzan Kingdom a short

time ago. Were there any notable events here recently?"

Chiyome cast her gaze across the group. Her eyes landed on Riel and Zahar, imploring

them to tell her what they knew. But Zahar could only shrug. Chiyome let out a sigh of

defeat.

For a moment, it looked as if we'd come up empty. Suddenly, one of the guards perked

up and whispered something into Zahar's ear. He coughed once into his fist before

turning back to Chiyome.

"A bandit—a beastman, if the rumors are true—infiltrated the palace's vault a short

time ago. It caused quite a stir. No one had managed to infiltrate such a heavily

defended part of the palace before. But after a careful investigation, it seems that

nothing was stolen. The culprit has yet to be found."

Zahar looked less than pleased to discuss the event, and watched us carefully for a

reaction. Yet Chiyome's expression didn't offer any clues as to what she was thinking.

I, however, was intrigued by this. Though it wasn't clear to me just how tight the

security was around the palace's vault, I had to imagine it was no easy feat for a normal

person to sneak in. The fact that someone would bother to break in, not steal anything,

and sneak back out was even more curious.

Chiyome and the other mountain people up here on the northern continent eked out

meager existences while avoiding contact with humans. I could think of few humans,

let alone mountain people, who would willingly leave the palace's vault emptyhanded.

I watched Chiyome out of the corner of my eye, searching for any hint as to what she

was thinking. Like me, she probably assumed that Sasuke was the bandit Zahar spoke

of.

Ariane picked Ponta up from where it was weaving in and out of her legs.

After another moment's hesitation, Zahar spoke again. He didn't look happy.

"That's not all. Apparently, similar incidents have occurred in all of the kingdoms

surrounding the Holy Hilk Kingdom. The Hilk responded by sending out their

templars to round up all of the beastmen within these kingdoms. They say they're in

need of manual labor, and have sent requests to the Nohzan Kingdom and other

neighboring countries asking us to hunt down the beastmen for them."

Chiyome's azure gaze drilled into Zahar. The hulking man's expression was almost

apologetic as he realized the weight of what he'd just said, but he didn't look the least

bit afraid of the girl in front of him.

Something nagged at me about all of this. "And you just let the templars, a foreign army,

enter your territory?"

The other guards bristled. Zahar put up a hand to stop them from saying anything.

"Obviously, we wouldn't normally allow something like that to happen, but in this case,

it was done in the name of building a better relationship with the church. Despite the

Holy Hilk Kingdom's rather small size, their military forces are incredibly powerful.

None of the countries were in any position to refuse."

Riel, who'd been listening patiently while Zahar spoke, looked stunned to hear this.

She clenched her fists even more tightly. Apparently, no one had told her about this.

Seeing how she was one of the heirs to the Nohzan throne, the very idea of a foreign

country meddling in their affairs was probably difficult for her to accept.

Worse, it was the Holy Hilk Kingdom pulling the strings.

Sadly, we didn't exactly have time to dwell on these matters.

I placed my fingers to my lips and summoned Shiden with a loud whistle. He

immediately looked up from where he was munching away at the grass and came

stomping over to us.

"We'll consider that information payment for now. But we really should get out of here

before another one of those monsters shows up. Let's get you to Count Dimo. We can

continue the conversation on the way."

Riel nodded in agreement. "Right. We've no time to waste!" She was speaking more to

herself than anyone else.

Zahar bowed and thanked us once again. He then moved over to where his comrade,

Niena, was lying on the grass. He hefted her over his massive shoulder, making his way

back to his horse.

I scratched the back of Shiden's neck and looked out across the hilly landscape. First

things first, we needed to make our way to this Count Dimo person.

The problem was figuring out which direction that was.