Tossing Baking Soda

Elven City

Eliz stood on the gondola, or at least that's what she would call the smaller ornate boat they had boarded by the river, and let them ride deeper into Elven City.

She looked down below the gondola, where the water rolled strangely, propelling their gondola forward. Olliena revealed that they were Water Elementals who had made a deal with the city and were working on various tasks.

Eliz raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering if she was imagining things or if she had become too self-centered, because sometimes she thought she saw some faces in the water making bedroom eyes at her. "Are all water elementals some sort of sex enthusiasts?"

Eliz averted her eyes and looked up at the sky, which was a beautiful blue with fast-moving white clouds. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. As far as she could tell, the author of this novel was of Asian origin, and as a longtime reader, she could say with certainty that the most bizarre things she read were from them.

Her brow furrowed as she thought about it, and she began to worry. If she ever came across anything with tentacles, she would have to be very careful. As she thought about it, she got goosebumps and rather shook off those thoughts. Seriously, when she's still for too long, she thinks about unimportant things.

"My lady." Eliz turned to Alobela, who had come up beside her and was looking at her with her poker face.

"Yes?"

"We should rest somewhere before we continue," Alobela said seriously.

"Ah?" Eliz blinked in confusion. She didn't really want to get into it, since they were already close to their destination. She wanted to get this over with quickly and get away. She tried not to think about everything that needed to be done for now, but her mind often wandered to thoughts like how the construction was progressing at the Blue Rose estate, or what the River Kingdom was doing, if the weird mages had settled in the Crystal Mine yet, was Kuron in trouble with the beasts around the estate, and similar thoughts.

"My lady, we've all been without rest for a while now, and even though your mana is already stable, you're still not at the level of the rest of us who are boosted with mana to go days without rest," Alobela explained patiently.

Eliz considered her condition. She didn't feel tired, but it wouldn't be completely unusual for her. She usually functioned like this at home too, wanting to get things done before she rested.

She didn't like to stop working when she was almost done so she forced herself to keep going, but then again it felt good not to have to come back to it later. It's a frustrating thing to call a day just before the end, like when you're watching a movie and fifteen minutes before the end of the movie and they suddenly throw ten minutes of commercials in there.

Eliz wouldn't mind considering a reasonable suggestion, but she didn't feel tired, so she saw no reason to depart from the original plan.

"Thanks, Alobela, but I'm feeling fine. If the others are fine, there's no need to rest now," Eliz replied.

Alobela glared at her and barely blinked, which made Eliz somewhat uneasy and avert her eyes. She cleared her throat. "Do you really think that's necessary?"

Alobela nodded her head slightly. "You're starting to get circles around your eyes, my lady, and your skin is starting to look a little dull. Also, your scent is not so fresh anymore..." She began to explain in a flat voice, and Eliz looked at her in shock.

Did Alobela just tell her she smelled right now? Eliz moved her shoulder and took a quick sniff, relieved that she didn't smell anything wrong. She might not smell like meadowflower, but she didn't smell like anything foul either.

Eliz frowned and looked at the calm Alobel again. Then she looked at the others sitting together in the back of the gondola, looking relaxed, except for Alarr, who is probably never relaxed, and chatting. Olliena stood at the very back with a stern look on her face, glaring at everyone. They all looked fine, so she glanced at Alobel again, who decided to speak again.

"My lady, we are currently heading to the esteemed leaders of the elves to meet with them. Elves have a better sense of smell than humans, not as good as the beast race, but still quite sensitive. Your image will be damaged if you approach them in such a state."

Eliz rubbed her forehead when she heard that. This wasn't something she really cared about! She really didn't care much about what the elves thought of her. But the fact that she might 'stink' to them was getting a little embarrassing even for her. People might doubt her character and intentions, but to doubt her personal hygiene was something to be ashamed of.

"Okay. Let's go rest and freshen up before we continue." She turned and called out to Olliena. "Hey, Commander! Where is there a hotel or inn with lodging?"

Eliz suddenly heard a strange fizzy sound and someone started squealing. She turned to see Alobela spilling something from a pouch into the water. She leaned over and saw that the swirling water around the gondola was suddenly full of foam. "Alobela, what are you doing?" She asked in confusion.

Alobela tapped the pouch lightly to make sure she had emptied all of its filling and turned to Eliz. "It seems the water elementals have inappropriate thoughts towards you, my lady," she explained.

Eliz agreed; it was strange that these magical beings were interested in her in such a way. She had no idea why that was. Did she have some sort of affinity for water? She wasn't sure if she should even try to figure out the reason. It would certainly be interesting to get the water elementals on her side, but for obvious reasons, she'd preferred to stay back.

"Actually, what did you throw in the water?" Eliz finally asked curiously.

"Baking soda. It's good not only for cooking but also for eliminating disgusting filth," Alobela replied calmly.

A rare look of amazement appeared on Eliz's face. Of course, it was reasonable for Alobela to have some, but why was she carrying it around in her pockets? Does Alobela hold any grudge against the elementals?

***** 

Olliena was very irritated because the group she had been following had decided to delay. Finally, when she found out that the group was going to move on until the next morning, she left because she was a busy woman, but at least she had sent someone to watch the Steel Magnolia group.

Meanwhile, Eliz and her group stayed at one of the best hotels in Elven City. Naturally, they had hotels there since not all Elves lived there. Given the secret of longevity that Eliz knew, it was natural that the Elves had to travel to the World Tree to take their life-extending cure.

At first, Eliz was somewhat displeased with the delay, but once she soaked in the hot bath, all dissatisfaction was washed away.

Alobela assisted her in the bath, carefully scrubbing her back until it was pink and washing her hair, which was a longer process, but Alobela was good at it, so Eliz didn't complain at all about getting a head massage that caused her to nearly melt with bliss.

Once Alobela was done, she left, leaving Eliz to relax and wait for her in the next room of the rented hotel.

Eliz recognized that the High Elves had style. Everything still had a natural feel to it, with wood, greenery, and stone, but it was still luxurious. Eliz thought it was interesting that they had somehow managed to shape the roots of a living tree into the form of a bed.

She had cautiously tested the softness of the bed before, because even though it looked fancy, it didn't seem comfortable. But appearances could be deceiving; besides, there was a fluffy mattress to sink into, and a thick cushion of moss underneath.

The floor and walls were made of stone, artfully intertwined with roots and tree. Next to the bed was the entrance to the balcony, offering a rich view of the city. Despite all the greenery, there were no insects to bother Eliz, and everything smelled like a verdant forest.

At least this connection to nature was consistent with most stories about elves. But it was still strange that elves lived in apartment buildings. Oh well.

Eliz enjoyed the bath for just a moment. Unfortunately, once she relaxed, her thoughts began to run away on their own. Plans, thoughts, and worries popped up one after another. She also couldn't help but think of Fraril and Grash, who still hadn't shown up.

She sat up in the tub and frowned. Eliz lifted her hand and twirled the ring on her finger, which marked her as Grash's owner. She didn't like the fact that she had no news of them and began to consider that she would probably have to get smaller communication crystals so they could contact each other. She planned on sending her people out on various assignments in the future anyway, and she wouldn't always be with them.

Eliz finally climbed out of the tub, dried herself off, and wrapped herself in the disturber. Alobela was waiting next to her, where she changed into her prepared nightwear. The light, knee-length velvet carriage was very comfortable. Eliz figured it probably wasn't really suitable for travel, but she certainly didn't regret having Alobela pack it with her.

Alobela then began to brush her hair, and Eliz got used to these procedures rather easily and quickly. The first time Alobela tried to comb her hair, Eliz was quite worried that a stranger wouldn't be too gentle, but Alobela was perfect in every way, and she hadn't experienced a single painful tug from her yet.

Eliz closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of distracting thoughts and not think about the fact that it was almost dark outside and her two people were still missing.

"Everyone went to rest?" Eliz asked suddenly.

"Yes, my lady. Holm and Alarr have the room to the right of yours, Raiana and I will be in the room to the left of yours. The Boulder team will take turns keeping watch outside your room overnight. You can rest easy," Alobela assured her.

"Hmm... good," Eliz agreed, glad that the others had arranged everything without her having to think about it. Things were really starting to work well.

When Eliz was ready for her night's rest, Alobela said goodbye and went to her room alone. Eliz stretched, and then the balcony caught her attention. She wrapped herself in a light robe that was available and stepped outside.

She looked up at the sky, which was already dark, but in the distance, she could still see the faint streak of the receding day. Looking down at the city, she noticed that it was already dark, hidden not only by the night but also by the shadows cast by the high mountains that surrounded it, making everything appear much darker than it should.

However, the city was already lit up with streetlights, and the houses and apartments were illuminated as well, providing a truly beautiful panorama. A light wind blew, moving Eliz's loose hair and tugging at the fabric of her robe. She really enjoyed the view.

She was one of those people who always preferred a nice view. While others might take pictures of themselves or their friends in front of something and want someone to be in the picture, Eliz was the opposite. When she was out and about, she tried to take pictures without people. At this moment, she regretted not having a camera with her to capture the scene. On the other hand... it probably wouldn't do her any good. If she ever got home, she definitely wouldn't be able to take those pictures with her.

Eliz scanned over the tall buildings, then over the shorter ones, until she was looking at the river that ran through the center of the strangely half-modern city. She began to wonder how they built this, or rather, how they discovered the city. She realized she should try to learn some history of the elf race while she was here. Surely there must be something.

Her thoughts bounced from one thing to another in an attempt to avoid thoughts of reality or anything related to it. She didn't want to fall into some sort of depression or melancholy. She was simply trying to pretend that nothing was happening, and this was her reality.

"Hahaha..." She laughed briefly as she realized how long she had actually been living in this world. She found it ridiculous. After all, this was only her second month here, and it felt like years to her.

Click

Eliz turned her head when she heard the click of the door and looked to the side. Alarr stepped out onto the balcony next door and turned his face in her direction, the wariness gone from his eyes when he saw Eliz.

Alarr was without armor, wearing only the trousers he wore under his armor and a shirt with the buttons undone below his neck, so that his collarbones and a small part of his chest were visible. Despite the fact that he had no armor, he still carried his sword.

He seemed to hear Eliz chuckle and went to check the sound. Eliz wondered what kind of fool would climb up here to such a height, but it was true that mana-enhanced people could do it without any problems. The ridiculous thought occurred to her that they could have it as an adrenaline sport.

"Hey," she greeted Alarr.

Alarr hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped out onto the balcony fully and moved to the side where he was closer to Eliz. Watching the distance between the balconies like that, Eliz could see why it was necessary for them to have rooms next to each other. Probably even a normal person would be able to jump from one balcony to the other.

"Is everything alright?" Alarr asked as he came closer.

"Yes, everything's peachy," Eliz replied, and Alarr raised an eyebrow. This time, Eliz wasn't worried about using a phrase from her home, though. What did it matter? Maybe it would stick around, and people would start using it.

She didn't expect Alarr to dwell on it. "Peachy?"

"Yes. Peachy."

"Like, the peach?"

Now, Eliz regretted it. "Haa... yes. Like the peach."

There was silence for a moment, and Alarr stared at Eliz, his expression not as frowning as usual. "Peach?"

"Damn it! For the love of... Yes, peach!" Eliz started to stare at him, noticing the corners of Alarr's lips curl up a little. Eliz was shocked. Was he teasing her now? Alarr? Him?

Eliz calmed down, leaning against the railing and propping her head with her hand while she sniffled. "You seem to have finally relaxed enough with me to make fun of me, don't you, Alarr?"

"Insignificantly," Alarr admitted, and if Eliz hadn't seen the upturned corners of his lips, she wouldn't have guessed anything from his voice. He still sounded stern and hoarse. She still liked hearing his voice.

Alarr watched Eliz's side profile as she looked down on the city and thought. "Don't worry, my lady. Fraril and Grash will surely show up soon." She seemed downcast to him, and he thought she was worried about those two.

"Hm... hopefully they will," Eliz replied thoughtfully without giving him a glance.

Alarr slowly placed his sword against the wall before turning his full attention to Eliz, who was still not looking at him. "You should go to sleep, Alarr," Eliz suddenly said.

Alarr raised his eyebrows slightly at that; something seemed to be bothering Lady Eliz, he's never seen her so quiet. The last time she was trying to come up with a plan against a Rank 5 monster, but that was a different kind of quiet.

That time, her face showed her thoughts going back and forth, making plans and rejecting them again; she was more like a hyperactive squirrel. Now, she didn't seem to be thinking about anything at all.

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you, Eliz?" he asked.

She snorted. "I told you..."

"Yes. I know. Peachy."

Eliz groaned loudly and shot him a look that was annoyed, but also a little amused. "It seems I said something unnecessary earlier." Then she blinked, her eyes lighting up a little. "Wait. Did you call me Eliz?" Alarr averted his own gaze from her glowing eyes and shrugged in response.

"Hahaha! Say it again!" Eliz demanded him to repeat it.

Now Alarr sighed. "No," he refused.

"What if I give it to you as an order?"

"Still no," Alarr returned his gaze to her and frowned deeply again.

Eliz laughed in amusement. "You don't call yourselves Team Boulders for nothing."

Alarr furrowed his eyebrows, so that they almost became one in the middle of his forehead. "And that's supposed to mean what?"

Eliz was having fun now. It was fun to talk to Alarr, who was rough as sandpaper but ultimately had his own sense of humor and his own softness. She only had to watch him for a moment as he talked with Holm and Raiana, who were nowhere near his nature, yet were best friends and partners.

From the very beginning, Eliz had been looking forward to the moment when Alarr would feel comfortable enough to be more open with her, and now that she was granted that, she was actually enjoying herself.

However, just as she was about to answer him, she suddenly caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked down and saw that another hand had appeared on the railing and something black was being pulled up.

Eliz's heart skipped a beat in fright. "AAaaahhh!" A startled shriek escaped her, and she jumped backward while Alarr was already standing on the railing of his balcony, ready to jump over to her.