ã€ŠThe Sandbox: Classless [Royal Road Writathon Winner]ã€‹


 Chapter 1: Adventurer.

    Life is like a sandbox. Every step you take you¡¯re not quite sure how your foot will land, or how everything will shift under you¡¯re weight, but you know it¡¯s going to move, and if you¡¯re not careful you¡¯ll trip.

    Memory is like a sandbox, one filled with land mines. The longer you live the harder it is to cross from one side to the other unscathed.

    People are like sand in a box, each one a little grain, being toyed with by the world outside, tossing them through the air and building them into things, and sometimes like me, getting thrown out of the box entirely and forgotten¡­

    Grains of sand can be used to craft castles, even by children. But a single grain of sand, alone, outside the box, one that distanced itself away from the world. That grain of sand would never be made into anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but trash.¡± A voice called out as a poor excuse for a punch slammed into my jaw. ¡°I thought adventurers were supposed to be rich. But all you have is this trash long sword.¡± As his friends held me against the wall he picked it up, and walking over, stabbed it into the worn-down shack behind me. ¡°Well, I guess it will still get us a few talons. Maybe I can sell it to one of those trash peddlers.¡±

    My voice was so coarse that it sounded like dying crows scratching a chalkboard with their talons. ¡°No¡­¡± Two of them were holding me up against the wall, and one was in front towering over me, while the other three were still lying on the ground crawling back to their feet after I gave them a good beating. Not that it mattered though¡­ I still lost in the end.

    My body may have nearly stopped working, but my brain was still on fire. ¡®He¡¯s an ogre¡­ So even if I break away I won¡¯t be able to hurt him much. The government won¡¯t care about this level of crime, but if they start breaking my bones or worse then I might be able to get the red mantles to do something. I need a blood sample though for their tracking magic to work properly.

    ¡°What was that? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t quite hear you.¡± He said, taunting me with a grin. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees and turning his ear. ¡®There¡¯s my blood sample.¡¯ Without a moment''s hesitation, I clamped my teeth down on his ear and ripped half of it off. He screamed, punching me in the stomach. I coughed the ear out. He hit me again, pulling the sword and stopping it just short of killing me.

    ¡°Boss said no killing, remember? We can¡¯t do anything that would cause the red mantles to take notice.¡± It was hard for me to hear him clearly over my own wheezing breaths, but I could still make out most of it, and fill in the gaps from what I couldn¡¯t.

    ¡®Awfully level-headed for an ogre¡­ Turns out I get away without anything serious after all...¡¯ As the man dropped my sword I took the chance to open my storage magic and let it fall inside. ¡® And now there''s nothing left on me worth stealing¡­¡¯

    After that I remember getting hit a few more times, collapsing to the ground, and somehow making it back to my house. Once there I found the food stores empty¡­ I almost cried for the first time in over 8 years¡­ Almost.

    In the end, I had no broken bones, and I stopped them from stealing anything, there was no evidence it was the same group that took my food¡­ So the guards weren¡¯t going to do anything about it, they had bigger problems than some thugs beating someone up in the alley. ¡®Maybe I should have let them at least take the sword¡­¡¯ I pulled it out and laid it down on the table, staring at its worn-out blade. ¡®No, it¡¯s my best weapon¡­ Not to mention it was Dad''s

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    The leather wrap around the handle had disintegrated long ago from use, and the crossguard was a little shaky, but it was steel, high-quality steel at that. Any C-rank adventurer or higher would probably laugh at me for thinking steel was so great, but it was a heck of a lot better than iron. I mean, the fact that the sword was still in one piece after 8 whole years was proof enough of that.

    I slowly collapsed into a chair and ran my fingers along its cold blade. ¡®I could sell it for food¡­¡¯ I thought briefly before slumping back into the chair and crossing my arms.

    ¡®Adventurer? Yeah right¡­ I¡¯m even thinking about selling my best weapon¡­ Adventurers are people who excel at everything. There isn¡¯t any impossible task beyond their reach; The kind of people that carved a chunk of the world out for themselves and never looked back¡­ Adventurers¡­ Can do everything¡­ And they can do it well¡­ So someone like me, who just tries their hardest and sucks at all of it¡­¡¯ My thoughts drifted off for a moment as my eyes wandered across the small one-room house to the cracked mirror on the wall. ¡®I¡¯m average in every way¡­ Human, black and grey hair, matching eyes, shorter than average¡­ And I¡¯m a girl too, so if anything I¡¯m below average¡­ What would you even call someone like me?¡¯

    I stumbled over to my bed, choking back my tears until the sorrow and self-pity turned into a numb, emotionless depression. ¡®Trash¡­ They said it themselves¡­ How many times have I been called that I wonder. If I sell my gear for food I would just be proving them right. I never gave up before, so I won¡¯t now¡­ Even if it kills me, I¡¯ll die an adventurer, I¡¯ll die¡­ Trying to be an adventurer, trying to be something great¡­¡¯

    I never bothered to give my life much thought until I found myself lying in bed waiting to die, but in that moment it felt like nothing mattered anymore. I could pretend to be some kind of deep philosopher and spout nonsense to myself all I wanted. My life was trash anyway, so if it were to end then so what¡­ God wouldn¡¯t miss a defective grain of sand that had fallen outside the box¡­

    ¡®If I really am trash¡­ I wish I could at least be the kind that gets set on fire and burns stuff¡­ Then at least I could say I went out in a blaze.¡¯

    In the blink of an eye over a month had passed, and I was still lying in bed trying to conserve energy so as not to starve to death. The snow piled up around me and work during the winter was suicide, so no matter how hungry I was I just had to suck it up and hope it would melt soon.

    To stop myself from losing my mind, I would cast spells, and focus on controlling my mana, while not moving my body. ¡®Am I just being stupid? Any sane person would do anything to not starve to death¡­ But I just accepted it. I never even thought about stealing food, but that might not have been a bad option¡­ Although I bet God wouldn¡¯t like it much.¡¯

    I sighed, rolling my head to the side and letting the warm sunlight shine down on my face. ¡®I could have handled two or three, or even four¡­ But six of them¡­ And one of them was an ogre¡­ No, I should have been able to still win, those are just excuses.¡¯ No matter how much time had passed, I continued to reply to the fight in my head, looking for a way I could have won¡­ But I couldn¡¯t find one.

    ¡®If my magic was stronger¡­ Or if I¡­ If¡­ What good do ifs do me in a real fight¡­¡¯ The lingering anger was just about the only thing I could feel as the days passed on without me eating so much as a grain of rice.

    Turns out that when you go from a modest diet of lentils to fasting for weeks on end your body starts to break down. It was something I had to deal with to some extent every winter... I knew it was coming though, that was why I always stockpiled my food just before the snow fell¡­ Three weeks was the most I had ever done.

    It was awful, every year it was the same. The same symptoms, the same hole in my stomach as it twisted until it started trying to eat itself¡­ First, your clothes start to feel a bit looser, every girl''s dream¡­ After the first week, you get used to the pain and lose interest in food altogether. Sometime during the second week, it starts to take effort just to get up and use the toilet.

    By the end of the third week, your breasts are gone, and you¡¯re ribs show through your skin. Even without that happening I was still mistaken for a man¡­ But it wasn¡¯t worth dwelling on. If I survived long enough to eat another meal I would start putting on weight again¡­ At least that¡¯s how it went in the past. The third week was the last one I was familiar with.

    After that, everything kind of blurred into a haze. My body stopped regenerating mana, so there was nothing I could do but sleep. I couldn¡¯t tell what day it was anymore, and before I knew it I lost count. Some time after that I looked out the window. Finally, the snow had melted.

    ¡®Time to get to work.¡¯

 Chapter 2: Hot Pot

    My stiff body creaked as I stood up out of bed and my adrenaline began to rush at the thought of food. It was telling me I had to get some no matter what. Luckily, I had a plan for that. I was already wearing every piece of clothing I had to try and stay warm, so it wasn¡¯t like I needed to get ready or anything, I just needed to walk out the door. Finding the energy for that was hard¡­ But it was manageable.

    It creaked open, and as I took a step outside I was greeted with the warm sun shining down against my skin, and a biting wind that felt like it gnawed at my bones, which were the only thing left of me.

    ¡°Wo¡­ He¡¯s alive.¡± A nearby kid said cheekily.

    ¡°You owe me your grapes.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to bother with them. Just some brats from the orphanage that ran down to the slums to play and cause trouble.

    I just kept trudging along, making sure I kept a hand on my hatchet, and another on my dagger, just in case someone tried something¡­ Although it was unlikely, it was hard not to be paranoid after what happened the last time I walked those streets.

    Before I knew it people were giving me cautious glances, and that was when I realized I had been out of the slums for some time, having moved into an area we called the commons. In other words, everyone there was middle class.

    I relaxed a bit, but my heart didn¡¯t stop pounding, as if my body was thrown into a panic by suddenly spending even more energy, despite not having any left. Thankfully, I found the restaurant I was looking for just another block away.

    [The Hot Pot]

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    I read the sign stopping for a moment before I walked in. ¡®I actually survived the winter¡­ I really almost did starve myself to death.¡¯

    The bell rang as I entered, nearly collapsing the moment I stepped inside.

    ¡°Can I take you¡¯re order, sir?¡± A girl I didn¡¯t recognize asked. She was wearing a¡­ Less than modest outfit, that consisted of black stockings and a skin-tight top that just barely hung down past her hips, and even then only did so in the front and back.

    I opened my mouth, but I hadn¡¯t said a word in so long that I almost nearly forgot how. ¡®This is a pain¡­ Where is he?¡¯

    See, I had a deal with the restaurant owner. He¡¯d let me eat one meal for free before a job, and if I survived I¡¯d pay him double for it. Not a good deal¡­ But not a bad one either. After all the chances of survival went up quite a bit if I could run without collapsing.

    ¡°Is there¡­ Anything you want?¡±

    I took a deep breath. The scent of food brought pain back to my stomach.

    ¡°Everything¡­¡± I finally muttered, bringing my eyes over to hers. The more I looked at her outfit, the more disappointed in the owner I was if I was being honest. Of course, there were other reasons It made me uncomfortable. Unlike me, she certainly wasn¡¯t lacking in terms of the ¡°female form.¡± If anything she had too much of it¡­

    I paused, staring at her for a moment. ¡®Is¡­ that what a girl is supposed to look like?¡¯

    She nervously looked to the side, clearly embarrassed. ¡°U-uhm¡­ Sir?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Tell the chef I¡¯m here for the double or nothing. He should know what that means.¡± Timidly folding her hands in front of her waist, she bowed slightly and left for the kitchen in the back. ¡®I guess it¡¯s good the old man hired some help¡­ But I¡¯m going to have to talk with him¡­ She doesn¡¯t look very comfortable either..¡¯

    Before long the owner-slash chef came out himself and set two bowls on the table, sitting down and taking one of them for himself. ¡°Well well, if it isn¡¯t the little adventurer brat. You survived another winter! good to see you Chika.¡±

    After he scooted his chair in he took out his chopsticks and started stirring his bowl, but when he looked up at me he nearly froze. ¡°You uh¡­ You did survive right?¡±

    I slowly lifted my head, ¡°This will be the first bite of food I¡¯ve had in¡­ Something like, maybe 40 days I think? Good thing I know enough magic to at least slow down my metabolism a bit and keep my body warm¡­ Even that only lasts so long without food though¡± I awkwardly smiled at his blank stare. ¡°My mana tanked after week three, then I really ate it, or well, didn¡¯t eat it I guess.¡±

    He slowly turned his head with a small snort and set down his chopsticks, ¡°Just take one bite for now¡­ Then wait a few minutes for your stomach to settle.¡±

    I lowered my head back down to the bowl and took out my own chopsticks, stirring the pot and taking the biggest bite that I could.

    ¡°Make sure you chew it all the way before you swallow.¡±

    ¡°Yes Mother¡­¡± I groaned back.

 Chapter 3: The Beehive

    The food didn¡¯t just fill me, or taste good, but the heat from the broth warmed me up like nothing else. When I was done, I set down the chopsticks¡­ And waited like he said too¡­

    ¡°So. Who¡¯s the girl?¡±

    He leaned back, taking a drink. ¡°Business picked up a bit, so I¡¯ve been looking for some help, first one didn¡¯t work out but I picked her up about three months back. Hard worker and she¡¯s cute too so people won¡¯t have to stare at my crooked face all the time.¡±

    I looked back to try and find her, but she must have been doing something in the back. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s cute¡­ Her clothes aren¡¯t though.¡±

    He leaned forward, lowering his voice. ¡°Listen, I had nothing to do with that ok!¡±

    ¡°Pft. Sure, There¡¯s no way someone like you would dare try to use eye candy to drum up more business.¡±

    ¡°What was I supposed to do? She came to work dressed like that, and I could hardly have her go walking back through town dressed like that.¡±

    I picked up my chopsticks again. ¡°What do you think, can we start eating now?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Gunnar, as far as excuses go that one sounds pretty shallow.¡±

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s been trying to come up with ways to get the restaurant more attention. And she doesn¡¯t always consult me¡­ She acts without thinking¡­ And that gets her into trouble. Well, I¡¯m sure you know the type.¡±

    I kicked him under the table. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    He didn¡¯t even flinch, just laughed it off. ¡°It¡¯s not the worst thing. I¡¯d be lying if I said her methods weren¡¯t working¡­.¡± His chipper tone turned serious. ¡°I could use another hand if you need a job¡­ Sixteen days without food¡­¡±

    I looked at him, seriously considering it for a moment as my whole body slowed down. ¡®No¡­ The moment I take on a normal job it¡¯s like saying I admit that I can¡¯t make it as an adventurer¡­ I¡¯ve made it this far, so I have at least one more year left in me.¡¯

    My arms and mouth picked up their pace again. ¡°Ha, sorry, I don¡¯t sell my body.¡±

    He crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s a good call, you wouldn¡¯t get much for it.¡±

    I felt myself let out a heavy breath. ¡®Dick¡­¡¯

    He continued eating. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking you to do, this is a perfectly legal business, maybe you could knock some sense into that girl for me, give her some womanly advice.¡±

    I watched her as She came out from behind the counter again and served another customer. ¡°You really think I could give her advice?¡± I wouldn¡¯t say I necessarily wanted her figure, it didn¡¯t look very agile. As far as (Womanly advice) went through, If anything I felt like I probably should have been taking it from her¡­

    She came back over and bowed again. ¡°Owner, Sir, are you both enjoying your meal.¡±

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    He burst started to chuckle covering his laugh as he looked back at me. ¡°It¡¯s not funny¡­¡± I mumbled. His laugh started to grow louder. ¡°Sir is a sign of respect,¡± I growled back, turning back to her. ¡°I appreciate you asking, and yes it tastes as good as ever.¡± The man''s laugh grew louder still until it burst out, and he became unable to hold it back anymore.

    I lowered my head into one of my hands. ¡®It never bothered me when people mistook me for a guy¡­ but somehow every time I eat here I end up feeling insecure about everything¡­¡¯ I let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s ok miss. We Don¡¯t need anything¡­¡±

    ¡®Should I just take off my helmet? It¡¯s not like it covers my whole face, but that tends to work for some reason. I guess most men tend to have shorter hair. Well, human men at least.¡¯

    She smiled brightly, before bowing again, beaming with so much joy she nearly skipped away. Only after did Gunnar finally calm down. ¡°You might be right, maybe I¡¯d be better off asking a miss to help her out, rather than a sir.¡±

    I let out an annoyed groan, looking back at the girl.

    Just the sound of his voice was starting to become annoying when he spoke. ¡°She¡¯s 15 by the way.¡±

    My fingers clenched into fists as I nearly jumped from my seat. ¡°She¡¯s younger than me!¡± I accidentally yelled, instantly regretting my own reaction as strain ran through my muscles that still weren¡¯t ready to contract after being starved and motionless for so long.

    Noticing other people starting to stare, and suddenly more than a little embarrassed, I quickly sat back down. ¡®If I wasn¡¯t starving all the time maybe I¡¯d grow more¡­¡¯

    ¡°You know if you came and worked here you wouldn¡¯t be starving all the time, then maybe you¡¯d grow more.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things, Idiot¡­ Shut up¡­¡±

    He just rolled his eyes as I refocused back on the meal. ¡®Even if I¡¯m just trash, it¡¯s better than being nothing, and if I quit I might as well not even exist anymore.¡¯

    I finished my meal and thanked him for the food before heading out. For the first time I could remember my body felt hot. Like my tissue was rapidly reconstructing itself. In essence that was what was happening, so I guess it made sense. After using some quick recovery magic to speed up my metabolism my body quickly put to work the 4 pounds of food. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was enough. I was still hungry, but even with Guner¡¯s special recipe if I ate any more it would be dangerous, and I didn¡¯t want to have to waste my one healing spell for the week before I even left town.

    ¡®Off to the beehive.¡¯ No matter how many times I saw it, it never stopped feeling like an honor to go inside, to say that I worked there, that I was an adventurer¡­ If I ever had the courage to actually call myself one.

    The massive dome was visible from basically any point in the city, and it was right in the middle of the city. Horse carriages went in and out of it, adventurers coming and going with traveling merchants and caravans. The ten great guilds would meet there for matters of government, and it was also the official headquarters of the Red Mantle, the fancy more honorable version of the town guard.

    Walking in and looking up, there was nothing in the world that made me feel smaller¡­ At the same time, there was nothing in the world that made me feel more important, like I was a part of something bigger¡­ Like I had the chance to become something greater.

    It is the central hub for the entire country, and maybe even the entire southern half of the continent. Regardless of if you were in a guild or not you could go there for work. It was, well I guess you could call it a guild for the guildless. No matter who you were everyone could be a part of the Great Market. That was the principle the whole nation was founded on.

    It was a site to be sure. And since every quest taken on by every adventurer had to go through the beekeepers (Receptionists) It was always busy round the clock, doubly so with the snow melting. It was pretty and all, but the snow basically increased all threat levels by 3.

    There is jargon for everything of course, but all it really meant was you had to then become 3 ranks past F in order to do F-level quests safely. I was only one past it, so in other words I¡¯d be screwed. Besides, taking a quest in the winter was how my parents died so¡­

    The snow itself was a serious problem, poor footing, and slower movement were problems on their own, but when you couple that with the more dangerous monsters that come out when it¡¯s cold it only gets worse. It¡¯s just bad news.

    Heading over to the board, I found a few quests that together gave me enough of a reward to at least get me back on my feet. ¡®Now that the snow¡¯s gone though¡­ I¡¯m starting to get excited¡­¡¯

    The quests I picked up weren¡¯t anything special. Gather some herbs, kill a few wargs, and take out a couple of giant spiders. I would be doing all of it alone though, so I¡¯d get the reward all to myself.

    Parties and I¡­ I can¡¯t really say we didn¡¯t get along so much as I never got the chance to try. No one thought I was good enough. That wasn''t to say I was useless. My magic was good enough to make clean water out of thin air, start a fire, or even make a makeshift dirt hut to sleep in, given enough time.

    That being said, most parties had a fairly basic setup that involved three specialists. In other words, a group with a warrior and an assassin would look for a healer or a mage. I could do all four roles to some extent, but not nearly as well as a specialist. So they wouldn¡¯t care if I could set traps, the rogue would be better at it anyway, meaning the only thing that matters is the level of the skill they are looking for, and when comparing me to a specialist I would always lose.

    I let out a sigh as I used my magic to make a copy of the quest papers to make sure I didn¡¯t forget the exact numbers, and then I went to wait in line so that I could officially accept the quests.

    After that, it was time to head out. ¡®Let''s go to the warp gate. I should get one free warp since I¡¯m leaving on guild business.¡¯

    I double-checked the quest one more time. ¡®The great forest¡­ Wait, there¡¯s a quest to kill Giant spiders? They never leave the dungeon though, what¡¯s going on?¡¯

 Chapter 4: The Great Woods Encampment.

    The great woods encampment had almost become a town of its own, with several adventures opening up temporary shops that sold everything from wet stones to pajamas. The newest addition was an ice cream shop¡­ One more thing I couldn¡¯t afford¡­

    It may have been in the middle of a monster-infested forest, but it certainly didn''t feel like it at times. Everything still held true to the gloomy forest encampment aesthetic of wooden stakes and tents. But with the relative safety and smiling faces, you could almost forget how dreary it was.

    A long sigh slowly turned to fog in the air just past my lips. ¡®I have two jobs, take out 6 Wargs, and bring back 13 Serd lilies. Killing the spiders isn¡¯t a quest, but if they have an extermination order out on them I¡¯ll get good money from doing that too.¡¯

    I pulled out my dagger, inspecting the blade to make sure it was sharp enough to cut through a warg''s hide. ¡®On second thought I should probably avoid the spiders. They have acid spit and a killer sting, not to mention even touching their webs will shoot you up with venom¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath, looking up to the sky with a loud groan. ¡°This whole area is seriously trash...¡±

    One of the nearby adventurers scoffed, overhearing my words and walking past. He was headed outside the camp alone, but I couldn''t tell if he was like me, an outcast, or if he was someone who was good enough he didn''t need a party and just didn¡¯t want to split the reward.

    I heard a groan coming from behind me, followed by a deep sigh. ¡°You got that right man.¡± A large man firmly rested his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Complete trash, rubbish. The guilds don''t even care enough to keep out the nasty critters.¡± I turned over my shoulder and traced him with my eyes as he staggered to my side in a drunk stupor.

    He wasn''t wrong. It may have been called the Great Woods officially, but the lower-ranked adventurers had another name for it¡­  ¡°Cursed Graveyard¡­¡± He spat on the ground, ¡°You hear? A few minutes ago the whole area increased in threat level after the giant spider infestation became officially recognized, now they''re saying minotaurs are migrating in this direction. Even before that somehow a rank B monster got in the lake and started scaring away the Wargs, ruining any chance of getting the lotuses or fish¡­ Seriously trash¡­¡±

    I felt my soul slowly start to sink with each word he said. ¡°No one¡­ told me about any of that before I came here¡­¡±

    He laughed, slapping me on the back. ¡°Chin up, if we don¡¯t die out here we¡¯ll probably become legends.¡±

    ¡®An infestation¡­ And minitours? As in¡­ More than one?¡¯ ¡°Are you serious? I know it''s always rough after the snow melts and during the winter, but has it ever been this bad?¡± ¡®Should I just turn around? But¡­ I can¡¯t, the guild only gives free teleportation to those going to a quest area or returning after quest completion¡­ I¡¯m still broke.¡¯

    He cackled, ¡°Maybe 8 years ago or so. Not sure because I wasn''t there, but that was a bad winter.¡±

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    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah¡­¡± I knew all too well what he meant. In the woods, the bloodiest and most dangerous year for hunting was 8 years ago. It was just before my 9th birthday. my parents died that winter. It made it easy to forget the tragedy that followed in the spring.

    The man''s expression changed and he took out a small flask. ¡°You too huh¡­¡± He said, taking a swig before offering some to me as well.

    By the smell alone I could tell what it was. ¡®Fermented mistroot¡­ A mana recovery enhancer.¡¯ Of course, it was rarely drunk for that purpose. In the end, it was still alcohol. I couldn¡¯t honestly say which reason I took him up on it, but regardless having extra mana, no matter how little, was a good thing. ¡®I mean, if he¡¯s offering¡­¡¯ ¡°One for the money¡­¡± I muttered, toasting. It tasted like fire and burned the whole way down.

    ¡°Two for the sorrow.¡± He said alongside me nudging me to take a second gulp.

    ¡°Three to get ready.¡± I coughed before taking a third swig.

    He tipped the flask back for me to make sure I finished it. ¡°four for tomorrow.¡±

    I coughed again as my throat burned and my eyes watered. I grabbed my knees trying to catch my breath.

    ¡°Come on kid. You still got one more.¡±

    I let out a long groan. ¡°And five for the nerves.¡± My body almost wouldn¡¯t let me take the last swig, but I stomached it, my whole face contorting as I started to gag. ¡®Good thing I ate something, or that seriously would have killed me¡­ No wonder Mom stayed away from it. I can''t imagine anyone doing a full toast with that stuff.¡¯

    He just laughed, patting me on the back. ¡°Adda boy. You make it back and we¡¯ll have a real toast.¡±

    A chill went through my body as I groaned again. A real toast meant ten shots¡­ Even if he was buying, I wouldn''t make it past seven. Five was already probably too many, after all, ¡°Four for tomorrow¡± Meant I would be feeling the potion''s effects for over 24 hours¡­ ¡°You¡¯re making dying sound tempting.¡± I chuckled, wiping my mouth.

    He gave a soft chuckle of his own, downing the rest of the flask. In one breath he took five gulps to finish the toast. ¡°Good luck on the hunt kid.¡± He said, patting me on the shoulder one more time before staggering over to the gate. ¡°UNTO DEATH!¡± He cheered, raising his fist.

    ¡®Is this what adventurers are now?¡¯ I rubbed my face with enough pressure to take a layer of skin off as I took another deep breath, feeling the cold air chase the burn in my throat. Opening and closing my hands I started to test how my body was feeling, about to head out myself. ¡®Unto death¡­¡¯

    A group of men came running up from behind me, yelling as their heavy footsteps pounded into the mud and armor clanked together. ¡°Taggart, wait up!¡± Ugh¡­ He didn''t try to pick a fight with you did he?¡± A short man said through his plate mask before realizing he was getting left behind by the others and letting out an annoyed groan. ¡°Agh, Sorry for bothering you, sir!¡± He yelled back, as he continued to chase after his party.

    ¡®He was even shorter than I was, was he a dwarf? And¡­ Sir again¡­ I don¡¯t mind people thinking I¡¯m a guy, it¡¯s kind of a compliment in some ways¡­ But now thanks to Guner I¡¯m feeling self continuous about it¡­¡¯ I let out an annoyed groan of my own. ¡®That¡¯s the last thing I should be worrying about right now.¡¯

    Men were more respected by most people anyway. They were stronger, had more stamina, and were more resilient to poison. All that really meant was that they were more useful in a fight. I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t rejected from being a member of a party more than once because I was a girl. ¡®Whatever, let''s just get this over with.¡¯

    As I walked out the gate and began my hunt, the realist in me couldn''t help but think of numbers. If my ear got damaged, or I got hurt and needed treatment, suddenly the effective reward from the quest started to drop pretty fast, and with an infestation the threat level of the area increased, meaning the chance of injury increased too.

    Usually, the Beekeepers would warn you about these things, so I was still annoyed no one told me about how much of a dumpster fire the forest had turned into. After that drink, there was no going back though. Not to say I couldn¡¯t technically turn around¡­ Still¡­

    I let out another sigh as I stepped outside of the area near the encampment and into the danger zone. ¡°Time to hunt...¡±

 Chapter 5: Fight The Spiders.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see what kind of shape I¡¯m in.¡¯ In the blink of an eye, I scaled one of the kingdom trees. Trees taller than giants made up the majority of the great forest canopy. ¡®I¡¯m a bit slow, not jumping very high, but my magic feels stronger so that makes up for it in my movements as long as I have mana.¡¯

    Casually leaning from the tree like a monkey I slowly looked out over the forest floor and focused on the singular goal of hunting. I almost became an animal, and as far as I was concerned, the wargs had become my prey.

    ¡®The tree tops are safer than the ground. Giant spiders are dangerous enough when they aren¡¯t above you, and with their acid spit that melts iron, I¡¯d be in for a tough fight if they surrounded me without me knowing. The soldiers tend to be bad climbers too.¡¯

    I jumped from tree to tree, avoiding any webs I saw and using magic to lessen the noise from all the movement. If there was one thing I learned quickly, it was that monsters were far easier to kill when they didn''t see you coming. Because of this, I had all of my gear, firmly fastened in place with leather straps. My large knife at my belt, my smaller knife, my spear, my ax, and my sword, all strapped down or in my storage so as not to rattle around while I moved.

    After picking up the trail from a small pack of wargs, I followed it, tracking them by a combination of scent and tracks, even from far above them.

    Before long growling and barking echoed from the forest floor along with whimpers. As I got closer I began to understand why. The wargs were locked in combat with several of the giant spiders.

    ¡®Holly sparks¡­ It¡¯s bad enough that the spiders are hunting the other animals?¡¯ My first instinct was to run. After all, it would have been insane to take on 5 wargs and 7 giant spiders at once. Luckily none of them had noticed me, so it wouldn''t be difficult to just turn away. Maybe it was the alcohol¡­ But I took a moment to think twice. ¡®On the other hand, there fighting right? What would the numbers look like after the fight ends, something more like 0 to 3?¡¯

    One meal was only going to hold me off for so long. I needed money, and I needed food. Furthermore, if I went back empty-handed I wouldn¡¯t have a place to spend the night.

    I further analyzed the situation, taking another, more critical look at what was happening.

    ¡®With those numbers, I don''t see this being a close fight. Especially if the spiders were bold enough to start it themselves¡­ First, let''s try to even the odds, I just need to make sure they can¡¯t trace me.¡¯

    pulling out my spear, I lobbed it across the forest, striking a spider right through the abdomen. ¡®Well¡­ It hit at least.¡¯

    I quickly ducked behind the tree to stay out of sight. ¡®My aim¡¯s a bit off. It¡¯s still going to die, but since I missed its head it won¡¯t be nearly as valuable.¡¯ Letting out a mental sigh I slowly inched around the tree to get my eyes back on the fight. ¡®5 to 6¡¯

    It was clear the spiders were the predators, but with one down it was almost an even fight, and Warg''s teeth and claws were more than sharp enough to cut the spider¡¯s thread. Not to mention their thick hides made them almost immune to the venom from the webs. More growls and roars mixed with cries as acid spit and bloody guts flew across the forest floor.

    ¡®Sense when could wargs jump so far¡­¡¯ It felt like something had changed in the great forest, and it was making me even more anxious. By the end of the gruesome battle, the wargs ended up losing two, while the spiders lost four, retreating into the treetops, wrapping their prey in cocoons of webbing and dragging them away.

    ¡®I have to get them before they reach the nest.¡¯ I put a tracking spell on one of the wargs that was still alive so I could find them later, and tailed the spiders. I wasn''t worried about the remaining wargs following us. The forest floor was thick with webs, and even though they could be cut down, it would take a long time to get through so many.

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    ¡®You guys are pretty weighed down right now huh.¡¯ Even though the wargs couldn¡¯t follow them, they weren¡¯t going very fast, so it was easy to catch up with them and wait a bit to make my move to make sure we gained some distance from the wargs just in case.

    Finally, I found the perfect place to make my move. They were escaping across a thin web that connected several trees. It was a long stretch that led them right into clear sight. ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    I hurled my ax across the forest, cutting off several legs of the spider in front, making it stop and block the path for the one behind it. ¡®Perfect. Now, I can¡¯t scorch them without damaging their parts, but a little fire should help me out here.¡¯

    I threw my arm forward and a small arrow of fire shot out of my palm lighting up the thin webs and sending both spiders falling to the ground. ¡®And then before they can recover.¡¯ I jumped down to a lower branch, swung from it to an even lower one, and from there leaped several dozen feet and landed directly over the uninjured spider, jamming my longsword into its neck to cut its head off. ¡®So far so good.¡¯

    Quickly flicking my sword to wipe off any blood or acid I turned to face the last one. ¡®It¡¯s injured, so it shouldn''t be too hard. I just have to watch my¨C¡¯

    It spat acid at me in a stream that I was just barely able to dodge because of the distance. Without even thinking  I reflexively countered by throwing my large knife at it, but it dodged, escaping with just another scratch, despite having three missing legs.

    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡¯

    My mouth went dry and I could feel sweat dripping from my brow. I knew the right move was to charge it before it could create more acid, but I hesitated, freezing up, wondering if I missed my window already, or if I ever even had one.

    Acid dripped from its mouth onto the ground like syrup that melted everything it touched. It wasn¡¯t like the other one. You wouldn¡¯t be able to tell from appearance, only from the way it drooled after spitting. ¡®Why is one of these here!¡¯

    It was a steamer, rather than a spider, the difference was that the one in front of me could regulate how much they spat out at a time, leaving some in the tank, so then when you closed in thinking you had a window you¡¯d get your face melted off.

    In a panic I threw my other knife, hoping to end it without getting close. It flew through the air striking the spider in the abdomen, missing its head, making the attack far from lethal because of its small blade.

    All I had left was my sword, which I kept regripping over and over. No matter what I did I couldn¡¯t get it to sit in my hands quite right as I carefully watched for the spider''s next move.

    ¡®Come on¡­¡¯ I tried to steady my hands, but the longer it stared at me the more nervous I got. It felt like I was just waiting to die again. ¡®I need to move. I need to do something¡­¡¯ A part of me wanted to just throw my sword at it too so I wouldn''t have to get close, that way I wouldn''t have to risk the acid burning through my skin to the bone¡­ If I missed though, I would be dead, no questions asked.

    I slowly circled around it, deciding to wait for it to spit at me again before I charged, nervously keeping my eyes on its mouth as the acid stopped dripping to the ground like someone had fixed the leaky faucet. ¡®It¡¯s about to make it¡¯s move.¡¯ Out of nowhere, a warg bit its head off.

    Chills ran through my body as I frantically tried to make sense of what was happening. I looked over to the cocoon the spiders were carrying away, and one of them was now empty.

    ¡®It was still alive!¡¯ I quickly looked over to the other one which was also clearly moving but seemed to be struggling to break free.

    My stomach turned. My gut was telling me to run again, but I was running low on mana, so scaling trees was a bit more difficult, and outrunning wargs that were faster than any other I had seen seemed like a no-go. I felt like I had to fight, and I knew I didn''t have time to think. I had already hesitated way too much.

    ¡®Gotta make this quick.¡¯ I rushed in and swung my sword, but the beast grinned menacingly, deflecting my blade with its teeth. I quickly struck it with the pommel of my blade sending it to the ground, but it was back on its feet in a flash.

    ¡®This dog is sword-fighting me with its teeth?¡¯ I groaned. ¡®This is why I hate this place¡­¡¯

    My hands regripped my blade again as the other Warg finished freeing itself and they grouped together. I tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but before I could they charged.

    I stuck one with my sword as it jumped, blocking the other with my arm. The pressure of its jaws clamping down on my armored hand nearly snapped my bones as it forced me to the ground. ¡®One down.¡¯

    Pushing the corpse off of me I let go of my sword and changed my focus, letting go of my sword to better maneuver at close range. It continued gnawing at me, biting into my arm and placing its claws on my shoulder. Leveraging my own weight I flexed my arm and flipped over the top of it, jabbing its ribs as hard as I could to make it let go.

    It whipped its neck around to my other hand, which unfortunately had no protection due to budgeting reasons. ¡®Eat this.¡¯ Just before it closed its jaws water shot from my fingers, enough water to fill its throat till it choked and gagged, starting to twitch as it pulled away from me.

    Finally catching my breath, I stood up, pulled my sword from the other warg corpse, and easily decapitated it while it was choking.

    It was finally over. ¡®Ok I did it, that''s two. Two down Four to go.¡¯ My feet stopped still as my thoughts repeated. ¡®Two down¡­ Four to go¡­ Sparks.¡¯

 Chapter 6: Panic

    Blood flowed down from my arm. It spilled from the bite and claw marks and covered it, dripping to the ground. I dropped my sword, feeling too weak to hold it any longer as my whole body started to go numb at the sight of it. Blood was fine and easy to deal with, but it was my blood. My chest tightened, only making it even harder to breathe as my whole body felt like it caught fire. I took a deep breath in but as I held it to try and calm my nerves it only brought my attention to just how fast my heart was pounding.  My chest tightened even more as my vision began to blur. ¡®Of all the times¡­ Can¡¯t breathe¡­ I¡­¡¯

    I loosened the buckles on my leather chest piece, nearly ripping it off to try and ease the pressure, but it didn¡¯t affect it at all. Falling to my hands and knees my breath started to wheeze and hurt my throat.. ¡®No no no no no not now.¡¯

    It was bad enough to have my body act up while on a hunt, but to have it happen halfway through, while I was still surrounded by monsters¡­ That was way worse. I curled up, holding my breath and tensing every muscle in my body until I blacked out. Moments later I regained consciousness. It was the quickest way to get out of the situation and force myself to just rest. I made myself stand, almost falling over again, and picked up my sword.

    I repeated the phrase ¡®it''s over, everything fine.¡¯ over and over in my head as I regained control of my breathing. ¡®It seems like nothing happened while I was out, so that¡¯s good. I¡¯m getting faster at waking up after I make myself black out, so that''s good too.

    My chest and throat still burned, and my heart hurt from all the stress, but as I started to focus on something else I started to take my mind off it. Once I realized the wargs I was tracking weren''t anywhere near me I was put at ease so I went over to the spiders and collected my knives and ax, gathering the webbing and glans before finally deciding to sit down against a tree to try and gather my thoughts.

    From experience, I knew the best thing to do in that situation was to focus on one thing and let that thing wholly occupy my mind. ¡®2 down, 4 to go.¡¯ Worrying wouldn¡¯t do anything. I wanted to go back, but I knew that if I did if I gave into that worry in the back of my mind even once, I would never be able to fight it again. So I convinced myself to rid my mind of any unnecessary thoughts. The only thing that mattered was the plan.

    ¡®First things first,¡¯ With a clear mind I was finally able to look at my arm without getting another anxiety attack. ¡®I¡¯ve got to take care of this.¡¯ Gathering up some webbing from around the forest floor I packed it into the gashes in my arm. My hand ached, but as far as I could tell I still had fairly good functionality in my fingers. Still, at the very least I needed to stop the bleeding.

    Ironically, the venom from the webbing was a numbing agent and had a regenerative effect. Too much of the toxin would kill you on its own, and it had some nasty side effects, but it was a good first aid tool all things considered¡­ At least for the first six to eight hours or so.

    ¡®Ok, I¡¯m on a timer now, but I can use my left hand again, and the bleeding stopped. So I can hold onto my healing spell in case something even worse happens.¡¯

    After a moment of rest, I stood back up and cleaned the Wargs, storing everything with my magic, collecting my spear, and double-checking I had everything before I climbed back into the canopy.

    I had made a lot of progress, but I wasn''t done. I still had to take out four more wargs. The spiders were a nice bonus, but they weren''t actually a part of the quest itself, they were just that, a bonus.

    Activating my tracking spell from earlier, I followed a golden trail of light that was linked to my eyes, quickly finding the final 3 Wargs from the pack. ¡®Let''s see here¡­¡¯ I sat down, watching them tire themselves out as they tried to break through the webbing that blocked every path in one way or another.

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    ¡®If they¡¯re weak, then this should be easy¡­ er¡­¡¯ I crossed my fingers and looked up to the sky. ¡®Please no surprises this time.¡¯

    Standing up, I focused on the three wargs below me, going through in my head how I should deal with each one before finally taking action. The basic strategy was the same as before, pick them off one at a time if possible. The only difference was that now I had lost some strength in my left hand. Of course, the wargs were worn out as well, and I¡¯m sure even they would be getting affected by the spiderwebs at least a little at that point with how tangled up they were getting.

    ¡®How about¡­ You. You¡¯re first.¡¯ I spun my spear around, lifting it up into the air and drawing it back, using my thumb to aim. ¡®Right through the heart.¡¯ The spear flew threw the air like a diving falcon with the help of a small boost from my wind magic.

    Unfortunately¡­ I was a bit rusty, striking it through the stomach from the side. ¡°come on¡­¡± I groaned. ¡®As soon as I get some food, I¡¯m practicing till my arms fall off.¡¯ As disappointed as I was, the blow was still fatal, and quite gruesome. It would bleed out eventually. The bigger issue at that point was the other two.

    My heart rate accelerated, pounding out of my chest as I raised my hunting knife. ¡®Come on¡­ Just a bit closer.¡¯ Every inch they moved towards me my heart pounded that much harder until it started to burn. ¡®Not again, not now¡­¡¯ No matter how anxious I got I refused to throw the knife right away, proving to myself I was still in control of the situation.

    I was second-guessing my actions, calling myself stupid for throwing away my spear, but the more I did that the more my chest tightened. Before I realized it I could taste blood from having bit my lip. The two uninjured wargs began climbing and clawing at the tree, working their way up. ¡®I¡¯ve done this before, I know how to handle this¡­ So why am I so ancy¡­¡¯

    I began tapping my foot impatiently. ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯ My nerves couldn''t take it anymore and I launched my knife through the air, sticking one in the back. I heard it whimper, but the other was getting uncomfortably close. I threw my other knife, making sure to at least hurt the other enough that it couldn''t keep climbing. ¡®Come on, a bit closer.¡¯

    It snarled and launched up at me. ¡®TO CLOSE!¡¯ Using my plant magc I twisted the smaller branches and vines to block, but I had to throw away my advantage. Now we were on even footing.

    With a loud scream, I bent the branches back and pulled my ax from storage with a brutal swing. The warg tried to block but its teeth cracked and its jaw began to tremble. ¡®Frick, there goes 20 talons¡­¡¯

    Despite its teeth being broken it recovered its stance first and grabbed the ax¡¯s head, ripping it from my hand. Once again I was left with nothing but my sword.

    Switching to a different branch I ran as far along it as I could creating as much space as possible between us as it tried to recover.

    I still couldn''t get my grip on my sword right as blood from the earlier fight had dried on the leather handle, making it sticky. ¡°Come on¡­¡± I groaned, nervously adjusting my stance over and over again, moving my feet to different widths as it shook out its head, jumping across and slowly prowling after me like it was marching to its own theme music.

    ¡°Come on¡­¡± I muttered. It slowly crept forward, refusing to charge in recklessly, instead slowly crouching down into a prowl. It wouldn¡¯t have been so nerve-racking if we were on the ground. But I couldn''t just take its charge head on¡­ If I misstepped even a little and fell from that height I¡¯d probably be seeing angels.

    In the end, my nerves got the best of me and I dashed towards it instead. Each step was carefully placed on solid footing along the giant tree branch that was suspended over 20 feet in the air.

    It bared what was left of its fangs and snapped at me, catching my blade in between its jaws and trying to yank it out of my hands.

    I stumbled to the edge of the branch, nearly losing my footing but managing to stay steady. Regripping my crossguard I threw myself forward grabbing onto the warg''s scruff pulling it off the branch and letting it fall to the ground with my sword, catching myself in a twisted mess of vines I managed to bend around me at the last second.

    I heard a whimpering followed by a heavy impact, followed by dead silence.  When all was said and done, I let out a breath of air, not realizing that I had been holding it the entire time. Still, it was a relief. ¡®That''s better. Smooth and seamless¡­ Well¡­ No, that was smooth, right? I didn¡¯t even take any damage? Yea, that was smooth¡­¡¯

    Although the threat of death was just as real, I wasn''t caught off guard by any surprises, so I was able to keep my body under control¡­ At least in the sense that I could still breathe all right. In the end, I fell completely relaxed, almost wanting to just fall asleep tangled up in the vines, despite how¡­ Awkward¡­ it was. I would have brought myself out of it right away but in my panic, I used up the last of my mana. ¡®Sometimes I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have a party, no one¡¯s here to see me do things like this. Completely immobilizing myself¡­ Well, I guess I still won.¡¯

 Chapter 7: Alpha

    Climbing down from the tree tops I cleaned the wargs and stored the materials, just like before, leaving me with only one more to go. Raising my hands to my eyes I couldn''t stop them from shaking violently. I was so unsteady I didn''t even think I could hold a glass of water, much less handle my weapons.

    ¡®It might be best if I went back¡­ I could finish tomorrow. A partial bounty will buy me a room and a meal.¡¯

    I looked down at my arm. I knew pretty well just how bad it would feel the next day. Spider webs had incredible healing properties, but it came at a cost. One of the side effects took effects was that after about 6 hours It made your entire body feel incredibly sore, as well as making you tired. And of course¡­ I was going to feel the effects of the alcohol too. Not just the hangover from drinking after going without food for over a month, but also the soreness in my mana circuits from having them in overdrive for so long.

    ¡®I¡¯ve only got one left. If I finish within the next five hours then I won¡¯t have to come back at all right?¡¯ I looked up through the trees ¡®3 hours till sunset. That should probably be my timeline instead. It would be nice but I don¡¯t actually have to push to finish the whole quest, I¡¯ll get some money just from the spiders.¡¯

    Letting my mana regenerate, I relied on good old-fashioned tracking to find a river and follow a trail upstream to try and find my final prey. I knew the whole area like the back of my hand. Sure, it looked a bit different covered in cobwebs, but I had been going there for around 4 full years.

    Sure enough, after a bit of careful tracking, I found a lone warg. It was larger than the others and had severe acid burns covering the right half of its face. ¡®Finally, something easy.¡¯

    To give myself the best possible chance I waited until I had enough mana for at least three spells, placing my first one on the ground with an acid rune, combining my use of plant, fire, and earth magic. Acid wasn¡¯t something I normally used¡­ It ruined the animal''s hide. But It was already ruined, and I wasn¡¯t taking any chances so close to getting home safely. Besides, It clearly had some bad memories from acid, and if I could scare it that would only further decrease the difficulty.

    ¡®Now then. Let¡¯s see if I can hit my mark for once.¡¯ Readying my knife in my left hand just in case I spun my spear around to my right and carefully aimed. ¡®A little boost from the wind and¡­¡¯ Tightening every muscle I had at once I flung it with all my might. It flew through the air, striking the beast in the heart. Instant kill. Chills went through my body as it hit the ground. ¡°Finally,¡± I said out loud, letting the relief settle in.

    Before I got too close though, I could make out the sound of its breath still going steady. ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡¯ It slowly staggered back to its feet, breaking my spear¡¯s shaft with a stomp and a growl.

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    ¡®There¡¯s no way¡­ It¡¯s so small, but if its hide is thick enough to stop my spear from going too deep then¡­ It has to be an alpha. You¡¯re telling me it lost its whole pack to spiders?¡¯

    It turned to face me, over half of its body was so badly burned that it almost looked like an undead. Despite that, its growl was just as intimidating as any I had heard, maybe more so, as it was combined with showing bones that gave me chills.

    ¡®Time for plan B!¡¯ I quickly jumped back. ¡®If it¡¯s an Alpha my weapons won¡¯t work, I¡¯ll need to use either magic or in the worst case scenario my dagger¡­¡¯

    ¡®Hope this works¡­¡¯ Pulling my dagger for insurance I stood up from behind my cover and placed myself between my acid rune and beast. ¡®I¡¯ll layer it with fire magic to make sure it stops its first charge. ¡°You want some?¡± I said, trying to taunt it. My voice was so shaky though it sounded more like I was trying to hand out free samples than give out beatings. ¡®Ok, here we go, deep breath in.¡¯

    The muscles in its neck twitched, only half of its face still capable of moving. It started to charge. Running right over the rune and taking the acid in stride as if it didn¡¯t even feel it.

    I let out my breath, spewing fire like a lava lizard. It didn¡¯t kill the warg, but the sheer heat finally made it shrink back in fear.

    With its fur catching fire, it ran to the river and jumped in. Had it been uninjured, it likely would have taken both spells head-on and bit my head off, but turning to run was a fatal mistake. ¡®I got you now.¡¯

    Since I didn¡¯t have to create the water, I could cheat, turning it to ice and trapping the beast, without using a full spell¡¯s worth of mana, then it was just a matter of avoiding its teeth while I walked up and executed it.

    My magic was weak so it only froze the small part of the river around the warg, on top of that, it only held the warg in place because it was already near death. Still¡­ It was enough. In the end, all that mattered was that I won. ¡®And that¡¯s six¡­¡¯ The beast didn¡¯t even cry as it died, letting me slide my knife into its neck as if it were already a corpse.

    There are no excuses for losing. A real adventurer always wins¡­ Even six to one. The thought still angered me. Even if one of them was an ogre, even if I was exhausted and nearly out of mana, I should have beat all six of them, not just three.

    ¡®A real adventurer never loses.¡¯

    Unfortunately, I knew all too well that meant my parents weren¡¯t real adventurers, they died nobodies, leaving a ten-year-old girl to fend for herself¡­ Rather than feeling any sense of accomplishment from killing my first alpha warg everything just felt sour. ¡®It¡¯s really been 8 years¡­¡¯ I turned my eyes to the sky as it began to turn orange. ¡®What was his name¡­ Taggart? Maybe I¡¯ll have him buy me a drink after all¡­¡¯

    With my quest completed a wave of relief flowed through me, but the tension I felt in my body wouldn''t go away. Every step felt like I was fighting against myself, every sound put me on edge. When the sun started to set, it only got worse. I was worried I miscalculated the time, but when I finally saw torchlight I was put at ease at last.

    I walked in and it all felt surreal. I could hear voices, and make out laughter. It made me less wary of monsters¡­ But it still felt grey. The colors all seemed muted, another side effect of the spider webs, but, it was more than that. Adventurers got together in groups, they laughed, and they cried. That¡¯s how it was supposed to be. But when I came back no one even looked my way, much less said hello.

    An alpha warg was considered a rank D boss monster. In other words, it was basically a legendary feat for me, someone two ranks lower, to beat one. Even disregarding that, killing your first boss monster was like a right of passage for all adventurers, and even putting that aside killing your first kill of any specific type of boss monster was still something to throw a party over and buy the whole tavern a round of drinks.

    It all just felt wrong. ¡®I bet no one would even believe me¡­ They¡¯d just say it was dead when I found it.¡¯

    I let out another sigh as I raised my trashed arm up to the light. ¡®I probably shouldn¡¯t drink anymore. I¡¯m already going to feel like trash. My whole body is already going numb and my eyes are getting heavy.¡¯

 Chapter 8: Rewards

    Before I headed to the inn to get some rest I needed money, so my first stop was the beekeeper posted in the encampment to watch over things. ¡®I hope the new guy isn¡¯t as pushy as the last one¡­¡¯

    I paused for a moment, a bit nervous. The beekeepers rotated out every three months or so, their job wasn¡¯t so much an actual job as much as it was a civic duty they were given by the government. It was complicated, but the only thing that mattered to me was that it meant meeting someone new every three months, which was¡­ Fine¡­ But. Well, let''s put it this way.

    I would have rather kept dealing with the muscle head that told me to quit being an adventurer because girls couldn¡¯t cut it. I mean, at least he was nice to look at. I¡¯m sure he was trying to look out for me in his own way too, as abrasive as he was. Most importantly though, he took the job seriously, and did everything he could to make sure I had all the information I needed¡­ Rather than letting me take a quest knowing there was an infestation and somehow forgetting to tell me¡­

    I let out a deep sigh standing in front of the castle gate that led directly to the beekeeper''s office. ¡®It doesn¡¯t help that this place looks like a dungeon¡­¡¯ Mossy vines grew around the thick cobblestone that made up a massive fortress designed to fall back to in case the camp somehow got overrun. ¡®It can¡¯t be that bad right?¡¯

    I expected my heart to beat faster, or my chest to tighten at least a little, but the venom in my veins kept me completely relaxed. ¡®I¡¯ll just make it quick.¡¯

    ¡°Done already?¡± He asked as I presented the quest notices along with the herbs I picked up. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn''t run into any trouble. These flowers have been hard to gather because they''re in spider territory, that''s why there''s a quest for them in the first palace.

    I rolled my eyes. ¡®Talkative¡­ And not very sharp¡­¡¯ I lifted my injured arm onto the table with a plop. ¡°I ran into plenty of trouble, I just took care of it. There''s a bonus reward for any spiders I kill right?¡±

    He squinted and grimaced. ¡°Yeah, I take it you had to fight off a couple then?¡±

    ¡°I pulled the materials from my pack. Here''s proof of kill. 7 spiders, 6 Wargs. The quest said I could keep the materials, but I don''t have the expensive equipment to work with monster hides so I''d like to sell those to the Beehive as well. Same with the spider webbing and claws, oh, and the fangs too I guess. One of the wargs was an alpha but the hide is in bad condition. Actually, I¡¯ll keep one of the alpha¡¯s fangs.¡±

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    He had a dumbfounded expression on his face for a moment but it slowly getting out a tally sheet. ¡°Ok just give me a second here, how much of each material do you have?¡±

    I quickly began unloading all the materials. ¡°6 Pelts, 7 acid glans, we can weigh the webbing, and as for the fangs 23.¡±

    After quickly marking up the tally he totalled out the price. ¡°I see. That''s quite the haul¡­¡± He picked up the damaged hide and closely inspected it. ¡°Something like this isn¡¯t even worth half value.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I expected as much, but I have about half a hide there, so it should still be worth something.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s using Identification magic? So he¡¯s going to price it for me right here then?¡¯ Out of curiosity, I scanned the materials myself. Everything came back as quality good, except for the alpha hide, which was poor, and one of the acid glands which was also poor due to the wargs gnawing on it a bit.

    ¡®That¡¯s not bad. With the threat level increase in the area, all materials should increase in value by 25% due to regulations. So that means this should come out to a total of upwards 3k talons, counting the quest rewards. Or I guess 3 small silvers so that''s¡­ 3k?¡¯

    I had to double-check my math before I felt myself suddenly become giddy. I couldn¡¯t remember a single time I had ever had that much coin on me at once.

    ¡°OK, let''s see here. So that¡¯s 600 for the two quests, and 700 for proof of kill for each spider.¡±

    ¡®Yes, yes I know. Those prices are posted, so that calculation is easy, but the materials cost changes with the market. Tell me what you''re giving me already.¡¯

    ¡°Claws, fangs, mandibles, acid glans, stinger, pelts, and about 75 tallons for this volume of webbing Together that''s going to get you about 700. So if you sell all this plus the quest that will amount to about 2089 talons. How would you like your currency?¡±

    I paused for a moment, unsure if I heard him right, triple-checking my math. Even if the market crashed, it was impossible for it to crash that hard¡­ ¡°Wait, so that¡¯s 2089 for the materials right?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°For the materials and the quest reward, plus the bonus from the proof of kill for the spiders.¡±

    ¡®No way¡­ But that''s¡­ more than a 40% drop in value in a single month¡­ The value should be increased with higher demand sense materials have a lower supply during the winter, not to mention harder to get now that the threat level increased¡­¡¯ I paused for a moment. I hadn¡¯t checked the market value before heading out, but it couldn¡¯t have changed that much.

    I took a closer look at the man in front of me. Any anxiousness I was feeling was gone, replaced with my brain lighting up as if I were in a fight.  ¡®So¡­ That¡¯s how it is then. I heard about this. He gives people a little less than what he is supposed to and pockets the rest, the amount is so small it¡¯s unnoticeable. He probably only takes off maybe a couple of percent off each item individually¡­ But I brought in so much low-level material that a couple coins off each became obvious¡­ Interesting¡­¡¯

    My head started to pound. ¡®That¡­ Is what¡¯s happening right? I better be careful just in case.¡¯

 Chapter 9: Tavern

    Even though my brain was trying to accelerate and think things through, it could only go so fast. I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t even be sure if I was just jumping to conclusions, or just greedy after thinking I¡¯d get so much more.

    ¡®I¡¯m REALLY not in the mood for this¡­¡¯ ¡° Just give me the rewards for the quest and the spiders first, that¡¯s 1300. I¡¯ll take a silver and three coppers.¡±

    ¡°Right, certainly, oh, sorry though, we are low on silver and copper at this time. Would you prefer 10 coppers and 30 obsidian instead?¡±

    ¡®Is this another trick? How could he be out of one of the most common currencies¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡®Just hurry up already¡­¡¯ His smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes as he ever so slowly counted the money. ¡®I¡¯m about to kill this guy¡­¡¯

    I double-checked after he handed it out, and sure enough, ¡®10, and¡­ 28 This guy¡­¡¯

    I took the money and pocketed it, pretending not to notice. ¡°I¡¯m Chika by the way, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± I raised my hand out to him and he hesitantly returned the gesture.

    ¡°Likewise, it¡¯s good to see skilled adventurers such as yourself out here. I¡¯m Alden.¡±

    ¡®Now I know who to report at least¡­ Causing a scene here wouldn¡¯t be good.¡¯I looked over to the guards watching them closely¡­ ¡®They might be in on it¡­ So¡­ Confronting him now would be a bad move.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for your service, Alden. Oh, I think I¡¯ll be taking all the materials back with me. I¡¯ll just sell them back in Rothet, I have an old friend that I think might cut me a deal.

    His smile vanished and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Come on now¡­ Oh, what¡¯s this? Actually taking a second look at this I see I made a mistake. I¡¯m so sorry, I can actually give you 1600 for these materials. Of course, if you have a contact I understand.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s covering himself up¡­ So that the price difference won¡¯t be suspicious¡­ Interesting¡­¡¯ I looked back at the guards. ¡®I really don¡¯t like this feeling¡­ I should just leave¡­ I should just¡­¡¯

    I leaned forward on the table. ¡°Wow really, you don¡¯t say, that¡¯s 3,100 in total, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s not bad, you know if you''re giving me that much I might take you up on it.¡±

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    He smirked. ¡°I¡¯m glad we understand each other.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s not even trying to hide it anymore¡­ It almost feels like he¡¯s bribing me to stay quiet.¡¯ ¡°I must say I¡¯m surprised that a trusted overseer would make such a mistake. I know a silver might not be much to you, but you know to us low-level adventurers it can literally mean life or death.¡±

    He grimaced as if asking why I was still there. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do better in the future¡­¡±

    ¡°Be sure you do that.¡± I grinned back at him as I walked away. ¡®That felt good. My haggling is getting better. He gave me full price, and a little extra to make up for the 2 coins he cheated me out of. Well¡­ I guess I don¡¯t actually know what market price is¡­¡¯

    I paused just outside. ¡®Sparks¡­ Did he win?¡¯ I looked down at my wallet. ¡®I guess with this much money it doesn¡¯t even matter if I got cheated a bit. Still¡­ I should probably tell my beekeeper friend about this. Cutting people short can kill them if it means they don¡¯t have enough to buy potions or medicine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only low-rank strapped for cash. Lola¡­ I wonder how long it¡¯s been since we last talked.¡¯

    I headed inside the tavern and the familiar scent of sweat, dirt, and alcohol filled my nose¡­ It was gross¡­ And I hated it to be quite honest, but that was only one half of it, the less significant half if you asked me. The cheery voices and clanking mugs, the songs that were sung just slightly out of tune, and that one musician that was always way too overqualified to be playing there, and let''s not forget the one guy that couldn¡¯t hit a high note to save his life, so he just sang four octaves too low.

    I could hear it clearly the moment I walked in, the kind of voice that vibrated your bones and made you feel kind of funny inside. Oddly enough it helped clear my headache too.

    ¡®What was that man¡¯s name again¡­ Taggart? He owes me a toast for not dying.¡¯ I looked around, and couldn¡¯t seem to find him, but I did manage to spot the dwarf from his party. It was hard to miss the guy with full plate armor and a shield that was bigger than I was.

    My feet almost carried me over to him on their own as the energy from the music started to run through me, but I quickly second-guessed myself. I knew I didn''t belong in a party, and there I was trying to Budd myself into their dinner¡­ ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ I looked back down at my coin purse, remembering that lonely feeling from when I first returned to camp after my hunt. ¡®I guess I just got excited¡­ And maybe I wanted someone else to be excited to¡­¡¯

    I sighed, turning to walk away, but the moment I turned around I heard a hearty cheer. ¡°Hey, you there! The strange one with the wooden helmet!¡±

    ¡®What? There¡¯s some other idiot here wearing a helmet made out of wood, I mean, at least mine is covered in hide.¡¯ I turned around to see who it was¡­ And when I realized the dwarf was yelling those words at me¡­ I immediately started to feel embarrassed. ¡®It¡¯s me¡­ I¡¯m the idiot strange one with the wooden helmet¡­¡¯

    I groaned, walking over to him. ¡°You¡¯re the dwarf with the alcoholic right? Where is he, he said he¡¯d buy me a drink.¡±

    He laughed as he grabbed my shoulder and almost forced me into one of the chairs beside him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll buy you one and charge him for it later.¡±

    ¡®He¡­ is still alive right? I mean, they''re pretty happy, but you never know¡­ Wait, they could just be happy because they got a larger share with one less way to split the rewards.¡¯ My eyes slowly widened as I convinced myself to relax. ¡®This is why I hate meeting new people¡­¡¯

 Chapter 10: Conversation.

    ¡°So where is Taggart anyway¡­¡± I hesitantly asked, my words growing quieter as they turned to mumbling. ¡°He didn¡¯t uh¡­¡±

    The dwarf just laughed again. ¡°He hardly even made it back, He¡¯s asleep upstairs, serves him right.¡±

    Chills went down my arms. ¡°I-I have healing magic, if he¡¯s badly wounded I could¨C¡±

    The man raised his hand cutting me off. ¡°Oh no he¡¯s fine, just a bit uh¡­ Intoxicated¡­¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief. ¡®Ok, so they aren¡¯t bad people then? See¡­ They¡¯re normal, I¡¯m fine.¡¯

    ¡°You seem awfully worried.¡± One of the other men said.

    He had the ears of a wolf and the fangs to match, with claws and fur on his left arm.

    I chuckled, a bit embarrassed to admit the reason. ¡°I guess when you work alone it means a lot to have someone cheering you on. Even if he is a stranger.¡± I paused, looking to the side. ¡°Besides, it''s a bit ironic, but the mana regeneration from the booze he gave me very well might have saved my life more than once today¡­¡±

    The dwarf laughed, calling over the waitress. She was tall and slender with legs that looked like they could dish out skull-crushing kicks. Her fur was orange and black, and her face was that of a fox. Unlike the wolf man, it was clear her beast blood was strong.

    ¡°Bring out another meal Please darling.¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss.¡± She said with a smile before giving a seductive glance to the wolf man making him more than a bit uncomfortable.

    It took me a moment to realize what was even happening. ¡°Oh no I couldn¡¯t accept¨C¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh. no. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m putting it all on Tagarts tab, his punishment for overdrinking.¡±

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    Before I knew it I was getting served a hot meal and being introduced to everyone. The dwarf was a warrior, and because he was a dwarf, his grip and arm strength were enough that he could wield that giant shield with one hand, carrying a greatsword in the other. Basically, he is what every 13-year-old knight dreamed of being. His name¡­ As odd as it may have been¡­ Was Theodore, or Ted.

    The wolfman was actually a half-elf, which explained his especially weak blood. He only had the beast traits in one arm after all. Well, minus the ears, but he didn¡¯t even have a tail. Anyway, his name was Roaren. He was the party''s assassin but also knew up to tier 3 earth magic and tier 4 air magic. The highest-tier spell I knew was fire breath, which was only tier two, so needless to say I was impressed.

    Last was the party''s mysterious mage. He was a tier 5 fire mage. He was a blue troll, kept to himself, he covered his body with bandages, and from what I could tell they were attempting to cover his old burn scars. For a troll to learn fire magic was odd on its own, after all, fire was the enemy of all trolls. For one who was terribly scarred by it though, and for it to be the only school of magic they learned, that was even stranger.

    I decided not to pry. I did get his name out of him though, eventually. It was Dabai.

    I was a bit more than nervous¡­ Even after they were all introduced and we started talking, the nerves didn¡¯t go away. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to say, or what people actually talked about in a situation like that. It took everything I had to stop myself from fidgeting. I was perfectly content just letting them do all the talking, but every time they asked me about something it became rather hard to answer. My nerves were so bad they completely overcame the effects of the venom in the webbing, something I didn¡¯t even know was possible.

    ¡°Hey, I saw you turning in those monsters. Did you gather that many different materials on your own? That¡¯s impressive. Wargs are one thing, but spiders too, even gathering flowers takes a certain amount of skill to ensure the quality. But most people won''t go anywhere near a spider corpse, they¡¯ll just turn the whole thing over to the guild for processing.¡±

    ¡°O-oh, the harvesting you mean? It¡¯s pretty easy once you get the hang of it¡­ Although I had a pretty good teacher so that helps¡­ I have low-level poison and acid resistance, so it only burns a little to harvest the glans from the spiders, everything else is pretty easy once you learn how. It is kinda gross, but you just have to make sure not to touch the acid itself or you could burn your fingers off. I understand why most people wouldn''t want to deal with that. To harvest the highest amount of webbing you have to cut open the spider''s abdomen to reach inside and then you¨C¡± I paused and looked at his dumbstruck face, embarrassed at myself. ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± I muttered. ¡®No only did I start rambling, but about gutting monsters of all things¡­ And he¡¯s still eating!¡¯

    I had expected him to look disgusted. There was a reason most people only harvested a few parts from monsters or paid a specialist to harvest the parts for them. It was usually considered dirty work, and most people, especially those in a party, thought they were above such things.

    ¡°No, not at all.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I''m the one that asked after all. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so passionate about it. Most men don''t like to get their hands so dirty. Well, they¡¯ll clean and gut anything, but reaching inside a spider''s carcass with the risk of losing your fingers¡­ That¡¯s a bit different.¡±

    It was good to see he was unaffected. It gave me a lot of relief¡­ As I looked over to see Roaren discreetly clearing his throat and setting down his food though, I couldn¡¯t help but still feel a little bad.

    ¡®Wait, what were we talking about? Oh right.¡¯ ¡°Don''t get me wrong¡­ I don¡¯t like it either, but the guild takes a cut of the materials if they process it so¡­¡±

    They silently nodded, understanding well. Money was something everyone needed.

 Chapter 11: Money

    Money was something everyone could have more of¡­ Especially those in the lower ranks. I was considered rank F, while the party I was sitting with was likely a D-rank party. Unarguably two of the lowest income jobs out there¡­

    Being E rank was at least equivalent to making 25k talons a year¡­ Not exactly a lot¡­ But even that small raise from my 15k would stop me from starving at let me put on some weight. If that happened I¡¯d probably jump to D-rank¡­ Although that might have just been wishful thinking.

    D-rank was twice that, at 50k average. When you are in a party though, each reward is split four ways for them. That means to get the same income they have to take on more dangerous quests at a higher volume. On top of that, the increased danger, and the higher volume would lead to increased expenses. Gear maintenance, consumable potions, and antidotes¡­ Still, he was willing to buy me a meal, and their gear was well taken care of, so they couldn¡¯t have been that poor.

    ¡°Who couldn¡¯t use more money right?¡± Ted smacked me on the shoulder.

    I was surprised, their mood didn¡¯t seem to drop at all. It was the first time I had seen a dwarf content with only one drink in his hand. ¡°Right¡­¡±

    He raised his hand and began to scratch the stubble on his cheek. ¡°Hey, what if¡­ We bring the carcasses to you instead of the guild. I can handle wargs, but like you said I¡¯m not one to risk my fingers. If you harvest the spiders, that might make us both a bit of extra coin.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I paused for a moment before I outright refused. I had made it a point to never take on a job that wasn¡¯t related to being an adventurer¡­ But even if I wasn¡¯t killing monsters, harvesting them for a party didn¡¯t seem entirely unrelated.

    I leaned back in my chair. If there was one thing I was comfortable talking about, it was money. Having it feel more like a business conversation than a casual one eased my nerves considerably and let me finally think clearly without so much blood running through my face.

    ¡°Well, one acid gland is usually valued at around 100 talons, and the guild takes 25 percent as a fee for processing. So by that logic, if you pay me 20 talons per, we both walk away happy right?¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Hm¡­ We¡¯ve been killing just over 10 spiders every time we go out, so that would be 200 for you. We go out five times a week¡­ Could you keep up with that pace?¡±

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    My jaw almost dropped¡­ Doing the math in my head, if I got 200 talons a day five days a week my expected income more than doubled, and that was without me doing any quests. Not to mention I wouldn¡¯t have any fees for maintenance or consumables. ¡®There¡¯d¡­ Be no reason for me to take quests anymore¡­¡¯

    ¡°O-on second thought¡­ I really only need ten talons per gland, I think that¡¯s more reasonable.¡±

    He narrowed his gaze ¡°You''re halving your price?¡±

    ¡®Yeah¡­ I guess that does look pretty suspicious¡­¡¯ ¡°Yes, but I have two conditions. The first is that I can harvest them whenever I want, and the second is that you don¡¯t sell them here. Go back to Rothet to sell them.¡±

    ¡°Are there reasons for these conditions of yours?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I like money, but I¡¯m not ready to give up on being an adventurer yet, so I¡¯m going to keep taking quests. It would be nice for us to be able to work around that. As for the place of sale¡­¡±

    I leaned in and lowered my voice. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the beekeeper here, Alden, is ripping people off, or at the very least he¡¯s shady.¡±

    All three of them grimaced. ¡°You sure about this?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t call him out on it, but when he realized what I was thinking he suddenly raised the estimated value of goods back to full price. So¡­ I can¡¯t really say he cheated me, but¡­¡±

    Roaren let out a growl, his claws sinking into the table. ¡°I should kill him.¡± ¡®That was¡­ A quick response¡­¡¯ Dabai seemed to calm him down, but the tension remained.

    ¡°The more people he rips off the easier it will be to take him down, so honestly it might be better to wait before we report him. The guards could be in on it. For now¡­ It¡¯s better to just wait for a while and sell them all back at Rothet. We have to consider I¡¯m wrong too. If he really is innocent instead then everything would just be a mess.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°It seems it was good fortune running into you. We¡¯ll do that.¡±

    I nodded back. ¡°Good.¡± My left arm had fallen completely numb, and my body was exhausted. The full six hours still hadn¡¯t passed, but the time frame was moved up due to my blood loss and the webbing being applied to an open wound instead of the skin. After finally relaxing from a more serious conversation it started to feel hard just to hold my head up.

    I winced in pain as I took to my feet. ¡°Thanks again for the meal¡­ But, I¡¯m going to go rest now. Lick my wounds and all that.¡±

    Ted laughed. ¡°I thought you said you knew healing magic?¡±

    I looked down at my arm. ¡°I do¡­ A bit¡­ But it¡¯s pretty draining to use. It¡¯s no good if it shuts down my body and stops my natural healing. Then I¡¯d have to worry about the toxins. Plus I can only use it once a week, so if something worse happened later then¨C¡±

    ¡°Kid, just go rest already, you don¡¯t have to explain it to us.¡±

    ¡°R-right¡­ Sorry.¡±

    I was so tired I nearly fell over on the spot. But I managed to say my goodbyes and stumble over to the counter to pay for a room.

    When I finally got there I walked in, locked the door, took my helmet off, and fell asleep standing up, not even feeling the impact as I fell onto the bed.

 Chapter 12: Time Off

    By the time I woke up, it was well past noon. My whole body ached, but I forced myself out of bed anyway. As much as it hurt, moving would flush the toxin out faster.

    After opening the curtains to get some light into the room, I stumbled over to a small table and plopped my arm onto it, inspecting it more closely.

    ¡®I should have done this last night¡­¡¯ The venom had all been absorbed into my skin and for those spiders, that was what caused the silk to be sticky, so it was easy for me to remove the packed webs and check the wounds.

    My hand was completely black and blue from the intense pressure of the warg¡¯s jaws but it didn¡¯t actually pierce my armor, so even though it was hard to move I wasn¡¯t too worried about it. As far as I could tell it probably wasn¡¯t broken or anything.

    My arm though¡­ The bones were intact there too but¡­ The skin was stained with a tinge of red, and even with the healing properties of the spider¡¯s silk, the wounds were deep. The bleeding had stopped, but that was only because of the web''s venom closing of the blood vessels to the wounded area. it wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that was going to heal that quickly, much less without a scar. One that, Ironically, looked more like a web than a bite mark from how the flash had been torn.

    ¡®Well¡­ I just woke up from a long rest, so I can try my magic¡­¡¯

    The first tier Gold magic spell [disinfect] at least made the wound look a little cleaner. That much I had to do if I didn¡¯t want to lose my arm. Afterward, I conjured some water to wash and clean the wound.

    When I was convinced I wasn¡¯t dying, I went to grab some food, taking three servings back to my room and chowing down. ¡®My body¡¯s still in a starved state, so enhancing my own recovery probably won¡¯t do much aside from wearing me out more.¡¯ ¡®Right, now all that¡¯s left is the healing magic¡­¡¯ I was hesitant to use it. All true healing spells were divine arts. They required you to have divinity or holy favor. The more you had the more effective your divine arts, and the more often you could use them.

    It wasn¡¯t like we were praying to god or idols, it was more like calling in a favor from an angel or being best friends with a saint. At least that¡¯s how I saw it.

    The only problem was that I could only use one miracle a weak. It was kind of my last resort. ¡®I have over 3000 talons¡­ At this point, and with a steady income from that party, I can take a week off¡­ ¡¯

    I leaned back in my chair with a heavy sigh. ¡®But the moment I take time off isn¡¯t that the same as quitting¡­ Well, either way having my arm is better than not.¡¯ I slowly lifted my hand over the wound, ¡°Plutia¡­ You listening?¡±

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    My whole body started to feel warm as the energy coursed through me. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I could use a hand.¡±

    I focused the energy into the wound on my arm and it slowly closed over, the tissue forming from the inside out and regenerating itself. It stopped early though. It was now no more than a few scrapes, but even with magic it still left deep scars.

    ¡®Well, I guess that¡¯s what I get for not paying my respects at the shrine¡­ It''s a bit disappointing but¡­¡¯ ¡°I am¡­ Grateful¡­ For the power you lent me.¡±

    The warm energy lingered, slowly wrapping around me even more before vanishing to the wind. ¡®Lesser heal¡­ It¡¯s not the best miracle, but I certainly prefer this to some of the other divine arts people have like a small endurance boost or a cure desies. Especially since I can use magic from the Gold element tree.¡¯

    I leaned forward hanging my head and untying my hair. ¡®It¡¯s too early to be thinking so much¡­¡¯ My head pounded, partially from the toxin, exhaustion, and mana deficiency from the previous day, but also from the drink I had. Letting out a long groan I decided to clean myself off before anything else. Each room had a large wooden tub up against the wall, so it was just a matter of conjuring up water to fill it and heating the water with fire magic. The lesser known reason why all parties had at least one person that could use each.

    While I soaked, I conjured another water ball throwing all my clothes and gear into it. Then to clean it off I added a disinfecting spell and used wind magic to spin the water. When I was finally done I used a combination of water, air, and fire magic to fully dry it.

    I''d be lying if I said it made all my gear shine like new¡­ But at least I wouldn¡¯t feel gross putting it back on. Of course, doing all that actually felt pretty draining¡­ So by the time I was done washing my clothes, I stretched out, heated the water again, and fell asleep in the bath.

    ¡­

    ¡°Hey Chika, you in there?¡± I heard a knock so loud I thought my door would get broken down. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I was out, but by the time I woke up the water was cold, and any sense of relaxation I had certainly left in a hurry, letting out a loud groan as I held my eyes closed just a bit longer, pretending as it counted as a few extra seconds of rest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes then!¡± The man said laughing.

    I could tell from the voice it was Ted. He may have been a dwarf but he was still a man, and quite frankly speaking at all while I was in the bath was uncomfortable and awkward, even if it was through a door.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m here yeah!¡± I yelled out, probably louder than I needed to. Letting out another groan as I heated the water again and splashed some on my face to try and shake off the dreariness. ¡®Where did I leave my towel, is it still in storage?¡¯

    ¡°Are, you available? Or¡­ Should I come back?¡±

    My body ached, still feeling sore as I moved around, ultimately sinking deeper into the water as it warmed up, instead of getting out. ¡°Well¡­ Uhm¡­ I¡¯m kinda taking a bath right now so¡­¡±

    He laughed again. ¡°Ah! I got ya, well. No one wants to see that so I¡¯ll go ahead and wait for you downstairs!¡±

    ¡®No one wants¡­¡¯ His comment hurt a bit more than it felt like it should have¡­ Making me only sink deeper into the tub and wrap myself up in a ball. ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s fine¡­¡± I muttered.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I-I said that¡¯s fine!¡±

    I heard his footsteps walk away, and only after they turned silent did I finally feel myself relax again. ¡°Aghhhhh¡­¡± I raised my arm up to my eyes. The water ran down my pale skin, glistening off the light from the sunset that peaked through the window.

    ¡®My arms are getting thicker again. I wonder how long it will be before I get all my muscles back¡­ Eh¡­ Maybe I¡¯m being impatient, even with magic it¡¯s only been a day. Well, whatever, let''s go see how many corpses I get to carve up.¡¯

 Chapter 13: Opportunity.

    After getting dressed I headed downstairs and met with the party. Once again, Tagart had seemingly retired early, so it was just the three of us. ¡°Ok¡­¡± I yawned. ¡°You guys got some work for me?¡±

    Dabai took a ring from off his tusk and handed it to me. ¡°Thirteen.¡± He said. His voice was like that of a desert pirate who took in too much smoke and burned his lungs.

    From what I could tell the ring was solid gold, which meant the enchantment on it must have been pretty strong. ¡°So you killed 13, is there anything else I should know?¡± I turned to Roaren. Ted was the leader for sure, but I had a feeling Roaren was more the thinker of the group¡­ Although that might of just been my bias poking through, sense he was half-elf.

    ¡°Hm. Quite a few of them will be damaged, they weren¡¯t clean kills¡­ But, what kind of information are you looking for exactly?¡±

    ¡°I guess I should be able to figure it out on my own but depending on how you kill them it can become more dangerous to harvest certain parts. Some spiders will have abnormalities, ones that are constantly leaking acid from their mouths for instance. Those have to be harvested differently than the rest.¡±

    He crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. To be honest that¡¯s more of a question for Taggart.¡± He looked past me to Ted. ¡°You would have been in the thick of it, did you notice anything like that?¡±

    He smiled brightly. ¡°Only one, it was that huge one, if it''s dangerous don¡¯t worry about it, we will give it to the guild.¡±

    A hard smack hit my shoulder as I turned to look at him with a groan. ¡®It¡¯s not like he¡¯s that much to look at either¡­¡¯

    ¡°Uh¡­ Everything alright there?¡±

    I let out a sigh, deciding to try and just forget about it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Turning back to Roaren and Dabai I held up the ring. ¡°When do you guys need this back?¡±

    The troll held one finger, causing me to turn to Roaren for translation. ¡°He has one more ring, so ideally tomorrow we will have filled it up, and you will have emptied that one out, sound good?¡±

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    I sent a bit of mana into the ring to test if I could use the storage enchantment. ¡°Yeah, that should be fine. I¡¯ll go ahead and get to work right after I eat something.¡±

    Roaren nearly shuddered and turned pale. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Going to eat first?¡±

    They all began staring at me as I sat slowly sat down. ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ ¡°O-oh sorry¡­ I can sit somewhere else.¡± I said quickly, starting to stand back up.

    Before I could though, Roaren reached out and grabbed my arm with his clawed hand ¡°No no no, that¡¯s not what I meant at all, please, you can eat with us.¡±

    I froze stiffly, slowly looking down at his hand. It was one thing getting a firm nudge from the dwarf¡­ But having his hand so firmly around my arm made me feel even more uncomfortable. ¡°U-uhm¡­ So¡­ Can you let go now, please¡­¡±

    As he quickly retracted his hand I timidly wrapped my own over the spot where he was touching me. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I muttered, sitting down. ¡®Why am I like this¡­¡¯

    Once again the dwarf ordered me food, this time using Roarens money. Roaren rolled his eyes at the notion but didn¡¯t object for one reason or another, while Dabai Simply smiled, staring at me intently. ¡°I suppose it will be my turn next?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I wanted to say he really didn¡¯t have to, but before I could Roaren pulled me to the side and leaned in close.

    ¡°I get how this might be uncomfortable for you to have other people paying for your meals¡­ But it really hurts the poor guy when he gets left out.¡±

    I slowly looked back towards Dabai. As heartless as it may sound, he really wasn¡¯t the type I would expect to have¡­ Well¡­ Any feelings, at least not like that. ¡°Yeah, next time it¡¯s on you.¡± I slowly smirked. ¡°Then Ted will finally have to spend some of his own money.¡±

    The moment my words got out he choked on his mug of ale, making everyone laugh. I was really starting to feel a part of their group, even if all I did was clean the monsters.

    I ate another three portions, surprising all of them. I was at least able to read the situation at that time. It was more than obvious why they were shocked. ¡°I starved over the winter, so I¡¯m trying to get my muscle back,¡± I explained.

    A hearty slap from Ted pushed me forward in my seat. ¡°I thought you looked a bit small to be in this kind of work. I bet in no time you¡¯ll be back at full width.¡±

    ¡®So handsy¡­ And¡­ I¡¯m Not sure how I should take that¡­ Does he think I¡¯m a dwarf like him? Wait, but dwarves are talented at metal magic. You know, my weapons have gotten thinner too, if I were a dwarf I could fix them easily¡­ Wait¡­¡¯ ¡°That reminds me, Ted, can you use metal magic?¡±

    It took him a moment to catch up with how my thoughts got there, but after a moment he answered without worrying about it too much. ¡°Uhm¡­ Aye, I can use tier one at least, dwarves are basically born with that much.¡±

    ¡°Can you teach me? I¡¯ll pay you if you want.¡±

    He let out a sigh and leaned his chin onto his fist. ¡°Hm¡­ I suppose it depends on why you want to learn it.¡±

    I pulled out my dagger. ¡°I¡¯ve had these weapons for years, but constantly mending them has not only been expensive, it¡¯s worn away at the blade''s integrity. I did what I could with just smithing, but magic would go a long way, especially when correcting things like acid damage.¡±

    He took the blade in his hands and silently inspected it, taking so long that I eventually started biting my lip with how nervous I became. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look very happy.¡¯

 Chapter 14: Burning Rot.

    ¡°Iron, impure, not very well made¡­ Hm¡­ You¡¯ve kept up this weapon for years? It¡¯s kind of impressive with how low quality it is. That shows me you cared for the metal, and if your goal is to use it for crafting I can teach you my ancestor''s magic.¡±

    I felt my eyes widen as my whole body shuddered with goosebumps. ¡°Really? I-I haven¡¯t had enough money in the past to learn, but I just got a big payout from the last quest, so I should be able to pay whatever you¡¯re asking.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow, still just as calm as before as he took another swig of ale. ¡°The cost will be up to you. Normally, the way the dwarves do it is simple. In this case, it would mean that I pay for your room and board, and in turn, you do any work I ask for free, then I would teach you in our free time.¡±

    ¡®That doesn''t sound like a bad deal.¡¯ ¡°So basically I would be paying you with my services harvesting the spiders. You would save 100 talons a day, and pay 30 or so room and board.¡¯

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t pay anything extra for room and board. We cook most of our meals from what we hunt, and you would sleep with the party in our room, we would just add a bed. Or I suppose we could just make Taggart sleep on the floor.¡±

    I felt a chill go down my spine. ¡°Uhm¡­ The arrangement sounds fine¡­ But, I think I¡¯ll just pay for my own room¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair. Ours doesn¡¯t smell very nice. So, would you like your first lesson after you finish your work?¡±

    I was so excited I almost forgot how to speak, nodding at first and waiting a moment to find the words. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll go take care of it now then.¡±

    ¡®Finally. Metal magic, so of the 11 base elements, now I¡¯ll have Fire, water, earth, air, metal, plant, light, gold, silver, arcane, and now¡­ Now I just need to find someone with shadow magic and I¡¯ll finally have all 11!¡¯

    It was a long-standing dream of mine to learn all 11 base schools of magic, but with metal magic under my belt, I would only be missing one. Sure, I might have sucked at all of them relatively speaking, but no one had been able to learn all 11 magics in over 100 years, so even just casting a tier 1 spell would still be a pretty amazing feat.

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    ¡®Adventurers are people who can do anything¡­¡¯ I felt like I was one step closer to finally embodying that ideal. At first, I progressed like wild picking up every spell my body could handle, but eventually, I hit a brick wall and almost gave up entirely, that was over 2 years ago. Shadow magic was so rare I had never seen it in person, and metal was more or less locked behind a paywall¡­

    Metal magic had such a high barrier to entry that you needed to get it to tier 3 before you could effectively use it in combat, which meant it was hard to get good chances to observe people using tier 1 or even tier 2 spells. That meant the only way to learn was via a teacher, which tended to all be blacksmiths or highly adept sorcerers¡­ Either way, it wasn¡¯t cheap, and most times the techniques were considered secrets that masters would only teach to their disciples.

    I was beaming with joy, and a little giddy, humming to myself as I walked out back to butcher the giant spiders. Even while I was carving into them I couldn¡¯t help but smile, no matter how much of a pain it was because of how badly damaged the carcasses were.

    I had been wanting to learn metal magic for years, and I finally had a teacher. I didn¡¯t even have to blow a fortune on it. It didn¡¯t feel real, not in the slightest. ¡®I even have a dwarf teaching me¡­ I mean that¡¯s like¡­ Like learning how to garden from a halfling, or how to cook from a goblin, or like¡­ Like learning wind magic from a harpy. I wonder if I could get some tips for using a great sword too?¡¯

    Before I knew it I was already harvesting the last gland, only afterward did I realize people were starting to give me strange looks. ¡®Maybe¡­ I¡¯m a bit too happy about this. I can¡¯t stop smiling¡­ Nah, they can all screw off. So what if I¡¯m happy? I¡¯ll smile if I want to.¡¯ I looked down at the spider blood scattered all over the place with guts acid and entrails piled around me. ¡®Nope¡­ I look creepy for sure.¡¯ All I could do was sigh as I took off the thick leather apron I wore in case acid splashed on me. ¡®Guess there¡¯ll be some rumors about me for a while again.

    I put everything important back in the ring and threw the rest in my storage so I could discard it in the forest or use it as bait later. After that I buried them back inside, catching them before they even finished their meal. To be fair, judging by the extended number of plates and mugs, they had been there for a while.

    Roaran dropped his fork upon seeing me. ¡°Are you done already?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, so I¡¯m ready to learn.¡± ¡®Is it that surprising?¡¯

    He brushed his nose with his hand, making it twitch. ¡°That¡¯s an impressive speed¡­¡±

    Ted stood up. ¡°You smell like puke and look worse¡­ Let''s get out of here before they ask us to leave. We can train outside.¡±

    I was still giddy¡­ But after that, My shoulders did slumped forward, if only for a moment. ¡°O-oh¡­ Right ok¡­¡± ¡®I guess it just doesn¡¯t bother me because I live in the slums but¡­ Yeah¡­ When you torch a giant spider and then open it up it smells rotten¡­ So now I smell rotten too¡­ And I just took a bath¡­¡¯

    Either way, we made it outside and walked around back. It may not have been how I hoped to start the lesson, but it was still pretty exciting that we were doing it.

 Chapter 15: Metal Magic

    ¡°Sit down here, the same as you would if you were going to sharpen a blade.¡±

    I followed his instructions, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of him.

    He pulled out his massive greatsword and knelt down, placing it on my lap. ¡°Send you¡¯re mana into this blade, and then make it come back. I¡¯ll help you the first few times¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a hard thing to do. All magic involved manipulating mana, using it to manipulate reality and, by that same coin, objects within reality. His mana entered the blade first, lighting up the veins within it like diamond dust sparkled on the blade, then mine followed closely behind.

    ¡°Now, what did you feel.¡±

    ¡°It felt¡­ Pure. It¡¯s not like the earth that''s loose and grainy, it''s smooth, but it''s nothing like water either.¡±

    He scratched his head. ¡°Water and earth you say¡­ Well, either way, pure is a fine way to describe it. Now do it again, only slower, and try to find any places that seem impure, different than the rest.¡±

    I repeated the process. ¡°I can feel it, like bumps, or little holes that my mana flows differently through.¡±

    ¡°Right, so using that information, how pure would you say it is? 60, 80, 90 percent?¡±

    ¡°Maybe like¡­ 98 percent maybe?¡±

    His bushy eyebrows raised, wrinkling the stoney skin on his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty close. The impurities you feel aren¡¯t iron, but rather the runes engraved in the blade. They fundamentally change the metal into something more like sky iron. Otherwise, it would be 100%¡±

    ¡°Oh, ok. So it¡¯s technically pure then.¡±

    ¡°Right, that sword is pure iron, but this shield is sky iron, try and feel the difference between them and again tell the purity.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It feels off¡­¡± My whole body started to sway as if I were on a ship at sea, braving a storm. ¡°the outside layer is completely pure¡­ But it feels almost like it''s uneven, rather than grainy it feels wavy, even closer to water.¡±

    ¡°Steady now.¡± He said with a grin. ¡°See why I had you sit down?¡± He placed his hand on it and sent his own mana into the metal, ¡°feel it now.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s fixed, what did you do?¡±

    A small laugh escaped his lips as he lightly shook his head, making me a little embarrassed at how excited I was acting. ¡°When metal takes damage it slowly loses durability over time, much like how a river chips away at a stone. This damage changes the way the metal feels. With sky iron, it¡¯s even more so, because it¡¯s more reactive to magic and thus magic sense. I simply fixed the damage that it had taken while we were out hunting today.¡±

    ¡®He did it so fast though¡­ Is it because he''s a dwarf or¡­¡¯

    ¡°Anyway, now that you are getting a feel for it, try doing the same with your sword.¡±

    I pulled it out and laid it across my lap. ¡°It''s pure¡­ Well, mostly, but it''s wavy like the sky iron.¡±

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    ¡°Ok, that''s good, don¡¯t try to fix it yet, for now, let¡¯s set it aside. Pull out that knife you showed me, the shoddy one.¡±

    I sent my mana through it and felt a sharp pain trying to bring it back, almost like I was tearing my fingernails off from trying to claw at nail heads. At the same time, I started to feel lightheaded as my mana circuits reminded me they were still sore.

    ¡°Woh there.¡± I looked up to see his out-reached arm steadying me. ¡°You good?¡± He asked.

    My vision blurred, but my mind still seemed sharp¡­ Almost too sharp. It was almost like I was a bit tipsy, but instead of dulled, my mind was thrown into overdrive. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, I think so. Wait, define good. Like I¡¯m breathing, but everything is spinning and I can¡¯t feel my hands.¡±

    ¡°So not good¡­¡± He let out a short sigh under his breath and sat back down. ¡°It must have felt a bit overwhelming for you. Just give it a minute.¡±

    I nodded, losing my balance with the movement of my head and falling on my back. A few minutes later I finally recovered and it felt like nothing had even happened. ¡®What even was that? I never felt anything like that working with the other elements.¡¯ Slowly touching my fingertips to my thumbs, I felt a faint chill run down the outside of my arms, only making it stranger since the chills didn¡¯t cover my arms entirely.

    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±

    ¡°It was like¡­¡± I muttered trying to explain what happened. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to describe it. What makes metal magic so different? I¡­ I¡¯ve never felt anything like that, not even when I was learning earth magic.¡±

    ¡°Still unresponsive then. Got it.¡±

    I continued on. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t hear him, I was just too curious and excited to bother talking about anything else. ¡°Ted what was that?!? I don¡¯t even feel like that when I¡¯m hammered. It was like¡­ It was like¡­¡±

    ¡°You were getting high on your own mana¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what it felt it felt like¡­ I guess? No, it was more like something in between being buzzed and the weird feeling you get when you have a really high fever that almost kills you.¡± I slowly looked around, suddenly realizing I was standing up again.

    He just rolled his eyes with a sigh. ¡°I wasn¡¯t giving a suggestion, I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s what happened. Now sit back down before you hurt yourself. You being hyper is only making it worse.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The moment my eyes traveled back to the ground my body followed. Before I knew it I was face down in the dirt. I¡¯d think I was unconscious if not for his voice clearly sounding in my ear.

    ¡°Your mana doesn¡¯t match your level of control at all. Your body continued regenerating mana as if life depended on it¡­ Even after you were at full capacity. You said you know earth magic so just let it seep into the earth. When your head starts to ache a bit you should be back to normal. I¡¯ve never seen it this bad though. How many elements do you know?¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ Everything but shadow. From the base 11¡­ Then I know acid, lightning, and a few others from advanced¡­¡±

    He let out a much heavier sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle your body is holding itself together. Make sure you pick an element and get it to at least tier three before you learn shadow magic, the control will help with things like this.

    As my head started to ache like a tooth that had been ripped from my jaw I could only respond with a loud groan. ¡°My head already hurts¡­¡± I pushed myself back up and rubbed my eyes. ¡°Well, the world isn¡¯t spinning, so maybe I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. If you''re feeling up to it, try again¡­ If you¡¯re not¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I can keep going.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t let it end so soon, I haven¡¯t even done anything yet.¡¯

    He took the knife, sending his own mana back through it until it levitated above his palm. ¡°2 percent silicon, 3 percent phosphorus, small amounts of sulfur and manganese¡­ There are just too many flaws, it must have overloaded your senses. Each element on its own feels different and reacts differently to mana, that¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to learn without someone explaining it to you. With other elements, you are only focusing on one substance, metal is different.¡±

    Scratching his chin, he let out another groan as he thought. ¡°Try it again, but this time don¡¯t force it, if your mana doesn''t come back easily just let it stay in the blade. If it helps, think of making it flow around the sticking points instead of through them.¡±

    I took a deep breath and made sure to steady myself. ¡°Right.¡± The mana flowed freely, some of it getting caught up in the impurities, but most of it flowed back naturally, all be it at a snail''s pace.

    It took a while, but with his continued teaching, I slowly learned how to weave my mana through and around the impurities. After that, It was just a matter of manipulating the metal after intertwining it with my magic.

    In just a few hours I was able to properly manipulate the metal to repair its integrity and reshape it to fill in any chips. It made sharpening a breeze too. Although, I still wasn¡¯t the best at it, so finishing touches still needed a whetstone. I couldn¡¯t be that fine, but the change in quality, was remarkable, even having dulled it.

    ¡°That''s so cool¡­ I¡­ I did it! Thank you so much, teacher.¡± I literally jumped for joy, well, it was more like a few bunny hops really. I was so happy my whole body tensed at once. ¡®I¡¯m going to save so much money from this!¡¯

    He hardly moved, completely frozen in place. ¡°Oh uh¡­ It¡¯s nothing. You almost didn¡¯t even need me¡­¡±

    I shook his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to learn for years! I thought I might never get it.¡±

    His dumbfounded expression turned to a soft smile. ¡°Well, with how easy it was for you I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you had a bit of dwarf blood in you. It¡¯s the duty of all stonefolk to help their brothers out so don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    I made my dagger gently float above my hands, trying to stop myself from jumping up and down more than I already had. ¡®I can finally do it! Now the only magic I¡¯m missing is shadow¡­¡¯

    I felt chills run through me so strongly that my head shook as I stared at the dagger levitating in the air. ¡®I still can¡¯t throw it or anything, but even just making it float like this is so cool¡­¡¯

    When I finally came out of my trance we returned to the inn and celebrated with enough beer to cover the smell of burning rot that still followed me like a skunk. By the end of the whole day blurred together and I remembered very little. I didn¡¯t drink much because of my headache, but even despite that, it felt like I was wasted and hungover all at once from my body adapting to another layer of mana as I learned metal magic.

 Chapter 16: Medicine

    My body felt just as bad as it did the day before but waking up to the sunrise, instead of sunset, told me the toxin had probably run its course. I groaned, waiting in bed a few minutes before I gathered the will to move. ¡®Screw this. I just made bank, I¡¯m going to buy some medicine. No, but it¡¯s a waste of money if I¡¯ll get better without it¡­¡¯ I double-checked to make sure, but just as I thought my medicine bag was empty.

    ¡®Just this once I could waste money, I mean I made bank on this last job¡­ No¡­ If I make an exception now then I might do it again later.¡¯ Even putting my armor on hard with the weakness in my hands. ¡®Then again¡­ Not using medicine might make it more dangerous to harvest the spiders Ted brings in¡­¡¯

    I let out a sigh and another groan slowly making my way to the medical tent only to find a massive line all the way out in the street. Normally I didn¡¯t mind waiting, but I was already in a bad mood so it was a bit annoying. ¡®Something must have happened¡­ Did someone get ambushed during a hunt? No, this looks bigger than that. If the hold up is this long.¡¯

    ¡°Ashton¡¯s party right¡­¡± A man in front of me said to another.

    ¡°Yeah. Not just them though. I heard some members of the Iron Vanguard guild got caught up in it.¡±

    ¡°You serious? How was there even a problem then?¡±

    ¡°Don''t know, from what I understand everyone¡¯s out of antidotes, so the only way to cure the poison is with magic¡­¡±

    Even I¡¯ve never been bitten or stung¡­ ¡®They have to either be weak or just plain stupid. Ashton shouldn¡¯t be either though. Is it that common?¡¯ Spider venom was dangerous, and often lethal without treatment so even I carried a bottle of antidote¡­ The same bottle¡­ For over 6 years. I didn¡¯t think anyone actually relied on them.

    ¡®Ashton¡­¡¯ He was just another guy that wouldn¡¯t let me in his party at one point¡­ To get payback I did his party¡¯s quest by myself before they could. If I remember right it was something like take down a school of heat slimes. I set out the same night he took it, rather than in the morning, and I spent 12 hours straight pouring mana into rune traps that ended up leaving nothing but scattered dirt and splattered slime guts all over everything, even me. I still don¡¯t know if he was more shocked at my Gorey appearance or the fact I did the quest alone, but the look on his face was worth it either way.

    I looked down, fidgeting with my armor straps to pass the time. ¡®He¡¯s a bit annoying, but I hope he pulls through. I wonder if he even remembers me.¡¯

    In what felt like seconds I was already stepping inside the tint. ¡®That all was a long time ago. I¡¯m not so petty anymore. And he has a pretty well-known D-rank party now.¡¯

    I ducked under a flap of fabric and as it slid over my head I began to see why there was a line. Every single bed was occupied, most with people groaning in pain. The ones that weren¡¯t were completely motionless, but honestly, that was scarier.

    ¡®Then the line is moving too fast. something isn¡¯t right. I waited my turn and walked up to a young girl who was completely alone. She was handling the whole counter by herself. I could see bags under her eyes, but somehow she still managed to greet me with a smile. Judging by her robes, she was still only an apprentice.

    ¡°Do you need medical supplies?¡± She asked, her hands folded behind her back, showing a perfect posture that made her look almost refined, even in the apprentice robes.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡± I nodded. ¡®I¡¯m out of everything so¡­¡¯ ¡°Beeswax, to pack wounds. Some clean bandages, disinfectant, and a healing and mana potion. What else¡­ Uhm, I heard you¡¯re out of antidote, so you probably don¡¯t have any saxifrage¡­ If you have sun leaf and river mist I¡¯ll have 3 bundles of each, but if not that¡¯s fine. Oh, and I guess some disinfectant, in case I run out of mana.¡±

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    The poor girl looked like her head was about to explode. ¡°Let''s see uhm you said.. Beeswax and¡­ Oh, Sorry, we don''t have any potions right now not for healing or mana.¡± I could tell from her eyes she wasn¡¯t having trouble following my order, she was just too exhausted to think straight. Somehow her shoulder never slumped though.

    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR OUT!¡± a man screamed, causing the poor girl to flinch. As her eyes refocused she started to breathe heavier, only then did she start to show the slightest signs of exhaustion in her demeanor.

    ¡®Man¡­ I know how she feels. Jerks like that should just die. Well, I guess this reaction would be expected though¡­¡¯¡¯

    ¡®Supply shortage then¡­ That¡¯s not a good sign. People are gonna start dying soon.¡¯ ¡°Can I still have everything else?¡±

    ¡°U-uhm yea. What did you want again? Sorry, I¨C Sorry¨C Sorry I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    ¡®Did she stop breathing?¡¯ Her eyes started quickly scanning the room as if she were counting, moving so fast they were giving me a headache. ¡®Did that one guy yelling at her¡­ No who knows how long she¡¯s been dealing with angry adventurers.¡¯¡¯ I let out a soft sigh. ¡°Hey¡­ Hey, miss?¡± She continued moving her eyes as she started mouthing the numbers.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry can you please repeat the order?¡± She said back without so much as looking at me.

    ¡®What is she counting? Well, she seems fine now at least.¡¯ I repeated the order again but as she turned around more yelling froze her stiff until she started to shake.

    The crowd was starting to erupt as someone pushed his way to the front and slammed his fist into the counter. ¡°If you¡¯re out of potions then why aren¡¯t you just making more!¡±

    I let out another sigh and leaned forward onto the counter myself, rubbing my head. ¡°I get that you¡¯re mad, but can you be a dick after she finishes my order? You''re stressing her out and it¡¯s slowing her down because she¡¯s tired¡­¡±

    I heard the leather in his glove squeal as his fist clenched even tighter. ¡®Here we go again¡­¡¯

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Taking another deep breath I pushed myself away from the counter and squared up with him. He was only about a foot taller than me, and human, so honestly I wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°I said piss off, or at least wait your turn.¡±

    Out of the side of my eye, I could still see the young girl still frozen in place, too nervous to even turn around. ¡°People like you are the worst¡­ Seriously, I mean even back alley thugs piss me off less. Just go die somewhere.¡±

    He let out a loud growl, making me start to eat my own words. ¡®Ah geez, I went too far again didn¡¯t I¡­¡¯

    He threw a quick jab, which I easily ducked, but pulled my counter punch before it landed, realizing I was throwing it with my crippled hand. ¡°AGH! Even fighting you is pissing me off!¡±

    As he threw another punch. I slipped to the outside and grabbed his arm stomping on the insides of his thigh as I pulled yanked his wrist forward before shoving him back to the ground.

    ¡°Go back and find 5 other guys, make one of them an Ogre, then try to pick a fight.¡± I spat on the ground as he let out a sigh, hanging his head.

    ¡®Wait¡­ I won? I mean of course I won, I¡¯m probably the only person here that knows how to fight hand-to-hand. But wait, no one else is fighting me? So like, does this still count as a brawl?¡¯ I leaned over to look at the crowd, waiting for more people to join in but nothing happened, everything just went dead silent. ¡®So. I¡¯m standing¡­ This is what winning feels like?¡¯

    He growled again as he stood up. ¡°You¡¯re righ¨C¡±

    The moment he moved I reflexively jabbed him in the nose, still feeling the adrenaline rush. ¡®Wait, what was he saying.¡¯ His body slowly fell to the ground with a thud. ¡®Oops¡­ Oh, well¡­ It¡¯s probably fine¡­¡¯ I cleared my throat, turning back to the girl, still stiff as an animal playing dead. When I tapped her on the shoulder it was almost like she pretended nothing had happened.

    The moment she gathered my supplies I sent them to into my storage one at a time.

    ¡°Spatial magic?¡± she mumbled.

    I looked back at her. Her hands now resting on the counter. They were purple. ¡®Mana deficiency¡­ On top of everything else? ¡°Where is your teacher?¡± I mumbled out loud by accident.

    She hid her hands back under the counter. ¡°D-don''t worry about it, I''ll be fine.¡±

    To hear her say that with a smile, while literally working herself to death¡­ When she was even younger than me¡­ The sheer amount of pain that she must have been feeling was unimaginable. I had done some pretty stupid things before for training, but even my hands never got the bad.

    It made my mouth go dry. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± I mumbled, unable to even manage a smile as I turned and left. After news of them being out of potions spread the line thinned considerably, but even that didn''t fully ease my conscience from the weight of just leaving her. ¡®Well. Everybody has problems¡­ The line should clear up soon.¡¯

 Chapter 17: The Clinic.

    A full day passed before I finally started to get over my symptoms and return to what I would call fighting shape. In the same time period, I ate like a horse and gained another several pounds back. I was still a bit sore, but nothing more than a bit of achiness that came from an intense training session.

    ¡®I¡¯ve still got 5 days before I can use healing magic again. I¡¯ll wait till then to go on another hunt. For now¡­¡¯ I lifted up my armor in front of me. ¡®I should head home today and get this repaired¡­ I¡¯ll have to buy a new shirt to wear while it¡¯s in the shop. I can¡¯t believe the wargs did so much damage to it¡­¡¯ I slowly rubbed a hand across my chest thinking about how lucky I was the claws didn¡¯t go all the way through. ¡®Well, I have the money for it at least.¡¯

    I threw it back on along with the rest of my gear and headed out for the teleporter, but before I could get there the traffic guided my eyes back to the medical tint.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a full day and there¡¯s still a line? Even when they¡¯re out of potions? How is it this bad?¡¯After a few more steps I stopped in my tracks¡­ ¡°Fine¡­¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Hey, Plutia¡­ You better be watching this. I fully expect this to count as a very handsome donation to the church.¡±

    The warm glow of miracles enveloped me like a warm hug, and then focussed and contracted like a punch to the gut, nearly sending me to my knees. ¡°Yeah well¡­ You know what¡­ I can¡¯t even complain, I deserve that. I haven''t gone to a shrine in quite a while¡­¡±

    Taking a deep breath I approached the medical tint, walking in from the side entrance that the healers used.

    They were completely exhausted, sitting around waiting for their mana to recover while the few apprentices who were still standing took care of everything from washing sheets to brewing whatever herbs they could, no matter how little the manna restorative effect was.

    Even in the chaos, it was easy to find out who to talk to. The girl in the middle, holding a clipboard. The only one still fully composed, despite her hands starting to turn black. ¡°Are you accepting volunteers?¡± I asked bluntly.

    ¡°Of course.¡± she said calmly ¡°What do you do?¡±

    ¡°I have magic, I could cure one or two people, at least enough that they¡¯ll live. After that, I can manage the sales of medical supplies. When I was here yesterday the apprentice was showing signs of severe mana deficiency. She could barely stand.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday¡­¡± She squinted at me and gritted her teeth. ¡°The two closest to the door need help the most. Then come see me again, if I¡¯m busy take over at the counter. Even if you are a thief it¡¯s not like we have anything valuable left in stock.¡± she said quickly before briskly walking away.

    ¡®Then why are there so many freaking people here¡­¡¯ Letting out a sigh I went ahead and got to work. I healed the first one easily enough, quickly catching my balance after adjusting to the sudden massive loss of mana. ¡®So that¡¯s what it¡¯s like¡­ Using cure¡­¡¯ I had said I could do it but it was my first time even attempting the spell, so it was a bit of a relief I could actually pull through. Still, of all the tier 2 spells I knew it wasn¡¯t even close, that one was the most draining. It instantly gave me a new respect for healers.

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    Ironically, ¡°cure¡± was meant to be used on light sicknesses, things that were a little worse than small infections, but not as bad as something like lethal poison. Still, the spell got enough of it out of their system to let them live.

    I turned to see the woman with the clipboard talking to a large man who was also wearing healer''s robes, ones of a higher level. ¡®I bet he¡¯s the girl''s master¡­¡¯

    Staggering over to the next person I slowly gathered myself, accomplishing the task just as quickly as the first, having to take a seat afterward as the world began to spin. It wasn¡¯t at all like when I was ¡°High¡± on my own mana¡­ Instead of exited I felt like I wanted to die.

    When I finally regained my sense of balance I looked up to see the same girl from the previous day. Her hands looked even worse, and her steps were so timid they looked like she would trip at any moment.

    ¡°Feeling better now?¡± She mumbled.

    ¡®Really¡­ You¡¯re asking me that?¡¯ As I regained focus in my vision I could see her taking her hand away from my head. ¡®No¡­ She wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to give me mana right?¡¯

    ¡°I can take the counter,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°No, please rest¡­ You can help these people¡­ so¡­¡± Her speech started to slow until it completely stopped. ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯m sorry, what was I saying?¡±

    I slowly stood up. ¡°You need to rest, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m a cleric¡­ People could die¡­ Teacher said that I¡­¡± Her balance only got worse until she started to fall, collapsing forward into my arms. ¡®This idiot¡­ Well, she¡¯s still breathing, that¡¯s a good sign at least.¡¯

    I caught her as best I could, but I was too weak to effectively move her. ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled out. My voice quieted from exhaustion after only the one word. I couldn¡¯t manage anymore. ¡®It was bound to happen sooner or later.¡¯ Her body felt ice cold, and she wasn¡¯t opening her eyes. ¡®This girl might be as stupid as I am¡­¡¯

    Another nearby apprentice ran over to us to help. ¡°Posy!¡± She yelled.

    My voice was weak, but I was rapidly regaining mana, and with it my strength. ¡°She¡¯s breathing, but it¡¯s faint. Help me get her to a bed.¡± I muttered.

    It felt weird giving orders when I was just a volunteer, but she didn¡¯t object and followed my lead.

    After we laid her down I checked her breath again. ¡°It isn¡¯t getting any worse, so she probably collapsed from exhaustion.¡± I let out a deep breath of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Still, we should make sure to keep her warm. Do you have any blankets or anything?¡±

    She quickly handed me a couple and I spread them out, wrapping her up tightly.

    ¡°How is collapsing from exhaustion good?¡±

    Finally regaining my full focus I noticed she was also just an apprentice, likely not even good enough to cast ¡°cure¡± yet, since she still looked healthy. ¡°If she collapsed from lack of mana then blood loss from the eyes and ears might be an issue, as well as a seizure, and in the worst case, her heart would just flat-out stop.

    ¡°Sh-shes¡¯ going to be ok right?¡±

    I felt my blood surge as my body regained enough mana to become fully functional again, taking in a deep breath as my head cleared. ¡°She SHOULD be fine¡­¡± I grabbed her hand, pulling it up to get a better look at it.

    ¡®Sparks¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just as stupid as her.¡¯ I placed my hand over her forehead and channeled what little mana I had left into her body, making me fall to one knee. I felt short of breath, but her breathing seemed to relax and return to normal at least, which meant there was no risk for her anymore.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± I let out a chuckle. ¡°Let''s hope me and Posy here don¡¯t start a new trend¡­¡±

    She knelt down beside me grabbing my arm for support. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about things like that, are you really alright?¡±

    I raised my hands. ¡°Look, no black marks.¡±

    She grabbed my left hand making me flinch in pain. ¡°What are you talking about your whole hand is black?¡±

    I shut my eyes, scrunching up my face before trying to refocus my eyes. ¡®What? No way¡­ But that doesn¡¯t, oh.¡¯ I tried to pull my hand back but it only made it hurt more. ¡°That¡¯s Just a bruise¡­ It¡¯s not from lack of mana so¡­ Please let go¡­¡± My voice cracked.

    She quickly ripped her hands away and placed them behind her back. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    I let out another groan. ¡°We should get back¡­ There¡¯s still plenty of work to do¡­¡±

    Somehow she just completely forgot she was worried about me and ran out the door, back to whatever she was doing.

    ¡®I know they''re just rookies, but this doesn¡¯t feel professional at all¡­ It¡¯s like no one even knows the most basic things¡­¡¯

    I slowly stood back up and walked out, taking the counter. The bright side was that the shock to my system seemed to have removed the last of the after-effects from the spider silk toxin. So¡­ You know, that was nice I guess.

 Chapter 18: Manning the Counter.

    ¡°Ok, what do you need,¡± I asked the first person in line. Leaning on the counter to support myself.

    ¡°Do you have any herb mixtures that help with sore muscles?¡± I couldn''t help but smirk. ¡°Spider webs?¡± I asked.

    The large man nodded, clearly embarrassed. ¡°It''s hard for someone my size to avoid them.¡±

    I looked in one of the closets until I found some. ¡°Yeah, it''s easy to avoid them higher up in the trees, but if you can''t¡­¡± I grabbed the bottle of dried herbs. ¡°You want these. Sunleaf and Rivermist. Just boil them in water, or eat them raw if you''re lazy.¡±

    He squinted, ¡°The trees?¡±

    I paused. ¡°Well, yeah¡­ There aren''t nearly as many up there, most of the trees are fairly well connected too since the branches are so thick and easy to walk on.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°I thought everyone knew that?¡± I said, checking the price of the herbs. ¡°1 copper please.¡±

    He groaned before coughing up the money. I pulled a small pouch out of storage and placed the coin inside of it.

    ¡°Thank you kindly.¡±

    Most of the customers after that went the same all the way through the evening. When the sun had begun to set everyone looked on the verge of collapse.

    The girl with the clipboard came over to check on me and ask how Posy was doing as well. After I informed her of everything that happened I grabbed a jar of herbs from the shelf. ¡°It¡¯s not just her, everyone here is starting to show symptoms, we might be out of mana potions but if we use these herbs at least it will help our mana recover a bit faster, stave off the symptoms¡­¡±

    ¡°Those are¡­ Mistroots right?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°They''re much more potent when fermented, but that doesn¡¯t mean they are useless otherwise.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I admit I¡¯m not too familiar with it, but anything will help.¡±

    With her stamp of approval, I used a bit of magic to brew some tea, boiling my water with fire magic around the herbs and then diving it into large glasses. After that, I went back to manning the counter. ¡®At this point, I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m in charge¡­ If not only because I¡¯m the only one awake enough to keep my head on straight¡­

    Now and then we''d had more victims come in with poison. We did our best, but the recovery process was long and painful without the proper medicine. We had herbs and magic that would keep them alive, but nothing comparable to a real antidote.

    After the sun set we began working only in torchlight. Surprisingly, I was still getting customers. Adventurers that were either coming back late or search parties that were setting out for missing persons. None of them even knew what they were asking for just saying things like Herbs that do X. I spent over a year studying alchemy and even my brain was starting to melt sorting through them all.

    ¡°It''s an emergency, does anyone have enough mana to cast?¡± I heard someone yell from the back.

    ¡®Sparks, what now?¡¯ I rushed to the back of the tent. I never got to sleep, but I was certainly better off than the priests who all looked like they were starting to become empty husks. ¡°What''s happening?¡± I asked.

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    ¡°There''s something wrong with him.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°How insightful,¡± I said sarcastically, looking at the man they were referring to. ¡®Taggart?¡¯ ¡°When did he get here?¡±

    ¡°Just recently, he lost consciousness not long after.¡±

    I felt his forehead. He was ice cold. His breathing was so slow. It was almost nonexistent and he was even more pale than the poison victims. When I figured out what was wrong I almost laughed, letting out a snort with a grin. ¡°This one will be easy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The girl who had called for help seemed like she was still in a panic, but it was fine. I knew exactly what was wrong with him.

    I placed my hand over his liver and used ¡°disinfect¡±, it was just enough to make sure he''d end up alright. ¡°Alcohol poisoning,¡± I said bluntly.

    As far as mana cost was concerned it wasn''t nearly as draining as curing the spider''s poison, simply because you only had to remove a small amount of the toxins to stop him from dying. He would still have a massive hangover, but that''s what he deserved.

    I walked back to the counter and filled out several more orders before Ted finally showed up. ¡°You guys always lag behind?¡± I asked jokingly.

    ¡°Chika? No, I mean¡­ We just got back, is Taggart here? He ran ahead.¡±

    ¡°He''ll be fine. In the back.¡± I pointed.

    They all rushed past me through the tent, and moments later I saw them carry him out. ¡®A full party¡­ Must be nice¡­¡¯

    After that things finally settled down. The search parties returned largely successfully, and it seemed everyone had the supplies they needed. I was exhausted though.

    When there weren''t any customers, I helped tend to the patients, ground herbs, and other simple things I could do to help. It wasn''t long before I was going to crash. ¡®They were working like this for days? How¡­¡¯

    Fortunately, the young apprentice girl woke up. Despite her weakness, she was healthy enough to continue working.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s four days on my healing magic now¡­¡¯ In the end, I wound up collapsing on the bed in the back Posy was using before she got up. The moment my eyes closed they shut so tight nothing could have woken me up.

    When I came too I found out someone had removed my helmet and covered me with a soft blanket. I wasn¡¯t exactly surprised to find out it was the same girl who smiled through all that pain.

    She was sitting beside me with a soft smile. ¡°Feeling better?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No¡­¡± I groaned bluntly.

    She chuckled. ¡°Well I¡¯d offer a hand, but I was told not to use magic for a while.¡±

    My blood pressure spiked as I sat up and my head pounded, but after a moment it all settled. ¡°That''s good advice, you should probably wait till tomorrow, and then only use a little at first.¡±

    She nodded with a determined smile. ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s like she got all fired up for no reason¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t any of my business anyway I guess. Sorry for taking up a bed here, where did you¨C¡±

    She handed me my helmet. ¡°Oh here. You looked uncomfortable so I took it off¡­ I admit¡­¡± She turned to the side, blushing slightly out of embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were a girl at first¡­ But you''re so beautiful. It took me off guard seeing your face.¡±

    I froze, unable to properly register what she was saying. When I finally did I quickly put on my helmet to hide my own embarrassment. ¡°D-don¡¯t say things like that¡­¡±

    She tilted her head, and after thinking a moment started beaming with joy again. ¡°Sorry, I meant you¡¯re ugly as a horse.¡±

    Her chipper response took me off guard yet again, at least the embarrassment went away but¡­ With how sincerely she tried to say it as a compliment I became a bit worried about her. ¡°U-uhm¡­ Please don¡¯t say that either¡­¡± ¡®If anything it¡¯s mean to the cute horses¡­¡¯

    She started pouting as I stood up. ¡°Well, what am I supposed to say then? My teacher told me that was how I was supposed to compliment adventures.¡±

    I only started to feel more awkward. ¡°Your¡­ Teacher huh¡­¡± ¡®The same idiot that almost let you kill yourself?¡¯

    ¡°Yes. He said that if I was going to give compliments to the ones being rude, then I should at least do it right, and then he told me they preferred it when I called them that. Only the rude ones prefer it though¡­ Honestly, I don''t really get it.¡±

    I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh but ultimately failing.

    ¡°UH?¡± She took a step back, turning bright red again. ¡°Wh-what did I say, why are you laughing at me¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it. She was just too adorable. ¡°Sorry, sorry. You should keep calling the rude ones ugly. Oh but quit comparing them to horses, horses are cute.¡±

    She tilted her head again, this time to the other side. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ Cute?¡±

    Shaking my head I decided maybe it was best to just leave. ¡°Yup. The cutest.¡±

    ¡°Cute¡­¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°I guess I never really thought about it. I know that male horses have 40 teeth and mares only have 36. Oh, or that they produce up to 38 liters of saliva a day. I counted. They have 10 different ear muscles, and in the Whitlight stables we have over 30 different breeds of them, isn¡¯t that crazy?¡±

    ¡®She counted? How do you count how much saliva a horse produces, and their ear muscles?¡¯ ¡°Are you into horses or numbers, I can¡¯t tell.¡±

    Her eyebrows pushed together, leaving me with the feeling she really didn¡¯t want to answer, so I took that as my cue to leave. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you around. And make sure not to overdo it so much next time.¡±

    ¡°Bye¡­ Goodbye, uh¡­ See you around, yea. I like the sound of that.¡±

    ¡®Not just as stupid as me but just as awkward too¡­ Geez.¡¯ After I walked away a bit I turned back to see her taking inventory of everything left in stock, once again counting. Then she suddenly scowled and took a single bundle of herbs from one of the shelves, throwing it into a storage item before she could smile again. ¡®A bit¡­ Off I guess. Still, having your healer be good with numbers is always a good thing. I wouldn¡¯t mind being in a party with her.¡¯

 Chapter 19: Lola

    Given that Taggart was recovering, Ted¡¯s party was taking one of their rest days. So, in other words, I had no obligations. On top of that, I worked it out with them that I could do two days of spiders at once. So I was free for the next three days and two evenings.

    ¡®It¡¯s the perfect time to head back to Rothet. Let''s see. I need to report that shady beekeeper, and then probably pick up some quests¡­ And with the credit of killing seven spiders and an alpha warg, I should get promoted to at least E rank if not D.

    Without further delay, I headed towards the stone fortress in the back of the camp. It gave a certain level of security to be sure, and it had a good track record, but it looked like a relic¡­ Weathered stone made up the entire structure, and vines crawled around the cracks, moss seeping into its walls. Following the road, I approached the large raised portcullis and stepped up to one of the guards.

    ¡°Destination?¡±

    ¡°Rothet,¡±

    ¡°15 obsidian.¡±

    I handed him the coins and walked onto the platform. Chills began to run through my body and I closed my eyes to help prevent motion sickness, feeling a sudden burst of energy shoot through my entire body and then leave all at once.

    It took a moment for the world to stop spinning as my body struggled to confuse the mana of the waygate with my own. I staggered out and quickly sat down for a moment against the wall. ¡®It¡¯s even worse now¡­ Oh right, I learned another school of magic¡­¡¯

    Motion sickness was something commonly experienced, but mana confusion was less so. It only happened to weak mages, ones that were not advanced enough. And the more mana someone had, the worse it was.

    One of the factors that increased the amount of mana you had was how many spells you knew, and knowing spells from 14 or so different schools, mine was insanely high for a tier two mage¡­ Of course, it was virtually nonexistent compared to a tier-four mage, but if I was tier four I wouldn¡¯t have the problem in the first place.

    After taking a moment to steady my mana I began moving through the hall of Rothet¡¯s grand waystation and making my way back into the streets.

    As I stepped out into the hub, the vast room opened up in front of me. The dome structure was as large as the entire encampment, only it was a wide open space. Quests were organized on several different boards on the outer walls, while the Beekeepers worked within an inner circle in the middle.

    The building was busy as ever, with the exception of the Howling pass quest boards, which were only busier, now that everyone was avoiding the great forest.

    I only gave a passing glance as I walked through the crowd, making my way to the guild receptionists so that I could say hello to an old friend. I was prepared to just leave when I saw how long the line was, but as I walked past I heard her call my name. ¡°Chika!¡±

    I turned to see her smiling and waving. She was easy to pick out in a crowd. her pointed ears, her height, and the unmistakable beekeeper robes that she had ¡°Modified,¡± because they were ¡°too hot¡±

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    All she really did was cut them up so they would show more skin. Considering they were her work clothes you might think she¡¯d get in trouble for that¡­ But you¡¯d be wrong. She was an A rank at one time, so she could pretty much do whatever she wanted.

    Even if people did care¡­ The adventurers that liked the ¡°Eye candy¡± would probably speak out louder. I let out a sigh, watching her top rise uncomfortably high as she raised her hand as tall as she could, waving at me. ¡°Hey¡­ Lola¡­¡±

    She left her position without a care in the world, leaving her coworkers to panic as they tried to handle the sudden change of workflow. As she ran out to greet me the few eyes that weren¡¯t already on her quickly drifted her way¡­ And¡­ Indirectly my way as well. ¡°Can¡¯t you wear normal robes?¡±

    She looked around noticing everyones eyes. ¡°I could, but they¡¯re uncomfortable, and it¡¯s not like people stare any less.¡±

    I couldn''t help but let out a small snort, smiling at how ridiculous it was. I suppose a small part of me might have been a bit jealous, but overall it was one problem I was more than a little grateful I didn¡¯t have. Of course¡­ When she hugged me, I started to have a bit of a different problem since everyone thought I was a guy¡­ ¡°Lola¡­ What are you doing!¡± I whined.

    She let go but stayed so close that I still felt a bit uncomfortable, if not only because it became too easy to compare myself to her.

    Her skin was a pale bluish-gray that was so soft and supple it always looked like she was blushing a little bit. She had a small nose and mouth that gave her an almost cutesy feel, but her face and eyes flipped all that around, making her look mature. When you combined all that with her beautiful white hair that was as full and thick as a bear''s fur, it was no wonder everyone fawned over her. Not to mention the fact that dark elves in general weren¡¯t common¡­ She was quite literally exotic.

    Honestly, it made me feel out of place standing next to her, and a bit embarrassed by everyone''s eyes, even if I knew they weren¡¯t on me.

    ¡°Guess you survived after all!¡± She jeered, playfully nudging me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­¡±

    I could hear people start to whisper and look at me as well, making me want to shrink and disappear. ¡°Can we¡­ Go somewhere else¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, you don¡¯t like crowds sorry.¡±

    Her attitude was complicated. She clearly cared whether or not I died, but despite her vast wealth she wouldn''t imagine going so far as buying me a bottle of soap so I could wash my hair, even as a birthday present.

    ¡°Crowds are fine if I¡¯m blending into them¡­¡± I mumbled turning to walk away quickly.

    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What happened¡­¡± Her face turned serious as she pointed to my arm.

    ¡°I, well, I guess I let my guard down...¡±

    ¡°That''s not like you¡­¡±

    I let out a sigh, looking at my arm and thinking back to that feeling. The adrenaline raced through me as the warg did everything in its power to kill me. And after¡­ I had a panic attack that rendered me useless. ¡°How would you know¡­?¡± I mumbled. ¡®I mean, I haven¡¯t ever seen her outside of Rothet.¡¯

    She reached out and suddenly grabbed my hand making me flinched in pain. ¡°Chika¡­ Your hand. Is it broken?¡±

    I pulled it back. ¡°It might be now!... Geeze¡­¡±

    She rolled her eyes at me with a long groan, exaggerating the motion with her whole head causing her thick white hair to wave gently, exposing her long pointed ears.

    I sighed again ¡°No, I doubt it at least. I used my miracle already on the gashes, so I¡¯m hoping it will take care of itself in a few days.¡±

    ¡°What? What about the healers? You should have made at least enough money for more than a couple of bandages.¡±

    The smile I had on my face slowly faded away as I thought back to the sorry state of the medical tint. ¡°Pretty sure they''d drop dead if they used any more magic¡­ I guess I could find someone here, but I have better things to spend my money on.¡±

    I paused and looked at her, she seemed like she had something more she wanted to say, but she just stood still for a while. ¡°Well¡­ You can''t do much with one arm. Let''s go back to your place and I''ll cook for you.¡±

    ¡°What? Why now all of a sudden?¡± The truth was that we had more or less grown apart. I guess it was to be expected from our relationship. It was hard to see her as someone who cared when I had to starve over the winter every year.

    Although I guess it was probably too much to ask for handouts. Still, it wasn''t like she didn''t have the money. Of course, if I was being honest with myself I wouldn¡¯t have taken anything for free anyway. ¡®I guess my feelings are just as complicated¡­¡¯

    ¡°What, friends can''t just hang out? I''d love to hear about your first quest this season.¡±

    A bear of a man nudged her shoulder with a laugh as he walked by. ¡°Yeah right, you just want to get out of work.¡± He said with a smirk, continuing on his way.

    She turned and shushed him as we continued on our way.

    Even if that was her reason, it was always nice to not be alone. ¡°Sure, why not, as long as you make meat, I need protein since I¡¯m still trying to rebuild my muscle.¡±

 Chapter 20: Friends

    I lived close by, so it didn¡¯t take long to get home. The moment I stepped inside I quickly lit a fire in the furnace with a few fire arrows, using a tier two version of the spell that made the fire last after contact so I didn¡¯t have to burn wood. ¡®The smell of burnt wood is nice, but not as good as the smell of saving money.¡¯

    ¡°You coming!¡± I yelled back to Lola, who still hadn¡¯t entered through the front door. Hesitantly looking at the structure as if she was afraid it might collapse the moment she walked in.

    ¡®It feels good to be back.¡¯ I yawned, throwing my helmet over in the corner and taking off my jacket, dumping the rest of my gear out from storage to take a load off. Storage magic didn¡¯t technically use up any mana, but it did occupy a small portion of my mind at all times, making me aware of everything that was in it, its weight, and so on. Needless to say, it was nice to at least mostly empty it out every now and then.

    ¡®Home¡­¡¯ It was a small house made originally out of wood but now mostly made of shaped clay that I used to patch holes with my magic. I stretched my arms, feeling the cold air brush across my stomach as my shirt lifted up. It was just a plain white tank top I honestly outgrew a while ago, but it was the only shirt I owned, and I had to wear something under my armor to stop the leather from rubbing against my bare skin. It actually worked pretty well for that¡­ But it was made from a worn down white cotton that had thinned out¡­ So not only did it cover as much as I¡¯d want, but it was basically see-through.

    I mean, legally speaking I was probably fine wearing it out in public, but no way I¡¯d ever actually do that. I¡¯d probably rather just die. ¡®Right, new clothes, then get my armor repaired, then I¡¯ll worry about my weapons, I can probably fix them on my own if I rent out a forge for a day and grab some lumber.¡¯

    ¡°Lola?¡± I said softly, still not seeing her. ¡®Does she think my house is gross or something?¡¯

    The floor was made out of stone. There were a few warps here and there but it was mostly in good condition, the rugs that covered it had long been thrown away because of the leaks in the ceiling, but it wasn¡¯t like the house itself had rotten and molded. I did actually do my best to take care of it.

    I leaned to the side to get a better look at the door. ¡°You coming?¡± I asked again.

    She came inside slowly, inspecting the walls and the ceiling. ¡°This is way worse than I remember¡­¡±

    ¡°If it bothers you so much then you can pay to fix it. Buy me the materials and I could do it myself.¡±

    ¡°Chika¡­¡±

    I sighed and plopped onto my bed. ¡°Whatever,¡± I said, covering my face with an arm to block out the light¡­ It was a touchy subject.

    ¡°Chika, what am I cooking, I don''t see any food here?¡±

    I groaned. ¡°I forgot how much of a pain you were.¡± I opened up my storage and pulled out a few warg legs, throwing them on the counter. ¡°Cook that then. It¡¯s¡­ Mostly butchered¡­¡±

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    I had already covered my face again, but even without looking, I could practically see the appalled look she must have had.  ¡°Come on, you expect me to eat just this? What about seasonings, vegetables?¡±

    ¡®What else did I expect from an elf¡­¡¯ ¡°Look, if you''re not providing the ingredients, you shouldn''t complain about them, and if you''re planning on eating too then forget it. I''ll just make it myself. Who knows how long this will last since I¡¯m still trying to get my muscle back from the winter.¡±

    I sucked the meat back into my storage. ¡°After a quick nap though. I don''t think the toxin has worn off all the way yet since I pulled an all-nighter instead of resting properly.

    ¡°WHAT!¡±

    I wanted to come up with a quippy response, but I had already started drifting off. The tiredness came in a sudden wave of fatigue that I didn''t expect, and my whole body felt like it was melting into the old mattress. In a strange way, I felt at ease for once, so it became hard to repress the tiredness.

    ¡°Ah no, wait! Don¡¯t fall asleep you could die!¡± She slapped me across the face. ¡°You need an antidote, or maybe a healing potion?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you like¡­ Some big-shot adventurer¡­ Why the heck are you panicking like this?¡± I asked calmly, raising a hand to my cheek. ¡®You could have at least pulled it a bit¡­¡¯

    ¡°Because you¡¯re only E rank, you could probably die from stubbing your toe if you did it bad enough.¡±

    ¡®She¡­ She¡¯s serious isn¡¯t she¡­¡¯ I laid back down. ¡°The toxin was self-inflicted, and if it was going to kill me it would have done it three days ago, within 24 hours of applying it.¡±

    She finally calmed down. ¡°Why would you apply a toxin to yourself though?¡±

    I reached behind my head and untied my hair, kicking my feet up onto the bed. ¡°It has healing properties. I don¡¯t have money to waste on potions so packing spider webs in the wound is more efficient. Oh, you asked what happened to my arm, that¡¯s what we''re talking about.

    I would have used healing magic on the spot, but if something really bad happened afterward then I¡¯d be out of luck, besides, it takes a lot of energy out of me. I¡¯m not exactly Plutia¡¯s favorite, since I never donate anything, and rarely go to the shrines.¡±

    She let out a long sigh. ¡°Sounds like you thought it all through then¡­ U-uhm¡­¡±

    I turned my eyes to her face as she timidly looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hitting you. It doesn¡¯t hurt does it?¡±

    ¡°Well, it woke me up, that¡¯s for sure, but no I¡¯ll be fine, you hit like a mage.¡±

    Her worried face quickly turned sour. ¡°I should hit you again for that¡­¡± She groaned.

    I ignored it though, letting out a yawn as I stretched again, wrapping my arms around one of my pillows. ¡°Well, come on, what are we eating?¡±

    She grabbed the warg legs and started cutting them up. ¡°Gross dogs apparently¡­¡± She groaned. As she got to work. Several spices and other ingredients laid themselves out across the counter, coming from her storage. Lucky for you I went shopping recently.¡±

    I curled up on my bed, with a smile. ¡®When was the last time this happened? Maybe six years? No¡­ It was more like 4, she cooked for me after¡­¡¯ I let out a snort, unable to stop a smile from creeping across my face. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you think wargs are gross, they taste way better than those vegetables you brought.¡±

    ¡°Because they are!¡± She pouted, holding the leg up to my face. ¡°Can¡¯t you smell it in the meat? Even if you can¡¯t you just have to look at how dark it is! Meat is supposed to be red Chika!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so spoiled¡­ You better not overseason the meat just because you think it tastes bad¡­¡±

    She groaned again. ¡°I don¡¯t overseason the meat¡­¡± She muttered.

    ¡°And make sure you bring the water to a boil so that the vegetables soften properly and aren¡¯t all crunchy and gross.¡±

    ¡°Chika¡­¡±

    I held back my laughter. My previous comments were serious, but I figured I might as well just keep going. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to soften the meat first beforehand so we don¡¯t break our teeth trying to chew it.

    ¡°Chika!¡± She yelled. Letting out a long sigh after seeing my grin. Just be a good girl and take your nap. I''ve got this.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust her¡­ But I didn¡¯t. Her cooking was¡­ Well, it just wasn¡¯t as good as mine.

    I grabbed my old torn-up blanket and wrapped it around myself, closing my eyes but as tired as I was a moment ago, the thought of her messing up the food made me anxious when I knew how easy it was to prevent it. ¡°Agh¡­ Just let me handle the meat, you can do everything else¡­¡± I groaned as I got up, grabbing the leg along with my harvesting dagger and cutting into it.

    She growled, but as I met her gaze her face softened and she went back to what she was doing without a word. ¡®Something¡¯s changed about her, but I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it.¡¯

 Chapter 21: Cookout

    I prepared the meat with a combination of several different magics. First, gold magic to disinfect. You¡¯d be surprised how different it tastes removing the bad stuff with magic instead of cooking it out. Then I ground up the meat by forcing water into the fibers and zapping it with electricity to rupture and soften them, drying it with fire and air before grinding it down properly with several spiraling wind blades. ¡®It¡¯s still draining, but kind of cool I can do all this in one go now. First, my mana got stronger because of how much I practiced my magic while I was starving, but then I learned metal magic too. I wonder how much I¡¯ve really gained.¡¯

    After grinding it down I was short of breath, but I went ahead and finished it off, using a magic of my own invention to trap all of the nutrients in the meat so they wouldn¡¯t boil out during the cooking. It was by far the most draining, but also the most important for the flavor, combining plant, water, earth, silver, and now metal magic. When I was done another wave of exhaustion set in and I sat back down on my bed, quickly falling to sleep.

    Before I even opened my eyes, a wonderful smell filled the air. Somehow¡­ I couldn¡¯t smell the meat though, or hear it sizzling. ¡°What did you end up making? I groaned, still refusing to open my eyes just yet.

    ¡°Soup, with coconut. No meat. It''ll just make you more tired.¡±

    I rolled over on my bed, untwisting my body to relax even more. ¡°Is that really a bad thing? Maybe I could just sleep for a week. Save money on groceries¡­¡± I let out a long sigh. ¡®After all that work you didn¡¯t even cook the meat?¡¯

    I heard her let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°You should have taken your boots off before you went to sleep. You''re hopeless.¡±

    I let out a yawn. ¡°I know,¡± I said plainly. I didn¡¯t care much what she thought of how I lived, not when she had a personal maid back at her mansion... ¡®Why are we eating at my place anyway¡­¡¯ I hugged my pillow and closed my eyes again. ¡°And you should have cooked meat¡­¡± I groaned, going back to sleep. It wasn¡¯t even worth eating if it was just a bunch of vegetables¡­ They might make me feel better, but they weren¡¯t going to help me get my muscles back or help me get stronger¡­

    Before long I felt the straps on my leather boots loosen. They slid right off my feet leaving my bare legs suddenly exposed to the cold air. ¡°What are you doing? You''re so weird¡­¡± I mumbled, pulling them under the blanket.

    ¡°You need to take better care of¡­ Well, everything. Your boots have dust and dirt on them. You''re ruining your sheets. I bet you have dandruff again too don''t you?¡±

    I let out a sharp breath of air. ¡°No.¡± She rubbed her hand through my hair like I was a child and I quickly shooed it away as my hair roots ached from having to move around.

    ¡°Liar,¡± she said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Cut it out already, it''s not like I can do anything about it. Soap and junk is an expensive waste of money.¡±

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    She sighed and went back to cooking. ¡°It''s done.¡± She said, putting the pan on the table.

    I sat down and served myself, waiting patiently for it to cool so I wouldn''t burn my mouth. I looked across the table to her as she dug right in. ¡°You know¡­ You could always just buy me that stuff if you really¨C¡±

    ¡°If I really cared?¡± She cut me off.

    ¡°That''s not¡­ Well, whatever.¡± I understood that she cared about me, at least I thought she did in some weird way, but I certainly didn''t understand how.

    She continued eating. Before long she finished, and I was still just staring blankly at my food. ¡°Aren''t you hungry? You''ll need energy for your next quest so you should eat now that you have the chance.¡±

    I let out a soft groan ¡°I know.¡± ¡®next quest¡­ That''s right. I have to go back there and do it all over again. The wargs and the spiders¡­ It''s the area I''m most familiar with and one of the easier ones even with the infestation. Most importantly though, it¡¯s familiar, so the chances of me panicking are lower.¡¯

    I looked out the window for a moment. ¡®I could always just clean the spiders instead of taking more quests¡­ If I cared about safety that would be the way to go¡­ But¡­ Then I¡¯d never become an adventurer.¡¯

    I reached up and gripped my chest over my heart, remembering the pain and the tightness. ¡®Even if I am more familiar with the area, that place feels suffocating right now.¡¯

    ¡°Is it because it has coconut in it? You should be less picky about your food.¡±

    I continued staring blankly. ¡°I don''t want to go back to the forest.¡±

    She had been serving herself for seconds, but as I opened my mouth everything fell silent and she froze stiff, the serving spoon slowly dripping onto the table between the pot and her bowl.

    After a few moments, she slumped back in her chair. ¡°It happened again, didn''t it?¡±

    I nodded and began eating. ¡®I¡¯ve never been so close to being a real adventurer, so why now of all times am I starting to feel like this¡­ I showed off skills from how many classes were on my last hunt, I harvested everything myself, I used my healing magic and knowledge of alchemy to help the healers, and I even showed off my cooking skills¡­ I know that meat is going to taste amazing. I have so many skills at this point, I¡¯m so close. I¡¯m only one magic away from knowing every base element.¡¯

    I chewed and swallowed, trying to ignore the awful taste of the gritty coconut shavings. ¡°It''s¡­ good,¡± I said. Taking another bite. ¡°Thanks¡­¡±

    She narrowed her eyes, looking at the food, and then back at me. ¡°I''ll make you something better next time¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it''s fine,¡± I said. It was free after all, and there was enough for more than one meal.

    ¡°Chika, are you doing ok?¡±

    I almost laughed at the question, thinking back to when Ted asked me something similar. ¡°I''m alive.¡±

    ¡°That''s not what I asked.¡±

    ¡°Well, erm¡­ I guess I don¡¯t know how to answer that¡­ Like, what do you mean by ok? I have all my fingers still.¡±

    She took a deep breath and moved her hair behind her ears. ¡°For starters, let''s talk about what happened in the forest.¡±

    I served myself another helping, pacing myself as I tried to eat as much as possible. ¡°What if I don''t want to talk about what happened in the forest?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Well¡­ too bad.¡±

    I let out a groan taking another bite. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying, next time you want to grill me you should at least grill the meat too¡­¡±

    ¡°What triggered it?¡± She asked, completely ignoring me.

    Thinking back, the fight replayed in my head. ¡°Talking about it won''t help, I already know what I''m afraid of. I know what it takes to not be afraid anymore too. So there''s no point in talking about it.¡±

    She paused again. ¡°If you''ve got it all figured out then why is it still a problem?¡±

    ¡°I''m¡­¡± I turned away, ¡°I''m working on it ok¡­¡±

    ¡°It was different this time wasn''t it.¡±

    I looked down at my fingers to notice that I had been fidgeting with them and quickly separated my hands. ¡°Well yeah, I was in combat, and there were several wargs nearby. It all worked out, sure, but well¡­ You know...¡±

    She sighed standing up and taking another look around the house. ¡°Chika, I thought you were doing good finally. Now it almost seems worse than ever.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°I mean, there''s a reason people join guilds, you know. The money is one thing, but having people to look out for you and make sure you don¡¯t get mugged helps out too¡­¡± ¡®Of course, if I was stronger I wouldn¡¯t need something like that. That¡¯s the easier solution than making friends.¡¯

 Chapter 22: Resolve

    She grimaced. Thinking a long time before she said her next words. ¡°Chika¡­ What are you so afraid of?¡±

    I froze, staring at her. It was as if time had stopped, She was so tall that looking at her like that made me feel like a child again. ¡°Y-you already know that, remember?¡±

    ¡°That was two whole years ago. Refresh my memory.¡±

    ¡®Are you really gonna make me say it out loud?¡¯ I pulled my feet up to the edge of my chair. ¡°I''m afraid of dying alone. I doubt even you would notice much if I was gone. Although I guess you wouldn''t be able to bail on work as much with the excuse of having an injured friend¡­¡±

    ¡°Chika¡­¡± She mumbled my name, but she didn''t deny it. I didn''t understand her, that much was true, but there were a few things I managed to piece together. I didn¡¯t know for sure of course, but I thought that the reason she acted the way she did was because she was afraid of what would happen if I died. It walked hand in hand with my fear. The fear of losing someone, against the fear of not having anyone that would feel loss. Oil and water.

    I rested my chin on my knees thinking. ¡®That¡­ That wasn''t the answer I gave two years ago...¡¯ I suddenly realized that even though the pannick I had felt back then returned, the reason was different.

    Originally she was the one who helped me get over my anxiety, but the reason I was so anxious was because I was afraid of letting people down. I was terrified of the other adventurers, even more so than the monsters. It was back when I was still searching for parties to join.

    I dreaded the looks I might get if I ever failed or only partially completed a quest. That''s what I used to be afraid of. That was when I was at my lowest, no one would let me into a party, and those who did let me in treated me like a pack animal¡­

    I looked down at my bowl ¡°Thanks for the meal¡­ But I''m not really that hungry anymore¡­¡±

    I saw the sunlight glint off of her eyes as a thin layer of water formed around them. ¡°Well, at any rate, you have money from that job right?¡±

    ¡°3 small silvers.¡± I grinned, pulling it out. Even I was surprised at how quickly my mood changed from something so simple.

    ¡°Let''s go shopping then.¡± She said, slowly standing up. ¡°Meet me in the square at noon.¡±

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    ¡®Shopping¡­ But¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey wait.¡± By the time my words came out, she was already out the door and walking down the street, sticking her tongue out at me from the other side of the window.

    ¡°And you better not be late!¡± She shouted.

    She left so quickly that it almost felt like she was still there, or like she never was.

    ¡®What do I want so bad that makes this all worth it¡­¡¯ I let out a deep sigh as I reminded myself.  I want to get strong and become rich. I want to buy a nice house, one that will last for generations. Even if I do look the way that I do¡­ Having a couple of kids wouldn¡¯t be bad. I always thought that even if I couldn¡¯t find a man I could adopt a couple of orphans or something¡­ I want to be strong enough to save the people I care about, and rich enough to buy my friends a drink when they make it home safe¡­¡¯

    At that moment I remembered my mom telling me a legend about one of Rothet''s founders. Most of it was a blur, but the whole thing was just a folk tale about the first Mythril coin ever minted. Supposedly every Mythril coin was enchanted by an archwizard to basically give infinite luck. ¡®One mithril coin¡­¡¯ Regardless of the legend, it was the most valuable coin in the whole world, much less the nation of Rothet. 1 coin was worth 1,000,000,000 talons¡­ 10 digits to perfectly round out the currency system that consisted of 10 coins, each one 10x the value of the last.

    I tightened my hand into a fist and saw the muscles in my arm tighten. ¡®That¡¯s what I want. I want a Mythril coin.¡¯ my fingers slowly relaxed. ¡®Tomorrow I¡¯ll buy a new shirt, get my armor repaired¡­ Wait no, I¡¯ll buy new armor, better armor. That¡¯s the only thing I need. I don¡¯t need to go shopping, I need Lola to help me get promoted.¡¯

    ¡­

    In no time the next day came around, and we met up at the square, both of us arriving well before the meeting time. ¡°Hey,¡± I called out with a wave.

    She looked up and smiled politely. ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°I can''t blame you I guess, most people think I¡¯m a dude when I¡¯m wearing my armor. So I guess even just taking off my helmet makes quite the difference.¡±

    One sentence from me and she was already rolling her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s because you talk like a guy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Well¡­ You talk like a girl.¡±

    ¡°I am a girl¡­¡±

    I let out a soft growl, already starting to get annoyed. ¡°Let''s just get this over with, I don¡¯t want to waste a whole day just shopping. I still want to practice some of my throws. My aim was off while I was hunting those wargs.¡±

    Her face twisted a bit. ¡°Y-you are a girl right?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ Funny¡­¡±

    She giggled like a little kid as she leaned forward, looking down at me while we walked, clearly enjoying herself. ¡°I think we¡¯ll get some coffee first, on me. You ready?¡±

    The prospect of her buying me something admittedly made her suddenly a lot less annoying, but it didn¡¯t make me want to tease her back any less. ¡°Your ears are showing,¡± I growled back, noticing just how red they were at the tips. ¡®She must be really happy¡­ But why?¡¯

    She suddenly turned red and started adjusting her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at them!¡± She shouted, cupping her hands over them for a minute in embarrassment. ¡°I was in such a rush I totally forgot to cover them¡­¡± She mumbled.

    ¡®Elves are so weird. I really don¡¯t get the ear thing. Although I guess if I was an elf I probably would.

    We walked into the coffee shop she wanted to take me to. ¡°Oba¡¯s¡± was its name. It was pretty popular. Of course, the only thing I ever actually drank from there was black coffee, cheap and strong. It tasted fine and worked well so I couldn¡¯t complain.

 Chapter 23: Coffee

    ¡°I''m jealous,¡± I said plainly as I stepped in through the door. The elven culture might have been strange, at least in regards to modesty, but¡­ ¡®If I was an elf at least I¡¯d be a bit taller.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re jealous? Of my ears?¡± Her face turned even more red, so much so you couldn¡¯t even tell she was a dark elf anymore. ¡°U-uh¡­ Why though? I mean¡­¡±

    I let out a small snort, unable to hold back a wide grin. ¡°Chill. I meant of you being an elf, not your ears.¡±

    ¡°Uh.. Oh, ok yeah that makes sense¡­ Wait, no it doesn¡¯t why would you want to be an elf? Humans are cool too.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even bother responding. For one thing, she wouldn¡¯t understand, for another, there was a guy standing behind the counter very awkwardly waiting to take our order. ¡®She¡¯s paying, so¡­ I could get something fancy for once.¡¯ I looked at all the names and I couldn¡¯t even figure out what was in them, not to mention whether or not I¡¯d like them¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll just have some black coffee¡­¡± I finally said, giving in. ¡®At least I know it tastes alright, and this way I can pretend like I care about saving her money too.¡¯

    All the embarrassment quickly drained from her face the moment she started interacting with the worker. Casually ordering her drink ¡°I¡¯ll have a Grande Iced extra sugar Vanilla Latte with Soy Milk and Caramel Drizzle poured over tropical ice cream with added dark chocolate topping, sprinkles, and cream from dragon turtle milk.

    Just hearing her say it made me want to comment on how ridiculous she was, but I kept it to myself¡­ Honestly, I was having trouble speaking at all¡­ The crazy part was that there were two things that shocked me more than her order. The fact that she somehow made the most expensive thing on the menu MORE expensive, and the fact that the guy working behind the counter not only understood the whole order but whipped up the drink in less than a minute as if he didn¡¯t even have to think about it.

    Even after sitting down I was still speechless, blankly staring at her elaborate ¡°coffee,¡± which was topped with whipped cream, a cherry, and over 5 times larger than mine. ¡°I hope that makes you fat¡­¡± I finally muttered. Of course¡­ It wouldn¡¯t¡­ She was an elf¡­

    She peeked around her massive glass, tilting her head. ¡°You want some?¡±

    ¡®Why does this feel like a trap¡­ She wouldn¡¯t offer just to say no, would she? She¡¯s not that mean right?¡¯

    ¡°Here,¡± She said, sliding it over to me, sticking an extra straw through the creme.

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    I got goosebumps. The prospect of trying it was more exciting than I had thought. Partially because it looked like a desert, but also because it was so expensive I knew I''d rather lose an arm than willingly buy one myself.

    As I took a long sip, chills went through my whole body from the sweet and delicious mix of chill flavors. I was right, it was ridiculous for a coffee¡­ But it was an excellent dessert. Not worth the 500-tallon price¡­ But excellent nonetheless.

    She covered her mouth, hiding a laugh before regaining her composure. ¡°You know, I''m actually not really in the mood for coffee, you can have the rest if you want.¡±

    I narrowed my gaze. Something was clearly wrong. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t want me to do something crazy again, do you? You don¡¯t give handouts¡­ Last time you made me have a dance-off with a bunch of musically gifted goblins to win the favor of their chief¡­¡±

    ¡°You loved it.¡±

    I got uncomfortable just thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so embarrassed in my life¡­¡±

    ¡°But your dancing skill went up.¡±

    ¡°That''s true¡­¡±

    I looked down at the drink, slowly sliding it closer. ¡®She didn''t impose any conditions, so this is safe right¡­ Maybe I shouldn¡¯t risk asking¡­¡¯

    I finished the drink in no time flat, it was just too good to drink slowly. When I did I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. Relaxing my sore muscles and melting into the soft cushions of the booth.

    ¡°That was 3,000 calories by the way.¡±

    The warmth of the drink overpowered the coolness of the ice cream and combined with the calm atmosphere of the cafe, taking my mind off of the harsh fast-paced reality of adventuring, and for a moment I completely forgot about all my worries. I know that seems like a bit much¡­ But it was the first real desert I¡¯d ever had, so to say it was amazing was an understatement.

    ¡°Wait did you say three thousand?¡±

    I opened my eyes after a moment to see her staring at me, smiling intently. ¡°How about now? It was good right, so good you want to do whatever I say now.¡±

    ¡®I knew it¡­¡¯ ¡°Nope. You got the order wrong. If  this was a bribe then you should have made me say yes first.¡±

    Her jaw dropped and she let out a groan. ¡°Are these human customs? Or are you just making things up?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. As far as I knew everyone generally bribed people the same way. ¡°Where are you even from?¡±

    ¡°I''ll tell you if you do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°See you got that order right.¡±

    She sat up straight and leaned forward. ¡°So you''ll do it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Meanie.¡± She pouted. Crossing her arms and leaning back.

    I couldn''t help but feel as though I was talking to a child. It so starkly contrasted how I felt the other day ¡°How old are you again?¡± The question may have sounded rhetorical, but it was a serious one.

    She tilted her head. ¡°47, why?¡±

    I chuckled.

    ¡°What''s so funny?¡± She whined, feeling left out.

    ¡°Oh, Nothing.¡± I teased

    Before we left she got another coffee, saying she changed her mind and decided she wanted one after all. I actually shed a tear watching her hand over another thousand talons.

 Chapter 24: New cloths

    Lola clapped her hands together, ¡°Shopping!¡± she yelled as we exited the coffee shop. ¡°OK, leave everything to me! What do you need first?¡±

    I was unsure of what to make out of her reaction so I hesitated in responding, ¡°Well¡­ This armor is literally my only set of clothes¡­ Wait, before any of that, I need to ask you to do a promotion test on me. The results will determine what I get. If I don¡¯t get increased to at least E rank I won¡¯t even be able to hunt in the great forest anymore.

    She slowly reached out and grabbed my jacket. ¡°So¡­ So you want to buy clothes right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not at all what I said¡­¡±

    She squealed, unable to contain herself. ¡°Leave everything to me!¡± Before I knew it she was leading me into a store I had never been to, dragging me along by the hand.

    As I walked in I saw the shelves filled with fancy dresses and formal wear. The shop also seemed to sell men''s clothes as well, they were just not displayed as much. They weren''t as fancy¡­ but honestly, I thought they looked more comfortable to wear...

    ¡°This isn''t exactly what I had in mind¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on it''ll be fun, you look like a boy all the time, don''t you ever want to be seen as a girl?¡±

    I looked closer at some of the dresses that exaggerated the feminine figure¡­ Which if I was being honest I still didn¡¯t have¡­ And all I could do was let out a sigh. ¡°Not really, for humans, girls are small and weak compared to guys¡­ I''m looked down on enough as it is, so I take it as a compliment if someone thinks I''m a guy¡­¡± ¡®Besides¡­ When would I ever wear a dress? I mean, if it was armored maybe, but these?¡¯

    Her enthusiasm suddenly tanked again as she let out a long groan. ¡°Alright alright, I should have known this shop wouldn¡¯t do, let''s go¡­¡±

    I know what I said, but there was actually one dress that caught my eye. It was a Tartan ball gown that reminded me of my father''s Kilt. That was the one exception. It was relatively cheap too¡­ Only 1,000 talons¡­ a whole silver coin. Literally the price of a whole set of leather armor.

    The next shop we arrived at was tucked away further down one of the streets and seemed to sell only girls'' clothes. It was much more inviting, cheaper, and at least in my opinion, fashionable, if that was a word I was even allowed to use.

    ¡°What do you think, better?¡± Lola said with a groan gesturing to street clothes that filled the displays.

    I slowly looked around. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Before long I had everything I needed. Two hoodies, one that was tighter, with baggy sleeves and hood, and one that was sleeveless, but loose fitting and soft.

    I also got a set of baggy pants that used a strange thick but soft rope as a belt, and another set that was designed to be worn with knee-high boots, which of course was convenient since those were the only shoes I had.

    Lola sighed as she saw the clothes I was picking out. ¡°How is it¡­ That is a shop filled with only girls¡¯ clothes¡­ You still manage to pick out all the clothes that make you look like a boy¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I said jokingly, referring back to our earlier conversation¡­ No matter how much I hid it though, it was starting to get to me. ¡°I actually like them though¡­ Is there anything wrong with them?¡± I looked at them again. ¡®No¡­ I mean this should be fine right?¡¯ ¡°You know what, it''s my money, so I''ll buy what I want.¡±

    She sighed, rolling her eyes. Fine, fine, whatever, is this all you wanted?¡±

    ¡®Clothes that make me look more girly¡­¡¯ I grabbed a pair of pink pajama shorts. ¡°These too¡­¡± I muttered. ¡®There''s no way she¡¯d make fun of me for these right? They¡¯re cute.¡¯

    She visibly cringed. ¡°You''re¡­ weird¡­ you know that?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ But there pink? And they¡¯re soft, and they have little bears on the sides¡­ Hey, what¡¯s wrong with them¡­¡±

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    She cupped her hands over her mouth to hide her expression, but I could tell from her voice she was smiling wryly. ¡°Chika you grabbed those, from the kid''s section¡­¡±

    I felt my face start to turn red. ¡°S-so what?¡± ¡®how can there even be a kids section, it¡¯s not like this store only sells clothes for humans¡­¡¯

    Her hands moved over her eyes for a moment as she slowly rubbed her face. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you''re doing it on purpose to look adorable or if you''re just actually this dense. How are you going to find a boyfriend if everyone thinks you''re either a boy¡­ Or a twelve-year-old? Well, I guess it¡¯s not black or grey, so that¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡°No one asked you¡­ And¡­ Come on, I mean¡­ There¡¯s like what, 5 Million people in Rothet It can¡¯t be that hard to find a guy that¡¯s into little girls.¡±

    ¡°I worry about you sometimes¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡ªI meant like¡­ You know like halfings¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Ahg¡­ Shut up! And what¡¯s wrong with black Anyway? Have you ever seen anything look bad in black? No. Besides, it¡¯s cool, the color doesn¡¯t fade, and it doesn¡¯t get stained so easily.¡±

    She just let out a sigh, ignoring me. ¡°Yeah, yeah, you already said you were going to buy whatever you wanted so just hurry up¡­¡±

    ¡®There''s nothing wrong with the clothes I like¡­¡¯ I looked back, noticing another hoody. It was basically the same as the sleeveless one I was holding but was more of a mint green instead of pale grey. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get this one instead¡­¡±

    I walked up to the counter and made the purchase before she could say anything bad about it. Altogether it cost me about 200 talons¡­ And a couple of strange looks from the clerk¡­ And my dignity from the clerk thought I was Lola¡¯s daughter going through a phase. When all was said and done though I managed to cool my head in the cold air.

    ¡®I can¡¯t see why anyone would ever think shopping was fun¡­ Well, that¡¯s not true. I could stare at armor and weapons all day long.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ There are a few more things I need still.¡± I said softly, sorting out my thoughts as the embarrassment died down.

    ¡°Like new clothes¡­¡± Lola grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wear anything if you buy it¡­¡± I grumbled back ¡®I didn¡¯t almost die so I could buy ugly and uncomfortable clothes¡­¡¯

    ¡°Anything?¡± Her eyes started to sparkle again, and I couldn¡¯t help but rethink my words. I was so used to her never giving me things that I had never actually thought she might take the offer.

    ¡°U-uhm¡­ Anything that¡¯s not inappropriate.¡±

    ¡°So I can make you look like a girl?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already regretting this¡­ But¡­ Sure¡­ If you buy the clothes¡­ Just¡­ No frilly dresses please¡­¡±

    She grinned. ¡°You said anything.¡±

    ¡°Ok but¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts! You don¡¯t get to take it back!¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Fine fine, but can you hear me out? If it¡¯s something I¡¯m not going to wear that often then you have to store it, and two¡­ Can you wait a couple of weeks? I¡¯m still gaining my weight back.¡±

    Her sparkle died down, but her smile stayed as wide as ever. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­ Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Sure go for it.¡±

    It was hard to look her in the eye and ask directly. I couldn¡¯t even figure out the right words to say. ¡®I can¡¯t just ask why she suddenly cares so much¡­¡¯ ¡°You seem¡­ Different. Like, you want to buy me things now¡­ Its¡­¡±

    She looked up at the bright sky. ¡°Ah, that¡­ My little brother died two weeks ago.

    Chills ran down my arms ¡°Oh¡­ Cool¡­¡±

    She laughed it off. ¡°It¡¯s not cool Chika¡­¡± She said, her smile finally softening.

    ¡°Sorry, I just¨C¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± After an awkward silence, we wound up back in the town square sitting on the side of the massive fountain. ¡°So¡­ The wargs yeah? You never told me how that went.¡±

    I could feel the undertone the whole time we were out. ¡®So that¡¯s what she was after this whole time¡­¡¯ I sighed.

    ¡°6 Wargs, one was an alpha, 7 spiders, and over 20 Serd Lilies. All that for 3 silver coins.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    She was right, I knew exactly what she was getting¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°Tell me more about the monster infestation, I heard a B-rank monster was in the lake now?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Now you¡¯re making me talk about work?¡± After another awkward pause, she let out a soft sigh. ¡°Ok¡­ You know, they raised the whole area to threat level C.¡±

    ¡°That explains why the rewards were so high, so they raised it by two levels then. Back when the spiders stayed in the dungeon they were only ranked D, the same as the dungeon. Why did they raise it higher?¡±

    ¡°Right. I guess this is important too¡­ You know how wargs are rank E, alpha wargs are rank D. However¡­ If monsters start fighting for control then both species grow stronger¡­ Not only that, but minitours are in the area, and you weren''t wrong, somehow there ended up being a Mishipeshu in the lake.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ Your saying¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, an underwater panther. Stay far far away from that lake, at least until someone deals with it¡­ Now, are you going to stop avoiding the question?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should just hunt the Mishipeshu. That¡¯s worth like what¡­ 20k?¡± Looking at back at her frightening gaze I let out a sigh, ¡°Only joking¡­¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered.¡±

    thinking about it for a while as I leaned forward on my knees. ¡®So I¡¯m afraid of dying and no one caring. Is it really such a big deal? Isn¡¯t everyone afraid of dying?¡¯ I slowly stood up and placed my hands in my pocket looking out over the horizon as my foggy breath met the orange glow. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°Chika¡­¡± She growled.

    ¡°Just, not today alright. Some other time maybe.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Tell you what, if it happens again on this next quest I¡¯ll spill, deal?¡±

    She just rolled her eyes. ¡°That implies you surviving¡­¡±

    My feet carried me backward as I started to walk away. ¡°Come on, who do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°I feel underqualified to answer that question, maybe you should ask the doctor when you finally get your head checked!¡±

    I stuck my tongue out. ¡°Only if it¡¯s free!¡± I yelled as the distance grew between us. Turning around I lifted a hand to wave without looking back. ¡®I don¡¯t need a doctor to tell me there''s something wrong with my head, pretty sure everyone knows that already.¡¯

 Chapter 25: Reckless Behavior.

    After I said goodbye to Lola I quickly put the rest of my money to work. ¡®If I¡¯m planning on getting promoted, and hunting more dangerous monsters, I need better gear.¡¯

    The old adage ¡°Just don¡¯t get hit¡± was nice in theory, but I preferred at least having good enough armor to survive one strike, preferably two¡­ In the state my armor was in, if a spider did manage to sting or bite me, I¡¯d die from the wound long before the poison.

    Leatherworking needles that could pierce grade 30 hide, treated red wolf leather, and some lower quality materials to fix up my gear, tighten my ax¡¯s blade, wrap my sword¡¯s handle, and reinforce my boots with iron soles. Then I had to pay to rent out a forge to properly treat and sharpen all the metal, making good use of my magic in the process. I had so much work to do I felt like I was already getting close to tier-two metal magic by the time I was done.

    ¡®Was it worth it?¡¯ I sighed, opening up my coin purse. The benefits were undeniable, but sometimes I thought it would be less depressing to lose a few fingers than stare at an empty wallet. ¡®Give and take¡­¡® ¡°Such is life¡­¡± I grumbled ¡®Guess it''s time for another job¡­¡¯

    I looked at the empty two seats across my table where my parents used to sit. I didn''t want to go back to the forest, but my hesitation only gave me more reason to do just that.

    ¡°If you dig down deep and all you find is fear, make sure you''re digging with your heels so you can¡¯t run.¡±

    In hindsight, that saying might very well be the reason my father ended up dead, but even so, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad way to live. I knew the moment I let my fear start to dictate my actions I would never be able to stop it again¡­ I didn¡¯t have to charge into it, but I had to at least dig in my heels¡­ So I couldn¡¯t run away.

    Without hesitation, I walked into the BeeHive and took a look at the quests for the great forest. From the looks of it, and how full the board was getting, it was easy to tell the situation was only getting worse. Not only were fewer people taking the quests, but due to the high injury rate and lack of medicine, the people who were taking the quests were failing. Most just seemed to be staring at the notices blankly, only there to gossip¡­

    ¡°It won''t be long now before they send in the Solaris and the Crow claws.¡±

    ¡°You really think it will come to two of the great guilds being involved?¡±

    ¡°You heard, didn''t you? Whitelight already sent several of their mages as healers, not that it''s doing any good. At this rate, there¡¯s going to be a cull.¡±

    They both fell silent. I couldn''t blame them. The idea that one of the 10 great guilds was lending a hand and the situation was still deteriorating was pretty Grimm. Even if they only sent in their rookies they were still whitelight mages.

    ¡®A cull though?¡¯ An event marked by a complete evacuation followed by letting the Discord guild just nuke everything with magic¡­ More specifically, ¡°nuclear¡± magic, tier 8 plus spells like a meteor.

    ¡®I wish I could just fix this before people start dropping like flies.¡¯

    I took a look at the quests. There were so many, several just being various requests for essentially the same thing. Antidote for the spider''s venom, Saxifrage, which was used to make the antidote, mana potions, which would no doubt be used primarily by priests so that they could cast the cure spell, and Serd lilies, like I grabbed last time, that could be used to make mana potions.

    I grabbed a few gathering quests, making sure I wouldn¡¯t have to go near the lake to find what I needed. The massive rewards helped me to easily get over any hesitancy I had of going back. ¡®Maybe a kill quest too, I¡¯m bound to find more wargs and spiders, if not just corpses of them.¡¯ Flipping through the papers I came across one with several black dimons on it. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    [Boss hunt: Minotaur, unarmoured, unarmed. Location, Saxifrage cave.]

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    I suddenly realized why everyone was struggling to find and produce antidotes, it wasn''t because of a lack of production capability, but rather that the supplies needed were blocked off by a separate threat.

    ¡®It almost feels like we''re at war¡­¡¯

    I took the quest off the board, looking at it more closely. ¡°So much for no casualties¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡®Three black diamonds, are you serious?¡¯ I had hunted a minotaur before, so it wasn''t completely out of the question for me to take it on, but the one I had killed was missing an arm when I found it, and I was working with two other people at the time.

    ¡°You''re supposed to not die, remember?¡± A familiar voice spoke out from behind me.

    I glanced back to see Lola. ¡°I''m sure whoever this black diamond represents was told the same thing¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Chika, are you out of money again? If you want you can just crash with me till this whole thing blows over.¡±

    The offer was tempting, but I didn''t respond. I had too many things on my mind. Besides, if I started taking too many handouts it would be the same as admitting I couldn¡¯t make it on my own.

    ¡°This minotaur, what color is it?¡±

    She scratched her head with another sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I was told it was black. It¡¯s already taken out several people on its own though. This isn¡¯t the way to be safe.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be hunting it alone. I¡¯ll form a party, this thing is what¡¯s stopping adventures from getting antidotes. Everyone probably wants dead as much as they want the bounty.¡±

    ¡°And if they don''t?¡±

    ¡°Then I get more money.¡±

    Her mouth slowly closed and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Chika, you''re smarter than that¡­ You¡¯re not the kind of person to be so reckless.¡±

    I handed her the quest so that she could process it in my name. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who I am, what makes you think you do?¡± ¡®The only thing I know is that I feel like myself the most when I¡¯m neck-deep in a fight.¡¯¡¯

    ¡°Chika¡­¡±

    ¡°This is the highest paying quest on the board. It''s also the most important.¡± ¡®My first official boss hunt¡­ With my new gear, I should be ready.¡¯ ¡°Oh, and Lola¡­ Since this is a C-rank monster, how about we make this a promotion test?¡±

    She just sighed. ¡°Yeah, I mean after finishing the last quest you were automatically promoted to rank E, this would take you to D for sure, you wouldn¡¯t even need to update your card.

    ¡°And if my rank advances by three the guild updates my card for me right? For free?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ So you mean you are thinking of skipping a rank? You¡¯d have to hunt it alone to do that. Even then¡­ Well, It¡¯s a black minotaur, and a black diamond emergency quest, so¡­ Yeah if you did end up hunting it alone I could get you to skip a rank.¡±

    ¡®She caught on fast.¡¯ ¡°Sweet! Maybe I should skip finding a party after all and just go kill the thing..¡±

    Trying to lower her voice with a growl she scowled at me, but even when she was trying to be aggressive her voice was too silky for it to sound like a real threat. ¡°Chika¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ Only kidding, of course¡­¡±

    She let out a sigh. ¡°I can''t tell you what to do¡­ Just be careful. There''s nothing wrong with failing this one alright. I''ll take care of you as long as you come back alive.¡± Glancing away for a second she pulled a high-potency recovery potion from her skirt and handed it to me.

    The instant I recognized what it was I sent it straight to storage to keep it out of sight for fear of someone seeing. ¡®If that¡¯s what I think it is it could even regrow a few fingers if I lost them¡­¡¯

    ¡°You''re way too reckless...¡± She muttered.

    ¡°I''m reckless? What the heck was that?¡± I groaned as she started walking away. ¡°Hey hold up a second.¡± I grabbed her hand holding her back. ¡°I need you to look into something for me while I¡¯m taking care of this one. The beekeeper in the great forest, I think he said his name was Alden. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s cheating people by cutting them short.¡±

    She came in close and lowered her voice. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess he could just be conveniently incompetent¡­ But I doubt it.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take a look at it.¡± She smiled, ¡°You better not tell anyone about the potion¡­ And you better not sell it!¡± She raised her voice, still whispering as she put a finger over her mouth. ¡°Don''t die alright.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me it¡¯s easier to give me a potion worth like 10k than it is to just come to help me hunt it?¡±

    She just shrugged. ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Say it. I know¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s actually starting to piss me off how skewed her concepts of money and strength are.¡¯ ¡°For the record, F-rank adventurers can¡¯t die from stubbing their toes.¡±

    She smiled brightly as she started to back away. ¡°Then why did you reinforce your boots with iron?¡± She jeered.

    ¡°That¡¯s because!¡± Before I could respond she was already sifting back through the crowd and fast at work. ¡°The acid¡­¡± I mumbled, finishing my sentence as I clicked my heels together. ¡®Plus I like this sound¡­ But mostly the acid. I¡¯m glad I managed to enchant them with enough resistance. I won¡¯t have to worry about melting my toes off if I step in some loos acid now. It¡¯ll be handy now that I¡¯m running into spiders more often.¡¯

    I let out a sigh. ¡®She was just messing with me, wasn¡¯t she¡­ Whatever, I should get going too.¡¯

 Chapter 26: Party?

    I had my quests. Which meant I had free passage through the waygate back to the forest. Which was a nice perk, but not all that useful since portal travel was pretty cheap anyway.

    As I re-entered the great forest encampment I couldn''t help but notice the atmosphere had changed since the couple days I had been gone. There were far fewer people in the area, and the ones that were all seemed to be weary and dragged down. Likely not willing to try and finish whichever quest they took, but afraid of the consequences of failing a quest all the same.

    I stopped by the inn first. As I walked in the door the smell of alcohol and smoke filled the air thick with smog. Usually, everyone would at least smoke outside, but it seemed that no one cared much for the rules anymore.

    At first glance, I could easily make out a party from a well-known lesser guild. ¡°The steel reavers,¡± as well as several other loners and small parties, each sitting with nothing in front of them, most staring blankly into space.

    The atmosphere was so chilling and quiet that the sound of me opening the door and my boots hitting the creaky old wood floor caused everyone to look. I paused and chills went through me. I had never had so many eyes on me at once. I told myself that it was all just in my head, but it didn''t make me any less nervous as I walked up to the party board and posted a notice.

    [Looking for a party: Boss hunt: Minotaur: Saxifrage cave.]

    I stepped back to look at it and make sure it was good when I felt a hand firmly placed on my shoulder. ¡°Minitaur hunt? Interesting.¡± A large man said, looking over my shoulder. ¡°Fat chance of getting to that cave though.¡±

    ¡°So you''re interested?¡±

    He scoffed. ¡°Sure, why don''t you tell me what your plan is for getting a knight through that forest alive.¡±

    ¡°So you''re a knight?¡±

    He looked over to some of his friends and they all started laughing. ¡°It doesn''t matter what I am. The point is, that the only safe way to fight one of those things involves at least three members, one of which is a knight with heavy impact-resistant armor. Slap a support mage casting magic on him and he can protect your party. Then you have a third member to make sure you can bring it down before your support runs out of magic. That means all three need to be able to get through those freaky spiders and come out the other end with enough energy to still fight the boss.¡±

    I understood him perfectly well, but that wasn''t really the main issue. Before long a crowd gathered. They were all likely just bored with nothing better to do, but it was sort of exciting. With so many people interested all I had to do was convince just one or two and the quest would become relatively easy.

    ¡°Most of them can be avoided just by traveling through the trees. I could use magic to help even someone wearing heavy armor climb one. Taking out a couple of spiders here and there isn''t difficult or draining, so we should be able to get there without a problem.¡±

    ¡°Climb the trees?¡± He asked, already dismissing the idea as sat back down with his guild.

    Everyone else stuck around though. ¡°Ok, so what then, after we get to it? You aren¡¯t the first to have tried this.¡±

    ¡®What then? I mean¡­¡¯ ¡°We kill it, what do you mean? There could be any number of reasons why other adventurers failed, but that doesn''t suddenly turn the minotaur into a dragon.¡±

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    Another large man growled out from the corner¡­ It was Ashton. He was alone though, meaning his party was probably still recovering. ¡°Just like George said, we need three members. It would be easy to get a healer, so I guess you just need a knight right?¡±

    The crowd slowly thinned. ¡°I could work with anyone. I''d just like to not have to fight this one alone. An assassin would be great too, or even a ranger. I¡¯m fast enough I could even take the minotaur head-on for a while.¡±

    They seemed to be becoming more hesitant and I was starting to become more nervous. I could feel my legs start to shake. ¡®Why are they so insistent on using that one method¡­ It isn¡¯t even a good way to fight them.¡¯

    ¡°So. What is it exactly that you do? Are you a support mage?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°No, not exactly. Although I know a bit of all types of magic. I can also use a sword, and I''m pretty good with throwing weapons.¡±

    ¡°Unless you have a cannon for an arm that won''t be that useful against a minotaur.¡±

    I tilted my head. ¡°I mean, it''ll be useful enough, I could hurt it pretty bad before we even start fighting it. I can increase the velocity of the spear with wind magic, like shooting it out of a bow.¡±

    A few of them scoffed and snickered. ¡°Yeah right. If you were a C-rank adventurer I¡¯d believe that, but then again, if you were you wouldn¡¯t need a party.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter what I said, most of them were already walking away. There were only a few people left. ¡°Its hide isn''t as thick as you seem to think it is,¡± I sighed looking at the only three people still even considering it. ¡°So, what about you then?¡±

    Out of the remaining group, there was only one assassin. Naturally, since he would be perfect for the job. He spoke first. ¡°Give me eighty percent, get me to the monster and back safely, I''ll kill it myself and we¡¯ll call it good.¡±

    I stopped my jaw from dropping. ¡°eighty percent?¡±

    He crossed his arms. ¡°I won''t go lower. Besides, you only took this quest to help out the people here right? Get the antidote back into production. Why else would you pick up a quest you couldn''t do alone when you didn''t already have a party?¡±

    I couldn''t lie, that was one of the reasons, but for the most part, I just wanted the money. ¡°That''s just a bonus. I don''t need a party. It''s just less risky if I have someone else with me.¡±

    ¡°eighty percent or I walk,¡± he repeated.

    I shook my head. ¡°Start walking...¡± It was a shame, but the most I was willing to give up was 45 percent. Usually, it would be more like 25 percent when you hire help, especially considering I would do most of the work. I looked over to the other two knights.

    One of them placed his hands on his hips, taking a wide stance. ¡°You''re a mage, so can you cast lightning lance, or if you know more support magic can you fortify my defense?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, I''m not really a mage, I just know some magic. I could only fortify you for maybe one or two hits depending on how strong the minotaur is. I do know Lightning Spear, the lower tier variant.¡±

    Another one walked up closer. He seemed clean-cut, more like a traditional knight than all of the adventurers that had been sucking down alcohol. ¡°Uhm, I don''t mean to be rude, but as you seem to have a rather unique skill set, maybe it would be best if you just showed us your adventurer card.¡±

    ¡®Well¡­ It was bound to happen eventually¡­¡¯ I nervously pulled my card out of my storage. They were clearly surprised at my use of spatial magic, but not enough to say anything. ¡°Here¡­¡± I showed it to them. It was a bit embarrassing¡­ The card had full identification. That meant height, weight, gender, and of course a picture of your unobstructed face¡­ It was also enchanted to change certain things like maximum mana capacity automatically. Things like what magic you knew had to be manually added by updating the card though.

    It felt a bit like I was revealing everything to them, and in a way I was. On it was every stat and skill I had minus metal magic.

    ¡°I''m sorry uh¡­ miss... Don''t take this the wrong way, but your marks are just too low for me to be able to fully trust that the two of us could handle this quest alone. Even if there was a third I¡¯m not sure I would be confident taking it on.¡±

    I lowered my gaze. ¡®At least he got my gender right¡­ Even if it was listed on the card.¡¯ ¡°No that''s¡­ It''s fine¡­ I''m used to it¡­¡±

    As he turned and walked away I could clearly make out several of them grouping together discussing how they should form their own group to go and hunt it themselves. Most were just joking, but some were serious. I didn¡¯t think anything could have hurt my pride more.

    My whole body felt like ice, and my legs wouldn''t stop shaking as my chest started to tighten again. ¡®Why did I ever think this would work¡­¡¯ With a deep breath, I turned and walked out of the building. ¡®There so narrow minded¡­¡¯ I took a look at my card again to see for myself. Like Lola said it changed itself to show I was rank E now, but the card didn¡¯t even list my stats, so all they had to go off of was my skills. A whole bunch of ¡°Useless¡± magic. ¡®It¡¯s them right?¡¯ Picking up my feet I slowly trudged out of the building. ¡®Getting laughed at isn¡¯t so bad really, worse things have happened¡­ I guess I¡¯m hunting it alone after all.¡¯

 Chapter 27: Resident Drunkard.

    It was always in the cards that I might end up fighting alone again. I got rejected¡­ No one ever wanted me in their party, I felt like a fool for trying to form my own¡­

    I barely made it outside of the inn before my motivation tanked. From the sounds of it, the adventurers inside were putting together their own party anyway. ¡®Should I even bother with this? It might be better to just let someone else take care of it. Safer for sure.¡¯

    I sat down on a small bench just outside and leaned back against the tavern wall closing my eyes. ¡®I want to become strong enough that this never happens again¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath in, sniffling as blood rushed to my face and my tear ducts filled up, just reaching the point at which they would come out, but stopping before any did, leaving my head feeling swollen.

    ¡®I¡¯d go in and buy a drink¡­ But I¡¯m too embarrassed to show my face right now¡­ Especially after showing my adventure card¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hey, it''s you! That fine gentleman that was kind enough to toast with me before a hunt!¡±

    I looked over to see the staggering drunkard wandering towards me. ¡°Taggart?¡± ¡®Still wandering around without his party I see¡­¡¯

    ¡°You saved me, I hear, thank you for that.¡±

    I let out a sigh, trying to hide my wry smile. ¡°And yet you went right back to drinking again¡­ Do your friends know you''re here?¡±

    He waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Who cares, they aren''t my mother,¡± He said as he sat down beside me, wrapping an arm over my shoulder. ¡°You know, you''re pretty intense.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes, looking straight ahead to try and avoid his breath. ¡°What makes you think that? How would you know anything about me?¡±

    ¡°I can see it in your eyes. Not very aggressive, and maybe you don''t have a fiery rage. But you''re thinking, you''re always thinking. You''re intense. I bet watching you fight is a sight to see, but I bet you can¡¯t get out of your own head sometimes.¡± He laughed.

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    I took a deep breath, the whole conversation felt like a waste of time, but I was too unmotivated to bother leaving. ¡°Yeah, I bet watching you fight would be one too.¡±

    He burst out laughing. ¡°It sure is,¡± He said once he finally calmed down. ¡°Of course, no one believes me until they see it.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why¡­¡±

    His face fell flat, almost sorrowful for a moment. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter does it¡­ I win¡­¡±

    I looked over at him to see he had fallen asleep after those last words. It was the last thing I expected, but after our conversation, I felt refreshed in a way. I still didn''t feel as enthusiastic as when I took the quest, but I definitely didn''t feel as worn down or embarrassed.

    In some strange way, I felt like I owed him again. ¡®So I get too caught up in my own thoughts¡­ Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right about that.¡¯ I let out a sigh as I threw him over my shoulder and used disinfectant on him before bringing him back to his party room.

    I did my best to carry him, but he was heavier than he looked, making every step up the staircase shakier than the last until I made it to the top. After that, finding the door was easy. I stopped myself just before kicking it with my foot to knock. ¡®Wait, how long am I planning on carrying him, his party can do that much can¡¯t they?¡¯ I gently set him down outside the door and slammed my fist into the door a few times.

    ¡°Coming.¡± I heard a gentle smooth voice call from inside and before long the door opened.

    When I saw a tall muscular and well-toned man open the door wearing nothing but worn-out baggy pants, I froze.

    ¡°Yes?¡± his smooth voice resonated through my whole body as I slowly looked up at his large ruby-colored eyes.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Are You with the short knight and the drunk guy?¡±

    A small smile crept onto his face as he chuckled, raising a hand to his mouth. He leaned his back against the doorframe, placing a foot against it as well. ¡°Oh fearless leader, someone is here to see us.¡±

    He swiped his hand through his blood-red hair, half of which was snow white, and braided back behind his sharply pointed ear. Every move he made seemed relaxed and confident, as if he wasn''t the least bit surprised by me, or curious as to why I was there.

    He didn''t even so much as glance at the passed-out man behind me, staring directly into my eyes the whole time.

    ¡°Yes, oh, well if it isn¡¯t Chika.¡±

    I shook my head, forcing myself to take my eyes off the elf and look at the man speaking to me. ¡°Yeah, your friend passed out again, well. This time he just fell asleep. Still, it was on the streets just outside so I figured I might as well bring him in.¡±

    He raised a hand to his head. ¡°That man is going to be the death of us all. At least he isn''t this irresponsible while we''re outside the camp walls¡­¡±

 Chapter 28: No Party

    I couldn''t help but be curious about Taggart. ¡°How good is he really? At fighting I mean.¡±

    Ted narrowed his eyes, looking at me closely, taking his time to answer the question. ¡°Well, He''s good enough that he made it into the Ebon-wolves.¡±

    My eyes slowly widened. ¡°Does that mean?¡±

    He raised his hand, shaking his head. ¡°No, he retired before he joined up with us, but still. If he was with them, and a captain, well. Seeing him fight I believe it.¡±

    The elf Yawned. ¡°I could still take him one-on-one though. Even if he is a better fighter.¡± He stood up and walked back into the room.

    Ted flipped me the rings ¡°Two days worth if you''re up for it.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ How very interesting.¡± The elf looked back at me with a poker-faced smile.

    I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t think he was¡­ Attractive¡­ But the way he was carrying himself made me uncomfortable. ¡°And you are?¡±

    His elegant bow didn¡¯t match his attire, as he swiftly lowered his head and stretched one arm out to the side. ¡°Rurin Thaladora, pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Rurin¡­¡±

    ¡°Roaren is my half-brother. Our mother thought it would be cute to give us similar names.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ As long as she can keep them straight I guess¡­¡± Personally, I thought it was stupid. I couldn¡¯t say that though, so I just awkwardly tried to leave. ¡°Anyway¡­ I got, work to do. Gotta get to gutting these spiders and all that.¡±

    ¡°Hm, quiet.¡± he reached out and grabbed one of my hands, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Do be careful, these hands of yours are worth quite a bit of money.¡± After looking closely at my palm he moved even closer, staring intently at my face.

    ¡®The heck?¡¯

    I quickly pulled back and tried to say something, but I was too embarrassed, so I just awkwardly left as fast as I could. My chest felt tight again and my heart pounded, but it didn¡¯t hurt like before. Even after I made it outside I couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡®What''s his deal? Did he notice I¡¯m a girl? But why would he when nobody else seems to manage?¡¯

    My head heated up as my thoughts started to run wild.

    ¡®If he knows I¡¯m a girl, wait, but it''s not like I look like a girl anyway right? Even if I did I would be a little girl, it''s not like I am actually part dwarf¡­ Is he into little girls? But wait¡­ If the answer is yes then he¡¯s a creep, and if the answer is no then he wouldn¡¯t like me because I look like one¡­¡¯

    I suddenly realized that even if I wanted to find a boyfriend¡­ It would be more

    complicated than I thought¡­ ¡®I suddenly feel motivated to eat more¡­¡¯ A strange thought to have while gutting spiders¡­ But one that I had nonetheless.

    The thought came and went in passing, as my thoughts began to drift back towards my own prey. Coming up with a battle plan. ¡®Wait. Ted¡¯s party, why don¡¯t I just ask them to help me?¡¯ Even with double the workload, I finished in half the time as the spiders seemed to be in much better condition than previously, and none of them were boiled alive by fire.

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    When I was done I headed back to the room and the whole party was assembled again. ¡°I got those spiders taken care of, here.¡± I flipped the rings back over to Dabai, who slid them back on his tusk.

    ¡°Now that that¡¯s taken care of, you guys want to help me kill a minitour?¡±

    My question was met with a dead silence. ¡®I¡­ guess I should have expected this¡­¡¯

    ¡°What color?¡± Dabai asked.

    It got me excited, he was actually willing to listen to me. ¡°They think it¡¯s black, but they aren¡¯t certain.¡±

    He groaned, ¡°Then I can¡¯t. My magic will do nothing against a black minitour. I am sorry.¡±

    I looked at the rest of them. ¡°Anyone¡­ else?¡±

    Roaren flipped his dagger in the air, before catching it and coming out of a lean against the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t have good enough weapons to kill it in one strike. On the other hand, it would probably crush me, my armor isn¡¯t enchanted.¡±

    Ted hesitantly looked up at me. ¡°The only reason we didn¡¯t take the quest ourselves was because we thought it was too risky. My shield is strong, but the enchantment isn¡¯t I could take a few hits, but after that then what? I wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun it if we needed to retreat.¡±

    ¡°And Taggart?¡±

    He turned to the bed behind him. ¡°Out cold, but I suppose we could ask him when he wakes up.¡±

    ¡°N-no that''s fine¡­ I might be better off alone than with someone staggering around attracting more monsters anyway¡­¡±

    His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. ¡°You still plan on going?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ I took the quest¡­ If I give up without even trying there is a fine you know¡­¡±

    ¡°A fine is better than dying.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Yeah, you''re right, I¡¯ll fall back if things get too dicey.¡±

    He groaned again, walking over to Taggart and grabbing a flask from his bag. ¡°Here, take this with you at least. It''s highly concentrated.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Thanks¡­¡± ¡®Why does he only give me other people''s stuff?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him¡­ If anything I¡¯m doing him a favor by giving that away. It''s not as strong as a drink, but the effects are double that garbage he gave you last time.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s gonna be pissed when he finds out it¡¯s gone, so hurry up, and make sure you bring it back.¡±

    He pushed me out of the room, and before I could hand the flask back to him and refuse, the door was closed behind me.

    ¡®Rejected again¡­¡¯ It hurt even more in a way because they were people I knew, but at the same time, they actually had legitimate excuses. Dabai¡¯s only magic was pretty useless, Roaren would die in a single hit, and Ted couldn¡¯t fall back if things went bad. They were just being safe, not doubting my abilities. ¡®Whatever, I¡¯ll kill it myself, and when I get back I¡¯ll get to rub it in their face they weren¡¯t there to see the fight.¡¯

    I smirked imagining it as I headed back to my room and started to gear up. I almost forgot the feeling of putting on new gear. To put it simply, it felt amazing.

    No two adventurers wore the same armor¡­ But even among the crowd mine stood out. My leather pants were designed with multiple pockets and buckles, with an extra cape-like extension hanging down from the waist to cover my large knife and provide even more pockets. My leather vest was thick and had heavy metal buckles, while my forearms were covered from my wrist to my elbow. A protector I made covered the back of my hand with iron and guarded the back of my fingers with hardened leather plates. Finally, my boots stretched up to just below my knees, They were thick leather that was strapped tightly to my calves and supported my ankles, reinforced with iron soles to protect me even if I stepped in acid and make my kicks more deadly.

    ¡®I¡¯m starting to feel pretty good about this.¡¯

    I pulled out my sword, examining its expertly sharpened blade and a newly refurbished handle wrapped with leather that fit into my hand perfectly.

    I was well rested and well fed, so my mana was topped off. With my diverse spells and my several weapons, I was confident in my abilities to take it down. I was still a bit anxious, but it was nothing like the way I felt before I began to panic, it was more like¡­ Excitement.

    It was thrilling. The thought of taking it down alone and taking all the money for myself. Normally, killing a minitour would be worth maybe 1,500 talons, but the urgency of the situation, and the difficulty of getting to the site made it become worth 2,500. Then you add the bonus for it being a black diamond quest. Which is 50% and it goes up to 4,750. The icing on the cake is that they didn¡¯t stop there. To try and incentivize higher-level adventurers to take the quest they rounded it up to 5K.

    On top of that, the quests for saxifrage, which would be easy to fill out afterward, and since they were in high demand the reward for that was a crazy 100 talons per gram of seed. Considering they grew like moss¡­ that was a lot. It probably outweighed the minitours bounty by far.

    I placed the 6 new throwing knives I made in their sheaths on my thighs and tightened my vambrace, pulling it tight to ensure it was secure. Wearing tight leather armor made me feel invincible, almost like I was strong enough to wrestle the minotaur bare-handed, as ridiculous as that sounded. It felt good.

    ¡®Ok, let¡¯s go.¡¯

 Chapter 29: Preparations

    Just as I predicted, sticking to the treetops made it easy to traverse the forest, riding the edge of the spider''s territory. It may have been growing quickly, but it certainly wasn''t covering the whole forest. The territorial dispute between the Wargs and spiders was a perfect example of that.

    I was still on guard, but all the spiders I saw were soldiers. Much larger variations that didn''t have webbing, and instead had hard chitin coverings that made them tough to fight. They were sent out on foot, covering the forest floor as scouts. Luckily, they weren''t great climbers, in comparison, and didn¡¯t concern themselves with the treetops, so avoiding them wasn''t a problem.

    I made it to the minotaur''s cave. To my surprise though, it was completely absent. I was weary of going inside, so instead I took the opportunity to start laying down traps set with magic. Three pressure-activated lightning runes. I couldn''t make them strong enough to completely stun the monster, but they would still give me that little bit of an edge.

    After that, I waited in a nearby tree, with one of the traps right underneath me just in case. I was a light sleeper, and this particular monster wasn''t exactly the quiet type, so I went ahead and did my best to get some rest.

    If somehow I happened to be wrong, and the beast wasn''t living in the cave, I would just grab the herbs after a while and leave. If I rushed into the cave though, and it returned before I got out, it was game over. No matter how long I waited it was a gamble, so it was better to just forget about it. Besides, I had a double promotion resting on whether or not I killed it.

    My heart pounded through my body with anticipation, even with my eyes closed it was the only thing I could hear. My mouth had become dry and every muscle in my body felt the need to contract. ¡®Well¡­ Resting is out.¡¯ Eventually I just sat up again, choosing instead to just wait, watching my surroundings closely.

    A few hours passed and my nerves started to get to me. My mana had filled back to full, so I laid a couple more traps and that put me more at ease. ¡®With this many, I might not even have to fight it.¡¯ It was wishful thinking, I knew that. But in a perfect world, the minotaur would just die from spider venom, trudging back and succumbing to wounds from the other monsters¡­ Of course that was even more unlikely.

    I took another swig of the special brew and climbed back into the tree, once again waiting. Eventually even my nerves died down as I started to think back to when I was 8, hunting dear with my dad for the first time. I could practically hear his voice as the memory played through my mind.

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    ¡°Good things come to those who wait.¡± He said.

    ¡°But dad, moma always says the early bird gets the worm.¡±

    ¡°In this case though, we don¡¯t want to catch the worm, we want to catch the bird, so we have to wait for the bird to catch the worm.¡±

    ¡°Dad¡­ Were hunting dear.¡±

    A loud stomp shook the trees snapping me from my almost trance-like state. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ Finally, the minotaur showed its face. Shaking trees made it easy to find while it dragged a giant spider and a Warg behind it in one hand.

    ¡®Guess it caught dinner¡­ No signs it got hurt doing so¡­¡¯

    As it walked it triggered one of my traps, and while the jolt put it on edge, I didn''t leap into action. Perhaps it was because of how long I waited for the fight, but once the beast was in my sight my head went completely blank. All of my nerves were gone, and my anxiousness along with it. ¡®Back then you guided my hands as I shot arrows because you said they were safer. I wonder what you¡¯d say about the way I fight now?¡¯

    I turned to look at the second trap that I was hoping it would walk over. The more the better, and if I could get it to hit all three, that would be when I struck. At least, that was my plan when I set them up. The other two traps I laid were mostly backup, or there to make sure I had an escape plan.

    It finished making its way to the cave, dropping its prey just outside, but as it came into the clearing and became more easily visible I noticed something that wasn''t originally a part of my plan... ¡®It¡¯s got a freaking greatsword!¡¯

    ¡®That''s¡­ not great¡­¡¯ The irony of my thought was completely lost on me as I quickly tried to think of what that would change. Ultimately, It was too late to change the plan, in fact, my advantage was only dissipating.

    The sharp electrical shock it received weakened it, but its sheer size meant it would quickly recover. ¡®I''ll just have to make do. Still, it''s a lot easier to not get hit when your opponent''s reach isn''t three times longer than normal. No retreating and I''ll be fine.¡¯ In the heat of the moment, I completely threw away the very concept of running if things went south. I didn¡¯t even realize it at the time, but that was when I decided I was going to win.

    I took one last look, observing it, just to make sure I knew what I was getting into. It was easily 9 feet tall, had brown leathery skin, and was covered in long bushy hair that was so prickly it could puncture your skin, although admittedly it wasn''t all that likely. Its horns were barbed and bladed, and its sword long and sharp. It was a monster that could kill with any part of its body.

    I took another deep breath in and then let it out slowly, rolling my shoulders to make sure I was ready to throw accurately. ¡®I didn¡¯t get as much practice as I would have liked, but my target¡¯s pretty big at least.¡¯

    At that moment I could have still turned back. I could have walked away. Lola had even told me that I was welcome to stay with her until the infestation had been dealt with and the forest became a safer palace. I never thought my decisions would have led me there, face to face with a bull that could easily be made a metaphor for death, but there I was.

    I didn¡¯t even give running away a single thought, much less a second one as I pulled out my spear and took aim. ¡®No¡­ Dad would have hated this.¡¯

 Chapter 30: Boss Fight.

    I used magic to enhance my spear with wind, It had only triggered one of my traps, but getting it to trigger the second and third was easy enough. They were both in a straight line between us. Hopefully, with that, I would fry its nerves.

    ¡°Remember, head like a stone, heart like a lion.¡±

    I took my time aiming my spear. My head was clear, and as cold as white granite. When I was sure I¡¯d hit my mark I hurled it across the clearing, sinking it several inches into the beast''s hide.

    It wasn''t deep, but with my wind magic boosting its speed it was certainly too much to be ignored. As I saw the beast twitch I slowly exhaled, making sure I didn¡¯t lose focus on anything that I did, lest I start to lose control of my nerves.

    Every twitch of my muscles, every movement of my eyes, even the hair on my skin rising up at the sense of danger. It was almost as if electricity was coursing through me as well. One slip-up and I was dead, knowing that wasn¡¯t making me afraid though, it was only making me more focused.

    It roared, and In an instant it spotted me, locking eyes and snarling. It confidently began strolling over, looking more annoyed than anything else. ¡®Ok, if it¡¯s not going to charge yet, then how about this.¡¯ I took out my ax, loosely wrapping my fingers around it as I double-checked the strength in my left hand. It was still a bit stiff, but there was power in my fingers again. Instead of wind, I ran lightning through the blade. ¡®And¡­ NOW!¡¯

    Just as it stepped on another trap I put my whole body into throwing the ax, timing it up with the shock. It wasn¡¯t the fastest throwing weapon by any means, but the weight forced its heavy blade to dig as deep as the spear, wedging itself into the monster''s right shoulder and further damaging its nerves.

    I could tell it felt the full force of the impact, almost making it take a step back, but the trap wore off and it began its warpath just the same. I gulped as it closed the distance in just three steps, hurling its body across the clearing in an instant and carrying enough force to uproot the tree.

    Just before it slammed its head into the trunk though, it sprung my third trap. It was finally stunned. I quickly enhanced my sword with sharpness and leaped from the tree.

    As I fell from over 15 feet through the air I put all of my strength into my swing, leading it with a wind blade to cut through the hide before making contact. In one swift strike, my blade neatly fit into the groove carved out by my magic and cleaved the beast''s arm clean off just below where my ax was embedded.

    My feet hit the ground and I could feel the pain in my joints from absorbing the high fall even reinforcing my body with magic. I knew I had to get away, but before I could move it spun, slamming into me with its other hand and throwing me several paces into another nearby tree.

    All of the air in my lungs got knocked out and I gasped as I fell to the ground, somehow managing to hold onto my sword and stay on my feet.

    The enraged beast took a moment to scream in pain, grabbing at where its arm used to be in disbelief.

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    I wheezed and struggled to catch my breath but I was alive¡­ Thanks to my new armor my chest didn¡¯t cave in. Still, I was out of mana, and even though I survived the first hit, it was just because of luck. ¡®If it hits me again I¡¯m not standing back up¡­¡¯

    I didn¡¯t notice right away, but I quickly began to realize that my right leg had gone numb from the impact. From what I could tell it still worked just fine, but it wasn''t a good sign either way.

    ¡®No¡­ Come on, I need to be able to move.¡¯ I forced myself to start breathing again, by letting out a scream of my own, using all my strength to get ready. ¡®An enraged minotaur without a weapon¡­ Anyone could tell what it¡¯s going to do next¡­ It¡¯s going to charge. I¡¯m close to one of my backup runes I planted to help me run¡­ If I can just put it between us.¡¯

    I slammed my fist into my leg, trying to get it to wake up, but quickly switched my attention to how I was going to react to the charge. ¡®I''m too slow to dodge it. Deflecting it''s almost impossible with its sheer force. One option, make it miss, I just have to get it to flinch.¡¯ In that instant, I took a look at everything I had and decided to just use all of it and hope for the best.

    I switched my sword to my left hand. My grip was stiff, but I knew I had at least one good throw in me. I looked down, groaning at the thought of throwing my sword, but before I could think it through the monster locked eyes with me and stomped the ground, taking away any time I might have had for a decision. ¡®Something big to get its attention¡­¡¯

    It began to charge right at me. I hurled my sword through the air with my left hand following up with a quick right-handed throw of a smaller knife. As expected, it deflected the sword with its horns, but whether it was skill or sheer luck, my knife stuck it right in the eye, Changing the course of its charge just enough for me to dodge. I spun out of the way like a dancer, pivoting off of one foot, feeling its prickly hide scrape my skin as it passed by.

    It veered right over my rune, which caused it to trip on activation, sending it sliding across the forest floor into a tree that cracked and splintered as it came toppling down, taking several others with it like dominos, obliterating my last rune without me being able to get much use out of it.

    ¡®Sparks¡­¡¯ I quickly scrambled away and gained distance again, reversing our positions as it slowly tried to recover. ¡®Well, it¡¯s way too late to run anyway¡­¡¯

    Once again I was left with just my large hunting dagger. I was back at the base of the tree. Electrically burnt grass lined the ground next to its severed arm and pool of hot blood that sloshed against my boots. My legs started to shake with every ripple, making it hard to assume a proper stance.

    I groaned, moving away from the blood so it wouldn''t affect my footing. ¡®Come on¡­¡¯ the nerves and tension began to build as I tried my best not to rush the fight. ¡°COME ON!¡± I yelled, trying to vent some of the tension that was building inside of me as it slowly turned around. Its every growl was a puff of air like thick fog as it stood up and wiped its snout, snarling more with every breath.

    It bent over, grabbing at its face before reeling with a scream that must have echoed through the entire forest before it pulled the ax from its shoulder. Now wielding my own weapon against me, it started another charge.

    Whether it was because I was a genius, or because the tension building inside of me had made me stupid, I stood my ground. I didn¡¯t run. I didn¡¯t want to. I knew the moment I did my chest would tighten until I passed out. If I could fight head-on though, and move so fast I didn¡¯t have time to think, that was how I would win.

    It was charging headfirst, and it was slowed by its injuries. I had to finish it. I flipped my knife over to a reverse grip and got took a running start of my own. Before it could crush me with its overwhelming force I slid between its legs through the pool of blood on the ground and slashed its right knee with my dagger before jamming it straight through the back of its left in one swift motion, severing its tendons and forcing it off balence.

    I quickly picked up the greatsword from the ground and violently spun, digging into the cut I had already created with my knife and severing its leg, slashing perfectly between the bones.

    It flailed wildly, swinging blindly in a mad rage. I didn''t stop though, I knew I had to keep moving, and the moment I stopped I died. twisting around again and connecting my movements like water I weaved myself around its flailing arm and ax by taking advantage of its missing eye and with a final violent twist I cleaved its head clean off with its own sword.

    The momentum from the monster''s final swing carried through, and it struck me with the shaft of the ax, snapping the wooden handle in half against my ribs and sending the blade hurling off into the distance.

    Blood sprayed from its body, covering me and painting the forest floor as I tried my best to breathe through the pain.

    My eyes started to lose focus as I staggered away to a cleaner patch of grass and took a moment to try and catch my breath, but I never found it.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I coughed, each breath feeling more shallow than the last. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad¡­¡± I muttered, spitting out blood as it filled my throat. ¡®Ok¡­ So maybe it could have been better.¡¯

 Chapter 31: Gold!

    The minotaur was dead. I was alive, and that was enough for me to say I won. I had finished the quest. One of them at least. It hurt to breathe, and it hurt even more to move. Still, I wasn''t completely out of strength. Not wanting to deal with the process of cleaning the minotaur, I sent it into my storage along with the greatsword that it was wielding, even trying to collect as much of the blood as I could from the ground.

    Even just using my storage magic felt like it pushed me to my limit though. My chest was tight again, and my breath was shallow, but it wasn¡¯t from panic, it was from pain. I looked down to see my leather jacket dented in like a shiny metal door kicked by an ogre. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m supposed to have ribs there¡­¡¯

    I unfastened the straps around my chest but it only did so much. I staggered over to the cave, minotaur blood dripping from my whole body and trailing behind me as I walked.

    My body forced me to cough, but when I did I could feel one of my ribs moving around like a loos pick inside a guitar. It made me shudder and squirm as I took a knee and blood sprayed from my mouth like vomit.

    ¡°Plutia¡­¡± I muttered. The warm light filled my body and I was able to use lesser healing. I shuddered again as my rib moved back into its place and the hole in my lung filled itself. It was only lesser heal¡­ So the bone didn¡¯t heal, it just set itself¡­ And the hole in my lung may have closed, but it certainly wasn¡¯t fixed like new.

    I kept coughing, spitting out more blood as I tried to clear my lungs, gripping the dirt with my hands as my eyes started to water. ¡®Sparks¡­ I¡¯m not going to have to use the potion, am I? No¡­ No, I think it¡¯s starting to clear up¡­¡¯

    When It was over I rolled onto my back and stared up at the sky. There was only one thing I could think of. ¡®I hope they''re all still sitting around the tavern doing nothing¡­ I want to see their faces¡­ When I walk in holding this thing head¡­¡¯

    I don¡¯t know how long I laid there like that¡­ A minute, three, probably more like 15. I didn¡¯t want to move, I knew it would hurt, and I didn¡¯t want to risk reopening my injuries. I could have used the potion Lola gave me, but a high-grade healing potion cost a whole gold coin¡­ So instead, I waited till some of my mana came back, and I used recovery magic to speed up my metabolism and boost my natural healing.

    Of course, that meant I was starving myself, but it also meant I didn¡¯t owe Lola my life¡­ Or at least a gold coin. Either way, I had enough problems with money without going into debt. On the other hand¡­ I knew she told me not to sell it, but let''s be real, it was worth a whole gold coin.

    After a while, I managed to crawl back to my feet, taking my leather jacket off the rest of the way and sending it to my storage. Even unfastened and worn loose, the weight on my shoulders made the pain that much more real.

    ¡®At least until I start heading back, I¡¯ll wear something else.¡¯

    Not thinking about it too hard I grabbed the baggy hoody I bought and pulled it over. Even if I was alone the thought of being half out in the open wasn¡¯t one I was particularly fond of. ¡®Nice and easy¡­ If I just take it slow I should be fine. Gathering the herbs from this cave shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I just need to make sure I don¡¯t make any sudden breaths or I might reopen the hole in my lung.¡¯

    The entrance to the cave was large, but at the back there was a narrow entrance to another opening where the sunlight just barely reached through, reflecting off the water inside and refracting off of several crystals.

    Even though I was still in pain I couldn''t help but smile at the sight of the flowering herbs budding all over the cave. Although to be honest, I saw money more than I saw pretty flowers. For some reason, saxifrage only grew in caves such as the one. Curiouser still, it grew underwater as well and made the lake in the cave emit a soft blue glow, keeping it warm even in the chilly fall weather.

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    With the minotaur having made the surrounding area his territory, there was no chance any monsters would show up. With that in mind, I felt comfortable taking my time gathering the herbs. Then when I got them all into storage, I took off my armor and carefully stepped into the pool, gathering the herbs from there too.

    It wasn¡¯t until I got out I started to regret not stripping all the way, as the water soaked through my clothes¡­ But the thought didn¡¯t even cross my mind till I started wondering how I should dry off.

    In the end, I decided to just not worry about it and threw back on my bloody gear. ¡®I¡¯ll take a bath when I get back anyway¡­¡¯ I thought, popping the dent out of my armor with a burst of wind magic before throwing it back on, fastening it a few notches looser than before, and letting the scent of blood fill the air around me.

    See¡­ There were four things everyone should know about minotaur blood. Alchemists could use it to make various potions, enchanters could use it to help them practice higher-level enchantments beyond their means. It had an incredibly strong scent¡­ And¡­ No matter what you did¡­ it would permanently change to color of anything it touched¡­

    And I slid through a whole puddle of it on my knees, not to mention basically took a bath in it when I turned the thing into a fountainhead. ¡®I probably look like a tomato¡­¡¯ Even my pants were already stained dark red, despite me jumping in the water before it finished drying. Even my hair on my arms turned red. It was probably the most potent dye in the world. I almost laughed. ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s not black or grey¡­¡¯

    Thankfully the minitour''s blood had a strong smell to it, and anything that picked it up knew that if the scent was that thick, something dangerous enough to kill a minitour was near¡­ Nothing wanted to come close to something like that. It was kinda cool. It made me feel like a boss; Which I guess I kind of was since I just killed one.

    The whole time I was walking back I couldn¡¯t think about anything other than shoving the fact I killed it by myself in everyone''s face¡­ The more I dwelled on it though the angrier I became, and the longer I had to trudge through the forest the worse the pain in my side started to ache.

    To make sure I wasn¡¯t taking any chances I kept the head out of storage and carried it by the horns to increase the scent even more. When I walked in through the gate it took me a minute to collect myself and figure out what to do next. ¡®Even if Alden is shady I need to turn in the quest to him so that we can start making antidotes as soon as possible¡­ Even if he cuts me short it should be fine¡­ It won¡¯t matter with how much I¡¯m about to make, not to mention I¡¯m about to get another two promotions.

    I walked in, trailing blood on the ground as I limped up to the fortress and placed it on Alden¡¯s desk. ¡°One black minitour I believe.¡±

    I unloaded my entire storage of herbs onto the scale. ¡°And enough saxifrage for you guys to make some antidotes¡­¡± I was trying to come off as smug, but it was hard to make my voice come out loud enough for it to even sound normal.

    After a few moments, he wiped the dumbfounded look off his face and turned over to the scale to read it. I went ahead and did the same.

    ¡°Yes, right, that¡¯s 0.79 Kilograms¨C¡±

    ¡°0.81 Kilograms¡­¡± I grumbled

    He chuckled nervously. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, of course. And one black minitour head for the black diamond quest.¡±

    ¡°Tripple black diamond, emergency issue quest.¡± I corrected him again.

    The price was easy to calculate, but for some reason, he was taking his time.

    I pulled out my dagger and jammed it into the table, causing the guards to both get put on edge. ¡°Look. I¡¯m in a really bad mood right now. I smell like vomit, and I just walked over a mile in wet clothes¡­ If you''re going to make me haggle again I¡¯m turning this in at Rothet¡¯s counter, and they''re going to have to ask why.¡±

    He chuckled nervously again, ¡°There''s no need for that is there? Although I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll only be able to pay you for one of these quests at the moment as¡­ The rewards are quite heavy¡­¡±

    ¡®Is he still up to something? Forget it¡­¡¯ ¡°Just mark it down that I completed both so no one claims my kill, I¡¯ll turn in the saxifrage, you guys need it to make antidotes right?¡±

    He smiled again, but it was the sneaky smile I didn¡¯t like. ¡°Yes, of course, that¡¯s¡±

    ¡°81,000 Tallons. Give me 8 gold and 1 silver.¡±

    He carefully counted each one, and when he handed them over I carefully counted them as well, placing them in my pocket and turning to leave, taking the minitours head with me.

    I was in so much pain, and so angry¡­ It was so sudden and happened so fast, I couldn¡¯t even appreciate that it was the first time I had ever touched gold.

    ¡®What idiot at the guild priced the saxifrage this highly¡­ I gave them enough to treat 810 people¡­ That supply will probably last the rest of the infestation.¡¯

    There were probably less than 150 that needed it, taking into consideration everyone would want to stock up meant they could turn a profit selling the first 500 potions or so. That was a generous estimation though, as most people would wait to stock up until the price fell back down.

    Most of the people who needed them pulled through already, only idiots hunted without them. ¡®Whatever¡­ I guess someone is about to learn the dangers of listing quests that say as many as possible instead of putting a maximum.¡¯

    No matter what the guild was taking a HUGE loss, and I was walking away with an unreal amount of money. As in it didn¡¯t feel real to me. I felt the weight in my wallet as I put it back in my storage and¡­ My brain autocorrected the coins to coppers.

 Chapter 32: Open Wounds.

    My business with Alden was promptly completed so I moved on. Dragging the minitours head off the desk with me, I headed back to the inn.

    People parted for me like I was an S-ranked adventurer. I told myself it was because of how cool I looked¡­ But honestly, it probably had more to do with the smell and the gore.

    the thick oder of the tavern did its best to drown out the sent, but even that couldn¡¯t get rid of it. When I walked in most people were busy partying the night away. someone urgently ran and told them they''d have more antidotes soon, so it made sense.

    ¡®Not the welcome I was expecting¡­ It¡¯s nothing like last time when all eyes were on me.¡¯ I limped up to the innkeeper¡¯s bar and grabbed a sheet of paper, quickly scribbling ¡°YOU ALL SUCK!¡± on it in large letters.

    Then I staggered back to the notice board and stabbed my throwing knife straight through it, pinning the large paper to the wall. Then I pulled the beast''s head back out and hung it by the horns on the same knife.

    Slowly but surely the party started to quiet down as people noticed. Walking past the innkeeper I flicked him a copper coin. ¡°If anyone touches that head they die.¡± I groaned.

    He caught the coin, only moving his hand to do so, the rest of him stiff as a board. I could see on his face it wasn¡¯t lost on him what exactly it meant to walk around with a minitour''s head. ¡°Yes sir¡­¡± He muttered.

    I sat down with a heavy sigh, or at least as heavy as I could manage, and slammed my fist into the table ¡°Now¡­ Get me a drink¡­ Please¡­¡±

    He rubbed the copper coin between his fingers. ¡°First ones on the house, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Just make it strong and pour it over ice¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ You looking to celebrate or Grieve fallen comrades?¡±

    ¡°Fire Mead¡­ And a jug of Airag.¡±

    He gave a hearty laugh. ¡°Celebrating then, alright, here you are.¡±

    I wasn''t disappointed. The mead smelled just like creamed honey bread but got its name from its high potency. It tasted like fire, but it did its job. The sweet creamy flavor followed and I instantly felt better as it washed the blood from my throat and cured the dull headache I had that only seemed to be getting worse until then.

    Letting out a long sigh I finally took in a deep breath. It hurt, but my wounds didn¡¯t open up, at least as far as I could tell, so even that felt good in a way. ¡®I killed my first boss and just got promoted three ranks in less than a week¡­ And I¡¯m still drinking alone¡­¡¯ I lifted my mug and looked down at my clothes. ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry about the mess¡­¡±

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    He brought out the airag in a 3-gallon jug that slammed into the counter. It was a sweet-scented Fermented milk from some creature or another, no one would give away the secret to what it actually was. Not quite a health potion, but it was as effective as a low-grade one, just with the effect spread out. ¡°This is an adventurers'' inn son, I guarantee that seat will be the most popular one, now that it¡¯s stained with the Ogaefa¡¯s blood. Well,

    Its actual alcohol content was so low they didn''t even count it as alcohol for consumption laws. It had just enough to keep it from going bad, nothing more. In other words, it was safe, and even medicinal because of the herbs they brewed it with. Wafting the scent into his nose from the drink he took in a deep breath. ¡°Ahh¡­ Nothing goes better with the scent of blood than Airag. Drink up.¡±

    I stored the jug and finished my mead, finally starting to feel better, ordering and eating a meal to make up for the recovery magic I used to speed up my metabolism. All the while calmly keeping to myself, just like normal.

    To be honest, I was half expecting the others to at least ask me about what happened. I mean, I was the reason they were celebrating before I walked in, no one said a word though, much less to me¡­ ¡®I guess Minitour blood scares away people too¡­ That must be it¡­ Yeah¡­ Well, I did basically just tell them all to piss off with the way I wrote that message¡­¡¯ I let out a long groan downing the last of the mead and laying my arm out across the table, resting my head on it too. ¡®Am I really the type of person that chases people away and then complains about being alone?¡¯

    After a moment I let out another groan, this time coughing up more blood as I agitated my lungs.

    ¡°Are you sure this is the kind of medicine you need right now?¡± The man behind the counter asked.

    I looked down at my hand. ¡®It¡¯s probably still just left over, I don¡¯t think the wound opened up again¡­¡¯ ¡°I''ll be fine¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°I just need a hot bath and a bit of sleep.¡± ¡®I should probably clear my head before I do anything else. It¡¯s probably a good thing no one talked to me when I¡¯m feeling like this¡­¡¯

    I groaned, walking to the base of the staircase, but the moment I raised my leg to walk up the first step I felt like my side split open. It was almost enough to make me vomit.

    ¡®Change¡­ Of plans¡­ Medical tint¡­ healer¡­ Just¡­ Need some painkillers. Then I can open up my side and poke around to make sure everything''s in the right spot¡­¡¯

    I was only a couple steps away from a nice bath and a good night''s sleep¡­ The last thing I wanted was to go to the infirmary, especially the dirty overworked one where I volunteered¡­ But I didn''t have much of a choice if I wanted to make sure I woke up in the morning.

    ¡®I just had to get hit a second freaking time¡­ Even once was pushing it Why did I let my guard down¡­ Well, I guess it was more like half a hit since it was missing its head by the time it made contact.¡¯ I slammed my fit against the wall as I held my side, but that only made the pain worse. ¡®I should just drink the freaking potion. How much did I make from the quest? I don¡¯t even remember anymore¡­¡¯

    I walked over to the infirmary, my stride ironically a bit straighter with the numbing of the alcohol, and before I knew it I was inside the tint. Without so much as looking at me, the girl who seemed to be in charge spoke out. ¡°Go ahead and take a seat, we''ll be with you in a minute.¡± The line was relatively short for once, but the situation hadn¡¯t improved. Most of the patients looked pale or burned from acid. Somehow it was even worse than before, although people were at least moving through faster, and the workers seemed to be healthier, if not just because they were all new.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Right¡­ I think I''ll just go back to Rothet¡­¡± ¡®Then again the teleporter might actually kill me if it twists my insides anymore¡­¡¯

    She looked up from her clipboard ¡°For heaven''s sake was there another attack? How many are in your party? Should we be expecting more wounded?¡±

    I was shocked by her sudden change of pace and her annoyed, rather than concerned tone. ¡°I''m¡­ alone. Don''t worry.¡±

    Her annoyed face was replaced with one of solace and pity for just a moment before she snapped back. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    I couldn''t help but think she somehow got the wrong idea. ¡°No, I mean I work alone. I didn¡¯t go out with a party.¡±

    Her face quickly contorted with disgust, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I coughed again, spitting more blood out onto the ground as the violent exhale opened up my wounds. ¡®I think¡­ Before I try this again¡­ I¡¯m going to learn ¡°heal¡­¡± Not just lesser heal¡­¡¯

 Chapter 33: Medical Attention.

    Despite how bad it looked they told me to wait in line just like everyone else, so I figured I was still fine for the most part. ¡®I wonder how much of this blood is actually mine. I don¡¯t think I have any external injuries.¡¯ I started feeling around and there were a few minor scrapes on my face and hip under my armor, but nothing serious. ¡®I have two lungs anyway, right? How hard is it to live without one for a while?¡¯

    I thought back to the short period of time I spent training as a healer for the Plutian church. I learned basic anatomy and first aid, things like that, but it was all generalized knowledge that held true for all species. Learning specific biology for all seven of the fae races was hard enough¡­ Not to mention the seven eldrich races and the countless beast kin tribes. Just thinking about all the information they drilled into me made me start to feel dizzy. I couldn¡¯t relax my posture, but standing up straight hurt just as bad. ¡®Why am I being so stubborn about this?¡¯

    ¡°Are you sure you can wait friend?¡± one of the men in line said, turning to me.

    ¡°If I can stand, I''m not dying.¡± ¡®probably¡­¡¯

    I slowly turned around, but after a moment more he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in front of him, steadying me. ¡°Take my place, I''ll go to the back of the line.¡±

    It was unexpected, but I didn''t see a reason to refuse. ¡°Name¡¯s Finn.¡± He said with a smile.

    ¡°Chika¡­¡± I said back. He had a certain look in his eye. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the look of a swindler, but more like a crafty merchant, one that knew something.

    I hadn''t been paying too much attention, but he was actually the next person in line to be seen before he gave me his spot. Just moments after trading positions I was face to face with an apprentice.

    She was looking at her clipboard more than me though. her nose was so buried in it that when she first took it out to see me she let out a yelp. ¡°U-uhm, right. Sorry, what do you need?¡± she asked.

    ¡®Is this her first assignment? I¡¯ll try and make things clear and simple so she can focus.¡¯ ¡°Blunt force trauma from a minotaur over the chest and left side. Coughing up blood, and worsening pain. I probably had a punctured lung but I used lesser healing on it, so it wouldn¡¯t have fixed the bones or removed any of the blood or fluid but it held me together this long.¡±

    She froze, her eyes as wide as a cat about to run for the hills. ¡°That¡­ sounds bad¡­¡±

    I couldn''t help but smirk at her response. It was a bit weird, but one thing I learned after years of adventuring was that nothing made you feel tougher than having someone stare at you and wonder how you''re still breathing.

    ¡°Don''t worry, The mead at the tavern fixed me up just fine. I just need you to make sure everything is ok, can you do that?¡±

    Finn laughed as he rolled his eyes at me. I couldn''t tell whether he was impressed or just thought I was arrogant, but I definitely left an impression. Either way, it seemed to help the girl relax, and that was what I was really going for. If it really was her first job she was probably overwhelmed by everything as it was, making her more tense wouldn¡¯t help with that.

    ¡°O-oh, ok. I should be able to do that. I can do that yeah. Just check the wounds and figure out the extent of the damage. That¡¯s first.¡±

    She led me to one of the few open beds and I carefully took off my armor, pulling up my shirt to look at the wound. My entire side was purple from my hip up, but it wasn¡¯t caved in, and looked like my rib was at least still in the right place. I thought it was just my low side, but I couldn¡¯t see an end to the bruising, or even figure out where exactly I got hit.

    She groaned nervously, leaning over to look at the wound more closely. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of internal bleeding, you said you used low-tier healing magic?¡± She asked, grabbing my shirt to hold it up for me. ¡°You¡¯ll need to take this off. I need to check for any muscle or bone damage all the way up to your shoulder.¡±

    I quickly grabbed her hand before she could move. I let out a nervous chuckle ¡°Do I, really need to do that?¡±

    Her eyebrows scrunched together as she finally looked at me, instead of the wound. With a gasp, she quickly raised the clipboard to cover her mouth before grabbing my jacket and pulling it back over my shoulders. ¡°Sory, no¡­ I mean, yes¡­ That is. You still have to do it but we can use one of the private rooms.¡±

    I let out a sigh. ¡®So more walking¡­¡¯

    She took my hand and quickly led me away, insisting she helped me. As we left I turned back to give a thumbs up to Finn, letting him know I''d be fine, and as a sign of thanks. I couldn''t help but think he got the wrong idea though as the words ¡°Sly dog.¡± escaped his lips. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure that''s what he said.

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    After making it to a sectioned-off bed, The young girl, helped me take off my armor and checked my wounds for any serious damage. The bruising was far worse than I would have imagined, but she seemed to think I was alright after all.

    To make sure she had a supervisor check at the end. A tall troll woman walked in the room with a serious, almost robotic expression. She raised an eyebrow after taking one look at me, methodically walking up and pressing a hand against my wound. Her warmth sent shivers down my whole body with pain following close behind.

    ¡°Broken ribs that weren¡¯t set right, punctured lung that wasn¡¯t drained. What kind of incompetent healer did this?¡± She turned to the apprentice. ¡°Surely it wasn¡¯t you Pieta?¡±

    ¡®She can tell all that just by touching my side?¡¯ ¡°N-no that was all me, sorry. I used a healing spell for first aid.¡± ¡®She has to be a pretty advanced healer¡­¡¯

    She rolled her eyes with a groan. ¡°In that case you did good. Good enough to keep yourself alive until you got to me, that¡¯s all that matters. There are two options. We can either perform surgery or use healing magic.¡±

    ¡°Which one¡¯s cheaper.¡±

    She let out a heavy sigh. ¡°They¡¯re both free¡­ Like everything else¡­ Were here performing char¡ª Relief¡­¡±

    ¡®Then why are you even asking?¡¯ ¡°Uhm¡­ Healing magic¡­¡±

    She rubbed her face a bit before saying a prayer so quietly I couldn¡¯t make it out, then before I knew it I could feel my breath enter my lungs again. Judging from the bruising though, she just used another lesser heal to fix the collapsed lung and finish repairing the hole.

    ¡°Pieta, you know water magic right?¡±

    The apprentice hesitantly nodded. ¡°Ok, you can finish this then, it will be a good experience for you.¡±

    She slowly met my eyes and shuddered. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She mumbled. The next thing I knew my breath stopped and a mix of blood and mucus was flowing out of my mouth. In an instant, it was over.

    ¡°Good, your control is excellent.¡± The instructor said before walking over and placing a hand on my chest, closing her eyes. ¡°But your breadth could use some work.¡±

    The last of the fluid suddenly came out of my lungs in another burst. Even though it happened so fast it was worse than vomiting. I almost wanted to die. When it was over I slowly laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. ¡°You¡­ Could have warned me you know¡­¡±

    The instructor continued on as if I hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°Remember, body fluids like blood aren''t just made out of water, it¡¯s important to be able to manipulate the entire fluid, if you leave some of it behind, especially in a lung, it could cause serious problems.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡­¡±

    ¡°You, adventurer girl. If you have something to say save us both time later and say it now.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Pieta mumbled, grabbing her teacher''s arm as if to hold her back.

    ¡®Something to say?¡¯ ¡°Just¡­ Let me catch my breath first¡­¡± I muttered, focusing on my breathing for a few moments longer. ¡®Oh, right, of course.¡¯ After a full deep breath, I could feel my headache start to go away as oxygen filled my body again. Getting my balance back, I sat up and eased myself back onto my feet. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said confidently, reaching out my hand. ¡°I¡¯m Chika.¡±

    She stood completely still, frozen stiff as her apprentice grinned at her. ¡®Should I¡­ Not have tried to shake her hand?¡¯ ¡°That is¡­ What you were waiting for me to say right?¡±

    Pieta chuckled. ¡°She thought you were going to yell at her.¡±

    I only grew more confused. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be kind of stupid though? I mean, it might reopen some of the wounds.¡±

    The instructor lifted a hand to cover her fangs as she smiled. ¡°Oh, I like her.¡± She said sternly before placing her palm on Pieta¡¯s head as she turned and walked toward a table, starting to mix several liquids in a large bowl.

    ¡°Is it like a troll thing? Sorry, I¡¯m not very knowledgeable on other cultures.¡± ¡®Like, I could have yelled Thank you instead.¡¯

    The instructor cleared her throat. ¡°People don¡¯t like the way that I do things¡­ So they often become angry at me after I treat them. It¡¯s especially common among females of your species¡­¡± After mixing the tonic she gave some to her apprentice to taste. ¡°Pop quiz, what¡¯s missing.¡±

    Pieta squinted, thinking about it intently as she took another taste.

    ¡®Girls get angry at her for the way they''re treated? What could that even mean?¡¯ ¡°You didn¡¯t like, make me pregnant or something crazy did you?¡±

    Pieta spat out the tonic and started choking as her master slowly raised a hand to cover her eyes. ¡°Pieta, manipulate the fluid out of your trachea, and try not to get startled so much¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¨C master¡­¡± she muttered.

    The troll turned back to me with a sigh as she patted her apprentice on the back. ¡°Nothing like that I can assure you. I may be a troll but I¡¯m not some witch doctor.¡±

    ¡®Ok¡­ Well if there aren¡¯t any weird side effects¡­¡¯ ¡°To be clear¡­ I am fixed, right? Like I can walk around and stuff?¡±

    She nodded placing a hand over the wound again and staring down at me. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. As long as you don¡¯t do any intense exercise or fast twisting motions for a few days you should be fine. We''re going to give you a bandage, make sure you wear it for the next few days as well.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ What you¡¯re saying is¡­ I¡¯m not going to die. You fixed me up in a few minutes, I¡¯ll recover in a few days, and most importantly, you did all that for free. Why would I be mad at you¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s missing this right?¡± Pieta asked. Handing her an herb.

    She nodded. ¡°And this is called¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡­ Is¡­ A¡­ Mistroot?¡±

    Her instructor took the herb and lightly smacked her with it. ¡°Moonroot, Learn your names already. It¡¯s important.¡±

    She chuckled, taking the herb back and starting to mix it in. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    She just shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Right, you can take care of the rest.¡± She said Bluntly, abruptly leaving without bothering to ever give me an answer.

    ¡®Never mind, I think I get it¡­¡¯

    Pieta chuckled again. ¡°Three reasons.¡± She said, grabbing a set of bandages and soaking them in the tonic ¡°First, most people don¡¯t like how little she talks, and how fast she gets to work without warning. Second, people get really annoyed with her because she will only use the bare minimum amount of magic necessary, sometimes she will even refuse to use magic at all, even when people offer her payment. And third, she¡­ Well, let''s just say she¡¯s not the delicate type. Rest your arms on this.¡±

    I leaned forward, lifting my arms up onto a small table while she wrapped my ribs. ¡°So most of the people she treats are spoiled brats or what? How often do people die when she treats them?¡±

    She paused suddenly. ¡°Zero¡­¡± She muttered. ¡°She¡¯s never once lost a patient.¡±

    ¡®Not even one?¡¯ ¡°Dang¡­¡±

    ¡°Although to be fair, she has never been in combat either. I guess that¡¯s another reason some people don¡¯t like her.¡±

    After she finished patching me up I carefully got dressed. ¡°I don''t know¡­ It¡¯s hard to be mad at someone using healing magic on you. Well, unless it¡¯s so they can torture you more, but people like that usually can¡¯t use miracles so, you know.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ You uh¡­ You really are an adventurer.¡±

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t that sound like a compliment¡­¡¯ I slowly stretched my arm over my head as I took a deep breath filling both my lungs. ¡°Well, I try at least¡­ Thanks again Pieta.¡± I said with a smile as I walked out.

 Chapter 34: Rank A.

    Finn was waiting at the exit with a stupid grin on his face. ¡°So tell me, what did you say to the priestess to get a private room?¡±

    ¡®What did I say?¡¯ ¡°Actually, it was mostly her, although I can¡¯t say I preferred the alternative.¡±

    He just rolled his eyes. ¡°Playing it cool then, ok I gotcha. Either way, I''m glad you''re alright¡­¡± He paused, looking around before leaning in closer. ¡°It was you, wasn''t it, the one that killed the minotaur.¡±

    ¡°You think wargs bleed this much?¡± I lifted my arms, letting him get a good look at my armor. ¡°Or stink this bad¡­¡±

    ¡°You killed that monster by yourself and came out with war wounds from a hero''s story. Yet you didn''t tell anyone. Is there a reason you''re keeping it hidden? Is it because of the reward?¡±

    ¡®Keeping it hidden¡­ What?¡¯ ¡°I literally walked in the inn and pinned its head to the notice board¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ but no one there knew who you were. The mystery man as it were.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ See¡­¡±

    He took a step back. ¡°I won''t tell anyone your secret, I was just curious is all.¡±

    ¡°That''s kind of you¡­ But there''s really no need. I wasn''t actually trying to hide it, it just didn''t seem like something to brag about, and¡­ It would feel wrong. It was a black diamond quest after all. I pinned it to the board to spit in the face of the people who said they wouldn¡¯t help me because we didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    His eyes narrowed. ¡°I was right, this story is interesting. Tell me more. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Chika.¡±

    He squinted, tilting his head. ¡°Chika?¡±

    I nodded, confirming.

    ¡°Well, I''ve never known someone with that name, it should be easy to remember, and easier to find out more about you.¡±

    ¡°I told you already, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding anything. You could always just ask me if you were so curious¡­¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No, legends are best made when other people create them, otherwise it would just be a boring autobiography.¡±

    ¡°You''re a storyteller?¡±

    ¡°Hm, yes well, technically I suppose I''m a thief who works alone and deals in information and valuable items. Although, I do fancy myself a tale or two.¡±

    ¡°Information? So that''s why you were being so nice.¡±

    ¡°Well, it certainly helps. You might tell a friend more than a stranger, but I would say I''m good at what I do because I''m nice, not that I''m nice because I want to be good at what I do.¡±

    ¡°In other words, you''re strange.¡±

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    He chuckled. ¡°As strange as you maybe?¡± He phrased it as a question but left before he received an answer.

    I thought back to everyone I interacted with. ¡®Just what will they say about me? And how will that affect the legend?¡¯ I was poor¡­ So I hadn''t heard or read a tale in a long time. Still, I fondly remembered storytelling, I was curious to see how it would turn out.

    While I had a couple of acquaintances who seemed to like me well enough, most people I interacted with rejected me for either being weak, lacking experience or skill or on occasion, just because I was a girl.

    ¡°Legends huh¡­ Make it a good one¡­¡± I mumbled, watching him walk off into the distance. ¡®If he''s a thief I wonder what it was that he stole from the monsters here. The treasure in the great forest isn¡¯t usually anything worthy of that skill set.¡¯¡¯

    The moment I finished I was too tired to bother with anything else. I put the minitours head back in my storage, grabbed my knife, and went up to my room to bathe and go to sleep.

    ¡®I wonder which will make it back to Lola first, my ¡°legend.¡± or my story. I bet it¡¯ll be fun to see how surprised she is I didn¡¯t even need her potion. Oh, and that promotion will be nice too. I¡¯ll be a higher rank than Ted now.¡¯ I would have laughed at the thought if it didn¡¯t hurt so much.

    I pulled out my adventurer card. You only got to update it when something substantial changed¡­ So for me¡­ That was four years ago when I was still just 14. That was when I learned tier-two fire magic¡­ I paid to update my card because I thought it would help me get into a party¡­

    I stared up at the ceiling, trying my best not to move around on my bed on account of my ribs. ¡®Well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll see tomorrow.¡¯

    I tried my hardest to sleep, but it felt like all the panic and stress was catching up to me. Every time I closed my eyes I saw the minotaur charging at me. I don''t know how many times I woke up sweating before I finally opened my window, letting the cool air blow through and freeze my room.

    Of course, then I was too cold to sleep comfortably¡­ With nothing better to do, I got up to go for a run and calm my nerves¡­ But I quickly realized my side hurt too much for that so I changed the plan to a leisurely stroll. Eventually, I got so fed up with all of it that I let out a yell at the top of my lungs, only to regret it at the same moment, clutching my side and taking a knee, hunching over. ¡®Why does it hurt so freaking much¡­¡¯ I lightly hit the ground with my fist.

    ¡®Right¡­ The healer only used lesser heal. So the wound will have been patched up, but my body will still have to heal all the damaged tissue on its own.

    ¡°Hey, you good little girl?¡±

    ¡®Little¡­ what?¡¯ I looked up to see a giant of a man with polished leather armor and shiny heavy plate mail covering his left arm from his fingers to his neck. It was Damascus azure steal, heavily enchanted.

    ¡°What on¡­ Why¡­¡±

    He clapped his hands together before kneeling down next to me and laying a hand on my back. I felt divine energy flow through me and begin to heal my wounds. ¡°Is that better?¡±

    The pain was gone in an instant. I stood up and lifted my shirt to see my ribs, but they didn¡¯t look any different. ¡°The pains gone¡­ but it¡¯s still a bit sore. Was that lesser heal?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    I poked it carefully. ¡®The bone mended itself¡­ For lesser heal to actually fix a broken bone and get rid of the pain That¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡°Just, who are you exactly?¡± I  lifted my eyes back towards him.

    He was looking to the side, averting his gaze. When I realized why I quickly pulled my shirt back down. ¡°S-sorry!¡± ¡®Wait¡­ It wasn¡¯t like I was holding my shirt up that high though was I?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m just a passing adventure. I actually came here to help slay a minotaur but somebody beat me to it.¡± He looked off into the woods and started to mumble. ¡°I guess I could hunt that water panther while I¡¯m here¡­ But I was trying to relax.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ You''re at least B rank then.¡±

    He turned back, locking his gaze with mine and making me flinch. I couldn¡¯t tell you why¡­ But it was hard to look him in the eyes, every time I tried it felt like I was in danger. My heart raced. I didn¡¯t wear my armor because of its weight and pressure against my ribs, but without it, I felt naked.

    ¡°A-rank, but good guess.¡±

    ¡®He¡­ called me a girl¡­¡¯ My grip stayed tight on my shirt, holding it down. ¡°Did the guilds send you then?¡±

    He laughed scratching his head. ¡°Nah¡­ An old friend called in a favor.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡®Figures they wouldn¡¯t care enough¡­¡¯

    We both paused and for a moment it was like time had stopped. He was human, with messy blond hair and bright blue eyes that reflected the glow from the moons His sleeveless cotton shirt and metal armor did very little to hide his muscles, which were large, toned, and void of almost any scars. Or¡­ To put it another way¡­ He was hot.

    ¡°Well see you later, hope your tummy¡¯s feeling better, Don''t feel too bad, I hear everyone gets the runs from warg meat the first few times.¡±

    I paused, my head tilting to the side¡­ ¡®What?... Wait¡­¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not!¡± I slowly covered my face with my hands. It was true¡­ That was common from what I had heard¡­ Even if it never happened to me. But¡­ well¡­

    Anyway, he was already outside of the camp walls by the time I became brave enough to uncover my face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe him¡­¡± ¡®He seriously used a miracle on me¡­ Because he thought I had a stomach ache?¡¯

    I wasn¡¯t sure what jumbled mess of emotions I had. A part of me was so embarrassed I never wanted to see him again. A part of me wanted his autograph, I mean, a real A-rank adventurer¡­ Then, of course, there was the last part of me that just wanted to stare into his eyes for a while¡­ But I don¡¯t know what that was about.

 Chapter 35: Red Streak

    The morning sun never shone brightly in the great forest, it was dim, and that made it all the more difficult to rise with. It wasn''t until several hours after that I finally found the energy to crawl out of bed. My body was mostly healed, but my ribs were still sore, and with the largest issues addressed my body started to let me know about all the little things that were wrong.

    My hip left hip ached deep inside the joint from the impact made my leg go numb, and my head felt like I had been beating it against a brick wall for hours with how much it hurt. The little light that did make it through the window only made my eyes go crazy, hurting my head even more.

    Goosebumps covered my skin as the blankets fell to the side. My hair hung in my face as I started groaning, wanting nothing more than to crawl back in and go to sleep again.

    That was already my third time trying to start my day though, and I knew that despite having finished my quests there was still work to be done. If nothing else I had to collect the reward for killing the minitour. ¡®I bet I could turn its hide into some pretty good armor too.¡¯

    I stood up, taking my time and slowly grabbing my armor off the floor. ¡®Speaking of which¡­¡¯ I groaned, taking a look at it. It was sticky and gross, still carrying a faint stench. ¡®The color won¡¯t go away, but I can at least wash the scent out.¡¯

    I conjured a ball of water and threw it in along with my pants boots, and the rest of my armor. When I picked up my helmet though, I noticed it was cracked. ¡®Sparks¡­ How did I not notice this?¡¯ I thought back to the fight. ¡®It must have been when it threw me into that tree¡­¡¯

    I walked over to the mirror and took a look at my face. The entire right side was swollen and stung to the touch. ¡®I mean¡­ It was still totally worth it¡­¡¯

    The bruise explained why my head hurt so much as I self-diagnosed a concussion. ¡®For today I¡¯ll take it easy, let¡¯s start with gutting the minotaur to clear out my storage, that will take some strain off my mind at least.¡¯

    I threw my helmet into the water bubble and finished washing all my armor, putting it all back on before heading out to gut the beast. My helmet was broken, but it still kept the blood out of my hair, and the same for the rest of the armor, it was already covered in blood, so more red stain wouldn¡¯t affect it much¡­ It did mean I just washed it for no reason¡­ But I tried not to think about that.

    Everything kind of blurred together as I slashed through the hide with ease. ¡®I feel stronger somehow¡­¡¯

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t our little red streak!¡± Ted yelled as his party returned from hunting.

    I pulled my hands out of the beast''s torso, ripping its heart out clean out before scratching my nose with my forearm. ¡°I think the name needs to be workshoped¡­¡±

    He laughed, placing his hands on his hips, while Dabai bowed and Roaren ashamedly looked to the side. ¡°That¡¯s what they call you now. On account of that crazy blood trail, you left all over camp. It¡¯s still here you know¡­¡± He said pointing down at his feet.  ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? We heard all about it, how that crazy E rank took down a minotaur and pinned its head to the notice board!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, that was me.¡± I muttered, admittedly a little embarrassed at how I acted. ¡° What uh¡­ What else are they saying?¡±

    He looked over to Roaren and shrugged. ¡°We''ve been out hunting, haven''t heard too much about it. We thought the story would be better from you. Everyone gets to hear the tales, but it¡¯s considered a real treat to hear the story from the person it¡¯s about you know. All the more so if it¡¯s your first.¡±

    I threw the heart in storage and opened up the rib cage wider looking inside for a specific organ. ¡°Sure, give me a few minutes¡­ Oh¡­ You, guys, didn¡¯t use fire this time did you?¡±

    Dabai bowed again. ¡°My apologies great streak.¡±

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    ¡®I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be cute¡­ But couldn¡¯t my first title at least sound cool?¡¯ I sighed, starting to get a sense of just how embarrassing that name was. ¡°Can we maybe just go back to using my name please¡­¡±

    Ted laughed. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be well known, no matter the name it is the deed that is remembered.¡±

    With another quick glance I reached back into the minitours corps. ¡®Found it!¡¯ I grabbed a hold of another organ and ripped it out filling the air with a red mist. Throwing it into storage I wiped the mist from my face and looked back up at their disgusted faces.

    ¡°Right¡­ We¡¯ll uh¡­ Leave you too that¡­¡±

    I stepped away from the corpse, putting it in storage. ¡°Wait, where is Taggart? Is he even a part of your group?¡±

    He chuckled, raising an eyebrow, unsure of the answer. ¡°We met some knight out in the woods and they seemed to know each other, said he was an A rank so we figured he''d be fine if we left.¡±

    ¡°That guy is an enigma.¡± Even after sending the corpse away, the scent remained just as potent, practically chasing them away, save for Roaren who, if anything, was almost attracted to it. It might have just been his wolf blood, but it seemed almost like the scent was making him hungry.

    Trying to ignore his eyes was harder than I thought, especially with the look he had in his eyes. ¡®This is so awkward¡­ He¡¯s just staring at me¡­ Not saying anything¡­ Should I say something?¡¯

    I pulled out a few of the spiders and got to work gutting them, but his eyes never left me, and the look never changed, making me almost too anxious to keep my hands steady.

    I cut into the first spider, failing to notice fire magic had half melted the acid gland. Distracted, I touched some of the acid. ¡°Sparks!¡± I shouted yanking my hand out and quickly conjuring a bubble of water in the air, running my hand through it.

    Roaren froze halfway to me. ¡°Uh, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± I groaned, pulling a special acid burn tonic from storage. I opened it with my mouth, and dextrously readied it with my left hand,  applying it the moment my hand left the water. ¡°My resistances have gone up a lot recently, so I won¡¯t lose the finger or anything¡­ I guess that¡¯s no excuse for me being that careless though¡­¡±

    He sighed. ¡°That looks difficult, let me help.¡±

    I froze for a moment. ¡°It''s not really that hard¡­¡± ¡®I''ve been on my own for as long as I can remember, so I guess I just got used to doing things like this.¡¯

    He grabbed the vial and carefully applied the chalky black substance to the burn with his human hand, holding my arm gently with the other. The soft fur from his hand brushing against my skin gave me goosebumps, and with him holding my hand, kneeling down to closely look at it¡­ The whole thing just felt wrong. The acid had already been diluted by some of the spider''s other bodily fluids, so it wasn¡¯t potent, but he treated it like my hand would fall off if he missed even the smallest mark.

    ¡°There.¡± He said, finally standing up.

    My heart was beating so fast it almost felt like I was in a fight again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this helps, but my wolf blood trait has actually spread to my tongue as well, the wolf tribes have chemicals in their saliva that treat burns and¨C¡±

    ¡°THATS¡ª Fine¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s fine¡­ I just need to use some recovery magic and eat a lot and it should be better by tomorrow.¡±

    He stood up. ¡°Good, these hands of yours are important.¡±

    ¡®It''s really not fair that I¡¯m the only one who knows how embarrassing this is¡­¡¯ I let out a sigh, trying to relax. ¡°Did you, need something?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I suppose I did want to apologize to you for refusing your request for aid.¡±

    ¡°You mean the minotaur? Don¡¯t, your reasoning was sound, there was no reason for you to put your life in so much danger.¡±

    ¡°I know, but still. You were a friend in need and I did nothing to help you¡­ Even Theodore gave you that flask.¡±

    ¡°A friend huh¡­¡± I used earth, plant, and water magic to create heavily basic mud and encased my hand in it to neutralize whatever might have been left of the acid. ¡°Assuming our bones aren¡¯t much different in strength, you would have died in half a hit. My armor was enchanted and that much was enough for me to need two healing spells and minor surgery. Of course, it was wielding a greatsword and an ax at one point, so obviously if either of the blades touched me I¡¯d start losing limbs at the very least. I stretched my side, still not feeling quite right. ¡®Saying it out loud really just makes me sound stupid, instead of heroic¡­¡¯

    He groaned. ¡°I know I am not a failure for staying behind, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not one for being too weak to follow¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I get that¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯ve felt that way most of my life¡­¡¯

    ¡°So then¡­ Please teach me how to safely harvest spiders!¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± ¡®How did he get there all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡°I mean¡­ Sure. It won¡¯t make you any stronger though.¡±

    ¡°It will help.¡±

    We stared blankly at each other for awhile again until his eyes started making me uncomfortable and I turned away. ¡°If you say so¡­ Get over here then¡­¡±

    ¡®Ted taught me metal magic for free¡­ So it would be too greedy to ask for money for this. Besides, with my rank going up so much I¡¯d probably want to stop doing this for them anyway.¡¯ ¡°Let''s review the spider''s basic anatomy first, you should know most of this already since you hunt them.¡±

 Chapter 36: The Process.

    Roaren walked over to the table and I used my blend of magic techniques to cover his hands in the same mud I used on my own, creating a protective coating. ¡°If you ever feel even the smallest sting, I need you to stick your hands in this water as soon as possible alright?¡± I flicked my wrist and another ball of water formed in the air beside us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with one that¡¯s a bit easier.¡± I pulled one without fire damage from the storage as I quickly sorted them and got to work. ¡°If you get good at it you can do the whole thing in less than a minute, see, here you start with splitting the abdomen straight down the middle, reach inside and gather up the webbing like cotton candy, and then you¡­¡± I looked back at him, clearly holding back vomit. ¡°You uh¡­ You get used to it¡­¡±

    He nodded, stepping closer.

    ¡®His personality is as soft as his fur.¡¯ ¡°Go ahead and extract the silk from inside the abdomen, just keep doing it the way I was.¡±

    Despite the tension in his body, he did fine, but that was the easy part.

    ¡°Good, now make an incision here, and here. Use this organ here as a landmark, but don¡¯t push the blade in more than an inch, too far and you¡¯ll burst the pressure sack and melt your hands off.¡±

    He paused, his arms stifling up even more.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that scary is it?¡¯ ¡°The margin of error you have is pretty huge, so just go slow and you should be fine. It¡¯s not as dangerous as it sounds.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Right¡­¡±

    I let out a sigh. ¡®Yup, soft. It¡¯s not a bad thing though, if anything I wish more people were like that.¡¯ ¡°OK, pull your hands out for a minute.¡±

    ¡®I pulled out a spider''s acid gland from my storage.  And twisted it around. ¡°Here, see this? It¡¯s going to be sitting in there like this, and you''re cutting it here, but if you cut into it more than halfway through the pressure sack will burst and any acid it made before it died will burst out. Idealy you never even cut into it at all and cut around it, but there¡¯s a ligament here you have to sever. Just cut the ligament without cutting into the gland, make sense?¡±

    It took him a moment to get over his nerves, but when he did I was able to walk him through it with ease. In no time we were done and celebrating his first success. Now¡­ All the was left was the hard part.

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­ You hunt with a fire magic. Don¡¯t get me wrong, fire is great for killing them, the increased temperature ruptures the pressure sac and they practically just explode without even having to fight them¡­ On the other hand¡­¡± I pulled out the next one and his nose scrunched up at the smell, making me start to see the wolf in him even more. ¡°Yeah¡­ Fire magics great don¡¯t get me wrong, but sometimes seriously messing up your enemy isn¡¯t a good thing¡­¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    After a short awkward pause, I flipped the spide onto it¡¯s back and continued. ¡°For these, we want to flip them over and cut it out from the other side. Like this, just pretend like it¡¯s open heart surgery.¡±

    He turned his eyes away and suppressed a gag as a hot green fog burst from the corpse when I cut into it.

    ¡°There, now you see the gland, but we can¡¯t take it out yet, First, cut a hole in the other side, then pour water over it till it¡¯s the same color as the other gland we carved out, see? Now it should be safe to touch, at least temporarily. Still make sure to not touch your eyes, and wash your hands and all that after you''re done.¡±

    It took some time, but eventually, we managed to navigate around the different problems, and by the end of it he had enough experience I was confident he could do it on his own. For safety, I still recommended he wear a pair of leather gloves though, and he agreed to buy some before he tried it on his own.

    By the time we were done, the stench covered both of us. I wasn¡¯t sure if Dabai¡¯s fire magic was getting better or what, but it was awful¡­

    ¡°Ok¡­ Well¡­ I¡¯m going to go take a bath now¡­ I don¡¯t have any soap though, so it¡¯s going to take a while for me to get this smell off.¡±

    His nose was twitching, and it looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Just come to the bathhouse with me then. You can use mine. I always carry a lot on me because of my fur.¡±

    My mind went blank for a moment as I stared at him.

    ¡°Uh, Chika?¡±

    I was torn. ¡®He has soap¡­ but it would be way too awkward if he found out I was a girl now¡­ Worst case scenario he tries to stop me from going in the girl''s bath and¡­ But He has soap¡­¡¯

    I slowly shifted my weight. ¡®This has to be the stupidest problem I¡¯ve ever had to worry about¡­¡¯ I let out a sigh. ¡°Sorry¡­ But no¡­ I¡¯m uncomfortable bathing around other people¡­¡±

    To be fair, I wasn¡¯t lying. I hadn¡¯t been to a public bath in my life, and I had no memories of when I was young enough to take baths with my mom. The soap was nice¡­ but not necessary.

    ¡°Ok¡­ You can still borrow some if you want though.¡± He said, staring at me like I was stupid for assuming I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Trust me¡­ You need it¡­ Although to be fair my sense of smell is stronger than yours.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Right¡­¡±

    We both got cleaned up and met back at the bar, sitting down to eat. Somehow Roaren made it back before me though¡­ Not only was his hair and fur shiny and clean, but the faint scent of coffee soap lingered around him¡­ It was annoying. My hair was in terrible condition, tied up under my helmet, but at least the stench was gone¡­

    The moment I walked over and sat down with the group Roaren took in a deep breath and let it out with a relaxed sigh. ¡°That¡¯s better, now you smell like me, instead of those rotting spiders.¡±

    I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as my whole body became stiff again and my face started to turn red. ¡®I mean¡­ I used the same kind of soap so that makes sense right¡­ Why does it sound so embarrassing when he says it like that?¡¯

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Right, sorry. I think I made the water a bit too hot, so my head must still be cooling off¡­¡± I calmly took my seat next to the rest of them, letting out a deep sigh of my own. ¡®I smell like him? Why is that more embarrassing than smelling like charred acid?¡¯

    I cleared my throat, wiping the thought from my mind. ¡°Let¡¯s see, business first. I¡¯m getting a double promotion, so I probably won¡¯t be gutting spiders for you guys anymore, but I taught Roaren so you should be good.¡±

    Ted grinned, sliding a mug across the counter. ¡°I figured as much. You¡¯ve your own life and are probably off to grander things now. Just try not to get too crazy alright? Everyone¡¯s luck runs out if it gets tested too many times.¡±

    I lowered my gaze. ¡®He¡¯s right¡­ I should have just run away¡­ I¡¯ll have to be more careful or I¡¯ll really die¡­¡¯ I thought back to the intense adrenaline rush I had. It felt so long ago, but that feeling almost lingered even then. It felt indescribably good. That in itself was what worried me¡­

    He gave me a quick jab to my shoulder, ¡°Hey, chin up. Everyone who gets anywhere has a little crazy in them. Are you ready to celebrate? And I still have to hear that story you promised!¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t explain it, but something felt like it was missing. And unexplainable feelings that I couldn¡¯t describe eating away whatever excitement I had at that moment.

 Chapter 37: Melancholy.

    As I told the story of how I slayed the triple black diamond minitour with a greatsword it felt like the tavern slowly became more and more quiet. I wasn¡¯t sure if I told it well, I just tried to take after how other people told stories. It almost felt like bragging, but at the same time, it felt shameful. I mean, the monster used my own weapon to nearly kill me¡­ And then, on the other hand, it felt almost like I was talking about someone else entirely.

    Before I could think about it too hard the door slammed open with a crash and I heard a loud belch. I wasn¡¯t that surprised when I realized it was Taggart, stumbling in half awake. He staggered over to our table and sat down next to Roaren, taking food off my plate like it was his. I was too stunned to say anything.

    Roaren grabbed his hand as he reached for more. ¡°That isn¡¯t yours!¡± He growled. Taggart just chopped him on the head though and he caved like a puppy being scolded. I watched him slowly continue eating off my plate, grabbing the food with his bare hands and enjoying it. ¡®I guess¡­ I can just buy more¡­ It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a big deal or anything¡­ But like¡­¡¯

    Ted let out a long sigh. ¡°You know kid¡­ Stuff like this is going to make me worry about you...¡±

    ¡®Worry about me? What did I do?¡¯ I just sighed, pushing the plate over to Taggart and letting him speak, getting whatever was bothering him off his chest.

    ¡°After you left I went with Arthur to kill the water panther. Moron cut its head off in one swing before I could take a go at it¡­¡± He grumbled.

    I paused. ¡®So much for having to try¡­ I get being humble, but he might have been overdoing it¡­¡¯

    I sighed, ordering another meal. ¡®I¡¯m sure everyone will want to hear that story more. Water panthers are way scarier than minitours.¡¯ I was a bit sad to get upstaged so easily, but more than a bit relieved. It was hard to explain but it was almost like I didn¡¯t want to be some great hero they cheered for, even though that was my dream. It didn¡¯t make any sense, not even to me.

    I looked back over to Taggart. ¡°Go ahead and eat the rest, I¡¯ll buy you a drink too to make up for taking that potion, Ted gave to me, it was yours right?¡±

    He bit a chunk of meat off a skewer and then pointed it at me. ¡°That¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t have accepted a stolen gift!¡± He yelled before suddenly jumping as Ted kicked him in the shin.

    ¡®These guys¡­¡¯ I started feeling a strange melancholy¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if I could really call them each my friend, but if I could they would have been some of the only ones I ever had. And even though I wasn¡¯t, it felt like I was saying goodbye for some reason.

    ¡°Well, now that he¡¯s here you have to tell the story again. You''ve gotten some practice so I bet you can make it even better.¡± Ted smiled, grinning from ear to ear as the whole tavern began to subtly gather around us.

    Taggart leaned back as well, as if more interested in hearing my story than telling his. Before I knew it it wasn¡¯t just Ted asking for the story, but everyone, making my chest start to tighten. ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear about Taggart¡¯s fight with the water panther?¡±

    He just rolled his eyes. ¡°Would you rather watch a wolf pup kill a bear, or a dragon eat a rabbit?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I saw a dragon I¡¯d probably run away, and if I saw a bear fighting a puppy I¡¯d probably kill it myself to save the little guy.¡±

    He lowered his head into one of his hands. ¡°You¡¯re more¡­ Direct than I thought. Ok, let me put it this way. Taggart already told his story¡­ Some big shot killed a monster in one swing¡­ There isn¡¯t much of a story there¡­ Just some legendary being swatting flies.¡±

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    ¡®Swatting flies?...¡¯ ¡°I¡­ Think I get it¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡®So¡­ should I just start then?¡¯

    Trying not to look at the crowd, I closed my eyes and thought back to the very beginning. ¡°It all started back in Rothet, with a triple black diamond quest notice, and that cute dark elf that everyone fawns over. Of course, like everyone else she called me stupid for taking the quest, but she seemed to think I¡¯d come back alive at least. She even gave me a gift, but that part¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Instantly they were all hooked. As I continued on it started to feel more and more like the person I was talking about was a separate person, and after that, it became easy to tell the story, no matter how large the crowd. My heart raced faster with every word as I relived the battle. Chills ran down my arms as I imagined a scene from my past, seeing a tale-teller with my parents for the first time. At some point, someone even started playing music lining up with my words perfectly. None of it felt real.

    At the end I pulled out the great sword from my storage and raised it high into the air, showing off the bloodstained blade. ¡°And with one final swing, I cut its head clean off, taking a hit to the side so strong the ax broke in half. Even without its head It dented my enchanted armor and cracked three of my ribs, puncturing a lung.¡±

    Everything fell silent as I stood still as stone, catching my breath. ¡®It was me¡­ I was the one that did those things¡­¡¯

    It felt wrong to celebrate for myself, but¡­ ¡°I mean¡­ It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have anything to celebrate right?¡± I muttered, pulling the jug of Airag out and leaving it on the table, some of it sloshing over the sides as it settled. Then I flipped a silver coin to the barkeep. ¡°Next rounds on me!¡±

    Everyone cheered as I sat back down and everyone congratulated me, talking about how great I did¡­ But as the cheers got louder the lingering feeling like something was missing never went away¡­ It all felt so good, so much so that I forgot about any pain or soreness in my body and almost wanted to go out and get in another fight right then. Still, something was off.

    I never imagined I¡¯d be an adventurer worthy of a whole tavern giving me a toast, especially looking back to when I didn¡¯t even understand what it meant. A part of me was so happy. I was so ecstatic it gave me chills. I felt like I had done something that made my parents proud¡­ ¡®My parents¡­¡¯

    They weren¡¯t there to see it¡­ They weren¡¯t there to share that moment with me¡­ Even the man who laughed at me the most when I was looking for a party¡­ Even he was there, tipping his glass. Ashton was there, and even the greedy assassin was in the back drinking along with us. No matter how much I drank my mouth felt dry, and no matter how warm it was my body felt cold.

    Taggart jumped onto one of the tables. ¡°To the one that saved the graveyard from a cull!¡± He yelled. Raising a glass high into the air, with the whole building, even the workers.

    He then proceeded to give the entire adventurers toast, and he made me do it with him. After each line that he shouted I started to feel more and more nostalgic¡­ I still remember the first time I heard it. Someone had just come back alive, slaying a wyvern with nothing but a grappling hook. I asked my dad what they were doing and he pulled me onto his lap. After each line, he whispered in my ear what it meant. I could still hear his voice¡­

    ¡°One for the money.¡± (For what we earn, for it was enough for this drink.)

    ¡°Two for the sorrow.¡± (The pain of losing friends. May it make the drink sweeter.)

    ¡°Three to get ready.¡± (Any more and you¡¯ll be tipsy.)

    ¡°Four for tomorrow.¡± (That¡¯s when you¡¯ll feel it the most.)

    ¡°Five for the nerves.¡± (the ones you don¡¯t feel anymore.)

    ¡°Six for the aim¡± (a toast to each one''s goal¡­ And a joke about how you probably couldn¡¯t aim for your life anymore.)

    ¡°Seven for herbs.¡± (Another joke. You aren¡¯t drinking alcohol for the health benefits if you made it to seven.)

    ¡°Eight for the game¡± (A toast to life, but also this is where most drinking games end.)

    ¡°Nine for thrill¡± (If you made it this far in there is no other reason for you to keep going.)

    ¡°Ten for the haul¡± (A toast to the long haul and the grind, the journey to always try and improve.)

    ¡°Now use you¡¯re skill to answer the call!¡± (The call of adventure, as well as the call of the people that need us.)

    Then I remember looking over¡­ And seeing my mom''s smiling face as she set down her mug, tousling my hair. ¡®She always got so touchy when she started drinking¡­¡¯

    It was the alcohol¡­ That¡¯s what I told myself¡­ It was so strong it was making my eyes water¡­

    ¡°Hey Chika¡­ You alright?¡± Taggart asked, bringing everyone''s attention squarely to me, only making it worse.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how but I managed to keep a straight face and just pretend like it wasn¡¯t happening. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I was crying, the feeling of melancholy only growing within me. I was smiling, but they didn¡¯t feel like happy tears¡­ After years it was like I finally made it¡­ Like I was finally moving forward¡­ Moving on¡­ I took another shot. It wasn¡¯t strong, but it still burned on the way down. ¡°The skies are still blue¡­¡±

    Another cheer resounded out even louder than the last one but it started to feel like a knife was pressed against my chest. ¡°The skies are still blue¡­¡± I muttered again.

 Chapter 38: Fined

    If ever there was a more perfect saying for how I felt I wouldn¡¯t have known it. To everyone else, it was just another cheer, a toast to a won battle. As I looked over to Roaren though, I could tell by his eyes that he understood. It made sense to an extent. If he was really half-elf his mom might have even lived through it. Although it was unlikely¡­

    It came from a story as old as Rothet itself. A great king lost his wife and only child in the battle that saved his kingdom from dragons so numerous they blocked out the sky. Those were supposedly his words at the end of it all. It felt a little silly connecting myself to him, after all my parents didn¡¯t die in my fight with the minitour. As everything started to blur together though, it almost felt like they had.

    I don¡¯t remember much after that. There was some mix of people apologizing and kissing up to me. There were even a few people asking if I would join their party, but I was too lost in thought to react much. Eventually, I just ended up back in my room, alone¡­

    For the first 10 years of my life, I shared a room with my parents in our tiny little house. It took me the next 6 to get used to being by myself, and just like that suddenly it was as if I was turning 11 again in an empty room, trying to fall asleep to the sound of cheers. It may have been from my party this time, instead of a festival like back then, but that somehow only made it worse.

    ¡­

    I woke up to a heavy banging on my door that rattled my skull so much that I didn¡¯t even know how I got to the door, just that I was opening it to a few guardsmen.

    ¡°Chika, you are the adventurer that killed the minitour, is that correct?¡±

    I was frozen in place, too nervous to move. The only time the guards approached you was when you did something wrong. ¡°U-uhm¡­ That¡¯s me¡­ To both I mean.¡±

    The guard grimaced, handing me a sheet of paper. ¡°We were told to hand this to you. Sorry for the inconvenience.¡± He bowed and walked away.

    It was a relief it wasn¡¯t anything more serious, but I was still confused. After they closed the door I looked back at the paper and slowly read over it.

    ******************************************************************************

    Fine:

    7 Gold Coins.

    Citation: Failure to report finished quest. [Black minotaur hunt] endangering the lives of fellow adventurers, and threatening a beekeeper.

    Access to teleporters and other guild services will be restricted until the fine is paid in full. If unable to pay in full, please see officials to negotiate alternative options.

    ******************************************************************************

    ¡®Seven gold¡­.¡¯ I rubbed my eyes, making sure I was reading it right. It was enough to buy a house, a real house¡­ It took me a moment to remember I actually had enough to pay it, but even that didn¡¯t make me feel much better. My heart was too tired to race, instead, it just sank.

    ¡®Alden¡­¡¯ I thought back to when he told me he could only accept one quest at a time¡­ I told him to mark it as completed anyway, but he clearly didn¡¯t. ¡®Even if I hadn¡¯t the fine would be at most something like a couple of silvers¡­ I messed up¡­ I let my guard down because I was in too much pain to think straight¡­¡¯

    Stolen story; please report.

    Walking over to my bed again, my legs fell out from under me as I sat down. A part of me didn¡¯t even want to admit the situation was my reality. My head ached, and my body was still sore¡­ but those were all just excuses I was using to try and get myself to go back to sleep, instead of dealing with it. Of course¡­ Even if I did try I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep again.

    ¡®Seven gold¡­¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Well, I have two options, obviously, I could pay the fine, or I could not pay the fine¡­ Even after paying it, I would still have plenty of money left over. But¡­ That would be like admitting that I made a mistake when I didn¡¯t, not to mention it would crash my reputation before I even got one¡­ I could claim physical harm as my reason for not reporting it, but again¡­¡¯ I sighed laying back down. ¡®I did report it though¡­¡¯

    a long growl escaped out my nose. ¡®So I don¡¯t pay it, ok¡­ I think there''s an appeal system, but it¡¯s going to be hard to figure all that out without help¡­ The mages from Whitelight should still be here. I think I made a good impression on most of them. Since they are one of the 10 guilds responsible for governing the nation their members all have to know about this stuff¡­ I learned that much the hard way when I tried to join one.

    ¡®First thing¡¯s first though...¡¯ Throwing the fine in storage I headed out to the castle and stopped by Alden first to officially turn in the quest.

    His wry smile said it all¡­ Once again, I dropped the minitours head on the desk, making sure some of the blood splattered on his robes, permanently staining them as I gave a wry smile of my own. ¡°The quest bounty was 4,500 Tallons,¡± I said calmly.

    He folded his hands and leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but all guild services have been suspended for you.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s just trying to provoke me now, it¡¯s almost funny how obvious he¡¯s being.¡¯ I sighed, finding his act unamusing. ¡°The guild regulations clearly state that even those with suspended status are allowed to finish any outstanding quests, and attempt to rectify the cause of said status.¡±

    He just rolled his eyes, handing over 4 silver and 4 copper, once again short-changing me. ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°You still ow me another copper coin,¡± I grumbled.

    The guards took a step forward. ¡°You''re so greedy, lying about how much you receive over a simple copper coin?¡±

    My eyes darted around the room and I froze. I wanted to pull my dagger again, but if I threatened him he¡¯d arrest me for sure. Even if I so much as raised my voice it would be the wrong call¡­ ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean any offense.¡± I sent the coin into my storage. ¡°If you¡¯re sure it¡¯s the right amount then I won¡¯t object again. You know minitours are funny.¡±

    His wry smile vanished with surprise as I played along. ¡°How so¡­¡±

    I slowly scraped my finger through the fresh blood on the desk, wetting it. ¡°Monsters are afraid of minotaur blood, because anyone strong enough to kill one, is pretty good at killing things, you know?¡± Flicking more blood onto his robe, I threw the head back in storage and walked away. ¡®Wow¡­ You know, considering my position, I really didn¡¯t think that would feel that good.¡¯

    Stepping outside I took in a deep breath of fresh chilled air. ¡®At least it¡¯s taken care of, that means the quest was officially turned in. Now I need to go to the medical tint. If I could find that one girl that helped me, Pieta, or Posy, the girl I helped, or even Pieta¡¯s master.¡¯

    I walked in, feeling anxious about the whole thing. I hated asking for help, much less from someone who was basically a stranger¡­ And even more so if they had already helped me in the past¡­ It just always felt like they¡¯d say no¡­ ¡®Why is it so quiet?¡¯

    I stepped in through the entrance and found the whole thing emptied out. There wasn¡¯t a single occupied bed, and everything was being packed up into carriages.

    ¡°Oh, it''s you.¡±

    I turned to see Posy and felt a wave of relief crash over me. ¡®At least I won¡¯t have to awkwardly look for her.¡¯ ¡°You look a lot better than last time.¡± I chuckled. Trying to find the right words.

    Her smile practically lit up the whole tint as she showed me her hands. ¡°All better see! Thank you so much for your help back then. We were all kind of overwhelmed with how bad things got.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I looked around again, noticing everything getting taken down and packed up. ¡°So you guys are heading out now? I¡¯m surprised how fast the turnaround was on the antidotes.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°When you have incitive to make them, they can be brewed in 36 seconds on average, but that number goes down even further with experience. By the end, we got it down to 29.¡± I saw her suddenly yawn, covering her mouth, clearly embarrassed by it.

    ¡°Lack of sleep finally catching up to you?¡±

    Her hair swung back and forth as she shook her head, revealing stoney patches of skin on her neck. ¡°No no I¡¯m fine I promise, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± She paused for a moment, suddenly appearing to analyze me. ¡°Wait, did you need something? You not hurt are you?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little, ¡°no nothing like that. Well. I mean I am, but I was treated already.¡±

    She Let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good, I would have felt horrible if I was keeping you while you were in pain.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know¡­ It only hurts, when I breathe¡­ But I was actually looking for a different kind of help.¡±

    I don¡¯t know exactly why, but it suddenly became hard to steer the conversation away from what all was ¡°wrong¡± with me. And of course, the list was long and varied¡­ Considering she started diagnosing mental illness as well¡­

 Chapter 39: Check up

    I wound up sitting in one of the private rooms explaining the whole history of my injuries and how it was really fine. It didn¡¯t seem like I was going to get out of it though¡­ So before I knew it I was unfastening my armor so that she could examine the bruising herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Pieta told me about how a beautiful girl ended up coming in with a similar wound. You said you¡¯re lung collapsed and she just ripped the fluid out with magic?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah that was probably me.¡± ¡®Beautiful girl though? Maybe it wasn¡¯t.¡¯

    She started laughing, which honestly made me a bit embarrassed. ¡®Yeah, probably wasn¡¯t me. Who else would come in with wounds from blunt trauma though?¡¯

    When she saw the cloth over my chest as I finished taking off my jerkin she froze stiff. For good measure, I took off my helmet too, so she could examine my head, but she seemed a bit¡­ Preoccupied, probably coming to grips with the fact that I was a girl. ¡°Is it¡­ really that surprising?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have laughed. It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m a dwarf I er¡­ so¡­ You know I¡¯m not used to¨C¡±

    ¡®Yeah¡­ That tracks¡­¡¯ I let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re surprised I¡¯m a girl since my chest is so small.¡± I stretched my stiff shoulders. Starting to think about how I hadn¡¯t had my armor off in a while, considering I slept in it. I felt much lighter but still just as stiff and tired. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have drank so much.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s, well¡­ Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Just forget it¡­ And for the record, even if you are small and skinny for a dwarf¡­ It¡¯s not like anyone would ever confuse you for a human¡­ Or a man.¡±

    She chuckled, seeming to get more relaxed as I started to only feel more uncomfortable. ¡°That¡¯s true, but dwarves are really superficial. The reason we have bigger chests is because we have an organ you don¡¯t that ferments the milk, so girls that are small aren¡¯t just seen as less attractive, but as unfit to have kids¡­¡±

    I finally let my eyes fall directly to her chest, despite how awkward it felt. Under the apprentice robes, she wore a full body cloth that covered her skin, wearing more layers that gave her a very modest appearance. Even despite all of that one thing was obvious. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know about biology but¡­ They ARE bigger than mine¡­¡± ¡®If I really was a guy I bet I wouldn¡¯t have to talk about stuff like this¡­¡¯

    After grabbing several herbs and medicines she turned back to me and tilted her head. ¡°I guess, but do yours even work?¡±

    I felt a rush of chills as I suddenly started to feel naked, grabbing a shirt from my storage and covering myself. ¡°H-how am I supposed to know?¡± I grumbled. ¡°Can we just¡­ Get to the part where you tell me I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    She turned around and began examining the wound, soaking a fresh set of bandages in a similar tonic to what Pieta had used on me earlier. ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯re not acting like an undead.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Uhm¡­ I¡¯m not one, so¨C¡±

    ¡°Then why do you look like one!¡± She shouted, chopping my head with a firm hand. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her pride as a dwarf even more¡­ But she hit like a girl.

    I chuckled. ¡°Guess I wasn¡¯t the beautiful girl your friend helped after all¡­¡± ¡®Still, calling me a zombie¡­ That¡¯s a bit harsh, isn¡¯t it? I mean¡­ I know I¡¯m kinda skinny right now but I have gotten a lot of weight back¡­¡¯

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    She gasped. ¡°Nonono I didn¡¯t mean it like that! It¡¯s just¡­ It looks so bad. You must have done a lot more than just break a few ribs.¡±

    It felt like she was trying to be serious, but was just too ditzy to do it right. It was almost endearing in a strange sort of way. ¡°Is it that bad? Bending over to look hurts, so I¡¯ve been avoiding it.¡±

    She rolled her eyes as she pulled out a large mirror. She wasn¡¯t wrong. My entire side was black and blue from my hip to my chest. It almost did look like the skin of an undead creature, only growing worse after a night''s sleep, at least in appearance.

    Her face turned serious again. ¡°I¡¯m going to start the examination.¡±

    She lifted her hands out and I felt magic gather around them, but I grabbed them before she could use her magic. She froze, opening her eyes and turning red as we stared at each other.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be using magic again so soon¡­¡±

    Once again her serious face vanished in an instant, and she started muttering like a squeaky mouse, so quiet I almost couldn''t even hear it. ¡°U-uhm I should be fine¡­ So I think, this will be ok¡­ I can handle this much at least so don¡¯t worry please¡­¡±

    I let go of her hand. ¡®I mean, there¡¯s no point in turning her down.¡¯ ¡°If you¡¯re sure then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Mana deficiency¡­ It was something I had plenty of experience with being forever a low-tier mage. It was something painful enough I would rather forget about it. ¡®I wonder if she¡¯s recovering faster because she¡¯s already tier 3 or higher.¡¯

    Her hands started to glow before I felt a surge of magic power shoot through me and then return to her.

    She groaned with an annoyed tone. ¡°You bruised your liver¡­ And your spleen, and a kidney¡­ Your right hip has some pulled ligaments in it, likely from a temporary dislocation. The bones in your face are bruised, but I don¡¯t think any of them broke, so that¡¯s good¡­ By this point, most of the damage had been taken care of, but it¡¯s almost like your body was just being held together by magic¡­¡±

    I pulled my shirt back, gently cracking my neck. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a pretty good way of putting it.¡±

    ¡°Are you even listening to me? Why would you put yourself through a fight that would do that?¡±

    ¡®I know already¡­¡¯ I looked her in the eyes. ¡°So, I¡¯m fine right? Just throw the bandage on. I have something else I need to talk to you about.¡±

    She groaned as she poked my hip, making me flinch so bad from the pain I almost thought I tore something. ¡°No, you¡¯re not fine! You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re even alive!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I am alive, so it¡¯s fine.¡± I groaned.

    She groaned back even louder, stomping the ground. ¡°You''re worse than my father!¡± Letting out a long sigh she finally calmed down. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re really a girl? I¡¯ve never met a girl so stubborn¡­¡± Her eyes slowly scanned over my body in a way that made me feel even more uncomfortable. Had she been a man I definitely would have slapped her.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Not going to prove it to you¡­ If that¡¯s what you¡¯re suggesting¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever, just take your pants off.¡±

    ¡®I think I prefer the troll¡­¡¯ I chuckled nervously as I felt another chill ¡°Look you¡¯re cute and all but¨C¡±

    Her face showed just how unamused she was at my attempted joke. ¡°So I can treat your hip. You¡¯ve been running on it even though it hurts because you''re an idiot.¡±

    ¡®How does she even know that?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s really not that¨C¡±

    She rolled her eyes with an angry growl.

    ¡®What¡¯s with her?¡¯ ¡°This is free right¡­¡± She suddenly smiled again and nodded. Her entire demeanor shifted in an instant. ¡°And you¡¯ll help me afterward?¡± She nodded again. ¡°Fa¨C Fine¡­ Do what you want¡­¡±  Without another complaint, I started following her directions to the letter, and before I knew it we were done. She did stop to count every wrap after tying them off¡­ Redoing it because the number wasn¡¯t even¡­ But that honestly didn¡¯t make it take too much longer.

    While the whole situation was a bit uncomfortable, the wrap provided more than enough support for my leg, fixing all of the issues and dull pain from standing or walking. Given everything else that was wrong, I hardly even noticed until it was gone. ¡®It feels good as new, maybe better with the added support.¡¯ I pulled my pants back on over the wrap, which made them fit snugly against the one leg, but that only further enhanced the feeling that it was protected. ¡°Right, thank¡¯s with this I bet I could get back to hunting and¨C¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± She flicked me again, making me freeze completely still while I was locking my belt.

    My voice suddenly became even quieter than hers was a few minutes ago. ¡°O-oh ok¡­ Sorry ma¡¯am¡±

    ¡°Hmph. No more hunting for at least 3 days. And don¡¯t use your recovery magic on the wounds either. They need to heal with time and movement before you just fast-track it.¡±

    I reached down and grabbed my leg, slowly moving it in circles. ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Now, what did you need help with.¡± She asked, finally starting to come out of her serious mode, her face relaxing again.

    After everything that had happened, I almost forgot, but after being reminded I couldn¡¯t help but let my head fall to the side with a sigh. ¡°Are you ready for kind of a long story¡­¡±

 Chapter 40: Problems And Solutions

    When I finally finished explaining my situation to Posy she simply gave a blank stare back as her response. She slowly opened her mouth, then closed it again, repeating the action several times before she said a single word. ¡°Ok¡­¡± She finally muttered, her face and voice completely lacking in emotion. If anything, she looked uncomfortable, as much as when she was being yelled at.

    ¡°Right¡­ So¡­ Any advice? Or, maybe you know someone¡­¡±

    Her eyes began darting around the room faster than I could follow. ¡°I¡­¡± She groaned softly. ¡°I¡­ Have a plan.¡± She suddenly left and moments later reappeared with the other young apprentice, Pieta.

    Holding her friend''s arm she pointed at me. ¡°Tell her about the thing, with the guards¡­¡±

    She blankly looked back and forth between the two of us, clearly confused until Posey pinched her and she straightened up in an instant. ¡°S-sorry! Right, the guards¡­ The¡­ Oh. When we first got here one of the guards was wounded so my master treated her. She said that she got hurt roughhousing with some of the guys, but my master told me she was lying, they were wounds from a minotaur, most likely a large one. What was weirder was that we later overheard some of the other guards joking about how they were going to hunt their first minotaur, and that it would be easy. I¡¯m not a fighter, but I thought they were tough weren¡¯t they?¡±

    Posy nodded, turning back to me. ¡°You said that¡¯s the quest you took right? To kill a minitour?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°So¡­ You think I stole someone''s kill, and now I¡¯m being targeted?¡±

    She shook her head with another groan. ¡°No¡­ Erhm¡­¡±

    Pieta clung closely to her friend''s side. ¡°Hey, posy calm down, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    I let out a long sigh. ¡®It almost looks like she¡¯s the one being framed¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Complicated.¡± I said, explaining everything once again. ¡°We''re trying to figure out how I can get out of this bogus fine and preferably take down a corrupt official, you want in?¡±

    She chuckled nervously. ¡°Yeah¡­ That would do it.¡±

    Posy shook her head again with another groan. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­ Need to think¡­ Hard to explain.¡±

    Pieta sighed as she turned back to me. ¡°As you can see she gets really anxious about other people''s problems¡­ She¡¯s not going to let this go till things turn out alright so, try to keep her out of trouble, will you? It¡¯s easier for her to tutor me when her brain isn¡¯t hyperfocused on unfinished business that she can¡¯t let go of¡­¡±

    Pieta left, and once again I was waiting for Posy to form her thoughts into words, once again she left instead of doing so. This time though, who she brought back really surprised me¡­ Almost as much as it surprised him.

    ¡°Finn?¡±

    He squinted, recognizing my armor but not my face, when he put the two together he suddenly turned pale. ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s my name, uh¡­ ehrm¡­ So¡­ Guess killing the minitour wasn¡¯t the only thing that you weren¡¯t hiding¡­ Well, ok then miss Posy, what is it that you require?¡±

    She pointed at me again. ¡°You¡¯re a spy right?¡±

    ¡°No, I told you. I¡¯m not a spy I¡¯m a Rougue, a thief, a detective, and a teller of tall tales.¡±

    She pinched him, growling.

    ¡°Ow ow ow, geez¡­ Your hands may be human-sized but you sure have the grip of a dwarf¡­¡±

    She scowled even more as she let go. I almost expected her to hit him, but she simply waited instead, staring at him intently.

    When he finally straightened himself back out and looked at her face he almost turned to putty. ¡°I¡­ also spy on people when necessary, yes¡­¡±

    Every time our eyes met, his seemed to drift away. Before I knew it mine were doing the same¡­ It felt stupid, but the only reason I was embarrassed was because he seemed to be too.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Tell her about the nets,¡± Posy said bluntly, poking him over and over again in the side.

    He paused for a moment, clearing his throat. ¡°Right, the chains in the castle, what about them?¡±

    She furrowed her brow. ¡°How many were there?¡±

    ¡°Two sets, but why does that matter?¡± He grinned.

    ¡°It¡­ It doesn¡¯t¡­ Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡®This is way too complicated.¡¯ ¡°Posy, I¡¯m having a hard time understanding, can you just try and tell me what you''re trying to say?¡±

    Finn jumped up to a nearby stack of crates, casually sitting down and finally looking at me without any tension in his eyes. ¡°Yeah, Posey doesn¡¯t really do that.¡±

    She quickly whacked him in the shin, making him flinch and nearly fall off the crate as he curled over.

    ¡°I can talk just fine¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ Easier¡­ When it¡¯s about things that are simple, like math, or numbers, or how to reverse goo someone''s insides¡­ Not people¡­ People are hard¡­¡±

    After taking a deep breath Finn let out a groan as he slowly relaxed again. ¡°What she¡¯s trying to say is that she understands the world better than anyone else because she¡¯s stupid smart, but has a hard time explaining what she understands to the people around her.¡±

    She went to punch him again but stopped, only making him flinch. ¡°Calling someone stupid smart makes no sense, why would you say it like that? Seriously, you¡¯re so annoying.¡±

    He just smiled, pulling his feet underneath him so she couldn¡¯t reach anymore as he stuck his tongue out at her before turning back to me. ¡°So here''s the deal right, In the castle there are two sets of chains designed to transport beasts, the kind you would use to take them alive and put them in the arena. Only it makes no sense for them to be here, not those ones anyway.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit strange I guess¡­ Trapping wouldn¡¯t be a gaol during a crisis, and I haven¡¯t seen anyone out looking to take monsters alive.¡¯ ¡°Is it THAT strange though? Do they not put wargs and spiders in the arena? I haven¡¯t been there in a while, but aren¡¯t hoard battles a thing? Like, one person against a ton of lower-level monsters.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°No they do, and you''re right, but the chains were way too big to use on wargs, and they wouldn¡¯t have used normal steal to catch spiders, the spiders would either cut through it or melt it. Here¡¯s the thing. The chains were enchanted with protection against tearing and striking, not cutting, and not acid. There¡¯s only one thing in this whole forest they could be used for.¡±

    ¡°Catching a minotaur¡­¡±

    We both paused and I looked back at Posy again. ¡°Ok, so they wanted to take it alive, and I killed it, but I can¡¯t change that now, how does that help me?¡±

    She just let out another growl, rolling her eyes at Finn and waiting as if he could read her mind.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s the thing¡­¡± he continued. ¡°Those chains have been here since before the first minotaur sighting.¡±

    Instantly it all clicked. ¡°Sparks¡­¡±

    Finn grimaced as he jumped down from the box. ¡°You were right about pissing them off, but you have no idea just how much.¡±

    ¡°No, I get it¡­ At least I think I do¡­¡± I slowly rubbed my hand down my face. ¡°So the working theory is that these jerk wads captured the minotaur and brought them here. That¡¯s why one of the guards was hurt by one, even though they should have never been far enough out to see them. That explains the chains too. They likely placed the minotaur inside the saxifrage cave to then skyrocket the demand, then when it hit its peak, they would kill the minitour, gather the herbs, and have a complete monopoly over the antidote for a while¡­ That also explains the massive reward¡­¡± I let out a heavy sigh, shifting my weight and moving my leg around a bit more. ¡°Right¡­ So what¡¯s the plan then?¡±

    Posy smirked smugly as Finn simply stood there dumbfounded. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, well, that¡¯s a good theory at least. I¡¯ve been trying to dig up some dirt, but it¡¯s a bit hard. We need more than circumstantial evidence.¡±

    I slowly rolled my shoulder, feeling my bruised skin stretch with every movement. It was sore but manageable. ¡°Like?¡± I asked, starting to tie up my hair.

    ¡°Any incriminating documents, an eye witness, or any evidence that points to the minotaur being moved forcibly. We need an actual crime before we have suspects.¡±

    I finished tying up my hair and put my helmet back on. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Go¡­ Where¡­¡±

    I grabbed my jerkin, thinking about just throwing it on over my hoody, but deciding I didn¡¯t want to wear out my new clothes, besides¡­ I didn¡¯t want any more of my clothes to stink from gore. Instead I just awkwardly held it, taking a moment to appreciate how thoroughly it was stained. ¡°First to the saxifrage cave where I killed it. You can¡¯t move something that big without a trail, then after the sunsets, we¡¯ll break into the castle and snoop around some there.¡±

    He blankly stared at me for a moment before turning to Posy, whose eyes were as wide as an owl staring down its next meal.

    After a short moment, he smirked. ¡°I like her.¡± He said bluntly, crossing his arms.

    She punched him in the stomach with another groan. ¡°Breaking the law is bad.¡±

    ¡°After coughing he just smiled back, walking over and placing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Right, right. Sorry. Tip of the trade for you Chika, don¡¯t talk about breaking the law in front of a priest. Let¡¯s go talk about this outside instead.¡±

    Posy just tilted her head with a sigh. ¡°Can you two just¡­ Ugh¡­ Finn!¡± She whined. With an ever-widening grin, he spun around like a dancer, light on his feet, and tousled her hair a bit on his way out.

    ¡°Theive¡¯s guild?¡± I asked, quickly changing now that he was gone.

    ¡°Circle of smoke¡­¡± She mumbled looking down. ¡°HE!... Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to shout. He¡¯s¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°He¡¯s really bad at fighting, so please don¡¯t let him be too stupid.¡±

    ¡®He can¡¯t be that bad if he¡¯s in one of the 10 great guilds¡­¡¯ As I walked past her I caught myself just before I rubbed her head too, pulling my hand away before embarrassing myself. After seeing Finn do it, it almost felt a little too natural. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll watch his back.¡±

    She groaned, suddenly hugging me. ¡°You make me just as anxious!¡± She yelled, quickly letting go before I could even figure out what was happening.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry?¡± I slowly inched away until I made it to the exit. ¡°Bye then¡­¡± before she could respond I ducked out, afraid it would get even more awkward if I waited too long.

    ¡°First stops the cave right?¡± Finn asked. He was leaning against the tint with a fist lifted out to me. ¡°You ready partner?¡±

    ¡®The easygoing type then.¡¯ Lifting my fist against his I pulled my sword from storage and tied it to my side. ¡°Sorry if I slow you down¡­ It¡¯s been a long week.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, It¡¯ll just make me feel bad if you get ahead of me.¡±

    ¡®Pretty humble for a storyteller from a thieves guild¡­¡¯

 Chapter 41: Finding the Trail

    ¡®First I fought like a warrior, then helped people like a cleric, and now I''m sneaking around like a thief. If this goes in the right direction I¡¯ll end up brawling like a monk too. What¡¯s next, will I get to ride around on a mount like a tamer for a while? Oh, but doing some more magic stuff would be cool too.¡¯

    I started counting other skills on my fingers getting excited that I was finally starting to be as versatile as a real adventurer. ¡®I made some new armor, so that¡¯s crafting, of course, I enchanted it. I should use the minotaur blood to brew some potions, then I can work on my alchemy. What¡¯s even left after that?¡¯ I felt a chill go down my spine. ¡®Right¡­ I still haven¡¯t been to a shrine yet¡­ Sorry Plutia¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to make you some ribs when I visit ok?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t see her, but I was sure she was rolling her eyes as she passed my prayer on to God

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so relaxed!¡± Finn yelled back at me as we ran through the treetops.

    ¡®You should see me when I have a reason to be tense¡­¡¯ ¡°You smell that!¡± I yelled back, stopping at the clearing, still covered in the scent of blood. ¡°The smell keeps everything away, well, at least here. If we were in a higher leveled area it would probably have the opposite effect, but this is the great forest. The only thing attracted to minotaur blood would be like a spider queen or something.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± He said slowly, jumping down to the pool of blood and dipping his fingers in it. ¡°And if that happens?¡±

    I froze stiff for a moment at how serious his voice was but quickly relaxed. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that, please¡­ You might give me a heart attack. I doubt there are any spider queens, and if there was one, no way it would leave the dungeon over something like this.¡±

    ¡°You right, you right¡± He sighed, standing back up. ¡°Well, obviously this is where you killed it. This is where you found it too?¡±

    ¡°Well This cave was its home for sure, it brought food back here to eat, I attacked just before that.¡±

    ¡°So the question is simple, how did it get here, and where did it come from.¡±

    I walked out in the middle of the field, squatting down and taking a long look at the entrance to the cave. ¡°Which area do black minitours come from again? I usually just stay around here, so I don¡¯t actually know much about them.¡±

    He continued checking the surroundings as he answered. ¡°You know how this cave is at the base of a cliff, well, on the other side of the cliff is an icy mountain, and tucked away in the icy mountain is a semi-active volcanic crater. The minitours that are black are the tribe from that crater. It¡¯s said the volcanic magic charred their fur with ash and gave some the power of fire magic. There are plenty of good stories from that area.¡±

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    ¡®No one told me there was a chance that thing could use magic¡­¡¯ My whole body quickly shuddered as I left the past behind me, deciding to be more careful in the future.

    ¡°I find it unlikely that they drug it around the mountain through the snow, even if they did they would have been seen, there is only one common path right?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Right, so that would suggest a hidden route through the mountain, possibly underground, like the dwarven tunnels that run north.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those overrun with demons?¡±

    He came over and sat down next to me. ¡°It was just an example. What are you looking at?¡±

    I pointed to a discoloration on the stone See that, scratches on the cave wall, probably from chains, a warg, or spiders would leave deeper cuts in the stone. Standing up I headed over to take a closer look, piecing the scene together in my mind. ¡°It probably woke up too early and struggled, these marks are from them trying to drag it out of the cave.¡±

    ¡°You mean into the cave?¡±

    I took a closer look, examining other marks deeper in. ¡°No, out of the cave. I met a tamer once, he told me that when relocating a monster you never wanted to leave it inside of a cave, because if it woke up there it would feel trapped and find somewhere else to make its home. So you had to leave it outside, and when they woke up they would naturally make whatever was closest to them their home. Whether or not this applies here I have no idea, but if they were dragging it out of the cave¨C¡±

    ¡°Then that implies they went through it¡­¡±

    Turning back I waved him over and we continued inwards past the first part over to the large, slightly hidden crack in the wall where I found another chamber. ¡°When I was here last time I found this secluded area that made for a good hiding place I wasn¡¯t thinking about it before, but check this out. See this water?¡±

    He shrugged, simply waiting for me to explain.

    ¡°Well, it had to come from somewhere right? And not from the rain, Even if somehow rainwater dripped in through all this rock, it would be absorbed by the crystals, the ones lighting up the cave.¡± I pointed. ¡°They work like sponges and glow brighter the more water they take in.¡±

    ¡°Right, and the ones here aren¡¯t glowing. They tend to only grow in dry areas anyway because they ironically don¡¯t like water. So an underground river then?¡±

    That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­ But¡­ It would have to be something the minotaur could fit through¡­¡±

    He put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath, scanning the cave with a discerning gaze. ¡°Right, well, see if you can find anything in the lake and I¡¯ll check around the walls. I guess we''re looking for a secret passage, probably one that involves water.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I took off my unfastened my sword belt, throwing my gear to the side and unbuckling my jacket. Just as I pulled it down off my shoulders though he pushed it back on, firmly holding it with a hand on each side.

    ¡°I changed my mind. I¡¯ll take a look in the lake.¡± He said confidently, patting my armor as he walked past me and started taking off his own gear, suddenly making me more than a bit embarrassed, pulling my jacket closed in front again. ¡®It¡¯s not like I was going to strip¡­ I could just use my magic to dry myself off afterward, so why does my face feel so hot¡­¡¯

    I covered my face with my hands, taking a deep breath through my fingers before opening my eyes again. Just like that, he was already stripped down to his underwear, stretching his arms, and my face was heating up even more.

    ¡°Ok, we''re probably looking for a mechanism, if it¡¯s a hidden door, but try searching for magic just in¡­ Case¡­¡± He stopped and stared at me for a moment, taking a wide stance as he relaxed his posture.

    ¡°Right!¡± I turned around, freezing up. ¡®Is my face so red it left him speechless?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll get started then.¡± Again his voice was confident, making me feel like I was the only one embarrassed¡­ making me more embarrassed. Eventually, I did somehow manage to calm down though, and after that, I started my own search. ¡®A mechanism huh¡­ I scoured basically every corner of the room gathering the herbs last time and didn¡¯t see anything strange.¡¯

 Chapter 42: Secret Tunnel.

    After several minutes of searching I was still coming up empty-handed, but eventually, Finn found something in the lake that pointed us in the right direction.

    ¡°I already checked this wall though, I couldn¡¯t find anything.¡±

    He climbed out of the water, and stepped up next to me, after a moment he pulled down on a rock, which slid and caused a mechanism to reveal a keyhole. ¡°Maybe it just needed a man¡¯s touch.¡± He joked with a grin.

    ¡°Ok, smart guy¡­ Where¡¯s the key¡­ You can¡¯t pick a magic lock.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I can¡­ Actually¡­ But it would take a few hours. It would be nice if there was a faster way through.¡±

    I started to rub my fingers together as I generated heat with my manna until they started to glow. ¡°Well, I mean, I can try blowing it up.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows at me before backing away. ¡°Hey, go for it. Just don¡¯t make the ceiling fall down.¡±

    ¡®I doubt I¡¯m powerful enough to do something like that¡­¡¯ I walked up to the lock and took a closer look at it. After manipulating water into the mechanism and throughout the entire wall I froze it solid, creating an icy doorway and weakening the rock as the water expanded.

    ¡°Hurry up and put your clothes back on¡­¡± I grumbled, blasting him with a wave of hot air to dry him off as I stepped back as well. ¡®I¡¯m probably the only mage that can actually use fire and water magic together, so I doubt many people know about this.¡¯ taking a deep breath in I breathed out fire as hot as I could, flooding it across the ice, and as it rapidly turned to steam inside the enclosed spaces I started to hear the wall begin to rumble. I increased the heat of the flames again and it quickly reached its boiling point, with a single rather anticlimactic pop the whole wall slightly moved forward, slowly tipping over and crashing into the water.

    Finn slowly nodded, buckling his jerkin and patting me on the shoulder again as he stepped past me. ¡°Or a woman''s touch, that works too.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly what I¡¯d call blowing a door off its hinges¡­ But sure¡­¡±

    He continued on into the newly opened passageway and created a tiny flicker of light like a wisp shooting out of his fingers like a blow dart down into the tunnel. ¡°River flows downstream to this cave, but it¡¯s almost level so the current is weak. It¡¯s wide too, I bet they put the beast on a raft and sailed it down.¡±

    ¡°How do we prove that though.¡± I stepped past him, taking the lead again.

    ¡°We follow the tunnel.¡± His voice echoed through the tunnel next to the sound of the gently moving stream as we walked through the dark.

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    ¡®He could totally kill me right now and no one would ever know.¡¯

    ¡°We make a pretty good team you know.¡±

    I paused for a minute. ¡®Is that like, what a normal person would be thinking right now? Is my brain that far off?¡¯ ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I thought back to how efficiently we made it to where we were. ¡®Well, we''re not a bad team at least.¡¯ ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never been on one before. Isn¡¯t this normal though? With two of here, we would be twice as effective.¡±

    He laughed, slowing down his pace, staying just behind instead of taking the lead again. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not normal at all¡­ If anything it¡¯s more common for you to be half as effective.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I continued slowing down, starting to get anxious from the dark because of how close he was. Using my magic I created several more little sprites and sent them out into the air around us. After that, we walked for what felt like miles in complete silence. He seemed perfectly content with that, but the longer it went on the more awkward and nervous I felt.

    ¡°Hey.¡± His voice echoed through the tunnel again, shocking me to my core, and making me inhale so fast I thought I might die. ¡°If a fight does break out I want you to stay behind me alright¡­ I know it probably sounds like I¡¯m only saying this because you''re a girl, but I¡¯m not. You¡¯re pretty banged up right now, so don¡¯t do anything stupid. You already proved you''re as good as I am ok.¡±

    I leaned against the wall taking a short rest and making sure I breathed slowly till the pain died down again. ¡°Hey, if you want to be some knight in shining armor or whatever go ahead, less work for me. It might be fun to kick back for a while and be protected for once. But¡­ I¡¯m not going to hide behind you either, especially if you end up needing help. You know, Posy actually told me to do all the fighting for you because you sucked at it¡­¡± A long pause hung in the air before I finished. ¡°I¡¯m sure she''s just worried but¡­ I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is. Just watch my back and I¡¯ll watch yours, deal?¡±

    He let out a sigh of relief that I couldn¡¯t fully understand. ¡°Deal.¡±

    After a short break, we continued, eventually making it to the end of the tunnel. There was no secret door, just a straight shot out into a massive open plane covered in snow. Just the sight of it almost paralyzed me as we continued following what little was left of the tracks.

    Eventually, I came to a complete stop, my chest tightening up until I couldn¡¯t breathe. I heard it crunch under my boots, I felt the weight shift as it compacted with each step. Just the noise left chills running down my arms. ¡®There¡¯s still snow here¡­ We should have waited¡­ We could have¡­¡¯

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    I slowly turned to look at the cliff, tracing a trail around it in my mind, thinking back to how my parents died. They went hunting in the snow, but they didn¡¯t die in the great forest, they died on the trail around the mountain, no one ever found their bodies¡­ I saw the scene myself thanks to some of my parent''s friends, there was so much blood mixed together I couldn¡¯t even tell how much of it was from my parents, but it was pretty clear they weren¡¯t coming back. Still, a part of me almost felt like I would find them if I just walked that way, retracing their steps. It was a paralyzing thought I hadn¡¯t had in a long time, brought about by the pure white wilderness.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    His voice echoed through my ears but I might as well not have heard it, staring off into the distance. I looked down and my chest tightened even more. ¡®Bad footing¡­¡¯ I slowly swallowed trying my best to keep breathing. Rather than taking me in my parent''s friends searched for them, holding out some faint sense of hope even though the monsters in that area were known for not leaving behind bodies. In the end, they died too, I never saw it but I heard the stories. ¡®Pushed off a cliff¡­ Eaten alive¡­ Skewered, ambushed¡­ You can¡¯t fight in the snow¡­ What if that¡¯s what we''re walking into, what if there''s

    ¡°Get down!¡± I suddenly felt my head hit the ground, cushioned by the snow crunching underneath its weight.

    Hitting the ground shocked my system enough for me to come back to my senses, and ironic though it may be, the burning pain in my lungs took my focus away from my tightening chest and helped me to keep breathing.

    As I looked up I saw a massive bird fly clear over us, silent as a gust of wind, kicking up snow and dusting us with it as it passed by. Without thinking I jumped to my feet and pulled my spear.

 Chapter 43: Bait.

    ¡°It¡¯s no good, Stay low and run back to the cave.¡±

    The icy air scraped my lungs as my breath quickened. ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t run¡­ If I give in¡­¡¯ He grabbed my arm and my feet carried me after him. It swept back around but was too weary of my spear to dive, and before it could come around a third time we were back in the cave.

    I took a deep breath, stepped deeper in, and dropped my spear on the ground, finding comfort in the clanging, as opposed to the crunching of snow. As I exhaled I squatted down to catch my breath.

    ¡°You going to tell me what that was about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not¡­¡± I groaned, sitting down against the wall.

    He let out a steep puff of air, brushing the snow off his pant legs. ¡°Alright, fair enough. So where do we go from here.¡±

    I started out into space. ¡°Running was the right call, there¡¯s nothing wrong with falling back¡­ But¡­¡± I paused. ¡®I froze up again, just like before, but for some reason when I¡¯m in a fight, a switch flips in my brain. If I want to get over this absurd fear of snow, I¡¯ll hardly have a better chance than this.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill it.¡±

    He crossed his arms, widening his stance. ¡°Do you even know what ¡°it¡± is, or are you just being reckless.¡±

    I slowly stood up swinging my arm to make sure I could move it properly without any old wounds opening up and sure enough it was good to go. ¡°Terror bird. They have sharp talons and strong enough wings that they can use them as bludgeons if they need to. I¡¯ve read about all the monsters at least once.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­ What¡¯s the plan? I can only use light magic and a bit of metal, nothing that can help in a fight, I¡¯m a thief, not an assassin. The footing is bad, it¡¯s faster than us, and we can¡¯t fly.¡±

    Picking up my spear I checked the new tip and shaft, making sure it was sturdy. ¡°Fighting birds is like fighting horses. Point the spear up and aim for the neck, easy.¡±

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    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    I walked back out to the edge of the cave. ¡°If the field of battle is not suitable to your needs, then change it.¡±

    ¡°And now we''re quoting a war saint¡­ Ok, so how are we going to get the bird to fight us somewhere else?¡±

    ¡°Wait that¡¯s what the quote means?¡± I looked back at his blank expression before he let out a snort with a faint smile. Turning back to the snowy plane I pointed. ¡°No, we just make it so the snow isn¡¯t a problem. The ground is hard to work with because it¡¯s frozen, and snow is harder to move than water, but I don¡¯t have to use magic to fix the issue. Just draw its attention while I get on top of that hill.¡±

    He took another deep breath, walking up next to me. ¡°Ok, I can handle two dives on my own without getting caught, is that enough time, or do you need me to bait for three.¡±

    ¡°Two should be fine, how much riskier is three.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like fifty-fifty I probably won¡¯t die, but I¡¯d take a hit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, two should be fine¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure¡­¡±

    I looked back over to the hill, judging the distance again. ¡®I be more sure if I¡¯d ever run in the snow before¡­ But I could make the run in the sand. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want him risking his life when It¡¯s my idea¡­¡¯

    ¡°Like 100% sure, because I¡¯ll pull for three.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, now are you ready?¡±

    He rolled his eyes with a sigh. ¡°You better know what you''re doing minotaur slayer¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m trying to do¡­¡±

    He cracked his neck jumping up and down a few times to get the nerves out. I can¡¯t believe you''re smiling right now¡­

    My heartbeat quickened anticipating the fight. He was right, I was getting excited. A life-or-death battle was the only thing that forced me to get over whatever thoughts haunted me, and every time I faced one I felt myself grow. Even recovering from my battle with the minotaur, being bathed in its blood strengthened my muscles, that was the only explanation I had for why I had suddenly become so much stronger. Strong enough to do something crazy.

    ¡°I have a pretty good healing potion and decent armor, so the question isn¡¯t whether I¡¯ll win, it¡¯s how close I¡¯ll get to dying.¡±

    ¡°Not helping my confidence, but that¡¯ll make a good story.¡± He groaned before bursting out of the cave like a bolt from a crossbow. In a flash he was gone, screaming to get its attention.

    The moment it saw him I took off for the hill. The snow was deep, but not up to my knee, so I could manage, carrying my feet as fast as I could until my legs started to burn and my lungs started to sting.

    It swept down and before it could reach him he almost seemed to split into three people for a second like a mirage, slipping directly between the bird''s talons.

    I made it to the hill, trying to climb it, but slipping on the wet snow. ¡®Sparks¡­¡¯ I turned back to see it dive after him again. ¡®That¡¯s two¡­¡¯ This time he blinked and stepped to the side, traveling several meters so fast it almost looked like he teleported. ¡®Gotta move¡­¡¯ I felt a sharp spike rush through my heart as I pulled out my ax, lodging it into the side of the hill and using it to climb higher, jumping from its head and sticking my dagger into it to help me pull myself up to the top.

    I turned to find the bird, but when I traced it with my eyes it was making another dive at Finn, just before it got a hold of him he somehow managed to parry its talons with his knife, doing the other.

    ¡®So much for giving me two¡­¡¯

    After the third sweep he turned invisible, at least from where I was standing, from then on I was on my own again. ¡®Let¡¯s get to work.¡¯

 Chapter 44: Footing

    ¡®If the footing is bad¡­¡¯ I grabbed my greatsword from storage and swung it down with all my might, splitting the ground in two and wedging it into the earth under the snow. ¡®Change the footing.¡¯

    Climbing up onto the handle and crossguard, I braced myself as best as I could, holding strong enough to take on a cavalry charge. ¡®I wonder if I¡¯m the first person to ever try something like this.¡¯

    The bird spotted my red armor in no time, and its focus immediately shifted, sweeping back around and coming at me head-on.

    I pulled my spear from storage and gripped it tightly with both hands, but just like before, it cut its charge short, blasting me with its wings, still refusing to make a sound.

    To brace against the gust of wind I leaned forward on the handle of the sword and pushed against the crossguard with my feet, standing strong until it pulled away giving me a small opening to hurl a throwing knife into its left wing. ¡®Ok, not bad so far¡­¡¯ My grip tightened around my spear handle as my chest tightened again. Only, for better or for worse, this time the feeling came with a sharp grin. ¡®What if I made it through without a scratch at all? Now that would be a good story.¡¯

    It dove at a much steeper angle than before, this time head first, and in the blink of an eye, it spun, grabbing onto my spear with its claws and ripping it out of my hands, using the slope behind me as a cushion, and sliding down on it¡¯s closed wings.

    ¡®The book didn¡¯t say it could do that¡­¡¯

    It slowly stood up, shaking out like a dog to get the snow off, and took to the air again.

    ¡®Ok¡­ I still have my sword¡­ And¡­ a couple throwing knives.¡¯ I pulled my sword from storage, trying to think about how I should fight it when it started its next dive. ¡®Ok, so the plan could have been a bit better¡­¡¯ Using my metal magic I forced my dagger to fly up to my hand from where it was stuck in the hill. Now duel-wielding, I managed to block each of the bird''s talons, pushing my sword further into the earth from the weight of it bearing down on me. It pecked at me with its beak, but it was so large that its movements were long enough for me to dodge until I changed the angle of my sword, to free my dagger and stab it in the leg, slicing down several inches across its thigh to the hilt. Ripping it out I stuck it higher, into the bird''s chest, further hurting its ability to use its left wing.

    Even after all that it was strong enough to blow me half off my feet as It flew away, taking my dagger and my sword with it as I just barely managed to keep my balance. ¡®It¡¯s moving a lot slower now¡­ And with its left leg hurt I only really have to worry about its right side.¡¯

    I looked down at my hands, rubbing them on my pant leg to get the sweat off as I shook out my right leg, readjusting my footing. ¡®I just have to stay away from its talons right¡­ So, aim for the head then? I¡¯ve got more than enough magic I think. Even a bird should get knocked out if you hit it hard enough in the face.¡¯

    It swept down, swaying from an inconsistent wingbeat as it viciously raised out its legs to tear me apart. Before it could get close I used fire breath to force it to halt, killing its momentum, and after the spell died down, I enhanced my body, leaping into the air as high as I could and twisting, then boosting my kick with wind magic. I slammed my iron-plated shin guard directly into its open jaw, hearing it crack like wood.

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    At the same time a sharp pain radiated like pins and needles through my right leg, making me unsteady for a second, and instead of landing on the ground, my ankle twisted on the hilt of my greatsword, slipping off and making my momentum flip me backward until I landed flat on my face.

    Thankfully the snow was nice enough to break my fall, so the reason I didn¡¯t get up right away was mostly out of embarrassment instead of pain. Although I certainly felt plenty of both. My nerves wouldn¡¯t let me rest until I saw its corpse with my own eyes, so I flipped over onto my back, and in some absurd twist of events, it seemed it had barrel rolled down into my great blade and nearly severed its own head off as it fell, slicing over halfway through. ¡®Well¡­ I¡¯m definitely the first person to do that¡­¡¯

    Still refusing to get up, I laid down on my back, letting the cold numb my injuries as I took in the strange contrast between the heat in my body and the cold air entering my lungs. ¡®It was almost cool¡­¡¯ I lifted my head to look at the corpse one more time, half expecting it to twitch. ¡®Maybe one of these days I¡¯ll actually use a weapon the way you''re supposed to.¡¯

    Light footprints slowly began to fill my ears until a heavy groan rang out next to me. ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I sighed, holding a thumbs up in the air. ¡°Bird¡¯s dead though. Guess that means I won.¡±

    He squatted down next to me for a moment, staring at the corpse. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, in the story I¡¯ll say you stuck the landing.¡±

    I chuckled, slowly forcing myself to stand, still feeling pain in my leg where I kicked the bird, and having trouble putting weight on it after twisting that same ankle. ¡°I appreciate it, but doesn¡¯t it make for a better story this way? Every fight I do a little bit better than the last, instead of being some fake perfect hero.¡±

    He laughed as he walked over to the bird''s corpse and started inspecting it, pulling several small throwing knives out of its back that weren¡¯t mine... ¡°Someone enchanted this thing with pretty strong magic, to attack humans and guard this area, I think that¡¯s proof enough don¡¯t you?¡±

    I tried to grin, but I was still struggling to even stand, so I slowly just sat back down. ¡°What, you mean we''re done already?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I was looking forward to¨C walking another 8 miles through the snow and¡ª maybe fighting another minotaur¡­¡±

    He let out a deep sigh as he turned around, his face telling me he didn¡¯t get the joke until he looked at me, his expression suddenly changing. ¡°I thought you said you were fine, can you seriously not even stand?¡±

    ¡°Give me a break, it was a hard fight alright!¡± I grabbed my bootstraps and tightened them to try and add support, but it just made the pain worse. ¡°After it finishes swelling up I should be able to walk on it without damaging the joint anymore, just¡ª Give me a few minutes¡­¡±

    Light flecks of snow sparkled from his hair as he pulled his hood back with a sarcastic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how that works.¡±

    My whole leg began to throb as the adrenaline wore off and I felt my smile vanish as my voice became quiet as a mouse. ¡°Why does it hurt so much¡­¡± I took my helmet off to try and ease the rush of heat still running through me and looked up to Finn, my voice unchanged. ¡°How about you¡­ You¡¯re not hurt, are you? You said, what you did was risky.¡±

    After staring into my eyes for a few seconds he turned away. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Grab your stuff back into storage and I¡¯ll drag you to the cave. It would be hard carrying you through snow this deep.¡±

    With a sigh of my own, I started to pack up, having him help me so I wouldn¡¯t have to move, and when it was all in my magic space he wrapped a cloak under my back and bellow my arms, crossing my injured ankle over my good one and dragging me through the snow.

    ¡°Was all this really necessary?¡± I asked softly. ¡®I mean, it would be hard to get through the snow¡­ But I probably could have limped well enough.¡¯

    He groaned, his breath running short as he kept trudging along. ¡°It¡¯s better to treat wounds where it¡¯s dry. It¡¯s probably better to check your wounds somewhere out of the cold too. Exposing too much skin to the icy wind wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡®Too much skin?¡¯ My mind blanked for a second. ¡®That¡¯s not even what I asked?¡¯ My head naturally leaned against the cloak and closed my eyes, quietly waiting for him to finish dragging me. With plenty of time on my hands, I went over the fight over and over again in my head. ¡®A twisted ankle is relatively minor compared to my last big fight¡­ But the bird didn¡¯t feel half as scary as a minotaur, I wonder if I¡¯m actually improving or if it¡¯s all in my head.¡¯

    I thought through my choice of spells, thinking of different ways I could have approached the fight, but with how much hotter and bigger my fire breath had become, it was safe to say I had indeed improved, maybe even getting close to tier 3 magic.

    Gently opening my eyes again I looked over to the hill I had fought on. ¡°Maybe we make a pretty good team after all.¡±

    He let out a soft chuckle, focusing on moving through the deep wet snow.

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ This was my first real fight with someone helping me, wasn¡¯t it? Well¡­ I¡¯m glad we won. It¡¯s nice having someone to help me out¡­¡¯ He let out a long groan, slowing his pace. ¡®Well, it¡¯s nice for me anyways¡­¡¯

 Chapter 45: Medicine

    After making it back to the cave all the motion stopped, I was tired enough that I almost thought I could fall asleep right there.

    ¡°Try not to move while I dig the teeth out, if your muscles tighten up it will just cause more damage.¡±

    ¡®Teeth?¡¯ ¡°What are you¡ª¡± My eyes widened a bit as I looked down at my leg to see several barbs sticking out as if I has walked through a bunch of burs, only the difference was that they were poking deep through my boot and into my leg. ¡°What kind of freaking bird has teeth!¡± I yelled.

    Carefully looking at each one, he began pulling them out with one of his strange lockpicking tools, using them like pliers. ¡°What kind of girl drop-kicks a bird in the face¡­¡± He said slowly, focusing completely on his task.

    ¡°Well, it worked didn¡¯t it¡­¡± I grumbled, but he didn¡¯t respond.

    After locking the tool onto one of them he lifted his eyes to mine, tilting his head. ¡°Oh I know everything about this monster, I read about it in a book one time¡­¡± He said mocking me.

    ¡°Hey! It was¡ª¡± My words got cut short by the pain of him yanking an especially large tooth out with a grin. Instead of yelling I just closed my eyes and leaned my head against the cave wall.

    ¡°What you have to know about these bird''s teeth, is the sides are bladed too. So you have to keep your mind off the pain while removing them. Otherwise, you might tense up and shred more of your muscle as it contracts. The easiest way to do this is if you¡¯re treating someone else¡­ Is to piss them off. It especially doesn¡¯t help that they have a weak that literally just causes more pain.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut up and finish already¡­¡± I whined, my voice sounding weak and fragile¡± ¡®I guess I know why it hurts so much at least¡­¡¯

    ¡°R-right¡­ Sorry.¡±

    It was only a brief moment, but for some reason he became flustered.

    After taking out all the teeth he took my boot off and rolled up my pant leg to my knee. ¡°It¡¯s not bad, so you should be fine, just hold on a minute while I bandage it and use the medicine.¡±

    I slid myself back a bit away from him before he could do anything. ¡°Hold up a second, you don¡¯t need to do that.¡±

    He slowly lowered the medicine glancing to the side. Again slightly flustered, but barely showing it. ¡°I just pulled teeth out of your leg¡­ We should at least disinfect it. Are you afraid of medicine or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± I yelled, quickly shutting my mouth at how much I sounded like one¡­ ¡°I just¡­ UGH. I can use magic to do all that, and I can do it myself.¡±

    He put the medicine away and gestured toward me. ¡°Sure, that works too.¡± He said bluntly, staring so intently it started to make me nervous.

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­ Not even that hard¡­ I just¡­¡¯ I used ¡°disinfect¡± to clean the wound and then manipulated water to wash it, using another spell to make sure it wouldn¡¯t get infected on top of that. ¡°See¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t need to waste supplies on me, and this way I don¡¯t owe you either.¡±

    He let out a sigh as he pulled the medicine back out and walked toward me, grabbing my leg and pouring it over the wounds, making me try to jerk my leg back, but ultimately failing. Still feeling the injury in my hip and quickly giving up on jerking free.

    The medicine stung so bad it felt like my entire leg all the way up to my hip broke out into a sweat and I reflexively tried to punch him. ¡°Gah!¡± He dodged out of the way of my first punch, and I didn¡¯t see a need to throw a second, calming down.

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    ¡°First of all, that spell you use only gets rid of what¡¯s there, it doesn¡¯t stop new infections from forming. Second, This medicine is free, it¡¯s from the white light guild, so you don¡¯t owe me, and you don¡¯t owe them any more than you did for fixing you up the last time. And thirdly¡­¡±

    He paused staring down at me, making me feel like a stubborn child. ¡°Thridly?¡± I timidly mumbled, waiting for him to finish.

    He bashfully turned away. ¡°Well, really there¡¯s just those two¡­ Three points just sound so natural you know¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m going to wrap your leg now if that¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I said fine! Geeze. Just do it already, or give it to me and I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    As he slid one of his hands up my calf and behind my knee it felt so cold I let out a yelp. I expected him to apologize, but instead, he gave me a funny look that gave me the hiccups, all of it just serving to make me feel embarrassed again¡­ And suddenly I was the one that was flustered¡­

    ¡°There. You¡¯re ankles swollen up pretty badly. I can wrap it for support, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend walking on it.¡±

    I tried my best to suppress my hiccups, turning away slightly so I wouldn¡¯t have to look at him for fear of just getting more embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Just wrap it and let¡¯s get going¡­ Unless¡­ You have a better idea¡­¡±

    He put the supplies back in his bag. ¡°Well, there are no monsters between here and camp, and I wouldn¡¯t be walking through deep snow, so I could carry you back fairly easily.¡±

    I slowly poked at the wounds on my leg. ¡®They''re not even deep so why does it sting so much¡­¡¯ ¡°You sure you¡¯re strong enough? I¡¯m short, but I¡¯m heavier than I look¡­¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Even if I only get halfway back that¡¯s halfway you don¡¯t have to walk.¡±

    I slowly put my boot back on and stood up to test it. ¡®I mean. I could walk on this if I had to¡­ But there''s no point if I don¡¯t right?¡¯ ¡°Sure¡­ Go for it.¡±

    I took my sword belt off and sent it to storage and next thing I knew I was swept up in his arms, frozen stiff like a possum playing dead in the road.

    ¡°If I carry you on my back it would add pressure on your ribs, so we¡¯ll do it like this.¡±

    Even with my armor on his arms were surprisingly steady, giving me at least a basic confidence he wouldn¡¯t drop me. ¡®I know this is called a princess carry¡­ But I bet we look ridiculous right now¡­¡¯

    ¡°Since your hands are full I¡¯ll take care of lighting the tunnel this time,¡± I said softly, staring off into the darkness and lighting the way, my voice finally starting to return to normal.

    ¡°My hands aren¡¯t really full, I could still use light spells if you¡¯d rather use recovery to heal faster or something.¡±

    I turned my head back to him. ¡°What do you mean, your hands are literally full.¡±

    ¡°Full of what?¡±

    ¡®Is he messing with me right now?¡¯ ¡°Full of me¡­ Your hands are literally full with me.¡±

    After meeting my eyes his face turned slightly red and he quickly snapped them back to the path we were walking. ¡°That¡¯s not true, I¡¯m just carrying you.¡±

    I scoffed. ¡°Really, that¡¯s what makes you embarrassed, of all the things. You know, that really pisses me off.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He said bluntly his stride unchanging as any hint of embarrassment slowly vanished. ¡°You seriously need to be more careful with your words though.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, now I feel like I¡¯m the bad guy.¡±

    Without looking down he raised an eyebrow in deep contemplation. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Not¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well don¡¯t take it back!¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You know, even without getting a good look at your face, I bet I would have figured out you''re a girl.¡±

    ¡°WHAT!¡± I paused, my shout making my voice suddenly come to a screeching halt as if it had hit a brick wall, and my next words were all just being muffled through it as my voice once again became soft and squeaky. ¡°Wha-what¡¯s that supposed to mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Take a guess, then figure out the opposite, that¡¯s how girls usually find out what I¡¯m trying to say, then again you aren¡¯t like most, so it¡¯s probably whatever you think it means.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­ You could just tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°Awe, but what¡¯s the fun in that.¡±

    I rested my head against his shoulder. ¡°Posy hits you a lot doesn¡¯t she¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s totally unrelated.¡±

    ¡®That was a surprisingly quick answer.¡¯

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m surprised being carried doesn¡¯t bother you, I would have thought for sure you would have been the stubborn type that refused to be helped.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even bother opening my eyes, shooting another magic light into the air. ¡°You kidding? This is the best. My feet hurt anyway. There¡¯s no shame in accepting help when you don¡¯t need it, well as long as you didn¡¯t ask for it.¡±

    ¡°And what about when you do?¡±

    ¡°Definitely, definitely shameful. I mean, you still take the help, because you need it so duh, but you should still be ashamed you needed saving.¡±

    ¡°And which one is happening right now?¡±

    I finally opened my eyes, looking back up at him. ¡°For the record, I could have totally walked back on my own, and even if I couldn¡¯t have, I would have made it back there by hopping eventually, this is much appreciated but it¡¯s not necessary¡­¡±

    He chuckled again, laughing at my seriousness, making me once again feel like a child. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s appreciated.¡± He said with a smile.

    From that moment on he never managed to shake that stupid grin off his face, as if would stay on even if he died. ¡®I feel like I understand people even less than when I didn¡¯t talk to them¡­¡¯

 Chapter 46: Sneaky Sneak

    After a long¡­ long walk¡­ Well, Finn did all of the walking, but the fact I was trapped in his arms is probably what made it feel so long¡­ He was constantly saying things like ¡°I thought you read the book, and you didn¡¯t know terror birds have teeth?¡± If I was being honest though¡­ I enjoyed it. I couldn¡¯t remember a time I¡¯d talked to anyone that much. Before I knew it we were outside the camp again.

    ¡°Just set me down here and I¡¯ll walk to the medical tint on my own. Or back to the inn if they are gone already.¡±

    He paused. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not going to be any better after only a few hours.¡±

    I let out an uncomfortable groan. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d really rather not be seen by people being carried like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok, but, can you walk on your own?¡±

    ¡°Just set me down already! If you¡¯re that worried about it then give my your shoulder or something, that way it looks like we''re coming back from a war¡­ Instead of getting married¡­¡±

    He cleared his throat, gently setting me down and wrapping my arm over his shoulders to help me walk, finally seeing reason.

    ¡°Actually, this is perfect, Posey can use healing magic on me and then we can go snoop around the castle, the sun should be setting soon.¡±

    ¡°That was our original plan, but let¡¯s wait till after she freaks out about you getting hurt to talk about that.¡±

    I thought he was exaggerating, but when I saw her, and she saw me, the first thing she did was slap me. Knocking me speechless.

    ¡°I told you to be careful!¡±

    ¡®How did she hit me so hard and manage to make it not hurt at all?¡¯ ¡°You also told me to do all the fighting¡­¡± I raised a hand to my cheek. ¡®I know I felt my head jerk from the impact¡­ Did she use magic? What kind of magic would have this effect? Could I learn it? Wait¡­ Would it even be useful?¡¯

    She growled at Finn who couldn¡¯t wipe the ever so characteristic grin off his face. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    He forced a smile so big he almost closed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of her first. She needs healing magic on her ankle.¡±

    Letting out a long groan, she sent him out of the tint and proceeded to inspect ALL of my injuries, old and new, once again thoroughly ensuring everything was perfect down to the number of times each bandage was wrapped. When she was done, she didn¡¯t even bother to wait for me to get dressed again before calling Finn back into the room.

    All I could do was quickly pull a sweatshirt from storage and cover myself. Of course, within seconds of entering, he casually turned around and left, playing it off like he was never there. ¡®Would it kill him to at least be a little embarrassed¡­ It¡¯s just not fare¡­¡¯

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    After I got dressed again I made my way out of the room and awkwardly let him know I was wearing clothes¡­ So, after that he came back in and, taking off his jerkin, revealed a large gash in his side that gave me chills. Not because it was that bad, but just¡­ Well¡­ It certainly left an impression of him in my mind that I doubt would easily change.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get healing magic till you start to suck less at fighting, just spit on it and wrap it up.¡±

    He chuckled turning over to me while pointing at her. ¡°She also sounds way too serious when she¡¯s being sarcastic.¡±

    She splashed medicine on the wound out of a bowl, making his whole body suddenly go stiff and his eyes widened so much his ears moved. ¡°Who¡¯s being sarcastic? That was a medicine called fire spit, it hurts a lot. You didn¡¯t need it, but it hurts a lot.¡± She quickly wrapped the wound and only after tying it did he finally move again, wiping a tear from one of his eyes. ¡°I thought healers were supposed to get rid of pain¡­¡± He groaned in a way that sounded like he was trying to make a joke.

    ¡°No, healers get rid of problems¡­ Maybe if you experience more pain you¡¯ll stop being stupid and have less of them.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ One way to look at it¡­¡¯ I scratched my head just glad I wasn¡¯t the one being scolded anymore.

    She turned back to me, and admittedly I became a little nervous. ¡°He did something stupid, right? How did he get hurt?¡±

    His eyes followed hers, opening wide again, but this time, an almost threatening, pleading expression overtook his face.

    I grinned. ¡®You deserve this for all that teasing you put me through.¡¯ ¡°We used him as bait, and he intentionally baited for longer than he was supposed to.¡±

    She growled again but I stopped her before she did anything else. ¡°But¡­ If he hadn¡¯t things could have gone a lot worse. So¡­ I don¡¯t think it was stupid at all.¡± ¡®Wait, no I¡¯m defending him? I thought I was getting him back?¡¯

    I looked back and he gave a soft smile before I felt a soft chop to the head from behind. ¡°But why were you fighting it anyway huh!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just let it go?¡± I groaned. ¡®I probably shouldn¡¯t tell her it was because I was afraid of it.¡¯

    Her voice cracked, suddenly softening. ¡°How am I supposed to do that¡­ How am I supposed to do that when one of these times he might not come back alive enough for me to heal him¡­¡±

    All three of us fell dead silent for what felt like an eternity until Finn finally stepped up and rested a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey, come on¡­ I joined the circle of smoke, not the coffin¡¯s reach. Don¡¯t¡­ Hm¡­ Worry all you want, I love proving people wrong.¡±

    She let out a snort, finally smiling and relaxing again. ¡°The sun¡¯s already down, so hurry up and go do all the sneaky sneak before it comes back up.¡±

    She was surprisingly forceful, pushing us out of the tint, and in a way it felt like a storm had passed when we found ourselves standing outside again.

    ¡°Castle?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah...¡± He said back, leaning into his first step as we headed out. On our way there we began discreetly sorting out the plan. ¡°Do you how to sign?¡± He asked, speaking through the gestures from his hands.

    ¡°Well enough,¡± I responded in the same manner.

    From then on we used hand signals to communicate. The plan was simple¡­ We would walk right in through the front gate, and casually walk through as though we were supposed to be there.

    ¡°And if we get caught?¡± I asked.

    He pulled a badge out of his pocket and placed it over his heart. ¡°We will say I¡¯m an elite member of my guild, conducting an inspection.¡±

    I looked closer at the badge. ¡°Are you?¡±

    He grinned but didn¡¯t laugh, staying silent. ¡°Everyone in my guild is an elite member when it¡¯s convenient, and no one is when it¡¯s not. That¡¯s how we do things.¡±

    ¡®I see¡­ That¡¯s¡­ Convenient¡­¡¯

    Sure enough, with that badge, no one dared try and stop us as we headed through the castle''s hallways like we owned the place before finally coming to the place where the hall split. ¡°I¡¯ll go check Alden¡¯s quarters, and then his office, you go check out the chains in the warehouse. In case something happens, here.¡± he spun his finger in a circle, tracing light through the air before a magic thread began to weave itself into existence. The thread attached itself to our ears and suddenly pulled tight, slightly tugging on my ear before vanishing.

    ¡°Now you can hear what I hear, and vice versa. We will know if the other is in trouble.¡±

    I nodded and he set off. ¡®I don¡¯t like splitting up¡­ I don¡¯t have a cover story¡­ But I guess that¡¯s why he took the areas where he would be more likely to get caught.¡¯

    I quietly moved down the other hall, finding my way to the store room. The whole place seemed nearly abandoned. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t find some clues.¡¯

 Chapter 47: Investigation.

    I headed into one of the castle warehouses. It was so massive I thought I might have a hard time finding anything¡­ But¡­ They left the chains lying in the middle of the floor carelessly thrown over all the gear they no doubt used to subjugate the minotaur and move it¡­

    After giving the area a quick once-over. I had to stop myself from setting up lethal traps, reminding myself I was dealing with actual people for once, and not monsters. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to be fast¡­ Fighting my way out won¡¯t be an option.¡¯

    I quickly moved over to the chains, making sure to note the manufacturer''s brand engraved into the metal. Since it was being used for illegal activities, I figured the gear would have been made in-house and lacking one¡­ The chains not only had one though, but the mark wasn¡¯t tampered with or removed either. ¡®The guilds are pretty strict about records and equipment management¡­ I wonder what the stated reason for this being here is?¡¯ I took a closer look, deciphering the meaning of the pattern. ¡®Who decided the crafters needed three different languages to write things in anyway¡­¡¯

    Of the three COMMONLY used scripts¡­ There were glyphs representing sounds, sigiles that represented meaning, and characters, also called ¡°Dura,¡± for ideas, or in some cases full sentences. There were runes too¡­ But those were more about magic stuff than conveying messages.

    ¡®The signature should be branded in Dura¡­ So if I¡¯m reading this right¡­ Runn family, fourth daughter¡­ Using the¡­ Cozy Flame Forge. Smith name¡­ Feisty?¡¯ I stared at it a bit longer, trying to commit it to memory, but admittedly lacking trust in my ability to memorize such a complex symbol. With the help of my metal magic, I separated the link from the rest of the chain and threw it into my storage for reference, moving on to the crates underneath. With one swift pull, I yanked the tarp off, revealing nothing but empty bottles. ¡®I¡¯m getting the feeling I¡¯m not a great detective¡­ The evidence is right in front of my face and I don''t understand it¡­¡¯

    I moved closer to inspect the crate to make sure¡­ But yeah, just empty bottles. ¡®The plan might have been to store minotaur blood in them, or mass produce antidote and use these bottles¡­ Or they could be totally unrelated¡­¡¯

    ¡°Who are you.¡± I heard an echo resonate through my left ear. ¡°Who gave you permission to be in hear!¡±

    I was a bit jumpy but relaxed when I realized it was Finn¡¯s magic doing its thing. ¡®Sounds like Alden¡¯s voice, so¡­ He got caught? Alden would recognize me, so it would be best to probably sneak out on my own from here¡­

    As I listened to Finn confidently explain his reasoning I quickly moved everything back to how it was. ¡®If I got caught sneaking out it would be too suspicious, so I should probably go out the same way I came in. I let out a sigh, turning around and staring face to face into the eyes of a guard, both of us too shocked to move.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t hear him coming over Finn¡¯s nonstop talking!¡¯ Another guard walked in behind him, and although I wanted to run, Finn and I agreed before on our plan. ¡®Time to test my acting¡­¡¯ I gulped, steadying myself. ¡°What¡¯s with these supplies just sitting in the middle of the warehouse? And what¡¯s with the chains anyway? Was there a supply overflow and you guys got stuck with the excess?¡±

    Neither one seemed ready to answer, but the one that came in second seemed careful, instead of nervous like the first. ¡°Something like that¡­ Couldn¡¯t say¡­ We just move what they tell us to¡­ Now, who are you? Identify yourself or you¡¯ll be arrested.¡±

    ¡®Sparks¡­ Identify? Should I give my real name and say I¡¯m working with Finn temporarily? Or maybe I should pretend to be a member of his guild¡­ No¡­ Wait¡­ Since I came here with Finn¡­ I haven¡¯t actually committed any crimes yet¡­ But impersonation would be illegal¡­ So¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m here with an elite member of the Circle of Smoke, He¡¯s speaking with Alden right now. We came here to do an inspection.¡±

    The guard sighed with a deep growl. ¡°Keep him here, I¡¯ll go and find the boss and we can get this all sorted out¡­ We should have been notified, so there is a possibility they¡¯re a thief and just lying.¡±

    The first guard, a human boy about my size, seemed more than a bit nervous looking me in the eye, as if he was afraid of what might happen if I resisted. It wasn¡¯t a bad instinct. I might have had trouble taking down an Orc, but a human teen¡­ I could mop the floor with him and escape if I had to. ¡®I managed to get away without dropping my name so far, I should keep it that way.¡¯

    Thankfully, the nooby guard didn¡¯t feel like asking questions, so I just had to sit back and enjoy the earful as Alden and Finn continued talking.

    ¡°One of the elites¡­¡± Alden Grumbled. ¡°And you¡¯re here inspecting things then? Ok, how much do you want.¡±

    ¡®That was¡­ Direct¡­¡¯

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    ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m here on work anyway, so just give me a gold coin or so.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s accepting?!?¡¯

    Eventually, the orc guard found them and as smooth as ever Finn managed to explain the situation, fully expecting it via being able to hear through my ears as well. At first, Alden tried to go with him, but he managed to convince him to stay behind. ¡°They''re new, so I think we should keep our affairs between us. I¡¯m not one for splitting profits you know, and I¡¯d hate for you to have to increase your spending.¡±

    Seeing the merit in that, Alden didn¡¯t see through it at all, too preoccupied with the prospect of saving money on bribing fewer people. Of course, not long after Finn met up with me and we both headed out.

    ¡°First rule of the circle¡­ Don¡¯t get caught¡­¡± He signed at me as we walked out the main door.

    ¡°You got caught first¡­¡± I signed back

    ¡°I got caught on purpose¡­¡±

    ¡°I never said!¡± My hands paused¡­ my gestures slowing as my spirits slowly sank. ¡°I never said I was good enough to do stuff like this¡­ There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m not in a guild you know¡­¡±

    He rolled his eyes and nudged me to the side with his fist. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you, don¡¯t be so hard on yourself¡­¡± He said out loud, waiting till I raised my eyes to keep signing. ¡°So¡­ Did you find anything?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Not much¡­ Meet me in the inn, we can talk in my room.¡±

    I walked into my room, casually walking over and jumping onto the foot of the bed frame, admittedly becoming a bit anxious at how quickly he closed the door, my mind going blank for a moment as we stared at each other.

    ¡°Ok, what did you find?¡±

    I cleared my throat. ¡®Right¡­ I just have to act normal, and whatever awkwardness I feel will go away on its own¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath, taking off my helmet and letting my hair down, along with unequipping some of my more bothersome gear that was heavy or tight, making it easier to relax as I talked. ¡°The chain had a Dura on it,¡± I said, taking it out of storage and tossing it to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone named Fiesty though. Actually, I¡¯ve never heard of the Runn clan or the Cozy Flame Forge either for that matter. Do you think they run exclusively on the black market?¡±

    He caught it. ¡°You can read this?¡± He muttered looking back up and staring at me blankly, making me pause again.

    ¡°Y-yea¡­ Is it really so strange?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No, sorry, it¡¯s not I was just uhm¡­ No, actually it¡¯s pretty unusual. It¡¯s taught in higher education, but even then people tend to not actually learn it.¡±

    I finished taking off the armor around my hands to stretch the injured muscles in my arm and disconnected my chain pauldron to take some weight off my stiff shoulders.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ Going to take anything else off are you?¡±

    I saw goosebumps run down my arms before I slowly bounced my eyes. ¡®It still feels awkward¡­¡¯

    He cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, this is your space, so whatever you want to do to feel comfortable is up to you, but I¨C¡±

    He paused as I covered my face. ¡°But you what.¡± I squeaked.

    His eyes slowly moved to the wall across from me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m stripping! Why are you looking away? Do you really think I¡¯d do something like that!¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Ok¡­ I won¡¯t look away. I want the first girl I see like that to be my wife and vice versa you know, so... Adventuring takes all types right...¡±

    As he turned his eyes back I only felt more embarrassed to the point I was unable to speak for a moment, wrapping the blankets around me from off my bed, even though I was still wearing my armor I felt naked. ¡°P-please don¡¯t look¡­¡± I muttered, my voice only becoming more high-pitched and soft with every word as I almost instantly contradicted myself.

    ¡°See! This is why¡­¡± He paused, closing his eyes for a moment as he turned away again, leaning his head against the wall and resting a closed fist against it. ¡°Right¡­ Sorry.¡± With his eyes facing the wall he continued on the topic at hand as if he wasn¡¯t bothered by the situation at all. ¡°The Runn clan, and Fiesty, that¡¯s typically a dwarven girl''s name, right? Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised if she¡¯s a smith.¡±

    ¡°Dwarves do have a knack for that sort of thing, but it¡¯s pretty common for all races to give dwarven names in smithing families isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, either way, it doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll look into it. You said the Runn clan?¡±

    I nodded, only embarrassing myself more, realizing he couldn¡¯t see¡­ ¡°Ah r-right¡­ The fourth daughter I think¡­ At least¡­ If I read it right¡­¡±

    He pulled out one of the knives from the terror bird we downed. ¡°Same symbol¡­¡± He stood up, still awkwardly facing the wall. ¡°Is this everything?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there were some empty glass vials, crates full, but nothing really suspicious about that.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Rothet and report these findings, it should at least be enough to bring him in and hold him while we continue investigating. Of course, this will suspend your fine and put that into review as well. It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± He paused again after resting his hand on the doorknob. ¡°And¡­ For the record, you uh¡­ You don¡¯t come across as the type to casually undress in front of other people¡­ But, you should still be more careful in the future¡­ Especially with inviting men into your room. You shouldn¡¯t act like all the guys.¡± He turned back to me, his words starting to jumble. ¡° Not that you did anything wrong. I don¡¯t mean to scare you, I¡¯m sure no one would do anything bad to you! Since it would warrant execution and all¡­ But I¡¯m just saying you gotta¡ª¡±

    ¡°Finn¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you should be doing right now?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Sorry¡­¡±

    He walked out the door and even then when I was alone I never managed to feel calm. My heart was beating faster than normal but without the spike in my blood pressure or the adrenalin. I suddenly felt too tired to move, but too tense to actually try and go to sleep. ¡®The first person¡­ It doesn¡¯t make any sense, does it? For eyes to be able to take something away¡­¡¯

    I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, falling back onto my bed and letting my body bounce as it hit the mattress, slowly curling my legs up after. No matter how much time passed I found myself unable to get the will together to change my clothes. ¡®It¡¯s times like these that I really miss having my dad around¡­¡¯

 Chapter 48: Arrested

    Eventually, I woke up, as much as I didn¡¯t want to. ¡®I wonder how much magic it would take to just stop the sun from rising for a couple of days¡­¡¯ After I fully came to my senses and got something to eat, all in all, I decided it wasn¡¯t going to be a bad day. Despite how I felt the night before, I didn¡¯t have any dreams at all, much less nightmares, so I was already off to a pretty ok start.

    ¡®I can¡¯t take quests for the moment, but I¡¯ll probably be here another few days. I¡¯ll fill up my storage with spiders I can turn in after the fine is lifted, and then I¡¯ll work on leveling my magicy stuff. I bet I could make some fancy potions with some of the minitour''s blood, but I¡¯d need alchemy tools for that.¡¯

    I casually moved out into the forest after getting ready. I knew I had gotten stronger, and after my last two battles, and burning my hand with the spider''s acid, I was hardly nervous around them at all, bordering on a side of carelessness.

    Either way, I made short work of every monster I found, but it was worrying that I didn¡¯t come across any wargs. Before I knew it I was already deep into the forest, growing closer to the entrance of the dungeon where they were no doubt all coming from. ¡®This place is bad news¡­ My storage is pretty full anyway. I should probably just head back.

    I turned around on the tree branch to see a man''s face and nearly tripped and fell, just barely catching my balance. ¡°Taggart?¡± I whispered

    He was tied up in webbing and hanging upside down from a branch farther up. ¡®How on earth did I miss this?¡¯

    I was trying to figure out a way to sneak him out of there without disturbing the webs when he suddenly opened his eyes and nearly made me trip again from shock. ¡°Chika? Is that you? I suppose you do seem the daring sort. Are you here to help me then?¡± He casually freed one of his arms and, even upside down, started sipping his brew from a flask.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I mean I can, when I cut you lose the spiders will probably be all over us though, can you run?¡±

    He waved me off. ¡°Oh no don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m just fine. I meant help me save the poor girls that are about to show up.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking¡­¡±

    ¡°Just wait¡­¡±

    Several moments later there was still nothing.

    ¡°Hm¡­ I guess the people around here are getting better at fighting.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°How much have you had to drink?¡±

    He slowly put his flask away, dangling his arms. ¡°Not much. Ah¡­ Here they come.¡±

    We suddenly heard heavy footsteps that clanged like swords as they hit the ground and an unsettling rattle as the webs around us began to move. Sure enough, an unconscious girl was slung up into the trees right next to him.

    ¡®He was right?¡¯

    I looked down and froze, reflexively hiding even though I probably didn¡¯t need to. One spider towered over all the others with swords for legs and a rocky armored body covered in thick plates. ¡®I knew something was off¡­ Is that a freaking knight?¡¯

    ¡°So my daring friend. I see you now realize why I¡¯m here.¡±

    I turned back to him and suddenly he was out of the webbing and standing next to me, making me grow from another shock. ¡°You¡¯re not going to fight it are you?¡±

    He looked down. ¡°No¡­ I told you, we have to save this poor girl? I let myself get captured every now and then so that I can save these poor people who get drug away by the spiders. Stealthy infiltration.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m not even going to try and unpack that¡­¡¯ ¡°Can you get her out? We need to run¡­ Now. If we end up having to fight a spider knight were screwed.¡±

    I felt my chest tighten again. I hadn¡¯t prepared anything for it¡­ My breath felt heavy enough to scrape my lungs.

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    ¡®The minotaur didn¡¯t kill me for a total of three reasons. It only managed to hit me once, when it did hit me it wasn¡¯t with a weapon, and finally, the impact of its one hit was blunt, and absorbed by my armor. Knight spiders are faster, and their attacks are all piercing. They spit more potent acid, and their webbing is barbed.¡¯ I paused, taking a deep breath. ¡®There''s a difference between cowardice and having a brain¡­ I¡¯ll fight it someday, but only when I¡¯m strong enough to guarantee victory.¡¯

    I felt chills run down my arms as the tightness vanished, almost surprising me with how light I felt afterward. ¡®I think I¡¯m starting to figure a few things out finally¡­¡¯

    Taggart used a highly controlled fire spell to slowly melt the webbing as he carefully started taking on the weight, leading to a smooth removal of the girl from the webs, rather than a yank from the web snapping. When he was done it was time to go. Thanks to the dozens of lesser spiders I had killed earlier it made for safe travels. After a while, we made it back to camp and while he took the girl in for medicine, I headed to the inn to post a notice.

    The problem wasn¡¯t even just that there was a knight¡­ But the presence of a knight at all meant there was a spider lord¡­ The presence of which also meant there was a spider queen¡­ In other words, the threat level of the entire area was likely about to rise again¡­

    With everyone starting to go into a panic, some leaving on the spot, I was left alone to do whatever, so I just casually loaded up on food again. As far as I knew my muscles had all grown back, but whether it was stress or some other reason, my body only looked more like that of a man than before. My arms grew and my legs swelled out with muscle, and my shoulders as well, making me look broader. ¡®I feel like a balloon¡­¡¯ I finished eating and listened to everyone still scurry around like mad as I started Cutting up the several spiders I caught, harvesting what I could.

    ¡®My storage capacity has increased as well.¡¯ It normally capped out at a set volume and weight, and the old one used to be able to only hold maybe 15 spiders in volume, or about 1,500 lbs in weight. Now it held 20 spiders, which meant the amount of weight it could take likely also increased to around 2,000 lbs

    I sighed¡­ It was good, but to move my house the weight limit would need to increase to at least around 10,000 lbs Actually, I wonder how true that is. A lot of the house is made from my earth magic at this point, so if I take that into consideration and just move everything else, redoing the magic on the other end¡­ Well, the number would be lower at least¡­ ¡®Getting out of that neighborhood is probably for the best if I¡¯m going to keep living alone.¡¯

    No matter how much I tried to avoid it, the same bad thoughts kept creeping into my head, and after seeing the spider knight I only had more worries, building into a load of stress that made me want to burst until my hands started shaking a little. After a few moments, I stopped having clear thoughts altogether, the negative feelings just jumbling everything in my head until I lost the will to move, flipping between that and wanting to scream.

    To let out some steam I conjured a ball of water, and chaneled my fire breath spell into it until it all evaporated, literally turning to steam. The metaphorical implication was surprisingly helpful in letting me relax, along with my imagining the water as stress literally melting away. It never chased away the bad thoughts though, just the jitters.

    ¡®I ran from a fight¡­ And then Finn had to go and remind me of that¡­ Actually, I guess I have the order on those things reversed.¡¯ I let out another sigh. ¡®Not that any of it matters. The past is what caused the present, so studying it can be useful¡­ But there''s no point in feeling bad about it.¡¯ I threw everything back in storage and headed back to my room, still trying to somehow reason with my own brain but, ultimately failing in the end. There was a brief time while I was in the bath I managed to truly relax, although admittedly even then I had to use magic to fill the water with cloudy minerals in order to help keep my mind off the fact I was naked.

    I tossed and turned all night, but eventually, I did manage to fall asleep. When I woke up I had nothing better to do, so I talked to the innkeeper and helped him out in the kitchen for a while, catching him up on butchering all the meat that adventurers had sold him in the past.

    I didn¡¯t mind it, but everything was starting to feel dull like things were just happening around me. I wanted to go on an adventure and get away. I slammed the clear into the counter and paused for a moment. ¡®I think I¡¯m starting to get it now¡­ When I¡¯m in a fight my mind becomes so clear. I feel completely in control of even my own heartbeat, forcing it to pound harder and faster so I can force my movements even more¡­ When I¡¯m not in a fight I just feel like this. Like¡­ I¡¯m only doing this because I¡¯m bored. Helping people is nice and all but it feels like there''s no purpose.¡¯

    I sighed, picking up the cleaver and getting back to work. ¡®Well, I¡¯m not saving people''s lives, but I am keeping them fed, so this specifically isn¡¯t so bad either I guess. Although, it¡¯s not exactly a hard task, and it lets my mind wander too much¡­¡¯

    ¡°Chika¡­¡± The innkeeper called quietly stepping through the door into the backroom. He set 30 obsidian coins down on the table for me. ¡°There are some guards here looking for you¡­ I told them you were in your room, so whether you run or not it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    I felt chills run down my arms. If they were looking for me again it meant they were probably going to arrest me¡­ Guards wouldn¡¯t deliver a second fine in person, not if I hadn¡¯t paid off the first yet.

    ¡°Thanks for that¡­¡± I grabbed the coins and put them in my purse, only coming across as calm because I was too in shock to come up with a proper response.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been more than generous to me, and even if you weren¡¯t you saved my cousin when you brought back those herbs. This is the least I can do.¡± He sighed, leaning against the wall. ¡°So¡­ What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡®If I run then I would have to travel for three weeks to get back to Rothet. That¡¯s a long time to go without anyone defending you¡­ Especially when you make yourself look guilty.¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ And I still technically never broke any laws¡­ I¡¯ll go with the guards, and wait for this to all get sorted out, I¡¯ve been working with Finn to expose his bad dealings, so this should get sorted out soon¡­¡± ¡®I hope.¡¯

    He smirked. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re right. You make it out of this I¡¯ll give you another jug of Airag, and if what you say about Alden is right, and you bring him down, I¡¯ll even rename the inn in your honor.¡±

    ¡®That''s a bit much isn¡¯t it?¡¯

    I used magic to wash all the blood off my hands and clean my blades before heading out the door. They didn¡¯t so much as announce themselves or give reasoning. Before I knew it I was being tied up with a rope and dragged away.

    ¡®A rope? I mean¡­ I use fire magic¡­¡¯ When I got back to the fortress they replaced the rope with metal shackles at least, but I knew metal magic too¡­ Although I guess it didn¡¯t say that on my adventurer card yet.

    They never told me why I was being brought in¡­ But I had a feeling I would find out soon enough.

    ¡°Let''s go. Alden is waiting for you.¡± One said, taking me out of the holding cell.

    ¡®I wonder what bogus thing he¡¯s going to charge me with this time. I hope it¡¯s at least creative. Maybe something like, I killed his pet chicken, and the evidence is that he found some obscure knife with my name carved into it.¡¯ The guard opened the door to his office, gesturing for me to walk in. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡¯

 Chapter 49: False Charges

    Ever since I received the fine it felt like time started moving fast and yet somehow still staying stagnant. The reasoning for that was one man''s actions.

    ¡°Well well, good to see you again Chika.¡±

    I raised my eyes to see Alden. ¡®Knowing him, he¡¯s going to try and provoke me again¡­ It¡¯s better to just stay quiet, no matter what he says.¡¯

    ¡°Not turning in the minotaur quest was one thing, but killing your own party members so you could get the reward all to yourself? That warrants a bit more than just a fine¡­¡±

    ¡®So that¡¯s his angle¡­¡¯ I looked to the side, out a nearby window. The forest was dreary as ever, but the sun was shining brighter than normal. ¡®I guess it¡¯s a little creative, considering I didn¡¯t even have a party.¡¯

    ¡°And you aren¡¯t even trying to defend yourself.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even bother to look at him. To be honest his words didn¡¯t bother me much. I figured he would try something along those lines. The accusation was insulting sure, especially to me who wanted a party so badly but couldn''t get one. On the other hand, he had already proven how clumsy he was. The words were coming out of his mouth, but in the end, it sounded like nothing more than a warg growling at me. It was threatening, and even frightening not so long ago, but a vague and empty threat hardly meant anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a party, to begin with, and I¡¯ve only ever taken the lives of monsters and animals, directly, or otherwise.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Well whatever, of course, we¡¯ll have to confiscate your belongings while you are detained, that includes all of your money, equipment, and any storage items on your person or in your room at the inn.¡±

    ¡®Ah¡­ That makes sense. He¡¯s after that ridiculous amount of money I got from the Saxifrage. I suppose this would be the most direct way of getting it now that his plan fell through. I don¡¯t use enchanted items for storage though¡­¡¯

    ¡°What happens when you don¡¯t find what you''re looking for?¡± I asked, slowly turning my head back to him.

    A look of slight shock and agitation came over him as he scowled. ¡°Then we torture you until you give up the important evidence for this murder case.¡±

    I swallowed, feeling my breath catch in my throat. ¡°That sounds relatively illegal.¡±

    He leaned back in his chair, somehow grinning through his scowl, giving me chills not from his threat, but how creepy he looked. ¡°In the case of crimes that have a possible death penalty attached, important evidence must be gathered under nearly any means to ensure the proper person is being convicted.¡±

    ¡®I guess this probably applies if his story were true. Arn¡¯t there still a bunch of holes though?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m curious how you plan on hiding the money. I mean, won¡¯t it look suspicious if that much goes missing? guilty individuals'' valuables all go to the great market, and they would find it suspicious if they were shortchanged 50 gold¡± ¡®Of course I don¡¯t actually have nearly that much¡­ But he doesn¡¯t know that¡­¡¯

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    His eye started to twitch and I almost broke out laughing, barely keeping my poker face. ¡®He tries so hard to get to me only to piss himself off instead¡­ In some ways, I might kinda miss this. It¡¯s pretty funny to watch honestly.¡¯

    He sighed, finally relaxing again. ¡°In any case, there is no reason for a high priest to get involved, and there is so much evidence stacked against you no one would bat an eye. It really is such a shame you''re going to get your head cut off.¡±

    I felt my chest start to tighten as my throat swelled. ¡®Die¡­ I¡¯m going to die? Is he saying he¡¯s going to skip the trial altogether? He should at least put on a one-sided fake trial for the show, I mean¡­ How does he think he would get away with anything like this? No¡­ That doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t matter if he gets arrested if I die first!¡¯

    I started to panic but still tried to maintain a calm demeanor. ¡®What do I do¡­ No, the money. He needs that before he kills me¡­ If I can hold out for a few days it will be fine right? He won¡¯t do anything reckless as long as I keep the money in my storage.¡¯

    He started to chuckle. ¡°I can see it in your eyes, you are afraid of death, aren¡¯t you? Well, bad career choice I guess.¡±

    My breath shortened even more and I could hear my lungs wheezing. ¡®What do I do, there has to be a move I haven¡¯t thought of yet¡­ I could run to Whitelight Guild¡­ Maybe they would help? But I¡¯m basically just a stranger to them¡­ I could break out The window right now. But where do I go? And then I¡¯d be convicted before even going to trial because I ran, wouldn¡¯t I? That would give him an even better excuse to kill me and call it an accident¡­ Oh, but he doesn¡¯t have his money. But that won¡¯t stop him from hurting me¡­ But he¡¯s going to do that anyway¡­ I should have ran from the start¡­¡¯

    I raised a hand over my chest. ¡®The teleport gate, I just have to escape and blend in with another group, maybe I can sneak through¡­¡¯ I paused, finding some solace that I had the faint beginnings of a plan¡­ No matter how bad that plan may have been. ¡°You know¡­ They say¡­ Greed leads to poverty¡­¡± I smirked as best I could, trying to sound tough, but the wheezing in my breath only made me seem weak. I could hardly even stand on my own. Faced with an actual battle I could take on anything but in any other situation panic still seemed to take hold the moment things started going south.

    The air smelled like metal and sweat, and the ground underfoot felt solid. The shackles were biting into my wrists and ankles, and the oxygen in my lungs was frigid, cutting like ice. Another chill shot through me as I began to take in all the information I could. ¡®I can¡¯t die, not yet. I¡¯ve never been closer to becoming a real adventurer.¡¯

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter, eventually you¡¯ll break and I¡¯ll get my money.¡±

    I looked at each of the two guards that were holding me. ¡®Leather and iron armor, they are working as guards of the camp, but they aren¡¯t affiliated with any of the 10 governing guilds, which means they aren¡¯t likely that strong. Their armor has gaps too. There are a total of 15 places I could easily cut with my dagger¡­ But they took it away, my spear from storage then. I can still kill them¡­ No, if I kill anyone then I really will be a murderer. Maybe take off a few limbs? My great blade then.¡¯

    ¡°Take him away, strip search him for whatever item he uses for his storage.¡±

    My mind went blank for a moment as they tugged on me. My chest tightened even more and I suddenly couldn¡¯t even walk, so they had to drag me away. ¡®What happens now¡­ No, the plan is the same right? Their armor is enchanted, but only lightly. I have tier-two earth magic, so I can use boulder toss to strike them in the head. Rather than severing limbs, if I just incapacitate them it would be easier, if they scream it would alert the others. My breath felt even shorter until it nearly stopped altogether. ¡®An ogre and a kobold. I¡¯ll be able to knock out a kobold easily, thankfully the ogre looks like he¡¯s on the lighter side¡­ Why can¡¯t I ever get into a fight with a halfling or something¡­¡¯

    ¡°I really hate this part of the job.¡± The ogre grumbled in a deep harsh voice as he effortlessly dragged me behind him. ¡°Hey, Hess, why did the boss man call it his money? Did this man steal from him? It was hard to follow. Do we have to torture them just because of that? What if their party was just killed by the monster during the fight?¡±

    The kobold rolled his eyes, rubbing his forehead as he tried to figure out how best to respond. ¡°We just follow the order. If you don¡¯t like to see people in pain then I¡¯ll do the interrogation it¡¯s fine. But if there is an order, there¡¯s a good reason behind it, make sense?¡±

    The interrogation room was fast approaching, and as the door opened I could see a look of pity in the ogre''s eyes before he turned and dragged me inside.

    We¡¯ll be alone in there when they let their guard down¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ What was the plan again?¡¯ My body suddenly felt weightless as I became lightheaded until my eyes lost track of which way was up. ¡®That¡¯s right, I remember¡­ One problem with this plan though¡­ My arms won¡¯t move¡­¡¯

 Chapter 50: Escape!

    Even if I was in a secluded room, I still had a pretty good idea of where I was in the castle. The waygate was almost a straight shot from there.

    ¡°You know, if you just tell us where the item is this will be a lot easier for all three of us.¡± The kobold groaned.

    I took a moment to catch my breath. ¡®Do I tough it out while they try and find the money¡­ Or should I run? I have to decide now¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have one, I have tier-two arcane magic, so I just use the spell...¡± ¡®Wait, should I have told them that? I could have bought time with another bluff.¡¯

    He let out a sigh while the other shrugged. ¡°The hard way then I guess¡­¡±

    ¡®They didn¡¯t even believe me¡­ Ok, so metal magic, I¡¯ve already weakened the metal, thinning it, it won¡¯t take much for me to reshape it enough to slip out, then I¡¯ll use boulder toss too¨C¡¯

    While I was thinking the guards had already begun, latching my shackles to the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything and we won¡¯t hurt you. Now, you don¡¯t have any hidden weapons do you?¡±

    ¡®Everything feels cold¡­¡¯ I fell into a state somewhere between asleep and awake as my breath continued to thin and I started to feel lightheaded.

    The cold air suddenly brushed against my bare stomach as they started searching through my belts and taking off my armor. Suddenly everything fell silent as my head spun and I began to regain consciousness as if I had never lost it.

    ¡°Fairy dust¡­¡± One of them said.

    It felt easy to breathe again, but my chest was still sore as if the muscles were breaking down from how tense I was. ¡®The metal is loose enough¡­ but I need to regain my balance first¡­¡¯

    They both paused, The ogre staring at me with a mix of horror and shock. ¡°This is bad, isn¡¯t it? What are we supposed to do now? She''s a girl isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem here.¡±

    The ogre grabbed the kobold and pulled him away from me. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to get the female guards to do this sort of thing? People take this thing super seriously, don¡¯t they?

    He groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so worried. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that hard to check, is it? We just¨C¡±

    The ground dented slightly as the ogre placed another hand on his shoulder, bolting him to the floor with pressure.

    I was so out of it I couldn¡¯t form any thoughts on what I was seeing as I came too. My first thought was how long I was out. They had taken my helmet and arm guards, as well as a half taken off my leather jacket, but given that was all I guessed I was out for no more than a minute.

    The long stretch of time I spent struggling to breathe made me feel asleep though, even after I had woken up. It took a while for my brain to start fully functioning again, before I could string together two conscious thoughts my body was already moving.

    in an instant, a switch flipped and my survival instincts kicked in. It was just like when I was fighting the minotaur. I started to move too fast to feel anxiety, relying on pure instinct. My body wasn¡¯t responding to my thoughts but moving on its own, the same way you would pull your hand back from touching a hot stove only continuously.

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    I slipped out of the shackles like they were nothing and attacked in the same motion. With the ability to move freely, I channeled my magic, grabbing a solid stone brick from the wall and flinging it into the kobold''s head, instantly knocking him out before I slugged the other in the face. The ogre¡¯s metal helmet dented under my bare hand bloodying my knuckles but I didn¡¯t feel any pain from the intense rush of adrenaline.

    My windlance spell blew a hole through the door and I burst out into the hall, conjuring a strong tailwind at my back, only then did I manage to get my head on straight. ¡®The teleporter, I have to get there.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have a plan or even the real beginnings of one, but I was moving and fighting, and that was enough for me to start to calm down.

    I saw another guard come out into the hallway at the noise so I cast a blinding flash to further confuse him and stop him from following ¡®Halfway there.¡¯

    The man I had only punched quickly recovered and was chasing after me. Soon enough other guards were joining him. ¡®Freaking ogre¡¯s¡­ Why are there skulls so thick¡­¡¯

    I made it to the stairwell, but I could hear footsteps coming from below, blocking me off. ¡®It''s stone, so earth magic then.¡¯

    Stopping for a moment I firmly planted my feet on the ground and took a step back. ¡®Control is hard¡­ But good thing destruction is easy enough.¡¯ Feeling the rock underneath me I widened my stance and quickly jerked my arms down, caving in the staircase and making the stone I was on crumble until I landed on the stairs beneath me at the bottom of the spiral and on the other side of the group that was following them up. ¡®The last hallway, this connects to the teleporter, and it¡¯s the ground floor, the ground is dirt, which gives me some options.

    All the doors in the hall opened almost at the same time. ¡®I haven¡¯t used plant magic in a while¡­¡¯ Opening up my storage I grabbed handfuls of seeds and chucked them through the air, following up with two water balls leaking water into the ground as they flew past. Then I used explosive growth to block the doors with vines and entangle the guards that were already rushing through. My legs were slowing from the rapid drain of my manna, but they were still carrying me, even if I was starting to lose feeling.

    ¡®The vines aren¡¯t too hard to get through, but I only needed a few seconds. That¡¯s it, the exit.¡¯ Finally, just before I made it out to the end, four more guards blocked the entrance with heavy shields.

    ¡®what now?¡¯ I looked behind me, it took a while, but they were catching up, and the ones blocked by vines were getting through as well. I turned back to the guards in front, never slowing my pace as if my life depended on it. ¡®Those shields aren¡¯t enchanted, and they''re made of thin metal.

    I was already breathing heavily, but despite that, I took a deep breath in and let it out with a burst of flame. Those who were afraid ran, and the ones who stayed were forced to drop their shields from the heat.

    ¡®I¡¯m out of magic, so it¡¯s time to start improvising.¡¯ I pulled the minitour''s head out of my storage and held its sharp barbed horns out in front of me, running straight forward just like a bull. They didn¡¯t even try to stop me, diving out of the way like cowards as I made it out onto the main road.

    It was filled with rows of carriages, most of which were bearing the white light guild emblem. I threw the minotaur head back into my storage and quickly ran between two of the carriages. My whole body was shaking and breaking out into a cold sweat. ¡®Good¡­ They haven¡¯t left yet¡­ This stupid plan of mine might just work out after all¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hold on¡­ You¡¯re that girl?¡±

    As if things couldn¡¯t get more perfect, as I gasped for air I turned to see Pieta¡¯s teacher, the troll woman that had helped me in the past.

    ¡°I¨C help¡ª Those men¡ª They took me away, and they were¡ª¡± I coughed. ¡°They were going to¡ª¡± I coughed again, taking a knee as my vision faded to black circles and my head began to ring from lack of oxygen. My mana was completely drained, and it caused me to lose all feeling in my legs and arms for a moment. I was already short on breath when I used my fire breath spell, and on top of that, my anxiousness forced all of my mana into it, drying out my throat and making it even harder to speak.

    I had to focus on breathing just to stay conscious. ¡®I need to tell her they were framing me. I need to somehow convince her before they convince her of the opposite¡­¡¯ My lungs burned as I started to get lightheaded again. ¡®I used all of my strength in my fire breath spell and completely dried out my throat.¡¯

    She took a long look at me, and then raised her eyes to the men chasing after me¡­ Then she took another sharp look at me, her face more angry than before, quickly kneeling down beside me and gently resting a hand on my shoulder for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s ok now. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I felt the warm glow of divine power and in seconds a giant golden barrier built itself around us before the guards could pull themselves together and follow me.

    ¡®Thats¡­ Sanctuary¡­ A tier 6 divine spell¡­¡¯ I was still shaking and struggling to breathe, and everything was still a little hazy, but inside the sanctuary, I finally started to feel at ease. The only thing crazier than her being able to cast such a strong spell was the fact she would waste it the way that she did. Especially her¡­ The girl wouldn¡¯t use higher-level healing spells in order to conserve power. ¡®I just don¡¯t¡­ No¡­ Is this a dream?¡¯ My chest tightened up again, feeling like it was heavily bruised from much it had been happening and sore to the touch. ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t black out¡­ If I do I might wake up.¡¯ I forced air as deep into my lungs as I could and although I was seeing stars, I managed to stay conscious, if not only because sanctuary had a certain calming effect, on top of being a giant barrier. ¡®So¡­ What exactly happens now?¡¯

 Chapter 51: White Light

    A warm blanket was suddenly wrapped around my shoulders from behind. ¡°As I said. You are safe now¡­¡± The troll woman¡¯s eyes reflected the beautiful gold light as it swirled around her and the pressure from the spell fluttered her robes. Her blood lit up her body with blue swirls as it flowed through the natural engravings indented into her blue skin and ivory tusks.

    I didn¡¯t understand why exactly they were sticking their necks out to help me, much less dedicating a tier 6 divine spell without so much as an explanation, but I was grateful.

    Pieta¡¯s voice came from just behind me, but her words felt all jumbled. It took me a moment just to piece together what little meaning I could, realizing it was her who gave me the blanket. I couldn¡¯t make out any of her words, but somehow, I still understood the meaning of her asking if I was ok as my brain started to jumble everything around me.

    ¡°Fine¡­ Just cold¡­ And¡± I let out a small chuckle, rubbing a hand through my sweaty hair as the brisk wind caught a hold of it. ¡°Honestly I feel half naked.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve gotten so used to wearing my helmet it just feels wrong being outside without it.¡¯

    She wrapped an arm around me and helped me stand up straight as Alden approached and a small hole opened up only large enough for sound to freely pass through. I saw his face and froze, once again starting to wheeze.

    It felt like it would be any moment they would just hand me over again, ¡®All out of manna¡­ I still can¡¯t feel my legs, and my lungs aren¡¯t holding up either¡­¡¯

    I fell back to my knee only to feel more divine light, this time flowing through me, entering my blood like the soft warmth of a campfire against my bare skin.

    ¡°Calm,¡± Pieta said.

    I felt lighter, but it still wasn¡¯t easy to breathe, my eyes started to water as I dug my hands into the dirt.

    ¡°Take your time, just breathe, you¡¯ll be ok.¡±

    My vision was too blurred to see clearly, and my ears rang until my head started to feel as though it was being crushed under a tremendous weight.

    ¡°What are they saying?¡± I muttered as best I could. Blood pounded through my body as it started to recover from suffocation, rushing to get everywhere it needed to. It was so intense I couldn¡¯t focus my senses. I felt like a fly trying to constantly slam my face into a window without understanding what was happening.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just come with me.¡± She grabbed my arm and attempted to help me walk, but ended up carrying my dragging feet to one of the carriages, although somehow I managed to get in by myself.

    It felt like hours had passed as we sat there in silence. I kept thinking that at any moment they would come and tell me I had to go back to the cell and wait for my execution, but they never did¡­ ¡®I guess he was pretty easy to see through, at least for me. Maybe she saw through him too? But then¡­ Even if that is the case, what happens next?¡¯

    The carriage started to move and moments later I felt the mana scattering synonymous with teleportation. I had such little mana already that losing even a fraction of the mana scattering made my arms and legs go limp again.

    My senses jumbled together, and I got dizzy, all of the anxiety pooling together as I quickly stumbled to the back of the cart, feeling as though I was about to vomit. I managed to hold it back somehow, at least long enough for Pieta to cast another spell on me to make me feel better.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked, gently rubbing my back.

    I turned around and leaned back against the tailgate. ¡°All things considered, it¡¯s usually worse.¡± ¡®I guess since I used up all my mana it couldn¡¯t get confused with the teleporter this time. I¡¯ll have to remember that¡­¡¯ I looked down at my legs. ¡®Then again¡­ Losing all feeling in the extremities isn¡¯t great¡­ It¡¯s just a different kind of problem¡­¡¯

    She started to look away from me, letting out a small groan. Her eyes slowly moved around the covered wagon as she started Fidgeting with the cargo, pretending to inspect it to feel less awkward. ¡°We¡¯ll take you back to our guild hall first¡­ It would be better for you to stay there¡­ Least until everything gets sorted out. We¡¯ll have a change of clothes for you¡­ And a hot bath too¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re ok?¡±

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    I let out a sigh, turning so I could see out the back of the carriage as it started moving again, pulling out into the city streets. ¡®That sounds nice¡­¡¯ I pulled the blanket tight, casually leaning against the seat behind me. My lungs still felt like they were burning, but I could breathe again, and with that realization, every muscle in my body relaxed all at once. ¡°Who knew I was more afraid of people than monsters¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore¡­¡±

    Looking back I saw a strange sense of determination in her eyes. It was a little funny¡­ But mostly just embarrassing. She was just a healer, not even an adventurer, if anything I was the one that should be rescuing her¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll get stronger yet¡­ Strong enough I don¡¯t need to be rescued¡­ Strong enough that no one can hurt me¡­¡± ¡®I guess¡­ Somewhere along the way that became one of my goals too huh¡­¡¯

    Pieta let out a small whine. Opening her mouth, quickly closing it, second-guessing her words, and then opening it again, speaking rapidly. ¡°Are you sure you ok, I mean I know you said you were, and you seem fine. But are you really? I mean you don¡¯t sound ok¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ So do I sound ok or not?¡± I muttered, my voice getting softer.

    ¡°Uh, no, I mean¡­ I feel really uncomfortable right now. So if you could just like tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do to make you feel better that would be great¡­ Do you want a hug? I could give you a hug¡­ Or maybe you''d rather no one gets close to you.¡±

    ¡®I make her uncomfortable? I don¡¯t get it¡­¡¯ ¡°Just this is fine¡­ I¡¯m not big on hugs. The blanket is warm, and I¡¯m not injured, so your job is done isn¡¯t it?¡±

    She let out a big puff of air. ¡°Oh good, I mean¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing ok.¡±

    ¡®Or glad you don¡¯t have to work anymore¡­ Why is she so angry all of a sudden, she wasn¡¯t like this before?¡¯ I tucked my knees up to my chest and rested my head against the wall, covering my whole body in the blanket. It was soft and warm, far better than my own. Before I knew I was having trouble opening my eyes.

    In what felt a single blink Pieta was gently shaking me awake. ¡°Hey, we''re here. Time to wake up.¡±

    My body felt warm, but only because I was surrounded by the blanket, I didn¡¯t want to walk through the cold, or even move, so as to keep the cold out. Not without my helmet and arm guards. Even my boots were taken. ¡®Just¡­ Like another 2 minutes ok? Please¡­¡¯

    She sighed, opening a small hatch to talk to the driver. ¡°Hey¡­ Can we get dropped off inside the barrier?¡±

    The man at the front of the cart laughed. ¡°Of course, you would ask that again, it¡¯s a real pain you know, the horses don¡¯t want to leave once they get inside.¡±

    She folded her hands, tilting her head with a smile. ¡°Please¡­¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Anything for you Pieta.¡±

    ¡®Her cuteness is a weapon¡­ Maybe I can learn from her.¡¯

    I spent the time waking my mind up by first trying to go over all the day''s events in my head, not bothering to try and figure out my next move, just reviewing what had already happened. Then, I opened my mana circuits to feel the flow of mana around me. They were sore, which basically just meant casting would be hard for a few days but they were growing more dense with every life-threatening adrenaline rush¡­ So that was good I guess.

    After that, I stretched out, but the moment the blanket moved the cold started to get in¡­ ¡®Well, now there''s no point in staying still.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m ready¡­¡± I groaned.

    Pieta opened the slide to speak with the driver again. ¡°Here is good enough, you can keep the horses outside and we will just get off. Thank¡¯s a ton Jack, this means so much.¡±

    ¡°No problem, Like I said, anything. Anything, anytime anywhere.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s lethal¡­ Who is she that is so wise in the ways of womanly charm¡­¡¯ I squinted, looking closer at her. She had blond hair swept back into a long and full ponytail, with a strand of equally long and full bangs hanging as though they had somehow gotten pulled out of the tie. None of her hair fell like normal though, it was all¡­ Poofy? Like it was scared of her skin, looking almost like layers of a dress. Her bang, although hanging down past her face, still looked like it wanted to be swept back, and the ponytail looked as though it had the stiffness of needles and the softness of a lion''s mane.

    She grabbed a strand of loose curly hair and pulled it behind her ear bashfully. ¡°U-uhm¡­ Please don¡¯t stare like that¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡±

    Her voice was light and soft, high-pitched. Very girly. She wore the same robes as the others as well, only hers were a size too big¡­ Although if anything that made them almost more provocative somehow. The whole robe moved like a tint up and down as she moved her arms around, turning a slight shade of pink. The secret as to why her robes were too big¡­ Well, they fit properly in one place, the chest. ¡®Maybe I can¡¯t learn from her¡­¡¯

    ¡°U-uhm¡­ Chika?¡± Her voice broke.

    My eyes traced back up to her cheeks, now bright red as her eyes wandered.

    A knock came from behind her and she stiffened so much her legs straightened and she jumped slightly forward. ¡°S-sorry Jack, We¡¯re getting off now!¡± She yelled.

    I cleared my throat, ¡°Right, sorry, I guess I¡¯m still half asleep.

    As she stepped forward she didn¡¯t realize that when she jumped she landed on the hem of the robe and fell nearly directly on her face, if it wasn¡¯t for me jumping up to catch her.

    ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡± She gasped, regaining her balance and bunching up her robe, a little too high, before jumping off, after landing she bounced up and down a few times spinning around. ¡°Come on hurry, you making Jack wait!¡± she cheered merrily.

    ¡®Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think she could teach me¡­ I don¡¯t even think she¡¯s doing it on purpose¡­¡¯

    I got out of the carriage and looked out in front of me, floored by the sight of the White Light guild hall. It stood just inside the cliff''s edge, acting as a lighthouse unlike any I could have imagined. Brilliant white light shined out to the sea in beams of divine power, and a gentle golden glow enveloped it, coming down from the sky like a warm embrace.

    It was made from the most beautiful white stone, along with gold, silver, and a strange rock that looked as though it had been bathed in soft candlelight.

    A great river ran through it, pouring in as pure water, and coming out the other side with the soft glow of holly water, spilling out over the cliff edge into a basin next to the sea.

    ¡°First time seeing it?¡± Pieta giggled.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­¡±

    She walked with me to the front entrance and I could see a solid wall of light. When we stepped in the scent of fresh herbs and honey filled the air as a sudden rush of warm wind hit my face. The burning in my lungs slowly vanished, and my body felt almost weightless.

    Pieta took in a deep breath. ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s good to be back. Some of the higher level members maintain this barrier for various reasons, but it really takes that feeling of coming home, and turns it into something real.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡®must be nice¡­¡¯

 Chapter 52: Calm

    As we walked inside Pieta greeted some of the other members, slowly giving off the feeling that she was friends with everyone. Strangely enough though¡­ They were all expecting me, even if they didn¡¯t know me by name. Before I even stepped foot through the door it seemed like everything was ready for me, like it wasn¡¯t just her home, but mine as well.

    One of the girls gave me a set of new clothes and another handed me a key to the room I would be staying in¡­ Not that I even knew where that was. One of them even tried to feed me¡­ But the others scolded her saying I needed to get cleaned up first¡­

    Honestly, I would have preferred the meal first¡­ But they seemed pretty set in their ways. Still, I whispered that to the girl offering it, and she started to beam with joy. It made me happy to see her smiling, after all, she was just trying to help. If one thing was a bit off-putting¡­ It would be how¡­ Bubbly¡­ They all were. Not only was everyone I saw female, but they were all¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say it, extra girly? It felt off, at least to me, who spent most of my time around grizzled old men, half drunk and covered in guts and dirt.

    ¡°There certainly are a lot of¡­ Personalities here.¡± I muttered, still unsure of how exactly I was supposed to act. For perhaps the first time it would actually feel natural for me to act like a girl if I wanted to¡­ But it had been so long that I forgot what that even felt like¡­ Just thinking about starting to act like the rest of them almost made me want to die.

    Pieta smiled nervously as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Everybody¡¯s different, right? If you ask me that¡¯s a good thing¡­ Although¡­ You haven¡¯t even met the guys yet¡­¡± She led me to the bath which happened to be on the outer edge of the castle, filled by an offshoot of the holly water flowing through.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I haven¡¯t seen any, are there really so few?¡±

    She chuckled nervously again. ¡°Well¡­ You know¡­ Given the circumstances. Out of consideration, they decided to make themselves scarce¡­ So in other words¡­ They had an excuse to go to the gym and took it.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, that sounds nice¡­ Maybe I should go there instead, training would probably help ease the tension I¡¯m still feeling.¡± I was speaking casually, but as my eyes drifted to hers a shiver went down my spine as she somehow gave of a look of simultaneous terror and intense threat. ¡°Uh¡­ Pieta?¡±

    She shuddered like a dog shaking off water and quickly returned her face to normal. ¡°No¡­ Trust me, a hot bath and a good meal, that¡¯s the cure for just about everything. Not being in the stinky gym¡­ Although I guess the view isn¡¯t bad if you like muscles, and what girl doesn¡¯t right? Adam would get mad if he caught you staring at anyone though¡­ Kill joy¡­¡±

    ¡®Speaking from experience I presume¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°If I disagree are you going start judging me again¡­¡±

    She cleared her throat with a smile. ¡°What¡­ Of course not¡­ I¡¯m a priestess you know. I educate people. The law-bringers do the judging¡­ Wait what part?¡±

    ¡®Judging from your previous statement it shouldn¡¯t matter¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°So if I asked you to take me to the gym?¡±

    Somehow her eyes managed to scowl through her smile, scaring me a bit. ¡°I¡¯d decline¡­¡±

    I moved my hand through my hair again, scratching my itchy scalp and feeling the sore roots cry out as they moved. ¡°Maybe later then,¡±

    She rolled her eyes with a groan. ¡°There''s no point in going when the guys aren¡¯t there¡­ I don¡¯t need bigger muscles¡­¡±

    ¡®Girl knows what she likes¡­¡¯ ¡°Pieta¡­ And¡­ I mean this in the nicest way possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°If I was a guy¡­ You¡¯d make me really uncomfortable¡­¡±

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    Another mixed look shot across her face faster than a rattlesnake snapping. This time it was a mix of shock and genuine sadness. ¡°I-I know I¡¯m straightforward¡­ But I¡¯m not creepy am I?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No¡­ Maybe a little¡­¡±

    Letting out an exasperated heavy sigh, she slid open the door to the changing rooms outside the bath.

    With the warmth from the air finally heating up my skin I took off the blanket, only then remembering my leather jacket was unfastened, finally starting to think about the situation I was in¡­ Once again I was reminded of my last conversation with Finn and started to feel uncomfortable in my own skin. After discreetly fastening it again I at least felt better, but it made me ancy for a fight to come along so I could clear my head. ¡®Yeah¡­ I¡¯d be super uncomfortable around her¡­¡¯ ¡°Think about it this way¡­ Uh¡­ You''re a priest, so you grow herbs right? Imagine if there was a guy that didn¡¯t grow herbs, and had no business being in the herb garden, but he just still went there all the time and stared at you.¡±

    ¡°That would be so romantic. Oh, does this guy also like to bring me flowers and chocolate? Maybe he helps me water the plants? Or just does it for me, that would be even better.¡±

    ¡®Like I sad¡­ Full of personalities¡­¡¯ ¡°Well¡­ It would make me really uncomfortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh I get it, you''re just shy. There''s nothing wrong with that. Especially around strangers, but everyone in the guild knows each other you know?¡±

    ¡°Not really¡­ I¡¯ve never been in a guild¡­¡±

    ¡°All the more reason you need a hot bath, instead of being around a bunch of strange men.¡± She smiled as she slid the door open to the bath outside to show me, nearly taking my breath away once again. To say it was exotic felt somehow like an understatement. The water glimmered with a pure golden color as soft steam rose up from the smooth stone-lined area. It was decorated with beautiful amber details and ornate cross designs that spanned the marble walls and the large fountain in the center.

    As if I wasn¡¯t nervous enough already, the bath was open-air, which while beautiful, certainly didn¡¯t help. It really felt like I didn¡¯t belong¡­ If anything it felt like I should stay away in order to keep the bath clean instead of dirty it¡­ Which made me then feel stupid for how contradictory that was.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Pieta asked, her voice only making me tense up even more, reminding me I wasn¡¯t alone. By the time I turned around, I could see her already wrapped in a towel and having changed out of her clothes, which once again, didn¡¯t exactly help the matter¡­

    ¡°Uhm¡­ How do I put this¡­ I¡¯m having a lot of¡­ Feelings, right now¡­ And I really don¡¯t want to take my clothes off¡­¡± ¡®much less take a bath with another person¡­ I don¡¯t even want to see myself naked right now¡­¡¯ ¡°So, you know, go on ahead. I¡¯ll just wait for you outside.¡±

    She tilted her head with a slight look of concern. ¡°Sorry, I guess I thought you just wouldn¡¯t want to be alone, but if you would rather be by yourself that¡¯s fine too.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s not what I said at all¡­¡¯ ¡°No that''s fine, you¡¯re already undressed, and I¡¯d honestly rather not change clothes either. I¡¯ve always felt safer with my armor on¡­ Although I guess it¡¯s kind of silly to think I¡¯d need it here.¡± ¡®Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t need a bath, I didn¡¯t even do that much work today.¡¯

    Her look only grew more worried until Posy suddenly walked into the room behind us with a loud growl. ¡°You need a bath. I can see the cuts on your wrists, they need to be cleaned, and from what I heard your hip probably needs to be looked at again too¡­ You¡¯re worse than Finn!¡± Suddenly I was nervous in a completely different way. ¡°Now. You can go take one by yourself, or I can strip you here and drag you with me.¡±

    I felt a chill creep across the hot air. ¡°Is¡­ Is neither an option? You know, actually¡­ I think I could probably take you in a fight. If it came down to it...¡±

    Pieta stepped between us spreading her arms as if defending me. ¡°Posy, go easy on her, you should be more sensitive to things like this.¡±

    ¡°Pieta, put your clothes back on. You¡¯re not supposed to bathe until you finish your chores, and on the way here I saw pretty clearly that you hadn¡¯t tended to the garden yet.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Well I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°Using Chika as an excuse to get out of chores and socialize?¡±

    Her whole body stiffened. ¡°Ok, fine, that¡¯s fair. But you should still be more sensitive about how you treat patients¡­ My master is efficient, and sometimes seen as cruel, but even she is caring and sensitive when it comes to things like this.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say I had a clear understanding of why they were even fighting, but regardless of the reason it seemed rather pointless. ¡®She¡¯s naked, and probably no good in a fight¡­ Why is she standing in front of me instead of behind me? Has she lost it?¡¯

    Posy stepped in and closed the door behind her, only making Pieta stiffen up even more, starting to look like a scared puppy, shaking in fear of a thunderstorm.

    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but sometimes the best thing for the patient is to force them to do what¡¯s best for them. I¡¯m not going to let someone''s wound fester because treatment hurts¡­¡±

    Posy took a calm step closer but her eyes looked deadly. Pieta must have felt the same because her shaking turned to tremors. ¡°This is completely different and you know it!¡± She shouted, her towel slowly slipping off and falling to the floor.

    Everybody paused for a moment, but if I had to guess I would have said I was the only one who truly felt embarrassed¡­ At least, I was the only one that looked away¡­

    ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± Posy said calmly after her eyes rapidly counted something again.

    Pieta let out an uncomfortable groan. ¡°What did you count this time?¡±

    ¡°You had twenty-seven freckles I had never seen before.¡±

    Pieta¡¯s whole body suddenly turned bright red as she slowly picked up her towel again. As hard as it was to watch, it admittedly made me feel better that I wasn¡¯t the only one embarrassed anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go do my chores now¡­¡± She muttered, caving in relatively quickly for how stoically she was standing her ground just a moment ago.

    ¡®Well that¡¯s one down, I wonder how she¡¯s going to try and crack me? I¡¯m pretty sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to lay a finger on me, much less strip me by herself.¡¯ I widened my stance, slightly bending my knees and crossing my arms. ¡®This could be interesting.¡¯

 Chapter 53: Hammer.

    After Pieta awkwardly got dressed and left the room a giant hammer made of divine light suddenly appeared above me. ¡°Now then.¡± Posy grimaced.

    ¡®Holly¡­ She¡¯s actually going to fight me over this? No, scratch that, she can still cast a spell like this? How is she still an apprentice?¡¯

    I slowly lowered my eyes from the hammer back to her. ¡®I mean. Honestly, I think I would still win¡­ But I¡¯m not so against bathing that I actually want to fight her¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ But can I at least do it alone¡­¡±

    She sighed back at me. ¡°Sure it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take a shower and meet you back here when you¡¯re done. No one else will bother you while you''re there, and it should be easy to find the soap and everything too.¡±

    I nodded, waiting till I was sure she left to finally undress. It was as uncomfortable as I expected it to be, at least after I got in the water, after that I started to feel better more than anything, and by the time I got out the small abrasions I had from the poorly made shackles were actually healed. ¡®I guess the holy water isn¡¯t just for show¡­ It still feels wrong somehow to use it for a bath though¡­¡¯

    I stepped back into the changing room to find a crowd of girls waiting patiently. ¡®I would have been faster if I knew this would happen¡­¡¯

    When they saw me come out they all quickly crammed themselves in leaving me and posy alone again.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me everyone would be waiting for me¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you regret holding up the line?¡±

    I looked back. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing that I took so long¡­ But I still definitely prefer it to bathing with them¡­¡±

    She put a set of new clothes on one of the benches for me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, they don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll be outside when you get changed.¡±

    I took a look at the clothes. They were cute at least¡­ But I hated dresses. It didn¡¯t help that I couldn¡¯t figure out how to put it on¡­ In the end, I just pulled some of the clothes I bought with Lola out of my storage and put those on instead. The baggy pants and sleeveless hoodie were sure to be far more comfortable anyway.

    I pulled my hood up to keep my wet hair covered and stretched as I walked out of the changing rooms, admittedly glad that I decided to clean myself off in the end. ¡°You know, that did actually feel pretty good, I¡¯m starving though, I was told there would be food?¡±

    She just stared at me blankly. ¡°What the heck are you wearing?¡±

    I flinched. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad is it?¡± I looked down, trying to get a better feel for what I looked like. ¡°I thought I looked cool so¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°And the clothes I gave you?¡±

    I pulled them out of the storage and handed them back. ¡°Here you go. Sorry, I¡¯m kind of a huge fan of pants.¡±

    ¡°You can wear pants under a dress.¡± She let out a sigh. ¡±I mean it¡¯s fine for now I guess as long as you¡¯re comfortable.¡±

    ¡®For¡­ Now?¡¯

    She brought me to the dining hall and it had already been mostly cleared out. To be fair the sun had set already, but the chefs were still there, cleaning up the dishes.

    ¡®Guess everyone ate already. O well, I can just cook some stuff myself.¡¯ I walked up to the chefs, feeling some spring start to come back into my steps as I bounced up to the counter. I pushed myself up and leaned forward feeling myself smile at even just the thought of a hot meal. ¡°Hey guys, can I use your kitchen real quick? I promise I¡¯ll clean the pots and everything after.¡±

    One of the chef''s eyes darted around the room like he wasn¡¯t sure where to look. ¡°U-uh sure that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± ¡®I only have spiders left¡­ But they don¡¯t have any venom in the meat of their legs, it''s a massive pain to get anything substantial from them¡­ But I do have 20 sets of eight, so I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be a problem.

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    The boy I was talking to suddenly received a big slap on the back from a much larger man. ¡°You idiot! This is the girl. Isn¡¯t that right Posy?¡±

    He looked around again, unsure of what to do for a moment. ¡°O-oh right sorry sir!¡± The boy yelled before getting busy as the much larger man stepped up to the counter on the other side to greet me. ¡°I would be happy to lend you my kitchen miss, but there''s no need for that. We already cooked you something, and kept it hot and fresh for you too.¡±

    I started to salivate the moment the smaller man grabbed something out of the oven. The fragrant scent of beef and sweet potatoes wafted through the air as he set the plate down in front of me and I almost started to cry as a bit of drool fell from the side of my mouth. ¡°I-is this really ok? I mean¡­ Can I really eat this?¡±

    I could tell just from glancing at it that it was dragon turtle meat. The pure white marbling and dark hue gave it away instantly. On its own, that was already expensive, but sweet potatoes weren¡¯t exactly cheap either¡­ And sure enough, there was a massive amount of them sitting just to the side of the meat, topped with brown sugar. The meat was covered in a sauce that probably wasn¡¯t cheap either given the other ingredients, and together it smelled so good I almost blacked out for a moment.

    The chef laughed. ¡°Food is made to be eaten. You¡¯re helping Roger out with his training anyway so go ahead.¡±

    I still hesitated. ¡°Honestly this is so expensive I¡¯d rather just sell it and eat some warg stew.¡±

    Posy pinched my arm with a growl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she wasn¡¯t trying to be rude.¡± She said on my behalf.

    The chef just laughed some more, clearly taking no offense.

    I wiped the drool from my mouth and looked back at my plate. ¡°It¡¯s true though¡­ This meal is worth at least 1 gold¡­¡± I froze stiff. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ More expensive than everything I own¡­ I could live off that for a whole year¡­¡±

    Posy groaned, staring at me intently. ¡°Just eat it and be grateful.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°Grateful? You keep threatening me into doing things. It was like this with the bath too, you said you rip my clothes off yourself.¡±

    She let out a sigh, calming down, her more bubbly side starting to come back finally as she pointed at the young chef. ¡°It would hurt Roger¡¯s feelings if you didn¡¯t eat it¡­¡±

    ¡°What the. This is a compliment. I¡¯m saying it¡¯s too valuable to eat.¡± ¡®Wait¡­ But it is food though, someone has to eat it.¡¯ I turned back over to Roger, who was bright red in the face, ¡®what got that reaction out of him?¡¯

    The larger chef simply leaned back against a sink as if enjoying the show.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ feelings¡­ aren''t hurt¡­ Right?¡±

    He turned away. ¡°Nope! I-I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Posy groaned. ¡°Just eat the food!¡±

    ¡°Or what, you¡¯ll rip my clothes off?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should, I bet Roger would think you look way cuter in a dress.¡±

    ¡°How is that even relevant?¡±

    She paused, and I couldn¡¯t help but follow her eyes back to the poor boy who was now even redder.

    The large chef clapped his hands together, silencing all three of us. ¡°As fun as this is, I¡¯m going to have to ask you both to stop before you give my apprentice a nosebleed from all the blood rushing to his face. Oh¡­ And¡­ I say this as someone who cares¡­ But maybe try to not talk about ripping each other''s clothes off in public ok?¡±

    I felt my whole body stiffen as I started to turn red too. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not¡­ Urhm¡­ Sorry¡­¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You should be,¡± Posy said triumphantly, crossing her arms with a hmph.

    ¡°What the¡­ You started this!¡±

    ¡°Nope, this is all your fault, you could have just eaten the food they made for you, but instead you''re over here jumping around whining about how you''re not good enough for it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± The chef mumbled.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I let out a soft whine before turning back to her. ¡°If you weren¡¯t being like this I probably would have eaten it already¡­¡±

    ¡°Also true.¡± The chef once again agreed.

    Posy growled again. ¡°Being like what?¡± She muttered.

    ¡®How do I even put this¡­¡¯ ¡°Argumentative and pushy¡­¡±

    Her face twitched and she scowled again. ¡°At least I have a bit of decency¡­¡± She grumbled.

    ¡°See, like what did I do wrong this time? How am I indecent? What, are you going to blame me for making Roger embarrassed now too? You were a part of that conversation too you know.¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, maybe a few words wouldn¡¯t have gotten to him if you weren¡¯t moving around so much and making it obvious to everyone here that you weren¡¯t wearing anything underneath that sweatshirt of yours.¡±

    I felt chills run down my bare arms until my skin looked all prickly. My body tensed up so much that the arches in my feet cramped as I folded my arms over my chest and stepped away from everyone.

    The chef let out a long soft growl as his face sank down into one of his hands before he rubbed his brow. ¡°Roger, you remember what to do when the girls start fighting right?¡±

    ¡°Hide and pray?¡±

    ¡°Good lad. Although our gues seem rather level-headed, so you might not need to.¡± He stood up with a groan and headed over to Posy, placing his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Posy, do you remember what I told you last time?¡±

    ¡°All of it¡­ What are you referring to specifically?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°All of it¡­¡±

    Her eyes slowly bounced away from him and shot to the side.

    ¡°I can see you already get my point, so I won¡¯t bother repeating myself.¡± He rubbed her head as he turned back to me and crossed his arms with a sigh. ¡°As for you¡­ Geeze¡­ you look like you need a hug.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­¡± said back quickly.

    He chuckled. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t going to. But you know what¡¯s even better than a hug? Some dragon turtle topped with my own special sweet sauce!¡± He grabbed the plate and reached it out toward me.

    I slowly started to stand up straight again at the smell, but my body wouldn¡¯t let my arms budge, rendering me unable to take the plate.

    He let out another sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll set it on the table for you. But if you don¡¯t hurry it¡¯ll get cold¡­ Then it would only be as good as a sweaty hug. Still good, but also kinda not.¡±

    I looked over to Roger who was still bright red in the face, imagining I looked the same¡­ Without a word, he quickly got to work cleaning the inside of one of the ovens, allowing me to breathe again after he finally took his eyes off me¡­ Or I should say away from me, as they tended to be more so either on the floor or the ceiling, never staying on mine for long.

 Chapter 54: Canâ€™t Sleep

    The chef just sighed, shaking his head as he pulled out a chair for me at the closest table. ¡°You girls really make me worried sometimes¡­¡± He muttered, already lumping me in with the rest of the guild.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t see what the problem is.¡± Posy growled, crossed her arms.

    I looked down at the meal before finally digging in. A part of me still wanted to cry, knowing how expensive it was, but as much money as I felt like I was throwing away by eating it, the flavor was almost worth it.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Posy asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s expensive¡­¡±  She growled again and I caved. ¡°This is¡­ By far the best thing I have ever eaten. I could eat it for the rest of my life, and even in the afterlife¡­ But I still think it¡¯s still expensive¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok, but saying it¡¯s good isn¡¯t describing it at all! You can do better than that¡­¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°And since you can¡¯t sell it, and we''re giving it to you for free, that means that there is no price to the meal, which means it isn¡¯t expensive at all.¡±

    I looked back down to find it completely empty, having already eaten everything that was served. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Then¡­¡± I lifted it out in front back to Roger. ¡°More please, it¡¯s really good.¡±

    He turned bright red again as he took the bowl from my hands, but that only made me embarrassed in turn, and my smile quickly faded as I hunched over and rested my head on the table, trying to hide. ¡®I wish I could just turn my face off¡­ Especially with how hot the meal was, I feel like my head is on fire¡­¡¯

    I slowly raised my eyes to see Posy and the old man chatting away casually. ¡®But¡­ I¡¯m not as uncomfortable as when I was with Finn. Am I finally getting over it? Or maybe it¡¯s because another girl is here?¡¯

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see what the problem is. Words are just words, how can certain topics be inappropriate? Like I get that they are, but I don¡¯t get why.¡±

    He pointed at me. ¡°Has your face ever looked like that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°People don¡¯t like looking like that. And certain topics make normal people look like that, so they don¡¯t like them. Or at least, that¡¯s the basic logic behind it. Is that what you were missing?¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t appreciate being the example here¡­¡¯

    She tilted her head, looking up and to the side. ¡°So, it¡¯s not the topic, but people''s reaction to it¡­ So in other words it¡¯s not a problem with the topic, but the person listening¡­ So¡­ It¡¯s not a problem with me, but with them? Is that it? But if that¡¯s true then why should I be the one worrying about it.¡±

    He sighed, lowering his face into his hands again for a moment. ¡°This is like trying to explain how men and women are different to a kobold¡­¡±

    She growled again. ¡°No, because that makes sense, you just point at the specific parts and explain that in most species people are born with one or the other... Your skin doesn¡¯t turn to stone like mine if you don¡¯t keep it clean, but that doesn¡¯t stop you from understanding how and why it happens.¡± She suddenly pointed at me. ¡°I have no idea what it would feel like if I was a guy staring at her face. But I know it¡¯s super cute because of the structure and I can at least understand what about it a guy would like.¡±

    ¡®Please stop pointing at me¡­¡¯ ¡°Can we just talk about something normal please¡­¡± I whined, lowering my head back onto the table.

    The chef chuckled. ¡°Sorry about that¡­ You¡¯re right¡­ So¡­ Do you have any family in Rothet? I know we brought you here suddenly, but we could send word to them if you want to let them know you¡¯re ok.¡±

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    ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±

    They both froze as Roger finally brought another serving of food and snuck away before I could even thank him.

    He cleared his throat. ¡°Ok, well¡­ You said you liked the food, what about it do you like? Adventurers usually end up trying a lot of strange dishes, so if you could compare it to some other ones, what would you say it¡¯s most similar to?¡±

    ¡®When I said something normal I didn¡¯t mean about me¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Before this, I went a few months without food altogether and pretty much forgot what it tasted like¡­ After that, I¡¯ve only really eaten warg meat, stewed vegetables, and things like that¡­ I mean, compared to Warg it¡¯s much softer. I don¡¯t have to chew it till my jaw gets sore, so that¡¯s nice. The sauce is really sweet and tangy, but it isn¡¯t thick and doesn¡¯t stay in my mouth after I swallow. So I like that¡­¡± I shrugged, ¡®not sure what he was expecting, and once again¡­ Dead silence¡¯ After a while longer I finished and decided it would be best to just go to bed¡­ I thanked the chefs one more time and we headed out.

    Posy showed me back to my room and only then did I really start to feel at ease again, despite the magic surrounding me helping me to stay calm. Talking to strangers felt as awkward as ever. The floor was polished and smooth, the walls perfect in their soft pink color, and the furniture beautifully crafted. The bed was soft and the sheets were clean, carrying a pleasant smell. The blankets were thick and fuzzy, and the pillows fluffed. I actually had to pinch myself for a moment to make sure I hadn¡¯t already fallen asleep. ¡°You guys really are just a bunch of spoiled rich kids aren''t you¡­¡± I grumbled. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I was more than happy I got to live in luxury for a day, I just couldn¡¯t hide how much I was disappointed in my own life. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to work even harder from now on. One day, I¡¯ll deserve things like this too.¡¯

    Posy didn¡¯t bother denying it, changing the focus entirely to checking my wounds before I went to sleep. Eventually, she decided that my ribs were fine, but still wrapped my hip again before leaving it alone.

    When that was done we sat next to each other on the bed, calmly staring out the window. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She finally muttered. ¡°There are some things I just don¡¯t get¡­ And¡­¡± She paused. Her eyes started to rapidly move, no doubt counting some obscure thing again.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making excuses I promise. I¡¯m just providing an explanation ok?¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­¡±

    ¡°I tend to overanalyze things. I count things¡­ I notice things others don¡¯t and assume everyone notices them¡­ I don¡¯t get things¡­ Like embarrassment, or love. Certain things just don¡¯t make sense to me. And that makes a lot of people unhappy when I¡¯m around¡­ This doesn¡¯t help because when people around me get angry I get angry, when people around me are sad I feel sad¡­ I don¡¯t even understand that¡­¡±

    ¡®In other words, you''re a handful¡­ And a little bit like a kid.¡¯ I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I fell backward on the bed and closed my eyes, relishing in how soft it was. ¡°So you pay attention to detail, and you''re super empathetic, those aren¡¯t so bad. Now, assuming everyone else is the same could certainly lead to some interesting situations¡­ I paused. Hey, by any chance, when you made that comment about¡­ What I was wearing¡­ Was that one of those times where only you noticed?¡± I sat up again.

    She looked back over to me, analyzing me again. ¡°Your muscles are big, so your shirt is tight on you¡­ But your chest is small, so it¡¯s not very bouncy. I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, it probably wasn¡¯t noticeable.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that was all I wanted to say, so I¡¯m going to bed now. Goodnight.¡± She stood up, and promptly left the room, leaving me with a strange feeling as though we had fought¡­ And I had somehow lost.¡±

    After finally having the room to myself I took another look at it, deciding to just enjoy the moment. It was so exciting that I immediately changed and climbed into the bed, pulling the covers tightly over my soft skin that smelled just as nice after washing it with the soap they had. It was warm, and felt like I was getting a big hug from a fluffy bear. It almost felt too good¡­ As for the first time I could remember, I had decided even before falling asleep that I wasn¡¯t getting up in the morning¡­

    After a while I calmed down, but despite all of it, I couldn¡¯t seem to fall asleep. I could still remember the tightness in my chest, even then it felt sore. The guards I fought while I ran for my life. Even covered in warm blankets the thought still gave me chills. And that was just the half of it.

    ¡®What am I supposed to do now? Just wait here until the trial? No, Alden will already be doing his best to frame me, and coming up with half-truths ¡®Although, it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m taking him on alone¡­ Even if I was I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have to be that concerned about it.¡¯

    I heard a light tap on my door. At first, it made me nervous, getting Deja Vu, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t be the guards, still, it was the middle of the night¡­ I slowly got up and tiptoed to the door. Hearing another light tap as I approached, even quieter than the last.

    ¡°Chika? Are you still awake?¡± Pieta¡¯s voice echoed through the door, giving me relief once I recognized the voice.

    I unlocked it and opened it up. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m still trying to figure out what I¡¯m supposed to do next.¡±

    ¡°I could be wrong, but I think next is sleep isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft snort at how serious she was. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    She smiled softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about any of that other stuff. Even the guild master is getting involved now, so You¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡®If anything that almost makes me more worried¡­¡¯

    Resting my head against the open door I let out a soft groan. ¡°I still don¡¯t even get why you people are helping me so much¡­ Or why you just took me with you without even questioning me.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Well, I¡¯m still learning about all this stuff, but you know what my master always says. It¡¯s a priest''s job to help those that need it¡­ Can I come in?¡±

    I stepped out of the way gesturing towards the room, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that too, but one could argue the guards I was running from needed help to catch me¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different though.¡± She bent over and picked up a large rolled-up futon before walking in.

    ¡°O-oh you meant you''re sleeping in here now¡­¡±

    ¡°I figured you might not want to be alone.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re the lonely one¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel like there is a but?¡±

    I walked over and knelt on the ground to help her set it up. ¡°I haven''t shared a room with anyone since my parents died around 8 years ago¡­ I guess it makes me a bit nervous somehow.¡±

    She giggled. ¡°I understand what you mean. It¡¯s easy to get used to being alone.¡±

 Chapter 55 revision:

    It was more comforting than I thought it would be, having someone sleep next to me. Although I¡¯m certain the bed and soft blankets had something to do with it too, I ended up getting a much better night''s sleep than I could have hoped for. When I woke up it was one of the first times in a while I felt like I was actually rested.

    Everything felt unreal. As the morning sun showed brightly through my window it made my eyes happy, the world was painted in vibrant colors, unlike the dreary sight of the great forest. My skin was still uncomfortably clean and smooth, and my hair was soft, my roots no longer hurting as I moved my hand through the strands to sweep it out of my face.

    Without the sweat and dirt over my toughened scars, I suddenly felt every movement of my clothes as they glided across my skin. Since they were soft it felt nice but¡­ Admittedly it also made me a bit uncomfortable being so sensitive all of a sudden, feeling it even more as I sat up and stretched my arms raising my shirt enough to expose my stomach.

    I let out a soft breath as I turned to see Pieta, still fast asleep, hugging her now bunched-up blanket like a giant pillow and drooling on it. I had to cover my laugh to stop myself from waking her. She seemed like the type that cared about her appearance because of how cute she kept her appearance, but seeing how messy it was after she slept made her feel like a completely different person. Although personally, I thought her appearance then suited her personality more.

    Before she got up I slid out of bed and got changed, heading off to the kitchen to get something to eat. That was where my peaceful morning soon turned to chaos¡­

    I ran into Posy early on and before I knew it I was taking another bath¡­ Which I was against for the record. I already felt too clean, but apparently, proper ladies took two a day. A cold bath in the morning to purify and wake the mind, and a hot one at night to clean and relax the body. I thought that was stupid though¡­ So we compromised and settled for taking a hot bath¡­ I still somehow came out even more clean than the last time, my skin practically glowing and some of my old scars even fading away almost entirely.

    She picked out everything I would wear, without any explanation other than I had to and that we were in a hurry. She even went so far as to give me special underwear that was apparently mandatory, rushing me through everything like we were going to be late.

    To try and ease her stress I went along with all of it, the dress was more like a robe anyway, so it wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as I thought, partially because I still wore my leather pants underneath. Then she brushed my hair, although it felt more like she was pulling it out, and in the end, it just curled itself back up. Considering how it looked before I thought it was cute¡­ But Posy didn¡¯t seem to agree¡­

    When it was all said and done I felt exhausted, even though only a few hours had passed. Finally, she led me to a set of giant stone doors that I wasn¡¯t sure any human could hope to open. More impressive still were the law bringers that stood guard, each one decked out in traditional heavy plate armor with a massive halberd in one hand and a thick book of holly text chained to their other hip.

    The door began to glow and the guards reacted in kind, moving like statues, perfectly in sink as they planted their halberds into the floor and pressed against the doors moving the stone as though it were nothing.

    I still didn¡¯t know what was going on¡­ But I started to feel nervous too. ¡°You going to tell me what¡¯s happening Posy?¡± I whispered, starting to feel ansy.

    ¡°We are having an audience with greater light Aurelia Thalia.¡± She whispered back. ¡°So please don¡¯t be rude like you were to the chefs¡­¡±

    I growled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being rude, everything I said was true¡­ And they seemed to enjoy my company anyway.¡± I grumbled as we walked inside.

    Her walk seemed elegant and respectful, prim and proper at its finest. I may have been wearing the same thing, but I decided right away I wasn¡¯t even going to try and match it, just casually carry myself the way I always had. Without the right teacher, there was no way I¡¯d be able to act like her anyway.

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    The room opened up to that of a great cathedral. At the other end was a pool of pure water that glowed bright gold, and two women standing at its edge. One was tall, with overly exaggerated curves and Ash grey hair similar to mine, only with teal highlights giving her an almost childlike appearance that more than contrasted her body.

    Her dress was some kind of strange take on a monk robe, teal like her highlights, but with a braided gold sash holding it together, or at least trying to. It showed off a lot of skin and seemed out of place in just about every way when comparing it to the modest attire of the priests and the girl next to her, and even the white stone backdrop if I was being honest.

    ¡®Is that Plutia?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know for sure¡­ But I had a feeling¡­ ¡®Sparks¡­ Is she mad I haven¡¯t been praying enough? Or maybe I didn¡¯t go to a shrine as soon as I got back?¡¯

    The girl next to her was similar in size and stature, but wearing what looked like pure white robes, flowing perfectly around her to cover all of her skin, as her wavy light blond hair gently brushed back and forth with her subtle movements.

    I could practically hear our teeth chattering as we approached. ¡®If that is plutia¡­ What¡¯s she going to do? Is she going to cause a scene? I hope she¡¯s not mad¡­ Then again, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever actually seen her get mad¡­¡¯

    I was thinking about how I should best apologize for not visiting her more often, or how I should beg her not to take away the blessing she gave me that allowed me to use lesser healing, but before I got close enough to do either the other woman started walking towards me.

    Her graceful walk outshined Posy¡¯s but slowly turned into a run, and that run didn¡¯t slow down as she got closer, slamming into me and picking me up.

    ¡®An attack? Did I already offend her? Wait no¡­ This is a hug.¡¯ ¡°Too close¡­¡± I muttered, stiffening up. I wasn¡¯t totally sure what was even happening, much less how to react, so I tried to push myself away but I couldn¡¯t, her grip was too strong. ¡®This is the guild master?¡¯

    When she did finally put me down she kneeled in front of me and patted me on the head like a child. ¡°I heard about everything from Clarissa, you must have been so scared.¡± She wrapped her arms around me again, pulling my head to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s ok now everything will be fine, leave it to Aunty Auly

    ¡°Posy¡­ What is happening right now¡­¡± The whole mystical and divine atmosphere was completely ruined, and as I looked over at her, it almost seemed like her eyes had rolled back in her head. She was completely unresponsive.

    ¡°And you, you worked until you collapsed from mana deficiency? I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t send more people to help you, you must have had a really hard time too. I¡¯d scold you, but I¡¯m sure you got enough of that from Bartrend¡­ Although he was supposed to be looking after you¡­ I should scold him¡­¡±

    She let go and gave Posy a hug, but Posy was still unresponsive. I felt my chest start to tighten as I only grew more confused and uncomfortable.

    Finally, the other woman came by and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her away from us. ¡°Auly you¡¯re scaring my kid, do I need to give you a timeout?¡±

    I looked at her and then back over to Posy. ¡®There¡­ related? So then it can¡¯t be Plutia right?¡¯

    ¡°And you!¡± The woman with ash grey hair yelled, pointing at me. ¡°I¡¯m really pissed at you you know!¡¯

    ¡®So I did do something wrong? Does this mean they''re not going to help me now?¡¯ I got chills again. ¡°What did I do¡­¡± I asked, my voice squeaking as I started to tear up from how thoroughly confusing it all was.

    She jumped back. ¡°Ahh wh-whats that, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not really that mad ok.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying¡­¡± I said slowly, holding my breath to stop the tears from coming out as I let my mind settle and take in everything that just happened.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I can see your tears from here. Please don¡¯t cry, you''re making me feel bad.¡±

    I wiped my eyes and calmed down., although, for the record, none of them ever fell from my eyes¡­ So I didn¡¯t cry. ¡®I guess I just got a bit overwhelmed.¡¯ I let out a sigh as I moved my feet a bit to shake out. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    She let out her own sigh of relief before spinning around. ¡°Soooo, what do you think? Oh oh, look, my hair. It¡¯s cool, right? I changed it to look like yours but added some teal highlights so it wouldn¡¯t be so depressing.¡±

    ¡®Definitely Plutia¡­ I wish she wouldn¡¯t change her appearance so much¡­¡¯ I grabbed a strand of my hair, comparing it to hers. ¡°It¡¯s cute. I like it, but¡­ My hair actually looks quite a bit different now that I washed it with soap a few times.¡±

    She rolled her eyes, groaning, then waved her hand to change the color again to match. ¡°There, better?¡±

    ¡®My hair can¡¯t be pretty can it?¡¯

    She groaned. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to get mad that I called your hair depressing. It¡¯s not depressing. You still aren¡¯t standing up for yourself I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I mean to be fair stuff like that is pretty subjective. And black and grey are kind of depressing colors so¡­¡±

    She rolled her eyes with another groan. ¡°Same as ever¡­ Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s good as much as it is worrying¡­ Now then!¡± She yelled making me flinch back, but only stepping closer in response. ¡°Why are you so skittish all the sudden? I don¡¯t remember you being so timid.¡±

    I glanced over to Posy whose brain had completely shut down, rendering her unable to give support¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t believe she fainted¡­¡¯ ¡°N-no I¡¯ve always been like this. I¡¯m just usually a lot better at hiding it.¡± ¡®What the¡­ where did that come from? Why did I say that?¡¯

    She started chuckling menacingly. ¡°Oh, you noticed? We''re in a zone of truth, so you can¡¯t tell a lie, and you say a bit more than you want to. Now we''re going to get you to reveal all your deep dark secrets.¡±

    I took another step back. ¡°Secrets¡­ But I don¡¯t have any secrets¡­ Do I?¡±

    She paused, her face falling flat before she turned to the guild master. ¡°You used your magic zone thingy right? So¡­ Does she really not have any secrets then?¡±

    Auly chuckled. ¡°This happens all the time, she doesn¡¯t think she has any, but everyone has things they don¡¯t tell other people about. Pure people like her just don¡¯t remember those things as secrets, so you have to ask specific questions.¡±

    ¡®Why do I feel like my life is in danger right now¡­¡¯

 Chapter 56: Talk

    ¡°Can I ask why I¡¯m here¡­ And why you want to know my secrets?¡± I shuddered, taking another step back as my instincts started screaming at me to run. Even if I did though, the door was closed¡­ Of course, knowing that only made me more anxious.

    ¡°Of course you can, but I won¡¯t answer. I have to tease you a bit to make up for you never coming to any of my shrines.¡± Plutia joked, sticking her tongue out at me.

    ¡®I knew she was mad¡­¡¯ ¡°I really don¡¯t think I¡¯m hiding anything though¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course you are¡­ Like¡­ What¡¯s the most embarrassing thing that¡¯s ever happened to you.¡±

    My breath stopped in my lungs as I blankly stared straight ahead and my heart skipped several beats in a row. ¡°H-how is that relevant?¡± I started shaking as I tried to resist answering. ¡®If I just don¡¯t say anything at all maybe I can avoid the effects.¡¯

    Aurelia patted Posy on the head, deciding to give her a moment to process things as she walked back over to me. ¡°There''s no point in resisting, sure, if it was a lower-level divine circle you could get away with just not saying anything, but this is my magic, so you¡¯ll end up talking whether you want to or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Not fair¡­¡± I muttered, starting to hold my breath again. ¡®I can always just make myself black out.¡¯

    Plutia started to chuckle ¡°Oho, I was just joking, but if you''re trying to hide it so bad it must be really embarrassing. Now I¡¯m really curious, come on, what did you do that was so embarrassing?¡±

    I felt my chest start to tighten even more. ¡®I don¡¯t want to tell you that¡­ I¡¯ll tell you anything else¡­¡¯ I calmed my mind. ¡®This is my resolve¡­ I can¡¯t believe¡­ I¡¯m using it for something as stupid as this¡­¡¯ My vision started to go black and I felt the dull thud of my head bouncing off the ground.

    ¡®This is stupid¡­ When I wake up I¡¯ll still have to tell them, won¡¯t I¡­ Besides, I¡¯m sure there are more important things for the guild master of White Light to be doing than sitting around waiting for me to stop acting like a child¡­¡¯

    As I opened my eyes I saw the guild master looking down at me, and her divine grace wrapping around me like a cocoon.

    The moment I became fully conscious though I started feeling compelled to speak, and sure enough, nothing had changed. My chest tightened up again and I started to feel short of breath. I clutched my chest over my robes. It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as it had been in the past, but it still hurt. For once my breath was actually clear too, I was just breathing quickly out of habit my mind expecting my throat to close up even though it wasn¡¯t.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°A-Auly, what''s happening? Your barrier around the guild hall should instill calmness and a sense of ease right?¡±

    I started stumbling over my words, finally caving in. ¡°W-when I was fourteen¡­¡± I muttered. Growling, still trying to hold back, at that point just doing it out of spite.

    They were too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice I had spoken at all though. ¡°It does¡­ But if her feelings are too strong it won¡¯t force her to feel and act calmly. Instead, it will force her to try and relieve the stress in other ways, like crying for instance...¡±

    ¡°You''re saying she¡¯s so anxious that even a calming spell isn¡¯t doing anything?¡± She looked at me, almost as if she was the one about to cry. To put it into words, it was as if her face was saying ¡°I messed up.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s still doing something¡­ That¡¯s probably why she¡¯s shaking, and why she teared up earlier. She said she was good at hiding how she felt¡­ The spell is esentially making it so she can¡¯t do that.¡±

    I sat up, taking my head off the guild master¡¯s lap and wrapping my arms around my knees, hugging them close. ¡®I¡¯m just making it harder on everyone at this point¡­¡¯ I slowly stopped shaking and relaxed. ¡®I guess maybe I do have a secret¡­ If you can call it that¡­¡¯ ¡°When I was fourteen¡­ I learned my first tier two spell¡­¡±

    They suddenly quieted down, listening intently, making me pause and want to start fighting back again, but I didn¡¯t. ¡°I finally had enough mana in me to use magic in a real fight, and not just for chores. I was still getting some help from the orphanage back then, so I had plenty to eat, so I was strong and healthy, so¡­ So Anyway¡­ I thought maybe I could finally get a party and go do a few monster hunts.¡±

    Whatever warmth I had felt before was still there, I could feel it on my skin, but it was like everything under my skin was frozen to the bone. ¡°I went to the guild hall and asked around, and a few people said no because I was too young, or a girl, or because I wasn¡¯t good enough, but eventually I found one. A group of three guys, a thief, a knight, and a ranger if I remember right. They told me I could join up with them.¡±

    Plutia squatted down next to me. ¡°Kid I just asked what happened you don¡¯t have to tell me your life story.¡±

    Aurelia slapped her shoulder ¡°This is your fault you know, at least be a little more sensitive. The least you could do is listen to the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°I was! I thought maybe if she got it over with faster it wouldn¡¯t be so hard for her!¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about then you should leave and let her just answer the question without anyone around to hear it!¡±

    They both stopped and looked back at me, considering it for a moment before Plutia abruptly stood up. ¡°You¡¯re right let''s go.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s my sacred duty to hear all of the words of those under this spell, and it¡¯s too late to break it¡­ Even if I did leave I would still hear everything she says¡­ Which would then ironically be kind of like lying to her¡­¡±

    I grabbed at the collar of my dress, trying to pull it down so there would be less pressure on my neck, but it still felt like I was choking as I watched the two of them argue. It was like the longer I went without speaking the more magic built up in my throat.

    ¡°Just breathe¡­ Stop trying to fight it. No matter how embarrassing it is, or whatever you end up saying, neither of us will laugh at you.¡±

    Plutia sat back down. ¡°If you¡¯re staying then I am too. Although I can¡¯t promise I won''t laugh.¡±

    Aurelia smacked her again, this time in the back of the head.

    ¡®Just say it¡­ Don¡¯t fight it¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want to say it¡­ Don¡¯t fight? Fighting is all I¡¯ve ever done¡­ Why would I give up?¡¯ ¡°No¡­¡±

 Chapter 57: The Past.

    ¡°No? Auly, what does she mean no. didn¡¯t you say your barrier forced her to speak?¡±

    ¡°It does¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just change the question? Like, overight it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t design the spell with the idea that I might not want them to tell me something!¡±

    They both paused, staring back at me as I continued to bite my tongue, literally, keeping my jaw clenched to render myself incapable of speech.

    The guild master sighed. ¡°The reasons I am using this spell is to confirm you are innocent, and find facts from what you know¡­ The sooner we resolve this, the faster we will move on to what''s important and forget about whatever it is that you are about to say¡­¡±

    ¡°The only thing I know how to do is fight¡­¡± I growled before clenching my jaw again.

    ¡°Right¡­ Well¡­¡± She slowly turned her eyes to the side, suddenly unable to look at me. ¡°Like I said, your body will force itself to find ways of relieving stress you feel¡­ And so after a while, it will just force your muscles to relax, your heart rate to slow, your adrenaline to calm down¡­ And¡­ Water will start coming out of¡­ More delicate places than your eyes¡­ After that, you¡¯ll probably be unable to resist any longer¡­ And I¡¯ll have to clean the floor¡­¡±

    I growled again. ¡®You call this divine magic?¡¯ Sure enough, just at the thought of it, my eyes started to water again, and in the end, I decided to cut my losses¡­ Besides, they were the only two people in the whole room¡­ And it was just a stupid story from a long time ago¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ What made me give up¡­ On finding a party¡­ Why I haven¡¯t looked for one for the past four years¡­ Not that anyone would take me when I occasionally did¡­¡±

    ¡®The longer I draw this out the more it¡¯s going to hurt¡­ I know that¡­ But¡­¡¯ Another chill ran down my arms and legs as I finally relaxed. ¡°You owe me Plutia¡­ I better be able to use tier three divine spells after this¡­¡±

    She chuckled nervously. ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of¡­¡±

    Aurelia growled at her.

    ¡°I mean yeah sure I¡¯ll help you with that. But you¡¯ll still have to work for it.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­¡± I rested my chin on my knees and stopped trying to fight the magic, letting it control what I said. My hair fell past my face as I looked down, dimming the light that reached my eyes and helping me to feel more at peace. Although, the tightness in my chest never fully went away. It was like threads around my throat suddenly stopped constricting me and eased up, controlling my voice, my mouth, and even my lips.

    ¡°So after we formed a party they said we had to do a job to raise money, so we could buy our knight a sword before we left. Apparently, he had lost his old one on their last job. I was just excited to finally be in a group more than anything so I went along with whatever they said and we ended up performing at an inn where the patrons would tip based on how good they thought it was. So, naturally, I got to show off my magic¡­ At least that was the plan¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you freeze up?¡± Plutia asked before once again getting smacked. After a short pause, the magic got a hold of me and forced me to continue.

    ¡°No¡­ It started out fine, no one was really impressed, but since I could use so many kinds of magic at once they seemed to like it, and they were all smiling¡­ It was¡­ fun¡­¡± I let out a soft sigh, wishing I had something to lean against. Almost on cue the guild master moved up next to my side and forced me to lean on her. I wanted to object, but at that point, I Was too tired to even react.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°The boys had a plan of their own. From out of the crowd one of them threw a slime at me and it stuck to my skirt. I panicked, not sure what to do at first so I tried to shake it off but it was stuck like glue. Eventually, I used a water whip to kill it, but I really hurt my leg in the process¡­ Even worse than that, I lost control of the spell and it ended up looking like I wet myself¡­ Which was fine¡­ Except my spell tore a huge chunk out of my skirt too¡­¡±

    I thought for sure Plutia was going to ask another question, but she just let out a soft sigh, her face clearly telling me she didn¡¯t think it was funny anymore.

    I paused, trying to fight the truth spell again as my chest tightened, but ultimately caved again, deciding to just get it over with and move on. ¡°When I finally got rid of the one on my skirt two more fell on me from above.¡±

    Hugging my legs even tighter, I quieted my voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt myself again so I tried brushing them off but I started to feel them sting as they ate away at my skin, so I took my jacket off and threw it to the side, using my fire magic to heat up my skin enough to melt the bits that were still on me¡­ But I accidentally set my shirt on fire, so I used water to put it out¡­ but that made what little was left of my shirt see-through¡­ Not that there was much left anyway¡­¡± I paused again, rolling my eyes to the side as I thought about how stupid it all sounded.

    ¡°Only after the fact did I remember I was standing on stage in front of a crowd, and when I finally did I froze. After a few moments I squatted down and grabbed my knees, and after a few more I grabbed my jacket and ran to the bathroom where I snuck out the window and went home¡­¡±

    Plutia chuckled nervously. ¡°I mean it could have been worse right?¡±

    Aurelia let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°That¡¯s not what you''re supposed to say¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around me, slowly brushing her hand through my hair. Given she was a stranger though, it felt as uncomfortable as you might imagine. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now, so try not to let it bother you so much¡­ That was an awful thing that happened to you, but it¡¯s ok now. I bet no one even remembers it anymore.¡±

    They may have been words from a complete stranger, but they were what I always imagined my mom saying if she was still alive back then. In that sense, hearing them out loud, They were¡­ Comforting¡­ In a way¡­

    Plutia growled. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to lie in your own spell. No way someone could forget that.¡±

    Any comfort I found¡­ Gone¡­ Instantly vanished... I felt like I might as well have turned to stone, becoming almost completely emotionless.

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know that¡­ I mean, it was several years ago, right? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all in the past¡­¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡±

    I felt another chill run through me, but I felt like I was at peace in a strange way. My chest wasn¡¯t tight anymore, and I didn¡¯t feel like I wanted to cry. With the spell''s effects on me vanishing, I started to feel like I was myself again. My voice steadied as I pushed Aurelia away and casually crossed my legs underneath me. ¡®Yeah, They¡¯re probably right.¡¯ I sighed. ¡°I stayed in my house for three weeks after that¡­ And people still recognized me when I came back out¡­¡±

    Plutia gestured towards me with one of her hands ¡°See. It could have been worse though.¡±

    Aurelia grabbed onto me again as if trying to somehow protect me from her. ¡°I¡¯m actually kind of curious, how could it have been worse.¡± She groaned.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± She started thinking for a moment. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t accidentally rip your skirt off completely right?¡±

    I rolled my head to the side with another groan, starting to find the whole thing annoying. ¡°No, I just flashed the whole audience several times trying to shake a slime off of it¡­ And then tore the whole front off with a magic spell.¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­ You did, did you?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very long skirt¡­  And water whip is a combat spell¡­ I guess it wasn¡¯t bad when I wore it sideways. That¡¯s how I wore it on the way home¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory I just relived, and one I certainly never wanted to talk about. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that felt better after I talked about it either, if anything it just felt worse now that more people knew about it. ¡°I want to go home and die now¡­¡± I muttered emotionlessly.

    They slowly looked at each other and then back at me. ¡°Truth telling barrier¡­¡± Aurelia mumbled.

    Plutia grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me back and forth. ¡°NO! Please don¡¯t do that!¡± she whined, almost starting to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ok. I¡¯ll help you reach tier three holy magic just like you asked, so please don¡¯t die yet! You still have so much to live for.¡±

    I raised my head, acknowledging her for a moment, still void of any emotion mentally drained. ¡°I¡¯m really upset with you right now, and I don¡¯t know how to express that, so I¡¯m going to ignore you for a while¡­¡±

    Aurelia snorted. ¡°Truth-telling barrier.¡± She said again, hiding a laugh.

    I slowly pushed myself away from her too and stood up, brushing my dress off and straightening out the wrinkles from sitting on the floor. ¡®This is stupid, why am I even here right now?¡¯

    ¡°W-well having a torn-up skirt is better than nothing right? And even if your shirt was see-through it¡¯s not like that means they saw your chest. See, it could have been worse¡­¡±

    ¡°I was fourteen¡­¡± I groaned again. ¡°I thought tough adventurer girls didn¡¯t wear bras.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making it worse!¡± Aurelia yelled under her breath, smacking her again.

    I let out a soft sigh, offering a hand to help the guild master up. ¡°This is a waste of time. Ask me what you wanted to already¡­¡± After she stood up she tried to give me another hug but I raised my arm to create space. ¡°And no more of that, go hug her if you want one so bad.¡±

    Her face instantly sank like that of a puppy told they weren''t getting any treats until Plutia patted her on the head. ¡°Awe, did the mean Chika scold you for trying to make her feel better? It¡¯s ok, she does that.¡±

    I lifted a hand to my face, covering my eyes before gently rubbing my forehead and sweeping my hair back. ¡®Honestly¡­ It¡¯s like there''s two of them¡­ This is the vicious guild master that spearheaded the reform to execute sex offenders?¡¯ ¡°Aurelia¡­¡± I growled.

    Finally, she brushed herself off and began to look a little more professional, at least in regard to how she carried herself.

 Chapter 58: The Plan

    The guild master finally brushed herself off and stopped acting like a child, seemingly becoming a completely different person as if flipping a switch. ¡°Right.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I called you here today.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m about to slap you¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I asked¡­¡± I grumbled. ¡°Although I bet it has something to do with Alden¡¯s trial.¡±

    She chuckled, nervously playing with her hair. ¡°Y-yes, you¡¯re right about that¡­ Posy is waiting outside, she already knows most of what is going to happen anyway and didn¡¯t want to invade your privacy, so she excused herself after you passed out.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± I shot a brief sharp glance over to Plutia. ¡®At least some people care about that sort of thing¡­¡¯

    Aurelia chuckled nervously, covering her mouth before once again clearing her throat. ¡°Right, well. I just wanted to make you aware of the plan. Since this trial will also be for you, and my guild has stepped in as your benefactor, it¡¯s only right.¡±

    ¡°Ok, shoot.¡±

    She gestured for me to follow and we walked back to the pool of glittering water they were standing at before. As she spoke, she manipulated it, not just in shape but color, and created images before my eyes while she explained. ¡°Trials like these involve all ten of the great guilds because Alden was a representative of the Great market¡­ Uh¡­ That¡¯s what we call all 10 of our guilds together, like the red mantles, these organizations use all 10 guilds as pools for recruitment, does that make sense?¡±

    I scratched my head, remembering back when I studied government for a brief time at the library. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but I get the basics. I know a bit about it.¡±

    The pool swirled into three separate scenes of trials and courts. ¡°Right, so I think it''s important to understand scale¡­ First off, there are three levels of court cases, the first is the most common, which is when a government official like Alden is the judge, who acts as a mediator over two parties, this is usually overseen by a council of other government members of equal or higher rank. Second is less common, and unfortunately what this situation has blown into¡­ A grand trial. Each guild will send a representative of high status, usually only 1 to 3 positions removed from the leader. These trials are considered extremely important and are overseen not just by the 10 judges, but the entirety of Rothet, who is allowed to gather in the coliseum and watch. Do you understand what this means?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but can you just get to the point? You could be referring to anything from how serious this is to the fact that an executioner will be in attendance.¡±

    She pushed her eyebrows together. ¡°Maybe I should just explain the contents of the trial. Firstly Alden¡¯s corruption, because he is a member of the circle of smoke they will be forced to abstain from the judge''s seat, likewise, because we took you under our protection, we will also be abstaining. The second topic will be the alleged murder of your party. The third will be the misconduct of guards both under Alden''s influence and otherwise¡­ And the fourth will be once again directly tied to you in the form of you¡¯re sexual assault. You seem like a blunt person¡­ So I¡¯ll ask directly. Are you prepared to stand trial, both defense and prosecution, in front of the entirety of Rothet?¡±

    ¡°What kind of question is that¡­¡± I paused for a moment and looked out the cathedral''s back wall towards the Ocean. ¡°You think I¡¯ve ever stood in front of so many people? My legs shake when I¡¯m talking to just a few¡­ I mean, it could be the same, or it could feel much worse, but how would I know¡­ Besides, it¡¯s not like it matters whether I¡¯m ready or not¡­ I have to go, so why are you even asking?¡±

    She sighed, stepping over to my side and staring out at the ocean with me. Admittedly, despite how heavy I could sense the conversation was, I felt little of the weight. In some ways, it seemed relatively pointless. She was tiptoeing around things and being cautious, but I had been there for how long and still hadn''t received any useful information¡­ If anything I was worse off, after being subjected to her strange magic. Even that at least had a point though. She had to check whether or not I was really innocent.

    ¡®I know she has a point¡­ So why is she stalling¡­¡¯ I growled. ¡°You know, this really isn¡¯t so bad. I¡¯ve never seen it but I think I quite like the view of the ocean. Does it always sparkle like that, or is it because of the holy water?¡±

    Her face softened, almost confused at my sudden change of subject and lack of tension. ¡°In this case, it¡¯s normal for it to look like that, it has more to do with the sun I think. Although if I take you to the basin where we pool the purist of the holy water, looking at the ocean from there is certainly a site all of its own.¡±

    ¡°Not bad¡­ Maybe I should start a guild. I¡¯d have a guild hall like this one on the coast.¡± I looked around at the massive empty cathedral, towering over us. ¡°A little less gaudy though¡­ I guess I should make a donation to Plutia before any of that. How much would be good? Maybe ten percent. Construction costs would go down if I built it from stone, so learning higher-tier earth magic would be good.¡± I turned back to her. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Her eyes stared back at me blankly, her face now completely covered with confusion. ¡°That¡­ Sounds fine¡­ Uhm¡­ But maybe making it through this trial first?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, the trial¡­ Are you going to tell me what your plan is now? Not that I¡¯m ungrateful, but it¡¯s starting to seem like you don¡¯t actually have one.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Once again she stared at me blankly for a moment before she could respond. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ A rather rude person¡­ Aren''t you.¡±

    ¡®This is why I hate meeting new people¡­¡¯ ¡°I feel like that¡¯s subjective and irrelevant¡­¡±

    She slowly glanced over to Plutia, who was sulking in the corner. Finding no help from her, she simply rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, she was half right about you¡­ You certainly don¡¯t seem fragile though¡­¡± She said with another sigh. ¡°Listen. Alden has virtually no case. You''re already gathering multiple people willing to testify you got laughed out of the tavern because no one was stupid enough to party up with you. So given that fact, and the fact that Finn saw no traces of human blood at the supposed crime scene, along with other evidence, you will be proven innocent rather quickly. Even if you didn¡¯t try to turn the quest in, you posted the monster head on display, which is basically the same thing. Your charity work also speaks well of your intentions, and the fact you were the first to report a spider knight sighting despite not receiving a reward is also helping your case.¡±

    She let out a deep breath, her posture failing, if only slightly, as her shoulders rolled forward. ¡°All this in mind¡­ Alden won¡¯t try to win on those accounts. He will instead be focused on diverting focus away from his crimes and trying to cut his losses and get away with as little punishment as possible. In order to do that, he will probably try to find a scapegoat, as well as divert attention by dragging out the other three points of the trial as much as possible¡­¡±

    She paused again, this time though, rather than being cautious, it was as if it was something truly hard for her to say. ¡°What else?¡± I asked

    She turned to the side. ¡°Because it would greatly help his case¡­ He will say and do whatever he can to try and make you leave the room or act out¡­ If he can get you to leave, or show aggression, Chances are that he will be able to use that for his benefit. I¡¯m sure none of this makes much sense now, but just trust me¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re giving this guy too much credit¡­ But I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    She glanced back out at the ocean and slowly resumed her elegant poise. ¡°It¡¯s very important that no matter what he says you stay in the room. Even if no one would blame you for leaving. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡®Finally, a straightforward job.¡¯ I felt myself smirk at how easy it sounded. ¡°I think I can sit in a chair for a few hours.¡±

    She smiled softly and the heaviness in the air lifted considerably. ¡°If you are up for it, there is one more thing I¡¯d like for you to focus on. Do you know how truth-telling magic works? My spell is strong, but I¡¯m the only one who can use it, and in this particular trial, I won¡¯t be in attendance. However, it won¡¯t be necessary either.

    ¡°Give me the short version.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°When we put someone on trial we have them swear an oath on their divine power that they will tell the truth, and every time they break that oath their divinity drops drastically. Our priests can sense that drop in divinity, and that¡¯s how we tell if they are lying. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t actually tell us which part of what they are saying is a lie and whatnot. Sometimes we find people guilty simply under the pretense that they have lied too much¡­ But that¡¯s rather rare.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m following.¡±

    ¡°During his trial, we''re basically going to try and see how far he is willing to go to try and cover his tracks.¡± Her bright smile started turning more and more sinister with every word. ¡°If he goes too far he¡¯ll never be able to use divine magic again, if he admits his guilt that¡¯s fine too I suppose, although less satisfying. Ultimately though, we need him to either be fully convicted or lie enough that the great market agrees to let me interrogate him afterward.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ Basically, just get him to lie a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and try to get him to lie directly, rather than dodging the question. Even getting him to say he doesn¡¯t know when he does, is enough.¡±

    My whole body started to feel heavy. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d rather just get this over with, instead of dealing with it any more than I have to. Then again¡­ I guess learning another skill is never a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes well¡­ After he¡¯s found guilty we can interrogate him properly. Until then are you ready?¡±

    I raised a hand to my eyes. I still felt off, both physically and emotionally, but all I had to do was talk in front of a crowd¡­ Admittedly not my strong suit. Still, killing the minotaur on my own was a huge boost to my confidence and my skills. I knew it was unrelated, but somehow it felt like it gave me the courage to go into that as well. ¡°Sure¡­ So when¡¯s the trial?¡±

    Pulling out a small stopwatch, she confidently checked the time. ¡°I suppose¡­ Whenever you arrive.¡±

    It started to feel like I was standing on pins and needles. ¡°Showing up late¡­ Isn¡¯t usually a good thing is it?¡±

    She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine, in this case, it might actually help, you¡¯re playing the role of the victim who suffered at his hands. Showing up late because you were emotionally unstable only makes him look worse¡­ Thanks to Plutia it¡¯s not even a lie¡­¡±

    I turned back to Plutia, who was still biting her tongue, looking pitifully at the floor and avoiding my eyes. Letting out a groan, my eyes shifted back to Aurelia. ¡°That might be the best way to win support, but I¡¯m not some helpless little girl, and I¡¯m not going to pretend like I¡¯m suffering emotionally from what happened either.¡±

    Plutia rested a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Ok¡­ But, are you sure you aren''t? The girl that told us what happened said that you were shaking so bad you couldn¡¯t even stand¡­¡±

    I turned back to her and growled.

    ¡°Chika, please don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m worried about you¡­ Come on, I lent you my divine power twice recently, even though you never visit my shrine, does that not count for anything?¡±

    I lowered my head again, admittedly feeling guilty after hearing her phrase it like that. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯m sorry, ignoring you is childish¡­¡±

    Her voice picked up as she wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Hurray! I knew you¡¯d forgive me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still mad at you¡­ I¡¯m just not going to ignore you, and I¡¯m also grateful¡­¡±

    She let go, letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°Yeah yeah, fine¡­¡±

    ¡®These two¡­ I hope I¡¯m never in the same room as both of them again. Ones all sweet, hiding a terrifying destructive side¡­ And the other holds unfathomable power, and acts like a complete child¡­¡¯ ¡°Plutia, why don¡¯t you just smite Alden for us?¡±

    She put on her thinking face for a second, tilting her head and lifting her eyes to the ceiling before rubbing her fingers together and looking down at her hands. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I could get away¡ª-¡±

    Aurelia suddenly grabbed her ear and pulled her off balance. ¡°You¡¯re a saint now Plutia¡­ You can¡¯t interfere in things so casually, especially when they are only at this scale¡­¡±

    ¡°Geez! I was only joking¡­¡± She grumbled, her, eyes filled with sadness as she stared directly at me. ¡°Maybe¡­ Just this once, can you make it not so hard to watch¡­ At least you aren''t starving yourself this time¡­ But you always manage to make me worry¡­¡±

    I just smirked. ¡°You could have given me food if you felt that bad about it.¡±

    ¡°You could have prayed if you wanted some that bad¡­¡± She grumbled. ¡°Or just got a job¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s fair¡­¡± ¡®She really does make the same expressions a child would make¡­¡¯

    One of the heavy gate guards approached from behind. ¡°Greater light¡­ It would be best to not linger too much longer.¡±

    ¡®Not how I thought I¡¯d get my name out there¡­ But sure, let¡¯s go stand in front of a few thousand people to convince them I¡¯m not a murderer¡­¡¯

 Chapter 59: Testimony

    When I arrived outside the courthouse I could tell right away I was the last one there¡­ Regardless of what Aurelia said arriving late didn¡¯t sit right with me, making me feel even more anxious and already getting off to a bad start.

    Our carriage rolled up and as my feet touched the stone walkway I began to feel the heavy pressure from the atmosphere. I was sure it was just for appearances, but the moment I stepped out of the grand carriage I was surrounded by guards from White Light. When they said I was under their protection It was pretty clear that they meant every word.

    They weren''t ordinary guards either, not only were all seven of them female law bringers, Knights with the highest reputation and the most imposing armor, but each one was wielding divine aura, a passive skill that, among increasing their abilities, gave off a faint divine glow.

    It was a rare class to begin with, but the fact that they were all female made it even more of a spectacle. Each one wearing full gear minus the helmet, and elaborately braiding their hair. Of course, all of this lived up to their stellar reputation, giving a show I¡¯m sure at least the men in the crowd would appreciate, although the girls tended to be enamored by them too.

    I wanted to walk in confidently, but with so many important people escorting me like I was somehow worthy of their time, I only became more anxious. Instead of confidence, I was sure I was exuding timidness. Chances are, I wasn¡¯t noticed at all. Although admittedly I did prefer it that way.

    Posy helped braid my hair to match that of the Lawbringers beforehand, but in the end, it only made me feel more out of place like an unlucky black kitten trying to fit in with a bunch of white tigers.

    Letting out a sigh, I made a mental note to complain about it later and just started walking towards the stand. My mind went blank. My escorts were speaking, and one of them even gave me instructions, but I couldn¡¯t focus at all. The moment I saw how many people were around us my chest started to tighten again. ¡®Will everything really be alright?¡¯

    One of the law bringers in front of me opened a giant set of double doors by dramatically pushing them open and walking in straight down the middle.

    As we headed inside the crowds split like snakes slithering away from falling torches, but once we made it through the coliseum''s inner gates it was nothing but open space between us and our seats. Just like Aurelia said, thousands of people had gathered to watch the trial¡­ Honestly, I couldn''t fully understand why¡­ But that didn¡¯t change the fact that they were there¡­

    Only C-rank adventurers or higher were even allowed to apply to become gladiators¡­ So needless to say I had never once been in the ring. It was an indescribable feeling, one that I almost didn¡¯t want to let go of. ¡®If only I was in here to fight¡­ Although I guess in a way I am. I hope I get the same adrenaline rush, then I won¡¯t be worrying about the crowd at least.¡¯

    Suddenly the stares didn¡¯t seem to bother me, instead of being embarrassing, it started to feel addicting. In some ways I was a gladiator, fighting a battle, one of the heroes I had seen fight in the pit when I was a little girl. With that thought, I finally began to become aware of my surroundings again, freezing stiff.

    ¡°Huh? She stopped.¡±

    ¡°Like froze? Is she ok, you don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to faint do you? She looks pretty frail.¡±

    ¡®Geez¡­¡¯ ¡°I already knew I didn¡¯t look right standing next to you girls¡­ But is it that bad?¡±

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    One of the other knights smacked her on the back of the head before I felt a gentle nudge from the side. ¡°Remember to breathe,¡± One said.

    ¡°Come this way and sit down.¡±

    Sighing, I followed one of them to a large table, trying my best not to come across as anxious. It was hard not to be intimidated though¡­ Just like Aurelia had said, representatives from all 10 of the great guilds were there. Eight as judges, the White Light Lawbringers for my protection, and the Circle of Smoke for Alden¡¯s¡­ Although, looking over at his table, it seemed his guild didn¡¯t dispatch any famous members for him.

    The eight judges sat atop a massive half-circle table suspended in the air with magic, looking down on us from above. From appearance alone, I could match the guild with the reputation, or maybe stereotype would be more accurate¡­ Of course, Alden was there too. Just like my table, it had two seats and was hovering slightly off the ground, suspended by some sort of magic that I couldn¡¯t help wondering about.

    ¡®Is it arcane? But how many people even know how to cast higher-level arcane spells? It would be a relic, or maybe just enchanted rock?¡¯ I leaned over and looked under at the floating space. ¡®No runes¡­ And rock doesn¡¯t enchant very well.¡¯

    ¡°You remember the plan yes?¡±

    I bumped my head on the stone as I pulled it back, letting out a soft whiny groan as I looked over to the girl next to me. ¡®I still didn¡¯t even know her name, but I guess she¡¯s the leader of the law bringers if she¡¯s sitting next to me as the representative of the guild right?¡¯ ¡°I do¡­ But why haven''t we started yet?¡±

    She gestured with her head to the judge''s seats. ¡°We weren¡¯t the last ones here¡­¡±

    ¡®Your kidding¡­ Weren¡¯t we late though? By like, a lot¡­ And then we took our time with that dramatic entrance too¡­¡¯

    A magic circle the likes of which I had never seen appeared above the stadium in the open air, covering from one end of the arena to the other. Chills ran down my arms as the magic power forced the air to tremble with its density.

    The girl next to me let out a long groan and slammed her halberd into the floating stone under our feet, creating a barrier of golden light around me that helped me to feel at ease. ¡°Why does everyone from Discord have to be so dramatic?¡± She growled under her breath. ¡°I bet they sent her again¡­¡±

    Before I could ask, the sky split in two and a great fiery gate opened up as if one of the demon realms was about to flood out into our world, but then a lone person fell through, wearing red and black with a giant wooden stalf.

    With one hand holding her pointy hat onto her head she waved her staff and the gate closed behind her before she turned to gaze at the crowd while in a face-first free fall.

    Before landing she flipped and then paused in the air at a dead stop, slowly hovering down the last couple of feet to her seat.

    The two men next to her sighed, one of them hiding his face.

    Magic erupted from the floating platforms and a giant projection lifted up into the sky for all the spectators to see, emitting the middle judge''s voice far and wide. ¡°The judges have FINALLY arrived¡­ We will now proceed with the trial.¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t get my chills to go away¡­ I almost didn¡¯t even care about the trial anymore, so much as just wanted to understand what I had just witnessed¡­ ¡°You said¡­ Is she from Discord? They''re the most powerful mages guild in Rothet right?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond, and when I looked over to ask again, her eyes had become scary¡­ I decided to just stay quiet. ¡®I guess it must be the girl she doesn¡¯t like¡­¡¯

    Without further delay, Alden and I were both called to the center before the judges one at a time. First, we swore on our patron saints to tell the truth, and then we recited our account of events. I just repeated what had happened, but of course, Alden was a bit more imaginative. He never directly lied but used phrasing that made it sound like had done nothing wrong and conveniently left certain parts out.

    After that, several witnesses were called to describe events from their perspective, and then each guild gave their personal statements. White Light firmly supported me, but Alden''s guild was more ominous, simply stating that they didn¡¯t know or care¡­ Just like Fin had said¡­ It seemed they really only took responsibility when it was convenient.

    One of the judges asked if that was the smoke guild''s official statement, and the guild''s representative stood back up. ¡°The first rule of being a thief is to not get caught¡­ If he¡¯s stupid enough to get caught for something he didn¡¯t even do he has no place in this guild.¡± He then turned to Alden. ¡°Oh, right. Actually, the guild master wanted me to tell you you¡¯re out of the guild. You know, with that, I think I¡¯m actually done here, but this should be a good show so I might stick around.¡± After thinking about it for a moment he then sat back down next to Alden, the whole arena being stunned silent.

    I don¡¯t know how he did it¡­ But even after that Alden stood in front of the crowd proudly, carrying himself with grace and poise. If anything the crowd just felt sorry for him, which was hardly a good way to start things off¡­.

    On the other hand, I was so nervous and tense that I could feel tears starting to well up again as the calming barrier forced my body to try and relieve stress. I nudged the girl next to me. ¡°Cancel the barrier.¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Will you even be able to stand if I do that?¡±

    ¡®Honestly¡­ Passing out is better than crying in front of everyone in town...¡¯ I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that help keep up the appearance you guys want anyway? Just cancel it, I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± ¡®I hope¡­¡¯

 Chapter 60: Questioning.

    Our statements had been recorded, all that was left was the questioning. Each representative was allowed to ask us anything they wanted, and we had to answer, if we refused, even if it was unrelated, we would be found guilty on the spot. A merciless law, but rarely abused¡­ From what I heard anyway...

    Of the eight representatives, each one asked for more and more details, and so I gave them what they wanted, the men tended to only ask about facts.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn in the quest?¡± or ¡°How specifically did you kill the minitour without a party?¡±

    Those questions were fine, they were easy to take, and it was almost fun to recount my epic tale in front of such a crowd.

    The woman judges tended to ask different questions though¡­ Ones that were¡­ Harder to talk about¡­ ¡°You said Alden ordered the guards to strip you?¡±

    I froze up¡­ If I wasn¡¯t wearing my armor I don¡¯t know how I would have reacted, but I held myself together. I may not have been able to answer with words, but I could at least nod. ¡®Of course, this would come up¡­¡¯ ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Again, dead silence filled the arena¡­ Although this time the sentiment was much different.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only question. They had me describe in detail what happened, which, really wasn¡¯t much honestly¡­ Although admittedly, I was unconscious for half of it.

    After answering I felt as though my legs were about to collapse from under me, and I was starting to feel faint, but the questioning continued, seemingly random things kept getting mixed in, but I still had to answer them¡­

    ¡°Why are you so skinny?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that you don¡¯t look much like a girl, what are your measurements?¡±

    Or, of course, my favorite. ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± Admittedly, that might have been the least embarrassing one to answer, and technically the most relevant in a certain sense. I was always taught by the nuns that you should be proud of being a virgin if you weren''t married¡­ Still, saying it out loud was¡­ harder than I thought¡­ Especially in front of so many people¡­ All of those questions came from the representative of the Discord guild, and well¡­ ¡®I think I¡¯m starting to get why that lawbringer doesn¡¯t like her¡­¡¯

    My chest continued to feel tighter every time I spoke, but I answered all the same¡­ By the end of it, my body felt cold, and the moment I finally returned to my seat I was sure I couldn¡¯t have stood up again if I tried.

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    ¡°Hey¡­¡±

    I heard someone''s voice, but I didn¡¯t react even a little, laying my head down on the table and closing my eyes.

    A warm fur cloak suddenly touched my chilled skin. ¡°You doing alright?¡±

    ¡°Not for the past 8 years or so, why do you ask?¡± I grumbled.

    She sighed. ¡°This is why I hate her¡­ She doesn¡¯t take anything seriously, or think before she speaks.¡±

    I rolled my head to the side as I pulled the cloak tighter around me. ¡°The girl from Discord?¡±

    She rested her chin in her hand as she glared up at the mage that had entered so dramatically. ¡°Miss, Obsidian Darkstorm¡­ The one that asked you all those weird questions at the end¡­ I¡¯m sorry about her¡­¡±

    I looked over at her as well. ¡®The mage from Discord.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s really her name?¡±

    She grinned. ¡°Ridiculous isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s her parent''s fault though so I never teased her about it like the other kids.¡±

    ¡®I guess they have quite the history¡­¡¯ I slowly lowered my eyes back to the girl next to me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say you hate her¡­ I don¡¯t think you mean that.¡±

    She closed her eyes, relaxing for a moment. ¡°What if I do though?¡±

    I smirked. ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t have smiled just now when you said her name.¡±

    She let out a soft groan as she looked at me from the side. ¡°Ok, ok, But she seriously pisses me off, asking you those things¡­ Forcing you to answer in front of so many people.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t explain why, but seeing her get mad about it somehow made me forget it bothered me at all. I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve been through worse anyway, and I¡¯m sure Alden is about to go through worse as well.¡±

    Letting out another sigh, she finally calmed down again. ¡°Right, next he will get to question you, and then you will question him. After that the trial will open up to debate, are you ready for this?¡±

    I sat up straight and took a deep breath. ¡°No¡­ But I¡¯ll do my best¡­ I have to at least try to repay you¡¯re guild for helping me... All I have to do is get him to lie right?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Even if you can''t, you''re still going to win, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    My eyes fell to the side. ¡°Yeah¡­ Whether or not I make it out with my reputation intact though, that¡¯s still kind of important¡­ Well, I guess no one would party up with me anyway¡­ Oh yeah and¡­ the whole world knows that now¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that¡­ The only thing any of these people will remember about this trial is who wins, and that you were supported by White Light and seven of their lawbringers. Mm¡­ Maybe also that you killed a minitour.¡±

    Alden finished the questioning period, and I let out a heavy sigh as he returned to his seat. ¡°They won¡¯t remember, right? Somehow¡­ Even if I believed you I don¡¯t think it would make this any easier¡­¡± I grumbled again, mentally preparing myself as I remembered Aurelia¡¯s words. ¡®He¡¯s going to say whatever he can to make me feel sick¡­ That¡¯s going to be a heck of a lot more than asking my measurements¡­ Even if I can¡¯t bring myself to answer, I just have to not leave right?¡¯

    The tables moved. Mine span around the room and placed itself directly in front of the judges, while Alden¡¯s moved opposite of mine. Since He wasn¡¯t a judge, I didn¡¯t necessarily have to answer any question he asked, I could object, or the judges could object for me¡­ If I really wanted to look good though, I wouldn¡¯t do that. Traditionally speaking, it was better to let the judges be the only ones to object to any questions asked. ESPECIALLY if you were playing the victim¡­ And seeing as how harshness was yet another way he could technically lose divinity¡­ Really, by all accounts, the best option was to just take whatever he had to throw¡­

    ¡°Alden Soot, you may begin you¡¯re questioning of the opposing side.¡±

    He looked right at me and grinned widely, sending a chill down my arms as his eyes traced my body¡­ Thankfully I didn¡¯t have to stand up like before¡­ I¡¯m not sure I would have been able to without making a fool of myself. ¡®If this was a fight things would be so much easier¡­¡¯ suddenly I stopped shaking as I imagined beating him to a pulp. ¡®I can do this¡­ This should be fine¡­ Right¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 61:Diverting Attention

    Alden stepped away from his table, taking the floor as magical platforms raised into the air to support him. ¡°Adventurer Chika. This is your name and title correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Why even bother asking that?¡¯

    ¡°The same Chika that is widely regarded as and assumed to be a man, is that true?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know about that, but people often mistake me for a man. For that reason, I really don¡¯t think that the guards, who were only following orders, had any ill intent.¡±

    He nodded, pacing back and forth, sorting his thoughts. ¡®Sense I said that nothing happened, it¡¯s likely he will take the win and move on. He¡¯s trying to prove his innocence right? So, what¡¯s next?¡¯

    He stopped his feet dead center and looked right at me. ¡°Have you ever been sexually assaulted before this incident?¡±

    I felt another chill run down my arms. ¡°N-no¡­¡± ¡®Why is he working this angle? This issue isn¡¯t one of the larger parts of the case¡­ Actually, it feels largely irrelevant.¡¯

    ¡°I take that to mean you have never been sexually abused or harassed either then. Is this also true?¡±

    ¡®Wait, isn¡¯t all that just the same thing? Oh¡­ I think I get it. Is he trying to draw attention away from the other accusations by focusing on the one thing he is innocent of?¡¯

    My head jumbled everything up, trying to focus on too many things at once, and unable to calm myself. ¡°U-uhm, well. I¡¯m not sure what the technical definitions are, so¡­ I guess I don¡¯t¨C¡±

    He smirked. As if I had just gotten caught by his hook. ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, allow me to define them for you. You see, within our law at least, sexual misconduct is separated into three categories. Harassment, which is a minor offense, assault, which covers a variety of things, and abuse, which covers more extreme cases. Punishments for assault range from incarceration to being¡­ Shall we say surgically altered¡­ And in some cases executed.¡±

    My mouth ran dry as he continued. It wasn¡¯t something I didn¡¯t want to talk about anymore. The kinds of crimes people committed that warranted extreme sentences were not the kinds of things I wanted to even think about¡­ I¡¯d much rather just pretend they didn¡¯t even happen. ¡®I should have just said no¡­ I kill monsters¡­ I don¡¯t deal with this sort of stuff¡­¡¯

    ¡°Harassment would be anything within reason that made you feel unsafe or uncomfortable to a great extent, as well as inappropriate contact over clothes that lasts less than a second. For example, this would be like if someone slapped your rear end.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s a crime?¡¯ My eyes narrowed as he captured my attention. ¡®I had no idea that was a crime.¡¯ While I was working as a waitress part-time before I was old enough to adventure I experienced that. It wasn¡¯t all that uncommon. It had only happened to me once though¡­ By someone that was so drunk that he thought I was a different girl¡­ It was more annoying than something that made people scared though, at least that was how everyone I knew tended to think.

    I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hands. ¡®Maybe I should actually study the law a bit more¡­ Eh¡­ Maybe if I ever end up having someone I need to look after I¡¯ll care enough to do it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Assault is one level past this. Among other things, this involves anything that would alter damage or remove clothing.¡±

    ¡®I guess that box is checked as well¡­¡¯ I started to feel gross as I remembered the story Plutia made me tell her. ¡®Although, technically the guards did that too right?¡¯

    He continued further, giving more examples of things that made me start to feel cold inside. At first, his language seemed more vague and considerate¡­ But after I started to really listen to what he had to say they became more¡­ Explicit, each example starting with something like suppose YOU, or if someone were to treat YOU like this.

    The examples he gave were so vulgar my stomach started to twist in knots. The way he spoke made me feel as though what he was describing really was happening to me¡­ At least to a minor extent.

    At one point I grabbed the arm of the woman next to me. ¡°Hey uh¡­ I really don¡¯t feel so good¡­¡±

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    He continued on, but my mind went nearly blank. I hadn¡¯t experienced anything remotely close to what he was describing, but just hearing the words was enough for me to want to run away¡­ It didn¡¯t help that each example was phrased in a way where I was the target of the crime. It almost felt silly, but I was starting to get afraid of living on my own¡­

    ¡°So, now that you have heard the definitions, would you like me to repeat the original question?¡±

    I cleared my throat. ¡°Under those definitions, I have experienced the first two¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how, but my voice remained steady, no matter how gross I felt on the inside.

    ¡°Please describe those experiences.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s kidding¡­ Right?¡¯

    I went ahead and explained the first one, which was easy enough to talk about. The second was a bit different though¡­ Still, there was nothing to do about it. I let out a sigh and started talking. Thanks to Plutia it wasn¡¯t the first time I had told the story anyway¡­ Still, when I got to the part where things went wrong I froze¡­ ¡°Then¡­ Well, then I- uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Objection. This story is just wasting time. Furthermore, we already know it¡¯s completely pointless to follow this line of questioning because of her answers given during the judge''s questioning.¡±

    I looked back to see the girl called Obsidian casually leaning on the table, her eye narrowed with a slight grimace, and the judges quickly casting a vote, unanimously voting that I didn¡¯t have to answer.

    I let out a sigh of relief. ¡®I¡¯m glad that happened, but it¡¯s a bit surprising she was the one that objected to all people.¡¯

    Alden brushed it off quickly and continued as if nothing had happened. ¡°From their official statement, the White Light guild originally took you under protection because you were seen half-dressed, fleeing from several guards, is this accurate to your knowledge as well?¡±

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    I found myself looking down to make sure my leather armor was still fully fastened. ¡°Yes, I suppose that was how I appeared. They felt the need to cover me with a blanket, although it wasn¡¯t as if I was exposed or anything. I think half-dressed is a bit of an exaggeration.¡±

    ¡°And why were you in that state?¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this line of questioning going to hurt him more than it will help him at this point?¡¯

    ¡°After you ordered the guards to strip me, they took me to a private room and chained me to a wall and¨C¡± ¡®Oh¡­ You know I¡¯m starting to hear it now¡­¡¯ I turned to the girl beside me. ¡®Is that why they¡¯ve been so protective? Oh¡­ You know that actually explains a lot.¡¯

    The crowd gasped, and I couldn¡¯t help but tug on my hair a bit, nervously playing with it and trying not to vomit at the parallel everyone in the room was almost certainly drawing with his earlier so-called examples. ¡°The uh¡­ Well. After that, I lost consciousness, and the moment I woke up I broke out. I can¡¯t say exactly what happened¡­¡±

    I looked up at the crowd, their faces painted with horror. At that point, it wasn¡¯t even about what happened¡­ It was about what the people were thinking, and knowing they were thinking it about me¡­ That was what made me want to run and hide¡­ Even more than before¡­ I wanted to leave¡­

    ¡°When you lost consciousness the only people there were the two guards with you correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡±

    ¡°So then it is fairly safe to assume that they undressed you, is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said again, more slowly.

    ¡°And they were both male, is that right?¡±

    I slowly swallowed. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ That¡¯s right. But they didn¡¯t ¡°Undress¡± me. They only took off my gloves and helmet.¡±

    ¡°White light reported that you came rushing out of the building with your chest armor unfastened and bruises and cuts on your wrists.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± I mumbled.

    He turned to the judges. ¡°Under the previous definitions, any alteration, damage, or removal of clothing without permission is considered sexual assault. I cannot apologize profusely enough for allowing something like this to happen right under my nose, but I do know the names of the two guards I had put in charge of interrogating her.¡± He bowed elegantly.

    ¡®Shifting the blame and accepting a slap on the wrist for poor leadership, rather than a sentence for fraud, is not an awful idea. Feigning incompetence isn¡¯t hard for an incompetent person¡­¡¯

    ¡°Adventure Chika. I cannot give you your honor back as a woman, but I can promise that I will make sure this will never happen again under my watch.¡±

    My fist clenched as I slammed it into the stone table in front of me, cracking the granite and¡­ Severely injuring my hand¡­ Only making me clench my fist tighter. There were so many things about what he had said that pissed me off. I didn¡¯t even know where to start, it was hurting my head just thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him¡­ I¡¯ll do it right now¡­ We don¡¯t even need a trial, do we? It¡¯s self-defense at this point right?¡± I pulled a throwing knife out of storage only to have my arm gripped so tightly it started to ache.

    ¡°Can you not bring this full circle into another murder trial please¡­¡±

    After she let go I flipped the knife, catching the handle and stabbing the knife into the table, sending more spiraling cracks through the stone. ¡°After the trial then¡­¡± I growled, folding my arms, and applying pressure to my hand to try and ease the pain. ¡®When did I become strong enough to break stone like this?¡¯

    I continued unconsciously clenching my jaw until I heard a fit of laughter burst out from behind me. Neither of us was surprised that once again the interruption came from Obsidian. ¡°This girl is awesome! No, seriously, I would have blown his head off for that! I¡¯m glad we''re on the same page. Hey, if you want I can leave you two in a room together for a while after this trial!¡±

    I quickly sent my knife back to storage. ¡®Well, at least they aren''t using my childish outburst against me¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t even childish. That was justified¡­ It¡¯s not like I was really going to kill him¡­¡¯ I turned back to Alden and calmed down. ¡°Ok, maybe I won¡¯t kill him, but he deserves to lose his tongue¡­ Even if he has the money for the healing magic to grow it back, that seems like a fitting punishment.¡± I let out another sigh.

    With all the excitement I hardly even noticed that Alden had brought the two guards to the stand. ¡°If the judges are ready, I am prepared to continue.¡±

    The man in the center sighed, shaking his head before affirming. While the guards were approaching though, I couldn¡¯t help but hear the judges discussing something else, although I couldn¡¯t really make any of it out.

    With confirmation, Alden quickly sent them to center stage and began questioning them as witnesses. ¡°What order were you given that led you to bring Chika to an interrogation room.¡±

    The kobold seemed too nervous to speak, but the ogre was as calm as if he were watching leaves float down a river in the forest. ¡°Alden, you gave us the order to strip her. You said you had to find her storage Item so that you could get your money back.¡±

    I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing as I saw Alden¡¯s face twist.

    ¡°Love em or hate em¡­ Ogre¡¯s will be ogres.¡± I muttered with a grin.

    ¡°Chika, you don¡¯t have to listen to this. I can cast a bubble of silence. He isn¡¯t questioning you right now.¡±

    I let out a sigh, waving her off. ¡°It¡¯s fine, nothing happened anyway. He must just be buying time, trying to divert attention. I doubt it¡¯s actually helping him though. It¡¯s probably only hurting him more.¡±

    She let out a small uncertain groan. ¡°If you''re sure¡­¡±

    The trial continued. ¡°Describe the events that followed in detail.¡±

    ¡°Well. Let¡¯s see. We gave them a choice of undressing themselves, rather than us having to use force. It¡¯s just easier that way, and less stressful for both. When they refused we connected the shackles to the wall, spreading out their limbs so that they couldn¡¯t easily fight back. They struggled, but soon they gave in, or I guess, passed out. We checked breathing and heart rate to make sure they were fine. It isn¡¯t uncommon for adventures to collapse after pushing ourselves too hard or handling too much stress, so we ignored it and continued with our job. Then she woke up¨C¡±

    ¡°You''re skipping important information, don''t you think?¡± Alden interjected.

    The kobold seemed to only grow more nervous, while the Ogre seemed genuinely confused about what he had missed.

    ¡°What did you remove first?¡±

    They both started fumbling over their words before someone objected and a whole debate kicked off about something or other. I largely just ignored it, turning to the girl at my side. ¡°What is this even about at this point?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Since you''re the victim, you''re going to have to take an official stance soon. He¡¯s shifted the focus of the trial, so we have to deal with this for now. As you are now well aware¡­ Execution is only one of the possible sentences for this crime, whether or not you want to pursue that, or lesser punishment is up to you as the victim, at least in this case. Or in other words, you could technically ask for their heads, even if it might get overruled by the judges in the end.¡±

    The objection was quickly overruled and soon enough we were back to the two guards fumbling over their words.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just not press charges? It seems like they would probably be found innocent anyway, and that would bring the focus back to Alden. Oh, although if they are under Alden''s payroll, that¡¯s a different matter. Could we get them to spill more about that?¡±

    She raised a hand to her chin as she thought for a moment. ¡°So we pursue this avenue of questioning, but not under pretense of execution. That works out. At any moment we can change our stance on this, just so you¡¯re aware. But it does have to be before a sentence is given.¡±

    I slowly leaned forward on the table, starting to get a little bored if anything. ¡°Sure, just do whatever.¡±

    The ogre finally cleared his throat, once again speaking for both of them. ¡°I took off her helmet and began checking it to see if there was anything hidden in it. Then I checked their hair, I found nothing out of the ordinary. The helmet was damaged, matching her story of a fierce battle. Their hair was oily and greasy, with dandruff, but nothing hidden, common for adventures in the great forest.¡±

    I muffled my groan, trying to stay quiet. ¡°U-uhm¡­ Your hair isn¡¯t that bad¡­ I promise.¡± The girl next to me said, looking more embarrassed than I was. ¡®You say it with such confidence too¡­ Well, then again, I did wash it with holly water.¡¯

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I wish you could bubble of silence the crowd¡­¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°I could¡­ But I think that¡¯s illegal, and this will probably help public opinion of you in the end, so it should be fine.¡±

    Letting out another small groan I decided it couldn¡¯t be helped and laid my head back down, waiting for it all to just end as I grabbed a strand of hair and dangled it in front of my face. ¡°I know my hair is gross¡­ But I don¡¯t know how to fix it¡­ It¡¯s not like anyone ever taught me¡­ Well, actually, it kind of is mostly fixed just from that crazy bathtub.¡±

    The girl next to me grabbed a strand of my hair as well, and when I realized how closely she was looking at it, I quickly pulled back. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad really, but I can tell you don¡¯t put much thought into caring for it. I could show you how I take care of mine if you want.¡±

    I took a closer look at hers in kind. Generally speaking¡­ Well¡­ She was beautiful, I doubt anyone would disagree with me on that. I hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but her brilliant blond hair looked like the flowing wheat fields¡­ I suddenly wanted to touch it and see if it was as soft and silky as it looked, but I controlled myself.

    Her body was large enough to carry her armor, but her face was soft and delicate. Her eyes were big, and long eyelashes showed out from her eyelids. After taking a good look¡­ I started wishing I hadn¡¯t. We were incomparable, no matter how many times I bathed in holy water¡­ Which in itself honestly still felt a little sacrilegious¡­

    A dead silence swept over the arena, drawing my attention back to the trial. ¡°What happened? Did I miss something?¡±

    The judge asking questions crossed his arms. ¡°For clarity''s sake, please repeat the events, but do so in a calm manner to the best of your ability. Guards, separate the witnesses.¡±

    The kobold grabbed the Ogre by the collar, but before anything further could happen a golden barrier of solid light separated them. ¡°Please, continue.¡± The judge said calmly.

 Chapter 62: Money

    The two guards continued their testimony, but the Ogre was still the only one calm and or brave enough to talk.

    ¡°First, I took off her helmet and checked it. While I was doing that he took off her armor around her arms. We always do it in that order. Helmets can hide poisons, and vambraces can hide other weapons like knives, so those come off first¡­¡±

    ¡®Why is he so hesitant all of a sudden? They wouldn¡¯t execute them for what happened¡­ Which WAS nothing¡­ Right? I¡¯m usually only unconscious for a minute at most right? But¡­ I was tired.¡¯ My heart started to beat faster, but I was able to stay calm to a certain extent.

    ¡°After I inspected the gear I turned back to see him taking off the chest piece. When he finished unfastening he checked the inner lining for any other hidden tools, but I told him to wait before he took it off because something didn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s about what I figured¡­ Then I woke up when they were debating. I mean, even if I look like a man with my armor on, once it came off people tend to realize pretty quick that I¡¯m not.¡¯

    He hesitated for a moment but continued. ¡°She was wearing an old worn-out shirt under her armor, which wasn¡¯t uncommon¡­ But she didn¡¯t have any visible body hair. Furthermore, her neck and face were far too slender, and the same went for her waist. I told him what I was thinking, but he thought I was joking, and talked about how I was losing it, because women had breasts, so the person before us obviously couldn¡¯t have been one.¡±

    ¡®I want to die again¡­¡¯

    ¡°I had a bad feeling. But he had a point. She was covered in blood and sweat, and I¡¯m no expert on humans, so it was hard to tell from just her face, Alden had said she was a guy though, and that was enough for him. To prove his point he lifted up her shirt, remaining unconvinced, saying that she must have just been young still.

    I admitted that I had never seen a naked woman before¡­ But it¡¯s not uncommon to see human men without a shirt¡­ And it certainly didn¡¯t look the same. He then explained that sometimes men with a lot of fat looked like that, even after losing weight, and¡­¡±

    A long silence hung in the air as I slowly wrapped my arms around my chest, hunching over.

    ¡°What happened next?¡±

    He cleared his throat. ¡°He then proceeded to group her chest to prove a point, continuing to confidently say there was no way the person before us was a woman¡­ After a short while of doing that though¡­ He quickly started to second guess himself¡­¡±

    I lowered my face onto the cracked stone table in front of me. ¡°I changed my mind¡­ They can both die¡­¡± The girl next to me slowly raised her hand but I quickly pulled it back down. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being serious!¡±

    She let out a small groan. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s fine it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± I slowly tried to relax my shoulders, not realizing how scrunched up I had become, my arms shaking. ¡°Seriously though¡­ Being a different species, and being ignorant¡­ They both only go so far you know¡­¡± I tried to laugh to ease the tension, but it only came out as an awkward chuckle and didn¡¯t help me feel much better, slowly wrapping my arms around myself.

    ¡°And then? What happened next?¡± The judge slowly said, trying to get them to continue.

    ¡°He suggested that¡­ That is to say¡­ Well, in his own words¡­ There is one surefire way to tell someone''s gender¡­¡±

    Chills ran down my arms again as I tensed my whole body. ¡®How long was I unconscious!¡¯

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The guard paused, but then suddenly started talking faster than before. ¡°I-I stopped him before he did that though. So in the end nothing more happened. She woke up and broke out of her shackles, escaping like some kind of crazy magic ninja.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about the whole thing¡­ But at least I knew what happened. I was especially thankful to the guard that not only told the whole story but also stopped it from going further¡­

    The ogre slowly turned his eyes to me, clearly filled with regret, and reached up to his head, snapping off one of his horns. ¡°The lady adventurer lost no honor from this, but rather it was the three of us who should be ashamed.¡±

    The pain in my stomach vanished with another set of chills. ¡°N-no You didn¡¯t¡­¡± I muttered. He was the one guy I wasn¡¯t mad at. It almost hurt a little to see him go so far.

    The other guard simply confirmed everything without even trying to defend himself. When asked for reasoning all he could do was state the biological difference between kobolds and humans. Since they were closer to reptiles they were fundamentally different in every way, so not recognizing gender without the more¡­ Obvious approach was ¡°Understandable.¡± Seeing as how fat men also had extra tissue in that area¡­ Which¡­ Had to have been the dumbest excuse I had ever heard¡­

    ¡°Should we kill him now?¡±

    ¡°Anyone that stupid should just die¡­¡± I groaned.

    She raised her hand again, and again I pulled it back down. ¡°No! I was joking again¡­ That¡¯s not¡­ Really something someone should die for, isn''t it? Besides¡­ If he gets executed all the money goes to the state. If he gets fined, I get the money, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    She sighed, rolling her eyes before looking back at the man with narrowed steely eyes. ¡°OK¡­¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s a bit¡­ Colder, than she looks¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ Fat¡­ Am I? I mean, I¡¯ve been leaner before for sure. And I have been eating a lot recently to try and gain some weight¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look it. But you¡¯re wearing armor, so it¡¯s hard to tell. Although, the Ogre said you had a narrow waist did he not?¡±

    I let out a small groan, flinching as for whatever reason I began imagining someone grabbing my waist as well. I pulled her fur cloak tight around my shoulders again and hugged my knees to my chest. It started to feel like his hands were touching me all over until a gentle pat on my shoulder snapped me out of it.

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure what I hated more, the gross thing he did, or the fact he thought I was a man while he was doing it¡­ Ultimately though¡­ It was just another reason I needed to get over my panic attacks. Sure, to a certain extent, it felt wrong to blame myself for any of it¡­ But I couldn¡¯t help thinking that none of it would have happened if I could have just stayed conscious and broken out sooner¡­

    The judges then deliberated, sentencing the guard who had assaulted me to a full year of imprisonment in a paid labor camp, under the finding that, unbelievable as it was, it was ¡°Unintentional.¡± And requiring him to pay me a silver coin as compensation, and more if I was found to have any injuries from the experience following a physical examination should I choose to undergo one.

    For once¡­ I decided I might actually turn down money¡­ The last thing I needed was someone else examining my chest¡­ And¡­ Sure it was a little sore, but it wasn¡¯t like I actually got hurt¡­ Not as badly as I messed up my hand a minute ago¡­

    The other guard was found innocent of any wrongdoing, which I was thankful for in a way. Even if he saw me half naked¡­ In the end, he seemed respectful at least. He was just put into a bad situation. Sure he could have stopped the other guy sooner¡­ But I didn¡¯t want to think about the alternative of him not doing anything.

    After gathering all the information, the judges quickly began debating the final verdict for the overall charges of Alden and me.

    ¡°Verdict. Adventurer Chika is innocent of all charges. Alden, for damage to reputation and compensation for false charges and incompetence Alden Soot will pay reparations equal to the sum of the unreasonable fine. The circle of smoke guild which Alden was¡­ At the time a member of¡­ Will pay reparations equal to the Minotaur quest reward. Finally, the Great Market will provide you with reimbursement of any living expenses incurred while restricted from service, as well as allow you to use services offered by the Great Market for free for the rest of the season as compensation for loss of profit due to previous restriction and time consumption of the trial. Do you have any objections to this settlement?¡±

    My head started to spin so much that I lost track of where my hands were, and I was unable to answer. ¡®Wait¡­ So I¡¯m getting¡­ How much money from this?¡¯

    ¡°Well, Chika?¡±

    ¡°Uh-y-i¡­ Mmhmm.¡± I nodded, after twisting my words so much none of them were understandable.

    The girl next to me agreed that was good enough. Since she was my representative. After that was settled. I slowly snapped myself out of my daze induced by the sudden dopamine hit of getting richer. ¡®That¡¯s still all related to my charges¡­ What about him?¡¯

    The judges all signed the same document before the center spoke again. ¡°The trial for Corruption and malpractice will be held tomorrow. Under suspicion Alden Soot will be temporarily held in incarceration, no longer having a representative backing his position, he will be treated as guilty until proven otherwise. Furthermore, due to his line of questioning, he has been found guilty of sexual harassment and will pay Chika a separate fine of 1 gold. This crime took place after he was expelled from the circle of smoke, so they will not have to cover what he can not pay. This concludes the session.¡±

    He slumped back into his chair and rubbed his temples while many of the people from the crow stood up and began to leave.

    ¡®Turned out his mouth just got him in more trouble in the end after all¡­ Serves him right.¡¯ I sighed. ¡°So like¡­ Do I have to come back tomorrow? This whole thing is¡­ Well, it¡¯s a pain you know¡­¡± I groaned as the woman beside me stood up as well and stretched her arms.

    ¡°Are you ready to go back?¡± She asked, probably having missed my muttering voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready for a drink¡­¡±

 Chapter 63: Going Back

    I had the fine wiped from my record and with that, my name was also cleared. All that was left was¡­ Well¡­ I guess nothing. I managed to convince my escort to stop by a tavern on the way back to their guild hall, but apparently, none of them drank alcohol¡­ So I only stayed for one before feeling more depressed and leaving early.

    It was probably for the best¡­ Drinking to clear your mind wasn¡¯t just ineffective and something you would regret, but it was addicting too, at least from what I heard.

    Either way, I ended up getting back in the carriage and taken back to the guild hall. As hard as it was to stop thinking about it all, I was happy we had won, so that gave me a bit of a boost to my otherwise bottomed-out morale. I had thought I was fine¡­ Or that I would be, but in the end, I just felt even more depressed than I did going into the trial. ¡®At least We will be back soon¡­ Maybe a bath will take away this cold feeling¡­¡¯

    I wasn¡¯t expecting a parade or anything. Honestly, all I really wanted was a hot meal and a warm bed. I suppose a bath would have been nice too. When I got back though I had to skip all of that to go straight to the leader, and when I arrived, she seemed so angry that I was a bit afraid of getting close enough to actually talk to her.

    Letting out a loud scream that echoed with a lion''s roar golden light started bursting out of her like brilliant wings and the sky began to catch fire. It gave me chills.

    I decided it would be best to just step to the side for a moment and hide behind one of the large pillars, but before I could fully get behind one to properly hide myself she turned and saw me, making me freeze stiff.

    ¡°Chika! You¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I slowly turned to look at the pillar I was creeping toward. ¡®So close¡­¡¯ After realizing the awkward position I froze in I quickly corrected my posture and tried to laugh, but it only highlighted how nervous I was. ¡°I was trying to hide from you because you seemed really mad and I was scared.¡±

    She narrowed her eyes, looking at her staff for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s odd, I don¡¯t remember using my truth-telling barrier¡­¡± Her eyes fixed back on me. ¡°You¡¯re just like that huh¡­ No surprise Plutia likes you so much.¡±

    The sky slowly took on its original color and golden light softly began to disperse taking on a more fuzzy feeling, as opposed to the jagged edges from before.

    ¡°I am mad, but not at you so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I swallowed, slowly relaxing as the air started to feel more calm. ¡°Speaking of, where is Plutia? I thought you two were working together or something. She still owes me too.¡±

    Her stride picked up and she quickly approached me, ¡°Worry about that later, how are you feeling?¡± She grabbed my hands, making me want to pull away.

    I managed to keep my poker face though. ¡°Right now? Like you¡¯re too close¡­¡±

    She let go and took a big step backward. ¡°A-apologies¡­ The last thing I want is to make you more uncomfortable. I just figured after the way that the trial went¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, can we not talk about that? You must have wanted to see me for something right?¡±

    She turned to the side and let out a sigh. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking too good. At this rate, Alden will get off with a few years doing paid labor or something¡­ Even if he was found guilty I¡¯m sure some of the people would want to try and downplay it to make the Great Market not look so bad. But all that being said, I really just called you up here to see how you were doing¡­¡±

    I sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s all you wanted then shouldn¡¯t you have come to me? I¡¯d be doing better if I was eating right now instead of standing here¡­¡¯

    She slumped over pouting. ¡°You really are a very direct person¡­ Fine, go and eat. I can tell you think this conversation is just a waste of time.¡± Her pout suddenly turned to a light chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s funny really, considering how much everyone else tries to fawn over me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you are a big shot.¡± ¡®I mean, it makes sense.¡¯ I turned around and began walking toward the door, only to realize she was following me.

    I walked faster, but then she did too. Eventually, I made it all the way to the door and we both stopped. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I whined.

    She just giggled again. ¡°Only kidding. I thought it would be fun to see that cute expression you just made. I won¡¯t actually follow you.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I turned and walked away, still double-checking over my shoulder, but true to her word she stayed in the grand cathedral.

 Chapter 64: Fairy Tales

    ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ if Alden is basically getting off the hook then all I have to do is introduce new evidence that would be more incriminating¡­ We had that lead on that blacksmith, I should go find Finn and see what we can dig up.¡¯

    As if I had summoned him, he appeared in my room window without so much as a noise, giving me chills.

    ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t the type to jump when you get startled.¡± He said softly, kicking his feet inside and sitting down on the window sill. ¡°You can read dwarven runes, right? What does this say?¡± He asked, tossing me a metal rectangle engraved with several symbols. ¡°Hold on¡­ Isn¡¯t this¨C¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Earth stone right?¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s what I was going to say before you interrupted me¡­¡¯ ¡°You know, for someone worried about seeing me naked you were awfully quick to barge into my room.¡±

    He flinched back, almost falling out the window before I grabbed his hand. ¡°So you''re the type to jump when you get startled,¡± I said snarkily, pulling him back upright.

    ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯m sorry about that. I admit I wasn¡¯t thinking about it. Now, can you read it?¡±

    I sighed, jumping onto my bed and folding my legs underneath me. ¡°Earth stone is just a poor translation, these things are basically like secret letters that dwarves use. The runes you can see are just the title. It says¡­ Cozy flames that warm the hearth¡­ Whatever that means.¡±

    He scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s connected somehow to the case, if that¡¯s just the title then how do you read the letter?¡±

    I tapped it with my knuckles, hearing the metal resonate. ¡°It¡¯s basically one big enchantment, you read it with a combination of metal magic and enchanting, and outside of dwarves it¡¯s rare for someone to know both. Rarer for someone to know those and the Rune language. I take it you need a translation?¡±

    ¡°I thought that much was clear when I asked you what it said?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh, right¡­ I have one condition though. I want in on this.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not? Alden¡¯s trial was rescheduled for a few days from now though, so we should hurry.¡±

    ¡®Right¡­¡¯ I sighed, flooding my manna into the Earth Stone to activate it. Hundreds of Runes exploded out in every direction before calmly assembling themselves in front of me on an invisible page. ¡°Ok¡­ Give me a second.¡±

    He sat patiently, waiting for me to finish reading it several times before I could properly make sense of it. ¡°It¡¯s a fairy tale¡­¡±

    ¡°A what? Like a children''s story?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ Yeah, but it¡¯s not really a normal one.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so do you think it¡¯s some kind of code?¡±

    I scratched my head, looking at it again and making notes of certain parts. ¡°Possibly¡­ It¡¯s about a young dwarf girl who wants to get pregnant. I¡¯ll save you the dwarf biology lesson and just say her husband wouldn¡¯t let her. Eventually, she tricked him and they had a daughter, but the mom died in childbirth. The father then abused the daughter until he died too and she was left all alone. None of her father''s business contacts trusted her, so she had to basically build her own business from the ground up.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°What kind of stories did you read as a kid¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Obviously, it uses metaphors for the more¡­ Adult content. For example, The mother in the story wants to have a child, so she tries carving one from stone. She carves the body, and then her husband imbues it with magic, that¡¯s¡­ Basically the metaphor for having a child. Throughout the story, the father gives the carving enough magic to make the mother quote unquote Filled with joy, but never enough to finish the carving.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not explaining it to you¡­¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Ok, so what¡¯s the part you think is code.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s similar to another fairy tale I read when I was learning the language¡­ But it¡¯s different. For instance, in the original, the father was the one who wanted a child but couldn¡¯t make it happen, when it did he lost his wife but loved his daughter dearly¡­ The thing that really sticks out the most though is this part here.¡± I pointed before remembering he couldn¡¯t read it. ¡°Uh¡­ Right, well anyway, it¡¯s basically like directions. A lot of dwarven fairy tails have them. It¡¯s kind of like over the river and through the woods, that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Then why is it suspicious?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ First of all, the girl''s mother is the one telling her the directions¡­ And second, they are a lot more detailed than Over the river and through the woods.¡±

    ¡°Can we follow them?¡±

    ¡°In theory¡­ Do you have any idea where the Firebird''s feathers are? It says wherever you are look up and find them. That¡¯s the first step.¡±

    ¡°That just sounds made up¡­¡±

    I closed the book, grabbed my leather jacket, and threw it on over my hoody, leaving it unfastened as I grabbed my sword belt from storage. ¡°Dwarven metaphors always refer to real things. It¡¯s likely a large landmark, although there aren¡¯t really any you can see from ¡°wherever you are.¡± Let¡¯s start with where you found this.

    He sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it isn¡¯t a real firebird¡­¡±

    Before I knew it we were back in Rothet in the northeasternmost part of the city wandering the streets. ¡°You found it here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a thief had it.¡±

    I looked up but there were no notable landmarks, just tall buildings surrounding us. ¡°Nothing here matches the directions¡­ So I doubt he was following them. Do you think he stole it because he thought it might be valuable?¡±

    Finn shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then we are in the wrong spot.¡±

    ¡®Dangit¡­ He¡¯s right¡­¡¯ ¡°Ok¡­ You¡¯ve been around the city more than I have¡­ Do you know of any bird landmarks? Statues of birds¡­ Towers with wing motifs¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ There is the Ashen Crow¡¯s guild hall¡­ But that mostly involves talons and claws, and certainly not fire.¡±

    ¡°Anything else you can think of¡­¡±

    He scratched his head. ¡°Does it have to be a bird?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I mean not necessarily¡­ What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t that far away from the monument that was built to honor Magnus the dragon slayer.¡±

    ¡°Dragon¡­ Firebird¡­ It¡¯s close enough. Where is it?¡±

    He leads the way. ¡°The monument is just a giant statue of him left over from before Rothet was even formed, but he was called the undying because he somehow managed to cast resurrection spells on himself before he took fatal wounds, coming back to life every time.¡±

    ¡°Was his family crest like a bird then?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Because of how he kept dying and coming back, some people called him the phoenix.¡±

    ¡°Firebird¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡­¡±

    After a bit of walking, it became easy to see. Despite its age, it was in almost perfect condition. He was standing tall with a broken greatsword thrown over his shoulder in one hand and a longsword in the other, his armor was depicted as torn and broken, but he was smiling, despite the hole in his side.

    ¡°Hey, Finn?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°If someone made a statue of me someday¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it would probably look like this. You fight like an animal and always end up half dead.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ When girls get statues they are always elegant and stuff aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because girls that get statues are usually elegant and stuff¡­¡±

    I growled at him. ¡°I could be elegant if I wanted to be!¡±

    ¡°You could?¡± He asked raising an eyebrow. ¡°If that¡¯s true I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    ¡°Well! It¡¯s¡­ I mean¡­ I could learn to be elegant¡­ If someone taught me¡­¡±

    He turned away for a moment, looking around. ¡°That¡¯s fair. I probably couldn¡¯t learn even with a teacher. At any rate, we can work on that later, what¡¯s the next step.¡±

    ¡®Right¡­ I should focus¡­¡¯

 Chapter 65: Fire Bird.

    ¡°Go to the foot of the Firebird, and it will shield you from harm, then take a step back, don¡¯t say a word, and follow your southern charm. When you feel the wind blow from the western water well, step down the path some more, and once you see a cozy glow, follow the angry boar. Just in case you still are lost, look for doors of stone, count to three and then to four, there you will find your home¡­¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ So head south, keep going straight when we see the well, follow the angry boar, the tavern named Mad Boar, and look for doors of stone. That¡¯s the entrance to a dwarven neighborhood no doubt. We have to be close right?¡±

    I squatted down to rest my knees and ankles. ¡°Right¡­ Count to three and then to four implies there is a turn, so after three houses we turn here¡­ And¡­¡± I looked around, unable to tell with my eyes, but I could faintly hear a hammer pounding into an anvil. ¡°We turn right. Four doors down.¡±

    I ran ahead and sure enough, just off the path, I could see the street corner. ¡°The Cozy Glow Forge.¡± ¡®glow¡­ Instead of flame? Was it renamed?¡¯

    ¡°Well. You actually managed to find it. Nice job.¡±

    ¡°I feel like you did most of the work¡­ But thanks.¡± I started walking up the steps ¡°Should we go inside?¡± I pulled the door open and instantly felt a wave of heat rush past me as if I had just walked into a furnace. ¡®I guess she¡¯s hard at work¡­¡¯ Just inside there were plenty of fine weapons and armor, all made from metal. It wasn¡¯t anything special, but it was better than average¡­ Or at least better than what I could make.

    From the door, we followed the growing sound of hammer against metal and headed down into a basement with a massive chimney. The closer we got the hotter the air became until I started using magic to cover myself in water, turning it to ice every now and then when my manna would allow it. ¡°HELO!¡± I shouted over the noise that was now making my head spin.

    Finally, the echoing clang stopped, and with it, the heat started to die down as well. ¡°Is¡­ Someone there?¡±

    Despite looking for a girl I was starting to expect a bellowing deep voice from how intense everything was. But instead, it was even more girlish than mine, and a little squeaky from surprise.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I shouted again, reaching the bottom of the stairs

    ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    As I finished entering the basement she tossed her hammer to the side and wiped her nose grabbing a wet towel and cleaning off her hands before approaching us.

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    She looked nothing like Posy at all. Her hands were massive, calloused, and bulging with muscle and veins. Her shoulders were broad and thickened by hard work, and her chest was more than large enough to say she didn¡¯t have the same problems Posy did. ¡°Are you customers?¡± She asked, throwing the towel over her shoulder and pacing her hands on her hips, slightly out of breath.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Finn said slowly, staring at the massive blazing forge that still pulsed with magic and hot coals.

    ¡°What the heck were you making?¡± I asked, completely forgetting why we were even there.

    She turned back, her face slightly scrunching up. ¡°It¡¯s a personal project¡­ If you aren¡¯t buying anything what do you want? Or¡­ Are you placing an order¡­¡±

    I tilted my weight over to try and look past her, but I couldn¡¯t make anything out from where we were, she had moved it off the anvil. With a disappointed sigh, I quickly gave up. ¡®If the forge is real¡­ And the directions are real¡­ Does that mean she¡¯s the girl from the story?¡¯ I slowly traced her with my eyes. She had a thin waist, which while making her more attractive by some standards, was far from normal, or even healthy for a dwarf. Her clothes were severely worn, so much so she might as well not have been wearing anything under her thick leather apron, and even that was frayed, having been mended multiple times. Her sandals were made of smooth stone, her shirt only had enough fabric left to barely meet the apron, and her body was half petrified, marks of her skin turning to stone showing all along her bare legs and forearms.

    None of that was what took my breath away though. All it really meant was she was poor and in need of a bath¡­ The scary part was that there were runes carved into her flesh, not even just the stone flesh, but her soft skin. All over her body were dwarven runes that held magical power, the kind used to enchant weapons. It was a practice used by rune mages¡­ But the ones covering her body were jagged, at various angles, and not all in places she could have reached herself¡­

    I slowly looked at Finn, but it seemed like he was expecting me to talk. ¡°The¡­ The chain link.¡± I mumbled pointing to him, trying to refocus.

    He sighed, pulling it out. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s start there. Do you know anything about this? It¡¯s important for a trial coming up in a few days.¡±

    She stepped close, making him uncomfortably move away, showing how bashful he was. ¡°Do you want me to tell you about it or not?¡± She snarled.

    I just rolled my eyes, grabbing it from him and handing it to her. ¡°I¡¯m not a dwarf, but this means it¡¯s from your forge doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    She looked closer. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my mark¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re Fiesty then?¡± ¡®the girl from the story¡­¡¯ Small streaks were carved out of the soot that covered her face, no doubt from tears, although she certainly didn¡¯t show it.

    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ And this is my forge¡­ This belongs to a chain net I made for a group that wanted to catch a minotaur¡­ You said it¡¯s part of a trial now?¡±

    Finn let out a sigh of relief, no doubt coming to the same conclusion as me that she likely wasn¡¯t involved. Although, I couldn¡¯t give a real reason other than having a feeling. ¡°The minotaur was captured and taken to a lower leveled zone¡­ It caused a lot of problems and several people died because of it.¡±

    One of her arms shook slightly as her skin tightened to goosebumps and her eyes narrowed. After a moment she rubbed them. ¡°Let¡¯s talk upstairs¡­ You two probably aren¡¯t very comfortable down here¡­ And the heat¡¯s drying out my eyes¡­¡±

    She slowly walked past us and I slowly followed behind her, Finn lagging behind both of us and staring off to the side. ¡°You coming?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check out around here, you start without me.¡±

    ¡°O¡­Kay?¡± I turned back around and figured out the more likely reason he was lagging behind pretty quickly as I started following Fiesty up the stairs.

    Her shorts were so short that they only covered about half of what they needed to, and to make matters worse they were torn up, and not entirely holding together, her back was completely bare save for a very thin band that ran around just under where her shirt stopped. Her well-defined muscles and even more runes were all clearly exposed all the way down to her waistband, which sat dangerously low. Although, it was at least held on by a belt.

    We made it back upstairs and she pulled a lever, flooding a massive wave of cool air that didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest, sweeping across her bare skin. ¡°There, that should feel better for you¡­ Now, let''s talk about those annoying rats¡­¡±

 Chapter 66: Blood Trail

    Feisty crossed her arms, leaning back against the shop counter, and stared at me, turning to Finn as he continued up the stairs behind us. After a brief pause, she scratched her head. ¡°Right then¡­ I¡¯ve always hated lying¡­ So I¡¯ll just say it how it is and save us both the trouble yeah? I don¡¯t have a signature for the purchase¡­¡±

    Finn slowly rubbed his forehead before dragging his hand down his face, neither of them saying a word.

    ¡®Well this is awkward¡­¡¯ ¡°Do you have any information to go on?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really the issue here¡­¡± Finn said, crossing his arms before another silence.

    I slowly looked between the two of them. ¡°Then what is?¡±

    Finn sighed. ¡°When you purchase anything from a craftsman they put the order in a log book. They are required to keep track of the buyer by some means. On rare occasions, this means a customer gives them blood or hair, but normally they just have the customer send some manna into the book, and then we use that to track them¡­ But she¡¯s saying she didn¡¯t do that¡­ Which means she sold a forged and enchanted product illegally¡­ What I¡¯m trying to figure out right now is what we should do with her¡­¡±

    Again, dead silence fell over the two of them. ¡°Well¡­ Feisty¡­ What happened? Did you just need the money? or¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°He asked for the net, he paid me¡­ I made it for him and he left without giving the signature¡­ Long story short, now I know that if someone pays up front they should sign up front too¡­ I¡­ Haven¡¯t been doing this for very long¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ That explains why you put your forge symbol on it¡­¡± He sighed.

    ¡°So she just messed up, it sounds more like they stole it right? Why should she get in trouble for that?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°They paid her¡­ So in other words, no matter what she says, it looks like an illegal purchase. Why would they bother leaving the money otherwise? And if I were a betting man¡­ Sense they did leave the money and put you in a tight spot like this¡­ You''re already on your way to having them as regular customers¡­¡±

    ¡°Not if you catch them first¡­¡±

    He scratched his head, still trying to figure out what to do next.

    ¡®I mean¡­ It¡¯s not like she did it on purpose¡­ And she needed the money, to say the least¡­ I know those things don¡¯t really matter but¡­¡¯ ¡°Finn¡­ You said people in your guild were only in power when it was convenient right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°And arresting her and dealing with paperwork would be pretty inconvenient right?¡±

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    He just rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just get going, we need to track this guy down¡­¡±

    Fiesti¡¯s face slowly relaxed. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to turn me in?¡±

    Finn pocketed his guild emblem. ¡°I¡¯m just a citizen right now, what would give me the right to bring you in?¡±

    She smirked. ¡°Right¡­ Well, you might as well let me finish my story before you leave.¡± She stood up and squatted down, making Finn uncomfortably turn away again as she rummaged through one of her shelves ¡°I¡¯ve got two blood samples from two different people¡­ Ahh, here it is.¡± She pulled out a small hammer with a bloodstain on it. ¡°Don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but you know¡­ It¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡®Something tells me they didn¡¯t exactly just run away¡­¡¯ I started looking around again, seeing little signs of a conflict like broken and cracked stone in one of the walls. ¡°Where¡¯s the other one?¡±

    She just sighed, unbuckling the strap from her apron that wrapped around her neck and letting the top half fall down to her waist, revealing long streaks of blood staining her Stoney skin like war paint.

    ¡®What¡­¡¯ ¡°This isn¡¯t your blood?¡±

    ¡°No, One of them attacked me. Beast Kin, practically tore my clothes off, but broke his claws on my skin and ended up bleeding quite a bit. They wanted to make sure I knew who was in charge so they were going to rough me up¡­ But after that, I pinged his friend in the head, and they both ran with their tails between their legs.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± ¡®I knew dwarven skin was tough¡­ But dang.¡¯

    ¡°This should be enough right?¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s being way too casual about this, isn¡¯t she? Or¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just overly sensitive now¡­ Because of what happened to me¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going to have to touch you to get the blood off¡­ Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go for it.¡±

    I touched my finger to her ribs and slowly gathered the dried blood, pulling it off her skin and into a ball in the air. ¡®If he bled this much he must have broken more than just one claw¡­ Even for a dwarf, it¡¯s impressive her skin is this hard¡­ Is it because of the runes? No¡­ None of these look like durability runes¡­ Well¡­ Serves him right.¡¯ ¡°You hardly look like someone that got beaten¡­ But if you are hurt I can heal you.¡± I pulled a glass jar from storage and placed the blood inside, tapping Finn on the shoulder and handing it to him, as he continued to stare the other way.

    He took it and swirled it around. ¡°This is more than enough for a tracing spell. From their habits, it sounds like we¡¯re dealing with the circle of ash¡­ They target low-level areas and adventurers, figures they¡¯d need a blacksmith, they haven¡¯t been able to get off the ground until recently. So they tried to get Fiesty to join them with threats and by breaking her will to fight back. At least that¡¯s my working theory. Is she covered again?¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s being way too casual about this too¡­¡¯ I sighed, pointing at her apron which she slowly buckled back together over the thin scraps of cloth she had sowed together to cover her chest.

    ¡®This feels so wrong¡­ Why is he the skittish one in this scenario¡­¡¯ ¡°You can turn around now¡­¡±

    He did so calmly, shaking the vial of blood as it started to glow. ¡°Dwarves really are pretty amazing. Skin tougher than rocks, and a language so sophisticated they can imbue it with magic. Then again¡­ I¡¯m just a human so anything I say will probably just sound like flattery since you¡¯re also cute.

    The way she showed skin didn¡¯t bother her in the least¡­ But just like that a faint tinge of red showed under the soot on her face and she started tugging at the edges of the apron.

    ¡°You really need to learn when to shut up Finn¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s what she gets embarrassed about? Are all dwarves like this or is it just her¡­¡¯ Letting out a long sigh I reoriented myself. ¡°You need money right? Help us track these guys down and I¡¯ll buy everything in your shop.¡± ¡®It¡¯s all way undervalued here anyway¡­ I could just sell it at the beehive and turn a profit.¡¯

    Any faint sense of embarrassment vanished in an instant, replaced by a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t have to ask me twice. Let¡¯s get going.¡± She said, quickly grabbing some armor and strapping her hammer to her belt.

    Finn groaned. ¡°Fine, she can tag along¡­ But only if she puts on a shirt¡­¡±

    She paused mid-way through strapping on a metal chest piece. ¡°Erm¡­ Does this count? Or like¡­ Underneath or¡­¡±

    Finn turned around for a moment, letting out a sigh. ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s fine¡­¡±

    ¡®Ah, adventurers¡­ Dad was right¡­ No shortage of interesting people.¡¯

 Chapter 67: Raid

    The three of us followed the blood trail thanks to Finn¡¯s magic, which he apparently learned during his short time with the red mantles. But after about an hour of walking through the city, my legs started to stipend up. ¡°Are you sure this is the right way?¡±

    He shook the blood in the vial, which was still glowing strong. ¡°Yeah, it is, we¡¯re getting close¡­ The other blood is reacting too, and if we¡¯re in range for such a small amount of blood it means we¡¯re really close.¡±

    ¡°Ok, then do you mind if I try something?¡± Feisty said, making us all stop as she suddenly began to stand still.

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Finn shrugged.

    She squatted down and placed her hand on the ground, after a moment she stood up, pulling a mass of earth up from the ground with her and creating a massive scale model of what seemed to be the section of the city we were in. ¡°This is the city from where we are, see this blurry spot here that is all jumbled up? That¡¯s because something scrambled my manna, likely where their base is.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s underground?¡± I groaned.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t like caves?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that so much as I don¡¯t like being cramped¡­ If we are underground it¡¯s way too easy to get surrounded.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ That makes sense, but if that happens we could use my earth magic to carve a new tunnel. Try not to worry too much.¡±

    ¡®Arn¡¯t I supposed to be the fighter though? You¡¯re just a blacksmith and you¡¯re telling me not to worry¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Sure thing¡­¡±

    Finn was carefully scanning the map the entire time we were talking, and after a few moments, he walked a few steps ahead of us. ¡°Here, Feisty can you open a hole straight down where I¡¯m standing? And then Chika, can you light up the tunnels?¡±

    I cracked my knuckles, ¡°Yeah, I can do that.¡±

    Feisty narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re with the Circle of Smoke?¡±

    ¡°Best thieves guild in Rothet.¡± He smiled confidently/

    She walked over to him scratching her head. ¡°Right¡­ Nothing says thief quite like dropping down into the middle of the bad guy''s lair with an earthquake and a light show¡­ I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±

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    ¡®Wait¡­ What?¡¯

    ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a minute!¡± I shouted as the ground opened up underneath us. Since it was already too late I burst out several little light bubbles and as soon as my legs felt the shock of landing I sent them out in every direction, lighting up the whole cavern.

    ¡®So much for being less reckless¡­¡¯ I looked around at the shocked faces of about a dozen rogues wearing leather armor. ¡°Hey guys¡­¡± I muttered timidly.

    After the initial shock wore off it was to no one''s surprise that a fight broke out¡­ Right off the bat, I had to quickly dodge several throwing knives, retaliating with my own while manipulating sewer water to pull their feet out from under them from behind. From what I could tell Fiesty mostly just focused on not dying, and Finn used his abilities to almost appear in more places than once, taking out all the ones that I didn¡¯t. It was over as fast as it started¡­ But that didn¡¯t mean my heart felt like it was going to explode any less.

    ¡°CAN YOU TELL ME THE PLAN NEXT TIME!¡± My voice cracked and whined as I screamed, catching my breath. Meanwhile, they were already gathering the bodies, tying them up, and bringing them all together.

    ¡°I thought you would have figured it out. Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it kind of obvious?¡±

    I let out another soft whine checking my body for any scrapes. I took a throwing knife to the thigh, but my armor almost completely stopped it, aside from that I was untouched. ¡®It¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­ It all worked out¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡®And it¡¯s over now¡­¡¯  I let all the air out at once, my heart finally starting to slow.

    ¡°Hey hey hey, Chika, check this out.¡± Finn grinned, holding up a stack of papers. ¡°Here we have orders implicating they were working with several guards in the great forest, as well as a beekeeper. It doesn¡¯t mention Alden by name, but it might as well. One of these even talks about how he¡¯s been getting too greedy and they were thinking about cutting ties before he got caught, especially after he flubbed the minotaur job.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ That sounds incriminating enough¡­ You should get that to the guards right away and send some back here. Feisty and I can watch over these guys until you get back with help to take them all in.¡±

    He folded them up and pocketed them, heading back underneath the giant hole and turning into a blur as he practically leaped straight out of it. ¡®I¡¯ll have to get him to tell me how his abilities work sometime¡­¡¯

    With a long groan, Fiesty created a seat out of earth and sat down. ¡°If I knew it would be this easy I would have gone to the guards a long time ago¡­ You guys don¡¯t mess around.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well¡­ Neither of us our technically even a guard¡­ So I can¡¯t say this would have worked out so well¡­ And you would have probably gotten fined for illegal dealings or whatever right?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I have to ask.¡± I pulled the earthstone from my storage and tossed it to her. ¡°This is yours right?¡±

    She caught it, staring at it with sad eyes. ¡°Right¡­ I wrote this. The last time they broke in they took it because they thought it was valuable.¡±

    ¡°And I take it you''re the girl in the story?¡±

    She slowly lifted her eyes turning slightly red again. ¡°You read it?¡±

    I chuckled nervously. ¡°Well yeah¡­ We used the directions to find your forge in hopes of getting a lead¡­ Sorry about that¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a bit silly to write about your life like it¡¯s a fairy tale I know¡­ But I guess I¡¯m still just hoping that if I keep writing eventually there will be a happy ending¡­¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s so strong¡­ And now I¡¯m tearing up¡­¡¯ I wiped my eyes quickly. ¡°Why do you keep your forge in that part of town? Couldn¡¯t you move? Or maybe join a guild? The gear you make isn¡¯t bad.¡±

    She gave a hesitant smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m self-taught¡­ And my dad said a lot of nasty things about me before he died so that made a lot of things pretty hard... As for moving to a better place to set up shop¡­ Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s just hard to let go of things. That and I¡¯m broke. I should have given up on forging a long time ago and just made money killing monsters¡­ But I guess I¡¯m just too stubborn¡­¡±

    ¡®Or in other words¡­ Your just like me¡­¡¯

 Chapter 68: Southbound.

    ¡°Oh, Feisty. That reminds me, how much do I owe you for your shop? I said I would buy everything you had. I¡¯m not sure, but it should be something like 3 gold, right? At least from the prices I was seeing.¡±

    She raised her eyebrows. ¡°You were serious? Do you have that kind of money? Uhm¡­ Yeah, when we take inventory of everything to put it in the log book we can double-check, but that¡¯s probably more than enough¡­¡±

    ¡®If her reputation wasn¡¯t ruined and people actually bought her gear she¡¯d probably be well known by now¡­ But she sells it for dirt cheap and has no customers¡­¡¯ I let out a soft sigh. ¡®I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want to give her story a happy ending, so making a profit while helping her out is really the least I can do¡­ I almost feel guilty about saying I¡¯m helping her at all¡­¡¯

    Suddenly a shining black flash of light shot past my eyes and blood started dripping down her body from the side of her neck.

    ¡®Wh-what¡­¡¯

    Her jaw dropped as her eyes slowly moved down and she began to fall from her seat, moving her hands to cover the wound.

    I quickly ran over and caught her. ¡°Plutia!¡± I screamed, invoking my saint''s name. ¡®You owe me remember¡­ Devine magic. I don¡¯t even need tier 3, just a tier 2 spell will be fine! Just heal her!¡±

    I felt a burst of heat flow through me and into her, light tracing through her veins until the bleeding stopped and her body slowly began to seal the wound with stone. ¡®Restoration¡­ A tier two¡­ miracle¡­ Thank you¡­¡¯ I felt my whole body growing colder until it became stiff and hard to move. ¡®I need a minute to recover¡­ Now what happened¡­ Did I just get myself killed too?¡¯

    My eyes rapidly traced a shadow that moved inhumanly fast before I finally started hearing the clicking of heels again on the stone ground and saw a tall woman wearing full black leather slowly walk out from the darkness.

    ¡®No¡­ If she wanted to kill me she would have done it already¡­ I just need a moment longer and I¡¯ll be able to fight again¡­ So cold¡­¡¯

    ¡°So it¡¯s you? You¡¯re just a little girl¡­ I can¡¯t believe they¡¯ve had so much trouble with you¡­ I¡¯m starting to think I get why Master finds it so amusing.¡± Her voice was deep with a rich tone that lingered in the air and almost felt warm in the humid air as I began to fully recover.

    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s safe to say you aren¡¯t with them¡­ Unless you were the leader, I¡¯d believe that, but not really since you just called someone master.¡± I stood up, carefully laying Fiesty''s head on the ground. ¡°Ok¡­ So if you aren¡¯t with them, you are helping them¡­ Because your boss finds it amusing? Well, how about this? You let me and my friend go, and we let all of these guys go, and then we all just pretend we never saw each other¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Sorry kiddo, unfortunately, my boss is having me take orders from their boss for a while, and he won¡¯t let you go until you give him all the money, which I heard has recently just doubled, good for you¡­ Or I guess good for him¡­ Anyway, if you give me the money then I can let you go.¡±

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    ¡°You want me to give you 17 gold¡­ I don¡¯t even have all of it yet¡­¡± ¡®The guards will be here soon¡­ Maybe if I can just stall for Finn and then¨C¡¯

    My own shadow yanked on my ankle and in the blink of an eye she was straddling me casually playing wither her nails. ¡°If you just give me what you do have I think we can probably call that good.¡±

    Her long blue tail slowly twisted her started dangling nearby like a scorpion ready to sting. ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡±

    She shot her tail straight towards my eye but I jerked my neck and caught it with my teeth biting into it. The skin was so tough I didn¡¯t even make it bleed, instead hearing her moan, gave me chills as I quickly let go.

    ¡°You seem to be the stubborn type.¡± She said, her voice changing slightly, only giving me more chills. Before I began to hear voices coming from atop the hole in the cave. ¡®They made it.¡¯

    As I smiled she covered my mouth, shaking her tail in front of my eyes, and with a sudden sharp pain under my right ear everything went black.

    When I came too I was in a cell, head pounding, stomach aching, and vision refusing to focus. ¡®Was I drugged? This feels horrible¡­ How long was I out? Where am I?¡¯

    I slowly sat up, waiting for the ringing in my ears to calm down as I listened to the guards outside the cell, my brain was so scrambled I couldn¡¯t do anything but ask questions and act on instinct.

    ¡°Did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Alden''s trial right? I was off so I watched it. Sentenced to life in a labor camp and heavy fines¡­ Not pretty.¡±

    I let out a long groan from the pain, unable to stay quiet any longer. ¡°How long¡­ Ugh¡­ How long ago was the trial?¡±

    One of them turned, looking at me through the barred window in the door. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s awake, I¡¯ll go get the commander.¡±

    ¡®Comander? Who¡­¡¯ ¡°Where¡­¡± I groaned again, slowly falling back to the floor. ¡®Am I dying? Is this what dying feels like?¡¯

    ¡°The trial was just yesterday, as for where you are that¡¯s a bit of a secret so I wouldn¡¯t bother asking.¡± The other guard said casually.

    ¡®He actually answered?¡¯ I let out another groan, working my way to my knees before vomiting, only feeling better afterward. As my mind started to clear I began to fully comprehend my situation. I was locked in a dark cell made of stone, with no windows, barely any light, and one barred door. I had been unconscious for probably three days or so. Alden was found guilty, And because of my healing, Fiesty was probably all right as well. ¡°Water¡­¡± I grumbled. ¡®My head probably just hurts from dehydration¡­ And my stomach aches from hunger¡­ They haven¡¯t exactly been taking very good care of me here¡­¡¯

    ¡°There is some water in there with some bread.¡±

    I looked around again, crawling over to a bucket and drinking as much as I could without feeling sick, splashing some on my face as well. ¡®OK¡­ For now, I¡¯m alive¡­ That¡¯s all that matters¡­ Now I just have to wait for help. Finn will come and find me, he¡¯s already looking I¡¯m sure.¡¯

    After a moment the door screeched open and in walked the same girl that had almost killed Fiesty, she was staring down at me silently. ¡°Alright. Now let¡¯s try this again.¡± She helped me sit up and started breaking the bread into smaller pieces for me. ¡°Where is the money?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She¡¯d feel so stupid knowing it was in my storage. ¡°What money?¡±

    She just sighed, helping to calmly feed me, and then left the room, eventually, I lost track of time completely. Every now and then the guards gave me more to eat, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was once or twice a day, furthermore, it was always drugged to sap my mana¡­ So I couldn¡¯t use magic. Even if I somehow got outside there was no way I could fight anyone in that state. After long enough I stopped waiting for Finn to find me¡­ And sometime after that, I stopped expecting anyone to ever rescue me. All I could do to keep myself sane was lie was bed and imagine what I would do when I got out. ¡®The first thing I¡¯m going to do¡­ I¡¯ll make my own guild¡­ Buy a nice plot of land and build a nice house¡­ Get some nice food and a nice bed¡­ And then stay inside for a whole week, eating, sleeping, and reading adventure stories¡­¡¯

    The door screeched open again. ¡®How many times has it been¡­ Should I just give her the money and start over? No¡­ I¡¯ve fought this long¡­ It would be a waste to stop fighting now¡­ I¡¯ll never stop¡­¡¯

 Chapter 69: Captured

    ¡®How long has it been now¡­ A weak¡­ A month, maybe two? Maybe I¡¯m just exaggerating my pain and it¡¯s only been a few days¡­ I looked over at the wall, counting the tallies I had marked down before I was chained up. ¡®34 tallies¡­ So if they brought me food once a day then a month, if it was twice a day then two weeks, and if was three times a day then¡­ How many days is that? Forget it¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡¯

    After those 34 talies I was drugged again and knocked unconscious, so there was no way to get a proper estimate. By the time I woke up, I was chained up in an x position, with each limb chained to a different corner of the cell''s back wall.

    Needless to say, I didn¡¯t really have weapons or tools. Furthermore, the shackles were enchanted with mana restriction¡­ So manipulating them wasn¡¯t an option. Although, they did at least have the decency to leave me my shirt and underwear.

    ¡®My head¡¯s pounding¡­¡¯ My shoulders already ached from supporting my weight, but it was impossible to say how long I had been chained up. My hair hung past my face, and I could feel swelling from the beating I took. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ I lost it and tried to break out when she came in to feed me¡­ No¡­ There¡¯s more to it than that right?¡¯

    As I moved my body ached so much from being stretched out that I almost started to cry, but the rush of blood to my head helped my brain to finally clear. ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been slowly building up an immunity to the drug that blocks mana regeneration. Then I skipped a few meals and now I have a decent supply all things considered¡­ I¡¯m in these cuffs now though¡­

    Slowly lifting my head, I tried to examine my situation. ¡®There aren¡¯t guards stationed outside anymore? I guess they decided I wasn¡¯t in any condition to leave after botching that last attempt on purpose¡­ I still can¡¯t use magic¡­ Can¡¯t move much either, the chains have no slack. If I start breaking out too early and someone shows up I¡¯ll be screwed.¡¯

    I was too nervous to start randomly, so instead I bided my time and waited for someone to come to the cell.

    Finally, the woman in black showed up, wearing full skin skin-tight leather, and a helmet that covered her face. She strutted into the room like a model and placed a hand on her hip as she shifted her weight to one leg. ¡°I figured you¡¯d be awake by now. So, how about you tell us where all the money is?¡±

    I watched on in silence, slowly putting together the pieces she was giving me through my headache and remembering why I was there in the first place.

    ¡°If not, I can always do things the hard way.¡± She stepped closer, running her fingers from my wrist all the way down my side and around to my stomach, resting the tips of one of her nails inside my navel and giving me chills.

    ¡°By money. I assume you mean my money?¡± I groaned.

    She reached up, bunching up my shirt from hem to collar within her fist before yanking me forward, straining all of my joints against the shackles. ¡°Unless there is more money you are somehow aware of. I would be interested in that too of course.¡± Despite her violent action nearly tearing me in four, her words were calm, as if she almost didn¡¯t even care if I told her or not.

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    ¡®I need to think of a way to get her to leave¡­¡¯ I did my best and forced a smile. ¡°Of course¡­ Unfortunately, I only know where my money is. And sure, I guess I could tell you, but you¡¯ll have to answer my questions too.¡±

    She took her hand back and gracefully lifted it to her face, resting her fingers against her helmet. ¡°Sure, ask away, oh but if I don¡¯t like the question, I¡¯ll have to torture you for awhile and just make you talk.¡±

    I let out a soft nervous laugh. ¡°Ok, but can you warn me first? I know I look pretty beat up, but I don¡¯t actually like pain, promise.¡±

    She let out a chuckle of her own. ¡°Sure. I must say it¡¯s fun getting information out of people like you. You¡¯re not afraid at all are you?¡±

    ¡°Well, you took away my boots¡­ So it¡¯s not like I have anything to shake in anymore¡­¡±

    She laughed again. ¡°Ok little girl, what do you want to know? Also, are you looking for a job? I don¡¯t mean with the petty thieves, I mean with an assassin''s guild.¡±

    My lips were dry and cracked, so I licked them, trying to swallow to ease my throat. ¡°No thanks, but as for my questions. I wouldn¡¯t mind if you told me where exactly I was. Oh, and I¡¯m quite curious as to just how far this little group went to try and jack up the price of antidotes in the great forest¡­ You wouldn¡¯t go through all this trouble if I made you miss out on an opportunity, it feels more personal than that.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I suppose I don¡¯t really care about these petty thieves anyway. I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll answer all these questions, and even let you go if you come to join my guild. I¡¯ll even teach you to shadow magic.¡±

    I paused for a moment. ¡®That explains how she moved like that¡­¡¯ ¡°You honestly have no idea just how tempting that sounds¡­ What if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡®the only magic I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯

    She rested her arms on my shoulders, leaning forward and folding her hands behind my head making my eyes finally start to water from the pain as my shoulders nearly both tore off. ¡°I can always torture you. Girls are so much more fun to play with, they stay conscious longer.¡±

    ¡®I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m making her angry or excited¡­¡¯ ¡°How about I just tell you where the money is and we go back to the first agreement?¡±

    ¡°Awe, but what''s the fun in that? I have so many techniques I have yet to try. I don¡¯t get to get out very often you know¡­ And it¡¯s sloppy to waste time having fun when you¡¯re working.¡±

    ¡®This girl¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Ok, how about we play a game?¡±

    She tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll tell you where the money is, and if you think I¡¯m lying you get to use one of your techniques¡­ If you think it¡¯s the truth then you have to go check to confirm and you can¡¯t torture me for that round. If I tell the truth and you think it¡¯s a lie, I win. If I win you don¡¯t try to stop me when I break out, and if you win I join your guild and learn shadow magic. Sound good?¡±

    She picked up her hands, finally giving my poor shoulders a bit of relief, and started clapping. ¡°Oh, I do like this game, but Can¡¯t I just always assume that you are telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the only way I can win is if you say I¡¯m not when I actually am. But, if you never say that I¡¯m lying, then you never get to lay a finger on me, thems be the rules.¡±

    Even through her visor, I could see her eyes narrow. ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°To make sure the game doesn¡¯t go on forever, I¡¯ll make another rule, that there will be a maximum of 10 rounds. I have to tell the truth at least once in those 10 rounds.¡±

    She slowly folded her hands, dropping them to her waist. ¡°Brilliant, what a wonderful idea. Oh, I do hope that I win.¡±

    ¡®Normally, this would be a game of luck, but I have a wild card up my sleeve.¡¯

    ¡°Ok, first round, are you ready miss?¡±

    ¡°Call me Oceanie¡±

    ¡®Did she really just tell me her name?¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­ Right¡­ You ready Oceanie.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡®Here goes everything¡­¡¯

 Chapter 70: Game

    ¡°Ok, so am I lying or telling the truth? All of my money is in my personal storage space that I created with my own innate arcane magic, along with the minotaur I killed, and all of my weapons.¡±

    She crossed her arms, thinking carefully for a moment. ¡°Ha, you almost got me with that one, but you¡¯re bluffing for sure. You thought by making it too easy you might mess with my head, didn¡¯t you? Nope, that''s a lie.¡±

    ¡®For a moment I was actually worried, but just like that I secured the win. Unfortunately¡­ I can hardly trust her to actually let me go¡­¡¯ ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then what are you going to do?¡±

    She lifted a hand to her chin, carefully looking at each of the four shackles that were suspending me in the air. ¡°Since you went easy on me, I¡¯ll do you a favor and go easy on you this round as well. Let''s start with growing magic.¡±

    ¡°Growing magic?¡± I asked as she walked closer and inspected the shackles more thoroughly.

    ¡°Exactly. I use my magic to increase your size, giving you the most intense growing pains you could imagine. Let''s see¡­ If I did it like normal you would stretch out the shackles, and when you shrank you could escape fairly easily¡­¡±

    ¡®Well¡­ I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever experienced that.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude¡­ But can making me bigger really be called torture? Isn¡¯t that like a buff? Like I¡¯ll get stronger and stuff right?¡±

    She shifted her weight to her other leg. ¡°Normally yes, but that¡¯s when the whole body grows. When parts grow disproportionally though, for instance, rapid bone growth that causes stress on joints, without growth of the muscles and ligaments to match, or massive growth of the tissues under you¡¯re skin without the growth of your skin, causing it to stretch.¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­ That does sound rather unpleasant¡­¡±

    ¡°And of course, you¡¯re body will need the energy to support these changes, otherwise the magic would just speed up your metabolism and kill you. For that reason, I suggest you drink this.¡± She pulled out a large vial of swirling brown and yellow tar.

    ¡°So I¡¯m forced to facilitate my own suffering or die? If you ask me that¡¯s the real torture here.¡± I sighed, taking a deep breath and downing it as she tilted the vial up until it was empty. ¡®Whatever, this will all be over as soon as I convince her to leave, which will hopefully be the next round.¡¯

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    I felt a sudden surge run through my body as my stomach started to twist and chills ran through me. ¡°What¡­¡± I stopped talking, forcing myself to hold back my vomit, if not only so that I wouldn¡¯t die from the magic.

    ¡°You just ingested about 10,000 Calories, uh oh, you better not throw up, or you¡¯ll die.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re sure that wasn¡¯t the torture¡­¡± Just as I spoke though I felt my whole body begin to tear itself apart. Goosebumps covered my skin as my bones stretched out and all my body''s tissues started to feel like they were tearing from both ends. After a moment it stopped, and the pain suddenly dulled.

    ¡®That¡­ It wasn¡¯t actually so bad¡­ Makes me glad I bothered with all that flexibility training¡­ Honestly being held up like this hurts more¡­¡¯ I let out a deep breath. ¡°All things considered I¡¯d give it a¡­ 2 out of 10.¡±

    She ran her finger down the side of my head. ¡°Oh please, I had to cut it short because of the lousy way they chained you up¡­ Well, it''s more like I don¡¯t feel like finding larger shackles for you. Normally I¡¯d go twice as far¡­ Plus I like you. I don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡±

    She inspected the shackles again. I could feel them almost constricting my blood vessels. Let''s see ¡°I still have another half of the growth spell I can give you.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got it, you should give me huge muscles, you know, make me super strong. I¡¯ve never liked being tiny.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself. Maybe I went too easy on you. Let''s see. Oh, I¡¯ve never tried doing this before, let''s put the rest of the energy here, you said you hated being small didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to ask what she was doing, as I could feel my chest getting heavy. My ribs started to flare out and lengthen as my breasts swelled up like balloons underneath my shirt. My first thought was that it was some kind of joke¡­ Even as it was happening that was what it felt like. But¡­ it seriously hurt¡­

    ¡°You know the best part about this? All you¡¯re nerves are on fire from being stretched, so they make you extra sensitive to anything I do now. I don¡¯t even have to cut you, one little touch will feel the same as a knife blade¡­ ¡±

    I closed my eyes and reminded myself to keep breathing. When a sudden slap to my chest lit up every nerve in my torso, running down my back until the burning pins and needles made everything go numb.

    ¡°Ok, so how about round two?¡±

    When I didn''t answer she gently lifted up my head to check if I was still conscious. ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t be done already.¡±

    I slowly swallowed, my eyes twitching when I tried to keep them open. ¡°R-r-right, round two¡­¡± My head almost went blank, but I managed to remember my plan at least. ¡°The money¡­ Where''s the money that¡¯s the question right? Its¡­ It¡¯s in my house. There¡¯s a wooden¡­ In my house, and that¡¯s the item I have enchanted with storage magic, all the money is in there. It¡¯s my secret safe¡­¡±

    ¡°A wooden what?¡±

    ¡°A sword¡­ A wooden sword¡­¡±

    She let out a long sigh. ¡°Truth¡­¡± She mumbled. ¡°I guess I have to go and confirm before I let you go though.¡±

    I lowered my head again and waited for her to leave. ¡®Right, now for the great escape. She was awfully considerate when she didn¡¯t increase the size of my hands, or maybe she was just sloppy, unable to focus on all my bones, only growing the big ones¡­ I changed my mind¡­ This is awful¡­ Like at least a 6, still, that¡¯s like half as bad as what the minotaur put me through¡­¡¯¡¯

    I folded in my thumb and jerked as hard as I could, snapping the bone in two, making the world spin around me for a moment as my eyes started to water again, rolling back in my head. It hurt all the more to actually pull my hand free, but in the end, I managed somehow. ¡®Counting the escape? Maybe more like a 7¡­¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­ Fine¡­ I¡¯m half way there¡­¡¯

 Chapter 71: Breakout

    I nearly lost consciousness from the pain, but I was able to get my hands free. ¡®If growing hurts this much¡­ I¡¯d rather just stay small¡­ I take it all back¡­ Being tiny isn¡¯t so bad¡­ I¡¯m still taller than most dwarfs¡­¡¯

    As I slipped my other hand from the shackles anchored to the ceiling I fell to the ground. The shackles around my ankles forced my legs apart though, so I had to land in a split. Normally it would have been fine, but with the magic effecting me the way it was I froze stiff, loosening my breath and letting out a short muffled whine.

    ¡®Almost done¡­ Almost done¡­¡¯ I moved my hips back to at least try and lessen the feeling of the muscles tearing. ¡®Ok, time for a little magic.¡¯ ¡°I folded my broken hands. ¡°Plutia¡­¡± Warm divine energy covered my body and I used heal to at least semi-mend my broken bones. My magic was still only strong enough to loosely set them and heal the outside, but that was enough for the next step.

    I pulled a lockpick I had hidden in my underwear, admittedly a bit conflicted by how I was punishing my captors for leaving me with a bit of dignity, and I bent to the side, barely still flexible enough to reach my ankle chains.

    A couple more minutes later I was free from the shackles. When I finally broke out I was so tired and sore I didn¡¯t even want to move anymore. Laying on my stomach hurt, for obvious reasons, but laying on my back wasn¡¯t much better, if at all. At least I was able to let my muscles somewhat relax, but it wasn¡¯t like that took the soreness away from how they were being constantly stretched.

    I let out a whiny groan, again forcing myself to muffle it to a whisper. ¡®I should at least try and reverse some of this magic. I should be able to do that before I stand up.¡¯

    I focused my mana using Platinum magic, an advanced magic that requires gold silver, and arcane magic in order to use. Naturally, I was only capable of tier 1 spells, just like with most things¡­ But that would be enough.

    ¡®Magic reversal.¡¯ I felt my bones slowly shrink, sending shivers through my whole body. The spell reversed what she had done, turning the spell back into its original components of mana and energy, or mana and that strange potion.

    It took twice as much mana to reverse the spell than it took to cast it though¡­ Because of that I only ended up reverting half of the spell for the time being, having to siphon mana from the air as it separated from the spell in order to buffer my own casting.

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    I was able to move around without my muscles feeling like they were tearing, so it was good enough even if I didn¡¯t fully shrink back down, any other pain I decided to just fight through for the time being.

    What little magic I had left I used on recovery, accelerating my metabolism, but for healing, rather than shapeshifting. That took care of my shoulders and legs, and helped my stomach, considering how heavy that tar I drank felt sitting in it.

    ¡®That¡¯s better. Now all that¡¯s left is to break out of here¡­ The prison is made out of stone, so rather than messing with the front door, it might be better to just tear down the back wall with earth magic right? I wonder where I¡¯ll end up.¡¯

    I sat down and meditated to try and regenerate my mana as quickly as possible, voiding all thought, and letting myself fall into a trance where I was only conscious of my own body. Staying in that state for a few minutes, I was able to not only gain a good understanding of my new balance, but also recover enough mana to at least be relatively capable.

    ¡®If I wait too long that girl will be back, better to get out of here before that. She didn¡¯t look tired at all after using her magic on me, so I¡¯d guess she¡¯s at least a tier 6 mage overall from how much manna she used. With that in mind, I¡¯d rather not fight her. Although it does explain how she was able to use so much magic¡­ If I couldn¡¯t absorb the manna as I dismantled the spell, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to revert hardly any of it¡­ I¡¯d much prefer to fully reverse her spell, but I¡¯ll worry about it later, for now, I should get dressed.¡¯

    I quickly put on my spare set of armor, pulling on the baggy pants and wrapping the mage robes around my waist to give my legs extra protection, at the moment they didn¡¯t fit very well anyway. Then I wrapped my chest as tight as I could with the extremely long bandages I had saved from when my hip was injured. It was a pain, but keeping my mind off it helped, so it wasn¡¯t something that held me back. ¡®Honestly I¡¯m grateful¡­ If she cut off a finger or something that would have been so much worse¡­¡¯

    Finally, I pulled my sword from storage and tied it to my waist, along with my ax, and a few knives. Then I brought out the greatsword I had received from killing the minitour. It was so long and broad that it almost doubled as a shield, and it was enchanted. A weak enchantment, but good enough to make me confident in hiding behind it. ¡®The enchant rune for durability really is my favorate.¡¯ I stared at it for a second flicking the complex triagnular shape and seeing the flecks of solid manna shutter off the blade, bringing my eyes a soft comfort in the otherwise dark dungeon.

    Just for fun, I used my earth magic to break the walls that the shackles were anchored to and threw them in storage as well. They were enchanted, so they were most likely fairly expensive. I attempted it out of curiosity¡­ But I did find it a bit odd that the antimagic shackles fit in my magic storage space.

    ¡®Right, I guess the next step is the hardest.¡¯ I flipped the great blade onto my shoulder and spread my stance wide. As I slowly raised my hand I could feel my mana connecting with the earth, and when I was ready the back wall of my cell opened up, and a person-sized doorway extruded outward, shifting the earth in an instant. ¡®It¡¯s good I learned how to shift earth quietly.¡¯

    Stepping out I found myself in a large hallway, with various paths branching off and several iron doors reinforcing nearly every path. Everything was lit by magic, and I had no sense of how far underground I was, or which way was out.

    ¡®They could have been nice and at least given me an exit sign¡­ Then again¡­ I don¡¯t look remotely like the girl that was their prisoner, and that girl that tortured me was the only one that knows what happened¡­ Can I just¡­ Ask for directions?¡¯¡¯

 Chapter 72: Escape

    Looking around, I couldn¡¯t see any guards. I had checked beforehand as best I could with magic, but it was still a relief to actually see I was right. ¡®I guess from here I just clear out this rat nest until I find the exit. Sure, ok. I could sneak around offing them quietly. No one knows I escaped yet.¡¯

    I looked back at the wall and slowly sealed it back up with my magic. Then I pulled a leather hood from my storage and tugged it over my face. I bet no one would even think it¡¯s me with how different I look right now.

    Rather than sneaking, I started to casually stroll the halls of the dungeon until I ran into someone, a group of two guards on patrol. ¡°Hey, you! What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡®Just in case, I should make my voice a bit deeper with magic too.¡¯ I lifted my hand to wave. ¡°I actually got a little bit lost. See, I was put here on guard duty a while ago, but I keep getting turned around somehow, it¡¯s been awful.¡±

    They put their guard down and walked closer. At first, it was obvious they were suspicious, but in the end, their eyes never bothered trying to make out my face, being a bit preoccupied¡­ ¡°Oh yeah totally. I can lead you back to the entrance if you want. Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks.¡± ¡®It can¡¯t be this easy can it?¡¯

    I followed him down another pathway through a dark tunnel, but in the end, he led me to an even larger pathway that seemed like it was in all likelihood the main hallway, after a few stair cases we finally got somewhere. ¡®This place is way bigger than I thought¡­¡¯

    ¡°And there we go, just like that were back at the main hall. Here I¡¯ll walk you to the entrance since we are already here. Oh, what¡¯s you¡¯re name by the way?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry I¡¯m Lola.¡± ¡®Sorry Lola, it was the only name I could think of on the spot!¡¯

    ¡°Lola is it? Right, well my name¨C¡±

    ¡°ROULF!¡± I heard a loud yell come from across the way, making me tense up.

    ¡°Maybe a wild guess¡­ But I¡¯m going to say it¡¯s probably Roulf right?¡±

    He chuckled nervously as the girl that yelled his name approached us with sharp scowl.

    ¡°You¡¯re on duty right now, what are you doing? And you! What are you doing?¡± She turned to me. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing you before, are you new?¡±

    I cleared my throat. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right. I got lost, so Roulf was showing me the way back to the entrance.¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, are you still lost?¡±

    ¡°N-no mam¡­¡± ¡®Kind of, but I should be fine. I¡¯m pretty good at navigating terrain outside at least¡­¡¯

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    ¡°Then Roulf should get back to work, shouldn¡¯t he? And you!¡± She started to growl and looking more closely at me.

    ¡®Am I found out?¡¯

    ¡°Stay away from him. And¡­ Put a shirt on or something¡­ You¡¯re a distraction.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I said sharply. ¡®My shirt¡¯s don¡¯t fit anymore though¡­¡¯ I nervously swallowed and took a few steps twords the door. ¡®Hers wouldn¡¯t fit either¡­ Asking a guy for one seems like a bad idea. I¡¯m kind of surprised they care about that sort of thing.¡¯

    A giant man stepped out in front of me and pulled my hood down, making my eyes go wide from shock ¡°Now I would have definitely remembered someone like you coming in through the front gate here¡­ Where¡¯s your guild emblem?¡±

    ¡®Sparks¡­¡¯ ¡°I-I. Would you believe me if I said I forgot it at home? No one checked me when I came in so I didn¡¯t realize till a little while ago.¡± ¡®I won¡¯t be able to keep this up for much longer¡­ But the door is right there. I can see it¡­ Although, it¡¯s more like a castle gate, won¡¯t be easy to open.¡¯

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s here somewhere.¡±

    ¡®What? No¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t even know what guild this is.¡¯ I suddenly felt my nerves light up like fireworks, shooting pins and needles down my back and through my shoulders. It took me a moment to even realize what was happening, and another for my eyes to trace his hands. Finally, when my eyes caught up to reality, and my brain processed what my eyes were seeing¡­ I still didn¡¯t do anything¡­

    My mind went blank for a moment, but just one, maybe it was because subconsciously I knew it wasn¡¯t the first time that had happened, or that I still didn¡¯t feel like it was even really my body, but regardless, the paralysis didn¡¯t last long, and with a single powerful strike from the flat of my great blade his face quickly connected to the dirt underfoot.

    ¡°What the! What are you doing?¡±

    ¡®Maybe I should have thought that through more¡­ Too late now.¡¯ I kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach just for good mesure, even though he was already unconscious, and spat on him as I stepped over his body. ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± I growled. ¡®And at this point¡­ Probably fighting everyone here¡­¡¯

    The woman from before suddenly grabbed my arm from behind, laughing timidly. ¡°Hold on there. Something big went down and we were all ordered to stay inside for the time being. No one¡¯s allowed to leave.¡± She whispered.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s not that easy¡­¡¯ I sighed, turning back to the man I nearly killed, a little impressed he was still alive. ¡®Does no one really care that  just did that? If that¡¯s the case maybe I don¡¯t have to fight them all? At least until I understand more about there capabilities that¡¯s a good thing.¡¯ ¡°I haven¡¯t been here long¡­ And I¡¯ve really just been wandering around lost for most of that time¡­ Is there somewhere I can get some food?¡±

    She raised her eyebrows. ¡°No one showed you around?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s too risky to keep saying I¡¯m new, I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ve been on lockdown¡­¡¯ I chuckled nervously, scratching my head before pulling my hood back up. ¡°Well, the guy that was supposed to end up showing me the prison block first and took me right to an empty cell, so¡­¡±

    She sighed, lowering her face into one of her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ The boss has been getting less picky with members¡­ And when they join an underworld guild they start thinking they can do whatever they want¡­¡± She looked behind me at the guy on the floor. ¡°Case and point¡­ Follow me I¡¯ll show you around¡­ Ah¡­ But first¡­¡± She ripped the shirt of the unconscious man and handed it to me. ¡°Things like this will happen less often if you¡¯re at least covered¡­¡± She groaned.

    As I paused she slowly turned to the side, it wasn¡¯t till I looked down that I realized my clothes were all frazzled. The shirt was tight too, but because of the laced design it at least fit decently well¡­ Although I didn¡¯t particularly like the idea of wearing a man''s clothes, especially not if it was dirty and smelled like alcohol¡­ But I figured it was for the best, and it wasn¡¯t like I was exactly clean either.

    ¡®How about we start by touring the exit door¡­¡¯ I sighed. As I followed after her I attempted to figure out how good my odds were if I just tried to break out by force. Most of them didn¡¯t even know much magic, and few were strong fighters, at least in head-to-head combat. Of course, that was all just speculation, but I had seen enough battle-hardened souls to know when someone wasn¡¯t one.

    Before long we had made the rounds of the place. I was given a room, some food, and some water¡­ In some ways, it was almost the same feeling I had when I got to White light¡­ Once I realized that I couldn¡¯t shake how poorly that thought sat with me. Especially because of how different it was in the worst ways.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I asked, pointing to a little girl who looked like she was about to collapse on the ground and die.

    ¡°Oh, That¡¯s Mochi. She was raised here. You could say she¡¯s like the mascot¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s best to just leave her alone.¡±

    ¡°You sure? She doesn¡¯t look too hot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s just how it is with her though. She messes up a lot¡­ And when you mess up here the punishments can get pretty intense¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­¡± ¡®Still¡­¡¯

 Chapter 73: Game Over.

    ¡®Ok¡­ I know the whole layout now¡­ The fort seems to be divided into three levels, the prisons are at the bottom, the second level is where the mages and craftsmen work, and the first level is where we all live, eat, and all that. It¡¯s all run by three men, A goblin thief, an Ogre mage, and a human brawler. Taking on all three at once would be a nightmare¡­ But If I took them all out separately I could take on everyone else at once, at least in theory¡­ I¡¯d bet on a war to beat out three of them.¡¯

    I let out a long, soft groan as I leaned back on the bed they had given me. ¡®I¡¯m running out of time¡­ And if this place is close to Rothet then I¡¯m really running out of time¡­ I might be able to use earth magic to just carve my way out, and make a new tunnel to the surface from my room. It will take a while¡­ But If they think I¡¯m sleeping it shouldn¡¯t take more than 8 hours.¡¯

    I sighed again, standing up and walking over to an empty wall. ¡®Ok¡­ I can do this right?¡¯

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡±

    Every muscle in my body tensed as I jumped away wincing in pain as my body still adjusted to its new shape. ¡®Sparks¡­ I¡¯m too late¡­¡¯

    ¡°That ogre mage would be able to sense that much magic being used without you dampening it¡­ Which you aren¡¯t skilled enough to do.¡±

    ¡®Wait¡­ But¡­ Why is she telling me this?¡¯ ¡°Hello, Oceanie¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed¡­ With you I mean, I¡¯m severely disappointed in these rats¡­ If I¡¯m not mistaken though you still owe me 8 rounds.¡±

    I slowly swallowed. ¡®It¡¯s a gamble¡­ But I only have one play¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually, you owe me one¡­ I won the game in the first round.¡± I pulled a copper coin from storage and flicked it to her. ¡°I can use arcane magic¡­ I wasn¡¯t lying. So I won.¡±

    She caught the coin, staring at it before slowly turning back to me. ¡°You weren¡¯t joking?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡­¡±

    She sighed, flicking it back to me. ¡°You should have said that from the start!¡± She whined, pouting for a moment. ¡°Oh, unless?¡± She slowly walked up, backing me up against a wall and towering over me, lifting up my chin at the tip of a finger. ¡°You wanted me to torture you? You said you hated being tiny, did you really want to grow up so bad¡­¡±

    I shuddered as she traced a sharp nail down my neck, pressing it into my chest until it drew blood, which wasn¡¯t difficult with how thinly stretched my skin was. ¡°Or maybe you just like pain?¡±

    I grabbed her hand and pushed it away. ¡°I won the game¡­ So¡­ Will you honor the deal?¡±

    She backed away with another sigh. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m disappointed in the incompetence of these rats anyway, so my work with them is done. I won¡¯t help you break out, but I won¡¯t stop you either.¡±

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    I let out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Ok. Thanks¡­¡±

    Somehow I could just tell she was smiling under her helmet as her tail suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me to her, making my eyes go wide. ¡°But, if you want to play another game, then I might change my mind.¡±

    ¡°I-I think I¡¯m good¡­ I should be able to break out on my own from here¡­¡±

    She unwrapped her tail with a disappointed sigh, pouting like a spoiled little girl who got the wrong present for her birthday. ¡°Fine¡­ At least watching you break out should be entertaining. How will you get the key to the gate I wonder? Will you be able to steal it? Oh, maybe you¡¯ll use your new body to sneak it away.¡± She giggled, slowly vanishing back into a shadow.

    ¡°You make me¡­ So uncomfortable¡­¡±

    She just laughed, her voice turning to a dark echo before disappearing entirely.

    Once I was sure she was finally gone I slowly laid down again hugging a pillow and facing the wall. ¡®In that case, maybe I really will just get some sleep¡­ I haven¡¯t had a proper rest in who knows how long¡­ I wiped the blood from my chest, ¡®Then again I¡¯m not exactly comfortable enough to call this a good night''s rest either¡­ I could finish reversing the spell¡­ But that would blow my cover¡­ I¡¯d look like me again¡¯ I sighed, reworking my chest wrapping only looser, and then just decided to sleep without it once I realized it didn¡¯t actually help the pain, and really only made it harder to breathe.

    ¡®Ok¡­ So I need to take out the wizard¡­ At that point I might as well just leave out the front door though¡­ Ok¡­ The new plan, I take down all of them, and then I turn in the bounty. There are around 30 or so here, so that should be quite a bit, more if I keep them alive. Hm¡­ For now, I¡¯ll blend in until I get a better feel for when a good time to act is. If I¡¯m not under a time constraint things should be fine.¡¯

    After some rest my body ached even more, but I could tell it was starting to adjust, as instead of intense pain and stretched nerves it was more like a deep soreness that made me want to just stay in bed. That seemed like a generally bad idea though, so I got up, got dressed, and headed outside to the main room where they gave me a bland meal. It was no better than what I ate when I was locked up¡­ But it wasn¡¯t drugged, so there was that.

    ¡°Hey Mochi, you brought them their food, right? How did it go?¡±

    I turned my head over to the cook talking to the little girl. ¡°They all hated it¡­ But Nix didn¡¯t hit me, so he must not have hated it as much as the others.¡±

    ¡®Her voice is so lifeless and weak¡­ She doesn¡¯t look skinny or anything¡­ Pretty bruised. Hm¡­ She was raised by the three big shots, so she¡¯d know more about them than anyone else right? It¡¯s a good place to start.¡¯

    I was done eating anyway, so when she got her food and sat down on the floor I headed over and sat next to her. Before I even said a word she picked up her biscuit and handed it to me. ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± I took it and started eating, and then she extended out the entire bowl she had gotten. ¡°You¡¯re name¡¯s Mochi, is that right?¡± I asked, silently pushing her bowl back to her.

    After looking between me and the bowl she nodded and then started to eat.

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t talk much I guess¡­ Or maybe just not to strangers?¡¯ ¡°Do you always bring them their food?¡±

    She slowly looked back at me. Pushing her bowl back over to me again. ¡°They¡¯ll get mad if you take their food¡­ Take mine instead.¡±

    ¡®What the¡­¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t want your food, you need to eat too.¡±

    She looked down at it again. ¡°But¡­ You took my biscuit¡­ Why else would you sit here?¡±

    I stopped chewing, staring at the half-eating biscuit in my hand. ¡®Did I just steal food from a little girl¡­¡¯ I finished chewing, giving her back the other half. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to take your food sorry¡­ I thought you were giving it to me.¡±

    ¡°I was.¡±

    ¡®Why is her voice so distant¡­ It¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to a golem¡­¡¯ ¡°But why would you give me your food if you wanted it? You¡­ Do want it right?¡±

    She picked it up, taking the smallest bit I could imagine before smiling so softly you could hardly see her face change at all. ¡°Of course I want it¡­ But if I¡¯m going to lose it anyway, I¡¯d rather lose it without getting hit¡­¡±

    ¡®Yeah¡­ I definitely stole her biscuit¡­ Now I feel even worse¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°What are you doing after you eat?¡±

    ¡°Master needs a test subject. After that, I go and practice magic, and then I¡¯m going to pray until the boss needs a punching dummy to vent his anger from everything that made him angry today

    ¡®I feel like¡­ Raised¡­ Isn¡¯t really the right term for what¡¯s happening here¡­

 Chapter 74: Mochi

    ¡°So what do you pray for? Can you use miracles too?¡±

    She timidly looked down, not saying a word.

    ¡®I¡¯m really not getting anywhere with this kid am I¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not going to hit you you know¡­¡±

    She slowly looked back up, staring past me at the giant gate leading to the outside. ¡°Everyone says heaven is in the sky¡­ So before I go there¡­ I want to see what it¡¯s like from down here¡­¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s never been outside¡­¡¯ ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I get selfish and add things too, like that an angel would come and take me outside¡­ Just for a little while I mean. I-I¡¯m not saying I want to run away or anything.¡±

    I raised my arms just to stretch them, but she flinched back in fear, closing her eyes. ¡®This kid is breaking my heart¡­¡¯ letting out a soft groan I lowered a hand onto her head. ¡°What if I¡¯m that angel? What will you pray for when I take you outside?¡±

    She timidly opened her eyes, staring at me with just a faint glimmer of hope before her face sank again. ¡°Angles don¡¯t take other people''s biscuits¡­¡±

    ¡®I guess she still knows how to talk back¡­¡¯ I sighed pulling a bowl from that soup Lola made me out of storage and handing it to her. ¡°Here¡­ Does this make us even?¡± I saw chills run down her arms. She had already finished everything they had given her and made quick work of my food as well. When she was done I took the bowl back. ¡°Even?¡± I asked again

    ¡°Even¡­¡± She grumbled, glancing to the side, slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Where do you pray? I didn¡¯t see a shrine around here anywhere, do you just go back to your room?¡±

    She slowly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a room. I usually go sit in one of the empty cells downstairs¡­ People bother me less when they can¡¯t see me doing it¡­¡±

    ¡®And I thought my life was tough¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, come find me when you¡¯re about to go and pray, I¡¯ll pray with you¡­ I haven¡¯t been doing it as much as I should anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± She slowly stood up and returned her bowl to the kitchen before coming back and staring at me again. ¡°Who is your patron saint?¡±

    ¡°Plutia.¡±

    Her eyes widened as her whole body froze stiff.

    ¡®Sparks¡­ I¡¯m pretending to be a rogue¡­ Saying I pray to the saint of healing and kindness isn¡¯t exactly fitting¡­¡¯ I nervously scratched my head. ¡°Who¡­ is yours?¡±

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    Her eyes stayed wide for a long time until someone walked past and snapped her out of her thoughts. ¡°Same¡­¡± She said calmly before heading off.

    ¡®No way¡­¡¯

    With everyone on lockdown, there wasn¡¯t much for me to do¡­ With that in mind, I got to work asking around about the three bosses.

    First was Nix, a goblin thief. Apparently known for his cold and calculating personality, ruthless, but not one to act without purpose. People generally thought he was around C rank¡­ Which wasn¡¯t great news for me.

    Next was the Ogre mage, given the same rank, but not because of his magic, more so because he was an ogre¡­ So aside from his magic, he was crazy strong. It seemed likely I could deal with him though, because he only knew up to tier 5 magic and specialized in earth. Furthermore, if I managed to get the chains on him he couldn¡¯t cast at all.

    Finally, there was Magnus, who I wasn¡¯t worried about at all. Despite being the leader he was apparently only D rank when he founded the group. He was a brawler and a human, one that didn¡¯t use magic, it seemed unlikely he had gone up to C rank or higher, even if he did I could destroy him with a few spells if he wasn¡¯t wearing enchanted gear.

    ¡®If I can get either the mage or the thief without the other noticing I¡¯m in good shape¡­ But every time I see the rogue he has two others with him, and the mage is constantly followed around by his many tier one pupils¡­¡¯

    Magnus spent quite a bit of time alone¡­ But I wasn¡¯t worried about him, to begin with¡­ ¡®This is a real headache¡­ Of course, I could always just wait around until we were allowed outside again, and then walk right out¡­ Come back with the red mantles or mabe some guards.¡¯

    ¡°Hey¡­¡±

    I turned slightly to see Mochi standing in front of me, her left arm swollen up like it was about to pop, and with a large lump above her left eye and on her cheek.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    Seeing her try to smile only made me worry more. ¡°I¡¯m going to pray now.¡± Just like that she turned and started walking away.

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll follow her¡­ I should be able to use disinfect, and maybe even a healing miracle if I have to¡­¡¯

    As she walked to the staircase down to the third floor one of the men stuck his foot out to trip her¡­ But because she was always watching her step she avoided it, so then he tried to shove her down the stairs with a smack on the back, but thankfully I caught her in time, grabbing the back of her shirt. With an annoyed growl, we both went on our way like nothing happened.

    ¡®Falling down a staircase this long could break several bones¡­ But with her arm that swollen she might have even lost a limb¡­ Are they trying to kill her?¡¯

    Once we reached the bottom of the stairs I made sure to stay a little closer to her as we continued down the next flight and eventually found an empty cell. When we arrived she just walked in and knelt down on the stone floor, staring at the wall with blank eyes, as if she were dead. Folding her hands and letting her mind drift away, hopefully to a better place.

    I knelt down beside her taking a moment before my mind could focus and at the end of that moment, I closed my eyes and folded my hands. ¡®Plutia¡­ I¡¯m not asking for a miracle this time¡­ I guess I¡¯m just saying hello. Honestly, this feels really awkward¡­ I met Mochi¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m a little disappointed you haven¡¯t helped her more since she prays so much¡­ But then again I ended up here somehow¡­ And knowing you I¡¯m sure you somehow knew things would turn out this way¡­ Please pass a message on to the creator for me¡­ Ask him to give me strength enough to save her¡­ If I can do that much then I¡¯ll know at least I did one truly good thing in this life¡­¡¯

    I opened my eyes, unsure what else to say, while I was thinking about it Mochi started to shift around, after a while she started to groan, and not long after that, she was pulling on my sleeve. ¡°Hey miss? Are you really an angel? I¡¯m really sorry if you are¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to be disrespectful or anything¡­¡±

    Her words were slightly slurred together. But I couldn¡¯t really tell if it was because she was young, or her swollen face. ¡®Somehow I imagined this being reversed¡­ I thought for sure I would be the one interrupting her.¡¯ I sighed, smiling softly as I patted her head again. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not really an angel¡­ But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t save you. Do you want to get away from here?¡±

    ¡°I-I could never wish for that, it¡¯s too much. I just want to see the sky.¡±

    I sighed again, my chest tightening slightly. ¡°Do you want to get away or not? I¡¯ll take you with me if you want. You have 10 seconds to decide. 10¡­ 9¨C¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± She suddenly opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth, embarrassed, if not afraid by the fact that she had raised her voice.

    ¡®A quick response¡­ That¡¯s good, I can work with that. If she was hesitant it would have been a lot harder.¡¯ ¡°Ok. Then here is what I need.¡± I placed my hand on the ground and carved out a map with earth magic. ¡°Nix and Boulder, the goblin thief and the ogre mage, I need to take one of them out without the other knowing. Are they ever alone? Or¡­ Maybe there is a time when only you are with them?¡±

    ¡®I just need to be able to take out one¡­ Then I can probably take down this whole place.¡¯

 Chapter 75: Secret Room

    She shook her head. ¡°Master is only alone when he uses the toilet. The teacher has a secret room though, he brought me there one time.¡±

    ¡°By teacher, you mean the ogre right?¡±

    She nodded, placing a hand on the map and fixing it with her own magic. ¡°There, see? And he is usually alone there. He doesn¡¯t go there often though, only once every four meals or so.¡±

    ¡®I can work with that¡¯ ¡°Do you know when he will be going there next?¡±

    She nodded again before pausing and shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ But if he sees me going inside he will follow me for sure¡­¡±

    ¡®Speaking from an unfortunate experience no doubt¡­¡¯ ¡°Ok¡­ Do you think you can lure him inside then? If we can take him out first that will make everything else so much easier.¡±

    She slowly looked to the side. ¡°You don¡¯t mean kill do you¡­¡±

    ¡®That would be ideal¡­ You don¡¯t wake up from being killed¡­ And he can use magic¡­ Well, I guess I have the chains¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to kill him do you¡­¡± I slowly poked her arm, using my magic to try and nullify the poison. I couldn¡¯t reverse it entirely, but at least the swelling started to go down.

    She timidly lowered her eyes. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I don¡¯t know much¡­ But Plutia only heals people, doesn¡¯t she? A-and¡­ When you kill people like him they don¡¯t go to heaven¡­ So¡­¡±

    ¡®Geeze¡­ How in the world did they end up raising a kid like this¡­ I¡¯m missing something right?¡¯ ¡°Ok¡­ We won¡¯t kill any of them¡­¡± ¡®I get paid more this way too¡­ So it¡¯s not like it doesn¡¯t come with benefits¡­¡¯

    She slowly raised her arm watching as the swelling continued to slowly decrease. Then she smiled for the first time I had seen. Through her swollen cheeks and bruised jaw, the corners of her mouth rose to a full smile. That gave me anything but regret for my decision. I couldn¡¯t say why she was smiling, much less at such a strange time. Whether it was because she was happy the people that raised her didn¡¯t have to die, or because my decision fully convinced her I really was an angel. Regardless of the reason, it was hard not to feel good after seeing it.

    ¡°Ok¡­ Show me to the secret room. I¡¯ll wait inside, then you can draw him in.¡±

    She nodded and led me back to the second floor down a side path to a large open room that was completely empty, then she used her magic to move a false wall in the cave and asked me to head inside.

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    There was nothing special about the secret room, other than the soft blue flowers that grew there, slightly illuminating the darkness. They had a pleasant scent to them as well, making it almost comfortable as I waited to strike.

    Almost as if she had practiced it¡­ Or as if it was real, when the Ogre saw her he shouted, and she flinched in fear, quickly running inside the room. It was the perfect bait really.

    The moment he stepped beyond the false wall I fell from the ceiling and slammed the hilt of my dagger right into the back of his head. He groaned, somehow still semi-conscious until a small pilar of earth shot from the ground and rammed into his temple knocking him out.

    ¡®I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s actually helping me fight too.¡¯ After the thought passed I grabbed the anti-magic chains and, shackled him up, creating another pillar of earth and hanging him from it. From there we gaged him and sealed him away in the secret room.

    ¡®One down. Now I¡¯ll be able to use magic freely without being found out.¡¯ ¡°Ok, next, the goblin, you call him master is that right? He¡¯s the one that made your arm swell up like this? First I want you to walk up to him and show him that the swelling went down. Seem¡¯s like that would make him curious. Then I want you to duck down and cover your eyes as tight as you can. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    She nodded and again followed directions perfectly. While she was doing it I honestly wasn¡¯t sure if I was impressed¡­ Or just felt bad about the most likely reason as to why she was so good at listening to orders. Although regardless her execution was perfect.

    We positioned on opposite sides and she approached from his front. Sure enough, he lowered his guard ever so slightly, focusing on her arm. It allowed me to just keep with the theme of earth magic, using two boulder toss spells one after another to take out both of the rogues with him. The moment he turned to see what was happening Mochi was already covering her eyes, and I used blinding flash, which worked even better thanks to the dim lighting of the cave. He was so disoriented he fell down, making it easy to deliver the final blow.

    ¡®Here is where things get intense.¡¯ I stepped over the goblin''s body and checked it, looting a pretty nice pair of twin daggers and quickly tossing them in storage. ¡°Magnus has the key to the gate, right? So let¡¯s head back up and take it from him. Then we can get out of here.¡±

    She hesitated but nodded after a moment, and just as she opened the door to walk out of the room she ran right into someone and froze stiff.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Not ideal¡­¡¯ Just as he looked past us I expanded the doorframe outward into his head with enough force to knock him out. Although, that hallway wasn¡¯t exactly hard to see from most of the floor. Somehow no one caught on right away though. ¡°Just act normal¡­¡± I whispered to Mochi, stepping over the man and outside, heading back up to the first floor.

    We had made it halfway to the gate, and while we were at it I set another three lightning runes on the ground. ¡®Magnus is just a brawler, if he doesn¡¯t even use blades he will be easy to deal with. I¡¯m more worried about the number right now than anything else. If they can overwhelm me with sheer numbers things will get dicey and I might have to kill a few or it will end up just like last time¡­¡¯ I looked back at Mochi. ¡®Only I¡¯m losing a bit more than just some food this time if I don¡¯t win¡­¡¯

    ¡°I FOUND HER!¡±

    ¡®Yeah, that tracks¡­¡¯ ¡°Are you ready Mochi?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late to be asking that?¡±

    ¡®Well her voice is calm at least¡­¡¯

    Instead of charging in blindly, they seemed to gather around and bide their time, even as anxious as they were.

    My heart started to pound with excitement at the thought of a real fight, it felt as though it had been far too long, and for the first time in a while any pain I was feeling completely disappeared. I pulled my great blade from storage and flipped it over my shoulder. ¡°You should probably get somewhere safe shorty¡­¡± I muttered, unable to help myself from grinning as I patted her head, staring past her to the rogues as my body already started to flood with adrenaline in anticipation.

    ¡®My breath is steady, and my body feels good considering.¡¯ I made a tight fist with my free hand, feeling the strength in my fingers. ¡®Maybe I really should pray more often.¡¯

 Chapter 76: Riot.

    ¡°I¡¯m not short! I¡¯m a half-halfling! I¡¯m a perfectly normal height!¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re a quarterling then?¡±

    ¡°The half-in halfling comes from size! If anything I¡¯m a three-fourthsling!¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s weird seeing her get worked up, and at this of all things.¡¯ ¡°Duck.¡± I brought my sword down fast and it stopped just above her, knocking the man behind her out cold. ¡°Eyes up three-fourthsling¡± ¡®I should stay alert too, Although I think he was the only one on this side of my rune traps.¡¯

    ¡°MY NAME IS MOCHI!¡± She yelled, covering her head with her hands as she ducked down, shaking like a puppy that just heard lightning for the first time.

    ¡®What is someone like her even doing with these guys in the first place?¡¯ I knelt down next to her and patted her on the head my lightning runes dealing with anyone who got too close in the meantime. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Uhuh.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t much of a fighter are you Mochi?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, I can fight.¡± She looked around frantically before pulling out two shoddy iron daggers from under her shirt that looked more like unrefined rocks than actual weapons.

    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡¯ ¡°Are you low on mana? How are you with staves?¡±

    She¡¯d probably freeze up using a bladed weapon.¡¯

    Her eyes were still fixated solely on me, completely oblivious to what was happening around us as more people got totally fried by my lightning. Her bright beaming smile seemed almost out of place there. ¡°Oo, oo Yeah, I can use those too!¡±

    I pulled my spear from out of storage and broke the spearhead off so she wouldn¡¯t accidentally kill someone. ¡°Here, take this. Just try to stay safe till it all blows over alright?¡±

    She put her daggers back in their sheaths and grabbed the staff.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be safer for you to stay back, but if somehow you do end up in trouble just holler ok?¡±

    She nodded, timidly stepping away until her back was to the massive door that led to the outside.

    I stabbed my blade into the ground and stepped forward. ¡®It¡¯s going to be hard not to kill people with that thing I¡¯m more likely to cut them in half... It''s a shame¡­¡¯ Cracking my knuckles I raised my voice. ¡°Listen up! You can either give me the key to this door! Or you can fight me, get your butt whooped, and then I can take my sweet time picking the lock. One of those ways is a lot less painful!¡±

    ¡°You think we''re afraid of a little girl!¡± One of them yelled.

    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes. ¡°Little girls can be scary you know!¡±

    He laughed but I didn¡¯t care, I just started pointing at them, counting up how many there were in total, and doing some quick math. ¡®That¡¯s 36, counting the ones that are already fried by lightning. Let''s see, the average price per head would probably be something like 300 talons.

    They all braced themselves like I was about to use magic, showing fear on their faces that made me more than confident there wasn¡¯t a single tier 4 mage among them. ¡°Hey Mochi! What¡¯s 36 times 300!¡±

    ¡®I think it¡¯s it¡¯s like 10,800 right? So if I count the leader as double then that¡¯s 11,100. Not a bad payout I guess. Not worth what I went through, although if I can get Mochi out of here I¡¯ll just say that makes up the difference so I feel better.¡¯

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    One of the other ones on the side was actually counting it out on his fingers for me, doing the math. ¡°It¡¯s like 11k right?¡±

    ¡®Eh, close enough.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡°So, what¡¯s it going to be? Lift the lockdown or take a beating.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. I¡¯m sick of it here! How much longer!¡±

    I paused. ¡®Wait what?¡¯

    ¡°Yeah, let us out already would you?¡±

    ¡®What is this, in fighting now? I guess to them it looks like I¡¯m starting a riot, not breaking out of jail. I could probably spin this.¡¯ ¡°COME ON THEN!¡± I shouted. ¡°GIVE US THE KEY! I was better on the streets than in this nasty cave!¡±

    A devilish grin overtook the leader''s face. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for a good brawl! Fine then! You want this key! Come and get it! But if you lose you¡¯re rations go to the winners!¡±

    ¡®Well that was easy¡­¡¯

    Just like that the groups divided into two mobs in a massive brawl that I didn¡¯t even have to take part in, making my job way easier than it should have been. ¡®I love it when things just kind of work out.¡¯

    By the end of it, they were all battered, but only a few of them were completely taken out. Magnus stood atop a few of them, breathing heavily with an even bigger smile, blood dripping from his lip. ¡°No, that that¡¯s settled! Go take out the girl! 5 silver for the one that brings her to her knees!¡±

    When no one moved the boss got angry, throwing one of his men forward and letting him get fried by the lightning, then he did it again, and again, eventually spending up all four of the traps I had left. It was a bit short-sighted of him though¡­ As lightning had a natural chaining effect¡­ Since I had to dum it down to not kill, I gave that chaining effect a little enhancement too, and well¡­ when coupled with the brawl their numbers suddenly weren¡¯t looking too good.

    ¡®Assuming the ones that got knocked down earlier stay down, there¡¯s less than 20 left.¡¯

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you on.¡±

    as he ordered the charge and the minions surrounded me. None of them were brave enough to launch the first strike though, likely because of my perceived confidence¡­And the massive number of magic runes that had already been decimating them. Even though I was sweating bullets on the inside they didn¡¯t know I was all out of traps.

    ¡®Ok, let''s think here¡­ What can I do with tier-two magic that will give me the edge against a mob¡­ No, maybe I¡¯m thinking about this wrong, what if I create a funnel? And change it into several 1 v 1 battles.¡¯

    Before even drawing my weapons, I slowly raised my hands high into the air, and with them a wall of thorns sprouted up from the ground like caltrops, just tall enough they couldn¡¯t climb over them easily.

    ¡®And now for the finishing touch.¡¯ I conjured three boulders, holding them in the air ready to throw at any given moment. ¡®I¡¯m overdoing it¡­ I don¡¯t have much magic left after this¡­¡¯ I felt my legs start to shake under the tension, and just hoped they didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Last chance to give me the keys and let me walk out of here.¡±

    The large man threw one of his minions over the thorns and ordered a charge again, leading it himself as he kicked and shattered the vines on one end of the wall.

    ¡®Guess we''re fighting¡­¡¯ One boulder was sent directly at the largest man there, and another was sent to take out three more climbing over the wall to my left. Finally, the third boulder cleared out five men who were plugging the hole that was made in the wall.

    Having used up the spells I grabbed my axe, flipped it to the blunt side, and slammed it into the helmet of the man that was thrown over, knocking him out cold as he frantically tried to regain his footing. ¡®What is that like 12 left? I already lost count.¡¯

    I threw my ax, logging it into someone''s leg ¡®11¡¯ before going hand to hand, dislocating a man''s elbow and shoulder ¡®10¡¯ and flipping him into the next man ¡®9¡¯, before spin kicking the man with the ax in his leg.

    ¡®I¡¯ve only got one spell left in me so let''s make it a good one. I need to not overdo it though or I¡¯ll lose feeling in my body.¡¯

    Everyone left inside the wall of thorns I had created and surrounded me, so any large area spells were pretty much a bust. Fire breath might have worked, but it also made me vulnerable to the people I wasn¡¯t torching and ruined my breathing.

    ¡®Here we go.¡¯

    ¡®It hasn¡¯t let me down yet¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes, covering them with one hand while I lifted my other high into the air. ¡®Blinding flash.¡¯

    Even shut tight as they were I could still see a flicker of light as the ringing from the magic filled the air with the scent of dust. ¡®Now!¡¯

    I pulled my knife and my dagger and quickly got to work, carving up 5 of the remaining guards with nonfatal slashing, covering the ground in blood. ¡®4¡¯

    The 6th man put up a fight as he was coming out of the daze, but I still took care of him quickly. ¡®3¡¯ Finally they had regained their bearings, and as strange as it was to say after taking out 20 of them, I was at a disadvantage.

    Out of mana, and against three human opponents at once, I wasn¡¯t sure what the best course of action was, or even what weapon I should try and use. The tension between us was so thick I could almost see it with my eyes.

    ¡®An ax, a dagger, and a sword¡­ The dagger is by far the most dangerous, it¡¯s going to be the easiest to lose track of. Ok¡­ Well, what if I just do this then.¡¯ I picked up the great blade and lifted it onto my shoulder, still holding onto my throwing knife in my other hand. ¡°Come on then.¡±

    They charged at me before I could even finish speaking. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ My muscles twitched and jerked as I sent the great blade cutting through the air and severing one of their legs before pulling it up to block the strike from the ax, completely concealing my presence behind the thick blade.

    The man with the knife appeared, trying to stab me from around the blade, but I paired it with my own knife and socked him in the face, breaking his nose and making him stagger back in another daze.

    Coming out from around the blade I pulled my sword and slit the ax wielder''s wrist before bashing him with the pommel and knocking him out as well. ¡®And that¡¯s 0¡¯

    Chills ran through my body as I heard the sound of wood thunking against someone''s skull and turned to see Mochi taking out one last guy.

    ¡®So it was 13? I guess my math was off after all¡­¡¯

    My breathing was steady¡­ Or at least it was there. But as I looked down at my blood-soaked hands they began to shake, and the numbness from all the strikes and ratling blade handles finally caught up I nearly lost feeling in my palms. I tried thinking of what I was going to do first to calm myself, take a bath, and eat a nice meal, but my thoughts just blurred together into an incoherent background of ideas as I began searching for the key.

 Chapter 77: Beatdown.

    ¡°Look out!¡± I heard a loud thwack, followed by a body hitting the floor as one of the loudmouths once again ended up eating dirt. Mochi had stuck him so hard the stalk shaft split.

    ¡°Look out¡­¡± I muttered, looking across the cave. ¡®Was she talking to herself? Or¡­ Warning the guy she was going to hit him¡­¡¯

    After pausing for a moment staring at the broken spear shaft she heard my words and turned to look, blushing slightly from embarrassment as if asking me to forget what I heard.

    I sighed, stepping over a man after searching him and scratching my nose with my arm to try and keep blood off my face¡­ Although I¡¯m sure it was too late for that. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just stay down? It''s kind of impressive really¡­¡± I patted her on the head. ¡°Good Mochi.¡±

    She gave me a weird look, but nothing else. ¡°You¡¯re so cool¡­¡± She said before turning to look at the giant piles of bodies.

    ¡°I try¡­ Hey, do you know which one of these guys has the keys to the cells? It wasn¡¯t Magnus¡­ We should probably lock them all up before we head out too.¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Let''s go through them one by one then. Just kind of throw the bodies in a pile after you search them.¡±

    She looked down at her hands, questioning her strength. ¡®Right¡­ She¡¯s probably not that strong.¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­ Go search the bodies over farther away, oh, and pile all their weapons and armor and stuff over there,¡± I chucked my throwing knife over to a random open spot on the ground as a marker. ¡®I¡¯ll just throw it all back in my storage anyway. If I pawn that off and combine it with their coin purses I bet I¡¯ll double what I make from their bounties.¡¯¡¯

    By the end of it, there was a mound of unconscious half-naked bodies, most of which were covered in blood from various cuts and abrasions from my thorns and blades, and of course, the occasional missing limb that I patched up with tenacity and minimal magic ¡®Geeze, still no key, really?¡¯

    I sent all their gear to storage and picked up my sword again. ¡®Is the soundproofing good enough that there would be more people downstairs still?¡¯

    ¡°What about that last guy? He should have had something.¡±

    I sighed, trudging up the mound of people. ¡°I¡¯ll check him again¡­¡± I grumbled

    Suddenly I heard a loud metal clank, followed by the moving of chains. ¡®What?¡¯ I quickly glanced at Mochi. ¡®She didn¡¯t open the door¡­ Someone from the outside?¡¯ My lungs began to burn and my throat started to close up as I began to feel the intense pressure from the other side of the door. ¡®No¡­ I still haven¡¯t recovered from the last fight¡­ I haven¡¯t even fully reverted back to my old body yet.¡¯

    Regardless, even as my breath thinned I felt my mana circuits burn as energy shot through me, making my hair stand up like porcupine needles as I forced myself to take one final deep breath, letting it all out with a chill as I cooled my body with magic.

    The massive iron door before me started lifting into the air and natural light shined through, making me squint as my eyes tried to adjust. Looking down it became pretty apparent to me that I didn¡¯t look red just because of the lighting, but actually because I was covered in blood. So much so it was even dripping from the tips of my face and clothes. ¡¯Now I feel bad for giving Mochi a hug¡­ Then again¡­ I should have expected this¡­ The battle was clean¡­ But Not making sure they survived after I severed their limbs.¡¯

    I kicked the man from atop the pile of bodies to steady my footing and waited to see who was on the other side of the opening door. More light filled the room, and finally, it was revealed. Before I stood Lola, Posy, and even Plutia¡¯s rank knight Arther. Who I had met once before.

    Both sides were frozen in shock, no one daring to move an inch. ¡°You¡¯re late¡­¡± I finally growled as the burning in my lungs vanished all at once, replaced with the chill from my magic that seemed to soothe my chest.

    ¡°Ch-Chiika?¡± Lola asked, eyes wide as a dog falling from a diving board.

    ¡®So¡­ So late¡­ I¡¯m actually probably more pissed off that they showed up now than if they just hadn¡¯t come at all¡­ I bet they''re expecting some kind of reward too, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to gather so many adventurers¡­¡¯ I growled again. ¡°Perfect timing¡­ You¡¯re a receptionist, right? I¡¯ll be claiming the bounty for everyone here, I¡¯m claiming the WHOLE bounty BY MYSELF. OH, and I¡¯m expecting two bonuses. One for the great market letting me be kidnapped and tortured during a trial that involved me, and another because I¡¯m assuming you used MY magic signature to even find this place. I don¡¯t know about you¡­ But that sounds like a pretty helpful tip, me telling you the hideout of this whole gang.¡±

    I took a deep breath stepping off the mound of bodies and trying to calm down, ¡®I¡¯m too hot-headed right now¡­ And the number of people here is just making me more anxious¡­ I need to get out of here.¡¯ I paused as I stepped onto the ground. ¡®Wait, no, I need to make sure Mochi gets out of here too.¡¯ I turned back to try and find her, but she had already moved.

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    ¡°You can¡¯t just¨C¡±

    I felt someone''s hand wrap around my arm, the memory of being groped was still all too fresh in my mind, not to mention the combat adrenaline. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Before I even blinked or finished speaking I rammed the handle of my blade right into his nose sending him to the ground unconscious. ¡®Have I gotten faster again?¡¯

    I had to remind myself to slow down my breathing as I started to shake. ¡°S-sorry,¡± I muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear¡­ Well, he was unconscious anyway¡­ ¡®It¡¯s over¡­ I need to relax¡­ Or at least try and relax¡­ Relax¡­¡¯ No matter how many times I said it all I wanted to do was break something. My breathing was only getting more unsteady, and a final surge of adrenaline made my whole body go numb.

    I suddenly heard Mochi scream. Turning my head, sure enough, some of the other members of the party had found her and were forcing her to the ground, tying her up like she was just someone that I missed. Given she was wearing the guild emblem as a magic brand on her shoulder it was no wonder¡­ If I had been capable of thinking through it at the time maybe things would have turned out differently¡­

    ¡°Get you¡¯re hands off her!¡±

    I took a limping step, quickly turning into a bound as fast as I could as my ears started to ring. I had to act. I felt like I had to act. If I didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what I thought would happen, nothing good¡­ ¡°Mochi!¡±

    She screamed again and without a second thought, my blade crashed down, severing the man''s hand and slicing a gash into the stone underneath us that cried out as the rock scraped against the metal blade.

    He fell backward and cried out in pain, but I just ignored it as I pulled my knife and cut the ropes, falling to one knee behind her and pulling her close to my chest, keeping my eyes up. ¡°Mochi are you alright? He didn¡¯t hurt you?¡± I was staining her skin with blood with every touch, but all I could feel was an uncanny sense of relief.

    As I started to realize just what I had done my mind went blank.

    ¡°I. I don¡¯t think you can fight them too, can you?¡±

    ¡°Just stay close to me, it¡­ It¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    There wasn¡¯t quite a brawl breaking out, but it was certainly intense. ¡®I really messed up this time¡­ These guys were my allies¡­ And I cut off his freaking hand¡­¡¯

    I started to wheeze. ¡®I-I could¡­ No, but, no¡­ Maybe if I used magic to¡­¡¯ My thoughts all jumbled up, making me freeze as I started to sway back and forth and my vision faded slightly. ¡®No way¡­ Why now¡­¡¯

    I felt a soft warm hand touch my own. ¡°I don¡¯t really get what¡¯s happening¡­ But, if we keep fighting we have to win eventually right?¡±

    I still felt like I couldn¡¯t catch my breath, but at least I wasn¡¯t about to black out anymore. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± I said back. ¡®I have to try and fix this¡­¡¯ ¡°Lola!¡±

    She rolled her eyes, trying to stop a fight from breaking out. ¡°What! I¡¯m a little busy!¡±

    I picked up the hand. ¡°I bet he wants his hand more than he wants to hit me, let''s just put it back on!¡±

    She groaned. ¡°Why¡¯d you cut it off in the first place!¡±

    Magic started to fly and barriers were put up until a giant golden beam shot straight up into the sky. Blue and white celestial feathers began falling around us in slow motion and everyone calmed down, waiting to see what would happen next.

    ¡°EVERYONE CALM DOWN! We can solve this more easily if we aren¡¯t trying to kill each other!¡± It was the A-rank adventurer, Arthur.

    ¡®Perfect.¡¯ I carefully stood up, holding onto Mochi tightly as I walked over to where the light was coming from and held out the man''s hand. ¡°With your magic, you might not be able to grow new limbs, but I bet you could reattach it right?¡±

    He took it from me with a sigh, almost mirroring Lola¡¯s. ¡°Why¡¯d you cut it off in the first place?¡±

    ¡°WOULD EVERYONE STOP ASKING ME THAT AND JUST HELP ME FIX IT ALREADY?¡±

    He smirked rustling my hair, making me feel a bit awkward as he turned to walk away. ¡°Sure, sure why not. He¡¯s a member of my party right now so I have to help him don¡¯t I?¡±

    I stayed back as he did his thing, and finally, everything seemed to start settling down, but I was completely surrounded, I felt like I was suffocating after weaving myself into the crowd to get to him.

    ¡°Mochi, let''s go, we have to get out of here¡­¡±

    Another knight walked up to us ¡°You two need to calm¨C¡±

    I summoned rending vines all around us, trapping me and Mochi in small shells of thick vines, and curling up around her. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ We¡¯re going to be ok¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-you said if I followed you I could get out¡­ Is that¡­ Not true anymore?¡±

    I could feel her shaking just as badly as I was, even though in my head I knew that it should all be fine. They were supposed to be the good guys after all¡­

    ¡®No¡­ Regardless¡­ This should be fine¡­¡¯ I let out a nervous chuckle, my facade starting to crack. Clearing my throat I steadied my voice. ¡°What do you mean? We already got out. We¡¯re outside the door aren¡¯t we?¡±

    She leaned her head against my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ You let me outside, but I was so busy I didn¡¯t even get a chance to look at the sky.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly¡­¡±

    In the pitch-black shell I had made, a brilliant glowing light shone from her folded hands. ¡°Plutia.¡± She said. ¡°Please heal us, and grant us a way out.¡±

    The light healed my injured leg and began shining brighter and brighter until I finally realized what was happening. ¡°Mochi cover your eyes!¡±

    I unfolded the shell of rending vines and a brilliant light shot up into the sky, breaking the clouds as I covered her eyes for her since she was too slow. She let out a confused scream as it blinded everyone nearby.

    ¡®Perfect!¡¯ I grabbed her and pulled her up onto my back, taking off as fast as I could. I had no idea where we were, so I just took off running, it wasn¡¯t long before some of the scenery started to look familiar. Or, more accurately whatever blessing she gave me recharged my manna, and gave me a sense of direction that told me exactly where we were. The county side just outside the city.

    ¡®Turns out praying for all those years paid off after all¡­ Was that the first time she ever used a miracle? Years of divine power¡­ I almost feel bad, we should have gotten out of that situation easily¡­

 Chapter 78: The Real Battle.

    ¡°Chika what¡¯s happening¡­¡± Mochi ground, her voice vibrating as she bounced on my back while my legs carried me faster than a horse through the forest and into the plains.

    ¡®She didn¡¯t cover her eyes quite fast enough, and this is her first time outside. I¡¯m sure her eyes are burning.¡¯ ¡°Plutia gave us a way out of there. Now just hold on tight ok. We''re almost safe.¡±

    I used my magic to enhance my movement, burning my mana to empty over and over in a panic, but it just kept coming back thanks to the strange blessing she gave me. Finally, I could feel my hands growing cold from repeated mana exhaustion. ¡°This should be far enough.¡± I panted, out of breath as I set her down. We were in the countryside halfway between White Light¡¯s guild hall and Rothet¡¯s main city.

    ¡°Naughty naughty,¡± Oceanie said as she suddenly appeared from the shadow of a tree next to me and squatted down as if waiting for the exact moment I stopped. ¡°There you go, as promised I let you escape.¡±

    I let out a groan, pulling my great blade from storage. ¡¯I really don¡¯t like the way she said that¡­¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude¡­ But I was really hoping I wouldn¡¯t run into you again.¡±

    She shifted her weight, standing up and placing her hand on her hip. I couldn¡¯t get a good look at her because of the lighting in the dungeon¡­ But she was quite a bit different from how I thought she was. For instance, either she had changed, or most of what I had mistaken for leather armor was actually just her tattooed and dark blue skin.

    Her helmet was real, made from intricate black leather that completely covered her face, but her body was¡­ Well¡­ I guess you could say it looked how you might expect from someone who was able to manipulate proportions, although she might have taken it a bit far. Then again I hadn¡¯t seen many of her race, so I couldn¡¯t say for sure.

    To top it off, her thick leathery tail stuck out from her skin-tight leather pants, and her horns spiralled out from her head like ivory ram horns.

    She loosened the laces on her shirt and placed a finger on an amulate underneath. Then a storage space opened up. Reaching inside, she slowly pulled out two long curved swords that looked like Dragon''s teeth, a special kind of blade only used by spectral assassins, the deadliest.

    ¡®I am so screwed¡­¡¯

    Mochi rubbed her eyes, ¡°Are we not safe then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have another prayer in you¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I can keep praying¡­ But my whole body feels cold. I can fight with you too, or I can do both.¡±

    ¡®Yeah¡­ She¡¯s shot¡­ Her body wasn¡¯t prepared to use divine power¡­¡¯ ¡°Figured as much¡­¡± I muttered out loud.

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    ¡°So, what¡¯s that plan? I¡¯m not a great fighter¡­ But I can use tier 2 wind magic¡­ And tier 3 earth¡­ I¡¯m not really any good but¡­ It¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡®Tier three earth magic?¡¯ ¡°Hey¡­ It¡¯s better than mine¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what.¡± the Oceanie said slowly, walking toward us. ¡°If you strip naked and run through from one end of town to the other, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    ¡®What the¡­¡¯ All three of us froze for a moment, but then I just turned back to Mochi. ¡°Ok, here''s the plan, we stall and look for an opening. Use wind lance to cover me, and if I¡¯m in trouble use the earth wall to block for me, can you do that?¡±

    She quickly unlaced her shoes, taking them off and rubbing her eyes as her vision finally adjusted. ¡°Right, I got you¡¯re back¡­ Or¡­ I¡¯ll try at least¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you better make up your mind quick¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m going against someone wielding dragon teeth so¡­ duel knives might be best, no I should assume she¡¯s faster than me if she¡¯s an assassin¡­ But can I really win with pure force if I use the great blade or the ax?¡¯

    I pulled my great blade from storage and stepped forward. ¡®It¡¯s a gamble¡­ but¡­¡¯

    ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯VE GOT YOU BACK!¡±

    I paused for a second and smirked back at her. ¡®Right, I¡¯m not alone this time.¡¯ ¡°Ok then¡­ Help keep her at a distance so I can abuse my sword range.¡±

    I stepped forward and readied my stance. ¡°You really are no fun, and yet¡­¡± Just before her next step she suddenly vanished, glitching like a poor magic circle. Before I knew it she was right in front of me.

    ¡®Sparks¡­¡¯ I pulled up my blade blocking her swords, but she quickly started redirecting her slashes. I pulled my dagger to help me block, but she slashed my left thigh, even through my armor. The attacks continued until I swung with all my might, only for her to duck under it and get a shallow slash to my stomach.

    Somehow I managed to take the hit in stride and threw my knife, but she dodged, doing a backward handspring and kicking my chest, making my whole body shudder and¡­ Honestly hurting way more than it felt like it should have¡­ ¡®She¡¯s¡¯ just toying with me¡­ Is this my limit?¡¯

    I regrouped my sword as my hands began to shake. ¡°Still there Mochi?¡± I said with shaky breath as my chest started to tighten.

    ¡°U-Uh¡­ Yeah¡­ I mean I can, I¡¯m, yeah I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°Just do you¡¯re best. Even if you shoot me in the back you¡¯d be helping, at least we¡¯d get this over with faster.¡±

    Her frightened expression told me she didn¡¯t exactly share my sense of humor¡­ But at least she was starting to cast some spells, readying them for a good opportunity. As for me, having someone to talk to was surprisingly comforting, at least enough to keep me breathing.

    The assassin in front of me squatted down, resting her arms on her knees. ¡°So how does it feel? Do you like your new body? Should I use more magic on you?¡±

    I growled, ¡°If you win you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡®from what I can tell she¡¯s using magic to move that fast, wind magic probably, a high tier. If I could stop her from doing that I could match her in speed, but¡­ wait, those shackles. I only used two on the ogre mage.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, is that a promise?¡± She laughed, making me a bit uncomfortable, but I wasn¡¯t planning on losing so it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Even if it still gave me chills¡­

    ¡®I just need to throw her off balance.¡¯ I lunged forward thrusting with my great blade, she jumped into the air, but I sent the blade to storage before she landed on it, pulling my ax and swinging with everything I had.

    It crashed into her sword and pinned her blades against her as she blocked and the force moved her to the side. I dropped the ax, pulling the blade back out of storage as I spun and brought it to her other side with all my strength. She jumped again, even higher than before, leaping towards me.

    ¡°Now¡­ Mochi¡­¡± I said softly, despite trying to yell. I was so out of breath that she probably couldn¡¯t even hear me.

    As if she could read my mind a wall of earth sprung up from the ground between us blocking her line of sight for just long enough. At the same time, Mochi created a wind lance, and I cast boulder toss, taking a chunk from Mochi¡¯s earth wall and pushing it straight through into Oceanie as she moved to dodge the wind lance.

    It wasn¡¯t much, it only made her take a single stager step, but that was enough to clasp a shackle around her ankle. We both created distance, and our positions were back to where we started, only now I had the advantage¡­ At least¡­ Hopefully¡­

 Chapter 79: Death.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we can settle this with another game¡­ Maybe checkers or something?¡± I said slowly, trying to laugh as I caught my breath again.

    She laughed almost seductively. ¡°Oh as fun as that sounds I¡¯m afraid even if I won, you would still put up a fight to come join my guild, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    I sighed. ¡®Yeah¡­ Probably¡­¡¯

    Her body started to grow until the shackle burst and her clothes stretched out even more. ¡°See, the thing about these shackles is that the enchantment is rather weak, so you know, you actually need all four of them to suppress magic as strong as mine.¡± She bent over and picked it up, touching her amulate to send the swords back to storage. ¡°How ironic do you think it would be if I used this to crush you now?¡±

    My chest tightened and I started to lose control of my breathing. It was the same as when I fought the minotaur. Suddenly I had complete tunnel vision. Even if all the grass suddenly turned blue I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed. My panic turned to the kind of rush you could only feel near death, and my lungs and breathing went numb until I couldn¡¯t even feel whether or not I was inhaling or exhaling.

    ¡®Ok¡­ I¡¯ll lay it all down right here.¡¯ ¡°Plutia¡­¡± Invoking her name I felt our energies connect and I cast Bless on myself, increasing my speed and strength, and lightening my weapons. ¡®I guess I really can use tier 3 divine magic now¡­¡¯

    I paired it with regeneration, to mend any wounds I might take and spend the rest of my accumulated devine energy. Each miracle would last for the next two minutes. So long as I didn¡¯t break bones or rupture organs, I had a chance.

    I couldn¡¯t say why my divinity had increased whether it was because I beat down the bandits without killing them, or because I saved little Mochi from their hands. In the end, though that didn¡¯t really matter. ¡®I have to win¡­¡¯

    There was no greater reason behind it this time. The assassin probably wouldn¡¯t bother with Mochi if I lost, and she wouldn¡¯t kill me either¡­ But still, the thought resounded in my mind. ¡®I have to win¡­¡¯

    I was all out of divine power, Using it all up at once. With the effects of blessing, I could wield the great blade even with a single hand, pulling my longsword out in my off-hand. ¡®I might look ridiculous fighting like this, but if I pull it off¡­¡¯

    Finally, I used my magic to enhance my strength further. The sheer force of the magic around me was starting to become so thick I could see the pressure in the air changing and starting to push against my eyes from inside my body.

    ¡°How interesting. You are capable of fighting with the big dogs after all¡­ Unfortunately for you, I¡¯m a wolf.¡±

    A great dark void surrounded her as her skin turned black and she grew in size again, now over 2 feet taller than her original form. Her tail grew larger, and spikes protruded out of the end. Air currents began to gather around her like whirling tornados, and the shadows around her became bladed, slicing the grass that touched them.

    It gave me chills, but it was too late for me not to fight. Just like before¡­ There was never a thought of turning back¡­ Furthermore, I was on a timer.

    ¡°Mochi! Give me an earth wall as high as you can go, right underneath me!¡± ¡®Air currents like those move in a circular fashion and will be strongest close to the source. I¡¯ll have to go over them.

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    Before I knew it I was dozens of feet in the air, and when she reached her limit I used my own earth magic to push myself even further if only a little. Looking down at them from so high was almost frightening¡­ No, I was definitely afraid¡­ knowing what I was going to do next. But that only made me want to do it even more.

    Leaping from the pillar I jumped past the bladed winds and began falling straight towards her, parrying shadows with my two blades, I created a ball of water right below me to break my fall, slowing me down as I passed through it, and then I landed.

    It happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t even 100% sure what happened. I blocked her magic with my blades, and I cut her¡­ The scent of someone''s blood filled my nose.

    My regeneration healed my body enough to move after the fall, but I still felt all of the pain. As I stood up I heard an evil laugh echoing like shadows and suddenly felt a thousand tiny cuts appear all over my skin, and the shackle I had placed around her ankle firmly clasped around my neck.

    ¡®No¡­ How¡­¡¯

    All the terrifying magic surrounding me dispersed as she snapped her fingers. ¡°You almost got me there. It¡¯s been a long time since anyone drew my blood.¡±

    At the sound of her voice, I leveraged all my weight into a swing and managed to cut her again, even deeper. ¡®The shackles only block magic, not divine power¡­ I still have my blessings!¡¯

    She jumped back and her amused tone finally dropped, replaced with something more bitter. ¡°Now you¡¯re just being a PAIN!¡±

    She summoned another windstorm around me, slicing me to shreds over and over, but my regeneration continued to heal me, combining with the effects of Mochi¡¯s strange blessing and becoming vastly more powerful. ¡®Over half my time is up already¡­¡¯

    It took me a moment to mentally deal with the pain, but after I got used to it I somehow managed to steady my footing. ¡®Just one more spell¡­¡¯ My hands were black up to my wrists, and my nose and ears were starting to bleed from mana exhaustion but with how deep my second slash landed I knew I was close to winning. ¡®Just one more, to disrupt the air current.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t have any mana left though. Ironic as it may have been, I felt a sting in my back as a windlance pierced through the storm. My regeneration healed me, but the disruption in the wind current was exactly what I needed. It was enough for me to burst through it and strike at her one more time in a blurring flash.

    As she drew her swords again I thrust my own into her leg. She dodged my blade, but I swung it again, crashing into her even through her block and staggering her. I lowered my stance and thrust the sword forward again, digging the tip into the ground and hitting her in the face with the crossguard before letting go of it so that it would fall into my storage. ¡®One shackle only limits how fast I can use storage, but I can still use it¡­ Even if I can¡¯t use anything else right now¡­¡¯

    I pulled my ax back out and spun around with both hands going into a heavy blow that cracked the ax¡¯s shaft but staggered her again. Throwing it away I pulled my dagger and jumped to the side, grabbing her sword with my bare hand to move it out of the way while I stabbed her elbow.

    I ducked under her other blade, taking her feet out from under her with a sweeping kick, using my dagger in her arm to leverage a throw and send her to the ground.

    Finally, I pulled the spearhead I had broken off my old spear and aimed to stick it right through her stomach before backing away, but my whole body felt cold all of a sudden. I looked down to see her second blade sticking through my side, entering my left hip, and coming out under my ribs on the other side.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Going to take a bit more¡­ Than a tier 2 regeneration miracle¡­ No matter how strong it is¡­¡¯ My whole body felt weak, but I still had enough energy to finish my final move¡­ Only, the delay gave her the opportunity to recover, and soon her second sword was pierced through my shoulder. Before I knew it I was the one on the ground. My blessing was keeping me alive, but it couldn¡¯t heal severe damage to internal organs, neither could it replace or remove blood.

    She was breathing heavily as she stood up and towered over me. ¡°Are you ready to come with me quietly now?¡± She said slowly, her breath echoing with a shaky laugh as her dark blood killed the grass that it touched.

    She pulled her swords out, staggering back to try and regain her bearings, turning around and laughing as she swept back her hair. I gasped for air. The wounds were sealed on the outside, but my lungs had filled with blood. ¡®Just one more¡­ Time¡­¡¯ As she pulled my sword from her leg I brought my great blade out from storage and thrust it forward with all my might.

    My weakness caught up to me, and as the blessing of the sword wore off, its weight made me nearly drop it, lowering my thrust from her back to her leg, and severing it, my blade sliding in between the bones at her knee. ¡®No. I missed¡­  The blessing¡¯s wearing out¡­ I can¡¯t heal myself anymore, I used up all my magic¡­ Even if I didn¡¯t this collor¡­¡¯

    My vision started to go black. She turned around, slowly moving her fingers down the side of my face.

    ¡®How¡­ How is she not phased at all? I really did lose this one, didn¡¯t I¡­ It wasn¡¯t even close¡­¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re still fighting? How cute, You really are a sucker for pain aren¡¯t you.¡± A wind lance pierced her shoulder, causing more blood to start flowing down her arm, but she ignored that as well. ¡°How interesting.¡±

    Blood trickled down from her arm to her finger and then into my mouth. I wanted to spit it out, but I had lost all feeling and was too tired to move. Gritting my teeth I bit at her, like a rabid dog on its last legs, but then everything went black.

    ¡®I¡¯ve always said it from the beginning¡­ If you¡¯re an adventurer¡­ And you ever lose a fight¡­ You deserve to die¡­¡¯

 Chapter 80: Resolution.

    Lola:

    I am Lola Springfield, a dark elf, a beekeeper, and a lesser-known rank adventurer with a guild called Cofin¡¯s-Reach.

    I feel like I might have gone too far. I used Chika as bait, allowing her to get kidnapped by a group of rogues so that they would lead us to their hideout and we could flush them off. But¡­ Something went wrong, and instead of getting the hideout location, we were only given a general area. It took us weeks to finally track them down.

    After finding it, we staked it out and planned for a raid, but every passing moment made me more anxious, then, the sound of battle finally rang out. We took the camp by storm, capturing six bandits and taking control of the mechanism that opened the gate.

    Every fiber of my being was itching to get in there and break out my friend. I just hoped nothing too bad had happened to her while she was held captive.

    When the gate opened¡­ I froze¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be relieved, or even more concerned. There she was, towering over all of us atop a pile of bloody corpses, holding a sword that was larger than life with a splatter of red tinge staining its blade and covering her whole body.

    Just as the gate opened she kicked a body and it came slowly rolling down the mound, as if she was asking ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± It was the first thing that had given me chills since my first encounter with a dungeon lord.

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    ¡°Perfect timing¡­¡±

    She had no way of knowing I betrayed her, or that I was even there the night she got taken hostage and watched, but¡­ That only made me feel more guilty.

    While I was lost in my own thoughts, somehow one thing led to another, and a fight broke out. It took everything I had to stop everyone from killing each other as I tried to restrain them with magic.

    When things finally calmed down I tried to find her again, but I only heard a scream, followed by a sudden burst of vines wrapping around two girls in the middle of the crowd.

    ¡®Chika¡­ What the heck is going on? Is she having an attack? But the fights over, aren''t they brought on by stress?¡¯¡¯

    Not long after a flash of light blinded everyone in the area, and it was several minutes before we regained our bearings. When we finally did we noticed Chika and the girl were missing¡­

    I hated to say it, but it wasn¡¯t really that much of a concern. She was covered in blood but seemed fine for the most part... We had to deal with the thugs. Make sure none of them died before the trial or got away, and there may have been other prisoners inside as well that were captives like Chika was.

    I was in charge of the operation¡­ So I orchestrated the capture of all the thugs, tying them up, and gathering them all to be transported back to Rothet, where they would be tried and processed properly.

    Just when we were about to head out though, I started to feel the air pressure change, and the winds started to swirl unnaturally.

    ¡®Chika¡­ Just what have you gotten yourself into now¡­¡¯ I looked back ¡°Arther¡­¡± I said coldly.

    He grabbed his sword and followed me, sensing the same energy. When we got to the scene it was already too late.

    Chika was lying in a pool of her blood, and a few yards back was the other girl, sitting on her knees and crying her eyes out¡­ My first guess was it was somehow her doing, but after seeing her like that¡­ I had my doubts.

    I used my magic to rush to Chika¡¯s side in an instant, ¡®her heart is still faintly beating, but it¡¯s slowly drowning¡­ there¡¯s no breath in her lungs¡­¡¯ Even though I was an adventurer, I wasn¡¯t exactly the most religious¡­ My divine energy was laughable, the most I could do was a minor buff that repaired minor wear and tear on equipment, but with the fact that her wounds were already mostly closed from the outside, it was obvious that wouldn¡¯t be enough, she had already received healing magic.

    ¡°Arthur I need your magic!¡±

    He rushed over to her side lagging behind, sliding across the ground through the dirt while he rubbed his hands together. The moment he reached us he placed one over her heart and another over her stomach. His blue and gold light burst out around us and a warm glow enveloped her.

    ¡°This is going to be a bit rough, I can''t use resurrection yet.¡±

    ¡°W-what does that mean?¡±

    The golden light turned to spiraling lines of thread that spun around us like a giant ball of yarn and then changed again to lines of text spinning around her torso, a third spell created brilliant white feathers that gently covered her like snow before being absorbed into her skin and soaking up the blood, purifying her.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Arther¡­¡± I said again, starting to grow more nervous.

    ¡°She still isn¡¯t breathing, her heartbeat is getting weaker, her lungs must have filled with blood.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done everything! I¡¯m not a freaking healer you know!¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true, can it¡­ There has to be something What if we¡­ We open her up. Open up her lungs and drain the blood.¡±

    He looked down at her, considering it for a moment, ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t be able to heal her a second time, and I don¡¯t have the experience to do that kind of surgery.¡±

    ¡°Well there has to be some¨C¡±

    He waved a hand. ¡°SHUT UP I¡¯M THINKING!¡± His eyes fixed on her like glue as I counted the seconds.

    ¡®Come on¡­ I know you¡¯ve got something turning in that head of yours¡­¡¯

    ¡°Do you still use water magic?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Tier 5 or higher without looking?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but blood isn¡¯t¨C¡±

    ¡°Just shut up alright? Make a water bubble, send it down her airways, and use a whirlpool to mix it with the blood and then pull it back out like a vacuum.¡±

    It was ridiculous, and for sure would have been torture if she was conscious¡­ But I never second-guessed an order from Arther. I did exactly what he said without a second thought, and sure enough, the water was blood red as it came out of her lungs.

    ¡°She still isn¡¯t moving¡­ Why isn¡¯t she breathing.¡±

    ¡°Her heart stopped¡­¡± He swayed his head back and forth for a moment as he let out a long groan, ripping what was left of her shirt open and taking off his heavy gauntlet on his left arm leaving him bare-handed. ¡°Stand back.¡± After sending a breath of air into her lungs with wind magic he began compressing her chest to mimic a heartbeat while the ground and sky began to crackle and spit out short bursts of lightning around him.

    After a while, a lightning bolt struck him straight from the clear sky and he screamed in pain. It circulated through him for an unnatural amount of time until it became so fine-tuned he could write letters with it. Finally, he placed his hands on her bare skin and I could see his body jolt as his eyes glowed bright blue and her muscles all contracted at once.

    In a flash, it all ended and his blond hair turned smoked brown, his skin charing with black lightning marks. Finally, I started to hear a staggered wheezing coming from Chika. ¡®He did it¡­¡¯ Her muscles continued to spasm for a moment, but then she started to breathe more easily, and with the multitude of blessings Arther had used, there was no doubt in my mind she would end up making it through at that point. The healing effects were so strong around her that they even bled through onto him and began to cure his burns¡­ Even if they didn¡¯t fix his hair¡­

    ¡°I-is she going to be alright?¡± A soft mumbling voice reached out from behind me.

    ¡®That girl...¡¯ ¡°Yeah¡­ she¡¯ll pull through.¡± ¡®How exactly is she related to all this?¡¯

    ¡°It''s my fault¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±

    She broke down in tears again. I didn¡¯t know whether I should be trying to comfort the girl, or arrest her for nearly killing my friend¡­ She didn¡¯t seem like a threat though. I turned back to Chika. ¡®I guess that¡¯s not important right now.¡¯ ¡°Arthur, it¡¯s safe to move her now right?¡±

    He slowly stood up nearly falling over, his arms staying limp as he caught himself looking down at her for a moment. ¡°Eh¡­ If you have something to cover her up with¡­¡±

    ¡°She should be healed though right? Why would we need bandages¡­¡± I paused, going over his words again in my head. I was so frazzled I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. ¡°R-right I understand.¡± I grabbed his cloak from off his shoulders and wrapped it around her. ¡°What about this chain around her neck, can we take it off?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the dark elf, can¡¯t you pick the lock?¡±

    I just rolled my eyes. ¡°Ha ha¡­¡± Looking at it closer, it was magic suppressing, which explained why Arther had to use so much power with his lightning to ensure control. ¡®I¡¯ve never been good with picking them¡­ But its enchantment isn¡¯t that strong, so maybe I could¡­¡¯

    First I filled the metal with water, and then I froze it over with ice. The metal was already bent out of shape, so it just needed one final push to snap. ¡®Nice.¡¯

    ¡°Told you you could do it.¡±

    I let out a growl. ¡°Not all dark elves are good with locks alright!¡±

    He squatted down again, fully regaining control of his own breathing and muscles. ¡°Nope, just all the ones I know.¡± he grinned, slowly moving his arms under her to pick her up.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I swat his hands away. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He froze. ¡°We aren''t just leaving her here, right? Half naked¡­ in the middle of a field? I¡¯m not sure she¡¯d necessarily be in that much danger in this country but I mean¡­ She is staying at White Light right, we should probably take her there. They can double-check my work too.¡±

    I smacked him again with another growl. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her, you get her stuff, you¡¯ve touched her enough already.¡±

    He rolled his eyes, gently moving away from her again as he stood up, and went to do as I said. ¡°Yeah, I did, while I was SAVING HER LIFE!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie, I know she¡¯s your type, it was hard for you to look away wasn¡¯t it, after you ripped her shirt off.¡±

    He picked up all the broken weapons scattered around and flung them in his storage. ¡°Of course not, although it certainly would have been for a man with less self-control than I. Oh, I do admit though, it took me a moment to figure out how exactly I was supposed to do CPD without those things getting in the way. That might have more to do with how big my hands are though. I do have some giant and dwarf blood in me. It was also fairly awkward because I¡¯ve never had to do that to a girl before, but hey it worked.¡± He looked down at one of his hands slowly rubbing his fingertips, probably waiting for the feeling to come back after he fried all his nerves with lightning.

    ¡°Those things?¡± I felt a sharp chill run down my arms. ¡°You¡­ Pervert! You never change!¡±

    ¡°Now you know that¡¯s not true. If I was a pervert I wouldn¡¯t have nearly this much divine power!¡±

    I bit my tongue, technically speaking he was right, I was one part just teasing him and two parts mad that Chika had to go through another man seeing her half naked so soon, knowing how much stuff like that bothered her¡­ Although¡­ If I was really being honest I was just mad she was hurt so badly¡­ And that it was all my fault¡­

    If I wasn¡¯t yelling, I probably would have been crying¡­ And there was no way I was letting anyone see that¡­ Forcing myself to stop the tears before they came out I wiped my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize though¡­ And even if you¡¯re thoughts aren¡¯t dirty you should still keep them to yourself sometimes¡­¡±

    ¡°Why, are you jealous? It makes sense, elves may be tall, but¨C¡±

    His voice stopped as I chopped his head, flattening down some of his electrocuted hair. ¡°That¡¯s another thought you should keep to yourself¡­ And for the record, elves don¡¯t judge physical appearance by human standards.¡±

    Before he could respond I was already walking away, several steps ahead of him. ¡®The others will be able to take that girl in¡­ And she should be able to tell us what happened.¡¯

    By the time we made it to white light and laid her in a bed her entire body had changed again. Whatever magic was affecting her body vanished, but it never properly reverted. Or I suppose it would be more appropriate to say all the divine energy changed it in a different way.

    I often wondered what it would look like, if her body hadn¡¯t been malnourished, her growth stunted and her bones broken from harsh fights. I felt like that was the girl I was staring at now. Even her hair, which was probably the least affected thing about her had become more full, and a softer color, and almost all of her scars either faded, smoothed, or just vanished altogether. Although, they all seemed like good things at a glance¡­ I honestly wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to take it.

    ¡®Get better soon alright¡­¡¯

 Chapter 81: Waking Up

    Chika:

    When I woke up I felt like nothing had happened. Well, admittedly I was a bit sore, but all my cuts and wounds were healed, and I was dressed in soft cotton night clothes that felt warm and fluffy against my skin. Rather than sweat and blood, the soft scent of brown sugar and lavender filled my nose. Which¡­ I mean it was nice I guess. I¡¯m glad it was thin though, otherwise, I probably would have hated it.

    It all felt like a dream, but after a moment or two, the memories came back to me. Judging by the bright light shining through my window I guessed it was midday, most likely, I had been unconscious for around 20 hours or so, which tracked with my understanding of healing magic.

    ¡®They could easily mend the damage, but regenerating the lost blood was a separate technique that only something nearly as strong as resurrection magic could do, which is also why it¡¯s so hard to heal damaged organs that are filled with said blood. But wait¡­ They did that, didn¡¯t they? How am I alive right now?¡¯

    I started by slowly sitting up. Carefully standing, I walked over to a mirror, struggling to catch my balance as I got light-headed. ¡®My body feels so heavy¡­ And my balance seems off again. Did they not recover my blood after all? Field surgery then.¡¯

    By the time I got to the mirror I was starting to get my bearings back, but the moment I took a look at myself, and realized it was me that I was looking at I froze. ¡®Just who¡­ Am I looking at right now?¡¯ My brain was so shocked that I wasn¡¯t sure what parts I should compare to the self that I remembered.

    ¡®My hair is¡­ No, it¡¯s not the same either¡­ It was always kind of a greasy black, but now it¡¯s more¡­ Soft? And half of it¡¯s ash gray¡­ Did someone curl it like this, or is this just how it dries when it¡¯s healthy.¡¯ I ran my fingers through it and sure enough, there was no itchiness or grime. Although admittedly, that was still a relatively normal change that I expected upon returning to society.

    ¡®That¡¯s not really important though, is it? I guess I should probably check my injuries first¡­ I lifted my shirt, and sure enough there was a scar in my lower ribs on my left side, and my upper ribs on the right. It didn¡¯t even look like a real scar though, as much as just a memory of one, and as I touched it I couldn¡¯t even feel a difference in my skin. ¡®That¡¯s disappointing¡­¡¯

    I unbuttoned my shirt halfway before I froze again. I looked so different that it felt like I was in someone else body, that feeling made it somehow embarrassing to watch myself undress in front of a mirror¡­ ¡®I guess¡­ The magic didn¡¯t wear off all the way¡­¡¯

    I focussed my magic, but I couldn¡¯t sense anything acting on me, furthermore, I couldn¡¯t sense any scars in my circuts that would have been left if my body had been permanently altered by it either. ¡®Now I really feel like I¡¯m in someone else''s body¡­¡¯ I let out an uncomfortable groan as I buttoned my shirt back up.

    ¡®On second thought¡­ They used divine magic to heal me, so I¡¯m sure everything is fine¡­¡¯ Leaning back I stretched my arms and wrists. I still felt like I had the so-called growing pains, but they weren¡¯t actually that bad, just a bit of achiness in my joints if anything, and without the stretching of my skin and muscles.

    I couldn¡¯t get over how weird it felt to move. Part of it was the soft clothes gliding across my bare skin as I stretched, but the rest of it was something else entirely. It was like that feeling you get when you put on tight clothes and start to feel bigger, even though you¡¯re the same size. Only¡­ It was everywhere all at once, and I wasn¡¯t wearing tight clothes.

    I took another look in the mirror, poking at my face. I was definitely taller, and I had gotten my thicker arms back instead of looking like a twig. My face was a bit pudgier as well, oddly making me look younger, as opposed to the more angular shape it had while I was starving.

    My neck was still slender though, and looking down at my hands, they appeared the same. My calluses and chipped nails were the only things telling me that it really was my body.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Stretching for real this time, I slowly sank down into a horizontal split without much pain, just feeling a good stretch. ¡®I¡¯m sore, but my flexibility was never that much higher than this in the past, so that tracks.¡¯ Bending over, I grabbed my ankle and leaned to one side, then the other, doing similar stretches until my body loosened up from staying still for so long. ¡®If I¡¯m really taller does it make sense for me to be able to do this? But if it¡¯s only an inch or two it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a change.¡¯

    I raised out my hand and opened up my storage to pull out a change of clothes. ¡®If I died, the contents would have exploded everywhere, so that means I never actually bit the dust and got revived. Furthermore, it confirms that this body really is mine, if I somehow switched, the magic circuits would be different. They are¡­ They are the same¡­ But why are there so many more of them?¡¯

    I snapped my wrist creating sparks of electricity to feel the surge of mana leaving my body and refilling. ¡®Oh, no I remember. The magic suppressing chains. I was constantly trying to use magic despite there effects which led to my mana draining fruitlessly¡­ It didn¡¯t make any of my technical abilities increase, but it effectively increased my capacity, similar to extreme training.¡¯ I snapped my fingers to open my storage. ¡®I actually feel better than just pretty good.¡¯

    Luckily, when I went shopping for clothes I bought several sizes up, so instead of them being baggy and comfortably too big, they were a bit too tight and a little small... ¡®Nothing to be done I guess¡­¡¯

    Putting them on, it became easy to figure out that it wasn¡¯t that I grew, or shrank. Rather, my arms had gotten larger, but my shoulders were slightly narrower. My chest was a bit bigger, and my waist was smaller. The large muscles in my hips and legs remained the same, but carried a bit more fat as well. I pulled up my pant leg expecting to at least find one thing that was the same¡­ But unfortunately no, my calves were definitely larger, and¡­ I was pretty sure my toes were smaller¡­ But after staring at them for a moment I started to think I might have just been losing my mind¡­

    Trying to ignore how uncomfortable I felt in my own skin, I looked around the room and quickly inspected my weapons, saving a more thorough examination for later as I became unable to focus on anything until I got some answers.

    My knife, great blade, longsword, and dagger were all fine. My ax was broken, and of course, the only thing left from my spear was the metal head. ¡®I gave the shaft to Mochi¡­ I need to figure out what happened to her too.¡¯

    ¡®Let''s see, I promised to help her. Second, on the list is to collect the bounty for taking down the thugs, and third should be buying a new house and getting everything sorted. Then I can worry about my gear.¡¯

    I tried to adjust my clothes over and over, but it felt like I could never get them to sit right. ¡®I have a lot of money now, so I should be able to get some sweet upgrades before I go back to the great forest. While I¡¯m at it I should update my ID card¡­ And get some more clothes¡­ I was promised two promotions at least.¡¯

    After changing I ran my fingers through my hair one more time ¡®If only Lola could see me like this, who looks like a guy now¡­¡¯ I struck a pose and winked at myself. ¡®It¡¯s not too arrogant to say I look cute is it?¡¯

    Honestly speaking the look didn¡¯t suit me¡­ The cutesy face and big smile felt unnatural, even if they looked pretty. And the way my chest moved as I jumped into the pose made me feel a little gross if I was being honest. ¡®Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m really an elf trapped in a human body¡­¡¯

    The sound of the door creaking open made me scream and move to cover myself, even though I was already fully dressed, it still didn¡¯t feel like it somehow.

    ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re awake¡­¡± Lola said softly, her eyes widened.

    Dead silence hung in the air. ¡°U-uhm¡­ Yeah¡­¡± I slowly cleared my thoat, returning to a neutral stance.

    We stood still, awkwardly staring at each other. ¡°Were you in the middle of something? I can come back later if you want to finish privately examining your new body.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that!¡± I felt my heart pounding in my chest as my face must have turned bright red. ¡°What do you mean by new¡­ Explain¡­¡±

    She shrugged carting in the food. ¡°Eat while I do.¡±

    I nodded as she served a warm soup for me.

    ¡°Your body was badly damaged, so in order to save it Arther used a combination of a couple of high-level divinities. Thinks like regeneration and greater healing for example. They went a bit overboard and blessed you with so many different spells that you¡¯re body not only fully healed, but was restored back to its most full and healthy state.¡±

    I raised my arm out in front of me. ¡°Is that really all though?¡± The fact that my stomach with a deep breath no longer stuck out farther than my chest, was more enough to convince me there had to be more to the story¡­ ¡°I mean¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s not nearly as dramatic as before, but¡­¡¯

    She sighed. ¡°Right¡­ All the negative effects you had started correcting themselves. For instance, you¡¯re stunted growth from malnutrition is no longer a factor, that¡¯s why you¡¯re a couple of inches taller now. And your body isn¡¯t constantly in a stress and survival state, which is why you look normal, instead of like an anorexic pigeon on muscle enhancers.¡±

    ¡®Was that comparison¡­ Really necessary¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®And I really only gained a couple of inches? Well¡­ Thinking back¡­ My parents only seemed big to me, but they were shorter than most.¡¯ ¡°So, if I¡¯m understanding you right, this is who I would have been if I grew up normally?¡±

    She shrugged again. ¡°I highly doubt that. But who could say really? I can¡¯t even use divine powers, so I¡¯m not the one to ask.¡±

    ¡®Figures¡­¡¯ ¡°Ok. Well¡­ What happened to the girl I was with when I passed out?¡±

    ¡°The girl you were with¡­ The halfling you mean? She¡¯s currently in jail for attempted murder.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Who did she try to kill?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ She admitted that she shot you in the back while you were fighting.¡±

    ¡®Great, just¡­ great¡­¡¯

 Chapter 82: â€œVisitationâ€

    I let out a deep breath, raising a hand to my face. ¡¯They arrested Mochi for trying to kill me? I have a bad feeling¡­ Still, if nothing else I did manage to get her out like I promised¡­ But¡­ Why am I so anxious all of a sudden¡­¡¯ I clutched my chest. ¡®My lungs are fine, but my heart is racing¡­ Does that mean I¡¯m cured? No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m suddenly ok¡­ It¡¯s just a different feeling altogether¡­¡¯ ¡°We need to get that girl out of jail. I¡¯ll take responsibility for her and help her get identification. She was more of a prisoner there than I was¡­¡±

    Nothing felt right¡­ And from the way Lola looked at me, I could tell she probably agreed. My face and eyes felt completely different like they were suddenly taking on an unfamiliar expression. Although¡­ To be fair I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what I was feeling either. Pity? Regret? Maybe I was just empathetic with how lonely she must have been¡­ Then again¡­ ¡®I always get like this when kids are involved¡­ It¡¯s not like I have any real reason to be paranoid¡­ Maternal instinct? Ah, that must be it.¡¯ ¡°Hm¡­¡± I slowly opened and closed my hands, the one thing that felt familiar was how my muscles tightened into a fist. ¡°Lola, do you think I¡¯d be a good mom?¡±

    Her eyebrows raised, pushing together as she slightly tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Why?¡±

    I cracked my neck, pushing my fist into an open palm to loosen up my stiff shoulders. ¡°I have really strong maternal instincts. Like I really wanna hit something right now.¡±

    She nervously chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that like¡­ The opposite of what that means though?¡±

    The others seemed to have gotten wind that I was awake, and before long started to crowd around me. It must have weirded Lola out just as much as it did me because she abruptly left without much else to say. Although¡­ She actually loved attention, regardless of whether it was secondhand or not, so that didn¡¯t feel right either.

    Since I was familiar with Posy, she was the one who came to officially check on me, and with her¡­ Things went by pretty quickly¡­ I couldn¡¯t really complain because it was always efficient the way she basically forced me and helped to change my clothes, get ready, and start settling my affairs¡­ A part of me was glad too because it didn¡¯t give me time to dwell on any of my thoughts¡­ But¡­ It was still really embarrassing. I practically didn¡¯t even string two words together until we were already on our way to town. And¡­ Considering I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to take off my own shirt when I was alone¡­ I¡¯d probably still be in my room without her.

    She filled me in on the ride over. After I fought the assassin I fell unconscious and my foe vanished with little trace.

    I vividly thought back to my last moments. ¡®Melting into the earth like a shadow¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve got to learn shadow magic¡­ Shadow warp is what¡­ Tier 7 through¡­ I bet that¡¯s how she escaped, considering I severed a leg.¡±

    Posy groaned. ¡°If that¡¯s true though¡­¡±

    ¡°Like I said, Mochi didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ This¡­ Really pisses me off that she was treated like this¡­¡± I kept my voice calm if only because I understood how Posy wouldn¡¯t know anything about what happened. ¡®after everything I did to try and protect her, they accused her of trying to kill me¡­ Come to think of it. Lola said she wasn¡¯t a minor right? So I guess she isn¡¯t a kid after all? So she¡¯s around my age?¡¯

    ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t try and kill you, she was still technically a bandit¡­¡±

    My eyes narrowed as heavyweight sank into my chest. ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡®She was fairly capable too¡­ So she probably helped them do more than one illegal thing.¡¯ ¡°Stil¡­ It just feels like I put in work for nothing¡­ At least, it will until I get her out¡­¡± When the carriage arrived at the jail I groaned as my muscles tried to get used to my new body and stepped out of the carriage. ¡®Even sitting and standing feels different¡­¡¯ ¡°You can wait here, this won¡¯t take long.¡±

    Throwing open the door to the jail, I walked up to the man on duty, who coincidentally¡­ had a large scar on his left hand all the way around his wrist from where it had been severed.

    The vivid memory replayed through my mind, tightening my chest and making it hard to speak. ¡°H-hello¡­¡±

    We stared blankly at each other for a moment until he started to snarl at me. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I stepped back and bowed slightly, lowering my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­¡± ¡®Does I¡¯m sorry really work, I cut off his freaking hand¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡­ Did you need any further treatment for you¡¯re hand after what hapened?¡±

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    He growled deeply. ¡°They said it would heal fine on its own over the next couple of years, otherwise getting all the feeling back would cost me a gold coin to go to a 6th-tier healer. Nerves take the longest to heal so it¡¯s no surprise.¡±

    ¡®A whole gold coin! Well¡­ I didn¡¯t use a normal sword to cut it off¡­ I used an enchanted great blade¡­¡¯ I hesitated to part with so much money¡­ But it was my mistake, it was the least I could do. ¡°I can¡¯t use 6th tier magic yet¡­ So for now all I can do is give you this. I truly am sorry.¡± I pulled a gold coin from my storage and handed it to him.

    His hardened face slowly relaxed with shock before he reached out and took it. ¡°Uh¡­ Thanks¡­¡± After taking a close look at the coin he quickly pocketed it and took a sip of tea to calm his nerves.

    It wasn¡¯t great, but it was the best apology I could give, so it was time to move on. ¡°Ok then. I¡¯m here to break the halfling girl out of jail.¡±

    He spat out his tea all over the desk, thankfully missing me, if only because I quickly turned to the side. ¡°You what?¡± He shouted.

    ¡®I should probably explain¡­¡¯ ¡°She didn¡¯t try to kill me, she helped me fight a high-level shadow magic user, so she¡¯s innocent, and I¡¯m here to get her out. Furthermore¡­ I actually owe her a lot¡­¡±

    He wiped his mouth, took a small cloth, and wiped the desk as well. ¡°Oh, ok. That¡¯s a different matter. Since the charges were against you in the first place then it shouldn¡¯t be hard. You can give me the paperwork and I¡¯ll inform the right people, we could get her released in a day or two.¡±

    I let out a long growl. ¡°I¡¯m already really pissed off that she is in jail at all¡­¡± Without any conscious effort, my great blade suddenly fell from storage and sank slightly into the ground with a thud. ¡®My mind must still be a little unstable¡­ I¡¯ll need to empty out my storage and rest it for a while soon¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ah¡­ So we''re back to breaking her out then¡­¡± The nervousness in his voice betrayed his smile.

    ¡°N-no, this isn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± I embarrassedly put my sword back into storage and apologized again. ¡®Why does talking to people have to be so hard¡­¡¯

    He cleared his throat and let out a sigh. ¡°I won¡¯t try to stop you¡­ But you know I can¡¯t technically help you after you say something like that.¡±

    ¡°I said that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here!¡± I whined, my hole body tensing up from surmounting anxiety. ¡®Why would he think that? Is that the kind of image I give off now? I thought I was cute?¡¯ I slowly thought back to the times he had seen me, the image of me covered in blood and standing atop a mass of bodies coming to mind first. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯

    His head slowly sank into his hands. ¡°Right¡­ Just try not to make too much of a scene. Even if she is innocent breaking someone out of jail is still still a crime.¡±

    ¡®Is he just ok with this now? Even if I have powerful friends it¡¯s not like I¡¯m a big shot myself¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry¡­ Sorry. Let''s start over. You said there was paperwork¡­¡±

    He softly chuckled, tapping me on the head with a roll of paper. ¡°I should only need two signatures. The first states that her testimony is valid,¡± He said as he unrolled the paper and pointed. The second states that you are not going to press charges on account of her hitting you with a magic spell. They are both important because the first makes sure that rather than you not pressing charges, she will be considered innocent.¡±

    I clenched my fist. ¡°Press charges!¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°S-sorry¡­ Where do I sign again?¡± ¡®What is this¡­ My chest isn¡¯t tight anymore¡­ But it¡¯s burning¡­ It¡¯s not like it¡¯s hard to breathe but I¡¯m still breathing shallow¡­¡¯

    He gave me a pen and I wrote my name in red ink. ¡°There, now that that¡¯s out of the way. I¡¯ll go and visit her. Is there any technical reason why you can¡¯t just release her now?¡±

    He pulled out a large key ring and unlocked the main door, leading back to another section where several cells and patrolling guards were. ¡°Not technically, but the paperwork has to be approved and processed. I recognize you for instance, but if I didn¡¯t know who you were, then what would stop some stranger claiming to be you to come in and do what you¡¯re trying to, you understand?¡±

    I let out a small disappointed groan. ¡°I guess that makes sense¡­¡±

    He handed me off to another guard, giving him the details. ¡°Cell 32. Oh, and kid¡­ Make sure you''re looking after yourself too alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure¡­¡± I muttered back as he walked away. ¡®I guess he¡¯s really a nice guy¡­ Now I feel even worse for cutting off his hand¡­¡¯

    I counted each one as the new guard led me down the path.

    ¡°You¡¯re Chika then? The guy¡­ Sorry, the young lady that killed the minotaur right?¡±

    ¡®Young lady¡­ What?¡¯ I suddenly started to feel a little self-conscious every time he glanced at me, only to look away like it was indecent. ¡°Even looking like this¡­ Do I still get mistaken for a man? Yeah, well, either way, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡®Given my history of the people I end up dealing with, it¡¯s probably better if they think I¡¯m a man right?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry miss, it¡¯s just, the songs about you talk about a tall knight covered from head to toe in blood. You¡­ Look very much like a woman uh¡­ a young lady I mean. Or¡­¡±

    ¡®Well¡­ Part of that is just because my clothes are too small¡­¡¯ I sighed tugging at my collar. ¡®Well, it¡¯s nothing like how I had to dress in the bandit cave when everything was actually too small... Although I made it through that because the whole time I was effectively wearing someone else''s skin as a disguise¡­ This really is my body now, isn¡¯t it? This isn¡¯t immodest, is it? I mean it¡¯s small, but It¡¯s just tight, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s even showing my stomach¡­ I glanced at him again, his eyes staying squarely on the path ahead of us, but his neck stiff, as if he was hesitant about something, or just embarrassed.

    ¡®This feels¡­ Weird¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± ¡®Things really are easier if people think I¡¯m a man¡­¡¯ My dark thoughts were interrupted almost before they began as we arrived at the cell. ¡®What can I even say to her? She was so timid and afraid, putting on an act just like I was.¡¯ ¡°Mochi¡­¡±

 Chapter 83: Plausible Deniability.

    I bit my bottom lip, preparing myself to put on another act to hide how anxious I was. ¡°Guess who¡¯s back!¡± I cheered, hoping for a positive response, rather than her calling me a liar for saying I¡¯d rescue her.

    She didn¡¯t do either though¡­ She didn¡¯t even look up. She had a heavy anti-magic shackle around her right ankle, was wearing prisoners'' sackcloth rags, and all she had for a bathroom was a bucket. I turned to look behind me, thankfully the cell across from her was empty at least¡­ But still.

    ¡°Mochi¡­ That is you right?¡±

    She slowly raised her head to look at me before lowering it again. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry? For what?¡±

    ¡°I-I messed up, and you almost died¡­ I hit you with my magic, instead of helping you, and then you had to keep fighting, and all I could do was watch, then, there was blood everywhere, and her swords¡­ And¡­¡± Her voice was cold and almost lifeless, more so than usuall, as if she was talking to herself, and didn¡¯t believe I was really there at all.

    I turned to the guard. ¡°Open the cell.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that It¡¯s against¨C¡±

    ¡°I said open the cell!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t get yourself into more trouble¡­ Not even you can fight everyone¡­ That¡¯s why we ran that time, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her voice raised but only slightly, as if she was still afraid something bad would happen if anyone heard her speak.

    I could hear her starting to sniffle and was about to tear the cell apart with my magic to get inside. I saw so much of myself in her that it felt like I was the one inside the cell crying¡­ It made me feel a pit in my stomach as heavy as lead.

    The guard sighed, stepping back. ¡°Listen¡­ My brother was in the great forest during the outbreak recently, he was on his deathbed for three days. But somehow he got the antidote he needed just in time¡­ Now, I can¡¯t open the cell for you¡­ But if you¡¯re everything they say, you don¡¯t need me to¡­¡±

    I turned back to Mochi. ¡®The cage may be enchanted iron, but the walls are stone¡­¡¯

    ¡°Mochi, I need you to listen very carefully. There wasn¡¯t a single spell you cast that didn¡¯t save my life, INCLUDING the one that hit me in the back. That wind lance disrupted her magic enough for me to break through it¡­ Now¡­ I¡­ You might not even understand what I¡¯m saying right now but¡­ I asked you if you wanted to leave that place, and you said you were going to follow me¡­ So I¡¯ll ask you again¡­¡±

    I stomped the ground, feeling the familiarity of the earth under my feet and the mana coursing through it. With a burst of power, I cracked the earth and opened up a wide tunnel through the wall and around the bars to the outside. ¡°Do you want to come with me or not.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± She yelled again, just like before. No hesitation as tears ran down her dirt-covered face without me even having to count.

    Walking into the cell, I quickly picked the lock around her ankles. ¡°Then we better get going.¡±

    She was filthy, but considering the cell was just a dusty dirt floor and a bucket I didn¡¯t have to wonder why. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere are you?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, but¡­ If we¡¯re running away I should change my clothes.¡±

    I tried my best to force a smile, in hopes of giving her some comfort. ¡°This is actually perfect, we were about the same size before so my clothes should fit you.¡± ¡®Well, I was a bit taller and bulkier, but close enough.¡¯

    She stared at me, her eyes drifting between my chest and my face. ¡°Is this was people call optimism?¡±

    I felt a chill, suddenly feeling embarrassed again. ¡®She never saw how I used to look did she¡­¡¯ ¡°I mean before¡­ You know what never mind, just, here. For now, this shirt, and these pants should work.¡± I quickly grabbed them from storage.

    She gladly took them, wiping her tears and starting to change without a second thought.

    ¡°Ah! Here.¡± I pulled my great blade from storage and stuck it in the ground, providing a wide enough shield that the guard couldn¡¯t see. Although taking a second look outside, he had his back turned entirely already. ¡®Plausible deniability? Well¡­ Considering¡­ I should be thankful¡­ But I¡¯m starting to lose faith in our prison system¡­¡¯

    ¡°You did sign the paperwork stating you wouldn¡¯t press charges right? Or that she didn¡¯t actually attack you?¡± He asked over his shoulder without so much as turning his neck.

    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± I said back, reassuring him with a grin. ¡®These oldtimers¡­ They really are soft, aren¡¯t they? Well. I made sure we were really only skipping formalities anyway, so it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.

    As I saw Mochi take her shirt off though my smile quickly vanished. Her whole back was covered with purple and red gashes from being whipped, not only that but she had old scars from the same treatment, clearly done in a much more brutal way in the past. My blood ran cold and I wasn¡¯t sure which one was worse.

    I was glad she was looking away, because in that moment my act crumbled, and it was all I could do not to cry as a sudden wave of emotion hit me all at once.

    She finished changing and looked back at me as if nothing had happened, and I guess nothing did from her perspective. I couldn¡¯t just leave it alone though¡­ Some of those marks were new¡­ They weren''t even all closed wounds yet.

    ¡°Mochi¡­ What happened to you back?¡±

    Her eyes shifted from my face to the floor. ¡°Even if I didn''t try to kill you I was still working with the dark guild¡­ I got the lightest punishment, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    Another wave of chills ran down my arms. I didn¡¯t know what to do or what to say, and I was angry at everything and everyone, including myself¡­ But¡­ I also realized that the anger was meaningless because it had come too late¡­ ¡®This is why I can¡¯t lose¡­ Ever¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s get out here¡­¡±

    I sent my blade back to storage and grabbed her hand, leading her behind me. To vent my frustration I didn¡¯t so much bother with the front door, I just blew out the wall shifting the earth and leading her back to the carriage slamming the door shut after we climbed inside.

    ¡°Chika¡­ just breath¡­¡± Posy said coldly.

    ¡®Is it that obvious?¡¯ I covered my face with my hands, shutting out all light and trying to let my mind go completely blank, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡°Just stop the carriage¡­¡± My foot was tapping repeatedly on the ground, but I couldn¡¯t stop it. At some point, it became less about me breaking down, and more like an itch I had to scratch.

    Luckily we were already outside of town again by the time I cracked. I stepped out, created a giant ball of water, and sent it high into the sky overhead. Finally, I took a deep breath in and let it all out as fire. The water all turned to steam and vapor, covering the whole area in a wet mist that helped me finally release some of the tension I was holding.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Better At least¡­ I must just be a bit sensitive right now because of everything that¡¯s been happening. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t hold it all in anymore¡­¡¯

 Chapter 84: Dense Moments

    When we made it back to White Light I made sure my room was clean and said my goodbyes. Aurelia was busy, so I didn¡¯t get to thank her for everything she did, but I gave my regards to everyone else.

    No matter who I ran into, they all seemed to say the same thing, telling me I didn¡¯t have to leave, and that I could join their guild if I wanted to. That I could have a home¡­ I just dismissed it all without thinking, but after stepping foot outside, AFTER refusing the offer. I couldn¡¯t help but think of how good it sounded.

    I would have had friends, girls my own age to talk to. A calming home filled with laughter, and warm delicious meals every day. But¡­ I didn¡¯t want a peaceful life, that was never my goal.

    ¡®What I want¡­ What I want is to get stronger, and make so much money I could buy a whole dungeon if I wanted to¡­ I want a Mythril Coin. 1,000,000,000 Tallons.¡¯

    Since I was leaving the care of the guild, I was on my own, so no more fancy carriage rides or escorts. From what they had said, all the bandits were captured, so there was no reason for me to worry. ¡®They were the ones that hired the spectral assassin, so in theory, she should be off my back as well right? No wait, she was lent to them by a different group. Still¡­ ¡¯

    I raised my palm and looked down at the strange golden magic circle inscribed on it. ¡®Aurelia engraved a divine blessing into my hand that would summon her if another person threatened my life, so it should be fine right? Weird magic, shame it doesn¡¯t save me from monsters...¡¯

    Before I knew it we were back at the town. I couldn¡¯t help but stop and take in the view. ¡®Rothet¡­ The city where all my dreams will come true.¡¯

    The towering guild halls and wizard towers stretched up, cutting into the sky, and the several layers of thick stone walls each brought with them a sense of indestructibility. Each shop had its own distinct design and coloring, that made it stand out, turning the whole city into a work of art. At least that¡¯s what others said.

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    I turned back to Mochi. I had almost forgotten about her entirely, so used to being alone that it was strange to have a companion, especially after saying goodbye to one.

    ¡°So what are we going to do now? Sorry¡­ I guess I¡¯m on my own now arn¡¯t I¡­¡±

    Looking back to the city I thought about it for a moment. ¡®They took everything she had¡­ And probably attached a fine¡­ Even if I lead her to the Beehive it¡¯s not that simple¡­ And if she¡¯s over 16 the orphanage is out¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hey, how old are you anyway?¡±

    Her eyes nervously looked practically everywhere but at me well she hesitantly tried to figure out how to answer. ¡°Around 22¡­ Uhm¡­ That is I think so at least¡­ Or¡­ Maybe 16? 8? 34?¡±

    ¡®Figurs¡­ She did say she never even saw the sky, time would be tricky. Still, if she¡¯s not a kid that changes how I need to approach this¡­ It needs to be more¡­ Adult like.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll make a deal with you. If you can teach me tier-three earth magic, I¡¯ll take care of you until you¡¯re back on you¡¯re feet.¡±

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    Her whole body shuddered. ¡°Teach? I¡­ I don¡¯t know if¡­¡±

    Her squeaky but calm voice came to a screeching halt as I patted her head and she suddenly stopped shaking. ¡®I did it without thinking¡­ But it did make her feel at ease¡­ It might be harder to treat her like an adult than I thought¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± She said calmly. Seeing her smile made one cross my face as well.

    ¡°Right. Sense was coming in through the front gate, and not the teleporters, this is the perfect time to show you around and get everything set up. Let''s see, have you eaten?¡±

    She placed a hand over her stomach and slowly shook her head. ¡°I tried to¡­ But¡­¡±

    ¡°Does it still hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    ¡®There are very few things that can make a halfling lose their appetite¡­ And if it really isn¡¯t physical¡­ ¡°Hey Mochi. Look up. What do you think of the sky?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s honestly not as great as I thought it would be. I¡¯m not as connected with it, as I am with the earth, even though I know wind magic.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s smiling, so she can¡¯t be in that much emotional pain¡­ Well¡­¡¯ ¡°Here, lay on your back and look at it.¡±

    She suddenly flinched.

    ¡®That¡¯s what I thought¡­¡¯ To doubly confirm I lightly pushed against her back and it was like watching a cold bucket of water fall on a sleepy old cat.

    ¡°Even after the healing magic huh¡­¡± ¡®Fixing the problem only does so much when the memory sticks with you¡­ Especially because nerves tend to keep signaling pain long after the problem is addressed.¡¯

    She nodded timidly.

    ¡°Ok¡­ Then we¡¯ll take care of that first.¡± ¡®It¡¯s been so long since I''ve come through the front gate, everything is so different from the way I remember it. These shops are new, and I think they must have widened the gate again to allow more people to pass through at once.¡¯

    ¡°So many people¡­¡± She mumbled from behind me.

    Her voice sounded fine, but I could tell from her eyes how nervous she must have been. I understood that of course, but since none of them were staring at me it didn¡¯t actually bother me much¡­ Not compared to the nerves I felt pretending to be a bandit¡­ ¡°Just stay close to me alright. Figuring out the places where you¡¯re supposed to walk, and those where carriages and horses ride can be a bit tricky sometimes.¡±

    She groaned, looking even more nervous than before. ¡°OK¡­¡± I felt a prick in my hand, and when I looked down I saw a little blue thread of magic trailing off towards her finger. She looked embarrassed, jumping slightly. ¡°Sorry, I just don¡¯t want to get lost, when you¡¯re small like this sometimes people run you over because they don¡¯t see you¡­ Then they laugh, it¡¯s not fun.¡±

    ¡®Geez¡­I don¡¯t even have the heart to tell her¡­¡¯ I reached back and grabbed her hand tugging her closer. ¡®This is something we should talk about while training¡­ It can wait for now¡­ Maybe I just shouldn¡¯t tell her that those people definitely saw her¡­¡¯

    Her hand was even smaller than mine, and unlike mine, it was soft like a baby''s hand. I could feel how smooth it was even through my tough callouses. ¡®I¡¯d love to show her the city, but if she¡¯s in pain I¡¯d better just cut through the alleys to get home faster.¡¯

    I ducked into a narrow path, following the old roads that I knew like the back of my hand until we made it back to my house.

    When we arrived, I quickly filled up the bathtub and heated the water with my magic. From what I knew about her so far, she was as shy as I was, it just didn¡¯t seem to affect her actions somehow. So I went ahead and let her get cleaned up on her own, while I started preparing some meat and tea leaves for when it was time to start cooking. ¡®This takes me back to the orphanage. I used to have to help take care of some of the younger kids¡­ It feels weird knowing she¡¯s older than me though¡­¡¯

    When she was finally done she didn¡¯t say so much as a word, just slowly slid the door open and poked her head out, soaking wet and dripping water all over the floor.

    ¡®Yup¡­ Just like a little kid¡­ I know I showed her where I put the clothes.¡¯ I quickly washed my hands off with some magic and walked over to her. ¡°Come here, you gotta dry your hair off, or you¡¯ll get water everywhere and it can damage the floor. And if you¡¯re head is a different temperature than the rest of your body it makes your nervous system wig out and you could get sick too.¡±

    Walking in the room I quickly dried her off with a towel and helped her at least put some clothes on. She wouldn¡¯t say, but I could tell she was having trouble with the idea of pulling something over her head¡­ No doubt still just nervous about feeling pain in her back.

    After that I grabbed a chair and moved it to the middle of the room, pushing her into it and mixing wind and fire to properly dry it for her. ¡®I don¡¯t know why¡­ But I¡¯m spending way more time on this than I do on my own¡­¡¯ I was being as gentle as I could, but probably because of that it wasn¡¯t actually drying very quickly. ¡°Mochi how does this feel?¡±

    I turned my focus away from her hair when she didn¡¯t respond, and only then I noticed she was dozing off. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, getting the answer all on my own. ¡°I wonder if this is how my mom felt?¡±

 Chapter 85: Steak

    After I finished drying her hair I carried Mochi over to my bed and laid some extra blankets on it for cushioning before wrapping one around her. ¡®I bet her appetite will finally be back when she wakes up. I¡¯m a decent cook I think. I¡¯ll make something good. I should go buy some ingredients. They say halflings will eat anything with a smile¡­ But I can¡¯t just give the poor girl a slab of raw meat¡­ She¡¯s not an orc.¡¯

    Before long I bought some basic spices and vegetables. Potatoes, asparagus, black pepper etc. All the perfect ingredients for a juicy minotaur steak. Admittedly the thought of eating something so close to a person made me a bit queasy at first, but¡­ Then I remembered I had eaten worse things before for survival so¡­ And¡­ I also gutted it¡­ So it was a little late to complain¡­

    ¡°Chika? CHIKA!¡± I heard a yell coming from inside the house as I approached.

    Everything I bought was in storage, so without delay, I rushed back to the house and opened the door.

    ¡°CHI¨C¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She was standing on the bed, all of her muscles tensed as tightly as she could make them, yelling up at the ceiling as if it would make her voice carry farther. Her eyes slowly lowered to mine at the sound of my voice and she froze stiff with tears starting to well up, making her eyes glossy even from a distance.

    We stared at each other in silence. ¡®Did she not hear the question?¡¯ ¡°Uhm. Is everything ok?¡±

    She opened her mouth, but no words came out, then she started shaking, squatting down, and hugging her knees. ¡°No¡­ Everything is fine¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡®Right¡­ It¡¯s probably going to take her a while to get over habits like this. I bet she was forced to stay quiet and obedient.¡¯ I walked in and started organizing what I had bought, trying to act casual in hopes of easing the tension. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine¡­¡± I said softly, as casually as I could.

    I saw her almost flinch, like she had resisted some kind of basic instinct, slowly settling back to being motionless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will try my best moving forward.¡± Her voice seemed almost lifeless, and tears were now flowing down from her eyes, even if her voice didn¡¯t reflect it.

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    ¡®She¡¯s crying? Wh¡­ What the heck do I do now?¡¯ Another awkward silence lingered in the air for a while. ¡®This is where people like, hug and stuff, right? Or is that weird, is hugging something only kids do? What do adults do then? I could shake her hand¡­ That feels like it would be more awkward¡­¡¯

    I cleared my throat, stepped up to her, and raised my hand out. ¡°Hey Mochi¡­ Uhm. I¡¯m worried about you¡­ So¡­ If you do want to talk I¡¯m here, ok?¡±

    She got a rush of goosebumps all over, so much so I could see them as she shuddered, her eyes going wide. It felt a bit awkward at first holding my hand there for so long, but just before I pulled it back I got the feeling she was trying her best to shake it.

    The muscles in her arm were twitching, just not enough for any significant movement, and her face looked strained like she was trying really hard. It took what felt like forever¡­ But it was worth it.

    Her hand was so cold and small, pale too, but I could see some color start to appear in her cheeks again as soon as our hands touched, just before she started crying even harder, nervously shifting her weight as we awkwardly stood there.

    ¡°Ok¡­ Well, I¡¯m going to get started on cooking this, and then I¡¯d like to have another look at you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°O¡­¡±

    ¡®O? What does that mean?¡¯

    ¡°K¡­¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s trying really hard, but why does she have to? I feel like she was normal when we got here right? Or¡­ Well¡­ More normal?¡¯

    While I cooked I kept an eye on her, she just sat patiently, swaying back and forth like a little kid, her eyes doing the same, moving in a way that almost made me dizzy, every time I noticed her swaying though she would freeze and start to tear up again. Eventually, I forced myself to stop glancing her way.

    ¡®At least she isn¡¯t crying anymore.¡¯ I turned back to the stove and cut off my magic, dishing the food for her on the plate that I had, and just using the frying pan for my own dish. ¡°Dinner is served,¡± I said with a grin. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had actually eaten a properly cooked steak, much less one I made myself. Not to mention, this was minotaur steak, supposedly the best there was in terms of beef. Unlike warg meat, which didn¡¯t even qualify.

    ¡°Oh, be careful though it¡¯s still hot.¡±

    She sat down as well, making sure to sit up straight and gently fold her hands over her lap. ¡°This isn¡¯t steak.¡± She said plainly.

    ¡®Wha¡­ Did I cook it wrong?¡¯ I was looking forward to her bright smile, but when I got that instead I almost wanted to cry. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡±

    She quickly looked down, flinching again. ¡°It smells good, it¡¯s just not steak. It¡¯s not red, how could it be steak? I don¡¯t think this is even meat. It must be some kind of plant right?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­¡±

    ¡°I know a lot about meat, I would get to eat it a lot because it was cheap, it was always red or pink. Every now and then it would be some other color, like kind of a greyish, or purple¡­ I never liked the yellow meat. This is none of those, so it can¡¯t be meat, definitely not steak.¡±

    ¡®Is she saying she¡¯s only ever eaten raw meat before? Wait¡­ yellow?¡¯ The food in front of me was still trying to tempt me with its smell, but the more Mochi talked the less appetite I had.

    ¡°See, and look. When I poke it, it¡¯s not spongy, it¡¯s firm and¨C¡± her finger sank into the meat as it split apart, showing how tender it was as the scent wafted right into her face in a cloud of steam. It was like it broke her brain as her whole body froze completely still and her eyes went wide, a small trail of drool closing the corner of her mouth and cutting off her words.

    ¡®Now that¡¯s more like it.¡¯

 Chapter 86: New Things

    She was literally left speechless before she could even taste the steak. ¡®That¡¯s more like the reaction I was expecting.¡¯

    She grabbed it with her bare hand, more drool dripping onto the floor as she slowly lifted it to her face, taking over half of it into her mouth at once before finally biting down.

    It¡¯s weird to say, but I couldn¡¯t look away. I had to see her reaction. I mean, this was someone who had spent her entire life only ever eating raw meat, now she was getting to eat something this good? I couldn¡¯t miss the look on her face.

    Just as I expected. She started to cry again. The longer she held it in her mouth though, the more her face started to scrunch up, and before long it became clear they weren''t happy tears.

    ¡°Sparks, spit it out!¡± I yelled grabbing her mouth and making her cough it up, getting her a glass of cold water ready with magic. ¡°I told you it was hot didn¡¯t I?¡±

    She drank the water as fast as she could without saying a word, clutching tightly onto my shirt as she did so. When she was finally done I could already tell she was holding her jaw differently than before. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± She said again, looking down at the mess on the table.

    ¡°Forget about that, is your mouth ok?¡±

    She looked down even lower. ¡°It hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­¡± ¡®I should have stopped her¡­¡¯ Letting out a sigh, I cast lesser heal on her again. ¡°Is that better?¡±

    She slowly wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°It still feels funny¡­ But the pain is gone¡­¡±

    ¡®It shouldn¡¯t have been hot enough to cause nerve damage that fast, and anything else would have been fixed with my magic right?¡¯ ¡°Let me see, open you¡¯re mouth real big like this.¡± ¡®Still, halflings shouldn¡¯t be able to get burned from something like this. Their digestive system, mouth included is incredibly robust, is it because she¡¯s halfblooded?¡¯

    She did it just like I asked, and I used a tiny mage light inside her mouth to illuminate everything. ¡®I guess I should have guessed as much¡­¡¯ ¡°Your gums are all swollen, and you¡¯re teeth are full of cavities. I¡¯m going to go inside ok? So don¡¯t bite my fingers off if you feel anything weird.¡±

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    ¡®The swelling will go down on its own, and if I pay enough I could get someone to heal her with greater heal, that would restore the lost tissue, but for now, let''s use some Gold magic to disinfect everything and clear out the cavities.¡¯

    As I did her head twitched, and I could feel her jaw shudder, but she kept it open just like I said and before long everything was fine again. ¡°How¡¯s that feel?¡±

    She moved her jaw around, biting at the air like a dog. ¡°Even weirder...¡± She said plainly.

    ¡®Well go figure.¡¯ ¡°Either way you should be able to eat without pain now, the food will have cooled down enough¡­¡±

    Her eyes slowly looked back at the steak with caution. ¡°It won''t bite me back this time?¡±

    ¡®It¡­¡¯ I sighed, having to tell myself not to laugh. ¡°No, it won¡¯t bite you back this time.¡±

    ¡°Pro¨C¡± She paused mid-word, slowly turning away from me again.

    All I could do was let out another sigh. ¡°Promise¡­ See look.¡± I reached across the table and ripped a piece off the steak I gave her, holding it between my thumb and index finger right in front of her. ¡°If you can hold it, and it doesn¡¯t feel too hot after about four seconds or so. It¡¯s probably not too hot to eat.¡±

    After staring at it intently for a while she simply opened her mouth, again. Rolling my eyes I fed it to her before sitting back down and starting back on my own meal. ¡°If it is hot, never just let it sit in you¡¯re mouth, either keep moving it around, or just spit it back out. And make sure you drink water as soon as possible if you ever think you got burned ok?¡±

    I took another bite, looking up at her. It was easy to tell she wasn¡¯t listening to a thing I was saying, too hyperfocused on the meat. Before long she was asking for seconds, so we ate seconds. Then came thirds, which is where I tapped out. She went all the way to fifths before I made her stop, worried she might eat too much and get sick.

    ¡°So no more?¡± She asked as I started washing the dishes.

    ¡°Not till later, ok, does that sound good?¡±

    Her eyes started to look back and forth again. ¡°I¡¯d rather have more now, but if you say I have to wait then I will.¡±

    ¡®Huh. I guess she only acts like a child in some ways. It¡¯s good she¡¯s more comfortable talking now if only a little.¡¯ I turned back and patted her on the head almost out of reflex as she stayed seated properly in her chair, clearly pouting with puffed-out cheeks. ¡®Or maybe not¡­ Well, halflings are the fae of gluttony after all. Not to mention she¡¯s been starving this whole time¡­¡¯

    Before I knew it I was starting to crack, wanting to feed her more, but I resisted. ¡°You said you¡¯re back was still hurting, I guess I figured maybe it was better sense you managed to relax enough to fall asleep, but is it still bothering you?¡±

    Her swaying stopped dead in its tracks. ¡°Before¡­ Uhm¡­ When¡­ I yelled you¡¯re name, it uh¡­ Wel¡­¡± She suddenly paused, looking up at me. ¡°I was¡­ No¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡®You''re trying to tell me now?¡¯ I slowly closed my eyes, hoping I remembered to ask again later. ¡°Just, take your time ok. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Her eyes started darting around the room, looking at pretty much everything except for me. ¡°When I woke up and I couldn¡¯t find you I got scared¡­ I don¡¯t like being alone¡­ It¡¯s scary¡­ Scarier than being hit. It makes me wonder if I¡¯m the only one left in the whole world, and everyone else just vanished.¡±

    ¡®She thought¡­ She was alone?¡¯ Overcoming my own awkwardness I gave her a hug, or at least tried my best too. It was a bit stiff, and she didn¡¯t so much as move. ¡®She¡¯s crying again¡­¡¯

 Chapter 87: To-Do List

    Once Mochi finally settled down I took another look at her back, applying medicine, magic, and a message to help try and get her body to realize she wasn¡¯t hurt anymore. By the time I was done, she was asleep again.

    ¡®Really now¡­ Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s getting late anyway¡­¡¯ I sighed falling on the bed next to her and staring up at the ceiling. ¡®There¡¯s so much to do¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a hurry or anything, but¡­ I¡¯d get stressed out if I took a day off¡­¡¯

    Raising an arm over my eyes they shut tight, and when they opened again my body finally felt lighter, although still stiff and foreign, at least it wasn¡¯t as heavy and exhausted. ¡®I didn¡¯t even notice how tired I was¡­¡¯

    Taking a deep breath in I sat up to see Mochi huddled with her back up against a wall sleeping peacefully. ¡®I wonder what that¡¯s about¡­ Still¡­ If she¡¯s sleeping I should probably just let her be right?¡¯

    I stood up and made some more food, the smell of which woke her up right away, and after I made sure it was cool enough to eat I told her to go ahead and dig in. It was strangely relaxing that she hadn¡¯t said a single word since opening her eyes, it gave me a chance to think while I ate as well.

    ¡®I should make a list¡­ I¡¯ll forget something for sure if I go out like this. Especially if I get distracted since I¡¯ll be with Mochi.¡¯

    Closing my eyes I brought my full attention to my storage space and suddenly began to feel a dull headache. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ That¡¯s probably why I was so tired¡­¡¯ Letting out a small groan I pulled out a small slab of wood and began to engrave it with magic.

    ¡®Hm¡­ First, we need to get Mochi registered as an adventurer at the Beehive. That¡¯s the easiest way for her to start a new life, even if she wants to do something else¡­ There really is a lot to do huh¡­¡¯

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Help Mochi register</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Collect bounty from bandits</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Pawn off bandits'' gear</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Buy Mochi¡­ Have Lola buy Mochi new clothes.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Buy materials to craft better gear.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Meet with Fiesty and buy out her shop.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sell Feisty¡¯s inventory for profit</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">¡­ Find out if Fiesty is alive¡­</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Oh¡­ I should probably visit a shrine and pay respects to Plutia</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Actually¡­ I think that¡¯s everything¡­</li>

    </ol>

    I paused and looked down at the list. ¡®I lost focus and my thoughts spilled out¡­¡¯

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Completely empty out storage and discard trash left over.</li>

    </ol>

    ¡®I think that¡¯s everything¡­ Well, I also want to see about buying a new plot of land and moving my house. I¡¯m not sure where would be good though. I¡¯ll have to ask Lola about that when I see her.¡¯

    After Mochi finished eating I brushed her hair, if not only so she¡¯d stop chewing it along with her food¡­ When that was resolved though we started knocking things off the list one by one¡­ Kind of.

    After visiting the beehive I collected the bounty, as well as a strangely generous compensation apology for the guild not showing up to save me sooner. Pawning off the Bandit''s gear was easy too, there was no shortage of low-level adventurers and novice craftsmen looking for material after all. While we were there I asked about Lola, but apparently no one had seen her in a while. As for Fiesty, I was glad to hear she was alive at least, but apparently, she still hadn¡¯t woken up. They were taking their time healing her mind from the trauma of temporarily dying, even if it wasn¡¯t for long enough to need resurrection magic, that trauma could sometimes make people unable to use magic or worse or not treated properly¡­ Kind of a big deal to a magic blacksmith. Either way, they wouldn¡¯t even let me see her¡­

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    I sighed looking down and pulling my new adventurer card from my storage. ¡®On the bright side, I got my promotions¡­ Straight to D rank¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m a bit bummbed they didn¡¯t put me at C, but considering skipping one rank is already practically unheard of for someone who¡¯s been in the game as long as me, it¡¯s not so bad really. Besides, they put me straight into middle grade, so I don¡¯t have a probationary period, and I don¡¯t have any restrictions from being freshly promoted.

    ¡°Why is your¡¯s so much prettier than mine¡­¡± Mochi muttered, a clear hint of jealousy in her eyes, even though you couldn¡¯t tell from her face.

    I chuckled throwing it back in storage and rubbing her head. ¡°Because I¡¯m stronger than you,¡± I smirked, starting to walk again. ¡®Having her start at E rank isn¡¯t bad, the guild starts newbies one rank lower than evaluated strength. Although¡­¡¯ I thought back to her magic saving me multiple times. ¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t have expected her to be much weaker than me.

    ¡°Actually, do you mind if I see the card they gave you?¡± ¡®They don¡¯t actually let anyone sit in on the exams to prevent cheating¡­ I was getting reevaluated while she was being tested anyway¡­ I wonder what classification they gave her.¡¯

    ¡°Only if I can see yours¡­¡± She pouted back.

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I pulled it back out of storage, suddenly hesitating. ¡®It¡¯s just her¡­ It¡¯s¡­ Fine¡­¡¯ Slowly relaxing I finished handing it to her and she did the same, not even looking at me as she was already entranced with my new card.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see here¡­¡¯

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Name:

    </td>

    <td>

    Mochi,

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Racial traits:

    </td>

    <td>

    Halfling

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Sex

    </td>

    <td>

    Female

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Title:

    </td>

    <td>

    N/A

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Rank:

    </td>

    <td>

    E

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Physical class

    </td>

    <td>

    Hunter

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Magic class

    </td>

    <td>

    Defender

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Divine class

    </td>

    <td>

    Yeladot

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    I flicked the edge of the card back and forth against my opposite palm. ¡®So physically she¡¯s well rounded, but her magical abilities are heavily skewed towards defense¡­ But what the heck is a Yeladot¡­ That¡¯s not a normal class¡­¡¯ I paused and looked down at her, folding my arms. ¡®She has a unique divine class? No¡­ It¡¯s not one of a kind or she would have been given a title right away. It¡¯s just abnormal. I¡¯ve never heard of it before though¡­ Normally your devine class is just a fancy word for what tier of miracle you can chanel¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Are you done looking?¡±

    She quietly raised her eyes to mine and handed back my card, holding it carefully in both hands. ¡°You look so pretty in the picture.¡± She said calmly.

    ¡®I know¡­ It¡¯s really unsettling honestly¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s just get going¡­¡± ¡®That sounded cold¡­ Maybe I should have said something else¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure when you reach D rank and get your picture taken you¡¯ll look even better.¡±

    Her eyes suddenly lost a shade of color like a part of her soul left her body, but she didn¡¯t say a word. ¡®Sparks¡­ Should I have just let it go and not said anything after all? I¡¯ll just stay quiet and not make it worse¡­¡¯ I pulled out my make-shift list and looked at the remaining things. ¡®It¡¯s disappointing how many I crossed off without doing¡­¡¯

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Buy Mochi¡­ Have Lola buy Mochi new clothes.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Buy materials to craft better gear.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Visit a shrine and pay respects to Plutia.</li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Ok Mochi. What¡¯s first, do you want new clothes, or do you want to go see Plutia?¡±

    Her eyes suddenly went wide, but I couldn¡¯t tell if they were sparkling with anticipation, or filled with shock and fear. A few moments passed by and she still didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are thinking¡­ Sorry¡­¡± ¡®If she follows Plutia it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ve never met¡­ And she shouldn¡¯t be against new clothes. It¡¯s possible she¡¯s scared of Plutia now because of what happened when she used a miracle for the first time¡­ Is that it? Or¡­ Maybe this is all just a lot to take in¡­¡¯

    She suddenly went completely lifeless as she started crying again. ¡®She¡¯s doing this now?¡¯ ¡°U-uh¡­ It¡¯s ok, we don¡¯t have to do anything else today if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s early but we can just go back home for now¡­¡± My panic slowly subsided as she stayed still like a statue. Once again, despite her tears, she was somehow emotionless.

    Life slowly returned to her eyes and she looked back up at me. ¡°I can feel her calling to us¡­ Can¡¯t you? Don¡¯t we have to listen?¡±

    After she mentioned it I could indeed feel what she was talking about. Like something lightly pulling on my heartstrings only in the direction of a shrine, no doubt one she was physically at herself, knowing her. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want¡­¡±

    She grabbed my hand and pointed, still looking at me. ¡®Right¡­ It was a mistake to ask her¡­ She won¡¯t even move unless I tell her to ¡°Let¡¯s go Mochi¡­¡±

 Chapter 88: Sweet Candy.

    The Shrines inside the capital were always extremely busy, many of them even during the night. Daily prayers and offerings of the pious, and those that wished for blessings and good fortune. It didn¡¯t really matter which saint you prayed to all the shrines would be crowded to some extent.

    Plutia¡¯s though was¡­ Especially full¡­ There were many reasons for this. She was the patron saint of healing, kindness, and purity. She was joyfully, childlike, and usually pleasant to be around. Practically speaking, she was the only saint who allowed for healing miracles as a tier 1 divine spell. And of course, aside from practicality¡­ She was a girl¡­ And tended to be one people liked to look at¡­ Of course, lust lowered one¡¯s divinity, but that didn¡¯t stop everyone. Oddly as it may sound I also learned that apparently there are people who simply ¡°appreciated beauty¡± without lust, which¡­ Ok, I guess¡­ I honestly didn¡¯t really care, I just hated crowds¡­ And lines¡­ People¡­ Pretty much everything about it honestly. The moment we arrived I was already feeling claustrophobic.

    By the time we made it near the shrine, I was so stiff and tired from waiting in line that any emotions I had were pretty much gone¡­ ¡®What am I supposed to give¡­ Like 10% of my earnings?¡¯ I sighed pulling out 2 gold coins. And finding my hand holding on tight to them. ¡®This is more money than I¡¯ve donated up till now in my entire life¡­¡¯ Letting out a soft groan I looked back towards Mochi. ¡®Right, she doesn¡¯t have anything. Actually, I should split the money I got from the bounties and the gear I sold. And the compensation too because why not. Together that was about 4 gold or something, so I¡¯ll just give her 1 gold and 10 silvers, and she can throw in two silvers. I mean, I¡¯m probably butchering the math with rounding but who cares really.¡¯ I sighed, handing her the money. ¡°This is the money they gave us from collecting the bounties on the bandits and selling off their gear, take half.¡±

    A part of me thought she¡¯d refuse or insist she didn¡¯t deserve it¡­ But just like everything else I told her to do, she followed without hesitation. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to be extra careful with what I say to her¡­¡¯

    She hurriedly pocketed the money.

    ¡°Being careful with money is good¡­ But don¡¯t worry too much alright.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ What is too much¡­ I don¡¯t get it¡­¡±

    ¡®Good point¡­¡¯ ¡°Just¡­ Forget it¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Still, you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about thieves, remember that needle spell you used to keep track of me? Just use that on the coin purse. Still, pickpockets aren¡¯t really a thing anymore since everyone just uses storage magic. I¡¯ll enchant a ring or something for you later.¡±

    ¡°If they won¡¯t steal¡­ Then why are they all staring¡­¡±

    ¡®Why are they¡­¡¯  As I looked around I suddenly became aware of their eyes. They weren¡¯t staring exactly, but we were definitely pulling attention. We were hard to ignore. ¡®No one would be able to recognize me¡­ And they shouldn¡¯t know Mochi either.¡¯ ¡°Maybe they just think you''re cute,¡± I said half-jokingly, pulling her closer as I continued to track their eyes. ¡®It¡¯s not like I showed up to the temple in my underwear¡­ And there are other people dressed worse than me¡­ My arms are the only thing not covered¡­ So it¡¯s not my clothes¡­ Sure I gave Mochi some money, but it¡¯s hardly anything compared to the higher-ranking adventurers that come here. Besides, there is no way THAT many people are marking me.¡¯

    I turned back to Mochi who looked like she had partially died again. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t she like being called cute? Why does she look so dead inside when I try to compliment her¡­¡¯

    Finally, it was our turn. At the end of the line was a large stone altar, I threw the coins in through slits on the top and folded my hands, lowering my head. ¡®I fully expect you to do something good with this money¡­ You hear me Plutia¡­ Don¡¯t let me down ok¡­ And thanks.¡¯

    When I opened my eyes I noticed that Mochi had caught on and copied me, when she was done praying as well the coins turned to glistening light and ascended into the sky¡­ Also known as Plutias storage, more or less.

    After we stepped to the side I began to focus on the people''s stares again. ¡®What¡¯s with them¡­ Seriously¡­¡¯ Someone grabbed my shirt from behind and in the same breath I spun around and flipped them onto the hard stone floor. ¡®Who would try to pull something here?¡¯

    Mochi poked me in the arm and pointed. At the person, who was clearly disy, and waiting to stand back up, wearing the robes of priestess.

    ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ I just took out a hollywoman¡­¡±

    ¡°Does this mean you''re a fallen angel now?¡±

    ¡°Are my eyes turning red¡­¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t throw her that hard though¡­¡¯ I groaned, looking back at her. ¡®I¡¯m not an angel, to begin with¡­ I¡¯m human¡­¡¯

    She looked at my eyes intently for a moment before glancing away again. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t tell¡­¡±

    ¡®Is she color blind? I should worry about that later¡­¡¯ ¡°What should we do?¡± I asked, thinking out loud as I slowly stepped closer to the girl on the ground and checked to make sure she wasn¡¯t injured. ¡®I would have thought she would have gotten up by now. She didn¡¯t hit her head, she¡¯s just exhausted.¡¯

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    ¡°We should probably visit the shrine again and repent.¡±

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t sound right¡­¡¯ I glanced back at the long line. ¡®Let¡¯s not¡­¡¯ ¡°No, we need to make sure she¡¯s alright first¡­ And we should probably figure out what she needed.¡± I lightly tapped her cheek a few times. ¡°Hey, are you alright? I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± ¡®Why is she so cold?

    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m just a little dizzy¡­¡±

    ¡®Her hands are cold¡­ too¡­ They aren¡¯t black though. She must have just used divine magic.¡¯ I helped her stand back up and steadied her. ¡°You will be fine¡­ But you need some rest first, and with these symptoms, you shouldn¡¯t use any more miracles today.¡± ¡®People wouldn¡¯t come here for healing though¡­ So who was she even using them on? No¡­ Actually, I bet people would come here for healing. Especially if they were too poor. Since this is a shrine they feel obligated to help the needy, and all the more so because of whose shrine this is¡­¡¯

    She blinked so slowly that I almost thought she would fall asleep. ¡°Margret!¡± A girl yelled jogging over rather athletically. ¡°Oh no, did she collapse?¡±

    ¡®Did no one see what happened? Well¡­ It was a pretty smooth takedown after all.¡¯ ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Yeah, something like that¡­¡±

    She filled her hands and I felt divine light start to form around her before I suddenly grabbed her hands and flicked her forehead. ¡°I already sent mana into her body and warmed her up, she¡¯s just tired. There¡¯s no point in trying to use divine magic to fix a problem caused by using divine magic¡­¡±

    ¡®In the end, it will just end up with another person in this condition. Miracles aren¡¯t something easy on the body. They are more taxing than mana in some ways¡­¡¯

    The girl slowly rubbed her forehead, still completely uncertain as to what exactly she was supposed to do. I just sighed. ¡®Right¡­ No need for any higher leveled priests to be here, the shrine maidens here would most likely only be here because they aren¡¯t strong enough yet to handle more difficult tasks than healing the flu or watching over offerings.¡¯ ¡°Just take her somewhere to lay down and cover her with a few blankets¡­ Oh, and, she reached out to me before this, do you know what that was about?¡±

    She picked the unconscious girl up like it was nothing and thought for a moment before her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Plutia told her to go find a couple of girls that look like you two, so she was probably going to convey that. She is disguised as a shrine maiden right now, so she¡¯s over there, see the big sign that says free candy for children.¡±

    ¡®Of course she is¡­¡¯ I sighed again. ¡°I¡¯ll do that then¡­ You should get going.¡± She took a step away before I quickly grabbed her arm holding her back. ¡®Hold on, she¡¯s strong¡­ Her arms are huge.¡¯

    ¡°U-uhm¡­¡± Her face turned slightly red as I stared at her in silence. ¡®Oh¡­ Right¡­ I should tell her why I did that all of a sudden¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡­¡± I grabbed her hand, still holding onto her arm. ¡®It¡¯s not bad yet, but I¡¯m glad I stopped her earlier¡­¡¯ ¡°Make sure you get some rest too¡­¡± ¡®Really¡­ The clergy here really are just too selfless¡­¡¯

    She nervously nodded and as I sent them away I patted Mochi on the shoulder and pointed to the candy stand. ¡°What do you think, I bet if we pretend to be children they¡¯ll buy it and give us free candy.¡±

    ¡°Miss Chika¡­ That sounds like lying¡­¡±

    ¡®Raised by bandits and flogged for being a criminal huh¡­¡¯ I let out an annoyed groan. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Let¡¯s just go¡­¡±

    Of course, there was another line¡­ This time though Mochi seemed fidgety, instead of standing still like a doll. ¡®Is she excited to get candy? It¡¯s good to see her like that.¡¯

    ¡°You said I can ask you things right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did that girl fall asleep like that?¡±

    ¡®Oh¡­ She wasn¡¯t excited just nervous about asking a question¡­¡¯ I shifted my weight, placing a hand on my hip and leaning away from her, holding her hand out of habit. ¡®Really it would be better if we just waited and let Plutia explain this¡­ But I think it¡¯s going to be a while¡­ And I don¡¯t want her to be any more shy because I didn¡¯t answer¡­¡¯ ¡°So¡­ It¡¯s like¡­ Remember when you prayed, and then that big flash of light happened and you got really cold?¡±

    She stared at me blankly. ¡°Flash of light?¡±

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t? I felt like that was kind of a big event¡­¡¯ ¡°Uhm¡­ Ok, have you ever used up all your mana and felt really tired all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m usually really tired before I use my mana too though¡­¡±

    ¡®This shouldn¡¯t be that hard to explain¡­¡¯ ¡°You know how like, when you wake up in the morning and you¡¯re still kind of tired?¡±

    ¡°Why would I be tired when I wake up? The whole point of sleeping is to stop being tired isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡®This kid¡­ I¡¯m not even annoyed¡­ I just¡­ Feel bad¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath as the line inched ever closer. ¡®Ahh¡­ I bet she¡¯ll get this one.¡¯ ¡°You know how after you fall down, like if you trip and fall down the stairs, you hit the ground and sometimes you kind of want to lay there for a while instead of getting up?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°But what if someone else falls down the stairs too? Then they would land right on top of you and it would hurt even more.¡±

    ¡°When you use divine powers a lot it makes your body get cold and you get really sleepy¡­¡±

    ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± She raised a finger under her chin and slightly tilted her head. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it¡­¡±

    ¡®Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s a good thing I never tried to become a teacher¡­¡¯

    From out of nowhere someone suddenly plopped a hard candy into her mouth making her freez, her eyes going wide as her ears started to flutter and twitch. It only took me a few seconds to realize it was Plutia, wearing modest shrine maidens clothes, but still mimicking my black and grey hair, only with a much taller and more¡­ Robust figure. ¡°Mortal bodies consist of the mind, the body, and the soul. Physical arts are applied through the body, while magic is applied through the mind. Curses are manifestations of a soul. Miracles though, are a combination of a good soul, combined with a mind that allows the soul''s intention to take shape, and lastly, the body, which becomes a temple to channel those intentions. As a result. Since the power is divine. It causes the impurities in the soul to burn, however, a soul burning feels cold and empty.¡±

    ¡°Plutia¡­ If she didn¡¯t even understand my explanation, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll get¨C¡±

    ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡±

    ¡®Now I¡¯m annoyed¡­¡¯ Plutia chuckled, sticking candy in my mouth as well. As silly as it was¡­ It was sweet¡­ And it did make me less annoyed. ¡®Did she bless the candy? I wouldn¡¯t put it past her¡­¡¯

    As if reading my thoughts through my eyes she chuckled again, covering her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal candy,¡± she said softly, grabbing our hands and bouncing a few steps away, dragging us along behind her. ¡°This way this way! I have something to show you girls!¡±

    ¡®One girl that¡¯s older than me but looks like a kid¡­ And another that¡¯s hundreds of years old¡­ And acts like a kid¡­ How did I end up stuck between these two¡­¡¯

 Chapter 89: Child-Like

    After dragging us to a nearby cafe we were immediately given free service, which was nice, but hardly answered any of our¡­ Or I guess my questions. Mochi wasn¡¯t bothered by it all, enamered by sweets.

    The waitress brought over our coffee, making it extra sweet with cream for the other two, smiling, and even shaking a bit, no doubt nervous that a saint was there¡­ ¡®I feel bad for her¡­ If only people realized how much of a child Plutia really is they wouldn¡¯t be so anxious¡­¡¯

    Just before Mochi gulped it down I quickly covered the mug with my hand, stopping her from raising it. ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­ Be careful not to burn yourself.¡±

    She nodded confidently, giving me enough confidence to at least take my hand away, but then she just stared at it drooling. ¡®Maybe I should just teach her water magic¡­ If she can learn it well enough to use ice¡­ This won¡¯t be a problem anymore. Hm¡­ Since she already knows earth and air, it should actually be easy, as those provide boons to her learning it. But¡­ It would make learning something like fire incredibly difficult.¡¯

    I suddenly felt a finger poking into my cheek and slowly turned back to Plutia who was smiling mischievously. ¡°Boop.¡±

    ¡®I feel like I have better things to be doing¡­¡¯ I muffled my own slight growl as I leaned back away from her and against my chair. ¡°Right, what exactly did you need Plutia?¡±

    Mochi¡¯s eyes shot up in an instant and posture suddenly became perfect. ¡®Did she not know? Who she was?¡¯

    Plutia leaned on one of her hands, placing her elbow on the table as she spun her other finger, dipping it in Mochis drink to cool it off and trailing divine light through the air. ¡°Maybe I just wanted to see you two. You are both my little sisters aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put your finger in someone else drink, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± I slapped her hand away and she suddenly recoiled, holding it like a puppy with an injured paw. ¡°You could have just touched the outside of the mug¡­¡±

    Everyone fell silent and the atmosphere didn¡¯t so much change¡­ As much as break into tiny little pieces. Mochi was no doubt confused and shocked, likely soon to be disillusioned, and Plutia was now too busy pouting to answer my questions.

    ¡°If we¡¯re sisters, then why does it feel like I have to mother you¡­ Were you really going to make these poor people serve you for free too?¡± The waitress nervously came back and handed me the bill that I had discreetly asked for earlier. ¡°Letting people give you free things just because you¡¯re a saint is irresponsible. One is probably fine¡­ But seeing as how you know everything on the menu I doubt this is your first time coming here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Uh¡­ Well that¡¯s¡­¡±

    I sighed, handing the waitress a couple of silver coins. ¡®And she ordered something expensive too¡­¡¯ ¡°They aren¡¯t giving you free things out of kindness, they would simply lose their reputation if they demanded payment from you.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    She started tearing up but held back.

    ¡®Honestly¡­ She¡¯s not doing it on purpose but¡­ No, why does it even bother me? If anything it probably helps their business with a saint being a regular¡­ I guess I¡¯m just really touchy right now¡­¡¯ I let out a deep breath. ¡°I mean really¡­ People donate so much, it¡¯s not like you could be broke right?¡±

    She timidly glanced to the side. ¡°Oh well¡­ I mean, all the donations get sent to heaven, I don¡¯t keep anything for myself so¡­¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡± My voice cracked as I slowly lowered my head to the table. ¡®She really is hopeless¡­ But I guess that¡¯s why we love her¡­¡¯ I raised my head again, squinting. ¡°Wait, saints get their power from God, right? The one we call the creator, that¡¯s why reverent people reserve that title only for him, even though some people would refer to someone like you as a god. But¡­ What¡¯s the point of sending money to heaven¡­ Does he like, give you more power the more money you give him?¡±

    ¡°Lots of reasons¡­¡± Mochi mumbled. ¡°We give as a symbol of faith and an expression of sacrifice. It¡¯s a symbol of letting go of material attachments, and reminds us that they are so insignificant that we should be able to give them up freely, without getting anything in return¡­ Statistically, people that donate money are happier, and they spend less money on bad things like alcohol.¡±

    We both stared at her for a moment until Plutia started to nod. ¡°Yeah! What she said. It''s like that.¡±

    ¡®Just who exactly is the saint here¡­¡¯ ¡°Ok¡­ But why does it have to go to heaven¡­ Why can¡¯t it stay here and be used to like¡­ Feed the hungry or something¡­¡± I sighed as they both froze again. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m picking a fight¡­ I seriously want to know¡­ Whatever¡­¡¯ ¡°By the way, Mochi, where did you even hear that stuff?¡±

    ¡°Oh uhm¡­¡± She nervously looked to the side. ¡°From¡­ My mom¡­ I guess¡­¡±

    ¡°So you have memories from before?¡±

    ¡°Just one¡­ Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even know what my parents looked like.¡±

    ¡°Was your mom a cleric then? Or a priestess?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°We were just there to pray¡­ At the same shrine, we were at just now. My dad hated giving money so my mom had to explain why it was important. Then she taught me how to pray.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s her only memory¡­ She cries so often I was almost expecting it¡­ But I guess it was so long ago it doesn¡¯t even bother her to think about it anymore¡­ This is all making my head hurt¡­¡¯

    Plutia chuckled poking her in the forehead until she lifted her eyes again. ¡°I remember.¡± She folded her hands and closed her eyes. ¡°Please make all of the money come back so Daddy''s happy.¡± She said with a grin before unfolding her hands again. ¡°That was your first prayer right?¡±

    Mochi suddenly turned bright red, her body unmoving.

    ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s still better than her crying, so I¡¯ll take it as a win.¡¯ ¡°If you actually had no real reason for bringing us here, then I¡¯m going to make one up, you can answer some questions for me. Starting with¡­ What the heck is a Yeladot¡­

    She raised her eyebrow. ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess you wouldn¡¯t know, your circumstances made you mature rather quickly so of course you would have never been one.¡±

    ¡®What¡­¡¯

    ¡°It means divine child, or, someone with childlike faith. Someone pure, innocent, and still a bit immature¡­ You¡¯ve never really been any of those things, so it would make sense you weren¡¯t one, even as an actual child.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Kinda harsh¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m not really a bad person am I?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing, it just means you grew up too fast¡­ Although in her case¡­ It¡¯s kind of the opposite. Even though she¡¯s in her 20s she has the mental and emotional maturity of something more like a 8 year old. Uh¡­ On average. Some things will come more naturally than others. But¡­ Because of this, despite her overwhelming pure soul and physically mature body, she will only be able to cast low-tier miracles, all be it extremely potent low-tier miracles. In essence, that is what the class means.¡±

    ¡°And once she matures?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d receive a normal class. At her current divinity, She¡¯d be an abbot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying she can cast 12 insanely strong lesser heal spells a day? And once she matures she¡¯ll be able to use tier 7 miracles?¡± ¡®That would be insane on its own¡­ But combining that, magic¡­ AND fighting skills?¡±

    She slowly looked back and forth between us, clearly not understanding much of what we were saying, but suddenly flexing her biceps, appearing to at least pick up on what I was thinking.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re strong,¡± I smirked rubbing her head before relaxing again. ¡®I definitely don¡¯t have to worry about her anymore. She could get practically any job she wanted and live a pretty good life. I guess all I have to do is help her figure out which path she wants to choose. Obviously, I want her to go hunting with me¡­ But if I tell her that in this state she¡¯d do it without thinking¡­ That would be like taking advantage of her.¡¯

 Chapter 90: Mad?

    ¡°Oh, and one other thing,¡± Plutia said softly, finishing her drink. ¡°You¡¯ve been getting special treatment of sorts because of your righteous actions, but you managed to build up enough divinity to properly be at the level of using tier 3 miracles now congratulations.¡± She stood up and we followed her out.

    ¡°Keeping the bandits alive, and rescuing as well as caring for Mochi, were all big contributions to that end, regardless of reasoning. You won¡¯t be getting special treatment anymore though. Or more accurately I can¡¯t give it to you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Special treatment like punching me in the stomach when I try to leave instead of helping¡­ I¡¯m not sure it counts as righteous action if I¡¯m really just being pressured into doing it.¡±

    She sighed, rolling her eyes, and after staring at me for a moment she bounced forward, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°Why are you always like this¡­¡±

    ¡°I should be asking you that¡­¡± I growled.

    She let go and stepped back, looking at me again as if I had somehow turned into a rabbit. Raising her hand along with one of her eyebrows she measured my height compared to hers and only seemed more confused. ¡°You¡¯re still short. But something different.¡±

    ¡®She seriously didn¡¯t notice? I¡¯m not even sure how to answer that¡­ I mean¡­ What¡¯s the most obvious change? She can¡¯t see my scars through my clothes, my hair is healthier, but similar. ¡°I guess, my skin is smoother and stuff¡­ Is that what you mean? I am a couple of inches taller too.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    I put my hands in my pockets glancing at Mochi who just shrugged. ¡®Mochi never saw my original body, so she wouldn¡¯t know¡­ But she isn¡¯t going to drop this till she figures it out¡­¡¯ ¡°My chest got bigger too, is that what you mean?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s pretty much the same¡­¡±

    My body stiffened slightly. ¡®She¡¯s saying¡­ I look that same?¡¯

    ¡°What? But you¡¯re chest is supper small now.¡± Mochi leaned out from my side and stepped over next to Plutia copying after her as they inspected me with their eyes.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to hear that from a girl that looks like an 8-year-old¡­¡¯ I folded my arms with a growl. ¡°What then, come on, what is it?¡± ¡®although it makes sense she¡¯d think that comparing it to before¡­¡¯

    Plutia turned to Mochi and whispered. ¡°What do you mean small now?¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Oh, they used to be super huge, bigger than yours, all the guys thought they were really pretty, they wouldn¡¯t stop talking about her.¡±

    ¡®Maybe I should have killed them after all¡­¡¯

    ¡°Oho? What kinds of things did they say about her?¡±

    Mochi lightly placed a finger against her chin, tilting her head. Uhm, you know, like how her body was amazing, and they would cut off their left arm if it meant they could be with her.

    ¡®Cutting off a limb¡­ Seriously?¡¯ I let out a sigh of relief. ¡®Honestly, I was a little worried about what might come out of her mouth¡­ Asking someone what they overheard bandits say about a girl they desire seems like a dangerous question¡­¡¯ I shook my head, looking down the street. ¡®There is still some time left today¡­ We shouldn¡¯t be supper far away from the Blackstone Forge guild tower. Maybe I can get the materials I need. Let¡¯s see, my enchanting has gotten better, with practice I bet I could refine Azure steal into Vethrian steal, I just need to purchase some busted-up equipment and melt it down. That¡¯s usually cheaper since I save them the trouble of scraping it themselves. Although It¡¯s tricky melting down steal because I have to re-balance the carbon¡­¡¯

    ¡°Yeah, apparently there was a hole in her door, but she always changed off to the side so no one got to see them.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± my voice cracked as they just kept going.

    ¡°I¡¯m still jealous, it would have been fun to see her like that, a cold battle-hardened warrior with nothing to cover her bountiful femininity but a single piece of cloth. So cool!

    ¡°What the heck are you saying!¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m kinda curious about what they looked like, is it just like a really big muscle? Can you do the thing guys do that makes it bounce?¡± She suddenly paused and they both stared at me ¡°Why is her face red?¡± Mochi asked.

    ¡°You two are such¡­¡±

    ¡°She must be thinking about it. I can see it now, the fearsome warrior all battered, her clothes torn from the treacherous battle, and after she wins by a hair a dashing knight offers her his cloak and carries her to safety!¡±

    ¡®Such children¡­¡¯ ¡°What are you even saying¡­¡± I grumbled, tightening my arms around myself.

    Mochi gasped. ¡°How did you know about that?¡±

    ¡°Know about¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°What? So that really happened?¡± My voice cracked again. ¡°But I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I know the dashing knight.¡± She smirked, putting her hands on her hips and sticking out her chest. ¡°He told me everything, after healing her he wrapped her up in his cloak to make sure she was covered while they carried her through town after he healed her.¡±

    ¡®My clothes? And¡­ But wait, I thought Lola¡­ She can¡¯t use healing magic though¡­ So was it that blond knight that was with her? I really should have asked more about what happened¡­¡¯

    ¡°Her face is even more red now, does that mean something happened after that?¡±

    Plutia smiled mischievously. ¡°Oh, I wonder¡­¡± She suddenly chuckled, grabbing some of my hair. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s it, your hair is longer than it used to be. That¡¯s what I was noticing. And on that note, gotta go bye!¡±

    ¡°PLUTIA!¡± I shouted, taking a few steps behind her before I stopped. ¡°She was talking so loudly¡­ In the middle of the street¡­¡± I whined. ¡®And she somehow always knows right when I¡¯m about to snap and jumps away¡­¡¯

    Mochi suddenly grabbed my hand again as if worried I¡¯d leave her behind. ¡°S-sorry¡­ We weren¡¯t trying to make you mad¡­¡±

    In an instant I felt calm again, all it took was one look at her worried face. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not mad at you¡­¡± I sighed, looking around at all the people staring at me. ¡®But how am I supposed to show my face now¡­ The craziest part about this is that she¡¯s so immature she doesn¡¯t even know what she just implied¡­ Me¡­ With a holly knight? And us¡­ Together?¡¯ I took a deep breath to calm my mind. It didn¡¯t exactly work¡­ But it was enough for me to get moving to our next destination and as I walked I eventually felt the heat drain from my face again and my heart rate began to slow. ¡®Why me¡­ I¡¯ll need to be on guard more when Mochi is around Plutia¡­ Or she¡¯ll pick up bad habits¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around? Ugh¡­¡¯

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mad?¡±

    I sighed again, shaking my head and smiling once we were alone again. ¡°Yeah well¡­ A cheerful heart is good medicine, right? I¡¯ll be fine. Just a little embarrassed was all.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ You were super cool though¡­¡±

    ¡®Even if I was mad¡­ I doubt I¡¯d be able to stay that way for long¡­ Honestly, this girl should be the saint¡­¡¯

 Chapter 91: Blood Ingots.

    ¡°You want all my scrap metal? Hm¡­¡± A young dwarf leaned over in his seat, placing a hand on his knee and staring me down. ¡°Who¡¯s forging with it?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡®I guess I don¡¯t exactly look like an adventurer now that I¡¯ve got fair skin¡­¡¯ ¡°That would be me¡­¡±

    He let out a huff and turned back to the room behind him. ¡°Hey Crank! Grabe some of that junk Barge got recently!¡±

    After a few moments, a large tray was slapped on the counter filled with blood-soaked armor and broken weapons. ¡°This is all the junked steal we have right now, everything else has been melted down already¡­ What are you looking for specifically?¡±

    I started sorting through the gear. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m confident I can work with the metal, but I want to try refining Vethrian steel, which means I would need Azure steel as a base right? I¡¯ve only ever worked with Iron on my own, although I worked with Damascus steal for a request while I was learning since I can enchant.¡±

    He folded his arms, still eyeing me, a bit suspiciously. ¡°Let me see you¡¯re card.¡±

    ¡°My¡­¡± I took a step back before collecting myself. ¡°Why¡­ Do you want to see that?¡±

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t been here before have you miss?¡±

    I sighed, pulling it out. ¡°No, It¡¯s fine¡­ Dwarves only sell to people they trust¡­ You want to make sure I¡¯m actually capable of turning this into something before you give it to me, is that right?¡±

    He smirked, his eyes warming up. ¡°So you do know a thing or two.¡±

    He took my card and read it over carefully examining it. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the girl everyone keeps talking about. The ironsmiths have been talking even longer than that though, you certainly aren¡¯t a stranger here. That¡¯s my mistake sorry.¡± He handed it back and I nervously pocketed it.

    ¡®I¡¯d almost rather they see me naked than my card¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get over showing it to people¡­¡¯

    ¡°So. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t sell you azure steal just yet, junk or not.¡±

    ¡°Why not¡­¡± ¡®Why do dwarves have to be so complicated¡­ If he was human the only thing that would matter is whether or not I give him the money¡­¡¯

    ¡°It would be irresponsible of me to let you learn how to refine Vethrian steal before you learn how to make Azure steal. Come inside the forge.¡± He said gruffly opening up a small knee-high door next to the counter.

    ¡®Oh, so it¡¯s like that then. Free lesson?¡¯

    ¡°I will be charging you for this too, I¡¯ll bundle it with the gear.¡±

    ¡®Ah¡­ Extorsion¡­ Yeah, that sounds more reasonable¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Mochi, if it gets too hot for you then you can step out alright?¡± I said softly as she followed behind me and we got to work. She was surprisingly helpful during the process, and I learned quite a bit too.

    Steal was a simple alloy, carbon, and iron. Damascus steel was a steal that was imbued with magic during refining, this gave it a specific pattern, as well as made it immune to rust and things like that. Azure steal was different though. It was made from iron, carbon, and mana crystals. Vethrian steal was just that but with magic, the Damascus version of azure steel if you will. The higher the percentage of mana crystals, the brighter the blue and the more it took to enchantments, but this also made it more brittle. And if you used a ratio of higher than 50% mana crystals the armor would become transparent and the magical properties of the mana crystal would all disappear, making it so you couldn¡¯t even try to reforge it.

    Of course, like I said I had worked with steal before, and refining was the easiest part of smithing, especially after I learned metal magic. I was a fast learner on top of that, so we were in and out of there in just a few hours. I even impressed the dwarves enough that they gave me a discount¡­ Altogether it only cost¡­ A few gold¡­

    ¡®Just think about the shiny new weapons!¡¯ I told myself as I parted with even more of my precious money. ¡®It¡¯s worth it¡­ I¡¯m not even C rank, so having full Azure steel gear would be unusual, not to mention Vethrian steal. ¡®I think most people my rank would usually be traveling with one Vethrian steel weapon. Wealthy mages that are strong enough to reach C rank start wearing Vethrian steal armor because they can have it made light. But monster leather armor is just not as effective until you start hunting C or even B-grade monsters. Before that, it¡¯s hard to find a hide tougher than iron, although leather does take to certain enchantments far better, which can be useful in its own way¡­ But most people don¡¯t have skills or coins to get things enchanted until they are C rank anyway.¡¯ I scratched my head turning back to Mochi. ¡®She looks small, but she is pretty tough¡­ Still, I feel like I should give her a set of armor first.¡¯ I rubbed my forehead. ¡®What am I even saying¡­ I still don¡¯t even know if she wants to be an adventurer¡­ I¡¯ll need to talk with her tomorrow¡­ Too tired right now.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    ¡°Woh there!¡± One of the dwarves said boldly as he grabbed me and steadied me on my feet. ¡°You alright miss?¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ Just used too much mana too soon¡­¡± I coughed, spitting out blood. ¡®That¡¯s not good¡­ I let my thoughts wander while I was pouring mana into the steel and didn¡¯t stop¡­¡¯

    I rubbed my eyes as they helped me over to a chair. ¡°Don¡¯t you know your own limits girl?¡± One grumbled, handing me a mana potion.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard when you keep breaking them¡­¡± I grumbled back, gulping it down as fast as I could and closing my eyes. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s actually that bad, the blood is from lesions in my throat, not my lungs. My mana circuits are still normal, I just overused them¡­ It¡¯s my body that¡¯s messed up¡­Too many possible reasons for that.¡¯ I opened my eyes again and took a deep breath. ¡°I think I¡¯m fine now thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s three silver for the mana potion.¡±

    ¡®Freaking dwarves¡­¡¯ I growled handing over the money and throwing the junked gear into storage along with materials I would need before heading out. ¡®I got blood on my shirt too¡­ I should wash it off before it stains¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go home early today¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Boss!¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s that about?¡¯ I held my head, tuning them out while I rested and made sure I fully recovered. It felt like several minutes passed until my body cooled down and my mana stabilized again. After I started thinking straight I prayed for healing, and that fixed the lingering pain from the cuts.

    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± Mochi asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ But what¡¯s going on¡­ Is there still a commotion?¡±

    ¡°Apparently when you spat blood in the steal while it was being refined it messed it up somehow.¡±

    ¡®Sparks¡­ Are they going to charge me for that too?¡¯

    The dwarf that was teaching me slowly approached and knelt down in front of me. ¡°Are you doing better miss?¡±

    ¡®Here it comes¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah¡­ How much do I owe you¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing miss. A-actually we¡¯re incredibly grateful, it may have been an accident, but you created a whole new type of metal, and we can¡¯t figure out how to reproduce it.¡± He stood up and crossed his arms, seeing that I was feeling alright again. ¡°When your blood mixed with the metal and it cooled, it turned red, not blue. We are still testing it, but it seems to have very similar properties, but its overall performance is slightly higher, although not by any noticeable amount.¡±

    ¡®Red Vethrian steal¡­¡¯ I leaned back in the chair. ¡°Why can¡¯t you reproduce it?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so simple you see. At first, we thought blood was the key, so we tried micing out blood with the steal, but it came out the same. So, then we thought, ah, well maybe it has to be human blood, so we tried that too, but again nothing.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get human blood from¡­¡±

    ¡°I know a guy.¡±

    ¡°You what? Like you know a guy that gave you some of his, or you know a guy that can get some¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡±

    ¡°It kind of is!¡±

    He shrugged it off. ¡°The important thing is that it still failed¡­ Can we have some of your blood by chance? If you give us a small vial we will give you all the red Vethrian steal we don¡¯t need for research, which is most of it. People will think we''re selling snake oil if we try and turn it into gear anyway. At least before proper testing.¡±

    ¡°Just a vial?¡± I asked slowly. ¡®I mean¡­ That sounds like a really good deal, those smelters make a lot at one time, so even if I only get half that¡¯s more than enough for me to consider it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Right, just fill this up, and I¡¯ll heal you with a miracle as well.¡± He pulled out a beeker the size of a large coffee cup and my eyes went wide.

    ¡°You call that a vial? Do I even have that much blood?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow looking at the beeker intently before glancing back at me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡®Right¡­¡¯

    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you back all the money you spent on this junked gear too.¡±

    ¡®How valuable is this? No¡­ He¡¯s a dwarf, it''s more likely he¡¯s caught up in the moment and just sees something new and shiny¡­¡¯ ¡°Still¡­ That¡¯s like¡­ Will I even survive bleeding that much? I¡¯m not a very large human¡­ And I¡¯m a girl too so¡­¡±

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°If you''re that nervous about it¡­ Here.¡± He quickly switched out the beaker for one that was half its size. ¡°This amount will definitely be fine, although you should still be careful standing up afterward.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s literally half the size¡­ The other one would have killed me for sure!¡¯

    ¡°But, you only get the red ingots for this much, not the refund. Half the blood, half the deal.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine¡­¡± I groaned pulling a knife and slashing my arm. ¡®This doesn¡¯t feel like black magic at all¡­¡¯

    As the beaker filled all the way to the brim and even overflowed he finally put it aside, someone else taking it away immediately as he folded his hands and kept his word, healing me with a prayer to Black Stone The patron saint of molten earth and artistic metal shaping. The divine power was far hotter than Plutias and left a faint spiraling brand for a few seconds before the heat vanished all at once and not even a scar remained.

    ¡°We thank you for your business.¡± He smiled happily as he walked away, the other carting out the 8 piercing red ingots ¡®The answer should be obvious no? My blood was imbued with magic to resist the heat, it melded with the magic in the mana stones due to said heat.¡¯ I looked up at them. ¡®Well¡­ I guess I don¡¯t know that for sure¡­¡¯ I sighed, throwing the ingots in storage. ¡®That¡¯s enough for a set of armor AND a couple of weapons¡­ Even if this stuff is slightly worse than Vethrian steel it¡¯s worth it for sure.¡¯

 Chapter 92: Unlikely Pairing.

    Despite my small injury from overuse of my mana¡­ And all the blood loss, I was fine. After my mana fully regenerated I felt normal again. As normal as I could in my still foreign body. We quickly knocked a few more things off the list, taking care of Mochi¡¯s teeth after realising I had forgotten about it. ¡®I should be able to fully empty out my storage when we get home, and that will at least let my mind relaxm it¡¯s too cluttered¡­ I¡¯ll figure out what to do next after that.¡¯

    I suddenly heard a scream and a crack of a whip that made Mochi tremble, squeezing my hand even tighter than when the priest was healing her teeth.

    ¡®If she actually was a little girl I¡¯d probably try to coddle her right now¡­ Honestly, I still want to.¡¯ I let go of her hand and looked back at her. ¡°Hey, hey open you¡¯re eyes.¡±

    Her jaw shook as she did what I told her.

    ¡°Whoever¡¯s using that can only hurt you if they can hit you. Do you understand?¡±

    I saw her whole body move with her throat as she swallowed like she was gulping down her fears as she steadied her posture.

    ¡°Now, are you ready for a fight? If you¡¯re not that¨C¡±

    ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    ¡°Quick to answer as always I see.¡± ¡®Now let''s see what¡¯s going on.¡¯ I grabbed my great blade from storage and pulled her back as she tried to step out in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead, if we do end up fighting try to use rock bullets from the sides, rather than shooting through me. The alley is narrow so it¡¯s possible only one of us will be able to fight at a time.¡±

    I turned the corner to see what was going on and before me was a group of rogues. They wore all black leather with a broken chain symbol as their guild crest.

    In front of them was a white Orc man, bruised and beaten nearly unconscious, growling with every breath as his back bled from the whip. To the side was a young female goblin, hesitantly taking off her clothes to reveal a tight chest wrapping and loin cloth that probably wouldn¡¯t even pass for a swimsuit.

    With one glance at her the orc let out a defeated growl, and without a word averted his gaze. ¡°T-there¡­ Now you¡¯ll leave him alone right?¡± The girl stuttered.

    As embarrassed as she clearly was¡­ It was obvious, to me at least, that they didn¡¯t actually care about her at all. Ironically, what they really wanted was to humiliate the Orc.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh as I walked forward ¡®It must have been a pretty huge hit to his pride to have her do that for him, so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if I salvage what¡¯s left of it...¡¯

    Drawing my greatblade and pulling a blanket from storage I walked over to cover the girl. ¡°Mochi, earth wall between the girl and the rest of them.¡±

    In an instant a massive tower of dirt blocked off the entire alleyway. ¡®Let''s take care of this first.¡¯ I kept my guard up in case they had someone with them that could break through the wall, but most of my focus was on the girl. After all, I had my assumptions, but I didn¡¯t actually know what was happening for sure. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    From her appearance, I guessed she was probably from both the long ears and the fanged tribes. She had flawless skin that was a minty shade of olive green, and a bubbly shade of coral pink covered her hair. Looking at her, her face and ears were both bright red. So much so that I thought her skin color was changing, but that was probably unrelated... ¡°F-fine¡­ If you¡¯re going to help give me a weapon and lower the wall, otherwise you should have stayed out of this¡­¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s surprisingly composed. Even if her voice is a little shaky.¡¯ I pulled my hunting knife from storage. ¡°This one do?¡±

    She nodded accepting it. ¡°Two on the left, one on the right, and one scaling the wall right now. I¡¯ll take the left.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll go right. Mochi, use bolder toss to take out the section of wall highest up and send it flying.¡±

    Before the dirt sank back into the ground the girl next to me became cloaked in shadows, and the moment the wall dropped she vanished. The one climbing evaded Mochi¡¯s spell, but it was fine, as the man jumped and fell he became an easy target for my blade to whip him into a wall and crush him flat like a grape in a wine press.

    The second man tried to fight back, parrying my first swing¡­ but then the orc rammed his tusk-like fangs clean through the man''s leg, lifting him up into the air. He was still bound, and unable to move very well, so from there he just dropped him and kicked him in the head to finish the deal.

    I turned to check back on the girl, but all I saw were two more bodies lying on the ground. Suddenly I felt a tug from behind me. ¡°It¡¯s taken care of. Thank you¡­¡± The girl''s voice meekly spat out as she carefully positioned herself between me and the Orc.

    I was actually bigger than her, at least in my new body, so it worked pretty well, not that he was looking anyway.

    ¡®Right¡­ Now how do I deal with this awkward mess¡­¡¯ I took the knife and threw it back in storage along with my blade, then I used lesser healing on the orc, who still hadn¡¯t bothered to look at me. Given what was behind me I couldn¡¯t blame him though, especially because of how much his race was known to value honor¡­ And how weirdly specific they got in regards to what that meant.

    For that same reason, I figured it would be better to let him free himself, so I threw my knife into the dirt at his feet, getting a grunt of approval. As I slowly turned around the girl behind me jumped, flinching suddenly as her eyes darted to the side. ¡®A bit skittish for someone that just knocked out two men twice her size.¡¯

    She was tightly gripping the blanket around her neck to cover herself, constantly moving her eyes around the area like a cat finding itself in a dangerous position, unsure of what to do. ¡°Hey.¡± I snapped my fingers in front of her to draw attention. ¡°You¡¯re ok, right? Not hurt?¡±

    After a short pause, she started nodding. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then you should go put your clothes back on,¡± I said, pointing to the pile on the ground where she left her gear, hoping to give her some direction for her nervous energy.

    I hardly believed it when her face somehow turned even more red. ¡°Out in the open?!?¡± She yelled, her eyes pleading for help.

    ¡°Well you took them off out in the open didn¡¯t you¡­¡± To an extent, I understood how she felt, but wasn¡¯t it better than walking around with just a blanket? I glanced over to Mochi as she hesitantly approached, awkwardly trying to get closer to me while staying away from the strangers.

    ¡°Mochi¡­ can you check on the orc¡¯s wounds while I deal with this¡­¡± Her eyes got big real fast. ¡®Does everyone here have social anxiety or something?¡¯ Rolling my eyes I let out a sigh and conjured a wall of thorns to block the view as I pushed the sheepish goblin back over to her equipment.

    I wanted to ask her more questions¡­ But as curious as I was I decided in the end it probably wasn¡¯t worth talking about much more, sense it was already all said and done.

 Chapter 93: Payback.

    The young Goblin''s armor was clearly tailor-made for her, even if it wasn¡¯t the highest quality. The black tunic she put on underneath had delicate lace work around the edges, and specially dyed leather covered the armor openings with a faded olive green.

    Copper and bronze plates lined the leather, and out from under the jerkin came a frilly black skirt with more lace that covered over the belt line of her hardened leather-plated greaves, which connected to her tall boots.

    It was a bit strange¡­ Don¡¯t get me wrong it was super cute, despite having a more adult charm to it from the black lace, but it was armor, not a princess''s dress¡­ Judging from the faded leather I could tell it had been in a couple of fights at least, but it still looked so elegant and decorative, especially for something made from low-grade materials like sky iron.

    After a few moments, she let out a heavy breath as she finished strapping her daggers to her belt.

    ¡®I have so many questions¡­ But maybe none of them even matter¡­ Should I just go on my way now?¡¯ I lowered the wall of thorns.

    ¡°EH! W-wait I¡¯m not done yet!¡± She quickly pulled her hood up, tightly holding it to her face to hide her ears.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get the feeling you get easily embarrassed¡­¡±

    Slowly lowering her hands, she tried to feign calmness, but the red still hadn¡¯t fully left her cheeks as she cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s not like it matters right, it doesn¡¯t make me fight any worse¡­¡±

    ¡®Oh, she¡¯s admitting it then? I would have just blamed the situation. Well, whatever.¡¯ ¡°Mochi, how¡¯s he doing?¡±

    She stood there blankly without saying a word. In the end, he had to respond for her, walking up to give me the knife back. ¡°You have my thanks Bull Castrator.¡±

    ¡°Bull¡­¡± Suddenly I felt the same way the goblin did. ¡®There''s no way anyone actually calls me that right? Right? Please¡­¡¯ I shook my head to snap myself out of it. ¡°D-don¡¯t mention it. Oh and¡­ Don¡¯t call me that. Chika is fine¡­ Or¡­ Anything else honestly¡­¡± ¡®Even red streke was better¡­¡¯

    He grunted with confirmation, rubbing his wrist. ¡°Very well then. To answer your question I am doing fine, the whip and handler were not strong enough to do anything but cause pain, something I am well acquainted with.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so¡­ you want to explain what''s going on? Because we need to decide if we''re going to loot these guys and leave them in the street, or bring them into the district holding cells. And turn them in.¡±

    He lifted a hand to his chin as he thought, slowly caressing one of his tusks that protruded out from his lower jaw. His eyes glanced over to the goblin, but she quickly turned away, pulling her hood even farther over her face. ¡°We will loot them, and break their leader''s hands. That experience was unpleasant¡­ After that, we can bring them in. I don¡¯t know how this city''s court would handle their kind though, I admit.¡±

    I had to back up and place a hand in his way to stop him from acting. Thankfully he stopped after his bare chest brushed up against me¡­ And after an awkward moment of silence, I explained myself. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. If they didn¡¯t technically do much wrong, there¡¯s no point in turning them in. And we can¡¯t just break their hands now that we already won the fight¡­¡±

    He snarled at me, sending chills down my spine as he stepped closer, towering over me by a couple of feet.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I mean¡­ That¡¯s not that we can¡¯t do anything. Just tell me what happened so I can figure out what the best course of action is. Otherwise, you two might end up in trouble.¡±

    He took a long slow breath. ¡°I am right.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡®Freaking orcs¡­¡¯ I turned back to the goblin, who was still hiding her face under her hood, and then to Mochi who was still too shy to say a word. ¡®This is ridiculous¡­¡¯ ¡°Look, tell me what happened, and I¡¯ll decide if you¡¯re right.¡± ¡®He might look intimidating¡­ But I doubt he¡¯s actually that strong if he ends up in that situation¡­ Those guys weren¡¯t hard to beat¡­

    He grabbed my right shoulder and picked me up into the air until we were at eye level, making me a bit worried if not for the fact that there was no aggression present in his face. After staring directly into my eyes for a minute he put me back down. ¡°Human females¡­¡± He grumbled. ¡°It would seem Tooly is still too embarrassed to function outside of combat, so I will explain.¡±

    ¡®What was that supposed to mean¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t necessarily like how he said it¡­ But it was strangely satisfying to be acknowledged as a girl. ¡°Great, start with why they were after you.¡±

    ¡°I may have given a certain Human a lecture about honor while smashing his face in during a fighting tournament.¡±

    ¡®That¡­ Sounds about right¡­¡¯ ¡°The law probably won¡¯t do anything to them, except maybe a misconduct charge and a fine of a few silvers.¡±

    He started to snarl. ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Explain how it went down.¡±

    ¡°They confronted us. Tooly became convinced to just pay them, we could always earn more money after all. But¡­ The price they demanded was quite high, much more than we had. And so, they said they would deliver a warning¡­ I¡­ Lost¡­ The fight¡­ Tooly begged them to stop, and they told her they would if she took off her clothes.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t fight back?¡±

    ¡°If I accidentally killed one of them it would have caused more problems no? The whip didn¡¯t hurt, it was the easier solution during that time¡­ At least it would have been if my companion were more reasonable¡­ And less willing to¡­ Well, never mind¡­¡±

    ¡®I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s being serious¡­ Or just being an orc¡­¡¯ I sighed, rubbing my head. ¡°In this case, the law won¡¯t do anything, Let just take all the coin they have on them as penance for them attacking you, that should be fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re laws here¡­ Are strange¡­¡±

    I started looting the bodies, tapping Mochi on the shoulder and getting her to help as well. ¡°True, but it works as well as any other system of law¡­ Probably¡­¡±

    ¡°Fair enough¡­¡± He picked up a large polearm with a slightly curved blade, letting out a growl. A guandao, also called a horse killer. ¡®That¡¯s his weapon huh¡­¡¯

    I could tell by the sudden soft and distant look in his eyes this likely wasn¡¯t his first time being disappointed in the system. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the law will not punish them for what he made Tooly do?¡±

    I didn¡¯t like it either, but it was a loophole of sorts. ¡°Technically speaking, she removed her own clothes of her own free will¡­ They didn¡¯t actually make her do anything¡­ They even told her she had the option not to¡­ At most, they would get a small fine. Although that¡¯s doubtful. She also never stripped naked, and from what I understand it¡¯s relatively common for certain goblin tribes to wear very little in the first place. Legally speaking the only thing they would be in trouble for was assaulting you, but we resolved that on our own and having won the fight, we are allowed to just take their stuff as loot.¡± ¡®I studied these laws pretty thoroughly after getting pissed off at my trial¡­¡¯

    After dusting off his bladed spear he walked over to the leader and spread his hand on the ground.

    ¡°What the, hey!¡± I shouted running over to stop him. ¡°I just told you we can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying we can rob them, but not break this man¡¯s hand as penance?¡±

    I lowered my head into one of my hands, pinching my temples between my thumb and middle finger. ¡°You can¡¯t claim self-defense if he¡¯s unconscious¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I would claim Thra¡¯gor-gah¡¯grim¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe you would call it something like an honor call. Taking back honor that was stolen.¡±

    ¡°How is breaking his hand going to get you you¡¯re honor back?¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand. It¡¯s not my honor I would be taking back. That is¡­ That is long gone¡­¡±

    I looked over to Tooly, who was now crouched down, and covering her face with her hands. She seemed embarrassed¡­ Really embarrassed. I mean who wouldn¡¯t be¡­ She didn¡¯t seem all that shaken up by it though, to be honest¡­ If anything, she was only getting more flushed, rather than showing any signs of fear or trauma.

    ¡°You¡¯re a female as well Does this not bother you?¡±

    I felt a chill across my neck and let out a growl of my own tugging at the collar of my shirt. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it doesn¡¯t make sense. If you¡¯re going to break the law you should have a good reason for it. Shouldn¡¯t she be the one to reclaim her honor, how can you take it back for her? Besides, they only made her do that because it would disgrace you for being unable to protect her from that situation, they didn¡¯t care about her at all.¡± ¡®It was obvious¡­ Their eyes were on him the whole time¡­¡¯

    He took another deep breath. ¡°You misunderstand. Honnor call is my claim¡­ My excuse. I¡¯m not doing this to somehow take revenge for my friend, nor am I doing this to somehow stop further wrongdoings of this man.¡±

    ¡°Then why even bother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing it because he pissed me off, and I¡¯m still angry. This may be about what he did, but my actions are purely for my own sake.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying this is about him whipping you?¡±

    ¡°You miss under¨C¡±

    ¡°Misunderstand yeah yeah whatever, I was just checking¡­¡± I looked back at his friend. I kind of understood what he was getting at¡­ Even though she was a stranger I felt bad for Tooly, the same as him¡­ ¡®I mean¡­ It¡¯s not like anyone will ever know it wasn¡¯t an injury sustained during the brawl right?¡¯

    I let out another sigh and stepped to the side. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my problem¡­¡± He grinned, and as he stomped the ground I heard the crackling of his bones turning to powder underneath the orcs iron boots. ¡®He¡¯s gonna be so pissed when he wakes up¡­ And since we¡¯re taking his money he won¡¯t be able to get healed right away either¡­ Well, serves him right¡­¡¯

 Chapter 94: Back To The House

    The orc, who was still unnamed had been smiling ever since I let him break the rogue¡¯s hand. It was a bit unsettling actually¡­ Regardless, I invited them both to follow Mochi and me around while we got ourselves sorted. It seemed like they didn¡¯t have a place to go either, and they insisted on giving me all the loot from taking down the bandits¡­ I mean mercenaries¡­

    Either way¡­ I felt really bad for Tooly anyway, I mean she still hadn¡¯t even said a word. And I imagined it would have been awkward for her, seeing as how her only traveling companion was a man. Mochi I knew was just nervous and shy around new people, but I didn¡¯t have a good read of the cute little goblin yet, so I was a bit worried.

    ¡°What¡¯s you¡¯re name anyway orc?¡± I asked, trying to relax. ¡®How am I going to cram four people into my house? One of them is a guy too¡­ Well¡­ He¡¯s an orc though so that¡¯s not really a problem. He might not agree though¡­ Also because he¡¯s an orc¡­

    ¡°I am called Hu Li or Kesh, one who wanderers in search of something¡­ An unpleasantly fitting name.¡±

    ¡®So¡­ What am I supposed to call you¡­¡¯ ¡°Ok¡­ Well, I¡¯m Chika¡­ But I guess you knew that¡­ In case you didn¡¯t hear my halfling friend here is Mochi.¡±

    He grunted with a nod. ¡°Yes, halflings I admire, they make the most delicious meat.¡±

    Mochi squeaked and flinched so hard it almost looked like she got struck by one of my lightning runes.

    ¡®She¡¯s probably embarrassed she can¡¯t cook¡­ I¡¯ll have to make sure she doesn¡¯t feel guilty about it¡­¡¯

    Tooly finally chuckled a bit, seeing her over-the-top response. ¡°He just meant the way you cook meat, not that he was going to eat you. Don¡¯t worry about that ok?¡±

    I felt my body stiffen slightly as I looked back at her. ¡®That¡¯s what she was worried about?¡¯ I let out a soft whine. I was glad Tooly thought it was funny¡­ But¡­ It almost made me want to cry a bit.

    Regardless, It was a relief to finally hear the goblin speak, and even more so that she was getting along with Mochi. ¡®Tooly and Hu li¡­ Right¡­ I¡¯ll just call him Kesh.¡¯ ¡°Ok Kesh. Since you¡¯re staying at my house tonight, how about I feed you all the meat you can eat, and in exchange, you use your big orc muscles to help me refine some Vethrian steal?¡±

    ¡°Whatever nonmonetary payment you desire is yours so long as the request is chaste.¡±

    My eyebrow twitched. ¡®Stay calm¡­ Just¡­¡¯ ¡°For the record¡­ You should leave things like that last part out until they become relevant¡­¡±

    He nudged Tooly with the base of his spear making her squeak and jump slightly as he got her attention. ¡°Is it not better to let them know the restrictions first to avoid misunderstandings?¡± He said softly.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ But¡­ In this case, saying it like that implies you think she is the type of person to request such things¡­¡± She squeaked back.

    ¡®Are they really that bad at whispering?¡¯Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Mochi tugged on my pant leg, and I reached down and took her hand. ¡°Chika¡­ What does Chaste mean? I don¡¯t get what he meant?¡± She asked.

    ¡®Why me¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ Modest I guess. It basically means the same thing¡­¡± I opened the door to the house and immediately started to unload my storage space. First was all of my clothes, armor, weapons, and all that I stuffed in the equipment closet. I pulled the misc items like medicine out and just hung them from my bedframe before dumping all that was left from the minotaur onto the counter and immediately drawing the eyes of Kesh. When my storage was finally empty and my mind was able to clear and relax I felt a shudder travel through my whole body like a wave of euphoria, when it passed I stretched my arms and suddenly wanted to fall asleep right on the spot. ¡°Hey¡­ Can either of you cook?¡±

    They looked at each other in a way that told me they could do little more than cook an egg. ¡®Figures¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll get started then¡­¡± I sighed with a heavy yawn.

    After I began to cook all the meat in mass, including whatever bits of warg or spider I had on me, the silent air in the room started to get to me. Having Mochi be there quietly waiting was one thing¡­ But now I had three people doing it. Kesh was simply content with silence, and the other two were too nervous to speak unless spoken to. ¡®Ugh¡­ I should be relaxing now that my storage is clear¡­ This is stupid¡­¡¯ ¡°So, Kesh, you know who I am? And you know I killed the minitour in the great forest, right? How did you recognize me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? You look the same as you did back then.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Were you there though?¡±

    ¡°Only momentarily, but I saw you walk into the tavern and pin the beast''s head to the notice board. Not an easy thing to forget.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Ok, but I was wearing my armor back then, and my helmet and everything. No one else recognizes me when they see me like that. Although, that¡¯s in part because they assume I¡¯m a guy.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Absurd¡­¡±

    I suddenly felt a slight tingly feeling in my chest. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± ¡®Still, it¡¯s strange that he can recognize me not just from my former self, but my former self when I was in that state.¡¯

    ¡°I-I can explain¡­¡± Tooly said, timidly raising her hand. ¡°It¡¯s because orcs don¡¯t just see physical things, but spiritual as well. In fact, they tend to pay much more attention to things like aura, rather than physical appearance. The entire concept of attraction based on appearance is foreign to them.¡±

    ¡®I think I get it¡­¡¯ ¡°Do guys and girls have different kinds of aura then?¡±

    She shrugged looking at him before quickly turning away and tugging at her hood again.

    ¡°How long have you two been traveling together?¡±

    ¡°Six months.¡± He answered abruptly. ¡°And no. Actually, you have a very manly aura. I can tell by scent.¡±

    ¡°Scent?¡± I felt myself stiffen again, suddenly feeling conscious of his eyes myself. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have asked¡­¡¯ ¡°Wait, but I was covered in minitours blood right? How can you smell anything else?¡±

    He slowly glided his fingers across his tusk with a soft groan, looking at Tooly and making her quickly get up and walk toward the door, stopping just before she opened it. ¡°Oh, uhm¡­ Orcs are adaptable by nature, instead of being overwhelmed, they quickly filter out scents that they have already sensed unless we want to smell it.¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked

    ¡°Yea¡­ Just getting some fresh air¡­¡±

    ¡®Her face is still red, is something wrong with her?¡¯ She stepped outside. ¡°Why does she seem to know more about orcs than you do?¡± I asked as I finished stirring the meat in one of the pans and turned around, crossing my arms and leaning back against the counter as it continued to cook.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that she knows more. She¡¯s just better at explaining. She¡¯s very energetic and curious, and of course has asked all these same questions, struggling to find the answers with my poor explanations.¡±

    ¡®Energetic huh¡­¡¯ ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem very energetic¡­ Do you think she¡¯ll be alright?¡±

    He let out a low hum. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine after a cold bath and a good night''s sleep, until then it¡¯s best I keep my distance¡­¡±

    ¡®So this is like a normal thing then¡­ I guess that¡¯s a relief.¡¯

    ¡°Halfling, Mochi¡­ I want to fight you.¡±

    Her eyes widened, and without so much as moving her mouth, she slowly stood up and methodically walked over to me grabbing onto my shirt. ¡°You can say no¡­¡± I muttered. Standing up and gently wrapping an arm around her.

    ¡°No¡­¡± She said back at him, inching farther behind me.

    ¡°It seems you have a talent for making women uncomfortable.¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Oh? Does that mean you are still a girl, not yet a woman?¡±

    ¡®What is that supposed to mean¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°No¡­ It just means I don¡¯t let people see how uncomfortable I am¡­ Like right now¡­ When you said that¡­¡± Stirring the meat one final time I laid the pans out on the table, using earth magic to create a column of stone to extend it and add another chair. Opening the window I called Tooly and she timidly came back inside like a mouse afraid of getting caught. ¡®Energetic huh¡­ Well, maybe compared to him¡­¡¯

 Chapter 95: Memory Echo

    After our meal, I offered to let Tooly take a bath first, but she was very adamant about going last¡­ So I helped Mochi, checking her back one last time and washing her hair again. Thankfully because of my treatment last time, she said the pain was completely gone, although there were still scars. At any rate, Kesh was too large to fit inside the bathtub, but he could use water magic, so he found a way around it, borrowing the room for a while while I dried Mochi¡¯s hair. Then I went, and finally Tooly.

    I was a bit confused at first as to why she was so insistent on going last, but after waiting for her to finish for over an hour I decided it was the right call. ¡®I was under the impression goblins preferred warm, humid climates¡­ How can she sit this long in a cold bath¡­ I bet most of the ice has melted by now. ¡°Should I check on her?¡±

    Kesh raised his eyes from the intricate knot he was tying and thought for a moment. ¡°Better you than me.¡± He said gruffly before continuing with his project.

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s probably true¡­¡¯ I knocked on the door and heard no response, after I tried again I opened it and carefully walked in, closing the door again behind me. She shaking so badly I could hear her teeth jittering. I didn¡¯t even bother asking before I grabbed her and pulled her out, causing her to squeal until she realized what had happened. ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself? How long have you been shaking, your skin and hair  color even changed, is that normal for goblins?¡± I asked, as I quickly wrapped her up with a big soft towel, covering her head with another one. ¡®Her hair is soaking too, so she must have kept dunking her head in the water¡­ For an hour?¡¯ ¡°Hey, are you gonna answer me? Forget it, just hurry up and dry off. Then we can¨C¡±

    Her body suddenly collapsed as she passed out. ¡®Why can¡¯t I be the only weird person I know¡­¡¯ I sighed sending mana through her body. Somehow her internal temperature was actually still normal, it was just her skin that was ice cold, so she wasn¡¯t in any danger or anything¡­ But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t think she had a storage item on her¡­ And her clothes are pretty dirty from traveling¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®Can I just leave her like this? No¡­ That would cause problems later for sure right? Hm¡­ Well. Ok, I¡¯ll change into my armor, and I¡¯ll give her my clothes¡­¡¯

    After I was done I brought her out and tucked her into bed, explaining what happened.

    ¡°Sounds about right. She was likely planning on staying in there until the water warmed up.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Why¡­¡¯ I shuddered. Taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh I scratched my head. ¡°Right, tomorrow. What will you two be up to? Are you going to get some work from the guild?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure she will be eager to get going as soon as she wakes up. We will most likely find work first and plan accordingly, then we will come back and help you with what you need of us before heading off.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I tucked Tooly in under the blankets and Mochi curled up in the corner of the room and closed her eyes. ¡°Seems like a good time to get some sleep then,¡± I said softly, stretching out my arms. ¡®Sense I¡¯m wearing my armor I¡¯ll just sleep against the wall tonight, I always end up with some kink in my joints when I sleep in a bed in full gear.¡¯

    Kesh slowly stood up. ¡°Verry well then, sleep well.¡± He said gruffly before heading outside.

    ¡®I knew it¡­ He¡¯s sleeping outside¡­ I need to find a real house soon¡­¡¯ I sighed, looking out the window as I sank down against the wall. ¡®It¡¯s not enough yet. I want more than this¡­¡¯ They hadn¡¯t given me a reason not to trust them, but just to be sure I still used a basic awareness spell. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt the need to do this¡­¡¯

    After sorting through my thoughts and remembering the spell, I scrolled to it in my mind. ¡®Another benefit of storage magic is that it really helps me keep track of all these random spells. Some of them overlap too¡­ In this instance though I think¡­ Right. Echo magic, Tier 2, Echo of thought.¡¯

    I closed my mind and focussed on Tooly since she was closer and asleep, meaning her guard was down. The spell reverberated through the air like a sound wave that continued to bounce long after the sound had dissipated until it reached her mind and I began to read her past thoughts.

    ¡®Forgive me for not trusting you completely¡­ But even if I haven¡¯t sensed any hostile intent¡­ I won¡¯t be able to rest easy if I don¡¯t do this.¡¯

    The spell began imprinting her thoughts into my mind, and to avoid collision I emptied my head while I traced through every thought she had from the time we met to the moment she fell asleep. In just a few moments I quickly realized the betraying me¡­ No¡­ Anything related to me in general, was literally the last thing on her mind.

    In fact, most of her thoughts were a lot more related to how attractive Kesh was without his shirt on¡­ There was a brief period of time where she was wondering how she should repay me¡­ A very brief period of time¡­ For the most part though it was just her nervously yelling at herself to keep it together until she dunked her head in the cold water, at which point she finally seemed to calm down, focusing mostly on how painful the cold was and then drifting to her father of all things, who apparently was the one that taught her how to fight, and from there her thoughts were all basically a thick jelly that was too jumbled to see through until she fell asleep, at which point her thoughts all suddenly cleared and she started dreaming about punching a hog in the face and then befriending it and riding it around...

    When it was all over I found my breath quickened and my face slightly flushed, but since they weren¡¯t my thoughts, the effects quickly wore off as I didn¡¯t dwell on them. ¡®Other people''s minds are¡­ Scary¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath slowing my heart rate again and quickly splashed some cold water on my face with magic after I stood up. ¡®Well¡­ For better or worse they aren¡¯t bad people, it seems like she does actually want to repay me, rather than wrong me somehow¡­ Even if she wants other things a bit more¡­¡¯ I sighed again relaxing against the wall. I guess there¡¯s no reason not to trust them.

 Chapter 96: Shopping

    The next day things went by smoothly. Although I still couldn¡¯t find Lola at least I had a reason now. Her guild was forcing her to help supervise a promotional hunt for some C-rank members. With that in mind, I went and found Posy instead. She was a girl¡­ And she dressed like one too¡­ That was about as much as I thought about it honestly. Sure white light was a little ways away, but it wasn¡¯t too hard to get there and back, especially since she took us back on a horse, turns out all three of us fit on just one¡­

    At any rate, Having Posy come along was definitely the right move. Not only could she use the calming miracle to help Mochi feel more comfortable, but they also had very similar styles, although it was certainly hard to tell at first.

    Mochi showed basically no interest in anything and was fine wearing everything. If I had brought Lola, no doubt she would have ended up in some skimpy outfit or another because of that¡­

    ¡°How does that feel.¡± She asked as Mochi walked out of the changing area.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± She pulled at the tight fabric around her arms from the suit that covered her body like a second skin under her clothes which consisted of knee-length loos leather pants and a simple short-cut tank top which posy probably just added on top to make her feel less awkward. ¡°I like it¡­¡± She said softly closing her hand a few times and tapping her against the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s cute, but I have to say it¡¯s not what I was expecting.¡±

    Posy glanced at me for a moment before looking back at Mochi. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make sense for her to wear clothes like mine if that¡¯s what you''re thinking.¡±

    ¡®I mean¡­¡¯ ¡°Why not though?¡±

    ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t get it, but clerics, mages, fighters¡­ They all tend to have their own style even outside of combat. Not only that, but I¡¯m pretty sure she would hate wearing a dress. She¡¯s the type that needs to feel the clothes on her to know they are there. Despite her strong divinity, she comes across as more of an assassin type, especially if she¡¯s only ever cast one miracle.¡±

    Mochi walked back in to try on a few more similar sets as we talked, being helped by one of the staff members of the store.

    ¡°How¡¯d you figure all that out?¡±

    She turned and looked at me directly for a moment. ¡°Do you want the extensive list or the summarized version?¡±

    ¡®What¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve known her for like an hour and a half¡­¡±

    She glanced away slowly scratching her cheek. ¡°That¡­ Didn¡¯t really answer the question¡­¡± She muttered timidly.

    ¡°Right¡­ I guess, the extensive list then.¡± ¡®I mean¡­ Even for her, there has to be a limit to her observations right?¡¯ ¡°Keep it just to reasons behind the sumptions we discussed though, not all the observations you made.¡±

    Her eyes quickly moved back and forth a few times at inconsistent intervals. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°The fact that she isn¡¯t visibly bothered by being seen in revealing clothes shows that she has been desensitized, likely due to forced circumstances, given her situation. Someone with that history would likely prefer modest clothes, regardless of how expressive they would be about it. Her saying she liked it, instead of saying ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± like with all the others implies this to be true. Also note she said she liked it while messing with the body suit, not the clothes, and not looking at the mirror, implying she was referring to the feeling, not the look. Furthermore, someone like her most likely values practicality, and would want something easy to put on that is plain and simple. She has probably never owned anything for herself, so it would be too big an adjustment to give her something fancy right away or something difficult to put on by herself, which would only further dampen her sense of independence. The calluses on her hands suggest she uses daggers quite frequently, so she would naturally feel uncomfortable wearing anything with fabric that moved around, thinking it might get in the way or accidentally be cut, regardless of whether or not she is actually holding daggers at the given moment. She also appears to be rather unconfident in her own physical appearance, because when we began talking about clothes and appearance she immediately compared herself to you and me, not verbally, but I recognized the pattern of eye movement.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I stared at her blankly, instantly forgetting half of what she just said. ¡®How does she talk like that without stumbling over her own words¡­¡¯ ¡°Uhm¡­ Right¡­¡± ¡®She put more thought into this than I put into enchanting my gear¡­¡¯ ¡°And the reason we aren¡¯t buying shoes is that because she¡¯s an earth mage, or because she¡¯s a halfling. I know earth magic too, but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m any better when I¡¯m not wearing my boots.¡±

    She shook her head and just before she opened her mouth I quickly covered it with a finger.

    ¡°Ah! The sumerized version this time¡­ Please¡­¡±

    She scowled sliding my hand away. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s a halfling, even if one of her parents was human she¡¯s basically full blooded halfling, which means her feet are tough enough she won¡¯t need shoes, and she has almost like a sixth sense when connected to the earth, although, unlike us dwarves, hers will be limited to earth, and not metal.¡±

    ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why it¡¯s easier for certain species to learn said magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Think of it like a mermaid learning water magic. Although on the same concept, it would be very difficult for a mermaid to learn fire magic.¡±

    ¡®Makes sense¡­ Maybe being human isn¡¯t bad after all, sure I have no natural affinity, but that¡¯s probably why I was able to learn every type of magic except shadow up till now.¡¯ My eyes widened. ¡®Wait¡­ Didn¡¯t that goblin girl use shadow magic? If she really wants to repay me¡­¡¯ I suddenly felt myself starting to grin.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re face is scary¡­¡±

    It fell flat. ¡°That was rude¡­¡±

    She shrugged as Mochi came back out and approached us again. ¡°I went ahead and purchased two sets. I¡¯d like to get some armor too, so I wasn¡¯t sure how much I could spend.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I was going to pay for it, but I guess that¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about the armor either, I¡¯ll give you the first set I make with the Vethrian steal as a test before I craft my own.¡±

    Posy''s eyes suddenly twitched, looking over me as I finally got to see her surprised face. ¡°What about me?¡± I could tell she had wanted to say several other things, they just got jumbled together in her head and that was what came out.

    ¡®Hm¡­ She¡¯s helped me out a lot, hasn¡¯t she? Or¡­¡¯ I smirked. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Sory, that¡¯s not what I was trying to say. I was simply surprised you knew how to smith, let alone at that level, let alone you knew enchanting. I was momentarily caught off guard and my words were a reaction based on my jealousy. My armor is perfectly capable of protecting me against any monsters I would fight¡­ But¡­ It¡¯s not shiny blue¡­¡± Her eyes practically sparkled thinking about it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you hunted monsters¡­ Or had armor.¡±

    She tilted her head more and more before suddenly pulling her adventurer card out of a pouch in her robe and showing it to me. ¡°I¡¯m actually leaving with my master to go hunting tomorrow¡­ He¡¯s been really hard on me ever since I passed out during the spider venom incident.¡±

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Name:

    </td>

    <td>

    Posy

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Racial traits:

    </td>

    <td>

    Dwarf: (Weak)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Sex

    </td>

    <td>

    Female

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Title:

    </td>

    <td>

    Gifted student

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Rank:

    </td>

    <td>

    D

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Physical class

    </td>

    <td>

    Guardian

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Magic class

    </td>

    <td>

    Burst Mage

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Devine class

    </td>

    <td>

    Acolyte: (T5)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Patron Saint

    </td>

    <td>

    Varian

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    ¡®So she prays to Varian, he¡¯s the patron saint of light and justice right?¡¯ I thought back to her threatening to squish me with a giant hammer of divine light. ¡®That tracks¡­¡¯

 Chapter 97: New Clothes.

    Posy pocketed her card again. ¡°Is this all you need from me?¡±

    I stretched out my arms. ¡°I mean you¡¯re so good at this I might as well ask you to help me pick out some clothes too right?¡± I said jokingly. ¡®Realistically I¡¯m probably fine. I could use some new leather to help in my armor crafting. Hm¡­ And I could go look at some plots of land or some house prices to get an idea of what I¡¯m working with.¡¯

    ¡°Impossible.¡±

    ¡®Wh-what?¡¯ ¡°I-I mean, you don¡¯t have to¡­ I was only joking, if you''re busy you can go.¡±

    She folded her arms and looked around the store. ¡°I¡¯m not busy, but I don¡¯t know any stores that sell guys'' clothes.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m a girl! Promise.¡± my voice cracked, making the nearby staff members look at me as I suddenly became more than a little uncomfortable.

    She shyly looked away. ¡°That was supposed to be a joke¡­ Sory¡­¡±

    ¡®Then why did you say it so seriously¡­¡¯

    Quickly scanning over everything in the store she quickly clarified. ¡°The real problem is that there aren¡¯t any clothes that suit you¡­ Although there aren¡¯t any clothes that don¡¯t suit you either, aside from skirts or dresses, that¡¯s only because you personally don¡¯t seem to like them. Generally speaking, it also won¡¯t matter what I pick out because if you wear something specifically because I picked it out, that would be you putting effort into your appearance, which would then make you uncomfortable regardless.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t really get it¡­ But she seems pretty certain.¡¯ ¡°Alright, I guess¡­¡±

    She glanced at me again before quickly looking away. ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­ What I mean is, you see I¡­¡± She growled, pausing for a moment. ¡°I could still pick out some clothes for you¡­ If that¡¯s what you want.¡±

    ¡®After all that you¡¯re going to do it anyway? She¡¯s taking this a bit too seriously isn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¡°Sure¡­ Oh, but walk me through your reasoning, I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡®Being inside Tooly¡¯s head was scary¡­ But being inside hers would be pretty interesting¡­ No¡­ Actually, it¡¯s more likely it would fry my brain¡­¡¯

    Posy walked until we were at nearly the other end of the store. Without a word Mochi and I quietly followed behind her as she started sorting through different sizes of clothes and naturally picking out sizes that would fit me¡­ Even accounting for my slight increase in size.

    ¡°My thoughts on your habits aside¡­ You hate putting effort into your appearance because you¡¯re afraid of the possibility that people will still think you are a guy even if you do. Because of this, you are now very comfortable with putting as little effort as possible into things like figuring out what to wear. You like hoods though, for one reason or another. You also don¡¯t like tight clothes, because they outline the shape of your body. So for these reasons, you would like clothes that are a little loose, but only a little, and they should be thick and soft enough that you can comfortably get away without wearing anything underneath them. Contrary to the rest of your personality, you like cute things¡­ Although we disagree on what that term constitutes¡­ Although you like simple clothing, you can appreciate designs on said clothing. For these reasons, I think these clothes are appropriate.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Before I knew it the three of us were holding multiple pairs of what was all essentially just sweat pants and hoodies, most of which skewed towards winter clothing in design, making it softer and thicker like she said. They were a lot more expensive than the clothes I had been wearing, but the quality of the fabric spoke for itself in that regard. ¡°Why¡­ so many?¡±

    ¡°Having more clothes means each piece individually will be worn less often and thus last longer. It¡¯s also better to have more rather than less because if it gets cold you could layer two or even three. This is why you buy six pairs and have one for every day of the week, assuming you take a day off and never change out of your pajamas, which in this case refers to a light blue set that is much thinner and designed for hotter weather. I threw that in because you seem like the kind of person who probably just sleeps naked, which is a bad habit.¡±

    ¡®Has she always been this long-winded? Or¡­ Is this just because I asked her to explain¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®I mean, I like the cute little bear symbol stitched on them so I¡¯ll go ahead and buy them.¡¯ ¡°For the record¡­ I don¡¯t sleep naked¡­ Though admittedly I never thought I¡¯d feel the need to clarify that. No way I¡¯d ever be comfortable without at least some clothes on¡­ Though, there was a time I thought it would be convenient to have fewer clothes to wash, but then I got better at magic and stopped caring.¡±

    She paused and we awkwardly stared at each other for a while until she bit her lip and began tugging at her hair as she looked down, no doubt counting the number of lines in the wood grain of the floorboards, at least that was my best guess.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    She let out a small groan tensing her whole arm. ¡°You gonna rip your hair out¡­¡± By the time I grabbed her wrist, she had already relaxed her arm on her own, resting it on her head as she slowly opened her eyes, lifting them to mine.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Sorry¡­ If I worried you. I don¡¯t like making mistakes.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯d hardly call that a mistake¡­ It was just a vague assumption¡­ And considering everything else that she got right today even more so¡­¡¯ I nervously chuckled. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not perfect after all¡­¡±

    She lowered her hand with a sigh and I took a step back. ¡°When the healer isn¡¯t perfect, people die.¡±

    Her voice was the same as always, the rhythm and volume at which she spoke, her tone and inflection. But her words still felt somehow heavier than before as she walked away towards the store clerk''s counter. ¡®Is it normal for priests to feel so much pressure?¡¯

    Mochi called me, softly tugging on my hand.¡°Chika¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Is she like us?¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°How do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong with her head?¡±

    ¡°Eheh¡­¡± ¡®excuse me¡­ Us? What¡¯s wrong with my head? Sure I guess I get nervous when I almost die, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s normal!¡¯ I twisted and bit my tongue, keeping my thoughts to myself. ¡°If you get to know enough people you¡¯ll learn that everyone has something wrong with their head¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. So what¡¯s wrong with your head?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know¡­¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t even know? Is it that bad?¡±

    I let out a soft dull growl. ¡®I can¡¯t get mad¡­ If I get mad at her now she¡¯ll retreat back into her shell¡­¡¯ Taking a deep breath I quickly got over any annoyance I felt and my face slowly relaxed again.

    ¡°Chika?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I know¡­ How about this, if you ever find out what¡¯s wrong with my head, you can let me know, how¡¯s that sound?¡±

    She smiled brightly as she gave a slight nod, prompting me to just roll my eyes. Thus ended our little shopping trip.

    From there we parted ways, and I went to a healer, having to give them a few silvers to properly repair Mochi¡¯s teeth¡­ It was annoying we had to visit more than once to fix the same issue, but I did want to make sure they were actually fixed. Regrowing them was one thing, but apparently, we also needed to make sure they settled in her mouth properly, the traces of the cavities were completely gone, the enamel grew back, and not just the bone, as well as this that and the other¡­ Halfway through I started wondering if it wasn¡¯t just a way for them to get more money out of me, but realistically, habitually lying would make their powers weaken, so I doubted it.

    It was sad watching my wallet slowly bleed, but seeing how bright her smile became made it almost feel better¡­

    The whole experience made me more confused about how exactly I should handle her though. She was obviously afraid of letting someone poke around inside her mouth, but she never complained, listened to every direction perfectly, and never sought any sort of comfort, making it even harder to figure out how to give her any.

    Normally it would have been a good thing and considered mature of her, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was an issue. ¡®I guess for now¡­ I¡¯ll just give it time. She might get better on her own.¡¯

 Chapter 98: Smelting.

    After we were done shopping I threw everything into storage and we all ate lunch together, parting ways after. Posy had to get ready for her hunt, and we had our own work to do.

    ¡®If I purchased land in the designated zone for adventurers guilds I could get a mirror gate set up straight to the house. It would be nice to save half an hour of traffic getting to the beehive every time I wanted to teleport somewhere¡­ From there I could set up more mirror gates to other locations in the city, creating a hub and buying several other buildings as well. Any good guild would need a smithy, library, restaurant, and¡­ Well I¡¯ll think of the rest later. ¡°I wonder how much guild land costs.¡±

    I stopped still. ¡®If I wanted to start a guild¡­ Don¡¯t I need people actually willing to join me though?¡¯ I looked down at Mochi, clearly curious about why I stopped but still staying silent. ¡®I would need at least five members to have a solid strike team with one in reserve. And then we could pull off raid-level quests with a fill-in adventurer. Someone like Lola that technically retired but still does stuff.¡¯

    I sighed. ¡®Ok, well, let¡¯s assume I have a guild and a guild hall, where would I want to buy land if I was branching out? I could start there and work backward since I¡¯m not all that rich, and just lucked out and made a lump sum.¡¯ Mochi slowly tilted her head, tugging on my hand as if asking why I stopped without opening her mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to figure out where to go next, give me a second.¡± ¡®Hm¡­ Generally, I would want one piece of land in every district if possible. Rothet is huge though. Although, if that¡¯s the case then I should find the cheapest piece of land in the city''s third most expensive district, then I can avoid the high prices from the luxury district and the industrial district.¡¯

    After deciding I went to a beekeeper in charge of real estate and with their help I found a prime¡­ Adjacent¡­ Piece of land big enough for me to build the kind of house I wanted for only 20 gold¡­ I went ahead and bought it, paying 10 gold upfront instead of in full, and went to check it out before heading back home. ¡®The land itself was even larger than I wanted, about 2,000 square feet. The reason for its low price was mostly because it wasn¡¯t on the main road, and it was also relatively close to the city dungeon, Heaven¡¯s Depth. That¡¯s technically a good thing for me¡­ But for the general population constant traffic of adventurers even through the night, people sporadically needing emergency medical attention as they warped or otherwise ran out of the dungeon clinging to life, and the possibility of monsters breaking out, all caused the property value of land to drop. Although the solution to that is pretty simple¡­ Just make the walls thicker, oh, and set defensive rune traps around the outside to ward off monsters, but I was going to do that for thieves anyway.¡¯

    ¡°This is what you bought¡­¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± ¡®I actually feel pretty good about this.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s just dirt¡­ You already own a bunch of dirt, why buy more of it?¡±

    ¡°This dirt is different¡­ It¡¯s special¡­¡±

    ¡°Special dirt¡­¡± She groaned using her magic to make a column. ¡°Nope¡­ It¡¯s just normal dirt¡­ Did you get scammed?¡±

    I sighed, trying to figure out how I¡¯d explain it before quickly giving up. ¡°Let¡¯s just go home, the others should be back soon, they might be already...¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    As I thought, they were back by the time we made it home, not only that but Kesh had already cleaned and repaired my forge, and Tooly had¡­ Cooked¡­ Something¡­ It was a strange stew with undercooked vegetables, fruits for some reason, and a chewy mystery meat. Still, I had eaten worse so I didn¡¯t complain. Of course, Mochi didn¡¯t either with her halfling stomach, and Kesh, being an orc, just happily ate the meat, although he probably would have liked it just as much if it was raw, so that wasn¡¯t saying much.

    ¡°Right, shall we get to work?¡± ¡®I wish I had an expert smith like Fiesty here helping me¡­ No¡­ I just hope she wakes up soon¡­ If I was a little faster¨C¡¯

    ¡°If your mind is clear then I¡¯ll light the forge.¡±

    ¡®Right¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Sure, just let me change first¡­¡±

    When smithing iron and normal metals it was just a matter of not wanting to be too hot, but when smithing with magic it was more important, as certain fabrics would actually catch fire from the sheer heat¡­ I learned that the hard way. While I was at the tower they lent me some gear, but back at home, I had to improvise.

    Since I would be making new gear shortly, I went ahead and just butchered one of my old armor sets, turning the mage leather into a pair of shorts and a simple band of leather that I could lace up in the front covering my chest. Ironically, if sparks or slag touched my skin it was easy to protect myself with magic reflexively, but if they got into my clothes they¡¯d burn me before I noticed, not to mention ruin the clothes. So generally wearing less was better. ¡°You a snow Orc right? Will you be alright with the heat?¡±

    He grinned widely as he lit a small flame above his finger before shooting it into the forge.

    ¡®Well, if he¡¯s a fire mage he better have a higher resistance than I do.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s get to work then, I already separated out the metal, let''s start by forging the steal into Damascus, and then adding the mana stones. Just keep the forge hot, I¡¯ll make sure the ratio is right.¡± ¡®I¡¯m glad I added a smelter to the forge but¡­ Will this really hold up? It should¡­ Maybe? Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m smithing oreachalcum¡­¡¯

    After heating the forge we got to work, admittedly running into a few problems from the forge''s low quality. With Kesh¡¯s fire magic helping us keep the heat high though, and my earth and metal ensuring we had a proper mixture for the steal without impurities, it all turned out fine, and before long we had the Damascus, from there it was just a matter of adding the right number of mana stones and just like that I had made Vethrian steel ingots of a few varying sizes.

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± He grunted. Although I was pretty sure that was his pride talking.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep going.¡± We moved on and both of us fell into a heat-induced trance, sweat pouring off of us as soot covered our skin and steam left from our bodies. My eyes started to dry out, but I didn¡¯t even notice until I turned away from the fire and realized none of the colors looked quite right anymore. ¡®It should be fine. It¡¯s hot, but my mana is holding up, our pacing has been good.¡¯

    Mochi stuck her hand out of the shadow of the house and quickly pulled it back, feeling the heat even from the distance. I took a deep breath in and turned back to the smelter. ¡°Right, come on then, we''re almost done!¡±

    He grunted again and we got to work on the last set of ingots, to finish faster we got greedy and made the last set the largest, but overshot a little, making it hard to balance. Still, somehow we managed and got it over with, although I nearly collapsed when we did. ¡®So¡­ Hot¡­¡¯

    As the ingots cooled I stumbled away from the forge and let myself lay down in the shaded grass next to the house. ¡®I knew my forge wasn¡¯t state of the art or anything¡­ But I never noticed how serious the difference was¡­ That was way harder than it should have been¡­¡¯

    After a few moments, I felt the chill of a wet blanket slap against my skin, the water sizzling and evaporating as it helped absorb the heat from my body. ¡®That was dangerous¡­ If I ran out of mana and lost my ability to resist heat¡­¡¯ I shuddered thinking about it.

    ¡°Are you alive down there?¡± Kesh asked gruffly.

    ¡°I think so,¡± I groaned rolling over and using the cloth to wipe off my face as I sat up.

    ¡°It appears the snow Orc can take the heat better than you.¡± He smirked offering me a hand up.

    ¡°Pft, whatever. You better be able to, fire mage¡­¡±

    He laughed as we walked back inside, having already cleaned up the forge and put it out.

    After I took a long cold bath, we gathered together and talked about our plans. Tooly and Kesh were going to the howling pass, hunting dire wolves deeper in. They would be gone for a couple of days. In the meantime, I would work on forging my armor and weapons, and Mochi would get started shaping the earth for a new house, making use of the new land I bought. Of course, I didn¡¯t feel good about leaving her alone, but she was capable, and it was a good neighborhood, plus I would be there at first to explain how she needed to do things. ¡®Yeah, this should all work out just fine.¡¯

 Chapter 99: Sand Sculpture.

    ¡®This will be my first set of metal armor¡­ I¡¯m almost too nervous to actually start making it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Chika? What are you doing? And where are your clothes?¡±

    My body stiffened slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my clothes?¡± I looked back at Mochi as she poked her head out of the house. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a little cold out, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s that bad¡­¡±

    ¡®The shorts are a little thin and baggy¡­ But that¡¯s kind of the point¡­¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get sand in any of my new clothes.¡± ¡®Oh, right, It¡¯ll be time to eat soon, she must be hungry. Tooly and Kesh left already, so it¡¯s just us again¡­ Us¡­¡¯

    Her expression remained unchanged as her eyes slowly lowered to the small pit I was standing in. ¡°Chika?¡± Mochi said again before stepping outside. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    I looked down, shifting my feet in the sand. ¡°It¡¯s a sandbox. Didn¡¯t you use one when learning earth magic?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°It looks weird¡­¡±

    ¡®I guess the cave was stone and dirt¡­ Does that mean she¡¯s never even seen sand? Or I guess hadn¡¯t till recently at the very least.¡¯ ¡°Come here.¡± She walked up to the edge and stood on her toes on the wooden border, staring down as if she was afraid it would swallow her if she took another step. ¡°Come on¡­¡± I said again, offering her a hand.

    When she took it and tried to step in, at first she stiffened up, holding herself in the air just above it and supporting her weight with my hand, but after a few moments, she finally let her foot touch the sand. Then, after not being swallowed up, she put her other foot in as well, a shudder traveling up her whole body as goosebumps ran down her skin.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

    She stiffly moved, picking her feet up a few times before building a small column. ¡°It¡¯s earth¡­ But it¡¯s not¡­ I don¡¯t get it¡­ And it¡¯s sticky¡­¡± She shuddered again, starting to cry.

    ¡®Does she hate it that much? Most people like the feeling of sand under their feet¡­¡¯ ¡°Is it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Bad? No¡­ Just strange¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ See¡­¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    She sat on the wood board at the edge and kicked her feet out using earth magic to shake the sand off. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s more like the reaction I was expecting.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a place for kids to play. Because sand is so easy to move around, it¡¯s easy to make fun shapes, or even little houses or castles. Bigger ones like this are used to help teach people earth magic.¡±

    I slowly closed my eyes. ¡°Unlike stone, sand shifts with the other grains of sand around it, making it easier to connect to a larger portion of the earth at once.¡± Sliding my foot I sent a small tremor to the edge of the box and dug a ravine, filling it with water, then I twisted the sand like a snake to make it take on the form of a river, guiding the water to the other end before closing it in on itself. ¡°And when you add water it becomes soft and holds together.¡± I slid my other foot out in front of me lifting up the entire block of wet sand like a stone pillar. ¡°See, no way I could do this with stone, or even dirt honestly¡­¡±

    She leaned to the side of the pillar to see me. ¡°So you¡¯re training?¡±

    I sank the pilar back into the ground and chuckled, a bit embarrassed. ¡°Well, not really¡­ Sandboxes actually have another purpose related to forging. Do you know how molds work?¡±

    She nodded.

    I stepped closer showing an example. ¡°Right, see, if you just press your hand into the sand, it leaves behind a handprint. Then I can pour metal into that, and when it cools I¡¯ll have metal in the shape of my hand.¡±

    She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head again. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Generally, the problem here is that you don¡¯t want metal in the shape of your hand, but rather to cover, the shape of your hand. The best method for this is a bit messy though. You can¡¯t account for every grain of sand after all.¡± I stood back up and walked to the center of the sandbox. ¡®This is the real reason why tier four, or at least high tier three earth magic is so good for smiths. The ability to use living armor.¡¯

    I lifted my arms out to the side and spread my fingers, covering my whole body in the sand, letting it completely spread over my skin and even under my clothes. After a few moments I forced the sand forward, and it instantly shifted around me and retook its original shape. ¡°There you see?¡±

    She stared at it blankly before slowly turning slightly red. ¡°The statue is naked¡­¡±

    I quickly lunged forward, cutting it in half with my arm and making it come crashing down with a swipe of my hand. ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­¡± I cleared my throat. ¡®I guess an exact replica¡­ Probably isn¡¯t necessary¡­¡¯ ¡°The point is that it¡¯s really useful for creating molds, and even when you aren¡¯t creating molds, it¡¯s still useful for creating basic shapes. For instance, I can just make a sculpture of myself, and then fit the metal to the sculpture, then it will fit exactly to me in a way so perfectly that other people won¡¯t even be able to wear it.¡±

    ¡°What about joints¡­¡±

    ¡°You''re ruining my fun with logic¡­¡±

    She looked back at the pile of sand. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re going to make armor that looks just like your naked body?¡±

    ¡°That was just an accedint!¡±

    Her eyes widened slightly as I raised my voice. ¡°Sory¡­¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine¡­ I¡¯m not mad.¡±

    She tilted her head again as if asking why I yelled then.

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ A bit embarrassed¡­ That was my first time casting the spell so I may have done it wrong¡­ I¡¯ve honestly only ever heard about this stuff, I don¡¯t really know how it all works exactly¡­¡±

    She kicked her legs out and landed in the sand, walking over to me with her arms stretched out like she was walking a tight rope before placing a hand on my shoulder. With a confident ¡°Humph.¡± She looked me in the eyes and gave me a thumbs up.

    ¡®At least the other expressions I kind of understand¡­ What¡¯s this though¡­ Pity? I hope not¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    I let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s go in and eat¡­ But I¡¯ll take a bath first to get the rest of the sand off¡­¡±

 Chapter 100: Enchant Till You Drop.

    Just like that another week had gone by. Mochi had finished shaping the basement, and I was now done with my forging. All in all, I created two full armor sets and replaced all my gear, even reforging my dad''s steal sword into Vethrian steal.

    To be honest, with so much material it felt like I had enough to make twice as much, but in order to enchant it I needed to make sure the armored plates were thick. My skills were still lacking. Of course, I just made up for that with a featherweight enchantment¡­ But it made it take twice as much material overall, at least for the armor.

    Since, as I had said, I honestly didn¡¯t know all that much about any of the advanced crafting techniques¡­ I figured it was probably better to not even bother with them. In the end, I ended up just hammering out the plates like normal, the same with my weapons since molded steal was worthless in terms of functionality. I wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed safe to assume the same applied to Vethrian steal as well. Partially because of those reasons, my armor ended up being made of several bulky plates fastened over black minitour leather for flexibility.

    As for the weapons, I was ecstatic, I couldn¡¯t even draw any of them without giving myself chills or nearly starting to cry from how happy the sound made me feel¡­ Mochi thought I lost my mind when she saw me sitting still, sliding my sword in and out of its sheath just to hear the unique sound and see the magical blade shimmer as it came into the light.

    I spent the fourth day enchanting, while Mochi went out completely on her own to the construction site.

    For the dagger, I slapped it with as much sharpness as I could. It was my gutting knife after all. There was still room after I reached the limit, so after that, I made it glow just for fun, all thanks to me knowing the mage light spell.

    For my longsword, I just put the standard combination of, sharpness, durability, and lightning, and thanks to my knowledge of wind magic I could use the blessing of wind, making my sword completely ignore air friction. At least any relevant amount it would run into from speeds I¡¯d be swinging it at.

    Next up was my greatblade, a seriously massive, deadly, and awe-inspiring weapon¡­ Although in reality, it was just a giant rectangle with a point like the last one¡­ Because of its range and versatility somewhere along the way, it became my go-to weapon, and because of its sheer size, it could hold three times the enchantments my longsword could. Sharpness and durability, the blessing of wind, those were given, although unlike my longsword I had room to make them even stronger.

    I didn¡¯t adjust the weight because with such a heavy blade it was honestly part of the damage potential. Next, I added Minor self-repair, thanks to my knowledge of metal magic, and lesser barrier, thanks to my gold magic, a spell that was only effective against other magic, but I figured why not. Finally, with the last little bit of space on the blade, I added a cutting edge, an enchantment that extended a blade of wind to precut whatever you were slicing just before the blade touched it¡­ Unfortunately, the enchantment didn¡¯t take because the blade was at its magical limit¡­ But it was honestly hard to be disappointed considering¡­This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    For my spear I put on a piercing lance, which was more effective than sharpness for piercing weapons, it was the same concept as cutting edge, but using knowledge of the more advanced wind lance, instead of a wind blade. Then on the shaft, I put lightning amplification, and detoxify. So¡­ Technically if I stabbed myself with it after getting poisoned I¡¯d be all better. Well, theoretically. That was what I was thinking when applying it, although¡­ Hindsight is 20/20

    My ax I actually enchanted with heavyweight, instead of featherweight. Again I used the blessing of wind, and then on the blade, I used impact induction to double the force behind the blow, and rending, named after my rending vines spell. Essentially it sends magic into whatever it hits and then the magic expands like a plant growing inside a rock until it cracks¡­ Again, theoretically at least.

    ¡°Chika¡­ Are you ok? You¡¯ve been sitting there laughing like that ever since I got home It¡¯s really creepy¡­ And there are dark circles under your eyes¡­ You look really pale too¡­ And you never made dinner. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s good that she¡¯s starting to talk more¡­¡¯ As I raised my eyes the world began to blur around me. ¡®I might have overdone it a little¡­¡¯

    ¡°Chika? Hey, your nose is bleeding, can you even hear me?¡±

    ¡®My nose¡­ Ah, mana exhaustion¡­ My fingers are black too, I thought it was just¡­ What did I think it was? Soot from the forge¡­ That¡¯s not right I haven¡¯t been out there today¡­¡¯ My ears started to ring until I blacked out.

    I wasn¡¯t out for that long, having woken up by the next morning, but I spent almost the entire day in bed, only getting up near the end of it to go see Mochi and how things were going¡­ I tried to inspect her work¡­ But she wasn¡¯t having any of that and made me go home, packing it in early herself and walking me back.

    ¡®It¡¯s weird that Tooly and Kesh aren¡¯t back yet¡­ Either they struck gold or they died¡­¡¯

    It took me another three days to recover fully, but I didn¡¯t mind, it was nice being able to sit back and watch Mochi work on our house, she had taken a liking to it as well, almost like she was a painter with a canvas in her hands, I had a sneaking suspicion that was the real reason she wasn¡¯t letting me help, even though I designed it.

    When I was finally recovered I enchanted my armor. Durability, impact absorption, acid resistance, self-repair. However, for the leather intersections between plates, I only did acid resistance. I wasn¡¯t the best smith by any means, and it wasn¡¯t exactly a tailor-made full plate either, but it was honestly unlikely anything would be able to hit me, much less hit me between my armored plates. On top of that, metals that resonated well with magic spread the enchantment to nearby areas. Technically speaking if I had mithril, the strongest resonating material, I could enchant it with durability and even if I only wore enough to be legally considered clothed, it would probably still affect my whole body. Vethrian steel wasn¡¯t nearly that strong, but it was strong enough that I wasn''t worried.

    ¡®It feels weird¡­ Feeling like I could take a hit and not die instantly¡­ With this armor¡­ I bet I could even take on a spider knight''s bladed legs without getting a scratch.¡¯ I paused for a moment taping the metal breastplate as I lay it on the table. ¡®I probably shouldn¡¯t test that¡­ Now I¡¯m curious though, if the legs are that sharp, could I cut one off, enchant it, and use it as a weapon? Would it be even better than Vethrian steal? Though, bone doesn¡¯t usually take to magic like metal on account of living creatures having mana circuits¡­ But if its base quality is higher that would make up for it since my enchantments aren¡¯t the best.¡¯

    Mochi opened the door and washed off her hands and face after a hard day of digging around in the dirt. ¡°CHIKA¡­ Again!¡±

    I chuckled nervously. ¡°What, it¡¯s not that bad this time, really. I¡¯m just a little tired is all.¡± She let out a heavy sigh and started cooking some porridge, making me rest again. ¡®So she¡¯s taking care of me now? Huh¡­ This is kind of nice¡­ It¡¯s funny how her voice never really gets louder, but it still felt more serious somehow. She¡¯s never sounded like that¡­¡¯

 Chapter 101: Bait

    I didn¡¯t push myself as hard while enchanting my armor, so it only took a day to recover, during which we received a brief letter from Tooly and Kesh letting us know they were alive, and that the hunting was good¡­ However, despite their original goal they were now adamantly hunting werewolves¡­ So¡­ You know, there was that.¡¯ ¡°Hey, werewolves are technically undead, right? Should I go enchant their weapons with silver dust?¡±

    ¡°NO MORE ENCHANTING!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, uh¡­¡±

    I suddenly felt a chop on my head, just like what I would do to her whenever she did something ¡°Bad¡± ¡®I¡¯ve never heard her yell before¡­ Honestly, I thought she was mentally incapable of yelling.¡¯

    She covered her mouth with her hands as if she thought the same and started crying not long after.

    ¡®She still doesn¡¯t even wipe her own tears¡­ It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s crying.¡¯ ¡°Come on¡­ Come here.¡±

    She slowly walked over almost like a golem and I put the letter down giving her a hug. She still didn¡¯t return it¡­ But with some practice at least it started to feel less awkward. I also learned that for one reason or another squeezing her extra tight seemed to help a lot, so that¡¯s what I did until she stopped crying.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I was only joking so don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be doing any more enchanting for a while. Even though my skill went up¡­ So really I could redo all my enchantments and make them strong¨C¡±

    One look at her face and my voice suddenly cut out. ¡°I mean, no more enchanting, not for a while anyway¡­ Besides, not all werewolf variants are undead, so it might not even help¡­¡±

    She let out a soft sigh, snapping her fingers before lightly hitting her fist into her palm and freezing again as if she had done something she wasn¡¯t supposed to.

    ¡°Hey¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­¡±

    She relaxed again, her shoulders dropping as the tension left. ¡°R-right¡­¡±

    ¡®Stuttering too? Her voice in that past has only ever been like a calm unchanging river¡­ I can¡¯t tell if this is a good thing or not.¡¯ ¡°I will be heading out today. I¡¯m recovered, and my new gear is ready to see some blood. Plus I need to make a bit of money to fully pay off the land, and I have some other things I want to do as well.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t go with you?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your earth magic progressing?¡±

    ¡°I just reached tier 4, although my living armor is still a little unstable, I can use the spell¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m sure¡­ Get to tear five, and then if you still want to hunt monsters I¡¯ll let you come with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that then¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, will you be ok on your own for a couple of days?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just like going back to before we met, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    It was like feeling a knife suddenly jab into my heart. ¡®If you say it like that it makes it hard to leave¡­ Before we met¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll just pray if I need anything.¡±

    ¡®If only¡­ Unfortunately, if you forget where the lighter is for the oven, I don¡¯t think Plutia¡¯s going to help you find it¡­ Well, then again I could be wrong¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®I should get out of here before I convince myself to stay¡­ This will be good for her¡­¡¯ I looked back at her to see her smiling¡­ And also crying again¡­ ¡®Yeah¡­ she¡¯ll be fine¡­ Sparks¡­ She will have to learn how to be on her own eventually for her own good right? And the longer she has me around, the more used to me always being there¡­ The harder it will be in the long run¡­ Yeah¡­ This is the right move¡­ Probably¡­¡¯

    I hesitantly left, looking back once or twice, but ultimately leaving, if not only because I wasn¡¯t the type to go back on something, no matter how many times I second-guessed it¡­

    Thankfully I ran into Lola at the Beehive¡­ Although she did try to run away from me at first¡­ Considering I caught up to her though she clearly wasn¡¯t trying TOO hard. ¡°Did the monster you were hunting give you a fear curse? What¡¯s gotten into you? Usually, you¡¯re the one chasing me down¡­¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± She muttered turning to the side, her ears moving her hood as they twitched.

    ¡°You¡¯re obviously bothered by something, so hurry up and spit it out.¡± I crossed my arms, standing between her and the door.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡®She never has trouble talking about anything? Unless¡­ Someone died again¡­¡¯

    ¡°We used you as bait.¡±

    My breath suddenly shortened. ¡°What¡­ What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°My guild¡­ We worked with Finn on a¡­ Mostly superficial level to be honest. We¡­ I knew what was going to happen from the start after you dropped into the sewer¡­ We used you as bait and let you get taken away so we could follow them back to their hideout.¡±

    My face fell flat as a dull annoyance poked at the back of my mind. ¡°How''d that work out for you¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah well¡­ Yeah¡­¡±

    I sighed, suddenly getting a headache, most of my thoughts stopping before they became anything tangible. ¡®That¡¯s why the compensation was so big¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡®Transported by a high-level mage, and instantly bound in magic damping shackles¡­ Underground too, no wonder they couldn¡¯t track me, although I¡¯m surprised when they failed they didn¡¯t get a high-level player involved¡­ Thinking about it won¡¯t change anything now though¡­¡¯ ¡°Sorry for using me as bait? Or for failing to find me?¡±

    ¡°Both I guess¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re apologizing for the wrong thing to the wrong person¡­¡± I slowly rubbed my forehead. ¡°Feisty, that dwarf I was with back then, she could have died¡­¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡®How am I even supposed to be mad at her when she¡¯s like this¡­ It¡¯s like scolding a crying puppy¡­¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ This is why you never let yourself get close to me, to begin with¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­ I always¨C¡± Like a gust of wind suddenly she vanished, as if she was never there at all. ¡°Called you my friend though¡­ And, that won¡¯t change¡­ Sparks¡­¡± ¡®This is why guys are so much easier to deal with¡­ I guess I should have led with that last part¡­¡¯

    I took a step outside and looked around, but she was far better than me at running¡­ Well, she was just kind of better than me in general. If she didn¡¯t want to be found there was no way I was tracking her down. ¡®The best thing I can do is have someone give her a letter for me or something¡­ I¡¯ll think about what I should say later¡­ I should let this sink in first¡­ Otherwise, who knows what I¡¯ll end up writing¡­¡¯

 Chapter 102: Back To The Woods.

    ¡®All my gear is different, and I¡¯m a little taller now too. I wonder if any of the guys will recognize me... I wonder if any of them are still alive¡­¡¯

    I stepped up to the way gate only to be halted by a guard. ¡°Sorry sir. Even for someone with your level of equipment, we need to check your Card before allowing you to pass. The restrictions have increased again because of the infestation turning into a swarm. Only a veteran D rankers or higher can pass.¡±

    ¡®I guess I couldn¡¯t have taken Mochi even if I wanted to¡­ Good thing they waved the new rank status when they promoted me.¡¯ I showed him my card and although he was a little confused by it¡­ He stepped aside without asking, letting me go on my way. ¡®Swarm huh¡­ It¡¯s likely venom won¡¯t be the issue anymore so much as people just getting skewered and sliced¡­ Here¡¯s to hoping I handle seeing a dissected human better than last time¡­¡¯

    I stepped into the teleporter for what was my first time being in one alone that I could remember, that small joy quickly passed through as my ears started to ring and before I knew it I found myself on my knees gasping for air.

    ¡®Why¡­ Is it¡­ So much worse¡­¡¯ My shaky arms gave out, leaving my flat on my face. I could feel blood slowly dripping from my ears till I removed my helmet and not long after my mana finally started to stabilize. ¡®I guess the downside to being alone¡­ Is that no one notices when the teleporter almost kills you¡­¡¯

    I groaned, forcing myself back to my hands and knees for a moment, taking time to breathe before standing up and getting a hold of myself. ¡®I¡¯ll just get to the inn¡­ And get my room¡­¡¯

    When I arrived, sure enough, the innkeeper had kept his promise, the sign now reading. ¡°Blood Red Bulls Head.¡±

    Which, I mean¡­ It was a lot better than anything I had been called recently¡­ When I walked in, despite the grim situation the tavern was even more lively than ever, the only real difference was that the average rank and equipment I was seeing had all gone up by at least one full category. There was a lot more steel, no one with iron, and everyone, even the mages, were wearing some form of armor. ¡°I guess things are dangerous as they say¡­¡± I said softly as I walked up to the innkeeper.

    He quickly looked my way, and seeing the horns on my helmet smirked, grabbing a jug of Airag just like he said he would. ¡°You certainly look like you¡¯ve been doing well.¡± He smiled, handing me a room key with the jug and refusing to take any money.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s easier to recognize me than I thought¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s actually been mostly downhill, I just keep getting lucky¡­¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a skill on its own. Has the guild made any of your titles official yet? You have so many thanks to the bards that it¡¯s kind of hard to keep track now. Although that¡¯s mostly because they just call you whatever rhymes with the last thing they said.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Thankfully no¡­ From the ones I¡¯ve heard they don¡¯t have any good options yet¡­ Honestly, the bards aren''t doing me any favors¡­¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Well, your first title is always like that. Just keep your head up.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­ Hey, you know that dwarf with plate armor, goes around with a troll and a weak-blooded wolf man. Are they still alive?¡±

    He took my empty glass and cleaned it right away with water magic, starting to dry it with a cloth. ¡°Yeah, I see them around sometimes. They¡¯ve made quite a bit of money off the swarm, and their skills have improved too. After getting stronger they started going on longer hunts that lasted several days. Last week they brought back the head of a knight class spider, although they did admit it was already missing a leg and alone when they found it.¡±

    ¡®Still, not bad¡­ It¡¯s good they didn¡¯t get cocky and take on something worse.¡¯ ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll run into them then.¡± I threw the jug into storage and headed up to my room, taking off my armor and inspecting it, along with myself to make sure I was really ok, still feeling numb in some areas from the teleporter.

    ¡®I think I get it¡­ The basic principle of mana confusion is that it gets scattered when you teleport and has to find its way back to you. The problem is that my armor has way more magic in it than my body can hold at once¡­ Hints why it was so hard to enchant¡­ Normally this wouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­ But I¡¯m the one that enchanted it¡­ So the mana signature is the same and my mana ended up finding my armor at first, instead of me¡­¡¯ I sighed, rubbing my head as the last of the effects wore off, and after cleaning up my face I put my gear back on. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind for the future¡­¡¯

    After putting it all back on I took a look at the quests I grabbed to make sure I didn¡¯t lose track of them, even though they were really just a bonus and ultimately not why I was there.

    [Spider Soldier venom glands. X 12]

    [Spider caster gemstone eyes. X 2]

    [Spider knight carapace. X  1]

    ¡®Taking on a knight by myself would still be reckless even with this gear. But¡­ If I find one that¡¯s alone it shouldn¡¯t be a huge deal. More of their threat level comes from the fact they are usually surrounded by soldiers. Getting the gemstone eyes will be trickier¡­ Only casters with above-average magic have one of those. Sure they are still supposed to be weak at magic relatively¡­ But I¡¯ve still never fought a monster that could cast spells before¡­¡¯

    I put the quests away for the time being and put my helmet back on. ¡®I¡¯m really just here to make some money and test out my gear anyway, so if I can¡¯t finish them now that¡¯s fine¡­ I didn¡¯t bring anything to supplement my mana regeneration either like last time, so I¡¯ll be careful for this first trip.¡¯

    By the time I had prepared myself and headed out, it seemed word had spread pretty quickly who I was and that I was back. Apparently, specifics were still vague, but the overall picture of me killing a minotaur and taking down a corrupt official was certainly there. Even the story of me killing a terror bird started to circulate as well, which wasn¡¯t all that impressive in comparison¡­ Except for the fact that I used a sword.

    ¡°I heard he could fly, and uses some special technique to do it with low-tier magic.¡±

    ¡®The rumors are getting more absurd¡­¡¯ Despite it all, I had to admit it was comforting to see that the camp hadn¡¯t changed. Looking at the death tally marked next to the gate, there weren''t many marks added either, if any. Granted I never actually counted them. ¡®The threat level increased¡­ But as a result, lower ranks stayed away, and the casualties dropped¡­ Well, I guess that makes sense in a way¡­ Still, it¡¯s more dangerous, so I¡¯ll have to keep my guard up.¡¯

    After stretching my legs quickly I squatted down and with the help of enhancement, an earth pillar under my feet, and a wind spell, I leaped straight into the trees. After I landed I closed my fingers a few times in the air, looking at my hands. ¡®My magic is a lot more seamless and much stronger with all the work I put in smithing and enchanting. My body took some time to get used to, but¡­ This feels good. My body has fully adapted to meatal magic as well, so my circuits are stronger, and I have a larger capacity.¡¯

    The forest was different, darker, quieter in parts, and certainly filled with more webbing. The terrain was the same though. It wasn¡¯t like the spiders cut down the trees or anything. Because of that I still had a pretty solid map inside my head.

    Since the Spiders Lair dungeon entrance was no doubt the most dangerous place to be, I skirted around it in a large circle at first, staying on the outside rim of the spider''s territory. ¡®Still mostly just scouts around here¡­ Spitters¡­¡¯ With how much faster I was and the new weapons I easily leaped from one tree to another approaching one from behind and slicing its head off with my hunting danger before it could even react, then I threw a knife higher up and pinged one right through the head, making it fall from the tree. Jumping, I grabbed onto the web it was weaving and rode it down as it slowly stretched and tore, landing on the ground and quickly cutting the last one in half with my sword, straight down the middle.

    ¡®I think it¡¯s safe to say these guys aren''t much of a threat to me anymore¡­¡¯ I ripped my throwing knife out and wiped off the blood. ¡®I don¡¯t regret practicing¡­ But being able to redirect my aim with meatal magic after throwing the knife makes it feel a little redundant now¡­ Still, the less I have to the more manna I save I guess¡­ Let¡¯s see what else I can do.¡¯

 Chapter 103: Massacre

    Slowly but surely I worked my way towards the dungeon, but compared to last time I got close the progress was slow. It was like the difference between running through the open plains on horseback¡­ And trying to get through Rothets heavy traffic during busy hours. There were just that many spiders, most of which were probably hatched back when the demand was exceedingly high for spitters, but before said demand suddenly floored when the wargs got wiped out and adventurer activity lessened due to danger.

    ¡®I still haven''t run into any soldiers¡­ But if I go any deeper without properly clearing these little guys out it could be dangerous¡­¡¯ I stared silently at a large clearing. Normally I¡¯d set up traps first¡­ But honestly I¡¯d rather save my mana.¡¯ Looking up to the sky through the canopy for a moment I thought through the best course of action, proceeding instead to go with the fun route, and really see what I was capable of. ¡®Technically speaking¡­ This is the most effective option¡­¡¯ I smiled as my chest tightened slightly, my lungs staying clear as I grabbed a large web and yanked on it a few times before lighting it on fire. ¡®Come and get me¡­¡¯

    The spider''s panic was evident in their heavy footsteps as they ran towards me from all directions, dozens at once. No organisation, no communication other than the common understanding of swarm and destroy.

    I slowly stood up. ¡®I don¡¯t really care about the parts at this rate, they don¡¯t give me much money anymore, relatively speaking, so there''s no reason not to use fire magic¡­ Well, I am still in a forest.¡¯ I quickly side stepped one¡¯s acid spit trading it for a throwing knife as another leaped out at me, but ended up heading face first into my dagger as I side stepped again. I continued shuffling along the branch, staying light on my feet and bouncing away from a few more. ¡®The trees here are pretty resistant to fire though, and it¡¯s humid in this area as well. Plus, the spiders have methods of extinguishing fires too.¡¯

    I glanced to the side to see them quickly dousing the burning webs with a secretion similar to their acid, only without the melting properties. ¡®Yea, this should be fine.¡¯ I sheathed my knife, and pulled my spear, facing a line of them as they funneled themselves onto the branch, making short work of another three before their numbers simply outdid my ability to keep up. I slid my hand to the very back of my spear, yanking it out of the corpse and flinging it straight back into storage as I took one final step back to the edge of the branch. Jumping high into the air, I flipped backwards letting out a scorching hot fire breath that spread across the branch and lit more webs on fire, burning another 4 to a crisp and severely injuring two more.

    Before I fell too far I forced the trees'' long vines to grow out and grab me, letting me swing down safely to the forest floor where they continued to scamper over each other just to get to me. ¡®I knew there would be a lot¡­ But come on¡­ All I did was burn a few webs¡­¡¯

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    They finally started to grow more cautious, waiting until I was completely surrounded and the fire was out before making their move. ¡®I guess they didn¡¯t call it a swarm for now reason¡­ Still¡­ Just what is the queen eating.¡¯

    They all charged me at once, some spitting acid and others even jumping down from the tree tops. ¡®I can work with this¡­¡¯ I created a blinding flash of light that blinded them for a moment and bought me enough time to create a wall of thorns at my back and indent the earth in a half circle around me in front, on my back I rose the thorns higher to try and make up for my lacking earth magic. Using water magic I ripped the water from the thorns and created a mote, then I simply flicked a bit of fire at the thorny wall, and set up an electric rune in the water. ¡®I still can¡¯t use any big flashy spells or anything¡­ But¡­ This isn¡¯t bad really¡­¡¯

    The spiders scampered in blind, unable to climb out because of the fire, and unable to turn back because of their friends following behind them at full charge. Elevating myself with another small pillar of earth I threw my spear into the middle of the mote and detonated the rune. When it went off it fried over a dozen. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m finally getting pretty good at this. That lightning amplification enchantment was no joke either¡­ I¡¯ll have to make sure I¡¯m not holding that and using lightning magic at the same time¡­¡¯

    The spiders melted my thorns and doused the fire of the back wall, but I was prepared for that, since I had to conserve mana by not making my death trap into a full circle. The moment they crashed threw a single swing from my blade took out four of them, quickly following that up with several throwing knives took out two more, and then leaping into what was left I slaughtered that last three, seamlessly pivoting with my dager after burying my axe into one''s skull so hard it dented the ground.

    ¡®That was¡­ Something¡­¡¯ I struggled to catch my breath as the adrenaline started to calm down and I looked back at the flaming devastated murder zone. ¡®Maybe¡­ I overdid it¡­ I¡¯m all out of mana.¡¯

    The fire eventually died down on its own and after a moment to rest I started throwing them into my storage indiscriminately collecting my gear. ¡®That¡¯s odd¡­ Why is this one so big?¡¯ I threw the corpses on top of it into storage to get a better look at it, my ax still firmly embedded in its skull. ¡®It¡¯s stuck¡­¡¯ I growled. ¡®Hold on, this one was a soldier. It¡¯s actually on the smaller side.¡¯ My annoyed groan quickly turned to a grin. ¡®I guess that¡¯s one venom gland down.¡¯ The joy was short-lived though¡­ As after pulling on my ax once again, I confirmed it wasn¡¯t coming out any time soon, eventually giving up.

    ¡®My magic is getting better¡­ But it¡¯s still not that great¡­ I can hold 30 spiders now¡­ But I was already holding 12, and I just killed around 30¡­¡¯ I sighed after capping off my storage and kicking the soldier in the head, sitting on it to take another break, placing my foot against the axe. and fully catching my breath before I did anything else. ¡®On the bright side, this area should be pretty clear for a couple days, and if I took out a soldier too, that means I have a pretty good idea for where I¡¯ll need to go hunting. It¡¯s still pretty early, I should dump my storage at the fortress and have the beekeepers gut them for me, then I can keep hunting. Hm¡­ By the time I make two round trips my mana should be decently refilled.¡¯

    ¡°What in the name of all that is holy happened here?¡±

    ¡®A person?¡¯ I lowered my eyes from the trees and they slowly settled on the man in tattered leather armor. Despite his words, his voice was calm and almost sarcastic as he flipped a massive sword off his shoulder made from Orichalcum, one step up from mine¡­ But only in name. As far as price was concerned, that blade was worth more than my armor and weapons combined¡­ ¡°Who are you?¡±

 Chapter 104: Zeph, The Spell Sword

    The tall dark man stepped closer, pulling his hood down and revealing his dark tan skin and short black hair. Solid black lines outlined his eyes like tribal markers as he slowly looked around the battlefield. ¡°Fire¡­ Plant, earth, water¡­ Oh? And lightning too. No human corpses, so I suppose it¡¯s safe to assume you did all this?¡±

    ¡°If I didn''t, why would I be sitting on one with my ax buried in its skull¡­ You still haven''t told me your name¡­ From the marks on your face I¡¯m assuming you''re with Lion¡¯s Pride, C rank¡­ Probably B, or even higher sense you are walking around carefree without real armor.¡±

    ¡®Still, it¡¯s surprising to see someone else with black hair. It¡¯s¡­ Oh, no wait¡­ It fades to purple¡­¡¯ I sighed after we stared at each other in silence for a while. ¡°How about we talk like normal instead of making crazy assumptions about each other¡­¡±

    With another wave of his hand he pulled out a cigar, tossing me one too. ¡°Here, it''ll help your mana come back, I can tell you how low.¡±

    I sniffed it, recognizing the scent right away. ¡®Drip weed? Yeah¡­ And it will also make all my sensitive nerve endings light up with a cold burn¡­¡¯ ¡°No thanks¡­ This stuff has some serious side effects when you aren''t used to it.¡± I tossed it back, pulling some airag out of storage and having some of that instead. ¡°So, were you sent here by your guild or is this personal?¡±

    ¡°The guild. Investigative mission to assess damages and mitigate threat level. The situation still isn¡¯t bad enough for any of the 10 to step in yet.¡±

    ¡®What constitutes bad¡­¡¯

    ¡°There are 13 dead here, was that really all there was? I was under the impression there would be more from the signs in the forest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got another 30 in my storage, I just ran out of room¡­¡±

    We both stared at each other silently. ¡®This still doesn¡¯t feel like a normal conversation¡­¡¯

    ¡°I see¡­ And your name?¡±

    ¡°That was the first thing I asked you¡­ Why should I answer first?¡±

    He lowered his chin to one of his hands, thinking for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m Zeph. Lion¡¯s Pride, B rank, spell sword. Although you guessed most of that.¡±

    ¡®Well¡­ If he¡¯s really going to tell me everything like that¡­ I guess there''s no reason to be suspicious anymore¡­ He¡¯s just a bit weird I guess¡­¡¯ ¡°Chika, unaffiliated, D rank, Classless.¡±

    ¡°Classless?¡± His eyes widened slightly, somehow also softening at the same time, like he was suddenly looking at a shiny jewel or a wizard looking at a priceless tome. ¡°You could join my guild if you want?¡± He said, the first hints of life reaching through his voice as he took a step closer, his eyes starting to sparkle.

    ¡®Like he would have any say over that¡­¡¯ ¡°Sure¡­ I¡¯d love to hang out with the arrogant prideful mages and the coldhearted spell swords¡­¡±

    ¡°Great, it¡¯s settled then, I will help you take these back, we can drop them off on our way to my guild hall.¡±

    He suddenly swept them all into his storage with a wave of his hand, demonstrating just how much range it had, and even managing to leave my ax behind. Although¡­ It clanged to the ground, hitting it hard, just like me when I fell on my butt. ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± I growled, slowly standing up. ¡°I was being sarcastic.¡±

    His face fell flat as his eyes grew distant again. ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡®When I told Mochi everyone was a little sick in the head¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be this literall¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not planning on joining any guilds at the moment¡­ And Lion¡¯s Pride won¡¯t let me in. It¡¯s in the regulations that you have to be either a tier 5 mage in at least one school, a C rank or higher, and possess sufficient knowledge in at least one physical style of combat¡­ I tried to join¡­ Last year¡­¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    He sighed. ¡°Special exceptions can be made¡­ But you don¡¯t seem very interested.¡± He looked at me again, sighing a second time. ¡°You said your storage was full? Here, I¡¯ll help bring the corpses back for you. You did my job for me anyway so I¡¯m heading back as well.¡±

    ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ I picked up my ax and hung it from my belt. ¡°Well it¡¯s not like I have a reason to say no¡­¡±

    The whole way back was silent¡­ He dampened his footsteps with magic, or his shawty boots were enchanted. Regardless I still couldn¡¯t quite figure him out at all. ¡°That armor¡­ It¡¯s just boar leather right? Not even as tough as warg hide.¡±

    He suddenly stopped, raising out an arm to make me stand still as well. With a flick of his wrist, pointing two fingers a beam of light shot from his hand and I suddenly started to smell the scorched insides of a spider. I turned just in time to see it falling from a tree in the distance before evaporating into storage.

    ¡®What¡­ The¡­¡¯

    ¡°Boar leather, yes. It is less durable than warg but it takes to enchanting well. Boars actually have fairly high innate mana, that¡¯s why they grow horns like ogres.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ But still¡­¡± ¡®What was that spell?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s not as good as yours, but I just use magic to protect myself now, so I don¡¯t need armor.¡±

    ¡°What spell did you just use? And how can you use storage from so far away? What¡¯s the capacity? Is it¡­¡± I quickly bit my tongue.

    He paused again, looking back at me and staring deeply into my eyes through my helmet.

    ¡®What¡¯s with him now¡­¡¯

    ¡°You aren''t mad that I stopped you like that?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Why would I be¡­¡±

    ¡°The girls I know¡­ Well, it¡¯s not important. I¡¯ll give you that spider too as an apology for suddenly ordering you around.¡±

    ¡®I guess the mages in that guild really are snobs if they would get mad over something like that¡­ He¡¯s even giving me the corpse? Well¡­ To be fair it holds no relative value for him¡­¡¯

    ¡°That was Light beam, although I¡¯m told it¡¯s also called Lazer. It¡¯s the tier 3 light spell, you can use tier two can¡¯t you? As for storage, it simply expands in use the higher one advances in arcane magic. I used insight to locate the spider, that¡¯s tier 5 arcane magic. Oh¡­ But you didn¡¯t ask about that sorry.¡±

    ¡°N-no it¡¯s totally fine.¡± ¡®Tier five arcane magic? And light magic? What kind of nut job do you have to be to learn both, they¡¯re basically dead schools.¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡®Oh right¡­ I''m that kind of nut job too¡­¡¯

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly¡­ Although I am curious¡­ Your storage magic makes things vanish into gold dust like they are evaporating. I have to open a portal, and my portal is this kind of crazy black hole thing.¡±

    ¡°So I was right, you also know arcane magic. Don¡¯t worry, your magic is just too weak still, once it gets stronger it will take shape like mine, maybe it will be flower petals, a dark void, or something else altogether.¡±

    ¡®That¡­ Doesn¡¯t explain much honestly¡­¡¯ ¡°Why are you helping me anyway? Are you still hoping I¡¯ll join your guild?¡±

    He looked back for a moment. ¡°Have you reconsidered?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± ¡®I actually want to join even less now¡­¡¯

    He sighed as we walked into the clearing and approached the encampment. ¡°It takes a special kind of person to know the magics that you do¡­ Not to mention combine them like that. I guess you just reminded me of¡­ Myself¡­ And an old friend¡­ Besides, I¡¯m hardly going out of my way. Like I said, I was going back here anyway since you did my job for me¡­¡± He looked to the side. ¡°I hope I still get paid¡­¡±

    ¡®Well now I feel bad¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, before we part ways can I see your sword one more time?¡±

    He pulled it out without hesitation and handed it to me. ¡®Is he that trusting? Or¡­ Does he just not care¡­¡¯ ¡°Is it ok if I run my magic through this? While I was making this armor I learned something pretty interesting. My metal magic increases significantly faster every time I learn what a new metal feels like.¡±

    ¡°You made that armor¡­ Like forged¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh uh¡­ Well yeah, and the leather is from a minotaur I killed and tanned, it was a bit rough though because it wasn¡¯t exactly a perfect hide.¡± ¡®Wait, what was I saying?¡¯ ¡°I uh¡­ I enchanted it too¡­ But it¡¯s not nearly as good as what you have on this thing¡­¡±

    ¡°I knew that, the mana is the same as yours.¡±

    ¡®He can read other people mana? Is that also arcane magic?¡¯ I looked back at the sword. ¡®I¡¯m having trouble focusing¡­¡¯ ¡°Hold on a second.¡± I handed it back to him and took off my gloves and helmet, before taking it back. ¡®The metal feels hot¡­ Even in the cold¡­ It¡¯s not enchanted with heat, it¡¯s just holding that much power¡­¡¯ I felt chills run down my back. ¡®This is incredible¡­¡¯ When I sent my mana through the blade it was like my own circuits were trying to fuse with the metal and my hands went numb until my mana slowly made it back, although even then there was a faint tingling in my palms.

    ¡°This is amazing!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning ear to ear as I looked up at him again. ¡®It¡¯s like it all clicked somehow, even without trying in my mind I can feel that my magics improved. And this sword¡­ Did he seriously enchant this sword? Oh¡­ I wish I could figure out how to read his mana signature, is that also a part of insight? I should work on improving my arcane magic.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Glad you liked it¡­¡± He said, slowly taking it back and vanishing it into storage. ¡°It draws quite a bit of attention though¡­¡±

    I sighed, putting my helmet and gauntlets back on. ¡°Yeah well¡­ I tend to do that on my own¡­¡±

    He let out a small laugh, but by the time I turned it had already passed, making me feel like I missed something. ¡®Seriously¡­ What¡¯s with him?¡¯

    We turned in the spider corpses and the Beekeeper slowly tallied them out, calculating damages due to things like fire magic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then. It was nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah you too.¡± ¡®I guess just like that he¡¯s gone. I wonder if he¡¯ll be around¡­ Probably not, if the guild needs to send someone it would probably be someone else, maybe even higher ranked to just solve the problem now that he assessed it. ¡°OH! Hey wait a second!¡±

    He stopped and turned just before exiting through the doorway and I flicked him a silver coin. ¡°You killed one of these things, I¡¯m sure even you have use for some pocket change.¡±

    His face softened again, if only for a moment as I carved a rune into the ocean with magic and left without a word. ¡®What the¡­ You can¡¯t use it if it¡¯s defaced¡­ Wait, I should have given him two silver, the price would be¡­¡¯ I sighed, looking at the empty door frame. ¡®Dangit¡­¡¯

 Chapter 105: Side Quest.

    Instead of going back out hunting again, I couldn¡¯t get that spell sword out of my head. Or¡­ More specifically his magic. Light beam¡­ Incredibly high capacity, high range storage, insight¡­ The enchantments were so potent they radiated heat¡­ And even that sword, the feeling of the metal made my hands all tingly and brought me close to tier 3 metal magic.

    Nope, no hunting¡­ Instead, I spent the rest of the day training. In the end, I did technically achieve the ability to use Metal Bullet¡­ But that was all I achieved. Although on the upside I could now much more freely control a throwing knife, making it move with decent speed, rather than just make it float slightly or change trajectory after thrown. ¡®Imagine if I could make all my weapons fly with magic at the same time¡­ That would be so cool¡­¡¯ I brought my mind back to the present, staring at the small ball of metal I conjured and sending it straight through the target dummy. ¡®It takes a ton of mana¡­ It¡¯s cool¡­ But will I ever even use this?¡¯ I let out a heavy sigh. ¡®Well progress is progress¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ah! Chika! The minotaur slayer has returned! Although not after some new trials I hear.¡± Ted yelled with a hearty laugh as he and his crew greeted me once again.

    ¡°You guys look like you¡¯ve been doing¡­ Well¡­ Kind of terrible actually¡­ What the heck happened?¡± I took a closer look to see Ted¡¯s armor with a large puncture hole in the lower right side. Dabi¡¯s robes were torn revealing his troll-skin markings from the current of mana in his blood. Roarens fur was stained red on his left hand, and his boots were gone. Tarkin though, drunk as ever¡­ Was totally fine. His black plate armor was flawless under his slightly worn-out black overcoat that matched the dark blue hair on his arms and face.

    Ted sighed as he let the tension leave his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over some drinks¡­¡±

    Regardless of how they looked, they were not in particularly poor spirits, that said, they didn¡¯t exactly seem overjoyed either.

    ¡°Right, you first then. Tell us about this new armor of yours, mighty fancy. I only recognized you by your horns.¡±

    ¡®Why do I have to go first¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s see, I mean, I got quite a bit of compensation from Alden¡¯s Trial.¡± I rubbed my fingers together, lifting a hand for a moment as I sat down at the open table in the back of the inn. ¡°I took down about 30 bandits or so, and I got quite a bit of compensation from that too since it was mostly the guild''s fault they captured and tortured me for a while¡­ Let¡¯s think¡­ I pulled my money together and bought some land on Heaven''s Road along with a whole bunch of junked steel and magic crystals, then I used that to forge this. OH! I also accidentally invented a new kind of Vethrian steal that¡¯s red, instead of blue, after I coughed some blood into the smelter. Mochi, right, she¡¯s the halfling I sort of adopted. She took care of me while I was basically killing myself with manna exhaustion from enchanting it.¡±

    They all blankly stared at me.

    ¡°You astound me,¡± Dabi said.

    ¡®Does he mean that for real? I¡¯ve never heard someone say it unironically¡­ It¡¯s harder to tell the difference than I thought¡­ Usually that¡¯s a bad thing right?¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, yeah whatever¡­ What''s up with you guys?¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Roarens face suddenly sank and the mood turned serious. ¡°There was a group of adventurers that went into the forest a few days back, we warned them not to with their level of equipment, but¡­

    ¡°I take it they didn¡¯t listen¡­¡± I finished his thought, resting my chin in one of my hands. ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal¡­ We can add a few more to the death tally¡­¡¯

    ¡°They haven''t come back to town, and we can¡¯t find them. Just feels like a waste you know.¡±

    Ted crossed his arms and leaned back. ¡°Well¡­ We did all we could at this point¡­ But we¡¯ll keep an eye out as we go back tomorrow.¡± He looked at the other three closely. ¡°The little buggers seem to finally be thinning out, so tomorrow we go in deep¡­¡±

    I felt my face slowly relax. ¡°Hold on¡­ It sounds like you''re still looking for them¡­¡±

    Taggart laughed. ¡°Yeah well, what are we supposed to do when we see a party of pretty girls wander into the forest alone without a fire mage.¡±

    Ted shrugged. ¡°I admit¡­ I would be less worried if they were men¡­¡±

    ¡®Oh yeah, I forgot they only let guys tag along with them. Well, to be fair most groups are like that with only a couple of exceptions, like if you are an ogre or an orc, or if the girl is a mage it¡¯s usually fine too¡­ Isn¡¯t that a bit much though?¡¯ ¡°I mean, it¡¯s true that men tend to be stronger¡­ But is that really a reason to assume they need help?¡±

    Ted raised an eyebrow, setting his mug on the table again instead of taking a swig. ¡°Yeah I get it¡­¡± He sighed, pulling out a torn leather jerkin from his belt. ¡°When you start losing your armor it¡¯s probably not a good day aye? Talking about one person being as good as the next is great, but at the end of the day men are stronger, arrogant adventurers are more likely to die, and Steal is better than Iron. Besides, It¡¯s a man''s duty to protect a woman, even if she¡¯s stronger mind you.¡±

    I just tried to ignore what he was saying and grabbed the jerkin to look at it more closely. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ What¡¯s going on here? Why take it off? They really headed into the forest with iron weapons? I bet he¡¯d lose it if I told him I was a girl right now¡­¡¯ I chuckled thinking about it as I looked at the armor. It was split open by a blade, but not bloodied.

    He slapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Of course, I can say that because I¡¯m a dwarf, our women love being protected¡­ If you say something like that to a human girl they might bite your head off!¡± He laughed.

    ¡®Is this¡­ Why you aren¡¯t supposed to take relationship advice from adventurers? What kind of reputation do humans have exactly¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, have they been declared missing yet? I mean officially.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t the first piece of gear we found, but the trail is chaotic, Roarens nose is our only tracker¡­ And it¡¯s hard to sniff them out when spiders are getting cooked.¡±

    ¡®Makes sense¡­¡¯ ¡°In all likelihood, they cut this off after getting caught in some webbing. Although, it could have just been panic¡­ Either way, it¡¯s clear they got away from where you found this at least. Although, like you said, running around without armor is no good, Being a girl is whatever, but this armor is small, so whoever was wearing it is going to be pretty susceptible to poisons or toxins if the webbing touched their skin.¡±

    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s my boy! See, I knew you¡¯d understand. Any man would get why you should try and save a girl when she¡¯s in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Even if they get pissy about it¡­¡± Taggart mumbled.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Not what I said¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®I mean hey¡­ At least they¡¯re good at fighting¡­¡¯ ¡°I never said I was going to help looking for them¡­¡± ¡®or that I was a guy, for that matter¡­ Maybe I should have made form-fitting armor after all¡­ No¡­ The metal would have been wasted if I did it wrong¡­ You can¡¯t really reforge metals created with magic¡­¡¯

    Ted slapped me on the shoulder again. ¡°Come on now! Remember? We were always going to go hunting together sometime, might as well stick with us for a while right? Or were you planning on sticking to the outside and taking out small fry with all that fancy new gear of yours?.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair to the spiders, honestly,¡± Roaren smirked.

    ¡°UGH¡­ You have a point I guess¡­ I was going to head deeper in myself since I cleared the perimeter¡­ Do you guys have a map? If they are in trouble¡­ It would be better to plan now and leave in the morning as early as possible¡­ And they better pay me when we find them¡­¡±

 Chapter 106: Alone.

    Dabi, who had been silent up till that point suddenly grinned, pulling a map from storage and laying it across the table. ¡°The marks are where we have found traces. Objects include a knife, a sword, a few sets of clothes, and the armor we showed you.¡±

    ¡°Who loses their sword?¡±

    Roaren leaned back. ¡°Yeah well¡­ Who takes a bath in a monster-infested forest¡­¡±

    ¡°They what¡­¡±

    Ted pointed to the lake. ¡°We found the clothes next to the lake, I guess we don¡¯t know, but the assumption is that they were taking a bath and had to make a quick escape¡­ It¡¯s not like spiders undress you and neatly fold your clothes¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­ We''re looking for¡­ How many young girls that are running butt-naked through the woods? If they get hit by webbing they''re screwed¡­¡±

    Roaren slowly rubbed his hands down his face, resting them over his mouth, turning slightly red as Taggart stood up and leaned over the table. ¡°I highly doubt they¡¯re naked. They had plenty of supplies packed when they left, too much even. That¡¯s why we keep finding things. Most of it is getting scattered around though so there isn¡¯t a real trail. If they really were running through the cursed graveyard naked we would have found their bodies by now. There was an ogre with them, if I had to guess I¡¯d say she¡¯s keeping them all alive, although it¡¯s not unreasonable to say a couple of others are skilled as well. As you said, making jokes about women can be fun, but I¡¯ve gotten beat by them enough to know they aren¡¯t all useless. I¡¯d hope they at least had some skill behind their arrogance. What worries me is that they keep pushing deeper without actually weeding out any monsters along the way. Essentially speaking, they¡¯re surrounded and advertising their position.¡±

    I slowly swallowed¡­ ¡®I¡¯m starting to think maybe it¡¯s a good thing they don¡¯t know I¡¯m a girl¡­¡¯ Taking a deep breath I looked back at the map. ¡®Cursed Graveyard huh¡­ I forgot they called it that.¡¯ I stood up as well, taking a pen and drawing a large circle. ¡°Alright, well, I killed everything in this area this morning. It¡¯s not that far off from where you were, but I didn¡¯t see anything. Granted I didn¡¯t look very hard.¡± ¡®I feel like Zeph would have said something right? Maybe? It was hard to read him, but as a member of one of the 10 greats he would be obligated to help if he knew.¡¯

    ¡°Looking at the pattern here, and from what I know about how the spiders move¡­ I¡¯d say it¡¯s highly likely they are in this area right now.¡± I circled another section, much deeper next to a smaller lake that was more like a mountain spring.

    ¡°You really think that after they lost all this they kept going further in?¡±

    I pointed back at the map. ¡°I killed 30 spiders¡­ None of which showed any signs of previous combat. It is possible they got lost, or that one of them got captured and they went to save her¡­ To be honest, it also sounds phisable that they think they are doing fine and only headed to the spring because they got dirty while hunting¡­ Whatever the reason though, that¡¯s our best bet.¡±

    Ted let out a long groan. ¡°Right¡­ Tomorrow We will use our new gear, if we are going that deep we will be up against soldiers, casters, and possibly even a knight.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked at each of them again. ¡°New gear?¡± ¡®You mean you chose to wear those piles of junk?¡¯

    Roaren smirked. ¡°You didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be the same after how much time has passed, do you? We were just wearing this old junk because we didn¡¯t want to wear out our shiny new toys on the small fry.¡±

    ¡®Where is this sudden confidence coming from? There¡¯s no way they can afford gear that great after hunting spiders for a month.¡¯ I slowly stood up. ¡°Alright, I take it we''re leaving at dawn then? If we are planning on going this deep¡­ Three days?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Right, three days should be enough. Four at most.¡±

    ¡®Honestly, I¡¯m not sure it matters¡­ The only reason I rent a room is for the bed and the privacy to take a bath, but it¡¯s not like I need those things¡­ Although¡­ After my hair and skin got fixed with holy magic it would be a waste to let them get ruined again right? Well, whatever. I can worry about that later.¡¯ I sighed, stepping away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then. If I don¡¯t wake up, just come pound on the door or something.¡±

    They chuckled, waving goodbye and ordering another round, their spirits having lifted considerably.

    As I closed the door to my room the lively voices all became muffled by the thick walls. ¡®Seriously¡­ What a pain¡­¡¯ I sighed, jumping onto my bed and letting my weight bounce me as I stared up at the ceiling. ¡®Girls like them¡­ That''s why it¡¯s so hard for girls to find a proper party¡­ And why do Guys like Ted make jokes like that¡­ No¡­ I¡¯m sure they would joke about it regardless¡­ This whole thing just pissis me off¡­¡¯ I sighed again creating a big ball of water above my head and watching it gently move through the air changing its current back and forth. ¡®It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything wrong with what they said, jokes are jokes¡­ The real problem¡­ I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯m just mad that they still think I¡¯m a guy¡­ Or afraid of what happens if they find out I¡¯m not¡­ Zeph figured it out right away¡­ Eh¡­ Then again he did some other pretty crazy stuff.¡¯ I let out a long grain. ¡®Should I just tell them? No¡­ They don¡¯t take girls into their party, it would cause too many problems at this point. After¡­ we get back¡­ Yeah¡­ For now, we should just focus. After we save the girls I¡¯ll tell them¡­¡¯

    I tossed the water into the bathtub across the room, still lying out because I was too lazy to put it up. ¡®No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s bothering me either though¡­ Am I worried about Mochi? I am, but that¡¯s not all of it¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just nervous because I¡¯ve never been hunting with a real team before¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes and let my mind wander, deciding I was too tired to even care.

    Unable to sleep. I eventually got up and double-checked all my equipment and went over the last battle in my head. ¡®Lightning runes are powerful, but they have drawbacks¡­ I can draw them pretty quickly now, despite the complexity¡­ But they still take a lot of mana. They last until activated though, which is nice¡­ But not useful if you aren''t staying in one area. Still¡­¡¯ I sighed, flicking my spear to hear the familiar resonating tone of the enchanted steel.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Can I just¡­ Draw the rune on my spear? They would be small, but if I just draw five or six that would be equal in power. It¡¯s less efficient but the convenience would be worth it for sure. Why don¡¯t people do this? Is it going to explode and kill me? Meh¡­ It¡¯ll probably be fine¡­¡¯

    I got to work and sure enough, it went exactly as I suspected. ¡®It¡¯s a little unsettling holding this now¡­ Thinking I might accidentally kill myself if I¡¯m careless¡­ It¡¯s not like it¡¯s really possible to accidentally activate a rune though¡­ So it should be fine right?¡¯ I carefully put it back down, nervously taking it back into storage. ¡®I¡¯ll just¡­ Have to make sure I¡¯m not touching it when it goes off¡­ Or maybe¡­ Just use it as a ranged weapon from now on¡­ Yeah¡­¡¯

    With my mana exhausted and my mind focused on other things, I quickly fell asleep.

    ¡­

    Just like we said we left at dawn, making short work of the one or two little spiders we came across as we traveled through the cleared-out areas.

    ¡°You weren''t kidding, this place is barren. Uh, Chika?¡± Roaren said softly, sitting in a tree across from me as we kept a lookout.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I yawned. ¡®It¡¯s good that my mana came back¡­ But I haven''t shaken off the mental fatigue yet¡­¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re moving into new areas now, I¡¯m also less familiar with the terrain. I was only F-rank until recently, so I tended to not go in that deep. Even if I know the forest well, it¡¯s only really part of it that I¡¯m familiar with. We should keep our guards up from here on.¡±

    He groaned quietly, lifting his hand to his chin. ¡°We¡¯ve made expeditions deeper into the forest recently, but it¡¯s all still relatively new to us as well, and it was usually risky because of the chance we might get surrounded.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Tell me if you hear or smell anything.¡± I enhanced my senses and my eyes singled in on a spider in the distance, sitting perfectly still and blending in with the webbing.

    ¡°I can¨C¡±

    I quickly used a wind lance and drilled a hole straight through its head, leaving it plummeting to the ground. ¡®What was that just now? Was he saying something?¡¯

    ¡°You make me feel inadequate¡­¡±

    I blankly stared back at him. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡®Should I apologize? That doesn¡¯t seem right. I¡­ Should say something though right? My mouth isn¡¯t moving though¡­¡¯

    He sighed, smiling as he rolled his eyes and gestured for me to keep moving. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it''s fine. I¡¯m just impressed. Loosen up some. ¡°I¡¯m going to the ground to join the others, I¡¯ll be more likely to pick up the girls'' scents. That¡¯s usually how we operate too, since it would be risky for me to be alone up here. Are you coming?¡±

    ¡°Sure I¡¯ll¡­¡± I paused at the edge of the branch. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. Tactically, it will be better for everyone if I¡¯m up here. Not only will I be able to provide more support from up here, I¡¯ll be better able to spot their movements¡­ A-and with my magic I would be able to rejoin you guys if anything bad happened, so me being alone is fine¡­¡±

    He paused for a moment. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure. Keep us safe.¡± He saluted before quickly scaling down the tree in a way only a beast-kin could, using his claws to make his way back to the others.

    ¡®Alone¡­ I guess even when I¡¯m with a party this is how it is¡­¡¯