“Time… has stopped? Impossible…”
“Eric, is something wrong? It’s about that girl, isn’t it?”
“Hmm… I just have a feeling something’s off. That girl definitely holds more secrets than just a deceleration spell…”
《Grandpa Eric, Clytie and the others are back.》
“Alright. Clytie will be bringing that girl here soon. Tia, we need to act natural.”
“You don’t need to remind me. I know exactly what to do.”
“…Tia, try to be a little more lenient with Clytie. After all, he is your—”
“Precisely because of that, I need to be strict with him now… His mother entrusted him to me, not for me to indulge him and let him swagger about everywhere.”
“…Sigh, since your mind is made up… I suppose it might be for the best, even for Clytie’s own sake.”
“Don’t tell him I said that. It’s embarrassing.”
…
…..
Winding through one narrow alley after another, pushing past one crowd after another, Clytie finally managed to bring me to our destination—the location of his companions.
“Miss Shirin, are you tired?”
“How could I be tired? If anything, you should be… Oh, never mind, you’re not tired either.”
The environment here was even worse than outside, no wonder no one was willing to come in and investigate. Not far behind us, a few unconscious vagrants were lying around, so the security measures weren’t bad either.
《Hey, hey, everyone, come look! This is the great mage Clytie was talking about!》
《Huh?! She’s just a little girl? I thought someone capable of such earth-shattering, awe-inspiring feats would be an old man like Grandpa Eric.》
《Looking closely, she’s really cute~ Her eyes are golden, and she has sky-blue long hair…》
I tilted my head, looking at the flickering specks of fluorescent light that accompanied the chatter, and chuckled softly as I spoke.
“Yes, yes, I’m the ‘mercenary’ Clytie hired.”
《Whaaat?! She can hear us talking?!》
《But besides Clytie, no human should be able to hear us micro-sprites!》
《As expected, she’s an incredibly formidable being.》
It seemed my little provocation had made them even noisier than before. It was a bit annoying, like the neighbor’s kid constantly yelling—utterly helpless.
Looking closer, there were even more fluorescent lights ahead…
I tugged on Clytie’s sleeve, signaling him to take me directly to see the main figures here.
“Everyone, this is Miss Shirin. She’s the expert who saved (truly deadpan reading) me from prison. Please don’t disturb her for now; it seems to be troubling Miss Shirin a bit.”
《Oh! Our apologies!》
《It’s our fault, but we just couldn’t help it…》
“No, it’s really nothing serious.” Although I wanted to offer some immediate comfort, watching those lights drift away left me feeling a bit hollow inside.
After walking a short while longer, Clytie asked me to wait as he approached a seemingly solid stone wall and knocked on the empty surface.
“Eric, Tia, I’ve brought her.”
Is it concealment magic, or some unknown spell that ignores obstacles? I’m quite curious.
“Very well. For our first meeting, allow this old man to introduce himself.”
That voice… it sounds so familiar…
“Clytie, you’re too slow!”
This voice… sounds familiar too…
“Miss Shirin, are you alright?!”
Why… do my eyes ache so much I can’t stop them…
“Ugh… uh, I—I’m looking for my companions.”
When those two “acquaintances” came into my view, I finally realized—they were not them.
“Oh? Who are they?”
“Tell us, we don’t mind.”
Both were elves—both were elves. Their appearances were extremely similar, yet different.
And I… couldn’t say it.
“Actually, never mind. Haha… Miss Tia and Mr. Eric, right? Haha… You look just a little bit like my companions.”
“I see, so you mistook us for your companions for a moment?”
“Really? But we’re elves. Speaking of which, aren’t you surprised? We’re both elves, and black-haired natural elves are quite rare among our kind.”
I shook my head, smiling wryly.
“Not at all. Even though the elves have all fled, I believe one day they will reappear on the world map, earning their own share of glory.”
“Don’t joke about that! Weren’t you humans the ones who persecuted us to this point in the first place—?!”
“I understand… that feeling. I’ve come to know it.”
“Then… you, why are you helping us?”
“Because it’s beneficial for me, that’s why I’m helping you. That’s the truth, since it involves personal gain.”
‘Tia’ hesitated for a moment before pressing further.
“You… what do you want from us?”
“The location of the elves’ homeland—the 【Elven Forest】.”
“Impossible! We can’t tell you that!”
“…..”
I looked at Clytie, hoping he would step in and clarify, but I didn’t expect the helplessness to spill from my eyes in that instant. Realizing this, I wiped my eyes, desperately trying to suppress the twitching urge at the corners of my mouth and my clenched teeth from the sourness.
“Of course, this topic is sensitive for you. When it comes to outsiders, every race’s stance is usually the same… distrust, keeping distance. But, I only need this one piece of information…”
“No! Who can guarantee you won’t leak it to other greedy humans!”
“I need it—”
Just as I was about to add more, I saw ‘Tia’ wave her hand dismissively and turn to leave.
“Was I… wrong? Hehehe…”
“Miss Shirin, you never told me you needed the location of the 【Elven Forest】.”
“Oh, that’s my fault for not making it clear an hour ago… And if I had stated that condition then, we probably wouldn’t be standing here facing off now.”
‘Eric,’ who had been observing from the sidelines, saw the situation and interjected.
“Well then, Miss Tsukimi… might I ask what you need the location of the 【Elven Forest】 for?”
“…..I have two elven companions. They… want to go home.”
“Hmm… One more question. Their names?”
I paused for a moment, swallowed hard, and then spoke.
“Elf Aesthel, Ann Alec.”
“I see… I haven’t heard news of them, but judging from your tone… they are important companions to you.”
I nodded, swallowing hard again.
“However, that alone isn’t enough to prove your resolve. In other words, I still cannot tell you the location of the 【Elven Forest】 right now.”
“…..So, this counts as negotiations breaking down, huh?”
My heart tightened, my back teeth clenched firmly, and the veins in my palm stood out menacingly.
“Miss… Shirin? Are you alright?”
“I… still can’t do it.”
I stopped my hand, let out a deep sigh, covered my face to calm myself for a moment.
“I guess… I won’t trouble you all any further. It seems I’ll have to rely on myself after all…”
“Miss Shirin, please!”
As if trying to stop me, Clytie desperately tried to grab my hand. Of course, I shook it off immediately.
“We’ll meet again in the future… no, we won’t meet again. Goodbye.”
Disgusting. I didn’t consider their feelings. Since I belong to the human race that once invaded them, it’s only natural that they, descendants of the elves, would reject me. Refusing to reveal the location of their invaded homeland is perfectly reasonable.
Well, well, it’s nothing, nothing. Just keep moving forward like before—
‘Disappointing. Truly disappointing.’
I felt something moisten my cheek. Reaching up to wipe it away, I found it was a clear tear named ‘disappointment.’ I smiled.
“Idiot.”
…
…..
“Eric, what now? Are you going to continue your test?”
“…I never imagined it would be too much for her to this extent.”
“See, Eric, you drove her away after all.”
“Eric, where do you think we should look next for someone like Miss Shirin, a ‘person’ willing to help us?”
“This old man…… Elf, Alec… Hiss, Alec…..! I remember now! Alec, Ann Alec! That’s right, it can’t be wrong, it must be him… To think that after all these centuries, you, who were captured by humans, would become companions with a little human girl and want to return home…..”
“Eric, you don’t mean—”
“Clytie, Tia, come on, let’s go find that girl and bring her back.”
“Easier said than done. Do you really think you can change the mind of someone whose eyes have died? I saw it clearly.”
…
…
Ah, where should I go next?
Oh right, go to 【Feltrero】 to find Elf and the others.
How many days has it been?
Only three days (you can’t imagine how much has happened in just these three days).
Pinching my fingers, relaxing my expression, I sat on the edge of a rooftop, idly gazing at the town exit road so close by, stretching towards the not-so-distant mountains, and leading to the final destination—Feltrero.
“Well, sitting here won’t help. Better hit the road soon.”
However…
“Found her! She’s over here!”
Things don’t always go smoothly, and life is always full of ups and downs and downs and downs.
“Good girl, come to uncle.”
I shook my head, quickly jumped off the building, landed steadily, then broke through the guards and left 【Gairy】.
Ignoring the shouts and pursuit behind me, I focused solely on running forward.
All for that one purpose—
To find my companions.
…
Alias: Rin Tsukiyo—Real Name: Tsukimi Shirin
Age: 11
Status: 【Wanted—Missing】【Heartbroken with Disappointment】
Form Status: homeless / girl / poor
——————
Attack: ??
Speed: ?+
Magic: ????
Strength: ?
Growth Potential: ∞
Accuracy: A
Mental Strength: A++
Airheadedness: D- / Wisdom: A+
——————
Switches: 【Judgment】 【Injury Disengagement】 【Scholar’s Mind】 【Elemental Wrath】 【Accelerated Growth · Random】
Innate Attributes: 【High Energy】 【Forced Regression】 【KRYY’s Blood】 【Recovery Healing】 【Shennong’s Appetite】
Weaknesses: 【Cold Sensitivity】LV. MAX 【Heat Sensitivity】LV.5 【Mental Resistance】LV.1
——————
Companions:
Magic Elf-User—Clytie Kaley Lagarov—Has Left Party
——————
Objectives:
Find Ann Alec, Elf Aesthel, and Huihui, who were teleported to 【Feltrero】—Pathfinding in Progress.
Defeat the Orc Army plaguing the Elven Homeland together with Clytie Kaley Lagarov—Mission Canceled.
