“Speaking of that matter, yes, yes!”
“Ah haha, you mean that thing.”
“That’s right, that guy Glick actually went to Panute to pan for gold all by himself, but it doesn’t seem like he got anything good out of it.”
“Hmph, what good could a guy like him possibly get in that treasure trove? It’d be a miracle if he didn’t get shot full of holes by goblins and end up like a sieve.”
“Come to think of it, things seem a bit off with the government lately.”
“Oh, you mean those few dragon knights who came a few days ago? I heard they’re the imperial guards of some prince…”
“Maybe ‘bodyguard squad’ is more accurate. Spouting off opinions in a place like this, you might just get overheard by some big mouth who’ll pass it on to the mayor.”
I’d followed them all the way, and I’d certainly picked up a lot of gossip. But right now, the most important thing was still the exact situation regarding that young elf… If it really was Airf, then I’d hit the jackpot.
I had cast [Universal Invisibility] on myself and was in a “stealthed” state. Unless someone had [True Sight] or could sense magical fluctuations like that cat girl, no one would notice me… However, something had also started following me from behind, and judging by the scale of it, it seemed ready for a big fight, making it clear to me that it was coming for me.
Well, its intent to kill was clear. Not putting up a good fight would be disrespectful to them… And with this many, what exactly are they planning?
Sinister, shadowy figures coiled together in the corner of the wall, poised like spears ready to strike; the darkness in the alleyway surged and rippled, about to spill out; from the open rooftop, it felt like something was sweeping down a crushing gaze.
And the unsuspecting people nearby didn’t seem to realize this yet, still chatting and laughing merrily, all lovey-dovey…
Maybe it was that demon’s doing from earlier? Said I should wait and see, and the price would be half this shopping district—Ow!
“Ouch! Looks like I ran over someone.” It’s me! Ow ow ow…
“Must be your imagination. Let’s keep going.” It’s not my imagination at all! My foot really hurts!
Watching the Lamia couple gradually walk away, I gritted my teeth, marveling at the sheer variety of species in this “Demihuman City,” and quickly hurried to catch up with the two I’d almost lost.
I couldn’t make a sound now. If I, while invisible, suddenly appeared in the middle of a crowd, I might startle someone and cause some kind of trouble. I couldn’t allow that to happen, especially when I was the cause…
I don’t know how long we walked, but they finally stopped moving. The flow of people around had also thinned out considerably. Looking to the side… a plain wooden door stood before me. Through the fan-shaped frosted glass in the top half, I could vaguely make out the inside, and bursts of loud laughter drifted out—
Another tavern? As I thought that, the two pushed open the door and went in. I had to quickly follow, trying not to slip up…
It was just an ordinary tavern. Rows of wooden tables lined the left and right sides. This unremarkable little place from the outside actually had so much space inside… Walking forward, I reached the counter. Behind it stood a man, tall and burly, a bit older, with hair and beard more than half white.
“Yo, old-timer, we’re back again. How’s business today?”
Speaking of business, I turned to look back. This place wasn’t exactly bustling, but it wasn’t deserted either. Probably because it wasn’t well-known.
“Hmph, same as always, as you can see. What’ll it be today? Trying to forget your sorrows?”
“Since we’re here, give us two bottles of rum.”
“Coming right up… Oh dear, we’re out. Let me check the cellar.”
With that, the old man pushed open the door behind him and went to look for more stock.
There were many demihumans sitting here, and occasionally a few humans, but no sign of any elves… Could it be that the place they were talking about wasn’t here? Or maybe they just didn’t go today by chance. I was a bit disappointed. I’d followed them for so long for nothing, hoping to find a clue, but—
Sighing, I canceled my invisibility, reached out, and tapped the silver bell on the counter.
“Hi! What can I get for you?” A young, childish voice came from beside me, but I really didn’t want to pay attention.
“Yahoo! Miko-chan~”
“Oh my? Aren’t you the two big brothers from a few days ago?”
“Miko-chan, you’re still as cute as ever.”
“Hmm… I specifically asked Grandpa Lanka to tell you guys not to call me cute. Big brothers, have you already placed your order?”
“Yeah, huh? When did this person get here? Did you notice?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Hearing this, I looked up at the young elf before me. Because she wasn’t a pure natural elf, her physique was better than theirs. She looked like she had the body of a ranger, just like Airf…
I took out some paper, wrote a few lines, and then showed it to the elf—
“Are there any other elves in this city?” … “As far as I know, it seems there aren’t. They’ve all disappeared.” … “Why wasn’t I taken? … Because my grandmother was an elf, so I’m only one-quarter elf. Those adults have no interest in me.”
I nodded to show I understood and continued writing…
“Give me a bottle of good liquor that adults like.” … “I can do that, but are you going to drink it? If so, I won’t sell it to you.”
I nodded again, insisting on buying it, so the elf had no choice but to comply…
“Rum… seems like it’s out of stock…”
“Speaking of which, why is Grandpa Lanka taking so long to get it?”
Now that he mentioned it, it was a bit strange… An adult who had been running this place for years shouldn’t take this long rummaging around in his own cellar; he should be familiar with it by now. I had a bad feeling about this, so I jumped over the counter, pushed open the door, and gestured for the elf to lead the way.
“Grandpa Lanka doesn’t like people going into his cellar.”
[Writing] “If you don’t go in and check, you might end up finding a corpse instead.”
The elf choked up but just stood there rooted to the spot, not moving… Oh, right. I forgot. I shouldn’t hit a young kid with something so shocking. I patted her shoulder, trying to calm her down.
In the end, I got dragged into it anyway. And this gem seemed to sense something. The moment I stood at the entrance, it started flashing continuously, releasing waves of pulsing energy… I realized a problem: What exactly was the connection between this gem and those demons?
“Hey, hey, why aren’t you scared? Grandpa Lanka is in danger, and it’s just you alone… I, I’m so sorry.”
I didn’t want to deal with why she suddenly apologized, but the pressure bearing down on me forced me to move forward…
[Hey, kid, I told you, just wait and see…] This voice, this aura… Just as I thought.
I walked inside and activated [Yellow · Justice] , illuminating the room—various wooden cabinets, assorted cupboards, quite a few cellar doors, but not much time.
Demons are inherently spirits; they need to rely on condensed ethereal energy to maintain a physical form and act. Since they lack a physical body, they can’t normally be perceived visually… However, they can still pose major threats, like using spells or something.
Because a soul itself is also a gathering of ethereal energy, a demon that has gathered enough can also have its soul seen—activating [Soul Sight] would let me grasp the situation.
In the silent space, there was a faint chattering sound. Confirming it was some kind of conversation, I stopped in front of a cellar door that showed signs of tampering. I reached out and knocked. The chattering below instantly ceased.
So they were downstairs. But my soul sight only showed three people, and another one flickering on and off… Wasn’t this the demon’s doing? But that voice just now—could it be it hadn’t gathered enough ethereal energy? Was it a different class of demon from what I knew?
Just then, someone shoved me hard. Turning my head instantly, I saw a silhouette, and in the darkness, countless scarlet dots.
…
…..
What’s the deal here?
Even when I don’t go looking for trouble,
Trouble seems to cling to me
Like an obsession,
Never leaving me alone, never abandoning me.
I coughed lightly, dragging my increasingly heavy body, trying to prop up [Yellow · Justice] again. But by its faint light, I saw the old man lying motionless on the floor, and three lizardmen squatting nearby, lighting a lamp, seemingly up to no good.
“Hey, boss, looks like someone saw us now.”
“Tch… We just wanted to steal a little drink, and now we’re in big trouble. What are you waiting for? Get him!”
The air here was a bit strange, but it didn’t seem to be affecting them.
I clenched my fist, steadied myself, planning to take them all down in one go, but the lizardmen were agile and fast, not easy opponents to handle.
So boring…
“Little girl, what are you mumbling about over there!”
So troublesome…
…..
…
What’s the point of me living, anyway?
…
…..
Suddenly, I feel like dying.
…
…..
My body feels awful, so tired.
…
(What’s wrong? What are you hesitating for?)
…
Shut up.
…
(Aren’t they just obstacles in your way?)
Yes, but that’s none of your business.
…
(You could just leave here and not be troubled by it.)
But.
…
(Or you could just unleash your power.)
However.
…
(Everything, all of it, would become so much easier.)
Really?
…
(You’ve changed a lot, grown sluggish.)
That’s not true.
…
…..
Suddenly snapping my eyes open, I slammed the lizardman in front of me to the ground. Silently, I recited the skill command in my mind.
My body moved on its own, like a reflex—lifting the lizardman into the air, I tightened my grip.
“You bastard! Let me go!!”
A ringing sound filled my ears, but I paid it no mind, focusing only on channeling my power.
[Divine Calumny · Baptism of All Things]
In an instant, a surge of hot currents welled up around me and the lizardman. Crimson, deep purple, pitch black—they all intertwined, coiling around my body. I couldn’t describe the feeling at that moment, only knowing it was the energy from the surroundings.
“Waaahhh!! Help!”
