by Ennki Hakari
Ariane and I had traveled everywhere together. I always figured I was the person she trusted the most. Apparently, that was wishful thinking.
“Also, I want to talk to you about something once we go back to Lalatoya.”
Her gaze had some unspoken meaning, but I couldn’t catch what it was.
“Well,” I said. “We can stop there afterward. We need to tell Glenys about the spring.”
Several mountain people lumbered up to us, pulling a simple sled laden with grand dragon parts—rocks and stones, talons and fangs, and other assorted items.
Pittah slowly circled the sled, inspecting its contents and berating the workers.
“Tsk! Think ya packed enough on here? We’ll need more discerning workers to pick through this. There’s no way they could take all this into town. They’d break their backs!”
“Can I give it a try?”
I took the ropes from the men, wrapped them over my shoulders, and stepped forward to get a sense of the sled’s weight. I felt the ropes pull taut, but I already knew it would be no problem. The sled creaked a bit under the heavy load as I pulled it forward a few paces.
The men and women who’d dragged the sled over murmured excitedly.
I turned back to Pittah. “This should be fine. Will anyone else be accompanying Chiyome, Ariane, and I into town?”
Since the humans thought of mountain people as beasts, and frequently enslaved them, I preferred to avoid bringing any villagers with us.
“If you’re okay going alone, that’s probably best,” Pittah said.
“I don’t mind at all. A larger group would draw too much attention anyway.”
Pittah nodded and took a step back.
“Well then, we’ll be off,” I said.
With that, I summoned Transport Gate. A magical rune appeared at my feet, spreading to include Ariane and Chiyome.
Pittah and the other mountain people, having teleported back and forth several times at this point, were now familiar with the process. They stepped back from the circle of light.
The world around us went dark, and a moment later, our surroundings changed entirely.
***
Directly beneath us, red-roofed buildings sprawled from the base of the gently sloping hill we stood on. The vast, blue ocean sparkled behind the hill. Unlike the peninsula we’d been located on mere moments before, the wind here carried a salty tang as it swept across the sea. Boats of all sizes dotted the water in the port below.
It was the same sight that greeted me the first time I arrived in Lamburt.
“You know, I kinda missed this place.”
No sooner had I said those words than the sled I was pulling succumbed to gravity and started sliding down the hill. I quickly yanked the rope and planted my feet to keep it from coasting all the way to Lamburt.
We made our way toward the north gate, as we had done last time. The closer we got to town, the more stares we drew. Ariane pulled her charcoal-gray cloak’s hood low over her face.
“Huh. It seems like we’re attracting even more attention than usual.”
“Kyiii…”
Despite Ariane’s efforts to hide Ponta from view, its face peeked through a small gap in her cloak.
Chiyome pulled down her oversized hat to conceal her ears. “Everyone’s interested in the fact that Arc is pulling that sled all on his own.”
Too late, I realized that a man in full armor dragging a heavily laden sled like a mule would naturally raise eyebrows. I was even more grateful that no mountain people had accompanied us.
We made our way past the line of people waiting to enter the town. Once we reached the inspection point, I handed the guards the copper travel pass with the Lamburt seal that I’d received the last time I was there. Surprise washed across the guards’ faces for a moment, but they quickly opened the massive gate to let us through.
At that point, I’d received travel passes embossed with the marks of two different noble families. As I looked at the long, snaking lines of people waiting to enter, I was glad I had them.
The atmosphere in town was much livelier than last time. The crowds in front of me parted as I dragged the sled along, which I’d now grown accustomed to.
Our best bet was probably to find the local merchants’ guild office, someplace similar to where I’d sold the orc and fang boar meat in Luvierte. Lamburt was a huge town to travel through, with both new and old districts. I didn’t want to be dragging the sled through the streets forever, hoping to find a buyer.
I figured it would be best just to ask someone where the merchants’ guild was, but any time I tried making eye contact, people immediately moved out of the way to avoid me.
I looked back to see Chiyome keeping a close eye on the sled. Ariane walked alongside it, her hand on her sword hilt.
It would have been difficult to draw more attention to our group than we already were.
And, of course, my appearance meant that merchants weren’t exactly tripping over themselves to buy our wares.
As we looked for an individual brave enough to talk with our terrifying gang, I spotted a young man walking straight toward us with a shocked face.
“Sir Knight? I would never have imagined meeting you here, in a place like this!”
The young man was well-dressed and had messy brown hair. He looked to be somewhere in his twenties.
He spoke in a friendly tone, as if we’d met someplace before. I searched my memories, eliciting a rueful laugh from the young man.
“Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Lahki, and I work as a merchant. You sold me some weapons back in Diento, and I would like to thank you for your generosity.”
I looked closely at the young man’s face, and it all came back. “Oh, you’re that merchant!”
Here, right in front of me, was the man I’d run into on the streets of Diento. I’d sold him the weapons I pilfered when we rescued the kidnapped elves. Just as before, he gave off the air of a warm, affable young man, wholly unlike the average merchant.
“Don’t mention it. You were a great help to me as well! Anyway, as I said last time, I am but a humble wandering mercenary. No need to thank me so politely.”
Despite what I’d said, Lahki once again bowed low. I supposed it was important for him, as a merchant, to be polite at all times.
I smacked a hand to my helmet. “I still haven’t introduced myself! My name is Arc. These are my friends Chiyome and Ariane.”
Lahki bowed in greeting before turning his gaze to the sled.
“Do you run a shop here, Lahki?”
Lahki scratched the back of his head and offered a weak smile. “Oh, no. I’m still…trying to see if any of my connections can help me open one here in town.”
“Wow! It’s pretty impressive to have your own shop at such a young age, no?”
Lahki shook his head. “Not exactly. I can’t open a shop without a permit, and I haven’t found a way to get one. I’m probably still years away from that dream, unfortunately.”
I asked Lahki about the shop permits, and he explained in detail. To open a shop, you needed a permit from the lord. Permits were tied to specific plots of land, like a business registration and deed rolled into one.
With all the monsters running wild in this world, it was normal to erect walls around towns. That made the land within the walls extremely limited, which also limited the number of shops.
Recently, several illegal slave traffickers had been shut down, and the permits for their shops would soon go on the market. Lahki hoped that his connections might help him get his hands on one.
The wheels in my head turned as I listened to his story. I had an idea.
I doubted I could walk into a guild office and sell our dragon parts with the same ease as bull boar meat. Not only would the guild office undoubtedly ask me where the items came from, but since there was a limited market for such goods, they would need to know to secure a buyer. That was far from ideal. However, if we could find someone willing to sell ever
ything on our behalf…
Of course, that person would have to be trustworthy. Fortunately for me, the friendly young man standing in front of us certainly fit the bill. Besides, it would come in handy to have a human-fronted location where I could sell things in future.
“This is actually great timing. There’s something I’d like to talk with you about, Lahki.”
Lahki looked confused.
I laughed and pulled the sled up to give him a closer look.
***
Two days later, after quickly returning to the construction site on the lake, we were back in Lamburt. This time, however, we skipped the town entirely, and headed down the road to the south gate.
I waited by the roadside on the town outskirts, watching the flow of people coming and going through Lamburt’s gates. I kept my gaze on the road.
A familiar figure appeared, driving a cart drawn by four horses. He waved his hand. Next to him was a woman with fairly long chestnut hair, wearing leather armor. A mercenary, I assumed. In the back of the cart sat a man with blond hair cut close to his scalp. He had his hand on his sword hilt, and kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. Another mercenary. I figured they were both there to protect the cargo, but that seemed frivolous, considering how close we were to town.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Arc!”
Lahki steered his cart to the side of the road and offered a warm greeting. “As requested, I used the money from the grand dragon parts to buy a cart, and filled it with as much food as I could. Feel free to check it yourself.”
I made my way to the back to do so. Thick, glossy fabric stretched over the top of the cart to protect its cargo from the rain. I lifted the fabric and peeked inside. Countless hemp bags stuffed with flour, dried beans, smoked meat, and more sent forth a delicious aroma. Ponta wagged its tail excitedly.
Ariane and Chiyome also glanced inside.
“It looks as though you got everything we asked for. Now, about your payment…”
I turned back to Lahki, but he quickly shook his head.
“No, no, I can’t. Your initial help was more than enough. Since you let me sell those grand dragon parts, I was able to meet with the owners of some important shops. You’ve done more than enough to pay me back. Thank you!” Lahki smiled from ear to ear.
“Then, going forward, I would also like you to serve as my intermediary. It would only be proper to offer a retainer for your services.”
I reached into my bag, pulling out a piece of parchment wrapped with beautiful, decorative ribbon, and handed it to Lahki.
Surprised at the sudden offer, Lahki fumbled as he reached out to take it. I gestured for him to read. He unrolled the parchment and looked it over, then immediately let out a hysterical scream, eliciting concerned glances from the mercenaries.
“This… Is this a Lamburt shop permit?! B-but how?! Why? These aren’t even on the market yet!”
Lahki’s eyes, wide with surprise, hurriedly reread the parchment.
“I figured it would be convenient if you had a shop that I could visit now and then. Besides, I’ll need lots of materials for a personal matter. I went to the lord of Lamburt, and, although he put up a bit of a fight, he eventually gave me this.”
That elicited more surprise. “You’re buddies—I mean, associates—with Marquis du Lamburt?” In Lahki’s shocked state, he slipped up momentarily and lost his usual polite demeanor.
I laughed and turned to Ariane. She slowly pulled down her hood, letting her long, white hair blow freely in the breeze, and revealing her amethyst skin and pointed ears.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that the lord’s wife is an elf. That led to our connection with him. Anyway, I look forward to working with you in the future.” I pulled Ponta down from my head and took off my helmet.
Lahki’s mouth hung wide open as he looked back and forth between Ariane—a typical dark elf—and me, a dark elf with brown skin and red eyes. His two mercenaries also gaped at us.
The young merchant finally choked out a question. “You’re…you’re both elves?”
I put my helmet back on. “We try to keep out of sight among humans, so we’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself. It’ll make working together a lot smoother, going forward.”
Lahki nodded, promising not to discuss our secret with anyone else. His companions agreed.
As far as I could gather, those two were Lahki’s close friends. I felt a little better knowing they weren’t just run-of-the-mill mercenaries.
Besides, even if the truth slipped out, the three of us were almost certainly strong enough to deal with any ensuing problems.
After offering goodbyes to Lahki, who still looked shocked, we piled into the cart. Chiyome took the driver’s seat, as though she’d been born for it.
When I first approached Lahki to buy a cart full of food, which I could also use to transport supplies when it came time to construct my home, I thought it was a pretty good idea. Still, I hadn’t imagined it would go this well.
I felt Ariane glaring daggers at me from behind. She hated it when I was too pleased with myself. Even with my body completely covered, and despite my best efforts to keep the swagger out of my step, she’d picked up on it somehow.
As I suffered under the invisible power of Ariane’s gaze, Chiyome snapped the reins and urged the four horses forward, taking us down the road until we were far enough from town. We turned into a field, so no one would see us teleport.
Although the cart was rather large, the driver’s seat wasn’t, so Ariane, Chiyome, and I had to cram in to fit. Ponta was probably the only one not feeling the crush.
Ariane sighed, annoyed. “I never imagined I’d have to meet with a human noble just to get another human’s shop permit.”
I’d asked Ariane to go through Toreasa, a fellow elf and the wife to Marquis du Lamburt, to get the permit. Since I previously pretended to be her bodyguard, it made more sense for her to do it.
She definitely wasn’t pleased at having to ask a human for a favor, though.
Petros, for his part, felt that he still hadn’t thanked us properly for our previous help. Despite what I said to Lahki, Petros had granted us the permit with an easy smile, so I figured it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’m sorry, Ariane. But now that Lahki knows Chiyome, she can come here on her own without issues.”
“I know,” Ariane said. “By the way, Arc, you keep moving your head around. Are you okay?”
“Well, when I took my helmet off earlier to show my face, I couldn’t get it back on right. My ears keep getting caught. I’m trying to find a comfortable position, but it’s just not working.”
Ariane sighed dramatically and shot me an exasperated look.
The helmet fit perfectly over my skeleton’s skull, but felt a lot snugger over my dark elf head.
Chiyome tugged on the reins to slow the horses. “How about here?”
I stopped shaking my head long enough to look at our surroundings. We were far from the road, and no one was in sight.
“This should work. We’ll deliver the cart and report to Hanzo. Then we’ll take Ariane back to Lalatoya.”
I summoned the Transport Gate. This time, I put a little more power into it, making sure the rune spread wide enough to include the whole cart.
A moment later, we found ourselves at the encampment next to the lake.
As soon as the workers recognized us, and spotted the food in the back of the cart, they cheered loudly and stopped what they were doing to come over.
An instant later, Pittah was on top of them, scolding and pushing them back.
***
Chiyome and I returned to the hidden village to report to Hanzo and Gowro. We reached an agreement on rebuilding the shrine as payment for my assistance.
Once we finished that, I left Chiyome, and took Ariane and Ponta back to Lalatoya Village.
Glenys sat across from me at her dining room table, taking great interest in what I reported.
“Hmm, I
see. So, you found the spring Dillan told you about, and it let you reclaim your physical body, but its effects are limited. I never doubted that you were human, but now that I see your true form, you do appear to be an elf.”
Glenys looked at me with fascination, her angular ears twitching as she examined my own elven ears. Her golden eyes twinkled as a gentle smile graced her face.
“Since you’re an elf, what do you think about taking our village name? Assuming you want to, of course.” Glenys’ head tilted cutely to the side. She looked no older than thirty, and yet was still Ariane’s mother.
I looked back, puzzled, not exactly sure what she was suggesting.
Ariane jumped in. “Are you asking if Arc wants to join our village?!”
Only then did I understand what Glenys meant. At the end of each elf’s name was the village they belonged to. Taking a village’s name meant that you’d been accepted into it.
“Do you have a problem with Arc becoming one of us? I mean, the Dragon Lord himself said that Arc is a Wanderer, just like our founder.”
Ariane seemed lost for words. She turned her gaze back toward me, clearly conflicted. “If he were truly an elf, I’d have no objections. But wouldn’t it be better for this walking war machine to fight as a soldier for Maple than to live as a member of our village?” She spoke as if I wasn’t even there.
Her words stung, but thinking back on the mistakes I’d made across our misadventures, I couldn’t really deny her statement.
I buried my face in Ponta’s belly to make myself feel better, interrupting it mid-yawn as it lazed at the table. It started mewing and rolling around, apparently ticklish.
Now that I thought about it, my physical body resembled an elf, and I was able to see spirits. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with me belonging to an elven village. Honestly, it’d be nice to call someplace home, rather than constantly roaming the world as a skeleton.
“Oh? So, you’d prefer to keep him close to you in Maple, Ariane? And here I thought that your complaint was his species.”
“You’ve got it all wrong!” Ariane shot back. “I’m just saying that we should get the central council’s permission first. Besides, aren’t you serving in father’s place right now? You can’t make Arc a member of Lalatoya on your own, can you?”