by Ennki Hakari
“Two beautiful women, fighting over little old me.”
Since we were discussing what village I’d ultimately belong to, I figured I should join the conversation. However, as soon as I opened my mouth, Ariane simply reached out and shoved my head back into Ponta’s belly, putting a quick end to my involvement.
“You’re right,” Glenys said. “But I can welcome Arc as a provisional member of the village. Anyhow, you can’t take him to Maple like this, while he’s neither fully skeleton nor fully elf, can you?”
“Arc Lalatoya, Pending Approval” didn’t sound too bad to me.
Inviting an outsider into Maple, the Great Canada Forest’s capital, was evidently no easy feat. Even if I were invited in, would I want to live so far from the shrine and hot spring? Distance wasn’t really a factor, since I could just use teleportation magic, but I was still hesitant.
It would be kind of like the way some people in Japan chose to live in Kanagawa, Chiba, or Saitama, where it was easy to commute to Tokyo, but suited their lifestyle better than Tokyo proper. For me, it would be more like living in Suita, Moriguchi, or maybe even Sakai, instead of downtown Osaka. Someplace with a more relaxed, hometown atmosphere.
Lalatoya was also closer to human lands.
I had no way of knowing how far away Maple was, but going back to my example, I figured it had to be something like the distance between Osaka and Nose, or maybe Misaki, two towns on the prefecture’s outskirts.
While I considered these things, the conversation drew to a close.
“I’ll talk to your grandfather about bringing this before the central council. But for now, we’ll stick to the idea of Arc joining our village. The final decision should be left up to him, anyway.”
Glenys must have seen my uncertainty. “Well, there’s no need to decide right now. Spend as much time in the village as you like while you make up your mind.”
I told her I would think about it carefully.
Ariane huffed and shifted in her seat.
“Well, that’s that, then!” Glenys said. “It’s getting late, so why don’t we eat dinner? We received a shipment of tomatoes from Landfrea today, so I made that soup you like so much.”
I stood up so fast that I actually knocked my chair over. “Miss Glenys, this ‘tomato’ you speak of…is it by chance a red fruit?”
Glenys stared in stunned silence at my sudden question. She nodded.
“Do you have a tomato here with you?”
At my urging, Glenys made her way into the kitchen, and returned with a pot brimming with red soup. My eyes went wide.
After asking Glenys’s permission, I dipped a spoon into the pot and took a sip. The flavor’s sheer depth convinced me. Although it was slightly acidic, this was definitely the same tomato I was familiar with.
Ariane sighed, exasperated. “You barely remember anything about yourself, but you sure remember a lot about weird stuff like tomatoes.”
I was too absorbed in the possibilities this ingredient opened for me to even hear Ariane’s complaint. Tomatoes were like a jack-of-all-trades of the culinary world. Seaweed and bonito were cornerstones of Japanese cooking; tomatoes served a similar important role in western cooking, adding a deeper, more refined taste. If I got my hands on some tomatoes, they would really keep my menu exciting.
“You mentioned that these tomatoes came from Landfrea. If I went there, could I buy some?”
“They’re grown in Fobnach, on the southern continent, and imported. Some villages to the south also grow their own, but dried tomatoes are far more common.”
Chiyome had mentioned that the mountain people had their own country on the southern continent. I wasn’t quite sure what my Transport Gate ability’s range was, but if I could teleport between the southern continent and the hot spring, I’d be able to buy tomatoes from the source whenever I wanted.
Since the mountain people needed time to finish building their first village near the lake, I’d been told that they couldn’t yet send anyone to start rebuilding the shrine. I might as well use that time to prepare for when I finally had a place to put my feet up.
“I’d like to visit this southern continent. Is it possible to board a ship departing from Landfrea?”
Of life’s three main necessities—clothing, shelter, and food—I’d already secured two: my Belenus Holy Armor was more than sufficient clothing, and the shrine and nearby hot spring would make excellent shelter.
The last necessity was food.
Glenys groaned slightly. “Weeeell, it’s an elven boat, so it might be a bit of a challenge to get you on board if you don’t belong to a village.”
My mind was made up. “I hereby swear my loyalty to you, and beg the honor of calling myself Arc Lalatoya!”
Glenys clapped her hands and smiled. “That’s great! I’m thrilled to have such a strong ally join our village.”
Ariane simply looked annoyed.
For my part, there was absolutely no hesitation.
My beloved tomatoes grew on the southern continent.
Epilogue
In the northern continent’s northwest corner sprawled the Great West Revlon Empire. In the empire’s southeastern part lay the Beek Sea, a narrow body of water that split the continent and fed into the south-central ocean. The Beek Sea also served as the border between the Great West Revlon Empire and the Holy Hilk Kingdom, from which the holy king ruled his subjects on the northern continent.
Beyond the bay, at the center of the Beek Sea, towered the treacherous Rutios Mountains, which served as the Holy Hilk Kingdom’s northern border with the empire.
The Holy Hilk Kingdom was surrounded by three different countries to the west, east, and south. However, due to the church’s influence, believers living abroad enabled the kingdom to maintain peace along its borders. It had yet to be invaded.
Mount Alsus, one of the Rutios mountain range’s peaks, was an important mythril source. At the base of Mount Alsus was the city of Fehrbio Alsus, the holy capital and center of the Hilk religion. Having faced neither war nor any other threat for many years, the capital was considered something of a holy land.
The holy king ostensibly ruled the capital, although that was a custom left over from before the Holy Hilk Kingdom’s establishment. The royal family was royal in name only. The true power in the kingdom was the pontiff, who lived in a massive church halfway up Mount Alsus. The only way to reach the church was by climbing massive stone steps known as the Stairway of Faith.
A huge clearing had been hand-carved out of the mountainside. At its center was a grand building surrounded by an open-air corridor. The entrance was a white color so brilliant that the sunlight reflecting off it nearly blinded those who approached. Intricate engravings covered the building, earning it praise as a piece of art in its own right. The church was majestic enough to impress upon all who saw it the true power wielded by the pontiff.
However, only a select few were ever allowed entry.
A tall woman walked along the polished white stone floors, the click of her heels resonating through the halls, asserting her presence. She had long, blond hair and a graceful face. Her white attire was completely inappropriate for this place of reverence; it exposed her gently swaying chest for all to see. A long slit ran up the side of her white dress, showing off her pale legs, and her jewelry screamed wealth as she moved lightly on her feet. At a glance, she could be mistaken for a dancing girl, or even a lady of the night. However, her rings, jewelry, and clothing were of a quality that such women would never in their lives have an opportunity to wear.
A man with immaculately arranged black hair, dressed in a clergyman’s elaborate uniform, approached her. He wore a warm smile, although his face contorted as if he’d swallowed something unpleasant when he caught sight of the approaching woman.
The two stopped in one of the church’s spacious corners. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
The smiling man spoke first. “Aah, Cardinal Castitas, what a surpris
e to see you. And here I thought you were in the western empire in search of a man.”
Despite this unfair remark, Cardinal Castitas shot the clergyman an enchanting smile and crossed her arms. Elin Luxuria, who went by the name Castitas, was one of the seven cardinals—second in power only to the pontiff himself.
Elin slid out her bright red tongue to moisten her plump lips, causing the man facing her—a fellow cardinal—to avert his eyes.
“Oh? And here I was on a job the pontiff assigned to me. I used the transportation stones to report on movements in the west.” She fixed the clergyman with a derisive grin. “Besides, I could say the same for you, Cardinal Liberalitas. It’s rare to see you all the way out here. Your only joy in life seems to be tormenting others. Or did you do something naughty and get called in?”
Palurumo Avaritia, known as Cardinal Liberalitas, stopped smiling. His face darkened, and he made no effort to conceal the disdain in his voice. “Hmph! I won’t have you treating me like that imbecile Charros, who got himself sent off to the southern continent! I lost two specter warriors on a mission to collect rune stones, so I’ve come to beg the pontiff to supply me with more.”
A flicker of surprise passed across Elin’s face, although her smile quickly returned. She stepped toward Palurumo. “Oh? Just what kind of job did you send them on? Losing two specter warriors is quite the feat. Or are you just pretending to have lost them to bolster your forces?”
A vein bulged in Palurumo’s forehead. “Why, you little… Are you accusing me of submitting a false report to the pontiff?!”
Before the volatile atmosphere could escalate further, a calm voice called out.
“That will be enough.”
Elin and Palurumo jumped at the sound, immediately turning to the speaker. Dropping to their knees, they bowed their heads low in reverence.
The man approaching them was the Holy Hilk Kingdom’s ruler, the pontiff himself.
“It is an honor to be in your presence, Pontiff Thanatos.”
The pontiff glided silently along the floor. He wore even more elaborate garb than his cardinals, and held in his hand the holy scepter, the symbol of his status.
Atop his head he wore a tall miter, inscribed with the holy symbol of the Hilk. A white veil hung from the miter’s brim, obscuring his face.
His full name was Pontiff Thanatos Sylvius Hilk, and he ruled the Holy Hilk Kingdom.
He spoke in a warm, friendly voice through the veil. “I do not doubt Palurumo’s claims, and I will send for more warriors. Don’t be so hard on him, Elin.”
The two cardinals bowed their heads even lower.
“According to Elin’s report,” the pontiff continued, “the western empire has mobilized a massive number of troops to prepare for a war with the east, so the western border is exposed to attack. You two will need to work together to deal with that.”
“Understood.”
The pontiff turned his back on the two cardinals.
As he made his way down the hall, his footsteps echoed off the white stone floor, and he hummed cheerfully to himself.
A gust of wind off Mount Alsus blew through an open window and briefly pushed the pontiff’s veil aside. Alas, no one was around to catch a glimpse of his face.
Side Story:
Lahki’s Merchant Diary, Part 4
Three figures stood on the side of a road to the suburbs surrounding Lamburt, watching silently as a horse-drawn cart shrank into the distance.
A friendly looking, well-dressed young man with tousled brown hair—probably in his twenties—smiled warmly as he watched the cart disappear, waving with one hand and clutching a piece of parchment to his chest with the other.
A second young man stood at his side, barely able to contain his excitement. “I can’t believe it, Lahki, you got a shop permit! I’ve heard of luck, but this is a whole new level!”
This second man was a mercenary, dressed in leather armor and armed with a shield and modest sword. He wore his blond hair cropped close to his head. He stared at the parchment the first man—Lahki—held.
The shop permit fluttered as Lahki’s hand trembled. Lahki grinned ruefully. “I can’t believe it, either. It’s kinda funny, though. You seem more excited than I am, Behl.”
“No, no! I mean, shouldn’t you be excited about something like this? No one from our little town has ever owned their own shop before, y’know!”
“That’s right! You’d better hurry and tell your folks back in the village!” the woman next to Behl agreed. She wore her chestnut hair tied back in a ponytail. It was obvious at a glance that this woman, dressed in leather armor, was also a mercenary. Like Behl, she beamed at their friend’s sudden change in fortune.
Lahki thought long and hard about the places his travels had taken him, and about his parents back home, who’d agreed to let him pursue the life of a merchant.
“Thank you, Rea. You’re right, I really should tell them.”
Behl turned his gaze back to the cart and mumbled to himself. “I can’t believe that you’re going into business with elves.”
Lahki looked up from the shop permit and stared at the distant figures who’d made this all possible.
“Those two really were nothing like the elves I’ve heard about,” Rea said.
It was the first time any of them had ever met an elf in real life.
One elf had been clad from head to toe in exquisitely decorated silver armor. When he took his helmet off, they saw that he had elongated ears, red eyes, black hair, and brown skin. The other elf had snow-white hair, golden eyes, and amethyst-colored skin. Her ears were slightly less pointed than the man’s.
Apart from their ears, both were quite different from the elves in stories, who had green-tinged blond hair and bright green eyes.
The two mercenaries looked at Lahki, as if seeking some explanation. Lahki smiled nervously under their gaze, then clapped his hands together as if trying to recall something.
“I think…and this is just a theory…but I think that Ariane, the woman, was a dark elf. I’ve only heard rumors about them, of course. Apparently, though, they’re a rare subspecies of elf. I don’t know what Arc might be, but it’s possible he’s an even rarer subspecies.”
“A dark elf, huh? Well, she was definitely easy on the eyes.” A silly smile crept across Behl’s face.
Rea shot him a death glare. “Cut that out! She’s a fellow warrior in arms, y’know. I’ll lop that filthy-minded head of yours right off if you keep it up.”
Behl wrapped his arms around himself and slouched, pretending to shudder at Rea’s threat. “Hey, I know! But a guy can’t help it if a beautiful woman draws his attention.”
Rea narrowed her eyes. “Yes, he can.”
Behl cleared his throat nervously.
Lahki could only tilt his head to the side and return Rea’s gaze as her eyes drilled into him. Behl, seemingly undisturbed by Rea glaring daggers at Lahki, continued to speak aloud to himself. “Speaking of which, the girl there was a real looker. Black hair, azure eyes… Chiyome, was it? I wonder what her relationship with the elves is.”
Lahki shrugged. “They mentioned that we’d meet with Chiyome much more often from here on out, since she’ll come by to sell monster parts and purchase materials. But she definitely didn’t seem like an elf.”
Rea jammed her elbow lightly into Lahki’s ribs in warning. “Listen, they’ve got some sort of relationship with the Lord of Lamburt, y’know. So, don’t go sticking your nose in places it doesn’t belong, or your business’ll be done for. A merchant should think about how to make the best of their connections.”
Lahki laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Hahaha! You’re right, Rea.”
He looked down at the shop permit in his hand, issued by the Lord of Lamburt. Any merchant was painfully aware of the sheer difficulty of obtaining the right to run a shop in a bustling port town.
Yet there he was, holding a piece of paper reserved for a limited few in this world. It wa
s nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That new reality was slowly starting to sink in.
“You’re absolutely right. But first things first. We should check out the shop.”
Rolling up the shop permit, and placing it carefully into his jacket pocket, Lahki turned back toward Lamburt.
Behl and Rea led the way, serving as Lahki’s bodyguards. They headed for the central administrative office in the old town district, near the lord’s castle.
Lamburt’s administrative office was a three-story building detailed with elegant stonework. Its black roof stood in stark contrast to the mahogany roofs around it.
Lahki entered the building and headed straight for the counter, where a clerk stood at attention. He handed over his shop permit. A short time later, after finishing the name registration and other paperwork, he left the office.
Lahki stood in the street, rolling the key for his new building back and forth in his hand. Its heft brought a smile to his face.
Behl nudged Lahki with his elbow. “So, it’s finally feeling real, huh? You’ve got your very own shop, Lahki!”
Lahki dropped the key into his jacket pocket. “Now I need to start wrapping my head around the next steps.”
“Hey,” Rea said. “Is the shop located in the old town district, or the new one?”
Lahki laughed wryly as he recalled the number written on his shop permit. “It’s in the new town district, near the south market. I mean, if I’d gotten a shop in the old district, I’d almost certainly have either turned it down or tried to trade it for a shop in the new area.”
Rea cocked her head. “I thought merchants preferred to have their shops in the old town district.”
As usual, Rea was right.
The town of Lamburt consisted of two districts: the old town district and the new town district. The names, obviously, referred to when the areas had been built. The historic old town district had more ties to the nobility, and thus, closer connections with the merchant guild. But the merchant guild had slowly acquired power over time, making it all but impossible for a newcomer to break in.