In the Land of Leadale - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – A Journey, Common Sense, the Royal Capital, and a Game of Tag

“………” 

A tense air traveled through the quiet forest. The intended target didn’t move a muscle beneath the cover of fallen leaves. 

On the hunter’s left arm was a large bow nearly as tall as its wielder. Despite being unable to visually confirm the target lying beneath the leaves, the hunter took aim and moved forward ever so carefully. 

A slow hissing sound was audible from somewhere. The moment the hunter approached, the giant, foliage-covered body pounced and recklessly pierced its prey with sharp fangs. 

…Or at least, should have pierced it, had the hunter not completely slipped beneath the flying predator in that instant. 

“Zan Arrow!” 

With this final warning—however heartless—the soft skin of its belly was punctured, and this forest menace that had put every single one of the hunter’s nerves on edge had been taken out. 

“Phew, that got my heart goin’. I owe a lot to Lottor.” 

The sparking arrow that now quietly fizzled away had struck a snake that was around ten meters long. The patterning on this variety of python-like monster, a reverse boa, was opposite that of typical snakes. By appearing to lie dead on its back, it lulled prey into a false sense of security and struck as soon as the poor victim drew close. Its back, which was camouflaged to look like a regular snake’s belly, was actually incredibly tough, so it was easier to fell the monster by aiming for its underside. 

When she’d arrived to collect medicinal herbs, Cayna had heard whispers of “Be careful” and “So scary!” from among the trees and soon cast Active Skill: Survey around the area. That’s when she found the long belly slithering through the leaves. 

After confirming the arrow was truly gone, she rolled up her catch like a hose and bound it with rope. For the time being, she gathered only a modest amount of medicinal herbs, even though it hurt her conscience, and concluded that it really was okay to do so no matter where she went. 

However, each time she picked one with a plea of “Just a little, okay?” the herbs would go, “Gyaaah?!” and adamantly voice their displeasure, so Cayna’s heart felt rather crushed. The elven ability to hear the voices of plants wasn’t without its disadvantages. It required steeling yourself to a certain degree. 

“Come to think of it, I sure do have a lot of monsters here.” 

The reverse boa wasn’t the only creature hanging from a rope. There was also the chameleon-like fowa lizard, which could take down enemies with teeth that had evolved into razor-sharp needles, and three leech birds, which looked like hummingbirds but drank blood instead of nectar. She had also taken down a horned bear and had already stripped its horns, pelt, and meat to put in the Item Box. 

And so on and so forth. Cayna had gathered quite the bounty despite only venturing just a bit deeper into the forest. Spotting them had been easy. After all, Lottor had taught her how to avoid dangers in the forest. Once she’d taken this information and used it for the exact opposite of its intended purpose, finding monsters wasn’t hard at all. Half the day wasn’t even over yet, but she already had a huge haul. 

Cayna thought it strange that a village so unaccustomed to fighting had been able to live peacefully thus far despite being this overrun with mankind’s natural enemy. However, the reason came to her soon enough. 

The fence surrounding the village seemed to be protected by a charm that warded off monsters. Charms weren’t a skill one could carry around with them, though, so Cayna guessed it had been placed within the last two hundred years. 

It had been well over nine days since Cayna had found herself waking up in the remote inn. She had been to the tower three times since then, and her store of magic was essentially full. 

Furthermore, she planned on visiting the remaining locations of the other Guardians once she used the communication network to pinpoint their locations. However, her own Guardian informed Cayna that some of the towers’ communications had apparently been suspended. Therefore, it was imperative she gather whatever information she could about them first. 

The Skill Masters’ rings all responded whenever a tower was nearby, and if she could reach one, she could use the ring’s incantation to get inside. 

But there was another problem that had to be dealt with. 

Even though they were called towers, out of the thirteen in existence, only Cayna’s actually looked like a tower. From what she’d heard, Opus’s was a Western-style building, and the tower underwater was like a dragon palace. It frustrated her to no end that not one could have just been normal. Now finding them was going to be an absolute pain. 

Using magic where no one would see her, Cayna decided to fly around and fill in the village and tower areas on her map. Searching was like a hexagon strategy game. 

She also helped out in the village. Marelle had told her to do as she pleased, and Cayna did just that. 

When she mentioned this to the Guardian of her silver tower, though, it tiredly muttered, “Skill Masters shouldn’t go sellin’ themselves short.” 

At any rate, what she did need was a bath. There was nothing of the sort in the village, and when she asked how people normally cleaned themselves, the answer was that most wiped their bodies with a damp towel. 

When she requested it of Marelle at the inn, the woman brought out a basin of lukewarm warm she could bathe in for an additional fee. But even though Cayna had no trouble affording it, she would start feeling bad if she made it a habit. After all, it wasn’t as if Marelle could heat up the water with a single spell the way Cayna could. 

And thus, the idea of creating a public bathhouse for the village popped into her mind. 

First, she had to decide on a location. In terms of a space suitable for such an undertaking, the central plaza was a viable candidate. However, the villagers used it for a variety of purposes, so building it there was unlikely to work out. 

As Cayna walked through the town, she noticed there were a number of empty houses and thought maybe she could ask for one. 

When she hurried over to the village elder to ask his permission and also raised the matter of a well, he cheerfully told her to use whatever land and well she pleased. 

A hot spring created with Magic Skills didn’t require a water source. After all, there were plenty of skills that made excellent substitutes. 

First, she had to move every single bit of furniture from the empty house to her Item Box and use her skills to bring the empty house under her control. The high-elf skill Territory Control was just the ticket. Cayna could use it, since she was elf royalty according to her backstory. 

Next, she cleared away half the walls and floor of the building and chose the area that might otherwise have been a backyard garden as the perfect place to dig a hole deep enough for people to sit. 

To turn it into a bathtub, she compressed and solidified the dirt so the hole wouldn’t turn into a quagmire after the water was added. She did this by summoning Earth Spirits. As Cayna was busy processing the wood for the tub, several water-bottle-sized pawns flitted about and hardened the earth. 

This may have looked like a fairy-tale scene, but at level 220, the Earth Spirits were actually forces to be reckoned with. Any normal person in this world would be unable to handle them. 

Cayna set a special boulder in the very center of the large hole and began laying the tub with wood to surround it. This was one of the standard Building Skill blueprints, and she packed in as much detail as she could. 

Finally, using the boulder as a center point, she split the inside and outside of the house down the middle and surrounded the entire area with a gourd-shaped fence. As soon as she cast a spell that would keep it going the same as a well, it was complete. 

She thought procuring the wood materials would be an ordeal but decided to be realistic and use magic to cut them down. 

Still, it was a deplorable practice that she refused to show anyone. 

First, Cayna went around bowing her head to the local trees, saying, “I’m sorry for cutting you down.” Then, she would cast soundproofing magic on herself and magically chop them down. This way she wouldn’t have to hear the condemned trees’ screams or the enraged outcries of the others as she picked up their fallen brethren. She felt terribly guilty and had the unpleasant feeling she wouldn’t be able to visit the woods for quite some time… 

The unique boulder installed at the center of the bath was a charm known as a magic rhymestone. Within the game, it was a material that could absorb magical energy from the air around it and endlessly spawn dungeon monsters. Cayna had been keeping it in storage in her tower. 

Although it was disguised as a rock, she had gathered a number of magic rhymestones together and configured them to produce several effects. Spring Water ensured there was a constant flow of water that possessed beauty and healing properties, Purification filtered out any impurities, and Insulation kept the water at a constant temperature. Further still, she cast magic that would prevent it from requiring maintenance for forty years. It would need basic cleaning, however. 

Once the project was finished and she deemed it operable, she showed the villagers. They needed an initial lesson on how to wash before entering the bath but unanimously took a liking to it afterward. 

Although she was unable to provide soap (there was no skill for that), Cayna had instilled the importance of bathing in the villagers. It was particularly well received among the elderly women. The locals decided they would take turns maintaining it. Apparently, Cayna and the villagers could use it for free while visitors would be charged a fee. 

As the day’s hunt came to an end and Cayna lined up her haul before Marelle, Lottor came in and stared at her bounty in mute amazement. 

“You caught this much again? What’re we supposed to do?! Even the whole village can’t finish it all.” 

“What?! You mean this is all edible?! The birds I understand, but even the lizard and snake?!” 

Marelle’s statement shocked Cayna. She personally would never dream of eating any of these. 

“Hey now, why so much? And what’s with all the variety…?” 

Lottor’s shoulders dropped at the six animals plus a heaping pile of frozen meat strung up at the back of the inn. His face seemed to be saying, Is this a plot to crush my hunter pride? 

“What’s this meat here? It’s white and cold…” 

“That’s a horned bear. It was so big that I decided to cut it up ahead of time, but I didn’t want to carry the raw meat back, so I froze it with magic (and put it in my Item Box). Oh, here are the pelt and horns.” 

Some monster or pesky animal kept jumping out at her every time she took a step in the forest, so she’d just ended up flying the rest of the way home. But even the sky had found ways to annoy her, as hawks soon swooped in to attack. She had no other choice but to take them down, but the ridiculous encounter rate was a serious problem. 

Back in the Leadale game, Active monsters couldn’t attack you if your level was higher than theirs. But when you didn’t pay attention to your Active Skills outside of battle, you’d get sick of encountering animals who instead attacked on instinct. 

Butchering the bear had been pretty rough. She’d watched how they did the first one back at the banquet and vaguely remembered the steps involved. Cayna had been reluctant, but she’d powered through the stench of blood and the incredibly tedious process. Despite throwing up midway, she’d chopped up the meat and put it on ice with Magic: Freeze. At some point, she would secretly ask Lottor to teach her the process from step one. Either way, Cayna had no choice but to accept the inevitable and just get used to it if she was going to live in this world. 

“By the way, I think it’s about time for me to leave this village soon,” Cayna said, sitting up straight. “I’ll wait until after the caravans arrive, though.” 

Marelle and Lottor fell into silence. 

“That so? We’ll miss ya…” 

“Well, you are an adventurer, Miss Cayna. Can’t stay in one place for too long…” 

As a solemn air fell over them, Lytt walked over with a curious expression. She had come to draw water, yet Cayna, her mother, and Lottor were looking at one another as if someone had died. Naturally, she had questions. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“Ah, Lytt. Um, well…” 

Cayna tried to respond, but Marelle stopped her. She met Cayna’s gaze and shook her head. 

“It’s fine, Cayna. Don’t say anything. You can do it the day of.” 

“Huh? But…” 

“We’re tradespeople. Meetings and partings are a part of life. She has to learn to get used to it.” 

Lytt looked at Cayna, who had been trying to tell her something before Marelle cut her off. Deciding on her own that it was probably grown-up talk, she turned the handle as usual and drew water. 

Cayna had been unable to broach the subject ever since, but their hour of parting came surprisingly fast. 

The next afternoon, five horse-drawn caravans arrived. It was almost exactly noon when she heard them. 

The neighing of horses. The rough beat of hooves. The rattle of caravan wheels as they rolled along the ground. The bustling sound of a large group of approaching people. 

Their arrival simultaneously filled the villagers with anticipation. To Cayna, the noise had an Oh, lots of people are here feeling to it, but Marelle heard differently. 

“Hmm? They sound a little frantic out there, huh?” 

“Oh? You think so?” 

“Those guys ain’t the type to get worked up over nothing. Maybe something happened on the road?” 

Curious, Cayna looked over at the dining hall entrance. Just then, a man came flying in. Dressed in leather armor and equipped with a long spear, he dashed over to the counter in a panic. 

“Madam! Alcohol! Also, hot or cold water!” 

“Geez, someone’s in a rush. What in the world happened?” 

The man was clearly in an odd state of panic. Cayna was in the middle of eating lunch at the counter and observed him as she ate her bread. 

After Marelle brought out a bottle of alcohol from the back, she called Lytt over and told her to show them how the well worked. The man took the bottle and ran back outside, nearly tripping in his hurry. 

Concerned by the way he clicked his tongue and muttered, “Shit,” Cayna gobbled up the rest of her lunch and followed him. 

A sight she’d never seen before unfolded as she stepped outside. 

Two box carriages drawn by four horses each and three covered wagons drawn by two horses each were sitting there. The merchants who seemed to have ridden in the carriages were lined up in the wild fields at the corner of the village and unharnessing their horses one by one. They unloaded their luggage as they made preparations and set up shop. She watched in wonder as the alighted passengers came together and erected a market in the blink of an eye. 

Just then, a harried voice yelled from a separate group of just under ten armed travelers. From the rough tone, Cayna could tell there was no time to waste. The shouting continued as they made a circle around one area. 

“Hey! Hang in there!” 

“Kenison?! Hey! Answer if you can hear me!” 

“Hurry up with those herbs!” 

“Dammit! The blood won’t stop!” 

Cayna saw this was no trivial matter. 

“…Is someone injured?” she asked. 

“Mm, yes.” 

As she began moving toward them, an unfamiliar voice unrelated to the group called out near Cayna. Before she knew it, a bespectacled dog-person known as a kobold was standing next to her in brown, baggy robes that dragged along the earth. He looked like a cute Welsh corgi sort of breed, but the voice was undeniably that of a learned man. 

“It seems they ran into an ogre on their way here. The guards managed to fight it off somehow but not without major injury. I’m afraid it doesn’t look good.” 

Cayna could sense his concern, but the All is lost attitude put a crease in her brow. 

“…Are you saying nothing more can be done?” 

“With those wounds, I’m afraid to say…” 

She glared at the kobold, who did nothing more than shake his head dismissively. She then raced toward the group with a shout. 

“Move it!” 

“H-hey! Miss, what in the world are you…?!” 

She pushed her way through the huddle of mercenaries and came upon a young man lying on a blanket. The side of his leather armor was torn open and wrapped with a bandage. The wound had been dyed crimson with blood, which was still trickling through. 

Most girls seeing so much blood would have run away by this point. Unfortunately, Cayna had experienced a deeper hell than this before. 

She used Search to check his vitals and saw the man’s HP bar steadily dropping. Once it changed from yellow to red, she realized what was happening and muttered, “Poison!” The mercenaries tried to remove the girl who had just barged into their circle after seeing their comrade inching closer toward death by the second. 

Cayna’s next move astounded not only them but everyone else in the area as well. 

Special Skill: Load: Double Spell: Begin Count 

Two blue rings suddenly appeared in midair. From the side, they appeared to cross at her shoulders and began spinning rapidly with Cayna at the center. The blue light became a sphere of latticework around her, and the numeral 10 floated at the cross point of both shoulders. It was a Special Skill that cut the delay time for casting magic in half and allowed her to use multiple spell effects at once. It would only last for ten seconds, but with Cayna’s magic, this would suffice. 

9 

Magic Skill: Poison Purification Pa Nil: Ready Set 

Magic Skill: Simple Substance Recovery Dewl Level 9: Ready Set 

“Heal!” 

The faint blue light enveloped the man, whose face had gone from pale to deathly white. Glowing, firefly-like drops soon appeared in the air one after the other and seeped into the man as if they were shooting stars in a planetarium. 

“What?!” 

“Two spells at once?!” 

“Only three people in the whole country can do that!” 

The mercenaries and merchants murmured with dumbfounded amazement as they stood frozen solid with shock at the unbelievable scene. 

*   *   * 

6 

Magic Skill: Continued Healing Dulite: Ready Set 

Magic Skill: Range Recovery La Duula: Ready Set 

“Hurry up and activate!” 

Two layers of magic pentagram circles fixated over the man’s head. Their glitter turned to rain and poured endlessly into his body. The subsequent magic turned to white semitransparent waves that fanned out across the area. It affected not only the mercenaries but the merchants and village onlookers as well. Everything from the smallest scratch to battle injuries healed in an instant. A crowd soon gathered, and everyone was too astonished to utter anything more than “Ohhhh…” as they watched. 

3 

2 

1 

End Count: Effect Finished 

With a high-pitched sound, the blue lattice rings broke apart and disappeared. Cayna took a deep breath. The mercenaries who had been staring at her realized that color had returned to the young man’s face, and his flank had stopped bleeding. Their disbelieving expressions slowly turned to joy, and cheers rose up at the survival of their comrade. 

The villagers were hardly surprised that Cayna had pulled it off, but the merchants stood motionless with slack-jawed expressions. 

“Phew. Glad that all worked out.” 

Filled with a sense of accomplishment at a job well done, Cayna gave herself a pat on the shoulder, even though something like this wasn’t enough to wear her out. She then went to get up and leave. 

As she turned her back on them, the middle-aged man who had come rushing into the inn called out to her. 

“I’m sorry for the trouble, miss. We’re deeply grateful to you for saving our comrade’s life. Thank you.” 

“I’m just glad I made it in time. The magic circles will stay over him for a while, but it’s safe to move him.” 

Upon the man’s instruction, several people moved the formerly injured youth onto a stretcher and brought him inside the inn. The mercenaries thanked Cayna profusely, and she grew red with embarrassment. 

The kobold who had called out to her before clapped as he approached. 

“My, that certainly was a rare sight to see. You strike me as an accomplished mage. Might I ask your name? I am Elineh, the one who coordinated this caravan.” 

“I’m Cayna. I’m just your average rural shut-in, so don’t mind me.” 

Since it would be awkward to explain her whole situation to these people, she decided to paint herself as a clueless retiree who had holed herself away in the forest. Cayna only knew the programmed world of the game but felt there was a good chance she could get away with not knowing the current state of the world if she was brushed off as just some country bumpkin. 

Still, to think there would be kobold merchants. 

Cayna had often seem them running around the game world as NPCs doing maid work and such and hadn’t thought much of it. 

Elineh, on the other hand, was usually greeted with preconceived notions of This is a kobold? so he was particularly pleased by her lack of reaction. 

“Should you require anything for travel in a remote region, please do visit our caravans.” 

Judging she was of moderate talent, Elineh deemed this a good opportunity to promote himself and bowed his head. 

A short time later, life was once again bustling in the previously tense central plaza. Vendors sold the vegetables and grains they had harvested from the field, and buyers bartered over the price of daily necessities. The mercenary guards headed to the inn for a drink while still leaving a part of their forces behind. 

With Lytt by her side, Cayna sat and watched as Lottor exchanged the wild game that he (mostly Cayna) had caught for money. The merchant ogled in astonishment while flicking an abacus. 

“Three horned bear pelts… That’s quite a challenge for even the average adventurer. And isn’t this a reverse boa skin?! Leech bird feathers?! No village hunter could ever take such monsters down. What sort of tricks are you playing, Lottor?” 

Lottor crossed his arms and puffed his chest out proudly with a big “Oh-ho-ho!” He then swiftly pointed at Cayna next to him, who was having a pleasant chat with Lytt. 

“This is all Miss Cayna’s catch!” 

“Wooow! Clap, clap.” 

“Hee-hee!” 

Lottor’s and Lytt’s praise made Cayna openly blush. The merchant, however, was thoroughly confused. 

“O-out of curiosity, how did you do it?” 

Because of the magic she cast a short while earlier, the merchant now mistook Cayna for a priest. The lack of sword cuts or magical burn marks on the pelts had raised speculation. 

Cayna and Lottor stared at each other for a moment before answering in perfect unison, ““Kicked ’em to death.”” 

“The first kick was impressive enough, but that second one was really out of this world!” gushed Lottor. 

“Don’t mention it, really. Please forget what I said—it was just youthful enthusiasm!” 

When she had been out with Lottor, Cayna had gotten carried away and accidentally let out a loud, strange yell; the embarrassing flub made her go red in the face. It had been absolutely no different from the first kick, a mere automatic Charge skill. When he went around that night regaling the inn with tales of her heroic figure, Marelle had yelled, “You’re upsetting her!” and taken him down with a throw of her tray. 

As opposed to their lively conversation, the merchant was stunned by the absurdity of it all. 

“I am glad to see you are enjoying yourself.” 

With the inn full of mercenaries, Marelle had called Lytt over to give her a hand. Cayna was left perusing the wares alone when Elineh called out to her. 

“I witnessed what you did a short while ago. It was a wondrous spectacle the likes of which this world has never seen.” 

Was he talking about the time she used the horned bear horns to make a three-prong trident and had it appraised by the weapon shop? They were so moved that after negotiations she was able to sell two for sixty coins. 

Or was he talking about the time another merchant had shouted, “Who made this?!” and wanted to know every detail about her well mechanism? 

If that wasn’t it, maybe he meant the public bath? 

Unsure what he was referring to, Cayna chose to give a roundabout answer. 

“I saw that sort of thing a lot two hundred years ago (…through quests).” 

“Oh my, two hundred years ago. I see. But now you’ve decided to leave your forest?” 

“That’s right. A lot has happened.” 

“Is that so… Well then, is there anything you were hoping to purchase?” 

Cayna wasn’t really used to dealing with inquisitive types, so she chose her words carefully. Her parties had almost always been made up of only trusted friends since the very beginning, so she didn’t do well with people like him. He was like the smooth-talking nurses who asked questions to try to suss her out. 

“Actually, I’d like a map.” 

“I see. Yes, even maps look quite different than they did two hundred years ago. I trust you understand it will cost a modest sum?” 

“I’d also like you to tell me about the royal capital and other subjects as well. Ah, will you need an information fee?” 

“Goodness, no. Please consider your earlier magic display a form of payment.” 

“Can I really make money by putting on a show?” 

“At the very least, that will depend on whether there are others in this world who can dual cast, yes?” 

Elineh’s amused manner of speaking made Cayna worry she had been a bit too hasty in disclosing her personal history. 

“Looking for someone, hmm?” 

The sun had long since set, and the inn’s tavern was several times more bustling than usual as villagers, the merchants and their families, and the mercenary guards all crowded in. Cayna sat in her usual spot at the counter as she did at mealtimes. 

Next to her, Elineh sat on a stool he brought with him and told her all about Felskeilo’s royal capital. 

For instance, the noble and commoner sectors were separated by the Ejidd River. Since it was situated halfway between the southern nation of Otaloquess and the northern nation of Helshper, the capital was a central distribution point that was said to provide anything. He also told her about the annual fighting competition. 

Halfway through, Cayna murmured, “I wonder if that kid is there?” but the question Elineh threw back at her was the start of her troubles. 

“May I ask whom you speak of? Perhaps I may know of them.” 

Oh yeah, what did I go with again? she wondered. After creating the characters, leveling them up a bit, and submitting them into the Foster System, Cayna hadn’t really bothered to keep in touch, so she had completely forgotten what they looked like. If you asked anyone in the entire world, they’d say she was shockingly heartless. 

“Um, he’s an elf…” 

“Ah, an elf. Is that so?” 

“A priest, and—” 

“Yes, I see. A prie… Eh?” 

As Elineh spoke, the mercenaries’ attention was caught. They froze. 

Elf. Male. Priest. Even in the capital, few people fit this description. They all thought to themselves, No, it can’t be. 

However… 

“His name’s Skargo—” 

““““““WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!”””””” 

Everyone listening—besides the villagers, of course—grew frenzied and let out a simultaneous cry of shock. 

“Didja say Lord Skargo?!” 

“Are you really acquainted with the Lord Skargo?!” 

“Never thought I’d hear such awesome news in a backwoods place like this.” 

“Such a little miss knowing someone so almighty… What kind of relationship do they have?” 

“Hey now, don’t go overlookin’ Miss Cayna. Don’cha know how mad talented she is?!” 

“What kind of skills would a village girl possibly have?!” 

The villagers and merchants at the other end of the counter suddenly started commenting and arguing with one another. Cayna looked at Marelle, who picked up a tray with a bright smile. Cayna pretended not to notice. 

Actually, Cayna may have noticed something tray-shaped go flying out of the corner of her eye, but she was pretty sure that was just her imagination. 

“Huh, so he’s that famous…” 

“You’re way off, miss. Aside from the king and prime minister, High Priest Skargo has more influence than anyone else. He’s not someone you can write off with a huh.” 

“That’s right! He’s a walking dictionary who’s been around since the great upheaval two hundred years ago! A work of art! And number three in this entire nation! No one alive can resist his charms!” 

“…You did say ‘High Priest,’ right?” 

As far as Cayna could remember, all the game’s most important figures: 

Had unrestricted access to the royal castles. 

Were NPCs. 

Appeared in cutscenes. 

Gave quests. 

This much confirmed it. Something was definitely off, and Cayna began to chuckle. 

“…Hey now,” the mercenaries cut in as they watched her. 

Elineh’s instinct whispered not to ask any further questions, but curiosity won out. 

“If you’ll allow me, may I ask what connection you share?” 

“Well, it’s not really anything worth hiding—” 

Just as the onlookers were returning to their food and drink with sighs of “They’re friends at best” and “Geez, why’d she gotta surprise us like that?” Cayna dropped the truth bomb. 

Naturally, she never realized it was a bomb at all. 

“He’s my son.” 

“GWAGHBWAGH?!!!” 

The contents of every single mouth there went spewing without exception. 

The villagers. Marelle and Lytt. Lottor and Luine with frozen, wide eyes and open mouths. The mercenaries were soaked in the alcohol they spurt out, and the merchant families had dropped their plates and utensils. Elineh had nearly fallen from his stool. 

“…C-Cayna…” 

“Yes? What is it, Marelle?” 

“Y-you…have a child at your age?!” 

A child?! 

When Marelle put it into words, that was the moment the true age of the fifteen- to seventeen-year-old girl before them was shadowed by doubt. No statement could have been more mismatched. 

“Ah, um, I have two more (sub-characters) as well…” 

““““““WHAAAAAAAAA—?!”””””” 

She’d been interested in experimenting with specialized skills and thus had created and submitted two more foster children. These were the female elf Mai-Mai, who knew about eighty Attack Magic skills, and the dwarf Kartatz, who specialized in using his construction talent to build fortresses and castles. 

The latter was an “adopted child” in the truest sense. Officially, if parents in World of Leadale were of different races, they couldn’t give birth to a mixed-race child. It was set so they would take after one parent or the other. Even in this current reality, the laws seemed to be no different. 

She was more than a little relieved to see that no one doubted that the child of a high elf like Cayna was an elf. 

Incidentally, their three names came from some snails she’d found one rainy day at the hospital. 

“At any rate, I’m glad Skargo is doing well.” 

Cayna may have been relieved, but astonishment, upset, confusion, and insanity swept through the tavern. 

“……Huh?” Elineh repeated with a confused expression. He ruminated over what he’d just heard. 

It was the morning after his first night in the rural village, and now he was enjoying breakfast with this self-proclaimed “drifter,” Cayna, who had rocked the inn with her confession the night before. 

Everyone—the mercenaries, Elineh, the merchants, and their families—were eating a morning meal of hearty stew. Naturally, it was packed with plenty of meat. This particular variety came from the horned bear, also known as “frontier beef.” 

How funny it was that there was more than enough in stock and they could eat their fill without worry. 

Leaving that aside for the present, the real issue was the girl in front of him. 

“I shall ask once more. You wish to go with us to the royal capital… Is that right?” 

“Yes. I could go by myself, but I don’t know the roads very well. Can I ask this of you?” 

He wondered how anyone could possibly get lost on a straight road but eventually accepted her proposal without any strong objection. His gaze then moved past her shoulder. 

“At present, I do not see any issues and gladly welcome you. I cannot say the same for the young miss over there, however.” 

“Huh? …Oh.” 

Following Elineh’s gaze, Cayna turned around and broke into a sweat when she noticed Lytt holding a tray and on the verge of tears. 

The thought of abandoning the girl weighed on her conscience, so after informing Marelle, she took Lytt to the back of the inn. 

“You’re leaving, Miss Cayna…” 

“Y-yeah. I can’t stay in the village forever.” 

Cayna almost thought she could see the girl’s dewy, upturned eyes whittling away at her HP bar. She crouched down to Lytt’s eye level, took hold of both her hands, and spoke. 

“Don’t worry. It’s only a temporary good-bye.” 

“Really?” 

“That’s right. I promise I’ll come see you again.” 

Even so, Lytt couldn’t hide her sorrow. Cayna held her tight as she whispered in her ear. 

“I’ll tell you something incredible as proof of our promise.” 

“Huh?” 

“You can’t tell anyone. Not Marelle, not Gatt. Not even Luine.” 

“O-okay…I understand. It’ll be our secret.” 

“Do you know the silver tower by the mountains?” 

“Yeah, Mom says a terrible witch lives there.” 

“To tell the truth, I’m the bad, bad witch in that tower.” 

“Huh? WHAT?!” 

Lytt tore herself from Cayna, though not very forcefully. She stared at her in utter disbelief before murmuring, “But Miss Cayna isn’t a bad person.” 

Happy to hear these words, Cayna took the girl into her arms again. 

“It’s a total secret, so I’ll come back now and again to make sure you haven’t told anyone, okay?” 

“Uh-huh. After all, if you never come back, I’m going to tell everyone.” 

“Right. It’d be terrible if I returned to my tower and couldn’t show my face here again.” 

The villagers hiding in the shadows softly cried as they watched the two soul sisters smile at each other. 

Two days later, the caravan and Cayna were ready to depart on both their journeys, and the villagers all gathered around to see them off. 

“See you again!” 

“Come back soon!” 

“Bring your son next time!” 

As she watched the people bid them farewell, Cayna felt like a young country girl returning to the big city after visiting home. 

“Looks like someone’s popular.” 

“I owe a lot to everyone, after all.” 

“Seems like the other way around to me.” 

As they watched Cayna wave both hands and say her good-byes to everyone, Elineh and the leader of the mercenaries were both convinced the girl was dense when it came to others’ affection. 

“Come to think of it, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Arbiter, the leader of the Flame Spear mercenaries. Nice havin’ you with us on the ride to the capital,” a youthful man walking alongside the caravan said to her as she dangled her legs off the edge of the coachman’s seat. 

Each member of the group then introduced themselves. Cayna’s eyes darted about in confusion as she failed to remember them all. After the one-sided introduction, Elineh led her inside the carriage. 

It was then that Elineh and Arbiter looked at each other and nodded solemnly. Their hearts were now both mutually burning with a single duty: 

We cannot let this young lady into the royal capital with such a disastrous sense of money. 

Their reasons were twofold: 

Example 1: 

Elineh thought back to when he sold Cayna a map. He had assumed he’d be able to have quite an interesting bout of bartering with such an esteemed personage. 

“A map of Felskeilo is worth about eight silver coins, don’t you agree?” he began. 

Even Arbiter, who was listening right next to them, had thought, Hey, aren’t you overcharging? 

However, the customer produced eight coins without question and gave them to Elineh. 

“Ah, I see. Eight coins, right? Here you are.” 

Dumbfounded by her cluelessness, the two simply stared at the silver coins. Needless to say, Elineh threw in a map of another country. 

Example 2: 

Cayna had just cheered Lytt up after the girl overheard her request to join Elineh on his trip to the capital. In his opinion, having a mage as capable as Cayna was fortuitous enough. In fact, he desired it himself. 

Even so, his merchant’s soul compelled him to tell her, “As our guest, there will be a transportation fee. Including food and miscellaneous expenses, it will be ten silver coins.” 

However, when she didn’t question anything and immediately tried to pay like a fool, the two hurriedly stopped her. 

“What are you thinking?!” 

“He’s right. Hold on there, miss. You gotta be savvier!” 

“Huh? Isn’t that the current market price?” 

At that point, both merchants realized: It’s hopeless. She lost her sense of money two hundred years ago. 

And thus, it was decided that Arbiter would teach her basic adventuring knowledge, and Elineh would teach her financial sense. Really, though, it was more like they bowed their heads and pleaded to teach her. 

They hadn’t been able to prove anything based on her actions in the village, but if such a financially clueless elf was released into the world, there was a possibility she’d crash the general market in an instant. 

There in the carriage, a cloth was laid out inside a suitably small wooden crate. Mr. Elineh’s economics class began. 

On top lay three coins. Starting farthest to the right, they were bronze, silver, and gold. 

“See here, Lady Cayna. First, we have this brown coin. Fifty of these will equal one silver coin, and one hundred silver coins will equal one gold coin.” 

The bronze one had some type of unfamiliar bird carved onto it. The silver had a flower, but the gold had a building. It seemed like some sort of guild that might be in charge of regulating currency. Elineh then took out a colorless, clear coin that shone delicately and put it next to the gold one. It was carved with an emblem that felt very similar to something Cayna had seen in her homeland. 

“This is a crystal coin. It is engraved with the image of the god who was charged with assembling the world and is worth fifteen gold coins.” 

Cayna took it in her hands, looked at it, and suddenly cast a spell. 

Magic Skill: Analysis 

“What?” 

She then took a transparent stick seemingly out of nowhere and cast Craft Skill: Duplication. A sudden torrent of light swept through the carriage, and as soon as it abruptly ended, Cayna had another crystal coin in her hand. 

“Aha. I thought I’d seen this before. It’s a family crest.” She turned over the crystal coin she had made and stared at the crest one might find on a family altar. 

Elineh, who had just witnessed all this, dropped his gaze and shuddered. 

The creation of crystal coins was a closely guarded secret. He’d heard the process was known to only a small number of dwarves. Seeing it crafted so easily right before his very eyes left him dumbfounded. 

Nevertheless, he pulled himself together. 

“Lady Cayna! It is illegal to make money of your own accord!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” 

Elineh wasn’t sure what he would have done if she hadn’t bowed her head and capitulated so easily. 

The caravan arrived at an open area along the main road to stop while it was still light out and began setting up camp for the night. According to Elineh, there were a number of such suitable lodgings along the route, and many others gathered at this particular location to rest until morning. 

In charge of setup were some of the merchants along with the mercenaries. 

Nearby was a small yet clean river running with drinkable water. Arbiter approached Cayna as she sat on the wheel of a covered wagon and muttered to herself while staring into space. 

“One bronze coin, two, three, four… I wonder if sooner or later Okiku will come out from her well saying, You’re short one!” 

“It looks like he really put you through the ringer. Learn anything?” 

“Yes…but I didn’t think Elineh would be such a tough teacher.” 

Arbiter patted an exhausted Cayna on the back and beamed at her. “Well, did you at least learn the value of money?” 

“By this point, if I said I still didn’t understand, I bet I’d end up with two teachers.” 

Her complaining made him roar with laughter. 

Apparently, an adult could live well off ten bronze coins a day, though most of it was food expenses. A night at Marelle’s inn was twenty bronze coins. If you stayed ten days, it would cost two hundred coins. Convert that to silver, and it was four silver coins. 

Logically, this meant twenty silver coins was a dizzying amount. After all, it was equal to a thousand bronze coins and fifty days at the inn. 

“With that in mind, the spear was thirty silver coins, but I’m not sure it’s worth so much…” 

“No way. As soon as you showed me, I could tell that was well-made.” Arbiter carried a single spear on his back. The azure tip was in the shape of a flickering flame. “Don’t you think the weapon shops in the capital would buy it for more than thirty-five silver?” 

“I’m not very good at telling if an appraisal is fair or too much.” 

“You can’t use weapons, since you’re a mage, but the weapons you created as a skilled artisan are worth two gold easy.” 

Cayna casually went along with Arbiter and made sure he knew she was listening while he folded his arms and nodded fervently. 

Either way, she didn’t get why a single silver coin in this reality was the lowest form of gil in the world of the game. So long as you knew the right skill for a particular type of weapon or armor, a skilled artisan could craft their own equipment just by paying careful attention to the materials. The only weapons you couldn’t craft were the gag items distributed during events. These included the Supreme King of Fools Armor, the Hungry Like the Wolf Sword, Tragic Night: Jason Blade, and Shut Yer Yap Shield. The effects of each one were iffy on their own, and they mostly catered to collectors. 

“Hey, come to think of it, you’re an aspiring adventurer, right?” 

“Well, I have to make money somehow. I’m not sure how I feel wandering around jobless…” 

“Why not ask the High Priest for a little help?” 

“I could never let myself be tied to my son’s purse strings. I’d be a failure as a mother.” 

“Pretty sure lots of parents and children are like that, though…” Arbiter decided to chalk it up to the differences between elves and humans and continued. “Honestly, becoming an adventurer ain’t all that hard. You go to an Adventurers Guild, sign up, and get a registration card. That’s pretty much it.” 

He reached into his breast pocket and showed Cayna what looked like a credit card. It was about one millimeter thick and entirely crimson. Written in rainbow lettering was Arbiter’s name, race, occupation, and mercenary group. 

“They normally come in white, but groups like ours can choose a color. Anyone who has this is an adventurer. You’ll have to pay two silver coins to get it reissued if you lose it, so be careful.” 

Cayna nodded with a “Yes, I see.” 

The VRMMORG Leadale was very much a Japanese creation; almost the entire game had been developed domestically. Perhaps that was why this world used kanji, hiragana, katakana, Romaji, and English. Furthermore, the in-game writing looked shaky, as if the letters of the alphabet had been tilted ninety degrees. 

Simply put, it was as if someone had written on a piece of paper with an ink-soaked brush, then turned it sideways to let all the ink drip down. With a bit of effort, this was fine enough for everyday language. Sometimes, however, it looked more like ancient Chinese script. 

Arbiter’s card was written entirely in katakana, which Cayna found difficult to read. 

Arbiter 

Human 

Soldier 

The Flame Spear Mercenaries 

I guess all these cards are written just in katakana, she then realized. 

“Adventurer Guilds look the same anywhere. After all, the walls are completely covered in requests. Just pick one you like and take it to the reception desk. You only have a limited amount of time to complete it, so watch out for that. If you take on a request and can’t deliver on your promise, you’ll have to pay a breach-of-contract fee… I guess that about sums it up.” 

She’d never heard of there being a “breach of contract” fee or anything before, but Cayna thought it didn’t differ all that much from the game. What she had to watch out for most at the moment was that this reality was different from the game. If she died, there’d be no Continue screen. She was better off assuming she couldn’t come back to life and reappear in the main guild the way her character used to. 

As Arbiter gave her detailed pointers and answered her questions, the sun began setting. One of the mercenaries ran over to tell them dinner was ready. 

As the young man turned around to head back toward everyone, Arbiter’s voice stopped him in his tracks. Arbiter tilted his chin toward Cayna. 

“Kenison, this girl saved your life. Make sure you thank her.” 

“Huh? Oh, right. Come to think of it, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

“You forgot?!” Arbiter said, snapping back at Cayna’s Now that you mention it attitude. 

The young man observed their banter enviously, then straightened himself up and bowed his head. 

“Lady Cayna, thank you for doing everything you could to save me the other day!” 

“L-L-L-L-Lady Cayna?! That really isn’t necessary! Just call me Cayna!” 

“Okay then, I’ll call you Miss Cayna.” 

“Ngh… I still think that’s overkill.” 

Cayna’s red face and embarrassed blustering sent Arbiter into a fit of laughter. He continued his stream of “Ha-ha-ha!” as he headed back toward the crowd of people and the scent of delicious food. 

His expression blank, Kenison watched his leader depart. He then shifted his gaze between Arbiter and Cayna, who appeared equally vexed. 

“You’re incredible, Miss Cayna. It’s the first time I’ve seen the boss laugh at a time like this.” 

“Isn’t life more fun when people are around? I don’t think suddenly laughing at someone’s face should count, though.” 

“No, no, he’s usually way more irritable when we set up camp. The rest of us always get yelled at.” 

“It’s part of being human. Doesn’t everyone want to survive?” 

“You’re missin’ the point.” 

Cayna didn’t know what he was trying to say, and Kenison hung his head in total failure. 

He wanted to get across that Arbiter was normally a strict leader who never hesitated for a second to tell off newbies like Kenison for dawdling if it meant ensuring the safety of a client. However, Cayna didn’t see that side of him. Nor did she see how he ended up getting in trouble later after another mercenary came to get them. 

As the curtain of night fell, Elineh came to Arbiter as he performed his rounds. 

“You said there is something worrying you?” 

“Yeah. It’s the ogres we ran into on the way to the village. They’re stubborn bastards and will probably come at us again.” 

At first, two ogres had carefully targeted the carriages. Four goblins had joined in as well, with the mercenaries taking two of them. One ogre had found an opening and approached the caravan while three people, including Arbiter, fought the other. Kenison was wounded when he recklessly tried to draw its attention, and the memory was still fresh. If Elineh hadn’t immediately used one of the magic items from his wares, it was very likely that Kenison wouldn’t have gotten away with his life. 

“For now, what if we tighten security and ask that girl to lend a helping hand?” 

“You mean Lady Cayna? She’s just a normal guest at the moment…” 

Of course, whether they had a skilled mage as backup would significantly influence their strategy. 

In the true spirit of Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Cayna suddenly did just that. She held a decent number of dry twigs in her hand. 

“Ah, there you are, Arbiter.” 

“Lady Cayna, what are you carrying? Does your bed not suit you?” 

“Oh, the hammock? Nope, it’s totally fine. I was surprised you have them. It’s my first time sleeping in one.” 

The carriages were filled with mostly luggage and left no space for people to sleep. Elineh was small enough that he could just barely fit in the leftover spaces, but someone like Cayna didn’t have that option. It was decided she would sleep in a hammock between two carriages and wrap herself up in a blanket. Staying off the ground was also a preventative measure against poisonous bugs and snakes. Regardless, she seemed to be enjoying herself. 

Cayna put down the branches she had collected and produced small tubes from seemingly out of nowhere. 

She had simply taken it out of her Item Box, but anyone who didn’t know better would think they’d just popped into existence. She gave the two tubes to Arbiter. 

“Here you go. I made these as temporary measures. Please use them if you find yourself in trouble, okay?” 

Arbiter heard a light splashing when he shook the thin bamboo tubes, confirming the liquid inside. Cayna smiled at his strange expression and proceeded to explain. 

“It’s a potion. I’m not too skilled, and it’s rather poorly made, but I’ve passed them out to everyone.” 

“Thanks for goin’ out of your way for it. But didn’t this cost a lot?” 

“Not to worry. It is made from common plants that grew around the village, so there’s nothing special about it at all. I promise you it’s effective.” 

After being so casually handed such a gift, he would be astounded when he had it appraised in an appropriate outlet at a later point in time. The item, already out of production, was a precious commodity valued at twenty silver per unit. 

This hadn’t been Cayna’s intention, of course. Her level-1,200 common sense had told her it should have been a “micro-potion,” but in this world, the results were that of a Super High Potion. 

“Well then, what do you intend to do with those dried branches?” 

“I figured I’d use these to help with the night patrol. Wait just a second.” 

As she said this, Cayna grouped together the twigs on the ground, took out a wand, and tapped the earth. Moments later, a magic circle emitting a faint light appeared beneath the pile. 

Magic Skill: Load: Create Wood Golem Level 1 

“…Wait just one darn second.” 

“I’m quite certain you will never cease to amaze me.” 

The tangle of branches twisted together as if alive and changed shape before combining together to form an odd cylindrical doll. It was about one meter tall, and the gnarled roots that brought it to life retained their original form to serve as feet. The arms were as creaky as one might expect twigs to be. Its emotionless visage had two cavities for eyes, no nose, and a small mouthlike hole. 

It was so ghastly that, should one come across it unexpectedly along a night road, ten out of ten people would scream and run away. 

“Bohhh.” 

This seemed to be the sound it made. The doll placed its arms below its belly and leaned forward. 

…The behavior was extremely hard to follow, but it seemed as if it was trying to pull off some sort of butler greeting. 

As its creator, Cayna wasn’t particularly bothered by its hideousness. Her expression was just slightly strained. 

“U-um, let’s see. If anyone bad approaches the camp, take them down, okay?” 

“Bohhh.” 

As Cayna haltingly gave the order, its twiggy arms gave a dry creak of understanding. It scampered off into the forest, which was quickly falling into darkness. If someone didn’t know better, they’d see it as some demonic vanguard. 

Arbiter thought that later on they should also instruct it not to attack any friendly night patrol it might come across. 

Silence fell. 

“…Is—is that thing really okay?” he finally asked. 

“…I—I think so. Maybe you’d like a round with it, Arbiter? It’s super strong, twice that of a bear.” 

“Gah, seriously…?” 

With Special Skill: Search, one could see that a horned bear was between levels 35 and 40. Since the wood golem was created at the lowest possible level (Level 1 × 10 Percent of User Level), it was a force to be reckoned with at a level 220 minimum. A bear didn’t stand a chance against it. 

Since it was made of wood, that did make it weak against fire. However, none of the monsters in the area used fire attacks, so it was unlikely to be an issue. 

“So what were you two talking about?” 

“Just the damn pains that put Kenison in your debt in the first place.” 

“Oh, you mean those ogres?” 

“They’re crafty and got one hell of a stubborn streak… Wait, did you just say ‘those’?” It almost slipped his notice in the natural course of conversation, and Arbiter threw the question back at the easygoing Cayna. 

“Lady Cayna, could it possibly be that you have defeated them already?” 

“Yeah, was that bad? I wanted a go at them as revenge for Kenison.” 

“Crazy how you did that…” 

“Ah yes, well. Good show.” 

They thought it best not to question Cayna’s vague response too deeply. They’d heard more than enough fantastical stories for the time being. 

The truth was, she’d chased the ogres around and around and around with Summoning Magic: Lightning Spirit after she found them hiding in the forest near the village while she was out searching for medicinal herbs. There was no question she’d driven them away, either. After all, they had prostrated themselves before her and begged for their lives. Cayna made them vow in broken speech never to come near the village again, filled their hearts with fear like a numbing curse, and sent them packing. 

Cayna had also protected the village with temporary countermeasures, like the gargoyle on the roof of the inn that was invisible from below. She had simply instructed Lytt, who knew her true identity, to seek shelter there if anything happened. 

Suddenly exhausted from hearing about Cayna’s incident with the ogres, the two men quickly bid her good night and thanked their lucky stars for the goddess who had wandered into their midst. She seemed a bit lacking in common sense and normalcy, but they were grateful nonetheless. 

Cayna would spend ten more days with the caravan before arriving in Felskeilo’s royal capital. 

The inspection prior to enter the city ate up some time, but that was largely to be expected. 

The royal capital of Felskeilo covered a vast area and was divided by the Ejidd River and its sandbar. The river flowed through the center of the continent, and its plentiful bounty was so vital to people’s livelihoods that they couldn’t survive without it. 

The southeast side of the river where Cayna and the others had arrived served as both the business and residential sector for commoners. It made up about 60 percent of the city and was home to a melting pot of races. One could even see the houses of the poor lined up outside its walls. Come nightfall, however, monsters roamed the lands beyond the walls where the military didn’t patrol, making this section quite a risky place to live. 

The sandbar was large enough to fit three baseball stadiums and contained the church and the Royal Academy, among other institutions. 

Across the way on the opposite bank was the capital’s western sector, situated in front of a hill. There stood the noble residences and the unbroken view of the royal castle that towered high above them. The river by the capital was calm and smooth; most crossings were by small boat or large galley. There were a few tourist vessels as well. 

For those in a rush, it was recommended that one travel by dragonfly. The ancestor of all dragonflies, it was known as the laigayanma and could grow up to eight meters long. The larvae were as much of a threat to the river as alligators, but tamed adults were often used as aerial modes of transportation and tourism. There were one or two other people on staff who would assist the dragonfly’s master, also known as the insect tamer. 

However, flying above the castle and aristocratic district was absolutely forbidden. Any trespassers would be shot down without a second thought, which meant everyone had to exercise great caution. Furthermore, this capital that now spanned across the river was once a major battlefield between the White Kingdom and the Green Kingdom. The sandbar had a special Point where one could grab special battle items. 

“Uwaaaah, oh geez, oh wow… I can’t believe there’s a city in a place like this. What are these people thinking? Aghhhh. Is this really okay…?” 

Elineh had informed her beforehand. But as they say, A picture is worth a thousand words, and as Cayna looked out upon the city, it was unclear if her feelings were that of exasperation, shock, or interest. She was sure she’d have a headache later, though. 

Taking in her reaction, Elineh and Arbiter both gave satisfied nods. 

“What do you think? The city of Felskeilo is praised for its beauty.” 

“Whaddaya think? Amazin’, yeah? Shocking, right? Totally knocks your socks off, don’t it? Heh-heeeh.” 

The mercenary leader was bizarrely excited. In a small voice, his subordinates warned Cayna, “This is the boss’s hometown, so he’s always like this,” “You’ll learn to ignore him after a while,” and “You can just look the other way.” 

These words alone told her they saw their leader’s triumphant grin as a bad habit they really wished he would correct. 

As Cayna internally fretted over the state of the city, the carriage continued on its path. She would soon say her good-byes to Elineh and the caravan. They bypassed the carriage rest stop near the admission gate and came to a place that would lead out onto the main road. 

“Thank you very much for allowing me to join you.” 

Cayna lightly disembarked from the bed of the carriage and bowed to Elineh and Arbiter. 

“Well then, Lady Cayna. If you have the time, please visit our caravan whenever you like. I shall be sure to depend on you as a guard.” 

“Hey now, Master Elineh, what about our long-term contract?” asked Arbiter. 

“Lady Cayna will, of course, take priority.” 

“You sly dog. Miss, come see us if you got nowhere to go. We’ll welcome ya.” 

“A-a-ha-ha-ha-ha… I’m honored. To think you’d both be so eager to keep a customer.” 

“What, no romantic spark? That’s cold.” 

“No, no, nothing like that. I just mean I’ll gladly take you up on your offer when I’ve done all I have to.” 

“You may join us right now if you like.” 

“Ah, thank you but—” 

“I jest. Well then, Lady Cayna, it has been an enjoyable journey. I hope we may travel together again.” 

“Yes, thank you for everything.” 

“Later, miss. Hey, hold on! Kenison!” 

Elineh bowed and turned on his heel, and after Arbiter gave his own farewells, he called out to one of his comrades. Kenison came running over like a loyal dog. 

“Yes, boss?” 

“Escort Miss Cayna to the Adventurers Guild.” 

“Yessir.” 

Upon relaying these orders, the leader returned to the rest of his group and waved farewell. 

Led by Kenison, Cayna continued down the main road jostling with every race imaginable. They soon came to a building that appeared to be three white towers placed together. 

“Here’s the Guild, miss.” 

“Thank you for guiding me here, Kenison.” 

“No, no! I’m the one who should be thankin’ you, miss. I’ll always treasure this life o’ mine you saved.” 

“I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure we’ll meet under better circumstances next time. Please give everyone my best.” 

“Will do! Well then, I’ll be goin’ now.” 

Cayna watched him disappear into the crowd, then dropped her shoulders with a heavy sigh. 

“I’m really the one who should be saying thanks. Can’t say whether it’s for the rare compliments or stiff shoulders, though…” 

Cracking her neck, she passed under the Guild’s doorway. 

She came upon the sight of a round, chair-less table anchored to the floor and several brawny, tough-looking adventurers. Farther in was a row of two or three counters similar to the lottery booths commonly found in Japan. 

As Cayna approached the one closest to her, a red-haired woman who looked to be around her late twenties greeted her with a bright smile. 

“Welcome to the Adventurers Guild. How may I help you today?” 

“I’d like to register as an adventurer.” 

“I see; you’d like to be a member. Well then, please first write your name, race, and occupation on this form.” 

She’s pretty no-nonsense about her job, Cayna thought. 

Based on the employee’s slightly probing attitude, she guessed the woman was simultaneously checking to see if she had what it took to be an adventurer. Once Cayna read over the application, she scribbled in her answers and soon returned it. After a bit of thought, she decided to make her occupation a mage. 

Cayna curiously noted that she had been given a standard pencil, even though she was sure quill pens were the default in most fantasy settings. To be fair, she would have been at a loss on how to use one if that had been the case. 

“Thank you, I shall take care of this for you… Oh?” The young woman looked over the form, and her eyes grew large as she stared at a certain point. 

“Does something look off?” 

“No, it’s just that we don’t see very many high elves.” 

“Oh? There aren’t any others?” 

“At the very least, you are the first I have met since starting this job.” 

Upon hearing this, Cayna’s immediate thought was Shoot. If she was a rare race, she’d most likely have to worry about the danger of being bought and sold. 

This concern was apparently evident across her face. The woman quickly eased up, and her genuine smile allayed Cayna’s fears. 

“Not to worry. Regulations in the royal capital have cracked down on slavery. Moreover, if the High Priest got word of such an incident befalling a high elf, there’d be no end of troubles.” 

In exchange for the form, she handed Cayna a placard-like board with “Four” written in the local language. 

What’s that son of mine terrorizing the general public for…? 

“Your card will be finished by tomorrow. Please pick it up at any time. Shall I give you a summary of what to know when working for the Guild?” 

“Ah, no, I think I’ll be okay. The leader of the Flame Spears already explained things to me.” 

“My, so Mr. Arbiter recommended us to you. You should have said so sooner.” 

This I’m SO sorry apology seemed to be in regard to the woman’s initial probing stare. Cayna told her something to the effect of “Don’t worry about it” and left the counter. She looked at a wall nearby. 

There, she saw countless papers half the size of a postcard plastered tight across a space that was about two meters high and four meters long. She idly stared at them all, each one written with a basic request, remuneration, and the client’s name. 

Let’s see what we have here. “Please capture a monster for me.” “Arena Management Committee”? …“Emergency Guard Wanted” but it’s an escort for an investigation? “Won’t you help us find Shangri-la?” What is this? …“Please look into my husband’s affair.” Is that part of an adventurer’s job? …Sheesh, what’s going on here? 

Among these, the one paper that suddenly caught her eye simply said, “Please give me a potion. Will pay two silver coins.” 

Without a moment’s delay, she opened up her Item Box and checked the contents. 

Huh? I guess the Super High Potions I gave to Arbiter were the last ones… I have potions I made a long time ago, but maybe I can get two-hundred-year-old items appraised? 

Of the dozen she’d gathered together, Cayna took out a glass vial of red liquid. (A little over three milliliters’ worth.) She shook the vial to make sure it hadn’t solidified and brought it to the counter along with her application. 

“Excuse me.” 

“Yes? Oh, Miss Cayna. Is something the matter?” 

“I’m kind of jumping the gun a bit since I don’t have my card yet, but do you think I could fulfill this potion request?” 

The receptionist accepted the flyer and potion and stared at the vial. She appeared to be using Skill: Tool Appraisal. With a deep, slow nod, she politely stowed it away and stamped the request form. 

“Yes, that is fine. However, while I cannot appraise the item fully, it is quite valuable, is it not?” 

“It’s been sitting around for a long, long time, so I’m just hoping it’s still effective.” 

“The liquid is still translucent, so that’s highly likely. Well then, here you are. Your payment of two silver coins.” 

“Thank you.” 

Cayna held the coins tight in her hand before covertly stowing them in her Item Box. She thanked the woman at the counter and left the Guild. Just as when she entered, people of various races intermingled as they passed her by. 

“All right, I guess I should go to the inn first… I’m sure Elineh said to turn left when you left the Guild… How many buildings down was it again?” 

The Guild’s district seemed to be packed with lodgings. Any of the signs she saw in either direction could be for inns. They all had pictures of nightgowns and doorways, which was at least some consolation, since the letters were nearly illegible. Cayna thought someone really needed to fix that. 

There actually was a skill that allowed you to understand an unfamiliar language, but the downside was that using it gave you a terrible headache. 

Avoiding the crowds of people, she reached the end of the street and came across a sign depicting a dog holding a bone. With a single nod, she entered the building. 

The interior was reminiscent of Marelle’s remote village inn, and the tables and chairs were invitingly placed in a way that utilized the space. Unlike Marelle’s establishment, however, this spot wasn’t hurting for customers; in fact, it was packed. 

Looking out over the crowd, you’re be hard-pressed to find anyone purely human. 

Short dog-faced kobolds. Slender werecats whose cat eyes were the same shade as their hair. Bipedal dragon-like dragoids, dwarves, elves, and many others. 

The supposed proprietress of the inn, a plump werecat of about forty in an apron, greeted Cayna with inquiring eyes. 

“First time here, right? Stayin’ the night? Or you want something to eat?” 

“Both, please. I was looking for some long-term lodging, and Elineh recommended this place.” 

The wary proprietress quickly changed her tune at Cayna’s statement and patted her chest with an openly relieved smile. Still, Cayna couldn’t help but think that perhaps the role of proprietress wasn’t the right fit for someone of her portly build. 

“A recommendation from a customer, y’say? Don’t scare me like that.” 

“Are humans not allowed here?” 

“Well, there are still many out there who don’t look kindly on us.” 

“No need to worry. After all, I’m not human, either.” 

Cayna brushed her hair back a bit to show her pointed ears. A high elf’s ears were not as long as a normal elf’s. The demon race had them as well, but they still didn’t match those of the elves. Between the three races, an elf’s ears were the longest, followed by demons, and then high elves. 

She didn’t ask what race Cayna was, but this display alone set the proprietress at ease. She guided her to a seat at the counter. As the were-woman gave her the hotel register, she asked the necessary details. 

“One night’s stay is thirty bronze. Does that work for you? I know it seems a bit high.” 

“All right, I’d like to pay for five days, then.” 

Cayna handed over three silver coins. Now that she had a place to stay for the time being, she enjoyed a long-overdue opportunity to enjoy conversing with various races, then ate the proprietress’s cooking with relish before deciding to hit the hay early. 

The next day, the proprietress was astounded by her new guest’s exuberant vigor. Cayna quickly filled up on breakfast and headed out to see the sights of the capital. 

In short, she was like an overexcited student on a school trip. That said, Cayna had never known a typical school life, so there was no question this was an entirely new state of mind for her. Unfortunately, there was no one there to stop her and no one who could. 

“First, let’s start…over there!” 

Although it stood in the shadow of another building, Cayna’s eye caught sight of a brilliant, towering church across the way. However, she stopped by a market full of rarities on the way and grew distracted. 

After perusing the small gadgets, textiles, and accessories among the vendors without buying anything, she visited the cooking-ingredient stands that made up a majority of the venue. 

“Ooh, kirina grass. I should probably buy some, since I’m here.” 

The round bulb with the white daffodil-like flower was an ingredient used in potions, and according to the vendor, it could also be used to bring out the rich flavor in meat. It was treated similarly to garlic. She needed both the bulb and the stalk, so she requested that it be left as is and made the purchase. 

To prevent odor, you didn’t need a large quantity of kirina grass for a single recipe unless you worked at a restaurant. Cayna had never cooked before, however, so she had no idea. With hardly a moment’s hesitation, she bought up the shop’s entire stock and dumbfounded the vendor. 

Next, she went in search of the colt bird. Its meat was said to be both delicious and spicy even without seasoning, though no one knew the reason. There was a theory that its prey was the source, but no one had yet begun any official research. 

In any case, Cayna wasn’t after its meat. She bought the hearts, which had been tossed away as trash post-dissection, for dirt cheap. Needless to say, the shop owner was bewildered at the sight. 

She could make a simple potion by combining the two ingredients, so she thought it best to always have several on hand. Cayna used to have to gather everything by herself, so she was absolutely ecstatic to see how easy this was now. 

After watching the laigayanma that occasionally whipped by overhead and purchasing some grilled meat kabobs, Cayna headed for the harbor along the Ejidd River. 

A pier stretched across the residential district beside the river. Boats were tied to it at random intervals and made it difficult to tell where the water met the shore. 

Nevertheless, among them were small sailing vessels that commoners shared for both daily life and tourism. The harbor seemed to be building upon one extension after the other at the narrowest part of the river. 

Even so, the opposite bank to the sandbar was still about three hundred meters away. There was always the option of using magic to walk on water, but since she’d come all this way, she decided to take a shared boat to the other side. 

From where she currently stood, the bank of the sandbar across the way looked to be about the size of an island. To the right, a white building that looked like the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica stood imposingly. Based on the conversations of passersby, Cayna understood it was a church, but she personally thought it looked more like a sheet cake topped with piles and piles of cream. 

A lovely green park sat at the center of the sandbar, and to the left were two buildings that looked like monasteries of some sort. She could tell the corridors connecting the second and third floors to each other twisted like some sort of trompe l’oeil. This was the Royal Academy, which accepted students regardless of race or class as long as they had the right qualifications. 

Furthermore, to the left of it was another building that had a gymnasium-like quality. This was apparently a workshop that specialized in crafting medium and large vessels. 

All the above information was everything she had gleaned about the harbor from the inn the night before. 

She paid two bronze coins for a round-trip ticket and stepped aboard a sailboat that was the width of about twenty people across. Several boats of the same size made round trips ten times per day, so she was told she could take the same boat back. 

This sailboat was actually a simple vessel made up of three boats slapped together and affixed with a mast and sail. 

The river’s surface was a deep blue and not very clear, while the bank itself was a dull, muddy brown. In past wars, enemies would hide beneath the surface and sink anyone who tried to pass. There were humorous tales of how allies sometimes accidentally electrocuted one another during an assault. Cayna herself had several memories of dressing as a member of the Red Kingdom and hiding in the river’s depths. 

The water wasn’t so cloudy back then, she thought a bit sadly. 

Cayna reminisced further until the boat steadily reached the shore and the passengers began to disembark. Several youths were heading toward the Academy, while the elderly passengers were making their way toward the church. 

She leisurely took in the sights before passing through the church’s large open doors and stepping into the hall. 

“…This place is like a mishmash of historical eras.” 

The Grecian marble pillars to the Byzantine and Gothic architecture—Cayna was stunned by how far this Japanese-made MMO had come. 

Standing before a row of beautiful stained cathedral glass windows crafted in yet another style was a young sister who seemed to be preparing a tour for incoming visitors. Just as Cayna thought there was no harm in asking, an elderly sister approached her. 

“May I help you with anything?” the old woman asked. 

“Um, I heard someone named Skargo might be here.” 

“Ah, the High Priest? Yes, he is indeed present, but…” 

“Do you think I could meet with him?” 

Cayna clasped her hands entreatingly and grimaced when she saw the sister look up and sigh. 

“The High Priest is quite busy. If you have not made a prior appointment, I’m afraid it is simply not possible.” 

“Hmm, no dice, huh? Oh well. I can’t ruin that kid’s life with my selfishness.” 

“? ‘That kid’?” 

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.” 

The perplexed sister saw the elven girl off. With a disappointed expression that at the same time seemed to indicate she was enjoying herself, Cayna bowed and bid farewell with a “Ciao.” 

After a quick retreat out of the church, she made her way to the harborside factory district with her sights set on the Royal Academy building. 

“Might as well check the place out while I’m here.” 

The factory was open, and it seemed it was okay to go inside as long as you stayed out of the way. It was probably worth mentioning, though, that wood and hammers would occasionally go flying. 

This was what she remembered from the conversation she’d had with a passionate, aspiring dragoid craftsman staying at the same inn. He seemed to be an architecture student at the Academy who moonlighted as an adventurer. 

“At any rate…I wonder where the Collection Point went?” 

“There is a possibility it is on top of a building somewhere.” 

“That’s probably still safer than out in the open…” 

It was fine that Kee answered her sometimes, but to any outsider, she looked like a weirdo mumbling to herself. He was speaking at a normal volume, and Cayna quietly sighed with the realization she had a habit of whispering before checking her surroundings. 

In essence, Cayna belonged to the Black and Purple nations of the north and therefore didn’t know much about the actual situation here in the capital. Back in the game, she’d pretty much just heard the latest scoop from the Guild and watched the broadcast of each nation’s battle situation unfold from the lounge area. 

For each Collection Point, you had to insert a special item and defeat the monster that appeared. These special items were more like an assortment of rare item materials. 

Pickup parties would get together in hopes of beating the monsters that appeared and collecting the items they dropped. The type of monsters at these Collection Points were not fixed, either; they could be birds, fish, and other various creatures. Based on what Cayna had heard from a friend in another guild, it sounded like a real challenge. 

Even so, for nations like the Black Kingdom of Lypras, it was a lot better than slaying monsters that suddenly appeared in the dark of night over and over again. 

After more than forty minutes of the craze, everyone in the guild was at a loss and asking themselves What now? 

This time, Cayna’s biggest anxiety was the safety of the royal capital itself. The monsters that appeared here wouldn’t be level 100 or 200. After all, the players who could deal with them were usually around level 300 or 400. Cayna was concerned that the adventurers in this area weren’t strong enough. 

For example, she hated to say it, but even an impressive-looking soldier like Arbiter didn’t reach level 100. The Search skill adventurers currently used apparently didn’t display any specific amount of strength; Arbiter himself had confirmed this. Incidentally, whenever he looked at Cayna, it said “Unknown.” That was only natural, of course. 

In any case, if any monster should happen to appear, Cayna thought she at least wanted to be in the capital when it did. 

She continued along the outer edge of the sandbar and soon arrived at what looked like a massive gymnasium or maybe even a railyard; this was the factory directly connected with the river. 

When Cayna peeked in from the corner of the entranceway and looked inside, she saw the hull of a ship already on the water connected with the freeboard above the waterline. It was twice the size of the cruise ships one often sees anchored in a harbor. 

“…What, an observer? It’s dangerous, so don’t get too close.” 

She had apparently leaned in to get a better look without realizing, and the strong, shirtless young man carrying a load of lumber gave her fair warning. 

“Ah-ha-ha, sorry about that.” 

“Not many women check this place out. I’m guessin’ you’re not hopin’ to be the boss’s new pupil, right?” 

“Huh? Boss? Pupil?” 

The man gestured over at the ship with his chin. When she looked up at it, she saw a dwarf shouting out orders left and right. 

“Whaddaya think you’re doin’?! I told you that’s wrong! And you, moron! What do you think you’re doing?! Do you need me to explain the procedure multiple times?! Quit bein’ lazy! Hurry up and get moving!” 

At any rate, all she could hear was angry yelling. 

With a dry laugh, the man turned back to Cayna and warned her that she’d be struck by the boss’s wrath if she got too close. He was about to return to work when… 

“You too, dumbass. Don’t go whinin’ to people who come to check out what we do.” 

As soon as he heard the deep, rough voice behind him, the young man literally leaped into the air. 

A rugged dwarf with a gray head of hair and gray beard stood there glaring. The man hurriedly ran back inside as if seeking to escape, all while still gripping the lumber. 

The dwarf watched him scurry away, then scratched the back of his head as he turned to Cayna. 

“Sorry ’bout that, miss. They’re a rough bunch… Huh?” 

“Hmm? …Oh?” 

The dwarf looked as if he was about to say something when he suddenly froze. As Cayna watched him break out in a sweat, she thought for a minute and took a good look at him. It then hit her. 

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “There you are, Kartatz! Long time no see! How ya been?” 

“…M-M-M-M-M-M……M. M-M? M…Mum?! 

Cayna face-planted with a thonk! onto the ground in the most dramatic, unexpected fashion. 

“A-a-a-a-are you all right, Mum?! Did something happen?” 

“N-no, I’m fine. How do I put it? I just really wasn’t expecting to be called that…” 

She took his hand and stood up, then looked at the dwarf again. She could definitely tell he was the same sub-character she had made, though he seemed a bit past his prime. It warmed Cayna’s heart to see that he had followed his heart and forged his own path. 

She didn’t have any memories of being around other children, but Cayna patted Kartatz’s head as if he were a small child in the hospital that she’d met and grown attached to—not that her real body would have allowed her to do so. 

Kartatz’s face flushed scarlet, and he brushed her hand away before turning around with his arms crossed. 

“D-d-d-d-don’t just suddenly pat my head! I-I’m not a little kid!” 

“Hee-hee, you sure turned out to be a funny one. So cute!” 

“D-don’t call a man my age ‘cute’! It’s creepy!” 

Behind them, curious onlookers crowded in the entrance as they watched this pleasant banter unfold. They were all craftsmen and pupils. 

“H-hey. Who’s that girl?” 

“Sh-she looks like she’s having a lot of fun with the boss…” 

“Oh, she’s patting his head…” 

“They must be real close if he ain’t hitting her.” 

“D-do you think spring has finally come for the boss?!” 

“C’mon, just how old do ya think he is? That ship’s long sailed.” 

“A-a younger lover! I-I’m so jealous…” 

“Oh man, this ain’t good…” 

“WHAT THE HELL D’YA THINK YOU’RE DOIN’?!” 

““““““““S-SORRYYYY!!”””””””” 

The whispering pupils grew awkward around the pleasantly giggling Cayna as Kartatz yelled at the gathering at the top of his lungs. Laughing as she watched them leave in twos and threes, the dwarf murmured that she hadn’t changed one bit. 

“…Whaaat?! You left the tower and became an adventurer?!” 

“Yep! Gonna go pick up my card later today. It’s crazy; a lot’s changed in the past two hundred years.” 

“Mum, if you’re becoming an adventurer, does that mean you’re gonna decimate some country?” 

With a blah, blah, blah and yada, yada, yada, she had explained to him the events thus far. 

Her son’s earnest yet suddenly disturbing response prompted Cayna to almost instinctively slam the top of his head as she would with Opus. Kartatz fell to the ground face-first in an instant. 

“Huh? What’s wrong, Kartatz?” 

“Don’t you ‘What’s wrong?’ me! Didn’t you think your insane power might crush my skull?! Don’t go whippin’ out some dangerous weapon while keeping your anger bottled up!” 

“Come to think of it, I visited the church before coming here, but a sister turned me away.” 

“There you go changin’ the subject to avoid facing your actions… Wait, you went to see Big Bro?! Yeah, right. Of course ya would.” 

“Also, do you know where Mai-Mai is?” 

“She’s a professor at the Academy next door. They don’t care about normal folk, though. Even if you go, you’re gonna get stopped at the gate.” 

“Hmm. I see. Got it, Kartatz.” 

Kartatz hurriedly followed his mother as she stepped back and turned on her heel. He grabbed her arm to stop her, and Cayna looked at him inquisitively. 

“I-I’m sorry, Mum. Did I say something wrong just now?” 

Her curt answer must have given him the wrong impression. She looked at his rugged, flustered face and once again patted his head reassuringly. 

“Don’t worry, I promise I don’t hate you or anything. But I’ll be heading back for the day. I’m staying at an inn that serves nonhumans only, so come over if you need me for anything.” 

“R-right. And I said quit rubbing my head! But yeah, I’ll make sure my sibs know.” 

“Thanks! Please do.” 

Kartatz watched his mother skip away and heaved a big sigh. He felt eyes on the back on his head, and when he turned around, he locked gazes with the group of workers who stared at him from the shadows with tearful reproach. 

“……… Grrr.” 

“……… Eek!” 

Needless to say, a thundering voice immediately resounded across the entire sandbar. 

Cayna quickly returned to the Adventurers Guild and exchanged the placard for her card. It read “Cayna | High Elf | Mage” on a white background, and she was absolutely thrilled to finally have it in her hands. 

It was close to the same joy she’d felt when she first logged into the VRMMO World of Leadale and took those steps onto the field as an adventurer, though her only memories of the actual moment were of her soon-to-be-unavoidable pain of Opus showing up in the same exact place and sending a flying kick her way. Of course, she fondly recalled the memory of answering in kind. 

After taking a quick look at the requests on the board, she found two that said, “Guard Wanted, Female Elf | Elineh” and “Recruiting new members; female elves who can use magic preferred | Arbiter” and gave a wry smile. 

“Those two know exactly what they’re doing…” 

Suddenly hit with hollow exhaustion, she gave up staring at the solicitations and headed out onto the main road. 

…Just then, someone nearby greeted her. 

“Why, hello there, miss.” 

“Ah… Do you mean me?” 

When someone calls out, it’s only natural to turn around and see if they mean you or someone else. 

Upon doing so, Cayna saw a male and female pair standing before her. 

“Did you call me just now?” 

“Yes, that I did. You’re an adventurer, I take it?” 

The one who responded to Cayna’s question with a satisfied nod was a fully armored knight in his fifties with white stubble and hair that was beginning to pepper. However, his armor was more stained than white and appeared to be vintage. Unlike the knights who patrolled the town, he had a normal long sword in a tarnished sheath at his side. 

Accompanying him was a girl who looked to be about Cayna’s age. She had silver hair and wore a robe over her leather armor. An azure ball floated over the tip of her spear. She’d been staring at Cayna ever since the man spoke to her, but the moment they locked eyes, she waved both arms in a panic and turned bright red before hiding behind him. 

He crossed his arms at this and gave a hearty laugh. Then he approached Cayna. 

“I’m Agaido. Come on now, don’t hide. Introduce yourself!” 

Looking downward as she moved to stand next to him, the girl gave a small bow. 

“U-um, I’m Lonti.” 

“…Oh, okay. Um, I’m Cayna?” 

She had no idea why they’d flagged her down. Cayna answered in a way that went along with whatever they were saying, Agaido in particular. Back in the hospital, the golden rule for staying comfortable was to “always let the elderly person dominate the conversation.” 

“From what I can tell, you are very capable, yes? Maybe you could lend us a helping hand?” 

“I don’t know what you need help with, but is it some sort of request? Unfortunately, I only just became an adventurer, so I’m not sure I could even show you around the city…” 

“Fear not. We’re locals who know our way around. What we’re asking is tougher than that.” 

“Tougher? Do you mean like defeating monsters or taking out thieves?” 

“You see, there’s someone I’m looking for.” 

Just when she’d thought his request was going to be particularly dire, the man’s quick, casual response sent her reeling with slight disappointment. 

Noticing her reaction, Agaido waved his hands and corrected himself. 

“Don’t be fooled—our target is incredibly cunning. You can’t let your guard down.” 

“Ah, so it’s some sort of heinous criminal? And you’re saying you want me to capture them?” 

“Hmm. Yes, I guess you can look at it that way. Will you do it?” 

“I don’t mind. That is, if you’re willing to offer a financial reward.” 

If this had been the Cayna back in the remote village, she wouldn’t have even mentioned compensation. Ever since Professor Elineh and Sergeant Arbiter’s lessons, the mantra of Demand payment, even if only a single bronze coin more had been drilled into her head repeatedly. 

“If you’re lookin’ for a payday, leave it to me. As soon as this job’s done, I’ll make sure you’re swimming in coins.” 

“All right, that’s a promise. I accept!” 

The two gave each other a thumbs-up, and Cayna firmly shook hands with the old knight. Lonti was undeniably a mere bystander here. 

“…That said, this city is surprisingly large…,” started Cayna. 

“It looks like the target frequents this side of the capital pretty often. We’ll manage it somehow if we split up.” 

“I see, so the three of us will each be going our own way?” 

Looking out over masses of people would be annoying, but Agaido pointed at everyone, including himself. 

“No, I’ll be searchin’ by myself. Lonti, you know the target’s face, so why don’t you go with Lady Cayna?” 

“I-I’m going with C-Cayna?” 

“Lady Cayna doesn’t know what our target looks like, right? Okay, keep an eye on my partner here, will ya?” 

“Yes, of course. I’m always happy to respect my clients’ wishes.” 

Cayna watched as Agaido raised a single arm and disappeared into the crowd. She then turned back to Lonti, who immediately stepped back with an “Eek!” 

Cayna wondered if her face was really that scary and quickly grew worried. 

“Um, do elves bother you?” 

“A-aghhh?! I-I’m sorry! It’s not that I find you scary or anyfin!” 

Cayna giggled as Lonti grimaced and stumbled over her words. It was kind of like when she interacted with the kids at the hospital, and she held out her hand to Lonti. 

The girl shifted her gaze between Cayna’s smile and outstretched hand as if they were something truly bizarre. 

“It’s my first day as an adventurer. I’m Cayna, a high elf. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Lonti’s cheeks instantly flushed bright red, and she timidly put her hand in Cayna’s. 

“I’m Lonti Arbalest, a first-year in adventurer history at the Royal Academy. It-it’s nice to meet you, too.” 

They looked at each other and smiled for a moment, but then red-faced Lonti turned her gaze downward. 

…However, she seemed to notice something and raised her head with a gasp. 

“Ah! Are you a high elf, Cayna?! What is elven royalty doing in a place like this?!” 

“Well, there’s always an exception to the rule, right? That aside, let’s get going, or we’ll lose daylight.” 

She had spent the entire morning sightseeing, so only afternoon remained. There would be even more people once night fell, which wasn’t very helpful during a manhunt. The two set off in the opposite direction from Agaido and for some reason held hands like a pair of innocent lovers. 

“By the way, what kind of person are we looking for exactly?” 

“Ah, p-please excuse me. Um, he’s a red-haired boy who is a little younger than me.” 

“That’s pretty vague…” 

After a bit of thought, they moved from the main road to a side street that was one over. The two maneuvered around obstacles and made their way through the narrow, complicated road that served as a back entrance to shops and houses. 

Cayna thought it’d be just as commonplace as the parks in her old town if it were made into a children’s playground. The capital had never seemed like that sort of place up until now when she was finally walking through it. That was why she figured these backstreets would be the perfect hiding spot for a kid. 

For some time, she and Lonti looked in places a child might hide and quickly raced through the alley. 

“It’s not like he would go around wandering around every nook and cranny, so where might he be…?” 

“Huh? You entered this backstreet without a plan?” 

“I’ve just been thinkin’ that all kids have some sort of seekwit hideout.” 

“Some sort of…what…?” 

Just as Kee picked up something that might be useful in their search with his Acquisition Skill, a scream came from the main road. The two hurriedly turned around and left the back road. 

There, bystanders were all looking up and shouting things like “Look out!” and “Kyaaa!” as if the world were ending. 

The reason was just overhead. 

A rope was strung between two houses across the main road. It looked like the kind used to hang laundry. 

In the very center, a kitten was clinging for dear life, and a boy was crawling on the line like a caterpillar in an attempt to save it. 

“I guess there’s going to be a crowd of onlookers watching a heart-racing rescue attempt no matter where you go…,” Cayna said in a murmur as she joined that very crowd and looked up. The people let out an occasional word of encouragement as they watched the red-haired boy’s strenuous efforts. 

Prepared to run in as backup at any time, Cayna came to a sudden realization. 

Huh? A red-haired boy? 

She had a bad feeling and tried to hold back Lonti, but it was already too late. 

“A-AGHHH?!” 

The distraught yell that suddenly followed practically ripped through the air. Lonti’s shriek startled the kitten clinging desperately to the rope. Its grip loosened, and the kitten tumbled toward the ground. 

The boy dove after it and somehow caught the kitten midair, and the crowd watching from below let out a scream that signaled an imminent tragedy. There were even some who covered their faces with both hands as if to say, I can’t take anymore! 

Having predicted the worst ahead of time and prepared for it, Cayna remained perfectly calm and cast the spell she had prepared beforehand on the boy. 

Magic Skill: Load: Float 

“What?!” 

She ignored the astonished cry next to her. 

The round boy holding the kitten tightly was shocked to realize he was hovering in midair. No longer bound by gravity, he floated as if he were as light as a feather and lightly touched the ground. 

Soon enough, the bystanders let out a round of clapping and applause and rushed in on Cayna and the boy. Turning around to face them all, Cayna gave her thanks with a bow of the head. Children who looked even younger than the boy holding the kitten raced toward him with anxious expressions, and he was immediately surrounded. 

“Are you okay, Captain?” 

“Yeah, I’m feelin’ awesome.” 

The red-haired boy eased his friends’ concerns with a thank-you, then saw Lonti standing next to Cayna. Embarrassed, he took a step away from them. 

“L-Lonti…” 

“I finally found you, Prin…I mean, Young Master.” 

With this alone, Cayna understood everything and nodded with a smirk. It had a sense of I see—so this is the kind of Event I ran into. 

I’ve done four thousand quests yet never had one like this. 

Unaware of Cayna’s internal understanding, the red-haired boy foisted the kitten on Lonti before yelling, “Let’s go!” and racing off with the other children. 

“Ah! Wait! Wh-what am I supposed to do with this?” 

“Wow, that was fast. They’re already long gone.” 

“Hey, Cayna! Please stop acting impressed and go catch them!” 

“Yes, yes, right away. For now, we should probably link up.” 

“What?!” 

Before Lonti could object to anything, they flew over the wall of onlookers with Active Skill: Leap and chased after the boy’s group. 

Cayna knew what he looked like now, and if push came to shove, she thought she could freely use any type of magic to catch him. She first called upon a Wind Spirit with Summoning Magic and had it pursue them. 

Meanwhile, the boys being chased went into the maze of backstreets and took a break. The fact that they realized Cayna was approaching was only a coincidence. As they took a breath and faced forward, they locked eyes with her. 

Since she didn’t have the same deep knowledge of the back roads, running through various obstacles would only slow her down…so she walked on the walls. 

““““WHAT THE HECK?!”””” they shouted in unison. 

Cayna completely ignored this as she cracked her knuckles and grinned darkly. Since she was in profile, it was a little awkward. In fact, it was rather unsettling. How could someone have walked on walls to chase after them, and where had she come from? 

“’Kay, time for my client’s request. You guys ready to part with ten or twenty of your limbs?” 

““““People don’t even have that many!”””” 

As she hounded the boys, who searched for another escape route, Cayna really did have a problem. 

How should I catch them? 

She had a crazy array of skills, but not many could be used to capture without causing injury. Magic Skill: Paralysis Net could immobilize an opponent, but it also injured them. Even if she attacked with the smallest amount of force, her targets were still children. It would carbonize them in an instant. 

There was also the option of summoning a large spider and having it cast a web. 

…However, since the spider itself was about four meters long, there was a possibility she might be arrested by soldiers if people thought she was the one causing trouble and potentially a messenger of the Demon King. 

There wasn’t much helping it, so she decided to treat it like a game of tag and chase them until they were too tired to move. A bit of exercise seemed like fun, and she started off with a bit of persuasion. 

“Hey! You can’t escape, Primo! Be a good boy and turn yourself in!” 

“Who the heck you callin’ Primo?!” 

“Lonti just called you Young Master Primo, right?!” 

“You’re the worst, Lonti!” 

Walking on walls and literally leaping over obstacles, the barely armored adventurer girl used unimaginable methods to close in on the boys, who knew these streets like the backs of their hands. 

The red-haired boy leading the group finally decided to use the ace up his sleeve. It was his greatest weapon, which he’d used to shake off countless soldiers. 

He switched directions, moved farther into the residential district, and escaped into the redevelopment zone, where homes now devoid of people stood. It was known as a backstreet trash dump. 

Weaving through the narrow gaps between houses, he timed his attack. To the left and right sat wooden crates and piles of scrap wood. When the female adventurer approached, they would get her in one go. 

BWAAAAAAM!!! 

A thundering noise resounded, dust flew, and the street was quickly buried in crates and lumber. 

“Yeah!” 

“We did it!” 

“How’s that?!” 

…The friends let out rounds of cheers. 

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the redhead was about to thank his friends but was shocked to hear someone calmly say, “Watch out for this dangerous pile, ’kay?” from the other side of the rubble. He turned around. 

Weapon Skill: Rabbit Stream 

BOOOOOOOOM!! 

The crates and lumber that had formed a mountain only a moment ago were blown to pieces and soaring through the sky an instant later. 

A human form appeared beyond the curtain of dust that kicked up. A sword that glowed a faint blue cut through it from top to bottom, and the female adventurer appeared with a fearless smile. Fragments of wreckage belatedly rained down on them. 

“H-hey, wait, where did you get that sword?!” 

“S-she’s a monster…” 

“Hey, you, have some manners! What part of me is monstrous?” 

“Let’s get outta here!” 

“Sheesh, you’re a tenacious bunch…” 

Cayna had been positive they would lose the will to fight by this point but was disappointed to see she was completely mistaken. 

Putting away the Rune Blade, which increased the user’s power when pumped with MP, she sent the same Wind Spirit she’d recently called upon to go on ahead and get after them. 

The pursuer and the pursued once again raced through the city. The boys came out upstream of the river-facing capital and went along the pier as if it were a giant jungle gym before slipping into the canal below. Prior to the city’s expansion, this area was originally where one of the river’s tributaries converged. Now it was merely a canal that discharged everyday wastewater into the river. 

The boys jumped into the boat hidden there and began rowing as hard as they could. Small boats had rowing competitions during the capital’s festivals, and every year their group put up a good fight even against the adults. They used their impressive might and experience from the competitions to swiftly depart the riverbank. 

As they passed beyond the sandbar and turned around to declare “Whaddaya think of that?! Serves you right!” their faces froze. 

After all, they were watching Cayna approach them while walking on water with no trouble at all. 

This also stirred up wide-eyed bystanders on the pier who were curious as to what was going on. 

“DON’T THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME! HURRY UP AND TURN YOURSELVES IN!” she shouted into a yellow megaphone that she seemed to have procured out of thin air. 

The boys frantically turned back around and began paddling as if their lives depended on it. They didn’t even care how they looked anymore. 

Scratching her cheek with an “Eh, it is what it is,” Cayna broke into a jog and maintained a reasonable distance as she began closing in on the small boat. 

In the end, the boys ran out of steam and motivation after about four laps. With every single one of them exhausted, apprehending their redheaded leader was a cinch. 

The sky had faded to a dusky orange when Cayna picked up the boy by the collar, bound him with rope, and handed him off to Lonti and Agaido. 

The two had apparently witnessed the whole ordeal, but only Lonti stood there openmouthed. 

“Ha-ha-ha, you’re pretty amazing!” Agaido said, but he didn’t comment much beyond that. “Here’s that reward I promised.” 

He handed Cayna a bag stuffed with bronze coins, and she eyed it curiously. She’d never seen so many before. 

“What’s all this?” 

“See, I kind of had a bet with the bystanders during your river race just now. Splitting it fifty-fifty sounds good, right?” 

“Sheesh, nothing gets past you…” 

The restrained redhead lay limply on the ground, trembling slightly. 

“The hell’s your problem?! Do you know who you’re messing with?!” 

“I have a pretty good idea, but ‘Primo’ is fine. I don’t want to get involved any more than that.” 

“Oh, so you know the circumstances surrounding our young master, then?” asked Agaido. 

“Well, yeah. Lonti called him Prin earlier. He’s a prince who ran away from his stuffy life in the castle, right? It’s a classic scenario anyone could figure out. That’s why I didn’t believe for a second we were catching a regular brat.” 

“Dammit, Lonti! It’s all your fault she’s calling me Primo!!” 

“Sniffle… I’m so sorry!” 

Cayna put the purse away into her Item Box and confirmed that the request was now complete. With a satisfied smile, Agaido gave her a round golden button that looked as if it could be worn on a coat. 

“Um, what’s this for?” 

“If you run into any trouble while in the capital, you can just show that.” 

“Uh, I have a feeling that’ll only cause some other sort of trouble.” 

“Ha-ha-ha, well then. Thanks for taking on our request, miss.” 

“I’m sorry for the trouble, Cayna,” said Lonti. “Thank you very much for today.” 

With a vigorous gesture unsuited to his age, the man hoisted the caterpillar-like boy onto his shoulders, his laughter audible even as he boarded the small, luxurious sailboat that sat at the edge of the river. After a deep bow, Lonti soon followed. 

“What kind of alien ninja is that guy…?” 

Cayna watched the boat begin sailing lazily along the river, then she turned around and decided to head back to the inn. 

She had yet to learn just how peaceful life had been until then. 

Bam! 

As soon as she passed through the inn door, Cayna was greeted by cheers and full tankards. The twitching in her face was almost a natural reaction by this point. 

“Welcome back! You sure are late!” 

The proprietress’s brown cat ears pinged, and she happily offered Cayna a large tankard of spirits. When she finally accepted, there was cry of “Chug, chug, chug!” 

Unsure what exactly everyone was celebrating, she turned to the proprietress for help. 

“You did something pretty amazing on the river, right? Everyone’s talking about it, but we don’t really get how it happened. They’re saying they know they’ll understand if they hear it from you. Ah, that drink is a gift from us, of course.” 

…So they basically just want me to be the late-night entertainment? 

Cayna realized what was going on an instant later, and she blanched. The tankard in her hand was the primary cause of this. In the meantime, the cheers continued, and she put the drink to her lips in reckless abandon. 

Incidentally, she had no memories of that night. 

Let us turn to the Royal Academy. 

It was an institution that sat in the center of the sandbar on the Ejidd River in Felskeilo’s royal capital. Race, age, and gender had no bearing on enrollment. So long as you had the proper talent, the Academy’s gates would welcome you with open arms. 

Now, let us turn the clock back to around when Cayna reunited with Kartatz. 

In an alchemy classroom, a female student was called upon. The reason had to do with part of a lesson where she was to create and present a potion. While it was problematic enough that she had submitted it late, the potion itself was the bigger focus. 

The alchemy teacher was Lopus Harvey. He had disheveled hair, and his once-white professor robes were dirty and worn. His bangs covered half his face, and he had an obvious five-o’clock shadow. He didn’t look like the type of person anyone would expect to be teaching at the prestigious Royal Academy, but he was a fine alchemist. 

Clearly lacking any motivation, the man rested his elbows on his desk and looked up at the female student standing nearby. 

“Hey, I know this is the potion I had you make…but did you really make it?” 

“Y-yes…” 

He picked up the vial of red liquid she had submitted and looked at her suspiciously. 

“Are you sure? If you did, I can recommend you to the royal palace, but…” 

“What?! Really?!” The girl’s face immediately lit up at the opportunity to advance in the world. 

However, Lopus’s lackadaisical attitude never wavered. He shook the potion around and continued. 

“So you had someone make this, right? Do you even know the recipe?” 

“Ah, y-yes. You take a kaju root and…” 

“Nope, nice try. This ain’t made with cheap ingredients like that. It’s an Artifact made through a process unknown to anyone.” 

Lopus’s sharp eyes glinted through the hair obscuring his visage, and the girl drew back, face pale. 

“…So who made this?” 

They were back at square one, and while Lopus was still as laid-back as usual, his interrogation gave him a different energy. Finally, the girl tearfully bowed her head. 

“I-I’m sorry! I couldn’t get the ingredients together and put in a request to the Adventurers Guild to have it made!” 

“I see. Got it. I’ll give you another assignment later. You can go.” 

He shooed her away with his hand. The girl bowed her head once again and left the classroom as if seeking escape. She didn’t even wipe her teary eyes. 

Lopus was looking at the red liquid in the vial before him when a knock came at the door. He looked up. 

“Helloooo! I’m coming in, okay?” 

A quintessential blond, blue-eyed elf walked in. Her braided hair fell down to her waist, and she wore a red robe that was long enough to hide her feet. 

She was the headmaster of the Royal Academy, Mai-Mai Harvey. And although they didn’t look the least bit compatible, she was Lopus’s wife. 

“Ah, it’s you… Don’t see you around the Alchemy Department very often.” 

“Well, I just saw a girl run past me crying. Not only does it make you look like an idiot, people will start saying you’re abusive, y’know.” 

Mai-Mai gleefully approached Lopus as she conducted her teasing cross-examination, but he ignored her and instead handed over the vial of red liquid. 

“You’re no fun… What’s this?” 

“A potion that was submitted as an assignment.” 

“Hmm, who made it? It doesn’t look like something even you could make.” 

Mai-Mai peered at the contents as she swirled the liquid around and understood in an instant. 

“You know, don’t you? Probably an adventurer.” 

“Ohhh, right, an adven… Whaaa—?!” 

Mai-Mai’s brain sorted out what she’d just been told, and she was left speechless by the absurdity of an object thought impossible in this world. 

Watching her, Lopus gave an exaggerated sigh before taking the red vial from his wife’s hand and putting it on the desk. Its ability to fluster a former Imperial Mage spoke of its true value. 

“If something like this made its way around the world, markets would fall into major chaos. For now, I’ll head over to the Guild tomorrow and warn the person who made it.” 

“It takes a lot to get someone as lazy as you to move. Bring them back if you can.” 

Lopus sighed in exasperation at her casual comment. 

“What, you wanna make ’em a teacher or something?” 

“First comes the interview. Then I suppose we’ll have to wait for the results.” 

Mai-Mai waved lightly as she went to leave but stopped and turned around. 

“Ah, sorry, but I have dinner plans with my big brother and the others today. Can you tell everyone not to wait up for me?” 

“Yeah, got it. But the High Priest sure does whatever the heck he feels like…” 

Mai-Mai sidled up to Lopus, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and excused herself with a cheerful wave. At the door, she turned to give her beloved husband a wink. 

“Apparently, my dopey little brother has something urgent to talk about.” 

Mai-Mai’s destination after leaving the Academy was a shop on the sandbar’s north shore. 

It was a high-class restaurant for nobles known as The White-Tailed Black Rabbit. The siblings sometimes used it as a place to come together and catch up on the latest. This time, she’d received a letter from Kartatz that said, “It’s an emergency!” and called a sudden meeting. 

“…And that’s what happened.” 

“Wh-wh-wh-whaaaaaat?!” 

“I see… That’s what Mother Dear is up to…” 

Kartatz told his two siblings all about his sudden encounter with Cayna that afternoon. Upon hearing the news, his sister, Mai-Mai, stopped eating and closed in on him with an enraged expression. She shook him furiously. 

“WHY. DIDN’T. YOU. CALL. ME. RIGHT. THEN?!” 

“Hmm. Perhaps I should invite her to the church and extend my warmest greetings?” muttered the tall, beautiful Skargo, who was the eldest of the three siblings. Every movement and gesture was accompanied by a glowing light, the sounds of twinkling and sparkling, and a rose backdrop. With lemon-colored hair and shining green eyes, he pondered in melancholy as slender fingers pressed against his lips. 

Incidentally, these were not misheard sounds or hallucinations. Of the insane number of skills available, this was the number one thing that people hated on in the message boards and made them doubt the Admins’ sanity. This was Special Skill: Oscar—Roses Scatter with Beauty. It was a completely aesthetic effect that the user could cast at any time. 

Nevertheless, being purposefully reminded of their mother, Cayna, wasn’t without its problems… 

Mai-Mai stopped shaking Kartatz and shrugged at her older brother’s comment. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t bother? And what was the point of her hiding away in the forest because she got sick of people anyway?” 

Skargo nodded at her assessment and combed through his hair with a whoosh! His two younger siblings were great at selective hearing and didn’t press the issue further. 

“Still, to think Mother would be an adventurer… Hang on. Was she the one who made that potion?” 

“Huh? I told you—Mum said this was her first day.” 

“Wellll, a potion made through a lost process kinda fell into our hands.” 

“Hmph. I do wish Mother Dear had informed me she would be visiting.” 

“She said she got turned away at the door. Apparently, she went to the church before seeing me.” 

At Kartatz’s explanation, Skargo prodded his forehead, and his almond eyes shone with a cacophony of twinkling as they gave a sidelong glance. He thought for a moment. 

“Failing to notify me of her arrival is most terrible sacrilege against my most honorable mother.” 

A black mist slowly rolled in behind him with a rrrrr, a dark, seething smile crossed his lips, and his eyes glinted with an unnerving shinng! 

Mai-Mai lightly smacked him and cut this display short. 

“Skargo, don’t be so quick to make threats like that! Mother would give you a good scolding if she knew. She’s kind and would never endorse such a thing.” 

He murmured, “I suppose you’re right,” and the black mist dissipated with a fwoosh. He ran a comb through his long hair, and it cascaded over his shoulder with a swoosh. 

“Well then, if Mother Dear is going to be settling down in the royal capital, the question is what to do about our positions in society, correct?” Skargo asked. 

“Are you unhappy with somethin’ in your job, Big Bro?” 

“But of course. To me, Mother Dear is the only heaven in existence. Every occupation should have her at their center. Yes, of that there is no doubt!” 

A huge wave roared with a splash! behind him, and his siblings heaved a collective sigh. Even after two hundred years, it was clear that his “Mother Dear” supremacism hadn’t faded. In fact, it had only gotten worse. 

At this point, there was only one way to stop the man. 

“Guess we gotta get Mother to scold him.” 

“Our High Priest just might sink the country…”