In the Land of Leadale - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – A Son, a Journey, a Mermaid, and Bandits

The madness started in the church cathedral. 

After his early morning recitation of scripture, Skargo tilted his head at his unexpected guest’s senseless question. 

“…Hmph. Looks like you still don’t get it.” 

“What is it, Lord Agaido? Could you at least phrase your question in a way that is simple to understand?” 

Skargo quickly glanced to the side with an impossibly sharp gleam in his eye, and it sent the misunderstanding sister who got caught in its path tumbling. 

Agaido overlooked this with a wry smile and spoke with a self-important air as he stroked his mustache. 

“I just received word from my spies. It seems Lady Cayna hasn’t left her room at the inn for two days. Perhaps she’s sick…” 

“Wha— Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wha-WHAAAAT DID YOU SAAAAAAAAAY?!?!” 

Everyone present froze in shock at the High Priest’s surprising loss of composure. The priests tried to call out to High Priest Skargo with trembling voices but watched in dumbfounded amazement as he ran off at the speed of light. Even Agaido was stunned by his vanishing act. 

Meanwhile, Cayna was holed up in her room at the inn, completely unaware she was the center of the madness. Rolled up in her blankets, she had become a silkworm in its cocoon. 

Several days had passed since the distressing revelation. All her plans had been blown away, and now she had no idea what she was supposed to do. 

Perhaps it was a late case of the winter blues or some sort of strike. No, to be honest, she was just sulking in bed. 

The werecat proprietress and the other inn staff worried greatly about her. She felt bad, but in recent days, she wanted nothing more than for everyone to leave her alone until she got back on her feet. 

But she could keep this up forever. 

Cayna was living in this world. 

She thought about cutting all ties and hiding away in her tower, but such an existence couldn’t be considered “living.” After all, she knew how miserable being unable to do anything except lie in a hospital bed was. 

She needed to eat something, and now she had plenty of new friends. Plus, she’d promised to see Lytt again. She couldn’t let Mai-Mai and Kartatz’s cheerful smiles fade, either. 

Even so, she couldn’t ignore the fact that, no matter how long and hard she searched, she’d never find any other players. Even if she revived all the towers, no one would be there to greet her. 

“There’s gotta be something that’ll get me out of this funk…,” she murmured. 

Just then, Cayna heard a commotion coming from downstairs. She stuck out only her head from the covers and looked around. All she could see were the walls and ceiling. 

However, someone was racing up the stairs in a frenzied panic. 

The very next moment, the door to Cayna’s room came flying off its hinges as it opened. 

Shortly before this, the werecat proprietress had looked up at the ceiling with concern. The cause of this was the female high elf Cayna, who was lodging there long-term. The girl had sunken into depression a few days earlier and locked herself away in her room without ever coming out. When the proprietress went to go check on her, Cayna didn’t appear to be ill but rather seemed listless from lack of motivation. 

The proprietress saw many people come through her inn, and she soon realized the girl’s affliction. It was one that struck many who made their living as an adventurer. Something must have happened during a request that made Cayna realize her limitations. It was an ongoing pattern among those in the occupation, and many shut themselves in their rooms for several days. Whether someone got back on their feet and kept going or gave up and returned home all depended on the individual. 

The proprietress had learned from experience that such a problem could only be solved with time, and she decided to gently watch over the girl. If Cayna wished to talk, the werecat would listen for as long as needed. She wasn’t one to underestimate. 

That said, she had no way of actually knowing the real reason Cayna was down in the dumps. 

“I wonder if Miss Cayna is okay.” 

“Well, she’s sayin’ she ain’t sick. That means it’s all good, right?” 

“Maybe she’s sad about something?” 

The inn’s regulars were worried and now voiced their various speculations. When all was said and done, though, it seemed to raise solidarity among the races. 

That alone made the proprietress think maybe starting up the inn had been worthwhile after all. 

When the proprietress hushed the conversation in the dining hall and listened closely, she could hear a commotion slowly building in the street outside. 

By the time the remaining guests in the inn noticed, it was already too late. The entrance had been magnificently blown away. 

…Then they saw him. 

“THIIIIIIIS IS THE PLAAAAACE!!!” 

With those few words, a refreshing breeze swept through the inn, followed by a head of beautiful, shining lemon hair. The priest’s azure robes immediately drew everyone’s eye. 

He was the most famous of the famous, an unparalleled beauty coveted by every woman in the capital. And frankly, you could hardly expect to see someone of his stature at an inn like this on the outskirts of town. 

The new arrival was indeed none other than the capital’s third-in-command, High Priest Skargo. 

““DWAAAAAAAAAGH?!”” 

Everyone in the inn, down to those in the farthest corners, was dumbfounded and let out a unanimous frantic shout. 

Skargo took no notice of their panic, and his priest’s robes, glittering like veritable stars in the sky, only further accentuated his presence. 

The High Priest brushed his hair back with a “Hmph,” his dashing smile charming men and women alike. His perfect pearly-white teeth gleamed audibly. 

After managing to somehow recover, the proprietress smoothed things over with a bow. 

“H-however may I help you…High Priest, sir? If you are dissatisfied with this inn in any way…” 

“This has nothing to do with your establishment. I have no intention of rebuking you in any manner. I have but one target: a single guest of yours.” 

The proprietress had seen more than her fair share of customers over the years, but this man’s captivating gaze and its ensuing sparkle made even her heart skip. She pressed her hands against the counter to keep herself from falling. 

“I believe my mother dearest is staying here,” Skargo continued. “Where might she be?” 

“……Huh?” 

Everyone present—not just the proprietress—was visibly baffled. 

“What the heck is this big celebrity talking about?” 

“Did he just say his mom was here?” 

“Yeah, right. Don’t be ridiculous…” 

“What high-class noble like that would be staying in a place like this?” 

As the guests voiced their skepticism, High Priest Skargo—as dazzling as the light of the morning sun—smiled brightly. 

“I shall get straight to the point. Where is my mother dearest, the woman known as Cayna?” 

The room froze. No, time itself stopped. 

Indeed, there was a female elf named Cayna at the inn. 

She was an adventurer and…the High Priest’s mother?! 

Everyone understood these words as their minds raced and connected the dots to this person before them…or not. 

““WHAAAAAAAAAAT—?!”” 

Another shriek just like the previous one shook the inn. 

Not the least bit fazed, Skargo locked onto his target—the stairs to the second floor—with literal stars in his eyes. He brushed his fingers through his silky hair with a swish! and gave a single cough. He opened both arms wide as a Backdrop Brimming with Hope casually appeared behind him, and he dashed up the stairs in a single bound. 

The proprietress and the inn guests stood in abject shock, still trying to make sense of what had just transpired. 

Just as Cayna heard an unknown noise from downstairs that was either a strange scream or an enraged shout, all grew quiet. Then someone started running around in a mad dash. 

When the person she could only assume was the cause of the commotion came bursting through the door, Cayna went on full-alert mode. Thinking the intruder had to be either a stalker or a thief, she jumped from her bed. 

Her gaze met lemon-colored shining hair and gentle green eyes. A lean face and slim body. 

A beauty in blue priest’s robes hemmed in gold stood before her. 

Why do I feel like I’ve seen this guy somewhere before…? Wait—no way?! 

The moment she tried to speak to this person, the identity of whom she was almost certain… 

…the gorgeous figure went “Oh!” and closed on her in an instant. He wrapped her hands in his own with a cry of “Mother Dear!” and kissed the back of Cayna’s hand with a “It has been too long.” 

A chill ran down her spine and froze her solid. 

The beauty before her gave a smile so blinding it could practically stun a person. He took a step back and bowed deeply as if he were addressing royalty. 

A flourish from an elegant wind instrument played as he opened with “Forgive my tardiness…” and declared, “It is I, your eldest son, Skargo,” his narrow almond eyes dripping with pearly tears as he continued, “here to repay my dear mother’s love.” A garden of roses instantly surrounded them as Skargo then declared with a dazzling smile, “I have arrived.” 

Wordless and expressionless, Cayna stood stock still next to her bed, her face as white as a ghost. 

“Wha…wha…wha-wha-what…the…?” 

“I heard you were feeling most unwell and rushed over as fast as these legs would carry me.” Shing! 

His intense gaze took hold of Cayna. As she sat there, strength gently returned to her trembling arms. A number of Active Skills automatically kicked in. 

Seeing her like that, the handsome Skargo deciphered that his mother must not be feeling well and spread both arms wide. A Field of Blooming Sunflowers backdrop spread out behind him. His wide smile seemed to be welcoming all who looked upon it. 

“You…y-y-you CREEEEEEEEEP—!” 

Panicked and repulsed, Cayna threw a fist that directly connected with his smile. Although fighting wasn’t her calling, all the battle skills she’d acquired made that single hit a considerable one. 

However, even if he was a creep, her mental brake kicked in and prevented the blow from being fatal. 

All the same, the taller elf easily went flying. Skargo, who wasn’t used to being sucker punched, went into a tailspin and got stuck in the ceiling. Seeing as he didn’t give the slightest twitch, he’d presumably fainted at the moment of impact. 

Her eyes glazed over, Cayna glanced at the priestly art installation hanging from her ceiling, cast Isolation Barrier, which muted any outside noise, then huddled up in her blankets and sulked. 

Immediately after that, a new intruder burst into Cayna’s room. 

“Hey, Skargo! Do you really think a High Priest can go runnin’ around in the middle of…town? …Huh?” 

Mai-Mai had heard about Skargo’s eccentric behavior from a nun at the church and raced over to collect her brother. She looked up at Cayna’s ceiling and saw him hanging from it. 

Isolation Barrier acted as a blanket of sorts that completely separated the room from the outside world. 

Mai-Mai stared aghast at the sight before her eyes. 

“Huh? U-um, Mother?” 

Even though she called out, her voice naturally wouldn’t be heard. Isolation Barrier was a Magic Skill that protected villagers who couldn’t fight in quests. The skill itself was problematic. Not only was the caster the only one who could interfere with the barrier, but they couldn’t receive alerts from the Admins or messages from other players. It was useless outside of defense, so it was the type of skill that gathered dust after you acquired it. 

Mai-Mai could use it as well, so she understood its unique properties. She’d discuss this with her brothers later, but for the time being, she had to do something about the idiot stuck in the ceiling. 

She tiredly called out “Okay, come in” to someone outside the door, and a mysterious group dressed head to toe in black came rushing in. They put up a ladder, dug out the High Priest’s head, and dropped back down to the floor. They then filled in the hole, put Skargo in the coffin they’d brought, and quickly withdrew. 

Mai-Mai glanced around the room to make sure they weren’t forgetting anything before whispering, “I’ll come back another time,” and excusing herself. She then bribed each person in the inn with a silver coin to keep word of the matter from spreading. 

The black-clothed group gracefully carrying the coffin through the busy streets of the capital was a strange sight indeed. However, the people simply looked on at the funeral-like procession with exasperation and said, “Ah, it happened again…” 

High Priest Skargo—a celebrity among the capital’s inhabitants in more ways than one. 

“Uh, I don’t think that’s gonna happen at this point.” 

“I need you to take this seriously, Kartatz! What will we do if Mother locks herself away forever?!” 

To keep away from prying eyes, Mai-Mai and her brothers had gathered in Skargo’s more appropriate office. After escorting her stricken brother home with the funeral procession, Mai-Mai had called on Kartatz to meet and come up with a game plan. 

The eldest now sat deep in thought at his desk with a conflicted expression on his face. Unsurprisingly, the results of his long-awaited chance reunion seemed to have taken a large toll on him. 

Mai-Mai thought he was just reaping what he sowed, but that wasn’t the issue right now. It was their mother. 

“Anyway, if Mum shut you out with everything she’s got, do you really think we’ll be able to break past that barrier?” 

“Ngh…” 

Her younger brother’s logic shut down any counterargument Mai-Mai might have had. There was no denying their mother was a high-level mage who reigned as one of only twenty-four transcendent chosen ones during the Seven Nations Era. Cayna was also recognized as the Master of the Sacred Ruins from the Age of the Gods (per her sons’ rose-colored account of events). 

It was all too easy to see that no average mage like Mai-Mai could possibly compare. 

“If your skills are average, Sis, then people these days gotta be the lowest possible rank…” 

Kartatz tried to cut in as Mai-Mai mumbled to herself, but it didn’t seem to do much good. He scratched his head with a What do I do now? expression and figured he’d try turning to his older brother. 

Just as he was about to, the troubled Skargo exclaimed, “That’s it! I’ve got it!” and stood up with surefire resolve burning in his eyes. 

“Wh-what’s up, Bro? You figure out a way to get past the barrier?” 

“No, but I know why Mother Dear hit me!” 

A Raging Wave rose up behind him, and he took out his official ceremonial robes from his closet. Its bright golden glimmer made him stand out even more than the king, so all concerned parties had made him stow it away. He proceeded to put it on as the ocean spray scattered around him, and he struck a sharp pose followed by a sha-shing! 

“I’m off to see Mother Dear! As I suspected, such shabby clothes were an offense to her most supreme presence!” 

A bolt of lightning struck behind Skargo with a crack! 

“In a way, you’re braver than all the rest of us, Bro…” 

Kartatz could feel his sister’s magical energy growing and decided to leave the room before he got caught up in it. His skills mainly consisted of low-level healing magic, support magic, and architectural Craft Skills, so no matter how many lives he had, he’d never survive a fight between those two. 

At any rate, he decided to pay a visit to the inn in question to see if they could talk things out. 

He pretended not to hear the explosions coming from the other side of the closed door. 

…However, on the way there, Kartatz ran into some good—or perhaps maybe not so good—fortune at the market. 

He spotted Cayna buying a skewer of meat and tripped over himself. Enduring the curious stares from the market staff, he used every muscle in his body to shakily stand back up. He chased after his mother with his last bit of strength. 

“M-Mum?! Weren’tcha holed away in yer room?!” 

“Oh, Kartatz. What are you doing here? You want some meat, too?” 

Kartatz watched his mother merrily tell the vendor, “One more please, mister!” Dejected, the rest of his energy left him as if to say, What the heck were we so worried about? Sitting down next to her on some of the wooden crates lying around, Kartatz watched Cayna with a deep sigh of relief as she ate her meat skewers and bit into some fruit. 

The cause of all this distress smiled at him as if to allay his anxiety and bowed her head. 

“Sorry about that. It looks like I worried you. There’ve been some things that threw me for a loop, but then I got hungry. After eating sweets and stuff, all that didn’t seem to matter anymore, and I felt better. Heh-heh, pretty silly, right?” 

“Geez. Sis is acting like the world’s about to end, y’know. Go see her later.” 

Cayna smiled and gave a “Sorry, sorry,” but then her face immediately fell. 

“By the way, about that blond pervert I sent flying…” 

“Ah, I heard from Mai-Mai that Bro came rushing in and you let him have it.” 

“I knew it. So that was Skargo…” 

Kartatz figured out what had happened based on the glazed-over look in his mother’s eyes. He sort of pitied her for what she must have witnessed. 

Both he and Mai-Mai, too, had been in Cayna’s shoes before, and he wanted his mother to know about Skargo’s idiosyncrasies as well. Now was as good a time as any. 

“Yeah, Bro lives by the doctrine that you are above all else. He’s always like that, so prepare yerself.” 

“Always like that… Where did I go wrong?” 

This, of course, had to do with how he’d learned his skills. She had never guessed he’d pick up Special Skill: Oscar—Roses Scatter with Beauty so perfectly. In a way, he had natural talent. 

His personality, however, was another matter entirely. 

Even so, perhaps one might say this was what had swept her shock away; when faced with such a sight, she couldn’t care less about the other players and whatnot. She realized the current issue at hand was how best to deal with her son. 

“I’ve got it! After I completely destroy his personality, I can reinstall a new, decent one!” 

At this “like mother, like daughter” statement, Kartatz slipped off his wooden crate. Cayna was liable to turn both Skargo and the entire capital to ash. Kartatz crossed his arms as if hugging himself and opposed her head-on. 

“Hold on there, Mum! What’re ya thinking?! You gonna kill Bro?! He might be like that, but he’s always thinkin’ about the country and has worked real hard so far. He’s put his whole heart into establishing order among the people so you could see what a fine man he’s become. Don’t discount everything he’s done!” 

“Kartatz…” 

The backstory her son suddenly had blurted out warmed Cayna’s heart a bit. After all, she could see he truly believed in Skargo, at least on that point, and felt a little embarrassed that she’d judged her eldest son as completely one-dimensional. She’d merely wanted to chastise him for throwing his skills around all over the place and sticking out like a flashy sore thumb. It was a bit shocking that Kartatz would think she’d try to kill him for such a reason. 

“Yes. You’re right. He’s changed, at least partly… I registered him with the Foster System, so I guess I can’t really judge…” 

“Siiiiigh. A-as long as you understand. Agh, you really had me going. Gwagh!” 

Kartatz’s voice veered wildly as his mother, next to him, suddenly hugged him tight. He squirmed against her philanthropic love, and she murmured a quiet “Sorry.” 

“If you mean that, then pay attention to other people’s feelings!” 

“Hmm? …Oh?” 

Cayna noticed the market visitors and unoccupied vendors stealing glances at them and whispering to one another. A dwarf who was old enough to know better being hugged by a lovely young girl was enough to draw suspicion. 

She grew a little red but could confidently say she didn’t feel as if they were doing anything wrong. After all, she was merely a parent hugging her child. 

“Hee-hee-hee, I’m glad.” 

“There ain’t nothin’ to be ‘glad’ about! Put yerself in my shoes!” 

He forcibly tore away from her with all he had and looked at his smiling mother with bewilderment. 

“You’ve changed, ain’tcha, Mum?” 

“…Hmm, you might be right. After all, I have you three.” 

“What’re ya talkin’ about? Ain’t it obvious we’re here because of you?” 

“Hee-hee-hee, that’s true. Thank you, Kartatz.” 

Why am I moping all because there are no other players? I still have family, and that alone is enough. I’ll be okay here. 

“So shall we go see Skargo?” she asked. 

“Eh?” 

To that battle zone between his brother and sister? 

He’d gotten caught in the middle enough times to understand, and Kartatz’s face froze as he recalled the scenes of chaos. 

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Is Skargo feeling that down?” 

“No, it’s not that. Those two are in the middle of a huge fight right now…” 

“A fight? Well, yeah, I guess that sort of thing does happen.” 

To his mother, a fight between master mages was apparently insignificant enough to just be summed up as “that sort of thing.” Kartatz really had no idea what went through her mind. 

Unaware that her son was thinking things like I hope the church doesn’t get blown away, Cayna urged him on. 

Kartatz returned to the church, and the sister who had turned Cayna away before came out to greet them. 

“Oh, Master Kartatz. If you wish to see Master Skargo, he’s still in the room with Lady Mai-Mai…” 

“They’re still at it, eh…?” 

“A-and, ah, who is this woman?” 

“Oh, right. You said the sister sent you packing before, right, Mum?” 

“…Eh? Whaaat?” 

Hearing the High Priest’s younger brother call this obviously young girl “Mum” sent cold sweat running down the sister’s spine. 

The girl herself brushed back her hair, and the slightly pointed ears that marked her as a high elf peeked through. She gave a “Nice to meetcha” and bowed. 

“I’m lettin’ you know right now that this right here is our mum. If yer rude to her, you’ll face my brother’s wrath.” 

“Kartatz… I gotta say that as your mother, it kinda hurts for you to call me ‘this right here’…” 

In no mood to be listening to the familial comedy act, the sister immediately fell prostrate and apologized for her previous blunder. 

“I-I’m terribly sorry! I may not have known, but that does not excuse my awful manners! Please forgive me!” 

“Ah, no worries. You had no idea, and it didn’t really bother me. Please raise your head.” 

“Yeah, it ain’t like Mum holds any kinda position.” 

After the two pacified the church knights who had come running to check out the commotion the sister had caused, they stood before the door to Skargo’s office. 

There wasn’t anything particularly odd about the door, but the corridor where it was located lightly swayed on occasion. 

“They set up a barrier in this room beforehand. That’s why there’s no damage outside.” 

“How ’bout that.” 

Cayna took out a vial filled with yellow liquid from her Item Box, opened the door a bit, tossed it inside, then quickly closed the door again. 

Immediately afterward, there was an odd, explosive BA-BAAAAAM! The item she’d thrown was like a flash grenade that stunned enemies with light and sound. Its creator was the worst person Cayna had known, so this special concoction had more to it than just flash and bang. 

A huge sweat drop rolled down the back of Kartatz’s head, and he looked back and forth between the door of the now-silent room and his mother. 

After a full minute, Cayna opened the door. Inside, yellow smoke wafted across the floor. She used Wind Magic and opened up the windows in the room and corridor to clear it out. 

The room didn’t actually look too bad. The furnishings had been fixed in place with magic, and only the chairs and desk were strewn about. Mixed into this were Skargo and Mai-Mai, who had been knocked unconscious. 

Once the two were put in a corner, Cayna and Kartatz cleaned up and set the chairs back in their original places. The youngest sibling then dragged his brother and sister over by their collars, and Cayna produced small icicles, which she then used to poke her two unconscious children. 

““HWOOOOOOOOO?!”” 

The two let out a strange yell and jumped up, then looked on in bafflement when they noticed their brother and mother laughing at them raucously. 

“Mother Dear!” 

“Mother?!” 

“Hey, guys. Sorry about that. Looks like I had you worried.” 

Cayna had Kartatz sit down on the sofa and Skargo and Mai-Mai kneel on the floor; then she got down on her own knees and bowed deeply. 

“I’m so sorry I upset you two.” 

“W-wait, Mother! Why are you bowing?! We’re the ones who should apologize!” 

“That is correct, Mai-Mai. You are the questionable one. You mustn’t cause Mother Dear such trouble…” 

“Hey, Bro, wanna try shutting up?” 

Kartatz gave a dark smile that lacked all humor and aimed his Guillotine Ax right at Skargo’s throat. Sure enough, Skargo decided to keep his mouth shut. 

Her head still bowed, Cayna continued her apologies. 

“I fell captive to my egocentric thoughts and despair and treated you cruelly. I have failed as a mother, and for that, I am deeply sorry.” 

The siblings exchanged glances. Their mother was earnestly remorseful. 

Kartatz put away his ax and joined his brother and sister in a kneeling position. 

Mai-Mai rapped herself on the head and shook hands with Skargo, who pulled himself together with a shake of his own head. 

Skargo then removed his coat, patted Cayna’s shoulder, and lifted her chin. 

The three siblings then bowed their heads low. 

“Just as in the old days, I look forward to spending time with you, Mother Dear.” 

“Yes. Me too, Mother.” 

“You’re the only mum we’ve got.” 

“Yeah. I’m glad to have you three!” 

Cayna wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled. This instantly passed on to her children, and the room was filled with bright smiles. 

“Phew. When Skargo went charging in, I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out!” Mai-Mai exclaimed. 

“I was simply worried because I heard from Lord Agaido that Mother Dear was ill.” 

“How would he know something like that?” 

“Come to think of it, he did say something about his spies…” 

“Spies?! Has he been watching Mother?” 

“Maybe he’s just keeping an eye on me from a distance? I don’t really mind. I’ll call him out if he starts getting in my way. Besides, I’ve got Kee as my watchdog.” 

“I am not a watchdog.” 

“Ah, it seems you have made a contract with a Divine Spirit, Mother Dear. You are as exceptional as ever.” 

“Sheesh, when you called on me, I had no idea what I was in for…,” Kartatz chimed in. 

It was here that Cayna murmured, “Oh, right,” and pressed one fist against her palm. 

“I have something I want to talk about with just the two of you. Oh, Kartatz, you left work, right? You can go back now.” 

“Okay. Well, I’m outta here. There’s no way I can leave everything to those guys.” 

“For now, you two kneel over there.” 

Skargo and Mai-Mai had returned to standing positions, but the dark aura Cayna had surrounded herself with using Intimidate, Glare, Evil Eye, Pressure, and Fear made their faces twitch. They immediately froze like frogs being stared down by a snake, and a penetrating chill rattled through them as if they’d just come down with a cold. 

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what is it, M-M-M-M-Mother…?” 

“M-Mother Dear?! Wh-wh-what may I ask has angered you so…?” 

“I heard a lot from Kartatz. From now on, you’re forbidden from fighting with magic. I have to at least teach you that much common sense. Of course, that also includes your excessive use of Special Skills, Skargo.” 

Her expression was like that of a man-eating fiend, her smirk a red crescent moon. The siblings trembled in fear at the sight of their mother, who had transformed into a Demon King without any Special Skills whatsoever. 

Upon closing the door behind him to return to work, Kartatz shut out their terrifying screams. He gave a big stretch and cracked his neck. 

“You guys got whatcha deserved.” 

Several days after the uproar at the church… 

Elineh visited Cayna’s room and set events in motion with a single question. 

“Lady Cayna, won’t you consider traveling north?” 

“Hmm? North?” she replied halfheartedly. In one hand, she held a round red fruit known as a ruche. It was a present from Elineh, and she saw it as a kind of dessert you could casually munch on. 

As she ate, she considered whether to leave the capital. 

Thinking Cayna would cave if he just pushed her a little bit, Elineh unleashed his trump card. 

“After we visit that remote village, of course.” 

“I’ll go! …Ah.” 

She replied without thinking and soon understood. The kobold’s expression was difficult to read, but she glared at the trembling merchant’s shoulders as he suppressed his laughter. 

“Nghhh, that’s not fair, Elineh! You knew I’d never refuse if you said that!” 

“Goodness, no. Don’t say such things. I simply said we would stop by for a visit on our way to the north, did I not?” 

“Geez, you really are a sneaky one, Elineh… Um, it’s four silver to get to the village, right?” she asked, recalling how much it cost to get to the capital and wondering how much a longer journey would be. 

However, a crease formed on his brow, and he shook his head. 

“I don’t mind treating you as a guest as far as the village, but after that, I would like you to serve as a guard…” 

“Huh? Is the north that dangerous?” 

Cayna thought that if it merged with the Black Kingdom (also known as the Kingdom of Demons), it probably was. However, Elineh replied, “Actually, it rather is,” and began talking about recent product distribution. He opened up a map and traced a generalized trade route with his finger. 

“First, there are trade routes that go around the outer edges of the continent. Then, there are inner routes that run alongside the nations’ borders. This country has two to the north and south of the river. Last, there is the continent’s main traffic route that connects each nation’s capital to the others.” 

Thinking, It’s like the trains passing through different capitals, Cayna nodded wordlessly. Elineh tapped the country’s western border and continued his explanation. 

“Right now, the capital of Felskeilo and the capital of Helshper to the north are connected by this main route. Our outer route to the west is closed off, so the current plan is to pass through our inner route to reach the outer one to the east, cross the river, then take their inner route to reach Helshper’s capital.” 

“Is the road blocked off because of a landslide or something?” 

“No—bandits,” Elineh responded not a moment later. 

Cayna could sense the degree of nervousness in his answer, and she gulped. Elineh pointed slightly north of Felskeilo’s western border. 

“There’s a weathered old fortress here, but apparently, the bandits made it their hideout recently and started expanding here and there.” 

“Ah…” 

“Their leader isn’t to be messed with under any circumstance. Even the knights are in over their heads, and they say it’s turned into a deadlock.” 

“Wow, I didn’t think there was still anyone that strong left in this world… Whoa, Arbiter?! When did you get here?” 

“Hmm, I guess from the.” 

““That doesn’t help at all!!”” the two retorted together. 

Arbiter murmured, “I somehow always make the young miss mad,” and left the room. His words put a sour look on her face, and she asked Elineh, “Am I really always that angry?” 

He responded with trembling shoulders and barely contained laughter. Needless to say, this put Cayna in an even worse mood. 

Since she’d be leaving the capital soon, Cayna thought it best to give a quick word to anyone who needed to know of her departure. 

This was primarily because she saw how the daughter she’d recently reunited with fawned over her. The hot-and-cold attitude wasn’t enough of a reason not to see her. However, paired with how her daughter clung to her like a big cat, snuggled up close, and behaved like a spoiled child each time they met, this three-hit combo was slowly becoming too much for even Cayna. Frankly, she was at a loss as to how to deal with it. She felt bad for Mai-Mai, but she wanted to put some distance between them and get a mental break. 

Despite everything Cayna had said to her children during Mai-Mai and Skargo’s bickering, she had no experience with children far older than her. Consequently, she wanted to come to terms with this and sort the matter out herself. 

“What?! You’re leaving the country, Mother?!” 

“Don’t act like I’m running away, Mai-Mai. It’s for work. I’m going to be guarding a merchant caravan.” 

Elineh had told Cayna they were planning to leave the next day, so she had visited Skargo first. However, he seemed to be in a meeting with the royal family and wasn’t at the church. Cayna worried whether it was wise to share that sort of information with a third party. When she asked the elderly sister assisting her, the woman assured her that Skargo was a man of integrity and this was merely his policy. 

Cayna put her head in her hands. She didn’t know whether to go after the church for freely divulging secrets under this policy of “integrity” or her son who insisted on it in the first place… 

“If I get involved with this, I have a feeling their policies will switch over to my way of doing things.” 

If Cayna told Skargo to stop blabbing confidential info, she had no doubt he would immediately shift the church’s policies to whatever Cayna said to him. She couldn’t have one mother’s opinion turn the entire church on its head, so she decided to keep quiet on the matter. 

Cayna often saw Skargo preaching out on the main road, but the brilliant, shining flowers that bloomed around him only brought her anxiety. 

Truthfully, Skargo’s reputation among the townspeople wasn’t bad at all. Although he did give sermons, the spectacles that erupted behind him seemed to play a large role, and they were easy for children to understand. Even so, the populace’s ability to accept these displays as “normal” gave Cayna a headache. This was apparently because Skargo had been serving as High Priest for around two generations. 

Cayna next walked a bit farther to the Academy to break the news to Mai-Mai. Incidentally, since her children held positions of authority in both the church and the school, she could practically walk right in. 

Mai-Mai could tell Kartatz the news for her, so she wasn’t particularly worried about pinning him down. Cayna was grateful her youngest son was the easiest to distance herself from, though there were still bad habits he’d learned from his older brother. 

“Hmm. Still, you’re going to Helshper, right? Perfect timing. Mother, do you think you could deliver a letter for me?” 

“I don’t mind. Do you have a friend there?” 

“Heh-heh-heh. Actually, Mother, I was hoping to introduce you. I’m thinking this might be a good opportunity.” 

Mai-Mai’s devious smile didn’t raise any red flags for her mother. It seemed relatively harmless, so Cayna didn’t think much of it at the time. 

However, she never could have guessed that Mai-Mai’s failure to reveal her plan would later create chaos that wore away at her very sanity. 

The next day, Elineh’s caravan readied for their departure outside the capital’s east gate. The wagons were well stocked with carefully selected merchandise, and all the Flame Spear mercenary guards were present. Only Cayna, the smallest among them, looked out of place. Even if she took out the sword at her side, one would think her nothing more than a traveler. 

Normally, no one would be there to see off a single caravan, but two people were speaking with Cayna. 

“Mother! Come back soon!” 

“Oomph?! Hold on, Mai-Mai, it hurts when you hug that tight!” 

Locked in a bear hug, Cayna protested as she peeled away from her daughter. Although a mere side note, Mai-Mai’s chest was so small that she didn’t really feel as if she was being suffocated or anything. This was because there had been an unnecessary interruption during her character creation. 

Both Skargo and Mai-Mai were taller than Cayna, who could easily be mistaken for their little sister. Kartatz, on the other hand, was a bit shorter than her. However, hardly anyone looking at the two side by side would think they were parent and child. 

“Not sure we really need to worry about you, Mum, but take care.” 

“Right. Careful not to get hurt at work, Kartatz.” 

Cayna gave her younger son a big smile. From behind her, Arbiter called out, “Heeey! We’re leavin’, miss!” 

“Ah, coming! Well, then. I’m off, you two.” 

“Oh, Mother. Here is the letter I mentioned yesterday. Thanks in advance.” 

“Right, just leave it to me. Who is it addressed to?” 

“Caerick of the border town. Take care, Mother!” 

Cayna took the letter, confirmed the recipient’s name, and asked Kee to make a note of it. Once she put it in the Item Box, there would be no losing it. 

She waved good-bye to her son and daughter as she chased after the caravan that was already heading out. The two continued waving until the procession disappeared into the distance east down the main road. 

Kartatz and Mai-Mai stood there for some time, a conflicted expression on his face, a calm one on hers. 

“Hmm, Mum as a guard… No caravan in the world could be safer.” 

“Rather, wouldn’t you say Mother could destroy the bandits’ den in one strike?” 

“Well, she’s an adventurer now. No point puttin’ in the work if there’s no profit.” 

“Yes, that is true.” 

“Anyway, that letter you gave her. Is it, y’know, for those guys?” 

“That’s right, hee-hee-hee. Mother will surely be surprised.” 

“I’m pretty sure she’s gonna faint…” 

Kartatz crossed his arms, sweating bullets. He never could have guessed the impact it would have. 

“Hey, miss. What did that woman give you just now?” 

Even though he’d been standing far away, he’d apparently seen Mai-Mai give her something or other. Thinking to herself that he had some serious twenty-twenty vision, Cayna re-evaluated her rough image of him. 

“Perhaps it is a love letter? Lady Cayna’s charm captivates even the ladies.” 

“I don’t know what either of you are talking about! It’s just a regular, plain old letter! She said she had a friend in the other capital and asked me to deliver it. I’ve got absolutely nothing to hide.” 

“Is that right? Well. I’m takin’ that story with a grain of salt.” 

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing fishy going on. What’s so weird about me talking to my own daughter?!” 

“Wha—? That was your daughter, miss? Who was the dwarf, then?” a separate merchant asked. 

“My youngest son.” 

She answered this question honestly, and a cold wind whooshed through the entire caravan. Cayna ended up having to go on an impromptu tangent about why she had a dwarf for a son and secretly wondered if she had any skills that would help eloquently smooth things over. 

Last time, the journey took about ten days from the remote village to the capital. This time, she wanted to try out a number of Magic Skills she had picked up and came to Elineh with a proposal. 

“Elineh, can I talk to you for a second?” 

“Yes? Is something the matter?” 

Cayna had agreed to be a guard during the journey, but the fact was that she had no experience. Thus, she talked it over with Arbiter, and he allowed her to join the Flame Spears. He placed Cayna in the center of the caravan and had her mostly serve as Elineh’s personal guard. She was right next to his carriage, which made it easy to have a discussion. 

“I was thinking I’d like to boost our movement a bit. You don’t mind, do you?” 

“Boost…our…movement?” Elineh repeated, tilting his head at the strange question. 

Cayna called out to Arbiter, who was busy giving orders to the mercenaries throughout the caravan and repeated the same question. 

“This ‘boosting our movement’ thing won’t have a major impact on us, right? It won’t tire us out or nothin’?” 

“That’s right. Any distance we cover will be with the help of magic, so we won’t be exhausted at all. If you like, I could even call out lots more golems to serve as night guards!” 

As Cayna pumped her fists in a display of strength, Arbiter patted her shoulders with a “Hold on there” and calmed her down. He was glad to have someone take over night duty. However, when he pictured the creepy golem from before wandering freely around the camp, he somehow felt uneasy. 

“For now, show me what you can do. It might help us out, depending on the results, but if it looks like it’ll cause trouble for us or the horses, I’m putting a stop to it.” 

“Understood. Okay, here I go!” 

Magic Skill: Movement Up 

A glittering green light spilled from Cayna’s raised hand and spread across the ground to wrap the entire caravan ahead of her in its aura. It affected not only the mercenaries and horses but the carriages as well. 

This spell would increase their speed by 20 percent. The range of effect was anywhere in their line of sight. During Leadale’s wars, which made up most key Events, it could maintain the marching pace of allied armies for about five minutes. Since about three or four hundred people were assembled and moving together, the effect had a short duration time. However, since those who could use the magic would recast it at the last second, not many actually worried about this. 

This time, the spell covered the caravan carriages, the horses, the men, and Cayna. It would last for over two hours. 

It was the first time she’d used it outside the world of the game, but it was pretty fun to suddenly walk as if she were gliding. Although Arbiter and the others couldn’t hide their uneasiness at first, they seemed to quickly get the knack of it. 

As night fell and they made it beyond their initial stopping point, Elineh’s eyes lit up. 

“That was splendid, Miss Cayna! By all means, please use this every day! In fact, stay with our caravan forever!” 

“I can use it every day, but I’m afraid I’ll have to turn down the permanent position.” 

“Well, it ain’t like someone who’s havin’ fun adventuring would suddenly attach themselves to a single caravan.” 

Elineh’s invitation didn’t stand a chance against Arbiter’s rebuttal. However, an unwavering light still burned in the kobold’s eyes. Cayna wondered with a sigh if she’d have to turn him down every time they’d meet. 

The estimated ten days became eight, and the caravan arrived at the remote village. It felt as if it had been forever, but really Cayna had only left about a month and a half ago. 

Even so, the place was different. 

At the entrance, there was a one-story building where the rest stop for carriages once was. The door seemed to be open 24/7, and the sounds of hammering that come with construction echoed from within. It seemed some sort of factory had moved in. 

In addition, the abandoned houses farther inside had been cleaned up, and smoke from food preparation flowed from their chimneys. There appeared to be newcomers. 

The villagers who came to greet them despite it already being nightfall came rushing forward when they saw Cayna among the caravan. She was soon surrounded, and the crowd swept her away to the inn. Elineh and Arbiter watched with wry smiles as the townspeople took her captive with nary a chance for the two of them to protest. 

“Hey there! If it isn’t Cayna! It feels like it’s been forever! How’ve you been?” 

“Hi, Miss Cayna!” 

Marelle and Lytt welcomed her warmly, and Cayna gave a sigh of relief. It felt as if she’d returned home and could finally relax and let go. Hot bread and stew appeared before her unbidden. 

The mother and daughter broke out into laughter when Cayna, comforted by the familiar dish, quickly tried to take out her wallet. This passed on to the other villagers, and soon enough, the tavern was in a riot. That night, the inn filled with tales of her days in the capital, the requests she took on, and her children. 

The next day, before the sun had even risen, Cayna hurried to the silver tower, told the mural Guardian that the Ninth Skill Master’s tower was reactivated, and once again tried asking what had happened two hundred years prior. 

“I only know what the other Guardians told me, but it looks like the other masters said ‘Bye,’ then up and left just like that.” 

Doing so didn’t really change anything. 

The region she stood in was formerly part of the outermost edges of the White Kingdom, and if one headed east, there was unexplored territory not found on the map. Cayna had no memory of seeing anyone other than players looking to challenge the silver tower. She remembered talking with members of her guild about a new area that might be introduced in future updates, but in the end, she had no way of finding out whether it had. 

After replenishing her items, Cayna left the tower and returned to the village. However, as she was eating breakfast, unfamiliar faces approached her. 

There were three dwarves and a lanky woman wearing glasses. Getting straight to the point, they said they were technicians from Helshper and wanted to ask about the well’s water-drawing mechanism. 

“We heard you were its creator, but how did you do it?” 

“Huh? I just used Craft Skills and followed the recipe.” 

“Ohhh, so you have these ‘Craft Skills’?! In that case, we would like you to teach us your ways.” 

“Just a fair warning… There’s a lot of prerequisites.” 

She took out a log about the size of an arm from her Item Box and cast Craft Skill: Processing: Buddha. A small green tornado leaped from Cayna’s hand and completely enveloped the log. It disappeared for a few moments before revealing a wood-carved Kannon statue that was about twenty centimeters high. 

This was one of the skills that came with pre-existing conditions if you wanted to learn it but became completely useless after you did. The quest had you offer up a doll to the master of the lake in place of a human sacrifice, and for some reason, it created random ancient Japanese Buddha statues. Cayna had occasionally seen players use stone and wood ones as golems, and that really was pretty much all they were good for. 

“If you can’t do at least this much, you won’t be able to use the skills even if I teach you. Got it?” 

Cayna winked and put on an impressive air, which sent the four shaking in their boots. Hearing them say things like “Th-this is the work of the gods” and “Is that out of legend?!” gave her a good grasp of the situation. 

She remembered why Kartatz didn’t use Craft Skills to build ships. Unless he used his apprentices and employees to build everything by hand, nothing would be passed on to the next generation. 

Come to think of it, didn’t Mai-Mai once say something about skills degenerating and dying out? 

As Cayna ruminated over her daughter’s words, she noticed Lytt tugging at her sleeve. 

“Yes, Lytt?” 

“What’s dat?” She pointed to the wooden Kannon statue in Cayna’s hand. 

She had only made it as a demonstration and didn’t care much about it one way or the other, so she said “Here you go” and handed it to the little girl. 

This, of course, also caught the attention of Marelle on the other side of the counter. 

“It looks pretty nicely carved. You sure it’s okay for her to have it?” 

“I don’t mind at all. I don’t have much use for it.” 

Lytt’s eyes sparkled as she put it on the table and stared at it as if spellbound. It was still breakfast time, so it caught the attention of the caravan and the Flame Spears as well. 

Incidentally, since she was persistently asked what it was modeled after, Cayna told them it was a goddess of kindness in her hometown. Naturally, they mistakenly thought this meant it was a goddess revered by the high elves. It was too much of a pain to correct them and explain further, so she just decided to let the matter drop. 

However, to Elineh, it was a profitable handicraft. 

He declared, “We could sell these,” and soon Yakushi Nyorai, Ashura, Miroku Bosatsu, and even a jizo statue appeared one by one on the table. Needless to say, since the statues that popped out were completely random, there were quite a few doubles before they got the complete set. 

After Elineh saw them, his enthusiasm dominated all conversation in the tavern, and the technicians were completely forgotten. As the tavern neared closing time, Cayna finally took notice of them. As an apology for leaving them in the dust, she drew the gear’s mechanisms on a piece of paper. Saying they would take it back to the workshop and investigate further, they left. 

The caravan planned on leaving the next day, but the village elder said he had something he wished for them to look into. The delay ruffled a few feathers. 

“Hey now, Elder. The young miss is working for our caravan right now. She can’t just drop out halfway,” Arbiter exclaimed. 

Backing out of their guard request before Cayna’s duty was complete wasn’t an option. Although Elineh had asked her directly, the request had more or less still gone through the Adventurers Guild and would require the proper procedures to nullify it. Besides, since Cayna was currently under the command of the Flame Spears, Arbiter was the one who negotiated with the elder. 

Hit by his sound argument, even the elder fell silent. She could see that both he and the several villagers who had joined him were troubled. They understand how much Cayna had done for the village and how much they depended on her, but now that she was an adventurer, it wasn’t as if she could give a simple Yes, of course. 

Arbiter knew he, too, didn’t have the final say. Elineh was her real employer. If he nodded his head in approval, Cayna would be temporarily put on loan. He was being harsh on the villagers, but it was only out of a familial concern for Cayna, whom he didn’t want selling herself short as a new adventurer. 

“I see. We’ve earned ourselves a few extra days thanks to Cayna’s magic, so I suppose one more day here wouldn’t do any harm.” 

Elineh counted the number of days on his fingers, and as Cayna stood nearby and stared at him with puppy-dog eyes, he couldn’t help but give permission with a wry smile. By this point, it was difficult to tell which of them was the real canine. Elineh heaved a heavy internal sigh. 

There was no rush, but merchants only allowed themselves a certain amount of leeway during a journey. Since having her come along with the caravan shortened their time to the goal, he decided they could spend one more day in the village. 

Relieved, Cayna had just turned to the elder to ask for more details when Arbiter again cut in. His rough visage broke into a sneer, and he held off the elder, who had thought with relief that his wish would finally be granted. Cayna was about to complain, but the mercenaries’ second-in-command told her “You’ll have your turn” and left her with no choice but to reluctantly obey. 

“Hold it there, Elder! If you’re gonna hire the young miss, that means you can cough up the funds, right?” 

Forming a circle with his index finger and thumb, Arbiter negotiated with a bright smile plastered on his face. The offended elder argued that although she was an adventurer, she was still a novice. However, Arbiter, Elineh, and the mercenaries didn’t take well to this viewpoint. 

“No novice could take down a horned bear with a single kick,” insisted Elineh. 

“And you can bet no newbie could defy all logic and walk on water,” added Arbiter. 

“No beginner could get golems to do odd jobs, neither!” said Kenison. 

“How did you know about that?!” cried Cayna. 

Numerous fishermen along the river had witnessed her display with the rock golem—not that Cayna was aware of that. 

Elineh’s caravan had aided the village for many years, so the elder had no choice but to offer legitimate payment. 

“Well then, how much will it cost to hire her?” 

“Eight silver coins,” replied Arbiter. 

“Eight?!” 

Just as the elder gulped, a cry of “Whaaaat?!” came from the caravan party. Arbiter and the others gave a dumbfounded look. 

“Why are you actin’ all surprised, miss?” 

“But I owe the village so much. One silver coin is more than enough…” 

“No way. What’ll happen if you sell yourself short, miss? Think a single working day and assume half a day is five coins. If you work for one silver, the real newbies will be forced to work for only one bronze coin. I’m not sayin’ it’s bad to be modest, but don’t let it affect other adventurers. Got it?” 

“…Yes.” 

As Cayna looked down dejectedly and gave a slow nod, Arbiter ruffled her hair. The other worried members also patted her shoulders and back in hopes of cheering her up. 

Arbiter once again turned to the elder and asked, “So you’ll pay?” to seal the deal. 

The inn was essentially the one place in the self-sufficient remote village with a decent amount of outside currency, and their only other longtime guest besides Elineh’s caravan was Cayna. Considering they primarily bartered with the caravan in goods, the village would most likely have to pull together to come up with the scratch. 

The village elder furrowed his brow, and just as he began to mull all this over with a “Hmmmm,” Cayna pressed her fist against her palm. She declared, “Okay, let’s do this,” and stepped forward. 

Arbiter and Elineh had a bad feeling about that smile. 

“What if the elder keeps the money and I get twenty free days at Marelle’s inn?” 

The old man had thought he’d have a major problem on his hands, so his eyes went wide to hear this. Arbiter and the others gave a wry smile of I knew it. Cayna was somehow obsessed with the place, and it seemed like just the sort of answer she’d give. 

“If any number of days equals the amount the elder owes, the free period will end,” she continued. 

“Yes, in that case, we can work things out as we go along. I understand and accept your conditions.” 

“Just hold on there, miss. Adventurers should get real cash, y’know?” Arbiter warned. 

However, Cayna had plenty of money saved up from her time playing the game. Even a year of eating and sleeping at the inn in the capital wouldn’t make a dent in it. For someone like Cayna, who couldn’t even move before, she was happy as long as she could be healthy and eat delicious food. 

She couldn’t be too open about it, but a part of her heart modestly thought, I don’t need anything else! 

“Well then, what would you like me to look into?” 

“Right. About that…” 

A few minutes later, Cayna and the others were lined up in front of the well at the center of the village. 

“Why are Arbiter and everyone else here…?” she asked. 

“Ah, well, I was kinda worried our temporary member might make a real mess.” 

“I would never do anything like that.” 

“But your whole existence is weird, y’know? Better safe than sorry.” 

“That’s so mean!” 

While Arbiter and Cayna were working on their comedy routine, the villagers helped remove the well device. They seemed to want her to investigate the inside of the well. Arbiter peeked his head inside, but he could just barely see the glimmer of the water’s surface at the bottom. 

Even if something strange was going on with the well, it would be hard to tell from their current location. 

“You’d like me to look inside here?” Cayna asked the elder. 

“That’s right.” 

As he gave a deep nod, Cayna thought for a moment and spread her arms wide. She instantly switched into an outfit completely different from the robe and leather armor she had been wearing. 

“Whoa, what in tarnation is that?!” 

“Miss?!” 

Cayna now wore a black wetsuit that covered her neck to her ankles and ran along every curve of her body. Large acute-angle fins were attached to her arms, legs, and back. Used in marine warfare, it had extraordinary abilities and was known as “the Black Dragon Suit.” 

However, it was one of the serpent-style outfits that most female players disliked. There was another similar equipment item called “White House on the Battlefield,” but Cayna didn’t have it. 

Back in the game, players’ character bodies couldn’t deviate very far from their real-life proportions. Thus, there weren’t many people whose outfits fit them perfectly. This was because of either excessive confidence on the Admins’ part, their lack of shame, or because they were idiots who weren’t thinking at all. 

These sets were generally called “The Pervy Admins’ Desire Series,” and female players despised them. 

Summoning Magic: Load: Water Spirit Aqua Level 2 

Cayna used a Summoning spell to invoke a one-meter-long flying fish—or rather, it looked like a flying fish but was actually a Water Spirit whose body was almost entirely liquid. It was so transparent that you could look right through it at the person on the other side, and it swam gracefully though the air around Cayna like a natural satellite. 

“Hey, just whaddaya plan on doing?” 

“I’m going to check things out for a bit. Elder, can you tell me what exactly about this well is so strange?” 

“We hear moaning coming from inside it in the middle of the night.” 

“Moaning? It looks like we’ll never know what’s happening unless we go down.” 

As far as Cayna knew, a well quest never required you to actually go in the well itself. There was a quest about moaning that came from a mine, but the cause of that was a dragon. If the sound was coming from the well’s water source, there was a chance something similar had made its home there. 

Before anyone had time to stop her, Cayna jumped in the well. She cast Float before hitting the water to cushion the impact. She’d slam into the bedrock if the well was shallow. 

However, it was fairly deep, and Cayna’s entire body sank into the water. 

“GAH, COLD!” 

Shocked by the frigid temperature, she cast Insulation. This was a spell that wrapped the area around yourself or the target in a thin layer of warm air. 

Having dispelled the cold, Cayna followed the Water Spirit through the underground water vein. As long as this spirit was nearby, it could control any water around the user down to the muddiest stream. It could even move a waterfall with ease. 

The underground water vein was still pitch-black regardless of using Night Vision. Even if one did produce some sort of light, one would only see rock surfaces slippery from long years of water exposure. 

When slowly making one’s way through tunnels that veer up, down, left, and right, one’s sense of time and distance gradually grows murky. Since Cayna had Kee, she didn’t lose track of how long they’d been wandering around. 

There were unpassable areas as well. In those cases, the Water Spirit shaved off sections as Cayna used her magic to create a makeshift pathway while being mindful of the ground around them. 

Even so, it took thirty minutes to progress through one hundred meters of the winding current. 

“I have picked up weak vibrations.” 

“Kee?” 

This was the situation they found themselves in when Kee gave his report. It seemed to be a sonar-like sound that ran through the water and could not be detected by human or elven ears. They hadn’t progressed very far and so continued along the water vein. 

“There is a cave above us.” 

“Got it.” 

Led by the Water Spirit and Kee, Cayna popped her head above the water and saw an enormous cave with stalactites hanging from the ceiling like icicles. 

Kee’s precise location capabilities indicated they were near a mountain range east of the village. As expected, the water in this tunnel was melted snow that flowed from the mountain. There seemed to be some sort of glowing moss in the cave and faint light sources found here and there. When she took a look around, not everything seemed to be submerged. 

Before lifting herself up onto a nearby rock, Cayna radiated Intimidate in every direction. It was another way of checking for any hostile monsters or animals. Even so, Cayna boasted the highest level of excellence in this world, and the energy she emitted reflected that. 

For the small animals whose vision had deteriorated from living in the cave, it was like being bathed in poison. Small lizards, crabs, and fish collapsed and quickly dropped like flies and ascended to the great beyond in an instant. 

However, Cayna heard a small voice go “Eek!” from somewhere in the dim cave. 

“Who’s there?!” 

“…?!” 

Just as the voice suddenly rang out, there came a splashing sound. Mixed with the reverberations and the noise of flowing water, it was difficult to pinpoint its location. 

“Who are you? We mean you no harm!” 

Although she was using Night Vision, the random boulders and stalactites got in the way and prevented her from seeing in greater detail. 

Deciding she’d have to brighten things up if she hoped to spot anything, Cayna cast another spell. 

Summoning Magic: Load: Light Spirit Shye Level 7 

A ten-meter-long dandelion tuft manifested from the magic circle in front of Cayna. 

This was a level-770 Light Spirit. Not only did each piece of fluff shine brightly, giving it a slight shake produced smaller versions of itself. This multiplied its numbers, and they lit up the cave in an instant. 

The light was especially effective on the cave’s living creatures. 

Their little bodies squirmed, and they quickly crowded together in the few remaining shadows. Those that failed to secure a spot sought shelter from the rays and threw themselves into the water one after the other. 

Among them was a large, human-shaped creature writhing in the shallows. 

Despite the harsh, undulating conditions of the cavern, the Light Spirit obeyed Cayna’s will and gathered its pieces together to form a spotlight that revealed the figure. 

“I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me! D-don’t eat meeee!!” 

The upper half of a mermaid broke through the water, and she artfully pleaded for her life. 

“I’m not gonna eat you! Don’t accuse me of cannibalism!” 

Cayna couldn’t tell whether the mermaid was trying to dive into the shallows or was just floundering. Cayna sat on a nearby rock in an effort to calm her, and her words made the mermaid stop. 

“…You’re not gonna eat me?” 

“Do I look like some sort of mer-meat gourmand to you?” 

“…No, you don’t.” 

She smiled at the mermaid as she lifted her head and stared at Cayna with tear-filled eyes. Looking somewhat relieved, she peered past Cayna and froze when she saw the giant flying fish. 

“Oh, this here is just a Water Spirit,” Cayna reassured her. “Nothing to worry about.” 

“A-a Water Spirit?! M-my apologies!” 

Watching the mermaid prostrate herself before the flying fish was really funny. 

“Ah… So the Water Spirit is your guardian deity.” 

“Yes. The legend of my village says that it takes the form of a whale, but I was unaware it could take the form of a flying fish.” 

It was possible to summon a monster similar to a white whale, but as far as Cayna knew, the only Water Spirit available in Leadale’s game system was a flying fish. 

The mermaid she’d somehow managed to calm was named Mimily. As to where she came from, even Mimily herself only seemed to know that it was from the depths of the ocean. After all, there was no way seafolk would recognize places by the names people on land gave them like “XX Ocean” or “OO Bay.” 

“Why are you in this underground cave, Mimily? Aren’t you kind of far from the sea?” 

“Well…I was actually swallowed up by a black hole that suddenly appeared near our village, and…” 

“You ended up here?” 

“Yes…” 

Cayna might have been able to understand had this been the result of an accidental summoning, but she had no knowledge of any black holes. She asked Kee, but his only response was “I do not know.” There was no foreseeable way of helping the mermaid return home. 

Mimily read this in Cayna’s expression, and her shoulders dropped dejectedly. Silence momentarily wafted through the brightened cave. 

“Mimily, can you breathe normal air?” 

“Yes, I’m doing so right now. After all, it’s not as if I live underwater all night and day.” 

“Would you mind being somewhere that’s kind of warm and cooped up?” 

“I suppose that would be fine…but why do you ask, Cayna?” 

Unsure where the high elf was going with this, Mimily tilted her head. Cayna pointed up at the ceiling as she replied. 

“Conveniently enough, I’ve got some free nights at the inn. I thought maybe you could stay in the village.” 

“Huh?” 

The mermaid’s eyes and mouth went wide like a haniwa, one of the clay figures traditionally buried with the dead. Cayna took Mimily’s hand and pulled her up onto the back of the flying fish. She dispelled the Light Spirit for the time being and summoned an Earth Spirit instead. 

A spirit in the shape of a chess pawn about two meters high appeared. 

“At any rate, let’s get out of here.” 

Mimily had apparently tried to leave the cave countless times. However, the complex underground water tunnel was nothing like her ocean, and she was unable to figure out where she was going. On top of that, there were many spots even a mermaid couldn’t pass through, and eventually this was the only place she could stay. Outside predators couldn’t reach Mimily in the large cave, but catching tiny fish was her only source of food. She’d also occasionally sing of the home she so dearly missed. It seemed her voice would echo strangely through the tunnel and come out through the village well like a moan. 

A mermaid’s voice had some pretty incredible volume. 

“Do your thing, Thog!” 

As Mimily rode atop the Water Spirit and Cayna magically walked on air, the pawn piece hauled them up via gravitational pull. 

It then charged right into the ceiling, stalactites and all. 

As opposed to the mermaid’s wide-eyed surprise of Huh? and What?, Cayna smiled sweetly. 

“Wh-what is this?!” 

“Pretty neat, huh? We’re boring straight through the earth.” 

The Earth Spirit, which could literally manipulate the ground at will, moved without needing to open up a tunnel. By becoming the earth itself, it permeated straight through the soil and bedrock. 

Those under its divine protection shared this ability, so they could observe themselves rising through the strata. However, the sensation of dirt passing through them was likely to nauseate the uninitiated. 

A few minutes later, Cayna and the mermaid emerged somewhere in the forest. Across the main road, the village wasn’t even fifty meters away. 

Surrendering herself to the Earth Spirit’s gravitational magic, Cayna continued floating lightly through the air as she returned to the village’s main entrance. 

She didn’t forget for a second to switch from the wetsuit back to her usual outfit. 

“The heck?!” 

“Whaaaaat?!” 

The voices of Arbiter and the others who had been anxiously waiting for Cayna’s return by the well were shocked when she called out to them from behind. They were further surprised to find a giant pawn piece, Cayna floating in midair, and a mermaid. 

Cayna then recounted how she came across Mimily, and they unanimously nodded in understanding. In fact, the level of absolute trust the villagers had in her tale worried her. 

“Well then, as for the elder’s payment that we discussed earlier, I’d like you to let this girl stay at the inn.” 

Unsurprisingly, the villagers were silent in the face of Cayna’s request. After all, even if she was asking them to take care of a mermaid, none of these landlubbers had any clue how they were supposed to go about that. 

However, Cayna figured all they’d have to do is feed her. As long as they could talk it out, all would be well. It was far easier than asking them to take care of a horned bear that couldn’t speak at all. 

When Cayna told them this, Arbiter and the villagers gave an “Oh, I see” and nodded in satisfaction. 

It was a last resort, since there was no way they could take a mermaid on their journey, but the elder and the rest of the villagers seemed to warmly accept Cayna’s proposal. The mother hens of the village couldn’t stay silent upon hearing there was a lost child. 

After discussing it with Marelle, they decided to turn the women’s side of the village’s public bath into a living space for Mimily. 

They created a narrow waterway leading from the bath to the inside of the house that served as a changing room and dug a vertical pit she could sit up in. When asked, Mimily had said that mermaids sleep while floating in water, so she wasn’t particular about her bed. 

After that, Cayna created a golem that looked like a coffin with four legs sticking out. She cast magic on it and created a mechanism that would produce water and fill the coffin with it. These would serve as Mimily’s legs, which would take her to the inn when she was hungry. 

The mermaid herself had been completely left behind, and she watched in wonder as Cayna prepared everything Mimily would need for life in the village. 

As she stood there dumbfounded by Cayna’s efforts, Elineh and Arbiter put their hands on her shoulders. 

“You’ve got it rough, Miss Mermaid,” said Arbiter. “Well, live your best life.” 

“Your luck ran out the moment Cayna caught you. Hang in there,” added Elineh. 

Mimily’s expression tensed with worry at these well-thought-out words of encouragement. She began feeling despondent from the anxiety of having to live with humans as well as from something else. 

“Oh, but please don’t misunderstand. I guarantee, without exaggeration, that being taken in by Cayna and this village is indeed a great blessing.” 

The kobold Elineh’s gentle persuasion eased her fears a bit. 

“Cayna might look like a young lady, but she’s got three kids. Not that I think it’ll bother ya too much, miss…” 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!” 

Mimily’s voice cracked in shock at Arbiter’s statement. She had assumed Cayna was around her age, but perhaps Cayna had been treating the mermaid like a poor lost baby from the very beginning. Mimily sadly thought it was very possible that a high elf could see her that way. 

It was a huge misunderstanding, but since no one knew the truth of the matter, from that point on she assumed Cayna saw her as a mere child. 

They left the village the next day. This time, there was no excessive send-off. 

The women of the village told Cayna to leave Mimily to them. She felt a sense of trust in them as they proudly sniffed and thumped their chests, but she was a tiny bit anxious. Cayna promised Mimily she would come check up on her from time to time and that she’d also look for the mermaid’s village while she searched for the towers. 

After traveling north from the village for two days, they ran into the Ejidd River’s main stream. Although several tributary branches flowed downstream to converge here, it wasn’t as wide as it was in the capital. 

Even so, it was still about two hundred meters to the opposite shore. 

“How are we going to cross this?” Cayna asked. 

“There was a log bridge here ’bout half a year ago, but…,” Arbiter started. 

“A flood washed it away,” Elineh finished. 

“I see…” 

“…Well, this is where your job truly begins, Lady Cayna.” 

“It’s all on you, miss.” 

“Huh?!” 

Cayna stood in momentary shock as they dumped everything on her. Slowly realizing where they were going with this, she put her hand to her forehead and tried to hold back a headache. 

“It’s all up to me, huh…?” 

“Something like this is nothing for a mage of your caliber, right, Lady Cayna?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

The river wasn’t flowing all that fast, but the sheer amount of surging water concerned her. 

Arbiter put his hand on her head in a reassuring gesture. 

“Well, don’t push yourself too hard. The client will understand if some things just can’t be done.” 

“We’ve come this far, and everyone is counting on me. I can’t just give up now.” 

Arbiter couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Cayna mull things over with a “Hmm” and face the river with her arms crossed. 

A few minutes later, she had two proposals. 

First, there was plan A: build a bridge. 

“You can do that?!” Arbiter exclaimed. 

“What?!” Elineh chimed in. 

Utterly baffled, everyone had That’s crazy written all over their faces. Only Cayna, who had proposed the idea to her shocked audience, was frowning with utter perturbation. 

Reading her expression, Elineh quickly rejected the idea, and needless to say, Cayna was relieved. After all, it would require chopping down dozens of trees. 

“Can’t you freeze it over or somethin’?” 

“It’s not a question of what I can and can’t do, but the river would get dammed up, and we’d most likely get swept away as a result.” 

“It’s kinda amazin’ how you basically just said you can freeze the river…” 

Cayna was merely stating the risks, but the listener could only smile wryly at her exceptionalism. 

Since making the horses walk on an icy path placed a heavy burden on them, the plan was scrapped. 

Next was plan B: use either the Pull or Water Walk spells. 

“What’s this Pull thing do?” 

“It can pull individuals in its field of vision straight toward it. I use it to climb cliffs and things like that.” 

In fact, that was precisely the sort of quest she’d undertaken in order to get it. However, one point stuck out to Arbiter. 

“‘Individuals’?” 

“Yes, up until now, it’s never been used on anything other than people. If you cast it on a carriage, it’s unknown whether only the carriage would come or if the contents inside would be safe.” 

Elineh immediately disapproved. Neglecting his products would sully his pride as a merchant. 

“I suppose we’ll have to use Water Walk, then.” 

Only Cayna knew how to cast Flight, and she had recklessly considered using Summoning Magic: Dragon to get them there. However, once she heard there was a Helshper checkpoint less than a day away, she decided that explaining it to eyewitnesses would be too annoying and gave up. 

One advantage to Water Walk was that as long as you were on the water, the effect never wore off. The downside was that you were limited to completely flat surfaces, and if you stepped onto anything else halfway, the spell was broken. 

Several people appeared confused by her explanation, so Cayna provided an example. 

“In other words, if I cast this spell, we could ride this current all the way to the royal capital even lying down. However, if you stepped on a rock or some driftwood, you’d sink.” 

Hearing this, Arbiter divvied out guard assignments among his team. Each carriage would be led by one outrider, while another stayed vigilant to make sure nothing was flowing from upstream. 

Arbiter and Cayna would cross to the opposite shore first to make sure it was safe and secure a clear area. 

“Arbiter, you just want to be the first to go across, don’t you?” 

“Man, this is amazin’. Your magic really can do anything, miss.” 

When Arbiter timidly stepped onto the water’s surface, an astonished cry of “Ohhh!” rose up from the other members. 

The two checked to make sure nothing was in the water as they made their way forward. Even so, the water wasn’t very clear, so the most they could do was make an educated guess. 

Once Cayna and Arbiter reached their destination, they patrolled for any possible threats. Since none were found, the soldier remained behind. Just to be safe, she cast Summoning Magic: Water Spirit and ordered it to keep him safe. 

“I dunno, being protected by this thing makes me feel kinda pathetic…” 

The flying fish was much smaller than it had been the day before. It could now fit in a person’s hand. 

Arbiter grumbled and watched skeptically as it pranced around him. 

“If danger comes calling and you throw yourself into it, this little one will protect you.” 

“Quit foolin’ around. It’s gonna ruin my reputation.” 

But no matter what he said, she couldn’t have him secretly asserting his authority as captain while on the opposite shore. After getting him to somehow understand, Cayna returned to the other side. 

First, they had Elineh’s wagon act as the vanguard. She cast the spell on the three horses, the wagon, and two mercenary members, then followed behind them as a precaution. 

Everyone kept an anxious eye out as they crossed and let out a cheer upon their safe arrival. However, after Arbiter’s sharp glare and harsh shout of “Idiots! Wait until everyone has crossed before you celebrate!” they quickly fell silent. 

Since he suggested noise would likely ward off wild animals and believed there was no way they could keep the guards apart for a long time, they had them cross quickly. 

They continued, and just after a carriage and covered wagon crossed over, Cayna cast magic on the remaining two covered wagons and guards. One patrolled ahead of them and another checked upstream while Cayna followed up from behind. 

Trouble brewed as they were about to finish crossing and the opposite shore was a few meters away. The horses connected to the foremost carriage suddenly let out a high-pitched whinny and reared up. Faster than the mercenaries or Cayna could react, an armlike creature rose up from the water, grabbed the horse downstream by the neck, and dragged it under the water. 

Naturally, the reins and other equipment still attached to the horse caused the carriage to tilt diagonally, and the remaining horse started going crazy. Just as Arbiter yelled “Cut the reins!” from the opposite shore, the panicked members hurriedly found them sinking beneath the surface and did so. 

Catching up to them, Cayna used Beast Master to calm the remaining panicked horse and quickly set it on the shore. 

“D-didn’t see that coming…” 

Unused to expecting the unexpected, as soon as Cayna crossed over, she sat on the ground and let all her nerves melt away. She had put a number of cautionary Active Skills in place beforehand, but since the creature hadn’t posed a direct threat to her, they’d apparently been overall pointless. 

However, the caravan members showered her with praises of “Nice going!” and “You saved us!” 

Arbiter rebuked his men for their delayed reactions, then looked at the blood-tainted water with a bitter expression. 

“What was that just now?” 

“Gotta be a laigayanma larva.” 

They glanced into the water and spied a shadow bigger than a horse. It quickly disappeared into the depths, and Cayna shivered. 

“Scary…” 

“I guess makin’ a ruckus doesn’t work on somethin’ that big… Sorry, sir. It looks like I got careless.” 

“It seems that no people or merchandise was lost. Looking at that alone, we’ve fared very well. This is also thanks to Lady Cayna, of course.” 

Elineh has just finished checking on his wares in the carriages and sympathized with Arbiter as the man bowed his head. 

The problem now was that they had lost one horse and the other had panicked while still attached to the wagon and injured its leg. 

“Lady Cayna, could you heal it?” 

“Yes!” 

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

The healing magic she cast brought a faint blue light to her hands, and she healed the horse’s injury in the blink of an eye. While everyone else remained fixated on her magic, Arbiter and Elineh talked about replacing the lost horse for the time being by taking one from the three-horse carriage. 

“The caravan’s speed will more or less drop, but thanks to Lady Cayna, we have shortened our travel time by a few days. I do not mind.” 

“No helping it, really. Can I pay you back for my failure later?” 

“Sir Arbiter, you have no reason to blame yourself.” 

As they figured out a way to get out of their predicament, they heard a commotion rise up behind them. The two turned around to see a white magic circle appear before Cayna. 

“Hey, miss. What’re you plannin’?” 

“I’m going to call replacements for the horse.” 

“Huh?” 

A white flame swelled from the circle, and black shadows jumped out of it toward them. 

Everyone gathered together from a safe distance to stare at the second replacement Cayna had summoned. 

“Whiiine.” 

What caught their attention was the animal itself. 

For one thing, its strange, otherworldly form frightened even the hardened mercenaries. 

“What?! You don’t like the idea?” 

“It’s gonna scare the other horses, so yeah!” 

Arbiter just barely inched forward to tell Cayna this was no good. Her spirits fell, and the cerberus licked her cheek in an effort to cheer her up. 

She had summoned it because it was roughly the size of a horse, but everyone had gone running the moment it appeared. Cayna looked around at the caravan members and panic-stricken horses scattered in several distant directions. 

“It cannot be helped, mine master. After all, they art of the human race. We are most incompatible with one another.” 

The one who consoled Cayna with artful prose was a heroic-looking man with curly red hair and a fine mustache and beard. He was sparsely dressed in leather armor, held a spear in one hand, and had the lower body of a horse. The centaur was the first replacement she’d summoned. In the game, he was a gentle soul, but when she explained her reason for summoning him, he shook his head. 

“My deepest apologies, my lady. I wish to refrain from partaking in packhorse activities.” 

He totally shot her down. 

Not to mention, his ability to hold a conversation had come as a surprise to her. Cayna wondered to herself if his warrior-like way of speaking was some sort of programmed setting, but given no one else could possibly know that, it wasn’t as if she could ask. 

Having no other choice, Cayna decided to summon a third. 

As Arbiter pleaded with her to calm down, a fluffy boar piglet popped out from the magic circle and greeted Cayna with a “Pii!” 

“What do you think? You can’t complain about something this cute, right?” 

Big round eyes. Little tusks peeking out of its mouth. A chubby body that looked like a sweet potato. An itty-bitty, funny tail that spiraled from its bottom. Anyone with a love of cute things would be unable to resist the urge to run up and give it a big hug. 

Arbiter, on the other hand, gave that opportunity a hard pass. 

“…Maybe if it wasn’t so big.” 

It was about twice the size of its summoner, easily standing almost three meters high from the withers and about one size smaller than a covered wagon. 

“Sorry Li’l P. Would you mind pulling this carriage for us?” 

“Pi-pi!” 

It tried to press its nose upward as one might thrust forward their chest with pride, but its roly-poly body seemed to make that a difficult feat. It gave a gleeful “Pi!” as Cayna patted its head. 

Aside from its sheer size, the piglet really wasn’t scary at all. The Flame Spears came out from the shadows of the carriages with sighs of relief. Cayna decided to keep the cerberus and centaur around and place them at the very back just in case anything happened. A lot of people kept looking behind them nervously, so she cast Invisibility to manage this. 

They couldn’t attach the baby boar to the carriage, so they had it hold the reins in its mouth. One of the caravan members nervously petted it before questioning Cayna. 

“I’ve never seen a beast like this before. What is it?” 

“I don’t know how many are left, but it’s a baby crimson pig.” 

The people who had gathered and even Arbiter suddenly froze. A few peered around them trepidatiously. 

The crimson pig was well known as the biggest wild boar on the continent, and a few were occasionally spotted in the southern mountain range. Their name came from the flaming mane that flowed from their heads to their backsides. An adult was ten meters high at the withers, and they could reach up to twenty-five meters long. Despite such an impressive appearance, though, they were relatively tame beasts. 

However, one had to be ready for retaliation if they laid hands on a mother and piglet. Their charge had a destructive power beyond all imagination, and they could break through a city wall as if it were paper. 

Thus, when they heard the baby of such a creature was right in front of them, it was only natural that the party’s eyes would grow shifty in fear that the mother would come looking for it. It was a rare monster during the Game Era, and everyone had hated its tough, raw, and stubborn power. Even Cayna had avoided going up against them solo. 

While it was a conundrum for everyone, the group’s priority was staying on schedule, so they left immediately instead of dawdling around. Cayna was the one who had to command the baby boar, so she stood near the covered wagon it would be pulling. The invisible cerberus and centaur followed a safe distance behind, and the caravan set off. 

Arbiter and Elineh explained that since there was a Helshper checkpoint not far off, that was where the group would be spending the night. 

Cayna looked forward to setting up camp and enjoying a night of conversation with the Flame Spears. Everyone would always chat among themselves as they comically dramatized tales of where they’d been so far and what happened there. She loved their nightly gatherings around the open campfire, and the thought of future ones put a smile on her face. 

Suddenly, however, the trees’ voices whispered into her ear. 

“Be careful.” 

“There’s evil afoot.” 

It mingled with the rustle of leaves in the wind, and a quiet commotion stirred among the nearby trees. It grew louder and multiplied. 

Lightly tapping the boar’s back, she excused herself from the mercenaries walking nearby and headed toward the front. 

She wasn’t used to group fighting, so Arbiter had told her what temporarily working as a guard in the mercenary unit would entail. It seemed that “reporting for duty” didn’t change no matter where you went. 

“Arbiter!” 

“Hey, so you noticed, too, miss. There’s a weird aura floatin’ around. It’s probably comin’ from that.” 

Arbiter had already perceived quite a bit, and he pointed to the checkpoint visible ahead of them. There was a gatepost that looked as if it could fit two carriages side by side and white walls to the left and right that continued into the depths of the forest. Two sentries holding spears stood there, but from the looks of them, they were extremely slovenly and didn’t seem concerned with their jobs in the least. 

Arbiter called over his second-in-command and ordered the caravan to stop. He then approached Elineh’s wagon and told him there was a chance of attack. 

“Would Helshper truly do such a thing…?” 

“Not necessarily. But if somethin’ happened between our countries, they won’t let us through easy.” 

The road wasn’t very wide, so Elineh quickly gave the order to stop and form a diagonal line. Arbiter instructed Cayna and two other mercenaries to stay by the wagons at all times, then called out loud enough for the soldiers standing at the border gate to hear. 

“Hey! Hurry up and get out here! You’ve been found out!” 

These words rode along the wind, and with a click of a tongue, a pale, black-robed man holding a wand appeared next to the Helshper guards. 

Cayna could sense several other vulgar voices echoing from within the forest and conveyed this to the second-in-command. She then cast Invisibility on herself and moved to the back of the line to give orders to her summoned creatures. 

“Can I leave the hidden ones to you two?” 

““““Woof!”””” 

“Please leave it to us, my lady. Those despicable ruffians shall become the rust on my spear.” 

She ordered the cerberus to take care of the ambush in the forest on the right and had the centaur take care of the enemy guards who were to the left of the carriages. She then got on top of a carriage, canceled the Invisibility spell, and focused on using Assistance Magic to provide support. Her position made her an easy target for archers, but she intended on making herself a decoy, since she had greater defensive strength than anyone else. 

Arbiter already realized her plan. Although he normally called her “miss” and labeled her a lady, Cayna was deeply thankful that he disregarded gender when it came to who performed what duties. 

In the Game Era, Attack Magic differentiated even between friends and foes who shared the same space, but she hesitated to use it now that she was in a melee. They were also surrounded by forest, so she held back. 

“Gotta say, yer pretty sharp. Unfortunately, this is the end of the line. We promise to make good use of your women and goods.” 

The man let out an ugly laugh and waved his wand as he basically ordered them to surrender. 

Arbiter gave a shrug and snorted. 

“Dirt like you ain’t ever gonna win over the ladies. Right, miss?” 

“They also look pretty weak…” 

“Y-you bastards! I’ll make you regret them wor…” 

“GYAAGH?!” 

Before the ill-faced man could finish his sentence, a scream that was a mix of fear and despair rang from the forest. At the same time, a beastly howl echoed, sending a chill running all the way up from their feet. 

It was the cerberus’s ranged attack Hell Howl, which came with an added Fear effect. Since the mercenaries guarding the caravans only seemed slightly shocked, the attack seemed to distinguish between friend and foe. 

The ambushers were stricken with fear. One after the other, soldiers strapped with bows, arrows, and short swords against their leather breastplate armor ran out from one side of the forest in total panic. 

Magic Skill: Superior Physics Defense Up: Laga Proteck: Ready Set 

At the same time, Cayna had a chant waiting in the wings and cast it on her allies. Twinkling blue sparkles covered everyone from the mercenary guards to the caravan members, the horses, and the carriages. Arbiter was a little shocked to find himself glowing a faint blue, but he didn’t forget what had to be done and fired up his men. They attacked the terrified bandits with no intention of sparing their lives. 

As Cayna looked out upon the scene, a sour feeling welled within her heart that she forced back down. This scenario had also been explained to her ahead of time to keep her from getting upset. She didn’t know much at all about this world and didn’t think it was her place to interfere. Cayna’s turmoil was inconsequential, and the end of the fighting was nowhere in sight. 

She didn’t know whether they were too eager in the pursuit of glory or simply saw their chance, but several bandits came similarly running out of the opposite side of the forest. 

But although they were invisible, the summoned beasts that served as the caravan’s line of defense were still lying in wait. 

As one of the bandits approached the carriages, he suddenly went flying straight upward. Another was hit was such force that his face squished as he was repelled sideways, and still another was suddenly impaled midair by a spear that came out of nowhere. 

The form of the centaur who so swiftly took out the three appeared front and center. Raising his weapon that was still wedged in the thief, he announced himself loud and clear. 

“Verily, verily! Those watching from afar, draw near and listen well! ’Tis I, Heigl of the famed centaur clan!” 

This sent a shock through both sides of the battle. Arbiter’s spear stopped midswing, and he said, “Hold on, this ain’t all about you,” with a wry smile. 

The pale-faced thief, on the other hand, grew unnerved and exclaimed, “What’s somethin’ like that doin’ here?!” while taking a few steps back. 

As for Cayna, she murmured, “So he had a name…,” which was probably crueler than anything else anyone said. 

Deciding things would come to an end if they crushed the heads of the fake sentry bandits at the checkpoint, Arbiter pressed forward. 

However, the Water Spirit protecting him flew out and used Water Cutter to slice them both in half with blinding speed. Arbiter, spear readied as he prepared for a fight, felt a bit let down. 

Thanks to the strenuous efforts of the mercenaries and Heigl, the brigands were mowed down one after the other. They were all dispatched, leaving only their pallid leader to watch in horror. Mercenaries who had extra time captured several who were still breathing. 

Cayna got down from the wagon, and the cerberus approached from the forest. She was a bit unsettled by the red stains around its mouth. As she gingerly patted its head in appreciation, a unison of three happy whines rumbled from its throats. 

“So what’re ya gonna do now? You’re out of minions.” 

“Sh-shit! I’ve still got this, though!” 

The Flame Spears were collectively provoking the ghastly brigand leader with composed smirks. The man’s face twisted with hatred, and he lifted his wand as if about to put on a show. 

Figuring he was just being a sore loser, Arbiter was about to speak when the bandit leader let out a Command Word: 

“ Boot Up Fireball ” 

An instant later, a flaming sphere that was multiple shades of red appeared over his head. Before anyone could say a word, it rotated and grew larger and larger in diameter until it was big enough to swallow a person whole. At its caster’s command, it gave a howl and shot forward. 

Straight at Cayna. 

Her back had been turned as she thanked the two creatures she’d summoned, and as soon as she noticed something was amiss and turned around, the fiery being caught hold of her and exploded. A shock wave erupted from the blazing flames. 

Everyone’s ears pounded as black smoke and ash scattered in all directions, and a cry came from the caravan. The place where Cayna had stood was enveloped in a raging fire and smoke. 

“Miss?!” 

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Now you know what happens when you defy me!” 

The mercenaries gripped their weapons with a look of hatred, and the urge to rush in ran through their bodies. 

On the other hand, the man remained unaware of their rising battle lust and continued his loud self-satisfied laughter. 

…It was comical, really. 

“How foolish. Do you honestly believe such piddling flames would harm the lady?” 

“Woof!” 

The man’s face remained frozen in a smile. Arbiter and the others turned toward the direction of the voice as well, to the site of the fiery explosion where any normal person would have met their end. 

A light-blue phosphorescence rose up from within and easily swept away the fire and smoke. 

Heigl stood there lazily holding his spear while the cerberus bared its fangs menacingly. 

Cayna appeared between them without a single burn on her. 

Come forth, beauty of ice and snow! 

With this Command Word, the arm guard on Cayna’s left arm instantly morphed into a silver bow and began releasing Ice-type magic power. Anyone with even the slightest experience with magic could tell how ridiculously powerful it was. 

A moment later, a white circle appeared beneath her feet. The pale light endlessly pouring from it intensified and converged between the bow and bowstring in her left hand. 

As snow scattered across the ground, there was a crackling sound, and the area around her turned into an ice field. The pale-faced bandit leader, along with Arbiter and the others, watched a terrifying magic beyond anything in their world swell between the bow in her left hand and the taut bowstring in her right hand. 

A pure-white arrow constructed from a powerful spell materialized in Cayna’s hands. 

“D…damn you! Wh…what’s that magic?!” 

“If you want to hurt me, you’ll need to be able to pull off something like this!!” 

Magic Skill: Convert: Blue Ice of White Night, Liza la Giga 

Shoom! 

…The sound of its release was far too swift. 

To most people, the noise alone was foreboding enough. However, the impact would be far more impressive. 

Who would ever believe such an unthinkably powerful treasure woven from the most supreme magic, something that was the embodiment of despair said to bring death to all, would be coming right at them? 

The bandit leader heard someone cry out, “This is what gets the Demon King in fairy tales, right?!” 

Too deranged to realize these words were coming from his own mouth, that was the last thought he ever had. 

There was the sound of shattering glass, and pure-white flowers bloomed along the forested road that ran through the two nations. Constructed from hexagonal ice prisms both big and small, in the center of the transparent, flowerlike blooms now rooted in the earth was a snow sculpture whose face was twisted in horror. 

This was indeed the bandit leader himself. 

All was silent for a moment, but then the left and right arms that were spread open wide snapped off. They struck the ice flowers and broke off into tiny pieces, but this was only the beginning; cracks spread throughout the sculpture, and it wasn’t long before it completely crumbled. 

“…Phew…” 

“That was marvelous, my lady.” 

“Woof!” 

“Pii!” 

Though her summoned entourage praised her, Cayna felt rather melancholy, and everyone around her stared in overwhelmed amazement. Even Arbiter sensed the heavy air but sighed seeing Cayna notice the reactions around her and the subsequent lonely unrest in her eyes. Shaking his head, he locked away this horrifying sight deep into his memories, then slapped the girl’s back. The noise rang out, and everyone gasped as they returned to themselves. 

“Gwagh!” 

“That was amazin’, miss! You got hit with all that, yet there’s not even a scratch on ya!” 

He meant it as a compliment, but he saw a dark shadow appear on Cayna’s face and grew flustered. 

“Wh-what’s the matter?! Are ya hurt anywhere?” 

“No, my hair just got a little singed…” 

“…Geez, don’t scare me like that. I thought there was somethin’ seriously wrong with you.” 

“Hey, now… You shouldn’t say such things to a girl! Your lover will quickly tire of you, Arbiter.” 

“Do I look like the type of guy who has someone like that?!” 

“Whaaaat?! You mean you don’t?! You’re so caring that I was sure you’d have two or three girls following you around…” 

“Miss. Let’s talk about how you really see me. All the way until morning.” 

“You’ll try your dirty tricks on me, too?!” 

“Who said anything about dirty tricks?!” 

As the two engaged in witty, sibling-like banter, the rest of the caravan began smiling. 

It was evident to everyone the sort of powers Cayna possessed, but it was clear to all on this journey that she was not the type of person to throw her strength about recklessly. Even so, Cayna did occasionally use it in rather unexpected ways. 

“Come to the back of the capital inn right now!” 

“Where?! And how?!” 

Interrupting their friendly bickering pained the second-in-command, but he steeled himself and stepped between the two. 

“…Boss, Miss Cayna. I would ask that you set this aside and properly continue until the morning hours at a later day. For now, please relay your instructions regarding postbattle affairs.” 

“Even you think it’s decided, co-leader?!” 

“Ah, right. First, clean up the bodies. Once we’ve done that, there’s a clearing on the other side of the border. We’ll have Sir and the others set up camp there. Get two people to go with them as guards.” 

“If it’s guards you need… Heigl, Li’l P, do you mind?” 

“Understood, My Lady.” 

“Pipipi!” 

By the time everyone mostly finished cleaning up and had dinner, the sun had well set. As they searched the area afterward, they found four badly charred bodies. Having passed through the border countless times before, Elineh confirmed they were the original guards who had protected the checkpoint. Once they arrived in the Helshper capital, he would report to the Merchants Guild and return the deceased’s personal effects. 

“The bandits’ base of operations is out west. They’re already this widespread…?” 

“So it seems. If they’ve gained this much territory, they must be quite formidable.” 

As if attempting to dispel the heavy atmosphere, merry voices echoed profusely around the open fire. Guards and merchants alike recounted their experiences with a decent amount of exaggeration, and both Cayna and the others burst into childlike laughter. 

In the shadow of the carriages, Arbiter and his second-in-command discussed the bandits’ movements and carefully handled the wand of the fallen leader from that afternoon. 

Elineh hadn’t known what it was, but Cayna had appraised the wand and found the answer. It was an all-purpose item that wasn’t particular about who wielded it and could cast Fireball with a simple Command Word. It was abnormal in the fact that back during the Game Era, even the newest players could use it immediately. 

“This…is disposable but can be used up to ten times. It still has seven attacks left in it.” 

“Somethin’ like this was all over the place two hundred years ago…?” 

“You can get good money if you sell it, don’t you think?” 

“We cannot say whose hands something like this would pass into, so wouldn’t it be better for Sir Arbiter to have it?” 

“Wha—? Me…?” 

“In that case, shall I make a new one that can work up to three hundred times? That would be more convenient, don’t you think?” 

“Don’t you dare!!” 

“Please don’t!!” 

She had smiled like a normal girl, but one might say it once again reminded them of her unbelievable capabilities. They probably also had to thank their lucky stars that their relationship with her remained unchanged. 

“It’s certainly a good thing she’s on our side,” said the second-in-command. 

“That makes you feel better…?” 

In a way, Arbiter honestly shared the same sentiments his comrade quietly murmured. 

As dawn rose on the border between Felskeilo and Helshper, Elineh’s caravan and Flame Spear guards inspected the boundary line’s facilities and accommodations. 

They were there the night before, but there were still plenty of things only seen in the light of day. After they had the surviving bandits spill how they’d reached the checkpoint, they disposed of them during the night. After all, it wasn’t as if the caravan could take them along, and if they banished them, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t commit the same atrocities somewhere else again. The group piled up the bodies and cremated them, and that was that. 

The log cabin apparently being used as a barrack for the soldiers was in wretched condition. Even excluding what the bandits seemed to have brought, desks and shelves had been leaned against the walls and used for knife-throwing practice. A few were still stuck in both those and the walls. The food stores had been ransacked with only whole vegetables being left behind. The absence of any kind of meat was clearly thanks to them as well. 

Elineh documented the disastrous scene and composed a letter from the Merchants Guild reporting his findings to Felskeilo. 

The bodies of the soldiers would become undead if they weren’t dealt with, so Cayna wrapped them in sheets purified with Holy Magic and buried them side by side in a place with plenty of sunlight. To help any possible investigation teams, Arbiter and the others carved grave markers from wood and placed them on top. After a moment of silence, the caravan left the border. 

Even though you could normally hear voices here and there as the caravan kept moving, after they crossed into Helshper, no one said anything. Even the Flame Spear mercenaries would occasionally look behind them with sorrowful expressions before once again facing forward. 

Cayna only ever stopped so she could summon the crimson pig Li’l P, since they needed it to pull one of the carriages. She didn’t forget to cast Movement Up on everyone, either, and called upon the Wind Spirit to patrol the area and alert the group if any armed figures were approaching. After all, if she just told it to attack, disaster might befall some unwitting adventurer. Furthermore, since she’d heard that the road ahead was surrounded by forest as well, the trees would surely tell her if any malicious characters were nearby. 

In this vigil-like atmosphere, Arbiter, the one usually leading the way, dropped back to the center. Cayna was tasked with protecting Elineh’s wagon, while Li’l P pulled another one behind it. 

“Oh, Arbiter. How’s the front?” 

“My co-captain is keeping an eye out. I’m gonna have to breathe some life back into these guys in the back later and get rid of this shaky mood.” 

It seemed he was committed to making sure each and every member was cared for. Cayna thought this deep consideration was why everyone followed him despite his brusque demeanor. 

He spoke briefly with Elineh before coming up beside Cayna. 

“Are you doing okay, miss?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s so quiet that it makes you wonder if it’s okay to talk at all, don’t you think?” 

When Cayna was in the hospital, she had been susceptible to sorrow. At times like those, the always-present nurses and the other child patients would come talk to her and take her mind off things. 

However, now that she could move freely and try calling out to someone else, Cayna couldn’t seem to get the timing right. The grannies also staying at the hospital had been so good at it, it made her want to sigh. 

“It’s gonna be a rough ride if you’re this down already.” 

“Huh? Wagh?! Hey! Ow, that hurts, Arbiter!” 

He tousled Cayna’s hair, patted her lightly on the shoulder, and walked away. 

Immediately afterward, an angry bellow roared from the back. 

“C’mon, you worthless goons!! How long you gonna mope around for?! Don’t go slackin’ off! You think a half-assed job is gonna cut it?!” 

She could hear the “Gah!” and “Gugh!” sounds that accompany kicking and punching. Despite the alternations between the mercenaries’ cries and Arbiter’s scolding, Cayna did her best to ignore it and instead focused partly on the shared consciousness she had with the Wind Spirit. 

“Miss, you’re actually insanely powerful, aren’t you?” 

“Huh?” 

Arbiter asked Cayna this the second day after they crossed the border and had set up camp. Now that they had covered three days of distance in two with the help of Movement Up, Elineh and the others were exceedingly grateful to her and saw her as a great boon. 

Over the past several days, she had received endless words of praise and gratitude from the caravan members. By this point, she wished they would stop with the Thank you mega blowout sale. 

According to Elineh, there were two villages they could stop by along Helshper’s outer trade routes. Since Helshper had a mountain range that ran along the ocean to the north, gentle slopes continued to the east and west. These inclines provided it with excellent irrigation and cultivated rich fruit trees. 

The village near the border had already long seen better days. The group soon went about inquiring with the townspeople, and apparently, the bandits hadn’t caused trouble for years. It seemed the ones from the other day couldn’t have passed through the outer trade route. Since the village didn’t have so much as an inn for even a few adults and the sun had been at its highest, they asked their questions and moved on through. 

“So what’s goin’ on?” 

“Sigh… Um, may I ask what makes you ask such a question?” 

“Sure.” 

They had just finished eating dinner, and besides the guards on patrol duty, everyone was taking a momentary breather. 

“When that robed guy attacked you, you said, ‘If you want to hurt me,’ and whatnot. Plus, you got hit directly by a fireball but don’t have a single burn to show for it. Wouldn’t anyone call that pretty intense?” 

“Ah, well, I guess you have a point.” 

Yes, even Cayna didn’t have enough time to come up with a convincing lie as to why she wasn’t hurt by a fireball. The wand was a generic item whose power rose and fell depending on the magic of its user. 

For someone like Cayna who’d reached max levels of Attack and Defense Magic in the game, any spell from an enemy like that did nothing. To give a clear example, it was like setting off a pinwheel firework in front of a massively tall, thick steel door. 

“The caster was simply low-level.” 

“Really? He seemed pretty competent from what I could tell, but I guess that’s not the impression you got.” 

Cayna thought she could see the light in Arbiter’s eyes change from mere curiosity to “battle junkie.” 

“It looks like that backfired on you.” 

Kee! What’s that supposed to mean? 

“You’ll find out soon enough. In any case, do be careful.” 

Of what? 

Unnerved by Kee’s warning, she tried to press him but was unable to. This was thanks to the spear tip suddenly thrust at her. 

“Arbiter?! What’re you doing?!” 

“Heh, so you could dodge it. Wanna do a bit of sparring with me, miss?” 

“…Huh?” 

Arbiter smiled at Cayna, who had instantaneously used Passive Skill: Perception to give herself a momentary pause. The mercenaries who had been nonchalantly watching their exchange jolted at Arbiter’s words and rose up halfway. The second-in-command walked over with his shoulders squared and grabbed his arm. 

“What are you doing, boss?! Picking a fight with Miss Cayna is utterly childish!” 

“If there’s someone strong, you challenge ’em. Ain’t that only natural?” 

“She isn’t like the knights, so please refrain from your old problematic behaviors!” 

It seemed Arbiter had once been part of the knights and had been known for causing trouble even back then. As to why he’d been hiding this bad habit of his until now, well, that was because he hadn’t come across anyone as strong as him. Now that Cayna had revealed her incredible power right before his eyes, this sleeping predilection had finally awakened from deep inside him. 

“Agh, that wasn’t good…” 

Cayna watched grimly as, at the co-leader’s command, the other mercenaries pinned Arbiter’s arms behind his back. 

“You’re already a grown man, so please act like it, boss!” 

“Hey, what’re you guys gangin’ up on me for?! It’s just a mock battle.” 

“We know that won’t be enough for you!” 

“That mess during the admission exam was the worst. I’m beggin’ ya, don’t make anyone deal with that again!” 

“Didn’t we tell you it was time you grew up?!” 

Their leader had apparently inflicted various traumas on his subordinates. Each brought up their own past experiences as they admonished Arbiter. 

Elineh and the others were equally troubled by the situation, and they frantically looked back and forth between Cayna and Arbiter, who was now stuck in a mercenary sandwich. 

“I see no harm in accepting.” 

Huh?! Kee! 

Cayna was floored by Kee’s sudden, risky statement. More than anything else, mock battle or not, she didn’t have the nerve to fight someone who had done so much for her. 

Half the reason was also because even she didn’t know her full specs. Even if she considered herself mostly a rearguard position, she was still a Skill Master who could more than likely handle serving in the advance guard as well. However, just because she could do it didn’t mean she’d be a master at it. It made her reluctant. 

“This is fortunate. It is a good opportunity for a trial run, is it not?” 

Are you serious?! I have no idea what will happen if I use my weapons! 

“You have the Go Easy skill, do you not? If you use that, I am certain he will not die even if something does happen.” 

Uwagh?! 

It was hard to argue with Kee, who knew more about Cayna than Cayna did herself. Back when she was in the hospital, the most he could give was advice. Inside, she was glad they could now have conversations like this. 

She did sort of think it wouldn’t hurt to listen to Kee. However, she lacked the composure to realize her less-than-stellar friend used this form of persuasion as well. 

“All right, I accept.” 

“““WHAT?””” 

The mercenaries around Arbiter instantly froze at the sound of the consenting voice behind them. 

“Hold on, miss! The boss’s strength ain’t anything to mess around with!” 

They were worried for her, and Cayna was sincerely grateful for their desperate attempts to dissuade her. She bowed her head. 

“I think I’ll be all right. Arbiter would never recklessly hurt an opponent in a mock battle, right?” 

“Y-yeah! Of course not!” 

The way they became tongue-tied was a little suspect, but Cayna burst into laughter as the mercenaries thumped their chests confidently. 

“Let’s begin, then,” she said. “We have an early day tomorrow, after all.” 

The second-in-command gave an exasperated look but quickly ushered the two contestants away from the campsite. Cayna summoned a Light Spirit and fixed it in the sky overhead. A dark battlefield didn’t affect her in the least, since she had Night Vision, but that skill didn’t extend to Arbiter or those watching. As long as the Light Spirit illuminated them overhead, they wouldn’t have to deal with poor visibility. 

“What about a weapon, miss? Wanna borrow one of my spare spears? It’s not like you can use that sword you got there.” 

The Rune Blade was at Cayna’s side. At first glance, it looked more like a one-handed club, but it was actually a full-fledged sword. The weapon transformed into its blade shape when infused with magic and inflicted the same amount of damage no matter who wielded it. In the world of the game, it was a magic weapon with fixed damage that new players up to level 100 found highly useful. 

“No need to worry. If you’re looking for something longer, I have just the thing.” 

Cayna gave a light smile and took off the roughly three-centimeter-long rod-shaped earring from her right ear. The small object had gold rings on the left and right side of it, and with Cayna’s single command of Extend , it became a staff longer than she was tall. 

The merchants and mercenaries observing began stirring up a commotion. Not many saw such a weapon in their world, but among all those in Cayna’s possession, this one was not particularly rare. It was a magic staff with unique qualities that looked exactly like the weapon carried by Son Goku in the Chinese tale Journey to the West. In the story, it was a tool used for surveying and managing rivers, but here it got longer or shorter, and that was about it. 

Normally, she kept it on her right ear as an accessory. Cayna had never measured it herself, but she guessed that in the game it extended to about five meters. She’d never actually tried it out, though. 

The second-in-command stood at the center to act as the referee. 

“Listen well. You are both absolutely prohibited from hurting each other.” 

“Got it!” 

“Of course.” 

“Well then, begin!” 

As soon as both parties accepted the terms, he quickly waved his hand downward. 

Cayna had planned on waiting for Arbiter to make the first move, but he wasted no time closing the distance between them and unleashed a sharp thrust. She brushed his spear tip toward the edge of the arena while getting out of his direct path. 

Shing! 

As the sound of clashing metal rang out, the wild crowd of men let out a unanimous cheer of “Yeaaah!” With cries of “She blocked his first attack!” and “Not bad, miss!” their excitement rose to a fever pitch. 

Cayna, however, couldn’t afford to listen to the bystanders. Arbiter’s sharp thrusts drew meandering, misleading arcs that aimed straight down the middle. It was all she could do to avoid each oncoming attack and deflect it outward. 

Initially, the game world of Leadale had hardly any form of official martial arts. The development team had mostly set weapon motions to several different patterns, and these race-based moves had been the reason players gave high elves a wide berth, but that was a story for another day. 

Later versions allowed individual players to use fake forms of martials arts, and an era of chaos ensured. Everyone would pick and choose whatever they liked from the database and download it. Cayna had been unable to find Staff Techniques, so she had downloaded some naginata ones and treated those as Staff Technique skills. Since it was all part of the game, one could pick these techniques like they were nothing and defeat enemies in their chosen style. 

There was also the blessing of skills, which made it all the better. The Perception skill that allowed you to read your foe’s trajectory. The Move skill that optimized the target’s movements. It was only natural that players combined these to avoid a foe’s attacks. This also meant there were times when so many skills overlapped that the game system couldn’t handle it. 

However, this was not a game, and skills were no longer bound by such limitations. Passive Skills could be used at any time. If you knew Active Skills, you could set them in motion. 

Although clumsy at first, Cayna meshed these all together, and her movements grew more and more polished. She read every movement of Arbiter’s spear, threw off his timing by stepping forward instead of dodging, swept aside the incoming strike, and counterattacked by twirling as if in a dance. 

Opposite her, Arbiter was unnerved by this change. 

Initially, he figured she’d either get hit or avoid his attacks at most, but within several bouts, it was clear her movements were getting sharper. By these few clashes alone, it was as if a beginner martial artist had just gone through a year of intense training. 

In fact, he carefully absorbed his opponent’s talent as they exchanged blows and couldn’t hide his astonishment at how she was turning into a first-rate soldier. It had evolved from receiving one of her hits for every nine he gave out to about half and half. Now Arbiter was at a disadvantage. Only about 10 percent of his strikes landed, while hers succeeded about 90 percent of the time. 

Fortunately for him, Cayna had no intention of winning. Even if he threw off her rhythm, if Cayna went all out, Arbiter would undoubtedly lose. 

Unfortunately, he had no intention of losing to her, either. Realizing she was going easy on him and continuing a prolonged game of back-and-forth frustrated Arbiter but also roused him. 

Letting out a wild howl, he heatedly went to force her back, but she completely sidestepped it. He was soon left fighting a completely defensive battle. 

For those watching on the sidelines, it was clear what was going on. The true power of “that little lady” left them at a loss for words. At this rate, the fight would never end until someone’s stamina ran out. 

Even the second-in-command, who watched the battle in utter bafflement, noticed the shadow in Arbiter’s expression and hurriedly moved to stop them. 

“That’s enough, you two! We’re finished! Any more than that, and things will get dangerous!” 

Cayna, who had fallen into a trance and kicked off with one leg, heard an internal warning from Kee and quickly put away her magic staff. She hadn’t noticed before, but she was sweating profusely. 

Not only that, she was feeling pretty refreshed. 

If exercise feels this great, I should have gotten more serious. 

“Had you been any more serious, he would have died.” 

Just as Cayna was starting to have a positive outlook, Kee chided her and dampened the mood. 

As for her sparring partner, Arbiter sat on the ground and leaned against his spear. 

“Are you okay, Arbiter?” 

“Huff, heave, haah… Don’t make an old man wear himself out. You got me good, miss.” 

“No, you were great as well. Let’s do this again if we get the chance!” 

“Sorry, I think I’ll pass.” 

As if those words had taken the last shred of energy out of him, Arbiter fell backward. 

Not expecting this at all, Cayna reached out to him, but the mercenaries scrambled to grab him first. 

“Are you okay, boss?!” 

“Hang in there!” 

“What’ll we do without you?!” 

“I ain’t dead yet!” 

Simply glad for a chance to finally rest, Arbiter angrily shouted at his men for overreacting. He then grinned, and one by one, the circle of mercenaries erupted in laughter. 

“They’re all such good friends. I’m envious.” 

Cayna thought back to the similarly chaotic guild of her past.