Chapter 88

We ended up being sheltered by the merchant guild while we waited for Chelina.

I really wanted to send Narnia back to the Whale Inn, but since she wouldn’t let go of me, I decided to keep her with me.

Pilatus soldiers came to the guild multiple times and searched the entire place.

Despite this, our secret room remained undiscovered, thanks to its incredible construction.

I took the opportunity to observe my companions again.

Hag is a dwarf with a short stature, but his barrel-shaped, bulging muscles are quite prominent. According to him, he’s not a warrior but a blacksmith and an inventor.

Does he look like an inventor, really?

Hag is also skilled in a technique called "Ritual," which is similar to magic. The Ritual he uses is called "Wave Ritual," which seems to enhance his own abilities.

I’ve started learning this Wave Ritual as well.

Hag specifically instructed me to maintain the wave continuously through breathing techniques.

I’ve finally reached the point where I can maintain the wave while conversing. I’ve been consciously practicing this even while being held captive.

When you activate this wave, physical fatigue is less likely to occur, and you can move with 50% more physical ability than usual. It’s an incredible ability. If I taught it to Olympic athletes on Earth, they’d definitely be suspected of doping.

I don’t know if it would work on Earth, though...

In contrast, there’s Yarrai, the elf.

He’s taller than me, dressed in a unique outfit that has a Native American flavor, and has long, slender, and muscular limbs.

However, his beautiful blonde hair is tied into dreadlocks, which ruins the look.

According to Hag, Yarrai has more muscles than most elves, so I assume that other elves are more slender, like the typical elves I’m familiar with.

Honestly, if Yarrai is the standard for elves, I’d be a bit disappointed.

Yarrai’s speech is broken, whether it’s due to his elven nature or a personal issue. Even with my mysterious translation ability, it sounds broken, so he probably doesn’t know the local language very well.

However, he seems to understand, so it’s not a problem.

This elf is very physical, shattering my preconceived notions of elves.

His weapon is a black iron estoc as thick as a steel pipe. It’s more like a primitive weapon, the tip of a thick rebar used in the lower levels of a skyscraper. It has a guard, but it looks more like a giant barbecue skewer.

He once skewered four suspicious people in an instant.

Thinking about that scene still makes my legs tremble.

Later, I heard from Chelina that Yarrai’s fighting style is quite different from that of typical elves.

Apparently, most elves use spirit rituals, slender swords, and bows, which is the orthodox style.

However, elves rarely come into human—humanoid—territory, so this information might not be entirely accurate.

Moreover, since this place is at the western edge of a wilderness, the differences are more pronounced. In areas with more nature, elves are apparently more common.

By the way, I’ve seen halflings in this city a few times.

At first, I thought they were children because they were very agile and restless, carrying large bags and dressed for travel, which seemed suspicious.

Their ears are not as long as elves’ but are still elongated and pointed, and their eyes are quite different from humans’. You can easily tell them apart once you get used to it.

But that’s just a side note.

Anyway, I don’t feel much fear thanks to the reliable Hag and Yarrai.

I’ll have to repay their kindness someday.

Reflecting on my life in Japan, I’ve never felt such a sense of gratitude, which makes me feel a bit uneasy.

Narnia had fallen asleep, using my lap as a pillow. I carefully covered her with a blanket without waking her.

The temperature has dropped, so the sun must have set.

Occasionally, the sound of rough footsteps makes me flinch, but overall, the time passes peacefully.

If Chelina returns safely, we’ll have cleared the first stage.

However, the bigger problem is that Chelina has to lead the revolution to success.

Suddenly, I find myself questioning why I haven’t run away.

Certainly, I owe Chelina a debt. She risked her life to save me.

But she’s from a different world.

The god Melhes said I can’t return to my world, so that thought is dangerous, but she’s still a stranger.

Life is precious.

I don’t see much value in my own life, but I don’t want to die. If I can live, I intend to make the effort.

So the best move for my survival would be to escape, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

In this short period of less than a month, I’ve changed a lot.

“Hmm...”

I meant to mutter this with self-mockery, but my voice was brighter than I intended.

Time passed slowly.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps and the noise of someone trying to open the hidden door echoed.

Hag, Yarrai, and I jumped up and aimed our weapons at the door.

The person who entered wasn’t a soldier but Chelina’s aide, Melvin, who was bleeding from the head.

“Akira-sama! It... It’s terrible!”

“Terrible? You’re the one who looks terrible!”

“I don’t care about myself! The young lady... Chelina-sama has been taken by the soldiers!”

“What?!”

Melvin’s anguished cry echoed through the hidden room.

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