Part 1.
Alex was on the other side of the barrier, a barrier that could prevent all manner of physical and meta-physical attacks or objects from crossing over. Yet, at this moment, the anger emanating from Alex’s person could be felt clearly, regardless of what side of the barrier you were on. The look in the elves’ eyes was one of realization and fear, except for the leader, who looked at Alex with determination and annoyance.
“How does a human dare to call Evona the Elf his wife? Nonsense. And how dare you point your aggression toward me!” He spoke in an arrogant tone.
Alex stepped back through the portal, his eyes never leaving the main elf’s.
“I see, only the residual made it through. Let me try this again.”
Without another word, a heavy pressure weighed down on everyone on this side. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see even Lili was having difficulty coping with the [Intimidation] he was releasing. Not that she was going to ground, more like he could see slight exertion on her face at standing up. The elves on the other hand were hunched over, their hands were on their knees to help support their weight, and their breath was heavy and steadily becoming ragged.
“KNEEL.”
An incredibly powerful command rang out through the forest’s understory. This was Alex’s skill, [Ruler’s Authority], due to his intimidation, the elves understood clearly where they stood, which gave Alex the chance to make full use of his ability. Lili, of course, was not affected by this skill, as she had no reason to fear the man that she loved more than any other, she simply watched from the side as his aggressive aura subsided when the three elves went to ground, their knees in the dirt and their bodies bent over and using their hands to support their torsos.
“What… are you?” asked the lead elf.
“Pissed off. Now who are you, and what do you want?” Alex retorted.
The elves could do nothing to change their current fates, and the conversation took place from their kneeling position. The lead elf was named Odwun, he was an elvish noble, and according to him, he was the closest thing in the world to family to her, that he knew of. Apparently, he was also under orders from Elhwadden, the ruler of the elves, to bring Evona back for Nostasar, the elvish mating festival, when the males and females came together in mass and found a mate. Elhwadden wanted her back due to her being an Eldar, and her genes being amongst the highest grade in the elvish race. Odwun was also designated to be her first mate.
Naturally, this subject was very sensitive to Alex, and as the conversation went on, he grew angrier and angrier. Having known about Evona’s past, he knew who Elhwadden was and knew about the silly festival. The fact that the elven hierarchy believed that it was okay to simply call back someone who had been banished, only to turn them into some kind of breeding cow, infuriated him the most. The memories of how she suffered due to that man were at the forefront of his mind. Lastly, how dare some man come knocking on his door and state that he wanted to take away HIS lover and then put a baby in her?
“Evona. I assume you already know we have guests.” He said in his head, but in reality, he was using [Message] to contact her.
“Yes, the ladies are on alert.” His ability allowed the other individual to send a single response back.
“They are here for you.” He said, using the skill again.
“Why?”
“I am going to bring their leader into the village, you can ask him yourself.”
“It must be worse than I thought then.”
“How did you know?”
“We could feel your killing intent all the way over here.”
He imagined an annoyed smile across her face when she said that. [Intimidation] provided a significant debuff to strength and movement, meaning that the people in the small village no doubt felt a giant weight bearing down on them when he was using the skill.
“Apologies.”
“…”
The silence sent a shiver down his spine. But that was entirely internal, on the outside, he had kept his focus on the young-looking blond elf in front of him.
“Who are the other two to you?”
“Attendants. Why does…”
Before he could finish his question Alex raised two fingers, and from their tips shot a nearly colorless beam of mana, that poured into the other two elves. After which their bodies dropped to the floor, lifeless. Odwun was powerless to make a movie, whether that would have been to attack or attempt to defend himself, it didn’t matter, he was under the effect of [Ruler’s Authority], and until Alex decided to let up or he truly believed that he was above the caster, he was stuck.
Alex then reached out a hand, grabbed a fist full of the elf’s pristine hair, and dragged him through the portal. Lili, who had been watching everything from the sidelines followed after them. She quickly caught up to them and quietly uttered but a single word. “Wife?”, she then pushed passed them and didn’t look back. Leaving Alex to lament that he had now pissed them both off in the span of 5 minutes.
“Why do the heroes always want harems?” he questioned internally.
They arrived in the village where Evona, Lili, Aururia, and two other female elves were waiting for them. Odwun knew right away which one was Evona, her tanned skin with the dark marks was a dead giveaway, even if her silver-white hair hadn’t already. While he could admit to himself that she did have a certain appeal, she was far from being his ideal elf. That realization led him to curse his task, why did he have to come here, why had their leader tasked him, Odwun son of Odwin, to be the mate of some dark elf-looking throw-away from the kingdom? He couldn’t even recall why she had been banished in the first place, but he assumed it must have been bad.
Alex threw the dead weight before the gathering of women as if he had been nothing more than a gym bag being tossed to the side when someone enters the door. Odwun, still stuck in a subservient position, could only look up at the women that were standing in front of him.
“Why are you here? I have no business with Elvoria.”
“The chancellor, Elhwadden, leader of all Elvendom, has ordered your return. He wishes for your participation in Nostasar. Due to your Eldar blood, you will be considered high in the pecking order. Of course, he has already stated that you and I are to join this time.”
The first thing she did was look at Alex, no doubt, hearing this all again was setting him off again. Something that she couldn’t fault him for, in fact, she was secretly glad for it. It was evidence of his feelings for her, evidence that he saw her as his woman and would challenge anyone that tried to come between them. Once she had made sure he wasn’t going to go off the handle, she then turned her attention back to the elf. Whether he was truly arrogant or just simple, she hadn’t fully grasped it yet.
“So, you are to be my mate then? I don’t even know your name.”
“Odwun, the son of Odwin. Though I never really knew my father, he died when I was still in the womb.”
Her flinch at the name hadn’t been lost on Alex. He knew she would probably struggle to hear that name. She still had years of built-up guilt for what she had done. Everything that had happened to her that night, the killing of Odwin, her father’s lover, and practically her second father, had been the only true crime she had committed.
“I… I see. Sorry to hear you never met him. He was a good man.” She said softly. It was obvious now to everyone else that she was struggling, but no one moved to support her. She was the most powerful woman in the world, tarnishing that reputation by running to her aid was out of the question. Proving that her status was well deserved, she recovered, and replied, “Regardless, I have no intention of returning to the kingdom. I have my own home I have made, my own life and family now.”
“You would deny your people!?” he asked, his voice full of surprise.
“They aren’t my people. These here, those around you, are my people. I feel nothing for Elvendom. They were the ones that kicked me out, so why would I bother to return?”
“But…” he looked around, stalling while he tried to come up with a rebuttal.
“Plus, I would be of any use to your now anyway.” She cut in.
“What do you mean by that?”
“That’s because I am pregnant.”
“…..” The world was painfully silent, and all eyes were on Evona, save Aururia who gave a gentle smile. Odwun’s look was of confusion like he was trying to work the puzzle in his head. Lili clapped her hands, breaking the silence, and covered her mouth, but her eyes were beaming with joy.
Alex on the other hand looked befuddled. His eyes were the size of saucers and his mouth hung open like he was attempting to pose a question that never seemed to come forth.
“Alex. You’re going to be a father.”
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Part 2.
Aururia and the two elves had taken Odwun to a room in a separate building barring the door, creating a makeshift detainment room. It was probably overkill at this point, his whole world had seemed to shatter when he learned that Evona was pregnant, that his plans and the fantasies he had formulated within his mind would never come to fruition.
There were many congratulations from all the inhabitants of the village, and Evona graciously thanked them all in return. The news that an elf was with-child outside of Nostasar was a major event in elvish culture, in all of recorded Elvish history it had only happened a handful of times, most of those being before the creation of the festival.
Nostasar was a month-long “marriage” festival, where males and females intermingled creating these short-term “marriages” until the females got pregnant. After it was proven that she was, the “marriage” was then “annulled”, essentially meaning that the male and females separated only coming together for bi-monthly check-ups for the year that the female is pregnant. Then once the baby is born, it joins the same-sex parent, and the marriage is officially over, and then the two parents separate completely. In Elvish culture, it wasn’t strange for male children to never know who their mothers are, and vice versa for the females not knowing their fathers. Though it also wasn’t strange to see the same parents come together for the next festival, given that everything went well the first time around, compatibility is important after all.
Now, we had a female elf who was pregnant, nearly a year outside of the next Nostasar, and more importantly, or should I say, unbelievably, it was with a human’s child. This was something that had ever, and in some people’s minds, should never have happened. To say that there had never been relations between humans and elves would be a falsehood, just those relationships had never provided the parents with children, it had been deemed impossible. Yet here we are with an impossible becoming reality.
Lili had been the first to congratulate Evona, publicly, and her excitement seemed to exceed that of anyone else, even Evona herself. Lili had proceeded to hurl questions at the mother-to-be, at an unbelievable speed. “How long have you known? How long will it take? What does it feel like? Did you decide on any names?” Where just a few of the many, though some were repeats that, in her excitement, seemed to have forgotten that she had already asked.
Alex on the other hand seemed lost on what to say or think. “What? Oh, ah… that is great.” Was all that he seemed to be able to muster. Then without a word he turned and went into their house, leaving everyone else extremely confused, except for Evona, who simply smiled.
While he had gone inside, when Lili and Evona entered together, after the group of other elves had dispersed, no matter where they looked inside the house they couldn’t find him.
“Where did he go!?” Lili seemed so upset about his actions, she had slightly reverted into her beast form, and her tail was sticking straight up.
“It is okay. This is big news for him. I have had more time to handle my emotions on it, which is why I can be so calm, but for him, it is fresh.” Evona said calmly, taking a seat at the table.
“But it should be a happy moment!”
“That is true, but you must remember. This isn’t the first time he has gone through this, and at the same time, it is all new to him. He has regrets, and now there are new things for him to consider.” She smiled while she rubbed her lower abdomen, even though it had yet to change at all.
Alex had teleported away, to the same mountaintop he had sat on before when he had spoken to Vathsvala. This time though, he just wanted to be alone to sort out his emotions. He wasn’t dumb, he knew that their increased sexual activity could possibly result in a child but given the history of the races and their inability to produce children, he attempted to comfort himself with ignorance. Yet, that had now come back to bite him. It wasn’t that there was a problem with having children with Evona, he had tremendous respect and admiration for her, the thought of her caused the butterflies in his stomach to flutter and his body to feel warm, even causing him to uncontrollably smile. No, there was no problem with her. The problem lay entirely with him. He felt he had failed at being a father once already, and now he was bringing a child into THIS world, right as he was supposed to be heading out on some grand journey that would take him across the world, and how long would that take him exactly?
“What am I doing?” he said to the world with his legs hanging over the edge of the tallest peak. “What would happen if I just stormed into the Imperial Capital and finished off the emperor? There is no way he is the Demon Lord, but at the same time, that is what we agreed on. That could finish my quest, then I could… no that can’t work. Even if I finished, and they figured out how to send me back, I can’t really go back now, can I? Is my old world really beyond my reach?”
He didn’t pay any attention to how long he had been sitting there, at some point he looked up to see it growing darker, and his stomach was beginning to make itself known with pangs of hunger along his sides. Without a word, he dropped from his sitting spot, free-falling into the air, then vanishing. In a blink, he reappeared before the doors of the only place in this world he considered home. He hesitated as he reached out for the door handle at first, but grasped it securely, and with a deep breath, he entered the house.
“Welcome home Dana-sama.”
“Welcome back Shujin-sama.”
The sight that greeted him was both, Evona, and Lili in comfortable robes, kneeling at the end of the entryway. There was a gentle smile across Evona’s face while Lili was more reserved.
“How long have you two been-”
“That doesn’t matter. You must be hungry.”
“Indeed. So, “husband”, would you like to eat, or maybe a bath, or perhaps?”
Whether they were actually serious or not, he couldn’t tell, nor did he have the courage to verify, but it had relaxed him. The built-up tension from his earlier pensiveness seemed to crumble away. “Is this why they want harems?” He thought as he fought back against the desire to laugh, not a rude laugh, but a hearty joyful one, one that would bring a smile to all those who heard it, as strange as it would be to see a twenty-something-year-old laugh like Father Christmas.
“Hehe… you guys, I love you both.” He bent down, wrapping an arm around the two women, grabbing them firmly. “I am hungry, but that can wait. There are some things I would like to talk to Evona about, so how does a bath sound?” As hard as she tried, Lili couldn’t hold back her sour face at the realization she was being looked over again.
“Then… then while you guys are talking, I’ll warm up dinner.” She said, quickly rising and heading toward the kitchen.
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“She is still young and is wanting your attention. Don’t fault her.” Evona said as she adjusted into a more comfortable position.
Alex sat down next to her while taking off his shoes, allowing her to get close and lean against him. He couldn’t deny the comfort his presence made her feel, but there was still a discussion between expecting parents that needed to be had. Regardless, he kissed the top of her head, which was lying flat against his left shoulder. For all the chaotic emotions that had been plaguing him since this morning, this was the tranquility that everyone wished for when they got home.
Without saying a word, he got up, and before she could frown at the absence of her headrest, she was being picked up and cradled in his arms. With a kiss on the cheek, first him and then her in retaliation, they walked to the changing room.
They showered and cleaned themselves before getting into the warm water. There was no distance between the two as she rested her head against her chest, and he couldn’t deny his wanting to wrap his arms around her. Regardless of his apprehension about having a child, she was still going to be the mother of his child, and there was a certain unique love that came along with that. She would always be the mother of his child.
“Where did you go?”
“The mountain. To think.”
“You were that surprised?” she asked lifting a wet hand to his chin.
“Scared.” He said before burying his lips into her palm.
“You scared?! Hmm… I’ll admit it is nice to know you are still mortal.”
“Of course I am.” He said, matching her surprise. “I am just wondering how responsible this is. I am about to go on a journey and have no idea how long it will take. Leaving you the baby-”
“Alex, I am never alone here. Also, it isn’t like the baby will be here tomorrow! Elf pregnancy lasts for nearly a year. So, we have plenty of time to figure everything out.”
He tried to let himself feel relieved at the prospect of time, but…
“This isn’t a normal pregnancy though. There is no precedent for this, we don’t know how long it will last or what kind of complications may arise.”
“You are being negative. This is supposed to be a happy moment. Plus, with it being the first, it is like going down an undiscovered path, that should be exciting!”
“Not negative. I just want to be as prepared as possible.” He looked into her eyes. It was obvious that she was just as scared as he was, he was the only one between the two who had any idea of what being a parent was like, yet she was putting on a brave face and doing her best to be happy. What was he doing? Fighting against that happiness with his own pessimistic fear, in the guise of being a realist.
“I am sorry. You are right, like usual, I sho… we should be happy about this. It is our child after all.”
“RIGHT! Now, baby names. I was thinking if it is a boy we sh….”
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Part 3.
The next morning after they had woken up, prepared themselves and eaten, Alex stepped outside and called for Aururia. There was still one thing that needed to be taken care of before Alex left today, and that would be Odwun and what to do with him. Killing him would prove to be the most effective and easiest measure. It would be quick and painless and would stop information from leaking about where Evona was, about her pregnancy, and about Alex too. As one would expect though, Evona couldn’t bring herself to allow that to happen, her guilt for his father’s death was still lodged quite deeply into her memory, and being the reason for the son’s death, she couldn’t bring herself to accept that as the only method available to them.
This left Alex in a rather agitated mood, not because he was bloodthirsty, killing was simply a means to an end, but he couldn’t deny that each one came easier than the last. The reason for his mood was that he had thought it through, and the only option that seemed available to him, pissed him off nearly as much as the first time he had met the elf. Of course, this was all dependent on the elf’s perceived value, in other words, if he was useless, Alex would simply make him disappear at some point.
When Aururia brought him forth, he wasn’t bound in by anything, honestly, it seemed completely unnecessary. It didn’t appear that he had managed to recover from the shock of yesterday. His face was sunken, his eyes were devoid of any spark of life, and his hair, which was a proud golden blond, today seemed dry and lacked the same sheen as the day before. He was finding the news of Evona being pregnant an extremely difficult pill to swallow.
Alex didn’t need to bother with any skills, Odwun, when brought before Alex, simply slumped to his knees before looking up at the human. It was only then that some glimmer of recognition returned to his eyes.
“You! How dare you sully an elf with your filthy hands! How dare you contaminate her with your human seed!”
“Down bitch.” It wasn’t an actual command, but the elf’s body dropped to the floor all the same.
“Master Alex, I will return to my lady’s side now.”
“Un, oh, and drop the “Master” part, please. Just Alex.”
She smiled at him, “Is that a command? Master.”
“I… you win.” He said dejectedly. He could hear her hum as she made her way back to the main house.
“What was that?” asked Odwun.
“Women… never mind. You need to be worried about yourself.”
He eyed the elf before him. Regardless of what may be misfiring between his ears, he had a good build, one built for agility, even through his clothes he could tell that Odwun was mostly trained, lean muscle. In a fight between the two, it would be no competition that Alex would come out on top, but if it was against someone like Holdebark, it may be a bit different. “Are humans actually extremely weak? Are strong humans simply in the realm of mediocre non-humans?” He tossed the unnecessary thoughts to the side and returned his attention to the Elf.
“I want a reason why I shouldn’t kill you.” He said flatly.
This should realistically be an easy question for anyone to answer. “Why should you live and not die?” Yet, Odwun was suddenly finding it to be a terribly difficult question to answer. “Why shouldn’t I die?” The self-defeating thoughts percolating inside his head made answering such a simple question like trying to solve the meaning of life. After exactly forty-two seconds, not that anyone was counting, Odwun looked up and spoke.
“Truth is, I have no answer for you. I have no family; I was raised by our leader to take orders as a soldier. I was tasked with coming here, finding her, and bringing her back. None of which was my own desire. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a want for anything. So, if I die in the process of fulfilling my mission, I can’t rightly be upset about it.”
Alex, all of a sudden, felt really guilty about the thought of killing him. The sympathy for the pathetic creature sitting before him stayed his hand. He mentally groaned and tried to decide whether or not this was all some kind of act, but at the same time decided that the elf was too simple and honest to put on an act like that.
“What benefit do you bring me?” he asked.
“I am an elf, so I can communicate… but you already know our language. I am a fast and agile fighter and can use wind and light magic.”
“I am fast and stronger than you. Trust me. Also, I use all magics.”
“Then…” he turned his head back and forth as he scrounged through his brain looking for an answer. “Ah… I have the pass to get into the Elven Kingdom!”
“Pass?”
“Yes, our borders have been closed for three hundred years. No elf, save for official business, is allowed to leave our borders, and no one, save those that carry a pass is allowed entry. If you were wanting to get into our homeland, you will need this pass.” He looked up with hope in his eyes.
“I do need to go there, but I never told him that. How did he know? Is there someone here telling him things?” Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked the elf over.
“What makes you think I want to go there?”
“Well, there are so many elves here, quite the collection. I just assumed you wanted to expand you-“
“Stop there!” Alex roared with a raised hand. “Only Evona… and well, there is one other, but Evona is the only woman I am with right now. Sheesh…”
“I see, then… I am not sure what-“, he was interrupted by a long sigh from Alex.
“Your worth is getting me into the Elvoria. While I don’t deny I could probably force my way in… honestly that sounds fun, but getting in peacefully may be a better option. So, that is your use to me. Guess I don’t have to kill you.” Alex said while putting his hands on his hips.
“Why do you need to go to my home!?” Odwun cried.
“Oh yeah. Things happened, so you never found out. I need to see Yggdrasil and then go to the Dragon’s Nest. I need the bark and the flame, something about making some legendary Demon Lord slaying sword.”
The nonchalant way that Alex described what was considered to be the most sacred of all crusades in the history of the world, caused Odwun’s mouth to hang.
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Part 4.
Alex and Odwun had been waiting at the northern end of the village when Evona, Aururia, and Lili showed up. Evona was wearing a plain robe, fastened with a simple knot in the front. It was still very early, and Alex had left still asleep in bed. She was not a morning bird, so he knew that the reason Aururia had left them earlier was to get her up and make her, at least somewhat presentable. His gratitude for Aururia’s steadfast loyalty and a seemingly never-ending amount of understanding surge within him.
Lili on the other hand appeared as if she had been up for many hours. He surmised, based on her restrained excitement, that she had probably been spending her time this morning preparing herself for the journey, mentally and physically. She had a large sack on her back, something that Alex felt was unnecessary, considering the utility of his primary ability.
“Is this an independent phase? Does she have-” He stopped himself from going any further, having lived with women for the last fifteen years of his life, he understood that they had certain essentials and secrets that he had no business prying into. “Do Beast women even have-” He had to stop himself again before his mind ventured into forbidden territory for his sex.
Other than the pack, she was wearing a black kimono with silver embroidery that looked to be telling some story of a fox and a moon. Underneath there was a white nagajuban that only poked up over the collar. Her obi, which wrapped neatly around her waist was mostly black but had a single gold cord, which added a splash of color to the outfit. Her hair was done up, neatly and was decorated with a conservative amount of flower ornaments. Overall, it was the exact opposite of what you would think would be proper traveling attire. He couldn’t deny that she was beautiful but worried that her setta would give out on the long trip. He decided he would handle it as it became a problem, she looked far too excited to be dressed up like that, and he knew that he was the reason she was wearing it in the first place.
“You know you could have stayed in bed. We did say our goodbyes last night after all… a few times.” Alex couldn’t help but blush after what he said without thinking.
“We did, and it was nice, but that shouldn’t stop me from seeing you off. What kind of “wife” would I be if I did see my “husband” off when he leaves for work.” She smirked when she spoke, leaning her body on his chest.
“Ah. Yes, I will be off then.” He said rather meekly.
“Please go and come back, safely.” She whispered just loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“My lady. Please stop teasing the master. He is currently out of character, and others will begin to wonder about him.” Added Aururia, breaking up the play that the two were putting on for their uncomfortable audience.
Lili quickly bolted into action by clinging to Alex’s arm and resting it between her breasts. She shoved a tongue out at Evona and said, “That is enough. He is mine till we get back!”
Evona snickered at her and backed away. This had been their secret agreement, that all time in the last two weeks that they hadn’t been training, would be Evona’s time with Alex. Now that they were leaving, it meant that she would have all the time to herself, and she starved for it. The newcomer elf next to Alex was an unexpected interloper, but at least it wasn’t another female.
“All right… we should leave now.” He said flatly, failing to detach his arm from Lili’s bosom. “Please, look after everything till we get back.”
“Be safe. And don’t bring home any strays, okay?” Evona said with a smile and a wave.
After possibly one of the strangest send-offs in the history of both worlds he had been on, they turned and headed for the northern exit. Which was now a bit further away than it had been yesterday after Alex’s expansion of the barrier. He had incorporated Clavis’ cave and subsequently the Yggdrasil root into Evona’s domain after their bath. This was followed up with a discussion with both his lover and her attendant about what could and should be done with the additional space. What had been originally around 10km2 was now more than three times that, and the subject of bringing in more people had come up but was never fully discussed. Alex half expected to return to a completely different home once his journey was done.
Once they got to the point where they had first met Odwun, they noticed him feverishly looking around for his compatriots, but their bodies were nowhere to be seen.
“They were given a proper burial by the other elves,” Alex said without looking in the elf’s direction.
“Oh. Thanks, I guess.” He said, a hint of gratitude escaping his otherwise dejected tone.
While Alex may have felt some kind of sympathy for him, having since realized that he may have overreacted to what the elves were saying, though he didn’t dare show it. He had made his choice, regardless of whether it was correct or not, and he refused to start second-guessing himself. That would lead to a possibly fatal slippery slope and had no business in a journey to save the world, the elf survived, and he should be grateful for that.
Their journey, once they left, would start with a short trek north, crossing over the Brein River, stopping in East Brein. Their reasoning was to collect information. It had been just over two weeks since the incident at Dortmin and Alex hadn’t bothered worrying about what was going on in the world at the time, his sole focus was on finding Lili. Now though, things were different, he knew that the relationship between the Empire and the Principality was strenuous, if not simply awful, and he wanted to hear any information related to that, along with whatever was being talked about regarding the incident in Dortmin itself. While Brein could be considered at best, a frontier town, it was still closer, if only slightly to Dortmin than its larger cousin, West Brein, which was a coastal trading town, but still not big enough to be considered a city.
It was thankfully largely an uneventful journey. Thanks to Alex’s teleportation ability, they were able to immediately get to the river, and crossing it was made simple by the creation of an earthen bridge, effectively turning what should have been a three-day trip into no more than an eight-hour journey when they reached the gate of East Brein. “I wish I had this back home. Would have been so much easier than taking the metro. I’d have been able to sleep an extra hour too!”
Of all the towns he had visited by this point, that number being two, this was the least impressive. East Brein was by far the poorest of all larger towns in the Principality because of its positioning. It was mostly used as a bastion to protect the north in case the Empire’s armies ever attempted to invade that way as they had in the past. This meant though, that it didn’t receive regular travelers, and what wealth it did have mostly came from stipends from the central government to maintain its readiness. This also meant that the guards at the gate, due to a lack of urgency, were poorly disciplined and it was made apparent when the three of them arrived at the open gate.
“Anyone here for inspection?” Alex yelled through the opening.
“Wuh… who- What!?” said a pudgy man in armor that looked a few sizes too small for him. He stumbled out from behind the gate while attempting to get a handle of the weapon in his hand. He had a genuine yet simple face and lacked any and all necessary presence that a guard required, such as the ability to intimidate, which is necessary for an interrogation.
“Yes, sir guard, three travelers coming here to rest,” Alex said, flashing his guild badge, which was the lowest rank, a simple piece of quarts cut into a square shape.
“Yes…yes, state your business.” The guard replied.
The three travelers looked at him questioningly, worried about the continued existence of the town.
“He is even worse than Odwun,” Alex whispered, loud enough for the elf to hear.
“What does that mean!?” He shot back.
“You’re simple,” Lili added.
“What does that mean?” the guard asked.
“…” none of them responded.
“Again, our business is that we are travelers. We are planning to stop here for the night, before heading to the north. We are escorting this elf back home.” Alex answered. It wasn’t a lie, but at the same time, not the complete truth.
“You’re an elf?” the guard asked.
Odwun simply pointed to his right ear, which was sticking well beyond the cover of his golden blond hair, which had somehow had its beautiful glow returned to it.
“Okay. You may enter.”
While they were all surprised by how easy it had been for them to enter the town and couldn’t determine if there was supposed to be a toll to pay or not but didn’t bother questioning it. They simply entered with a kind “thank you” and went about their way.
Their first target was lodging, which they eventually found in the center of town. A basic wooden three-story building that fits the theme of a frontier town. It had no elaborate markings or designs, and the sign simply said, “Inn”, implying that it had no competition, which was understandable. The town itself was tiny, maybe only a few hundred people, but it was spacious, far larger than it had any right to be. The reason for that is, in the case of a war happening in the northern part of the country, an army could easily garrison the town, but during peace times, it made the town feel incredibly empty and devoid of life.
They acquired two rooms at Inn, which had apparently jumped from one for Lili and one for the two males to one for Alex and Lili, and Odwun by himself, but that was an issue for future Alex. Their next step was to acquire information, and the best place for that would be a bar, in the stories, the bartenders always knew all the gossip that was floating around. The only problem was, this town only had a single bar, and that was at the Guild Hall.
“This is a flag, I know it.” Was the thought he had when he entered the swinging saloon-style doors into the guild. It was more crowded than he had expected it to be, given the population of the town. “But then again, being out on the frontier meant there would be a lot of work for hunts and bounties, so I guess this makes sense.”
“Hey, owner, you heard anything interesting lately?” he asked the man behind the counter. He didn’t feel completely comfortable doing so but couldn’t think of a better way to start the conversation other than simply asking for what he was looking for. He wasn’t socially inept and had been to bars in both the United States and Japan, but he wasn’t a frequent visitor and didn’t often sit at the bar, getting to know the regulars, so this was unknown territory for him.
“Not the owner, this is the guild, it is a public organization.” The response was indifferent, and the speaker didn’t bother looking up from the glass he was cleaning.
“So that is how that feels. How is it they always have a glass to clean?” He shook the thoughts away and resumed the conversation with the man behind the counter.
“Apologies. You wouldn’t have happened to hear about an incident in Dortmin?” he asked politely.
"Something about some monster destroying half of the castle and killing more than a hundred soldiers."
“Well… monster is a bit harsh, and I feel like they rounded that number down.” He said under his breath. “I see, good to know I missed that. Been out in the wilderness for a few weeks!” He said with an exaggerated smile.
“There is also some news coming from the south, apparently the Principality is going to war with the Empire.” He said, finally looking up from his glass.
“Oh… that is big news.” Alex had shifted his entire demeanor and was focused on the conversation now. “How did that happen?”
“Hordin rejected the emperor’s “request” to marry the princess.” The barman said.
“Request, huh? How long ago was that?”
“Judging by the time it takes word to travel this far, around three weeks ago.”
Alex could feel a migraine coming on, his face involuntarily shifting to show how annoyed he was at the information. “Now… why did Hanz keep that from me?”
He was pulled back by Lili shaking his arm and waving a paper in front of him.
“Hey, I found something interesting.” She said excitedly.
REQUEST: MONSTER EXTERMINATION
TARGET: DEMON WOLF DIAGORO
REWARD: 10 SILVER BARS
There was a sketch on the paper of a large canine with bloody fangs and long claws, with mangled fur and blood-red eyes.
“We don’t really need the money though,” Alex said trying to reason with the girl.
“It isn’t about the money. It is about adventure!” she replied.
“Adventure?” he said aloud. “Going to the north continent, seeing the Elven Kingdom, Dwarf Kingdom, Yggdrasil, the Dragon’s Nest, crafting a holy sword, and slaying a demon lord isn’t enough adventure?” is what he really wanted to say though.
But, in the end, it was not like he could bring himself to reject her wishes though.
“We’ll take this quest,” Alex said handing the sheet to the barman.
“Rank?”
“Quartz.”
“Can’t let you go then. Turquoise and up only. Don’t want to send anyone to their death. Try herb gathering or something.” Was the blunt response that they received.
“Gotcha. Sorry, Lili, it can’t be helped. Rules are rules.” He said, secretly grateful. “This is the flag that was raised that I was worried about, I just know it.”
“But you being a quartz just a formality, right? Didn’t you beat that Walter guy during the exam? You are plenty strong enough.” She said with a wink.
Alex groaned internally, obviously, he was strong enough, and she knew that. What he didn’t know was why she wanted to do this so badly. She might as well have just said that he was the monster that had ravaged the castle in Dortmin two weeks ago.
“You are the guy that beat Walter and broke Horse Killer?”
“Was that what he called that hunk of metal? I mean, yeah, that was me.”
This had been the first time that the barman had truly looked at him, and he was joined by all the adventurers in attendance as well. He found the sudden rise in popularity to be exhausting.
“So, umm… that quest, can I take it now?”