“Did you just teleport us?”

“Enika?”

“Who else? Damn it, I can’t see a thing.”

So, where are we now?

『Details: unknown. Spatial coordinates suggest somewhere south.』

Awesome. Good to know you know what you’re doing.

『Glad I can help.』

…

“Do you hear that? It sounds like someone’s having a party nearby.”

“Yeah, I think it’s this wa--Wah!”

“Enemies?!”

“No … no … just stairs …”

Servants of the true enemy; Gravity. I’m just glad that it’s dark enough that no one saw me tripping up stairs …

『That is not the correct way to use this device.』

Shut up.

The commotion we can hear gets louder the further up the stairs we climb until reaching the top and passing through a worn out wooden door. The smell of ale permeates the room on the other side along with drunken chatter.

“Hey, sweetie, can I get another glass?”

“Excuse me? Why don’t you get yourself some you worthless piece of--”

“Hey, hey, don’t be like that. Come on, I’ll treat you to something special if you jus--Gegh!”

Gegh?

“What? He was getting handsy.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Poor guy. He should probably double check that he’s actually talking to a barmaid next time. Assuming Enika didn’t just kill him.

“Sorry about that. Are you still alive down there?”

“Ugh … my … everything …”

“I don’t think he’s gonna make it, Enika. Did you really have to put in so much energy just for a wandering hand or two?”

“Yeah, yeah, what she said! I was just trying to be a little friendly!”

“Looks like there was no need for you to worry, he’s still plenty lively.”

“Gegh!”

“Or not …”

“Oops … Sorry, that was just a reflex.”

There used to be a dog that would cling to my leg the same way as he just did. Kicking it away was the only way to get it to calm down, so I just … Well, habits are hard to break, I guess.

“You’re still alive right? Can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away! I’d love nothing more than to help a couple of beauties.”

“Well, he has an impressive life force, if nothing else. I don’t know if that’s really something praiseworthy or not, though.”

“We’re looking for a friend of ours that should have passed through here recently. Have you seen anyone … unusual?”

“Have you looked around? This whole establishment is full of unusual.”

“I hope you’re including yourself in that assessment.”

“Enika, please.”

“Whatever. I’m going to go talk to someone less useless to see what I can figure out.”

“Wow. You two are friends, right? Is she always that brutal?”

“You get used to it. More importantly, you haven’t seen anyone that stands out even in this kind of crowd?”

“Other than an angry dark elf?”

“I’m not afraid to hit you again.”

“Would you carry me if that made me no longer able to stand?”

“… No.”

“Damn. Well, I don’t suppose that’s who you were looking for, is it?”

Enika is in the direction the man is pointing and surrounded by a group of rugged looking men. They definitely stand out, but not in the same way that Arileia would.

“You lookin’ for someone, eh?”

“That’s what I said. Is your brain as messed up as your face.”

“Ahahahaha! That’s pretty harsh lady. I know some people that know some people. I bet we could find them people you lookin’ for if’n you follow me.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Oh! Oh! You found someone to show us around? Way to go, Enika, I never doubted you for a moment!”

“Oh-ho, a friend? Well, how ‘bouts we take you both?”

“Wait! Busty lady with the elf!”

B-busty? I mean, he’s not wrong I suppose …

“Those are Kaigen’s lackeys. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to follow strangers?”

“You plannin’ on gettin’ in the way of business, Giles?”

“Hiii!”

Don’t hide behind me, you coward! You’re the one that pissed him off! Actually, he probably just doesn’t want to get beat on three times in one day. That’s not enough to excuse his ridiculous shriek though.

“I don’t know who this Kaigen is, but it looks like I can still sniff out the right person from a crowd.”

The large man in front of Enika sniffs himself.

“Unfortunately, thanks to that perverts sad attempt at being heroic, we’re going to have to do this the hard way. Unfortunate for you. I was actually secretly looking forward to it.”

“Get the elf and her friend!”

“Kyaa! Somebody save me!”

I always wanted to say that. Really though, kidnapping in public? Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this. Also, where’d the hero run off to? He can’t save me if he’s already disappeared.

Enika slips through the attempted grasps of the random lackeys before striking the big guy in the throat with a single chop, and when he leans forward Enika is nice enough to give him a facelift with her foot. Like, she actually lifts him from the ground by his face. It was a beautiful kick.

Oh yeah, I don’t have time to be impressed! I’m being assaulted by a bunch of no goods myself!

“What … is with … this chick …”

“Huh? Why are you all out of breath already? Weren’t you trying to capture me? I was all ready to play my part even.”

『You were too focused on Enika to notice these poor villains trying their best to capture you.』

What!? You mean I missed missed the most important part?

“Come on guys! Don’t give up already! You got this! I wasn’t paying attention last time, but if you try again I’m sure you can capture me just fine. Come on! Come on!”

“Wh-what the hell is wrong with her? Did she just … is she cheering us on? Even though we were just trying to capture her and her friend?”

“I don’t know, but, somehow, I suddenly feel more motivated!”

“Yeah! We got this!”

“She believes in us! We can’t let her down!”

“What the hell are you guys doing?”

Just as the big guy’s lackies were surrounding me and getting handsy, Enika notices the awkward position we’re in.

“Sorry. They just seemed so disheartened that I couldn’t help myself but to cheer them on.”

I casually pull myself from their grips and pat one of the men on the head.

“I’m glad you all decided not to give up. Confidence is important when trying to win over a lady.”

“What?” is what their faces say for the first few seconds after our encounter. After that, they seem to notice the big guy laying on the ground.

“Boss!”

“Yeah, looks like I went a little overboard. He said something about knowing people, so I figured I could get him to take us to Arileia if I just pushed him a little. Didn’t think he’d break so easy.”

“He isn’t dead is he?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t check.”

Fair enough.

“Boss!”

As if they don’t know any other words, they shout again, but this time they’re all looking at me instead of the man on the ground.

“Boss! Let us help you find who you’re looking for!”

“B-boss?”

“What did you do? Use some kind of mind control on them or something?”

“I don’t have that kind of power!”

Do I?

『No.』

Exactly!

“We were just overwhelmed by the passion you showed for a bunch of mob characters like us.”

“Right, right! We want to help you in any way we can, Boss!”

“You just don’t want to get your asses kicked like the guy over there on the floor.”

“Th-th-th-th-that’s not true!”

“Come on, Enika, give them a little benefit of the doubt. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Your optimism astounds me, Master. Very well, show us what you got.”

“R-right … what kind of person are you looking for?”

“Well, she’s about this tall, and she always looks like she’s upset about something. As for defining characteristics … Maybe her tail?”

“We’re looking for a dragonkin.”

“Yeah! That!”

They all cast glances at each other before one of them speaks up.

“If that’s the case, I think I know exactly where to look, but …”

“Don’t stop there. What do you know?”

“Well … it’s just that … I heard they were bringing Kaigen a new dragonkin to play with. You don’t think …?”

“Do you think you can take us to see this Kaigen?”

“I can take you to the gate, but are you really sure that’s a good idea?”

“Come on, boys. Have some faith in your boss!”

“When did you suddenly decide to become their boss?”

“What? I can’t just leave them now, can I?”

“Boss!”

The group of misfits suddenly starts cheering and all the attention we’ve been getting from the other patrons goes away once they realize that the conflict is over. Are fights so common here that they don’t care, or is it just that no one wanted to get involved?

『Maybe they were just scared of Enika.』

Oh! That’s probably it!

My new collection of henchmen lead us out of the tavern and to a large gate at the edge of town. On the other side of the gate is a giant mansion that supposedly belongs to that Kaigen fellow. If that’s true, and Arileia really is there, then we’re about to do the unthinkable.

That’s right, we’re about to save a dragon from a castle.