My finger was entangled with Zell’s finger to activate his spell.

Do you perhaps know them?

The 4 looked at me seriously before lowering their heads, and said something.

What are they saying?

“T-they’re apologizing for suddenly running after us”(Zell)

They looked a bit confused when I didn’t respond to them. The one with a gigantic sword walked closer to me. She had a long amethyst colored hair and a plum colored fur on her round ears and tail. She had a very beautiful purple eye. Sadly, the other was covered with an eye patch. Her body was covered in well formed and solid muscles. The surprising thing is, she still had an alluring figure despite her muscles. She is the very definition of a beautiful and perfect warrior.

She was around her early 20s. She stood in front of me and stared at my face with a blank expression. After an awkward staring contest, she grabbed one of my hands and started talking in a monotonous voice.

Tell them that I don’t know how to talk, before they start sending tons of questions to me.

As Zell tried to explain my situation, I observed the other people. I couldn’t really see much of the armored person except for his brown eyes and the yellow hair peeking out of his helmet. Based on the shape of his armor, he was a muscular person. As I observed him, our eyes met. He cheerfully waved his hands and started talking at a loud voice. I thought he was the serious type, but now that you look at it, he has quite a loose posture for someone who is wearing a heavy armor.

The archer had a well built body, not too big and not too small. He had a gray hair with a curly…shaggy haircut. He looked around his mid or late 20s. Based on his posture, movements and how he winked one of his emerald eyes towards me…he was the playful, or should I say a playboy type. All of a sudden, the playboy’s head was embedded to the ground.

The one who smacked the archer’s head to the ground was a girl around 18-20. She had a bob cut on her cerise colored hair. The beauty of her pink eyes was amplified by her glasses, which had a thin rectangular frame. She had minimal amount of muscles, like those that play sports from time to time. She made an apologetic look and lowered her head. She also slammed the archer’s head indicating that she wants me to forgive him.

“T-they’re just here to check on us. They were running to the location of their mission but stopped when they noticed us. She says that they felt your strength from a far, so they got curious and came running to our direction.”(Zell)

I see, then what do they plan on doing now?

“After seeing you, they wanted to introduce themselves and at least get your name before they continue their mission.”(Zell)

I didn’t really see a reason not to introduce ourselves. Actually, having more acquaintance is better. I asked Zell to be our translator, but they waved their hands one last time before running away.

I thought they wanted to introduce themselves?

“About that; I already told Felicia your name. Well, I told her that I know about them so I’ll handle their introduction, since I’m the only one that can communicate with you.”(Zell)

The people from before was one of the strongest mercenary group called Ortu Stella. They were a group formed a few years ago and were able to finish high ranking missions one after another. Their fame rose rapidly and is now revered by the people. Each of the members was too strong for their age, or just surpassed those that were called geniuses. It was like a gathering of prodigies on one group.

The most outstanding of the group was Felicia Zaran, a 38 year old mercenary that could kill a drake on her own…Yup, although it shocked me at first, it is a fact that the Exelia race have high a lifespan compared to the humans. They could live around 250-300 years. He didn’t look surprised that I didn’t know a common knowledge such as the lifespan of their race, since I was a different race after all.

I am from the Asura race. There are 2 races which fit my physical appearance, but it seems that my strength could only be believable if I’m from the Asura race. My race is known for its extremely low birthrate, although we get long lifespan and regeneration in exchange. When I say long, it’s about 450-500 years…so I’ll be living more than 4 human lifespans?

Anyways, it seems that our race is rare on this continent. He said that there are only 7 to 10 from my race staying at the city. We are treated well in any place we go to, since there was a time when a hundred people were killed by a single Asura…So they treat us nicely because they're afraid. That’s all of the information he has about my race, but I remember that we were talking about a different subject earlier.

Since we are already talking, can you tell me about the-

*growl*

“I-it wasn’t me.”(Zell)

___

After eating dinner, we decided to move a bit more and found a good place to stay at. I’m curious about the group Ortu Stella, I want to know more about my race, about the world and I want to know a lot of things…having no information is really hard. I don’t even know where to start, there just too much knowledge that I lack.

Faeran was sleeping on his pillow right now, while Zell was lying on the ground. It shocked him that he got a chance to talk with a group such as Ortu Stella. It seems that it was rare for the group to stay in one place and are usually distancing themselves from other people, so it was a miracle that he had the chance to converse with the group. I can sense movements and pressure around me, but I can’t really access a person’s strength if they are not hostile, so I’m not sure how strong they are.

There’s still the fact that I am like a child that doesn’t know about anything about this world except for killing monsters. I don’t know how much of my knowledge is gonna help me, what if my ideals actually make me have a hard time adapting to this world’s culture. What about money? I can survive on the wild, but I don’t have money to stay in the city.

I could sell a few of my creation. Since it looks like I’m stronger than ordinary, then my creations are bound to be better too. Sigh…ok I’ll just clear my mind for now. There is no point in thinking about fixing everything at the same time. It will only confuse me more. Let’s see, first, I’ll focus on learning the language, as it will be the key to learning everything about this world. It will be a good idea to study about this world’s economy next, and then the history and common knowledge of people.

When I looked back, they were both asleep. It was a peaceful day, nothing happened except for Zell joining us. I won’t complain since I’m gonna benefit from his teachings and it is good to have someone that is a native of this world. I looked back and saw him curled around. He was shaking a bit from the cold wind so I covered him with one of my dress. Since it’s made from thick fur, it should be enough.

How did he survive alone if he can’t even resist the change in temperature? It’s a miracle he made it this far from the city…

I laid down the ground and summoned my status screen before sleeping.

[tr]

[tr]

NameSania PendragonAge0GenderFemaleLevel52Charisma???HP2174/2174MP674/674Strength196(+98)Defense234(+12)(+35)Dexterity367(+37)Agility327(+33)Magic power187(+47)Magic Defence144(+7)(+15)Required exp for the next level59675

As it is now, it’ll probably take a year or two to get a level from the animals around here. I should be strong enough to protect myself, so I guess I can take it easy and enjoy my stay at the city.

___

We didn’t meet any people, it seems that the direction I came from was not a place normal people or even normal mercenaries should venture, since it is a place that house dangerous beast. There were even stories where people suddenly vanish and never come back…I kinda know the reason.

If I look behind me, the ghost village, the canyon, and the forest were all located at the north. There were still other directions one could take from here, so it’s not like they’ll all end up being dragged into the ghost village. Although they don’t need to worry about it since I already took care of it.

Anyways, if they consider the monsters before reaching the ghost village as dangerous…aren’t they too weak? Someone around level 20 or higher could kill those monsters, if they can’t handle that, I doubt they’ll last a minute on the forest where the Alpheous Ursus reside. If that’s the case, then won’t I get a fortune from selling the sword I created? No, I’ll keep it. It’s my first masterpiece so I’ll hold on to it for now. One of my spare dress should be enough to cover our stay on the city.

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3 days after meeting Zell, we finally saw the walls of the city from afar. Faeran and I were delighted at the sight of something new. The walls were made from red colored rocks, and there were paved paths a few meters from the gates. As we got closer, we could see 4 armored guards with spears on their hands. When they looked at our location, they seem to be surprised upon seeing Zell.

I didn’t want to hold his hand in public unless it’s an emergency, so I didn’t ask him about the guards’ reaction. The guards let us in without a problem. Are they doing their job right? What if someone enters with a hidden…Ah-

There were quite a number of people carrying weapons, I’m also included. I see, what’s the point of looking for hidden weapon when everyone is allowed to carry weapons? If my guess is right, they are just there to prevent animals from entering the city.

Anyways, it looks like we’re attracting attention. People are looking at me, probably because of my race. It’s easy to differentiate me from a Vinto, since only the Asura race will carry weapons. Vinto race are known for their intelligence and wouldn’t dare to act like an Asura, since they don’t want unnecessary conflict with the said race. Vinto race generally has high affinity with magic and are responsible for the advancement of the magical technology.

The houses around were quite modern looking compared to what I expected. Most houses had 1 floor and were made from white bricks. The foundation of each house can be seen from the outside, it’s expected since they don’t have the thin metal foundation we use on earth.

I could see a few people looking at me from windows made out of glass. Males were mostly wearing a shirt and pants, while females wore a shirt that’s tucked inside of their long skirts. Well, the others were wearing a variety of armors or clothes with small metal plates. Since we have planned to find a place to stay at, we headed to an inn that Zell picked.

As we moved closer, aside from the looks I was getting from the people, I noticed small floating orbs on each corner of the streets. It’s placed where street lights are supposed to be, so I’m guessing those orbs generate light when the sun sets. Great, now I’m also curious about this so called magical technology…more knowledge to research about.

I could see a few people on the alleys which looked like homeless people, so it’s a fact that world is also affected by poverty. I was a bit shaken upon seeing the malnourished children moving around, some were even doing hard labor…but that’s life.

The inn was a 4 story building that was made from the same materials as the houses on the city. There was a sign on top, although I can’t read it…probably the name of the inn. When we entered, I saw a lot of burly men seated on round tables. The 1st floor looked more like a tavern instead of an inn. They were all noisy and some were even drinking alcohol…it’s still early you know.

Zell looked like he knew the place and guided us to a counter at the back part, but a man blocked our path. The man’s face was dyed in red and I could smell alcohol from his breath…yup, he’s drunk.

He was grinning while looking at me, he even licked his lips. He started speaking nonsense, so I grabbed Zell’s hand and asked.

What’s he saying.

“Ignore him, he’s just drunk. Big Mom will deal with him.”(Zell)

Zell looked confident and proud as he mentioned big mom. We moved to the side and continued walking. I felt the man move his hands to my rear, but I felt like I didn’t have to do anything. Just before he even touched me, a thick muscular arm pushed him out of the inn.

I looked back and saw an intimidating muscular person. He was 7ft tall and had these muscles made of stones. He had a scar on his left eye and a manly look on his face. There was a gray pointy ear on his short white hair. He had this vibe of a natural born warrior that has seen and killed death itself with his own bare hands. Even a group of armed veteran soldiers would turn into little kittens if the saw him in the battlefield. All changed when I saw his manly yet bouncing chest…HE’S A SHE?

“Sania, allow me to introduce you to Big Mom, the owner of this inn.”(Zell)

I-I see.

I lowered my head to the owner and seeing my serious action, she also did the same. Zell explained my situation and without wasting time, we got a room on the 4th floor. We are in a spacious room with 3 beds, 2 tables with one chair each, a closet, a washroom and a clear window. Faeran jumped to the bed in the middle and started rolling around it.

I fixed my things and left it near the table. Just as I was about to grab Zell’s hand, I felt someone moving to our room. I went back to my bed and waited. As expected, someone knocked on the door and when Zell opened it, a young girl around 14-16 was there carrying a tray with food. She had a long white hair and gray fur on her ears and tail. She had a slightly dark skin like the owner and was wearing an apron on top of her clothes.

She left the tray on the table and lowered her head before going out of the room. Zell walked to me and grabbed my hand.

“Food is ready”(Zell)

So they also deliver food. So how much is a one day stay on this inn? how much was the additional fee for the food? And how did we get an expensive looking room?

I thought he didn’t have much money, how did he get us a room on the 4th floor?

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll pay for everything.”(Zell)

I’ll also pay. it’s not good if I push all responsibilities on you.

“I could have died if you didn’t save me, so I’ll do my best to help you.”(Zell)

I told you it’s fine. Teaching me the language is enough to repay your debt. Paying for everything is too much.

“Still…I want to pay for it. As a man, I should pay for everything. Please just accept it. It’s the only thing I could be proud of.” Zell looked at me with a desperate expression. It’s like he was begging me to let him pay.

Fine, but tell me if you have money problems.

“T-thanks, I promise you won’t need to pay a single thing…so, shall we eat?”(Zell)

Faeran jumped to the table and wagged his tail while waiting for my signal. We ate shortly after that.

___

We went to a supply store to buy the materials for writing. I left everything except for my Azaroth, so it was quite an enjoyable walk now that I have fewer things to carry. Faeran was on top of my head to get a better view of our surroundings.

I just stayed quiet the whole time since I can’t really be seen walking around while holding hands with a man. We moved to the inner part of the city which was enclosed in another wall. The houses there were better looking and were bigger than the houses on the outer part. The house had a space in front which was decorated in different ways, like plants, sculptures, or even small fountains.

The houses still had the same materials, but it had better shape and more color to them. I could see a lot of 2 story buildings from a far, and it seems that most of them were stores. I could see people with animal features around and there were a few that looked like humans. It doesn’t seem like they discriminating each other, so it’s more or less a good city. Before we could pass through another wall, we found what we were looking for.

I was curious as to how different the inside of the wall was, but learning is my priority right now. The store had different variety of things, like tools for crafting, sewing, camping, and etc.

We went to the inner part and took a few note books, an ink, and a pen. There were also books and other literature stuffs there, but it’s still too early for me to buy them. Zell took out an expensive looking accessory and showed it to the man at the counter. The man widened his eyes before lowering his head and letting us go without paying.

I looked at Zell since I was quite curious as to what he did. But when he noticed my gaze, he looked to a different direction and covered his face.

…Is he actually someone with high status?

_________

Author’s Note:

Spoiler :

Nothing really happened with the Ortu Stella group, but I felt like I have to introduce them early or at least a gist of their personality. The story will be quite slow paced for a while, I hope you could endure for a few chapters.