“Riziel, no matter how you slice it, we have been chased out of the country.“

Bobbing on the back of a horse on a route that only madmen would compare with the roads back in the Empire.

“We get frequent communications?“ Countered Riziel.

“It basically states don't come back until you find the crow!“

“Well, we chose to leave the country.“

“Because the commander asked us to look outside Blue and Zirkonia if The Crow isn't inside. This is us being kicked out of the comfort that the greatest Empire held.“

Riziel was deeply annoyed by the complaints of her companion. If only he wasn't capable, she would have long since exchanged him for someone else.

In the end, she sighed and used her trump card.

“There are a lot more elves outside the Empire as compared to inside.“

Jonathan, whose eyes were stuck sideways at his companion suddenly straightened up.

“I think the commander is a great person,” he said. “We should try our best to meet his expectations.“

The two of them continued like that. Heading westward where Jonathan 'smelled' the aura of The Crow.

Suddenly during their travels, they came across the aftermath of what seemed like a skirmish between mountain bandits.

The first time, it was odd but not worrying.

Then they saw it a second time, at a different place.

And then a third time. All of the mountain bandits in the countryside of the Rascarte Kingdom seemed to be popping off one after another.

The two knights were deeply puzzled until they found a parchment stabbed into the ground near the corpses.

“This…”

Jonathan lifted the parchment and held it up. Riziel peeked over his shoulders, but he was holding it straight to the sun. She hit Jonathan's head and he finally lowered the parchment.

“This…” both of them muttered.

“I can tell, Riziel. Judging from how a hot elf babe would look in thigh-high stockings, I can be sure of it. We will find The Crow here.“

“You crazy… but I agree this time.“

***

Hello all, it is I. Ian Meyer, now officially eighteen.

It has been a while, which makes this probably a good time for an update. I was currently sitting atop a tree in the forest outside of the Zirkonia Empire heading west. Update over.

What was more interesting than me right now was the sight below me.

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Long ears. That was the first thing I noticed when I peered down from the tree. Long ears, long lashes, and a beautiful face that seemed to be ready for the big screen even as tears streaked down their cheek.

Sleeping atop a tree to avoid animals was pretty normal, but waking up to see a bonafide fantasy creature, that too an elf, on the ground, wasn’t.

It was the second time I had seen an elf, and the first time this close ever since I came to this world.

“So, what are you supposed to be?” I asked, sitting on the branch. The elf below shot up to his feet in surprise and looked around. “Are you a new promotional sample for Mountain Bandits or something? Why the hell are you crying out in the open, and under my tree.”

The elf continued looking around, so I snapped my fingers. It finally turned its gaze to the top and stepped back.

“A-a-a human!”

The elf was so shocked that it fell on its back. I was quite literally from another world and even I wasn’t so dramatic about seeing a being from a different species. It was truly hurtful, was this elf racist?

I slid off the tree and jumped back down. While I was heading West in my never-ending pursuit of power, road markers made from the flesh of mountain bandits had littered the way, so seeing an elf was rather surprising. These bandits barely cared about laws when they saw a lone person and tried to capture them right away, elves were too prime a commodity for them to miss out on.

Oh, how did I know? Well, I had been seeking out all the bandits personally. I could proudly say that whenever I encountered any roadmarkers made of bandit corpses I made sure to send the rest of their troupe to them.

Why the bandits were dying? I didn’t know. I finished them off because it was always a good chance to earn some experience. The EXP boost killing real people gave was quite high.

The elf, surprised at my movements, tried to run away but I quickly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.

His neck.

“Why are you here, I asked. Do you not speak Imperial Common?”

“Ah… sorry, no Common. N-nos hablos.”

“Your ‘A-a-ah human!’ was in pretty fluent Common.”

The elf was cornered. I yanked it back and held it in front of me. An elf was truly a rare commodity, just as much for me as they were for bandits. I was very intrigued by its presence.

The elf wiped its tears and looked away. The long platinum-blonde hair that exuded an air of grace was betrayed by his scaredy face, and the green elf clothes that fit on their lean figures looked rather cheap when worn by someone whose legs couldn’t stop trembling.

Interesting. Very interesting.

I yanked the elf and pushed him into the trunk of the tree. The cornered elf looked around like a rat captured by a cat.

“Tell me, Elf… what makes you suffer?”

***

It took a while but the Elf calmed down after I gave him some hot tea in the middle of the forest. Unreasonable as it was, the elf’s demands were something I could indulge in.

It sat on a stone sipping on the tea while I leaned against a tree with the axe in my hands.

Hm… The axe had become a bit blunt from the top. It might not be a bad idea to sharpen it soon.

“So? Feel like speaking now?”

The elf took a sharp breath and looked at me. He slowly nodded.

“My name is M-marco… I and my family belong to a—”

“Hey, hey. Shut up. I didn’t ask all that.”

The elf looked at me as if I was a madman. What was wrong with this guy? I wasn’t interested in its backstory, why did it even have to start from the time he was a child?

“Tell me only about your predicament. What happened?”

Marco the elf looked very hesitant about speaking, but he straightened up as soon as I shuffled the ax between my hands.

“T-that... Our village was attacked by mountain bandits and I was the only one who escaped.”

“How easy was that?”

With a smile, I stepped ahead and looked down at Marco. Seeing an elf would usually make a person filled with awe, or maybe curiosity about their species and actions, and even their situation, but the first thought that entered my mind was something else.

“Elves all use something called Spirit Magic right?”

Marco slowly nodded.

“Can you use it?”

“A-a bit…”

Spirit Magic… another way to get stronger. That was the only thing on my mind.

It was a new avenue, something that very few people outside of elves could wield. New strength was all I was looking for.

Was it something that could kill god? Probably not.

Was it worth a try anyway? Absolutely.

“I’ll help you if you teach me how to use Spirit Magic.”

Marco stared into my eyes.

Anyone sane would never even talk with another person about such matters, more so if the person was the same type of Human that had just attacked one’s house.

But this deal was far too appealing for the timid elf in front of me.

Marco slowly stretched his hand out and made a deal.

A deal with the devil.