With Eztat Market utterly destroyed, Chiyome, Ariane, Inari and I guided the freed Mountain People to the rendezvous point and made sure everyone was accounted for.
"What will you do now, Chiyome?" I asked. It'll be hard to move with this many people.
"We'll lay low for a while. Then, after things calm down, we'll head back to our village in the Calcut Mountains."
I give Chiyome a gentle smile, proud of her mental strength despite being so young. Though, I don't know her age… beast people in this world could very well age slowly like the elves do!
"If you need any help in the future at all… You know you can count on us!" I grinned.
Chiyome smiled back, "Thank you for everything. I truly mean it. Oh! I almost forgot!"
Chiyome held out a few pieces of paper to me and Ariane. "The information I promised you. All of it is written in here. The buyers, the humans who purchased Elves."
Ariane and I scanned over the papers. The details were surprising. Despite being illegal in Rhoden, which limited the market for elven slaves, the people responsible managed to make a connection in the bordering Empire and sold slaves there, and also to another place called Lamburt.
Here I thought this whole slavery thing would end with Eztat. Maybe I was hoping for too much.
We saw Chiyome and her people off, then Ariane decided to immediately relay Danka the information we just received using the Whispering Fowl.
The next couple of days, we spent camping out while on our way towards the direction of the Empire.
It didn't take long for Danka to contact us again, saying that he'd head to the other location Chiyome told us about, Lamburt.
After a few more days of walking to the border, the lush green forest soon turned to a desolate desert.
But, like all deserts, it seems, there's always an oasis. The town of Branbayna was that oasis; a surprisingly large town in the middle of the desert that was uncharacteristically lively. We soon found a reputable inn and checked ourselves into a double room, the only one left available.
For some reason, Ariane seemed nervous at the news of sharing a room, but I thought it would be fine since there are two beds.
It was decided that we'd eat inside the inn to avoid walking around town too much since it was close to the border with the Empire.
"The problem is… how are we going to reach the Eastern Empire?" Ariane sighed.
"I'm not familiar with the geography of the world… what's worrying you, Ariane?" I asked.
She looked around the inn cautiously, like she was half expecting people to jump out at her. "Enslaving elves isn't forbidden in the Empire like it is in Rhoden. My appearance will be even more dangerous than ever… even this town could be dangerous for me, given how close it is to the border."
I leaned in and rested my head against the back of my hand and smiled at her. Even when she's being so serious, she's so cute~. "You don't have to worry, Ariane~."
"Wh-what…?" Ariane looked at me with furrowed brows, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"I'll make sure nothing will ever happen to you. I'll protect you with all my power as a Knight~." I declared.
That seemed to have set her off, because the next moment, Ariane's face was like a ripe tomato with how red she got. "I-I-I know that!! You don't have to remind me, I-Idiot!"
"Hey, Carcy! You want the usual?" The polite shout of the cook distracted Ariane slightly and she turned to look at who the cook was talking to.
"Yes, please."
"AAAAAIIIEE?!" For some reason, Ariane shouted in utter shock and slammed an empty bowl atop the newcomer's head.
The reason? The man was an elf!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Walking around all these humans with your ears exposed?!" Ariane urgently whispered in the man's ear in a panic.
Once we got settled down and Ariane recovered, the man, Carcy Held, decided to have his meal with us.
"I've been living in this town for forty years now. I seem to fit in just fine. I see you're an elf, too… a Dark Elf, if I had to guess. And then we have a small girl who looks like a noble, accompanied by a Spirit Beast. Now that's curious company, if I do say so myself."
'Small girl', he says… This is the first time someone's called me small in this world… Kuh…! I'm not small at all, Old Man! I'll have you know I'm average height for a woman in this world (but male and big down there)!!
"I'm not unfamiliar with Adventurers or Mercenaries who come and go, but for the two of you to be especially clean and unhurt despite crossing the dangerous desert means you must be strong?" Carcy asked.
"I'm the strongest, duh!" I said with some indignation in my tone. It was bad enough to be called a woman, but small, too? I was just a little mad.
"I'd like you to hear me out, if that's alright? It regards my life's work, you see…"
It turns out, Carcy the Light Elf is a biologist who studies the ecology of monsters specifically. He's been having trouble with the current monster he's studying and wishes for our help in bringing one to him, preferably alive but dead if unable to do so.
"I'll compensate you, of course… Ah, apologies in advance for eavesdropping on your conversation from earlier. I think these might help you." Carcy slid a thick hook and a scroll of high-quality paper.
"It's a compendium of monsters of the Eastern Empire and a detailed map of the country."
"We're kinda in the middle of our own mission, so…" Ariane began before I stopped her.
"Ariane, a detailed map of the Eastern Empire is exactly, what we need. Think about it! It could tell us mountain passages that are likely to have space border security!" I persuaded.
Ariane looked troubled by the prospect for some reason, but eventually gave in and we accepted Carcy's request.
After a nice, short meal with Carcy, we decided to part for the night and head to our rooms. "Innkeep! Here's a tip for the delicious meal!"
I gave the young-looking innkeeper a handful of gold coins as she tried to convince me it was too much. 'Nonsense' I said and insisted, as I have way too much gold to my name right now.
Even so, the innkeeper offered her best barrel of liquor and I had no choice but to accept based on the scent of it alone.
"I'd be fine paying for my share, you know…" Ariane pouted.
"Hey, don't think so hard about it! I wanted to pay!" I giggled at her overly responsible disposition.
I eyed the small barrel of high-quality liquor under my arm and sighed as I thought back on the abused female Beast People. The fact that they were used to breed more of them, only for those responsible to sell the babies as slaves themselves.
"Do you drink, Ariane?" I suddenly asked.
"Of course, remember…? We drank some honey beer at Diento." Ariane reminded me.
"Right… must've forgot. If that's the case, how about joining me for a glass or two?" I asked, wanting to get my mind off things.
"This is the first time I've felt the urge to drink, but I don't think I can handle all of this on my own!" I chuckled as I knocked on the barrel.
"Hard to argue with that."
We settle into the room and seat ourselves on the small table next to the bed. Ariane stared down at her full shot of liquor.
It smelled of sweet juice, and probably had the taste to match. The liquor is probably closer to a Japanese fruity shochu than a regular hard liquor like whiskey.
"It seems pretty strong…" Ariane muttered nervously.
"We have some juice if you want~!" I teased.
Ariane straightened her posture and pouted, "Don't treat me like a kid!"
She picked up the shot glass and downed the liquor like a pro.
"Mhhmmm~" She seems to enjoy the sweetness so much that even her ears started wriggling.
"How's that?!" She looked proud of her accomplishment.
"You can certainly down a shot easily!" I complimented.
"Hah! I'm only just getting started!" Ariane poured another shot and quickly put it down the hatch in one go again.
"Mmmmmhhhhmmm~~~!!"
Her… her ears wriggled again… why does this elf have to be so damned cute?!
"I can't have you beating me already! Down it goes!" I pour a shot for myself and the liquor easily goes down.
I was never much of a drinker, hell, I didn't like alcohol that much at all, but this is… it tastes just like juice! Like my favorite cranberry juice mixed with apple, maybe a bit of citrus and grape, too?!
A fruit punch of a drink! Delicious!
"Astolfooo~~ Astolfooooooo~~~!! Are you even listening to me?"
"Whoa!"
I suddenly found myself on the floor with Ariane straddling me as she grabbed my cheeks with her soft hands.
"I need a refill, come on! Are you listening to me, Astolfoooo~~!" She shook my head back and forth, her breasts dangerously close to my face.
She's drunk after two shots! She's a total lightweight!!
"Huh…? Where's the booze?"
I hid the barrel just below the table, thinking that it would be bad if she drank any more, but she found it just as quickly.
"Found it~~!" Ariane held the small barrel, but I gripped it in my hands to prevent her from taking it.
"I think you've had enough, Ariane! You're acting out of character!" I tried to reason with her.
"Aren't you the one who asked fed a drink? Let's just drink~!"
Ugh… she's right… as much as I'd like to save this liquor for later, I guess I can always ask the innkeeper for more?
Plus, I wanna get my mind off that…
"Fine… maybe you're right…" I felt weird to lose to a drunk woman, but whatever…
Soon, we traded shot for shot, and Ariane, despite being a lightweight, actually stayed fairly aware and not black out drunk like I thought she'd be by now.
I, on the other hand, was a mess…
"If only I were stronger, Ariane~~~ hic!~ I could've helped more— hic!" Either I was hiccuping due to being drunk, or I was drunk and crying.
"There, there~ My Astolfo will always be the strongest~ He's my knight, after all! My strongest knight!"
Ariane hugged me tightly as she rubbed her cheek against mine.
By now, we had finished the barrel and found ourselves on one of the beds. Inari had taken the other one for herself.
"Am I really the strongest…?" I asked, thinking back to the beast people and elves still out there, suffering.
"Yes~ you are the strongest~! My strongest!" Ariane looked at my face and gave me a messy, beautiful, understanding smile.
"…Even the strongest can't save everyone… But that's alright… as long as you never stop saving who those within reach~."
"Ariane…" I stared at her light green eyes, her long silver-white hair cascading over her delicate face.
I put a hand to her cheek and caress her soft skin. "Thank you for that…"
Ariane didn't respond. She just kept staring into my eyes and I did the same.
Before we noticed, our lips were merely centimeters away from each other, our hot breaths intermingling.
"Astolfo… I…—"
I suddenly hugged her tighter, accidentally interrupting her words, but instead of continuing, Ariane simply wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine.
"Mmh— mmwaah… Ashtolphoooo~~…" Ariane tenderly called out my name in between catching breaths.
I hugged her tightly, gently, my hands caressing her back, her legs, her butt. Ariane's hands do the same, her hand pressing against my chest, my arms, my neck.
We exchanged saliva as we opened each other's mouths with our tongues, impatiently lapping up our combined liquids.
She tasted sweet, only enhanced by the liquor we just had. I was sure Ariane felt the same as she greedily sucked on my tongue.
"Ah~ Mhm~!" Her moans were loud as her crotch instinctively ground against mine, causing my skirt to roll up. I felt her wetness through our panties as I felt my cock harden.
Yet, we did not bother removing any clothes. We seemed content with our make-out session. I didn't know if it was because I didn't want to go further. After all, we were both drunk, so I'm glad I didn't.
Ariane, though, was getting close as she increased her grinding pace.
"Ah~Ah~Ah~ 'Shtolfo…! Something's— Mhm~Mwahh~!! — Coming…~~~!!!"
With one final deep kiss as she rubbed herself hard on my erection, she trembled and I felt quite a bit of warm liquid spread across my crotch.
Our lips stayed glued to each other for a while before the drunkenness took over and we fell asleep in each other's arms.