SERAPHIS VERLICE
As the door opened, my eyes were met with an impenetrable veil of darkness.
There was a momentary lull as a thought flashed across my mind.
…Was there no one here, after all?
That thought had barely formed before a limb suddenly shot out at me.
I managed to evade it before being met with a furious onslaught of them, pushing me further towards the center of the camp.
Right, left, right, left, down, up, left again… one even managed to connect with my foot.
Each blow that I parried only seemed to pronounce the aches in my body even further.
…But even for all their ferocity, the attacks weren't particularly strong enough to be threatening to me in any way. This person—whoever it was—was nor a brawler or enhancer.
As this thought occurred, one of my assailant's legs blurred towards the area behind my knee, bringing me down just an inch, before the other one streaked towards me. I caught it firmly, half vexed at these attempts.
"Calm down! I'm not your enemy."
…In the silence following my words, the figure lowered their leg, and the lighting of the campfire suddenly flared, illuminating the scene in a way it could've never hoped to achieve before.
Finally, I took a breath as the appearance of the young girl captured by the slave traders was revealed to me.
Her glossy, vibrant wine red eyes were the first things that I noticed—they seemed to scintillate even in the darkness—followed by her black hair that freely fell past her shoulders. The girl's nose was delicately refined, and she wore what seemed to be a dark colored, knee-length A-line skirt, along with a brown waistcoat-style top.
Despite what she must've gone through, there could be no doubt in my mind that this person was indeed, nobility.
There was an unmistakable air about her.
Just how is this going to play out, I wonder…
As I rose, she took in my appearance with almost a single, sweeping glance.
I could see her eyes widen just a fraction of an inch as she regarded me.
"You're… a kid," she said, faint traces of curiosity evident. I fought the urge to scoff.
"...You don't look much older than me, yourself."
The young girl frowned at this.
"Tell me. What is your name?"
Isn't it common courtesy to give your own name before asking for someone else's, damnit…?
In any case, It'd probably be a good idea to not share my identity.
Things could get a bit hectic if the kingdom learned that the prince of Verlice was discovered in some random forest. Besides, I don't plan to make a public return until I've grown strong enough to protect my family from… whatever it is That Woman is warning me about.
"...Sera. My name is Sera."
"Sera…" she repeated lightly.
"I'll remember that. I am Alis, daughter of House Vorlet. Now then, tell me, Sera, who are you, and what is your reason for being here?"
"Me? I'm an adventurer from V… a humble family," I quickly added. "In an unforeseen twist of events, I ended up stranded here. Wherever here is. I was in the area nearby when I heard voices and thought them to be people that could help rescue me from this place. But, as I listened in on their conversations, things became more and more apparent that they were not. And so, things turned out the way you see it."
Gesturing to our surroundings, I allowed her to come to a conclusion of the events that transpired on her own.
She must've been able to hear some of it, anyways, since her wooden box wasn't enhanced with any sound deafening runes. Casting a glance at the metal cuffs around her hands that'd been faintly reflecting light, I continued.
"In any case, who I am does not matter all that much. Just know that I'm not your enemy. You're safe now."
Reaching out a palm, I displayed the keychain I held, giving her a knowing look. She turned around slightly after a second or two of careful scrutiny, and I promptly inserted each of the keys until the mana cuffs clicked off. She held eye contact with me the entire time.
Alis rubbed her wrists as they fell into the soil, seemingly observing our surroundings, before turning back to me with a slightly incredulous expression.
Her eyebrows narrowed.
"You don't mean to tell me that you dealt with the three of them, do you? Alone, nonetheless."
I stepped forward.
"They were drunk. And, despite how I may look, I'm quite trained myself, though it wasn't all easy. I waited until they separated and picked off the weakest of the bunch. One of them… the leader… was poisoned by one of his own. That only left one more, but I managed to subdue him."
The young girl's eyes slowly trailed towards the small fox at my side.
"...I suppose it isn't entirely unbelievable that a contractor was able to deal with them, given the circumstances. All the more if you're a trained mage. Very well then. What did you do with the bodies?"
"The bodies…? They're still where they initially were. Why?"
She paused for a moment, clearly taken aback by my sudden defensiveness.
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, only her tone this time was as if she was stating the obvious.
"Those people… they must face punishment for their actions. What they've committed is a capital offense, not to mention a personal blow against my House. Merely "subduing" them will not suffice. Surely, you had to have known this?"
I blinked, unsure of the implication behind her words.
"You… Just what do you plan to do exactly?"
"That remains to be decided. While I fully intend to make sure they face the repercussions of their actions, I'm quite limited in what it is I can do. For now, at least. It wouldn't do to silently dispose of the two in some backwater forest, away from public viewing. Not to mention much less significant. These foul creatures were merely the pawns of a much more elaborate scheme, and as such, need to be made an example of… No matter. That organization will fall all the same."
Then, she turned searching eyes to me.
"We should quickly take all that we can scavenge from them. I don't know about you, but I don't intend on staying here for very long. I have places to be, people to see, and much bigger fish to fry."
I perked up, hearing this.
"Would that also not be dangerous for them? What if they were attacked by some rabid magic beast?"
"Then, tell me. Throughout your time spent… wandering," she looked me up and down, "have you ever once encountered any? I'm willing to bet you haven't."
Following her gaze, I took in my rather unblemished elven attire. If anyone saw me, they'd think I didn't exactly have a hard time here, so I couldn't exactly blame her.
"...Fair point."
We then spent the better half of an hour or so stripping down the traders for everything they owned.
I was a bit more modest in my taking, considering there wasn't much they had for me to desire, but Alis, on the other hand, was like a storm.
Money, clothes, weapons, food, hell, even what little jewelry their boss had wasn't safe from her all-seeing gaze. The most disturbing part of it was, perhaps, that.
She hardly flinched at the sight of the dead man's body… although, to be fair, you wouldn't've even known he wasn't alive.
He looked as if he would awaken within the next moment's breeze.
T'was the day I learned that not all dead bodies looked gruesome and horrifying… Some could even appear peaceful and strangely serene. Death didn't always have to be ugly.
Yet, there was an odd stillness to him that made my skin crawl.
In that silence, I think that realization changed us both.
By the time we finished, you would've thought some miniature tornado swept through the camp.
…That is, of course, if the tornado was thieving, conniving, and only cared about what possessions it could strip from the nearby humans. A thief-nado, basically.
Huh… With how bizarre this world is, something like that could actually exist.
When we were finished, we reconvened at the campfire—which I had kept bright and stoked throughout the entirety of it—disregarding my reserves of mana. It wasn't like doing so drained me by much, anyways.
And the extra lighting was helpful. Alis' appearance hadn't changed by much.
She now wore a large overcoat fitted with animal fur, however, which honestly didn't look too out of place with her.
Instead of the sheltered, yet brave and capable, noble girl image she gave off before, she was more akin to some sort of wealthy mafia boss, what with her piercing gaze and obviously prideful demeanor.
There was also a small ring she wore, as well, which seemed to be forged out of pure obsidian and polished with a ruby-red gem.
I gave her a curious look and she smirked.
"Merely taking back what rightfully belongs to me," was all that she said. I shrugged, figuring that it must've been a dimensional storage ring, considering how little she seemed to be carrying on her.
"Now then, let us go over that which we know," Alis began, brandishing a map from thin air. It wasn't the largest map, by any means, but it was sufficient enough to plan our next move. At the very top of the map, written in small, bold letters was: Western Range: Myreddin.
"I wasn't able to see very much from within that cage, but I could see just enough in order to get a general idea of where we are, based on specific landmarks and such. I'd say somewhere around… here."
Her finger landed on an area in between… well, the western ranges of Myreddin.
The Holy Kingdom itself was mostly outcropped by the map, only showing maybe about slightly more than a half of it. The capital city of Angelmyre was at the very edge of it.
Meanwhile, there was a mountain range surrounding the region we were located in, spanning from where we were currently, and reaching to a town on the outcroppings of Myreddin itself, not mentioning the ones largely separating it from the beast kingdom of Eurethemia.
All in all, it meant that we were inside a relatively specific range of area, including the space between Eurethemia and the mountain nearing the border of our region—Ravatogh—with the Beast Lands situated somewhere behind us.
If this were a map of the entire world, starting from Testruam, it'd look like I traveled across the very ends of Ethos itself… sorta, anyways.
So, I'm this far from home…
When it's put into perspective like that, it's hard to believe that I even somehow managed to be transported so far.
That witch… Yuena. Whoever she is, she's strangely powerful. Not even the warp gates can reach that far, and to think that with just a snap of her fingers, I was teleported across the entire continent…
It's a chilling line of thought. It makes you really think—why me, exactly?
Imagine if I were to get on her bad side… I probably wouldn't be safe, even in death.
"Ravatoghs Range… That's where we are," I muttered.
"A vast mountain range that shares with some of Eurethemia's own, travelling between the two, and stopping just near a rather sizable town in Myreddin—Goldshire. Although, it's so close that they might as well classify it as part of it. Damn it… So we have to travel that far, huh?"
Alis spared me a dark glance.
"That's correct. It'll be weeks, if not a month or two worth of travel, considering neither of us are capable of mounting the reins of the carriage and setting off. Truly, I didn't expect them to have transported me so far, in such a short time… Those criminals sure work fast. Winter will be setting in not too long from now, as well, so I estimate that by the time we arrive in Goldshire, snowfall won't be too far off. That leaves me with a few more months left before I have to return home…"
I tilted my head, preparing to ask a question I'd had since the beginning, but held in.
"Ah, excuse me, Miss Alis, but… if I may ask, what exactly were you doing before, uh… this all happened?"
"Curious about me, are you? Why, I could quite ask you the same, don't you think?" she began, giving me a look of intrigue and slight amusement.
"Your story is one I have yet to understand. You say that you're an adventurer, yet you don't seem to be familiar with, nor possess any of the traits true ones typically have. Not only are you unaccompanied by any sort of cohort—which is tantamount to suicide in "our" world—but you also don't seem to have known who I was. That tells me you're either extremely sheltered, or foreign to Myreddin. Your hands are too soft, too unblemished; not enough callouses. Your eyes don't possess the maddening hunger and experience that naturally comes with the job. No weapon is even present on you—in fact, I might even go so far as to say that you have yet to actually wield a real one in battle… Ah. The look in your eyes tells me I'm right."
She smirked, continuing.
"Really, I doubt you could even harm a fly, let alone a magic beast. And your demeanor… It isn't that of a warrior. It's that of a sheltered boy who grew up attending lessons for most of his life in a nice home, without any real life-or-death scenarios, who dreamt of attaining glory. And actually, while we're at it, you mentioned being from a humble family, except that ring of yours is quite curious, isn't it? I haven't been able to get a good look at it, but it's obvious that it's meant for storage. Might I add that it's a bit too extravagant, even? Not a single blemish on its perfect frame… It clearly has yet to see the light of constant battle."
And just when I thought she might've been done, she added one more thing.
"Ah, and one last thing. Your clothing. While I reluctantly commend your superb fashion taste, I must say, those robes look oddly reminiscent of those worn by elves. I might go so far as to say elven royalty, even, but now that I look more closely at them, they are noticeably more different. Had I not known any better, I would've mistaken you as some sort of lost prince. Or princess, even. Aren't you a little too adorable?"
A stifled giggle threatened to escape her lips.
Yet, throughout it all, however, there was one thing she said that stuck with me the most.
"But your ring doesn't have any blemishes either…!"
"Mines? Of course it does," she flaunted it with the same, playful smirk. "I just chose the material that makes it harder to tell."
I sighed deeply, defeated by her almost two minute long, infuriatingly accurate assessment of me.
Damn it. She has a point though.
…Except for that princess remark! Wasn't that one a little uncalled for?!
But still, I had to admit, she was spot on about basically everything.
She's oddly observant about things. Even for all my lessons in royal etiquette and sociability, I had never gotten to the point where I could start reading someone based on their body language, or the look in their eyes!
Damn Myreddin nobility, just what kind of child are they intending to raise?!
Still, I got the feeling she wasn't making fun of me, weirdly enough.
"Well, I apologize for not being good enough, then," I remarked in a pouting manner.
"I'm just a boy who happens to want to be an adventurer. It wasn't my choice—at least, not at this point in time—but, well, things happen. And I'd be a fool to turn down strength."
There was a lull as she seemed to consider something, her garnet eyes seeming to dim ever-so-slightly in the recognizable fashion of common feeling. For once, I finally felt as if we had reached a silent connection.
Well, she's a child of nobility, isn't she? It's not uncommon for children to be burdened with the weight of crushing expectations. Maybe she and I aren't too different, after all.
…That feeling lasted until the next time she spoke, of course.
"Hm. Well in any case, I never said any of that was a bad thing. Not once. You wanted to know about me, didn't you? I'll tell you then, though I did sort of reveal a bit of it already. I'm an adventurer, myself," she began, before quickly adding, "Bonafide. Not aspiring."
I struggled against the urge to proclaim my hatred for her right then and there.
"I have two companions, male and female. Their names are Cygnus and Ariel. They've been acting as both my assigned bodyguards, and companions, due to my young age and status. One thing about being an adventurer is—as I mentioned—going in solo is the same as a proclamation of suicide. So much so, in fact, that it's restricted, sometimes even prohibited, to take on certain quests and tasks without having a part of at least three, though there is some leniency, depending on the situation."
Her expression turned slightly dark as she continued.
"I've been doing it for a bit over a year now, and throughout it all, one thing I've never once stopped to consider, amidst all the worry and caution directed towards the enemy, was the possibility of betrayal. Until it happened, of course… Those slave trading bastards were shady to begin with. I shouldn't've ignored the signs. I was naive and didn't notice it until it was too late. By then, the small horde of magic beasts we'd been fighting had slowly started to increase in number, like a wave that threatened to snuff out our lives. The last thing I remember was the look in Cygnus' eyes as he peered behind. Next thing I knew, I was waking up on the road, trapped and cuffed. I don't even know if they survived…"
I couldn't even imagine the horror.
Was that one of the things I'd have to constantly worry about while adventuring? The act of betrayal?
That's messed up on so many levels. If I hadn't been here, then just what would've happened to her?
After a while, she sighed, breaking the silence. "So, there you have it. That's my story. As for what I plan to do… that's simple. I'll travel back to Myreddin, starting at Goldshire. From there, I'll try to contact my cohort. If I can, I'll arrange to either meet with them somewhere, or, knowing them, they'll prefer to rush over to me. And what about yourself? After hearing my story, do you still wish to become an adventurer?"
I froze, considering her words carefully. What are the chances of something like that happening to me?
Of course, I'm no highly valued nobility and all, but still.
…Or actually, I guess I'm technically more than that, huh? So, I'd have an even bigger target on my head, now that I think about it. Crap, that wouldn't be any good. I guess I'll have to come up with better ways to conceal my identity. The name Sera isn't doing me any favors, even if my appearance has changed quite a bit. Especially if I'll be walking around wearing this ring that directly tells people who I am…
Man, I really got lucky that she didn't discover my identity.
Yeah, from now on, things would definitely have to change. Although, it's not as if there are many names presented to me.
…A lost prince, huh? I wonder…
Pushing these thoughts aside, I responded. "Yeah. I still want… no, I need to become one. I need to get stronger."
Of course, I had already known my answer, regardless, and it seemed she knew, too, considering how unsurprised she looked. She probably never expected to change my mind to begin with.
After all, if the promises of danger were enough to scare me away, then I would've never been cut out for it to begin with.
"Alright then. That's a good look you have in your eyes," Alis commented, seeming rather pleased.
"Well, don't worry. At least your good looks might attract more refined and high value traders, ones who have a more exquisite palate. You'll be in good hands, probably."
She stopped, casting a glance at the distant figures of the almost naked, unconscious traders, seeming to realize something.
"...Wait. In that case, just what exactly were those perverted bastards planning to do to a refined beauty like myself? …Ah, that joke was too soon. I thought I'd be okay to joke about it… Damn it, is this trauma I'm feeling? How dare those bastards! They'll pay dearly for this…!"
Ah… What a four-dimensional person.
My attention turned inwards as Alis wiped the wetness from her eyes while murmuring a string of curses that I wouldn't have expected from her, setting my thoughts towards the future. Truthfully, I wanted to give her as much privacy as I could. I wasn't the best person at comforting people.
And besides, someone else seemed to have already taken that role…
"Ah. This is… a strange magic beast of sorts. Seraphina, was it? Her fur is really pretty and soft… though it's slightly dirty. I suppose that's bound to happen, living in the forest like this. No matter though, I'll get you cleaned up. There should be a stream nearby… Don't worry, I'll take good care of you. Since your bond doesn't seem particularly interested in it."
A slight giggle escaped from her. "Ah—that tickles…!"
…Seriously? I don't wash her fur for one week, and this is what I go through?
I performed the mental equivalent of a sigh.
This journey promised to be a long one, for all intents and purposes, and only time would tell how things would turn out.
Weeks, if not a month or two, spent traveling in the vast regions of wild plains, all in the company of a girl who I had just met today.
From appearances, she was a truly extraordinary individual. Brave, strong, cunning, and fierce.
That was how the image she portrayed.
Yet underneath it, there were hints of kindness and vulnerability.
She was still quite young, after all.
Seemingly not much older than myself, if only by a year or two.
But even then, she'd been through quite a lot already. Really, just how would this journey turn out, I wonder…?
There was still so much for me to take care of, so much to do, so much to think about.
Yuena… The fragment-trial, the matters concerning the "plague", my plans as an adventurer, my family—all of it. There's just so much to think about.
But then again, I guess the thing that only really matters is what comes next.
Just get through today, then tomorrow, then the day after that, and every other day following—all when they arrive, not before, or even later.
One step at a time, as they say.