Chapter 19: New Encounters #1

Chapter 19: New Encounters #1

“You were Wagner?”

“⋯I’m not ‘mister’.”

Wagner blinked his eyes, which resembled those of a sad calf.

“I’m… 23 years old.”

“Ah.”

A moment of silence passed.

Flora and I swallowed our words with solemn expressions.

Sometimes, there are moments like that.

Situations where offering clumsy words of comfort only makes the atmosphere more somber.

No, even if I gave him the benefit of the doubt and said he looked 33, or even 43…

“Wagner, can I speak informally then?”

Nod.

He seemed much happier after I treated him familiarly.

Still, it’s a relief.

Wagner had helped me before, and he’s a decent guy, humanly speaking.

His large build is also reassuring; I can trust him.

We exchanged formal greetings, and Wagner, the human warrior (according to his own claim), officially joined the party.

“Are you wearing the pants well?”

“Yeah. They’re comfortable.”

Wagner answered briefly, then closed his mouth tightly again, silently staring at the plate of peanuts on the table.

Flora kept stealing glances at Wagner, looking a bit intimidated…

Well, it’s probably her first time seeing such a large human.

The atmosphere is still awkward between us.

But that’s something time will solve.

“Did you buy new shoes? They’re nice.”

“Really?”

He smiled broadly on his Moai-like face when I complimented him.

Wagner stretched his legs out beside the table, showing me his enormous shoes, as big as an aircraft carrier.

“I especially like the color.”

Wagner said with a proud expression.

I’m glad he likes them, but I wasn’t talking about the design.

Wagner’s shoes had magic runes engraved on them.

I carefully examined the shoes, which were as big as my head.

“Wagner, have you appraised these shoes?”

“Appraise…?”

He looked like he didn’t understand.

That’s understandable. There are no professional appraisers in the frontier.

Flora, who had been listening to our conversation, looked at me with shining eyes.

“Estel, about the appraisal, just now-“

“Yeah.”

Flora and I each learned a new magic from the “Compendium of Magic” after returning from the underground waterway.

Flora learned “Magic Mist.”

And I learned “Appraisal.”

“That’s perfect timing. We were just about to appraise some equipment. I’ll appraise those shoes for you too.”

Heh heh.

Wagner nodded his head broadly, a huge smile on his boulder-like face.

I first appraised Flora’s Imperial Silk Gloves.

「Using Appraisal Magic.」

The mana emanating from my hand transformed into a small magnifying glass and moved around the gloves.

After a moment…

「Successfully appraised Imperial Silk Gloves. Appraisal Magic proficiency increased.」

「Discovered the “Magic Stone Collection” rune imbued in the Imperial Silk Gloves.」

「Magic Stone Collection

-Increases the probability of acquiring magic stones when you or your party members defeat monsters.」

A faint green light began to emanate from the magic rune engraved on the inside of Flora’s gloves.

It’s not a bad rune.

I wouldn’t want to use it myself, but it’s incredibly useful for a party member to have.

“Wow- the gloves are shining. They’re so pretty-“

“They are.”

Flora seemed indifferent to the rune’s performance, satisfied simply with the gloves’ enhanced appearance.

She’s not like a baby given glow-in-the-dark sandals.

Anyway, it’s my turn to appraise my gloves.

「Using Appraisal Magic.」

「Discovered the “Afterimage” rune imbued in the Imperial Silk Gloves.」

「Congratulations. You have discovered the “Thousand-Mile Sight” rune, which emits powerful energy!」

「Afterimage

-Increases the user’s evasion rate.」

「Thousand-Mile Sight

-Penetrates objects within a certain range. The range and penetration power vary depending on the mana used.」

I gasped for a moment.

Thousand-Mile Sight. Among the thousands of runes in “Nine Stars,” it’s considered top-tier in terms of utility.

Even its basic use of detecting enemies through walls is excellent, but depending on how it’s used, it’s a valuable rune that can be used not only in combat but also in all sorts of situations.

It even earned the nickname “The Big Three Support Runes.”

Shit. This is appearing already?

‘I have to keep her with me until the end.’

Even if I change gloves later, I need to keep Thousand-Mile Sight.

Transferring magic runes to other equipment is expensive, but it’s well worth the cost.

“How is it, Estel?”

Flora asked, looking at me with expectant eyes.

What should I do? Should I tell her the truth?

Sometimes, even if they are party members, people don’t reveal their full strength.

Even if we are comrades now, we might meet again as enemies someday.

There’s also the saying “seeing something desirable breeds covetousness.”

There’s no guarantee that they won’t be blinded by greed upon seeing valuable equipment and attack.

But…

I decided I could trust Flora.

And Wagner too.

Since he helped me without asking for anything in return, there’s no doubt about their character.

“Amazing. I checked, and it’s the Thousand-Mile Sight rune.”

“Wow-“

“Congratulations.”

Flora clapped her hands. Wagner followed suit, glancing at her.

“But Wagner, do you know what the Thousand-Mile Sight rune is?”

“⋯Well.”

“Is it good? Estel, show me. What kind of rune is it?”

What are these guys?

They’re congratulating me without even knowing what it is.

They’re so naive, to the point of being ignorant of the world.

I shrugged and concentrated mana into my gloves.

It’s better to show them once than to explain a hundred times.

「Using Thousand-Mile Sight.」

The mana, which had rapidly drained, was sucked into the gloves.

“Oh-“

My vision expanded to the surroundings.

While normal vision is limited to the forward field of view, now it encompasses the entire 360 degrees-up, down, left, right, like a chameleon.

It’s a strange sensation, as if my body has shed and I’m looking down at space from mid-air.

And it’s not just the expanded vision.

I could see a chef shaking a frying pan in the kitchen through the wall.

I could also see an adventurer lowering his zipper in the restroom beyond the partition.

“How is it, Estel? Can you see well?”

“⋯A customer will be entering soon. Old, with a dark beard and brown… and missing his left arm.”

At my words, Flora and Wagner turned their gazes towards the entrance.

A moment later.

“Welcome-“

“Kuh-huh, the weather’s terrible again today- Bartender, a cold beer first!”

An adventurer with his red hair tied back like a horse’s tail opened the door and entered.

“Wow.”

“⋯!”

Flora and Wagner looked at each other.

It’s too early to be surprised.

I furrowed my brow and scowled.

My vision, which had encompassed the entire tavern, narrowed again.

But this time, with the narrowed focus, my penetration power concentrated on one spot.

I saw Wagner.

Thick leather armor.

Peering through it, I saw bulging pectorals and bushy chest hair…

Ah, shit.

“Ugh!”

Flora and Wagner, who didn’t know why, tilted their heads as I gagged.

A mistake.

I saw something I absolutely didn’t want to see.

I need to purify my eyes quickly.

This time, I looked at Flora.

Her skin, firm like freshly pounded rice cake, was pale and white.

Her underwear was white, both top and bottom.

White… I like it.

Hmm.

I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.

“Are you okay? Your face is red.”

Wagner patted my shoulder with a concerned look.

At this point, I deactivated Thousand-Mile Sight.

I could see much more than just underwear if I wanted to…

But after only a few seconds of use, my mana was almost depleted, and I didn’t feel like it.

Honestly, it’s a violation of privacy.

I should refrain from using it unless absolutely necessary.

I whispered in Flora’s ear.

“Senior, you’re wearing white underwear right now, aren’t you?”

“Oh, wow- How did you know? That’s amazing-“

“That’s the ability. You can see it with Thousand-Mile Sight.”

At my words, Flora’s eyes widened.

That’s enough explanation for the ability.

Finally, when I appraised Wagner’s shoes…

「Dancing Fever

-Becomes a master of social dance.」

Why did it have to be such trash among intermediate runes?

Wagner seems to be incredibly unlucky.

When I hesitantly told him the result, Wagner surprisingly seemed satisfied.

“Cool.”

I should learn from his positive attitude.

Wagner seemed to really like his shoes, as he lightly stepped to the rhythm while sitting on the chair.

Tap, tap, tap-

Is it just me?

Even though it’s just a simple step of tapping the floor with his feet, it feels exceptionally rhythmic due to the effect of the Dancing Fever rune.

“By the way, why isn’t the other person here yet?”

The agreed-upon time has long passed.

Mitchell, the elf brawler.

Where is this guy doing?

“Wagner, did you happen to see an elf on your way here?”

Nope.

Wagner shook his head and became engrossed in his own rhythm again.

Tap, tap-

“What should we do? What if something happened to them?”

Flora said, her eyebrows perked up with worry.

“Then there’s nothing we can do.”

“Yes?”

“We don’t have the luxury to worry about personal circumstances. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just have to do it with the three of us.”

No matter what, you have to keep your promises. That’s the basic of being an adventurer.

It’s a cold reality, but an adventurer who can’t even manage the simple task of showing up at the tavern on time doesn’t need to be accepted as a party member.

We’re not here to play pretend children’s games.

Unfortunately, it seems Mitchell and I are not destined to be together.

⋯Just as I thought that.

“Damn these cheaters-!”

CRASH-

The table next to ours flew into the air.

Bottles of alcohol, cards, and gold coins scattered everywhere.

The tavern was instantly thrown into chaos.

“Didn’t you learn that if you’re caught cheating, your hands get cut off-“

A woman with fiery red hair tied back like a horse’s tail raised her voice menacingly.

“You crazy bitch. Who’s cheating?”

“Is she completely insane?”

The men who were gambling spat and drew their weapons.

Gleaming blades, glinting eyes.

And it was a one-against-many situation.

Most people would be intimidated, but the woman seemed even more excited, like a fish in water.

“Alright, come at me.”

What is all this commotion?

I decided it was best to leave the area and stood up, but suddenly the woman’s face caught my eye.

A beautiful woman with a fierce expression, like a female leopard.

Fiery red hair.

And long, pointed ears.

“I’ll beat you until you die.”

The red-haired elf grinned, clenching her fists.