Rematch (3)

How often does an Elf personally pick up pieces of your insides and put them back in your stomach? Probably rare. If it happens, you might as well die. Anyway.

She could only close her eyes and feel relieved. Happy that her friend hadn’t died, and grateful to the Mother Goddess who had guided her down the right path. Elves are often portrayed as almost demonic in stories about the World Tree, but they are fundamentally a peace-loving race with kind hearts.

‘It feels a little bad to be playing with that kind heart.’

That look in her eyes, seeing me as someone to protect.

It tickles inside.

Thankfully, she was so busy healing my wounds that she didn’t invest any attention in the reconstruction. I was worried she’d press me relentlessly, but luckily she didn’t.

“Um. Lanya-ssi. I’m okay, so could you let go of me?”

“Denied. It’s better to stay still. Your wound hasn’t healed.”

“Wound, you say?”

I give an awkward smile and take a step back. No matter how much I look, there’s no wound. The reconstruction was perfect. But, as much as I distance myself, Lanya also comes closer, not thinking of letting go. I don’t need this overprotection. Using both hands to create some space, I take out a small metal box from my pocket.

“It’s not that, I was just trying to get permission regarding this.”

“Permission?”

“A World Tree Leaf.”

“…!”

The atmosphere changes rapidly. A successful topic change. I break the chain, open the box, take out the yellowing, drying leaf, and hand it to Lanya. She hardens her face and carefully places the leaf on her palm. She looks as focused as possible, as if afraid the leaf might crumble.

“A World Tree Leaf… It’s real. Friend, where did you get it? From the house of the Ain you killed earlier?”

“It’s an Ain named Pesker who was running an illegal fighting ring… He’s the one who stole it. Ah, and. Lanya-ssi?”

“Friend. Are you hurt? If you’re hurt, I’ll get a potion.”

“No, no. I just got a little curious.”

I’ll tell her the plan bit by bit later… I look at her blood-stained bowstring and say.

“How did you know who Pesker was and kill him?”

She realized my presence after entering the room. So, she killed him without knowing that Pesker had attacked me, or that he was trying to steal the leaf. I was going to kill him anyway… Still. Killing him knowing and killing him not knowing are different, right? Lanya opens her mouth with a nonchalant voice, as if it’s nothing.

“It’s okay. It was also the Mother Goddess-nim’s command. 「Enter the blue roof and pierce the face of the Ain you see first.」 I carried out the command, so there’s no problem.”

“Oh. Um, okay.”

“And, those who steal a part of the Mother Goddess-nim can be executed without trial. The same goes for those who disgrace the Mother Goddess-nim.”

“…Don’t the Ain rebel?”

“All the Ain who rebelled are dead.”

“…”

The right to summary execution, huh. I realize anew that the Elf race isn’t normal either. They don’t hesitate to kill others to follow the unknowable commands of the World Tree, and if the World Tree is even slightly harmed, they issue an indefinite extermination order targeting the ‘race’ in question.

“Haa. Okay. Lanya-ssi? Then can we get to the main point?”

“Friends don’t need to ask for permission. Speak comfortably.”

“Then I’ll start with the conclusion. I need the World Tree Leaf to catch a Demon.”

“A Demon?”

The hand holding the World Tree Leaf trembles slightly. I guess she’s maximizing the Elves’ own flexibility. Whether to recover the World Tree Leaf, or to get a chance to catch a Demon. I grab Lanya’s hand, who is just stammering, and say.

“Let’s get out of here first. I’ll tell you the plan while we go back to Barhaya District. This place… The smell of blood is a bit much.”

I scrape the bits of flesh and gore stuck to the bottom of my shoes on the corner and turn around.

Under the blue roof where the light has gone out and only darkness remains. The corpse of the Yellow Tiger Tribe member who lost his head is bleeding crimson blood and chilling coldly.

* * *

Passing through Lexen District to Barhaya District.

Even while we’re moving, the black market price is rising, and the price of the leaf, which exceeded ten gold coins, has already surpassed fifteen. Because of that, influential figures operating in the shadows are rushing in with their eyes burning to get a single leaf. It was bad news for the Elves. That meant the leaf recovery rate was falling.

We were the ones in a hurry. The opponent is an existence that gets stronger the more time they have. I didn’t know what they would do with the absorbed semen.

“Shuriel-nim and Kalberd-gun will take some time to return… Should we approach with just the two of us?”

“Would that be okay? The number of people is too small.”

It was decided to use the leaf to lure the Demon. A small sacrifice for the greater good. Lanya’s firm resolve is conveyed to me. I wonder if she’s making a fuss over a dying leaf, but to them, the Mother Goddess is the world itself. I can’t know how much thought is contained in this one small decision.

“Personnel. More needed. Request reinforcements from Kardrasil?”

Lanya asks. I shake my head and refuse. It would be troublesome if the Demon of War appeared if we increased the number of people unnecessarily. It seemed like I would be enough alone. And it’s still too early to fight.

“It’s still too early to fight. I don’t know the exact location either… I think it would be good to go to the black market first. Do you know the location of the black market?”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been out of Kardrasil much, so I don’t know the geography here well. What should I do?”

The Elves declared complete non-interference unless it was related to the World Tree. Let the Ain solve the problems of the Ain. So they didn’t care what was sold on the black market. It didn’t matter to the Elves whether they sold drugs or took out contract killings. It wasn’t that strange that Lanya didn’t know the location of the black market.

But it’s okay.

“It’s okay. I know an Ain who is well-versed in the underworld.”

Because I know one suitable person.

I close my eyes and concentrate. I scattered Mana throughout the Lexen District and searched for the target with the Geas on me. There was only one person who had placed a Geas on me since I came here.

Snow Mountain Wolf Sirek. The person who procured the tranquilizers for beasts and rapid healing potions, which are prohibited from being sold on the market, to the fighting ring. Since he obtained illegal items, he would also know the passage to the black market.

「Sirek. Can you hear me?」

The target with the Geas on them instinctively knows the content is embedded in their head. If I slightly modify this, I can use it in the form of telepathy. 「’Sirek. Can you hear me?’ A Geas that kills you if you don’t answer.」 Of course, I don’t know if there’s anyone else who uses this crazy technique besides me.

Sirek was startled by the unidentified ‘power’ embedded in his head and shouted.

―Ugh. Huh? What, what the fuck!

「I see you can hear me well. Come here right now. The address is the Red Wolf Gate leading to Barhaya District. If you don’t, I’ll blow your head off, so do as you please.」

―This shi-

I don’t listen to the following curses and release my concentration. I lean against the broken door and say.

“Friend. What did you do?”

“I called an Ain who will guide us. If we wait, a guide dog… No. Hmm. Slip of the tongue. A guide will come.”

“Amazing. Is it telepathy?”

“Well, it’s similar.”

* * *

Some preparations were needed to enter the black market. First of all, we had to disguise ourselves. We’re going to sell the World Tree Leaf, which boasts the highest priority for black market crackdowns, and if an Elf is standing there, they’ll be very happy. And although it’s unlikely, if the Demon himself comes to trade… There’s no way he wouldn’t recognize me, right? I need to cover my face.

“Fuck. You said you’d send me back?”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t call you again.”

“God damn it.”

Sirek, who had accepted his fate, continued to guide us diligently while cursing. I was on the left, and Lanya was on the right, so there was nowhere to run.

“Friend. It’s stuffy. Can’t I take it off? My ears are covered.”

“I’m sorry. Please bear with it a little longer.”

Lanya kept fiddling with the veil that came down to her neck, as if it was uncomfortable. The veil, which was so dark that I doubted whether she could see in front of her, covered the entire front of her face. The reason why I covered her face, including her ears, like this was really, really unavoidable.

“Sirek. Turn your eyes away.”

“Does it wear out if you look? You’ve covered your face too.”

“Before I tell Lanya that you were stealing glances at her thighs.”

“Ah, damn it.”

Lanya was too pretty.

Elves boast a beautiful appearance that is responsible for the aesthetic standards of this world. If a beauty like Lanya appeared in the black market, it was natural to think that an Elf had appeared. She was actually an Elf. And who else would be here besides Elves and Ain? How often do humans come to the black market?

I wore a veil too. Appearance aside, I couldn’t let the Demon find out. I deliberately wore loose-fitting clothes and even put a robe over my body.

“There’s a black market in Lexen District too… But there are only a lot of Yellow Tiger Tribe members there, so there are few items. The guys you’re looking for are probably in this Barhaya District or Helkun District, which is ruled by the Iron Bear Tribe.”

“What about the other one?”

“There’s no black market there. You’ll be wasting your time if you go. You know that the Barhaya District black market only opens at night, right?”

I raised my head and looked up at the sky at Sirek’s words. Perhaps because I spent a lot of time returning to Barhaya, the sun had already set. Darkness would soon come, so there was no problem.

As expected, by the time we arrived at the black market, the sun had completely set and jet-black darkness greeted us. The lights on the street start to go out one by one. Sirek didn’t lose his way even in the darkness and quickly headed to the entrance of the black market.

“Now that we’ve arrived, take good care of your faces.”

After passing through a winding back alley, a slightly open road appears. In front of it, two Red Wolf Tribe Ain were blocking the entrance. Sirek seemed to know them, as he naturally approached and spoke to them.

“Sirek. The guy who bought stuff last time. You know?”

“Of course. What brings you here today?”

“I’m here to sell something.”

“Hoo. What?”

“A World Tree Leaf.”

“Wh, what? Shit. Is it real? The one whose price has skyrocketed this time?”

“I came as an agent, so don’t covet it. Try it if you can handle the aftermath of killing me. So please keep it a secret.”

He took out a few copper coins from his pocket and threw them to them. He could have just ignored them and passed by, but if he gave them money like this, he could pass without trouble. The Red Wolf Tribe gatekeepers who received the money quickly put the coins in their pockets and opened the door.

“If you survive without getting stabbed, treat me to a drink later. But who are the two behind you?”

“They’re customers. It’s okay, so let them in.”

Their eyes meet for a moment. However, the dark veil blocked their gaze, so they couldn’t see their faces.

“……”

“……”

After a few seconds like that.

“Okay. Pass!”

We were able to enter the black market without any problems.

“From here, we have to find the old man.”

“Old man?”

Sirek looked around as he entered the interior.

“A Dwarf old man who sells and buys everything. He buys anything that’s even slightly useful, but no one knows where the money comes from. It’s one of the mysteries of the black market. Last time, he even bought diamonds by the sack, damn it?”

Sirek continued to speak with a curious expression.

“It’s better not to think about attacking him because you’re tempted by the money. Recently, seven Red Wolf Tribe members who attacked the old man were hit by an unidentified artifact and disappeared in an instant.”

The old man was definitely good at self-defense.

I nodded and asked.

“Does he handle World Tree Leaves too?”

“Of course. He was caught by an Elven Knight last time and was released, but I think he bribed them with Parnium.”

Lanya’s eyes twitch.

Just as I was barely trying to calm her down from taking out her bow.

“Wait a minute, Lanya-ssi. Shh. Sirek, you shut up too.”

Someone was standing in front of the Dwarf old man’s shop that Sirek had mentioned.

“…Still no one has gotten a leaf?”

“I’ve put out a notice throughout the back alleys, so it should come out in at least three days.”

“No… No. There’s no time. I’ll raise the money more, so solve it within two days. Here’s the advance payment.”

“…That’s, well. Hmm. I understand. I’ll try my best.”

Someone unidentified with bandages wrapped around their entire skin. Their red-tinged black hair is impressive. Decisively, they had an abnormally large hat covering their temples. Unless it’s a case like us where we need a disguise, the only race that wears such a big hat is…

‘…Pordil.’

A Demon trying to hide their horns, I guess.