Slowly, Little by Little (3)

It didn’t take long for that inexplicable tail handshake to devolve into a discussion about going to dinner.

Though she should have been eating hospital food, since Línea insisted on immediately getting the meal she had claimed as compensation for my apology, I ended up sneaking a patient out of the ward.

“It’s really too bad that Titan and Claire won’t be joining us!”

Línea said with a bright smile spreading across her face.

Whether she was genuinely disappointed was questionable enough to make me doubt her humanity, but she probably didn’t have any ill intentions.

Well, even if I’m treating her to a meal, there was only one place we could go anyway.

“……”

To get a proper meal in the capital, you need a reservation.

Otherwise, there obviously won’t be any seats available, and the restaurants that do have space are mostly scammers who overcharge tourists.

So with such a sudden request, there was only one place I could go.

“Welcome back, masters!”

The Shade Coinur branch.

A restaurant that takes courage just to enter. Places like this have seats available even during lunch hours.

When we came last time, both Línea and Claire seemed to eat without complaint, so it should be fine as a restaurant too.

“…This feels quite different from what I was expecting.”

“…Sorry. But what else could I do? This is the only place we can eat like normal people.”

It’s not like I have any name value or power.

If we want to eat something decent, we have to put up with this much at least.

“I understand. I get it, but hmm……”

Línea isn’t the type to criticize me over something like this.

But since she seemed to have high expectations in various ways, it’s understandable if she’s disappointed.

“Still, today we’ll just have a meal. I won’t call Shade to request information or anything like that.”

“That might not be so bad. If we get a private room like last time and eat quietly, well, it could be nice……”

Línea, who had been visibly disappointed, finally nodded at that.

Fortunately, after thinking about it, she seemed to judge this wasn’t so bad either.

As she wished, we got a room assigned and requested no services other than the meal.

Rather, I got chills from the fact that they had quite an extensive list of services besides conversation. I may have underestimated Shade’s schemes to drive people away.

“…I’ll leave it at this request.”

I finished ordering the meal while trying my best to pretend I hadn’t seen Shade’s service list. Though it was the kind of list that could make the atmosphere turn cold, fortunately Línea hadn’t noticed it.

She propped her chin up with both hands while humming and looking out the window.

She definitely seemed much brighter than before. Seeing her wag her tail while humming made even my mood improve.

As we were maintaining that pleasant silence while waiting for our food.

“I didn’t expect you to come so quickly. You’re quite impatient.”

Shade suddenly opened the door and came inside.

He must have mistakenly thought we came because of yesterday’s events.

Feeling oddly guilty about the unexpected meeting, I checked Línea’s mood.

“……”

Needless to say, her mood had visibly deflated. She was looking at me as if feeling betrayed, and I had no words to say.

No, there were words I could say. I could just honestly tell Shade we only came to eat.

But would it be okay to drive away the head of such a large organization like that?

The good relationship we had finally built could crumble in an instant.

“Oh! Really? Wow, yesterday was quite the chaos, wasn’t it?”

While I was pondering that, Mar appeared, covered in bandages and band-aids.

Línea’s mood worsened even further.

While she had just been furrowing her brows when Shade appeared, when Mar showed up she started pouting with a sulky expression.

“Ahem! Let’s save the talk for later. First, the meal……”

This was meant to be a place to comfort Línea. A time to treat her as an apology and express my hopes of working well together in the future. So even if the atmosphere had soured somewhat, it would be right to try to create a comfortable mood first.

But…

“Ah! What a coincidence meeting here! You disappeared so suddenly yesterday, causing me quite some trouble!”

The door to the opposite room opened and someone completely unexpected appeared.

What could be seen through the door gap showed just how shameless this person was.

He seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the services Shade had created to keep people away, as numerous employees were dancing and singing inside.

It showed how terrifying the Shade organization was.

Even if it was just a cover to buy and sell information, the steel-like hearts of employees who could calmly do such things were frightening.

But what was even more frightening was…

“Hahaha! Your name was Lost, wasn’t it? Nice to meet you. We didn’t get to properly greet each other yesterday!”

This man who could genuinely enjoy all those services yet greet me without any shame.

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. Sir Rohan.”

“Sir? Haha, I’m not worthy of such a grand title! I’m just a hunter after all.”

Rohan, the owner of the hunter’s guild and 7th circle grand mage. To think he had connections with Shade…

“Ah, boss. Today’s service was quite satisfying too.”

“Hey, glad you enjoyed it, Rohan! Thanks to you, our shop can at least put food on the table!”

Or not?

Did he really just come to purely enjoy this mind-boggling restaurant?

Looking at the attitudes of the two men before me, nothing could be said with certainty.

“But what happened to your arm…? Haven’t you visited the temple?”

“They say it’s been too long since it happened for treatment to be possible. What can you do?”

“Oh my……”

Shade’s arm couldn’t be healed.

If it hadn’t been long since it was severed, holy magic could have reattached it, but after being exposed to demonic energy and poison, it had become unusable.

“By the way, Lost? You’ve earned the right to officially challenge for the master position after defeating Kruud, what will you do?”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, that’s right.

I had ended the match right after spotting Claire running desperately toward me, without even looking back.

I did Kruud wrong.

He had been playing along with my performance, but he probably didn’t expect me to end the match like that.

I had been acting as a Templar and Kruud had responded accordingly.

If I had gone with the heresy inquisitor approach from the start, he probably wouldn’t have let himself be defeated so easily. Kruud must have thought I would only show my Templar side.

“It would be difficult to settle in one place given my upcoming schedule. So I’d appreciate if you could consider this verification just as a chance to confirm my abilities.”

“Ah, I see. I thought that might be the case. I understand, especially since you’re also a priest of the Pantheon Temple.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

It would be good to end the conversation appropriately now. Línea had gone from pouting to repeatedly striking the table with her tail.

Though it was cute to watch, I couldn’t just leave it be.

“By the way, isn’t your companion Titan with you?”

“Ah, yes. Today he’s meditating in a room borrowed in the temple, saying he wants to review yesterday’s battle.”

“I see.”

“Um, but our meal hasn’t arrived yet……”

“That’s unfortunate. I had something to discuss about spirit magic. Could you perhaps pass on a message?”

“…I’ll listen.”

Though I feel bad for Línea, this is something I need to hear.

Since there must be limited places where spirit magic can be discussed.

To begin with, there aren’t many people who know about spirit magic.

It wouldn’t be strange if Rohan, who wanders the world visiting different hunter’s guild branches, had met elves.

Information born from his experience would be more valuable than anything else.

That must be why even Shade treats him so well.

After all, telling adventure stories at drinking gatherings is practically a hunter’s habit.

“If you want to train in spirit magic, I’d suggest finding elves.”

“Yes, and?”

“That’s all.”

“……”

He wanted me to pass on that message just to say something like that?

I could have said that much myself. Of course you’d find clues about spirit magic if you went to Alfheim where elves live.

Isn’t the problem that people can’t reach there?

“Haha! I’m joking. As if I’d tell you something everyone already knows.”

“Ah, yes……”

Honestly, I thought Rohan might do exactly that.

Such prejudice is inevitable since he lacks the dignity expected of a 7th circle grand mage.

“Since there’s a Pantheon Temple priest here too, I’ll tell you something helpful. It’s about the apostle maintaining the barrier in Alfheim. A story about Nina, the Saintess of Earth.”

I never expected to hear about her from Rohan’s mouth.

His way of speaking that wavered between expectation and doubt sent chills down my spine.

“The Saintess of Earth… I wonder what kind of person she is. Being an elf, she must be beautiful? Enough to make Lost want to listen?”

No, the chills might be from Línea staring at me with empty eyes.

Though it’s just a question, somehow it feels suffocating.

I know it won’t happen, but I feel like something terrible could happen if I’m not careful.

Fortunately our ordered food hasn’t arrived yet.

Who knows what kind of fantastical dismemberment show might have occurred if she had a knife in her hands.

“A Templar of Lost’s caliber must have some foundation within the Pantheon Temple.”

Despite such a powder keg situation, Rohan kept running his mouth as if it was someone else’s business he didn’t care about.

“So if you get a chance to talk with her, it would be good to mention Titan. Yes, Titan. Her interests will surely be directed toward him.”

“Because they both learned spirit magic?”

Just for that reason?

I find myself checking Línea’s reaction with every word.

For some reason, though not as hostile as before, she’s still showing her displeasure by hitting the table with her tail.

Shade just watches Línea’s behavior with curiosity, as if he won’t interfere in my conversation with Rohan. The terrible truth remains that I must navigate this crisis alone.

“No, she personally seemed interested in orcs.”

“That’s news to me……”

“It would be. We met by chance and the topic just came up in conversation.”

Rohan the wandering hunter.

It wouldn’t be strange to ask someone like him if he had met orcs. Perhaps the Saintess of Earth had asked him about that too.

That alone would confirm that the Saintess of Earth has some degree of interest in orcs.

If she wasn’t curious, she wouldn’t have asked in the first place.

Beyond that, it’s quite plausible she would be interested given that Titan uses spirit magic.

Though it’s hard to imagine that expressionless woman taking interest in someone.

“Well then, I should be going. Sorry for interrupting your date. I understand now why you left in such a hurry yesterday. Who would care about a hunter’s guild master position when there’s such a beautiful lady to save?”

Though meant as a joke, it unexpectedly hit the mark. You’d think he had been watching.

Somehow Rohan left with a light attitude and a wink. After coming to interrupt people’s meal and saying everything he wanted to say, now he pretends to be considerate.

“He seems like a good person.”

“……”

But for some reason that point earned high praise from Línea.

Her tail that had been unconsciously tapping the table was now swaying gently around.

Just as I was about to close my mouth at that sincere display.

“Oh my, now that I think about it, we had work to do. Then we’ll be off. See you later.”

“Oh! That’s right, Dad. We were being inconsiderate. So inconsiderate! Hah! Look how this turned out.”

The father-daughter pair of Shade and Mar left with identically sly expressions.

Seeing their obviously deliberate behavior, Línea buried her face in the table in embarrassment.

After the sudden visitors left busily.

Silence fell between us who remained in the room again.

Not the pleasant silence from before, but an extremely awkward silence.

*     *      *

Alfheim.

The elven country where the trial <Wind’s Tomb> was located lived almost completely cut off from outside exchange.

Of course, they weren’t completely isolated.

Though rare, there were elves who ventured outside Alfheim, and the upper class had established means of communication with them.

-Hey! It was really interesting! I never imagined I’d see something like that there!

And though slightly lacking to be considered part of the social upper class, Rohan was someone whose connections rivaled anyone’s.

After meeting elves in the past, Rohan had built relationships with them and thanks to that, he received an artifact that could connect directly to Alfheim.

-Ah, are you listening? Lady Nina? An orc using spirit magic! You should have seen it yourself. Phew….. I’ve never seen such a sight before in the world.

“Titan……”

-Oh, does that interest you? Shall I act as a bridge?

At the noisy voice coming through the artifact, an elf woman with autumn-leaf red hair muttered while tapping the table.

“Fine. It wouldn’t be bad to have a conversation. However, there’s no need for Sir Rohan to act as a bridge. I can contact them directly through the Pantheon Temple.”

-Ah! You’ll do that? Come to think of it, since Titan’s friend is a Templar affiliated with the Pantheon Temple, that wouldn’t be bad. That friend was quite strong so he must surely hold a high position as a priest within the temple.

“…I see. Understood.”

-Ah, and…

Thud.

Nina, the red-haired elf and Saintess of Earth, seemed annoyed by Rohan’s continued chattering and cut off the artifact’s connection.

“It would be nice if we could meet.”

Nina shifted her gaze while thinking about the orc who uses spirit magic and his friend the Templar.

The World Tree visible through the window. And the pale green energy completely enveloping that massive World Tree.

“When they’re able to reach this place, that is.”

And beyond that pale green energy, huge monsters were gathered creating unpleasant noise.

The seventh of ten trials recorded on the continent, <Wind’s Tomb>.

They were not one.