I look at the man that said my name again.
I feel like I’ve seen him before, but I can’t remember where. And as I feel that annoyance that comes from almost remembering something but not quite getting it, I calm down and remember that I can use Appraisal.
I guess I got nervous without even realizing it.
It makes sense though, considering this is the place where it all began, and it doesn’t bring back good memories.
Name – (Argo) / Job – (Adventurer) / Race – (Human) / Level – (61) / Condition – (—)
Now I remember.
“It’s that casanova!”
Yes, the guy that was always hitting on receptionists when I went to the adventurer guild in the capital.
He looks dejected when I yell that, and everyone else with him besides the beast person laughs.
Yes, I know. I remember. He’s the one who treated me to a meal in the guild. Only because he lost a bet though.
“So it really is you Sora? You’re alive? And… Rurika is here too?”
Argo looks at me with a nostalgic expression on his face, but it suddenly stops.
“Eh?”
Is all he says as he freezes in place.
I’m confused, but so are his partners.
He eventually takes a step forward, then another… Towards Chris.
It looks like he’s trembling. And as he gets close, Sera steps in front of Chris to block his path.
It makes sense, because he’s just a random guy as far as she’s concerned.
And when Sera glares at him, Argo comes to his senses.
“Chris…?”
He whispers, and Chris nods.
I see. Her hair and eyes are a different color now. And her hair is straight instead of tied in twin tails. And more importantly, her ears are pointy like an elf’s.
“You’re an elf?”
He asks, and Chris nods again. She undid her transformation to be able to use her full power, so there’s no use in trying to hide it.
Argo’s partners also approach when they hear that. They talk to Rurika with a nostalgic tone, and also seem surprised to see Chris’ appearance.
And then they start launching questions at me, because they’re surprised to see me alive.
At first I don’t really know what to do, but when I hear that Argo and the others are working with the beast people, I answer truthfully. Of course, I don’t mention that I’m from another world.
I throw in the fact that the kingdom was trying to kill me, and tell them I faked my death to escape their grasp.
“That sounds awful. But why are you here?”
“To save Naoto’s friend, and because we heard that an elf was seen here and wanted to check.”
They’re surprised to hear that.
Also, the man named Richend that’s with them tells us that Argo’s party is helping them because they heard someone they’re looking for is here.
And that it’s someone Argo fell in love with at first sight, which prompts cold stares from Rurika and Chris. It’s enough for me to take a step away from them unconsciously.
Oh, and Guilford from Argo’s side took over for Rurika, and has been checking for traps. Apparently he’s good at it, and he has found and removed all sorts of traps in dungeons.
I’m sure he stayed here in the kingdom for Argo’s sake. And the same goes for the others.
“I’m done removing traps, but what now?”
Argo, sweating from that silent pressure, seeks relief in that voice.
“K-keep moving forward?”
He manages to squeeze out.
His voice is raspy from nervousness.
Anyway, let’s not touch that, and just keep moving.
I don’t want to say the wrong thing and move the crosshair from him to me. Sometimes you just have to not get involved.
We finally go down the stairs, now accompanied by Argo and the others.
There’s no light at all, so we’re surrounded by darkness, but we don’t use any light of our own either because it would serve as a target.
Also, Argo and the others are equipped with magic items that let them see in the dark.
We pass by a few landings on the stairs, and keep going down. There are traps on the landings, and Guilford disarms them every time. Rurika and Hikari watch him do it too, and are clearly surprised by how good he is.
And eventually, we reach the end.
It’s even darker down here, and the Night Vision skill doesn’t work.
Apparently it’s the same for the others’ magic items, so we have no choice but to use a lamp.
We see cells up ahead. Every one of them have chains attached to the walls, clearly built so the people they capture don’t have any freedom even in here.
The smell makes me nauseous. Normally I’d use Wind Magic to disperse it, but there’s no point when there’s nowhere for it to go.
We just have to bear with it, and stay alert as we move forward.
With each step, Sera’s face contorts. The same goes for the other beast people too. It’s even tougher on them, because they have a better sense of smell than humans.
We eventually see the end of this hall, and all the cells we see in the meantime are empty.
But when we reach the end, I feel someone’s presence. And sure enough, the last two cells on the left and right each have someone inside. They’re both women, and one has a slave mask.
Their pointy ears tell us what they are.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Thanks for the treat.
Thanks for the updates this week, they have been well worth the read.
Also hope you have a good day and weekend, 👍😀
excuse me, how do I turn on light mode on this web