The Red-Haired Elf, Elenore (1)
I left the blacksmith’s and immediately slipped out of the village. I walked along a mountain path where the breeze whispered softly. Since my profession is that of a thief, I didn’t head toward the cabin like some naive fool. I took a detour, circling back and forth, weaving a complex path to shake off any potential tail. I stuck to the rugged, overgrown trails—the ones people rarely frequent. It was a walk, and a chance to get lost in thought.
I wanted to start my work immediately, but I had absolutely nothing to my name. When I parted ways with the Hero’s party, I had only grabbed a handful of gold and silver coins; I left everything else behind. I didn’t want to get caught. I hadn’t even managed to pack a single change of clothes, fleeing in the nude. I’d stolen the clothes I was wearing now from a laundry line at a nearby farmhouse. That was the extent of the perfection I demanded for my fake death. Like an artist pouring his soul into a masterpiece, I wanted to be completely forgotten by everyone.
‘Where should I scrape up some capital?’
I needed money to buy people and execute my plans. I only needed a lump sum for the initial phase. After that, I wouldn’t need much since I could just plunder what I wanted. The assets of the merchants, wealthy elites, and lords who were in bed with the Empire would all be mine soon enough.
‘Should I just start stealing from today?’
Maybe I should rob the local lord’s mansion? I’d prefer to target those who abuse the Lurkers, but...
“Hmm?”
While lost in thought, I stumbled upon a woman lying on the ground. She was collapsed on the rocks by a stream, bleeding. Long ears protruding from beneath her hair caught my eye.
“An elf?”
Her hair color was peculiar. Usually, elves are blonde, but this was my first time seeing a redhead. It was red like a roaring flame. Yet, it was a refreshingly beautiful shade of red.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Ugh... go away...”
As I stared down at her, she suddenly swung her arm. I stepped back, dodging it nimbly. She was clutching a sword.
“I told you... not to come closer!”
She had looked like she was on the verge of death just a moment ago, but she suddenly stood up and swung her blade. It was a hollow attack, though. She didn’t even know where her opponent was, just stumbling and flailing her arm. After slashing at the air for a moment, she collapsed again.
“You bastards...! You bastards...!”
“Get a grip. I’m not your enemy. I just happened to pass by and saw you.”
She lay on the ground, trembling as she stared blankly into space. Her deer-like eyes were filled with rage and hatred. From her chest up to her neck, bluish veins were creeping up in a gruesome display, as if she’d been poisoned with a potent toxin.
‘This... this is the look of someone who has been betrayed.’
Is she in the same boat as me? A sudden, fickle sense of pity stirred within me. I shook her body.
“...Do you want to live?”
“Y-you... who are you...?”
“I told you, I’m just a passerby. Answer me quickly. Do you want to live? You’re going to die like this.”
“I, I want to... live...”
“Your wish has been granted. Don’t blame me later for saving you when you were trying to die.”
I straightened my hunched back and pulled out the dagger tucked into my waistband. With a blade so well-honed I could see my own reflection, I shallowly sliced my palm. Dark red blood welled up. Since my days as a greenhorn thief, I had spent ten years consuming every kind of poison imaginable. After a decade of steady intake, not only had my body become immune to all toxins, but it had evolved to possess detoxifying capabilities.
“Don’t spill a single drop. Swallow it all.”
I brought my hand to her lips as she groaned in pain, and gently clenched my fist. The blood that had been dripping down flowed straight into her mouth.
Even in the middle of the night, sleep wouldn’t come. I sat at my desk in the dark room with only a single candle lit, scribbling down my future plans. Recalling the information I had. Where to start. Who to collaborate with. Like a mad researcher, I scribbled every thought that came to mind onto a scrap of cloth. It was just imagination for now, but I vowed that one day, I would surely achieve it—no, I would absolutely make it happen.
Swish.
Out of nowhere, a blade was pressed against my throat. My hand, which had been writing on the cloth, froze.
“...You’re awake.”
“Did you ravish me?”
I heard the female elf’s voice from behind me. She had lost consciousness during the day, so I’d kept her tucked into the bed, but the moment she came to, she tried to kill me. Her voice was sharp as a razor. As if she’d kill me instantly if I gave the wrong answer. I set down my pen and spoke calmly.
“Rest easy. Nothing of the sort happened.”
“Then why am I naked? You’re the one who stripped me.”
“The daughter of this house did. Your body was filthy with blood, so she wiped you down with a towel.”
“Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m the one who saved you. You were dying, so I brought you back. With these hands.”
I held out my bandaged palm toward her. She must have been staring at it from behind, as she remained silent for a while.
“Why did you save me? We don’t even know each other. Are you looking for a reward?”
“You looked pathetic. That’s all.”
“Don’t lie. You probably intended to sell me off somewhere because I’m an elf.”
“Being guarded is always the right move. But if you doubt my word, you’re free to leave right now. I have no intention of stopping you.”
“...”
The blade at my throat wavered slightly. Soon, she withdrew the sword. I turned around calmly. She was standing there, covering her nakedness with a thin blanket. She was tall and slender, looking as if she were wearing a dress. Judging by the cleavage pressed against her hands and the blanket, she seemed to have quite a bountiful chest. I met her gaze steadily.
“What were you doing that almost got you killed?”
“I was betrayed.”
“Ah. What’s your name?”
“No need to know.”
She stepped back and sat on the edge of the bed. Her wariness seemed to have softened a little.
“I’m your savior. You can at least tell me your name.”
“...”
She thought for a moment, then lowered her gaze and answered. “...Eleonore. Call me E-lenoa for short.”
“Are you an elf?”
“How rude. If I’m not an elf, what am I? I am a noble High Elf.”
“Then why is your hair like that? Why is it red? Did you dye it?”
“I was born this way. That’s why I grew up being treated like an outcast by the villagers. They said it was a hair color that invited disaster.”
“Still, you grew up quite beautiful.”
“That’s thanks to my late parents. As long as they were alive, I could endure it somehow. But after they passed away in the war... I couldn’t live with the villagers who ignored me anymore, so I ran away. They even said my parents’ deaths were my fault.”
“Those are some nasty elves.”
“I don’t think they were wrong. I’ve never had a single stroke of luck in my life...”
She trailed off, her voice trembling. It was clear at a glance that she had lived a life full of resentment and injustice. Even her demeanor suggested someone who had lived a lonely, diminished life.
‘Is she doing this on purpose?’
I am a thief. I’m a suspicious man. I changed the subject.
“But what’s this about being betrayed? Who tricked you?”
“Humans. The ones I worked with for a while.”
She sniffled softly. “I entered the human world to make a living. I took on requests and received payment for handling them. One day, a woman named Duchess Diana recruited people for a huge sum, claiming a precious family heirloom had been stolen. A team was formed, and I was able to join. There were four of us in total. I was the only one on my own, and the other three knew each other.”
“Hmm, and then?”
“After many twists and turns, we were on the verge of completing the mission by recovering the item the Duchess had lost, but suddenly, my colleagues were bought off by another client. They were told to sell the item the Duchess was looking for to them instead. When I vehemently opposed it, my colleagues turned on me and tried to kill me.”
“And then you were hit while fleeing?”
“I was struck by a poisoned arrow.”
“I get the gist of it. A common story.”
“Is this common?”
“There are plenty of people who get hit like you. Don’t be so disheartened.”
“I can’t trust humans at all.”
“Not all of them are like that. Anyway.”
It was an intriguing case. A huge reward... and I happened to need money.
“That reward the Duchess Diana put up. Can you split it with me?”
“What?”
“You said all you have to do is find the item she lost.”
I crossed my arms coolly and crossed my legs. “Let’s start over, you and me. That job.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Elenoa stared at me in surprise, then shook her head with a dry laugh. “It’s impossible. The opponents aren’t just one or two people. The number of people involved has grown since the beginning. The two of us can’t do anything.”
“Just decide whether you’re going to split the reward or not.”
“If we could succeed, I’d want to split it too. But I’m telling you, it’s impossible.”
“Good, then I’ll take that as a yes. Don’t go back on your word later.”
Elenoa lay down on the bed. She was grateful to Haeru for saving her, but she felt she should just get more sleep rather than spending the night talking about such absurd things. Her body was tired, as it hadn’t been long since she recovered from her injuries.
‘There are over thirty of them.’
On top of that, they were the type of guys who carried ballistae capable of rapid fire. If we approached without full preparation, our armor would be turned into a beehive. It was hopeless. I’d have to talk to him again tomorrow morning. Whether we should find more people to help or just give up. And as for this person... I decided I shouldn’t part with him right away, but stay with him for a while and help him with whatever he needed. I had received a favor, so I had to repay it.
The next day.
Elenoa’s eyes widened in shock.
“You went and came back alone at dawn...?”
“Yeah. Anyway, this is it, right? The item the Duchess lost.”
Haeru kicked a knee-high wooden box with his foot. A familiar exterior. A box containing the blueprints for the cannons, which held the essence of the Ducal family. It was definitely it.
“H-how did you get this?”
Elenoa was someone who rarely flinched at anything, but she couldn’t help but be shocked by this. She’d gone to sleep and woken up, and this guy—was he a ghost or something?—had recovered the lost item. Did that even make sense?
“W-who are you, really?”
“Me? Just the guy who saved you.”
Haeru beamed at her. “And the guy you have to split the money with.”