1. That Distinguished Elf Mage
1. That Distinguished Elf Mage
"... Even if it's brief, we'll be watching each other's backs. How about we introduce ourselves?"
Until the man opened his mouth, only the crackling sound of firewood filled the campsite.
Ah, and the damp moss smell was a bonus.
A campsite set up right near the entrance of a dungeon rated C-grade.
The hastily assembled party for the dungeon raid this morning was all soaked in fatigue. It was also because they had walked here without rest.
Even soaked in fatigue, there was no worry.
A mere C-grade dungeon.
Although it had suddenly appeared near the city, it wasn't dangerous enough to worry about.
All four here were mercenaries considered veterans in their own right...
In that situation,
the man in leather armor who had spoken first continued talking in the silence.
"... I'll introduce myself first. I'm from Ruben. Name's Gareth. As you can see, I'll do my part as a meat shield on the front lines, so everyone, please watch my back."
At the words of the man who introduced himself as Gareth, the surrounding mercenaries briefly glanced at each other.
Then suddenly, the skinny man sharpening his dagger next to him spoke up indifferently.
"Jin. Trap detection is my specialty. Don't charge ahead without my signal. I don't have the decency to clean up after some fool who gets himself killed doing whatever he wants."
The two's gaze naturally turned to the remaining two who hadn't introduced themselves yet.
A woman wearing a robe and holding a staff—probably a mage.
And...
One smiling cheerfully.
"I am Elize, a follower of that being... I'll try my best... to ensure no one gets hurt..."
A priestess from a religious order that believed in some god that existed somewhere.
This wasn't a battlefield on the brink of death, and in a money-making hunting ground like this, what was important to mercenaries wasn't the existence of a god, but the existence of a priestess who could provide support from the rear.
However, she seemed quite inexperienced for rolling with such a party. One couldn't help but think she must have needed quick cash or something.
Experienced adventurers and mercenaries usually have a few survival rules, one of which is,
Don't hit on women right before entering a dungeon.
Since Gareth and Jin were also seasoned mercenaries capable of handling C-grade dungeons, they weren't foolish enough to break that principle.
So instead of asking further questions, they turned their gaze to the side to look at the woman holding a staff with her hood pulled up...
"......"
"......"
Not moving a muscle even amidst the flickering campfire.
The gazes of Gareth, Jin, and Elize simultaneously fell upon her, but she just stared silently into the empty air where sparks flew, keeping her mouth shut.
An awkward silence...
As the silence dragged on, Gareth scratched his beard and finally spoke first.
"... What about you? You look like a mage. Shouldn't we know your name to call you in an emergency?"
Crackle crackle...
Along with the sound of the campfire burning, the hem of the robe moved. She pushed back the hood she had been wearing low.
Perhaps because it had been so quiet.
You could even hear someone gulping.
"... An elf."
Gareth unintentionally let out. Did that sound unpleasant? The elf slightly frowned.
Then, after moving her lips, she opened her mouth.
"... Noah. A mage."
Dazzlingly white skin. Long, pointed ears protruding through the disheveled silver hair as she adjusted her robe.
Elize the priestess was certainly quite a beauty, but she was no match for the elf.
Why would such an elf join a hastily assembled party like this without even revealing her name?
'... I've heard of her.'
Jin recalled a rumor that had been floating around like bar snacks in a tavern corner. A small city called Bellua, located on the exact opposite side of the continent from the Great Forest, the elves' homeland.
The story of a haughty, prestigious, and highly skilled elf mage active in that city.
The party had been hastily assembled this morning through a Guild employee's introduction. A mercenary badge with an embedded B-grade magic stone shoved forward with her face covered. And a staff that looked high-grade at first glance.
Since it was just a not-too-dangerous C-grade dungeon near the city and there was Guild guarantee, they had hurriedly set off, thinking she was just some skilled person who could use magic.
Who would have thought the identity hidden under that dull hood was...
That very prestigious elf from the rumors so vulgarly discussed in back-alley mercenary circles.
"......"
"......"
The party members briefly sized each other up.
Then, as if nothing had happened, they started doing their own things. Gareth began maintaining his shield, and Jin resumed sharpening his dagger.
Elize, after briefly checking the elf Noah's reaction, began praying in front of the campfire.
A party for just one night.
A supreme beauty. A mage of considerable skill.
Where would there be a reason not to approach her? But stories of mercenaries who got into big trouble after approaching such an elf were everywhere...
In that sense, the remaining party members could be considered quite wise.
As expected...
Noah was currently vomiting all sorts of complaints in her head.
'... Ha, fuck. When the hell did those bastards last wash? If you came to the magic city Bellua, use some magic tools. Why aren't you using cleansing magic? The grease is just...'
At least the priestess Elize smelled good. Though now she had a slight sweat smell from the long walk.
But still, those humans.
She especially didn't want to get near the man called Gareth.
'If I hadn't desperately needed magic stones, I wouldn't have taken this request. Rin, really, knowing I suffer from smells, why did you assign me these men?'
Noah's thoughts, which seemed quite distant from being 'prestigious'.
She thus swallowed her complaints and grievances alone, quietly basking in the fire-gazing to pass the time.
Even if they entered right away, it wouldn't have been a problem for Noah, but unlike the high-grade mercenary Noah, the other three were mid-grade, so they seemed to need their own preparations.
'... Ugh. I feel like throwing up.'
Even amidst that, she gripped her staff tightly with an expressionless face.
Noah just sat quietly, waiting only for the man called Gareth to finish his preparations.
===
"We're planning to head to the tavern like this... What about you two?"
It was right after clearing the dungeon overnight, walking the dawn path, and entering the city. Even though their whole bodies must feel heavy, those damn humans seemed to think of alcohol before washing.
Do they even have a conscience?
Surely they aren't thinking of inviting me to that cheap tavern that smells like rotten cheese.
Well, a boys' drinking session? Those two bastards are already putting their arms around each other's shoulders, getting so friendly, when just earlier they were keeping to themselves, shutting up and sharpening their blades.
Naturally, the smell of sweat is absolutely vibrating.
Of course, going into a tavern with those men to share stories is something absolutely impossible for me.
"I, I need to go pray right away..."
Elize expressed her refusal first. Well, of course. Would a small girl like her step forward to drink with two such barbarians?
I immediately continued.
"... Let's just divide the reward."
"In a hurry, are we."
Gareth took out the request form.
I handed him the pen I was holding, as if waiting. He drew a line through his share and handed the request form back to me.
Where the hell was he keeping this...
A slight doubt arose, making me feel icky, but when you make a living doing these requests, sometimes you have to compromise.
"Please keep our share of the magic stones at the Guild. Miss Elize and Miss Noah..."
"I find the term 'Miss' a bit uncomfortable to hear."
I cut off Gareth and stared straight at him.
"...... Noah-nim, thank you for your hard work. Well then, I'll be off."
Being an elf is often quite convenient in this aspect. If you act with appropriate weight and behave prickly, most humans frown but still show consideration(?).
Especially right after showing them your magic.
My age—just 20 years in Korea and only 3 years in this world—but to others, I probably seem like a considerably old, fussy elf.
After handing me the request form,
Gareth and Jin awkwardly scratched the backs of their heads and disappeared into the back alley where the cheap tavern would be.
Past the city gate, at the city entrance, now only the priestess girl Elize and I remained.
I glanced sideways and looked down at her standing next to me. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the all-nighter, and she had a slight sour sweat smell.
But it didn't feel unpleasant.
"If you're going to pray, shall I also take care of storing your magic stones at the Guild?"
"Ah, no! I'll go with you!"
"Fine. Then let's go."
I took the lead and headed towards the Guild. The sound of footsteps closely following behind me.
While walking, Elize suddenly called out to me.
"... Ah, but Noah-nim."
"Hm?"
"In the dungeon... when you used magic, it was really amazing. I've never seen such splendid fire magic before."
"Haven't you been here long?"
"Yes, yes! I am Elize, a priestess recently dispatched to the Bellua branch...!"
The girl Elize, who I thought was quiet—was she perhaps scared of the two unfamiliar men?
Once alone with me, she started talking non-stop.
If it weren't those two stinky men, I'd usually answer such questions quite kindly.
"The Bellua branch... that's where Irene is, right."
"Ah, yes! Senior Priestess Irene-nim is there."
"... She's an annoying woman."
"Huh?"
"......"
I quickened my pace.
I briefly had the capricious thought of taking this girl to the church after getting the magic stones, but I realized it was a foolish idea.
Running into her would just be annoying.
Elves are often admired. It's just that excessive admiration sometimes changes into emotions in a different direction.
Anyway, she's an annoying woman.
===
Fantasy...
This magical world is better described by the word 'medieval' rather than being wrapped in the nice-sounding word 'fantasy'.
Naturally, when night falls, this place is shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
Electric lights, my ass.
Magic lamps are only used inside shops. So the alleys are just pitch black.
Noah quietly slips out of her lodgings, using that darkness.
As people say,
Where could that prestigious, fussy, powerful fire magic-using elf mage be going at this hour?
If she's an elf mage who is an object of admiration for some, she could proudly walk around with magical light.
Without telling anyone, without being seen by anyone...
Wrapping herself in a perception-hindering magic learned somewhere...
She quietly moves her steps towards a secluded back alley.
Is she heading to a laboratory prepared somewhere in the city?
... Knock knock.
Noah, wearing her robe, knocked on the back door of a certain building.
The door opened and Noah slipped inside.
"... Number 3."
At the curt voice of the employee, she took out a small badge that looked special from inside her sleeve.
A black wooden plate.
And the signature of this place's manager, recognizable to employees.
"... Ah."
"......"
She doesn't make a sound.
The employee quietly gets up and guides Noah inside. Past room number 3, to the single room located at the very back.
"... Well then."
"......"
The employee left Noah and quietly disappeared. Noah entered the room, locked the door, and took off her hood.
A small room with no one else.
A place filled with a faint fragrance.
A familiar scent to Noah. A scent mixed with herbs meant to excite women.
"Sigh..."
Her gaze, as she let out a low sigh, was directed at a hole inexplicably made in the wall.
You could probably fit a woman's body through it, right?
At that moment,
Noah began to take off her clothes.
The prestigious elf mage had one side job unknown to others.
She had a certain connection with the manager here,
Well, there were reasons.
They paid a lot of money. And Noah needed a lot of money and a lot of magic stones.
Noah, with her extremely modern, commoner mindset, had no intention of working as a mercenary on battlefields or in A-grade dungeons...
And this job had the mitigating factor that she wouldn't have to show her face to the client.
This job...
No one knows that Noah works in a place like this except the manager here.
She skillfully fitted her body into the wall.
The prestigious elf mage, Noah.
The owner of that butt, prepared 'specially' in the very back wall, said to be quite popular among those who seek it, was none other than her.