A New Encounter #2

The elf ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leaped onto the table. Her movements were as light and nimble as a feather. "What are you doing? Aren't you coming?" Her cold, downward gaze made the men hesitate, causing them to stumble rather than rush forward. While the situation favored the group of six, the scene unfolding before their eyes told a different story. It was a confrontation between a single, noble leopard and a pack of neighborhood mutts. The elf had already completely overwhelmed them with her sheer presence.

'Well, this changes things. This should be worth watching.' I crossed my arms, leaned against the wall, and watched the fight with growing interest. Just as the men were wavering, unsure whether to attack or retreat, the elf moved first.

Whoosh—

'What? Where did she go?'

In an instant, the elf who had been standing on the table vanished. I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Flora’s eyes went wide, and while the men were busy looking around in confusion, only Wagner was staring upward. Following his gaze, I saw her.

"Haaah!"

The elf had her right foot raised high into the sky like an axe. Her posture was truly terrifying, yet elegant. Immediately after, with her long hair fluttering, she plummeted toward the floor like a bolt of red lightning.

BOOM—

Oh, damn. I thought a bomb had gone off. A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crater nearly a meter in diameter had been carved into the middle of the tavern floor. I knew that technique. It was the power of the martial artist’s formidable skill, Thunder Crush. I hadn't expected to find an adventurer in this frontier capable of such a feat.

'Not bad.'

At the center of the crater, one of the thugs was buried in a miserable state, and another who had barely dodged it had his arm bent at an unnatural angle. The battle was decided in that instant.

"What is that? Cr-crazy..."

The men's voices trembled uncontrollably. Having witnessed that absurd aerial kick, they had all lost their will to fight.

"Come on, you bastards."

Huff, huff. The elf stepped in place, shifting her stance. Her burning gaze was that of a true predator. When they met her eyes, one man dropped his dagger to the floor.

"Ugh, argh..."

Snap. When she glared at another, he, too, dropped his weapon and backed away. Is this what they call the Haoshoku Haki or something? Once fear spreads, it’s impossible to stop. The men fled without a word, each trying to be the first to leave.

"Idiots."

The elf scoffed as if she were bored. Then, she picked up a discarded bottle of liquor to wet her throat and began to diligently pick up the gold coins scattered everywhere.

'No doubt about it. She is definitely...'

As far as I knew, elves were rare in the Garden frontier. An elf who walked the path of a martial artist was even rarer. Yes, this woman was definitely Mitchell.

I approached the elf. "You're Mitchell, right?"

Glare. The elf, who had been picking up gold coins, stared at me as if asking who the hell I was. My heart sank for a moment. That kick I saw earlier could easily split my body in two.

The elf narrowed her eyes, reached out, and pulled off ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my hood without permission.

"What is it, kid? Do you know me?"

If her gaze toward the men earlier had been full of hostility, this felt different. It was a dismissive look, as if she were dealing with a small child.

"I do. We were supposed to join an adventurer party, right?"

"So?"

"I'm Estelle, the party leader."

Mitchell rounded her mouth in surprise. Then, she began to ruffle my hair roughly.

"What a joke. Hey kid, why are you at a tavern, looking so out of place? Go get your sister. Estelle, I mean."

"That's me!"

With my hair all messed up, I raised my voice. Mitchell cackled and pinched my cheeks, stretching them out.

"Aigoo— is that so? Is our little baby an adventurer too? Oh, how impressive. Talk to me again when you lose that baby fat, okay? You're just so soft and cute, geez."

Oh, for heaven's sake. I slapped away the hand that was treating me like a toy, and the smile vanished from Mitchell's lips instantly. Seeing her up close, I realized this elf had a very expressive face. Pretty, then scary, then pretty again... though mostly scary. It’s a face I could look at forever without getting tired of it.

The next moment, a shadow fell over Mitchell and me.

"And what is this bear-man?"

When Wagner stood beside me, Mitchell openly displayed her wariness.

"She is Estelle, the adventurer."

"...What?"

"She is not a baby. This girl is Estelle. She is a proper adventurer." Wagner said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And I am not a bear-man."

"No, wait, so this kid is really—"

With her expressive face twisted in a grimace, Mitchell examined me closely. At that moment.

"Mitchell, come out here right now!"

The tavern door burst open, and armed soldiers swarmed in. Trailing behind them were the men who had run away from the earlier commotion.

"Ha."

Mitchell laughed as if she were dumbfounded. However, unlike the earlier fight, she didn't look completely relaxed. The soldiers who had just entered were the notorious Garden Vigilantes. They had nothing to do with the Imperial Guard; they were merely a private organization formed by powerful adventurers in Garden who did as they pleased... but they were professional fighters. They couldn't be compared to the neighborhood gambling thugs. The quality of their gear was on a different level. Even a nimble fighter like Mitchell would have a hard time taking on the Vigilantes alone.

"I knew it would be you. Your arrogant behavior has been bothering me for a while... and now you've finally caused trouble."

Dawson, the leader of the Vigilantes, threatened her, his brow furrowed. I knew that face. He was quite strong. He was a named character in the frontier, after all. His personality was trash, so I wouldn't want him in my party, but his skill was hard to ignore. 'And that mace.' I recognized the mace hanging on Dawson's back at a glance.

'That thing is actually really useful.' It looked delicious. I wiped the drool from my lips before I realized I was doing it. I had to make sure to get my hands on that before leaving Garden.

"If you were sitting at a gambling table, you should have just gambled and left. Why are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you causing trouble, you pointy-eared brat?"

"...!"

At Dawson's insult, Mitchell’s eyes snapped open. It looked like lasers were shooting out of them. I suppose this is what they mean when they say a gaze alone can kill.

"...You're blatantly cheating, so you expected me to just sit back and watch?" Mitchell spat out, barely suppressing her rage.

"Cheating? Where's the proof? From what I hear, it's just your one-sided claim."

"Of course it is. Damn it, everyone except me is in on it."

"Aha, so you decided to be the judge yourself? How impressive, your honor, guardian of justice. Making money is so easy. Just scream 'fraud' and beat everyone up, and you're done. I should learn from you." Dawson sneered.

The situation was turning increasingly unfavorable for Mitchell. It was true that she lacked evidence, but that was because Dawson was backing the cheating gang from the shadows. That’s usually how these self-proclaimed 'vigilantes' operated.

"Mitchell, stop the chatter and come out. There are no exceptions for elves. In Garden, everyone must follow Garden's rules."

"If you're so confident, try dragging me out, you idiot. I'm not moving a single step on my own, so keep that in mind."

"Is that how you want to play it?"

Dawson smiled leisurely, as if he had already expected this. At his nod, the Vigilante members armed with swords and shields surrounded Mitchell.

"Oh man, do humans not know how to fight one-on-one? You bastards—" Mitchell gritted her teeth.

Just then, Wagner stepped in front of Dawson. This intervention changed the situation. Mitchell looked confused, wondering who this guy was. Dawson, feeling the pressure, took a step back.

"Are you taking the elf's side now? Who are you?"

"...Party member."

"What?"

"Right, Estelle?" Wagner asked, turning to look at me.

"Well, for now."

"That's what she says."

Thud—

Wagner slammed his shield heavily into the floor and clasped his hands over it. "Protecting my companions is my duty. I can't just stand by and watch."

Wow. Wagner, this guy is pretty decent. I hadn't thought much of him since he wasn't a 'named' character, but he had a sense of loyalty. 'Though, loyalty alone won't solve this situation.'

The hair-trigger tension continued. Even with Wagner joining in, Dawson's Vigilantes still held the advantage.

"Bear-man, don't overdo it. Who asked for your help? And why am I your companion anyway?"

"Be quiet and focus on the opponent in front of you."

"Hey, are you ignoring me right now?"

Mitchell glared at Dawson while grumbling at Wagner without pause. I had no choice but to intervene now. It was too early to fight the Vigilantes. ...At least, for now.

I stepped up beside Wagner. The height difference was so great that we looked like a father and his young daughter, which was a bit of a blow to my dignity, but—

"You said everyone in Garden must follow Garden's rules, right? Dawson, then you should start by following that yourself."

"...Are you in on this with them too?"

"Think what you want. More importantly, let me ask you one thing. Since when did the Vigilantes, not the Guard, take charge of handing over criminals?"

At my point, Dawson’s lips twitched in annoyance. He had nothing to say. No matter how powerful the Vigilantes thought they were, they were just a private organization with no legitimate authority delegated to them. To the Guard, they were nothing but a thorn in their side. In fact, there were frequent, quiet clashes between the Guard and the Vigilantes over this very issue.

"You little brat, talking down to me..."

"Perfect timing. I happen to know the Captain of the Guard. Shall we go ask him together, Dawson?"

"..."

Dawson didn't answer, just glared at me. A tense silence hung in the air for a moment. Then, Dawson scanned me, Mitchell, and Wagner with cold eyes.

"You guys, I'll remember this. If you think the Guard will protect you everywhere and at all times, you're making a big mistake."

Dawson left the tavern with heavy, emotion-filled footsteps, and the Vigilante members followed him out.

***

After the commotion settled.

"Ugh— burp."

Mitchell downed a glass of liquor the size of my face in one go. She even let out a loud burp. I started to suspect that while she looked like an elf on the outside, there might be a dwarf inside.

"Well, I didn't ask for your help—" Her face was flushed after six consecutive drinks. However, her unique, wild beauty remained unchanged even in her drunken state. "Thanks. Anyway."

"Forget it. I didn't help you to get a thank you."

"Oh, you cheeky little brat."

Mitchell pouted and reached out with a look that said she was annoyed. I quickly pulled my face back. She was trying to pinch my cheeks again. I dodged it this time.

"So, you're Estelle. This lady here is Flora. And—" Mitchell turned around. Behind the table, Wagner was helping the tavern owner clean up the mess. "That bear-man is Wagner. Right?"

"Yeah."

"Right... you all don't look very reliable, but... I guess you're the new party members. Fine, I get it."

"Please take care of us, Mitchell-ssi—" The friendly Flora took Mitchell's hand. Mitchell just nodded with a sour expression.

"So, how is the distribution going to work?" Mitchell asked straight to the point. It seemed she wanted to confirm her share first. It was materialistic, but for an adventurer, this was actually normal. It was Flora and Wagner, who had no interest in money, who were the odd ones. When I explained the distribution, Mitchell raised an eyebrow with a dissatisfied look.

"So you're saying we divide it all equally. Is that right?"

"Do you have a different opinion?"

"I mean, I can accept that for the bear-man, but... I honestly can't accept getting the same share as a kid like you or this lady here."

"Are you saying you don't want to join the party?"

"No, it's not that, but listen." Mitchell tilted her glass casually. "Why don't you just hand over the party leader position to me instead?"

"Ehh—?" For some reason, Flora was more surprised than I was.

"But Estelle-ssi gathered our party—"

"I know, I know. But I'm stronger. The strongest person should be the party leader. Am I wrong?"

"Uh, that's—"

"Because I'll be doing more work in exchange for a larger share. It shouldn't be a bad deal for you guys, right?"

I quietly tilted my glass and listened to Mitchell. The aftertaste of the orange juice on my tongue was somewhat bitter. 'She's an honest one. Easy to understand, which I like.' It wasn't a pleasant conversation for me, but it was better to address these things now. If I glossed over it vaguely, it would fester like a wound and explode later, at which point it would be impossible to fix. I wanted Mitchell in our party if possible. It was hard to find talent like this in the frontier, and her honest personality, where her inside matched her outside, was to my taste. Of course, I would have to clearly establish the hierarchy before then.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"You're right. The strongest person should be the party leader."

"Oh— you and I speak the same language, kid. So, I'm the party leader?"

"...You should hear me out until the end." I set down my glass and gave her a relaxed smile. "Mitchell, the strongest person in our party is me. So, I'll be the party leader."