Arc 1, Chapter 6: Operation: Catch that Drummer!

Mizuki: “I…It’s hot…”

Mizuki drops onto the floor and breathes heavily.

Eillia: “Come on, we are almost there. Plus, you aren’t even carrying any baggage; you shouldn’t be complaining.”

Mizuki: “Come on, elves are stronger, and they have more energy than a human…”

Eillia’s veins start to pop out on her forehead.

She grabs Mizuki’s jacket and starts dragging even though she is on the floor.

Mizuki: “Hey…”

Eillia: “SHUT UP! We are reaching soon.”

Mizuki sighs as she gets dragged.

After a few minutes, they reached the Dwarven town’s gates. However, something is different.

Unlike Astrea, where the soldiers are standing up and keeping a lookout, the soldiers here are lying on the ground, their faces exasperated.

???: “Oh… New people. Come in.”

The gates opened. Mizuki and Eillia look at each other and shrug before walking in.

There are rocky roads, sturdy wooden houses, rhythmic hammering from blacksmiths, ale-filled taverns, and the aromas of roasted meat. However, no music can be heard, which is quite odd for a world that revolves around music.

That’s when both girls spotted posters on a wall. One of them is a “WANTED” poster with a picture of a little girl making a funny-looking face, while the other poster reads: “Music is temporarily banned in Dwarven town.”

Mizuki: “Music banned in a music-based world? That’s odd.”

???: “Are you two perhaps… New musicians that just arrived?”

A scrawny old man spoke as he walked towards them.

???: “I’m the town elder… Recently, the dwarven drummer in the wanted poster was wreaking havoc almost every night. It terrorizes the peace here, and hence, music is temporarily banned here at the moment.”

As the old man was speaking, more dwarves started approaching Mizuki and Eillia and complained to both of them.

???: “My windows shattered due to her chaotic drumming!”

???: “My baby hasn’t slept in 3 days!”

???: “No one in this town can even catch her, so you two are the town’s only hope!”

Mizuki’s mouth dropped.

Mizuki: “Tch, a side quest? No thanks. Sounds like a drag.”

Town elder: “If you can catch her, we will award you with anything you want!”

The old man spoke, and the crowd started cheering.

Mizuki: “Well, I want to not do this…”

Eillia: “Mizuki…”

Eillia whispers to her ear.

Eillia: “It’s our chance to get our band's drummer, and since it’s anything, I’m very sure they can give us the best.”

Mizuki’s face lights up, and she instantly flips. She grabs her fist in determination.

Mizuki: “Alright then! Both of us will capture this fiend, so leave it to us!!!”

The crowd starts cheering louder.

                               ***

And soon, it’s nighttime. After settling all their belongings in the hotel, both Mizuki and Eillia are hiding in a corner, while the whole town was dark and dead silent.

Mizuki: “Urgh… It’s dark…”

Eillia: “Shh! Stop complaining and keep quiet.”

Mizuki: “But it’s boring— ”

BOOOOOM

The sound throws her off balance by interrupting her in the middle of her complaint. To keep Mizuki from stumbling, Eillia holds onto her jacket.

An explosive sound that sounds like a drum strike.

Both girls peeked at the side to see where the noise came from, and as expected, a dwarven girl was playing a drum.

The dwarven girl looks exactly like the one in the wanted poster, the one they are tasked to catch. The girl’s eyes glimmer with mischievous intent.

The girl has a fierce, almost combative energy as she bangs on the drums. Each of her sticks sounded like a thunderclap, challenging the town to stop her as they blurred in the night air.

Mizuki's expression shifts from one of annoyance to one of awe as her eyes widen.

Mizuki: “…Okay, maybe this isn’t so boring after all.”

Every blow sends shockwaves through the street, reverberating like an explosion. The beat is so strong that neighboring houses tremble and garbage cans rattle.

Mizuki’s eyes start to spark in excitement.

Mizuki: “EILLIA, I THINK SHE’S GOOD!!! WE NEED HER. I DON’T CARE IF SHE’S A CRIMINAL.”

Mizuki “whispered”. But just then, the drumming stopped, and the girl turned towards them.

Eillia: “You idiot— ”

Before she could complete her sentence, drumsticks landed on her face.

A direct shot.

And the girl starts running away with the drum slung on her back.

Mizuki: “Chase her!”

Both of them start chasing the dwarven girl, and she starts laughing as she runs.

???: “Y’all can never catch me!!”

Mizuki and Eillia chase her through the streets.

Eillia: “Shit, I really want to beat her up for ruining my pretty face!”

Suddenly, barrels start rolling down, towards both Mizuki and Eillia’s direction.

???: “Let’s see if you can catch me… And handle this!”

Eillia leaped as high as she could.

Eillia: “Mizuki! Dodge it!”

But it was too late, the barrel hit Mizuki’s stomach, causing Mizuki to fall.

Eillia: “Mizuki!!!”

Eillia rushes over to Mizuki in concern, as the girl starts running further away.

???: “Catch me? Ha! You can’t even dodge a barrel, weaklings!”

Mizuki stood up, struggling and panting.

Mizuki: “What else can we do…”

Just then, an idea lit up in Mizuki’s mind.

Mizuki: “Eillia, throw me.”

Eillia: “Huh?”

Mizuki straightens and pats her own jacket.

Mizuki: “This morning, you managed to drag me, right? How about we try using that strength of yours to throw me, and I’ll catch her?”

Eillia: “What do you mean? I’m a gentle and elegant girl…A refined flower like me doesn’t throw people.”

Lies.

Mizuki: “Granny, stop the cap.”

Eillia starts to flare up, grabbing the back of Mizuki’s jacket aggressively, like a pro wrestler.

Eillia: “You asked for it, YOU STUPID BRAT!!!”

Mizuki was thrown by Eillia like a human javelin.

Mizuki's jacket snapped like a flag as the air roared in her ears. She was flying over rooftops for one terrifying second, higher than she had ever jumped and higher than she had ever desired to be.

Mizuki: “N…NOT THAT HIGH!”

As Mizuki fell like a meteor, the dwarven girl ahead skidded to a stop, her eyes wide.

Mizuki’s eyes locked onto her target.

Mizuki: “You’re mine!!”

And Mizuki collides with the girl.

In a flurry of crashes, rolls, and Mizuki's screams, the impact sent them both crashing through the cobblestone street.

As the dust settled, Mizuki was stubbornly holding on to the girl.

Mizuki, smiling despite panting.

Mizuki: “Gotcha.”

???: “Urghhh! Let me go!!!!!”

Mizuki smirked smugly as she clung to the girl like a koala.

A whole crowd of dwarves starts swarming towards them, including the town elder.

Town elder: “Thanks for helping us catch her.”

The town elder smiled gratefully as the crowd of dwarves grabbed the thrashing dwarven girl, pulling her away from Mizuki and also making sure that the girl didn’t run off.

As the girl screams and protests, the crowd cheers for both Mizuki and Eillia.

Town elder: “And as promised, we will award you with anything you two brave musicians want. So what do you two want? Gold, or perhaps glory?”

Mizuki chuckled, and she pointed at the dwarven girl who was caught, making a dramatic pose.

Mizuki: “I don’t need gold, nor glory! What I want is YOU! Be the drummer of my band!”

The crowd stopped cheering, and all the dwarves present, including the town elder and the dwarven girl, eyes widened in surprise. Some even fainted.

???: “Is this… how humans court people?”