Chapter 2 What binds us 1

Ryo started the day as usual. He ran at least ten kilometers while he was greeted by some people from the city who were beginning to open their stores.

“Starting the day, Ryo?!” A small overweight man shouted at a rapidly approaching Ryo.

Ryo raised his hand and greeted him.

“Here, for the road.” The man threw an apple.

“Thank you!”

Ryo continued on his way. He left the city; it was easy, as the guards already knew him. He continued until he walked away.

Took out his daggers and began his usual practice. Repeated each movement countless times, while remembering his red-haired teacher. The little squirrel was resting on the grass while some small pure white mountains, which seemed alien to the green landscape, rose not far away.

After several hours, he returned to the city; he had to shower. It was one of the things he had been taught: “Grooming separates people from animals.”

A little moment of relaxation, if he could have one.

It's true, that's how I met him. He thought as he immersed himself in the gigantic bathtub.

He had been wandering aimlessly for a year. Hunting some beast or monster and then selling it to the guild and thus barely surviving. Always, putting his life on the edge. That was the only way he knew to improve, to be more capable, more skilled… To be able to take revenge.

“Ah… ah… ah… Shit. Wasn't there a lake around here?”

Ryo walked inside a wooded mountain. He looked ragged, with superficial wounds and bruises all over his body. As soon as he found the lake, he dived in. His body began to purify itself.

He perceived something. He grabbed one of his weapons on the shore of the lake. Lowered his hand and hid it. The presence felt human. Seconds later, he was seen in the night light. An elf it was. With their pointed ears and heavenly beauty, it was impossible not to recognize them.

“Do you want something?” I ask with a defiant voice.

“Sorry for the inconvenience. I just want to rest for a moment.” The young man, with short blonde hair and mint eyes, sat next to a tree. Closed his eyes.

Although he seemed to be the same age as Ryo, he was not confident. He knew that the age of the elves was almost indistinguishable. The first thing he noticed about that elf was the sword that hung on the right side of his waist. It didn't look like just any sword, nor did its clothes…

“You seem pretty confident,” Ryo spat.

“Are you planning to attack me? I don't think you can defeat me,” the elf mentioned without opening his eyes.

Ryo knew the elf was right. He only needed to observe him a little to realize that he was strong, very strong. He wouldn't have a chance. Even less when he was so hurt. Luckily for him, he didn't sense that the elf was going to attack him.

“Well, do what you want.” After saying this, Ryo left the lake, put the dagger in its place, and dressed without letting his guard down.

“May I ask you something?” the elf spoke after a while.

“Forward.”

“Is that necklace yours?”

“… Yes.” Ryo looked at him suspiciously.

“Where are you from?” The elf seemed genuinely curious.

“Did you fall in love?” Ryo didn't know why. But he felt like being annoying to the elf.

The elf's eyes widened.

“Tsk.” He turned around; he seemed offended.

Ryo smiled.

“Sorry, apparently elves don't have a sense of humor. I'm not from anywhere. The necklace is something I've had for as long as I can remember. Mother mentioned that when she found me, the necklace was already next to me.”

“… I'm sorry too.” The elf apologized.

“It doesn't matter. I also want to ask you something. What's an elf doing in a place like this?”

“The same as you,” the elf suggested.

“Have you also heard the rumors?”

“Yes, but I haven't found anything. It appears that you have had better luck.”

“Not really. I only encountered a few goblins.”

“It seems that the rumors are just that.” The elf looked disappointed.

“Perhaps, but a merchant had already told me that the Andleh has not been seen on this mountain but in the Whitleyve Mountains near the city of Waspen.”

“So in Midgard…” the elf said thoughtfully.

A small squirrel flew out of a tree and landed on Ryo's head.

A slight tremor, almost imperceptible, ran through the elf. He looks inquisitively at the little squirrel.

“What is that thing?”

“Nix?” Ryo said as he grabbed the little one and caressed her. “I don't know, I found her in the forest. Or did she find me?”

It looks like a spirit beast… But I thought the spirits were afraid of it… Maybe it's something else? Like every elf from a noble family, he could see the spirits. And what he saw since he arrived at the lake were numerous tiny lights, mostly green or blue, hidden behind the trees, as if avoiding something.

“Do you know what it is?”

“A squirrel? Or not? I don't know… you are the elf, you are much older, more knowledgeable.”

“I'm thirteen, and no, I don't know what it is, didn't my question make that clear?”

“A noble elf, so young, alone?”

“Did you fall in love?”

“Maybe.”

“I apologize, but I'm not one of those. I have a fiancée, and being alone is part of my training.”

“So on a training trip… You really are a noble.”

“Why do I feel irony in your words?”

“Noble and intelligent.”

“Tsk.”

“Hahaha.”

“Strange squirrel you have there.”

“Sorry?” Ryo opened his eyes and looked at the man who spoke to him.

“The squirrel that is in your head, what is it?”

He had already felt some presences entering the bathroom, but he did not sense that man.

“His name is Nix. And it's a simple squirrel.” Ryo's look was slightly threatening.

“I see… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother.”

Strange, I've never seen him, but it seems like my eyes don't bother him… just like Herwin…

Although he had been in this city for a few weeks and several people had gotten used to him, many had not.

“My name is Nick.”

“I'm Ryo.”

“A strange name…” Nick said, almost whispering. “I'm sorry, but are you an adventurer?”

“No.”

“I see… A pity, I thought you might know a little about the strange disappearances that have been happening lately. I've been out of town and barely noticed.”

“Merchant?”

“Honey,” Nick agreed.

“Like most in this city. I've heard a little. I think the last disappearance was that of a young woman who had lost her husband in the Flowers War.”

“Regrettable. The rumors that I heard on my way back are that they always disappear in the mountains.”

“Yes… It appears that even some caravans and adventurers have disappeared.”

“Hasn't the viscount done something?”

“I don't know, I just know that some people or merchants have sent some requests to the guild.”

“You have enough information not to be an adventurer.”

“And you have very little to be a merchant, are you testing me?”

“Hahaha. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. But I would also like this issue to be resolved. It is not good for business that this type of bad publicity is spreading. And I don't trust the adventurer's guild much.”

“What do you want?” Ryo abruptly mentioned.

“I've been looking for someone to accept this assignment for two days, but no one seemed very suitable for this type of work.”

“And I am?”

“It seems so to me, unless my vision has deteriorated over time.”

“You trust your instincts a lot.”

“Hahaha. And what else can people like me, who have no magic, special abilities, or any other talents, rely on?”

Ryo got out of the bathtub and prepared to leave. As he walked, Nick spoke.

“If you accept, you can find me on the shopping street.”

Ryo continued walking, something bothering him about that man. He didn't know what it was, or rather, he would rather not recognize it.

That look of superiority, just like Ren's.

A few months after meeting Herwin—who was traveling out of family custom at that age—their paths accidentally joined. They were in a dungeon…

“This damn labyrinth seems to have no end.”

“I thought you would be more used to it.”

“I already told you that I am not an adventurer.”

“I know, but your skills and appearance resemble those of one.”

“Just because it looks like it doesn't mean it is, Herwin.”

Ryo and the elf moved between enormous dark roots with pasty green spots, while an intense icy wind was felt in the gray environment that anticipated rain. No trees were visible.

Nix, in Ryo's head, moved.

“Wait.”

“What's happening? Is something approaching?” asked Herwin, who glanced briefly at the squirrel.

“I don't know… How do spirits act?”

“I already told you that they don't seem to like you very much.”

“… I'm talking about right now.”

“Since we entered this floor, i haven't seen any.”

“…”

Something was watching them. They looked at each other and understood that it wasn't their imagination. Herwin took the hilt of his sword; Ryo, the one with her daggers.

A figure revealed itself, it seemed to have always been there… On top of a trunk that rose like a fist, a creature similar to a salamander, about two meters tall, with its head bowed. It had a vivid bluish and translucent color, with black spots, from which subtle clouds emerged. His white eyes looked at them with interest.

“Could it be the boss of the dungeon?”

“I don't know… What the hell is it?”

Ryo and Herwin whispered.

Another appeared on Ryo's left side, another on Herwin's right side, another behind, and other and another and another.

“It must be a joke.”

Herwin drew his sword and attacked.

“Tsk.” Ryo followed him.

Unfortunately his attacks only hit air.

“So illusions. Where will the real one be?”

As if the creature heard Ryo, they felt intense dizziness. Several roots came to life. The smaller ones tried to grab them. The larger ones struck violent blows. The dizziness was more intense. A rain began to fall, and every drop seemed to burn them. When it looked like Herwin would launch some kind of attack. A loud sound was heard.

The roots calmed down, the rain stopped, and the illusions disappeared.

The sound came from the place where that creature was. They went to check.

What they found when they arrived was a hole with pieces of root, along with parts of bluish skin and a liquid of the same color that was splashed all over the place. And in the middle, a man of about thirty-nine years old. With a clearly very well-worked physique. Long black hair that reached the middle of her back. A tail and ears of the same color, equal to those of a big cat. He looked at them seriously. A look that, if one looked more closely, one would find that it hid great pride. He seemed to study them with slight contempt and interest. His eyes locked on Ryo. He couldn't stop watching him.

Killing a Radhac so easily, without any weapon, is fucking crazy. Ryo thought as he left those public bathrooms.

Ryo walked through the streets, now very alive. People walked everywhere. Men, children, women, old people, humans, beastmen, some dwarves, and even the occasional elf. Some talking, others shouting, laughing, or contemplating. The stores had more and more customers. The great dome that covered the entire city—made of a thin translucent stone in a hexagonal shape—seemed to protect it. While the beautiful ashen castle wrapped in moss, in the middle of her, was her guardian.

Ryo seemed to remember something as he walked.

It was a small town, the pace quiet, the time calm. As a thanks for letting them host them, Ryo, Herwin, and Ren helped with any monsters or beasts that appeared.

“The next town is Purplower, and then we will enter Midgard.”

“There is still a long way to go to reach Regseia.”

“You knew the road would be long,” Ryo answered Herwin. While looking at Ren's map. “For an elf, your sense of time seems very normal.”

“You know I'm the same age as you. And I say this because we almost don't have any funds…” Herwin looked at him as if he were suggesting something.

“I already told you that I won't join the adventurer's guild.”

“But it's the easiest way to get money.”

“…”

“Enough. We have what it takes to get to Midgard. Then we'll see. Even if we are not adventurers, we can still sell things to the guild, and nobles or merchants sometimes like to hire other people so as not to deal with the bureaucracy of the guild,” Ren mentioned to them.

In the middle of their talk a little girl came running.

“Mmm… Excuse me… Have you not seen Mushroom?”

“Mushroom?” Herwin looked confused.

“I think it's a dog,” Ren replied.

“I haven't seen him since the morning, and I… I…” Tears were beginning to appear. “I don't know what to do… Sniff… Sniff…”

“W-wait, tranquilizer.” Herwin didn't know what to do.

“We can't do anything. These things sometimes happen,” Ryo told him.

“But… Mushroom… Buaaaa… Buaa….”

The three of them stood petrified by the girl's cries. They seemed disoriented.

A woman came running. I pick up the girl and hug her.

“There, there. Peaceful.” The woman caressed the little girl. “Excuse her, she's a little nervous about her pet.”

“Don't worry.” Ren calmed the woman.

“But… Mushroom… Sniff… What if the shadow took him? Sniff…”

“There, there. Nobody took it. Let's search the town again.”

“The shadow?”

“Eh? Oh, yes, it is a rumor that has been circulating. A shadow that attracts the unfortunate and carries them away.”

“So you've heard that rumor here too.” Herwin commented.

“Have you heard it too?”

“Yes, but in another town.” Ryo looked at Herwin, who then asked.

“Where was the last time you saw your pet?”

“The… Sniff… last time we were Sniff… playing in the house… Sniff… and he disappeared afterward.”

“If we find something, we'll let you know.”

After listening to Herwin's words and thanking him, the woman left.

“I had already forgotten about that monster, or beast?”

“I've also heard those rumors, it seems he's around these regions,” Ren mentioned after Ryo.

“Because we didn't investigate a little. Anyway, we're leaving tomorrow, and there's nothing to do today.”

“Do you really still believe that such a monster exists, Herwin?”

“I don't know, why don't we find out?”

After following a few clues, they found themselves walking through a small mountain.

“I don't see anything.”

“Me neither.”

“I think there's something there.” Ren pointed to a round shadow that could be seen under a tree.

They approached and found a huge plump woman sleeping in the shade of that tree. And on her enormous belly, a small puppy accompanied her during her nap.

The bustling streets harassed Ryo's walk as he reminisced.

He headed to the inn where they were staying.

Upon entering, he found his companions having breakfast. The elf Herwin, the beastman Ren, and the sturdy Lihua. Seeing him, a smiling Lihua raised her hand. I walk towards them.