City of Rosenburg

We’ve stopped by a trading city.

Rosenburg. It’s one of the largest cities in the Chablis continent. People all over the continents, different races, cultures – this is where you’d find the things you’re looking for. It’s a couple of miles away from the Kingdom of Henhria, which was mentioned in the letter I read back at Durahl.

I look out the window. It’s late in the afternoon. Lots of people roam the streets, going about finishing up their daily routines.

We’re staying at one of the multiple inns here. It’s all double rooms, and we’re all on the same floor.

That being said, this room is small compared to the rooms back at Sol. But that’s because we’re here to stock up on supplies discretely, so we booked in one of the smaller inns.

I look at the beds. One’s mine.

Iris is asleep on the other one. She hasn’t woken up since last night.

We’ll be on the move tomorrow. Loralei and I haven’t told the others about what happened last night yet.

I walk close to her bed and sit on a nearby chair.

I’m not sure, but I feel worried about her. Not like as a fellow party member.

I look at her closely. I don’t know why I thought she wasn’t human last night. She might be a hero’s descendant, someone with a Unique Skill that enables them to regenerate quickly.

It’s just that I don’t recall any of my chosen heroes having a Unique Skill like that.

Her black, shoulder-length hair. Her fair skin. Her eyes. Her lips. She’s human, but something’s not right. I can feel it.

Iris opens her eyes.

“A-Aelius?”

“Ah, Iris you’re awake. How are you feeling? Any pains?”

“I’m alright. I don’t feel any-”

She stops. The color quickly drains from her face.

She stammers.

“I-I-I…”

Tears flow down her face. Her hands grip the sheets of the bed.

“I-I… t-t-tried to shoot you!”

I grab her hand.

“Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t mean it.”

“N-no, it’s not! I’ve done s-something unforgivable…”

As if by instinct, my hands reach out to her face, wiping her tears. I then came in close and hugged her.

“It’s alright Iris. It’s alright”

She wraps her arms around me and cries on my shoulder.

“It’s okay Iris”

Iris continues crying.

A few minutes later. She seems to have calmed down a bit.

She lets go.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m fine now…”

“That’s good”

I stand up and take some food from the table, which I prepared earlier.

“Here, have some food first, you’ve been unconscious for a quite a while”

“O-okay…”

Silence fills the air as Iris continues to eat her food.

I ask her.

“So… about last night, why attack Loralei? You didn’t seem like yourself either”

“I-I don’t understand why as well… I felt threatened, like she would expose me to everyone…to you…”

She looks down.

“Why? We’re your teammates at least if not your friends-”

I stop myself. Of course she wouldn’t tell us. If anything, it’s like she’s addicted to killing. We do kill demons and other monsters, but we’re not battle-hungry that we go out of our way to find them and kill them.

“I’m a part of the Genesis project”

Huh? Project?

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a lot of things going on in the Kingdom of Sol that most wouldn’t know about. We’re constantly looking for new ways to gain an edge over the demons. There are already multiple projects that have been conceived. Like the Exodus project. Do you remember the letter that Mercedes gave you?”

My eyes widen. How does she know about that?

“How’d you know about that?”

She laughs a little. It’s sad and happy at the same time.

“I found it while I was cleaning your clothes”

That’s a bit embarrassing.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone. So the about the letter. The shipment from Henhria is for the new attack and defense system of Sol. It’s the latest project and arguably the biggest one to date. They’re planning to decimate the Demon Continent without taking one step away from Nivea”

She holds her arms close to her chest.

“As for the Genesis project, there are three subjects that have been genetically modified for the purposes of the kingdom. I’m one of those three. The “source in the demon camp” mentioned in the letter? He’s part of the project like me”

I didn’t know the Kingdom of Sol had advanced to this degree. What other projects have they been working on?

Iris continues talking.

“The three of us were chosen at random. We were taken from the outskirts which had been overrun by the demons when we were little - at least that’s what they told us. We weren’t even 10 or 12 when they started the experiments. They aimed for the power that the Demon Lords have. The trophies that the heroes would bring home from killing the Demon Lords, whether it was the horns, their weapons, or even their heads, the Kingdom had kept preserved before we were even born”

Don’t tell me… Iris’ Unique Skill… That’s why it was familiar.

“They merged those with our bodies, and turned us into what we are now… healing isn’t the only thing I can do. I have the abilities of the Demon Lord Ornaxon. He was known for being almost impossible to kill with his extreme regeneration. He would often join the battlefield to satisfy his lust for killing humans, everyone he faced never stood a chance, never could fight back…”

She grips her arms.

To sum it up, if she has the abilities of Ornaxon, she can passively apply various debuffs from Fear to Paranoia to anyone within range. She’d be able to make use of “Oberon’s Blessing” as well, the demons wouldn’t be able to disobey her will. It’s no wonder she made quick work of so many demons until now. But she’d also have the bloodlust that he had.

Her grip tightens.

“You know everything he could do. You’re Aelius after all. I didn’t want you to find out who I really am because I feared you would hate me…”

I can hear the bones in her arms snap. I immediately grab her hands.

“Hey! Don’t do that! I don’t hate you-”

“Y-you don’t know that!... It’s only for now. I also knew that we were sent out here as bait. I was really placed here to make sure our unit continues moving forward as planned, not to attack stray demons. You get what I mean. I’m just like them.”

I hug her once again.

“Iris. Stop. I know there are a lot more things you want to say. But it won’t change what I think about you. Besides, everything you did, it was all for the team”

“I did it for you Aelius. You meanie.”

“Yeah I know. I’m not that great with words. What I mean is that you don’t have to keep this to yourself. We-I’m here for you”

Iris manages a laugh.

“You’re right when you say you’re not great with words. That was really terrible”

Hey. I tried.

But I laugh as well. That was an awkward sentence after all.

We both stop for a moment.

We look at each other. She leans close to me.

“U-um Aelius can you-”

A hand suddenly bursts through the door.

“Ice Spikes”

I summon several ice spikes and aim them at the door.

A voice calls out from outside.

“Ah. Sorry. I misplaced my hand.”

The door opens. It’s Loralei.

“The door was too fragile.”

I let out a sigh. I place the ice spikes on the floor. We’ll just call in service to clean this up later.

Iris stands up. She looks at Loralei.

“You did that on purpose”

“On purpose? Why would I? Did I interrupt something? I came because it’s time for an early dinner. Hannah said it’s better to eat now while there’s a few people downstairs.”

Loralei looks at the food tray on the bed.

“But it looks like you’ve already eaten Iris. In that case, me and Aelius will head downstairs. Stay here and rest.”

“No, I’m going to eat dinner with him. I didn’t eat much”

I interrupt the two.

“Let’s just go together. No problems with that right?”

Loralei turns around.

“Right.”

“What about the hole in the door?”

“I’ll just call service for it Iris, let’s go”

We head out the room.

Downstairs, the only people consist of us and the staff. Which is good, less witnesses and less chance of attackers.

“Al, I have something to say, sit over here”

Grayson waves at me from his seat. I follow on his offer.

Iris and Loralei take their seats beside me.

Grayson looks at the three of us.

“So you two are just going to stick with Al, just like how Julie and Elen stick to Toshikasu? Youth are really something else. So are otherworlders”

“You don’t even look that old Grayson”

I mean look at the guy. He’s like what? Maybe 2 or 3 years older than my body? Everyone is so young in this unit.

One of the staff brings a plate of food for the 4 of us.

“So about what I was going to tell you. And actually, it might apply to Loralei and Evelyn as well. Why don’t we just ride their dragon? We can do a surprise attack on the demon lord’s castle.”

Loralei scoffs.

“If we could do that, then I would have already offered to transport your entire group there. Nathan never flies into the demon continent. And right now, he’s stalling the demon army as we speak.”

“Ah what? His name’s Nathan? Hahahahaha!”

Grayson keeps laughing.

Iris is puzzled as well.

“Don’t ask why he’s named like that. That’s the name father gave him.”

Something clicks in my head.

“He’s your brother”

Loralei closes her eyes.

“Yes, I did mention my mother being of draconic lineage, right? My older brother has more dragon in his blood than both human or demon. That’s why he turned out like that.”

Ah. That dragon did seem to be holding a grudge against me when we met for the 2nd time.

“Loralei”

“Yes Aelius?”

“Do apologize to your brother on my behalf. I almost killed him back at Sol”

I bow a little.

“That was you? You’re quite strong.”

“Huh? You’re not mad?”

“He’s fine now, isn’t he? I’ll just take it that we’re even when I broke your bones”

A shiver runs up my spine. I’m thankful, but also scared a little.

Grayson interjects.

“You two, I keep hearing you call him Aelius. It’s kind of disrespectful to our God. Especially you Iris, since you’re a citizen of Sol. Just call him Al”

Before Iris could speak, Loralei scoffs again.

“Knight. You’re being disrespectful to him right now-”

Iris suddenly places her hand on Loralei’s mouth.

“Alright Grayson, we’ll try to stop calling him that in public”

Iris smiles, catching Grayson off guard.

“Ah… Ah alright fine, as long as it doesn’t happen again”

She lets go. Loralei keeps quiet. She’s quick-witted thankfully.

We continue eating.

…

Somewhere on the other side of the city.

A half-elf enters the western gate.

He’s wearing noble elven clothing. An elegant ivory bow is strapped to his back. On his hilt is a platinum sword with a golden handle with silver edges. The people around him assume that he’s a high ranking noble of some elven kingdom, and they make way when he passes by.

He looks up at the high-rise buildings in the center of the city. In the middle of it all is the highest tower he’s ever seen.

“Woah, this place is huge. That tower is almost as tall as the Great Tree. And there’s so many people, beastmen, dwarves, and there are even other elves”

He continues walking.

Seiji. Focus. We’re here to look for Aelius, not go sightseeing.

“Ah sorry about that Matsunaga. It’s my first time out of the forest”

I keep telling you. You can call me Yatsumi.

“But it seems wrong to call the Goddess’ Archangel by their first name”

First of all, I’m not gender neutral. I’m a woman. And second, right now I’m a sword.

Seiji turns around a corner. He heads into a busier section of the city.

“I feel like we’re lost Miss Matsunaga. Where should I go now?”

Yatsumi.

“Miss-”

Y-A-T-S-U-M-I. Call me Yatsumi.

“Okay Miss Yatsumi. Should I head over here?”

Seiji follows the flow of the traffic to the middle of the city.

Fine. Miss Yatsumi is good enough. We should start looking through the hotels. Amaris said they’d be staying in one of those places. She doesn’t know where exactly. But chances are they’re staying in the bigger ones.

“I think we should look at the smaller ones. I thought they were trying to be discreet. It’s a high-priority mission after all”

Look buddy. I’m telling you, they’re at one of the bigger ones. Ooh look at that one! Let’s go there!

Seiji looks at the building in front of him.

It’s clearly a classy one. It’s considerably high, and there’s even a carpet and some staff by the door.

He whispers.

“Are you sure?”

Yes. I’m totally sure. In we go!!

The platinum sword on his hilt nudges forward. He walks inside the building.

A few minutes later.

Seiji walks out the building.

“7000 for one night. If Uncle didn’t give me so much money, I might have ended up getting kicked out… or worse!”

So they’re not there. But hey look on the bright side! We got a room for the night!

“I’m not sure Miss Yatsumi, I’d rather stay in a smaller room at least”

The setting sun dyes the streets into a lazy shade of orange. The flow of people on the streets are considerably lessened. The nearby stalls are already closing up.

“Well, we got the whole night to look for them”

He heads out in a random direction.

At least let’s go back before 10. I want to lie down on that fluffy bed.

Seiji scratches his head.

“10? 10 what?”

10pm.

“Ah so that’s what you meant”

You have no idea what that means do you. Elves. Typical.

He re-adjusts the strap on his belt. Elven clothes are hard to walk around in.

“What about us?”

Nothing. Carry on.

The two head out further into the city.