The Prophecy of the Forbidden Letter.

When we arrived, the first thing I did was sit down. The leader took a sip of water and walked over to the large quest board, carefully examining it as she looked through the requests.

“How did you meet Einer?” I asked.

“At the Royal Swordsmanship Academy of Zure. Einer was a very good person, truly. He was always obsessed with perfecting his technique. Several of us practiced constantly to learn that connecting thread. But Einer made the Zure style even stronger. A variation: the wind connectors can be broken to create an opening. Counterattack. Very interesting, don’t you think?”

“Did Einer create a new technique?”

“He did... You even have an even better version. Counterattack with a sword. Your own body is the weapon... Very interesting, indeed.”

“Thanks... Tell me, what happened to him?”

“When he graduated, he abandoned me.” Her voice lowered slightly. “He decided to leave with someone else... leaving the Zure region behind.”

“Uh... You two were...?” Itsuki interrupted.

“Yes, young archer.”

“Honestly... I’m surprised. Einer had pretty good taste,” Itsuki replied.

“What?”

“Itsuki...” I said coldly.

“Nothing, nothing. Leader, why did you call for us?”

“Ah, right. My son submitted a request to the guild to find a lost scroll in the city. He’s looking for someone who can help him. I’m giving you the quest because he formally requested it. Those are the rules, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What do you say?”

That child really wants to help us. However, something still bothers me. Something doesn’t quite add up.

“So, your son followed the rules so he could formally ask you to let the two of us help him, right?” Itsuki asked.

“Yes. Impeccable, young archer.”

“Guikyume?”

“It’s fine, but... what about the Royal Cavalry?”

“Hmm...” She seemed to think for a few moments. “Hey, you! Bring me the magic necklaces!”

“Right away, my leader!”

“Wait a few minutes. They’re creations of ours... Hmm, well, of the elves, actually, but... how are they?”

“Good?”

A Dorsphienn placed a few sacks on the table.

“Here they are, leader.”

“Thank you very much. Now, look at this.” She took out a necklace. “See this mineral? It’s magical. Yes, I know, the design is simple, but beautiful. A dwarf friend of mine, a blacksmith, forged them.” She held the sack out to us. “Put your necklaces on.”

“All right,” I said.

The necklace was made of... silver? A shining mineral was embedded in it. I examined it carefully before putting it on. I felt a slight discomfort, followed by a burst of cold that ran through my entire body.

“Hmm, magnificent... Majestic, huh,” Itsuki said.

“Huh?”

“Now you, archer.”

“Yes.”

When Itsuki put his necklace on, his hair suddenly began to glow. Blue? So this was meant to help us go unnoticed... But what color was mine? I moved a strand of hair away from my forehead. White.

“Hmm, interesting, indeed.”

“They reflect the colors of your intentions. That’s the philosophy behind the creation of these magic necklaces. Give this one to my son. I’m sure he’s outside listening to everything.”

“All right...”

“My son prepared some clothes for you, just some rags. Take them and you can leave. However, I’ll ask you to be careful.”

“All right, no problem,” Itsuki replied.

“What’s the reward, huh?”

“One gold coin. Now, go bring me that scroll.”

Does this child really admire us? Itsuki and I said goodbye to the leader and headed outside. The boy was waiting for us, sitting down and slightly twitching his ears when he saw us come out.

“Hey, so there’s a reward and everything, huh... Thanks, really.”

“Sir Guikyume.” He suddenly stood up. “If I hadn’t taken a guild quest, you wouldn’t have been able to leave. Hmm, what’s that?”

“It’s a magic necklace that will change the color of your hair. Take it.”

“Yes, right away.” He took the necklace and put it on. “What color is it?”

“Green. It suits you.”

“Great! Follow me. I’ll give you the rags. I’m sure my mother mentioned them to you.”

“All right. We’re heading to the capital now. I think it’ll take about an hour to get there, so we’ll have to walk.”

“As always, you know everything so well, sir Guikyume. Let’s go!”

“Hmm... All right.”

We had said goodbye to our horses. The boy retrieved his bag, and once we were ready, we headed toward the capital. Itsuki told the boy about our adventures in the Forest of Disconnection, although he didn’t remember everything. The weather was warm that day. I concluded that the boy had seen the letter being stolen; however, figuring out who had done it would be difficult.

“Hey, but where should we look?” I asked.

“Uh, we should go to your inn and wait to see if anyone shows up wearing black. Or at least try to find someone whose silhouette reminds me of... That person I saw.”

“I understand. Why are you helping us?”

“Sir Guikyume, I think I already told you. You... you two helped the dragon. I actually like traveling. Believe it or not, I’m an adventurer. I’m an explorer.”

“I see. All right... Let’s go.”

...

We managed to get inside by convincing the guards that we were simple farmers looking for supplies. We walked through the commercial district, trying to keep a low profile, until our inn came into view.

“Let’s stay behind these barrels. We’ll wait and see if I can spot him.”

“All right,” I said.

Several minutes passed, but the boy didn’t recognize any of the people who went by. Then, suddenly, while Itsuki rested for a moment and the boy hummed a song in his language, I noticed something strange about someone who was completely covered. I couldn’t make out his face clearly. He was carrying a bag. He reached inside and... There it was—the scroll case. The letter!

“That’s him. There he is.”

“Huh? Sir Guikyume... Yes, that’s him.”

“Should we follow him or what?” Itsuki added.

“Let’s get closer. Come on.”

We followed him through the commercial streets. Suddenly, he stopped... He’s running! We quickened our pace and turned right. He fell to the ground, but quickly got back up and continued running.

“Hey, wait!” Itsuki shouted.

“Come on!” the boy added.

We kept running. Suddenly, he threw the black scroll case away. Why? I picked up the letter and watched him run. Something didn’t add up. I looked at Itsuki with a smile, then at the boy, who was completely out of breath. I examined the letter. It was the same one. I felt relieved...

“Wait here.” I put the letter away. “Itsuki, I’m going after that thief.”

“But we have the letter now, sir. Guikyume.”

“He’s right, Guikyume. Let’s get out of here.”

“No. Stay here.”

I ran after him at full speed. So he knows it’s us? Haven’t we changed our appearances?

I followed him without hesitation. I have to catch him! I caught a glimpse of him from the side... What is he doing? His feline ears, his burgundy hair... I tackled him! He hit the ground hard.

“I didn’t mean to do it! Believe me!”

“Why? Why did you take the letter?”

“He told me to! I wanted to earn my name!”

“I see...”

It all makes sense, really...

I crossed my arms as I watched Itsuki approach without him.

“He said he was going to report it.”

“Really?”

“That’s strange. I don’t understand, uh... Huh? What is he doing here?”

The citizens’ murmurs grew louder. We should leave before the Royal Cavalry gets here. I looked carefully at the other young man...

“Tell me, where could he be?” I asked.

“Y-yes. I think he could be in the village, probably in the forest...”

“Hmm...”

“They’re here,” Itsuki whispered.

“Let’s go.”

We disappeared into the crowd. We made it to the outskirts without much trouble. I still didn’t understand why. However, I didn’t think it was really about earning his name, either. If a name was truly earned through an important mission... Was all of this a strategy from the very beginning?

We searched through the forest, looking everywhere for him. He wasn’t there.

“Guikyume, he’s over there...”

“I see him. Let’s go.”

He was crying. I approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. I didn’t really know what to say; however, I understood his decision.

“Sir...”

“...Guikyume. Just call me Guikyume.”

“All right, Guikyume. I’m sorry. I... I just wanted to spend some time with you two. After you found the letter, I was going to tell you... that I wanted you to train me in exchange for helping you with the search. I’m sorry.”

Itsuki and I looked at each other. He looked at me as if he were waiting for me to say something. I sat down beside the boy and took a deep breath.

“A name, huh? That name will find you. You can be your own teacher. You shouldn’t wait; take action. You know, when I was a kid, I really admired my father. I wanted to be better than him, a better person, the greatest warrior. I lost too much because of it. Too much... Everything has its time, doesn’t it?”

“I think so, but... what did you lose?”

“...People who were important to me.”

“I understand...”

“All right. Let’s go. We completed the quest, didn’t we?”

“Guikyume...”

“Come on. Talk to your mother normally. We completed the quest.”

“All right, if you say so.” ...

I found the letter. I looked carefully around us. Beautiful day, isn’t it? The boy had lied to us, but he had his reasons. Still... none of this had been necessary.

We continued along the road in silence. My body was still aching a little. Itsuki began singing Dorsberg’s song about the dragon.

I think he really does miss his homeland. Erika had helped us get enough money; however, she had her own strategy, didn’t she?

The boy suddenly stopped. What’s wrong? He clenched his fists and approached us with his head lowered. There was a troubled look on his face.

“Forgive me,” the boy broke the silence.

“It’s all right... You had your reasons.”

“I know, but I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

“I see. It’s fine, believe me. You can calm.”

“Thank you. Really.”

“Tell me, mœ einlyë, teimhlo?”

“I’m fine...”

“Then you can relax. Let’s keep going.”

“All right.”

I felt a warm sensation. Things no longer felt awkward between us. Mœ Einlyë Teimhlo? I think it means something like... well, he answered I’m fine, so it must mean How are you? I think.

“Hey,” I called to the boy.

“Uh, yeah?”

“What does mœ einlyë?”

“You pronounced it pretty well, haha. Yeah, it basically means, how are you?”

“I see. Interesting... Teimhlo?”

“Teimhlo is friend.”

“I like it, I like it. Um... how do you say good morning” and good night?”

“Gluęwuonä.” He tapped his chest twice. “It means “good morning.” Gluęwuonä...” He tapped his chest three times. “means “good night.” It’s more formal.”

“I see... Gluęwuonä, teimhlo... Hello, friend”?

“Yes! Very good.”

“All right, all right. I’m learning.”

I see. The language itself, especially its first syllables, is almost musical, but the final words tend to be more direct.

...

When we arrived, the first thing we did was head straight to the guild. We entered, and there was the leader.

“Leader, we’re back! The search was a success!” the boy said.

She turned around, walked toward us, and looked us over carefully. What’s going on?

“Very good. Guikyume and archer, take your reward.” She handed us a bag, which Itsuki took. “That’s five hundred silver coins; one gold coin.”

“Thank you very much,” I said.

“Hmm... Well, I’ll get back to what I was doing. See you later.”

Why is she acting so cold?

“Don’t you want to change clothes?” the boy suggested.

“I’m fine with that. Let’s do it,” Itsuki said.

...

Once we had changed and removed the necklaces, we stayed at the guild to eat meat and soup. The guild also served as a tavern.

I looked around and felt uneasy. I should have been studying which route we should take. I suddenly stood up.

“Hmm... Hey, Itsuki, I’m going to study. Can you check the quests?”

“Yes. Sir Guikyume.”

“Hmm, all right.”

I said goodbye to the others and left.

...

Back at the cabin, I sat on my bed, took out my bag, and began organizing my belongings.

I checked the routes we had taken. Right... the territory in conflict.

“I should talk to her about that...”

We would have to stay here for a month and take quests every day, just as we had done in Dorsberg. To reach the neighboring kingdom, I estimated it would take about three months.

I took out my notebook, where I usually wrote down magic spells. I should put my mana control into practice.

I looked at the book Leif had given me... I’m sure there must be a library with a book about the ancient language.

“I think I’ll work out a strategy for our next journey.”

...

Boom! The door opened. Itsuki. He entered the room with a smile.

“What’s wrong?” I said.

“Hmm, nothing. Hmm... I just want to rest, haha. I reserved several quests. I’ll tell you about them later, and... something else. It’s very important.”

“I see. All right. Go get some rest. Anyway... I think I’ll go ask about something. I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Uh... huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Tell me later.”

I stood up and put my things away. Itsuki lay down. Hmm... It’s still early, but we haven’t been sleeping well lately.

“See you later.”

“See you, Guikyume.”

...

Although Itsuki’s attitude seemed rather strange to me, I didn’t think much of it. I entered the guild and looked for the leader. She was organizing some papers. I approached her, and she looked at me coldly.

“What do you want?”

“Do you know about the conflict in the neighboring kingdom?”

“Huh? What does that have to do with you?”

“I have to travel...”

“I see. Come. Sit down.”

“All right.”

“Everyone, out!”

What’s going on? The other adventurers left, leaving only the guards behind. I swallowed hard. Her behavior made me uneasy.

“Guikyume... I didn’t know that scroll was actually so important.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, visibly nervous.

“My son practically tricked me into helping you... Do you know what the letter means?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Guikyume... What you have in your hands is extremely dangerous. I can help you if you help me.”

“...I understand. What do you know?”

“Don’t worry, all right?”

“All right.”

“My people come from the Southern Continent... There are sages in our kingdom. They received a prophecy. I’ll tell you the prophecy: ‘Forbidden letter, received by light. Light that will guide the evil manipulated by him. It has no name. It is revelation, it is pain, cold. The letter must not reach the Southern Continent; otherwise, wars will break out. The people must help guide it so they do not fall into temptation. Forbidden letter. It is not life. It is not good. It is pain.’”

“...”

“The leader of another village, a good friend of mine, has studied history. He can help you. I want you to understand something very clearly, Guikyume: if this letter represents what I think it does, I won’t allow you to reach the Southern Continent, nor will I let you continue toward the Kingdom of the Seven Sages until we know exactly what this letter means.”

How does she know about...?

“I don’t fully understand. Why?”

“The leader studied the continental war from more than eight hundred years ago. It’s clear that this letter has something to do with the prophecies... I honestly don’t know much about it. However, if the letter isn’t delivered... Pain... That’s also in the prophecy.”

“Then why don’t we just go and deliver it?”

“Because you don’t know what the hell it is!”

“...I suppose, anyway...”

“Yes. We have to go to our village. It’s in the neighboring kingdom. Do you know about the Black Hat Knights?”

“No...”

“Demons.”

“I knew they existed, but... I didn’t think they’d be this close to northern Zure.”

“They live in the unexplored lands of the Northern Continent. However, that’s not what matters... Understand this: I can help you, but you have to help me. Either way, I’m afraid that if the letter really is what I think it is, something terrible will happen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“All right. Our village is allied with the governor of the neighboring kingdom. A noble family there is responsible for the conflict. Our quest is... to infiltrate their mansion. This also concerns my village... A human can infiltrate better than one of us. Do you understand? I’ll give you more information later.”

“And what if I say no?”

She raised her hand, and the guards pointed their spears at me.

“If you refuse, I’ll hand you over. If you accept, I’ll help you. It’s a mutual arrangement, understand? Why the hell aren’t you taking this seriously?”

“I understand... First, tell me, did someone tell you about the letter? If you tell me who did it, I’ll accept.”

“Hmm... Your companion, Itsuki.”

I tensed for a moment. My breathing became rhythmic as I stared at her...

“As you say. I’ll accept.”

I stood up and pushed the spear aside with my arm. She stood as well.

“Guikyume, your companion...”

“...Whatever you want to tell me, it doesn’t matter.”

I headed toward the cabin with a sharp pain in my heart. I tried to process everything, but... I’m tired. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my skin. I felt a deathly silence that was terrifying.

What the hell is the letter?