Skeleton Knight, in Another World (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Trouble in Olav 

The next day, Ariane and I used Transport Gate to teleport from Lalatoya back to Houvan. We used Dimensional Step to make quick jumps along the road leading to Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom. 

We’d left the elf we rescued with Dillan, stayed the night, and then promptly left Lalatoya the next morning. 

While we were there, I once again took the opportunity to use the bath and enjoy a delicious meal, but I knew I couldn’t keep doing that forever. I was itching to get a place of my own. Constantly carrying more than a thousand gold coins on me only added to that desire. 

Glenys had told me I could come by their place any time, but obviously she didn’t mean literally any time. She’d also added a condition: If I came by, I needed to bring Ponta with me. The little furball was incredibly popular with women and children. 

Currently, Ponta sat in its rightful spot atop my helmet, letting out little yawns as the scenery changed from one teleport to the next. 

The trip from Houvan to the capital normally took around two days by cart, but we could do it in just half a day using Dimensional Step. Since the land was practically flat the entire way—mostly fields, with the occasional farm or village—I had a great line of sight, allowing me to teleport long distances. 

However, since this route ran straight to the capital, there was also a lot of traffic. I had to choose teleportation spots that were a little off the road and not easy to spot. 

We soon came to a large river running north to south—the Lydel. The way the light reflected off the surface of the water reminded me of a silver serpent slithering through the fields. 

A massive bridge spanned the river. On the far side, I could see the rounded walls—four layers deep—of an enormous city. Even from here, I could tell that the place was immense. 

It was the first time I’d seen anything even approaching the scale of this city. Given how few artificial structures there were in this world, it was hard for me to describe this…monument to human achievement. 

The words just slipped out of my mouth. “It’s…stunning.” 

Ariane looked quizzically over at me. I just shook my head in response. 

With the capital in sight, we made our way back to the road and blended into the crowd of travelers. 

We’d come to Olav to gather information for our future missions. After all, it was the largest concentration of people in the whole kingdom. There were two more names on the elf purchase contracts: Lundes du Lamburt and Drassos du Barysimon, probably both men. 

Even from a distance, we could easily see all of the people and carts crossing the bridge. Like the bridge in Diento, this one led straight into the capital itself. Unlike Diento, Olav contained a whole city between its third and fourth walls alone. 

We crossed the bridge and found ourselves at the east gate. The walls stood at least thirty meters tall, though they looked even more massive against the surrounding plains, differing from Lalatoya, which was ringed with trees. The gate itself was about ten meters wide, allowing for crushing numbers of people and carts to come and go unimpeded. The whole scene screamed of prosperity. 

There was one line for carts and another for people. Wave after wave of each were swallowed by the city as they made their way inside. Ariane joined the line for people. When we reached the front, a guard stopped us. He looked us both over quickly, but didn’t show any sort of reaction. He sounded annoyed, speaking in a flat, business-like tone as he repeated the same phrase he’d been saying all day: 

“I need your papers, or it’ll be one sek per person to enter.” 

I handed over two silver coins. The guard gestured toward the entrance with his chin and moved on to the next person in line. As we passed through the east gate, I had to crane my neck just to see the top of it. 

We were now in Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom. 

The gate opened out into a huge market, shops lining both sides of a stone road as wide as the gate that stretched all the way to the next wall. The market was filled with bustling crowds milling about the shops. The people were dressed in all manner of clothes, further adding to the excitement of the capital—the flower of the kingdom. 

Ponta’s neck turned this way and that as it tried to take in all the new sights. 

But I knew, as beautiful as Olav might be, any city with a population of this size was bound to have problems. It was just like they used to say: “Fights and fires are the flowers of Edo.” Up the road, I could already see a quarrel breaking out. 

Two rough-looking, muscular men faced off against a single man. As far as I could tell, the two men were the instigators. The man wore wrapped cloth around his head and face, leaving only his eyes uncovered. Standing at over two meters tall—a whole head taller than even me—he easily stuck out from the crowd. The upper half of his body was bare, revealing a bronze, well-toned chest. He wore a cloak that hung from his shoulders like a cape. 

Even from a distance, I could tell that there was something strange about this large man. He looked like some sort of conqueror from another century…and he gave the impression that he believed he was one, too. 

“Whaddya doin’ showin’ your giant face around here, ya pufferfish?!” 

The smaller man’s attempt to show how tough he was in front of the turbaned time traveler came off as pathetic more than anything else. It was probably an unspoken rule among thugs that you had to be taken seriously in an argument. 

The man in the turban looked back at him as if he were a non-threatening animal, trying to continue on his way. 

“Don’t ignore me, ya moron!” 

Some of the other men standing around drew daggers, howling as they closed in on the man. 

I heard a cry from within the crowd of watching rubberneckers at the sight of bladed weapons. The circle of people backed away to give the combatants more space. 

The next sound I heard was a cry of pain from two of the thugs rushing toward the turbaned man. Right as they’d closed in, the man had their heads, one in each hand, and lifted them into the air. 

“Gyaaaaagh! My head! My head!” 

“Cut it out! Stoppit!” 

The men cried like babies, thrashing about, but the turbaned man only tightened his grip. 

The roaring crowd went silent at the terrifying show of strength. I could almost hear the men’s skulls starting to crack through the unnatural silence. 

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing over there?!” 

Several guards, having heard the commotion, broke through the onlookers. As soon as they appeared, the crowd dispersed like newly hatched spiders. When I turned my attention back to the fight, to my surprise, the time-traveling man had vanished. The two thugs lay on the ground, unconscious and with an awful mess between their legs. 

Ariane let out a sigh as the stench washed over us, scowling under her cloak. “What a barbarous place…” 

“All the easier for us to fade into the crowd.” 

Ariane and I sped away from the scene of the incident as we spoke, weaving our way down the street and avoiding guards. 

“First, we need to find a place to stay. Then we can split up to start gathering information.” 

Ariane nodded in agreement, though she seemed displeased with all the people. “You’re probably right.” 

After we’d walked a ways down the main thoroughfare, I stopped a young man to ask for directions. 

“Excuse me, but could you tell me where I can find an inn?” 

The man’s eyes went wide when he saw me, and he stumbled over his words. “Huh? I, umm, well…an inn, yes. For a knight like yourself, I think you’ll want to go to the second district.” 

According to the young man, we were in the fourth district, where the commoners lived. The closer we got to the palace, the higher the class and wealth of the people who lived there. The first district was reserved for nobles, and it was apparently quite rare for a normal person to pass beyond the wall closest to the palace. 

I offered the young man my thanks and a silver coin before Ariane and I resumed walking. The road from the east gate led all the way to the second district. We continued until we arrived at the third wall’s gate. 

The third wall was only around twenty meters tall, though it was still quite impressive. Various stalls ran along it, giving the whole place a kind of old-town feeling. Two guards stood on either side of the third wall’s gate, though we didn’t need to pass any type of inspection. The mood was considerably calmer on the far side of the wall, but there was still a certain liveliness due to the sheer volume of people. The wooden houses of the fourth district gave way to slightly more stylish stone houses. 

Despite what the young man had said, I worried we’d stand out if we went into any higher-class areas, so we decided to find an inn here in the third district. 

Breaking off from the main thoroughfare, we took a side road away from all of the shops that followed a large waterway running behind them. Gondola-like boats, filled with people and packages, meandered back and forth under stone bridges that led to the vast residential district beyond. The whole scene looked a bit like Venice. 

We saw inns, bars, and restaurants as we made our way along the busy street. It was nowhere near as packed as the main thoroughfare, but it was still full of people. 

“That inn looks like it could be nice.” Ariane pointed to a quaint three-story building up ahead. 

We entered and reserved two rooms, though we opted to continue our walk through the city rather than turning in just yet. Now that our accommodations were figured out, it was time to gather information. Ariane and I split off in front of the inn. 

Since this city was far larger than any I’d been to thus far, I decided to stick to the roads that ran parallel to the main thoroughfare to keep from getting lost. I didn’t anticipate finding anything of note if I went down the alleys anyway. At least, that’s what I told myself. 

I hope it wouldn’t be too hard to locate the information we were looking for. After all, Fulish du Houvan had lived in a town bearing his own name. Maybe all I needed to do was look for towns named Lamburt and Barysimon. 

I decided to ask the person who would know best—a merchant. I thought back to the route we’d taken to the inn, and returned to the stalls lining the third wall of the city. Merchants peddling everything from produce to perfume cried out toward the townspeople as they hurried past. 

Many of the stalls here were selling fruits and vegetables, which Ponta eyed intently from its perch atop my head. I could feel its tail wagging through the helmet. 

One stall in particular caught the fox’s attention. 

“Kyiii!” 

An old man was selling dried berries in bulk from a large barrel. Ponta’s nose caught a whiff of their sweet scent and fell into an excited frenzy. 

“Excuse me, sir. I’d like to purchase two cups of your berries. You can pour them right in here.” 

I pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to the old man. 

“Ah, absolutely, Sir Knight.” 

The old man moved slowly as he scooped some dried berries and deposited them in my pouch. 

“By the way, you don’t happen to know of anywhere nearby—a property, or possibly a town—by the name of Lamburt or Barysimon, do you?” 

The man, measuring cup still in hand, cocked his head in thought. After a moment, he nodded emphatically, as if he had just remembered something. 

“Yes, I know of Lamburt. There’s a port city to the west of the capital by that name.” 

“Oh? And how far west is it?” 

He set the cup down on the barrel and crossed his arms. “Hmm…I’d say it’s about a six-day trip by carriage, perhaps?” 

Six days by carriage… That was quite a distance. 

“And how about Barysimon?” 

The man shook his head. “Nope. Never heard of it.” 

“Ah, well, thank you for your time, kind sir. Here, for your trouble.” 

I took the two scoops of dried berries and handed the old man five silver coins. 

The man’s eyes went wide for a moment, then he composed himself, flashing me a toothy smile… Well, he flashed me the few teeth he had left. 

I went from stall to stall, asking the owners if they recognized the name Barysimon, feeding the dried berries to Ponta as I inquired. But no one had heard of the name. I was starting to wonder if I was going about this all wrong—despite having gotten a good lead on Lamburt—when a monotone voice called out to me from behind. 

It was a girl’s voice. One I’d heard before. 

“Well, it’s been awhile.” 

I turned around, looking down. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I’d met this person before. 

The girl’s azure-colored eyes regarded me from under her oversized hat. Her black hair was cut short, and she was dressed in all black, the clothes fitted to her form for easy movement. I figured she couldn’t be more than 150 centimeters tall. 

She wore a gauntlet and shin guards, and carried a short sword on her lower back. She didn’t look like she was from around here. 

The girl’s gaze slowly drifted up to the top of my head, where Ponta was sitting, then she pulled her eyes down to look directly at me. 

I frantically searched my memory for any recollection of those deep, azure eyes. “So, I know we’ve met before, but…” 

“I’m glad you were able to pull things off so well in Diento.” The girl spoke in a flat voice, her eyes never wavering. Suddenly it hit me—an image of a cat ninja in the marquis’ castle. 

“Oh! You’re that ninja girl from before!” 

Her narrow eyebrows twitched in response. “Ninja…? So I did hear right last time.” The girl stood at stiff attention. “I’d like to speak with you about something. Do you have time?” 

I nodded—what else could I do in the face of that intense gaze?—and she motioned for me to follow her down an empty side street. 

Once we were away from the bustle and she’d assured herself there was no one nearby, she seemed to relax slightly. 

“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Chiyome, and I’m one of the six members of the Sword and Spirit Jinshin clan.” 

Her name had a Japanese ring to it, but the I wasn’t familiar with the other word she’d used. 

“Jinshin clan?” 

“‘Jin’ for ‘sword’ and ‘shin’ as in ‘heart.’ It means a person who can endure challenges.” No matter how you put it, the name had a very ninja-esque feel to it. 

While I was busy thinking all this over, the young girl in front of me looked back at me with her deep azure eyes and gestured for me to introduce myself. “And you are…?” 

“Sorry! My name is Arc. I am a traveler. Circumstances have brought me to wander the lands.” 

“I see. So, Mister Arc, why do you call me a ninja?” 

She looked back at me attentively, intent on not missing a single word in my response. The way she spoke implied that she knew what a ninja was, though it seemed highly unlikely that she’d been drawn in from another world like I had. 

I watched her face closely as I responded, looking for some sort of clue. 

“Well, in my country, there are spies who dress similarly to you. We refer to them as ninja.” 

She closed her eyes briefly, seemingly satisfied with my response. “Hmm, I see. ‘Ninja’ is a secret name known only to our clan, so I suppose you must be from the same country as our great founder.” 

That meant that the great founder was probably Japanese like me, or at least a person from Earth who was familiar with the ninja. 

“How many generations has it been since the founder came along?” 

“Hmm…the current head of the clan is the twenty-second in line since the great founder gave their teachings.” 

I’d expected something like this, but twenty-two generations meant that there was definitely no way the founder was still alive. Still…what was the harm in asking? 

“And has this great founder already passed on?” 

“Yes. Six hundred years ago, the great founder saved some of the cat people and brought them together to form a new clan, the Jinshin clan.” 

“Why are you telling me all this?” 

Ariane’s father, Dillan, had told me that the beastmen had all been oppressed, and even enslaved. And yet here was this girl in a human city—the capital, no less—wearing a disguise and talking about her clan. I had to imagine it was dangerous for her here. 

As if that behavior wasn’t daring enough, her reply took it a step further. “I’d like to ask for your help.” 

Given what she’d been up to in Diento, I had a pretty good guess as to what that job might be—freeing the mountain people held captive in the capital. Yet it seemed strange for her to ask me, a human, to help save her comrades from their human oppressors. 

“Miss Chiyome, would your clan be okay with you asking me for help?” 

She nodded. 

She must have had some sort of plan, but I was already helping Ariane, so I couldn’t agree without giving it some thought. 

“I’m currently assisting an elf with another matter. I’m afraid I’m in no position to help you out at this time.” 

Chiyome stood there, deep in thought, before responding. “Then allow me to meet this elf. If they will agree to you helping me, then I will provide you with information in return.” There was an adversarial note to her normal monotone. 

“And what would that information be?” 

Her dark azure eyes stared straight into me. “You’re looking for the people named on those purchase contracts, aren’t you?” 

“That’s true… However, we’ve already identified two of the three people.” 

“I see… So that just leaves Drassos du Barysimon.” The young girl responded matter-of-factly. 

“If you know that much, then I assume you know the whereabouts of this person?” 

“Of course.” 

She was living up to her identity as a ninja. 

Obviously, I wanted the information, but I could only get it by helping her free the slaves. 

I had no qualms about helping her, but I was hesitant to do anything in the capital that might draw a lot of attention. If I became wanted, that would make it much harder to travel. 

Still, as soon as I’d told her that we’d already uncovered two of the three people listed on the purchase contracts, she was able to name Barysimon. Did that mean that he would be the hardest to find? If so, then it seemed unlikely that simply asking around town would get us anywhere. On the contrary, word might spread that some suspicious people were looking for a person by that name. 

Dillan had mentioned that Chiyome’s people were descended from spies. It was only natural that they’d be good at getting their hands on information. 

“I’d like to talk this over with my partner.” 

“Then take me with you. I can speak with your partner directly.” 

She might have looked like a child, but her intense, unwavering eyes suggested otherwise. Still, it seemed unlikely that she might actually want to harm Ariane if I brought her along. 

“Understood. Please follow me, Miss Chiyome.” 

I made my way back to the main thoroughfare, passing through the gate at the third wall with Chiyome in tow. She might have been small, but she had no problem keeping up. 

Ponta, apparently bored from the long conversation, had fallen asleep atop my helmet. As we walked, I occasionally had to reach up to keep the fox from falling off. 

We entered the inn and made our way to the third floor, where I motioned for Chiyome to enter one of our rooms. I bid her sit in one of the chairs while I sat on the bed. Ponta woke and began testing the firmness of the mattress with its front paws. 

The room grew silent, an odd tension filling the void between me and Chiyome. The ninja girl fidgeted slightly in the chair as she watched Ponta and me. 

“Miss Chiyome, the toilet is down on the first floor.” 

“I don’t need it!” 

I’d only said this to ease the tension, but her face had flushed at my suggestion. She was quite the proper young lady. 

I reached into my bag and handed her my leather pouch. 

Chiyome looked at me quizzically. She poured the contents of the pouch into her palm, and Ponta immediately lifted its head. 

“Apologies for not making the introductions sooner. This is Ponta, a cottontail fox. Nuts and fruits are some of its favorite foods.” 

Chiyome looked down at the dried berries in her hand and then back at the slowly approaching spirit creature. The corners of her mouth relaxed into a grin. 

Ponta had reached her feet and was now moving back and forth eagerly, staring up at the dried berries. It wasn’t yet comfortable enough to jump onto Chiyome’s lap, but that was likely only a matter of time. 

Chiyome stretched out her hand and Ponta cautiously approached, its excitement evident in the way its tail twitched from side to side. The ninja girl’s eyes lit up and she let out a laugh as Ponta started munching on the fruits. 

“I was surprised to see a spirit creature bonded to a human like you, Mister Arc.” Chiyome petted Ponta with one hand while continuing to feed it berries with the other. 

I let out a wry laugh. “Everyone says that.” 

Chiyome shook her head. “No, I mean that spirit animals can sense humans’ ill intentions. You must be quite trustworthy for it to feel this comfortable with you.” 

I looked back down at Ponta, only to find that the fox had jumped onto Chiyome’s lap, begging for more berries. 

If what she said was true, then that would make me something like Ponta’s safety blanket. I decided to not think too much about it. 

“I’ve been wondering…how did you know I was there to save the elves when we first met?” Most people would assume a knight showing up in such a place was a slave trader rather than a rescuer. 

Chiyome looked up at me. 

“Elves, humans, beastmen…we all have our own unique scents. Not only were you accompanied by a spirit animal, but I picked up the scent of elves on you. However…” 

She trailed off for a moment. “There was something else about your smell…your aura that was different, Mister Arc. I’ve never felt anything like it.” 

Being made entirely of bones, I couldn’t imagine what might actually give off such a smell. 

Her blue irises narrowed in on me, as if she were looking straight into my helmet. Did she know my secret? Could she tell? Or was I just being paranoid? 

The room had fallen back into silence by the time there came a knock at the door. 

There weren’t many people who would be stopping by this room, so I invited the person on the other side to come in. A moment later, a person in a familiar charcoal gray cloak stepped inside. Their eyes immediately locked on to Chiyome, still seated in her chair, feeding Ponta dried berries. 

They regarded each other for a moment before Ariane slowly removed her cloak, exposing her amethyst-colored skin and pointed ears. Chiyome took off her oversized hat, her own twitching cat ears poking up out of her black hair. 

“Introductions are in order. Miss Chiyome, this is Miss Ariane, my elf partner.” 

Ariane bowed slightly, narrowing her golden eyes as she shot me a questioning look. 

“Miss Ariane, this is Miss Chiyome of the Jinshin clan. She was the one in Diento who gave me the seventh contract.” 

“Nice to meet you, Miss Ariane. I am Chiyome.” 

Chiyome set Ponta on the floor, stood up, and offered her right hand to Ariane. Her black ears twitched, as if they were searching for something. 

Ariane took her hand and shook it. “I am Ariane Glenys Maple. Thank you for providing us with the information.” 

“A knight of Maple… The most elite warriors in the entire Great Forest of Canada, I hear.” Chiyome returned the handshake, her azure eyes filled with wonder. 

So, the ninja clan was at least somewhat familiar with the elves. Ariane looked slightly surprised. 

“Well, would someone like to tell me why little Chiyome is here in your room?” Ariane placed her hands on her waist, alternating her gaze between Chiyome and me. 

Chiyome might have been a child, but her behavior was anything but. It seemed more than a little strange to refer to her as “little Chiyome.” Still, the ninja girl didn’t seem bothered by it. 

Actually, when I looked closer, I could see her tail swishing and ears twitching. She might have even liked it. 

“Before we get into that, I’d like to hear what information you found, Miss Ariane.” 

If she’d discovered the whereabouts of Barysimon, that would change everything. 

She looked back at me quizzically, her eyebrows furrowing. 

“I didn’t find out anything. Even in this cloak, I still seemed to attract the weirdest men as I walked around town.” She punctuated this complaint with a heavy sigh, the exhaustion apparent on her face. I could easily imagine her magnificent chest serving as an alluring flame to the “moths” known as men. I didn’t recall her having any such problems when we were out together. I supposed my presence served as a type of insect repellant. 

“That’s unfortunate. I was able to learn about one of the two names, Lamburt. The other, however…” 

Chiyome stepped forward. “Allow me to continue.” 

She recapped the conversation she and I had earlier, a cool look on her face the whole time. Ariane closed her eyes as she listened to the story. 

As soon as Chiyome finished, Ariane responded. 

“I don’t mind. I know what it’s like to have your comrades hunted as slaves.” She kept her voice low, the anger in it apparent. 

Chiyome looked surprised. 

I was surprised as well. Though it was admirable for Ariane to put her own needs aside, I couldn’t help but wonder why she would so easily agree to something like this. Chiyome and the other mountain people—beastmen, as the humans called them—didn’t have a treaty to protect them like the elves did. There was no law that prevented humans from keeping them as slaves. They had no rights, just like animals. Worse, in this world, there weren’t even any animal cruelty laws. 

“You don’t need to get involved in this, Arc,” Ariane said. “You only agreed to help me, after all.” She brushed back her snow-white hair, blinked her long-lashed eyelids, and turned her golden gaze on me. There was a deep sorrow in her expression. 

Chiyome’s cat ears moved almost imperceptibly. 

“Of course I’ll help, but I think it would be best to keep a low profile.” 

I said this primarily for my own benefit, of course, but if it came out that elves were involved in this rescue, it would become even harder for Ariane to travel around. After all, the increase in security throughout Houvan had resulted in a revolution. 

This seemed to strike a chord with Ariane, who furrowed her brow. “What kind of help did you have in mind, exactly?” 

Chiyome cleared her throat. “We plan to attack the largest slave trading house in Olav.” 

So, they were going the route that would draw the most attention. And as if that wasn’t enough, Chiyome said that the attack on the slave house was merely a diversion. 

I was having a hard time believing that they’d recruit outside help for such a dangerous mission. I struggled to keep my tone steady. “Miss Chiyome, what do you mean by ‘diversion’?” 

Ariane leaned in close, listening intently as well. 

“Exactly what it sounds like. The Etzat Market has strong ties to the government. The moment it’s under attack, guards will descend upon it. The Royal Army might even respond.” 

“Doesn’t that mean that all of your newly freed allies will be swarmed by soldiers?” 

Ariane frowned, seeming to share my concern. 

“We’ll free our allies being held in the Etzat Market, but they won’t be able to run for long. However, in the ensuing chaos, we’re going to attack four other locations where our comrades are being held. They should be able to escape in all the confusion.” 

“So, you’d use your own comrades as a decoy so that others can go free?” I was surprised at the harshness in my tone. 

Chiyome’s azure eyes wavered. “We can’t save everyone. If ten have to die for a hundred to live, then so be it.” 

Chiyome couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen. She had to be struggling with the idea of sacrificing her own comrades. However, she held her head up high, choosing to stay strong in the face of everything. 

Without thinking, I placed my hand on her small head, gently brushing back her soft, black hair. Down at her feet, Ponta weaved between her legs, using the soft fur along its neck to try to comfort her. 

Chiyome looked up at me with her clear, azure eyes. I couldn’t really say why, but I just wanted to see her smile. If there was anything I could do to help this girl who’d come all the way to the land of humans, then I’d do it gladly. 

I imagined myself spending more time in the elven villages and even living among the mountain people. There were whole fandoms in Japan who’d love to be in such a position. 

Ariane turned her gaze toward me. I could tell what she wanted without her even needing to say anything. 

I nodded and looked around my room, burning the image into my mind. 

“Transport Gate!” 

A bluish-white pillar of light rose around us, Ariane, Chiyome, and I standing still while Ponta rolled around excitedly. 

Chiyome looked up to me, her surprise evident on her face. The next moment, we were in the middle of a grassy clearing, a large boulder with a tree wrapped around it sitting in front of us. A bed and chair sat in the middle of the clearing as well, looking incredibly out of place. Apparently, Transport Gate’s area of effect had grabbed the furniture in the room along with us. 

Chiyome’s head jerked back and forth, the ears atop her head twitching frantically as she tried to grasp what had just happened. 

Ariane made a face and let out a low groan, evidently not having expected to teleport all of a sudden like that. 

Maybe I’d misunderstood the look she gave me? 

I’d wanted to show off Transport Gate to Chiyome, since it could be useful to our upcoming operation. 

Chiyome finally came back to herself, though she was still at a loss for words. “Wh-where are we?” 

“We’re in the forest at the base of the Anetto Mountains.” 

Chiyome continued to pivot her head back and forth, muttering to herself. “The Anetto Mountains…huh. So, you can also use space-time ninjutsu abilities?” 

“Space-time…ninjutsu?” 

“According to the legends, the great founder, Master Hanzo, mastered the technique known as space-time ninjutsu, allowing him to travel great distances instantaneously. You can use it too, Mister Arc?” 

It wasn’t ninjutsu, really. Just simple teleportation magic. Nor was space-time ninjutsu one of the skills I’d learned from the top-tier Ninja class. But as usual, there was no guarantee that the world here was a one-to-one match with the game. It was possible that teleportation magic was simply known as space-time ninjutsu to the beastmen. And with a name like Hanzo, the great founder must have been quite the ninja maniac. 

I finally asked what was on my mind. “Miss Chiyome…is that your real name?” 

Chiyome puffed out her chest and beamed with pride. “No. My name is one of six passed down to the most powerful ninja in the clan.” 

That meant that her name came from Mochizuki Chiyome, a famous female ninja from my world. If there were six in total, then I had to imagine the others had names like Kirikagure Saizo and Sarutobi Sasuke. 

Ariane’s voice brought me back to reality. “Why don’t we at least go back to the inn to discuss the next steps?” 

She was right. The forest was full of monsters and other dangers. Not that such things would be a problem for a group as well trained as ours, but it wasn’t exactly an environment suited for strategizing. 

I summoned up the spell again and brought to mind the image of our room at the inn. The spreading magic pillar glowed even brighter than before, and, in a flash, we were back in the room…along with the bed and chair. 

Ponta patted the floor with its front paws, as if to confirm that the grassy meadow had been replaced with hardwood. 

“Kyii?” 

Chiyome also looked impressed as she glanced around the room. 

“Since Arc will also be helping you out, that means we’ll have access to teleportation magic…” Ariane’s voice trailed off, an inquisitive look on her face as she shot me a glance. She then turned her gaze toward Chiyome. After all, the young ninja girl was the only one who actually knew when this operation would be carried out. 

“That was magic? Well, if we can use that…” Chiyome crossed her arms and muttered to herself, as if examining how this changed her plans. “Mister Arc, how far can your magic take you?” 

“I can teleport to any unique location that I’ve been to in the past.” 

Transport Gate wasn’t restricted by distance. Even if I were surrounded inside a building, I could use the spell to teleport somewhere safe and far away…meaning, for example, that I could draw out enemies and then make an easy escape. 

Chiyome asked several follow-up questions about how many people I could take, how frequently I could use the spell, and so on. However, I could only give my best guess on many of these, since there was still a lot that I didn’t know myself. 

Based on the game, I could probably use Transport Gate a hundred times or more without issue. Besides, I’d had no problem using Rejuvenation over and over, and that consumed far more magic than Transport Gate. 

After hearing my explanation of how teleportation magic worked, Chiyome grew excited. 

She and Ariane started putting together a plan of attack for the slave market, though it was still very similar to the original plan—they would lay siege to the market along with their freed comrades. 

“Mister Arc, Miss Ariane, I should probably go tell my allies of the change in plans. Please continue the preparations while I’m away.” Chiyome hopped out the window, running off along the rooftops. 

“Miss Ariane, did you get the impression that we’re carrying out the operation tonight?” 

“That’s how it sounded to me.” 

I looked out the window, but Chiyome had disappeared. 

“Well, I guess we’d best prepare as much as we can.” 

Ariane shot me a quizzical look. “But what should we prepare, exactly?” 

I stuck my index finger in the air and struck a confident pose. “We’ll need to disguise ourselves, of course.” 

I was actually being quite serious, but Ariane just stared at me blankly. 

“But…you’re already wearing a helmet. That should be enough, no?” 

If looks could kill, this one would have at least maimed me. I’d given this plan a lot of thought. I felt as though my eyes were welling up with tears. But of course, skeletons can’t cry. 

I typically covered my flashy armor with my Twilight Cloak, but that still left my head exposed. I’d definitely stand out among the members of the raiding party. Even if the plan went off without a hitch, I’d have a pretty hard time moving around human towns if there was a follow-up investigation involving my helmet. 

Of course, the same was true for the other times we’d snuck into various estates, but this time we were dealing with nobles and slave traders who weren’t violating any treaties. They weren’t criminals, at least in the eyes of the law. Though they might be capturing mountain people, we would still just be attacking a slave house operating on the up and up under human law. Being nothing more than an insurgent, it seemed like a wise idea to exercise some caution and disguise myself in the event that someone came looking for us afterward. 

“Well, at least I don’t need anything. See? I’m fine like this.” Ariane tugged her charcoal cloak low over her face again. 

It seemed like I’d managed to sell her on the idea that I needed a disguise, but she had no intention of getting one for herself. 

That was the end of that, so I left Ariane behind and headed out alone to find my new look. Once again, I made my way toward the stalls lining the third wall. 

A stall selling some strange items caught my eye. 

Numerous traditionally handcrafted goods were spread out across a cloth-covered table, ranging from disturbing statuettes of animals, to tools with undiscernible uses, to some bizarre-looking masks that I could only assume were for festivals. 

A man with a wide grin—the stall owner, I assumed—approached me as soon as I stopped to look. 

“Hello there, good sir! Do you see anything that interests you?” 

The man’s round chin was covered in a thin beard, and he was wearing a gaudy, multi-colored coat. There was something slimy about the way he called out to me, rubbing his hands together the whole while. 

I picked up one of the masks. It was made of wood, painted black, and carved into the shape of a human face. The eyes gave off a vacant stare, and the mouth sported a creepy grin, almost as if it had been torn into that shape. The back of the mask was decorated with feathers, providing coverage for your whole head. 

The stall owner wasted no time swooping in to close the sale. 

“Ah, I can see that you have good taste, sir. This comes from the nomads living in the untamed wastes far beyond the border of the East Revlon Empire. Magicians with special abilities known as ‘Soodu’ wear the masks during their rituals. It’s incredibly rare.” 

I continued to look the mask over as he spoke, the devious look never quite leaving his face. I was actually was fond of the design, and I’d be able to wear it over my helmet. 

“How much?” 

The stall owner grinned. “Well, considering its incredible rarity, I’ve priced it at twenty sok.” 

Twenty gold coins. I set the mask down and started to walk away, but the seller hurried over and called me back. 

“A joke! It was merely a joke, good sir! Fifteen sok? How does that sound?” 

“Ten sok,” I countered. 

Sweat ran down the man’s neck as we continued to negotiate, his smile slowly fading. Ultimately, we settled on thirteen sok. 

For a normal person, thirteen gold coins might have seemed absurd for a hand-carved wooden mask. However, there was something about the mask that changed its value entirely for me. I liked it so much that I would have been fine paying the original twenty sok, though I didn’t like the idea of paying a man like this exactly what he was asking. 

I handed over the money and put the mask into my bag. I’d gotten what I was looking for. All that was left was to talk with Chiyome, the only person who had the full picture of the upcoming operation. 

*** 

The palace sat at the very center of Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom. Off in a secluded room, a lone magical lamp provided illumination as the sun sank outside. The light reflected off a silver cup as a man threw it across the room, a vein bulging in his neck. 

The cup hit the ground, rolling into the corner with a clang that reverberated throughout the room. The wine inside splashed everywhere, filling the air with a fruity aroma. The two other men in the room watched the cup’s journey before returning their attention to the enraged man. 

“Dammit! Why did they have to kill Count du Houvan now, of all times?!” 

The man stood up from a leather sofa and clenched his now-empty fist. Dakares Ciciay Karlon Rhoden Vetran, the second prince of the Rhoden Kingdom, ran his hands through his hair and breathed rapidly, his face contorted, his blue eyes burning with rage. 

“The townsfolk rose up in revolt. We’ve been unable to reach the count through the chaos.” One of the men, the target of Prince Dakares’ intense stare, spoke slowly as he repeated the report from his messenger. 

The man’s name was Duke Maldoira du Olsterio, one of the seven dukes of Rhoden and general of the Third Royal Army. He was an older man with graying brown hair and a well-groomed mustache, and he was far more muscular than his years might suggest. 

Prince Dakares continued his tirade, this time directed at the monsters. “If those haunted wolves hadn’t shown up, Sekt would’ve been finished by now!” 

The man next to General Maldoira spoke up, attempting to placate the prince. “Your Highness, if the monsters hadn’t appeared along the route, we would have arrived in Houvan as planned and been caught in middle of the revolt.” 

Cetrion du Olsterio, a brawny man wearing a lieutenant general’s uniform, looked like a younger copy of General Maldoira. 

Unfortunately, Cetrion’s words only served to further enrage the prince. 

“You’re trying to put a positive spin on this?! We could have taken advantage of the chaos to murder Sekt!” 

The two men could do nothing but sigh in response to the prince’s foul mood. 

They had plotted with Count du Houvan to murder Prince Sekt, but the sudden appearance of monsters along the route to Houvan had prevented them from arriving in time, and their co-conspirator had ended up dead at the hands of his own subjects. 

“The timing was wrong, nothing more. We need to keep an eye out for the next opportunity.” 

General Maldoira provided the rest of his report, frustration clear in his voice. A contingent of the Royal Army stationed in the capital had been dispatched to secure the roads and pacify the situation in Houvan. For now, it would be difficult for Dakares’ men to leave the capital, meaning that the trip to Houvan had to be called off. 

The prince muttered angrily to himself. “And that hag Yuriarna managed to slip through my fingers! I hear she’s reached Limbult…” 

Someone knocked loudly on the door. “Master Maldoira, I have an urgent matter that needs your attention!” 

Cetrion moved to the door, opening it a crack. The soldier offered a swift salute before whispering his news into the lieutenant general’s ear. Cetrion nodded, then sent the messenger on his way. He repeated the report to his father in a low voice. 

Prince Dakares glared at the two men, making no effort to conceal the annoyance in his voice. “What is it?” 

Maldoira cleared his throat. “Apparently, the Etzat Market’s central office is under siege. The attackers are quite skilled, and the market is asking for emergency assistance from the army. What should we do?” 

The prince rubbed at his temples. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another!” 

The Etzat Market was used heavily by the major trading companies—not to mention elven slavers—so Dakares was in no position to deny a request from the market’s chairman. 

The prince let out a curse-laden scream. After catching his breath, he turned his steely gaze to the general. 

“I’ll smooth things over with Father later. Assemble a squad and suppress the attack. The chairman will owe us a heavy debt if the general himself is involved.” 

Prince Dakares’s lips twisted into a smile, eliciting a grin from Cetrion as well. 

“Understood.” 

The general bowed to the prince before striding out of the room. 

After his father was gone, Cetrion spoke up. “We haven’t been able to confirm it yet, but we’ve received a report that elves might have been involved in the Houvan incident.” 

“What?!” The prince glowered at Cetrion. 

“This attack on the Etzat Market might also be their doing.” 

“How do you mean?” A tinge of anxiety had entered the prince’s voice. 

“According to the reports, Marquis du Diento had been keeping an elf who has since disappeared. Count du Houvan had also purchased an elf. It seems likely that these two incidents are related.” Cetrion struggled to keep the tone of his voice even. 

“Are you suggesting that now they’re after me, the one pulling the strings? No, no…that would be silly. Whoever’s behind this, there’s no way they could breach the royal palace.” 

“It’s possible that this is the work of someone within the nobility. Marquis du Diento’s castle was an imposing fortress, and you can see how well that worked out for him. If the attack on the market is merely a distraction, then someone might be coming to take your life as we speak.” 

“So, what are you saying?” 

“I think it would be best to lay low, somewhere no one would think to look for you. I’ve already prepared a place in the first district. Please, come with me, Your Highness.” 

Prince Dakares hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Cetrion went to the door and spoke in a low voice to a messenger he had standing by. 

“Prepare a carriage at the rear entrance for the prince. Hurry!” 

The lieutenant general summoned several guards to escort the prince. This hallway was reserved only for the royal family, their relatives, and closest associates, so the only sound was that of their hurried footfalls echoing through the empty halls. 

When they arrived at the rear entrance, a black carriage bearing the crest of the royal family skidded to a stop in front of them, its lamps extinguished despite the darkness. Four mounted royal guards stood watch from the front and rear of the carriage. Cetrion opened the door and waved the prince inside before climbing in after him. 

The driver cracked his whip and the carriage sped off through the rear gate of the palace. The guards stationed there glanced at the symbol on its side as it barreled past, but they said nothing. 

The carriage’s wheels rattled as it made its way down the first district’s cobblestone streets, lined with the manors of various nobles. 

Suddenly, the horses let out a loud whinny, and the carriage came clattering to a stop, throwing Prince Dakares forward. 

“Who goes there?!” 

A royal guard called out, but instead of a response, the next sound the prince heard was the clash of swords. 

“Cetrion, what’s going on out there?” 

Prince Dakares peered out his window into the darkness, but he couldn’t make out anything other than a vague movement in the inky shadows. 

“Please, stay calm, Your Highness. There is nothing to fear.” 

Cetrion reached down, drew the intricately decorated saber from his waist, and thrust it straight into the prince’s heart. 

The prince looked confused, staring down at the silver blade sticking out of his chest. His eyes found Cetrion’s. 

“But…but why?” 

Blood frothed at the corners of his mouth, and his head fell back. 

The door to the carriage opened, and a man climbed in. 

Cetrion nonchalantly pulled the saber from the prince’s chest, wiped it clean, and returned it to its sheath before dropping to one knee. 

“It seems all went according to plan. Well done.” 

A tall, handsome man with light brown hair smiled down at Cetrion. “I am not worthy of such praise.” 

Cetrion looked up at the man in front of him—Sekt Rondahl Karlon Rhoden Sahdiay, the first prince of the Rhoden Kingdom. 

“Still, I’m quite impressed that you were able to put this together so quickly.” 

“I already knew that multiple beastmen were lurking near the palace. I told the officials at the Etzat Market to come to me at the first sign of trouble.” 

“How clever. And how fortuitous that the seeds of dissent we planted back in Houvan would produce such fruit here.” Prince Sekt’s handsome face twisted into a disturbed grin. 

“Yes, that plan was used to great effect with Princess Yuriarna. I’ve already disposed of the person I made arrangements with.” 

“I’ve known what Yuriarna was up to for some time now. However, between the monsters and losing half of our forces, I assumed the Houvan revolt would be delayed.” 

“Considering those monsters created our current situation, I’d say we got lucky.” 

“True. They also rid us of that annoying priest and his followers. Anyway, I just received Yuriarna’s heirloom necklace. Once everything else is settled, we can make it look like Dakares plotted her death.” 

Sekt frowned. “All that’s left is Maldoira, then. I’m so sorry to have to ask this of you.” 

Cetrion shook his head. “No, it would be foolish to leave the country to a man like my father. He’s committed to the hegemony in the east. I will honor my forefathers by resolving this before it gets any worse.” 

“And the rest will go as planned?” 

“Correct.” 

The two exchanged a look, and with a nod from Prince Sekt, Cetrion once again drew his saber. 

“Try not to go too deep, all right?” 

Cetrion readied his blade. An instant later, he thrust it into the prince’s left arm. 

“Nnngaaah!” 

Sekt let out a howl, his face contorting in pain. Blood gushed from the wound, staining his shirt, making the injury look far more severe than it actually was. 

Cetrion returned his saber to its sheath and offered it to the prince. 

“Please proceed as planned and get treated, Your Highness. After that, you can report on what happened here.” 

Prince Sekt took the sword and nodded, his brow soaked with sweat. 

Cetrion hopped out of the carriage and ordered the driver to hurry to the temple. He stepped back as the crack of a whip broke the silence of the empty streets. A moment later, the lamps on the carriage flickered on as it took off at full speed, its wheels rattling along the cobblestones. 

After seeing the carriage off, Cetrion turned to several knights standing nearby and pointed to a location off in the distance. 

“Make your way to the Etzat Market, and hurry.” 

The tone in the lieutenant general’s quiet voice sent a chill down the knights’ spines. 

*** 

The Etzat Market—the largest slave-trading center in the entire capital—was located in Olav’s third district. It had been built near the wall leading to the second district, and it always boasted a large number of patrons. 

The market traded in numerous types of slaves, including humans. The reasons for enslavement varied, but often included criminals, children put up as collateral for a debt, and people taken as war prizes. 

In addition to humans, there were also the so-called beastmen—non-humans who’d been ripped from their homes and sold as if they were property. The market handled all of these sales. 

These beastmen, who referred to themselves as the mountain people, were marked by their animal-like ears and tails and were feared for their superior physical abilities, which was why they’d been driven out from wherever humans lived. However, that same physical prowess made them highly desirable on the slave market. They could be put to use in coal mines and other harsh working conditions where humans didn’t want to venture. 

The majority of beastmen captured in the central part of the Rhoden Kingdom ultimately ended up as slaves in the capital, where they were used for manual labor by nobles and the wealthy, leading to a massive concentration of slave houses in Olav. 

The Etzat Market was the biggest of these, both in terms of the number of slaves sold and the sheer size of its massive building. 

The imposing, four-story monstrosity was surrounded by high walls on all sides and sported a massive gate reinforced with iron rivets. It was nothing like the buildings surrounding it. 

Down a nearby side street, several people peered out of the shadows at the sturdy-looking gate. 

Ariane wore her charcoal cloak low over her head as she usually did, to cover her amethyst skin and pointy ears. Next to her, a large man dressed all in black crouched low, trying to conceal his massive frame. 

I had seen this man before. 

He was the man at the center of the scuffle Ariane and I had witnessed when we first came to the capital. He’d traded his turban for the same black, metal-reinforced headgear that Chiyome wore, which covered his head and mouth. 

His upper body, however, was bare, revealing his bronze, muscular skin. He wore simple metal gauntlets on each arm. 

I was hardly one to comment on appearance, considering how I looked, but he certainly struck an interesting figure. 

Chiyome had brought him to assist us in attacking the Etzat Market. He was a beastman just like Chiyome, and his name was Goemon, another of the six elite members of the Jinshin clan. 

Unlike Chiyome, however, his hair was silver and black, almost like a tabby cat’s. With his dark skin and massive frame, he reminded me more of a tiger than a house cat. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a fandom out there that would be interested in this brawny, cat-eared mountain of a man. 

Between the darkness of the night and the lack of lamps, my vision was limited. However, I could just make out a vague, shadowy figure moving along the tops of the walls that surrounded the Etzat Market. The shadow effortlessly leaped to the ground and silently approached the alley where we were hiding. 

It was Chiyome. She wore a crimson scarf wrapped around her neck, which waved about like a tail as she moved. She skidded to a stop in front of us and gave a report on the status of the other squads preparing to attack the market. 

“The others are in place, so all we need to do is draw out as many guards as we can.” 

She’d changed out of her earlier disguise and was now wearing ninja attire, allowing her to melt into the darkness. Even just watching the way she ran, I was convinced she truly was a ninja. And her night vision and nimble movements accentuated her cat-like qualities. 

Chiyome gave me a satisfied grin, almost as if she could read my mind. “We are the mountain people, chosen by our great founder, Hanzo. And the cat people are the most gifted of all.” 

My brain translated this as, “Furries are awesome! All praise the cat ears!” 

Still, something about what she’d said caught my attention. “Was your great founder also a cat person?” 

“No, Hanzo was a human. He’d been working as a spy for the Revlon Empire and started taking cat people under his wing to save them from their poor treatment. That was the start of the Jinshin clan.” 

“Oh? So, you’re no longer associated with the empire?” 

“That’s right. We were originally a spy organization under the control of the founder, but the more successful we became, the more they began to fear his power. Eventually, they began trying to assassinate him, but he dodged every attempt.” 

Chiyome frowned. 

Nobles always feared those who took power for themselves. What’s more, I imagined it didn’t help Hanzo’s reputation that he’d surrounded himself with cat people rather than humans. 

“Soon after that, there was a battle over succession to the throne. The great founder worked behind the scenes to keep both sides fighting. He led the clan away from the empire amid the turmoil of a massive civil war.” 

I wondered if this Hanzo had ultimately caused the empire to be split in two. 

“Hey, shouldn’t we be getting started?” Ariane spoke up. 

Goemon, who’d been silent this whole time, nodded. 

Chiyome spoke to me. “All right, just like we planned, I’ll leave the main gate up to Goemon and Arc. Is that all right with you?” 

I nodded. “Not a problem. Goemon and I will take care of anyone at the gate.” 

Goemon shot me a grim smile. 

Chiyome turned to Ariane. “We’ll head to the back of the market and enter through there. Follow me.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she was bounding down the road, running along the wall like a shadow. Ariane easily followed the young girl’s lead. 

I turned toward Goemon. He seemed to read my thoughts and moved his hulking frame out of the alley and into the street. I followed him until we were both standing in front of the main gate. 

“Let’s do this!” 

On my mark, we began running toward the massive double doors, Goemon easily keeping pace with me. I could hear him chanting in a low voice as he braced himself. 

“Muscle to stone, wall smasher!” 

Light enveloped his body. A moment later, stone armor appeared across his massive shoulders. 

Apparently, he could also use ninjutsu. Or maybe that was just normal magic here? 

“Nnnngaaaaaaaaaaaw!” 

“Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” 

Our shouts echoed through the night, reverberating down the surrounding streets as the stone-encased Goemon and I ran headlong into the double doors. The iron-reinforced wood splintered under the impact of our bodies, showering the courtyard inside the walls. 

Guards looked up in disbelief at the two intruders who’d just smashed their way in. 

One of them tried to whisper to his comrade, his voice comically loud. “Is that a…ghost?” 

I had tied a rope around my waist to keep my armor fully concealed under my cloak, making me look like a black phantom. I also wore the eerie festival mask that I’d bought earlier today, its hollow sneer and feathered adornments giving me an altogether unsettling appearance. “Ominous” was the word Ariane had used. 

I probably did look like a ghost. I kind of liked it. 

Several of the guards continued to stand there, frozen in fear. Goemon moved quickly—more quickly than someone of his size should have been able to—and sent them flying with a single punch. 

“Invaders! We’re under attack!” 

“It’s a beastman! Someone call for support!” 

The remaining men came to their senses and started yelling. A few guards near the entrance raised their weapons and began advancing on us. 

Right about now, Chiyome and Ariane should have been entering the building through the rear. 

One of the dozen or so men surrounding us sneered at Goemon. “What’s a beast doing showing its face around a human city?! Are you trying to disrupt the operations of the Etzat Market?!” 

The men tightened their circle, blocking our exit. Another one, a particularly sinister-looking man, edged even closer, smirking. 

“You’ve really got it coming to ya now, you sons of—” 

Without thinking, I punched him in the face, knocking him backward. The atmosphere immediately grew much tenser, the men hungry for blood. 

A rugged man, possibly their leader, shouted above the others. “We’re gonna teach ’em a lesson they’ll never forget…even if it kills us!” 

The men cried out in unison. One of them, dressed more like a mercenary than a guard, swung his blade at me. Glenys would have been incredibly disappointed with his technique. I easily dodged the blow and swung my arm into the man’s face. I heard a dull crunch as the man tumbled back into the wall, his nose and teeth shattered. 

Another man lunged in. I caught his blade on my gauntlet and punched him in the ribs. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air. 

Considering the caliber of men I’d be dealing with, I’d figured my sword and shield would be overkill, so I’d left them on my bed back at the inn. Even in only my armor, I was a weapon in my own right. 

Two men in light armor thrust their spears at me in unison. I evaded their attacks and grabbed the spears, snapping the shafts. Then I delivered a punch to each of them. 

“Gwaugh!” 

“Urgh!” 

The two men collapsed, eyes wide, their armor bearing fist-shaped indentations. 

Goemon was also facing off against several men at once. Unlike me, however, he was much more skilled, and easily dispatched his foes. Despite his large frame, he was able to deftly dodge attacks with very little movement, allowing him to immediately counterattack with his massive fists. I watched with amazement as he took out opponent after opponent. 

While my attention was on Goemon, I felt something strike my shoulder armor with an awful metal-on-metal scraping sound. 

A brash voice spoke up from behind me. 

“Hee hee! Forgot to watch yer back, huh?” 

I turned. A man had thrust his sword right into my shoulder. However, all he’d managed to do was slice my cloak. The armor underneath had stopped the blade from going any farther. 

I grabbed the tip of the sword between my fingers. The man tried to yank it away, but he was no match for my strength. He retreated, drawing a short sword from a sheath strapped to his lower back. 

“You fool!” 

I gripped the stolen sword with both hands—one on the hilt, the other on the tip—and started to bend. The sword snapped in half with an ear-splitting clang. I tossed both pieces unceremoniously at the man’s feet. 

“Wh-wha?!” 

While he stood there, stunned, I threw a face-deforming punch, sending him into several other men who’d been standing behind him. They all sprawled on the ground, unmoving. 

In the span of only a few minutes, we’d cleared the entire courtyard in front of the gate. Goemon and I were the only ones left standing, surrounded by the sounds of groaning men. 

More guards appeared, gathering around the gate, probably drawn by the commotion we’d caused. 

A man who looked like he was in charge pointed his spear toward me and demanded our surrender in a commanding tone. “Just who in the hell do you think you are?! Stop what you’re doing and get on the ground at once!” 

“More playthings?” I murmured to myself as I turned to face him. 

“Wh-what is that thing?” 

“Is that a beastman?!” 

Even the commander who’d demanded our surrender was stunned into silence. I laughed, and the commander’s face turned a bright shade of red. 

“Subdue the invaders!!!” 

A dozen or so men with spears at the ready moved in to surround us, just as the mercenaries had done before. However, unlike the mercenaries, who’d attacked us one by one, we were now dealing with well-trained soldiers. They came at us in pairs, or in groups as large as six to eight men at once. 

In an effort to keep them back, Goemon grabbed one of the fallen mercenaries and hurled the man’s body toward the soldiers. 

The body crashed into the soldiers and knocked them to the ground. Now that their line was broken, Goemon moved in to attack, though he was immediately met with spears from the remaining guards. He easily jumped over their feeble thrusts, launching a series of kicks that threw the men back like scarecrows caught in the wind. 

The few guards still standing saw their chance and lunged with their spears the moment he landed. 

“Muscle to metal, arm bracer! Graaw!” Goemon’s deep voice echoed above the din as he assumed a pose reminiscent of a bodybuilder. His flexed muscles glimmered slightly, taking on the metallic finish of real bronze. The spears bent as they hit his body, unable to penetrate his skin. 

“What’s his body made of?!” 

Goemon took advantage of the soldiers’ confusion and delivered a series of blows that elicited screams of pain and terror. 

He was almost finished with his group, apparently. 

I turned my attention to the men advancing on me, only to find that every single one of them wore a look of apprehension. 

To avoid being struck from behind again, I kept my body constantly moving, my arms outspread as I waited for one of them to make the first move. From their point of view, it probably looked like this man in the ominous mask was performing some sort of eerie dance. None of them moved. 

“If you’re just going to stand there, I guess I’ll come to you instead!” 

I rushed forward. 

“Waugh! He’s coming!” 

The guards formed ranks and thrust out their spears. However, the thin wooden shafts snapped easily against my Belenus Holy Armor. 

“Gwaaaaugh!” 

I crashed through the line of men, sending them tumbling about like bowling pins. Those left standing threw down their spears and reached for their swords, but I delivered a flurry of punches before any of them could draw. 

“Damn! Fall back, fall back!!!” 

Someone issued the order to retreat, and the soldiers scattered. I started to pursue them until I noticed several arrows flying past me from behind. 

I batted the arrows away and turned my attention to the new group of guards now standing at the gate. This time, they’d mustered an even larger force. Their commander issued an order, and all of the archers drew their bows in unison. 

“Goemon!” 

“Hmm?” 

My warning reached him just as the soldiers launched their second volley. 

Goemon and I retreated, evading the volley, our backs nearly up against the building. Shield-bearers stepped in front of the archers, followed by a line of spear-wielding soldiers like before. They advanced slowly. 

It looked like they planned to use an entire regiment to crush just the two of us. 

I glanced at Goemon. He shot me another smile. I gave him a thumbs-up. He might not have understood exactly what it meant, but I think the meaning got across. 

It was time to end this. 

No matter how large this trading office might be, at the end of the day, they could only pack so many soldiers into the courtyard. Being crammed into a confined space, where their numbers counted less, was one of the greatest dangers a military force could face. 

“Muscle to stone, rock spear strike!” 

Goemon crossed his arms over his chest before punching them both straight into the ground. Spear-shaped rocks thrust up from the ground, one after another, slowly encircling us. 

“Rock Fang!!!” 

This was a mid-level area-of-effect spell from the Magus class. It caused numerous fang-shaped stones to rip up out of the earth, almost as if a giant beast was chewing its way out of the ground to swallow the soldiers whole. 

“It’s a mage!” 

“Fall back! We’ll die if we stay here!” 

The line of soldiers halted their forward march and threw down their weapons, bolting for the gate. Goemon’s ninjutsu and my magic pursued them for a ways until the two attacks crashed into each other with a thunderclap that caused the very earth to shake beneath us. But somehow, instead of dissipating, the attacks combined. A large rock covered in thorns exploded from the center of the courtyard, sending stone splinters raining down on the buildings and surrounding streets in every direction. 

Goemon and I sought refuge in the entrance to the building, glancing back and forth from the plumes of dirt and screaming men to each other. 

Goemon’s eyes were wide with surprise. “That was…unexpected.” 

I could only nod in response. Rather than cancel each other out, when the ninjutsu and magic had collided, they’d become far more aggressive. I wondered if a similar thing happened when mages fought each other. But judging by Goemon’s reaction, he’d never seen anything like this before. 

Too focused on the strange event that had just unfolded, Goemon and I failed to register the disconcerting creak coming from the building behind us. 

“Huh?!” 

By the time we looked up, a portion of the roof was falling toward us. 

*** 

Chiyome and Ariane were atop the wall, checking out the area behind the Etzat Market as planned, when they heard a thunderous roar erupt from the entrance. 

“Sounds like it’s already started.” 

“Seems so.” 

“Kyii!” Ponta seemed to be voicing its agreement from where it clung to Ariane’s shoulder. 

A narrow, unlit path ran along the back perimeter of the trading office, bathed in blackness. Even the dim light of the moon couldn’t seem to reach the area. However, Chiyome’s and Ariane’s species both had excellent night vision. 

Chiyome looked down, eyes narrowed. “Looks like there aren’t any guards back here.” 

“That’s good for us, at least. Let’s head in.” 

Ariane hopped from the wall and used her magic to summon a series of rocks from the ground, forming steps. She descended to the ground, her charcoal cloak waving in the wind, then ducked behind the building, becoming one with the shadows…except for Ponta, who stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Chiyome jumped down behind her, landing in a crouch. Her eyes scanned the perimeter. 

The windows in the back of the stone building were located well above the ground, leaving them with no obvious means of entry. She darted over to one corner, peeking her head around for a look. 

“Ariane, I found an entrance on the side of the building. We’ll enter through there.” 

The young ninja girl dashed off toward a wooden door reinforced with a sheet of metal. Ariane arrived a moment later, sighing as she spied a metal lock on the door. 

“Want me to blow it open with magic?” 

Chiyome shook her head. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin metal pick, which she inserted in the keyhole. After a few seconds, Ariane heard a loud click followed by the sound of a bolt moving. Chiyome removed the now-open lock. 

“That’s amazing, Chiyome!” 

The ninja girl’s cheeks flushed at Ariane’s praise. The door creaked as she pushed it open and slipped inside. 

The interior of the building was lit by only a few dim magic lamps, making it hard to see. This had the benefit of making some areas all the darker, allowing Chiyome to blend into the shadows with ease. 

“There are two attackers at the entrance!” 

“Remember what we were told! Send a runner to the palace!” 

The two women could hear men shouting, the urgency clear in their voices. 

Ariane was about to slip through the door after Chiyome when an armed mercenary came running toward her. 

“Wh-who the hell are you?!” 

Before the man could raise the alarm, Chiyome dove from the shadows and stabbed him through the throat with a dagger, preventing him from making any further noise—not even a dying scream. The man clawed at his throat as he collapsed. Chiyome tried to drag him into the shadows where he wouldn’t be seen, but after watching her struggle to move the dead weight for a solid minute, Ariane traded places with the cat girl. She stuffed the dead man into a dark corner. 

“Thank you, Ariane.” 

“Leave the brute strength stuff to me. Now, let’s get on with this while those two are still providing a distraction out front.” 

The two of them moved deeper into the building, stepping out of the narrow corridor and into a room with a vaulted ceiling, its walls lined with iron-barred cages. People of all different shapes, sizes, and species were shoved inside. 

Some were cat people similar to Chiyome. Others ranged from people with the ears and tails of wolves to those with long rabbit ears. They were all keenly watching and listening. 

Unlike the elves, the mountain people had little in the way of magical affinity, so none of them were wearing any sort of magical restraints like the mana-eater collar. What they lacked in magical abilities, however, they made up for in physical strength. In order to restrict their movements, they’d each had their ankles cuffed together. 

Ariane took a quick look around. “It looks like every single one of these cells is for the mountain people.” 

Some of the people had started to take notice of Chiyome and Ariane, their eyes going wide. 

“What are you…?” A voice called out from one of the cells, drawing the attention of a group of watchmen, who started yelling as they charged toward Chiyome. 

“Who the hell are you? Where’d you come from?!” 

“I’ve got him, Chiyome!” Ariane drew her sword, rushing toward the watchmen. 

Her opponents already had their weapons out and were prepared to fight, but there was only enough room for two of them to stand side by side in the narrow hallway. Ariane slashed her blade as she deftly slipped between the first two men, landing on the other side. 

The watchmen turned in surprise, only to slump to the floor, their blood pooling on the stones. Ariane pointed her blade toward the next two, her golden eyes narrowing within her charcoal cloak. 

Faced with her impressive swordsmanship and imposing demeanor, the rest of the watchmen chose to turn and flee rather than engage her in combat. 

Ariane frowned. The watchmen weren’t the only ones afraid. The mountain people in the cells were cowering at the sight of her. 

Chiyome lowered her black mask. “My name is Chiyome, of the Jinshin clan. We have come here to save you. Please listen to what I tell you, and I will get you all out of here.” 

She pulled out her lockpick and inserted it into the keyhole of the nearest cell. A moment later, the metal door opened with a screech. The people in the newly opened cell murmured to each other. 

“Did she say the Jinshin clan?!” 

“I can’t believe it! They came to save us?” The Jinshin clan was known by practically all the mountain people. 

The prisoners’ eyes all began to light up with rekindled hope—a hope that had been nearly extinguished in their time locked away in their cells. 

Chiyome called out above the chatter. “Can anyone here smash open these locks?” 

Several people raised their hands. Chiyome undid the clasps around their ankles and handed several more picks to the newly freed slaves. 

“Split up and set our comrades free! I want anyone who can fight to arm themselves with the watchmen’s weapons.” 

“Hoorah! Leave it to us!” 

While Chiyome worked quickly to free more of her trapped comrades from their cells, she started giving orders to the ragtag group of slaves, who were reveling in their newfound freedom. 

“Men, take the weapons. I want the women to provide support!” 

The mountain people followed Chiyome’s commands, freeing their fellow slaves and arming themselves. 

Just then, a contingent of soldiers wearing matching armor came rushing down the stairwell behind Ariane. They drew their swords in unison as their commander issued orders. 

“Don’t let the slaves or intruders get away! Kill anyone you can’t capture!” 

A shadow darted forward. 

“Body to water, liquid wolf fang!” 

Chiyome drew a symbol in the air as she ran toward the soldiers, looking like a character out of a ninja comic book. The next instant, three wolves, about a meter long each, appeared around her and rushed in to attack. 

The commander watched, aghast. “Just who is this, some kind of mage?!” 

The ninjutsu water wolves ducked and weaved between the men’s swords, biting their ankles and sending them screaming to the ground. 

Whenever a soldier was lucky enough to strike one of the wolves, the sword swished through the water with no obvious effect. 

Ariane was frozen in place, watching Chiyome carry out her attack. She shook her head, coming to her senses, and launched herself at the soldiers from behind. The two women continued to move through the men, dispatching soldiers left and right. A moment later, having made quick work of the remaining watchmen, the armed slaves came to Chiyome and Ariane’s aid. 

With the full brute strength of the mountain people arrayed against them, the soldiers could no longer hold their position. One by one, they were slaughtered and robbed of their weapons. As the number of resistance fighters increased, the number of soldiers dwindled. 

Around seventy slaves had joined the fray when another thunderous roar echoed in the distance. A moment later, the entire building shook as a blast of wind and dirt blew through the hallways, extinguishing the oil lamps and blanketing the rooms in darkness. 

The fighting stopped as everyone froze. But as soon as the roar had passed, the clash of swords resumed. Unlike the mountain people with their superior night vision, the humans were essentially fighting blind, unable to clearly make out who they were fighting and, in some cases, killing their fellow soldiers. 

Once the majority of the soldiers and watchmen had been dealt with, the ex-slaves began checking each other’s injuries. Around that time, two hulking shadows appeared from direction of the main entrance. 

One of them looked to be around thirty years old. He was two meters tall and naked from the waist up. The other was covered from neck to toe in a black cloak and wore an eerie mask adorned with feathers, lending him an unsettling aura. Both were completely covered with dust. 

The mountain people froze, instantly gripped with fear. 

The first man was one of them, but the other…they couldn’t say. Uncertain what to do about the approaching men, the mountain people looked desperately to Ariane and Chiyome. 

Ponta cried out excitedly, its cotton tail wagging excitedly at the sight of the newcomers. 

“Kyii! Kyiiiii!” 

Ariane let out a loud sigh and threw back her hood, revealing her amethyst skin and pointed ears. The ex-slaves watched her in stunned silence, having assumed that both of their rescuers were from the Jinshin clan. 

Their surprise, however, quickly turned back to fear as the man in the ominous mask approached. 

*** 

“Hah! I thought we were dead for sure.” 

I crawled out from under the rubble of the collapsed ceiling and brushed myself off. 

The unexpected magical explosion had caused part of the first floor to cave in, giving me a clear view up into the second. The courtyard in front of the building was in complete disarray, and I could see the bodies of dozens of soldiers among the mountain of rubble. 

As the wind carried the dust away and a calm silence once again descended, footsteps echoed along cobbles of the streets outside. I could tell from the sound that a large number of people were approaching, likely either more reinforcements or, if we were unlucky, the Royal Army. In either case, I didn’t have any time to waste. I started digging through the rubble. 

“Goemon! Goemon, are you okay?!” 

As I sifted through the rubble, a musclebound arm burst out of the debris, followed by a dust-covered Goemon. 

“Goemon! You’re safe!” 

“I’m…fine, I think.” 

He shook the debris from his body. The ears on top of his head twitched in the direction of the gate, and he turned his gaze to the darkened street. Apparently, he’d noticed the approaching troops as well. 

“It seems like reinforcements are on the way, but I can’t see them ignoring their injured allies. We might have some time before they attack. We should get the freed slaves out of here while we have a chance.” 

Goemon nodded in agreement and hopped down from the mountain of rubble, making his way toward the entrance to the building. I followed him inside. 

After passing through the main entrance hall and another set of doors, we found ourselves in a dim dungeon lined with row upon row of empty cells. We continued deeper inside until we came to a room filled with newly freed slaves. 

Many of them were cat people like Chiyome and Goemon, but there was a wide variety of other species as well, including burly wolfmen and rabbit-eared folk. It was almost like a furry expo. I approached, excited. 

As the group of animal people took notice of me, looks of concern started appearing on their faces. I tilted my head in confusion. From somewhere off in the distance, I heard Ponta cry out. 

I spotted Ariane, her hood lowered. She looked annoyed, which only made me more confused. 

“Arc, I think you can take that mask off now. You’re scaring everyone.” 

I’d completely forgotten how I was dressed. 

“Oh, right! You know, I’ve actually come to like how I look with it on.” 

Ponta hopped off of Ariane’s shoulder and glided over toward me, burying its small body in the decorative feathers atop my head. 

“Kyii kyiiiii!” 

This was the most excited I’d seen Ponta in a while. While I tried to calm my animal friend down, Chiyome turned to Goemon. 

“How are things at the front gate?” 

Usually a man of few words, Goemon responded to Chiyome’s question in a low voice. “A large number of reinforcements are on their way, but Arc and I should be able to hold them off.” He pointed a thumb toward me. “You should have some time before they’re able to break through.” 

I nodded in response, almost knocking Ponta off my head in the process. I could hear it scrabbling against the mask as it clung to the feathers and scrambled its way back atop my head. 

“And how are things here, Miss Ariane? Is this everyone?” 

The freed slaves had relaxed slightly now that they realized I was an ally of their rescuers. 

All of the locks had been removed from the cells, but there were still a number of people in shackles, though others were working quickly to remove these. 

“We’re almost done here. It sounds like slaves are also kept on the upper floors, so we’ll need to go deeper into the building.” 

Ariane turned her gaze toward a large set of doors on the far side of the room. 

I thought they’d entered through the rear of the building, but apparently there wasn’t any entrance back there, meaning that all entry and exit points were limited to this central room. 

Chiyome and Goemon exchanged glances. 

“What if we leave Goemon to take care of things here?” I asked. “That way, I can go with you. Once we free everyone else and get all of the slaves out of the capital, then the mission will be complete, correct?” 

Goemon nodded. 

“Got it,” said Ariane. 

Chiyome turned to Goemon. “All right, our final escape will take place as planned. Once the reinforcements make it inside, we’ll have Goemon take out the building and Arc will teleport everyone out.” 

The first time I’d heard this plan, I’d balked at the idea. Even if Goemon and I were able to draw a large number of soldiers to the market, as long as we left the building standing, they would be able to easily regroup and reinforce the other slave houses. 

However, the guards and royal soldiers were sent here to bring order back to the Etzat Market. They were neither murderous bandits nor corrupt slave traders. 

The mercenaries, on the other hand, were. They took money to fight the enemies of whoever was paying their bills. That was no different from how things were back in my world, really. 

I’d originally become a mercenary without giving it much thought, but that was only because I’d figured mercenaries were something like adventurers in this world, like they were in the game. It was a decision I was starting to regret. I wanted nothing to do with the kind of people who could so callously make the mountain people their slaves. 

I nodded to Chiyome. 

“Well then, let’s hurry along.” 

We left Goemon to take care of preparing the escape while I, along with Ponta, accompanied Ariane and Chiyome through the doors on the far side of the room. They opened up to a walled garden. 

On the far side of the garden was another large door, guarded by several rough-looking men. 

One of the men, a particularly large fellow, had his hands around the necks of two young girls, who were twisting and writhing in his grasp. The girls had animal-like ears atop their heads and were dressed in tattered clothes. 

Surprise washed over the man’s face as he noticed us, though he quickly composed himself and started yelling, spittle flying everywhere. 

“So, you’re the bastard who came here in that stupid costume! I know who you are…you’re those beast rescuers, yeah?! Well, what do ya think is about to happen to these two, huh?” 

“My name is Arc, though I am no rescuer. Now, could you please let those children go?” 

I stuck out my chest as I demanded the children’s release…and quickly realized my folly. Here I was, dressed in a mask to hide my identity, and yet I’d just given him my name. I couldn’t believe my carelessness. Still, for a moment it looked as if I’d gotten through to the large man. That is, until his face broke into a fiendish grin and he gripped the girls’ throats even tighter. 

“Shaddap, or that’ll be the end of ’em. Now, drop yer weapons and kick ’em over here!” 

Next to the shouting, musclebound man, several of the other men turned their leering gazes toward Ariane. 

“Heh. What do have here? A dark elf?” 

Ariane narrowed her thin eyebrows. “Using the weak as a shield is standard practice for humans, I see.” 

Chiyome and Ariane set their weapons on the ground and kicked them over. The men seemed oblivious to their hateful glares and laughed in response. Now that we were unarmed, they seemed to decide that we were no longer a threat and lowered their own weapons. 

They couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Several of the men approached me. When they were still about a foot or so away, the large man called out to them. “Only kill the masked man! We’ll take the other two home as prizes.” 

The men let out howls of laughter. Right as they were about to swing their weapons, I used Dimensional Step to teleport behind the large man. 

The men’s weapons cut uselessly through the air. 

The large man shouted, shock evident in his voice. “Wha?! He’s gone!” 

I grabbed the man’s head in both hands and twisted, turning it nearly completely around with a loud snap. For a moment, the man’s eyes were wide in fear, then his whole body went slack. The two girls fell to the floor with a thud. Something began dripping from the man’s pant leg. I tossed the body over to a nearby wall where it collapsed in a heap. 

The two girls clutched their throats, gasping for breath. As their breathing started to normalize, they looked up at me in fear. I brushed my hands through their soft hair. They couldn’t have been more than five or six. Their expressions relaxed as they noticed Ponta’s head peeking out from among the feathers adorning my mask. 

“Just close your eyes. The scary stuff will all be over in a moment.” 

“Kyiii…” 

They both nodded and buried their faces in their hands. 

“Dammit! What the hell did you do?!” 

All traces of confidence had vanished from the men. They could barely conceal their horror at seeing their companion dispatched so brutally. I took advantage of their momentary lapse and rushed them, closing the distance between us in an instant. 

Despite my best efforts to hold back, the men’s faces and chests were torn open as I pummeled them, the sounds of shattering bones and gurgling screams filling the garden. Ariane and Chiyome retrieved their weapons and joined the fray. The whole thing was over in a matter of seconds, the garden now filled with the men’s deformed bodies. 

I returned to the little girls and spoke to them gently, trying not to alarm them. “You can open your eyes now. The scary old men are all gone now.” 

Even as the words left my mouth, I knew they sounded odd. I was hardly one to talk, considering the creepy mask I was wearing. 

Ariane called out from behind me. “We’re done here, Arc. Let’s go farther inside.” She made for the door at the far end of the garden. “As soon as we take care of the others, we can teleport out of here.” 

Just then, Chiyome’s cat ears started twitching wildly. 

“I can hear people beyond this door.” She pushed it open. 

The room on the other side looked like a well-decorated manor, sporting all manner of knick-knacks and a large table surrounded by chairs. If I had to guess, I’d say this was where the sales negotiations took place. 

While I was looking around the room, the two girls jogged past me and darted through one of the doors running along the wall. Chiyome took off after them, followed closely by Ariane and me. 

Beyond that door was a short hall leading to another door. As soon as we opened it, a horrible stench washed over us, like damp, rotting grass. 

The room was full of mountain people, men and women, chained together. Most of them were nude, or close to it. Many of the women appeared to be pregnant. As soon as they caught sight of me, they grew afraid, trembling. 

The young girls from the garden ran up to two women, hugging the enlarged bellies that protruded from their tattered clothes, sobbing quietly in their mothers’ arms. 

I suppressed the urge to retch. Someone was breeding mountain people like farm animals, probably selling the children as slaves. I wasn’t sure how profitable a scheme like this could actually be, but judging by the small size of the room compared to the rest of the building, it seemed like they were still just experimenting with the idea. At least, I hoped they were. 

In any case, it was an awful sight to behold. 

“Miss Ariane, please look around for something these people can wear.” 

“G-got it.” 

My voice broke Ariane out of her temporary paralysis and she hurried out of the room in search of clothes. 

Chiyome closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. After she’d gotten her emotions in check, she turned to me and spoke in her usual monotone voice. 

“I’ll take care of the locks, and then we can get everyone out of here.” 

“Roger.” 

Chiyome knelt next to one of the women and pulled a small metal pick from her pocket. She fitted it into the keyhole and rattled it around until the clasp opened and the woman’s ankle was free. 

I followed suit, kneeling down next to a dog-eared man. I grabbed the chain connected to his ankle cuff in both hands and ripped it apart. The man’s eyes went wide at my feat of strength. 

A few moments later, Ariane returned to find everyone in the room free of their restraints. 

“There wasn’t much in the way of clothes, so they’ll have to make do with these.” 

She showed us a stack of linens. 

I couldn’t tell if they were bedsheets or curtains, but they would at least give the mountain people some dignity. 

With Ariane’s help, we passed the linens out to everyone in the room. 

“Arc, we should get these people out of the city first.” 

“Right. Let’s bring them all to the main hall.” 

Chiyome led the way. The people murmured among themselves, unsure what was about to happen to them. I made my way to the center of the group and shepherded everyone together. Then I focused my mind. 

“Transport Gate!” 

A large pillar of light, far larger than anything I’d created thus far, rose up from the floor, illuminating the dim room. 

The people tensed as the light began to envelop them, their animal ears at stiff attention. 

The world blinked out for an instant. A mere second later, we found ourselves standing in a moonlit field. A gentle wind rippled through the grass in waves, carrying with it the sounds of insects. Off to the south, the outline of Olav stood stark against the sky. 

I found this spot after purchasing my mask earlier. I couldn’t see the capital as clearly now as I could under the afternoon sun, but it was still far brighter than any other towns I’d seen. 

Once they realized where they were, the people began cheering, crying, and asking Chiyome for an explanation. Those closest to me, however, took a few steps away. Not a single person tried to ask me anything. 

After a few moments, the rabbit-eared mother of one of the girls I’d saved approached me and bowed her head, her eyes filled with tears. In between sobs, she expressed her gratitude. 

“Th-thank you for saving my…” 

As I nodded my masked head solemnly, more and more people began making their way toward me. 

Under the dim light of the moon, I could barely make out another cat person, dressed in the same ninja attire as Chiyome. 

Chiyome approached the figure and waved me over. She addressed the crowd in her usual monotone. “These people here will lead you to a safe place. Please, do what they say!” 

After exchanging glances among each other, the crowd began to form up and follow the cat ninja. 

“We’ll leave the rest to them while we head back for the others.” 

“All right then, let’s go!” 

I called up Transport Gate again and teleported us back to the main hall of the Etzat Market. 

A small pillar formed at our feet. A moment later, we were back in the center of the hall…and right in the middle of a group of armed animal men. 

“Wha…who’s there?!” 

The men let out howls of surprise at our sudden appearance, though the concern on their faces faded as soon as they recognized us as the ones who’d broken them out of their cells. 

A middle-aged man with drooping dog ears stepped forward from the group. “Apologies! We didn’t realize it was you. We’ve been looking for our comrades who were locked away in here. Have you seen them?” 

Chiyome pulled the mask away from her mouth and filled them in on the situation. “We’ve rescued them and taken them out of the capital. My fellow clan members are bringing them somewhere safe as we speak.” 

The other men looked comforted to hear this, but the dog-eared man narrowed his eyes. “Are you daft?! How could you get them out in such a short time?” 

Rather than respond to the question, Chiyome glared at the man. “We don’t have time for an explanation right now. How are the escape preparations and defense efforts going?” 

The dog-eared man’s eyes remained narrowed, but he provided a simple update on the situation. “All of the people are out of their cells, and about half are unchained. Soldiers are only coming into the building sporadically, but they’ve solidified their lines outside.” 

Chiyome nodded, then turned her gaze back to me. 

I used Transport Gate to teleport us to the field. 

Chiyome and I left the confused beastmen to her allies and teleported back to the manor, this time heading through the large door and back into the cell-lined room. 

A large group of mountain people stood outside their cells, some still busy trying to break the chains from their ankles, while others fought off an attack from incoming soldiers. 

It didn’t look like we had a lot of time left before the main force entered the building, so I started ferrying people to the grassy field. After several trips back and forth, all of the hundred or so slaves had been transported away from the Etzat Market. 

Given how much time we’d wasted trying to explain things to the confused, surprised, and grateful people who came rushing up to us, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would have been faster to simply teleport them, cells and all, to begin with. 

I’d been hesitant to do that, though, since sooner or later, someone would have discovered the missing cells. 

While I was thinking about how we might have done things differently, Ariane spoke up. 

“All that’s left is the final step of the plan.” 

I gave a quick nod and called up an image of the building in my mind. “I’ll be right back.” 

In a flash, I was back in the Etzat Market, alone. 

The building was now empty of all life, filled with an eerie silence. 

Well, not entirely empty. One figure stood alone in the darkness, the outline of his massive, well-toned body and cat ears dark against the darker shadows. It was Goemon. 

He stood dead still, almost like a statue, only moving his eyes to look over in my direction as I teleported in. His cat ears remained focused on the door. 

“We have company.” 

A moment later, heavy footfalls filled the air, sounding almost like an avalanche rolling in. The damaged building creaked, and dust shook loose from the ceiling. Moments later, the entire entrance was filled with soldiers carrying massive shields, and lanterns to light the way. 

They’d come to crush us alive. 

They must not have realized that we were able to use magic. It’d be rather trivial to wipe out their forces in such a confined space. 

Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. It would normally be a terrible idea to use such powerful magic indoors. The caster risked destroying the building while they were still inside. 

Next to me, Goemon raised both arms straight up into the air. Then he lowered them slowly, the veins on his pectoral muscles bulging as he did. His usual blank expression changed ever so slightly as his eyes narrowed. I could tell he was grinning wildly beneath his wrappings. 

“How about an encore of our previous performance, Arc?” 

I was pretty sure I knew what he meant by that, but I didn’t have time to clarify. “If you’re sure, Goemon. Let’s make this a big one, yeah?” 

Goemon’s grin widened, his muscles bulging. He was pretty terrifying when he smiled, actually. 

“Muscle to stone, rock spear strike!” 

He clanged his gauntlets together, then smashed both of his fists into the ground. The floor beneath him tore open, and fang-shaped stone spikes began ripping down the hall toward the oncoming troops. 

“Rock Fang!” 

I summoned my area-of-effect spell right after Goemon unleashed his ninjutsu attack. The force of the fang-shaped stones tearing out of the floor knocked even more of the ceiling loose, the ninjutsu mingling with my magic as they both hurtled away from us. The soldiers crouched behind their massive shields for cover. 

Just then, a loud bang erupted as the magic and ninjutsu came fully together, expanding in size. A large stone pillar ripped up out of the ground and straight through the ceiling, countless spikes launching out of it to tear through the walls, floor, and anything else that stood in their way. 

The soldiers abandoned their defensive posture, scattering as the room began to fall apart around them. A massive crash reverberated through the small space, and the whole building shook violently. 

The building groaned, as if it could no longer support its own weight. Slowly but surely, the Etzat Market began to collapse in on itself. I could sense that all of the buildings connected to it would also fall, one by one, like a line of dominos. 

“Let’s get out of here, Goemon!” 

Goemon nodded. 

I summoned up Transport Gate and teleported us out into the field overlooking the capital. 

My ears were still ringing from the horrendous din we’d just escaped, the sound all the more obvious in the middle of a quiet field. I shook my head, brushing the debris off of my body. 

Chiyome called out to me. “I can’t thank you enough for all your help, Arc.” 

I turned around to find the young ninja and several others dressed in similar attire. Goemon and Ariane stood among them. 

Goemon silently extended a hand. I clasped it, and we shook. Then he stepped back and flexed one massive bicep. I wasn’t really sure what that meant, so I assumed the same pose and flexed mine back. 

“Until next time.” 

And that was all I got from the taciturn man before he stepped back into the group. 

I reached up to remove my mask. As soon as I pulled it off, I heard a sad kyiii as Ponta dropped to the ground. I bowed my head in apology. “Sorry about that, Ponta.” 

“Arc, you’re just awful.” 

Ariane swooped in to pick up my furry companion, rubbing Ponta against her cheek and babbling to it. She probably didn’t realize that anyone could hear her, but the sound of her voice sent a warm, fuzzy feeling through my bones. 

Chiyome interrupted my thoughts. “Thank you so much, Ariane and Arc, for everything. You were an immense help.” 

It was the most cheerful I’d heard her sound yet. 

Ariane smiled back brightly, Ponta still snuggled deep in her arms. 

“Don’t worry about it. We had our reasons, after all.” 

“That’s right,” I said. “We need your information. Anyway, where will you be going now?” 

Chiyome looked over her shoulder and gestured toward the black outline of a mountain range. 

“We’re headed for a village hidden in the Calcut Mountains.” 

Ariane looked confused. “Don’t you have a large country all to yourselves on the southern continent?” 

Chiyome’s face clouded over with sadness at the mere mention of it. “That’s true, but it’d be difficult to take such a large group of people across the ocean. Besides, a lot of the people prefer the climate here.” 

The group of newly freed slaves making their way toward the Calcut Mountains had grown to over two hundred strong. I wondered if the people rescued from the other attacks had all gathered here as well. 

There were probably also a fair amount of people already living at their destination. A large-scale exodus of mountain people would be quite a challenge—finding safe routes to travel all while staying out of sight and dodging mercenaries and hunters, 

Chiyome looked out across the mass of people and muttered to herself, a worried look on her face. “If only we knew where the shrine was…” She shook her head and turned her attention back to Ariane and me. “Anyway, don’t worry about it. Besides, I owe you two information. The person you’re looking for, Drassos du Barysimon, is a viscount in the Holy East Revlon Empire.” 

The wind suddenly picked up, sending my cloak fluttering noisily in the wind. 

It looked like our journey was going to take us beyond the borders of the Rhoden Kingdom.