Skeleton Knight, in Another World (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The Tiger Clan 

Off in the distance, the sun began peeking up above the horizon, shining its light across the vast southern continent, and, of more interest to the ship’s passengers, on the massive town that hugged the coastline. 

Despite the incredible length of the ship we rode on, it felt small in comparison to the sprawling town that lay before us. It was bigger than any human town I’d seen thus far. 

The village of Landfrea, where we’d left port just the day before, was pretty large in its own right, but the town of Plymouth was something else entirely. 

The tree-trunk high rises that were a common sight in elven villages were nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by mammoth buildings that put even the Rhoden Kingdom to shame. Somehow, they managed to fit in naturally with the rolling hills the town sat on. 

Chiyome let out a gasp of surprise at the sight, while Goemon stood at her side, arms crossed in silence. 

Ariane let out a sigh, wonderment clear in her voice. “I’d heard of Plymouth’s size before, but this is truly something to behold. It makes human towns look like little more than hamlets.” 

I nodded in agreement. “I bet they could fit 100,000 people into a city this size.” 

The closer the Rievbelta drew to Plymouth’s port, the more ships we passed, hailing from both here and afar. The ships were all crewed by mountain people, suggesting that cargo was often transported by ship here. 

The Rievbelta arrived at one of the slips at Plymouth’s dock and several burly men came running up to pull the ship in. 

The crew began the work of preparing the cargo to be lowered down while the captain greeted the dock workers. We went back to our cabins and grabbed our bags before taking a wooden gangplank from the ship’s deck down to the dock. 

As we stepped off, we were met by several mountain people dressed in light armor and armed with spears—the port’s guards—who subjected all passengers to an inspection before allowing them to enter the town. 

Ariane handed over the letter of introduction she’d been given by Landfrea’s elder. After a cursory inspection, we were allowed to enter Plymouth proper. 

The town was buzzing with life. It was like nothing I’d ever seen. 

The majority of the people we crossed paths with had some sort of beastly characteristics, including ears, tails, and more, though there were more than a few dark elves as well, like the ones we’d seen aboard the Rievbelta. 

Up ahead of us was a market filled with row upon row of shops and stalls stocked with all manner of products, which had probably just come off the boats. Customers rushed in to purchase their wares. 

The crowd was dense, like what you’d find at a summer festival, though we still managed to draw more than our fair share of attention. Apparently, a man fully decked out in armor with a green-furred animal on his head tended to stand out. 

Goemon, the one who’d normally stick out in a human town, managed to blend in easily with the crowd. His bare-chested figure looked identical to many of the people around us. 

I served as the group’s leading edge, pushing our way through the throngs of people. 

“I can’t believe how many people are here,” Ariane said. “We’d better not lose sight of each other. If one of us got lost, it would be near impossible to find a way back to the group.” 

This was probably the first time she’d ever traveled so far from home, to say nothing of the massive crowds we had to fight through. 

Even for me, someone used to congested cities, it was difficult to get back into the hang of pushing through such large masses of people. 

Ah well, I’d get used to it. 

We were surrounded by stalls filled to the brim with fragrant spices and all sorts of food, the likes of which I’d never seen. This, at least, helped me forget the bustle around us. 

Ponta’s tail whipped as it looked around excitedly at all the unique and interesting things the market had to offer. 

I walked with my head on a constant pivot, inspecting all the interesting sights that lay before us. I overheard a conversation at one of the stalls and stopped to listen closer, looking for the source. 

“No way! You’ve never charged that much before, Grandpa! What gives?” 

The customer, a man who looked like a werewolf, was yelling at the old shop owner, a bear of some sort, while waving his hand toward one of the spices lining the counter. 

The bear man raised an eyebrow at the ornery customer, looking more annoyed than anything, as he explained curtly. It looked as if he didn’t really care whether or not the man bought anything. 

“Whaddya want me to do about it? The tiger clans off to the west haven’t been around as much as they used to. These are the last red nails I’ve got.” 

The customer muttered a few more objections as he shoved his money back into his pouch and stalked away. 

Once the argument was over, I turned my attention to the source of the men’s conflict. As soon as I caught sight of it, I made my way toward the stall. 

“Hey, wait a minute, Arc! They’re selling tomatoes over here!” 

Ariane had apparently spotted the literal fruits of our labor, the item that had brought us down to the southern continent in the first place. As soon as she saw me heading off in the opposite direction, she began yelling after me. 

I raised my hand to signal for her to be quiet and continued toward the stall. 

Once I got close enough, I examined the “red nail” that had been the source of the men’s conflict. The talon-shaped object was about the size of an index finger. Its dry surface was a bright shade of red, and it was covered in wrinkles. 

I’d seen this food…spice before. 

I picked one of the red nails up. “Excuse me, sir. Is this spicy?” 

The old shopkeeper was taken aback at the sudden appearance of a large armored figure before him. Gauging that I might be a customer, he slowly nodded. 

“I, ah, yes. They aren’t that popular, except for those who’ve got a taste for them, but they get their name from their spicy burn.” 

That was all the confirmation I needed. 

This was almost certainly a chili pepper back in my world. 

I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to come here in search of tomatoes and stumble across a chili pepper while I was at it. 

Whereas tomatoes were incredibly useful in the ingredient world, chili peppers were something of a catch-all spice. 

Put the two together and you’d get…arrabbiata sauce maybe? 

My head was now full of all sorts of Italian recipes as I started inspecting the other items carefully arranged on the counter. 

Just then, Ariane appeared. She took one look at the red nail and cocked her head. 

“Oh, you’re going to buy that too?” 

“Yep. I never imagined I’d find this here! I’d like to buy it if I can.” 

Ariane inquired about the price. She responded in much the same way the werewolf man had. 

“Whoa! Just because you don’t have many left doesn’t mean you can charge that much for it!” 

Ariane was nearly beside herself at the price the bear man had quoted. Chiyome nodded her support. As usual, Goemon simply stood by silently, gazing curiously at this red nail we were fussing over. 

As for me, I didn’t even give it a second thought. I pulled several gold coins from my wallet and tried to pay. Ariane stared on disapprovingly, the look in her eyes suggesting that she simply couldn’t believe I’d be willingly pay such an absurd quoted price. 

“What a rip-off.” 

The elven economy was focused more on bartering than on the exchange of money, which made her reaction seem a little strange to me. However, I wondered if she was more used to monetary transactions due to her technically being a citizen of Maple, the capital city of the Great Canada Forest. Why did women care so much about prices, anyway? 

My mind started wandering toward the differences between men and women until the frowning shopkeeper opened his mouth and brought be back to reality. 

“I told the guy before you…my already-limited stock isn’t getting replaced, since the tiger clan hasn’t shown their faces around these parts of late.” 

This was exactly what I’d heard earlier, but at least it explained why he wasn’t interested in negotiating. Since the pepper was already dehydrated, that freed the shopkeeper from any concerns about it rotting. He could afford to wait until he got the price he wanted. 

Ariane’s face screwed up into a scowl, but she seemed to realize the position we were in. 

What surprised me most, though, was that the usually quiet Goemon’s eyes seemed to respond ever so slightly to this conversation. But that could have just been my imagination. 

So long as Ariane showed such reticence toward the shopkeeper’s asking price, it was going to be difficult for me to buy the red nail no matter how long we stood around. 

I decided to change the subject. “Do you know of any other shops that deal in red nails?” 

Of course, I didn’t really think that the shopkeeper would introduce me to a rival. As expected, the man tensed up and shook his head firmly. “Like I told ya, the tiger clan to the west hasn’t been around lately to bring in any more red nails, so no one’s got any to sell. If you don’t believe me, feel free to have a look around the market for yerself.” The shopkeeper crossed his arms and let out a snort. 

He seemed to be telling the truth. I turned my attention back to Ariane. 

She nodded, as if something the man said had suddenly clicked. “Actually, I’ve never even seen them before, at least not back in Canada.” 

“By the way, do you know where I can find the tiger clan?” I gave a quick glance around the market, but couldn’t identify anyone who bore any resemblance to a tiger. 

Alas, my hopes of the shopkeeper telling me where I could find these people were dashed. He clamped his mouth shut and averted his gaze. It made sense, I supposed. After all, who would want to tell a potential customer how to cut out the middle man and do business with the producer directly? 

There was no point in pressing the issue. Instead, I decided to put a little pressure on the shopkeeper, but Ariane butted in before I had the chance. 

She sounded exasperated. “What do you even plan on doing with that, Arc? Didn’t he just say that it’s spicy enough to kill? You’re always obsessed with the strangest things. First the kraken, now this…” 

Before I had a chance to respond, Chiyome and Ponta beat me to the punch. 

“The kraken was really good!” 

“Kyiiii!” 

Chiyome’s voice was clear and firm as she locked her azure eyes on Ariane. The little green furball chimed in as well. 

Even Goemon was nodding. 

The conversation was entirely derailed at this point, so I decided to explain the ways this red nail could be used. 

“I can make an incredibly delectable dish with just this and a tomato…I think. So that’s why I’m hoping to find a steady, and hopefully affordable, supply.” 

Ariane furrowed her brow at this, but the shopkeeper was the first to get a word in. 

“You’re going to use the red nail in a dish?! I’ve heard stories of the tiger clan cooking them up in order to invigorate their fighting spirits, but I’ve never known anyone around these parts to do something crazy like that!” 

The look of surprise on the shopkeeper’s face was surpassed only by my own. “Then what are these red nails used for if not for cooking?” 

Honestly, I couldn’t think of any use that didn’t involve eating them. 

Ariane and Chiyome seemed interested in the answer as well, and turned their attention toward the shopkeeper. 

“Around these parts, people mix them into a liquid and use it to keep away insects or deter monsters by spraying it into their eyes. I’ve also heard that you’ll get stronger if you put slices of red nail up your nose.” 

I recalled that the capsaicin in chili peppers, the source of their heat, could keep food from rotting and drive away insects, though, the thing about stuffing it up your nose was new to me. Maybe it was some kind of ritual. 

But at least that answered one question. Even if the members of the tiger clan used it in their dishes, the red nails still weren’t considered a food elsewhere. 

“Assuming only a small number of people have any interest in these red nails, then there’s not really much of a reason to keep your supplier a secret. Besides, I’m sure I can just ask around if I want to try to set up a meeting with the tiger clan.” 

Something was off about the tiger clan not being around, but I figured if I played my cards right, I could turn this into an opportunity to purchase red nails directly from the source. 

I looked around at other people milling about the market. 

Finally, the bear man let out a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head. 

“Grr… Fine, have it your way. The tiger clan mostly comes here to sell monster hides, fangs, and the like. The majority of their kind make their home in an area known as the Kuwana Prairie, just beyond the Singareeka Plains. They’re most frequently found coming and going through the Fobnach town of Fernandes, near the Dodgas river to the west.” 

The shopkeeper scowled as he gave up the name of the town where the tiger clan visited. 

I knew practically nothing about the geography of the southern continent, so I turned to Ariane and inquired about where Fernandes was located. However, she simply shook her head, apparently just as clueless as myself. 

The old man smiled and explained while Ariane silently returned his gaze. 

“Fernandes is a ten-day journey from here on horseback, maybe twenty on foot. You really plan on going all the way there?” 

It sounded like it wasn’t close at all. 

The shopkeeper’s exuberant smile suggested that he believed we’d readily pay his price rather than make such a long journey. Besides, there were no assurances we’d even run into any members of the tiger clan out in Fernandes. 

But he didn’t know that I could cut our travel time considerably by using Dimensional Step. 

It’d depend on how good my line of sight was, of course, but I figured it would take only about three days or so to get to Fernandes. 

Ariane locked eyes with me before turning her gaze to the bag on my back. 

“You still have those rune stones, right?” 

I’d almost forgotten about the rune stones we’d picked up some time ago as we made our way through the underground cavern. 

The cavern had a pretty distinct look to it, so I could use Transport Gate to go back there any time and pick up more, assuming the distance from the southern continent didn’t cause any issues. 

I nodded. “I have a few in my bag. I can give them to you if you need them.” I wasn’t quite sure what she was asking, so I just replied honestly. 

Her lustrous lips curled into a smile. She was plotting something. 

“Come with me, Arc. We’ve already come this far. It won’t hurt to go a little farther.” 

Ariane turned and began heading away from the stall. 

“H-hey!” 

The shopkeeper called after her. I pulled a single gold coin out of my wallet and handed it to him, which quickly got him to quiet down. 

“Excuse me, sir, but I really would like to buy that red nail of yours. Is this enough?” 

Not only did I want to get a taste of it, but I figured I should compensate the man for his information. 

The man looked back and forth between Ariane’s shrinking figure and the coin in my hand before deciding that there was no use negotiating any further. He took the coin and examined the odd symbols on its surface with a skeptical eye, as if trying to check its authenticity. I quickly told him that this was a human currency used up in the northern continent. With that assurance, we managed to close the deal. 

What I got in return was a small bag, no bigger than what you’d buy in a supermarket, filled with the so-called red nails. Apparently, the source of the man’s hesitation was the thought of selling his entire supply at once. 

Even considering that the man was likely charging me a fee for using foreign currency, a gold coin still seemed pretty expensive for what I was getting in return. 

The experience reminded me of the old stories of spices being worth their weight in gold…literally. 

I looked down at the small bag in my hand. 

“This seems a little on the small side for a gold coin…” 

Chiyome, Goemon, and I hurried after Ariane. Once we caught up, I called out to her. 

“Where are we headed?” 

She shot me a look, as if stunned at how dense I could be. 

“Don’t you remember? Before we even came here, I told you that there are teleportation shrines similar to those in our elven villages. Though, there aren’t as many of course. Anyway, I don’t know if we’ll be able to teleport directly to this Fernandes place, but it’s better than going by road.” 

Chiyome hit her hand into her fist. 

I groaned. How could I have forgotten that? I’d even talked about it with her myself. 

“Ahh, right. So, do you think the teleportation shrines are open to anyone?” 

“I imagine we’ll need permission from the village elder.” 

Thanks to Ariane’s position as the daughter of a village elder, the process to obtain said permission would likely be perfunctory at best. 

We made our way down the packed thoroughfare while my mind continued wandering. 

Large buildings, the smallest of which were still three stories tall, flanked both sides of the road as mountain people and strange animals made their way in between, either on their own, or transporting goods. 

Of particular note to me were the horse-drawn carts…if you could call them that. The animals hitched almost certainly weren’t horses. In fact, their white fur and large, curved horns made them look more akin to mountain goats, with the exception that their faces were pitch black, as if their faces had been dipped in ink. 

Unlike your typical mountain goat, these animals were as large as horses, and managed to pull the heavily laden carts they were hitched to with ease. 

They were able to muster up quite a lot of horsepower…or was that goatpower? 

Along the road, I noticed pairs of mountain people wearing matching outfits, allarmed with swords dangling from their waists. Each one sat atop a large, two-meter-tall bird with two long legs. Guards, perhaps? 

Thanks to their height advantage, they stood out easily, even in the crowded streets. 

Near their midriffs, the birds seemed to be short on feathers, and instead had small arm-like appendages where the feathers folded in on themselves. Except for their white heads and yellow beaks, the rest of their bodies were covered in brown feathers, making them look a little like bald eagles. 

“Well, those are certainly new to me.” 

“Kyii!” 

“That bird must be pretty fast. It’s as big as a horse!” 

A bird-like horse? I wondered if it was even appropriate to call it a bird. Or maybe “horse” would be better. Even if you wrote it out using the kanji for bird, maybe you’d still read it as “horse”? 

While I was busy rambling about this to Ponta and Chiyome, Ariane was up ahead asking a pedestrian for directions. 

“Hurry up! The sun’s going to set soon!” Apparently done getting directions, Ariane called out to us to hurry up. 

After walking for another hour or so, we found ourselves in front of a large open square in the middle of town. At the very center of was a tall, solemn-looking building surrounded by a castle wall, with several intricately decorated spires rising out of it. 

It looked not unlike a mosque from my world. 

Up ahead, I spotted some guards standing at attention in front of the entrance. A long line of people carrying bags extended out from it. 

Ariane made her way toward the guards; the rest of us followed. 

“I guess this is what teleportation shrines look like here.” 

The word shrine didn’t seem to do this building justice, considering its size. It looked more like a sanctuary. 

As we got close to the newly dubbed teleportation sanctuary, one of the guards seemed to pay particular attention to Ariane before calling out to us. 

“It’s rare to see a dark elf around here. Looking to use the teleportation pad?” 

Ariane nodded. “That’s correct. We’d like to make our way to a town called Fernandes. Will this get us anywhere close?” 

“Fernandes, off to the west? You can go straight there, but not today. We’re only offering two more teleports, and those are going to Galapagos.” 

The man turned toward the long line of people having their bags checked and gestured with his chin. 

As far as I could gather, the teleportation pads were used something like regularly scheduled airplane flights, with more frequent trips to more popular destinations and less frequent ones to more remote locations. 

I was curious if the name Galapagos had anything to do with evolutionary theory… 

“We’re already at capacity today, but our announcement for Fernandes will be made tomorrow, next opening on the following day. If you’re interested, you can sign up now. However, you’ll have to pay half up front.” 

Ariane readily agreed, though I was pretty surprised when I heard the price. It certainly wasn’t cheap. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, the price skyrocketed the more bags you planned on taking with you. This definitely wouldn’t work as a replacement for freight transit. I felt like I was back in the early twentieth century, about to embark on an international trip. 

“I heard that you can pay in rune stones. Is that true?” 

“Ahh, in that case, you’ll need to go to the counter over there to have the rune stones evaluated and settle your payment.” 

The man gestured toward a counter built into the wall and went back to his work. 

Apparently, they would first evaluate your rune stones for quality at the counter, then adjust your teleportation fees accordingly. Fortunately for us, the rune stones we had were enough to cover the fees. 

However, since the rune stones were applied to the full price of the trip, and we were supposed to only be paying half, we ended up dumping out all of our rune stones and having them exchanged for money. 

Once that was done, we were given wooden tags to present when it was our time to use the teleportation pads. I guessed these were our tickets. 

After putting the money and the tickets into my leather pouch, I turned back toward Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon. 

“Well, we should be set for our travel expenses for a while.” 

Ariane crossed her arms, looking at the town beyond the open square as she put together a plan of action. 

“The announcement for Fernandes will be tomorrow, and the opening the day after that, so I guess we’re stuck in town until then. We should probably find an inn.” 

Something about the way Chiyome was shifting her weight looked off. 

“What’s wrong, Chiyome?” 

Her face lit up as she spoke. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how I might finally have a chance to meet the fabled tiger clan. According to the stories I’ve heard, they’re all renowned for their bravery!” 

She looked like a little kid about to meet her idol. 

I glanced at the mammoth of a man standing next to her and his ripped, muscular body. Goemon looked more like a tiger than any other sort of cat. I wondered what he was feeling about all this. 

I chuckled lightly. “Well, I hope we can make that happen for you, Chiyome. From what the shopkeeper said, they haven’t been around much lately. Personally, I’d just like the chance to buy these red nails straight from the source!” 

Ariane suddenly pointed a finger at my face. “Speaking of which, you bought red nails at that scam artist’s booth earlier, didn’t you? I don’t get it! You said you were going to meet the tiger clan to find a supplier.” 

She crossed her arms and scowled. 

I figured she wouldn’t notice the transaction, since she’d already started walking off, but apparently being perceptive to these things was an important part of being an effective soldier. 

“I just wanted to grab a few to get a handle on the taste. Besides, we’ll be here for a bit, so this will be a good chance for me to pick up some other ingredients and cook something up with these red nails.” 

Ariane and Chiyome gave me odd looks as I stood there with my fist clenched. 

“Arc, you can cook?” Ariane wore an expression of utter disbelief. 

Aside from the kraken, I hadn’t really done anything resembling cooking since I’d arrived here. However, after years of living on my own, I could whip up a few dishes at least. In fact, I rather enjoyed cooking. 

“Well, well, well. I guess I’ll have to show you my mad kitchen skills!” 

This would be the first time I’d cooked in quite a while. First, I figured I’d make arrabbiata with the red nail and some tomatoes. 

I was sure that I’d seen garlic and onions—or at least foods that looked like them—back in the human towns, so I was pretty confident I could find them here too. 

“Kyiiii! Kyi!” 

Ponta let out an excited cry and began swishing its tail around wildly, almost as if it could read my mind. 

I’d definitely need to make an extra dish without the red nail in it. The spice would be too much for the little fox. 

I made my way back to the market and picked up the ingredients I needed before arranging with the innkeeper to let me use part of their kitchen for the night. Even if I planned to stay in my own little corner, a man cooking in gleaming armor would no doubt draw attention, so I decided to drink some of the spring water from the Lord Crown to transform into my elven form. I also bought some proper clothes to really round out the look. 

Much to Ponta’s chagrin, it wasn’t allowed to be in the kitchen while I was cooking, so it went back to the room to wait with Chiyome. Poor little Ponta looked crushed, but Chiyome was more than happy with the arrangement. 

Ariane, for some reason or other, decided to stay in the kitchen with me. Maybe she wanted a cooking lesson? Meanwhile, Goemon decided he wanted to take a look around town. 

Well, it was time to get started. 

First things first, I needed to get the staples of the meal ready before I could start on my sauce. I threw some flour into a wooden bowl, followed by two eggs, some vegetable oil, and a pinch of salt. I folded the ingredients together with a wooden spatula until it started to form into a dough. Once fully mixed, I sprinkled some flour on the counter, dropped the dough on it, and began to knead with my hands. Thanks to my powerful muscles, this usually tedious task was pretty easy. 

Once the dough was nice and springy, I threw it back into the bowl, placed a damp towel over the top, and put it in a warm place to rest. I figured it’d be ready to go in about fifteen to thirty minutes. 

While I waited on the dough, I went upstairs to go check on Ponta. However, when I arrived, I found the fox fast asleep on Chiyome’s lap. The young girl was also nodding off. It was actually pretty rare to see her in such a relaxed state. 

Back in the kitchen, the dough was ready to go, so I took out a rolling pin and started spreading it out. Then I spread it out some more. 

Once that was done, I rolled it into one long tube, which I proceeded to cut into centimeter-wide pieces. Leaving the cut end facing up, I took a pantry knife and held the blade tightly between my fingers as I finished off the final detail work. It took a bit of skill, but I was used to it. 

The next step would require a bit of endurance. I began chopping the dough up into little rounds of pasta. 

The noodle was called orecchiette, meaning “small ear,” though, in my head it always sounded oddly similar to a phrase in Japanese meaning, “I’ll just go and disappear.” Aww, no need for that. 

With the pasta out of the way, it was time to start making the arrabbiata. But first, I needed to boil some water to cook the pasta. I looked over toward the pot and found that Ariane had already done that for me. I decided to just be appreciative and say no more. 

All right, now I could focus on the sauce. 

I poured some vegetable oil into a fry pan, dropped in a few garlic cloves and a red nail—with the seeds removed of course—and began cooking them up. Leaving the seeds in really ratcheted up the heat. Once the ingredients in the pan had gained a nice color, I threw in some diced onion to soften them up over low heat. The onion added a nice, sweet aroma to the mix. 

Finally, it was time to add the tomato, with the poison removed of course. I mashed it up and put it into the pan as well. The juices from the tomato danced around the hot pan as they turned to steam. The sauce slowly began coming together, so I turned my attention to the boiling pasta whichwas soft and springy. Perfect. 

I took the squishy, ear-shaped pasta and poured it into the fry pan, stirring the sauce quickly as I incorporated the pasta. 

After a quick taste, I decided it needed a little salt. Mmm, this was shaping up nicely. 

When cooking by hearth, the only way to adjust the heat was by constantly keeping the fry pan elevated, modifying the distance from the flame. I felt like someone would have called me a cheater if I were to adjust the flame with a lever, or use an elevated kettle stand like they did in the old world. 

While I was busy thinking about all that, the arrabbiata had come together quite nicely. 

I poured the contents into a dish, drizzled some vegetable oil over the top, and finished it off with a sprinkling of a finely chopped herb that resembled parsley. It didn’t smell exactly like parsley, but I’d bought it at a green grocer, so I figured it ought to be okay. 

Finally, my dish was finished: “Arrabbiata in Another World.” 

Ariane, who had been watching me the entire time, eyed the dish carefully. She’d been skeptical of using the red nail, but it seemed like watching it being prepared helped alleviate some of her concerns. Now she was staring at the food intently, looking as if she wanted to start eating any minute now. 

“That’s just… Wow…” 

She tore her gaze away to look back at me. 

“Well, we better eat up before it gets cold. Can you call Chiyome down?” 

With a nod, Ariane hurried off toward the rooms. 

I thanked the inn’s chef for letting me use the kitchen. In response, the older man asked me to let him have a taste of the dish I’d made. I was more than happy to oblige. If he wound up liking it, then maybe demand for red nail would increase in Fobnach, making it easier for me to get my hands on it. 

I made my way to the first floor, where we had a table reserved. Moments later, Ariane appeared with Ponta held tightly to her chest, followed shortly by Chiyome. Behind them was Goemon, who’d apparently come back some time earlier. 

“Kyii!” 

As soon as everyone sat down, Ponta mewed and began waving its tail about excitedly as it looked up at me. 

“No need to get yourself all worked up, Ponta. I made some for you, too.” 

I set a dish with arrabbiata specially prepared for Ponta down in front of it. 

I’d left the onion and red nail out of my furry companion’s food, but judging by the way it ravenously lapped at the dish, I probably could have left the onion in. 

After distributing plates to everyone else, I held my breath for the moment of truth. 

Ariane was the first one to try the dish. The moment she slid the sauce-covered pasta past her lips, her eyes went wide, and she brought her hand to her mouth. 

“It’s…amazing! I can’t believe that a buffoon like you could make this, Arc.” 

In spite of the personal attack, I was pleased. She began slurping up the pasta at a steady pace. I gathered that Ariane wasn’t so good at cooking herself, but that was hardly a bad thing. It was more important for her to focus on her swordsmanship. Then again, her mother Glenys was excellent both on the battlefield and in the kitchen. 

To be fair, there was a difference of quite a few years, not to mention experience, between mother and daughter, so it’d be an uphill climb for her to get there. 

I felt a tingle run up my spine. I turned around to look for the source, but there was nothing. Just my imagination. 

Both Chiyome and Goemon were also a bit taken aback at the intense sensation upon their first taste, but they, too, quickly began slurping it up. 

“This is really good, Arc! It has a nice, spicy burn to it!” 

Chiyome offered up her honest feedback, though Goemon apparently would have preferred something with a little more bite. 

“Yes, with a little more spice, I think it would have quite the impact.” 

Impact? Just what was he hoping for the chili pepper to do? 

After taking in their feedback, I finally tried my own dish. 

This was the first time I’d cooked anything since coming here. Back in my world, I used to cook pretty much every day, so it felt good to get back into it. 

The soft, delicate pasta was really good. The flour I’d used was for making bread, so the pasta was squishier than it normally should be, but it was still good, and the acidity of the tomato was a perfect match for the spiciness of the chili pepper. 

I was pleased to find that the degree of heat from the red nail was similar to the chili peppers I was used to. Maybe a little spicier, if anything. 

While I was preparing the dish, Ariane had looked at me like I was crazy when she saw me throw away the pepper’s seeds. After paying so much money for them, it must have seemed like a waste. When she asked, I explained that the majority of the chili pepper’s spice was concentrated in the seeds and stringy innards, so putting them into a dish was risky. 

To get my point across, I gave her some of the insides to taste. Her eyes immediately began tearing up, and she glared at me. 

However, now that she’d had a chance to eat the arrabbiata, Ariane said she’d like to see the red nail become more common in Canada as well. All in all, it seemed like my dish had earned a passing mark. 

The only thing I wanted to change was the cooking temperature. No matter how strong I was physically, it wasn’t easy to hold a frying pan in the same place for a long period of time. 

According to Ariane, the elves had a type of magical cooking device that would allow them to adjust the strength of a flame, like a stovetop. That would solve that problem. However, despite this item having been thought up quite a long time ago, it apparently still hadn’t gained widespread use, due to the fact that it used powdered mana, a fuel source far more expensive than simple wood. 

Even so, the idea of being able to adjust the heat of a flame was incredibly appealing to me. When I got back, I wanted to look into purchasing one of these cooking devices for the ruined shrine that would become my home. 

Besides, if I were only using it for myself, I could easily teleport back to the underground cavern and pick up rune stones whenever I wanted. It’d probably be easier than chopping wood. 

While I was busy calculating the costs of outfitting my future kitchen, Ariane interrupted my thoughts to discuss our next plan of action. 

In two days’ time, we’d be heading to Fernandes to find the tiger clan. 

I wondered if I’d meet anyone that happened to bring some red nail with them. 

*** 

Two days later, I found myself standing in a long line, looking at the backs of all the people in front of me. 

We were in the yard in front of the entrance to the teleportation shrine, at the center of the port town of Plymouth. 

It had been two days since we first came here, and now we were about to use the teleportation pad to transport us to Fernandes. 

We handed over the wooden tags—our travel vouchers—and made our way up the stairs to have our bags inspected before boarding the teleportation pad. 

I held my waterskin and helmet under my arm to prepare for the inspection, taking occasional sips of the magical spring water as we waited in line. 

Between me, an elf fully outfitted in armor, the dark elf Ariane, Chiyome and Goemon, and the little spirit animal Ponta, we must have made quite a travel party. The other people in line were constantly glancing over at us. 

Once our turn came up, we were asked a few simple questions then ushered inside the sanctuary. 

Given the sanctuary’s spires and complex design, I was surprised to find that the inner hall was relatively simple in construction, looking like a large box with domes sticking out of the ceiling. 

The walls were all decorated with intricate mosaics of wildlife. 

“This is pretty impressive.” 

The hall itself looked like a brilliant combination of technology and art. I felt like a tourist doing a bit of sightseeing. 

In the center of the room were four obelisks. Each had a square platform that looked like an altar, with a set of stairs leading up to it. 

Nicely dressed people stood on the altars with their bags, chatting away as they waited their turn to board the teleportation pads. 

Considering the incredibly high cost to use the pads, I figured they were a luxury reserved for the affluent. 

All eyes were on us as we made our way up the stairs toward the altar at the center of the sanctuary hall. A bell rang, and everyone went quiet. 

A staff member announced the next departure: “All passengers going to the border town of Fernandes, please make your way to the central teleportation pad. We will begin shortly.” 

People began murmuring among themselves as the bell gave one final ring, and a large rune on the floor of the altar lit up, filling the room with a harsh, bright light, causing me to squint. Just like with the teleportation pads in the elven villages, I felt like I was hovering in the air for a moment, then everything around me was consumed in light, and I found myself in a completely different location. 

This new sanctuary was similar in size to the one we’d just been in, though the decorations were much simpler. Apparently, we’d teleported just fine. 

Chiyome ran her gaze across the new room and muttered under her breath. “I know I’ve said it before, but traveling long distances in a matter of moments is nothing short of miraculous.” 

I had to agree. 

“The only limitation is that the more people and objects you teleport, the more powdered mana you consume. Back in the villages, the teleportation pads are restricted to five people at once. In that regard, at least, Arc’s teleportation magic is far more impressive.” Ariane turned her gaze to my waterskin, which I had just refilled that morning. The exercise served as proof that I could use Transport Gate to teleport between continents. 

The two continents were separated by a day’s journey, or at least, a day’s journey on an elven ship. I figured the distance was somewhere around several hundred kilometers. Being able to teleport across continents suggested that I possessed an immense amount of power. However, I could feel teleporting such a vast distance consume a lot more of my magic. Back in the game, it cost a fixed amount of magic to teleport between any two locations, but here, it seemed like the farther I teleported, the more of my magic it consumed. In that regard, my teleportation magic wasn’t much different from the sanctuaries’ teleportation pads. 

“Well, at least it’s going to be easier to move between the continents. No sense in worrying about the little things.” I laughed at Ariane’s comment, avoiding her gaze as I joined the crowd heading down the stairs. 

“Thanks for delivering that dried kraken meat to the village, Arc.” When I was discussing my plans to teleport back, Chiyome had asked me to deliver her half of the meat to the hideaway village in the mountains. 

I responded to her comment with a simple shake of my head. It was really no big deal. 

Fortunately for me, Transport Gate made traveling between continents incredibly easy. The added trip between the elven village and Chiyome’s home was no extra effort at all. 

I hefted my bag over my shoulder. “It was nice to lighten our load a bit.” 

With that, we made our way through the sanctuary door, where we underwent another simple inspection before being sent off through the exit in the outer wall. Once outside, we were greeted by a large open square similar to the one we found in Plymouth. 

However, the scene beyond the square was completely different from the city we’d left behind. 

Unlike the bustling merchant town of Plymouth, where shopkeepers hawked their wares to a constant stream of customers in practically every direction, the buildings here were of a much simpler construction. Off in the distance, I could see a large wall surrounding the whole town. Given that Fernandes was a border town, I assumed the wall had been constructed against something on the other side. 

I looked around. The streets were filled with all sorts of people, from everyday townsfolk, to ruffians getting up to trouble, to soldiers trying to keep the peace. 

“I guess we should ask around and see where we might find the tiger clan.” I pulled my helmet back onto my head, adjusted it, and glanced back at Ariane and Chiyome. They both nodded in agreement. 

Chiyome held our furry companion close to her chest, its legs dangling in the air. Ponta sniffed about curiously as it tried to get a sense for this new town. This was likely due to the fact that Plymouth had been filled with the scent of the sea, whereas now we were much further inland. 

I glanced around for someone to ask and approached a man running a stall in the town square. He looked annoyed even before I had a chance to open my mouth. 

“Excuse me, sir, I was wondering if you happened to know where we could find members of the tiger clan?” 

I pulled a gold coin out of my leather pouch. The man’s eyes lit up immediately. 

“Ahh, the tiger clan, yah? Haven’t really seen ’em around lately…” 

“Oh, that’s too bad.” 

This wasn’t useful information, so I closed my fist around the coin and began turning away. A deep wrinkle formed in the man’s forehead as he hurriedly continued on. 

“Ah, wait, that’s right! I remember hearing that the owner of the stable near the southern wall recently picked up one of the tiger clans’ mounts.” 

“Is that so?” 

We were looking for the tiger clan, not their horses. I readjusted my grip, letting some of the gold coin show through my fingers. 

The man looked over at Ariane, standing guard nearby, and nodded to himself as if something had just fallen into place. 

“I can’t see your face with all your armor, but are you by any chance an elf, kind sir? If so, I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn’t know about all this. You see, the tiger clan ride about on huge two-legged dragons known as driftpus. They receive their mounts the day they become adults and ride them for the rest of their lives. You can imagine how rare it is to lose one. It’s a fate worse than death.” 

I was starting to get a better picture of the whole situation. “I see… So they would definitely come looking for a lost mount then?” 

“That’s right. I hear the stable owner has been dealing with tiger clan mounts rather frequently these days, so he may know more about their situation. Really, believe me!” 

I nodded to the man and, with a flick of my finger, sent the coin flipping through the air into his hand. 

I turned to Ariane. She seemed none too pleased. 

“Don’t you think you overpaid just a bit for that information?” 

“We all value information differently. Besides, I’m willing to consider it a necessary expenditure.” 

She slumped her shoulders dramatically at this. 

According to the man, the tiger clan hadn’t been seen around these parts in some time. I still wasn’t sure what the cause of all this was, but talking to the stable owner about it seemed like the best plan of action. 

Worst case scenario, if I wasn’t able to get in touch with the tiger clan here in town, then I could try to meet them in their own domain, off in the Kuwana Prairie. 

“Well, I guess we’re off to look for the stable near the southern wall?” 

I shifted by bag and began heading toward our next objective. 

Chiyome called out to me. “Uh, Arc? South is that way…” 

“Kyii!” 

Ariane shot me a cold stare. 

I turned on my heel and began heading in the direction Chiyome had indicated. 

Hey, anyone can get lost in a new town. It happens. 

*** 

I was surprised to find that the wall didn’t stretch all the way around the town. In the distance, I could see a gap to the northwest. I remembered hearing that Fernandes was built next to a river, so I could only assume the gap was where the wall butted up against it. This landmark made it easy to keep myself oriented. 

After making our way through the dense crowds, and stopping at a few shops along the way, we found ourselves at the southern gate. Next to the gate lay several fields closed off by wooden fences. Inside these areas, I spotted several of the large bird-like creatures as well as the horse-sized mountain goats I’d first seen back in Plymouth. 

Hands on her hips, Ariane scanned the surrounding area. “Huh, so it looks like there are actually quite a few stables near the wall…” 

Ponta mewed excitedly from where it dangled in Chiyome’s arms. “Kyii!” 

Chiyome gestured toward a large animal enclosed in a small yard. “I think that’s the one we’re looking for, no?” 

I looked where she was pointing. Two large animals sat alone in the corner of a grazing field, segregated from all the other birds and mountain goats. 

They looked like gigantic reptiles. More specifically, they looked incredibly similar to the illustrations of triceratops I remembered seeing in the dinosaur encyclopedias I’d read endlessly as a kid. 

They were a little over four meters from snout to tail and were quite tall, even while lying on the ground. Their bodies were protected with a layer of reddish-brown scales, and they had two large, white horns rising out of the tops of their heads. Unlike their dinosaur counterparts, however, they each had a thick band of white hair that ran down the middle of their backs to the ends of their tails. 

But the biggest difference between these massive creatures and the triceratops I was familiar with was that they had six legs. 

In stark contrast with their rather intimidating appearance, these dinosaur-like lizards were just lazing about, calmly munching on grass. One let out a massive yawn before rolling over onto its back. 

“Are those the mounts?” 

I made my way toward the fenced-off yard. 

These looked nothing like any animal I’d seen in Fobnach so far, so it seemed a fair guess that these strange creatures were the mounts ridden by the tiger clan. 

An older man with long rabbit ears called out to us as we approached. 

“Well, hello there! Are you looking to buy a mount? Excuse my ignorance, but you don’t happen to be guards from the capital, do you?” 

Upon catching sight of my armor, the man bowed and took on a more polite tone of voice. 

“We’re from the Great Canada Forest, up on the northern continent. We’re just browsing around.” 

Ariane looked a bit surprised at my self-introduction, but said nothing. 

“You don’t say! It’s quite rare to see elves around these parts. If it’s a mount you’re looking for, I’d recommend the driorgle for their speed alone. How about it?” 

The rabbit-eared man gestured toward several of the large, two-legged birds and shot me a sly smile. 

Apparently, we’d found the owner of these stables. 

I put my hand up to stop his sales pitch and turned the topic back to our objective: finding the tiger clan. 

“I heard talk that there was a man out here selling tiger clan mounts, so I came looking for him. Do you know who I’m speaking of?” 

“I believe I do. May I inquire what business you have with him?” The merchant eyed me with suspicion. 

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s a personal matter. You see, I was hoping to get the tiger clan to sell me some of their red nails. According to a shopkeeper, there’s a man out here who found some of their mounts and might know more about what’s become of the tiger clan.” 

This was enough to satisfy the merchant’s concerns. He smiled broadly and nodded. 

“Is that all? Those red nails sure are useful for blinding beasts. I see, I see. Well, actually, I was the one who found those mounts, the driftpus, over there.” 

The man leaned back against the fence and turned his gaze toward the six-legged dinosaur creatures. He let out a sigh. Before I could say anything, he let out a dry laugh, deep wrinkles creasing his forehead. 

“The driftpus are a sign of adulthood to the tiger clan. They’re practically like a partner to them. I figured if I picked up the mounts and kept them safe, eventually their owners would come back. However, we haven’t seen any members of the tiger clan in quite some time.” 

He paused to glance over at a driftpus that had wandered closer to us to graze. The man let out another long sigh. 

“As I’m sure you can see, the driftpus love to graze, and they eat a lot of grass while they’re at it. This has been quite a strain on my space, time, and food costs. On the other hand, it’s not like I can just release them back into the wild after taking responsibility for them. If I did, it’d destroy the relationship I spent years building with the tiger clan.” 

The man’s gaze was filled with sadness. 

He was looking at me in search of a way out, of some sort of help or assistance. Unfortunately, I really didn’t know what I could do. 

But if what he said were true, that the tiger clan was no longer coming into town, then we’d have no choice but to head out to their lands instead. 

“How many days would it take to travel from here to the Kuwana Prairie?” 

The man’s eyes glinted. “After crossing the Dodgas River at the edge of town, it’s a ten-day journey through the Singareeka Plains. The Kuwana Prairie is on the other side of the Syla River that flows down from the Khinray mountain range. Such a journey would certainly be reckless on foot. Why don’t you go by bandehaps? They’ve got great stamina, and I can get a few ready in no time.” 

The shrewd, rabbit-eared merchant gestured toward a small herd of large mountain goats beyond the fence and smiled. 

We almost exclusively traveled by teleportation, so the idea of mounts struck me as entirely unnecessary. On the one hand, sitting atop a massive beast of burden with all my bags dangling off its sides would add a nice fantasy adventure feel to our whole endeavor. On the other, we really weren’t here for the thrill of the adventure. 

I glanced over at Ponta, in Chiyome’s arms. 

“Kyii?” 

I turned back to the beasts of burden on the other side of the fence. It seemed incredibly unlikely that Ponta would ever enjoy a sudden growth spurt, allowing me to ride on its back as we traveled around the countryside. 

The merchant continued his sales pitch. “I’m quite serious, sir. Trying to make your way through the plains on foot is foolish. They may be a beautiful sight to behold, but the plains are filled with countless meat-eating monsters, always on the lookout for prey. Beyond the benefit of the bandehaps’ speed, they’re especially useful at night. They come from the plains and are able to pick up the slightest hint of a monster lurking close. They serve as great lookouts.” 

He had a point. We’d probably be all right traversing the plains during daylight hours, but once night fell, I wouldn’t be able to use my teleportation abilities, since there wouldn’t be any light. Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon might do all right on night watch, but I wasn’t so sure of my ability to detect monsters lurking in the dark. 

The merchant seemed to sense my doubt and went in for the hard sell. “If the Kuwana Prairie is your ultimate destination, how about taking the driftpus with you instead? As I’m sure you can tell, most monsters’ claws and fangs are no match for their scales, and it might even prove useful for your negotiations with the tiger clan once you find them.” 

A shrewd smile graced the rabbit man’s lips. Not only was he pushing his problem off onto us, but he was looking to make some money while he was at it. 

To be fair, the man wasn’t wrong. Plus, this was pretty normal behavior for a merchant. For a moment, I was reminded of that young human merchant and his somewhat uncertain smile, but I shook his image out of my head. 

The man rubbed his hands together. “If you agree to take the driftpus, I’ll give you a discount on any other mounts.” 

I cocked my head in confusion. “If we have these two driftpus over here, I don’t think we’ll need any other mounts. Each one could carry two of us with no problem.” 

Ariane nodded in agreement. 

The man waved his arms and shook his head emphatically. “Well, I mean, you’re right, in the physical sense. But driftpus are very particular about who they let ride them. When someone other than a member of the tiger clan is working with them, we usually just pull them along by the reins.” 

He wiped some sweat from his brow and let out a sigh. 

“How do the tiger clan get the driftpus to accept them as their master?” I asked. 

Chiyome looked incredibly interested to hear the answer to my question and turned her gaze toward the older man. 

“Well, it’s actually quite simple. They face off against the driftpus in a show of strength.” 

I shot a look at the large reptilian creatures munching away on the grass. 

That explained a lot. It’d be pretty much impossible for a normal person to win in a contest of strength against these massive beasts. There were only a small number of people I could think of who might accomplish such a feat: Goemon here, with his unmatched fighting prowess, as well as some of the bear people back in the hideaway village. 

“In that case, I’d like to try my hand against one of the driftpus.” 

I dropped my bag to the ground and stretched my arms as I approached the fence. 

The merchant looked on in utter disbelief. “No, that’s crazy! They might look calm and docile now, but when they’re challenged, they’ll take a grown man out in a single blow! Even the powerhouses of the tiger clan sometimes lose.” 

The man turned his attention to Goemon, who was also eyeing one of the driftpus. 

“That one over there, he might stand a chance at getting one of them to obey him.” 

Several bystanders had gathered, drawn in by all the ruckus the merchant was making. They watched me intently, to see what would happen next. 

Goemon put his hand on the fence railing and hopped over it with ease. You generally wouldn’t expect that type of grace from such a large, muscle-bound man. Instead of his usual blank expression, he wore a defiant grin as he made his way toward the one of the grazing driftpus. 

Sensing that someone had entered their domain, the creature narrowed its yellow eyes and fixed this intruder with a glare. 

“Hey, some idiot’s going to challenge the driftpus!” one of the rubberneckers called out, drawing even more onlookers. 

“That big brute? Is he a member of the tiger clan?” 

“Nah, no way. I’ve never seen any of the tiger clan who are that color. He’s one of the cat people, I think.” 

The onlookers gossiped among themselves over the exciting event about to unfold. 

Goemon didn’t seem to hear the voices as he walked straight toward the driftpus, a stern look in his eye. 

The driftpus returned his gaze. It stretched out its six legs, raising its massive body covered in reddish-brown scales to its full height, which was about the same as Goemon’s. From where I stood, it looked almost like a small dump truck. 

The driftpus charged, its white mane fluttering in the wind as it turned its two horns straight toward Goemon. 

Goemon smiled and stuck out the palm of his hand, beckoning the driftpus to come closer. 

“C’mere. I’ll show you what true strength is.” 

It was rare to hear Goemon speak, though the challenge was oddly fitting. 

“Grweeeeeeee!” 

The driftpus let out an ear-splitting wail, almost as if it had understood Goemon’s challenge, as it continued its mad dash toward him. 

The crowd that had gathered let out gasps and cheers as they watched. Goemon, however, remained cool as ice. 

He launched into a dash of his own, heading just to the right of the driftpus. His opponent picked up on his movement and adjusted its course. 

Goemon’s body began glowing faintly. I could barely follow his movements as he reached up to grab the driftpus’s horns and dropped himself to the ground. 

It looked almost comical as the massive driftpus flipped up and flew through the air before crashing to the ground and rolling straight into the fence, which creaked audibly on impact. 

Everything went quiet for a moment. Then, suddenly, the crowd began cheering. 

“I can’t believe it! He tossed it through the air like it was nothing!” 

“See? I told ya he must be from the tiger clan!” 

The driftpus’s eyes rolled in its head. It made no effort to try and get up. The fallen beast didn’t appear to be harmed, so Goemon would likely be able to ride it without any problems. However, despite its massive size, carrying four people was still out of the question. 

The rabbit-eared merchant ran over to make sure the driftpus was okay before turning back to yell at us. 

“What do you think you’re doing? The test of strength is a shoving match, not…hurling the driftpus through the air!” 

Goemon shrugged. Chiyome started explaining, but just then, the other driftpus let out a loud snort and stood up. 

It let out a menacing roar, shaking its head from side to side. 

“Grweeeee!” 

Apparently, it wasn’t too pleased to see its partner tossed around. 

Goemon turned to me and nodded his chin toward the raging driftpus. 

I set my bag on the ground, handed Ponta to Ariane, and bounded over the fence. 

Goemon and I bumped fists as we walked past each other. It was my turn to go. 

I could hear the roar of the crowd as I approached the driftpus. 

I cast my eyes around the enclosure. The land here wasn’t quite flat, but rather marked by several small hills. 

I was pretty sure that Goemon had used a ninja skill to throw his opponent around like that. Despite his large size, he was able to pull off some pretty intricate techniques. 

Realizing that I was lost in thought, the driftpus took the opportunity to bring itself low to the ground and start a full-frontal charge toward me, its yellow eyes glinting in the sun. 

“Grweeeeeeeeeee!” 

In a total rookie move, I hesitated over whether I should dodge left or right as the huge mass of muscle and bone came rushing in at high speed. That moment of hesitation cost me dearly as I found myself face to face with the oncoming horns. 

A massive thud echoed across the plain, followed by the cheers of the crowd. I had managed to grab both horns and shove the beast’s snout under my arm, stopping the driftpus in its tracks. 

I ignored the crowd and smiled down at the driftpus as it tried to slowly push its way through me. 

“Nnng… You’re a strong one.” 

In the game, the Paladin class gave me far greater physical strength than any normal character. However, here in this world, there were people who could actually face off against beasts like the driftpus. This made me fully aware just how dangerous it was to rely on my strength alone. 

That said, losing just wasn’t an option. 

I could feel my feet driving deep grooves into the ground as the driftpus slowly pushed me backward. Grabbing hold of its white mane, I dropped to the ground, pulling its head down with me. 

“Grwaaaaaaeeeeeeeeer!!!” 

The driftpus shook its head violently from side to side in an effort to break my grip. I squeezed tight with both arms, but I could still feel myself being pushed back ever so slightly. 

“Nnnng…” 

I threw all my weight to one side. This knocked the driftpus off-balance, three of its legs waving about in the air. The crowd let out a collective gasp. 

Not wanting to lose my hard-won gains, I twisted the driftpus’s head by the horns, sending the scaled beast slamming into the ground with an explosion of dust. 

“Whoa, no way! Did he really just take down a driftpus head-on like that?!” 

“I can’t believe it! Those guys must be demons!” 

As the crowd cheered, Ariane sighed and slumped her shoulders on the other side of the fence. 

All of a sudden, the crowd went quiet. The driftpus had gotten back up. 

“Grwaaaaeee.” 

It looked rather displeased, though it calmly dropped to its knees and lowered its head in front of me. 

Apparently, it was willing to accept me as its rider. 

I reached out to stroke the long strip of fur that covered its back. It was surprisingly soft compared to the surrounding scales. The driftpus narrowed its reptilian eyes and let out a low purr. 

I moved around to its side and hopped up onto its back. 

“Grweeeeeeeeeee!” 

With a loud screech, the driftpus stood back up. 

From this height, I could see far into the distance. 

I looked toward the fence and saw that the old man had finished checking on the fallen driftpus and was now looking at me, mouth agape. 

I pushed my heels into the driftpus’s side, and it began lumbering toward the merchant. 

The fallen driftpus had regained consciousness and, after shaking its head from side to side, kneeled before Goemon. 

I smiled down at the merchant. “We’ll be taking these two with us. Do you happen to have any saddles?” 

He forced a smile in return and offered up a terse nod. 

It looked like we’d secured mounts to take us out to the Kuwana Prairie—the home of the tiger clan. 

*** 

We left early the next morning, before the sun had even risen. 

Despite the hour, there were already people moving about the dimly lit town, beginning their days. Whether they were humans, elves, or mountain people, it seemed everyone here was an early riser. 

We’d managed to arrange for the rabbit-eared man to put saddles on the driftpus. Intricate markings had been stitched into the leather with colored thread, giving me some insight into the unique culture of the tiger clan. 

After attaching the saddles and purchasing various other equipment and goods we’d need for our journey into the plains, we spent the night at an inn. 

The merchant had been pretty excited about the prospect of selling us some other mounts to go with the driftpus, but unfortunately for him, the two beasts would be more than enough to carry the four of us, which meant he’d basically lost all of the money he’d spent on feed for the driftpus. 

However, when I told him that we would explain everything he’d done when we returned the driftpus to the tiger clan, he thanked us profusely, with tears in his eyes. 

This was assuming, of course, that I didn’t forget. 

We were now standing atop a bridge at the northwest corner of Fernandes. The Dodgas River running beneath us was quite wide, maybe two or three hundred meters across. Several small boats were docked at piers on the town’s side of the river. I could see their crews moving about busily. 

The river was clearly used as a waterway for transit. 

I turned my gaze away from the town and off toward the bridge ahead of us. At the center was a large drawbridge, which was currently raised in the air, held tight by large, thick chains. This was to allow taller ships passage up and down the river. 

Up ahead, a group of people waited for the drawbridge to be lowered. Most of them looked to be mercenaries, outfitted with light armor and weapons, though there was another group that appeared to be farmers, judging by the implements they carried. I could instantly feel all eyes on us. 

Chiyome and Goemon, being cat people, could easily blend into the crowds here on the southern continent, but Ariane and I—one of us a dark elf and the other outfitted in gleaming armor and a billowing, pitch-black cloak—drew a lot of attention. The driftpus weighed down with our bags and other gear certainly didn’t help things. 

As we sat on our mounts, I tried my best not to do anything that would invite further attention. Of course, given that driftpus was usually only ridden by members of the tiger clan, and I was most certainly not one of them, it made sense that people would be so interested in the sight of me riding one. 

Ponta, usually an ever-present fixture atop my head, had left its usual resting place to play around in the white fur at the base of the driftpus’s neck. It would occasionally rub its face excitedly in the fluffy mane, eliciting a large yawn from the reptilian mount. At least the driftpus didn’t seem to mind. 

However, Ponta’s soft, cotton-like fur blended in perfectly with the mane, making it nearly invisible from a distance. 

Speaking of which… 

“You really like being high up, don’t you?” 

“Kyii?” 

Ponta shot me a curious look, currently standing at around the same height as me. 

Ariane, who’d been watching the exchange, teased us. “Haha! Maybe Ponta only likes you because you remind it of being back up in the trees.” 

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Chiyome’s shoulders shaking slightly in silent laughter. 

Suddenly, the loud sound of metal on metal filled the air as the bridge began lowering. The two ends of the bridge connected with a heavy thud, and the ground shook beneath us. The crowd instantly began moving. 

I nudged my heels into the driftpus’s side, prompting it forward. Ponta immediately ran back up to assume its throne atop my helmet. 

“Ponta, I just don’t get you…” 

“Kyii!” 

I figured this behavior must be common to Ponta’s species and let out a sigh. Ariane, who’d been watching the whole situation unfold, laughed. I offered her my hand, which she took and easily hopped up onto the driftpus’ back behind me. Chiyome climbed aboard Goemon’s driftpus. 

Now that everyone was seated, I pulled on the reins and gave the driftpus the signal to start moving. 

Despite its hulking frame, the driftpus was actually quite nimble on its six feet and quickly outpaced the crowd. 

“Hey, don’t you think you’re going a bit fast, Arc?” Ariane clutched my back anxiously. 

I’d stored my shield and other belongings in the saddle bags hanging from either side of the driftpus, so when Ariane pulled herself close, I could easily feel the shape of her pressing against me. Of course, this was all through my armor, so I couldn’t feel her as much as I might have liked. How disappointing. 

Ariane somehow managed to pick up on the perverse thoughts running through my mind. “Get your head out of the gutter, Arc.” 

“Whatever could you be talking about?” 

I was starting to think that Ariane had some kind of sixth sense for this sort of thing, but decided to keep my eyes facing straight ahead while avoiding her accusatory gaze. 

Past the town’s wall, Fernandes was surrounded by a vast swath of rich farmlands. However, here on the other side of the river, there were only small, mostly unkempt fields. 

Considering the stories we’d heard about all the monsters and other beasts that ran wild throughout the Singareeka Plains that lay ahead, I supposed it only made sense that they hadn’t had much success developing the land. 

I also remembered hearing that the humans ruled the lands beyond the plains, so the people of Fernandes probably put a great deal of emphasis on protecting the river. 

As we moved along the road, I watched as groups of farmers slowly split off toward their respective fields. 

After a short time, we found ourselves standing before a vast, endless plain that seemed to go on forever. There were scatterings of underbrush and stands of trees here and there. I wondered if this was where the monsters were lurking. 

It all kind of reminded me of a savannah. 

I mumbled to myself as I cast my gaze across the plain. “Hmm. I can’t really spot anything resembling the Black Forest the merchant mentioned.” 

As the merchant had been preparing the driftpus for us and explaining the route we should take through the plain, he’d mentioned several areas to avoid. The Black Forest was one of them. 

Apparently, it was a vast forest that ran along the southern border of the plains, cutting it in two. It was also known by other names, including the Magic Forest and the Death Forest. But by whatever name, it obviously wasn’t a place we wanted to be. 

Chiyome looked at me, her cat ears perked up at attention. 

“Well, the plains are pretty big, so as long as we don’t veer off to the south, maybe we won’t even run into it.” 

“You’re probably right. The biggest problem we’re going to face is trying to keep our bearings.” 

I glanced back at Fernandes. We were still pretty close to the town, so it was easy to use as a landmark. However, once we found ourselves in the vast, open plains with no roads to travel by, I worried we’d easily lose track of the correct direction. 

Somehow, I felt like I’d run into this same problem before. 

While I was dealing with this sudden sense of déjà vu, I felt Ariane’s fist jab into my side. 

“Leave the directions up to Chiyome and me. You just keep pointing straight and steering.” 

I shrunk a bit in the saddle and readjusted my grip on the reins. 

Much like with a horse, all I had to do was guide the driftpus, and it would easily adjust its speed whenever I prompted it to. 

Goemon didn’t seem to be having any problems, either. 

I could feel my body lean back slightly and the ride get a little rougher as the driftpus picked up speed. The scenery began flying past us. 

Sadly, I didn’t have a speedometer, but I figured we must be going around normal driving speed. 

While I was busy being impressed with the physical prowess of the animals here in this world, Ariane yelled into my ear. She sounded far more alarmed than I’d ever heard her. 

“Ahh! S-slow down Arc, you’re going way too fast! Eeeeeek!” 

She was practically screaming in my ear as she huddled tightly against my back. 

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that she was hanging on to me for dear life, her eyes closed tightly. There were tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 

I pulled back a bit on the reins to slow the driftpus down. 

“It’s not like you to yell out, Ariane. Are you uncomfortable riding on animals?” 

“I’m just… I’m just not used to it is all! You remember where I live, don’t you?” 

Ariane shot me a glare, her breathing rough and her amethyst cheeks taking on a light shade of red. 

When I thought back to her village and its surroundings, it all made sense. In the Great Canada Forest, where she and the other elves lived, traveling by horse was probably unheard of. 

Even in the villages themselves, I didn’t recall seeing any mounts. 

It was probably fair to say that Ariane wasn’t used to the whole riding experience. 

“Could… Could you just hold back on the speed a bit until I’m more used to it?” 

Hearing Ariane plead like that brought out my teasing side. “Hmm, I dunno. It’s kinda funny hearing you cry like a little kid…” 

The red-faced elven woman delivered several hard blows to my back before I could finish getting the words out of my mouth. Fine, fine. 

I slowed the driftpus down a bit and began using Dimensional Step wherever I could to gain some more ground. Unfortunately, the technique wasn’t really all that useful while we were riding animals. 

Whenever we teleported, it took a few seconds for the driftpus to get their bearings. They’d stop and look around a bit before starting off again at a slow trot. 

If we were going to go through this stop-and-start routine every time we teleported, it seemed like a better idea to just let the driftpus keep speeding along. Besides, out here in such a wide-open plain, I’d be lucky to travel six, maybe seven kilometers at most with Dimensional Step, and that was only if I focused on the very edge of the horizon. 

All of this, of course, was based on the assumption that this world was of similar size to the Earth. 

The plains spread out around us, blank, endless, and generally featureless, in every direction. We continued our journey west as the sun slowly began falling, adding a deep scarlet hue to the sky and bathing the distant horizon in darkness. 

I held my hand up to try and shield my eyes from the setting sun. 

“I guess we should probably look for some place to set up camp.” 

“How about that tree over there?” 

Chiyome was pointing toward a tall, solitary tree in the middle of the plains. I steered the driftpus toward it, and we all settled down for a quick dinner. 

While I’d felt a degree of anxiety trying to camp among the trees in the darkened forest, being out here in the vast, open plains left me with a general sense of unease. 

There were no breaks, no boundaries, no obstructions. This was quite different from the places I’d been thus far, and it left me feeling more than a bit lonely. 

Ariane’s eyes also darted around uneasily, which made sense, considering how much of her life she’d spent surrounded by trees. Chiyome and Goemon, on the other hand, moved with practiced ease as they got the camp ready. They must have done this countless times. 

Ponta darted about the camp, looking at everything with great curiosity. Seeing its excitement brought an easy smile to Chiyome’s face. She must have been around fourteen or fifteen, but seeing her act so tough out here in the middle of the plains made me more than a little sad—a sadness, no doubt, brought about by the privileged life I’d led. 

If I were still human and left on my own to survive the night out here in these empty plains, I knew I’d never make it. It was thanks to being a skeleton, and the inhibited emotions this afforded me, that I’d been able to make it as far as I had. 

That being said, I still had no intention of staying this way forever. 

And that was how I spent my first night on the plains: my mind fruitlessly wandering while I watched Ponta get in Chiyome’s way as she diligently prepared our camp. 

*** 

The next morning started off as many did nowadays: with Ariane and I training. 

Unable to get ahold of anything like our usual wooden swords, we spent the morning armed with feeble branches and practiced our footwork instead. I had nowhere near the experience of Ariane and the others when it came to fighting, so I figured that learning how to move my body in combat would be of the greatest importance. I trained and trained until it was nearly reflexive. 

With power and speed already on my side, all I needed was practice. I was slowly getting used to it under Ariane’s tutelage, but was still nowhere near Glenys’s level. 

After finishing our morning practice, we ate a quick breakfast before continuing our journey west. Right around sunset on the second day, I could make out a mountain range running up from the south. Some of the peaks were capped in snow, indicating they must be pretty high up. 

The mountain range didn’t entirely bisect the plains however. Turning my gaze to the north, I could see where they ended. 

“So, I guess this is the Khinray mountain range the merchant told us about. The Syla River should run from the base of the mountains off to the north, and on the other side of that will be the Kuwana Prairie.” 

“And that’s where we’ll meet the tiger clan.” Goemon finished my sentence for me as he gazed ahead at the mountain range. Behind him, Chiyome nodded. 

My mind ran wild as I thought about the tiger clan waiting for us on the other side of the mountains. I cast my gaze to the south, where I spotted the forest. 

There was something about it that seemed…odd. I shielded my eyes with my hand and squinted. 

“What…is that?” 

A gigantic tree poked up out of the forest, standing tall and proud. 

We were too far away to tell how tall it was, but it was obviously completely out of scale with the trees around it. At a glance, I thought it might be as tall as Tokyo Tower. It looked a lot like the Lord Crown, actually, though it didn’t have anywhere near the huge canopy that capped the Lord Crown, which gave it a rather lanky appearance. 

But that wasn’t what was so odd about it. 

This mammoth, Tokyo Tower-sized tree was slowly moving south. 

Every time the tree moved, little black specks flew out from the surrounding forest—probably birds, or some type of monster. 

Ariane’s stunned voice came out as a whisper. “Is that…a tridentinum?” 

“What’s a tridentinum?” I repeated the word. 

Chiyome was the first to respond, her eyes also fixed on the massive tree moving in the distance. “A tridentinum is a creature.” 

Ariane continued, “The humans consider them to be a type of monster, but in reality, there are several kinds of tridentinum. Some are inhabited by spirits, others consumed by death. Still others live by the power of rune stones. They’re known collectively as tridentinum. However, I’ve never seen one that big before.” 

She let out a surprised gasp as we watched the tridentinum slowly but surely make its journey south through the woods. 

“I wonder if those woods are connected to the Black Forest we heard about.” 

“Who knows? Best to avoid them either way. Tridentinum can be pretty ferocious.” 

I squinted and focused my gaze on the lumbering juggernaut. 

Ferocious or not, even being next to a thing that size could prove dangerous. One misstep and you’re done for. 

“You’re right. Better we stay out of the forests unless we absolutely have to go in.” 

Steering clear of any place that had such outrageous animals living within it seemed like a great idea to me. 

Chiyome turned her gaze away, ears still twitching. “Why don’t we look for a place on the bank of the Syla River, where it comes out of the northern side of the mountain range? We can set up camp there.” 

I glanced back at Ariane, who nodded in agreement. 

Well, it looked like we’d have to save the Kuwana Prairie for tomorrow. 

*** 

Early the next morning, we crossed over the Syla River and into the Kuwana Prairie. 

Under normal circumstances, crossing the wide river would be impossible, and you’d need to head upstream toward the Khinray mountain range. However, Dimensional Step took us to the opposite shore in the blink of an eye. 

Or two blinks, really. We had to go back for the second driftpus. 

The Kuwana Prairie, home of the tiger clan, looked a lot like the Singareeka plains we’d just left. After crossing the river, I could spot four gently sloping mountains ahead of us, seemingly placed at even intervals from south to north. Other than these, there was little else in the way of noteworthy landmarks. 

So far, the trip was going along splendidly. We continued west, the sloping mountains an ever-present sight to our right. I was glad we hadn’t run into any of the predatory creatures we’d heard so much about, though riding along day and night through vast, unending plains wasn’t quite the adventure I’d had in mind. 

Ariane was now used to the driftpus’s speed and spent the time quietly watching the scenery pass by, only piping up occasionally to complain about her butt being sore and wanting to take a break. Other than that, we didn’t talk much. 

It was Ponta, enjoying the breeze from atop my head, who notified us that our peaceful journey was about to end. 

“Kyii!” The cottontail fox let out a mew of alarm as if it had just spotted something. 

Ariane instantly responded. “Someone’s coming.” 

Off to the right, two shadows were moving across the plains toward us. Judging by the plumes of dust behind them, they were approaching at a high rate of speed. 

There was no way we could outrun them, even if we tried. 

I pulled back on the reins to slow the driftpus down while keeping an eye on the shadowy figures. Ariane was the first to identify them. 

“They’re riding the same mounts as we are. Do you think maybe they could be part of the tiger clan?” 

I brought the driftpus to a full stop. 

Lacking Ariane’s superb eyesight, I still couldn’t quite make out the figures, but I was excited about the opportunity to finally meet the tiger clan. I’d been searching for them everywhere. 

My excitement was quickly doused when I realized that the incoming figures were bearing down on us to attack. However, once they drew close, they slowed down a bit and took a more investigative posture. There was no doubt about it—they were members of the tiger clan, just as Ariane had said. Each of them rode their own driftpus and carried a spear. The weapons had decorations dangling from the ends of them. 

It was hard to get a feel for how tall they were while seated atop their mounts, but they seemed to be even taller than Goemon. I figured they had to be around 250 centimeters. They were about as buff, if not more so, than Goemon too. However, their bodies were covered with black and orange fur, giving the impression of large tigers. Much like Goemon, the two men were bare from the waist up and showing off their impeccable muscles. They wore similar gauntlets as him as well. 

Almost all of the cat people I’d seen were quite slender. These two tiger clan members, however, were both hulking masses of muscle. While most of the cat people had rounded ears poking out of their short, shoulder-length hair, these men had more of a beast-like appearance. 

They brought their respective driftpus to a stop about five meters in front of us. 

One of the men spoke in a loud, booming voice as he thrust his spear in my direction. “Where did you fiends get those mounts? Those saddles belong to the Ena, one of the six great clans of the prairie. Spare us your excuses! We’ll strike you down where you stand!” 

I glanced at Ariane, and Goemon glanced back at Chiyome. 

Apparently, the saddles we’d picked up marked which clan owned them. These men probably suspected us of stealing the driftpus. 

I raised my hands in a gesture of peace and tried to explain. “We come from the land of the elves in the Great Canada Forest, up on the northern continent. We’ve journeyed here into the prairie to meet with the tiger clan. A merchant in the town of Fernandes gave us these driftpus, and we’ve ridden them here to return them to you.” 

I decided to start there and see how they would respond. 

The two men looked slightly perplexed and leaned in to whisper among themselves. 

“We are soldiers of the ancient Whilee clan! What business do you have with us, fiends?” The man punctuated his words with another thrust of his spear in my direction. All eyes were on me. 

I figured I had nothing to hide. “I found this peculiar spice known as a red nail back at a stall in Fernandes. I came out here in the hopes of acquiring some from you. Would you be willing to discuss this with me?” 

The men looked back at me in disbelief. 

Trying to explain in such simple terms amid the tense standoff that my only reason for being here was a desire to buy chili peppers probably came off as little more than a poorly thought-up excuse. 

While the two were puzzling over how best to interpret my explanation, Goemon and Chiyome suddenly jerked their heads in another direction. They seemed to have picked up on something. 

“Hm?” 

“What’s that?” 

The members of the tiger clan also noticed something was amiss and turned to face the same direction. Off in the distance, I spotted a thin plume of dust rising up into the sky, and it was getting closer. This figure seemed to be traveling alone, however. Another member of the tiger clan perhaps? 

A look of concern washed over one of the men’s faces. He lifted his spear high into the air, as if to convey some sort of message. 

The newcomer pulled up nearby and breathlessly delivered a message. “Two giants have appeared near the camp! Round up everyone you can and head back at once!” 

“It can’t be!” 

“Dammit!” 

No sooner had the words left the man’s mouth than he immediately turned his mount around, tugged on the reins, and dashed off in another direction. 

The remaining two men quickly glanced over at us before also turning their mounts to face in yet a different direction. 

“You’re a fighter, aren’t you? If you want to meet the chieftain, then come with us!” 

The men didn’t even wait for a response before snapping the reins and taking off at high speed. I stared at their backs as they grew smaller. 

Ariane’s head popped out from behind me. 

“What should we do, Arc? It seems like they want us to help them out of a pretty tough situation.” 

I glanced over toward Goemon and Chiyome. They both nodded. The final call was up to me. 

“Well, we’ve come this far. We might as well see it through.” 

Goemon snapped his reins and sent his driftpus running off after the other two men. I followed close behind. 

The messenger had reported that giants had appeared near the camp, but I still wasn’t quite sure what that meant exactly. From a human’s perspective, the tiger clan could easily be classified as giants in their own right. So a giant by their standards, especially one that elicited such a worried reaction, said a lot about the danger these creatures presented. 

For a moment, I thought back to the mysterious creature, the tridentinum, that we’d seen off in the distance. But then I shook my head and focused on the task at hand. Against something that size, I wasn’t sure we’d stand a chance. While I’d do my best to slay such a beast, it was more likely that I wouldn’t walk away from that battle. 

Ariane interrupted my meandering thoughts. “Seems like we’ve gotten ourselves wrapped up in someone else’s problems again.” 

“Well, think about it. If we help them out, it should be easier to negotiate later. So maybe we should consider ourselves lucky.” 

But my cheery laugh was only met with sighs of exasperation. 

Ponta wagged its tail calmly from its perch atop my head. Judging by my furry companion’s composure, I could tell that we weren’t in any real danger yet. 

I lost track of time as we continued after the pair of driftpus leading the way ahead. There were no watches or any other method of actually measuring time, but I figured it’d been about half an hour or so. Despite the frantic dash, I was impressed to see that the driftpus weren’t even tired. 

Finally, I spotted a small camp ahead in the distance. 

It was still pretty far off, and I had a hard time making out any detail with all the jostling from the driftpus’s movements, but I could make out a small cluster of buildings that looked similar to the yurts used by Central Asian nomads. 

A short distance away, among the hills just outside the camp, I could make out the figures of two giants. They struck an imposing sight, standing nearly three times as tall as the tiger clan members bearing down on them. 

“So, those are giants?” Ariane peeked around me to get a look at what waited us up ahead. Even over the driftpus’ thundering footfalls, I could hear the sound of her gulping. 

“Kyii kyiiii!” On the other end of the spectrum, Ponta began mewing loudly, hopping down from my helmet and wrapping itself around my neck. 

The giants were nothing like what I’d imagined. 

That is to say, they had no heads. 

They weren’t quite human, but they certainly were human-like. Or, more accurately, they looked a lot like headless gorillas. Though, I’d yet to see a gorilla in this world. 

Standing at an impressive six meters tall, these behemoths had dark skin, stubby legs, and carried crudely fashioned stone axes. Every time they swung these axes into the ground, huge plumes of dirt erupted into the sky. 

While they might have lacked proper heads, their faces—consisting of two eyes, a gaping mouth filled with yellow teeth, and no nose—emerged from their upper chests. They looked like villains you’d see in a kids’ superhero show. 

The name suddenly came to me. “Are these…dark giants?” 

I watched as a dramatic fight between the tiger clan and the dark giants unfolded in front of me, each side gaining and losing ground. There was no way that all the members of the tiger clan would come out of this battle unscathed. Not with the strength the dark giants could bring to bear. 

I saw one of them clutch a man’s body in its fist, gnawing on his upper torso. My Revival spell would be of no use here, not with how much of the body was now missing. I spotted other injured combatants all around them too. 

Sensing just how dire the position of their comrades was, the two soldiers ahead pushed their driftpus even harder, charging straight toward the dark giants. Once the men drew close, one of the giants turned toward the newcomers and let out a loud, intimidating roar. 

The driftpus were coming in way too fast for the giant to react in time, and they managed to score a direct hit on the side of its leg, twin horns striking its flesh. When I looked back, I was surprised to see that one of the driftpus’ horns had snapped off. They’d looked pretty solid to me, which could only mean one thing: The dark giant had really tough skin. 

Of course, the driftpus’ charge wasn’t all for naught—it was successful in knocking the giant back slightly. Though, judging by its movement, it didn’t seem to be in much pain at all. 

“Whoa… This one won’t be easy!” 

Chiyome was standing on the back of the saddle, holding on to Goemon’s shoulders as he continued steering the driftpus, watching the battle unfold. 

“I’m not able to use any of my more powerful magic with all these people around. But we definitely need to do something about these big lugs.” 

I yanked back on the driftpus’s reins, hopped down from the saddle, and retrieved my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg and Holy Shield of Teutates from the saddle bags. 

With my sword drawn and shield at the ready, I made a mad dash toward the dark giant. 

Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon each got their own weapons ready and followed closely behind me. 

“First off, a little bit of protection! Holy Shield!” 

As soon as I summoned this Paladin skill, a dim glow enveloped my shield, spreading out to cover my entire body. 

I hadn’t had the opportunity to use this defensive skill yet, so I wasn’t too sure how effective it would be. However, I figured a little insurance couldn’t hurt. 

I zigged and zagged through the bodies of the tiger clan, my body glowing as I moved toward the front line. Once I got there, I found myself facing off against one of the dark giants alone. 

“Time to try my skills out! Holy Ray Sword!” 

I launched into another skill, swinging my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg straight up toward the sky. A bright light formed around the blade then shot off toward the giant, tearing the ground up in its wake. 

The moment the wave of light crossed the dark giant’s foot, there was a thunderous roar followed by a bright spray of blood. 

“Auuughraoooou!!!” 

The scream that came out of the face embedded in the dark giant’s chest sounded almost human…but not quite. The hills reverberated with its cries. 

Judging by the amount of blood, I initially assumed this to be a grave wound, but once I got a better look, I could see that it was only a mere cut. 

At the very least, this creature wouldn’t make it through unscathed. 

The dark giant fell back, in an attempt to protect its injured foot. However, I continued pressing the attack. 

Suddenly, all eyes of the tiger clan were on me. Evidently, they were surprised to see a man fully decked out in gleaming armor join the fray, and I could hardly blame them. 

“I won’t let there be any more casualties!” 

I yelled loud enough to make sure those around me could hear before lunging in once more at the dark giant’s foot, this time coming in to strike directly. There was a loud thunk as the blade sank halfway into the giant’s flesh, followed by another spray of blood. Still, I was surprised that I wasn’t able to cut all the way through, even with my immense strength. 

“Oouaaaraugh!!!” 

The face in the giant’s chest contorted in pain as it screamed, lifting its foot in an attempt to guard itself from another blow. 

Goemon came running up from behind me. “Muscle to stone, concussive fist!” 

He punched down with his fist, now the color of dulled steel, straight into the dark giant’s other foot. There was a loud, concussive burst followed by a creaking sound. A second later, the dark giant began to topple. 

Next up was Chiyome. She dove off of Goemon’s shoulders and launched herself toward the falling giant. 

Two strings of water danced around her hands like writhing snakes. 

“Body to water, aqua spear!” 

The strings straightened into dual spears made of water. They launched straight toward their mark like giant arrows. 

One of the spears stabbed into the dark giant’s gaping mouth, while the other embedded itself deep in its eye. 

The giant let out an unearthly howl as it slammed into the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Ariane joined us, her snow-white hair fluttering as she ran past me, sword in hand and flame encircling her blade. 

“Holy flame, heed my call! Devour thine enemy and burn it to ash!” 

A long chain of flame arced out of her sword in response. 

Ariane ran straight up the dark giant’s chest and buried her flaming sword deep in its unscathed eye. 

The dark giant flailed about like a broken toy, its arms and legs twitching uncontrollably as smoke rose from its gaping mouth. The scent of charred meat filled the air. 

It seemed like it was finally dead. 

Unfortunately, there was another dark giant, which was now bringing its stone axe down toward Ariane as she pulled her sword out of her fallen foe. 

A metallic clang so loud I thought my head would burst reverberated around us. I’d managed to catch the axe with my shield held above my head, though my legs felt like they’d buckle at any second. 

I looked down at a wide-eyed Ariane. “Are you okay?” 

She nodded, almost imperceptibly. 

I let out a breath in relief and glared at the dark giant. 

Even with my increased defense, I could still feel my arms tingling from the sheer power of the blow. Still, it was impressive that I was able to hold my own against it in the first place. 

As soon as I felt the dark giant pull its axe away from the shield, I drew back. 

Behind me, Chiyome threw several water shuriken at the giant’s face in an attempt to keep it at bay. Fortunately, this seemed to annoy the behemoth, and it fell back a few steps. 

One of the tiger clan warriors stepped away from his dumbfounded comrades and let out a roar as he lunged in, armed with a metal club. 

“You dirty bastards! You won’t drive us out of our prairie. These are the lands of our clan, the lands of the great hunters!” 

The man brought his club on the giant’s foot with a powerful swing, causing it to cry out. 

As if on cue, the rest of the tiger clan warriors descended upon the giant. There must have been around thirty of them. They swarmed the dark giant’s feet, knocking it onto its back. Then they turned their attention to its face, bashing it in until the creature stopped moving. 

The valley was now home to two dark giant corpses. 

The victorious members of the tiger clan let out a massive cheer. The man who’d implored his comrades to take up their arms approached us. 

“Thank you for your assistance. I take it you’re from the east? And…elves, it seems?” 

I turned toward the man. I figured he was a representative of the tiger clan, so I quickly grabbed the waterskin from where it hung at my waist and gestured for Ariane to introduce herself first. 

Ariane caught on right away. “My name is Ariane Glenys Maple, a citizen of the Great Canada Forest on the northern continent. My comrades here are members of the Jinshin clan, also from the northern continent.” 

Ariane handled the introductions while I took a swig of the spring water. 

I couldn’t help but worry about how quickly things would get awkward if the water’s effect wore off while we were in the midst of discussions. 

I took my helmet off, took my place at Ariane’s side, and made eye contact with her. 

“And this here is my fellow elf…” 

“Arc Lalatoya. I’m a new member to my village, but I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” 

“Kyii!” 

Ponta peeked up from around my neck and let out a loud cry. 

“And this is my travel companion, Ponta.” 

“Kyii!” 

The man nodded and lowered the gigantic club down from his shoulder, resting it on the ground with a heavy thud. He puffed out his chest and introduced himself. 

“My name is Aene Wilhe, chieftain of the Whilee people, one of the six clans that roam these great plains. While I wish I could spend more time properly welcoming those who have come to our aid in our most dire hour, unfortunately, I must get my injured brethren back to our camp. I understand you have some business with us, but I ask for you to be patient while I tend to these matters.” 

I nodded as I slid my helmet back over my head. “Chieftain Aene, my abilities may be of service. I can heal the wounded, if you like.” 

A look of surprise washed over the man’s face. “Please, by all means. I’ll return to the village and have some of my people come here to assist you.” 

The chieftain smiled broadly before hurrying back toward their camp. Once he was out of earshot, Ariane looked up at me with a skeptical eyebrow raised. 

“For a moment there, you had me thinking you were actually a nice guy. But you’re just trying to get in their good graces, aren’t you?” 

I let out a short laugh. “I got my chance to meet the tiger clan, didn’t I? Having them be in my debt could definitely help in the red nail negotiations.” 

She shook her head. “I don’t get it. You don’t really care about money, but you’re absolutely fixated on food.” 

“What’s so bad about that? Besides, don’t you think it’s more in the elven spirit to favor the hunt for good food over the acquisition of wealth?” 

Ariane screwed her face up. “One of these days, I’m going to need to ask some specific questions about how you view the elves…” 

I’d already turned away from Ariane and had begun enthusiastically making my way toward the field of battle to provide aid to the wounded. I heard her mumble something from behind me; she sounded embarrassed. 

“And…thanks, Arc. For helping me back there.” 

Her timid behavior somehow brought a smile to my lips. Back there… I assumed she was talking about using my shield to protect her from the dark giant. 

“Oh, hmm?” 

I rubbed at my chin and turned back, trying to lock eyes with her. However, Ariane kept jerking her head to the side and refused to meet my gaze. I ended up slowly walking circles around her. 

I could suddenly feel eyes on both of us. Though neither said anything, Chiyome and Goemon’s gazes carried with them an almost physical pressure. Giving in, I hurried away toward the battle field. 

“Ah, right. I’ll get on that healing.” 

*** 

After dealing with the fallout from the dark giant attack, we were invited to a corner of the Whilee camp, where the chieftain’s hut was located. 

The camp itself wasn’t all that big, serving as the home to fewer than a hundred or so people. 

Now that I was up close, I was able to confirm my original impression of the homes here looking like yurts. The buildings consisted of windowless, circular frames with a thick, white cloth pulled tight over them. Inside, they were illuminated by the same crystal lamps I’d seen back in the elven villages. 

The interior walls were decorated with the bones, fangs, and other body parts of various animals, while the floors were covered with several intricately weaved rugs. 

The entrances and ceilings were made for members of the tiger clan, all of whom were more or less Goemon’s size, and felt rather large compared to the quarters I was used to in human towns. Even the room itself was quite spacious, giving me the impression of a hotel lobby. 

With all of us here, however, the chieftain’s home felt more than a tad cramped. 

Aene sat in a chair facing the four of us, while several of his tiger clan warriors sat around the perimeter of the room, leaning in closely. 

Everyone in the room was absolutely rippling with muscles, either just as large as Goemon, or even larger. It was quite an impressive display of physical prowess. 

Chieftain Aene interrupted my thoughts and broke the silence. 

“I can’t thank you enough for your help, Arc. I see that Ariane here keeps herself surrounded by good subordinates.” 

Ariane tried clearing up the chieftain’s misunderstanding. Apparently, he was under the impression that Ariane was our leader, and that I was one of her subordinates. It did make a degree of sense, considering she’d been the first to introduce herself. 

“Ah, I see. So, you’re travelers, you say? My apologies, Arc. All the same, I’d still like to express my gratitude.” 

After his brief apology, he offered up his thanks once again. 

The soldiers around the room shuffled about a bit, uncomfortable looks appearing on their faces. 

A hulking woman stepped from behind the chieftain’s chair and shot a harsh look at the men sitting around the room. 

“Are all of you going to just sulk around like babies because you needed someone to clean up after your little hunting expedition? If you think it’s okay to mutter about someone else getting praise, then you’ve got another thing coming! I’ll smack you right upside your stupid heads if you do that again.” 

Apparently, some of the warriors had reservations about the healing I’d done earlier. 

The muscle-bound woman took up a position beside the chieftain and crossed her huge arms across her chest as she shot a death glare at the warriors lining the walls. She was massive, nearly as tall as Goemon. Compared to the other warriors in the room, she actually looked rather slim, but this was nothing more than a trick of the eye. Next to Ariane or Chiyome, she’d be absolutely huge. 

Her skin, or what I could see of it through her tiger-striped fur, was the color of bronze, and she had a voluptuous chest that was nicely propped up by her crossed arms. Overall, she had a rather refined look about her. 

All the other warriors in the room instantly went quiet and looked down at the ground. 

The chieftain shrugged sheepishly and glanced over at the woman next to him. 

“Apologies about that. This is my wife, Yugah.” 

Yugah offered up a charming grin. “Yugah Aene’s the name. I’m sorry about that. You’re our guests and all, but these guys here…they don’t even warrant the title of warriors. Those giants have been whittling away at our clans. Even though we were able to get our people to safety, we’d sustained many casualties. I’d like to thank you on behalf of these worthless idiots here.” 

After healing the wounded on the battlefield, Chieftain Aene had brought us back to one of the houses in the camp, where I’d found even more injured people. 

At his request, I’d used my healing magic on all of the people in the room. One thing that caught my eye, however, was that the majority of the wounded were women and children. 

Apparently, they were the survivors of the initial attack. 

I brushed off what I’d done. “It wasn’t all selfless. We came here with our own reasons to speak to you and your people. If you’d like to return the favor, I’d be honored if you’d at least entertain my request.” 

Aene slammed his fist onto his knee and shot me a rather intense look. “That’s right, you mentioned that before. You’ve come this far to meet us, so I’d like to help you as best I can.” 

The warriors lining the room murmured at this, but another sharp look from Yugah quickly silenced them. 

It’s not like I was looking for some sort of doctor’s fee, so I figured I might as well get straight to the point. Upon hearing my request, Chieftain Aene, his wife, and all the other warriors in the room looked at me wide-eyed, and with more than a little suspicion. Ariane let out a slight sigh off to my left. 

To my right, Ponta played with Chiyome’s finger. Goemon was sitting on the ground, his eyes closed tight. 

“So…you mean to tell me that you came all the way out here in search of the red nail? And even brought driftpus across the great plains to accomplish this?” 

Aene burst out laughing. Then his shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground, his expression apologetic. 

“I’m sorry, Arc. Unfortunately, my clan does not have any red nail to offer you. You see, it’s grown by another, larger clan farther to the east. It’s not all that popular among us, so those who wish to obtain it go and barter for themselves.” 

Aene let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his head. 

“In that case, could one of your people take me to the clan that harvests the red nail?” 

A predatory look flashed across the chieftain’s eyes. “The giants you helped us defeat come from a place known as the Black Forest, down south of here. They very rarely venture this far, but lately they’ve been showing up more and more often here in the prairie. We’d heard warnings from the clan off to the west about this, but we never imagined that the giants would actually come to us. I’d like to take a band of my warriors to go visit the Ena, one of the largest clans.” 

Though he didn’t say it directly, I could tell what the chieftain was getting at—the driftpus we’d ridden in on were from the Ena clan. 

“Can we go with you? We can handle a giant or two if they come our way. I promise we won’t slow you down.” 

The chieftain smiled and gave a firm nod. “Really? That’d be great! There are still giants roaming around out there, and we’re a rather small clan, so I’ll need to leave warriors behind to fend off any attacks.” 

So, we’d just be their backup, if needed. Basically…mercenaries. 

This idea actually brought back fond memories. 

I glanced around at Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon to gauge their agreement. Chiyome and Goemon nodded silently, while Ariane affirmed my decision with a gaze. 

Well, that settled it. 

We’d spend the night with the Whilee clan in a tent they prepared for us then head off to the Ena clan’s camp the next day. We would be accompanied by Chieftain Aene and ten of his strongest warriors. 

Even given the sheer fighting prowess of the tiger clan, they would undoubtedly suffer casualties if they had to fend off a dark giant attack alone. Making matters worse, they could only afford to send so many people to the Ena camp. 

However, now that we’d actually taken on a dark giant, I was pretty sure I had a feel for how they fought and felt assured that the next time we met it’d be much less of a one-sided battle. 

The only issue was whether we’d be able to safely make it to the Ena clan’s camp. I glanced over toward Ariane who was polishing the Sword of the King of Lions while deep in thought. 

Chiyome sat at the dinner table, expressionless, while she ate a spice-laden cookie that had been prepared for our dinner. She looked like a chipmunk with it stuffed into her cheeks. Goemon had stepped out earlier, saying that he wanted to observe how the tiger clan warriors trained. 

Having already finished its own dinner in record time, Ponta was sleeping on my lap, rocking back and forth like a ship adrift at sea. 

It all felt like just another peaceful day. Everything seemed right with the world. 

*** 

We left early the next norming while the sun was still barely cresting the horizon and made our way northwest toward the Ena camp. 

Thanks to the incredible speed of the driftpus, the whole journey took less than two days, just as Chieftain Aene had said. The outlines of the camp came into view at the edge of the horizon around noon on the second day. Off in the distance, I could make out the distinctive shapes of the yurts. 

According to Aene, over 400 members of the Ena clan lived in the camp. This was a bit of a surprise to me at first, considering it was the largest clan on the prairie. However, upon reflection, it made sense. After all, with dark giants and other monsters roaming the land, it wasn’t easy to grow and spread your population. Only the strongest survived. 

The tiger clan were nomadic. They survived by hunting, though I also spotted some domesticated animals near the homes. These goats—or something like that, but they lacked the distinctive horns of a mountain goat—were covered in long, white fur. Aene called them uumoh. Their long fur was used for weaving, and it was especially valuable in bartering. But with all the recent giant sightings, they’d been unable to bring much back to Fobnach in the east. 

After filling us in on the Ena clan, Chieftain Aene led us into the camp. 

No one took much notice of our sudden appearance. I got the sense that most of the people around here were already aware that Aene was the chieftain of the Whilee clan. 

This wasn’t true for all of us, of course. Ariane, a dark elf, and I, in my full suit of armor, stood out like sore thumbs, drawing all sorts of stares. 

However, there was something else about the general vibe of the camp that caught my attention. Everyone seemed to be on edge. I wondered if it was just my imagination as I examined the faces of those who’d gathered outside to watch. 

As we approached the center of the camp, Aene recognized someone and hopped off his driftpus, approaching the man with a large smile on his face. 

“Houwe! How’ve you been? To think that the Ena chieftain himself would come out to meet us. How did you know?” Chieftain Aene greeted the large, tiger-like man standing in the clearing at the center of camp. 

“I heard reports of your impending arrival. I see that you’ve brought quite an…eclectic group with you.” As he spoke, Houwe looked over at me with great wonder in his eyes, as if he were sizing me up. 

This man was by far one of the largest and strongest-looking members of the tiger clan I’d seen yet. He was just shy of three meters, standing about a head taller than Aene. His entire body was covered in bulging muscles, almost like a form of fleshy armor, and his skin was marked by countless scars. Houwe had clearly seen many battles in his day. 

Goemon started glowing slightly as he summoned up his spirit magic, as if unconsciously challenging the hulking mass that stood before us. Aene, however, seemed to take no notice of the tense atmosphere and asked Houwe about the recent goings-on at their camp. Then he turned the conversation back to us. 

“Two giants appeared near our camp a couple days ago.” 

Chieftain Houwe raised an eyebrow at this and nodded gravely. “So, they’re starting to move farther east. Did you take any casualties?” 

He cast a glance at the warriors behind Aene, apparently aware of what kind of fighting abilities they could bring to bear. 

Aene told Houwe of the battle between his clan and the two giants, and how we showed up just in time to lend a hand. 

Chieftain Houwe let out a loud, exasperated sigh, much like the warriors back in the Whilee camp had. 

“I’m glad you were able to make use of this healer, but to accept the help of someone outside the clan on the field of battle…” 

The disappointment was clear on Houwe’s face. However, Aene simply laughed it off and smiled. 

“My men said the same thing, but Yugah put them all back in line.” 

Houwe seemed taken aback by this and averted his gaze. “I-I see. Well…uh… Please don’t mention what I just said to her.” 

Seeing the powerful man in front of us go wide-eyed at the mere mention of Aene’s wife brought to mind an image of the burly woman. She had quite an influence on people. 

Sensing my gaze, Houwe cleared his throat and took on a serious look once more. 

“Actually, the timing of your arrival couldn’t be better. The other chieftains will all be gathering here so we can discuss the giant situation. Some of our camps have been laid to ruin at their hands, so we’re putting together a plan to wipe them out.” 

Aene let out a heavy sigh. “I see… Given how far they’ve roamed, I thought that this might be a possibility, but—” 

Before he could finish, Houwe interrupted him. He’d been staring at me for some time. “By the way, where did your new friends get these driftpus they’re riding?” 

Houwe’s face was tense. I told him the same story I’d told Aene the day before. 

“Ahh, I see. Two members of our clan went out on patrol and never returned. I suppose these are their mounts.” Houwe let out a groan and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he looked back at me. “Arc, was it? These driftpus are invaluable to our warriors. Would you be willing to return them to us?” 

I returned his gaze and raised a single finger in the air. “I have no problem returning these two mounts. However, I would like to make one request of you, as chieftain of the Ena clan.” 

Houwe’s whole body perked up at this, as if a bolt of lightning had just run through him. “Hmm, how interesting. You plan to make a request of me, chieftain of the Ena, one of the six great clans of the prairie? What, pray tell, is it?” 

A broad grin spread across his face as Chieftain Houwe shot me a steely glare. Right as I was about to discuss my terms, however, a loud ruckus broke out near the entrance to the camp. Everyone turned to see the source of the noise. 

An injured driftpus was crashing through the camp. 

Houwe’s eyes went wide. His voice boomed as he shouted out orders. “I want all women and children to get out of the way! Men, subdue that driftpus!” 

As soon as the orders were given, several people—likely warriors—took off in a run after the driftpus as it frantically wound its way through the camp. Before they reached it, however, the driftpus slumped down, apparently exhausted, tossing its young rider to the ground. 

Houwe made his way over, shoving onlookers out of the way as he tried getting closer. 

Being outsiders, Ariane, Chiyome, Goemon, and I decided to stay back and watch as the events unfolded. Meanwhile, Ponta summoned up a gust of magical wind, sweeping it high into the sky, where it could get a better look at what was going on before drifting back down. 

“Kyi, kyiii kyiii!” 

Ponta offered up a report on what it had seen as soon as it landed atop my helmet, though, unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a word of it. 

Chieftain Houwe’s voice boomed out from the crowd. “Someone get Bauh the healer here at once!” 

Several people responded, stumbling over each other as they rushed off deeper into the camp. Presently, a hulking figure pushed their way roughly through the crowd toward the young person held tightly in Houwe’s arms. 

The rider’s breathing was labored, and their left arm appeared to be cut quite deeply, judging by all the blood. 

Aene nodded in my direction. I nodded back and immediately summoned one of my spells. 

“Please excuse my interference. Heal!” 

A warm, bright light formed around the injured person’s left arm, then into the wound. It was almost like watching a film in reverse as the bone mended itself together and the flesh closed over it. Then the light disappeared, and the wound was gone. 

The crowd let out loud cries of surprise as the scene unfolded. No one was more surprised than Chieftain Houwe, though. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he looked back and forth between me and the young member of his clan. Slowly, the boy’s eyes fluttered open. 

“You’re awake! What happened? Do you remember anything?” 

The young boy was startled by the chieftain’s voice and looked around, confused. He stood up slowly. 

“Huh?!” 

Apparently, even this this was too much exertion, and he teetered about for a second before collapsing to the ground again. 

“Though his injuries are healed, this spell cannot return the blood he’s lost. He will need to rest for now.” 

The chieftain nodded and waved over two men standing nearby. He instructed them to bring the boy back to his house. However, right before they took him away, the boy’s eyes fluttered open again, and he spoke to Houwe in an unsteady voice. 

The boy’s voice became weaker and harder to hear with each word he rasped out. The chieftain perked up his ears and leaned in close. 

“Near…the camp… Giants. Thirty…maybe more… They’re… I saw them at…” 

Now well and fully spent, the young boy slumped back, his arms dangling limply at his sides. Houwe sent the two men off. His rage was readily apparent. His eyes flashed, and a vein in his forehead throbbed, making the man look almost like a demon. 

“Call all the chieftains! I want any warriors not dedicated to camp defense to prepare themselves for the hunt!” 

His voice boomed. The silence of the camp was shattered as the clan let out war cries and began preparing for battle. The children were quickly pushed indoors while the warriors’ spouses helped them don their armor. The warriors cleaned their weapons to prepare for the hunt. 

Amid all this chaos, Houwe approached us. “I’m sorry, but…” 

I put up a hand to stop him. 

I wasn’t exactly sure what the chieftain was going to say, but I figured it had something to do with the aftermath of the upcoming battle with the giants. 

After all, the clans didn’t seem too keen on asking outsiders for help. 

Not only would my request be put aside until the giants were slain, but there was also the risk that the tiger clan could be wiped out by the incoming horde. 

If that happened, I’d never get my hands on the red nail. 

According to the boy, there were around thirty giants approaching. 

Seeing as how the tiger clan, a group known for their fighting prowess, had struggled to defeat even two giants, it seemed all too likely that there would be massive casualties if they faced off against thirty. Was I supposed to stay here in the camp, despite all I could add to the fight? I had to say something. 

As someone famous once said, “You’ll never get what you don’t ask for.” 

“Can we join in the hunt?” 

If I ever wanted to get my hands on the red nail, I’d need to make sure that this battle ended in victory. 

Chieftain Houwe looked me straight in the eye. After a moment of holding my gaze, a slow smile formed on his lips and he slapped my chest. 

“Whatever it is you seek, I promise that I, chieftain of the Ena clan, will do what I can to repay you!” 

With that, Houwe turned on his heel and went off to prepare himself for the upcoming fight. 

Ariane, who’d been watching the negotiations, let out a heavy sigh. Before I could say anything, she put a finger up to stop me. 

“I’m going with you. I’ll do even better than last time.” Her lips curled into a smile as she gazed off to the west. 

Apparently, she still couldn’t shake off what had happened in the last battle. 

I’d originally intended to join the tiger clan alone, but when I turned to look at Goemon, it was clear from the smile on his face that he also wanted to be in the fight. He looked ready to unleash death on his enemies. 

Then I turned to Chiyome, who was standing silently at his side. She responded in her usual, simple manner. 

“Same here.” 

It looked like the whole party was ready, blood pumping excitedly through their veins. 

Being a skeleton, I didn’t have a drop of blood in my body. But on the battlefield, I’d still look out for those who did, and make sure that none of it was spilled. 

*** 

Less than an hour later, the tiger clan warriors had assembled for battle and were marching out of the Ena camp. 

Aene and the other chieftains had offered their own warriors to join the emergency giant-hunting party, bringing the final count to around 150 warriors, all mounted on their own driftpus. The warriors formed a long trail heading toward the camp the boy had come from, the one recently destroyed by giants. The heavy footfalls of the driftpus caused the ground to rumble underneath us. 

I followed the train of warriors ahead of me, but I had little clue which direction we were actually moving in at this point. 

Off in the distance, I spotted several mountains rising from the horizon, but everywhere else I looked there was nothing but endless grass and rolling hills. 

An hour or so after we left camp, Ariane started shifting around, muttering about how her back was sore. Something about the upcoming battle was making her anxious. 

“You’re going to fall off if you keep moving around like that, Ariane.” 

I glanced over my shoulder only to find Ariane’s snow-white eyebrows raised, her voice imploring. 

“Aaaarc, can’t we take a break? I can’t feel my butt anymore.” 

The jostling of the driftpus made Ariane’s large chest bounce as we moved. She looked like she was almost at her limit. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice where my eyes were focused. 

Sadly, stopping wasn’t an option. If we rested here in the middle of the prairie, we’d quickly be left behind and wouldn’t know how to catch up to the group. 

Besides, no one else seemed keen on taking a break. 

The warriors around us seethed with anger and a desire to slaughter the giants that had attacked their comrades. They also seemed quite used to riding long distances and didn’t show any of the discomfort or pre-battle jitters that Ariane was having. 

I glanced over at Goemon to see how he was holding up. As expected, he was his usual, stoic self. 

Chiyome was standing on the saddle behind him, steadying herself on the heaving mount by holding Goemon’s shoulders. They looked a little like a circus act, though part of me wondered if this was Chiyome’s way of combatting the same troubles that afflicted Ariane’s rear. 

The warriors of the tiger clan riding near us also seemed to take great interest in Chiyome. 

Meanwhile, Ponta excitedly waved its cotton-like tail to and fro from above my head as it looked out at all the troops. It tapped the top of my helmet excitedly and mewed to get my attention. 

“Kyiii! Kyi!” 

I turned my gaze to the head of the column and spotted a camp sitting atop a small hill in front of us. A moment later, I noticed the outline of a giant lumbering along, gnawing away at the upper torso of a member of the tiger clan. 

It let out an awful, unearthly shriek. 

The warriors shouted out epithets as soon as they caught sight of their murdered comrade, their thirst for blood rising by the second. 

“You bastards!” 

The moment my eyes focused on it, the giant let out another cry that caused the ground beneath us to tremble. 

“Ugraaaaaouuu! Graooooaaaaawll!!!” 

Despite its human appearance, the dark giant’s scream sounded less like words and more like a beast’s call. It raised its massive stone hammer and began running straight toward us. 

Other dark giants wandering around the camp responded to the cry, raising their own weapons and rushing forward. 

In total, I counted five giants coming toward us and five or so hanging back at the camp, searching for something. This was nowhere near the thirty giants the injured boy had spoken of. 

The chieftains near the front also seemed to notice this discrepancy and began scanning our surroundings, looking for other giants. 

However, as I looked out at the vast plains, I couldn’t spot any hills or other features large enough for twenty giants to hide behind. 

Chieftain Houwe, the leader of this impromptu hunting party, directed the charge straight toward the oncoming giant by waving his weapon around in the air and pointing it straight ahead at our target. All of the warriors behind him let out a war cry and raised their own weapons in response. 

“Hooaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” 

One by one, the tiger clan warriors broke from formation to make passes at the dark giant’s legs, slashing as they flew by. 

I heard a dull thud as each weapon found its mark. The dark giants returned the favor, swinging their weapons with powerful arms, the earth erupting with each missed blow. 

It wasn’t long before the tiger clan began taking casualties. But all wasn’t lost. One of the tiger clan warriors scored a critical blow on one of the dark giants’ feet, causing it to lose its balance and fall to the ground. 

The warriors wasted no time swarming the fallen giant, thrusting with their weapons. It seemed to me like they had the numbers to take on these five giants alone, so I decided to go after the remaining five back at the camp and use my magic to wipe them out. 

I tugged my driftpus to a stop so I could begin casting my spell. Ariane let out a sigh of relief as she slipped out of the saddle. She scowled as she rubbed her tenderized backside. Apparently, it had taken more of a beating than I’d thought. 

I turned my gaze toward Goemon and Chiyome, who’d realized what I was doing and were coming to join us. 

I decided to use the same summon magic I’d used in the battle against the hydra. I had quite a few area-of-effect spells, but I worried that if I were to cast one on the camp, I’d risk wiping out any survivors hiding in the surrounding area. 

But as I learned back in Leibnizche, there were no assurances once I unleashed a demon. This time, I figured the safer method was to use a demon that performed a more benign function: drawing the giants away from the camp. Or at least, that was my hope. 

“I’m going to wipe out the giants at the camp. Ariane, I want you to wait here for me.” 

“Wait, what?” 

I took off toward a small clearing and called forth my summoning spell. 

A large, magical rune appeared on the ground in front of me and began glowing. I focused my mind on the demon I wanted to join me on the battlefield. 

Back in the game, I only used a small selection of demons, neglecting many of the others I’d collected, so it took me a moment to recall its name. 

“Hmm, I swear it was on the tip of my tongue…” 

I was certain I had a lower-class demon with all sorts of skills for weakening and debuffing my enemies. The rune continued glowing patiently as I frantically searched my memory. Unfortunately, the only names that came to mind were those of high-level demons. I wracked my brain to no avail. 

Ariane called out to me. “You aren’t actually thinking of calling forth another monster to fight these giants, are you?” 

She sounded worried that the tiger camp would be a repeat of the Hilk church destruction back in Leibnizche. I might be a tad absent-minded, but I wouldn’t forget something that serious. But at this point, it would probably be easier to fight the rest of the giants one by one than stand around trying to come up with the right spell. In the midst of my doubts, I caught sight of a shadow flying past Ariane, coming straight toward me. 

Ariane sensed the movement as well and spun around to face the oncoming figure, but she wasn’t fast enough. I shoved her out of the way just before she could be struck by its glowing blade. 

The incoming attacker didn’t slow as it closed in on me, driving its blade straight through the gap between my chest armor and helmet, right into the cavity of my skull. I lost focus, and the summoning rune faded away. 

Fortunately, Ponta had been absorbed in the unfolding battle and had been sitting atop my head, well out of harm’s way. If my little companion had been wrapped around my neck, as it usually was in combat, well…I don’t want to think about what might have happened. 

Instead, startled by the sudden attack, Ponta summoned up a large gust of wind, flying high into the sky. 

The wind ruffled the hood of the assassin’s heavy black cloak. 

“Ooomph!” 

“Hah?!” 

Sensing my opening, since my opponent’s sword was still stuck in my helmet, I summoned all my strength and swung my fist. But I only caught air as my opponent jumped deftly back. 

“Arc!” Ariane called out to me, her face clouded with worry. I waved my hand to let her know I was okay. 

Ariane looked incredulous at my dismissive gesture, but then a look of understanding washed over her face as she recalled that my armor was essentially empty. Her amethyst cheeks flushed in embarrassment at having screamed out my name like that. 

To be fair, the blow would have been fatal if I were in my elven form. I wondered if my opponent realized that their sword had struck a hollow cavity. 

My cloaked opponent came running back in, a sword extending from each hand and red eyes glowing brightly from deep within their hood. 

“Whaugh!” 

“Arc!” 

Ariane tried standing up, but grimaced in pain. I must have pushed her a little too hard. After all that time in the saddle, she’d probably pulled a muscle in her lower back. 

Maybe this was for the better though. Our opponent was clearly powerful, and facing off against them could put Ariane in danger. 

Worse, I wasn’t even armed. My sword and shield were still on the driftpus, since I hadn’t expected I’d need them while summoning a magic spell. Even with the rest of the tiger clan fighting nearby, I had to admit that this was a novice mistake. 

A loud metallic clang echoed around me as I felt a sword strike my armored gauntlet. They were fast, and easily managed to evade my feeble attempts to strike back. However, they still seemed to be unaware of the fact that there was nothing but a skeleton inside my suit of armor. Once again, they thrust a sword into a gap in my armor and hit nothing but air. 

I saw another opening and threw my whole body behind a punch aimed straight at their face. The air whooshed around my fist as I came within a hair’s breadth of hitting my mark. But even though I missed, the wind caused my opponent to lose their balance temporarily. 

I launched another punch, in the hopes of finishing them off, though once again my fist met nothing but air. They leaped high into the air, over my head, and landed behind me. I wasn’t expecting to end up fighting the chef of the infamous straw hat pirates out here. 

Both swords came straight for my neck, crossed at the hilts like a giant pair of scissors. Even though my armor was mostly empty, I wasn’t eager to find out what would happen if the bones in my neck were severed. All I could do was let the fates decide which was stronger: my opponent’s offensive abilities, or my bones. 

Or so I thought. My opponent leaped high into the air and landed behind me again, trying to beat a hasty retreat. Suddenly, I heard a heavy clang. 

“Arc, are you okay?” 

Chiyome ran up to me. She’d just saved me from certain doom. 

“Thanks, Chiyome.” 

I felt a cold sweat run down my back—even though I knew this was technically impossible—as I let out a sigh of relief. I rubbed my neck to make sure it was still connected to my body. 

The would-be assassin lowered their swords and stood by silently, their dark cloak billowing in the wind. A large gash ran down it, likely caused by Chiyome’s attack. 

The assassin yanked away their hood, revealing a man with pointy, animal-like ears sprouting out of a head covered in black hair. His skin was a light shade of blue, and he had glowing red eyes. 

With his tail hidden underneath his cloak, I couldn’t quite tell his species, but judging by his ears alone, he appeared to be feline, like Chiyome and Goemon. 

As soon as he revealed his face, Chiyome broke from her usual calm demeanor and let out a cry. 

“S-Sasuke?!” 

Judging by her trembling voice and the look of shock on her face, I was able to put two and two together. Sasuke was the name of one of the Jinshin clan’s six great fighters, and the man that Chiyome looked up to like an older brother. 

Assuming this was the same Sasuke, that raised a lot of questions. What he was doing down here on this continent, and specifically all the way out in the prairie? And why was he trying to kill us? 

Chiyome’s face suggested that this man was the real Sasuke. And in case there was any doubt, Goemon’s surprised expression confirmed it. 

“What are you doing here, Sasuke? And why do you look like that?” Chiyome’s voice was unsteady. 

Sasuke’s red eyes narrowed as he readied his dual blades. It was as if he hadn’t even heard what Chiyome said. 

“Fwauaaaaaauuugh! Ngraaaaaaww!” 

Out of nowhere, the five dark giants lumbering around the camp broke into a mad dash, charging straight toward us. The tiger clan warriors finishing up the first batch of giants spread out at the sight of the newcomers, but it quickly became apparent that the giants were only interested in us. 

Sasuke glanced at the oncoming giants then back at me. He jumped high into the air, did a somersault, and ran off. Chiyome took off after him. 

“S-Sasuke, wait up! Just what’s going on here?” 

But the older man was far too fast for Chiyome, and he quickly outpaced her. 

Goemon came up behind Chiyome and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug, putting an end to her pursuit. 

“Get your hands off meeee, Goemon! Let! Me! Gooo!” 

The young girl squirmed about to no avail. As Sasuke grew smaller and smaller in the distance, Goemon spoke to her in a low, steady voice. 

“Look closely, little one. He’s not the man he used to be.” 

I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, not being a member of the Jinshin clan myself. 

Chiyome, however, seemed to understand. She went silent, casting her gaze down at her feet. Though her expression didn’t give much away, I could tell that whatever happened, it was a big deal. 

Ariane broke the silence. “Arc, over there!” 

Off in the distance, I could see the dark giants, who only moments ago had been rushing toward us, fleeing in the direction Sasuke had gone, wailing as they ran. It was almost like he’d been…a decoy. 

But it didn’t make sense. With all the tiger clan warriors around, why would they suddenly change direction and chase after Sasuke? Had they been looking for him all along? 

“Just what’s going on here?” 

But I could hardly hear my own question, as my voice was drowned out by the cries of the tiger clan outside the camp. 

Judging from all the cheering, the last giant had finally fallen.