“How do you know Count Furst?”
At Avana’s words, the woman’s lips twitched.
“He’s a straightforward man. Told me he’d pay double if I switched sides. I said it was impossible since I was already trading with Frenche, and he said he’d figure it out himself. That was two days ago.”
She spread her arms wide, gesturing to the entire battlefield.
It seemed Count Furst had taken this woman’s tribe from Frenche.
Master must have understood as well, as she nodded.
“I also maintain an friendly relationship with Count Furst.”
“That’s why I knew your name.”
“Then I suppose I should be allowed to know yours as well.”
“My name? Ah, Legless Monkey.”
“Legless Monkey?”
If Master hadn’t asked, I would have.
Legless Monkey, as a name?
“My mother must have had a dream like that. Anyway… hmm, would it be alright if we collected some things? Even military uniforms are valuable to us.”
Avana tilted her head.
“Stealing from the dead? You lot have changed.”
“The times have changed.”
“Well, that’s how you humans are.”
Now that I looked, some of the natives were wearing Yuran-style clothing.
Even the chieftain herself wore tight-fitting pants.
Military uniforms weren’t exactly luxury clothing, but they were far more finely made than the crude garments of people who lived half-wild. To them, they must have been precious.
I couldn’t help but ask.
“Madam Legless Monkey, may I ask something?”
Legless Monkey smiled.
“Madam? I’m an unmarried chieftain. If I ever became someone’s wife, my own people would eat me alive. So don’t say such terrifying things.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but since she told me not to call her that, I had no choice.
“Then, Miss Legless Monkey—”
“Pfft!”
“Khuk.”
Master, Legless Monkey, and several of her tribesmen burst into laughter.
I felt a bit bad about it.
“Sorry. Then I’ll just call you Chieftain Legless Monkey.”
“Sure, sure. Anything’s better than ‘Miss Legless Monkey.’”
“So, what kind of goods do you trade with Count Furst?”
Legless Monkey folded her arms, her laughter fading.
“Why? What makes our little disciple so curious all of a sudden?”
“I just thought it would be good to know. I owe Count Furst a debt.”
“Oh? A debt?”
“He bought me when I was a slave and set me free. He’s also the reason I met my master.”
Legless Monkey fell silent for a moment.
Then, she spoke in a low voice.
“White fox fur. The coat you’re wearing probably came from our tribe, kid. No Yuran can get their hands on it without us.”
“Oh, so you have a monopoly on white fox fur. That’s interesting. I doubt other tribes wouldn’t deal in it, though.”
“……”
The smile slowly faded from her face.
I glanced around.
There were at least a hundred people holding torches.
The actual number was likely higher.
“Can I ask just one more thing?”
“Alright. Just one more.”
“You came all the way out here to scavenge from the dead, right? To collect things after the war?”
“Yeah.”
“For that, doesn’t it seem like you brought way too many people?”
“……”
I looked up at Master and spoke.
“I heard the natives don’t know about wheels, and it seems to be true. Since you don’t have carts, you had to bring more people to carry everything?”
Master looked down at me with a soft smile.
“Come now. They’re wearing Yuran clothes. You think they wouldn’t know about carts?”
Avana’s face was full of ease.
That meant it was fine, right?
Feeling more confident, I looked at Legless Monkey and said,
“That’s strange, isn’t it? Why did so many of you come?”
Silence.
The sudden quiet was as cold as the night air.
Of course, they couldn’t exactly say, ‘We were planning to slaughter you all if necessary.’
“Grrrr.”
“Grrrr.”
Only the two wolves behind Legless Monkey growled.
Their bodies flickered faintly with light, like small bolts of lightning crackling over their fur.
They could lunge at any moment, with just a twitch of her finger.
Then, the chieftain’s lips, which I thought would never part, finally opened.
“I noticed earlier that the rain had magic in it.”
Master nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, I did that.”
Legless Monkey lifted the corner of her mouth.
“As expected of an elf. Even for a brief moment, you neutralized muskets with rain. Should I say… it was awe-inspiring? That’s what I felt, anyway. But after using such a powerful spell, I’d say you won’t be able to use any more magic for at least half a month.
“So, if you don’t mind, should we protect you while you rest? Given our connection with Count Furst, we’re practically friends, aren’t we? This area is quite dangerous, you know. There are fierce hawks and wolves that don’t fear humans.”
So this is how you make threats sound entertaining. Good lesson.
Hmm, but wait a second.
I voiced the thought that had just come to me.
“Then, Chieftain Legless Monkey, you were watching the war?”
“Of course. How could I miss it? Watching Yuran bastards fight each other on our land—what better entertainment?”
“Wow! So you brought your whole army out here from the start?”
Legless Monkey’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Did I push too hard?
“Why would you think that? I could’ve been alone.”
I glanced at Master.
She still wore that relaxed expression.
Hmm, I had no idea.
“Oh, come on. Would someone as important as a chieftain come out alone? That doesn’t make sense! If it was just scouting, you could have sent a few quick-footed scouts.”
“……”
“Leading such a large group of people and just watching that battle—wasn’t it hard to endure? Right? Didn’t you want to jump in and fight together? I mean, you just established a deal with Count Furst, so wouldn’t it have been a good chance to build a deeper relationship? There’s nothing like camaraderie for that. One of the fastest ways to grow close, you know?”
“You speak as if you know war.”
“I can read. When I had nicer masters, I managed to slip in some reading time. Among those books, there were quite a few on warfare. Many of them wanted me to handle household affairs because I was smart.”
“A real shame for them. And for you, too, I suppose. If only you hadn’t had a talent for magic, you could have lived a quiet, comfortable life as a normal human. What a pity, truly.”
“Oh, please. My personality isn’t the kind to quietly live under someone else. Even if I hadn’t had magical talent, I doubt I would’ve lived a peaceful life. Besides, I have a goal I must achieve. And it’s not something I can accomplish by living quietly.”
“Oh? And what is it? Revenge?”
Figures.
Not an ordinary person.
That’s why, despite her age—and being a woman—she’s a chieftain.
“You see right through me.”
“Vengeance is hard to hide. I thought you were some kind of monster, but I guess you do act your age after all.”
Strange.
Why does that comment irritate me so much?
Just then, Master Avana spoke.
“If you’ve seen enough, make a decision.”
“A decision about what?”
“Whether to attack or not.”
“What do you mean? I’m just talking—”
“Sorry, but I already healed myself earlier. So, while I don’t know if I’ll make it out of here alive, I can at least take you down with me.”
“…….”
“So, decide. Want to take a gamble or not?”
So it wasn’t an easy victory after all.
If it was, you wouldn’t have held back. So why did you look so relaxed, Master?
“Don’t worry, Ran. Trust me.”
That gentle voice carried a solid strength.
The most important thing for a magician—
Confidence.
Dignity.
Following Master’s teaching, I straightened my posture.
“Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of fighting, Senior Avana.”
The fact that she called Master ‘senior’ meant they were of a similar level.
But the way she used informal speech suggested that the difference wasn’t overwhelming.
I quickly spoke up.
“Don’t worry too much. I’m not the type to go blabbing. I won’t mention the chieftain’s dark intentions. But if Count Furst asks directly, I won’t lie. Just that much—I can promise you.”
Master Avana chuckled.
The Legless Monkey shrugged.
“Fine. If it’s just that much. Let’s continue on good terms.”
The Legless Monkey waved her hand in the air.
Then, the native warriors surrounding us stepped aside.
Master Avana turned sharply and started walking away with steady steps.
The Legless Monkey kept staring at me until the very end.
I held her gaze for a moment before dashing after Master.
“Will this be okay?”
“Hm? Probably?”
“…….”
At that moment, I felt Master’s hand ruffling my hair.
“Never lose your composure in any situation, Ran. And straighten your shoulders.”
Why does this kid keep hunching?
“It’s not because I lack confidence. It’s a habit. My muscles are just built that way.”
“I know. But if you stay in that posture too long, your mind will shrink along with it. So straighten up.”
I glared at Master and mimicked a confident walk.
As we entered the forest, Master took my hand and walked beside me.
“If things had gone differently, she probably would’ve attacked Count Furst during the day, right? It seemed like she held back only because the fight ended so one-sidedly thanks to you, Master.”
“That’s likely. But losing a good trading partner like Count Furst wouldn’t be beneficial for her either. Maybe she actually wanted to help Count Furst.”
“If that were the case, she could’ve just said so. She looked flustered when I mentioned watching the battle. And when I said we had ties to Count Furst…”
“She was probably still debating whether to attack or not. Watch your step ahead—there’s a large tree root.”
I looked down and carefully stepped over the root.
“That’s exactly my point. So, what I’m saying is, she doesn’t seem like someone who would bring gains to Count Furst, only harm—Master?”
Master had stopped abruptly.
Her face was frozen.
“Someone set fire to my castle.”
Her pace suddenly quickened, forcing me to hurry my shorter legs to keep up.
Set fire to the castle?
To the hut?
“Could it be… Kalasta-senpai?”
“No. If it were Kalasta, I would’ve sensed his presence.”
We rushed to the hut.
The wooden structure was engulfed in flames, lighting up the surroundings like midday.
And beyond the blaze, at the boundary, stood a girl who looked to be in her late teens.
Her robe was entirely red, darkening to black at the bottom. Her hair, too, burned like fire, and in her right hand, she held a bright golden staff.
She looked like a living flame.
The red-haired magician turned to Master Avana and me, dimples forming as she grinned.
“Oh my? You’re finally here? I thought you abandoned your disciple and ran away? Fufufu.”
My heart lurched.
“Ps-Psyche!”
I couldn’t see Psyche anywhere.
The way she said “abandoned your disciple”—that means she was here.
Which meant—Psyche was inside that burning hut.
Clench.
I gritted my teeth so hard it felt like my jaw might snap, but I felt no pain.
I extended both hands forward.
The ember Kalasta had given me flew from one side.
It responded to my psychokinesis and shot straight at the red-haired magician’s face.
Whoosh!
The moment the ember touched her face, it burst into a massive flame, swallowing her head whole.
