“This sign will become a point of pride for our inn.”
The man who claimed to be the innkeeper said this right after I handed him the sign, smiling gratefully. And somehow, that sign magically found its place behind the lobby counter.
Displayed for all the guests to see.
Now that I think about it, isn’t this going to become a part of my cringe history?
It crossed my mind to take the sign back, but that would have looked bad. Besides, I’d probably be treated this way no matter where I go, so I might as well leave it. As long as it’s not abused, I guess it’s fine.
I’m not even sure how anyone could misuse a simple sign.
Whatever, it’s not my concern anymore.
“Well then, we’re heading back.”
“Have a good night.”
That’s not what I meant!
I didn’t bother to reply, climbing the stairs with the two of them. Having to go up seven floors with no elevator was a hassle, but we were in good shape, so it didn’t matter.
When exploring a dungeon, stamina is the most important thing, after all.
Those who run out of stamina would have already become a meal for monsters.
Ah, we’ve arrived already.
As I took the key from my pouch and opened the door, I told the two of them.
“We have free time until night. You can go out, but there probably won’t be much to do.”
It’s not like this place has a nightlife culture like Korea. The security should be decent since it’s a rich area, but it could get annoying, so I planned to stay inside my room.
“I’m thinking of going in to sleep right away, so you two do as you please.”
“Okay.”
“Got it.”
Guess I’ll treat myself to the luxurious bed. Without hesitation, I entered the room and collapsed onto the bed.
——————-
“Can you drive a carriage?”
“I learned a little.”
I wonder what Tom’s been up to these days.
He’s probably still driving a carriage… It’s been nearly half a year since I last saw him.
Taking the reins as I sat in the coachman’s seat, I noticed the horses, which I bought along with the carriage, were getting impatient, stamping their hooves as if they couldn’t stand still.
“Did everyone tie down the luggage well?”
“Yep. I secured it so it won’t fall off.”
“Once the carriage starts moving, it won’t stop until camping time, so if you have business to take care of, get it done quickly.”
“I’m good.”
“Me too.”
“Then I’ll depart.”
I gently tugged the reins, eager to get out of this city. The horses seemed to catch my signal and began to walk slowly.
It seems like the road is well-kept, so it’s not shaking too much.
I started my boring drive, staring blankly at the straight road ahead. At least I had a horse companion, right? I glanced at Rue, who was sticking to the coachman’s seat.
Rue wasn’t trying to leave the seat; she wrapped her tentacles around it and blinked her gigantic eyes at me.
[Contractor, have you ever seen a real Elf?]
“Isn’t there one behind us?”
[No! I mean a real Elf, not a half-Elf!]
“No, never.”
I wonder how beautiful Elves really are. At least in games, they always looked stunning. I tend to prefer Karina’s type, though…
[The Elves won’t attack me if they see me right?]
“As long as you don’t wander off alone, you should be fine.”
In human society, the fact that Rue is my magic book is well-known, so wandering around alone wouldn’t cause trouble. But if she moves alone in Yggdrasil, she would likely become a target.
[Ugh, I really want to tour the Elf village… Contractor, you’ll take me on a tour, right?]
“We’ll see how the situation goes.”
Being an outsider, I can’t just waltz through Yggdrasil. Even if I say I came with Sandulbaram, it’s uncertain if they’ll let me in without official permission.
Of course, I’m an exception.
The Phoenix’s Blessing isn’t just for decoration.
Having received the Phoenix’s Blessing means I have a solid guarantee of identity even to non-human beings. Since even that high Elf would have very few blessed beings like me, they probably won’t refuse my entry.
I’m a bit worried about Sif, but as long as nothing happens, we should be fine.
[You’re definitely coming to visit, right? I want to see the Elf village!]
“It’ll probably be more boring than you think.”
[Huh? How do you know that, Contractor?]
“…I looked it up in a book. There’s some information at least.”
Oops, slip of the tongue. Seeing Rue looking puzzled, I added a quick explanation.
[I feel like I haven’t seen you read much…]
What’s the point of her being suspicious? I tapped the cover of her book a few times with my finger.
“Stop asking pointless questions and enjoy the scenery.”
The air is full of phytoncides.
But is this even the right word to use here?
While lost in silly thoughts, I drove the carriage.
————
The road to Yggdrasil was peaceful. Since this area is inhabited by Elves, there’s no way bandits would be lurking around, and normal monsters wouldn’t dare attack us if they’re sane.
Even the dumbest monsters would know enough to stay clear of top predators.
Sure, there are some who don’t know their place and attack, but those get turned into bone and skin to reinforce the wagon.
Thanks to that, the carriage looked like a hellish reaper’s vehicle, but now no monsters dare even approach, so isn’t that a good trade-off?
“Johann, how much longer?”
“If Sandulbaram is right, we should be arriving soon.”
“I think I heard that three hours ago!”
“This time it’s correct, so just sit tight. This is an unpaved road, and if you don’t sit properly…”
Bang!
“Ouch!”
“And that’s why you should be careful.”
“Ow…”
“Sir Quartz, could you please stop the carriage for a moment?”
“You want me to stop the carriage?”
“Yes. It seems our kindred are beginning to notice us.”
I pulled the reins and stopped the horses, as she said. Following her words, we waited a moment, and soon beautiful women with striking appearances emerged from the forest, surrounding me.
“Stop, human! What business do you have here… Sandulbaram?”
“Seongnaniri, hello.”
“Hmph… What are you doing here when you should be at the Academy? We haven’t heard anything about you…”
“I have urgent matters. Could you let us pass?”
“No way. Don’t you know you can’t bring a human into Yggdrasil?”
I turned to Seongnaniri, the Elf, looking at me with a suspicious gaze while I noticed the tension in the bowstring that was ready to snap at any moment.
One wrong word, and I could become a target for arrows.
But I couldn’t just stay silent, so I decided to talk to Seongnaniri.
“Hey.”
“Shut up, human.”
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“How would I know who a human is?!”
That’s true. Most of them spend their lives in the forest and probably don’t know about me. Contemplating what to say to the clueless Seongnaniri, I decided to go with a simple solution.
“Tell them that the one blessed by the Phoenix seeks to meet the Queen.”
“The Phoenix…?”
Seongnaniri looked at me with doubt in her eyes after my message. Suddenly, she stared into the air. Following her gaze, I looked up and saw a small flame-like figure.
Is that… a spirit?
It looks like a fire spirit.
Did I gain the ability to see it because of the Phoenix’s blessing? It’s not surprising since the Phoenix is considered a manifestation of fire.
While the protagonist can see spirits with his inherent special abilities, I wondered how Lewis would fare.
If he carried the original setup of the protagonist, he would surely possess genius-level talent at anything he tries.
“Is that the fire spirit?”
“What?! How does a human…!”
“I told you, I’m blessed by the Phoenix.”
I experimentally summoned flames in my hand. Just like a character from a cartoon I once watched, seeing fire erupt from my hand made the spirit, Franc, fly over and curiously lick the flames.
“Franc?!”
“Does this still not prove anything?”
Why do you look so shocked? As I looked around, wondering if it was just Seongnaniri acting weird, I saw other Elves gazing at me in disbelief.
“An Orc-looking human is favored by a spirit…”
“Unbelievable…”
Yeah, it must be nice for you all to be pretty.
Not as good as Millia though.
“So, what will you do?”
“…For now, follow me.”
“Is it fine to bring the carriage?”
“That hideous carriage?”
…It does look a bit rough after I modified it for some fun on the way. But since it’s my valuable property, I nodded firmly.
“Sure.”
“…Tch. Follow me.”
We followed Seongnaniri into a narrow side path within the forest. It was a bit tight for a carriage, but it was as if the trees were magically making way for us to pass.
[Wow, that’s amazing…]
After about thirty minutes of following, I instinctively sensed a change in the air around me. The fresh scent of the forest mingled with a hint of rot?
I realized what the smell indicated as we arrived at the entrance of Yggdrasil.
“…It’s rotting.”
The branches of the decayed World Tree.
Things didn’t seem to be in good shape.
“…Alright. The Queen has granted an audience. Outsider… welcome to Yggdrasil.”
I entered Yggdrasil along with Seongnaniri’s voice.
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