Chapter 104 - The Elf Girl and the Mage
I was transfixed by the sight of the young girl walking alongside Fam. She looked even younger than Fam, with translucent, porcelain skin and the beautifully chiseled features of a doll. Her long, silver hair swayed in the wind.
She wore a pale, light-blue dress, and the slender arms extending from it, as well as her legs below the knee, were just as fair as her face. But her most striking feature was her ears—long and gracefully pointed.
As I watched her, she arrived right in front of me before I even realized it.
"…"
She fidgeted, her hands clasped before her. She simply stared at me in silence. Her eyelashes were so long. When she blinked, her ears twitched slightly.
"Ahem. Mo-sama, your greeting, please," said a young woman standing diagonally behind the elf girl. Her voice was lovely. Dressed in a maid-like outfit, she too was quite beautiful, perhaps around Mizuki's age. The unique thing about her was the stem and leaves growing amidst her hair. At the end of the stem, a tulip was in bloom. She was one of the Flower-Kin.
Behind her, three knights stood at attention. Two were young men. The third was perhaps in his fifties, an older, more seasoned knight. Could this be the man they call Wake, the Unsinkable?
"…I am Marmy Mume Mo Starunion."
Marmy curtsied, pinching the hem of her skirt and bowing her head. I was so captivated by her adorable gesture that Mizuki had to nudge me from behind. Looking around, I saw that some, like me, were still dumbfounded, while others, like Mercedes and Claire, had already bowed their heads in greeting.
"Master?"
Fam was looking at me from Marmy's side.
"Ah, right. I'm Mash, from the same party as Fam here of the dog-eared race—Levante."
"…"
Marmy peered into my face, studying me. The Flower-Kin girl nudged her, but she made no move to speak.
"My name is Patricia. I am Mo-sama's personal attendant. You are Fam-san's master, correct?"
"She calls me 'Master,' but I don't recall ever establishing a master-servant relationship. We're… well, you know."
I was about to say she was my girlfriend, but I wasn't sure if this was the time or place, so I stammered. The meaning seemed to get across, however, as both Marmy and Patricia blushed and gasped. Another tulip bloomed on Patricia's head. How strange.
Fam, however, wore a look of clear dissatisfaction with my answer.
"…"
Marmy continued to stare at me, not opening her mouth.
"Mo-sama. Please start speaking for yourself. This is getting to be a pain."
Patricia's words made me wonder if she was the one truly in charge. A regular regent.
"…Came with a request."
"A request?"
"…Yes."
Marmy nodded. I had expected a noble lady to speak with a haughty, formal tone, but her way of speaking was perfectly normal, not unlike Fam's. It was no wonder Fam had mistaken them for adventurers. Still, she seemed painfully shy, constantly fidgeting and shifting her body as if she were uncomfortable.
"…Patricia, you talk after all."
At Marmy's words, Patricia sighed.
"We wish to travel to the city of Heilong, but we've been told that a pirate stronghold has been established downstream, and the passenger ship we are to board will not proceed any further."
"Don't tell me you want us to take care of the pirates?"
"Yes. We will cooperate as well. This man, Wake, will!"
She completely delegated it to the attendant knight.
"Wake-san, it's Maira."
Maira, who had been standing behind me, called out to the knight attending Mo. Her voice made his expression soften into a smile.
"You're from Aidan's group, then? It's been a while."
"Yes! It's been too long!"
Hearing Wake's reply, Maira's face lit up. It was a charming smile I'd never seen before. I felt a pang of jealousy. This wasn't right. Wasn't she supposed to be into younger guys? I'd have to lodge a formal protest with her chest later.
"So, about the request…"
Patricia brought the conversation back on track. Why bring this to me? The problem should be solved if this Wake fellow just went and cut down a thousand of them.
"Sorry, but… we're F-rank adventurers. We're not equipped to handle pirates."
"I see. Then what about that gentleman?"
Patricia's gaze shifted to Mercedes. She must have gotten some information from Fam, as she seemed to know exactly who to talk to.
"I am Mercedes, of the Mateo Trading Company. It is the utmost honor to be in the presence of a lady of House Starunion today."
Mercedes gave a deep bow. Was I supposed to be that deferential as well?
"…"
Marmy gave a small nod.
"However, I must apologize. We are merchants, not mercenaries."
Mercedes glanced at me, seemingly confused that I was suddenly refusing to deal with the pirates after my stance yesterday. He was ultimately a merchant; any decisions regarding combat would be left to Avea and me. Patricia's gaze returned to me.
"…I'll remove Fam's curse. What do you say to that?"
Marmy muttered quietly.
"You can do that?!"
"…I can't. But House Starunion possesses the magical wisdom of the Old Empire."
I glanced at Maira. She had a look of disbelief on her face.
"That's a generous offer, but we've already made arrangements for her to receive healing at the church in Migul."
"…I see. But there's no guarantee it will be cured, is there?"
"That is true, but no magic exists that can surpass a divine miracle," Maira answered.
"Well, even if I refuse your request, you're still planning on taking care of Fam, right?"
Marmy averted her gaze at my words. A direct hit, it seemed.
"Besides, why are you trying to force your way through? There's no need to create needless sacrifices, and you could be captured if things go wrong."
"I have already identified myself as a child of one of Migul's four ruling houses. For Mo-sama to be forced to remain here would broadcast the instability within the Empire's territory. It would be tantamount to declaring that the Empire cannot eliminate the Demon Kingdom's influence."
Wake answered in Marmy's stead. Instability in the Empire's territory would be a life-or-death issue for Migul, which, along with Heilong, was a frontline city against the Demon Kingdom. Moreover, Migul had explicitly declared its opposition to the Demon Kingdom. This situation would be the same as announcing that the city was incapable of repelling the Demon Kingdom's meddling. Seriously, why is she traveling through a place like this?
"…I want to make a wager."
"A wager?"
Marmy nodded once.
"…You will attack me with magic. I will protect myself with a defensive barrier. You can attack as many times as you like until your mana runs out. Just a graze is enough. If you can hit me, you win. If I defend completely, I win."
"Mo-sama?"
Patricia looked at Marmy with anxious eyes, but Marmy raised a hand to silence her.
"So if Mo wins, we have to fight the pirates. Is that it?"
"…Fam calls me Mo. As Fam's companion, you may also call me Mo. Everyone in Levante, too."
I was about to nod at her words but felt a sudden anxiety about whether it was really okay. I glanced at Patricia, who made a sour face before giving a reluctant nod.
"Alright, Mo. And what if I win?"
"…I'll give you myself."
""That's not happening!""
Fam and Patricia shouted in unison.
"Mo-sama! What are you thinking?!" Patricia cried.
"…I'm going to marry a stranger anyway. If so, it might as well be the otherworldly hero sent by Racshell-sama."
At Marmy's words, I instinctively looked at Fam, thinking she must have told her. My gaze made her startle, then bite her lip and look down. It was a foolish assumption. There was no way she would have leaked a secret. I realized that Marmy had been baiting me, and at the same time, I realized I had deeply hurt Fam.
"Please consider Mo-sama's lifespan! Besides, that man is middle-aged! He'll be dead in a flash, truly!"
"…I'll remarry then. With my current fiancé."
"How could you possibly do something like that?! Please consider your own position!"
"…You should be the one considering, Patricia. He marries me and enters Migul. Then, if he summons Racshell-sama, the tide of the war with the Demon Kingdom will turn in an instant."
"There's no need for you to get married, Mo-sama! Furthermore, the elven race has a law that exiles any who marry into another race! It would never be permitted! Besides, you are the last of the elves…"
After saying that, Patricia clamped her mouth shut.
"…Father and the chieftain will reconsider. Mash is no mere otherworldly hero, but an envoy of Racshell-sama."
While Patricia spoke with raw emotion, Marmy showed no fluctuation in hers, speaking in a small, mumbling voice.
"And what about your age?"
Patricia's tone softened just a little.
"…I will be twelve soon. Once my birthday comes, elves can marry."
"Twelve is still a child! Even I am not married at my current age!"
Patricia and Marmy continued to argue, but I had stopped caring. I needed to apologize to Fam. I wanted to get her alone and talk. I reached for her hand to lead her away, but she shook it off. Then she turned back to Marmy.
"Mo! Master is mine! He's absolutely mine!"
Her forceful words made me flinch, but Marmy's expression didn't change.
"Fam."
"Master, please stay out of this!"
I tried to speak to Fam, but she cut me off.
"…I don't intend to take him. I would just be the same as you and the others over there."
Marmy glanced over the members of Levante.
"Mo is my friend! I can't accept it from you, of all people!"
So she doesn't like the idea of sharing a boyfriend with a friend, huh? I sent a look Aira's way. Her expression was neutral. She seemed to have no interest in the exchange between Fam and Marmy.
"…I once told Fam about my fiancé. She didn't look pleased then. Yet now that I speak of switching partners, you won't allow it."
"Mo doesn't love Master."
"…Then I've just fallen in love at first sight."
Marmy murmured it as if it were nothing. Was she just thinking of herself as a political pawn?
"Liar!"
Fam screamed. I knew I was at fault for angering her in the first place, but I wished she wouldn't make her any angrier.
"…Both Patricia and Fam are talking as if I'm going to lose. There's no way I would lose in the first place."
"That's right. And I have no intention of accepting this challenge either."
"…What? Are you afraid of losing?"
Marmy looked at me tauntingly, but her words didn't affect me.
"That's right. And besides, Fam is angry."
I placed a hand on Fam's head.
"Master. Mo is looking down on you. I won't forgive her. Please accept the challenge."
If Hyakka were here, she would have landed a perfect retort like, "Make up your mind!" and cleared the air. But no one here could keep up with the complicated, ever-changing shifts in Fam's emotions. And in this place, there was no one who could defy her.
"Alright. But Cecily will be the one to fight."
I didn't want to fight the pirates. It was childish of me, but I wanted to win this.
"Huh? Me?!"
Like Aira, she had apparently considered herself a complete outsider. Cecily let out a bewildered cry.
Cecily and Marmy faced off. Cecily held a long staff, while Marmy brandished a wand of about thirty centimeters. A stark contrast in weapons. A large crowd had gathered to watch, myself included. Betting had already started on who would win. The odds were lower for Cecily. The carefree, festive atmosphere of the crowd reminded me of our battle with Wind Blade. Joe and his group were in the crowd as well.
"I can't imagine Mo is a mage on a higher level than Cecily. It seems like Mo is throwing the match from the start."
I stood next to Maira and spoke to her.
"Mo… san is an elf. The difference in level might not matter."
Maira seemed unsure of what honorific to use for Marmy.
"What do you mean?"
"Jobs are for strengthening one's natural characteristics. Levels increase that correction further. Many of the elven race possess high reserves of mana. Even at a low level, she might have more mana than Cecily."
It seemed that, just like with adventurer jobs, a mage's power was a combination of their innate personal ability, a correction from their job, and enhancements from their level. So Marmy's natural aptitude as a mage could potentially surpass Cecily's level-enhanced power.
"But there must be spells you can't learn without reaching a high level."
Maira shook her head.
"Just as one can wield a sword without being a warrior, one can learn magic without the mage job. Since Cecily has never had a teacher, she can only use the magic she learned from leveling up, but Mo-san seems to be different."
"So that's why Cecily was saying she wanted to go to a magic academy…"
Maira nodded at my words. While Maira and I were talking, Cecily launched a fireball. A probe, most likely. It was of a normal size. The fireball was easily deflected by the defensive barrier Marmy deployed. The deflected projectile flew toward the audience. They scattered in a panic, but they seemed to be enjoying it. The cheers grew even louder.
"…I'd like to set sail for Heilong tomorrow morning."
Marmy muttered under her breath.
"You little…! If that's how you want it, I'll give you an extra-large fireball!"
Cecily took Marmy's cheap taunt. The crowd was ecstatic. She raised her staff, and a ball of fire appeared above her head. The sphere of flames swelled in an instant, growing to a massive size.
"H-Hey, isn't that a little dangerous? She's a kid, and a noble lady at that!"
I shouted at Cecily, but she seemed to have no intention of listening to me. She raised her staff high, concentrating her focus. The fireball had grown to a monstrous size, over five meters in diameter. I instinctively took a step back. The cheering crowd did the same, and some even started to flee. Through it all, Marmy stood her ground without so much as a twitch, wand raised and ready.
"Hope you like your new afro!"
With Cecily's cry, the blazing miniature sun of a fireball rained down upon Marmy's head. It erupted in a violent explosion, and a pillar of fire engulfed her body.
"Did she overdo it? Maira, prepare your healing magic."
I murmured, feeling uneasy.
"No, it doesn't seem to have reached her," Maira said. Patricia, who was also watching, had a worried expression, but Wake observed the fight without any sign of alarm.
As the pillar of fire subsided, Marmy emerged, wrapped in a magical barrier that covered her entire body. She didn't have a single burn on her.
"…If that was your maximum firepower, I win."
The magical barrier enveloping Marmy vanished.
"No way…"
Cecily's voice trembled. She made no move to prepare her next spell. Marmy turned to face me.
"…Let's just say that was an exhibition match. Now, it's Mash's turn."
Marmy pointed her wand at me.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has clicked the like button, bookmarked, or rated the story, thank you so much. It encourages me to keep going. I'll do my best.