Tess sat cross-legged on the bed, carefully wiped the little dagger she loved in the center of her hand, squinted at the candlelight, and repeatedly made sure that there was no gap in the blade of the blue light, before nodding with satisfaction, putting down the dagger, picking up the knife that Mok had given her, and happily humming a little tune and continuing to wipe it around.

She hated all the monotonous and boring work—except this one. Watching her carefully collected weapons shiny and as energetic as she is always makes her feel very happy.

In front of her, there were nearly twenty short swords, knives, daggers, and throwing knives, large and small...... Neatly arranged, half of them were given to her by Norvi, and half were obtained by herself in various ways. She loves these small and beautiful things, not only because they save her life, but also because each carefully crafted weapon is a unique work of art, perfectly balanced, with just the right weight, sleek lines, and unique decorations......

There was only one thing, and she touched it out of pure curiosity, and she really didn't like it.

As Norway pushed the door open, Tess frowned and shook her head vigorously at probably the most valuable of all her weapons.

"Waste—— unforgivable waste!" she retorted, "such a big lump of fine gold...... Make such an ugly thing! Sooner or later it will melt you. ”

The knife, cast in pure gold with a statue of a dragon holding a woman in its arms, and then casually inserting a black broken blade to pretend to be a weapon, did seem a little out of place among her delicate, simple, glittering collections.

“...... That's not its fault. Norway said with some amusement, "And." You can't melt it - give it back to Ed when you go back this time, and don't have any excuses!"

He remembered Payne's words that the knife was no ordinary thing...... But he wasn't going to tell the girl. That only made her more interested. Also, he clearly gave the knife to Ed...... When the hell did this guy Tess touch it back?!

"Oh, of course I'll give it back to him, I'm just keeping it for him temporarily! he's so careless that he doesn't know when he's going to lose it. Leave this little thing to me! Who made us friends? Tess said solemnly, as if it wasn't her who had just claimed to "melt you".

Norway shook his head helplessly. He put the food on the table and pushed open the window to let in the moisturey breeze.

This is Tamaran. A small port city on the north-central plains of Rutgar, where most of the goods carried on the wharves were wool and various wool products, located at the confluence of the Viinz River and the River Mead, much younger than the city of Visa and Stunbuch. Even if it's late. The noise on the docks was still heard.

They come here to find two of Alan's lost friends from adventurers, Gavin "The Juggler" and Pansy "Chipmunks". A few days ago, Gavin had found two boxes of abandoned powder in a warehouse in the docks of Visa, and had determined that they were used to create the fog that would permeate the Collins Plains on May night. The wooden crate was marked as coming from Damaran, and there were indeed two cargo ships from Damaran at that time, and although the people who carried the goods probably had no idea what they were transporting, Gavin and his companions went south to find out.

Another clue leads the others to Cam City, where someone is said to have spotted a group of suspicious-looking guys near the Windwhispering Forest. After returning to the Collins Temple from Grivar, Naria followed Fili to Cam to help Alan. Norway and Tess came to Damaran in search of Gavin, after all, they had several connections with the warrior who loved to wander.

Norvi was here more than a decade ago. It's on the way from Stonebutch to Visa. He even stayed here for a while, because in the Antler Forest, not far from Damaran, there was an elven settlement, which was almost completely independent although nominally under the rule of the elven king Payne Silverleaf. The elves here were more withdrawn and wary than their people in Grivar, but they did good business with Damaran, and an elf walking down the street would not be looked at sideways—but the settlement had kept Novi out of the house with cold and no reason, and he still haunted him.

The number of elves is decreasing, but there is still such a gap between the same race...... Novi has never been able to let go of this.

Compared with more than ten years ago, Damaran has changed so much that the elves are very surprised. The city had expanded by almost a third, and the originally somewhat haphazard, mostly haphazard timber houses, had been trimmed to give the appearance of a city rather than a bustling and chaotic village by the port.

But it was not the aristocracy that ruled the place, but a chamber of wool merchants, who were mostly born commoners, but had to pay a certain amount of taxes every year to the lord who owned the land, Count Minjo...... This is similar to the situation of the free city-states in the southwest, except that King Ante probably would not allow any new independent cities to appear in the center of his country.

It's a free and vibrant place, but at the same time, it's a mixed bag. Norway and Tess had been here for a day, and had received not too little, but too much, but fortunately they had some experience with it, and it was almost certain that Gavin and Pansy had indeed been here, and had inquired about Sandwater...... News of that elven settlement. When they were finally seen, they were indeed heading in the direction of Sandwater.

Novi had a headache about this. Whatever the reason, if Gavin was caught trying to infiltrate Sandwater, it wouldn't be easy to get the elves there to let them go.

"Maybe they weren't captured by the elves at all. Tess was always optimistic, "Maybe they were eaten by leopards in the Antler Forest." ”

Norway could only smile wryly.

The Forest of Antlers is named after the antlers of a deer because of the antler-shaped trees that live there, but the most famous animal in the forest is the leopard. The elves of Sandwater domesticated it to guard the forest, and the last time Norway had seen it was terrifying, a naturally agile and specially trained cat...... What Tess said is not impossible.

He's going to have to make another trip to Sandwater anyway—hopefully he'll not be greeted by another long arrow grazing his scalp.

As soon as they entered the forest, Norway felt the gaze of those peeking into them from the shadows of the trees and the gaps in the leaves, and simply spread his hands and shouted, "I am Norwe, the Sunchaser, and I have come here with no ill intent, but I just want to inquire about two friends who may have strayed here." ”

There was silence in the forest, only the carefree chirping of birds, and after a long time, an elven voice came from not far away:

"Norwe, Sunchaser...... and Tess Shepard?"

Norway was stunned for a moment, and before he could answer, Tess smugly elbowed him and whispered in his ear, "They know my name!

A wry smile tugged at Norvi's lips - it was difficult for someone who dared to take a broken knife to stab the Elf King without being famous...... I hope it's not that kind of fame that spreads here.

"Yes. He could only admit frankly, apprehensively awaiting a response that might not have been so friendly.

An elf dressed in brown leather armor parted through the dense bushes and appeared before them, with a smile on his face that was completely unexpected by Norwe.

"We've heard your names. The elf nodded to them, "Norway and Tess...... The friends you have helped us are our friends. ”

Novi welcomes this development, but is still a little skeptical.

"I can...... May I ask the name of your friend?" he asked cautiously.

The elf just smiled at him, "Please follow me." ”

There was no road in the forest, and the elves who led them seemed to walk through the trees at random, and the yellow flowers of the rowwood were in full bloom, scattering their tiny petals all the way.

Mochi, who had been lying on Tess' shoulder, suddenly screamed and shivered into the bag around her waist. As a leopard silently emerged from the bushes, the girl instinctively grabbed her dagger with her backhand.

"Please don't draw your weapon. The elf promptly turned back and reminded, "It doesn't usually attack people without an order...... But when you see a weapon, it's a different story. ”

Tess silently shoved back the dagger that had fallen from her cuff, stared curiously at the big cat who had grown at her and walked gracefully and proudly beside her with a low growl, and couldn't help but reach out and touch it quickly.

The short hair with the mottled pattern was very smooth, but it was not as soft as expected, and the special feel and the sudden feeling of her heart beating faster made Tess can't help but touch it again.

The leopard turned his head, looked at him with green eyes, sniffed her hand that was stiff on its back, and did not seem to be very annoying, but did not show any special affection, but walked unhurriedly around them for a while, tolerating her sneak attacks from time to time, and then suddenly disappeared into the bushes.

Tess reluctantly looked at the still shaking branches and leaves, and blurted out, "Can you ride that?"

The elf's helpless "Tate!" was not expected—Norway didn't seem to notice what she said at all, but asked in surprise, "...... Are you followers of Nessas?"

Tess turned her head to follow Norvi's line of sight, and in a glade, among the rain of golden flowers falling in the wind, stood a simple gray stone tablet, the only carving on which was the huge hourglass-shaped symbol of Nessus.

(To be continued......)