The girl silently walked toward Lizolera. She had platinum-blonde hair and slightly pointed ears. Her skin was clear, and though her features were a bit sharp, her face was undeniably beautiful. She resembled an elf, but her ears were too short and her hair too light. She seemed to be a half elf. Stopping in front of Lizolera, the half-elf girl bent down slightly to meet her gaze.
“Are you a divine demon? Are you from the— Huh?” The girl suddenly shifted her gaze to the side. Wondering what she was looking at, Lizolera followed her eyes, but nothing was there. Just empty air. Yet her gaze was obviously tracking something. Whatever it was seemed to move slowly through the air until it aligned perfectly with Lizolera. The girl’s expression changed slightly, a hint of surprise on her face as she spoke. “That’s weird. Ygni doesn’t usually show interest in other people.”
It was said the elves and dark elves were born with the ability to perceive beings that governed magic known as elementals. They generally appeared as small winged orbs or animals. However, judging from the height and leisurely movement of her gaze, whatever the girl named Tilsy was looking at was far larger.
“Are you a child from the divine demon village up ahead? Did you have some kind of special birth?”
“She’s twenty years old, so don’t go treating her like a kid, Tilsy,” said Adyahha.
“H-Huh?! Twenty?! She’s older than me?! But I thought divine demons were like elves and aged quickly until around fifteen...” The half-elf girl was just as surprised as Adyahha had been. Before Lizolera could respond, another voice cut in from above.
“Y-You shouldn’t talk about someone else’s age, Tilsy! S-Some people are sensitive about it!” said a giant girl, bending down slightly to join the conversation.
She was more than three times the height of the half elf. Two stone axes hung at her waist, each around the size of an adult divine demon. She had the overwhelming presence of a giant warrior, yet her voice was vibrant, and her mannerisms evidenced a youthful energy. Her somewhat timid-looking face still held a hint of childish innocence.
The half elf looked up at the giant and spoke, sounding a bit exasperated. “You’re just big, Aura. I keep telling you that you worry about it too much.”
“I’m not just big. Being big as a giant means people think you look old!” The giant girl sounded like she was about to cry.
Giants were said to continue growing their entire lives. While the pace slowed as they aged, they never truly stopped. That meant the older a giant was, the bigger they were, and vice versa. Though individual size differences existed, the trend almost always held true, and it was exceedingly rare for a young giant to be able to look down at an older giant. Yet Aura, who presumably was still young enough to be called a girl, already stood as tall as a fully grown giant.
“An individual’s age is a meaningless metric,” yet another voice interjected. This time, the voice belonged to a small, white-furred dogfolk. “The essence of a sentient being lies in the intelligence residing within its mind. The amount of time since its birth has little bearing on its worth, thus devoting thought to it is without purpose.” With his stiff, old-fashioned manner of speech and long, white fur, he could easily be mistaken for an elderly figure at first glance. However, his voice was youthful, and his eyes sparkled with a childlike radiance. On top of that, his constant smile gave him an endearing charm.
“Shira Ku, this is a little hard to admit, but...” the giant said hesitantly.
“Aura and I both thought you were an old man when we first met.” The half elf finished for her.
“Wh-What outrageous rudeness! I’ll have you know I’m only fourteen!” The dogfolk boy, who had just claimed that age was meaningless, now shouted in anger.
“You concern yourselves with the strangest things.” A deep voice interrupted, as if it were echoing from the depths of the earth. “I do not even know when I was born, yet it does not impede me in any way.”
Lizolera’s eyes opened wide when she beheld the true identity of the figure. It was no demon—it was a gray skeleton, clad in rags and carrying a golden greatsword on its back. “A-A monster?”
If one looked closely, a small bit of thin, dry skin clung to its bones, and a pale blue light burned inside its hollow eye sockets. It was no ordinary skeleton—it was a lich. And it appeared to be an extremely high-level monster. Taming it would have been impossible, no matter how skilled the tamer. Lizolera could hardly believe such a being was speaking and traveling alongside demons. Yet Adyahha’s companions chatted casually with one another, showing no sign of tension.
“I wonder how old Or really is?” the giant asked.
“The castle he was in was said to have fallen into ruin around five centuries ago. Judging by the scale of the dungeon’s structure, I would estimate it’s been at least four hundred years since its creation,” the dogfolk mused.
“That’d make him pretty old, even by elf standards,” said the half elf.
The skeletal swordsman turned slightly away. It was hard to tell, given its lack of a facial expression, but it seemed a little hurt to Lizolera.
“What do you think, Lizolera?” Adyahha placed his hand on her shoulder. “Fun group, huh?” The boy wore a satisfied smile on his face. Lizolera realized Adyahha had fulfilled the purpose of his journey, just as his father had asked. “Anyway, what’s the plan? I was hoping to reach the divine demon village today and borrow a place to sleep, but I’m not sure we’ll make it anymore.”
“Ugh, I want to sleep under a roof already,” the giant mumbled.
“Luckily for you all, my genius intellect has already come up with a solution regarding that matter.” The dogfolk boy looked at Lizolera. “We need only ask the lady there to show us the way.”
“Huh? Me?” Lizolera asked.
“Indeed.” The dogfolk nodded. “If it’s a distance a lady can walk on her own, then it can’t be too far. We should be able to make it there by dusk if she shows us the roads the divine demons use.”
“That’s a surprisingly good idea coming from you, Shira Ku.”
“I guess you know more than just how to make weird inventions and potions.”
“Have some respect!” The dogfolk shouted indignantly at the half elf and giant.
While the others continued their conversation, Lizolera fell silent, hesitation clouding her face.
“Well, Lizolera?” Turning to face the divine demon, Adyahha gave a cheery smile. “If you don’t wanna go back, you can come with us.”
“Huh?”
“The more the merrier. Though it’d mean we’d be camping tonight,” Adyahha said with a chuckle.
Lizolera silently closed her eyes, then shook her head. “I’ll pass.”
“All right.”
“I’m sure the girls back at the temple are starting to worry about me by now. And I’d feel bad making you all camp.” Lizolera gave the mixed-blooded boy a beaming smile. “Let’s get going, Adyahha. We should still have time, but the sun’s going to set if we dawdle.”
“All right. Let’s go, everyone! Lizolera says we need to get a move on!”
The group set off, with Lizolera and Adyahha in the lead. The mixed-blooded boy’s companions followed behind them. They weren’t just a band of travelers. Even Lizolera could tell they shared a deep trust in one another—they were like a party of adventurers.
“Traveling with friends seems like fun,” Lizolera mumbled.
“Hmm? Change your mind?”
Lizolera shook her head in response to the boy’s question. “The fact that I was selected as head priestess means they trust me, at least a little. They think I can do it. So I’m going to do my best at the role I was given.”
“All right.” The boy gave a small chuckle. “Nothing wrong with that.” Adyahha’s companions exchanged words behind them.
“The divine demon village up ahead is supposed to be pretty big, right?” the half elf asked.
“Indeed. I’m looking forward to being able to restock our supplies,” said the dogfolk. “However, given the size, I’m admittedly a little concerned that Or is going to cause a disturbance.”
“I do not cause disturbances. It is others who choose to be disturbed. So long as I keep myself covered as usual, there should not be any issues.”
“I’m worried there won’t be an inn that can accommodate my size,” the giant girl, Aura, said with concern. “I’m tired of sleeping outside.”
“You’ll be fine,” Lizolera said, turning her head. “The temple has a building for housing guests. That’s where giants who visit always stay.”
“Really?!”
“Are we allowed to borrow a temple building? We’re just travelers,” Tilsy said hesitantly.
“I’m the head priestess. The building’s barely ever used, so I’m sure I can get you in. I owe you guys for saving me.”
“Well, aren’t you reliable?” Adyahha said with a grin. “Then we’re counting on you for our lodgings, Lizolera.”
“No problem!” Lizolera puffed out her chest. “That’s my job!”