I flexed my pectorals as I responded. “I, uh, well, I’m just happy to finally have muscles, and I wanted to show them off. Is that strange?”
“Eww! Cut it out. You remind me of my grandpa. I’m embarrassed for both of us.”
My shoulders slumped at Ariane’s scathing critique. Just then, Ponta came gliding toward me on a gust of magical wind.
“Kyiii!”
The fox flew straight to the top of my head, its cotton tail tickling my face as it swished back and forth.
Ariane watched with curiosity. “It makes a lot more sense that a spirit creature like Ponta would be so fond of you, now that I know you’re an elf. Hey, Arc, can you see this?”
She blew onto her hand and stretched it toward me. A faintly glowing ball of light, similar to the one that I saw while we were in Lamburt, sat in her open palm.
I squinted my eyes and focused. “It’s faint, but I see a glowing ball. Why?”
Ariane nodded, allowing the light to fade away. “Just as I thought. You can see spirits.”
That faint ball of light was a spirit? “But I couldn’t sense the stench of the undead, or see the mana that fills the Great Canada Forest.” I remembered hearing that elves could see the flow of mana—which apparently filled the Great Canada Forest—in addition to seeing spirits. Ariane might have been convinced, but I still had some questions.
“There are differences from one elf to the next. Judging by your appearance, I’d say that you’re similar to us dark elves.”
Ariane once told me that elves had a strong affinity for magic, while dark elves had superior physical prowess. Given how muscular I’d become, I found it hard to argue with her assessment. However, this body had only been designed to resemble a dark elf in the game world, so I still had doubts about whether I was actually a dark elf in this world.
Still, the fact that I could see the spirit, if only faintly, suggested that this body shared at least some characteristics with the elves. Ariane also once told me that the Great Canada Forest’s founding elder—ostensibly someone similar to me—could barely see spirits.
“We should return to the village and notify the elders that Arc—wait!” Ariane interrupted herself mid-sentence and hit her palm with her fist. “I forgot that Chiyome had something she wanted to discuss with you.”
Chiyome, who’d watched our conversation in silence, bowed her cat-eared head.
“Yes, Chiyome?”
“I’m sure you recall when you and Ariane helped me rescue my comrades in the capital, right? Well, the plan was actually much more successful than we expected. The Calcut Mountains’ refugee population has exploded. Unfortunately, there are a lot of monsters in the mountains as well, and fertile farmland is in short supply. We were already pushing the limits of what the village could support, but now…” Chiyome’s shoulders drooped, her tail moving slowly as she spoke. “The twenty-second elder charged me with finding the founder’s shrine so we can move everyone here.”
While I certainly sympathized with Chiyome’s plight, that was my exact plan. “I already asked permission from Villiers Fim to use this as my home. If I lived here, too, would that be all right with you?”
Ariane and Chiyome exchanged a surprised glance.
“That’s fine, of course,” Chiyome said. “I secured permission from Villiers Fim as well. We don’t actually plan to move the villagers to the shrine. We’re moving them east, to a location the Dragon Lord told me about, near a field and a large lake.”
That made sense. The shrine would suit a handful of people, but it would probably be difficult for a whole village to survive here. From what I’d seen of the area when we emerged from the cave, the basin was surrounded by mountains, making it nearly impregnable. The place Chiyome described sounded ideal.
But something still nagged at me. Why hadn’t Hanzo moved the mountain people here in the first place?
However, when I asked Chiyome, she simply shook her head. “I don’t know why. Hanzo lived many generations ago. I suppose the twenty-second elder might know more, though.”
I had my own suspicions about Hanzo’s reasoning. While this location was practically impregnable, traveling here was a challenge. The journey required you to make your way through a monster-infested forest, then either climb the Furyu Mountains or enter the massive, pitch-black cave beneath them. Sure, the mountain people were known for physical prowess, but a mass migration like that would be perilous, resulting in countless deaths.
I suddenly understood what Chiyome was asking of me. “So, you’d like me to use teleportation magic to transport your people here safely. Is that right?”
Her ears perked up. “That’s right! What do you think?”
Of course, my mind was already made up. “First, I’d like the opportunity to meet your elder. I don’t mean to sound crass, but I want to negotiate to receive the shrine as payment for assisting with your move. Unfortunately, I can’t budge on that, since it’s essential for my cursed body.” I offered Chiyome a smile, to show I had no ill will.
Chiyome regarded me with her usual cool expression, though her cheeks looked a little flushed. Her tail wagged behind her. “I understand. Thank you, Arc.”
I turned back to Ariane. “And what about you? Do you want to return to Lalatoya? I feel bad for making you waste a week fretting over me.”
Ariane shook her head. “The time wasn’t wasted. Besides, Chiyome and I spoke while you were sleeping, and I promised her I’d visit her village.”
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. It seemed the two of them had gotten close while I was unconscious. I admit, I was a bit jealous.
Ponta used its large cotton tail to stroke the back of my head, making me feel less lonely.
“Thanks, Ponta. I’ll get you a treat in a bit.”
“Kyiiiiiii!”
Just then, my arm’s skin began to vanish, and I saw bone.
“Huh?”
Slowly but surely, my flesh faded away, returning me to my skeletal form. It had been a little under an hour since I drank the spring water.
Ariane looked just as surprised as I felt. “So, you turned back. I guess the effect doesn’t last all that long, huh?”
She was right, although it was clear that drinking the water greatly extended its effects. Next time, I’d need to increase the amount I drank, and see how that affected my transformation.
Together, we began to plan our next steps.