Now, questions of accuracy about the exact details of the story aside... we knew for certain that something named Shabranigdu did exist long ago. Something powerful enough to unabashedly call itself “Dark Lord.” We also knew that, far in the lands to the north, there was another “something” just like it. Maybe even made up of the same substance.
“So it sounds like this Zel... er, the white-cloaked guy... wants to revive Dark Lord Part-Two-of-Seven, right?”
“Seems so. Assuming Rezo the Red Priest was telling the truth, anyway.”
“You know,” Gourry said softly in the just-barely-audible voice he seemed to like so much. “For going all-in on politeness last night, you don’t seem to trust this Rezo guy very much.”
Another sharp observation.
“Aha, very astute of you,” I said, joining him in a whisper. “For one thing, I’ve got no proof that he’s actually Rezo. The dude is basically a walking legend, and allegedly no one’s seen him for about ten years.”
“So the man we met might be one of the bad guys who’s only using Rezo’s name to gain our trust?”
“Exactly.”
“What does it mean that you trust me, then?”
“Maybe I don’t,” I said playfully.
“That’s harsh...”
“I was only kidding. I’ve got a better eye for people than you might think.”
“Thanks, little miss,” Gourry said as he patted my head condescendingly.
Not this again, dammit!
“Quit treating me like a kid!” I barked. Though I’d actually gotten pretty used to this, so I wasn’t as mad as all that.
“You keep saying that. How old are you, anyway?”
“Twenty-five.”
Gourry froze up, visibly stunned.
“Kidding! I’m really fifteen.”
“Sheesh, don’t scare me like that... But that makes sense. You’re only fifteen, so you are still a kid.”
“Only fifteen?! I’m... Okay, so maybe I’m not quite an adult, but I’m still not a kid anymore.”
“It’s a difficult age, yeah.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about... Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention.” I’d gone back to talking in normal volume at some point, so I started whispering again. “I’m not going to be able to use my magic for a few days. I’ll need you to handle most of the fighting in the meantime.”
“You’re not going to be able to use your magic?”
Gourry looked surprised, but he was at least smart enough to keep his volume appropriately low. I nodded firmly in response.
“Oh...” Gourry said thoughtfully. “That time of the month, huh?”
......
“H-Hey, Gourry!” I snapped, my face flushed crimson.
“What?” he asked in complete obliviousness.
I was the one who had to look away in embarrassment.
“How... How do you know... about ‘that time of the month’?”
The price a woman paid for the ability to have babies was being forced to undergo a little suffering once a month. For a few days around that special time, female sorcerers, shrine maidens, and priestesses would feel their spiritual power wane, if they didn’t lose it entirely.
Conventional wisdom taught that during such times we “lose our maidenhood” and become “ordinary women,” but I didn’t buy that for a second. I figure it’s probably just an issue of spiritual focus.
I’d felt my powers weakening yesterday, so I figured it was on the way. Then lo and behold, right on schedule... Well, never mind about that part.
The question here was how Gourry, Mr. Ogrebrawn Slimebrain (a punchy appellation, if I do say so myself), managed to learn something as basic as “can’t use magic” equals “that time of the month.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” Gourry said. “When I was a kid... I guess I was around five, but there was this fortuneteller lady who lived nearby. Her shop would be closed a few days out of every month, and when I asked her why, she’d just laugh and say, ‘It’s that time of the month.’ So I always figured that was code for not being able to use magic... but I guess it has some other meaning too? Can’t you explain it to me, Lina? I don’t get it.”
“Why, you...”
I was starting to think this jerk really got off on teasing me!
“But all joking aside,” Gourry said, suddenly stone-faced as he came to a stop. “I think it’s time we got serious, little miss.”
I followed suit and came to a stop too. To our right was dense underbrush and trees. To our left was an open clearing.
And dead ahead was a man standing in the middle of the road, blocking our path. He was wearing something like a coat, and he was rather good-looking. Probably around twenty years old, I’d say, give or take.
But... his skin was made of dark blue rock, and the hair on his head was silver and thick, almost as if the strands were thousands of metal wires. He held a broadsword in his hand.
I recognized him immediately.
“So,” Gourry opened. “Got tired of waiting and decided to show yourself, did you, Zegaldis?”
Hey!
“I think you mean Zeldigas, Gourry,” I corrected him.
“It’s Zelgadis,” the man in question corrected us both.
“...”
“...”
Aaand there goes the mood! We were at risk of losing our building sense of tension. Better get things back on track!
“Yeah, Zelgadis! That’s what I said!”
“M-Me too,” Gourry insisted.
“Never mind about my name,” the man remarked, clearly annoyed. “I’m going to ask you one more time to hand over that item. If you refuse, I’ll have no choice but to take it by force. Now, which will it be, Sofia?”
Huh?
Gourry and I looked at each other for a second, and then...
“Oh!”
We both clapped our hands together in unison, suddenly realizing what was going on here. Zelgadis thought the fake name I’d given Mummy Man Zolf was my actual name.
“My name’s Lina,” I said.
“Huh?” Zelgadis scoffed, his jaw dropping in a way that seemed beneath his dignity.
“I’m Lina. Sofia was a fake name I gave that Zolf guy.”
Zelgadis just stood there, unsure of how to react.
Looks like my plan to steal his thunder had worked! Okay, so it was more a thing I stumbled into than a plan, but just let me have this one, okay?