After carefully observing the sobbing Elf Tribe girl, Yuri hit his hands together at the sudden realization.
“...I found someone to bother!”
“Shut your yap and get her outta there already. Halfwit.”
Haring gave his head a forceful whack in an attempt to get some of his loose screws back in place.
✦ ✦ ✦
“—I am in debt! In your greatest debt!!”
The elven girl wept as she stuffed her cheeks with Haring’s dried fish.
“For me to accidentally drop all my food is life’s biggest blunder!”
Chewing furiously, the girl who introduced herself as Eleanor explained why she had been on the verge of collapse. Every time she moved her mouth to chew, her pointed ears twitched back and forth in delight.
Those ears could be none other than a trait of the Elf Tribe.
“Truly, thank you, thank you!”
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t just abandon someone in trouble, and you’re from the Elf Tribe, just like my mother. We must have met for a reason!”
“Oh, as expected of Human Tribe! Wonderful people filled with duty and humanity!”
“E-err... Thank you.” Yuri replied, somewhat perplexed as Eleanor locked him in a hard embrace.
However, Haring’s expression remained grim the whole time. “...Oi, you, elf who uses strange words.”
“Yes? What wrong, Big Boy?”
“Brat, go dump the elf somewhere this instant.”
“Erk!? I so sorry! Common-tongue a little hard for elf!”
Perhaps having sensed Haring’s wrath, Eleanor immediately hid behind Yuri. She definitely had a strange way with words, but it was understandable if she wasn’t accustomed to the common tongue.
Watching Eleanor cower, Haring scratched his head as if to say this was going to be a pain.
“...The name’s Haring. I heard you dropped your food supplies, but if you’d just shoved it all in your Proof, it woulda been impossible to misplace.”
Just as it was possible to preserve materials harvested in the dungeon, Haring had stored his food and tools in his Proof. That was the fundamental means of storage when exploring. If she had kept it in her Proof, then losing food would be impossible.
It would be another story if she was attacked while eating and was forced to flee...but in Eleanor’s case, that was even more implausible. At least, going by what was glimmering on her left arm—a Gold Proof.
That glimmer told a definite tale of strength.
“There’s no way a Gold Rank would struggle against the monsters in these parts. If you say you lost your food, then you got some explainin’ to do.”
His shades of wariness growing stronger, Haring glared at Eleanor. Sensing his dangerous aura, Yuri couldn’t help but speak up.
“Err... Mr. Haring, what are you being so cautious about?”
“You gotta learn there’s always some guy or gal out there with some stupid thoughts in their head. The sort who’ll sneak up on a duelist during rest time to snatch their food and tools. Even some who’ll aim for when we’re all tuckered out to force you into a surprise duel.” Haring continued on with a disgusted look on his face, “Now, if you ain’t one of them, then get talkin’. If you can’t do that, then get lost, or use your Proof to return to the city.”
His voice lowered, shifting into a threatening timbre.
Eleanor stared hard at Haring before—she suddenly burst into tears again.
“I...left behind by comrades...”
“Left behind? Then Ms. Eleanor, who did you come with?”
“With people from my team...but my mistake, I separate from people who came with me...”
The tears flowing drip by drip, Eleanor tried her best to explain through shoddy words.
“Then call them on your Proof, for God’s sake. The warp points only change every seven days, so they can still come back for you, and if you’re lost, they should be lookin’ for you, right?”
“Didn’t work... When I beg Tenebre come back, he really angry, tell me to figure out myself...”
“What sorta teammate is that...” Haring said with a sigh.
Eleanor sniffled before replying, “I, weakest one in team...so I come to dungeon for first time to get materials from deep floor make better weapon... Try to be useful...”
“Tsk... If you got no interest in this place, I get how you could make it to Gold without ever comin’ here. But if you’re lost and out of food, just get out.”
“Hic... I so sorry... Soon other teams start training here together, so thought I have no other chance. Couldn’t go back...”
Eleanor hugged her knees while glumly lowering her shoulders.
Yuri turned back to Haring.
“Umm, Mr. Haring—”
“Not happenin’. My request was to guide you. That’s it.” Haring cut him off before he could even make his proposal. “There’s no guarantee that gal’s tellin’ the truth. I mean, just look at what she’s wearin’. You try tellin’ me that ain’t suspicious.”
“Grr! I can understand you make fun of my clothing!”
She couldn’t just ignore that one. Eleanor angrily puffed out her cheeks.
But Haring did have a point. She wore a deep-green, oversized tunic fastened by a golden sash around her waist. Peeking out from its lower hem, a pair of black short shorts.
Clothing did vary somewhat from tribe to tribe, but at the very least, none of the elves Yuri saw in town dressed anywhere close to Eleanor. Naturally, his mother didn’t either.
Seeing a change in their eyes, Eleanor proudly puffed out her chest. “These clothings the traditional uniform of a ninja!”
“...Hah? The hell’s up with that?”
“Oh, I’ve heard of them before. As I recall, on the eastern-most edge of human territory, there were once warriors who went by that name. My master told me about it.”
“Not what I meant. I’m sayin’, why’s there an elf in ancient human-tribe clothing?”
“That is, hup...because I read book!”
She reached a hand into the baggy chest area of her tunic and flaunted her findings at the two of them: a single decrepit old tome.
Yuri took it and tried flipping through a few pages.
“Umm... This is a complete work of fiction, isn’t it?”
“Yes! My friend said they got from Human Tribe in duel city!”
Based on a quick skim, it seemed to be a work of fiction set in the east of the Human Continent depicting the exploits of long-gone warriors called ninja and samurai.
“I look up to ninja so much, I become duelist!”
“Yeah, you’re definitely wearing the same clothing as the illustrations.”
“I work really, really hard and make it myself!” She did a twirl on the spot to show off her masterpiece. “I wanted teach all sorts of people about ninja! So I do same training as ninja, and come to duel city to fight like ninja!”
She spoke of her reasoning with sheer jubilance on her face.
“And now, I become perfect ninja elf! See, see!”
“There’s a strange impact to it, when she says it out loud...”
“I don’t know jack about ’em, but even I can tell that’s a dangerous combo.”
The two weighed in before Yuri looked back at the book. Soon, his expression softened.
“Mr. Haring, I really think we should take Ms. Eleanor along.”
“Mn? No means no.”
“I mean, she seems like a good person.”
“Tsk... This again.”
Once again, Haring made no attempt to hide his irritation. He clicked his tongue for everyone to hear.
“You bein’ an idiot who’ll trust anyone ain’t none of my business. But—”
“It’s not like I’ll trust just anyone.” Yuri cut Haring off and held the book high. “This book was published a long, long time ago. She’s read it so many times the pages are all worn out, and she still carries it around like a priceless treasure... That’s the sort of person Ms. Eleanor is.”
He flashed his teeth in a refreshing smile.
“And I trust myself more than I trust anyone else. That means if I trust someone, I’ll believe they’re a good person no matter what everyone says.”
After he had said that much, Yuri found himself scratching his face. “...Umm, is that not a good enough reason?”
“You really are dumb. Of course not, it’s right out,” Haring immediately replied, before letting out a deep sigh. “Oi, weeb elf.”
“Yes!? I do something wrong!?”
“Talkin’ with the brat hurts my brain, so you keep him company. As long as you can do that, then you can tag along or whatever,” he announced, to blank stares, before ambling to his feet.
“Where are you going, Mr. Haring?”
“Gotta find somethin’ to eat. That elf there took my dinner.”
And leaving these words, Haring disappeared into the depths of the thicket. Yuri and Eleanor were alone now, and they exchanged a curious look.
“...Can come along now?”
“Probably, I think that’s what happened?”
Eleanor’s face lit up. “......! I really am thank you, thank you!”
“Whoah!? I-I didn’t do anything!”
“I so happy I able to meet you!”
Overcome with emotion, Eleanor embraced Yuri again and patted his head all over. The thinness of her clothing made this somewhat unsettling.
“I also so thankful to Haring! He is very good person!”
“Yes! Mr. Haring really is a good person, you know!” Yuri burst into a grin. “I mean—he’s someone I believe in!”