Skeleton Knight in another world volume 8 Page 2

  Her eyes narrowed as if she were staring down her prey.

  I simply shrugged and shook my head.

  “Wasn’t it the same for you, Ferufivisurotte-dono? Was it my imagination, or were you holding back until that last blow?”

  She flipped her hair back and showed me a mischievous smile in response to my question.

  “If I had been serious from the start, this building wouldn’t still be standing…… It’s the same for you as well, isn’t it? Those gathered here should’ve realized it as well. This competition has safely introduced them to the man named Arc-han.”

  Before, Ferufivisurotte spoke of using this arena as a means of amusing herself.

  But that had been her goal…… although she did seem to enjoy the act fighting on its own.

  Rather, it was one one of the things she’d been after when we met with the great elders of Maple.

  I was a part of the elven village Raratoia for the time being, but I was still considered a newcomer by the general populace, so it was unlikely that the soldiers would be willing to follow such a person into battle.

  Though it was a bit forceful, fighting a dragon king should help avoid any contempt raising amongst the rank and file.

  At the thought, I caught sight of someone descending from the bleachers and entering the arena where Ferufivisurotte and I were standing.

  The voluptuous approaching woman was dressed in elven clothing, that had traditional patterns sew into them. She had lilac skin, snow white hair and golden eyes.

  Even among this gathering of elves, very few women had the racial characteristic of a dark elf.

  After I came to this world, she became a companion with whom I’d traveled to various locations, and who was currently a member of the same village I was part of…… Ariana cast a worried glance at Ferufivisurotte’s exposed abdomen.

  “Are you alright Ferufivisurotte-sama?”

  Her question stemmed from when I had impaled Ferufivisurotte with the 『Holy Thunder Sword 』, the way Ariane’s eyes darted between her abdomen and face was proof of her worry.

  For Ariane’s sake, Ferufivisurotte thinly smiled as she rubbed her abdomen with a scaled hand.

  “Don’t worry, my insides are fine. I already told him, my body is special. See, it didn’t even leave a scratch.”

  “I-Is that so……”

  Ariane breathed a relieved sigh with a hand over her heart when she heard Ferufivisurotte was alright, then she placed a hand on my shoulder and started whispering to me.

  “Hey, Arc. What happened? That looked like a fatal blow from where I was sitting.”

  I shook my head at Ariane’s question.

  “I don’t know, there was a firm response, so it wasn’t an illusion…… I don’t know what type of trick she used. Maybe it’s a special ability dragon kings have in their human forms.”

  I looked back at Ferufivisurotte after I said that, but she was currently busy waving to the crowd.

  Then, I caught the familiar sight of a small green animal flying towards me.

  It was sixty centimeters long. Her big white fluffy tail took up half of her body and there were also patches of skin that were reminiscent of a flying squirrel, connecting her fore- and hind legs.

  “Kyun! Kyun!”

  The animal who let out a small cry before she landed on my helmet belong to a group of creatures the elves referred to as spirit beast.

  “Oh, Ponta. Is something wrong?”

  “Kyun!”

  When I stroked Ponta’s head and asked her what was going on, Ponta tapped on my helmet and gestured at someone in the audience.

  I gazed in the direction she was pointing towards, and I saw that someone was beckoning us.

  “Ariane-dono, someone seems to be calling for us.”

  Ariane turned toward the audience when she heard my comment and nodded in agreement before addressing Ferufivisurotte.

  ” Ferufivisurotte.-sama, we shall take our leave now.”

  “Oya, I’ve had enough entertainment for today. As I said before, I shall keep my promises. …… Arc-han let’s play on our own some other time.”

  Ferufivisurotte turned away from the adoring audience and answered Ariane with a slight smile on her face.

  I felt a chill run down my spine when I saw Ariane’s expression.

  “Well, if the opportunity presents itself……”

  With that, I turned around and began to leave the arena with Ariane and Ponta, but I stopped in my tracks when she spoke up again.

  “Oh yeah, Arc-han. There a little story that I would like to share with you……”

  Ferufivisurotte looked to the sky as her voice trailed off.

  I looked back at her and asked her what she meant.

  “What story would that be?”

  When she spoke of a story, she didn’t mean in this place, and it seems rather personal to her…… that the words had slipped out unintentionally as if she mistook me for an acquaintance.

  However, after remaining quiet for a while, a gentle smile settled on her face and she brushed off her previous statement with a wave of the hand.

  “Yes, yes, the time for us to talk is quickly approaching. Arc-han.”

  After saying that, she spread her small wings and began, as she’d done when she first arrived, to quickly flew away.

  Dragon King Ferufivisurotte left on an ominous note…… in truth, I rather not cross blades with her if I could help it.

  Judging by her pleasant expression though, that wish would fall on deaf ears so long as I remained part of an elven village.

  The condition for her participation in the war…… came at an extremely high personal cost.

  “Kyun?”

  “I’m alright, Ponta.”

  I tickled Ponta under her chin as I let out a sigh as we left the arena and made our way to the seats.

  Every member of the great elder council had witnessed my match with Ferufivisurotte and some of them seemed uncertain of how to act when they saw me.

  Even amongst the elves, there probably wasn’t anyone who could contend with a Dragon King.

  Surprise and caution blurred their faces.

  However, a few of them had other expressions.

  Those people had looks of intrigue and admiration…… someone among those was the first to speak up. He was the third generation chieftain of the entire Canada Forest, Brian Boyd Evangeline Maple.

  His green-tinged, blonde hair was rather long and braided into a complex style and he wore tasteful jewelry around his neck and other locations on his body.

  Chief Brian spoke in an excited tone when he looked me straight in the eyes when he addressed me.

  “I can’t believe what I just saw. I heard about you from elder Dylan, but to think that someone was capable of fighting Ferufivisurotte so well…… Any dissatisfaction the soldiers might have from you leading them is sure to have vanished after that display.”

  Chief Brian had a faint smile on his face as he spoke and the dark elven great elder, Fangas Furan Maple, chimed in as well.

  He was about the same size as me. His large body, sharply trimmed grey hair and bread, and the severe scar across his face added to his intimidating presence.

  He seemed to be Ariane’s maternal grandfather, but he seemed more like a great warrior than an elder, and he seemed to be in a cheerful mood right now.

  “It has been quite some time since I’ve seen such a fight. By all means, I’d enjoy a bout with you myself.”

  He patted my shoulders, releasing an intimidating chuckle as he spoke.

  “Kyun! Kyun!”

  Ponta protested the vibrations his actions sent through my armor.

  Even though the fight had come to an end, it seemed I was destined to suffer many hardships going forward.

  Speaking of my personal image of elves, while I initially imagined them to be quiet intellectuals with a mastery over magic, I’d started to realize that calling them muscle heads would be more accurate.

/>   However, it was understandable given their circumstances.

  It was evident that constant persecution from humans and having to contend with powerful monsters had made strength a necessity.

  While somewhat troubled by Fangas’ praise, I turned towards two people who seemed more embarrassed by his behavior than anything.

  One of them was Ariane’s father and the elder of Raratoia, Dylan Targ Raratoia, and the other was her sister, Ivana Glenys Maple.

  Unlike Ariane, Dylan was a regular elf with long ears and greenish-blonde hair, he was also dressed in traditional elven clothes.

  Dylan could be seen as the embodiment of the stereotypical elf, he was the polar opposite of elder Fargus and Ferufivisurotte. If they were the sword which elven society deployed in battle, he was the extending hand of compromise.

  He lowered his head towards me and showed his appreciation.

  “Thank you, Arc-kun. We don’t have a lot of time, but it will take an entire day to make preparations and gather the warriors. Your transfer magic will be necessary tomorrow, you can use the remainder of the day to rest.”

  When I looked at Ariane, she gave me a confused glace in response.

  “Then would it be alright if I explore the city for a bit?”

  There were few things I could do to help the soldiers prepare for war, so I would like to take in all Maple had to offer.

  Taking a single step in Maple was all I need to revisit it with my transfer magic 【Gate】, but since I was already here, it was only natural that I wanted to explore a little.

  Dylan looked towards Chief Brian, who nodded his head before he replied to me with a smile on his face.

  “We don’t mind such a thing. Ariane shall act as your guide. However, its necessary to relay our decision to our human allies, so I’d be grateful if you could handle that.”

  Ariane shrugged her shoulders and breathed a sigh when he said so.

  “Don’t look around for too long, Arc. Did you forget that Chiome-chan and Lille-chan are waiting?”

  I nodded as I accepted their suggestion.

  Although I wanted to explore the city, princess Lille must have been worried by now.

  However, someone interrupted our conversation.

  “Yes, Yes! I’ll go where Ari-chan does!”

  Ariane’s older sister linked arms with her and raised her hand as she insisted to be taken along.

  She was a dark elf like Ariane, her characteristic snow-white hair was cut to a semi-short length, her liveliness made her seem more like a Ariane’s younger sister.

  Her younger sister Ariane was the most surprised by her behavior.

  “Ivana-neesan is coming along!?”

  Ivana puffed out her cheeks when she heard that, and Ariane frantically waved her hands and attempted to smooth over what she said.

  “D-Does Onee-chan have to come? What about preparations for tomorrow?”

  Ariane was embarrassed to the point of trembling when she called Ivana「Onee-chan」. Probably because she usually didn’t call her that in public.

  While I observed their interesting behavior, Ivana tightened her hold on Ariane’s arm and gave me a piercing gaze filled with hostility

  She seemed wary of me being around her younger sister.

  “My equipment is fine for this little outing, and it will work for my usual patrol. So long as this doesn’t take too long, it should be fine. Can’t wait to see your sister in action, can you? Ari-chan?”

  Ivana looked away from me and enthusiastically questioned Ariane, but Dylan reluctantly stepped forward and interrupted her.

  “I’m sorry, Ivana, but, it has been decided that you won’t take part in this expedition.”

  “Eeh!? What!? This is an important war for Canada, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better to have more people with my abilities on hand? So why!?”

  When Ivana protested her father’s decision Dylan quietly looked away as her grandfather Fargas that explained things to her.

  “That’s correct, Ivana. Many warriors will be dispatched, but we cannot allow the capital to be deserted. You will act as the commanding officer of Maple’s guards. Don’t worry though, I will be taking part in this war in your place! Kuhaha!”

  “Eh, what!? But, grandfather! How can a great elder like you appear on the battlefield?! Isn’t this an abuse of authority!?”

  “Kuhaha, the more vexing it is for, you the better it is for me, Ivana.”

  Fargas laughed off at his granddaughter’s biting comments, his large smile made it clear he wasn’t partially worried about it.

  Elders were supposed to be the leaders of the villages within Canada, normally they would not be tasked with warrior duties. However, Fargas’ dominating aura and large stature made it clear that he was quite skilled in his own right.

  Based on Ivana’s remark, it seemed that Fargas would occasionally use his position to join the frontlines.

  While they watched the grandfather and granddaughter argue, Dylan and Brian shared glances with one another as they fought back their laughter. I guess this was a common occurrence.

  However, this……

  “……Do we have to wait for this conversation’s conclusion?”

  “Kyun?”

  As I watched those two, I voiced my thoughts, which caused Ponta to look questioningly and Ariane to sigh.

  CHAPTER 2

  「Moment of Rest」

  The majority of elves on the Northern Continent lived in the Great Canada Forest.

  Even though monsters bordered the immense forest, it acted as a natural barrier that divided elven territory from the human territory.

  I was a bit surprised when I learned that the vast Canada Forest had been created artificially by the first elven chieftain.

  Maple was built in the center of the forest, far from human civilization, yet the city had more of an urban atmosphere than any of the human cities I’ve visited.

  Mysterious, natural trees and artificial, fused high-rises lined the cities streets, with aerial walkways connecting some of the larger buildings, and I could even see a lot of people making use of them.

  The city’s streets were well-maintained, with streetlamps set at equal intervals along both sides, multiple craftsmen and other people were already out and going about their business.

  The landscape of the city which I lived in flashed through my mind as I took in the bustling valley of high-rises.

  It hadn’t been that long since I set foot in this world, perhaps a few months had passed at best.

  However, the vague feeling that I would never be able to return home made my heart ache.

  The first generation Chieftain who built this large city, the first Hanzo who brought together the cat beastmen, fighting the Empire’s persecution of beastmen, and the first King who built the Beastmen Kingdom on the Southern Continent…… there was no doubt that they had come from the same world as me.

  I wonder if they left behind any regrets in the former world…… it’s not like I knew any of them, but to the best of my knowledge, their bones were all buried here.

  What is the purpose of all this…… it wasn’t something I thought about often.

  It could be considered a blessing that being in my skeletal form prevented me from feeling negative emotions, allowing me to maintain a positive outlook.

  Although it was a bit inconvenient, the form allowed me to get by with few problems…… However, the Dragon King’s spring water broke the curse and allowed my emotions to return.

  Once this war was over, I needed to think about my future and acclimate myself to my body and emotions.

  …… I had to prepare myself to live in this world.

  As I pondered such things, Ariane, who’d been guiding me through the crowded streets, turned around with a confused look on her face.

  “Hey, what’s the matter, Arc? You said that you wanted to see Maple, Arc, so where would you like to go, what do you want to see? The city is rather large, so you can’t see everyth
ing in a day or two.

  “Kyun! Kyun!”

  Ariane gave me a doubtful look and reproved my absentmindedness, even Ponta chimed in from atop my head.

  I pushed those unnecessary thoughts from my head and focused on why I was here.

  “Oh, sorry Ariane-dono. I was taking in the big city with what little time I had, and I was reminded of a place I visited some time ago. Do you know of any good shops where I can buy elven magical tools?”

  “A magic tool shop? There are a few of them, but where were they?”

  She seemed a little confused by my question…… when Ivana, who’d been silent till now, noticed, she opened her mouth.

  “Then, Ari-chan why don’t we go to the shop we used to visit?”

  The same time Ivana voiced her proposal, Ariane clapped her hands once and made the same suggestion with a smile.

  “Oh, yeah. There’s the shop I visited with Ivana-neesan. That’s it.”

  She ventured into the crowd with Ivana and I following behind her.

  My armor gathered a lot of attention from the pedestrians as I passed the people on the street.

  I was moving at a quick pace as to not lose sight of Ariane’s back, but an unexpected intense stare drew my attention.

  I turned towards its source…… only to find Ivana sending a sharp glace in my direction.

  “Kyun?”

  Ponta picked up on the atmospheric shift and confusedly looked at her.

  “Is something wrong, Ivana-dono?”

  She averted her gaze at my straightforward question.

  I tried to clear the uncomfortable air between the two of us, but Ivana opened her mouth and spoke in a series tone before I could.

  “……… I confirmed you have a suitable sword arm. However, if you do anything to hurt Ari-chan I will never forgive you.”

  She pointed her finger at me as she made that declaration and released an aura of pressure that urged me to reply.

  I got caught up in her momentum, nodded my head along as I replied.

  “Yeah, understood. Ivana-dono. I’ll protect Ariane-dono even if I lose my life.”

  The upcoming battle would be the most dangerous one, but she was feeling anxious about not being able to be there to protect Ariane.