âJulian.â The elf replied softly, âI can no longer use that last name, let the past be the past.â
It was as if the dwarf could not hear what he said, he just raised his hand to his face, pinching himself hard.
âAaaaaahhhhhh â If this is a dream please donât let me wake up!â
Seeing that he had indeed regained his energy, the knight moved over to the elf.
âFind anything?â
The elf pointed to the face of the body, the mask on the face was already starting to peel.
The man was around forty years of age, the color of his skin indicated someone that stayed indoors. The cane was obviously a staff in disguise, from the manâs pockets, they discovered some magic potions and runes, the bottles carried the insignia of the Mage Academy.
âTraitor?â
âPerhaps,â the elf nodded, âfrom his face and writing, we should be able to find his records in the Mage Academy.â
âThen the next step ââ
âInvestigate the chiefâs room, explain to the villagers, and on the gnomeâs sideâŚâ
âDonât worry,â the knight patted his shoulder, âeverything else can wait. Itâs best to take care of the body, then go back to rest.â
âDo I look very worried?â the elf lifted his head, smiling at the knight, âPerhaps.â
As if they timed it, the conversation between the siren and the dwarf started to become loud.
âSo Ellen is that famous?â
âFamous? Mr.Shelly, that word is not enough to describe it! He is the user of the magic weapon âMorningstarâ, all archers in the Legendary Era look up to him, from the wandering minstrels ââ
âJulian! Please stop!â the elf final couldnât take it and stood up, his face carrying a hint of red, âItâs very embarrassingâŚâ
âEh? ButâŚâ
âNo buts, thatâs an order!â
The knight looked between the elf and dwarf, finally couldnât resist laughing.
âJulian, leave it at that. If you say anymore, the captain will order us to dig another hole, to bury him as well.â
âI donât understandâŚâ the dwarf said stubbornly, âisnât it something to be proud of?â
âYouâll understand one day,â the elf looked as if he wanted to hide behind the knight, âwhen youâre being scrutinized.â
The dwarf didnât seem to hear that either, his gaze turning worshipful, he looked at the normal looking weapon on the elfâs back.
âCould it be⌠that bow isâ?â
âAt a discounted price from the weapons shop at Elvira Lower City, a total of three gold including the quiver and twenty four arrows.â
âEh⌠then⌠what happened to âMorningstarâ?â
â⌠I donât know,â the elf shook his head, âanyways I donât have the ability to control that now.â
In a delicate silence, they buried the body of the mage, returning to the rooms of the âGnome Innâ.
â⌠Even though Iâm very tired, but I donât feel like sleeping.â The dwarf said in a small voice, âIs this called insomnia?â
âGo take a bath first,â the siren suddenly suggested happily, âhuman bathhouses are really fun.â
âTrue,â the knight looked down as his mud covered body, nodding, âseize this opportunity. In a few days, even if you want to take a bath it would only be with cold water.â
The bathing facilities of the âGnome Innâ were underground, a cauldron sat on top of a stove. Thereâs a well in the courtyard, wood and water bucket was placed on one side, everything was left for the clients to assist themselves.
The inside of the bathing room was simple and large, but there was still wooden boards lining out individual cubicles.
âThatâs surprisingly detailed and considerate of privacy,â the knight said in surprise, âit feels much better than Elvira.â
âCould it be to prevent incidents of âpicking up soapâ from happening?â(1) the Siren asked.
âWhat is âpicking up soapâ?â
ââŚJulian, donât ask.â The knight seems to be choking again.
In order to prevent the siren from creating more trouble, the knight picked him up, and threw him into one of the cubicles along with the hot water.
âNo more talking, bathing is more important.â
The siren agreed happily, then mist could be seen seeping out of the cubicle, quickly filling the whole room.
Then, from the mist, came the sound of water and the harsh voice of a burly man.(2)
âOH~ my beautiful and cute fat maiden~,
She has a chest as wide as the sea,
Pillowed on that thick arm every night,
Accompanying me into the happy dreams of a sailor~ da da~â
âShelly! What are you doing!?â The knight shouted gritting his teeth.
âGetting rid of people,â the siren replied, his voice returned to normal, âbecause I like to transform back to my original form when singing so Raymond asks me to be careful not to let anyone see. Every time I do this, every one runs away.â
âItâs the middle of the night! No one but us are going to come!â
âAh~â the siren replied, âthen I donât have to use that voice.â
â⌠And stop playing in the water!â
Answering him, the sirenâs beautiful voice started to sing again.
âOH~ her thick black eyebrows~
Are like the seaweed floating~ in the seaâŚâ
âShellyâ! Canât you change to another song?!â
âIsnât hot water supposed to remove your tiredness?â half an hour later, the knight staggered into the room, âBut why do I feel even more tired?â
âIsnât that goodâŚâ the elf mumbled, falling onto the mattress.
âHey hey, youâre not going to dry your hair before falling asleep? Youâll get a cold.â The knight frowned.
The knight sighed, reaching his hand out, brushing the elfâs long hair aside, âGoodnight, Ellen.â
The dwarfâs face reddened again.
The siren hid in his blankets, smiling secretively.
It was now the darkest hour before dawn.
The room was silent and warm, the best atmosphere for sleeping.
But the dwarf was still wide awake, staring at the indistinguishable ceiling.
There was a time, when he thought about giving up, even consoling himself, that perhaps Toddâs journal was just an adventure novel he thought up himself.
But now he was experiencing the sequel to that novel.
It was as if the battle just a few hours ago was burned into his eyes, even with his eyes closed, the scene would circle his mind refusing to go away.
âThe most dazzling Morningstar, the name itself Ellen ¡ Dawntracker (Star ¡ One who seeks the dawn), was a surprisingly suitable title. Because no matter how bright the star, next to the brilliance of the sun and moon, would become insignificant.
In the âUnicorn Legionâ, the role that elven archer played was something like that. In comparison to those reckless members, his modest actions really made him inconspicuous. Or because, he would always hide himself whether intentionally or unintentionally in otherâs spotlight.
That doesnât mean he would purposefully distance himself from others, quite the opposite, to every teammate, including someone like me who was a non-combatant, he was very kind and gentle. He cares and trusts everyone, but that sentiment doesnât have a clear direction. No one can claim to be his best friend, and in terms of romance, it seems he is completely uninterested. He is a very reliable teammate, but on the other hand, he would not readily rely on others.
âIs this due to the indifferent nature of elves, or caused by his own history, that I do not know.
If one sees him fight with their own eyes, then they would surely understand the meaning of âDazzlingâ.
Only on the battlefield would he reveal that passion and bravery, I can say without exaggeration, that it truly makes you awestruck.
Perhaps that is Ellen ¡ Dawntrackerâs true nature.â
The most detailed description of the elf in Toddâs journal, was only this short page.
Thinking about that, the dwarf unconsciously gave a pleased little smile.
Mr.Todd, I donât know what happened in these three hundred years, but theMr.Ellen I know now, is no longer the same as the Dawntracker that you have described.
The story of the âUnicorn Legionâ is not finished yet, I wish to witness everything.