Walking down the street, I crossed path with Allen. I waved at him but he didn’t notice me, he seemed to be deeply immersed in his thoughts. I could only wonder what he was up to.

This is not the first time either. I sighed. It was sad to be ignored like this…

He’s always walking around like a golem and that smiling stone-face of his. If I didn’t know he doesn’t do it on purpose I’d get offended.

I gave up catching up with him since I was heading in another direction. I resumed walking.

He said he came from another world. I always dreamed of visiting other worlds, but beside the land of the Fae which I’ve read about and is supposed to be just another face of our world, no evidence was ever found of others.

Allen revealed to us a little about his world, but the descriptions didn’t match at all neither Álfheimr nor any other fairy land I had read about.

Could it be that he had fallen victim to a mindweaver?

He had a lot of peculiar knowledge… maybe they wanted to shut down his genius. But then why let him go free? It doesn’t look like Allen’s mind had been broken. It doesn’t make any sense. Unless… he escaped?

In any case, I didn’t really buy that the All-Maker himself would bother bringing a random person into our world just to “try it out”. It must be the result of someone messing with his mind.

Yes, it must be so. I nodded to myself.

Or is it? There were still many mysteries the magicians had yet to find an answer for.

“Owwww!” I heard a cry of pain to my right, catching my attention.

I turned toward the sound to see a child who had fallen and scraped his knee on the hard paving stones. He was already tearing up.

I approached, showing him a smile.

“Easy now, let me see…” I said with gentleness, the little boy looked at me with teary round eyes.

I knelt down, cupping my hands upon his hurt knee and cast Healing. The cut and bruise quickly disappeared as if they were never there.

I grinned. “There, all better now!” I patted his head.

“T-Thank you, miss!” The child sniffed and smeared his tears away.

I helped him up and stroked his hair. I was rewarded with a smile.

“Be more careful on your feet. Anhelm bless you!” I said closing my hands in prayer.

“You too miss!” The child grinned and scampered away. Cute!

The bad feeling from having been ignored was washed away in an instant.

I arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild and walked inside.

The mood was as lively as ever, I spotted Grastel and Namrick who were sitting at the usual table. I joined them.

“Hi, guys!” I said cheerily.

“Hi, Ellin.” They both answered. They looked in good mood as well.

“I crossed paths with Allen… but he didn’t see me.” My smile turned into a pout.

“Classic Allen,” Grastel said with a smile.

A waitress stopped by to ask if I wanted a drink. I ordered my favorite.

“Did I tell you of that time I saw him walking across the street?” Namrick said. “I waved at him but it was like he was ignoring me. Then I saw a drunken guy shot in front of him trying to punch another man. Somehow he avoided the blow and kept walking on as if nothing happened.” He said baffled.

“Yeah, it’s like his mind is somewhere else but he keeps reacting automatically… like a golem.” Grastel agreed, nodding his head.

Namrick continued. “Then I caught up with him and he greeted me, but he had no recollection about the drunkard. Or of having seen me.” He shook his head and drank from his mug.

“And his stubborn avoidance of shady alleyways?” Grastel grinned.

“Haha, I remember that,” I said, recollecting the episode. “We had to take the long route as he kept saying stuff about triggering an event.”

Whatever that meant. Allen had a bad habit of using foreign words without explaining their meaning. It’s like he was afraid of telling us. Or maybe he was just making them up. I just don’t know what to think.

“And the silver box!” Namrick said looking at Grastel with a conspiratorial smile.

“Behold my new features!” Grastel said, making grand gestures with his hands.

We laughed. It was fun because Allen always makes a big show when he shows off his enchanted cube.

The waitress arrived with my velber flavored drink, I thanked her.

“Seriously though, with those few magics he knows he’s accomplished some incredible things,” I admitted and took a sip from the drink. So sweet.

I didn’t think you could do such amazing things with just spell triggers.

“True.” Namrick agreed with me.

“If only he wasn’t always so smug about it…” Grastel complained, shaking his head.

I put a finger to my chin. “He might get even smugger. That new teacher called Grohm… his last name is Khalkear.”

“Khalkear… wait, that Khalkear ?” Namrick looked at me wide-eyed.

I nodded. “The very same.”

“Who ?” Grastel shot a confused look from me to Namrick.

“Grohm Khalkear, the greatest authority on magical constructs in this continent. And apparently, Allen has been tasked to share his knowledge with him.” I said with a baffled voice.

“Wheeeh… Allen is going places. I wonder if he’ll remember about us when he’s all rich and famous.” He said with a jaded expression.

Namrick grinned. “We might have to remind him who his real friends are.”

“Yes. We can’t lose our best cook!” I said, slamming a fist on the table.

We all nodded in agreement.

We reminisced of our previous adventures until Grastel's stomach started grumbling.

“Uhm… how about a pizza ?” He looked down at his stomach then at Namrick and me.

“Yes!” I replied standing up. Pizza is good.

And so we went.

We were halfway there when we heard a woman scream.

“Aaahhhh! Help!”

We looked at each other and rushed toward the sound.

Inside a back-alley, a woman was being molested by a bunch of lowlifes.

“Let her go!” Said Namrick, charging ahead of us. The six thugs turned their heads to us.

The woman was huddled in a corner pleading and whimpering.

“None of your business, brats! Screw off!” One of the thugs yelled at us.

Namrick did not stop.

“Tch…” The thug spat on the ground and got on the offensive.

One of the men moved to intercept Namrick, brandishing a knife. Namrick hesitated.

The others took out their weapons too and smiled cruelly.

We hadn’t brought our adventuring equipment today, it was supposed to be a leisure day!

But we had worked hard and vowed to show each other the results of our training in the next battle. This was the chance. I steeled my resolve and stood beside Namrick and Grastel.

Anhelm, guide us! I prayed to my chosen God.

“Let the woman go.” Namrick intimated the thugs.

I and Grastel positioned ourselves right behind Namrick’s shoulders, ready to support him.

Namrick was strong, but we were outnumbered.

The thugs looked at each other and laughed nastily. “No. Instead, we’ll give you a lesson and have some fun with your girl.” Their leader leered at me and licked his lips.

I shivered. Disgusting.

The men jumped forward, one of them remaining behind to hold the woman down.

Namrick blocked the closest one and head-butted him while Grastel took the opportunity to disarm the opponent and steal his knife.

Two of them moved on our sides. I stepped back, touching the wall. Namrick was on my left and Grastel on the right.

“Screw that. Kill them!” The thug boss yelled at his men.

I won’t let that happen!

“Close your eyes!” I whispered to my friends and weaved an incantation.

Suddenly, a blinding light permeated the air.

“Gah!” The thugs covered their eyes too late.

Grastel and Namrick moved in unison. Namrick punched one in the face and seized his blade, then with practiced moves inflicted deep wounds on the two closest men.

Grastel stabbed a thug in the leg and sliced at the arm, sending the foe to the ground.

“Kuhh,” The injured men let out pained grunts.

But then the thug boss moved in and grabbed hold of Grastel’s arm, pushing him against Namrick with mana infused strength. Oh no!

They both rolled on the ground.

“Guh!” Grastel ended up half tangled to Namrick.

My heart was puounding in my chest.

“Nam! Stel!” I shouted with concern running toward them. .

“The hell are you doing?! Just skraggin kill them!” The boss roused his men.

“Not a chance!” Namrick shouted, pushing Grastel aside and kicking upward to the closest foe, sending him flying. Then rolled back and jumped forward swinging the stolen blade against the boss. “Take this!”

I helped Grastel up and cast Protection to deflect the blows from the foes closest to us.

We had incapacitated two of them, but there were still four.

The thug leader was strong, he was keeping Namrick occupied.

Grastel pushed me back a step. “Stay behind me, Ellin!” He yelled.

Then he used his dexterity to dance against the thugs’ attacks. I used mental interference to slow down their reflexes. Doing so he managed to make two of them trip against each other and sliced the wrist of a third one, who dropped his knife.

He smiled at me and I nodded back returning the smile. Nice moves, Stel.

“Gaaah!” The bad guys went on the floor and swore. “Crap! Little bastards!”

Another foe had been incapacitated. We were doing it!

“Give up and we’ll let you go,” I said with defiance.

“Screw you! Gar, put your blade at that whore's throat.” The thug boss said, turning his head to the man who was keeping the woman cornered.

“Y-Yes boss!” He stammered a little but did as ordered.

The woman tried to resist but it was futile, the thug was now pressing his knife against her throat.

“P-please…” Tears were streaking her face.

Damn it! Using such cowardly tactics…

“Make a move and she’s dead!” Their boss spat blood at the ground.

“Coward!” Namrick shouted, anger showing on his face.

“Drop the blades and maybe we’ll let you walk away.” He replied with a wicked grin.

“Do we look like fools?” Grastel stood his ground.

We were at an impasse.

“What do we do?” I asked, looking left and right. Grastel and Namrick did not answer.

With the war, the number of soldiers patrolling the city had been greatly reduced. This was one of the consequences.

We and our foes remained still, staring down each other.

Until something happened.

A sound was coming from the passage next to Gar, the lowlife who was keeping the woman hostage.

The man turned his head toward the sound… and paled. “Huh? W-Wha- Huuwaaa!” He started yelling with fear letting his knife fall on the ground.

What’s going on? I frowned in confusion.

The woman let out a whimper before passing out. The bandit started shaking and let her fall against the corner. With trembling legs, he stepped back until he hit the wall.

I started having a bad feeling. What was happening? I couldn’t see anything from here.

Everyone turned their heads to see.

A shambling figure showed itself from the passage. It was a thing of nightmares, pale and purplish pulsing flesh and long red tendrils moving every which way. It moved its eyeless gaze at us and we were showered with fear.

I whimpered. What’s that thing ?! I felt goosebumps cover my skin.

Namrick and Grastel winced as well.

“Wha-” The exclamation died in my throat. A monster?! Here in the city?!!

“FreesSHH… fooOOD!” A spectral voice spoke from the shifting flesh.

Tendrils of pulsing flesh began extending toward the bandit called Gar.

Gar began running for his life without looking back.

“What the heck ?!” The boss said with a tinge of fear. He started sweating cold at the sight.

“DelICiouSss… meat…” It spoke again. Something like a smile formed on that figure. It was unsettling.

We took a step back.

“I-I don’t want to die!” The thugs were in panic.

“Fuck it! Run. Run!” The boss picked up one of the injured thugs and they started running while the others helpe each other.

The thugs ran away past us without giving us a second glance.

The woman was in danger!

My heart was beating impossibly fast. Namrick looked at me and nodded, a stoic expression on his face.

We mustered our willpower. I cast Clear Mind on us to fend off the fear.

Namrick took his combat stance and prepared himself to attack the creature.

“Ha! Hahahah!” I heard a strangely familiar voice.

Wait… that voice…

The illusion dissipated just like smoke, revealing a man beneath it.

“Allen ?!” I spoke bewildered.

Allen stood there with a satisfied smile.

“What did I tell you about shady alleys? Ah… did you see that one that peed himself?!” He was in good spirits.

“Huh…” Grastel said, lowering his knife. He looked at Namrick with a raised brow.

I stared at Allen speechless. How did he get in here ?

“So… was this the woman I heard screaming?” Allen said pointing at the fainted woman on the ground.

“Ah, yes!” I moved in to heal her. She had received a few bruises but she was fine. Thankfully we had made it in time.

I took a breath of relief.

“Well, that took away all my mana. I’m hungry. Who’s up for a pizza ?” He asked.

Namrick started laughing. “Allen, we were just talking about you a little ago.” He said squeezing Allen’s shoulder.

“Showering me with praises, I’m sure!” Allen said lifting his chin.

Grastel shook his head and grinned. “Ahah, yeah! Let’s go!”

I woke the woman and asked her if she wanted to join us, but she declined. She just wanted to go straight home.

Since it was along the way we accompanied her.

“T-Thank you very much! I… can give you a few silver coins…” the woman said, bowing with gratitude.

“There’s no need. We just did what anyone would have.” I said with an honest smile.

The woman lowered her eyes. “No… not anyone. Thank you… again.” She bowed again, a faint smile lightening her face.

“Goodbye.” I saluted her and rejoined my friends.

Seeing her happiness had warmed my heart.

Today was a good day.

“Come on, I’m starving!” Allen urged from a dozen paces ahead.

I gave Namrick and Grastel a pat on their shoulders and a bright smile for the job well done, and we set off to our destination.