Chapter 25: Taboo?

Cathie POV~

It’s been a few days since I came out of that dungeon. Few days since that little Imp helped me regain some semblance of my strength. Thanks to that, I was able to escape the trap waiting for me at the front gate of the dungeon. Those people who ran away back then informed their higher-ups about my existence and when I came out, few bandits were waiting for me with their weapons blazing.

Thanks to the effort I put into my recovery, I was able to regain enough energy and magic to wipe out these hickeys off the map. After they were dealt with, I quickly left for the town. This dungeon was located amidst deep mountain ranges, which acted as a border between the Veliar kingdom and Aseavell Empire. Naturally, due to the unique geographical positioning, both empire couldn’t stake their claims on it, and thus it became public property. Unfortunately, due to the ideal location, bandits and thieves run rampant in these mountain ranges.

I could tell the reason these people attacked me. It was to make me a slave and then sell to some shady slave trader. Those things were pretty common in these lawless parts. While the Aseavell kingdom prohibited slavery, Veliar kingdom allowed it to some extent. According to these bandits, after they condition me and sell me to some noble of Veliar Kingdom, not only it wouldn’t go against the rules, they would also able to get huge benefits this way.

The first thing I did after returning to town was to meet up with my best friend, Leah. I could still remember that hopeless look on her face when she escaped while leaving me behind. I couldn’t tolerate such a look on her face. Leah was normally a happy go lucky, hyperactive girl. Such a sad look doesn’t suit her.

When I arrived at the single house she lived in, the usually cheery girl had become a sulking zombie. With her hairs unkempt, bags under eyes, and disheveled appearance… I almost couldn’t recognize her. The moment she saw me, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates before she jumped into my embrace and started to cry her all the grievances she felt these few days.

While spending a few days with her, and using an abundance of recovery potions, my complexion became normal and so did Leah’s. However, although I recovered physically, my mind was still inside that dungeon. I couldn’t stop thinking about that little Imp and the Orc who helped me.

“You are awfully quiet. What are you thinking?” one afternoon while I was sitting on the balcony of the house we shared, Leah questioned me as she handed me a cup of hot cocoa-milk.

Accepting the cup from her and giving her a troubled smile, I answered truthfully, “I can’t stop thinking about those two monsters I met.”

“That Imp and Orc? Sis, are you sure, you were not hallucinating this whole time? After all, you have to exert your own life force for spells towards the end…” she stopped and stared off to space with a blank look on her face. Seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but feel bad. That day’s incident had become an incorrigible trauma in her heart. Now every time she recalls it, her face would go stiff and her eyes would vacate, like now. Seconds after when she regains her bearing, everything would go the way it should while she remembers none of it.

Exactly five seconds after her eyes turned normal and she started talking as if nothing happened, “I guess you have been hallucinating about them. How could monsters be that compassionate?”

“Idiot! If it’s about a day or two, I could accept that as hallucinations. But, it shouldn’t happen continuously for four days, right? Besides, I was already recovering my vitality during those days, how can I hallucinate still?” I shook my head and bopped her with my fist.

“Ouch, that hurts sis.” She complained while rubbing her head and with eyes crossed. Then she sipped from her cup as if nothing happened, “But sis, if you are so worried about them, how about we go and visit? Perhaps we can aid them with this war they are fighting.”

“We can’t. Between monster fights, we humans couldn’t interfere.” I, too, wanted to go in and help them. However, unlike humans, monsters don’t adhere to any rules and tactics; they simply rampage until one of them perishes. However, I really wanted to help them. If possible, I wanted to bring them outside of that place. But I knew, a monster from dungeon could never come out of it unless something like dungeon break happens.

“Why can’t we?” she looked at me with raised brows, “Since that Imp saved you, I want to thank him as well. You said it could understand human language and emotions. I wanted to meet it after knowing that.”

“But it’s a war between monsters. What can we do about it?” I couldn’t help but ask, after all, I too wanted to go inside and look for that Imp who saved me.

“We don’t have to do anything about it! We are just going to meet them. If the war is still going on we can just join the team they are fighting for.” When Leah said it, I couldn’t help but stare at her. Her answer was so simple that it didn’t cross my mind. Sometimes, even the complex of problems has simpler solutions. Due to my overthinking, I had completely overlooked this simple thing.

“That’s right! You are right!!” I smiled and even laughed merrily. With my worries solved, I hugged Leah in sheer happiness.

“Uff, sis! Aren’t you being excessively happy about it? You better remember not to cross the line and commit the taboo…” Leah remarked and I knew she meant it in a joking way. But to me, it wasn’t a joke because, even I was surprised at how happy I felt knowing that I can finally help those two fellows. This happiness wasn’t as simple as the thought of repaying a favor, it was a deeper level of happiness.

I know what Leah meant by taboo. It was the feeling of attraction and then union between monsters and humans; this was against the natural law and thus was considered a taboo. In monsters’ eyes, humans are nothing but foods, the same could also be said for humans. Can one fall in love with their source of food?

But… such taboo was also broken in the past.

People had fallen in love and later had kids with monsters and vice versa. This gave birth to a new species called Halfbreeds. They were social outcasts of both humans and monster species and were considered a nuisance. In the past, there were also recorded events of men and monsters joining their hands to eradicate them. It was because, although they were social outcasts, their strength was the real deal. They had all the advantages of both species and none the weaknesses. They had the growth potential of humans and the resilience and power of monsters. They were strong enough to give the devil race a scare.

Of course, all these were events of the past. Halfbreeds were almost completely wiped out and union between men and monsters had become a taboo and prohibited by law.

Due to this exact reason, it gave me a scare, as I couldn’t recognize the nature of my happiness. Nonetheless, we still decided to head out the next day to the dungeon and see if those two are still all right.

The day following, we both packed our bags and set out for the dungeon. Unlike last time, we didn’t go ill-prepared this time around. We packed all kinds of defensive measures and even one-time use of charms and potions. In case we face a situation like last time, we can use them to open a path for us. Although it cost us a small fortune, our life was more important. We can’t treat it lightly.

As we were passing through the town gate, the gatekeeper gave us a nod with a smile. I had become famous after the incident with Leah. After she came back, the first thing she did was to run towards the Adventurer Guild and begged them to help her rescue me while narrating everything that happened. Although the guild didn’t move, which was expected since I am not an official member of it; my reputation became far and wide and I received another moniker, ‘the heroine’.

Again, my embarrassment increased by several folds due to her… but I am not complaining this time as I gained such a name because I wanted to save my friend. There was nothing to complain about.

Returning the nod to him, I smiled stealthily as we both move past the gates. From Cloud Meadow to the mountain ranges where that nameless dungeon existed, it was a two hours travel by horses and three by foot. We were going on foot. We could have rented a horse, but that area was festered with bandits, taking a horse was akin to giving them a free meal pass. It’s a wastage of money.

“Sis, you have become so famous! I am jealous…”

“Isn’t it because of you blabbering your mouth uselessly? Who wanted to be this famous? It’s just plain hassle.” I complained seeing Leah pouting at my fame. Unable to control my anger, I pulled on her cheeks, earning pain-filled moans.

“Ouchie!! I am sorry, I am sorry!! Mercy!” Leah moaned in pain while slapping my hands lightly as she gave up. Seeing her tearing eyes, I let it go and concentrated on the road. We both were wearing form-fitting leather pants, under armors. Above it, we wore armors meant for our profession.

Leah, as the warrior, wore a slightly heavy metallic armor, arm, and leg bracers, together with metallic gloves. She hung her sword on her waist, and a bag pack containing food and potions, and a few charms. She had her blond hair in a bun and covered in a metallic hair accessory so that it won’t come in the way while fighting.

As for me, above my leather set dress, I wore cloth armor with many magic defensive properties meant for magicians. I also had a cloak wrapped around me, with a property to negate my presence, including smell and aura. This cost me a fortune and I had to travel all the way to the Royal Capital of Veliar Kingdom to buy it. This was one of the masterpieces of Madam Auelin, a well-known enchanter of Royal Capital.

By the way, enchanters are people who imbue magic into various magically conductive materials and give them properties. Take this cloak, for example, it was made from the skin of Mountain Trolls, a species known for their highly defensive properties and tendency to sleep. Their skin was highly conducive to magic and even has slight isolation properties. These isolation properties could be enhanced using magic, and that’s the job of an enchanter.

This time, instead of that huge wand, I had brought my prized short Green vine magic wand. It was around forty centimeters long and two centimeters thick. However, its power was many times greater than my previous wand. This Green Vine magic wand was given to me by my teacher the day before she vanished somewhere for good. That’s why, aside from its strength, this wand also held a huge sentimental value for me.

As we walked through the unusually silent forest, suddenly Leah halted and signaled me to stop. As a warrior, her senses were sharper than me who was a magician. While my mental and spiritual power was denser, unless I actively use them to detect my surroundings, I wouldn’t see any change. To put it more simply, Leah’s senses come as a passive as they were always active, whereas, my senses will only become sharp when I wish them to.

“Sis, I just heard branches groaning… I think someone is following us”

“Probably the bandits.” This forest was the domain of the bandits, aside from them, who will dare to follow us? In the first place, why would they even want to follow two girls who seem to mind their own business?

Nodding her head, Leah unsheathed her sword, and I brought out my wand before spreading my senses, trying to locate the person who was following us.

“There!” both Leah and I discovered the person almost at the same time. I conjured a green fireball and sent it flying towards the tree I felt the intruder was at. Leah activated the sword’s properties and slashed at the tree after closing the gap.

Boom!!

“Wait!! Don’t attack! It’s me…” After the explosion occurred due to my fire’s explosive properties, we heard a familiar shout. With a breeze of wind, a person appeared before us with a disheveled appearance. Seeing him, I couldn’t help but wrinkle my forehead. On the other hand, Leah’s face blossomed to a smile, “Well, if it isn’t Freddy uncle’s son, Jeffry!!?”