-Vandlind-

I peered into the dark interior of the wagon the sapient goblin was detained in. Various crates dotted the insides, and I strained to find the silhouette of who I was looking for. A subtle flap of cloth drew my attention, and bright yellow eyes looked back at me.

“Hello,” I gave her a gentle smile, “Are you okay?”

The fabric she wore shifted again as she darted her eyes away, not saying a word.

“What’s wrong?” I asked gently.

“Y-you trick me,” the girl mumbled under her breath; I could barely hear it.

“I tricked you? How did I do that?” I climbed into the back of the wagon and sat on a crate next to her.

“You… You give to nasty man. I hate you.” The frustration in her voice was evident, and it stung when she said she hated me.

“Ah,” I sighed, “Yes, I gave you to the nasty man. For what it's worth, I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but could you at least listen to what I have to say?” I hoped the length of sentences didn’t confuse her.

“O-okay… I listen,” she spoke slowly as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

I sunk down to the bottom of the crate, so I was eye-level with the back of her cloak, “I didn’t want to give you to the nasty man, but I had to. My friends would’ve been in trouble if I didn’t” I paused to see if she understood.

The top part of her cloak bobbed down slightly. I took it as a nod.

Running my tongue over my teeth in contemplation, I placed a ward to block sound waves around us, “What I’m trying to say is… I plan on rescuing you in a few days. I don’t want you to let the nasty man hurt you.”

The girl swiveled her towards me slightly, “Rescuing? What… mean?”

I gently smiled at the singular yellow eye peeking out of her hood, “I plan on… letting you stay with me.” I tried to use a word she was familiar with.

The goblin turned around completely, and she sat up towards me. Her voice rose in excitement, “I-! stay!?”

Phew, good thing I put that ward up.

I pushed my hands in a ‘quiet down’ gesture, “Yes, you will stay with me. But you can’t tell anyone, and you can’t mention it, even to me. Okay?”

She whispered dramatically at me, “No… tell?”

I nodded my head slowly, “Yes, no tell.”

“O-okay. I no tell.” She sat back down.

“Good,” I said, “Now…”

I frowned at her for a second and pushed the hood of her cloak down. Her hair was tangled and dirty; the same could be said for her face and visible portions of her body. When I first saw her, I had remarked at how clean she’d been, but that was compared to other goblins. I would have to fix this if she was going to stay with me like I told her.

The goblin looked at me expectantly.

“Let’s go clean.” I placed a hand on top of her head.

“Clean?” she asked, shifting my hand as she looked up, “What clean?”

Ah… I should’ve expected this from a goblin.

I frowned as I retracted my hand, “Uh… it’s hard to explain. I’ll have to show you. Can you show me your hands?”

She lifted her arms, and metal manacles clanged from her wrists; the holding device was attached to a chain hooked onto the back of the wagon itself. Why there was a pair of manacles on a seemingly normal wagon was a mystery. Actually, it was probably for situations exactly like this.

I placed my hands on the manacles and focused. Directing some ambient mana into the locking mechanism, I prodded around for the release. It was my first time attempting this, so I hoped it would work.

The manacles came off with a clank, and I let out a sigh of relief. I really didn’t want to polymorph the metal just to get them off. When my mother taught me how to use telekinesis, she probably didn’t think I’d end up using it this way. Or maybe she did? Who knew?

The goblin girl rubbed her wrists tenderly, and I clicked my tongue when I saw they were rubbed raw.

I placed my hands on her injury and softly murmured, “Malý liečiť.” The injury was so superficial I didn’t bother trying to direct it with my intent.

The redness of her skin faded, and she looked at me with a familiar gaze of awe, “H… how?”

I rubbed the tip of my ear, “Ahhh, it’s hard to explain. I’ll teach you someday when you’re older.”

The goblin looked at me in disbelief, “Really? I learn?”

I chuckled, “Yeah, you can learn... probably. Now, let’s go clean.”

I wrapped the robe I’d given her tightly around her body before picking her up. She seemed startled at first, but she soon relaxed and wrapped her arms around my neck to steady herself.

“Pravda neviditeľnosť,” I used an invisibility spell, canceling the effect of the ward at the same time. Though Blake didn't exactly say I could take her anywhere, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

I pulsed mana sense to make sure no one was looking at the back of the wagon, and I swiftly exited upon confirmation.

Bathing with the others was a no-go because of the load I carried. However, they would realize I was missing. I shot Veylin a message to let the others know I was busy.

‘Don’t get got.’ she responded. I could practically feel the smirk on her face through our link.

There was a bend in the river some distance away, perhaps a little over a quarter-mile away, and I made for that direction.

Conveniently, the trees and shrubbery seemed thicker than the vegetation near the wagons. That was probably a conscious decision by the drivers: less chance of getting ambushed by monsters.

Jogging towards the undergrowth at a speed my past self wouldn’t have considered a jog, I approached the undergrowth with caution. I doubted monsters would be this far from the mountains, but I wasn't about to be careless. With this in mind, I pulsed mana sense. The coast was clear, so I dropped my invisibility and headed in. Though I could keep the spell up for hours, there was no point in wasting mana I might need later.

I pushed through the last bit of branches, barely registering the attack in time to dodge. I tilted my body and looked, wide-eyed, at the blade of green mana that slid inches from my body. It flew through the vegetation, slicing off branches and taking a sizeable chunk out of a tree before dissipating.

A female wood elf stared at me in disbelief, one hand outstretched, and the other covering her bare breasts.

“Freya?!” I gasped, in shock about the potential danger I just avoided and her compromising position. I was disappointed in myself, but my first thought was: ‘she has good proportions for an elf.’

I quickly turned around, my ears bright red. The goblin girl, however, peeked over my shoulder.

“Nasty elf lady!” she squeaked, retreating back behind my body.

“It’s you…” Freya said. I could hear her shift lightly in the water, “And you have the sapient goblin with you?”

“Y-yeah. I brought her here to wash her. I wanted a bit of privacy for… obvious reasons.” I hoped my argument was enough to explain the awkward situation. “Since you were in the water, I didn’t register anything with my sense. I can go out further-” I started, shifting my leg to walk away.

“No, it’s fine. I think this would actually be a good opportunity to speak.” Freya shifted in the water some more, “Nudity… is nothing to be ashamed of. I just thought you were a caravan guard trying to sneak a peek.”

I raised my eyebrows, which was pointless because I wasn’t facing her, “So you blast a blade of mana them?” I asked.

“T-that’s” she stammered, “It was a force of habit. If it helps, I was only aiming to sever your arm.”

“Ah, so you decide to cripple them, not kill them. I see.” I grinned.

Freya didn’t seem to pick up on my humor, “It’s hardly a crippling injury with a cleric less than five minutes away.”

“That was a joke,” I explained. “Well, I guess it wasn’t all that funn-”

Freya started hysterically laughing.

I briefly turned around to see her bent at the waist, shaking uncontrollably. Four black tattoos, two on each shoulder, crawled down her back.

“A-are you okay?” I asked, turning back around before she saw me. I didn’t think Freya was the type to ink herself.

“Y-yes. I just-” Freya burst into laughter again. She sniffed after regaining some composure, “Not many people try to tell jokes to someone that almost maimed them.”

“You… have a weird sense of humor,” I said carefully.

I could practically hear her grin, “Not as weird as yours, it seems.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny. Now, can you cover yourself so I can bathe? I still haven’t had the chance.” I was getting worried that Blake would find out if I didn’t return soon.

“I’m not done, but you’re welcome to join. Like I said, nudity isn’t something to be ashamed of. That’s the general consensus, at least.” Freya swished in the water some more. According to my senses, she was sitting down in the river.

“If you say so,” I shrugged, turning around. Everything but her head was under the water. “But it seems you’re a bit shy.”

She snorted, “You getting in or not? It’s not every day you get to share the same water with a beautiful woman.”

I waved a hand at her as I sat the goblin girl down on the grass next to the river.

“Here,” I pulled food and water out of my pouch, “Eat this while I’m washing.”

She eagerly grabbed the food and tore into it.

And Blake said she wouldn’t eat, I huffed to myself, feeling clearly superior.

I dropped my belt and clothes, taking a minuscule bar of soap and a cloth I had stolen from my bathroom out of it. I pointedly faced away from Freya. However, I could feel her staring at my naked body and got self-conscious. I checked my asset when I was in my training arc, and it was adequate, but it was about principle more than anything.

“Get an eyeful?” I asked, slipping into the water in a similar position as her.

She shrugged, “You’ve got a nice ass, and the silver tattoos are interesting. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The bond markings from Veylin had now covered the entirety of my upper body. The bond did seem to have a sense of style because the swirls stopped right below my neck.

I frowned at her, beginning to scrub my face and hair, “You see, if I said that, I’d be labeled a pervert.” I made a point to ignore her mention of my markings.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Freya shrugged again, a faint smile on her lips. Then she frowned and cocked her head, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you a question.”

“Hopefully I have an answer,” I replied, moving the cloth down my body.

“Your…” She sank down and mumbled the last part underwater.

“Hmmm?” I asked, “I didn’t hear that last part.”

She blew bubbles with her nose before coming back up, “Sorry, it’s embarrassing. It feels like we’ve known each other for quite some time, but it's only been a day. You know my name, yet I don’t know yours. So, would you please tell me?”

That was… endearing?

I raised my eyebrows, “It’s Vandlind Cyprus.”

“Cypress? Like the tree?” she asked.

“No, C-Y-P-R-U-S,” I spelled my name.

Freya chuckled.

“Something funny?” I tilted my head; she really did have a weird sense of humor.

“N-no. It’s just your name. It’s… very fitting.” she explained.

I squinted at her. Now, I really didn’t understand what was going on, “How so?”

She paused, “Wait, you don’t know what it means?” She stared at me in semi-shock.

I shook my head.

Freya let out a breath, “Phew, okay. Your last name, Cyprus, it means ‘fair.’”

“That’s cool, I guess, but It’s kind of weird you know something so obscure.”

She looked at me like I was dumb, “Haven’t you heard of the elven crusades?”

Oh, I know this one!

“Yes, I have.” I threw the cloth and soap back to dry land; I was done washing.

“Okay. Well, there was this noble family that started the revolt against the former elven king, and they eventually overthrew him and stopped the genocide and enslavement of the other races. The people anointed them the new royal family and branded them the Cyprus family, meaning, like I said, ‘fair’. The Monarchs of Cyprus faded into obscurity after a few centuries, disappearing off the face of Iris, but their legend still remains.”

Were my parents…? No, that’s impossible.

“Huh.” I nodded. “That still doesn’t explain why you know it.”

She gave me another ‘you’re an idiot’ look, “I’m an elf. Surely whatever parent of yours was of elven descent gave you the name in honor of the Cyprus family. Although… you don’t smell like a half-elf. Are you three-quarters elf or something?”

I tensed, “What do you mean I don’t smell like a half-elf?” I brushed off her question with one of my own. This might’ve been a problem I’d need to fix.

She concentrated for a second, “Hmmm. It’s hard to describe. I’ve smelled half-elves before, and you don’t smell like any I’ve met.”

“Care to elaborate?” I didn’t know if she was avoiding the question or not.

“Your scent…” she paused, taking a deep breath in with her nose. “It changes according to your mood. Like, right now, you’re calm, so it’s pleasant—subtle. But when you were talking to me before the battle, it was stronger – sharper, like it was trying to… motivate me? It’s hard to describe,” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, “I might be crazy.”

“Huh,” I said. That didn’t seem so bad, “What do I smell like, exactly?”

The tips of her ears and cheeks got red, “That’s… even harder to describe.”

“Indulge me.” I was incredibly curious after seeing her reaction.

She chewed on her cheek before answering, “It’s… God, this is embarrassing. You smell sweet like fruit and crisp like trees. That’s the best I can describe it.”

I sniffed my shoulder, “I don’t smell anything, though? Like, not even a hint of whatever you’re saying.”

Her face got even redder, “It might… be a pheromone thing. Some animals have them. It’s for attracting mates and intimidating competitors. In that case, when you got aroused…” She let the sentence trail off.

“It’d be like an aphrodisiac?” I guessed; my new body’s lease didn’t say anything about this.

She sank further into the water and nodded.

“Well, that’s erotic,” I smirked, enjoying her reaction.

She stayed in her crouched position.

“Anyway,” I scratched the tip of my ear in embarrassment, “Time to do what I came here for. I've wasted enough time.”

I stood from the water, and Freya slightly shifted her gaze away after, I was proud to admit, taking a glance at the boys. Thank you, charisma attribute.

I slopped up to the bank with my belongings, finding the goblin staring at me funny. I frowned at where her gaze was placed.

“Something wrong?” I asked, taking a towel from my bag and rubbing my face and hair. I tied the latter in a loose ponytail after adequate drying.

She pointed towards my penis. “You… no hair.” Her face was a mix of confusion and wonder.

I chuckled, “It’s an elf thing. Now, you ready to get clean?” I’d picked up the soap from the ground and rummaged for a second clean cloth.

She cocked her head, “How?”

I gestured towards the river, “Wash with water.”

She froze, “I… no swim.” If I wasn’t wrong, she seemed embarrassed.

“Looks like there’s another thing I can teach you.” I smiled gently at her, “But don’t worry, the water isn’t deep, and I’ll be with you.”

“O-okay,” she said, standing up; fragments of food fell from her robe, and she started hesitantly approaching the river.

“Ah, you won’t want to get that wet,” I said, taking the robe from her and placing it on the ground.

God, is this what it’s like to have a kid? I suddenly felt much older than I was, which was weird because I was technically forty-eight. Goddamnit, I just realized how old I was.

Despite decades of memories, I still felt like I was only a teen, maybe in my twenties if I pushed it. I shook my head at the absurdity. What would it be like when I was centuries old, yet had the same body as I did now? Would I mellow out with age, or was that a strictly short-lived species thing? My parents' behavior indicated that the latter might be the case.

The sapient covered what little she had with her hands, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, It seems goblins can be self-conscious.

I nudged her towards the river, and she slowly dipped her foot in. I let her take her time to familiarize herself. After she seemed comfortable, I nudged her further until she was waist-deep in the water. She stiffened at first, but she slowly relaxed, waving her hand through the river in admiration.

“Okay…” I began a long-winded instruction (complete with demonstrations and everything) on how to use soap and wash.

She returned a confused stare.

I sighed, “I guess it can’t be helped.”

I began washing the girl’s body, starting with the face and working my way down. Although it was awkward for me, she appeared to enjoy it after getting over her initial confusion. When I was finished, I instructed her to wet her hair and wait on the bank. She obliged, and I dressed before sitting behind her and trying to untangle the rat’s nest on her head.

Freya had finished her bathing some time ago and sat on the bank next to me, fiddling with a piece of grass she’d found.

I untangled the last bit of the goblin’s hair and tied it into a ponytail identical to my own, “You know, it’s getting tiring referring to you as – well, not a name. So, I think I should give you one.”

Freya paused her twiddling.

The goblin girl looked up at me, “Name?”

“Yes. How about-” I was suddenly tackled to the ground, a hand clamped around my mouth.

Freya stared at me with crazed eyes and slowly retracted herself from me, “I know you’re strong, but you can’t give her a name.”

I looked at her bewildered, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Freya smacked herself in the face, “You don’t know?” She muttered something under her breath about ignorance.

Shit. I feel like something important is coming.

I decided to tell the truth, “No.”

She slumped back on the ground, “Do you know what separates humanoids from monsters?”

“One of them brutally murders everything they come across?” I guessed.

A faint smile crossed her lips, “You’re technically not wrong. But no, the answer is a soul. That’s why sapient monsters are still considered monsters despite their intelligence: they have sentience but no soul. Of course, certain monsters, like dragons, are the exception, but experts debate whether dragons are just powerful enough to name themselves or if they’re not monsters at all.”

I stared at her, “I don’t get it.”

“To give a monster a name is to give it a soul. To give a monster a soul is to give it power.”

Restia, it seems like I should’ve fucking known this!

“Okay, I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see why I can’t just give her one.”

She steepled her hands and placed them on her forehead, “Okay. You know monsters can evolve, right? Sometimes into different species?”

I did know this. Particularly powerful monsters would become so strong that their original body wasn’t enough. So, the monster would evolve into a new one in a strange metamorphosis. Usually, the jumps were subtle: a goblin to a hobgoblin, a troll to a high troll.

However, sometimes monsters would evolve into something different, changing their race completely. For example, a ground drake could turn into a wyvern. Humanoids could also evolve, but the changes were incredibly subtle. Like, a human might develop permanent night-vision after using mana to enhance their eyes repeatedly. That was what my mother’s books said, anyway.

“Yes, I’m aware monsters can evolve.”

“Good. Now, giving a monster a name is like forcing an evolution. Sometimes, it’s even more powerful. And what do evolutions require?” she quizzed.

“Mana, food, water, and a place for the evolution to take place,” I replied, counting on my fingers. My mother had also taught me this.

Her face fell, “That’s… a very textbook answer. The answer is energy – lots of it.”

I snorted, “Okay. But why do I feel like you’re building up to something?”

She sighed, “Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transferred. When you give a monster a name, you’re that source of energy. You’ll be permanently reducing your focus to give a monster power. That’s assuming you don’t die in the process.”

I nodded, “Okay, then I just need to find a source of energy. Damn, if I knew this, I wouldn’t have left that troll corpse go to waste. It was freakishly strong.”

She tensed, “What do you mean?”

“I could’ve soul crushed the troll and siphoned the energy to her. Well, in theory, I guess. I’ve never transferred energy to another before.” I said it as if it was obvious.

I started going through the logistics in my head. Despite monsters not having ‘souls,’ I could still crush them for power; I’d already done it in my memories. That called into doubt the whole ‘monsters don’t have a soul’ thing. Or maybe the term ‘soul’ was loose? In the case of my spell, did ‘soul’ only refer to energy rather than an actual ‘soul’? My mother never elaborated on the subject.

She gulped, “Y-you’re a death mage.”

Oh, crap.

“Yes…?” I spoke cautiously.

Her eyes went wide, “Vandlind, I’m being serious right now. You cannot tell anyone else you know death magic. They’ll hunt you down and crucify you. I’m being literal. They will hang you from a cross and let you suffocate to death.”

I chuckled nervously, “A-ah, it’s probably weird I don’t know all this, right? I have a perfectly normal explanation-”

She held up a hand, “I know.”

I frowned, “You do?”

“Soul transference, right? You died and sent your soul to a clone, losing memories in the process.”

What the fuck is soul transference?

“You’re correct,” I replied, trying to think how I would perform what she just described. “It’s hard to believe you guessed it.”

She stood from her spot on the ground and held out a hand, “Don’t worry, I know you’re a good person. Your secret is safe with me. Although…” She looked down at the goblin who had been eavesdropping the entire time, “We’ll have to figure out how to make her keep quiet.”