We continued down the road south. As we did, I ruminated a pressing problem: my face.

I mean, I thought I looked pretty cute… for not being human. But both Solomon and Atlas had reacted negatively to my face the first time they saw it. Solomon even called me a monster!

A disguise was definitely in order. Since I didn’t have any magic spells related to changing my appearance, and for some reason Solomon’s magic didn’t work, I searched my inventory to see if I could hobble something together.

I had a cloak that gave a significant boost to my stealth skill. It was actually considered a necklace accessory in the game, so I could wear it on top of my armor (though it wasn’t always visible on my character since it didn’t “match” with all the armors in the game). In the game there was limited slots for accessories. I wondered if things still worked the same here, or if I could wear them however I wanted.

I took out the cloak and then picked a random necklace, my hand out and ready for them as they popped into existence in front of me.

Solomon watched me curiously as I went about my test. (The two boys were ahead of us, Dignity talking Atlas’ ear off, and totally unaware of what was going on behind them.)

First I put on the cloak and then I put on the necklace. It worked, technically, but I felt horribly uncomfortable. Like I had an awful itch I couldn’t scratch. I took off the necklace and immediately felt better.

Hm? So I technically was able to do it, but I was penalized for it? Arg! Why?? That made no sense and it was a super irritating limitation!

I put the necklace away and kept the cloak on, pulling the hood over my head. That should help prevent people immediately fleeing at the sight of me.

My face though. Once people got closer they’d take a look at my face and probably scream. How depressing!

It took me a while to find something I thought might work. Honestly, in my own mind I thought I’d look ridiculous, but…

There was this mask I’d gotten during the New Year… The Developers got the clever idea of making a series of masks based off the Zodiac animals. You could only get them on New Year’s day and only the one corresponding to the new year. They were simple oval shaped masks, white, with a stylized animal face drawn on them. They added to your charisma, but had no real valuable outside of the fun of collecting all 12 of them. I’d gotten 8 of the 12, my favorite being the rabbit.

I took it out and sighed. I felt really silly wearing this, but whatever.

I put it on, tying the strap securely. I was surprised to discover that I could see right through it, as if I was wearing a very thin piece of paper.

I turned to Solomon and asked,”What do you think?”

He squinted and tilted his head. “Is that mask enchanted?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because when you put it on, the most unnatural thought popped into my head.”

Hoho, that was interesting!

“Really? What’d you think?”

“That you were incredibly adorable.”

“…and that was unnatural?”

“Of course. You’re quite monstrous in appearance. I’m use to it now, but it gave me quite a shock at first.”

He said it so matter-of-factly I wanted to cry. It’s not like I didn’t know, but it hurt being told point-blank I looked like a monster by a demon.

The Mewnin race were cute! CUTE! I mentally shook my fist at the sky. This world had no sense of taste!

Solomon somehow noticed my depression through the mask and added encouragingly: “You are incredibly soft though. It completely makes up for it.”

Really?

I took off the mask and practically threw it into my inventory. I’d use it as-needed, but not before then. Everyone in my party could just get used to my ugly mug!!!

I grumpily pulled my hood tighter, muttering: “Don’t know cute if it hit them in the head…”

After some sulking, and a few hours later, we reached an intersection. This one was actually getting used, but not in the way I’d hoped.

There were several large wagons, with one toppled over and another on fire. It was obvious what was going on, even to a city girl like me: bandits.

I had better vision than anyone here, so it was easy for me to tell the bandits from the merchants. Mostly because the merchants were a lot better dressed than the bandits and currently getting soundly beaten.

Before Solomon or anyone had time to say something, I’d changed into my Quicksilver armor.

“Catch up when you can.” I said to Solomon, springing away.

My mind was making a map of who to hit first and what would be the best order. It was like each bandit had a red line attached to the next, and I envisioned the specific kind of attack I wanted for each one. When I finally got there, my Knight skill did the heavy lifting. I sliced and stabbed like a pro.

Except I’m not a pro. I’d never actually killed a person before. Even as my body moved, my mind screamed in horror.

Blood. Guts. Limbs. Everywhere. I wanted to barf but I couldn’t stop. I hadn’t specified any kind of halting, so my body kept going, mowing them down like grass.

At least I killed them quickly. And their, uhm, “sacrifice” helped me learn a valuable lesson: just like a game, the controls only did exactly as I told them. No more, no less.

I’d figured this out to a degree in the forest already, but uncontrollably lopping someone’s head off has a lot more impact. While these guys might have had it coming, this game mechanism of fighting could easily backfire on me. I might hurt myself, or someone else, if I don’t plan things accordingly.

Like stopping if I need to. I really wanted to stop. Any time now please!

The last bandit met a bloody, gruesome death and my body finally stood still. I reaching to take my helmet off for a good barfing, when—

“Thank you so much!” “I can’t believe we’re alive!” “Oh-my-god-that-was-amazing!” “Someone help me put out this fire!” “Dammit, so much wasted product—”

Most of the merchants went to save their flaming wagon while the a smaller group swarmed me. Even though I was covered in blood and really just wanted a moment to unload some food, I managed to swallow everything down (literally) and pretend like I was fine.

I don’t know what I was suppose to say or do, probably something suave, but what came out was:

“Uh, hi there.”

“Hello there, brave warrior!”

A round man in a tan overcoat, slightly balding, came forward out of the group of people who had gathered around me. He had taken out a handkerchief, or maybe just some scrap of cloth, and was giving it to me, saying “For your hands and sword.”

I took it, grateful that someone here was being sensible.

As I wiped myself off, the man continued. “My name is Lars Mather, and I lead this once merry band of merchants. We are most grateful for your timely intervention. We had hired mercenaries to guard our wagons, but it turns out they were in league with the bandits who attacked us.” He shook his head sadly. “Troubling times we’re in, when you can’t even hire good guards.”

“To be attacked so in the open so boldly, I should think so.”

He nodded, his eyes gleaming hopefully. “Yes, exactly. Since you have been so gracious to help us, and if you are going in the same direction, would you perhaps be interested in replacing our mercenaries?”

I guess getting straight to business would be something a merchant would do, huh?

“Where are you headed?”

“To a city south of here called Albeling.”

“I’m traveling with companions, if you don’t mind them tagging along, and they are amendable, then I wouldn’t mind.”

“Companions? Are they of your caliber?”

“Er, one is and two aren’t.” That was a guess about Solomon, but since he could make a city from a hill, I figured it was likely true. He might actually be more powerful than me, head-to-head.

Lars hesitated a moment.

“If it helps any, you may take any food or necessities they consume out of my wages.” I offered on the fly.

The merchant cheered up at this and agreed to having them tag along.

I then politely excused myself from their group to find my own. Solomon had already arrived and was standing well outside the merchant’s caravan area, watching with detached interest as burly merchants hauled away bandit bodies, while Dignity and Atlas could be seen some distance off jogging to catch up with us.

“Sorry for leaving so suddenly like that.” I apologized as I approached him.

He waved his hand dismissively saying it was fine.

“This country has changed,” He informed me. “Before I was… cursed, it was a leading power in the region. They’d have never let their border towns be attacked and left to rot or merchants suffer under bandits on a main road like this. Apparently they’ve lost a lot of their power in the 200 years since I’ve been gone.”

He shook his head, regretful. “I am sorry I suggested going south.”

“It’s alright, it’s not like you could have known.” I patted his shoulder. “Apparently the mercenaries these guys hired were with the bandits. The head merchant asked us to replace them. I said I’d talk with you before I agreed. What do you think?”

“Hm…” He tilted his head, eyes narrowed and I thought I saw his eyes flash yellow. Did he use a magic skill just then? “They don’t appear to be anymore dishonest than what is common with merchants. But if they’re headed further south, it may be bad for us. With the quality of the country having dropped so significantly, I’m not sure it’s safe in the city we’re going toward.”

Aw, his concern was touching! “Is there another country we could go to that might be better?”

He scratched his chin, thoughtful. “We could head west, but it will add quite some time to our journey if a large city is what you’re after. I only picked this route because it was the nearest.”

“How close are we?”

“Another two days, I think.”

“And the other place you’re thinking?”

“A week if the weather is good. And there’s no guarantee it’s any better there than here.”

I groaned. Safety was important but I really didn’t want to walk for a week without a better understanding of what was going on in the world.

“I think we should just keep going as planned then. Even if something nasty is brewing, the two of us should be able to handle it right?”

“Yes indeed. It would be quite impressive if there was anything in the immediate area that could best me.” He said, totally immodest about his own powers. “Speaking of things I’m good at, what are the terms for protecting this caravan?”

I stared at him blankly.

He sighed, looking put-upon. “Did you not ask for particulars?”

“Er. I did say he could take any living necessities you guys used out of my wages.”

He clucked his tongue in disapproval. “I see you don’t know how to negotiate a proper business contract. It’s a good thing I’m here.” He put his hands on my shoulders, a glint in his eye. “Leave this to me. If there’s anything my people are good at, it’s getting a good deal.”

“Er.” I felt sorry for the merchant but… “Alright, just don’t fleece the guy too badly, ok?”

“Excellent!”

I’d never seen him so jovial as he went to haggle our contract. He practically skipped into the caravan.

As he left, Dignity and Atlas finally caught up. Dignity collapse in an exhausted heap in front of me, wheezing out a: “That. Was. Mean!”

“Sorry, buddy.” I ruffled his hair apologizing.

Atlas, however, stood a ways off. He had an uncertain look on his face.

My Kobold friend, still a heap on the ground, turned to him and waved him over, “Don’t be scared, it’s just Angela in her armor! Doesn’t she look super strong?!”

Oh, I see. He hadn’t seen me in my armor. And other than popping food into existence, had never seen me change either. The only person who found that normal had been Dignity.

“Since you’re both here, I need a favor.”

“Hm? Sure!” My Kobold friend stood up and shook off the road dust like a dog. “What do you need?”

I pointed to a small cluster of trees and bushes. “I’m going over there, I need you both to keep watch. Make sure no one comes over unless it’s Solomon.”

They both followed me over, Atlas keeping behind Dignity. Even with the Kobold’s reassurance, he was still alarmed at my change.

Once at the spot in question, my body now mostly blocked from the merchants, I took off my helmet. I stood there for a moment, took a deep breath in, and then threw up in the bushes with abandon.

Oh, what? Did you think I was over that whole “slaughtering the bandits” thing? You were woefully mistaken.

I’d seen too much death in two days. I wasn’t use to it, and I didn’t want to be use to it either. But at the same time, I didn’t want to be losing my lunch every time I got put into this kind of situation.

My Knight class was designed to kill. Mostly the undead and evil, sure, but it worked just as well on regular fleshy people too. I had very few skills that could just stun or knock someone unconscious and was seriously regretting it.

After I was done, I rinsed my mouth out with some water I’d stored away and drank a fizzy strawberry drink (technically a dessert) to get the taste out and help settle my stomach. I also put my helmet away, taking the lower speed and defense hit, and replaced it with my cloak and bunny mask. I really didn’t want to be stuck in that helmet for who-knows-how-long if I could help it.

My bunny mask had an immediate affect on Atlas, so much so that I almost laughed. His cautious, timid personality changed into one of wide eyed wonder. Before he could stop himself, he walked right up to me and grabbed my hand.

“Yes?” I asked, amused. Charisma boosts were powerful things in this world.

He opened and closed his mouth, stunned by his own action, before managing a quiet, “Cute!”

Dignity, who’d been standing close enough to hear him, scolded: “Angela is always cute! And soft!” He paused, squinting at the mask. “But the mask helps bring it out, I guess.”

At least someone had a sense of aesthetics in this world! All wasn’t lost! Thank you for giving me hope, Dignity!

I patted Dignity on the head, pleased with his praise. He giggled in response, happy at the attention.

We walked back to the merchants, negotiations completed. Solomon had an exceedingly smug look on his face, while the head merchant looked like he’d been put through the ringer. Poor guy. Trying to make a deal with a devil, and come out on top, was no easy matter.

“Ah, Angie!” Solomon called out to me as we approached. “I’ve just finished discussing about our guard contract with Mr. Mather here. He’s quite generously offered to feed and shelter us on the way to the city for free, and our pay will come from a percentage of his profits.”

Mr. Mather had found another handkerchief and was wiping the sweat from his brow, looking stressed and unhappy. He’d unexpectedly found himself up against a better businessman and had lost.

“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Mather. We won’t abuse your generosity.” Solomon rolled his eyes, knowing I added the last bit as a jab at him.

“O-of course, my pleasure.” Lars Mather stuttered, the full force of my mask bearing down on him. He was blinking furiously, and I could see him struggling not to stare in open amazement at me.

Ah, I felt bad, it was like I was tricking him. I mean, I was, but…

Tapping my mask, I explained. “It’s an enchanted mask. My face is… well… people react poorly to it. I’ve even had people scream at me when they saw it. So this mask is enchanted to make people a bit more friendly to me. It doesn’t do anything else, you have my word.”

“I see.” This time he was looking at the mask specifically, curious. “Enchantment that causes people to like you? That must be quite complex. Where did you get it?”

“I-it was a gift. For long-standing service to the Gods,” I made up on the fly. Technically true. If you count game developers as a kind of god. And do they have pantheistic religions here? I should have checked first!

“Extraordinary! Are you perhaps a holy knight of some kind? I’ve heard knights of religious orders are bestowed special gifts for their services.”

Oh thank God, I’d somehow guessed correctly! And what’s more I’d learned something good: Holy Knights did exist here.

“Yes, I’m a Holy Knight. I’m currently on a special Quest for Knowledge,”—the knowledge to get back home, that is!— “and the gods have blessed me with companions to aid me in my Quest.”

That last part was wishful thinking. I had no idea if the gods of this world were helping me out, messing with me, or even cared I was here.

The Merchant’s eyes went round. “Amazing! To be part of a Holy Quest! It will surely bless my business by helping you!”

Er, if we’re getting a percentage of your profits, it’s more likely a demon will be blessing you. But of course I’m not saying that out loud.

“Well then, I must help my companions sort out the damages. Please keep watch, Holy Knight Angie!”

“Sure.” With that, the fat little man went off to help his fellow workers. He was quite eager to tell everyone about the Holy Knight with the “terribly scarred face” who he’d so wisely and cleverly managed to hire to protect them the rest of the trip. He had no idea I heard every word of what he said, my Mewnin ears being exceptional as they are.

I couldn’t help but wonder if my lies were easier to accept with the mask. If even Solomon was effected…

Speaking of the devil, he had saddled up next to me, still looking pleased at how well things had gone.

“That was quite the clever lie you thought up there.”

“Oh? You aren’t mad? Didn’t I break some Demon law or something, lying?”

“Hm? Goodness no. If demons couldn’t lie, how would we ever get anything done?! No, no. Lying isn’t the problem, it’s WHEN you lie that’s the problem. Perjury, for instance, isn’t tolerated. But we have no obligation to tell Mr. Mather who we really are or what we’re up to, since it’s got nothing to do with how well we can guard his caravan.”

“Ah… basically, truth is on a “need to know” basis with demons?”

“Yes, exactly that.”

Well, that explained things.

“It’s not like I was lying completely anyway.” I added off-handedly.

“You mean the Quest for Knowledge bit?”

“Hm? That too, but I meant the Holy Knight thing.”

“What?” He gave me a horrified look.

“Oh, did I not mention this before? Sorry! I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. I actually am a Holy Knight.”

His lips puckered in angry annoyance. “Well, no wonder my magic doesn’t work on you. Holy Knights are strong against shadow magic, though you’re the first I’ve met who is totally immune to it. What god do you serve that’s giving you so much power?”

“Eh? God? I don’t think I serve any.”

I actually stunned him into speechlessness for a moment.

He then flailed his arms at me in disbelief, “What?! That doesn’t make any sense! You might as well call yourself water and not be wet!”

“It’s true though!” I pouted under my mask, arms crossed and feeling defensive. “I told you I came from another world didn’t I? Things just work differently ther—”

“Would you stop that!” He interrupted suddenly.

“Stop what?”

“Being so adorable in the middle of an argument!”

“I can’t help it, it’s the mask!”

“Gah! Then take it off and go back to being ugly!”

“YOU WANNA DIE?!” I lifted my fist up to punch him, but was interrupted by laughter.

A sturdy woman had walked into our argument and was getting a good chuckle at our expensive. When we both turned to look at her in surprise, she waved her hand apologetically.

Gah! How long had she been there?!

“Sorry for interrupting you.” Rather than sorry, she sounded amused. “I thought I should introduce myself. I’m the daughter of the Head Merchant, Ceil. I’m in charge of food and bedding, so come to me if you need anything.”

There was definitely a family resemblance. She had Lars’ roundness, but none of his fat. She was one of those people who, if she’d lived a cushier life, would have looked much younger than her actual age. As it was, the merchant life had been hard on her, her face weathered and starting to wrinkle.

“Thank you very much.” I said nodding my head at her introduction. “I’m pretty good at cooking myself, so if you’d like some help with meals, please let me know.”

She brightened up. “Really?! That’s marvelous! Since we’ve got to wait for repairs on the wagons anyway, I was thinking of making some lunch. Would you like to help?”

“Er, sure.” And was promptly pulled away by Ceil to help cooking.

The Merchant’s daughter had an iron grip on my arm, preventing me from trying to escape, and was chatting with me as we went.

“It’s really nice to have another woman in the group! I’ve been surrounded by sweaty men for weeks now. Not a single one wants to help with the domestic chores and they’ve been piling them on me.” She complained in that amicable way women do, then glanced up at my face, er, mask. “I’ve never heard of a woman being a Holy Knight before, but seeing how you skewered that bandit that was going after me, it’s a well earned title. Is it true your face is scarred?”

“My face scares people.” It was the simple truth. If the merchants mistook that to mean a facial scarring or whatever, good for them.

She patted my arm sympathetically. “I’m sorry, what a terrible thing to live with. Hiding your face all the time must be a huge inconvenience for a warrior.”

Yeah, no kidding! Whose fault is that?!

No, seriously, who? If you’re going to drag me into a foreign world at least let me blend in with the locals!

We reached a wagon that had remained relatively untouched. She climbed inside and pulled out a pot, pan, and a other cookery.

“Did you lose all your horses?” I asked the question that had been bothering me for a while now.

“Hm? Horses?”

“To pull the wagons.” I hadn’t seen any horses or large animals around to pull the wagons.

She laughed. “Oh, goodness! What merchant would waste money on horses? These are enchanted to move on their own. And I’m the one who enchanted them!”

“Horseless carriages…” I muttered to myself, amazed. They’d totally side-stepped the engine. I wondered if they’d already created something like Ford’s automobile, or if skipping the engine phase had also meant they went a different direction with design too.

“Is it very hard to enchant things?”

“Oh, is enchantment not common where you come from? Here, it’s more like it requires a fair bit of education, which requires money.” She hopped down from the wagon, having handing me what she wanted and now able to carry the rest. “Only merchants and land owners really have the spare money for it. My father was pretty forward thinking for his day though, he insisted I get educated on business and enchantments along with my brothers.” She winked. “Puts us ahead of the competition.”

Hm, I hadn’t thought much about what role women play in this world. There weren’t many societies that didn’t keep women home-bound early on in their development, so I wasn’t surprised to find out something similar was going on here. It was just annoying. I’d found another area I stood out.

“Good for your father then! Letting a good mind go to waste because it’s in a woman’s head is stupid.”

“Isn’t it?! I wish more people understood.” She grinned, happy at my endorsement. “It worked out well for us too. My brothers are magic inept. I mean, if they try they can, but really they don’t have the spirit for it. I was the only one who had the ability and the drive.”

We’d found a spot off the side of the road, and got to the business of getting everything set up and ready. I was surprised by the amount of fresh food she had: unsalted meats, vegetables, even butter. I almost asked the stupid question “How’d you do that without a refrigerator?” when my brain caught up and responded with “Magic, stupid!”.

Right. All the areas that science made easier in my world, magic seemed to replace in this one. If you could enchant an item to keep something cold inside it, why bother inventing a refrigerator? If you could enchant it to move, why bother with the engine?

I wondered if it was really a good thing though. Science, technology, and the industrial revolution had contributed to a higher standard of living, greater mobility, and a more educated work force. With magical enchantments as a “quick fix” to life’s problems, might the population here tend to be creatively stagnant? Without the engine, for instance, would you even consider the idea of a train? The fact that they were using wagons implied they hadn’t.

We’d reached the point where we could actually cook. Could I even cook without my cooking set from the game? I hadn’t tried yet, now that I thought about it.

We were making a simple beef stew. Even without my game cooking ability, I understood how to make that. I’d been living on my own a few years so cooking was a survival skill for me.

The results were interesting. Without the cooking set my skills suffered somewhat. I was a little slower, more clumsy, and I had to concentrate more on what I was doing. It was almost like how I cooked as a human, almost but not quite. For instance, I’d never peeled a potato with a regular knife before, but my hands knew how to do it anyway. I just had to concentrate to keep from nicking myself.

So without my equipment, I got a stiff penalty, but I was still capable of doing the task. I was relieved, considering how layering my accessories had gotten me poor results before. It seemed that areas where my skills and this world overlapped, some kind of compromise had to be made: sometimes the “world” won, sometimes the “game” won.

Why was that? I wanted to know, but I had no one to ask.

“You really are good at cooking.” Ceil commented, bringing me out of myself. We’d done the hardest parts and now just had to wait for everything to cook through.

“Ah, I’ve been on my own for quite a few years now. If I couldn’t make a beef stew at this point, I’d be ashamed of myself.”

Her eyes crinkled in an amused, unspoken laugh. She seemed like a cheerful sort of person. I was glad I’d saved her.

“The handsome man with you, ah, Solomon was his name? Are you to… together?” She’d attempted to ask this casually but I caught the significance. Oh no, I thought in horror, was she one of those people: a nosy romantic? Perhaps that’s why she’d asked me for help to begin with, to see what she could fine out.

“Oh, God, no! Didn’t you hear him call me ugly?”

“Is that what you thought? I heard him say he’d rather look at your face than a mask.” She gave me a cheeky grin. Definitely a nosy type then.

“Wha—no, he really meant that I was ugly. Trust me on this. He’s a very good friend of mine. There’s just no way! I mean, I’d be surprised if that guy could even attract a girl with his personalit—”

Pain shot through me as a fist gave me a firm hit on the top of my head.

“I’ll have you know I’m quite popular with the ladies.” Solomon had knocked me on the head with his fist. I had no idea how long Solomon had been there, but based of Ceil’s facial expression, I suspected she’d done this to me on purpose. She was shaking all over with suppressed laughter.

“Gah!” I rubbed the top of my head, eyes tearing up. “You say that, but look how you treat a lady! You bully!”

“You barely qualify as a woman, much less a lady.”

I gave a “See what I mean!” look at Ceil, who seemed to just find that funnier.

Solomon ignored both of us,“Now that you’re done, I was wondering if I might have a word with you?”

“Fine, fine, fine…” Even though I complained, I was relieved. The merchant’s daughter might have a go at me again if I stayed. I followed him out and away from the caravan, feeling slightly worried how I’d deal with her over the next two days.

Dignity and Atlas were waiting for us. Solomon had us huddle together and I shortly found out why he was being so secretive:

“We need to get our cover stories straight.” He announced to the group, Dignity nodding in agreement with him.

“Eh? Don’t we already have a cover story?”

“Barely.” Solomon grimaced. “It’s fine to say you’re a Holy Knight on a Quest, but that won’t help the rest of us.”

“But I said—”

“Yes, yes, that we’re “companions” given to you by “the gods”. But that’s a really flimsy story and anyone will see through it if they ask the right questions. And once one part of your story falls apart, they’ll question other parts too. And if they insist on you removing that mask, pandemonium is going to break out.”

“O-oh, I guess that’s true.”

“Right. So. We’ve got to think up good back stories, right Dignity?”

“Right!” The Kobold spoke up, raising his little hand as if he was being called on in a classroom. “And after we do, if we add anything we need to make sure we tell everyone else. So first up is: location!”

“Correct! I recommend saying we’re from the east. When I was there last, there were tons of smaller countries. So many, people don’t even bother keeping track of them this far out west. We could just be from there and no one would question any gaps in our knowledge or wonder about weirdness from Angie.”

“…b-but the east is just one big empire??” Atlas spoke in quiet, puzzled confusion.

We all stared at him, surprised. He’d not spoken much, so we hadn’t expected anything in terms of conversation participation.

“And how do you know that?” Solomon asked, eyes narrowing.

“P-papa was a Professor, so I know s-stuff. But t-the Empire is pretty well k-known.” The elf stumbled over his words, face beat red and obviously intimidated by Solomon’s sudden attention. He scooted closer to me, as if seeking protection.

“Really? So there’s something more than fear between those ears, how useful!” Solomon complimented sarcastically, earning a punch in the shoulder from me. He cleared his throat, rubbing the spot I hit him, and continued, “Anyway, what about past the dwarves mountains to the south?”

“P-past the Southern Mountains?”

“Yes, there should be island countries past those mountains. Unless something happened to them too.”

The pale haired elf shook his head. “I n-never heard anything about i-islands.”

Solomon furrowed his brow, thinking. “The island countries weren’t well known, even… back in my day. Hm. Yes, I think the risk is worth it then. Unless you meet a dwarf on the southside of the mountain, it’s unlikely anyone this far north would have even heard about the islands, much less people living on them. So, this is our story: we’re from an island far to the south that no one in this area has heard of. And if they ask for a name, tell them it’s in Mermish. Agreed?”

“Mermish?” I asked curiously.

“Mermaid language. Not many land people can speak it fluently. It sounds like nonsense to the untrained ear.”

“Can you speak it?”

“A few words, enough to get by around merfolk. For humans and elves, I can do a fair imitation and trick them easily into thinking I’m fluent.”

“Ah, than I guess it’s a good idea, how about you two?” The two younger folk in our group nodded in agreement.

“Still though,” Solomon mumbled aloud, shaking his head in wonderment. “An Empire to the east… frankly, I never thought any one of those countries had it in them. What’s the name of the Empire, Elf?”

“Sagewind.”

The Demon furrowed his brow at this. “Hm? Isn’t that an Elfish name?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Elves don’t go conquering and Empire-ing people!”

“Th-the green-eyed ones d-do. Definitely.” Atlas said this with such conviction that Solomon’s eyebrows shot up.

“Interesting, interesting…” Solomon muttered to himself, seemingly unconcerned with his audience. “Elfish conquerers. Who knew? They must be furious. Well, I’d side with the Empire just on principle then.”

Atlas’ eyed Solomon darkly. “T-the Empire is bad, you know. You shouldn’t side with them.”

The demon snorted. “Why should I care what you think?”

“Because they m-murdered my family, burned d-down e-everything, and s-sold me as if I w-were n-nothing.” He almost yelled a Solomon, stuttering more as he went along, hands in a tight fist. “T-they’re e-evil, I h-hate them!”

Dignity grabbed Atlas’ hands, squeezing them in sympathy. His family being murdered by monsters, the Kobold understood better than anyone what the elf was going through.

“Oh.” Solomon blanched, looking horribly uncomfortable, and then awkwardly patted the elf’s shoulder in what might have been genuine sympathy. “Well. Yes. Understood.”

He cleared his throat again and attempted to regain his composure, “Moving on! We need individual back stories too, and I already have mine: I come from a well to-do merchant family who lived near the temple Angie trained at, and have been good friends with her since we were children, which is why I’m not bothered as much by her appearance. When she left, I followed her to gain more worldly experience and gain business connections.” He pointed at Dignity. “And yours?”

Dignity stopped consoling Atlas and saluted “at attention” stiffly. “I’m Angie’s Page! Regular boys didn’t wanna train under her because they’re scared of her face! So I was contracted to Angie, ‘cause Kobold’s don’t care about their masters looks!”

Solomon nodded, satisfied, and then turned backed to the elf. “What should we do about him, hm? I was thinking of just continuing the slave theme—”

Atlas vigorously shook his head in rejection of that idea.

“—but he doesn’t like it.”

“Of course he doesn’t like it!” I responded in annoyed exasperation and then, “Why not give him equal status now that he’s free at least? He could be a student or something...”

“A student? Because his father was a Professor? That’s stupid. Why would a student be following around a Holy Knight?”

I poked Solomon repeatedly in annoyance. “Stop shooting down my ideas and just think of something better then! I know you’re a natural when it comes to creative lying.”

“Well if you’re going to butter me up like that…” He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. “He could be the youngest son of a fellow merchant family. He’s too shy and scared of everything, so he was entrusted to me. My job is to make the boy more outgoing through extensive travelling while teaching him the tools of the trade.” He opened his eyes and looked at Atlas, “Acceptable?”

The elf seemed thought for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Excellent!” He clasped Atlas’ shoulders and gave the boy an enthusiastic shake. “If I’m forced to endure your company because of Angie, I might as well turn you into someone who’s more useful than just a walking geography lesson.” The Demon’s eyes got an almost dangerous glint in them. “Remember: it may be a cover story, but expect to be treated as a real apprentice by me.”

“Be nice to Atlas!” Dignity said, alarmed on the boy’s behalf.

“I’ll be nice in equal proportion to his ability to learn and adapt to my teaching.”

I frowned. “Seriously, Solomon, don’t bully him.”

Solomon gave me feigned look of shock. “How can you treat me, your best friend, with such callous distrust?”

“Because, Mr. Moral Paragon of Virtue, you called me too ugly to be a lady not less than 10 minutes ago.”

“I was only being truthful.”

“Yeah, well, that’s all I’m doing too.”

He covered his heart with his hands, looking wounded, and then grinned at me with a wink.

“Ho ho, well said! I won’t bully the boy, not that I intended on doing that—much—to begin with.” He got serious. “I will be strict though. Unlike you, my furry friend, most people must be strong if they wish to survive in the world. I will make him strong, and that strength will make him useful. Because even elves can be useful if you train them enough.”

Well, at least this way I didn’t have to worry about Solomon’s bigotry causing any serious problems with Atlas anymore.

…

Probably.