She smells like Peppermint...

That's what I thought when she is close. It was the same smell emitted from within the room and it was supposed to be dormant and calming to the mind. Instead, it caused an opposite effect. Her being close and the overflowing smell made my hearts beats... oddly fast.

"What do you want" I tried to be calm despite my heart pounding weirdly. It gets stronger the longer she stared into my eyes. I can't help but wanted to stare back. Her gaze was like a drug to my mind, eating away my consciousness. I quickly averted my eyes the moment I realized something's weird. A sultry smile formed on her lips as she slowly back away from me. She hovered backward to the nearby table and lightly sat on it as though sitting on a fluffy sheep. I don't know what she's up to, but I secretly gathered the mana into my right hand. Nuh noticed as her gaze traveled back from my hand.

"Oh my... oh my... Don't be so uptight boy... I just want to have a nice... little talk... Just between us..." Said Nuh with a teasing smile.

"What did you do to Elly."

Elly has flung away and through the wall by Nuh. Since then, I didn't hear anything from her, not even telepathically. Did she put some kind of barrier around the room? Now that I looked around. The Tuzis also disappeared. Are we in a different dimension? It is a magical world after all. With the minimum knowledge I have for this world. I can only guess.

Nuh bugged her silver eyes wide and followed by a grin, she spoke, "She's fine... don't worry about her..." She paused for a while, "...Anyway... How did you end up here boy?" And ended it with a weird question. Which she should've known why. Still, I answered.

"It was Miss Rhoselyn, who recomme-"

"...No... That's not what I meant boy..." She cut off my words and suggestively smiled. She ran her fingers through her silver long hair, intertwined them in between those slender fingers.

"You aren't a human of this world, are you?" She straightforward asked with a confident smile in the end. Her eyes gleamed in curiosity. Waiting for a reaction from me.

How did she know? I did request Rhoselyn for keeping shut about my identity. So, I don't think it was her.

I was a bit surprised by the question. But then, I tried my best hiding it from showing up on my face. Which is what I've been accustomed to. I can say that I have always got a naturally flat expression on my face. But, Nuh has keen eyes.

"…What do you mean." I denied. Her smile grew wider while her eyes still glued to me.

"Well, nevermind... It's alright if you don't want to admit it..." She blinked and still smiling. As if she had seen me through. She knew that I was trying to hide the fact. In fact, she did hint about knowing what Elly is. She might be able to somehow identify the race of a person. But, after all, it could be a trap. She might not be knowing anything and just taking guesses.

I will avoid the topic as much as I can.

"...Come here boy." Nuh beckoned me over. I was hesitant at first but then I moved closer to her. She crossed her arms while observing me from bottom to top and then her eyes narrowed when it reached my face.

"Do you know that Erol also, once my student?" Suddenly, Nuh started a conversation out of nowhere.

"…"

"Come on, don't be so quiet... Talk to me for a little bit... Can't you see that I'm so lonely here? Living in solitude only accompanied by the Tuzis..." Nuh sounded dramatic as she whined like a child. But her adult like voice, even when she raised it high, didn't fit her appearance at all. Although she has a body size of a child. Her attitude is more like of an adult.

"...All of the customers were just some old... sleazy men lately. It was no fun at all. Haaah..." Nuh sighed desperately. She hopped off the table and came closer to me. With her cold fingers, she touched my cheek and raised it up to face her tiny face feature. She pulled herself close to me.

"Now, now... Let's see what you got..." She whispered.

In a sudden, her lips pressed against mine. A strange feeling welled up in my body. Something in me swirled like a hurricane. I can feel my chest raised in temperature as something flowing up straight through my throat. She forced open my mouth with her tongue and forcibly took over space behind my lips with it.

What the hell??

I immediately pushed her away, with all the strength I could muster. "Hahh..." It drained me quite a bit.

Just what did she do to me??

Nuh knocked back to the table after being pushed away. But she can easily balance herself up while putting up a smug smile. Not even feeling awkward by her deed.

"Oh my, oh my..." With a fake surprised look, she wiped her mouth and smirked. Then, she grinned from ear to ear.

"Let Elly go, we are leaving." With a threatening voice, I demanded her.

"Ahahahahah!" Nuh started laughing not even flinched by tone.

She is clearly taking me lightly

"Oh my god, I thought that you don't have any other expression. But... you did actually give a decent reaction... Hahahaha" She continued laughing her heart out. Now, that she's laughing openly, she kind of finally acted more like of a child. All of the suggestive feels from her has been muffled by her laughter.

"...but it's not any better than Erol's. His reaction still the best so far." Nuh kept laughing and laughing until a little bead of tears formed under her silver eyes. Those are the tears of laughter. It was more genuine than any expression she gave since the beginning. But it was annoying to my ears.

"You did something to me, didn't you."

"Hmm? Of course, I did..." Nuh answered and raised her hand to touch her lips. "... I just smooched you, didn't I?"

"…"

Just what am I doing here...

"Oh my, oh my, stop staring at me like that..." She paused briefly and then covered her mouth with both her hands again. "Oh my... was it... your... first kiss?" Her eye bugged wide but obviously, a made up. She acted as if she was concerned by what she just did.

"…"

This is stupid...

"You know what, it was Erol's too and so did little Rosy... I've been stealing everyone's first kiss!" Nuh started reminiscing about the past incidents.

I can see why Erol can't stand around her now

"Oh, oh, oh! There's one funny part. When I told Erol that I've stolen little Rosy's first kiss. He looked so frustrated! But he turned into a tomato head right after I said... 'Which mean you've indirectly kissed her'... Ahahahahah... That was the best! " She laughed and laughed for a while before she settled down.

"Did you draw my mana out?" I ignored her blabbering and asked the question. She finally stopped and stood upright facing me.

"...alright, don't be so boring looking boy... I was just having a little observation through your... lips. That was one of the ways to inspect a person's mana... closely... hehe"

"One of the ways?"

"It was the most interesting way to be exact..." Nuh casually answered as she licked her lips. I inwardly sighed.

I can see why Rhoselyn viewed her as an eccentric person now

"Rhoselyn did mention that you were one of the 'Irregular'. The one who has an unlimited bound of mana... But, I doubted it when I first saw you. You know... you looked a bit... A bit too normal." Nuh finally started talking about something worth hearing.

"Then, how is an Irregular supposed to be like?"

Nuh turned to silence as she thinks about my question. She looked at me straight in the eyes but simultaneously her gaze felt distant. As if she was seeing someone else in me. The teasing smile slightly faded from her lips. Her silver eyelashes fluttered for a moment.

"...Because the Irregular ones are usually... crazy in the mind you know..." Nuh pointed at her temple when she said 'crazy' as she smiled wryly.

"So... there are other Irregulars?" I asked. She looked hesitant to answer me but she did anyway.

"Well, there's one Irregular I knew who ended up... you know..." She mumbled. A hint of sadness painted on her face for a few seconds before she suddenly grinned again.

"What happened t-"

"Nevermind that!" Nuh suddenly shouted to my surprise. She abruptly cut my question and continued.

"Whoaa boy... You really are an Irregular. Now, I understand why she sticks close to you..."

"She?"

"Because you're an unlimited source of food! Ha-ha!" Nuh laughed.

What she said has caught my attention. Who did she mean? Rhoselyn? No... Is it Elly?

"What are you talking about?" I asked and waited, but the answer never came.

Nuh ignored my last question as she hopped down from the table and started walking to the wall where she flung Elly away. She touched the wall and moved her palm across the surface. The wall turned transparent and Elly fell down from the sudden disappearance of the wall.

"Yuu!" She cried. Elly quickly ran toward and hugged me. After that, she turned around and hissed at Nuh.

"It's alright, Elly..."

It was a bit reluctant to have said that. But, it calmed Elly down. Fighting against her is something we shouldn't do. I can feel it. In addition to experience, she's also much stronger than us. Moreover, she seemed to be someone who holds an important position in the city of Easton as I remember her conversation with Erol before. That part when she said 'contract'.

Did she have some sort of contract with the lord?

While I was thinking. Nuh walked to Elly and bend down slightly to face her straight in the eyes. "Oh, my... Did I scare you? I apologize for that... Here." Nuh softly apologized to Elly as she pulled out a candy.

She waved it in front of her face with Elly's eyes clearly sticking close to the object. It was a cherry red colored rounded candy on a stick, resembles a lollipop. Elly looked at the piece of sweet with sparkling blue eyes. But she hesitated for taking the candy. Elly peeked at me like an innocent puppy. Thus, I nodded as a green signal. Then, she swiftly snatched the stick over and plopped it into her mouth with a satisfied looking face.

"Good girl..." Nuh smiled and glanced at me. I smiled wryly at that. Seeing an adult like child interacting with another child sure is weird.

"Rabi, show them their room..." Without me realizing, the Tuzis were all already back into the room, continue doing what they were doing before. Pounding on those herbs, like they had never disappeared. Nuh realized my confusion but she only smiled.

"…Rest up boy!" Nuh paused and smirked playfully. "...It'll be rough days ahead, hehe... I will see you next day." Nuh started walking away from us. While Rabi hopped to us ready to lead us away.

"Wait"

"Bye!" Nuh walked out of the room after the parting word, to be exact, she disappeared through the closed door. I followed after but only to discover an empty hall as I opened that door.

"...She's gone" I mumbled while staring at the empty hall and the darkness outside of the window.

Well, I've got plenty chance to ask her anyway.

I closed the door and followed Rabi to our room. Before I sleep, the face of that red-haired girl flashed across my mind and thus I drifted away to dreamland.

It was a silent night, it was always quiet in the night. Despite the title of 'Merchant City'. Easton never was a lively city when the moon hung up high in the sky. The day was too hectic for the citizen and in the night, most of them tucked in their own home and rest peacefully. But of course, there are few places in the city for those who yearned for some drink before starting a new day.

Located in a small alley away from the main street. A cheerful crowd can be heard from inside that brightest store of the area. All kind of people were enjoying their glass of cold ale and little snacks while chit-chatting with their mates. Most of the people were middle in ages, muscular sized body, seemingly soldiers and adventurers, except for a one feminine looking person in cloak sitting on the counter.

A red-faced bald-headed man, seemingly half drunken, noticed the person on the counter and started scooting close to her. He whistled at her face and harassed her.

"...Hey...missy...This is not a place for a little... girl...you know." The drunken man stared at the girl with sleazy eyes. The girl ignored and quietly took a sip of her ale. She faced away from the man.

"..ayy? Ignoring me?"

'Bam!'

The man thumped his tightly curled fist on the counter surface and it caused a sound which is loud enough to attract the surrounding eyes. It was only for a moment before those eyes moved away though. This kind of scenario, it happened all the times.

"Tsk" The girl clicked her tongue in annoyance. But, it was heard by him. The drunken man glared in fury, not satisfied by her reaction, he attempted to grip her wrist. The girl noticed his intention and flawlessly countered with an arm twist.

"Argh! Ayy Ayy Ayy!" The man whined. Afterward, she thumped his face down on the counter while locking his arm behind his big body. The crowds started staring at them again. Some people whistled at the girl's bravery and the others cheered at them. Except for the two men sitting in the corner of the room, they whispered to each other before started leaving the table.

The girl who has been secretly observing those two for a while. Knowing that they probably left because of the commotion. She clicked her tongue again. "Damn it" She whispered.

"Fuucckk! How dare y-" Haven't finished his words, the girl whacked his neck with the side of her palm. The drunken man instantly became a fainted man. The girl threw a few coppers to the counter and wordlessly dashed out of the bar, following the two men who just got away from her sight.

It was a dark and narrow alley. Standing in front of the crowded bar, the girl turned her head looking left and right, fortunately, she caught a glimpse of a shadow at the turn so she quickly dashed after the shadow. Those two men who realized that someone was tailing after them, they agreed to split and started going opposite direction of each other.

"Shit" The girl cursed. She remembered meeting her eyes with one of the men earlier. Thus, she chose the path where that taller man took to the right.

"Hah- Hah-" The tall man ran as fast as he could, simultaneously, calculating the best route possible to shake off the chaser. Fortunately, he has fast feet and managed to put a pretty good distance away from the chaser's eyes. As he made a sharp turn, he quickly slipped into the dark, one-person wide crack between the flimsy houses. He started regulating his breath while listening to his chaser's steps.

Tap tap tap tap

The steps grew closer and closer. His heart pounded like crazy as he shut his mouth tight. He waited in the cramped crack until the steps faded away. It was a moment of silence afterward. The chaser seemed to have gone away in the wrong direction. It was a chance for him to escape. He exhaled in relief.

"Fuck! I must tell master..." The man whispered in anger. Nobody should've known their timing and location. Not only that they didn't see the person they were supposed to meet. They've also been tailed.

"What a shit day." The man muttered as he got out of the crack, exposing himself under the moonlight. There was nobody in the alley except for himself. He quickly turned and run.

Thud

"What th-" Something hit his back thus he turned around. The thing dropped and rolled onto the ground. It was rolling until it met the shoes of another person standing not far from him. That person wasn't the chaser so he yelled in anger, "Hey!" But, he realized that the chaser could be on his tail at any moment so he canceled his intention, "I will let you go this time. I've no time fo-"

His eyes stuck on the thing that hit him earlier. His heart pounded eerily. It was a head. A head with the face of his ally. Who he thought should've gotten away safe and sound. Instead, his head now lying beneath the shoes of that person, still with a terrifying expression on and fresh blood pouring out of his neck.

"Wh-w-Who are you!" The man shouted in surprise. Before he could see the perpetrator's face in the shadow, he turned around and dashed away. "Shit that girl got another companion!" The man cursed as he ran for his life.

He ran and ran without turning his head back. There was no sign of the perpetrator chasing him. So, he finally turned to look at his back. Seeing no one tailing, he smirked as he fixated his gaze back to the front.

"Gaahh!!" As he faced forward, he bumped into a person and fell down on his bottom. It was the white cloaked man who chased after him.

"S-shit"

"Who are you" The white cloaked man asked. Slowly, he walked out of the shadow and the moonlight finally hit his face, exposing his dark blue hair below the white cloak he's wearing and his glowing green longsword, ready to slash at any moment. His gray eyes were glaring indefinitely at the guy who's started cowering.

"W-Wynford?!" The man sounded surprised while calling out his name and it seemed to have roused the sword-wielding man's interest. Seeing the sword, he was reminded of his own's weapon. He pulled out the dagger he had. 'Clank!' The man swung his longsword and swiftly tossed the dagger away. Looking at his dagger far from reach, he gulped.

"So, you know me huh?" While pointing his sword at the victim's chin. He asked.

"Don't kill me!! I will tell you...e-e-everything!" The man on the ground pleaded his life.

"What's your relation with Arex." Wynford, which is Erol's surname, started asking his first question.

"Arex? I-I don't know who is h- hearghh!" Erol mercilessly pierced the blade into his shoulder, causing the man to shrieked in pain.

"He- He is a bounty killer t-that master hired! I really don't know anything else!" The man blabbered as his hands clapped into a begging gesture. "Please spare my life!" He pleaded.

“Hhh!!” The man squealed as Erol pulled out the sword from his shoulder. His face scowled in pain but he gritted his teeth and endured. Erol swiftly aimed it at his neck, blade lightly but threateningly pressing on the skin. "Who is your master and for what purpose he attempted on kidnapping Rhoselyn! " Erol started getting impatient and throwing questions hastily.

"Actually, H-he is-"

*stab

"A-aerhghgd!" A knife stabbed into the throat of that man. He squealed in pain while blood started bubbling out of his mouth. He raised his hands touching the blade in his throat before he helplessly dropped down to the ground.

"Who's that!!" Erol shouted as he scanned throughout the dark alley. Judging from the direction, the knife should be thrown from above. Without hesitating, he jumped on to the closely distanced walls back and forth until he was reached above the houses.

Not far from his position, his eyes caught on a cloaked person jumping off the roof. So, he quickly followed after. He jumped down at the exact same place and landed on the alley crowded with homeless people lying on the ground. He shifted his eyes left and right but he couldn't trace the person's footstep because of the noise here. After a while of focus, it was faint but he finally caught in some footsteps thanks to his wind ability. Erol dashed to the source of the sound. It was away from these people. Still in the alley but empty.

CLANKK!!

A blade aggressively swung against him but Erol managed to swiftly blocked it. They parried for a few times before Erol finally slashed his mana filled sword. 'Whoosh!!' The girl in cloak barely dodged with a back jump. But the slash got her hood, exposing her scarlet hair under the moonlight. The wind flashed across the alley and caused a loud 'BOOM'. The girl landed with hood uncovered but her face is hidden behind a white mask.

"A... woman?"

Clank!

The girl threw a short knife at Erol but he easily blocked it. He dashed toward the escaping girl and finally cornered her back into the wall with his blade on her neck.

"Who are you. Why did you kill him! What's your relationship with them?!" Erol started bombarding her with questions. The moment he attempted to uncover her mask. The girl started whispering, "...in the name of Faiya..."

"Shit!"

"Explosion!!" The girl shouted and a red circle surged in between them.

BOOM!!

"Cough! Cough!" Erol jumped away quite far to make sure he didn't get caught in the blast.

"Damn it" He mumbled as he still coughing out the smoke he inhaled. It wasn't a powerful blast. In fact, it was more like of a smoke bomb.

The smoke was thick and choking. It is also perfectly blocked his vision in addition to the sparse light the alley had originally got. His ears were ringing because of the exploding sound. His head felt like splitting from the endless ring on his ears.

'Whoosh' Erol slashed his sword and a gust of wind instantly cleared out the smoke. He darted his eyes to the surrounding. But the girl has disappeared into thin air. He couldn't catch the sound of her footsteps as his ears were still ringing. He punched his fist frustratingly on the wall beside him.

"Red hair, fire magic, also, a sword wielder..." He muttered to himself and pounded his fist on the wall again. "…I will find her… I will kill whoever that master person is… and I will protect Lady Rhoselyn..." He whispered. His eyes glared at distant, full of hate and frustration.

“Hmm”

At the moment he was about to leave the area. A sparkle entered his vision and thus he stopped and turned around. Looking at the ground where a piece of necklace lying. With no hesitation, he picked up the necklace and inspected it close to his eyes.

The link was broken by a sharp swift cut

Which reminded him of that time he cut through the hood of the red-haired woman. It must have gotten caught by the slash and broke the link. Behind the pendant, the letter “N” is carved on its silver plating and in front of it is a murky colored red stone.

“…” Erol silently smirked at his founding. Because the red stone isn’t something that common people would normally have. It is a middle-grade stone use for magic enhancement. A middle-grade stone means it needed to be worked by a skilled crafter, a magic artisan to be exact. By finding whose craft is this. One can already narrow it down to the buyers and starts searching from there.

Although still budding with frustration, Erol gripped the red stone tight and then he pocketed it into his shirt. Before long, he walked away and left the area with confident expression plastered on his face.

It was a long night.

It was an especially long night for the red-haired girl in the white mask. She dashed through the forest of the Eastern Easton with a sole destination on her mind. The only place she called 'home' and also the place where her master resides. Hidden in the deep forest and inside an ordinary looking cave. She scanned at the surrounding before entering it.

"What a shitty night" She muttered and contemplated at the earlier scene as she walked into the cave which led to maze-like tunnels. But, she already had it mapped on her head anyway. It was an easy breeze toward the place she's heading to. The girl lit up a torch as she walks to where her master resides. After a while of walking, she finally arrived the place she's looking for. She stood in front of the muddy wall where a hidden door built behind it. It will be just another wall to the normal person's eyes.

*knock *knock

"Niz here" She said at the wall. After a moment, a sound of door unlocking surfaced and it creaked open by a guard of this place. As the door fully opened, she quickly dashed forward and knees down on the ground in front of a fierce looking middle-aged man standing inside. He is the person whom she called 'master'.

"Master, I am terribly sorry, I failed..." The girl in cloak knelt and contemplated. He has an athletic body and his tan skin is covered with scars. He looks like a person who's been through a lot of thick and thin. His face looks rugged and he didn't seem to have bathed for a while.

"Explain the situation." The man demanded, while head still facing low, the girl started explaining.

"I was at their meeting location waiting for the target. But, the target didn't show up and thus they left the place. I chased after them... but... Erol Wynford appeared." The girl explained.

"Wynford? Are you sure?" The man questioned. He looked somewhat surprised at the name.

"Yes, I am sure Master. He almost got 'his' name from his underling. But, I managed to shut him up before he spouted anything." The girl said.

"Good job, Niz... You made a good call on that." The man complimented. "It wasn't your fault that the target didn't show up." Said the man.

"Thank you master..." The girl proudly accepted his forgiveness.

"Erol Wynford shouldn't know about 'him' yet. It will ruin our plan." The man muttered. His fist tightened as he thinks about 'him'. His eyes gleamed with resent and anger. But, he managed to calm himself down for a greater cause.

"I will make sure he pays for what he did..." He whispered as he moved closer to the girl. "Stand up, Niz" He commanded while eyes downcast at the kneeling girl.

"Yes, Master." The girl stood up in command. She looked up at the face of her master, who is now smiling wickedly.

"I've got another mission for you." He announced.

"I will not fail you this time Master." and the girl happily accepted her master's command.