I Have a Task Log

The Magic's description was quite simple, but a moment's thought revealed just how powerful its effects were.

With increased Speed, both Casting and attacking would become faster, and dodging enemy attacks would be much easier. Although the user's own senses limited it from being too overpowered, it was still very useful.

However, this Magic required the user to maintain concentration, and a direct hit could force the spell to be interrupted.

But for Colin, who wore the [Elf Dance] Cloak and had mastered [Silver Light Sharp Words] and [Shield], as well as a series of defensive techniques like [Defense in Attack] and [Sword Dance], this wasn't a major concern.

Unless the gap in strength was too vast, he didn't think many people could wound him in a Swordsmanship duel. Maintaining the Magic until it expired shouldn't be too difficult.

The only issue was that this Magic required licorice root as a Casting Material. He'd have to find some later.

"It's ready, Colin."

Ale's voice came from behind him, and a small hand handed him a Potion from the side.

Colin took the Potion and drank the contents in one gulp.

It still had that sickeningly sweet, metallic taste, making him frown. After a numb, tingling sensation, the wound on his shoulder began to slowly heal.

"There's still a small part where the skin is broken that didn't heal. Let me put some ointment on it," Ale said.

Colin, who had been about to stand up, obediently sat back down and let her apply the medicine.

Just then, Ale's voice came from behind him.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't able to do anything this time."

"That toxin must have been something that affects the mind. It's nothing. I was affected by the Black Dragon's might when we encountered it before," Colin said.

A pair of cool, small hands moved across his shoulder. The cold ointment seeped into the wound, soothing the sharp pain that had felt like a burning Flame.

Colin slowly relaxed.

After a moment, Ale's hesitant voice reached his ears. "This... it's my fault."

After saying this, the Half-Elf fell silent again.

By now, the wound on Colin's shoulder had been treated. Ale sat silently beside him.

"We can't start a fire right now, so let's eat the last of our rations. We should be fine after we get a bit farther away. I still think we should cook those Mushroomman mushrooms before eating them, just to be safe," Colin said.

The two of them then took out food from their respective backpacks.

Colin unwrapped the wax paper around his food and also took out his waterskin.

He spoke up. "I'm listening."

Hearing this, Ale, who was sitting beside him, flinched, causing a small nut to fall to the ground.

She silently picked up the nut, wiped it clean, and tossed it into her mouth.

Just as Colin thought Ale wouldn't respond this time either, the Half-Elf's soft voice reached his ears. "I think I mentioned it to you before. I used to have to stay at home all the time.

My father is a traveling Knight, and my mother manages our family's estate. For fear of betrayal, we had almost no living servants in our home, only some intelligent Constructs."

Colin silently swallowed the nut he had been chewing.

Constructs, to put it simply, are this world's version of robots, except they're powered by Magic. Depending on the strength of the Earth Elemental Essence used as a material, Constructs can also possess varying Levels of intelligence.

And these Constructs all share one characteristic.

They are extremely expensive—so expensive that construct guards only appear in the homes of nobility or in Mage Towers.

"Because I spent so much time at home, my mother and father gave me many things to pass the time: Gold Coins, Gemstones, antiques, books, and all sorts of Knight novels."

Ale continued, "That's when I learned how to appraise antiques and things like that. I also read a lot of books, so I'm quite good at it. But out of everything, the Knight novels were the most interesting.

I loved the people in them, the events that happened. I loved how all the good people were rewarded, and I loved every perfect ending. A world like that is just so wonderful."

"I think so too," Colin said.

'Knight novels in this world are probably still in the 'justice always prevails' stage. Stories like that are bound to be wonderful.'

"My father is a Knight, too. Whenever he came back, he would tell me about his adventures upholding justice and all the interesting things he saw. He's an amazing Knight; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's renowned."

As she spoke, Ale gently rolled a nut in her hand, a nostalgic smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

Colin watched her expression in silence.

This was only the second time he had ever seen her smile.

"But back then, my father and mother didn't have a very good relationship. Dad thought I should go out more and interact with other people, but Mom believed doing so would provoke the Dragon Worship Cult and make them even more frantic.

In the end, my father took me out behind my mother's back. We went to the nearest small village. I disguised myself and pretended to be a little human girl traveling with her merchant father.

I made a lot of friends there. The boys took me to the barns and into the woods, and the girls showed me how to weave flower crowns and watch the lambs. I have to admit, it was all even more fun than the Knight novels."

Just listening to her description, Colin started to relax.

After all, Ale was usually expressionless. Hearing her tell her own story so vividly, anyone who had spent time with the Half-Elf couldn't possibly remain unmoved.

But as the conversation continued, Ale's smile began to fade.

She continued, "But... my mother was right."

Colin resisted the urge to sigh and looked down at the dried meat in his hand.

"I don't know when it started, but Dad stopped taking me there. No matter how much I begged or asked, I never found out why.

Until one morning, my mother angrily called Dad and me out and took me to that little village..."

A gentle breeze swept by, rustling the leaves.

Colin had a feeling what she was going to say next.

He thought again of the disgusting things he had seen beneath Three Bays City.

'If something like that happened to an entire village, and that village was full of people you knew...' To some extent, Colin could now understand why Ale acted so strangely.

Ale paused for a moment.

Then she slowly began to speak. "When I got there, I found the village had been burned to the ground. They had gone to great trouble to nail some of the villagers to walls, cutting off their hands, feet, or heads, and then sewing parts from Dragon Beasts onto them.

The Black Dragon did this. By the time we arrived, the bodies had already rotted... There were huge, acid-resistant cockroaches everywhere. That's why I find them so disgusting."