Master of the brave.

He walks beside his father pulling a luggage truck with luggage that can never be said to be much, staring at the ground for nagging additions and subtractions.

My father spoke and smiled at me more than once to cheer himself up like that. Only then do I smile back, hiding my anxious heart.

He shakes his hand back hard that his mother connected to encourage him.

I shake my mother's hand back so hard.

As he walked among a group of familiar villagers, he eventually saw the knights on horses.

The villagers were delighted to see the knights at first.

But as they approached, the faces of the villagers and their parents were distorted by amazement and fear, and at the next moment, a luggage car jumped by my father on the horse and jumped into the universe approached her -.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

".................. Huh!

Moonlight and cold air to plug in.

Heavy gasping at the aftermath of the nightmare, Celi Torque woke herself up from a blanket that was wrapped around her.

You were crying in your dreams, your pillow was wet.

A dream of the past that has actually happened that I see many times and not many times since my home village of Torque was attacked.

As she leaves the cabin where she lives, she moistens her throat with water from the water bottle and washes her face, which leaves tear marks.

Then when I go back to the cabin, I get my clothes done, I try to cover my ears with a thin cloth and wrap my hair around it.

Longer ears than men are a sign that she draws the blood of an elf.

Half elves are never repelled in the Imperial Capital, but anything slightly different in the population is prone to pop up.

Thanks to the use of magic by my father, who was an elf in the village, he was never treated badly, but in the city of Nest, where he was going into business, he felt somewhat sheltered.

As far as the village of Elf is concerned, he has sometimes been confined to a stone cell.

For this reason, Celi lived in imperial capital, trying to hide her ears.

"Good Morning"

"Good morning, Celi."

In reply to Celi's greeting, he is Randell, the master of the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion where Celi is allowed to live.

Celi had a small cabin in the back yard of this inn let her work in the lodging.

A knight boy named Wynn, who originally lived in this cabin, gave me the right to live here and the job (Celi has no distinction between a righteous knight and a cadet).

When they gave it to me, it was superior to the rain leak. Yet the same was true of the digging shed where the gap breeze blew all you could in with the pew pew, but for some reason it had been repaired as new by the hands of Tiara, the [Great Sage] of the High Elf, who had visited it.

To Seli, who draws even half the blood of an elf, it is so awe-inspiring to live in a cabin set up by the Great Sage himself, your breed and a hero to mankind for the elf.

I can't thank Winn enough.

"Will you fill the water bottle as usual and then wash and peel the vegetables?

"Yes."

Following Randall's instructions, Celli holds it so that when she holds a small empty jar, she pours the contents of the jar into the water.

Then I closed my eyes and cast a spell.

"I understand the reason of water and exchange it for running. Grace of life, grant me. '

Then the water gushed out of the jar and filled the water bottle.

After filling all the water bottles that way, this time washing the vegetables with water and then peeling them quickly.

"It's over. Do you want to go buy it out?

"You're working fast, Celi. It's bad for Winn, but Celi's better up there in terms of efficiency."

Randell laughed.

The speed of getting the job done is no different than winning, but with only one thing: magic can be used, Celi is efficient.

Because you don't have to go back and forth through the joint well.

"Oh, Celi. Just give me a minute."

Hannah, Randell's wife, who was dealing with a guest, stopped Celi from going to the city to purchase ingredients.

"Yes?"

"This customer wants to go to the city. That's right. Show him around."

A large woman in her mid-twenties or so, with short red hair cuts, smiles wildly and offers her hand to Celi.

"Hey, are you Seli? I'm Zinya. Zigna Leg"

"It's Seri Torque. Good morning, Mr. Zigna."

Is it a mercenary or an adventurer?

He is dressed in used leather armor and has a sword on his hips.

The palm of my hand is stiff when I hold back the hand offered.

"I wanted to refill my wound pills and stuff before I got to work. I could go to a store like that, but if there's a store in the city that deals with cheap, good drugs and stuff, why don't you let me know?

"It was just fine. I'm also dealing with the shops I'm going to, cheap and very good working drugs."

"Really!? He's got it. You made a fortune on your previous job, and you're lucky to be here. So, can you show me around?

"Yeah, that's fine."

With a shopping cage, Seli went out of the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion with Zigna to the boulevard where the mornings could stand.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

The morning market is held in front of the East Gate Square on the outer walls of Teito and in front of the South Gate Square.

"Oh, Celi. You look beautiful today!

"What do you say, Celi? This fish is getting cheaper today, isn't it?

"Good morning. Customers are asking me to show them around today, so I'll drop by again."

Celli's face, mixed with the blood of a beautifully shaped elf, is very neat.

One after the other the men who were opening a dewstore to such seri called out.

Seri smiles back at them and greets them, walking alongside Zigna inside the market on the south gate side.

"Mr. Seri is so popular!

Zigna told Seri, who had been spoken to frequently from earlier, as she was surprised.

"I've come to this city to buy out a lot."

"No, that's not all. Because you're beautiful."

"That's not true."

Laughing and flushing gently at Zigna saying that,

"Mr. Zigna, it's the shop over there."

Ahead of what Ceri pointed out, about half a dozen women lined the cloth with vegetables and such.

"Good Morning"

"Morning, Celi. What are you having today?

"Good morning. Can I see your vegetables today? And this one wants you to show him your medicine."

"I need a wound medicine and a pill for stomach pain. I hope there's something I can save for a long time."

"So how about this?

While Zigna and the out-of-the-box shopkeeper's woman talk out some pills, Celli takes each and every vegetable she was asked to take and indulge.

Her vegetables that she makes with her daughter on the outskirts of Imperial Capital are very luminous and popular with some slight sweetness when included in her mouth.

If you go early, it's often sold out.

"Thanks for everything."

"No, my aunt's vegetables. Because it's so fresh."

"Thank you, Mr. Seri. Get a cheap pill that looks so good."

Zigna, who was paying for the medicine one foot ahead of Celi, said with a hokey smile.

They were able to get the medicine you were looking for cheaper than the budget.

Celli also cages the vegetables she chooses and pays for them.

"You seem so used to the life of the Imperial City."

"Yes, thanks to you"

"But be careful. There are a lot of bad bugs in the capital."

A shopkeeper's woman glances around as she gives Celi her change. And the surrounding young men, who were stealing a flickering look at Celi, let their bats wander their gaze badly.

"Yes, I'll be careful"

Ceri received the change, laughing with Couscous.

Though I felt very sorry for myself in my hometown, I sincerely think I have been able to tour many kind people since I came to Empire City.

"As I walked with Mr. Seri, I was surprised that the men's gaze had gathered"

"Seri is the princess of all the men in this city. There are so many men who admire this girl."

"I don't have any luck with that."

"But it's not a bad bug, but it's a mess here, so be really careful, okay?

A shopkeeper woman dives her voice into Celi, who is laughing a little like a light.

"The war is about to start, because a lot of people are pouring in. I almost got attacked by a burglar yesterday, too."

"Huh!? Were you okay?

"There happens to be a very strong swordsman on the street. We got lucky."

"Speaking of which, lately, I think more of our customers have been like mercenaries and adventurers like Zinya"

I heard from the conversation between the guests that nobles with territories on the border are gathering mercenaries and adventurers.

Mercenaries and adventurers gather information in their respective guilds in Imperial Capital, looking for employers to value the most, or join mercenary regiments.

There were more rough people, more fights and squabbling in taverns, etc.

That is no exception to the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion.

"I hear there are a lot of kidnappings of young girls. My daughter is worried too. You'd better avoid the less crowded roads, too, Celi, wouldn't you?

"Your daughter, she's so cute."

"When I'm a little older, I'm thinking about letting you serve me in a city store.

Are there a lot of understaffed places lately, or slums, but some of them have massive jobs?

"Really?

"I wonder if things are selling in the war. It's complicated because it raises the price of all sorts of things, but it also sells better..."

And the shopkeeper's woman said with a bitter smile.

"Auntie, aren't you worried about me?

"You'd be paying back the other way."

"Hahaha, sort of! Instead, if you attack me, I'll catch you."

Zigna said, "I want extraordinary income!," he barks.

"Is there a kidnapping going on?

"They've been missing a lot of people to keep standing here lately. Most of the victims are kids from the Glades or people from elsewhere."

"Oh, there's a lot of people buying and stuff, isn't there?

Zigna is familiar with the situation in the Glades just because she is a mercenary.

We hear a lot about selling ourselves and selling our children, only where the people who eat them flow.

Some of them kidnap them and sell them to slave traders, etc.

"They've been happening so often lately that it's rumored."

"Well, besides the mercenaries and adventurers who belong to a legitimate guild like Tomara, guys like the Bandit Collapse are flowing in and out."

"So you better watch out for younger, prettier daughters like Celi"

"Okay. Thank you."

I thank the lady from the store owner who worried me and hold a cage filled with vegetables.

If it's not time to go home, I won't be able to make lunch in time.

"I'm still going to take a look around the city. I just found an outdoor shop selling knives that look good."

"Well, I'm going back to the inn first."

When she broke up with Zigna, who still wanted to look around the dewstore, Celi began to return for the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion.

When I looked carefully on my way home, I saw a lot of men in the city who wanted to be armed but also made battle a business.

They must have come to replenish the weapons and essentials of the excavation, just like Zigna.

Second, I noticed that there were people who pointed a favorable gaze at Celi's body.

It's a pair of young adventurers or men who look like mercenaries.

My eyes are stinging sending my gaze to Celi.

Having noticed his gaze, Celi leans down and walks out early enough.

Some of the visitors to the inn are like them, but Seri doesn't like them, to tell the truth.

I was more afraid of armed men than that.

Because it still inspires my memory in the village of Torque.

But...

(Is that it? Is anybody following me?

Turning around, the threesome of men who had earlier sent a likeable gaze were walking in the same direction as Celi.

(I'm sure he's just accidentally headed in the same direction)

I thought I cared too much, but Celi increased her walking speed.

I'll take a few peeks at the dew shop and check the rear.

(... was there)

The threesome was also stopping on their feet again.

As with Seri, he pretends to be locating the dewstore, while occasionally turning his gaze to Seri.

(... no, I'm scared)

Seri quickened her legs trying to get back to the inn as soon as possible, almost crying over the creeps coming tailing her.

But it's an early morning market.

I can't walk very well because people are crowded.

Even though, country-grown celi aren't used to walking in the crowd yet.

The distance between Seli and the trio was slowly narrowing.

Walk through the street in a hurry when you finally get out of the market.

But the time the market is holding is earlier than the time when ordinary people wake up.

Though boulevards, crowds are less doomed.

The footsteps behind me are getting closer and closer.

Celi felt her body tense with fear, and tears seemed to overflow.

At that time...

"I knew it wasn't Mr. Seri, good morning!

They called her name from the front, and Celi looked up all the time.

A knight who took her out of an elf's stone cell from the front of Celi - Waving as Winn ran.

Celi rushes over for a small run with relief.

"Mr. Wynn!

"Huh? What? What's the matter with you?

Winn stops at Ceri, who came running over with tears.

And when he saw the threesomes rushing over from behind Celi, Winn instantly understood the situation.

Hide Ceri behind his own back and stare at the threesome.

The trio also stared at Wynn when they stopped legging,

"Chi, let's go"

The threesomes didn't like to be rubbed, or they turned back on their original path early enough.

Behind Winn, Celli exhales heavily in relief.

"Mr. Seri, are you okay?

Seri feels safe and her hips are about to fall off and into the ground, and Winn rushes to reach out and support her body.

"Oh, thank you"

Eventually, Celi was to return to the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion dressed like she borrowed a shoulder from Winn.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

"Right. Maybe I shouldn't let Celi go shopping alone for a while."

"The situation near the border is smelling pretty bad. There's been a report from the city's guards to the Knights expressing concern about the deterioration of security."

Winn, who stopped his morning workout and sent Seli to the 'Migratory Bird Inn' pavilion, decided to have breakfast as it was.

When he tells Randell that Seri was about to get tangled up on the road, Randell nods and looks inside the inn's dining room.

Aside from Winn, there are other guests eating breakfast, but more than half of them were like mercenary men.

"The war is about to start, and we're going to make more money with the influx of people and the number of guests staying, but you don't have to give up more crime. Speaking of which, when it comes to war, does Winn go too?

"Um, I'm on a rear mission, so I don't suppose I'll ever leave?

"Right or right. You can rest assured, Letty!

Ha-ha-ha. Laughing, Randell returns to the kitchen.

Seli came to Winn in the wrong place.

Thank you for your help earlier.

"It's only natural for you as a knight to protect your citizens. I'd rather apologize."

"That's not true!

Celi's voice gets louder.

The gaze of the guests who were eating and drinking around turns for a moment to Seri.

Having attracted my attention, Celli turned red to her neck, but still lowered her head with the pepper toward Wynn.

"I was really scared. Thank you."

"Yeah, be careful next time"

Celi made me smile at Winn's answer.

"It would be helpful to have someone like Zigna with me all the time."

"Mr. Zigna?

"I'm a guest who's staying with us right now. She seems to be a mercenary, and she seems to be a very strong woman."

"Heh."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Zigna, it's too late to come back"

It's already time for the morning market to be closed down.

"I guess he's touring the store and showing his face to the guild, too?

"... right"

Maybe it's because my aunt at the outdoor told me about the kidnapping.

Eventually, after breakfast, Winn leaves the inn, and Celi returns to work again.

While working, Celi somehow cared about Zigna.

Sometimes she was scared of herself, and Celi felt something like unscrupulous anxiety spreading in her chest.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

"Sister, don't worry, I'll lose a little bit."

"You did it, old man! You know the story!

Zigna's footsteps were light as she was able to get the knife she was wearing her eyes on when she was walking with Celi at a good end, and at a fairly affordable price.

My father, who had an outdoor shop, seems to have a workshop dealing with pots and such, but he makes knives out of his hobby.

It is necessary to buy a license from an artisan's guild to handle swords in the workshop, but it is not necessary to sell them in the morning market.

"Because it is only made with a hobby," he humbled that the prosperity did not extend to his duties, but as a mercenary it was a sufficiently satisfying product, even from the eyes of Zigna, who has considerable experience.

Besides, I was also mindful of your father's phrase "Mr. Seppuku".

The number of female mercenaries was still small, as well as Zigna's good looks there, and she was often thistled by the men around her.

However, this morning I asked a girl named Celi, a servant of the inn I'm staying at, to show me to the city to replenish the medication I had cut during my journey, but sometimes the high popularity in her market inspired a Zigna woman.

Most importantly, I think Celi is a beautiful and adorable attractive girl from Zigna's eyes, but that's not funny.

The pride of a woman was filled with her father's words, "I'm going to let you lose a little because you're not."

"You've got so much luck these days that you're scared!

I was able to keep spending less than I had planned.

(Let's get excited about breakfast with floating money.)

Walk while buying skewers and barley liquor in an outdoor store for a nose mix.

"Is that it? Where am I?

He's apparently lost his way because he was walking appropriately through a crowded city.

"Ma, look."

I don't have a particular rush to run.

Leaving the square in front of the South Gate, where the city is open, the hustle and bustle until then becomes quiet as a lie.

No church bell has yet been rang announcing the morning visit to the citizens.

Besides, he went into some back street because he got lost, and it wasn't as if he still had a figure of what the bustle of the morning market could hear in the distance.

"There you go. I don't want to hear the road alone..."

Blurry, Zigna walks out that she will all be out on the main street.

The "Migratory Bird Inn" pavilion faces the boulevard, a splendid accommodation in a pretty good location.

If you can even get out on the main street, you can go home without getting lost.

(.................. hmm?

The only footsteps that resonate around you are the ones you stand.

However, a mercenary-operated, forged inquiry of ten years was telling Zigna that there were imminent signs of danger.

Nod, I have a bad feeling about it running.

(... are you tailed? Object theft? No...)

Wearing leather armor and wearing a sword, Zigna is a mercenary or adventurer from anywhere.

Besides, leather armor is used, and you can see that the muscles of the arms and thighs that are peeled out of Zigna are built up as supple as a carnivore.

If it's normal theft, Zigna is definitely a high-risk opponent, albeit a woman.

Here Zigna remembers a conversation she had with Celli and her aunt in the outdoor store when she bought the medicine in the morning market.

- They've been missing a lot of people to keep standing here lately. Most of the victims seem to be kids from the ghetto or people from elsewhere.

(So the rumored crowd grabbed? Huff, you've got a good heart. I can't believe I'm after this...)

Subtly ascertain with your left hand the sword strapped to your left hip.

(After all, you've been following me a hell of a lot lately!

Take the path to the narrower alley.

If someone who's been tailing is grabbing at the Imperial Capital lately, they'll get a bounty if they give it back and stick it out to the guard's jar.

Even if you weren't grabbing people, if you were a thief or a thug, you'd get some money.

And I didn't intend to delay Zigna to the extent of the city's Gorotsky.

If it's about the Gorotsky of the city...

Eventually, the bells of the church announce their morning visit and the inhabitants overflow the city, and the imperial capital is surrounded by hustle and bustle as if the silence of the night were a lie.

Neighbors were also seen coming out of the narrow alley onto the street.

But none had seen a tall female mercenary emerge.