Chapter 10: Invasion
“Let’s try the bookstore this time.”
He sold his loot and acquired new weapons. Empty-handed with a bulging coin purse, Russell walked out of the Blacksmithing District and headed for the Booksellers’ Alley.
The sun was already past noon. He had spent more time in the Blacksmithing District than he had expected. The sky was clear, with only a few scattered clouds.
Many people passed by Russell. Some were just ordinary city dwellers, but there were far more mercenaries in armor and weapons.
It seemed that Aunt Philly’s earlier words were true. The Lord was indeed amassing mercenaries on a large scale.
There were fewer people in the Booksellers’ Alley than in the Blacksmithing District. The Booksellers’ Alley was not that wide, so it was easy to guess where it ended.
For a city the size of Calisden, it had a bookstore, but it was not easy to find books to read. After all, paper itself was not cheap.
Russell stood in front of a relatively large bookstore. The stall displayed a pile of various books. The books were not in any particular order. It seemed like he had to look through them one by one. As he stepped inside, an elderly man with glasses greeted Russell.
“Hello. Are you searching for a book?”
“Do you have any books on magic?”
“Hmm?”
The old man frowned at Russell’s question. He scrutinized Russell from top to bottom, then cocked his head and spoke.
“You look like a warrior, but you’re searching for a magic book. Are you running an errand?”
“No; I’m interested in it myself. Do you not have any?”
“Hey, you should go to the magic tower or the academy for that kind of thing. Do you think I sell specialized books like that in a bookstore? This is a place where they sell bestiaries and novels.”
Russell visited other bookstores after that, but they all gave him the same answer.
Feeling disappointed, Russell left the Booksellers’ Alley. All that remained was to find a tobacco shop and visit the Chamber of Commerce to collect the auction proceeds.
He took out the map the Chamber of Commerce employee had given him and tried to find the shopping district.
“Excuse me.”
He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He slowly turned around to see another dark elf standing there.
He had met two dark elves in one day.
The new dark elf was quite tall. She must have been at least 180 centimeters(5.9ft) tall. She was taller than any other woman Russell had ever seen in this world.
Her skin was a different color than Alicia’s healthy brown skin. It was a mixture of deep pink and pale purple, and it shimmered smoothly and ominously in the sunlight.
Her eyes were red, her long white hair left loose. She had sharp, large eyes, a straight nose, and red lips that were even redder than her skin.
A pair of round earrings hung from her elongated, purple ears.
Her beautiful, fairy-like face was expressionless, like a lifeless doll.
A tough, black leather suit clung tightly to her feminine curves, and she wore a jacket over it.
Below that, black leather pants and sturdy leather boots that reached up to her calves covered her legs and feet.
An equally black robe fluttered around her waist, its ends frayed and pointy from repeated tying and untying.
Her leather boots, pants, and clothes were all jet black, and her skin was a pale purple, giving her the aura of an otherworldly spirit.
She was strong. Strong enough that he hadn’t sensed her approach until that moment.
The dark elf spoke.
“I’d like to ask for directions. I’m new to this city.”
“. . . . . .”
Russell measured the distance between himself and the dark elf, who was about three steps away. It was a distance where he could effortlessly cut her upper body with his sword if he lunged forward.
Two single-edged swords hung from her leather belt, forming a crescent shape.
Her awkward posture did not show any openings. Her clothes covered her fierce yet supple muscles, pulsating like a lioness.
Russell noticed her hand twitching towards the hilt at her waist. It was clear that she had a similar thought. A realistic simulation played out in Russell’s mind, as if he could see the future.
He drew his greatsword and struck, but the dark elf’s backhand sword blocked it, and another blade pierced his side. Russell stepped back and blocked it. The dark elf lunged forward, and then. . .
The vision unfolded in less than a second and disappeared in an instant.
Russell sensed the movements of the dark elf’s muscles, creating an illusion that was incredibly realistic.
“. . . . . .Phew.”
He realized that he had already begun to mentally separate her upper body from her lower, even though they hadn’t exchanged a single word.
A chuckle escaped his lips. He had become quite a murderous thinker. He had been influenced a lot.
Perhaps it was because he had not seen anyone who could catch his keen senses for a long time.
As Russell relaxed his stern expression and loosened his body, the strangely tense dark elf also approached.
“You’re sharp. You startled me.”
“Sorry. I was nervous because it was the first time someone had slipped past my senses.”
“Is that true? I guess I was a bit rude too. Sorry.”
The dark elf spoke, nodding her head.
“As I said, I’d like to ask for directions. Which way do I go from here to the Blacksmithing District?”
The Blacksmithing District. Russell had a premonition.
“It’s not that far from here. . .But why ask me specifically?”
“The design on the scabbard you bear on your back is familiar to me.”
He engraved the World Tree’s pattern on his scabbard. It was not that big, but she must have good eyesight.
“There’s no other elf blacksmith in this area who engraves the pattern of the world tree. That’s why I called you.”
“You must know Alicia.”
The dark elf’s eyes widened slightly. She seemed surprised.
“. . .She told me her name. It’s not common.
May I ask what your relationship is?”
“I’m her older sister.”
Older sister. The details of her appearance were strangely similar. Especially her large eyes.
The dark elf spoke.
“Lexi. As you can see, I’m a dark elf.”
“. . .Russell.”
“My younger sister told me she was working as a blacksmith here, so I came to visit her. It’s been a while since I saw her, and I wanted to make sure she was doing well. However, the process was too complex. I’ve been wandering around here for two hours already. In the meantime, I found you, with the World Tree’s crest engraved on you. So I spoke to you.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As Russell held out the map, Lexi approached with a delighted expression. Suddenly, an unknown fragrance wafted through the air.
“We are here. At this alley, turn left and go straight. Then turn right at the fork in the road. . .”
He explained the directions in detail, and Lexi listened intently.
“. . .And that’s the Blacksmithing District. Did you understand?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a big city like this, so I keep getting lost. And when I try to ask for directions, everyone just avoids me. Anyway, they only like white skin. Racists.”
It seemed that she had experienced something unpleasant because of her skin color. But it was not his business.
Lexi thanked him.
“Thank you for your guidance. I’m glad I met you. It’s been a long time since I’ve met a kind human.”
“Yes. I hope you find your way there.”
“I’d like to buy you a drink later. Do you have a place to stay?”
A drink. Not bad. Especially if someone else is buying.
“Breezy winds from Lanshmoore. It’s in the Lodging District.”
“I see.”
Lexi glanced at him and walked away. Russell watched her as she entered the alley and disappeared.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
“Have a nice day!”
Russell stepped out with a cigarette in his mouth as he heard the greeting. As Evelyn had said, he bought cigarettes from a shop with a magic tower painted on it.
Russell gathered his hands and used his magic to ignite a flame and light the cigarette. As he inhaled deeply, a different fragrance from the one Evelyn had given him spread through his lungs.
It was a mild, less addictive, safer, but more expensive cigarette. One pack of cigarettes costs one silver coin. There were about ten cigarettes in one pack, and Russell bought five packs of different kinds. He planned to choose a good cigarette by alternating them.
If the Eupren herb had temporarily sharpened his magical senses, this one sharpened his five senses. He had never smoked drugs, but wouldn’t it be similar to that?
He laughed for no reason. Was it because of the cigarette? Or did it stem from his current life, where he had died for no apparent reason and was now somehow adjusting to this new world?
Russell stood there smoking in silence. Father, Mother. Older sister. A half-sister with a different mother. Her emotionless black eyes. But Russell knew the desire that filled them. Those eyes had been staring at him ever since he first met her. . .
He chuckled. The old retainers. The family head should be someone who is capable and willing to do the work. ‘I’m not the kind of person who can sit on a fancy, hard chair and boss people around. Tell my sister to do it.’
At that moment,.
Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!
The bell rang from the top of a tall tower. Subsequently, the sound of a horn became audible.
According to Russell’s common sense, the bell was a warning of an enemy invasion. The horn was a signal to gather troops.
Citizens who had been standing still began to move busily. The bell and horn sounded incessantly, as if to urge him on, the bell and the horn sounded incessantly.
Russell took a slow walk while smoking his cigarette. There was a lot of noise on the boulevard.
Shops were closing their doors, bringing in their stalls and goods, and parents with children were carrying or picking up their crying children and heading home.
They had not had time to bring in fruits, food, gadgets, and utensils, which lay scattered, broken, or discarded on the floor. Other people trampled on them, making the road even dirtier.
However, they swiftly cleared the bustling market. It was as if they had experienced this kind of thing before. Those who couldn’t resist the urge to drop their belongings did so, while others managed to hold onto their valuables and vanished into the alleyways.
He could see knights and soldiers coming from the castle. The knights, heavily armed and wearing helmets, were accompanied by young soldiers armed with axes and spears.
Then a waitress appeared in front of Russell. She was a waitress from the breezy winds of Lanshmoore, the cozy inn where he was staying. What was her name when he heard it this morning? Yes. Shasha.
“U-Uh, u-uh. . .”
Shasha was walking along, panting, and carrying sacks of wheat and grain.
But it was too much to carry two sacks at once. Even now, she was struggling to carry the weight and was about to fall over.
And when someone who was passing by quickly bumped into her, her barely maintained balance collapsed, and she fell backward. Shasha let out a small scream.
“Kya. . . Huh?”
Shasha looked up with wide eyes at the person who had caught her as she was about to fall backward.
The sun, hanging in the noon sky, had blackened the man’s face. In the darkness, she could see the light of a cigarette in his mouth and his beautiful purple eyes.
She knew one man with those beautiful eyes. She had sneaked glances at his face while serving him breakfast that morning.
“Russell-nim?”
“That’s my name.”
Russell put strength into the arm that was supporting her back and lifted Shasha up. Then he lifted both sacks.
“Oh, you don’t have to. I can do it.”
“It’s fine. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you?”
“. . .Yes. . . .Thank you.”
Russell walked along with long strides. Shasha followed him in a hurry. She glanced at Russell’s side and heard his words a beat late.
“. . . . . .Eh? Yes? What did you say?”
“I asked if you knew what was going on.”
“O, Oh. I heard that monsters were approaching from the west gate. . .I think. Also, you can let go of me now.”
He nodded and continued walking. Monsters. So, the bandits were more than just bandits. As he continued his thoughts, they entered the lodging district.
Then, an officer leading the soldiers passing by pointed at him and shouted.
“You! Are you a mercenary?”
Russell simply stared at the officer, who was pointing at him while carrying two sacks on one shoulder.
He wore armor made of overlapping metal scales, a helmet with a T-shaped visor that revealed his eyes, nose, and a small portion of his lips. A long sword was visible at his waist.
The soldiers behind him wore quilted armor with some chain mail attached, and they carried axes and spears.
The eyes that looked up at Russell were somehow fierce. Perhaps it was because he appeared unsure of his location or the clothing he was wearing.
Shasha stood behind Russell, shivering, and looked back and forth between the officer, the soldiers, and Russell.
“I am.”
“Then you must obey the Lord’s commands and mobilize! All mercenaries are now heading to the west gate!”
“What happens if I don’t?”
Clang!
The commander drew his sword. Shasha screamed.
“Do you dare to disobey Lord Frederick’s orders?”
As he drew his sword, the soldiers behind him also aimed their spears. But their tips were trembling.
“We will throw you into prison if you refuse! And after the battle, we will sentence you to death for your crimes!”
‘Interesting.’ Russell nodded.
“I understand. I’ll just put these inside and go.”
“Can’t that wench behind you use her hands or legs? Tell her to carry them herself! Hurry. . . huh?”
The officer, who had been yelling and approaching as if he was about to swing his sword, suddenly froze.
Russell’s purple eyes were staring at him. At the same time, a ringing sound began to echo in the officer’s ears. The officer’s muscles stiffened as if electrocuted, rendering him immobile.
“W, Wh, what. . .?”
In an instant, the surrounding background faded away, and the figure of Russell standing right in front of him began to grow like a giant. In an instant, his shadow covered the officer’s entire front.
With strange eyes, Shasha and the soldiers stared at the officer, who was suddenly shivering and drooling. He trembled like an epileptic, and his eyes were wide open.
His unfocused eyes were not looking straight ahead but upward, and he could not close his eyelids, so tears welled up on his parched corneas.
Russell, who had been staring at him intently, soon withdrew his magic from his eyes.
“Gasp! Pant! Gasp!”
The officer then let out a violent exhale, resembling a chokehold, and shed tears. He groaned.
“T, This. . . . .! What sorcery. . .!”
What sorcery. Russell said it quietly.
“Just put the sacks in the inn and go.”
The officer, who had been trembling at his graceful demeanor, looked at him with eyes mixed with anger and fear, then straightened his expression with an effort. Then he turned around, led his soldiers across the street, and disappeared.
Russell took one last drag of his almost-finished cigarette and flicked it away. The cigarette butt fell into the cluttered street. It was as natural as if it had been there from the beginning.
Shasha looked at the soldiers moving away, and Russell had a confused expression. He walked into the inn without a care in the world.
“I’ll put it in the kitchen.”
“Oh, yes! Thank you. And you can speak to me informally.”
“Is that so? Got it.”
He put the sacks of grain in a corner of the kitchen. There was no sign of the innkeeper. On one side, he could see some freshly delivered ingredients. Good. He had wanted to eat some vegetables this time.
“Can I expect a delicious dinner when I return?”
“Yes? Oh, yes! Of course! Stay safe, and return safely!”
Shasha suddenly blushed when she realized that her words sounded like she was sending off her soldier husband to war. Russell went outside without saying anything, fixing his belt.
He walked towards the west gate.