Chapter 31

 

“I refuse!” I said.

 

“Get in, you reek!” Elly yelled.

 

“Nooooo! Ahhhh!” I said, as Elly pulled me into the huge bath tube in which she and a blindfolded Darthmage were bathing.

 

Elly, tired of my resistance, yanked my arm so hard that I plunged into the warm, soapy water. My Qi skills were unable to save me from her crusade to scrub my back.

 

“This is for your own good! Now, stay steady!” Elly said. “I must remove all the miasmas that stuck to you in the sewers, or else you might catch a horrible disease!”

 

“That is not how germ theory works!” I yelled. But my knowledge fell on deaf ears. Elly was already determined to clean every inch of my skin.

 

She scrubbed my back with a soapy sponge while she kept me restrained. She knew I would jump out of the bath if I had the chance.

 

“H-help! Anyone. This…. T-this has to b-be I-illegal!” I yelled. Elly did not respond. And my token resistance evaporated the moment she began scrubbing my belly.

 

The Hero of Justice did not come to my rescue. Instead, he quietly soaked himself on the other side of the bath tube. He, too, had been a victim to his childhood friend. I could read the utter embarrassment beneath the blindfold that Elly had forced him to wear.

 

After Elly and I were squeaky clean. I made sure to kick Darthmage on the balls.

 

“T-that is for not h-helping me!” I said. As I stormed out of the bath.

 

[Darthmage has been afflicted by a Paralyzing Blow]

 

Once Elly and I were out of the bath. Elly put on an apron and began cooking a meal for all three of us. Darthmage was a very lucky fellow to have a childhood friend like this. Not only did she cook and cleaned, but she put up with all of his bullshit.

 

I would have abandoned him a long time ago.

 

But it was rather odd. For all his flare, Darthmage’s only companion had a very low profile. Nothing stood out.

 

Short brown hair. Dark Brown Eyes. Feminine, yet tomboyish.

 

She did not excel at magic. She did not excel in combat.

 

She was normal. Very normal. Yet, she was still lovely.

 

I did not wish to stir the pot. So when the food was served. I did not ask any questions.

 

I only wish that Darthmage had not done the same. Because as soon as he sat down. He could not help himself.

 

“Berry, what happened to your party?” Darthmage asked. “If they kicked you out… You can always join Elly and I,”

 

“No, is not that,” I said.

 

“We are being serious, Berry. If you are having issues with your party. Come to us. We want to help,” Elly said.

 

“It is not like that. Joanne and Nike disappeared during the chaos of the Necromancer attack. Allisa and I were looking for them, but we got separated,” I said.

 

“Then I vow to the gods that I shall help you find your friends. No matter what it takes!” Darthmage said.

 

He immediately moved his body into a heroic pose. Only to accidentally topple a glass of water with the motion of his elbow.

 

Oh God. He must think that this is some form of companion quest.

 

“That will not be necessary.” I said.

 

They understood very well that I did not wish to be helped. Once we were all done eating, Darthmage and Elly were nice enough to follow me all the way to the door.

 

No further explanation was needed. I could find my companions on my own. Having Darthmage bugging me throughout the entirety of the day would slow me down.

 

I bid them farewell, but as soon as I opened the door leading back to the Inn, a fully kitted war-mage stood on the other side. Her eyes, hidden beneath the shadows of her hood, pierced through me. Their aim, straight towards Darthmage who stood right behind me.

 

Murder intent laid within the corners of her eyes.

 

‘Aurelia.’

 

What was she doing here?

 

[Appraisal] Darthmage said.

 

Aurelia countered the skill by snapping her fingers. The sound of shattering glass came and went like a bang.

 

“Don’t you dare use that on me, boy,” Aurelia responded, taunting the poor reincarnator with her fingers. She soon shifted her entire attention to me.

 

“I am sorry,” she said, hugging me. “That was my fault. I was merely passing by and then I heard your voice, and I really wanted to say hi,”

 

“Aurelia?” I asked. “Why are you here?”

 

“Well, due to… unforeseen circumstances, I was forced to find somewhere else to stay. This Inn had the cheapest rates that I could find,” Aurelia said. She glared at Darthmage for a second. But then switched her attention back to me.

 

She smiled. But I could tell that her smile was bitter.

 

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

 

“Ahem. Worry not. For I have a plan to recover that which I have lost,” Aurelia said. Her choice of words made her sound quite old.

 

“By that… you mean….?”

 

“I know of a set of ruins not too far from the city that have a very great deal of monsters that can be used as powerful potion regents,” Aurelia said. “How about you go with me, and I share with you some of the goodies?”

 

“Wait, don’t go!” Darthmage said.

 

‘Oh No. Here is where the Hero of justice tells me that I shouldn’t go because it would be too dangerous to venture out of the city at night. After all, the necromancer could attack the city at any minute from now.’

 

I cringed in anticipation. But Darthmage had other thoughts in mind.

 

“Let us go with you. I would like to collect some of these regents myself,” He said.

 

‘What the hell!’

 

I glared at him. Elly saw that I was upset and poked Darthmage in the ribs.

 

“What!? What was that for!” Darthmage said.

 

Elly whispered the answer to Darthmage. Who, in turn only uttered “Eh?” in response.

 

Everyone was playful, with the exception of Aurelia, who looked at him with utter disgust.

 

The decision ultimately seemed to fall on me.

 

“Sure…. If Aurelia doesn’t mind,” I said. “The more people we have, the more safe we will be.”

 

Aurelia smiled smugly at me. “Sure, we can take those two kids with us. That will not be a problem.”

 

Her smile was as perfect as ever. But her tone was passive aggressive.

 

“Worry not, I shall lead the way!” Darthmage said, taking one of his heroic stances. But due to him speaking with his eyes closed, he did not notice that Elly, Aurelia, and I were already on our way out to the main lobby.

 

He eventually caught up to us on our way out of the inn.

 

After that, we marched north of the city for about an hour. We passed through a forest, two rivers, and what seemed like a cave. There was no sight of the undead. But it was getting darker outside.

 

Soon it would be nighttime.

 

Eventually, after all the walking that we did, we reached the ancient ruins of a bygone civilization.

 

“You sure this is the place?” Darthmage asked.

 

“Yes. I can feel it,” Aurelia said. “It has to be here,”

 

Elly took a very good look at the ruins. Then whispered something to Darthmage.

 

“What type of regent are we even looking for?” I asked.

 

“Ah, that you shall see once we descend,” Aurelia said.

 

Through a set of ancient stairs, we descended to a level underground of the ruins. Only to be met by a huge vault-like stone door. It looked like the entrance to a dungeon.

 

Some runes were engraved on the ancient stone. Again, a new puzzle. Perhaps?

 

Darthmage used orbs of light to dispel most of the darkness in the room and began to inspect the runes with his appraisal skills. But then Aurelia chanted a greater illumination spell that rendered the light orbs redundant.

 

No one said a word. But I could tell beneath Aurelia’s smug smile, she took satisfaction in humiliating the poor hero.

 

“Behind these doors, a great treasure awaits,” she said.

 

It was very obvious.

 

“Don’t worry. I think I got it!” Darthmage said.

 

However, Aurelia waited not. She began re-ordering the runes with minor levitation magic until a great display of blue light spun across the runes and the door opened.

 

I could see the tears coming from Darthmage’s eyes as the puzzle was taken away from him.

 

He was not in high spirits after that.

 

Behind the vault, laid a long hallway. Upon finding ourselves on the other side, we walked forward, finding nothing but collapsing ruins.

 

Eventually, at the end of the hallway, we reached a huge room illuminated by blue crystal lights.

 

In the middle of the room, a bottomless pit and a makeshift elevator awaited for us. There, a foul create waved his hand at us.

 

“Adventurers, beware!” The creature said.