My Demons

“Hmm? You think the whole area would blow up? Go ahead, give it a try,” Ellen challenged with a hint of defiance.

Oleg simply stared at her, unaffected by her bluster or whatever it was. His gaze then shifted to the robe she was wearing, and a gulp betrayed his curiosity.

“Could it… be a genuine magical artifact?” he wondered aloud.

“If you’re curious, put it to the test,” Ellen suggested, a touch of amusement in her voice.

Oleg discreetly moistened his dry lips, his apprehension evident.

Wait, what? Was there something special about the robe Ellen was wearing? I thought it was just an ordinary brown robe…

As Oleg’s gaze sank, Ellen twirled around and crossed her arms.

“What? Don’t have the guts to test it? Is your life too precious?” she taunted.

“Hey, watch your words,” I interjected, struggling to recall the equipment I had equipped on my ‘Alphabet Wizard’ character when I last played…

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s been at least six months, there’s no way I can remember such details.

But if that robe is one of the items I set aside, it must be rare, if not unique.

Rare items drop multiple times per hour when farming with a character above level 90.

So, it’s unlikely I would have chosen a rare one. My inventory was limited, and carrying it around would have been a hassle.

Most likely, I must have given my character an item suitable for an elemental wizard with good performance among the unique ones.

I can’t guarantee it’s top-notch since I’m not particularly interested in farming, but it’s definitely not just a run-of-the-mill unique item.

While I pondered, Oleg carefully examined Ellen and the robe.

I subtly shifted my gaze to get a better look at the robe… It appears well-crafted and leaves a favorable impression, but I can’t ascertain if it’s a unique item.

“What’s the matter, old man? Scared?” Ellen quipped, displaying an impossibly relaxed expression.

Oleg removed his brown hat, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and spoke, his voice filled with trepidation, “…Three silver coins. It’s slightly higher than the market price, but consider it payment for my advice. Business has been slow lately, and I’m struggling.”

Just as Ellen furrowed her brow, preparing to respond, I swiftly stepped in to intervene.

“Well, Oleg, information about unfamiliar places is always valuable.”

“…Thank you for understanding.”

Oleg seemed to have aged a few more years, his weariness evident.

Feeling sorry for Oleg, I handed over the coins and he added a condition.

“It’s not exactly a trade, but… if you find anything useful downstream, bring it to me. I’ll give you a fair price.”

Wow, even after being threatened with his shop being burned down, he comes up with such a proposal. Not only is Ellen extraordinary, but this old man is also no ordinary person.

I bid Oleg a polite farewell, forcing a smile, and guided Ellen out of the shop. Then, I gave her a light smack.

Thwack!

“Ouch! That hurts!”

“Hurts? You think you know what pain is?”

“Why are you being so ridiculous!”

Ellen’s arrogance ignited a fury within me. With two backpacks weighing me down, I firmly grasped her cheek without further discussion and started walking.

“Ouch, let go!”

Ellen squirmed, attempting to break free from my grip. But as a mere human, it was futile to think she could shake me off.

“Oh, come on now. You’re being unreasonable. Let go of me!”

“Quiet down. You really have no sense whatsoever.”

I hurriedly walked, feeling like a mother dragging her unruly young son along.

With frustration, I flung our backpacks near an empty alley and confronted Ellen face-to-face.

“Ouch, that hurts!”

Thwack!

“Ow!”

This time, I put a little more force into it, and she winced, holding her forehead and shedding a few tears.

I wanted to slap her cheek too, but considering her age, I restrained myself.

“What’s gotten into you? Why are you behaving like this?”

“Why are you suddenly acting this way?”

“You explain first. What’s this talk about a magical tool? That robe you’re wearing. Is it a magical tool?”

Ellen, still rubbing her forehead, glared at me with teary eyes and replied,

“Yes, it’s a magical tool. So what?”

“What does it do?”

“…It grants fire immunity and a few other things.”

“Hah, you believed that and acted accordingly?”

I was boiling with anger inside. Can this girl really be a reliable partner?

Honestly, if the robe had a useful ability like ‘Sanctuary,’ which creates a protective shield, it might have been somewhat acceptable.

Even if it created a frosty storm around her, I would have been angry but could have understood.

But what’s the deal with fire immunity?

“Then what if Oleg had actually triggered the orb? What about me?”

“What?”

“What about me? Would I have died?”

Her eyes widened briefly at my question, then she quickly fired back.

“Do you really believe his threat?”

“What if I did?”

“What kind of fool would risk their life for a few more coins?”

“What if he did? Can you guarantee it?”

“But he didn’t in the end!”

Ugh, this is unbearable. Seriously, if Ellen were a man, I might have lost my temper completely.

“Is this what you call a partnership? ‘I don’t care if I put your life at risk. As long as I’m safe, it doesn’t matter!’ Is this how you define being a partner?”

My emotional words startled Ellen for a moment, and she tried to compose herself before retorting.

“I didn’t take a gamble; I simply made an accurate assessment of the situation. And thanks to that, we saved a silver coin, didn’t we?”

“That’s a consequential argument. You risked my life for the sake of a single silver coin? Without even discussing it with me! Don’t you realize how selfish and irresponsible that is?”

Upon hearing my words, she looked away, pursing her lips.

“Hoo.”

Hold it in. Patience is a virtue, they say.

“And that’s not all.”

“…What else?”

“What if Oleg seeks revenge because of your actions? Or if he becomes greedy for your robe?”

“…?”

“It’s not difficult. He just needs to offer a few gold coins to local thugs, asking them to kill us and steal the robe. How easy would that be? We’re just strangers who are going to leave anyway, aren’t we?”

“…”

“Does your robe protect you from swords or clubs? It doesn’t seem to withstand spears, does it?”

Ellen bit her lip for a moment, rolled her eyes, and avoided my gaze.

“…The guy has been doing business in the city his whole life. How could he stoop to that level? He can’t even commit such an act himself, and if he hires someone, the word will spread.”

“Weren’t you the one who said that everyone else could be a potential thief or killer? How can you be so sure?”

“Well, that’s…”

“It’s the same if Oleg spreads rumors. What if the entire town knows that your robe is an extremely valuable item? Will that still be okay?”

“Well, that wouldn’t be good, but…”

As she struggled to find a response, I sighed and sat down on some stacked wooden planks nearby.

Taking a moment to catch my breath, I calmed my anger and patted the spot next to me.

“…What?”

“I said, sit down.”

I gestured firmly once again, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally sat down next to me.

Remembering the methods my mother and sister used when scolding my nieces, I reached out my hand.

“Give me your hand.”

“What for?”

As she curtly responded, I let out a sigh and spoke earnestly.

“If you recognize that you’ve made a mistake, give me your hand.”

“Why the hand?”

“Hurry up. If you don’t, then we’re done here. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

She hesitated, but eventually reached out her hand. I extended both of my hands and enveloped hers. Her hand, small and delicate, twitched and curled up.

Holding her hand, I began to speak.

“There’s something we must adhere to as comrades. Do you know what it is?”

“…”

“It’s trust. Trust that we won’t put each other in harm’s way. What I ask of you isn’t difficult. I’m not asking you to sacrifice yourself for me, nor am I asking you to blindly follow my words.”

“…”

“Trust doesn’t have to be complicated. We just need to consider each other’s well-being. Think about whether your actions could endanger the other person or what actions could ensure our safety. That’s all I ask.”

She remained silent, but it seemed like she was listening to what I was saying.

Physical touch can be powerful. A simple act of holding hands can bridge the psychological gap between two people.

Of course, it relies on a foundation of basic trust.

And from my perspective, despite Ellen’s constant restlessness, she does have some level of trust in me.

Ellen saved me as part of the process of saving herself, but I saved Ellen for the sake of saving her.

Ellen must have understood this distinction.

I hoped that she could feel the warmth transmitted through our clasped hands as I spoke to her.

“So, something like today must never happen again. Even if there’s a slight chance it could harm me, it’s better to spend a silver coin than take that risk. And I’ll do the same. I won’t needlessly endanger your life. Understand?”

“Yes.”

Good, it seems to have resonated to some extent.

Now, let’s conclude this with a warm embrace…

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

“What’s that?”

Suddenly, the bell in the tower rang out.

It had a disjointed rhythm, but the urgency in its tempo created a jarring melody.

“Look over there!”

Ellen pointed toward the sea.

As I turned my gaze in that direction, a chill ran down my spine.

“Pirates…!”

Just as Ellen whispered, almost screaming, the entrance to the harbor became filled with ships of various sizes.

There were countless vessels, some of which I recognized, along with a large ship boasting more than two sails, possibly over ten.

“Run!”

I hastily grabbed our backpacks and took hold of Ellen’s hand. We began sprinting frantically.

“Where are we going?”

“To the tower!”

The lord’s tower, officially known as the “Tower of Salt,” is comparable to the Tower of London that I’ve seen on Earth. Of course, it’s much smaller and lacks a moat or walls.

Regardless, the Tower of Salt serves as the residence of the lord and is naturally guarded by numerous soldiers.

Glancing back, I could see that the pirate ships were already launching their attack on the docks. However, since a substantial number of soldiers had already gathered there, it didn’t appear easy to break through.

On the other hand, Ellen was keeping up quite well considering the speed at which we were running.

We were about to leave the street lined with vendors, sprinting like mad.

A group of soldiers was running toward us in disciplined rows, seemingly heading toward the docks.

While continuing our sprint, I attempted to estimate the size of the soldier group. They were running in columns of four, making it easy to count.

By the time I reached the thirteenth row, a man who seemed to be an officer or sergeant suddenly shouted at us.

“Hey, you two! Are you mercenaries?”

…Instinctively, I felt that we were in trouble.