--Chapter 6: Old Rom's Bazaar--
Asher and Emilia walked together along the busy main street of the commercial district, a vibrant and noisy artery of the kingdom. Puck, the spirit, had returned to the gem embedded in Emilia's necklace, transforming into a small greenish glow.
"Spirits with a definite form are quite unusual, and even feared by people," Puck had explained with a playful huff. "It's better to keep up appearances so as not to create misunderstandings or panic."
Asher, with his head bowed, guided them toward the entrance to the slums. Despite the plan he was executing, the walk was an opportunity he couldn't miss, both to confirm details and to get to know his new companion better.
He turned his head slightly to look at her as they continued walking.
"By the way, Emilia," he said, maintaining a casual tone, "do you know what the thief looked like? That would help me a lot to locate her."
Emilia placed her hand on her chin, pondering the description.
"Mmm… She had blonde hair, she was shorter than me, and she wore a very striking red scarf."
Asher closed his eyes and let out a dull sigh, nodding to himself.
It's her, confirmed.
"In that case, I think I know who she is," Asher said, opening his eyes.
Emilia stopped for an instant, surprised.
"Did you know her?" she asked.
"Her name is Felt. She's well-known in the slums. She specializes in stealing and then selling the merchandise, sometimes even to the owners themselves. I was one of her involuntary clients," Asher added, trying on a tone of forced melancholy.
Technically, he wasn't lying, although the theft of his phone happened in the previous cycle. But glancing sideways, the expression of genuine empathy on Emilia's delicate face prevented him from confessing the most compromising part of his plan.
"Come on, don't look at me like a war victim either," Asher said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I also brought a little trouble on myself by going to those places."
Emilia, however, gently shook her head.
"I didn't think you were a victim," she countered with a perceptive smile. "You seem quite astute, I would say. From the look in your eyes and the confidence you show."
The compliment, so direct and unexpected, made Asher blush slightly. His flirtatious instinct, suppressed since his arrival, surfaced.
"Oh? It's the first time a girl so… re-a-lly pretty has noticed my eyes," Asher lowered his voice and leaned in, offering her a playful smile, almost a challenge. "You're very observant, Emilia-tan. I think that compliment motivates me enough to achieve anything."
Even this suicidal madness I'm about to commit.
Emilia tilted her head; her confusion at the familiarity of that nickname failed to erase the bright smile from her face. She played along.
"Re-a-lly? I'm glad you think so. And what exactly can you do now, Asher-san?"
"I can show you the way," Asher said, dropping the joking tone to regain the serious air he used for his life-or-death matters. "She doesn't sell merchandise just anywhere. There's a pawn shop in the slums, a bazaar run by a big old man. If that insignia is in the city, I promise it will be there."
[Time Skip]
Both had reached the mouth of the street that swallowed the light and marked the border with the slums. The main street, full of noise and life, now felt like a distant dream. Here, everything was calm and silent, a contrast so abrupt it was depressing. The houses looked older, their windows were mere dark holes, and not a single passerby was in sight.
"I know I told you we would find the stolen goods here, but…" Asher whispered, scrutinizing the familiar darkness of the alley he had walked down in the previous loop. "The atmosphere down there, the mood, and the general character of the people are going to be quite terrible. Are you sure you really want to go?"
He turned to her, his concern genuine. The environment smelled of danger.
"I could get the insignia for you, you know? I'd do it without a problem."
Emilia looked at him, and the determination in her violet eyes was a wall Asher couldn't knock down.
"I appreciate the offer, Asher-san, but I am determined to retrieve it myself. After all, it was my mistake to let it be stolen," Emilia replied.
Asher sighed, accepting the inevitability.
"In that case, I'll tell you what we'll do when we get there. I'll knock on the door and say I want to buy the insignia. And I'll offer this in exchange for the barter."
Asher slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out his iPhone 4 and showing it to her. Emilia couldn't help but tilt her head in utter confusion.
"Asher-san… what is that?" she asked.
"This is what we call a 'Metia.' They come in different sizes and functions. This one, specifically, serves to capture a moment in time and save it forever. Would you like to see?"
"Uhmm, what should I do then?~" Emilia asked, still lost. Her voice, sweet and musical, and her large eyes internally destabilized Asher. He couldn't ignore that unusual magnetic force that was pulling him toward her, regardless of his own will.
With a carefree gesture, Asher smiled.
"You don't have to worry about the operation. For this Metia to work, the person must be happy. Therefore, you have to smile, just like me."
Emilia, with a naive and warm mind, took it in that smiling was an intrinsic part of the magical process of that "Metia." She looked Asher in the eyes and gave him a smile, a bright and sincere light.
For Asher, this was a turning point. He felt a surge, a force outside his will that seemed to rise from his chest, prompting him to move closer, to embrace her, to… touch her. It was the same visceral impulse he felt the first time he saw her, a primal desire for possession that both terrified and excited him.
Asher raised the phone. The flash shone for an instant, capturing the charming face of the Elf (the subtly pointed ears confirmed the suspicion) in the moment of her smile. The quality of the photo was amazing, a thousand times better than any mirror.
"See for yourself," he told her, showing her the image on the digital screen.
Emilia brought her face closer, looking at herself almost as if it were a hand mirror, a mixture of astonishment and shyness on her features.
"It's like a mirror, isn't it? I think I understand a little…" she said, turning her gaze away, a little embarrassed. "Am I right? Or am I wrong? Please, I don't want to be embarrassed."
"You're not that far off," Asher replied, putting the phone away.
"Although… you want to trade something so valuable just to help me? Why would you do that? You've already helped me enough," she continued, becoming serious.
She was right. He was helping a complete stranger only because of a confusing feeling. Although his initial cause was to protect Rom and Felt (which he had already done by warning Reinhard), he was now here, for her. He couldn't just back out.
God, I'm a total Simp… and the worst part is, I don't care.
"Emilia…" he began, searching for an evasive answer. He opted for the carefree tone. "Hahaha!, don't worry about it. I didn't plan to actually trade it; it's a business tactic, so to speak. And even if I did, it's not much trouble for me either." He replied, scratching the back of his neck to hide his internal conflict.
Emilia stared at him for a few seconds, studying his expression. She seemed to accept his answer, for the moment.
In silence, both resumed walking, delving into the somber path toward the Slums.
[Time Skip]
"So, the plan is simple: we'll go in peacefully, clarify that we want to retrieve the item in a good way, get it, and leave," Asher clarified as they approached a dilapidated wooden bridge crossing a murky river flowing out of the kingdom.
Emilia nodded, although the idea of Asher having to offer his valuable "Metia" in exchange for something stolen still didn't sit well with her. Other thoughts, however, were unsettling her.
"A-Asher-san…" she began, modesty coloring her cheeks. "If you wouldn't mind, after this… I would like to reward you."
The words made her a little embarrassed, but they were already said.
Asher felt a heat rise in his ears. Did she say what I think she said?
A subtle and powerful euphoria settled in his chest, fueling his reckless determination.
"Understood! I will gladly accept anything that comes from Emilia-tan, and I will treasure it forever!" Asher declared with a radiant smile.
"Come on, you don't have to exaggerate so much…" she countered with a nervous laugh.
"Don't forget me!" Puck interrupted, having reappeared on Emilia's shoulder, wiping his face with a paw. "But we no longer have time to sit and chat. Even if you want to try those 'team tactics' with two humans and a cat, I only have an hour left before my time runs out."
Asher followed Puck's gaze to the sky visible between the buildings: the blue had almost completely given way to the intense orange of sunset. The reason for the dreary darkness in the slums wasn't just the sour stench, but the imminent fall of night, Puck's limit.
"So, whether you decide to go or decide to turn back, you had better make that decision soon," Puck finished.
"I don't know what you mean by 'team tactics,' but we have to move forward," Emilia replied, returning to her serious tone. "We can't let this opportunity pass and risk my insignia being out of our reach forever." Then she turned to Asher. "Very well, I've decided to go, but… the people who live here are probably used to fighting, so I want you to be as careful as I am. You seem like the reckless type."
"I might be, but I know how to gauge my limits, even when things get out of hand," Asher replied.
Emilia directed her gaze toward her spirit. "Can you still keep going a little longer, Puck?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm already at my limit," Puck said weakly, leaning on his contractor's neck. His gray fur shone with a faint light, and his figure seemed to blur.
"The way you vanish makes it look like you're dying."
"I tried to stay longer than usual because I wanted to protect my precious daughter from this kind of evil eye surrounding her. But when I work myself to the bone, I end up fading away when it's time to sleep," Puck explained.
"That's terrible! But leave it to me!" Asher replied, with perfectly disguised sarcasm. "I won't let any dangerous guys get near her after you disappear!"
"Wait, does that mean it's okay if I erase you from the face of the Earth before I disappear?" Puck countered, raising his claws.
"No! That's not okay!" Asher shouted, backing away and hugging himself.
"I'm kidding," Puck said, letting out a small burst of muffled laughter.
After the joke, Puck turned to Emilia, who pulled a crystal from her chest pocket that glowed with a soft green light.
"I'm sorry I pressured you so much, Puck. I'll do my best from now on, so you rest."
Puck slid down Emilia's arm and snuggled against the crystal, embracing it with his small body. He finally turned around.
"I'm sure you already know, but be careful and don't push yourself too hard. If anything happens, don't hesitate to use your Od to call me back."
"I know, I know. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."
"I wonder about that… My precious daughter always makes me worry when it comes to things like this. I'm counting on you, Ashii."
Puck looked at Emilia with affection, the way a father looks at his child.
With the conversation directed at him, Asher placed a hand on his chest, regaining his determination. "Alright. You leave it in my hands. You can completely trust that I will help her in every way I can."
"Now, with that out of the way, goodnight… Be careful."
With one last look directed at Emilia, Puck vanished. His body turned into a small ball of light, which gradually melted into the world around him until it disappeared.
"Now it will just be you and me… but don't get any ideas. I can still use magic, you know?" Emilia said, putting herself on guard, taking Puck's last words seriously.
"Of course, I'm counting on you for offensive power if things go wrong, hehe," Asher replied. "Anyway, it's time. The bazaar is across that street and around the corner to the left, on the edge of the slums. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I am. You don't have to confirm it so much, you know?" she replied with a playful gesture.
"I know, I know, I'm just worried about you," Asher said, softening his voice.
Both headed toward the big bazaar. The sunset was at its peak; night would soon fall, and with it, Elsa would inevitably attack. Asher's anxiety was a cold sting.
Asher raised his hand and knocked on the enormous door with his knuckles, knowing that Felt and Rom should be inside. Light footsteps approached from inside, until the bolt slid and the door opened.
"I told you it was for me, Old Ro—!"
The blonde girl, Felt, was in shock upon seeing the strange boy next to the girl she stole the insignia from. In an instant, her hand pulled out her knife, and Rom, the giant, brandished his club.
"Hey! Easy, we're not looking for trouble!" Asher shouted, raising his open hands to stabilize the tense situation. "In fact, we want to retrieve the insignia peacefully. We know the business. Would you listen to us?"
"You want to retrieve the insignia, peacefully? You're not going to fight?" Felt asked, frowning while pointing her knife at them.
"Indeed," Asher replied, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "We are offering this in exchange for the insignia."
Asher pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and showed it to Rom and Felt. Rom seemed to calm down a bit and lowered the club, but Felt looked at the device with a curiosity tinged with skepticism.
"What is that supposed to be?" Felt asked.
"It's a Metia, a unique type of artifact in the world. It has multiple functions, and this one in specific is special, given that it can save a moment in time forever."
Rom, hearing that, gave a dubious look to Felt. "Felt, I think they're telling the truth."
Felt stared at Asher with suspicion. "Don't be fooled, old man! Buy the insignia back? How ridiculous! How does a rich brat like you know the business? If you're going to lie, at least say something believable!" she snapped.
"I understand it sounds suspicious to you, but we really just want to retrieve the insignia peacefully," Asher replied, keeping his hands raised. "I have no other way to prove it to you."
After a moment of tense silence, Felt reluctantly sighed. "Fine, we'll listen. Don't try to do anything stupid," she exclaimed, without lowering the knife.
"Why did you steal my insignia? Were you after me?" Emilia interrogated Felt, which, far from calming the waters, stirred them up more.
"We're not all rich kids like you. The weak deserve to live too, you know?!" Felt replied cuttingly, hitting the half-elf's weak spot.
"I don't know if I can trade with these people, Asher. I'm sorry," Emilia said, her voice tight.
It was then that the temperature dropped sharply. Four large, sharp fragments of ice materialized, floating menacingly around Emilia. Asher's plan had gone awry. Seeing the ice only increased his anxiety, as Elsa would come soon, and he needed all three of them to be ready.
Shit
"I only have one request, give me my insignia," Emilia said, her gaze and her voice equally determined and intimidating. "It's very important to me."
A tense silence expanded for a minute. Rom was the first to break it, assessing Emilia's latent power.
"If I were a sorcerer, this wouldn't stop me, but this will be complicated," the old man said.
"What do you say, Old Rom? Are you giving up before fighting?" Felt protested.
Rom looked closely at the girl's appearance. "Miss, you're an Elf, aren't you?"
Emilia closed her eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh. "Not exactly, only half."
Felt began to notice the patterns in Emilia's appearance, making her recall the myths of the witch. "A half-elf… and silver hair? Are you…?" she exclaimed nervously, shrinking back.
Quickly, Emilia denied it with a wave of her hand. "I just happen to look like her. It causes me a lot of trouble."
Wait a minute. Is that silver-haired woman I saw in that limbo someone known here? Half-elf? That woman also had pointed ears… I don't understand. Does Emilia have nothing to do with her? Was my assumption incorrect? Although… it's too strange for someone to be almost identical to another. It can't be, Asher reflected, the pieces of the puzzle falling into a place he didn't like.
"I knew you two were tricking me. It sounded suspiciously ridiculous that you wanted to trade it back after we stole it," Felt snapped, looking at them with renewed hatred.
Asher could only run his hand through his hair in exasperation, letting some strands fall over his forehead. "We were trying to get it nicely... Tch, what a mess."
"It's not your fault, Asher," Emilia said, focusing her gaze on Rom and Felt. Rom seemed already defeated, and Felt was just standing with clenched fists.
"I didn't think it was," Asher said with a sigh before adding. "Come on, isn't that enough? Give her the insignia and we'll get out of here—"
As he said that, Asher, out of the corner of his eye, saw what he could only describe as a twisted shadow pouncing on Emilia, a silver edge aimed at slicing her neck.
A sensual, unnatural smile in its sadism crossed the shadows of the room just as a metallic glint aimed for the half-elf's white neck.
"Puck, cover her!"
And in an instant, the girl's head would have been ripped off while Asher watched with wide eyes… That's probably what would have happened originally.
[CRACK]
What hit his eardrums was not the sound of steel cutting bone, but of the blade breaking crystal.
Emilia lowered her body slightly, and a magic circle glowing pale blue manifested right behind her head. The knife stopped as it crashed against it head-on; the magic circle, invoked by Puck's quick reaction, had perfectly protected her neck from the blade.
Emilia jumped forward and turned around.
"That was closer than I thought. You saved us," Puck said.
Puck floated up to Emilia's shoulder. The spirit made a gesture similar to a thumbs-up, and in response, Asher also weakly raised his thumb.
"Thank goodness. For a second, I was about to have a heart attack," Asher sighed, relief washing over him.
As for the attacker, whose surprise assault had been neutralized—
"—A spirit," Elsa's melodious voice echoed through the bazaar. Her black eyes focused with fascination on the small floating cat. "That's a spirit, isn't it?"
"Fufufu, marvelous. I've never opened a spirit's stomach." She smiled sadistically, with a disturbing look that made Asher shudder. Instinctively, he put a hand to his belly, where the visceral memory of his own death was still alive in his mind.
The notorious assassin raised her kukri knife to her face, which was filled with ecstasy. It was Elsa.
Her sudden appearance put Emilia and Asher on high alert. However, the first one to react was neither of them.
"Hey, what's all this about?!" Felt shouted, stepping forward and pulling the insignia from her chest. "I thought your job was to buy the insignia. Turning this place into a sea of blood wasn't part of the deal!"
"Buying that insignia is, indeed, my job. But negotiating won't be possible since you also brought the owner, so I have decided to change my plans."
Felt's face had turned red with rage, but faced with Elsa's gaze full of killing intent, she instinctively backed away. Elsa looked at her as if her fear was adorable.
"I will massacre everyone in here and then collect the insignia." Elsa's smile was that of a loving mother as she made this cruel declaration. Then she tilted her head, her tone becoming condescending.
"You couldn't do your job properly. It's natural for you to be cast aside; you are nothing more than a starved wretch after all."
"—!"
Felt's face contorted with agony, not from fear, but from the pain of her exposed insecurities.
"Puck, this is what I was talking about, remember?" Asher said, directing his gaze at the cat while trying to hide his panic at the Bowel Hunter.
"Yes. How strangely specific… Do you see the future or something? If so, I have a lot of questions for you," Puck replied, looking at the human with genuine suspicion.
"Don't flatter yourself, it was simple coincidence that my example matched this lunatic," Asher lied with a strained smile.
"Ara Ara~ what are you two muttering about?" Elsa asked, raising her kukri. "It's not good to keep secrets, don't you think?~"
"I wouldn't mind telling you when you're six feet under, bitch. Now, Puck!"
Sharp icicles start surrounding Elsa everywhere. There were over twenty, pointing from all directions.
"It seems I haven't even introduced myself, young lady. My name is Puck. Remember that name in the afterlife."
In an instant, Elsa was bombarded by the icicles from all directions.