ch1-ch20 · 022-inter3

Interlude: Meanwhile, in the Other World — At the Trade City

The Tuare Kingdom.

Trade City Hexaria. This was a trade city with a history dating back a thousand years, said to have been chosen by the High Elf sage Hexaria.

In one corner of that city lived a misanthropic High Elf woman.

When I say misanthropic, I don't mean she disliked humans specifically — she simply disliked other people in general.

Elves, dwarves, beastmen, humans — none of that mattered. For the sake of her work, she never showed her dislike on her face, but in her heart, she found them all tiresome.

She had a very good reason for disliking others.

She was born with a natural charm ability. Recently, she'd obtained a way to suppress this charm using a certain tool, but without it, she couldn't even live in the city. For example — if she told someone "die," the person she said it to would happily die. They'd do anything she said, try anything for her sake.

That was how viciously dangerous her innate ability was.

Despite being a High Elf, she possessed a charm ability that surpassed even a succubus.

Ever since she was born, this charm had caused her endless trouble.

She'd lived a long life where simply interacting with people meant trouble.

Her aversion to others was only natural.

But it wasn't just this ability that was the problem.

When she smiled, it alone attracted people far too much.

Her natural charm was an issue, but perhaps the biggest problem was her appearance itself.

Simply put, she was far too beautiful. Long, wavy platinum blonde hair. Despite wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, her voluptuous proportions turned even the plainest clothing into a costume that showed off her gorgeous figure.

Her face was the same. The black-rimmed glasses that should have been plain-looking only served as accessories that highlighted her beauty.

Her name was Hexaria.

Only a select few close to her were allowed to call her by her nickname — "Saria." She'd abandoned her surname for reasons too lofty to discuss, but she was a blood relative of the High Elf sage who gave this trade city its name — the second Hexaria.

And now, that misanthropic High Elf was wearing an expression of ennui.

Because a certain someone hadn't shown his face. A person she could be at ease with — one of the few whom this High Elf, who had lived a long life but could count her close companions on one hand, had let her guard down around.

That man hadn't shown his face for quite some time, and she was displeased.

"Where the hell is that idiot wandering off to?"

Unless he had some special business, the man who should have been by her side hadn't shown his face for several months now.

Where in the world was he wandering off to? She wanted to make him massage her stiff shoulders, and yet he hadn't even shown her his face.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it disrespect.

She wouldn't be satisfied until she gave him a piece of her mind.

With that thought, she went to the Adventurer's Guild — what could be called his workplace.

During the day, the Adventurer's Guild was always full of noise and bustle.

When Hexaria knocked on the guild's door, a stir went through the crowd: "Whoa, Lady Hexaria!" Some young adventurer who didn't know any better would gawk at her and say "Who's that hottie?" while another adventurer hissed, "Idiot! Don't talk to her carelessly!"

In this city, she was a figure of greater authority than the lord — but also a misanthrope.

Even if you were captivated by her beauty, you must never speak to her.

If you wanted to see another tomorrow like today.

That was the unspoken rule whispered throughout the trade city.

Why would a woman who never showed her face at a noisy place like the Adventurer's Guild come here...?

The adventurers whispered among themselves, but the unluckiest person present was probably the guild receptionist who had to deal with her. Seeing Hexaria striding straight toward her — toward the reception desk — the receptionist shrank back with a "Eep!"

And then Hexaria said:

"Reception. Where's my idiot... no. Where is Site Yamana wandering off to?"

It seemed Sai had gone missing.

Apparently, he'd messed up at a newly discovered ruin in the Western Woods and been sent somewhere by a teleportation trap. That was what the guild receptionist reported, stammering nervously.

Since Sai also served as an instructor at the Adventurer's Guild, it apparently caused quite a stir.

But his whereabouts remained completely unknown.

Normally, a report should have been made to Hexaria, but at first, everyone thought he'd just show up again casually. If it was Sai — even if he triggered a teleportation trap and got sent somewhere — as long as he was on the continent where the Tuare Kingdom was located, he'd be back within a month. The same if he was in the nearby seas of this continent.

He was never the strongest, but he had a tenacious will to survive — embodying the most important skill an adventurer could have. A true veteran.

No matter how far away, if he couldn't come back in two or three months, he'd at least send word. That was the kind of man Sai was.

But as time passed with no contact, even the Adventurer's Guild was at a loss.

There were no messages via magical communicator either. Had he finally died? Would that man — who'd survived countless near-death situations — actually die? Should I report to Lady Hexaria? What should I do? They'd apparently been dithering about it.

The Adventurer's Guild was considering declaring him dead, but after hearing the story, Hexaria used her authority to keep him listed as missing.

That idiot... Sai dying was just hard to imagine.

Even if a teleportation trap randomly sent someone to some random place, teleportation generally had rules and patterns. Even teleportation traps had a purpose for their original users. For example, there were ruins where the destination was set to the middle of the ocean to dispose of garbage.

Teleportation wasn't just there to confuse trespassers.

Either way, she couldn't find Sai's whereabouts from within the city. To investigate, Hexaria changed into traveling clothes for the first time in a while and headed for the ruins in the Western Woods. Apparently, an edict had been issued declaring the ruins off-limits since Sai disappeared, but for Hexaria — who had more authority than most nobles — it was a trivial matter. If Hexaria said "I'm going in," the locals would just say "Go right ahead."

Partly it was because she was a High Elf with authority, but Hexaria was also an engineer.

How much had her contributions helped people's lives?

How many people had her research papers and inventions influenced?

The second Hexaria possessed wisdom worthy of being called a sage, just like the first Hexaria.

She arrived at the ruins in the Western Woods.

And she made her way to the spot where the teleportation trap that had swallowed Sai was located.

Just as she'd heard, there was still a large black spot there — the very one that had supposedly sucked Sai in.

"I see... That fool has gotten himself into quite a troublesome situation."

Her muttered words, spoken as she confirmed the black spot, vanished into the air without reaching anyone.

It was shortly after that when one of the greatest minds in the other world began investigating where Sai had been transported to.

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Thank you for reading.