"Go and report that we found the woman."

Shadow Fang slew all the mercenaries who were searching for the holy ark. Six days after Aria FirstMatter disappeared from the streets of Giran, she showed up again in Innadril. Sir Gustaf Athebaldt, knight of Aden kingdom and head of the historic Athebaldt family, hired several mercenary units to find her. They found a Dark Elf at the Heine Wharf who fit her description.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. When I last saw her, her hair was tied back. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world."

The ocean breeze and southern sun must have loosened the vigilance of the Abyss Walker, who was supposedly the most powerful around. She strolled among the exotic street items and novelty toys the Dwarves made with skillful hands. When she entered a more extravagant area, she bowed respectfully toward the display cases. Meanwhile, several members joined the team of pursuers.

"Isn't this enough manpower? Why don't we get her now? If we wait any longer, others may come this way."

Did she find something she liked from a display case? While her trackers hesitated, Aria stopped in front of a clothing shop by the canal for a moment, then disappeared into the store. About three or four mercenaries also entered behind her, pretending they were customers.

The store carried armor and various types of equipment for adventurers, in addition to beautiful garments for classy ladies and gentlemen. The two types of customers were not always clearly distinguishable. For example, one can often observe the sons and daughters of rich merchant families admiring shiny armor, or female warriors engrossed in front of satin dresses. Inside, the store was noisier than the mercenaries had expected. They were thrown off-guard by the surprisingly large number of customers in the store.

"Where is the female Dark Elf who just came in here?"

One of the mercenaries grabbed the store owner by the throat. The unafraid Elf calmly gestured toward three Dark Elves, who glared back at them fiercely. Aria FirstMatter was not among them.

One of the mercenaries sent a signal and several of them rushed into the store at once. Some of the customers screamed, while some scowled with irritation. The mercenaries were a little discouraged to realize that some of the customers carried sturdy objects that could be used as weapons against those who disturbed their shopping sprees. However, the customers did not attack them. Surely their joyful shopping experiences would have been ruined for the day, so the customers seemed to suppress their irritation as much as possible.

"Is there a back door?"

Shoving aside boxes piled inside the store, a few mercenaries found a door in the back and walked outside. Gulls soared across a clear blue sky while gondolas leisurely glided on the peacefully flowing canal. Noble ladies dressed in white shielded their heads with parasols, enjoying graceful promenades without knowledge or interest in the mercenaries' activities.

One mercenary crossed the store, approached the fitting stalls and violently pulled off one of the curtains. Standing inside was a terrified female, about to burst into tears. The other mercenaries pulled off the second and third curtains of the fitting stalls.

The moment they pulled off the second curtain, a piercing scream pounded the eardrums of all the people in the store. A tiny trembling female Dwarf scrambled to cover her almost nude body with a tunic. When the mercenaries looked inside the third one, they froze like frogs facing a snake. A huge male Orc stood there naked, glaring at them with fierce eyes. The Orc must have been in the process of changing. On the shelf was a pile of tattered clothes and a pair of iron gloves.

The unfortunate mercenary who tore off the curtain gazed at the awesome abdominal muscles and huge green chest covered with scars. He should have stopped his gaze right there, but the mercenary looked further down. When he managed to look back up again, his eyes me those of the Orc. He wanted to apologize, but instead his lips twisted into a foolish-looking grin. He attempted to return the curtain he was still holding, but it fell unrequited to the floor.

"Uh, sir. I think there has been some misunderstanding." The mercenary's tongue betrayed him. The tattoo engraved on the Orc's head crumpled into an odd design. Green fists, bigger than a child's head, clasped in front of the mercenary's eyes, as the Orc made an ominous sound.

-----

"That store seems very busy today. Perhaps some new fabrics from Avella have arrived. Would you like to go take a look, My Lady?"

The gondolier viewed Espen & Verona's Boutique with narrowed eyes. He seemed motivated to satisfy his own curiosity rather than that of his customer.

"No, I don't like going into crowded places," the woman replied.

The gondolier seemed somewhat disappointed, but like one typical of Innadril, he started to hum a tune. The wind blowing over the river was unusually cool and refreshing, and the customer who had suddenly boarded his boat gave him a generous fare. Having a female Dark Elf aristocrat as one's customer was also a rare experience that he could later brag about to his fellow gondoliers.

"Where can I take you, My Lady?"

Aria FirstMatter gathered her skirt, covered her ankles and lifted her head. She held a parasol that protected her against the strong sunlight. When the gondola passed under one of the countless bridges of Heine, she folded the parasol and brushed her hair back with her fingers.

Although she was tempted to stay in her current location under the bridge, she felt her pursuers were still too close for comfort. She looked around and pointed to another bridge above the canal about two blocks away.

As soon as he received her answer, he skillfully pushed his pole, sending the gondola forward. Aria felt the tension in her body slip away a little at a time. She thought it would be good if she could just enjoy her cruise on the canal without any worries.

A little later, when the gondola arrived at the destination, the gondolier silently put the pole in its place and waited. Perhaps the bag of coins she threw to him helped him become an easygoing and pleasant person. She felt tired from being pursued relentlessly, so his consideration was a welcome luxury. Aria did not become upset even when Piriel Aurura showed up half an hour later than their appointed meeting time.

"Finally! How am I supposed to find you in a place like this?"

"You're a Scavenger." Aria replied briefly. After a moment, she added, "By the way, your scream was excellent, as usual."

"The trick is to put your heart into your voice. Once you realize this, even you can do it."

Piriel jumped from the bridge into the gondola. If the gondolier had not skillfully manipulated his pole to balance the boat, they would have been showered with water from the impact. Although Aria regarded this Dwarf highly in terms of her skills, she was generally annoyed by her personality.

After Aria expressed her desire to tour the entire waterways of the city, the gondola started to move again. As soon as they were out of the shadows under the bridge, the sun greeted them with a welcoming smile. Aria unfolded her parasol again to shield her skin. The gondolier introduced different places along the way, as the gondola traveled at a leisurely pace.

"You caused an inconvenience to other people, doing what you did."

With a grunt, the Dwarf pulled her backpack, which was bigger than herself, onto the floor of the gondola. The boat bobbed up and down from the weight, once again.

"I know, you're right."

The Dwarf started unpacking her provisions. Aria had always been surprised by Dwarves' ability to carry great loads on their shoulders. On the battlefield, she even witnessed a Dwarf use the supplies from his backpack to equip all the soldiers of one unit with armor and long swords, as well as to feed them. She guessed this was the reason Dwarves do not grow in height as they grow older.

"By the way, Espen was moping around whining to me. If perverts hear rumors about Dwarves and Orcs geting naked and wild in his store, they will flock to it. It would ruin his business."

Piriel finally found the item she had been searching for in her backpack. She blew on it and polished it with her sleeve. It was a glass flask containing some dark red substance. Arial could tell that it was old, dried-up blood. Before handing over the Blood of Saints, Piriel seemed to have suddenly realized something and spoke.

"I know that this is a funny question to ask a Dark Elf, but I'm still going to ask it. Your complexion doesn't look so good today. Your face is deathly pale. Am I right?"

"Yes," Aria willingly agreed, quite unexpectedly. "I was severely attacked by two men from the north."

Piriel clucked her tongue and said, "Because of those damnable relics, two innocent lives have perished."

Aria put away the Blood of Saints, with a peculiar expression on her face. Piriel became startled and spoke loudly. "Don't tell me! You let them live? What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing. And don't talk to me like I'm some kind of murderer, all right?" Recently, some emotions had been churning inside Aria and she found herself expressing them aloud before she could suppress the urge.

"I must have become weak," she decided. "Although I may look young, I have lived in the same era as that crazed monster who's locked in the tower. I feel like an old hag whose insides have rotted away."

"One thing is for sure," Piriel took out her pipe and put it in her mouth. "Both you and I cannot claim to be young sprites any longer."

Piriel was going to take out her tinderbox, but realized she had put it at the bottom of her bag. The gondolier, silent up to that point, took out a burning twig from the box of coals on his belt and gave it to her. While still holding the pipe in her mouth, Piriel brightly smiled at the gondolier and lowered her head.

"If that's what you think, perhaps you should quit this line of work." After giving it a little more thought, Piriel added, "What you really want to do is meet up with that crazy guy in the tower and talk about old times."

Aria snickered. "I can't deny I've thought about it."

"It is the privilege of old ones like us to let young ones work while we sit back and watch."

When Piriel said this, the gondolier could not hold himself back any longer and let out a laugh. From Human standards, she looked like a girl of about ten years old at most, but she sounded too mature for her age.

"That is a cowardly act of escaping reality."

"What's wrong with that?" Piriel mumbled while looking at the office of the Commerce Guild across the canal. "Some elderly humans often talk like that. Such as Heine, Athebaldt, and yes, Rodemai too."

Aria shook her head with a sad and tired face. "This work should be done by our own hands. The youth are our hope for the future."

Piriel snickered. "Don't be mistaken. Whether you cause a problem or fix it, you should do it on your own. I would say that at least half your motive is to save your old boyfriend. I know you are anxious to get rid of Tetrarch Thifiell. Honestly, I don't entirely disagree with his mode of conduct. After all, what's wrong with Dark Elves allying themselves with Elves? Equality for everyone, I say. Happiness for all! It's even written in Maphr's Tablet."

"Perhaps we have talked too much," thought Aria. A chasm clearly existed between Dark Elves and Elves. Piriel did not force the point any further. However, when Aria handed her the money, the Dwarf uttered an unexpected remark.

"Be careful of your own people, now that you don't have many allies left."

Aria already knew that. What surprised her was the fact that this seemingly cold-blooded Dwarf was concerned for her safety.

"Humph." Rather than expressing gratitude, Aria responded sarcastically. "You should worry for your own welfare. I also heard who the Black Anvil is desperately chasing."

"I think that Master Brikus and Magister Xenovia of the Dark Elven Guild were also ordered to terminate you on sight. The two who attacked you earlier must be heading this way by now. Younger members of your own profession have also showed up in this city's back alleys. I mean the Abyss Walkers. Even when you cry over your own weaknesses, I can't help you. Understand?"

"I know."

The sun slowly sank below the skyline, then disappeared beneath bridges in the distance. The canal was a ruby river tinged with brilliant red light. Aria felt glad that in this water city of Humans and Elves, beauty could even be felt by Dark Elves such as herself. The Dwarf turned to her and suddenly flung her arms around Aria's neck. Their difference in height made this an even more awkward gesture. Piriel buried her face into Aria's belly. She resisted her initial urge to toss the Dwarf out of the gondola and stopped her arm in mid-air. She didn't know how to handle a situation like this, nor did she comprehend Piriel's true intention.

"Don't… die… Okay?"

The Dark Elf put her right hand on the Dwarf's head. She wanted to caress it, but didn't know quite how to go about it. After a moment, she slowly pushed the Dwarf away.

"I told you I feel weaker than my old self." Aria attempted to stand up, but the gondolier quickly motioned her to sit back down. Instead of obeying him, she slowly started to undress. The gondolier quickly looked away, but this wasn't necessary. Underneath her dress, she wore leather armor. "That's all I meant to say."

She noticed another bridge approaching and slowly turned around, showing her back to the Dwarf and gondolier.

"Whether the enemy is one or many, Human or Dark Elf, young or old..."

Aria FirstMatter gathered her hair and tied it into a pony tail.

"I am still, at least up until this point, the most powerful."

Then, like the shadow of a bird passing overhead, she suddenly disappeared.