As we walked out of the house, I couldn't help but feel relieved that the task wasn't as daunting as I had expected. I mean, I had envisioned this elaborate test of strength and cunning, something that would truly test the limits of the Empress' abilities, where I couldn't really help. But instead, it was just a simple conversation with some ghosts. Not that I was complaining, mind you. It was just a bit anticlimactic, that's all. I turned to the ghosts, Diyi, Yisang, and Liangci, I extended my hand to shake theirs. But as I did, my hand passed right through theirs. I guess that's what happens when you're dealing with ghosts. It was a bit sad to leave them like this, but I knew that I had to move on. As I looked around the stuffy house, I realized that I had lost track of time. How long had we been here, anyway? It felt like hours, but who could say for sure? I decided to push the thought out of my mind and focus on the present. I grabbed Aini's hand and pulled her out of the house.
My stomach grumbled, and I was cold. It was turning winter soon. That meant that I had to find a shelter that protected me from the snow and cool air instead of sleeping out in the open.The park, however rough it was to sleep in, had been my sanctuary in the warmer seasons for years now.No matter how bad my life has gotten, the park was always there, waiting, as an old friend would.Oh well, time to say goodbye once again, my old friend.I patted the dew-covered grass as a farewell gesture.Standing up, I stretched and yawned loudly.I checked my gear; one small dagger, check, and that's it.That was the only thing I had besides my worn-out clothing.Even if it's a little dull, there was no rust on it, which meant it's the best I can get with no money to my name.Time to get to work.Food wasn’t just going to materialize itself in front of me.Perhaps if I were a magician, but where would I ever get a spell book?The only skills that I have are in survival and thievery, and the skil
"How could I shatter a little girl's dream of being rich?" He said.How did he find me?He should have been drunk, drooling on the counter, having a booze-filled dream. And the time I needed to run from the tavern to here must have been a new record for me.Did he set me up?He approached me menacingly and said, "I'll even give it to you, free of charge, of course, if... you'll do a tiny, little job for me.How can I escape? The wall was too steep and too smooth to climb; nothing to hold on to. The alley itself was a dead-end and way too narrow to sidestep him.“Haversacks are cool things. I’m not very familiar with DnD, but I know a few things about it, cause a lot of anime is, or rather was, heavily inspired by it, but there's also something like that in there. A bag of holding, which in my opinion, is a way better name, but this world doesn’t have the restrictions it has.It is an infinite bag that can hold an unlimited number of items, doesn't really get heavier, no matter how man
I couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins."I'm Papia," I said, introducing myself to him."How old are you, Papia? Ten, maybe eleven?" He guessed, his voice filled with a sense of amusement."I'm thirteen already," I replied. My annoyance at that remark was clear."Well, you're a little undernourished, maybe," he remarked, eyeing me up and down. "You're also a little small for your age, and we're not even that far apart age-wise. Around seven years, bit more, bit less, who knows? But it’s not a lot, counting all the longer lived races."I couldn't help but feel a twinge of insecurity at his words. Was I really that small?"Are you alright?" I asked, my concern for him overriding my own self-doubt. I had already let go of the dagger, but it was still lodged inside his chest."It doesn't matter," he said, pulling out the dagger and handing it to me, his clothes rapidly becoming stained with crimson liquid. "Do I have to ask your parents for permission? May
As I stood behind the divider, I felt a sense of déjà vu as I slipped into yet another dress from the pile of options. The dresses seemed to blend together, with their laces, ribbons, and frills. Would I ever find the perfect one?Once I was dressed, I emerged from behind the divider to show my new elven companion. His pensive expression was enough to tell me that he wouldn't approve of this one either. I felt a pang of disappointment. I had already tried on numerous dresses, but none seemed to "fit" the occasion. It seemed as though no matter what I tried, it just wasn't enough.As I watched him scrutinize not only the dresses but also the shoes, jewelry, gloves, hats, and hairpins that accompanied them, I couldn't help but wonder: were elves really this concerned about creating a fashion faux pas? It was clear that every detail had to be just right.I was exhausted. Even just putting on one of the dresses properly took me at least ten minutes. The corsets were tight; the skirts were
"Shocking, I know. They usually have the longest ears of any elves I have ever seen. Why are yours so stubby? And your eyes have no glow to them. Your human genes must be overwhelmingly strong. It's very strange, to be honest. I mean, no offense, but still," Asher said. "It's just that I've never seen an elf with such short ears before. I thought all elves had long ears. Even people with just a bit of elf genes in them have 'em." "It doesn't matter. This newfound identity isn't really going to change my life," I said. "Well, doesn't make you less of an elf, just so you know, but I thought you were human. I had this idea of great peace between the races when meeting the king. But two of the race they don't seem to trust? Bit controversial, eh?" "I push the divider aside with force and yelled, "and why the hell are we meeting the king?" Asher continued to speak, his words now flowing freely as if he had been waiting for an audience to hear his grand plan. "Did I forget to tell you?
As I stood at the bottom of the stone stairway, waiting with Asher to meet the king, standing still became a challenge as the discomfort of the clothes he picked for me became apparent. The brown frilly dress he thought looked good was itching my skin like crazy. I couldn't wait to take it off as soon as the job was done. My mind kept wandering off to a blue dress that I had my eyes on, but Asher didn't agree with my choice, so I didn't take it. Looking back, I realized that letting him choose my outfit was a mistake.I kept telling myself that once this job was done, I could always go and buy as many dresses as I wanted. Blue, brown, red, yellow, or pink, it didn't matter. However, standing there waiting for the king, there was a feeling of unease that lingered in the air that I couldn't shake off, which had nothing to do with the dress.We had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, but it couldn't have been more than an hour, and I could see that Asher was getting restless.
And speaking of the devil, King Padillia, and a few other companions, were in sight, coming down the steps.The king was a short, bearded man, dressed in silken robes that flowed behind him as he walked. He was flanked by two even shorter men, who carried his robes and looked up at him with a mixture of awe and reverence.For a moment, I was taken aback by the sight. I had heard of King Padillia before, of course, but I had never seen him in person. He looked every inch the king, with his regal bearing and imposing presence.But Asher's reaction was something else entirely. He froze in place, as if he had been struck by lightning. His face was completely blank, and his eyes were wide with shock.I could see cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his cheeks were turning a bright shade of red. For a moment, I thought he was going to pass out.Slowly, Asher turned to me, and I saw that his face was completely washed of any emotion. He looked like a man in shock, unable to process w