There are two types of people in the world. People who have learnt their lesson, people who think they’ve learnt their lesson…

[I think it’s the starting point. It’s the first major confrontation from them.]

“What about the others?”

[Eggboi still need around a month, but he’s been itching for this since a while ago. After all, he was literally Atlas holding alone against the horde of monsters, he deserves the holiday.]

“And Ego?”

A golden portal materialised beside Sunk Cost, large enough for a man to comfortably walk through. He stuffed his head inside the portal for a brief moment, then retrieved his head and walked a few paces away.

Interestingly, the only form of energy Sunk Cost’s portals can transport was mana. Any other type, such as sound vibrations, can’t pass through. We’ve concluded that the medium from one side of the portal to the other was split by the portal, which meant that unless it’s breached by something that had mana as a property, it can’t pass through. It dissipated as heat, sound or light.

Ah, I’m getting off track.

By the time my head’s back in the game, Ego already crossed through to our side, his danger level reduced to only 1 pulsating vein.

(What? I’m busy)

[What ‘chu think about this? It’ll make a good trigger, won’t it?]

(This? You mean Serophe? Fuck off!)

[Hey, you’re the one who insisted on taking her. I kept telling ya, mana isn’t everything, but you just won’t listen. Still, it turned out pretty convenient, didn’t it? All the triggers are usually minor events like this, it’s perfect.]

A second vein joined the already-throbbing one on Ego’s forehead. However, it seemed like he’s unable to refute the statement, and chose to kept silent. When Sunk Cost repeated the question, Ego forcibly nodded his head in agreement.

[Then the bard can manage the beasts and Mr spear and shield will deal with the elves. Once the barrier bird gets here, he’ll take care of the humans. We good?]

“Can I ask what’s going on?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

[Oh yeah, from what I’ve gathered, the elves are already progressing pretty far. There’s even an organised protest at the capital.]

“Can’t be a coincidence. Are they trying to show us their bravado if we don’t do as they say?”

[Who knows what that Warlord is thinking. I’m pretty sure the leader of the activists is one of his men. Words are, they’ll be camping around the capital in protest of your arrival, so they probably won’t leave anytime soon.]

“All décor’s off then. Guess we’ll get a move on.”

“Whoa whoa, this is progressing too quickly. What’s going on? What are these activists? What is the trigger?”

“I said I’ll explain on the way.”

[Hey, don’t go overboard though.]

(No, it’s fine. Sever all ties now and get it over with.)

[That’s going from zero to a hundred before even stepping on the pedal!]

(It works to our benefit, no?)

[Well, yeah, maybe, but it’s just so wasteful.]

(Bahh, you’re such a hoarder. We’ll have plenty of tries.)

“How bad is it in Dowland?”

[Positively volatile. There are violent mobs all over our branches not just in Dowland, but all around the Elven territory. They’re also trying to intimidate their own people and scare them away from exchanging mana.]

“Then it’s perfect. I don’t see any issues?”

[Forget it, I don’t know why I tried to talk to you two maniacs about deaths and danger. Just send me a signal whenever, and don’t forget about the Occisio tonight!]

Having given up on thinking, Sunk Cost opened another portal and ushered us in. When we stepped through, what greeted us was the dome-shaped interior of a JanZe building. Tens of staff members, some dressed in casual clothes and others in the standard JanZe uniform, sat at their desks and tackled a frighteningly large volume of documents. Compared to the branch they visited in the Human territory; this building was less than a tenth of the size. Even the portal location had to share space with this administration room. A dozen JanZe were placed at even spacings around the perimeter of the room. Some stood at attention, some sat on a chair whilst they read a book.

Several eyes glanced at the unscheduled intrusion, their focus onto the length of our ribbons. They knew to expect my arrival due to the publicised meet between myself and the Elven Emperor, but they had no idea when I’d arrive. After recognising my identity, one of the guards stepped forward from his position to receive my order.

“Get someone to give me a full report of the situation, then organise an evacuation.”

“Is it time you start explaining some things? My head’s dizzy and my tongue’s thirsty.”

“Hmm… you’re right. First, we’ll head to the capital and deal with the meeting, then we’ll have a nice, long chat. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears perked on the way.”

Soon, the manager of the branch personally came to give his report. As befitting of his position, he wore a suit and tie truly matched well with his elvish innate beauty. Like all elves, his body was slender and smooth despite being a male, with a pair of half-moon spectacles placed on top of his pointed nose and ears.

He joined us on our walk outside the building, to the busy streets of Dowland. At first, he spoke in a business manner, but very soon his frustrations and stress worked its way into his speech. Since Taku had no idea how relevant the information was, he simply tuned him out and looked around in wonder.

Elves loved nature, but they weren’t the same as the fantasy elves described in Earth. They neither lived inside tree houses, nor expressed their magic through singing. Instead, they constructed their living environment entirely out of nature. The wooden tiles and houses resembled that of Japanese architecture, with ample natural foliage and forestry. Metallic objects were difficult to spot; most houses and structures weren’t built with nails, but instead a complex system of joinery techniques and advanced carpentry. The birds chirped their songs, the elves hustled along. The scene was peaceful and pristine. Taku felt as if his presence there ruined this abstract painting.

He wasn’t alone in thinking that. We were quickly noticed by the civilians, who openly showed their discontent. Some were neutral and quietly moved along, but most avoided us as if we were a bad omen. We walked through the path of the main street, flanked on both sides by shops and businesses. The area was wide, which made the discriminatory treatment all the more obvious.

The manager gave me some numbers on the monthly trade between the JanZe and the entire Elven Kingdom, the projected estimations on future trade and trends as well as information on numerous matters.

“More pressingly, the mistreatment of our people is becoming more and more apparent. We had to deal with 34 cases of assault and harassment hits week alone, and that’s just Dowland branch. Just yesterday, one of our secretaries suffered an acid attack on her way home and she’s now recuperating.”

“What? It has deteriorated that far already?”

“I’m afraid so. I sent a report upwards already, but it was late in the evening. I wanted to ask for a guard to be dispatched and-“

“No need. Where is she? Bring me there.”

“At once!”

“This isn’t volatile, this is an assault. Tell me about the case.”

“Well, she was near her house at the time of the incident, and she’s in no condition to be moved. When we first heard, Jackyl ran over with Tanya to provide first aid and protection, but we had orders to prioritise defending the branch.”

“What of the local healers?”

“They didn’t respond until the morning.”

“Humph…”

“Her injuries were mostly on her left side, lower body. We suspect the…”

Although we had to backtrack a little, since most staff members lived close-by to their work, it didn’t take long for us to arrive at the location. It looked like a typical countryside home, with a simple wooden fence surrounding the front and, presumably a back garden. The appearance of the house was almost identical to the others around it, other than the personal decorative touches. Grapevines were draping on one side, a proud apple tree gifted its fruit to the visitors, and a scar crudely carved into the door, spelling the word ‘TRAITOR’ with venomous hate.

I reached out to the wooden gate, more form than function as it only reached our waists, to find the hinges misaligned so that it doesn’t close properly. Some signs suggested the gates had suffered physical abuse over a long period of time, and stains of mud indicated the more-recent kicks it endured.

I looked again, and upon closer inspection, I could see hazy footprints shown by the trampled and overgrown grass, outlines of defecation lying about here and there, some of which was even splattered onto parts of the front wall. Cracks could be seen on the windows and patches of burnt greenery suggested an attempted arson. Recent, too.

Without a word, we entered the premises. The manager also stopped talking and took the role as the front of the party. He knocked on the door.

“Excuse us. This is Martin of the JanZe Dowland department. May we come in?”

The silence dragged on, tempting the manager to try again. The house should be occupied by the employee and her husband and they had no reason to leave the safety of their home. Just as the manager raised his hands and cleared his throat, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor could be heard. Moments later, the door opened inwards.

Before we saw the interior, we smelt it. The waft of alcohol, likely wine, followed closely by the odour of rotten flesh in direct conflict with a bitter smell of medicine, caused both Taku and the manager to choke on their breaths.

The husband didn’t open the door fully. He used a foot like a doorstopper and peeked out of the little gap he made. Only after he recognised the manager did he let down his guard. With a staggering rhythm, the manager quickly introduced us to the homeowner. Afterwards, I instructed the manager to remain outside the house whilst Taku and I entered. He looked relieved.

I noticed the alarming amount of empty bottles laying here and there. I noticed the confliction in the eyes of this elf as if he’s desperately trying to bottle the anger and pain. Wooden plates and general waste littered around the kitchen and living room, and there was a dirty rag, presumably used as a blanket, on the dirtier silk sofa.

These observations triggered something in my head, and I began to infer more and more details from my surroundings without meaning to. I saw the bandages on the man’s hand and a barely noticeable imprint of a fist on the wall opposite of the entrance. I heard the haggard breathing buried within the undertones of the exhausted sobbing in a closed room nearby. I noticed the positionings of items and recognised that the members of this household are mostly left-handed except for the young one, based on the inversed directions of his… no, her possessions like her jacket, shoes and backpack. The backpack had the same dust patterns as its surroundings, it doesn’t seem like she’s been to school for a while. That wall had a crack, that chair had bite marks of a young puppy, that lamp had-

Stop. Stop! STOP!

Ignore everything, they do not matter. Shut up, shut the fuck up, stop telling me useless shit. SHUT UP!

I quietly massaged the bridge of my nose and addressed the elf with my eyes closed.

“How is she?”

The elf was too busy nervously glancing at the contrast between my childlike appearance, and the symbolism of my ribbon length, to notice my question. I didn’t bother to repeat myself and treated the house as if my own. Taku followed uncomfortably behind, unsure what the appropriate etiquette should be, or even what was the purpose of him being there. The elf man tried to talk to me, but I ignored him.

Judging from the surroundings, it didn't seem natural for a bedroom to be situated at the ground floor. Ah yes, scratch marks on the frame; someone probably dragged a bed from upstairs down here. That’d also explain the marks near the staircase. Hmm, it’d be unrealistic for a single elf to do this, which meant that it’d also explain the position of the faint blood stain on the banister; too low to make sense for the adult elf to leave behind. The bed slipped at the top, causing the adult elf to fall along with the bed to the bottom. Lucky it wasn’t too high up. The ankle injuries indicated his instinctual movements, so if the man intended to attack, he’d pivot his weight to the left. The length of his legs gave him advantage if he…

STOP FUCKING THINKING. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW.

We entered the room to witness a female elf on the bed, and a half-sized elf with her head wrapped around her arms, resting near the adult’s side. The elfling looked up at the disturbance, her eyes reddened and dry. She was the first to break the silence.

“N-no! Don’t take mommy to work, she’s ill!”

I didn’t respond, and it seemed my silence unnerved her. She stood up with newfound strength, running on the adrenaline pumping alongside the hysteria in her head. She circled the bed and stood in-between the elf and I. Her height was similar to mine; if I had to guess, she’d be about 50 or 60 years of age.

“She’s hurt! She’s hurt because of you guys! GO AWAY!”

She punched me.

There was no mana involved, and her vision was obscured by her emotions and her strain from presumably days of crying. It grazed my shoulders with no effect.

She punched again. She tried to push me too, but I showed no reaction to her efforts.

The elf man ended up restraining her. By this point, she was struggling against him whilst uttering indiscernible gibberish. Her accent felt strangely mixed, different from traditional Elven English. Her teacher must be a traveller, perhaps towards the far end of the Southern Human Territory. The slight tremble of her voice along with the cracked and uncontrolled use of the higher frequencies felt realistic; unlikely they’re crocodile tears. What is her purpose? Why did she even try to harm me?

“What are you trying to do?”

“We apologise, sir, please forgive my daughter, she’s been-“

“Why did you hit me?

“Why didn’t you fight the one who threw the acid?

“Is it because you fear their retaliation, but not mine?”

“Hey, uhh First, what are you doing?”

“Questioning.”

“What the f…- she’s a kid!”

I know that. I don’t see the relevance?

I ignored Taku, walked to the bed and lifted the quilt covering the woman’s body. It seemed like the man’s too shocked at my movements to react.

I touched a communication crystal subconsciously. I didn’t even register my own action.

The elven female… her face is mostly fine. Only a couple of droplets, possibly the result of a splash, landed above her chest. The corrosiveness of the acid was obvious though, as evident by the wrinkles formed from simple droplets.

The entire left side of her lower body was ruined by the attack. She was wearing formal clothing that covered every part of her flesh, which helped lessen the damage, but even then, it was easily fatal. Parts of the blackened skin looked like the result of a first-try attempt to glassblowing by someone with asthma. Pockets of air, some the size of a grape, created a landscape painting of hills and valleys, where each mountain was a worm writhing in and out of her body.

Her left leg was folded, with the majority of the popliteal fossa fused top to bottom, reminding me of paint being mixed together. Elves normally had pale and fair skin, but none of that could be seen here.

The bleeding was forcibly mended, but it’s only a temporary measure. The medic hadn't the enough skills to repair damage as complex as this. Her blood vessels had dissolved into a murky mess, blocking blood flow. Sooner or later, necrosis will occur throughout multiple parts of her body, especially her internal organs like her liver and intestines.

“Why didn’t the attacker aim for the face?”

“That’s not the question to ask right now!”

“It’s common sense to aim for the face, isn’t it?”

“First!”

“Is the attacker disabled? Or is this some distraction or trap?”

“First, get out of the room!”

I sensed killing intent from the elf man, but his fear of the JanZe held him back. Taku was acting against me, does that mean he’s colluding with the trap’s organiser? The injuries on that female were real and serious, making her a non-threat. The battle capability of those in the open are insignificant, but to reveal any hidden dangers, it’s best to use a wide-area burst to gauge the situation.

“Since when do I take orders from you?”

“Since I realised why you brought me along. GET OUT!”

As my brain was whirring, a golden portal interrupted my train of thoughts. A head soon poked out of it.

[That was quick. Where- urgh, what’s that smell?]

Sunk Cost and I made eye contact.

[… Leave.]

How did he know to arrive here? In a battle, I need to remove outside factors to focus my fight onto this opponent. During the scuffle earlier, I noticed signs of injuries on the elfling. Some were bruises, some were cuts. There were wounds from months ago, most of it near her belly, her right arm and legs. There’s a scratch from the bed incident I deduced earlier, but the rest looked like they were inflicted by someone else.

Is that why she’s not going to school?

If we were to fight, an area attack would be too inefficient with Sunk Cost’s ability. I could take the elfling out first by targeting her right-side waist; she’d subconsciously flinch if she moved any muscles there due to her wounds. She’s the only one ignorant of fear. I need to take the initiative to force the others into a surprise state, with their reactions delayed.

Then, strengthen the elfling’s body, swing backwards and attack both the elf man and Taku. With enough speed, even Sunk Cost’s portal won’t make it in time. Create a shockwave to cause further confusion and tackle Sunk Cost head on.

Emit as much mana as possible when facing against a portal. Watch out for a portal forming beside my neck and blind spots. Rupture the ground to disrupt any immediate reinforcements or rescue attempts whilst charging forward.

Avoid losing awareness of Taku in case he turns invisible. Do not give Taku a chance to consume blood from either Sunk Cost or myself. Remove him before he activates a self-enhancement power. His eyes have a mental effect, though it shouldn’t impact me. He-

[Now. Leave.]

Sunk Cost was prepared. Likelihood of a surprise factor – low. Should I strengthen the bed and swing it backwards right now?

Likelihood of survival – high. Likelihood of the battle ending quickly – low. Likelihood of eliminating all targets – low. Likelihood of previous assumption that this was a trap – low.

Not enough information. Likelihood of further questioning will increase tension beyond breaking point – near certain.

Best solution – don’t fight.

“Lemon candy.”

[…?]

I locked eyes with Taku.

“You still owe me. Lemon candy.”

Taku was drenched in sweat. The Fourth JanZe, also known as Pestilence, was emitting such a strong intent as he fully descended into this room. His presence became significantly solid as he focused his sights onto myself, his mana slowly seeping into his aura. He stood straight without a formal battle stance, but anybody could’ve felt the space-distorting tension in his body language. Taku was rendered speechless on how this physical phenomenon could’ve been performed, but those without insight into combat couldn’t fathom this and just looked on like a casual spectator, albeit uncomfortable from the thickness of the mana being emitted.

Taku’s eyes shifted back to me. He felt nothing from me, no fear, no combativeness – nothing. Unlike Sunk Cost’s presence, which was like that of a glorious land, an ever-expanding space, mine was an all-consuming void, where nothing can be perceived or gained.

He swallowed hard before he answered me.

“F-from back then? That’s my fault, I’ll get you one as soon as I can.”

My eyes went back to the elf child.

“Who’s been hurting you?”

[Enough. Let Taku and I handle this. Go take a walk.]

“Give me their names.”

[I said enough!]

The girl was unwilling to talk. Maybe I scared her too much?

Shit… what happened?

I left the room, my confusion growing stronger as my emotions, which I bottled up from who-knows-when, began to resurface.