The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#12 

In the distance, the rugged peaks of the mountain range pierced the clear sky, creating a picturesque field. The fresh green grass and flowers, contrasting with the blue sky, swayed gently in the occasional breeze. There, some people were saying their goodbyes. 

“Well then, I will take my leave.” The tips of Kain’s ears, slightly bowed as if in a moment of reverence, were pointed. The tall elf, who was addressed as ‘father,’ slightly frowned, his beautiful face showing no signs of aging, as he responded to the farewell. 

“…Yes. To give you such a harsh fate… The Galia Tree must have great intentions. I hope the gentle breeze is always with you.” 

“Yes. Father, I too hope that this place remains spring-like, even from afar.” 

If humans had seen it, they would have felt it was a bleak farewell. While the elf called ‘father’ wore a face mixed with worry, the other was so expressionless that no emotion could be felt. 

“If they find out you are an elf, the restrictions will increase, so make sure to wear a robe when you go to the human realm.” 

“You need not worry.” Unlike the humans who noisily established kingdoms all over the continent, the elves preferred to dwell in the rugged and hard-to-reach Fiokhim Mountains. Humans among humans. And elves among elves. The two did not interact or invade each other. 

Sensing the finality of their parting, the elf called ‘father’ called out his son’s name once more. The next meeting would likely be uncertain. 

“Kain.” 

“Yes.” 

“If your destined partner refuses…” 

He grimaced as if imagining a situation that should never occur. Even just speaking the words felt as bitter as drinking poison. For elves, a partner was a being capable of inflicting such pain. 

“I will have to make them like me.” 

“Effort? Humans will not understand you. They do not believe in the Galia Tree.” 

“But even those who do not believe in Galia still love, do they not?” 

“….” 

At Kain’s logically sound words, his father could not respond. 

“I will be off.” Kain bowed his head before his father. It was truly time to leave now. As Kain turned his body, the robe swished in the wind. It seemed he took a few steps, but then his body slowly bent down, and he began to run so fast that it became hard to follow with the eyes. 

To Kain, who had grown up in the high and rugged Fiokhim Mountains, such fields and forests felt as vast as the earth itself. He could see the eternal snow covering the peaks of the mountains in the distance. Beyond that lay the human realm. The long bow and quiver securely fastened to his body made a rhythmic clinking sound. The refreshing wind that quickly brushed past his ears and the occasional leaves that softly caressed his cheeks became his companions on the journey. 

* * * 

Having boldly dashed out of the Fiokhim Mountains, several days passed without any significant results. It was not easy to catch humans walking along the roadside to find the person he was looking for. First, humans avoided Kain, who was wearing a robe, and when he finally managed to speak to another human and mentioned the name of the person he was searching for, their face turned pale, and they would leave, saying, “I-I don’t know such a person!” 

…Could the human I am looking for be a notorious criminal? 

Each time, Kain could not help but imagine the worst. Eventually, he concluded that he would have to visit the detective agency that humans used. 

“Is this the place?” Kain, fully cloaked in his robe, knocked on the old door of a building he had never seen before. Knock knock. Although the sound surely reached inside, there was no response. Was it really a strange flyer? 

As he turned to leave, his face showing disappointment after coming here with a mix of doubt and curiosity about the address written on the flyer he found in the alley, he sensed something. When Kain turned his gaze back to the door, a small part of the wooden door opened like a tiny window. 

When Kain met the eyes of someone beyond the door and said nothing, the other person spoke first, as if annoyed. 

“Password.” 

“…What?” 

“Give today’s password.” 

“…….” 

Whether it was today’s password or tomorrow’s, Kain had no idea about such things. As he stood there silently in his robe, the human inside the building grew irritated. 

“What the hell. Who did you come here with that you’re acting so sluggish?” 

“I came here after seeing a flyer, not through an introduction.” 

Kain pulled out the flyer from his pocket and waved it. Fortunately, the human inside seemed to ponder for a moment before opening the door. 

“…Come in. Normally, we wouldn’t accept you, but it just so happens that there are no reservations today.” 

As the old door creaked open, Kain lowered his head slightly, using his hand to touch the low door frame as he entered the building. 

“Excuse me.” 

Due to his height, which was at least a head taller than an average person, the most uncomfortable thing about coming down to the human realm was entering their buildings. However, after bumping his forehead against the door frame several times while entering buildings without thinking for days, his body seemed to remember, and he instinctively bent his upper body. 

Inside the building, despite it being daytime, the atmosphere was dim, with candles lighting various corners. 

…Are they pursuing a secretive ambiance? 

Kain scoffed inwardly at the shabby detective agency as he walked toward the sofa led by the man. Upon reaching a place that looked like it was meant for receiving guests, a man sitting at a large desk, smoking a cigarette, looked over at him. 

Even with his sharp gaze scanning Kain, there would not be much information to glean. In any case, this man seemed to be the owner of the place. His fluffy mustache and massive build did not give off a particularly agile impression. 

He waved his palm at the man who had guided Kain here, as if to tell him to leave, then hissed—crushing the cigarette in the ashtray, he opened his mouth. 

“You’re an outsider.” 

“…….” 

When he appeared in the village wearing a robe, all the surrounding humans would whisper among themselves. However, it was better to be seen as an outsider than to be discovered as an elf. A stream of cigarette smoke filled the space between them. 

“…You’re quite taciturn.” 

“How about we get straight to the point?” 

Kain interrupted with a tone of annoyance. He had not come here to engage in trivial conversation. Perhaps the owner had the same thought, as he nodded once and slid a silver tray placed in the corner of the desk toward Kain. 

“That’s what I was hoping for. So, first, a consultation fee of 5 gillen.” 

The consultation fee was not for taking on a request, but merely for discussing this matter. It was more expensive than he had expected, but if he could gain even a little clue, he would be willing to pay even more than that. 

Kain reached into his robe and pulled out a pouch. How many times had he gathered and sold herbs to collect these shiny golden coins? 

Chak— 

Kain took out five gillen from the pouch and placed them on the silver tray. 

“Good. What do you want?” 

Looking at Kain, who had handed over the 5 gillen without any haggling, the owner finally leaned forward, showing interest. It was quite a hefty price, and seeing him pay it so readily indicated that this request was either very important or that the customer was a big spender. Both were elements that would be very welcome to a man running a detective agency. 

Their gazes met precisely in the air. 

“I’m looking for someone.” 

“What’s the purpose of your request?” 

Purpose? Kain tilted his head slightly. His business was not something he would share with other humans. 

“Do I have to say the purpose too? I have personal business with that person.” 

“Of course. If you intend to kill or threaten them, there will be an additional fee.” 

“…Just tell me their location, and I will handle the rest.” 

“Hey, it seems you don’t know our guild well, outsider. So far, every murder request we’ve received has been one hundred percent successful. Judging by your appearance, you seem worried about the additional fee, but I can check the difficulty of the request and possibly give you a discount.” 

The gaze from within the robe sharpened. Murder? Kain was in a position where he could imagine saving that human, but killing them was out of the question. 

“I don’t need that.” 

“Seems rather dull. So, you just want to know that person’s location?” 

“Yes.” 

Whether others found it dull or not was none of Kain’s concern. The owner, who had leaned toward Kain, leaned back in his chair, shaking his legs. He narrowed his eyes and gestured toward the ashtray, clearly contemplating whether to smoke another cigarette. 

From the consultation, it seemed this was not a lucrative request. The owner, with a face that showed a vertical drop in interest, asked the most important question. 

“What’s the name of the person you’re looking for?” 

If he knew the name, finding out the location would be an easy task. It might be difficult for an outsider like the customer, but he could find it out in no time. 

This was an exceedingly simple request. 

The owner tapped the quill pen, waiting for the name to come out of the customer’s mouth. 

“Jershian Del Claude.” 

Thud— The quill pen that had been bobbing in the owner’s hand fell to the floor the moment he heard that name.