Chapter 2: 2. “Yeah…of course.”

Meanwhile, within a vast forest, Arimane was coolly standing in front of a lake and wore a blank expression as if he were exasperated of something.

 

A woman was bathing in the lake, and glaring at him with palpable fury. That woman had a spellbinding figure, one that could make men fantasize, along with long blond hair and dazing blue eyes glooming in the dark. But at that moment, Arimane was not admiring her looks at all.

 

‘Yeah... of course... I'm feeling the urge to hit that damn old guy. Seriously, I'm sure he knew when he sent me here… And when I think of his façade, it makes me even angrier.’

 

The truth was that Arimane felt something was amiss with Azes’ attitude. He had met a lot of different types of people in his life, and when he saw the old god, the only word that came to him was overbearing. He felt dreadful despite his cheerful and childish way of speaking, which really triggered Arimane. There was also the fact that he lied. His behavior might have been unimportant, but the fact that he didn’t give Arimane any clear reason for his transmigration wasn’t.

 

Ever since the moment Azes said that he could have just reincarnated him, Arimane was sure he was hiding the true reason behind the salvation of his soul. Furthermore, there was another lie.

 

Who would believe, in the first place, in something as stupid as killing a human while playing a game with other gods? When you think about it, a bolt of lightning strong enough to kill him in his house would have to be on a scale the world has never seen before. Still, Arimane didn’t think that a God would kill him on purpose, so he kind of let it slide. As a matter of fact, either way, he was dead.

 

"[I call upon you, the raging spirits. Jade Blow]."

 

Suddenly, the woman’s voice disrupted Arima’s thoughts.

 

‘A chant?’ This quickly shifted Arimane’s attention back to the situation at hand. He knew what he was facing though, thanks to the knowledge he received upon his arrival. The transfer was very off-putting, but when he heard the chant, he instantly lost every discomfort. He was aware of the threat now.

 

Without any hesitation, he jumped and rolled to the right and the magic cast by the woman cut a tree behind him. The attack was nearly transparent. If it weren’t for Arimane’s instincts and the experience he had built throughout his entire life, he would have been cut in half.

 

‘Compressed wind… is it? I know women can be easily enraged when they feel exposed but that's a little bit too much here,’ he sighed and turned his head toward the woman. She already had retreated to the shore and was trying to hide her body with some clothes.

 

‘Wait, that magic, if I'm not mistaken… interesting,’ Arimane realized something as he filtered his newfound knowledge.

 

"Hey…!" He raised his voice to call her but gasped right after. He had been surprised by his brand-new voice. It was young. Much different from when he was still alive. He shook his head and resumed.

 

"I apologize for this incident, but neither you nor I wanted this. So please don't try to kill me, that would help a lot," he said calmly as if nothing had happened. He was trying to be as friendly as possible.

 

At first startled, the woman asked cautiously. “Why should I believe you?"

 

"Simple,” Arimane spread his arms open. “Because if I wanted to, you’d already be on the ground," he said coldly and slowly with a neutral expression. ‘Please work, reverse psychology…’

 

He wasn't bluffing per se. Although he didn't know much yet about this world, he trusted his abilities and even if he were unable to fight this girl head on, he still could assassinate her. In fact, Arimane would have never appeared like that in front of her if his intention was to harm her.

 

The woman couldn't help but take a step back as she sensed a sudden danger. She didn't say anything and began to observe Arimane from head to toe. He was approximately 1.9 meters tall and had a sturdy body. He was wearing a long black coat and had, in fact, only plain black clothes on him. But that outfit seemed to be more than just a casual one. His facial features were neatly arranged, with sharp silver eyes and combed black hair. He seemed to be around twenty-five years old. And although she didn’t want to admit, he was quite the looker.

 

"You're an elf, right?" As she was silently debating what to do, Arima’s voice jolted her concentration.

 

Elves. They happen to be very present in fiction books back on Earth. But as of now, he was basing his judgement on the knowledge the god gave him. The elves constitute a strong race. Both women and men are experts in green magic and they also are the only race that can freely use spiritual magic because they are born and loved by nature.

 

In the past, humans began to feel envious but also afraid of them. Ultimately, they chose to do what they’re so talented for; war. They attacked and killed more than three-quarters of the elves’ population. Despite elves being stronger than humans, they were very outnumbered and lost the battle.

 

And thus, elves became despised and looked down upon and began to be enslaved. Because in addition to their power, elves are also beautiful, men and women alike, increasing their value as slaves, particularly for women. However, it’s important to note that in this world, elves look almost exactly like humans. They don't have the long and pointy ears.

 

Arimane understood she was an elf because of the magic she cast, and more precisely, her chant. And also, because most elves do indeed have colorful and bright hair such as blue or green. The natives of this world can recognize an elf by sensing the spirits around them. But Arimane wasn't used to magic sense so he could only guess.

 

After his question, the elven woman looked even more suspiciously at him.

 

Arimane smiled. "Well, don't mind me too much. I don't want anything from you. I just want you to know that I am not your enemy. So, can you please try to relax a little? And you’re not fully dressed by the way."

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The elf rolled her eyes and looked at herself. Embarrassment and anger appeared on her face and she rushed silently behind a big tree to hide. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, then her voice came out from behind the tree.

 

"…Tell me your name."

 

Arimane laughed and sat on a nearby rock.

 

"I’m Arimane Blade, you can call me Arima. Well… I came here on a travel and let’s say I coincidentally met you."

 

"I see," the elf appeared beside the tree, fully dressed in a charming green set, staring at Arima. "I’m typically wary of your people but… as an elf, I consider myself to be good at judging people. I think you are not so bad, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. My name is Lifa Drein."

 

Arima smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lifa"

 

"Me too, Arimane," she said courteously and her eyes darted somewhere. Arima frowned when he felt a presence in the direction she was looking at, but couldn’t see anything.

 

"The spirits have probed you and it seems that they trust you. Looks like you have a good soul," Lifa seemed to be a bit more relaxed but remained careful. "I thought humans were only lustful bastards."

 

She didn’t hold back her words and Arima laughed lightly. "Who am I to deny that. Well, I’ll admit that you are pretty attractive but it's not like I am some beast and I know how to control myself. Well, if I really wanted to, then I'd have you make the first move."

 

She blushed. "You're skipping politesse."

 

Arima laughed and stoop up. "Just a joke. I'm really not that kind of man, and I mean it." 

 

‘Seriously,’ he thought. ‘I’ve lived long enough to get past that… and I don't even know if my libido came back with this body.’

 

"Well, I think it's time for me to go," he said.

 

Lifa sighed and shook her head. "Alright. If we meet again, we should get to know each other. You appear to be someone I can get along with. My sister always encourages interaction with good humans, you see," she seemed to have let her guard down and smiled. Even she was shocked by her own behavior.

 

She perfectly knew that she wasn’t the kind to trust people easily, especially humans. It’s not like what she said about her sister was false, but she was always on guards when speaking to a human. But strangely, she almost felt like she should build a connection with that man. Arima turned his back but at that moment, Lifa suddenly thought of something.

 

"Wait, please," she hailed him.

 

Arima turned around. "What is it?"

 

"Um, sorry but, can I ask you a favor?"

 

Arima was a bit surprised. ‘Why would she ask me a favor all of a sudden?’ He looked at her for a moment. "What kind?"

 

"I'm actually in the human territory because some elven children were kidnapped and I'm here to bring them back. One of them is a close friend. I would like to ask you, if you find them, would you please save them? This is my request. Of course, I’ll make sure to reward you."

 

Arima stared silently at her for a few seconds and she flinched a bit. It was an earnest request, and she had nothing to lose by only asking him.

 

"Fine, I can do that. I don’t need the reward though. Don't worry, if I happen to find them, I'll help them. I despise slavery so it’d be an honor to help. And more importantly, we ought to be kind to children, don’t we?" He smiled.

 

Lifa smiled cheerfully as well. "Thank you very much," she bowed slightly.

 

"Yeah, well then," he turned around and waved his hand. He soon disappeared in the forest.

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