Skeleton Knight in Another World Vol. 2

by Ennki Hakari

  One stall in particular caught the fox’s attention.

  “Kyiii!”

  An old man was selling dried berries in bulk from a large barrel. Ponta’s nose caught a whiff of their sweet scent and fell into an excited frenzy.

  “Excuse me, sir. I’d like to purchase two cups of your berries. You can pour them right in here.”

  I pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to the old man.

  “Ah, absolutely, Sir Knight.”

  The old man moved slowly as he scooped some dried berries and deposited them in my pouch.

  “By the way, you don’t happen to know of anywhere nearby—a property, or possibly a town—by the name of Lamburt or Barysimon, do you?”

  The man, measuring cup still in hand, cocked his head in thought. After a moment, he nodded emphatically, as if he had just remembered something.

  “Yes, I know of Lamburt. There’s a port city to the west of the capital by that name.”

  “Oh? And how far west is it?”

  He set the cup down on the barrel and crossed his arms. “Hmm…I’d say it’s about a six-day trip by carriage, perhaps?”

  Six days by carriage… That was quite a distance.

  “And how about Barysimon?”

  The man shook his head. “Nope. Never heard of it.”

  “Ah, well, thank you for your time, kind sir. Here, for your trouble.”

  I took the two scoops of dried berries and handed the old man five silver coins.

  The man’s eyes went wide for a moment, then he composed himself, flashing me a toothy smile… Well, he flashed me the few teeth he had left.

  I went from stall to stall, asking the owners if they recognized the name Barysimon, feeding the dried berries to Ponta as I inquired. But no one had heard of the name. I was starting to wonder if I was going about this all wrong—despite having gotten a good lead on Lamburt—when a monotone voice called out to me from behind.

  It was a girl’s voice. One I’d heard before.

  “Well, it’s been awhile.”

  I turned around, looking down. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I’d met this person before.

  The girl’s azure-colored eyes regarded me from under her oversized hat. Her black hair was cut short, and she was dressed in all black, the clothes fitted to her form for easy movement. I figured she couldn’t be more than 150 centimeters tall.

  She wore a gauntlet and shin guards, and carried a short sword on her lower back. She didn’t look like she was from around here.

  The girl’s gaze slowly drifted up to the top of my head, where Ponta was sitting, then she pulled her eyes down to look directly at me.

  I frantically searched my memory for any recollection of those deep, azure eyes. “So, I know we’ve met before, but…”

  “I’m glad you were able to pull things off so well in Diento.” The girl spoke in a flat voice, her eyes never wavering. Suddenly it hit me—an image of a cat ninja in the marquis’ castle.

  “Oh! You’re that ninja girl from before!”

  Her narrow eyebrows twitched in response. “Ninja…? So I did hear right last time.” The girl stood at stiff attention. “I’d like to speak with you about something. Do you have time?”

  I nodded—what else could I do in the face of that intense gaze?—and she motioned for me to follow her down an empty side street.

  Once we were away from the bustle and she’d assured herself there was no one nearby, she seemed to relax slightly.

  “Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Chiyome, and I’m one of the six members of the Sword and Spirit Jinshin clan.”

  Her name had a Japanese ring to it, but the I wasn’t familiar with the other word she’d used.

  “Jinshin clan?”

  “‘Jin’ for ‘sword’ and ‘shin’ as in ‘heart.’ It means a person who can endure challenges.” No matter how you put it, the name had a very ninja-esque feel to it.

  While I was busy thinking all this over, the young girl in front of me looked back at me with her deep azure eyes and gestured for me to introduce myself. “And you are…?”

  “Sorry! My name is Arc. I am a traveler. Circumstances have brought me to wander the lands.”

  “I see. So, Mister Arc, why do you call me a ninja?”

  She looked back at me attentively, intent on not missing a single word in my response. The way she spoke implied that she knew what a ninja was, though it seemed highly unlikely that she’d been drawn in from another world like I had.

  I watched her face closely as I responded, looking for some sort of clue.

  “Well, in my country, there are spies who dress similarly to you. We refer to them as ninja.”

  She closed her eyes briefly, seemingly satisfied with my response. “Hmm, I see. ‘Ninja’ is a secret name known only to our clan, so I suppose you must be from the same country as our great founder.”

  That meant that the great founder was probably Japanese like me, or at least a person from Earth who was familiar with the ninja.

  “How many generations has it been since the founder came along?”

  “Hmm…the current head of the clan is the twenty-second in line since the great founder gave their teachings.”

  I’d expected something like this, but twenty-two generations meant that there was definitely no way the founder was still alive. Still…what was the harm in asking?

  “And has this great founder already passed on?”

  “Yes. Six hundred years ago, the great founder saved some of the cat people and brought them together to form a new clan, the Jinshin clan.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  Ariane’s father, Dillan, had told me that the beastmen had all been oppressed, and even enslaved. And yet here was this girl in a human city—the capital, no less—wearing a disguise and talking about her clan. I had to imagine it was dangerous for her here.

  As if that behavior wasn’t daring enough, her reply took it a step further. “I’d like to ask for your help.”

  Given what she’d been up to in Diento, I had a pretty good guess as to what that job might be—freeing the mountain people held captive in the capital. Yet it seemed strange for her to ask me, a human, to help save her comrades from their human oppressors.

  “Miss Chiyome, would your clan be okay with you asking me for help?”

  She nodded.

  She must have had some sort of plan, but I was already helping Ariane, so I couldn’t agree without giving it some thought.

  “I’m currently assisting an elf with another matter. I’m afraid I’m in no position to help you out at this time.”

  Chiyome stood there, deep in thought, before responding. “Then allow me to meet this elf. If they will agree to you helping me, then I will provide you with information in return.” There was an adversarial note to her normal monotone.

  “And what would that information be?”

  Her dark azure eyes stared straight into me. “You’re looking for the people named on those purchase contracts, aren’t you?”

  “That’s true… However, we’ve already identified two of the three people.”

  “I see… So that just leaves Drassos du Barysimon.” The young girl responded matter-of-factly.

  “If you know that much, then I assume you know the whereabouts of this person?”

  “Of course.”

  She was living up to her identity as a ninja.

  Obviously, I wanted the information, but I could only get it by helping her free the slaves.

  I had no qualms about helping her, but I was hesitant to do anything in the capital that might draw a lot of attention. If I became wanted, that would make it much harder to travel.

  Still, as soon as I’d told her that we’d already uncovered two of the three people listed on the purchase contracts, she was able to name Barysimon. Did that mean that he would be the hardest to find? If so, then it seemed unlikely that simply asking around town would get us anywhere. On
the contrary, word might spread that some suspicious people were looking for a person by that name.

  Dillan had mentioned that Chiyome’s people were descended from spies. It was only natural that they’d be good at getting their hands on information.

  “I’d like to talk this over with my partner.”

  “Then take me with you. I can speak with your partner directly.”

  She might have looked like a child, but her intense, unwavering eyes suggested otherwise. Still, it seemed unlikely that she might actually want to harm Ariane if I brought her along.

  “Understood. Please follow me, Miss Chiyome.”

  I made my way back to the main thoroughfare, passing through the gate at the third wall with Chiyome in tow. She might have been small, but she had no problem keeping up.

  Ponta, apparently bored from the long conversation, had fallen asleep atop my helmet. As we walked, I occasionally had to reach up to keep the fox from falling off.

  We entered the inn and made our way to the third floor, where I motioned for Chiyome to enter one of our rooms. I bid her sit in one of the chairs while I sat on the bed. Ponta woke and began testing the firmness of the mattress with its front paws.

  The room grew silent, an odd tension filling the void between me and Chiyome. The ninja girl fidgeted slightly in the chair as she watched Ponta and me.

  “Miss Chiyome, the toilet is down on the first floor.”

  “I don’t need it!”

  I’d only said this to ease the tension, but her face had flushed at my suggestion. She was quite the proper young lady.

  I reached into my bag and handed her my leather pouch.

  Chiyome looked at me quizzically. She poured the contents of the pouch into her palm, and Ponta immediately lifted its head.

  “Apologies for not making the introductions sooner. This is Ponta, a cottontail fox. Nuts and fruits are some of its favorite foods.”

  Chiyome looked down at the dried berries in her hand and then back at the slowly approaching spirit creature. The corners of her mouth relaxed into a grin.

  Ponta had reached her feet and was now moving back and forth eagerly, staring up at the dried berries. It wasn’t yet comfortable enough to jump onto Chiyome’s lap, but that was likely only a matter of time.

  Chiyome stretched out her hand and Ponta cautiously approached, its excitement evident in the way its tail twitched from side to side. The ninja girl’s eyes lit up and she let out a laugh as Ponta started munching on the fruits.

  “I was surprised to see a spirit creature bonded to a human like you, Mister Arc.” Chiyome petted Ponta with one hand while continuing to feed it berries with the other.

  I let out a wry laugh. “Everyone says that.”

  Chiyome shook her head. “No, I mean that spirit animals can sense humans’ ill intentions. You must be quite trustworthy for it to feel this comfortable with you.”

  I looked back down at Ponta, only to find that the fox had jumped onto Chiyome’s lap, begging for more berries.

  If what she said was true, then that would make me something like Ponta’s safety blanket. I decided to not think too much about it.

  “I’ve been wondering…how did you know I was there to save the elves when we first met?” Most people would assume a knight showing up in such a place was a slave trader rather than a rescuer.

  Chiyome looked up at me.

  “Elves, humans, beastmen…we all have our own unique scents. Not only were you accompanied by a spirit animal, but I picked up the scent of elves on you. However…”

  She trailed off for a moment. “There was something else about your smell…your aura that was different, Mister Arc. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

  Being made entirely of bones, I couldn’t imagine what might actually give off such a smell.

  Her blue irises narrowed in on me, as if she were looking straight into my helmet. Did she know my secret? Could she tell? Or was I just being paranoid?

  The room had fallen back into silence by the time there came a knock at the door.

  There weren’t many people who would be stopping by this room, so I invited the person on the other side to come in. A moment later, a person in a familiar charcoal gray cloak stepped inside. Their eyes immediately locked on to Chiyome, still seated in her chair, feeding Ponta dried berries.

  They regarded each other for a moment before Ariane slowly removed her cloak, exposing her amethyst-colored skin and pointed ears. Chiyome took off her oversized hat, her own twitching cat ears poking up out of her black hair.

  “Introductions are in order. Miss Chiyome, this is Miss Ariane, my elf partner.”

  Ariane bowed slightly, narrowing her golden eyes as she shot me a questioning look.

  “Miss Ariane, this is Miss Chiyome of the Jinshin clan. She was the one in Diento who gave me the seventh contract.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Ariane. I am Chiyome.”

  Chiyome set Ponta on the floor, stood up, and offered her right hand to Ariane. Her black ears twitched, as if they were searching for something.

  Ariane took her hand and shook it. “I am Ariane Glenys Maple. Thank you for providing us with the information.”

  “A knight of Maple… The most elite warriors in the entire Great Forest of Canada, I hear.” Chiyome returned the handshake, her azure eyes filled with wonder.

  So, the ninja clan was at least somewhat familiar with the elves. Ariane looked slightly surprised.

  “Well, would someone like to tell me why little Chiyome is here in your room?” Ariane placed her hands on her waist, alternating her gaze between Chiyome and me.

  Chiyome might have been a child, but her behavior was anything but. It seemed more than a little strange to refer to her as “little Chiyome.” Still, the ninja girl didn’t seem bothered by it.

  Actually, when I looked closer, I could see her tail swishing and ears twitching. She might have even liked it.

  “Before we get into that, I’d like to hear what information you found, Miss Ariane.”

  If she’d discovered the whereabouts of Barysimon, that would change everything.

  She looked back at me quizzically, her eyebrows furrowing.

  “I didn’t find out anything. Even in this cloak, I still seemed to attract the weirdest men as I walked around town.” She punctuated this complaint with a heavy sigh, the exhaustion apparent on her face. I could easily imagine her magnificent chest serving as an alluring flame to the “moths” known as men. I didn’t recall her having any such problems when we were out together. I supposed my presence served as a type of insect repellant.

  “That’s unfortunate. I was able to learn about one of the two names, Lamburt. The other, however…”

  Chiyome stepped forward. “Allow me to continue.”

  She recapped the conversation she and I had earlier, a cool look on her face the whole time. Ariane closed her eyes as she listened to the story.

  As soon as Chiyome finished, Ariane responded.

  “I don’t mind. I know what it’s like to have your comrades hunted as slaves.” She kept her voice low, the anger in it apparent.

  Chiyome looked surprised.

  I was surprised as well. Though it was admirable for Ariane to put her own needs aside, I couldn’t help but wonder why she would so easily agree to something like this. Chiyome and the other mountain people—beastmen, as the humans called them—didn’t have a treaty to protect them like the elves did. There was no law that prevented humans from keeping them as slaves. They had no rights, just like animals. Worse, in this world, there weren’t even any animal cruelty laws.

  “You don’t need to get involved in this, Arc,” Ariane said. “You only agreed to help me, after all.” She brushed back her snow-white hair, blinked her long-lashed eyelids, and turned her golden gaze on me. There was a deep sorrow in her expression.

  Chiyome’s cat ears moved almost imperceptibly.

  “Of course I’ll help, but I think it would be best to keep a low pro
file.”

  I said this primarily for my own benefit, of course, but if it came out that elves were involved in this rescue, it would become even harder for Ariane to travel around. After all, the increase in security throughout Houvan had resulted in a revolution.

  This seemed to strike a chord with Ariane, who furrowed her brow. “What kind of help did you have in mind, exactly?”

  Chiyome cleared her throat. “We plan to attack the largest slave trading house in Olav.”

  So, they were going the route that would draw the most attention. And as if that wasn’t enough, Chiyome said that the attack on the slave house was merely a diversion.

  I was having a hard time believing that they’d recruit outside help for such a dangerous mission. I struggled to keep my tone steady. “Miss Chiyome, what do you mean by ‘diversion’?”

  Ariane leaned in close, listening intently as well.

  “Exactly what it sounds like. The Etzat Market has strong ties to the government. The moment it’s under attack, guards will descend upon it. The Royal Army might even respond.”

  “Doesn’t that mean that all of your newly freed allies will be swarmed by soldiers?”

  Ariane frowned, seeming to share my concern.

  “We’ll free our allies being held in the Etzat Market, but they won’t be able to run for long. However, in the ensuing chaos, we’re going to attack four other locations where our comrades are being held. They should be able to escape in all the confusion.”

  “So, you’d use your own comrades as a decoy so that others can go free?” I was surprised at the harshness in my tone.

  Chiyome’s azure eyes wavered. “We can’t save everyone. If ten have to die for a hundred to live, then so be it.”

  Chiyome couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen. She had to be struggling with the idea of sacrificing her own comrades. However, she held her head up high, choosing to stay strong in the face of everything.

  Without thinking, I placed my hand on her small head, gently brushing back her soft, black hair. Down at her feet, Ponta weaved between her legs, using the soft fur along its neck to try to comfort her.

  Chiyome looked up at me with her clear, azure eyes. I couldn’t really say why, but I just wanted to see her smile. If there was anything I could do to help this girl who’d come all the way to the land of humans, then I’d do it gladly.