Tanjelin was a merchant . But he worked privately with a single wagon instead of being part of a large caravan . As for the driver who nearly crushed me, his name was Laptor .

Daniela was waiting under the tree as the wagon drew up in front of it . Then we sat under the tarp and wiped ourselves with cloth .

“Ah, I really owe you for this!”

“Well, you helped us as well . We’ll call it even . ”

I patted down Daniela’s hair with a towel . A protagonist with a better cheat skill would have created a warm wind to dry us, but I was just not that powerful .

“You two were stuck in the rain . I was in mortal danger . How harmonious!”

“Uh, I guess . Hehe . ”

Thinking about it now, I could have been struck by lightning . And I wasn’t sure how to feel about that .

“The least I can do is take you to the next town!”

“That’s all we would ask . Thank you . ”

“Thank you . ”

Daniela rarely said much more than that during such times . However, seeing her almost androgynous beauty soften into a gentle smile was practically an arrow to the heart . It really wasn’t very fair . And now she was also dripping wet . So unfair .

“As it so happens…I, well, have heard what you might call rumors… Barely anything, really…but I have heard vague things about you two before, if I am not wrong…”

Well, merchants tended to have an ear for such things . Information was money . He probably heard some bad things about us as well .

“Uh, yeah . We don’t mean to, but we’ve recently attracted some attention… So, we are probably the people you are thinking of . ”

“Ahh, I thought so! Wyvern slayer . Stampede suppressor . You destroyed the army of orcs that attacked a village . Legendary Adventurers who cleaned a town of bandits and killed their wind dragon! Silvergreen and Lightwind . The famous duo! ‘Wind of Light and Silver!’”

Well, he wasn’t wrong in the details, but the wording sounded malicious…

Legendary? Legendary? And ‘Wind of Light and Silver’? That’s a new one . Our party had a name now, apparently .

“Ah, that would be our party name . ”

“It is? That’s news to me . ”

“I applied for it . Back in Spiris . ”

“…”

Not only was it tremendously embarra.s.sing, but all the way back in Spiris? That long ago?!

“I feel incredibly lucky to have met with you two!”

“A mere coincidence, surely . ”

“No, I shall call it the hand of fate! Yes, that’s what it is!”

Mister Tanjelin was getting a little too excited in my opinion . We were just your average Adventurers . So average that we had to wait under a tree while it rained .

“Still, this meeting will be a most important memory for me . ”

“I won’t argue with that . Seriously . ”

The wagon continued under the pouring rain . It contained a high-spirited merchant and two wet Adventurers . Later, the driver would tell his listeners:

‘I have never seen Mister Tanjelin look so energetic before . ’

I could see the lights of the town now . The sky was still covered in darkness, so they must have needed to have them on . Though, I could only see it faintly through the rain . Judging by the distance and our speed, we would arrive in half an hour at least . And so Daniela and I prepared to get out and enter the town .

“We are almost there . ”

“Yes . Thank you again . ”

“No, thank you!

My hand was quite dry now as we shook . It was an unexpected encounter, but most beneficial for both of us .

I moved carefully in the wagon to the front and pushed the tarp away to talk to the driver .

“Thanks for helping us in this rain . ”

“Oh, don’t mention it . I feel quite bad for nearly killing you back there . ”

“It wasn’t your fault . Accidents happen . ”

“Well, it has taken a weight off of my shoulders to hear you say that . ”

Laptor was just desperate to outrun the monster . It was dangerous, but no one was hurt, at least .

“We will be arriving soon . You may as well rest while you can . ”

“Thank you . ”

I said and disappeared behind the tarp again .

We would sway inside of the wagon for a little while longer .

“Stop right there!”

The voice rang clearly in spite of the rain . It was a woman’s voice, which was rather unusual . I looked through a gap in the tarp .

“Yes, stop right here . ”

“Must be hard having to work under this weather . ”

“And you as well . ”

The guard then handed Laptor a piece of paper which he began to scribble something onto .

“He is writing the name of the merchant and company . ”

“You mean your name and your store?”

“Yes . By the way, it is the ‘Sangro . ’”

“Hmm, I don’t think I asked you yet…but what is it that you sell?”

“We generally sell famous products from different areas to other towns . It works as a kind of advertis.e.m.e.nt, and people are most grateful . ”

I guess it was a kind of a trading company . Though, I didn’t know anything about such things . Famous products…huh . I did like regional food .

“Well then . I will have to search your wagon . ”

“Of course . ”

We heard from outside . The guard started to approach us .

“…Oh? Guests of yours?”

“We troubled him for a ride . ”

I explained as we handed over our status cards .

“I see…it seems like you’ve been through a lot, Mister Tanjelin . ”

“Yes . It was a good thing that they were there . Truly . ”

They seemed to know each other .

“Well, I will have to go and scan these cards . Please wait here for a moment . ”

“Thank you . ”

She said as she left . It would probably take a while .

“Mister Tanjelin, do you know her?”

“Uh, yes . I travel through here quite often in order to reach the capital . In spite of appearances, she is the leader of the guards here . ”

“At that age?”

Very impressive . She was clearly no idiot, like myself .

“Ah, but she is not young at all . ”

“What?”

“She is an elf . ”

Daniela said as she leaned against the wall .

“A grey elf . ”

“Grey elf?”

Well, what hair I saw from the edge of her helmet did look grey .

“You can generally tell by our hair color . ”

“Huh…”

The elves sure were…colorful .

“What other types of elves are there?”

“Hmm… It is not as if I know every single tribe . But I have met light, dark, grey, pink, red, and blue elves . ”

“Not quite the entire rainbow then…”

I wonder if I would be mistaken as a dark elf? Oh, wait, Eve had brown skin .  

“Alright, it is finished now . Here are your cards . Ah, but I have not seen any of my kind in so long!”

“Is that right?”

“Yes . I…am quite busy here…”

“I see . Well, good luck with everything here . ”

“Thank you . I am called Lemonfrost Grasilf . It is an honor to meet you, Master Daniela!”

“Uh…well…likewise . ”

“Yes! And welcome to the wetland town of Arkaroid!”

While Miss Lemonfrost had the most welcoming voice, but the rain was pouring as hard as ever . I recalled that beautiful scene with the ponds and tried to imagine how beautiful this town might be under fairer weather . I missed the blue sky so much…

The wagon continued to roll through the mud until it stopped in front of a certain house .

“Where are we?”

“It is an inn that I always stay at . The service is good and the price affordable, which is why I would recommend it . ”

“Thank you . Do they have a bath house?”

“Yes, a public one . ”

“That is good . Let us go, Asagi . ”

“Hey, wai-… Mister Tanjelin, thank you . ”

Daniela started to pull me away by the arm .  

“Oh, you should hurry up and warm yourselves . I have business matters to attend to and will have to stay at a different inn this time . So please rest and do not be concerned about me!”

“Thank you for everything . We’re very grateful . ”

“It’s the least I could do . Really!”

I was then dragged out of the wagon and thrown under the roof of the inn . Mister Laptor bid us farewell and the wagon slowly drove away . I waved at Mister Tanjelin’s hand that poked out from the tarp . They quickly disappeared in the thick curtain of rain .

“What a nice man . ”

“Ah, a good merchant . I am sure he will be very wealthy one day . ”

“You think so?”

“I have a feeling about it . Now, let us get a room . ”

“Uh, yeah . ”

And with that, we opened the door . I really wanted to take a bath .