Volume 2 Chapter 3 The Genderbend Female Traveler And The Mountain Ethnic Group
"Once we cross into Koche, there won't be any followers of the Holy Cross."
"So basically... no humans, then?"
"There are people. We just don't call them 'human' unless they follow the Holy Cross."
Eleonora and her companions had entered a rugged, misty range known as the Tezudenrant Mountains. The land felt holy somehow, as if the stones themselves whispered warnings. To reach Magelun, they had to cross this high ridge.
The strange part? Technically, they were still in a human realm. But once they passed this point, they'd step into a place the Church called the land of ruin—where anything might happen.
For those who remembered peaceful Japan, though, it didn't seem all that different.
"What'll we do after we get through Koche?"
"We'll head toward Rubelin. Or maybe Khufrak."
Khufrak sat just south of Koche, near the edge of the Polania region. It was surrounded by thick forest known as the Blackwood—called Schwarzwald in the old tongue. Deep in those woods, long-eared tribes were said to have built a maze-like stronghold.
The city of Khufrak was a haven not just for Polanians but also for the followers of the Eight-Pointed Star—a cult hated like poison by all the Holy Cross nations on the Naroppa continent.
Strictly speaking, Khufrak wasn't part of the Magelun zone. It belonged to the Lavus lands. But for folks in western Naroppa—the so-called "civilized" world—it didn't really matter.
"Are we really going into Magelun...?"
Wood, the older brother, asked with a shaky voice.
To the average Naroppa soul, crossing into Magelun was no different than marching off to die.
"You scared?"
"N-No... But I heard they eat babies and slice open women to eat their livers."
Eleonora nearly laughed. That kind of talk was just fear disguised as fact—one race painting the other as monsters.
Still, she understood it. That was how people made fear feel reasonable.
"I've never met anyone from Magelun myself. But we don't have much choice."
Only her group was involved in this mission. She figured the Church wouldn't bother chasing them past Magelun's border.
She didn't like being caught up in François's wild ambition, but... that's feudal life.
"We'll aim for Rubelin," she added. "Worst case, we cut through the woods and reach Rune Delant."
Wood looked relieved. Rune Delant was a quiet place way up north in the Cross Kingdom—rural, sure, but still considered part of the civilized world.
"Can you feel it? We're being watched."
Eleonora asked. François and Georges both nodded.
"Don't know where from, but someone's tracking us."
"They're just watching—not hostile. But if they attack, we'll deal with it."
Georges and François added with a shrug, smiling like a man who enjoyed trouble.
Georges drew his sword, and François's grin didn't fade. They dressed like nobles, but when it came down to it, they were just like the people they called savages: ready to kill.
Eleonora felt a strange mix of humor and sadness. Civilization, it seemed, was just a flag waving above the same old bloodshed.
"If we drop our guard, we're done."
Georges muttered and jumped off the carriage to patrol. He went left. François took the right. The Rubero brothers stayed at the back.
They kept walking, step after step. When Eleonora noticed that Linker, their loyal horse, was starting to slow down, she decided to rest him.
Just then, a breeze carried the scent of water.
A lake, hidden in the trees. Snowmelt and rain had pooled there in the valley. The cool air felt good after so much uphill walking.
"It's already past noon. We don't know where the next camp spot is, so let's stop here early."
They gathered dry wood. They fetched water. They lit a fire.
Linker drank straight from the lake. He chewed his packed hay happily. He was tough but sweet-tempered—a perfect military horse.
Johanna sorted the food, checking what needed to be eaten first. She was holding a bunch of vegetables and debating whether to dry the meat or fish when she froze.
"Ms. Eleonora! Someone's coming!"
Four short figures appeared on the trail. They were small—no taller than Eleonora's waist. Around four feet tall at most.
At first glance, she thought they were children. But their thick beards and sturdy, barrel-shaped bodies said otherwise.
Dwarves. The mountain folk. The Asubaroki.
"You merchants?"
The tallest one, a dwarf with a long gray beard, asked. An axe was strapped across his back. Others had war hammers on their belts.
Eleonora placed a hand on her sword.
"No. We're travelers. Heading to Rubelin."
"Rubelin? That's elf country. Why in the world would you wanna go there?"
"It's complicated. What about you?"
The bearded dwarf stroked his chin and answered.
"We're from the Kinshield Clan. Our stronghold's nearby. We're just being careful—outsiders wandering around and all."
"So you were watching us."
He chuckled. "You noticed, huh?"
Without asking, he plopped down by the fire, pulled some powder from a pouch, and tossed it into the flames.
FWOOSH! The fire flared up.
"We're beat from walking. Mind if we camp here too?"
"It's your land, so I won't stop you. But if you touch those two women over there, you'll lose your heads and your limbs."
"Scary, scary..." the dwarf muttered.
His buddies huddled close. They pulled out black, rock-hard bread from their packs and began chewing.
"Well then. Let's eat."
He took a bite, then glanced at Eleonora.
"So, your own people sold you out, huh?"
"I just did what I had to."
As they ate together, the dwarf grew talkative. He shared stories of war, betrayal, and foul deals—his tone like an angry child ranting about a lost toy.
They didn't feel like spies. More like kids in a village crowding around a wandering storyteller.
"You gotta drink with us, brave one!"
He handed Eleonora a clay cup with a dark drink. She splashed it out quickly.
"Fine, fine. Have the wine instead."
He offered a leather pouch. Eleonora took a sip.
"This sour stuff... Is this supposed to be sake?"
Actually, she recognized it as beer. But it wasn't the heavy kind from palace feasts. This was crisp and light.
"...Pilsner? Lager?"
"You know beer?"
"Beer lovers know their stuff."
"I thought we were the only ones selling it!"
He chugged the wine and handed her a skewer with a roasted lizard on it.
"So, why Rubelin?"
"To build a country."
The dwarves burst out laughing.
"No way! You humans want to build a nation in elf land—where arrows fly year-round?!"
But when Eleonora didn't laugh, the tall dwarf's face turned serious.
"You're not kidding?"
"If we stay in our land, we'll be killed."
That made him laugh even harder.
"That's insane! I wanna see it from the front row!"
"Chief, please don't say stuff like that..." one dwarf muttered.
But the tall dwarf just kept chuckling.
"I'm sick of making nails and axes all year long. This? This is once in a lifetime! Watching humans march into elf land and try to start a kingdom?!"
He stood tall and thumped his chest.
"I'm Viktor! Viktor of the Mountain Wind! I'll see it with my own eyes!"
"Don't get all emotional when you're drunk, boss! I ain't going!"
As Viktor leaned on Eleonora with a silly grin, the other dwarves groaned.
That was how Eleonora first met Viktor Kinshield Novak—the same man who would one day command one of the Holy Maro Empire's standing armies.
Character Notes:
• Koche - A location marking the boundary beyond which there are no followers of the Holy Cross. Located in the mountainous region of Tezudenrant, it serves as a transition point into the realm of Magelun.
• Tezudenrant - A mountainous region that feels sacred. It is the area Eleonora and her companions must cross to reach Magelun. Located near the southern part of the Polania region.
• Magelun - A dangerous and barbaric land, but a potential refuge from the East Clanf Kingdom.
• Rubelin - A land associated with elves (long-eared folks). It is Eleonora's destination, where she aims to build a country. Located near Koche in the southern part of the Polania region.
• Khufrak - A city near Koche in the Polania region. It is a refuge for the 8-pointed star cultists, who are hated by countries following the Holy Cross Church. Khufrak is of the Lavus type, distinct from Magelun.
• Schwarzwald - A dense forest area where long-eared barbarians (elves) have built a labyrinthine fortress city. Located near Khufrak and Rubelin.
• Polania - A southern region encompassing Khufrak, Rubelin, and nearby areas. It is home to various factions, including the 8-pointed star cultists and elves.
• François - The fourth son of Baron Lanramoncie of the Loriengita Empire. The one who join the tournament before.
• Rune Delant - The northernmost region of the Cross Kingdom. A rural but civilized area, considered a safer alternative route for Eleonora and her companions.
• Georges - A rugged-faced knight and the only lower noble among the Twelve Sacred Blades. He volunteers to lead the cavalry, seeking promotion and recognition. He harbors ambitions to marry Princess Elodia.
• Linker - A large gray horse won by Eleonora in a tournament. He is friendly, enjoys apples, and is named by Eleonora. He will be kept at the academy for riding lessons.
• Johanna - Silvia's new name.
• Viktor - Viktor Kinshield Novak. A dwarf from the Kinshield Clan. His appearance is described as short, with a long beard and a stout, barrel-like body. He is charismatic and jovial, though his behavior becomes erratic when drunk.
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