Chapter 9: Meeting of Minds
"Did you learn anything useful?"
"Not in the slightest, Sir Momon. Your companion is… very tight-lipped."
"Well, that is none of my concern. The deal was for you to pick her brain, nothing was ever guaranteed."
"I am aware of that, I couldn't ask anymore than I already have."
Sitri and Momon stood near the entrance of Carne Village. The two men had almost concluded their business, all that was left was to exchange a few parting words.
"But seriously… turning the Wise King of the Forest into a pet? That's crazy impressive."
"It was nothing."
"As humble as ever, Sir Momon." Sitri scoffed and shook his head. "So, where will your path lead you next?"
"I cannot say for certain, but you will hear of my exploits."
Was there anything left to do but smile?
Sitri turned to the raven-haired spellcaster, "Miss Nabe, it was a pleasure."
Instead of her usual jeers, Nabe simply looked away.
"Well, good luck, Sir Momon. I wish you well."
The gentle tug of a young gobliness made Sitri add, "Fadila and I, we both wish you well."
He offered the dark swordsman his hand.
"Hmph," Momon's time with the odd warrior wasn't completely unpleasant. If anything, he felt like he had gotten the best out of the situation.
"You're an interesting fellow, Sitri. Perhaps we will meet again."
With those intentions in mind, the dark swordsman decided to return the gesture.
Had Momon, or even Sitri known what calamities would arise from such a simple handshake, surely, none of them would have even considered the greeting. In fact, they would've avoided each other entirely until the end of times.
For their paths should've never crossed.
Alas, despite fate's warnings, their hands met.
And then, something shattered.
"Huh?" Sitri looked down.
He clutched a bony hand.
Not a skinny hand, no; it was fleshless - pure white bone.
One could tell that the event was completely unexpected, for, even though he wore a helmet, the dark swordsman appeared as if he'd been struck by a meteor.
Before his next breath, Momon - or to whomever belonged the skeletal hand - cast a spell.
Or, rather, he attempted to.
The dark swordsman lost all traces of composure. "W-What's going on!?"
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
No matter how hard he tried, Momon's spell would not activate, "What's going on!? I can't cast it!"
It was as if an incomprehensible force was blocking his magic, and yet, the feeling of unease was much greater. This was no simple block; it was outright erasure, denial.
The moment he had gripped Sitri's palm, the concept of magic in its entirety, had ceased to exist.
Sitri's brow was pursed in confusion, somewhat unsettled at the sudden turn of events. He casually pulled back his hand in order to inspect it.
Their connection severed, the block ended, and then, like a drowning man emerging to the surface, the spell finally triggered.
Silent Time Stop
The world froze. It entered a state of limbo, where nothing was allowed to move. This safe haven would provide Momon with the time he needed to think, to assess his situation, to understand how his gauntlet had shattered in an instant.
And yet, the unthinkable happened.
"Oh? This is strange."
Sitri's lips were moving.
His neck was moving.
He was moving.
"You're moving, b-but how!? How can this be!? It's not working!?"
Oblivious to the happenings around him, Sitri replied with a calm, "Hey, is this normal?"
Momon no longer heard his words. There was just panic. Panic at the man's immunity to Time Stop.
"Ghkk! Impossible! This can't be happening!"
Retreat. Momon needed to retreat.
The black swordsman grabbed his companion, Nabe, who was still frozen, and immediately vanished into thin air.
Then, time flowed anew.
For those emerging from that state of limbo, Nabe and Momon's disappearance was immediately apparent.
Luckily, in this case, Fadila and Sitri were the only ones present.
"W-What happen?" Fadila scoured around, "Where did swordsman go?"
"I… I have no idea what just happened." Sitri glanced at his hand, "Was I dreaming?"
"You touched him? Your curse touched him?"
"You know what... I think you're right. That armor he had... it just broke."
"Magic armor?" Fadila answered with an increasingly accusatory tone.
"But, I still don't understand… was his gauntlet purely made of magic? I mean a normal item imbued with magic won't get destroyed, but if it was created by magic… And then that time stopping ability..."
"Time Stop?" She repeated in concern.
"Should I be worried about what just happened?"
Engrossed in thought, Sitri began considering the implications of his encounter.
That man, Momon... If he even was a man... He was definitely trying to cast some powerful magic. I mean, any way you look at it, Time Stop can't be a low-level spell. And that skeleton hand of his... an undead? Disguising himself as a swordsman? Where does this even begin to make sense?
Fadila's eager voice pulled him out of his reverie. "Sitri! Look! Again! Magical item is moving!"
It was like a child seeing a shiny new toy. Sitri abandoned all thoughts of his odd meeting.
He glanced at the Compass of Adventure's needle. "Oh, it's showing us a new path!"
Just like that, with the promise of another glorious quest waved before him, his concerns vanished into nothingness.
"West…? North-West, kind of."
"E-Rantel?"
"Doesn't look like it. Seems like it's sending us somewhere further away."
Their destination was set. The Compass of Adventure indicated their path. All they needed to do now, was follow.
With fervor and passion, Sitri took a boastful pose. Flexing his arms, he pointed towards the heavens and declared, "I knew logging onto my old account would be a good idea! This new life is fun! It's too much fun! I can't wait to see what's in store for me next! Hopefully, it'll be a cute monster girl this time!"
Without turning back, he left behind the tranquil fields of Carne Village, unaware that a certain blonde-haired girl observed him from afar.
"Alright! This time for real! Onward, to more beautiful women! Gahahahaha!"
