As the stone door slowly opened, rows of black cannon mounts came into view—along with two figures locked in fierce combat: a woman in light armor and a strangely shaped Ratman, fighting tooth and nail.
The woman bore obvious traces of elven blood. She moved with agility, the Magic Pattern Sword in her hand gleaming with a ghostly light. The racks behind her had been deliberately moved aside, revealing a rather small cave.
The Ratman looked even stranger. Everything from his appearance to his movements seemed uncoordinated, yet his skill far surpassed the woman's. He had been suppressing her from start to finish.
"Help me, quickly!" the Half-Elf cried. "I'm a knight who escaped from the Beastmen. I accidentally fell into this cave. That beast is hiding secrets—help me capture it!"
The elf gripped her Magic Pattern Rapier, fighting the large Ratman as she retreated, her eyes repeatedly flicking toward Landen. Suddenly, using the rack beside it, the Ratman launched itself directly at her. She could only grit her teeth and thrust forward.
Just one second before the rat's claws reached the elf, a violent gale swept in. The Ratman was blown sideways, and when it hit the ground, its fur was already crusted with ice.
"Huh..." The Half-Elf stared at the miserable state of the giant rat, too frightened to speak.
Before she could say anything, the tall knight at the entrance spoke. "Madam, could you tell me whether you've seen a goblin here? There should have been one capable of drawing magic patterns only on these fire... Alchemy Tools."
"Ah..." Half-Elf Gwenna felt a wave of disdain. What is wrong with this man? He sees me and doesn't ask my name, doesn't ask whether I'm hurt, doesn't care why we were fighting—he only asks about a goblin?
"Madam?