Anemos cloaked herself in that red wind.
"Go! Red wind!"
The moment Anemos gave the command, the red wind surged toward the Tri-Horn Elk.
"Vii-hi-hi-hi-hi-hiiiii!"
The red wind coiled around the Tri-Horn Elk, sending it into a panic.
"Gale Blade!"
Seizing the opening, Anemos closed in and released an ordinary Wind Cutter.
Taking the blast at nearly point-blank range, the Tri-Horn Elk had its neck deeply slashed and toppled over.
So even from that close, it couldn't cut all the way through.
Pakira could have cut clean through from much farther away.
And then… the red wind.
Anemos was beaming.
"Wof! I did it!"
"You did, but what was that red wind?"
"Oh, that— it's a Relic called Mad Wind."
Anemos said, looking a little embarrassed.
"Mad Wind?"
"For some reason, it manifests as a red wind. And all it can really do is slightly confuse the opponent and create an opening."
"So you have a separate Relic with the Wind attribute as well."
"Yes, that's right"
"I see"
Two Relics. And both with the Wind attribute. That's unusual.
Yet somehow they seemed weak in power.
Not enough proficiency.
Maybe she hadn't used them much? What a waste, having two of them.
Or was it more complicated than that?
Sensing something off, we kept moving through the forest.
Then we ran into a Tri-Horned Elk.
A sheep that had become a tree. Or rather, a tree that had become a sheep — the strange monster called a Barometz.
A Black Cow, a bovine monster with prominent black horns.
All of them were low-end Bronze-tier.
Looks like there weren't any particularly strong monsters in this forest.
If anything, the vibe was more... livestock-oriented. Grazing-type monsters, you might say.
Was this what Ryuzugal had meant by "at home"?
"Hah... hah... hah... hah..."
Ms. Anemos was managing to take them down.
She was cutting it pretty close — there were moments where watching her had me on the edge of my seat.
But her movement wasn't bad. Actually, it was quite good.
Hunting monsters from the get-go wasn't exactly something new to her.
With a weapon in hand, I'd say she could hold her own not just against mid-tier copper ranks, but even lower-tier silver ones.
But relying on Relics alone isn't playing to her strengths.
Her movement is what's keeping her in the fight.
Hmm. I don't really want to pry into her personal life, but...
"Anemos. Got a minute?"
"Y-yes. Go ahead."
After she finished her potion, I spoke up.
"Relics. You don't seem to use them much."
"...No."
"Look, I'm not blaming you or anything. Everyone's got their own principles, so it's not like not using them is wrong or anything. I just... wondered why, that's all. Personally, it struck me as a bit of a waste. That's what I thought."
Relics grow more powerful the more you use them — proficiency goes up, and with it, their power, range, effects, and everything else.
So if you've got one, you're better off using it.
But saying "what a waste not to use your Relics"...
That's rich, coming from me — someone who never exactly loved Relics back in the day.
But even I used and used and used and used my Relics until I'd wrung every last drop out of them.
Because that was how I survived.
Was it not the same for Anemos?
"...I-I'm sorry..."
Anemos lowered her head.
"Ah, no — I wasn't saying it was wrong or anything. I was just curious, that's all."
"...The thing is, I don't actually have any Relics."
"Huh? No, but—wait, don't tell me..."
I could see where this was going. Anemos looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
"My Relics came from plates."
"Both of them...?"
"Yes... Let me explain..."
Anemos spoke quietly.
"Three months ago, I was heading to the royal capital to become a merchant. But bandits attacked me on the way, and before I knew it, I was locked in a dungeon. After a while, I'd more or less given up, when there was a commotion, the ground shook, and the dungeon collapsed—and when I came to, I was lying in some unfamiliar grand hall. I had no idea where I was at first. I still don't, really, but I think it was some kind of ruin. Fortunately, there were no monsters inside. But the place was like a maze, and as I wandered, I sensed someone nearby. I thought it might be a bandit and got defensive, but... it was a male delver. He said this was a dungeon, and we were close to the deepest level. When I explained my situation, he sent me back to the surface. And that's when I received the red-and-black Relic plates. They were strange boards that granted you a Relic when you used them. He told me, 'You can't survive in this world without power. Miss, you're lucky. But that kind of fortune doesn't last forever—it comes and goes. That's why you need strength. A Relic can become the power that protects you and everything precious to you.' ...So I heard that, didn't hesitate, and used both plates. What I got was 'Gale' and 'Wind.' That's when I started using them. That's why... I haven't really used them much, for that reason..."
Anemos trailed off at the end, looking somewhat apologetic.
So that was it. Just as I'd figured.
But the red Relic plate... Were special Relics different in terms of plate color?
"Gale"—was that different from what Hagan had used?
Or was it just a matter of insufficient proficiency?
"I see. That must have been rough... But originally you went to the royal capital to become a merchant, right? How did you end up as a delver in Hydrangea?"
"...I figured becoming a delver would be more effective for building that power... Also, the dungeon with the ruins was close to Hydrangea."
"Makes sense..."
"Also, I kind of... admired that man a little..."
Anemos's cheeks flushed slightly as he spoke with a shy look.
It wasn't a crush or anything, right? That oddly blissful expression was making me think otherwise.
But don't forget. Anemos is a man. I managed a small, wry smile.
"Because he saved me, after all."
"Yes. I became a delver because I wanted to be like that man."
She said it with the face of someone in love, but it was probably just admiration after all.
A question suddenly came to mind.
"That man — you never asked his name?"
"It... wasn't really the kind of situation for that. I realized it afterward. And I hadn't introduced myself either, so I couldn't correct the misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?"
"It's a common thing, but he kept calling me 'miss'..."
"Ah..."
I see. Even so, two precious Relic plates.
And one of them was an even rarer color variant, yet she just handed it over like it was nothing.
The whole situation and dialogue reminded me of an old man.
You just naturally end up doing this kind of thing, don't you, old man.
Hm? Anemos was staring at me.
With those pure, emerald-green eyes — watching me with an observant, curious look.
What, what. When our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat before I could stop it.
"I knew it."
"Knew what?"
"Um, that man. He looked like Wof."
"W-what? R-really?"
"He looked like someone..."
"Whaaat..."
Wait, is that my uncle?