The blinding light finally faded, revealing a silver-haired girl, light blue eyes, pointy ears, the whole package. Another beauty I was meeting today and quite packed on the chest too, but Black Rose still came out on top in that aspect.
Black Rose gasped faintly, "Sir Night Fallen… an elf."
Black Rose tends to point out the obvious sometimes, but she was being dramatic, so there had to be more to it. I decided to play along. "What of it?"
"They… they're rare. Even among demi-humans, who are already few."
I'd guessed there had to be other races besides humans, but I didn't expect the story to be this layered, this rich. Black Rose had done it again—killer exposition, subtly delivered.
The elf-girl blinked, finally waking, rubbing her eyes. She shivered, probably because she was completely naked. I covered her with my coat. Not because I'm Mr. Heroic… but I'm no simp either.
Rose stood a few steps back, arms folded, pouting without a word, like she expected me to get it. Honestly, I didn't.
The elf-girl finally spoke. "Where… where am I? And who are you?" Her voice was weak, fragile.
At that moment, I knew what had to be done. I turned away, cleared my throat, adjusted my posture, then finally spoke, deep and deliberate.
"You have been graced by the mercy of Midnight."
She blinked at me. "Midnight?"
That question caught me off guard. I figured a cryptic line would do the trick but she wasn't that naïve. Still, I'm a performer. Failure isn't an option.
"Yes. You were moments away from certain doom. Organization STIX nearly saw the light of day… but night befell them." I narrowed my eyes, letting a bit more mana seep out. "By Night Fallen."
The room trembled. Poles and beams rattled. Dark-blue mana pushed outward, pressing against the walls, heavy, painting everything in its hue.
Black Rose stood behind me, wide-eyed, impressed, applause well-deserved, if I do say so myself. Even the elf-girl looked at me differently now, admiration creeping in over fear. I had to improvise with the scraps of information I had and somehow make it work.
The elf-girl then said, "Thank you, Mr. Night Fallen… but I still don't understand how I ended up here or what's going on."
Black Rose stepped forward, her heels echoing sharply. "Well, you see, you were captured by the Etheridge Church. From my observations over the years, they've been experimenting on demi-humans."
The elf-girl suddenly clutched her head, her expression twisting like something inside her mind had shattered. Whatever Rose said had triggered it. Her breaths hitched. Her eyes widened.
"Mr… Mr. Night Fallen… please… may I ask for your assistance?"
Before I could even respond, Black Rose cut in, glaring at the elf-girl with arms folded. "You will address him as Sir Night Fallen or Lord Night Fallen. Understood?"
I was flabbergasted. That came out of nowhere. But the elf-girl held her ground, meeting Black Rose's gaze before letting out a sigh.
"Very well. Please forgive me, Sir Night Fallen."
Well. She's mature.
I nodded once in acknowledgment. Rose smiled faintly, satisfied but I couldn't shake the thought that she was subtly asserting her authority.
Black Rose extended her hand, and the elf-girl took it. "Very well. Sir Night Fallen and I will assist you. After all, our goals are one and the same, we also seek the destruction of the Church."
She lifted her up, then added casually, "Oh, and we'll be getting you some clothes so you can return his coat."
The elf-girl smirked. "No, thank you. I find it quite warm. I'll be fine… as long as Sir Night Fallen doesn't mind."
And just like that, the room heated up. Honestly, I can't be dealing with this right now. I'm about to launch my first major operation and the sooner, the better.
I cleared my throat and they both straightened immediately.
"So then… the NP— I mean, your brethren. Where do we find them?"
The elf-girl tried to recall, but her memory was a haze.
"I can't… I can't remember," she whispered.
Rose urged her to try—anything, even the smallest detail. As she forced herself to think, a mark on her neck suddenly began to glow, pulsing faintly as if trying to stop her from remembering.
"Black Rose," I uttered.
"Yes, Sir Night Fallen. At once."
She knelt and pressed a finger against the elf-girl's neck. Mana threads spread from her touch, weaving across the mark as she did that deconstructing thing she does. The symbol flared brighter, then slowly began to dissipate.
The elf-girl coughed, forcing the words out.
"The… the Naira Mountains," she managed.
Rose immediately asked, "Do you know where they are?"
The elf-girl shook her head. She had been imprisoned her entire life and had never seen the outside world. Even when they were transported, she had been unconscious—and the same applied when she was brought here.
"Naira Mountains...." I repeated.
Rose looked at me and smirked. "It's as you've deduced, Sir Night Fallen."
I returned her look with a composed expression, though internally,
'Deduced what? What is she talking about? I was just rehearsing how I'd say the name dramatically when the time came… wait, did she actually figure something out?'
I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them.
"Yes. But explain it to her so she can understand."
Black Rose smiled, placing a hand on her hip.
"Gladly."
She continued, voice steady. "You see, the Naira Mountains don't actually exist."
The elf-girl recoiled. "Are you calling me a liar?"
"Not at all," Black Rose replied. "But tell me… what's your name?"
The girl opened her mouth, but no sound emerged, as if her words had seized up.
Her thoughts tangled. "It's… uh… I…" Her fingers curled into her sleeves. "I—"
Black Rose finished for her. "You don't remember… in fact, you have no memories except the ones you were made to remember. A fake place, and probably the memory of your brethren too, a way to keep you in line using emotional blackmail."
She continued, voice measured. "They went to extreme lengths to prevent their exposure. They planted two traps—simple, yet brilliant. The first is the seal on your neck, designed to block the memory of the location they intentionally fed you. And that leads to the second trap: to misdirect whoever breaks the seal and send them on a wild goose chase."
I was in absolute shock. I had no clue. She pieced all of that together in mere minutes. Her mind is more razor-sharp than I thought, I can see how she survived alone for so long. I need to make sure she never realizes just how capable she truly is. I folded my arms.
"Good. But I am disappointed. I expected you to have realized it sooner."
She fidgeted, her eyes downcast. "Please forgive me, Sir Night Fallen. I swear I will do better next time."
"Now then… how do you propose we find the actual location?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, like someone about to take a test. Honestly, I had no clue myself, so I just asked.
"Yes, you see… the slain enemies who were transporting the Elf. I'm sure there's a lead we can find in their mode of transport."
"Well done, Black Rose."
A faint smile crossed her face as she gave a slight bow. "Please, Sir Night Fallen, you need not praise me."
"Now go and find that location…" Black Rose went straight to the vehicle.
I turned to the elf-girl. "And you… your name. From here on out, your name will be Luna."
She looked at me with such gratitude—I honestly thought she'd hate it. I literally made it up on the spot.
"Luna…" she repeated, then smiled. "I am grateful… Sir Night Fallen."
I turned to join Black Rose in the search, and Luna followed quietly behind me.
Black Rose crouched by the metal carriage, arms folded. "See this?" she murmured, more to herself than to me. "The mud on the wheels—it's not from around here. No doubt, East Ridge Swamps."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure?"
She glanced at me, calm and precise. "East Ridge Swamps was used to test magic weapons of mass destruction. The residual mana… it turned the soil red. This mud—its color, texture, the way it clings—it's unmistakable."
Her eyes scanned the horizon. She was so locked in I felt it wrong to ask further questions. Even Luna, shifting beside me, murmured, "She's… so insightful."
"Combine this with the tracks and the path they took avoiding the main roads, they'd have to head north along a narrow trail leading to a high plateau. Secluded, hidden… perfect for a secret base. Someone desperate would stop there, regroup, maybe even drop the prisoners."
I let out a low whistle. "Damn… that actually makes sense. You didn't even touch magic."
Black Rose tilted her head, amused. "Observation, patience, experience. That's enough, Sir Night Fallen."
After Black Rose's sharp deduction, I insisted we move at once. We set our sights on the so-called Naira Mountains. My first big operation was finally underway.
"Come, ladies, time is of the essence. Midnight shall fall upon them."