Chapter 27 Idle Chat and Rune Magic

Sun was still up and Suzuka decided to eat before going to sleep. After a few quick bites, she goes outside to check if no enemies lurking around, and when she was sure no one was around she went to sleep. This time Suzuka made her sleeping spot close to a wine pot. She doesn't want Slime to get inside her again. She put a blanket on a crystal to kill the light, curled up in a corner, and fell asleep thinking about her family.

She had the same nightmare about how she was chased by the werewolf, got bitten, and after that, transformed into it. Her nightmare was about how she turned into a monster and killed everyone she loved. But a water drop fell on her cheek and woke her up. It was really late at night, a storm brooming outside, and a showering rain was falling down. Water was leaking through the crack in the ceiling falling down right on her face.

She took this opportunity to go and check what was going on outside. But all she saw was a dark sky covered by storm clouds, a spooky forest playing tricks on the girl's eyes with moving shadows. A strong wind was blowing and made a scary whistle-like sound. Bill got up after hearing Suzuka walking around the cave.

"Little girl! Did something happen? What are you looking at?"

"Oh! Hay, Bill! No... nothing happened... just checking out what's going on outside, that's all."

"Ha! Good! Bill goes back to sleep then... girl should go too."

Done looking around Suzuka went back to sleep. Morning came fast and Suzuka woke up. Bill was nowhere to be seen, he was gone somewhere. Without any rush, she walked to the exit of the cave. As she walked closer and closer to the exit she heard the rain and some splashing sound. Fiering any enemies she quietly sneaked up the stairs to check who was making those splashing sounds outside. But there was no enemy outside only Bill showering in the rain. Suzuka went back inside without saying a word because Bill wasn't wearing his pants and she didn't want to alarm him.

"Jeez Bill, at least go to the river to wash... I just hope he puts his pants on when he gets back."

Suzuka went back to her corner and lay down. After a good 20 minutes, Bill comes back.

"Is the girl still sleeping!? It's such a good rain outside, good shower! The girl can go wash too."

It was a good offer and the girl really needed a shower after all the slime business mess she was through yesterday. She got up and while going outside She said to Bill, "Yeah, I would like to shower. I'll be right back. And no peeking, OK?"

Bill went back to his bed and picked his axe up. While Suzuka was outside washing herself Bill fixed his axes. Bill was gone early in the morning to look for a good replacement for his axe handle. He changed old broken handles into new ones.

The rain stopped and the cloudy sky started to clear. Hearing that rain stopped Minotaur went outside to check on the girl.

 He walked to the girl and said, " Is Girl done?"

"Yes, Bill, I'm done... so can we talk now?"

"We are talking, silly girl."

"Okay, I will be straight with you Bill, and ask you the most important question, do you know the way to the closest town?"

"No, Bill doesn't know... but, sometimes adventurers pass by. Bill came to live here 6 months ago, didn't walk any further, and stayed here the whole time. In 6 months Bill met 3 adventurers' parties."

After hearing bad news girl let out a sigh and ask, "Can you remember when was the last time adventurers walked past here? Maybe I could wait a while at your place and if some adventurers come I ask for help."

"Girl can try waiting, the last adventurer Bill saw was 3 weeks ago. The girl can stay but it gets dangerous here. Bill needs to take care of the Goblin's nest and soon. They come to steal apples... Tried to kill Bill... Can't leave Goblins to run free or they come back soon."

"Oh jeez, Goblins again! Where do they even come from? How many are there?"

"Girl! Goblins multiply faster than rabbits! Hahaha! Does the girl want to know how Goblins do it?"

Suzuka sat down on the closest rock.

"No thanks, Bill. I think I pass on that information... and why do Goblins steal apples tho? They don't look like vegetable persons, I saw them eating humans. What are they doing with apples? They don't even taste good."

"Ohaahaa! Little girl! To you, it may seem like a plain and disgusting apple, but Goblins feel the rush by eating them. Don't forget little girl, Goblins are no Humans, Elves, or Dwarves. They... Wait... Little girl... Now that Bill got a better look... Are you a Dwarven race? Sure a bit short for dwarven but that muscle on your body, that good looks. Now Bill may not see many dwarves but the little girl sure looks like one!"

While Bill was talking to a girl she stood up and walked to a nearby branch that was laying on the ground. Cut off a branch with a short sword and made a big stick then come back to the same rock she was sitting on. Then placed that stick on a rock and started to chop it into small pieces. 

When she heard Bill calling her short Dwarf Suzuka told him, "No, I am not a Dwarf, I'm human... I just used to work out a lot. I wanted to be strong, I wanted to be an adventurer. But this... What you see now... isn't how I used to look before. After these people kidnaped me and did something horrible to me I look like a different person now."

"Well! Bill doesn't want and doesn't care to know what happened to the little girl."

"Oh! That's awfully sensitive of you Bill, thanks."

"Your welcome, little girl."

"I was sarcastic, Bill."

But Bill doesn't do sarcastic and that made his short fuse lit. When Suzuka finished talking he let out a roar and slammed the ground with his huge fist then with an angry voice asked, "Bill said, 'You're welcome' for NOTHING?! Little girl, don't make Bill ANGRY! Little girl won't like it when Bill...! Is...! Angry!"

"Jeez Bill, sorry... I'm sorry, okay? I'm just a stupid little girl who doesn't know any better."

Listening to the girl's apologies Bill calms down.

"Good! That's better, little girl! No talking back, it makes Bill mad!"

"Okay Bill, your house your rules."

Suzuka picked one of the wood pieces she chopped and started to carve it with her short sword. But it wasn't very comfortable to do it with a sword. Looking at the girl struggling Bill asked her, "What is it that girl doing?"

"Oh, this? I'm just trying to carve a wooden scale, I was thinking since I have time I should practice my other magic besides box power."

"Does the little girl know more magic?"

"Yes, a pretty useless one but it helps to train my box power too since both need a lot of focusing and concentration. It is called Rune magic, it's useless and amazing at the same time."

Bill scratches his head and then asks the girl, "Huh!? Useless... And amazing? How does that work?"

"The amazing part is that if I engrave a rune letter on this wood scale using my mana, this wooden scale will take damage in my place. A blacksmith by the name of Gunter taught me rune letters. Like old man, Philip used to ask him why all famous female adventurers walk in skinny armor, blacksmith Gunter answered him. They use rune magic armor."

"Bill doesn't get it, the girl is trying to confuse BILL!"

Before Bill started to rage again Suzuka started to draw a letter on the ground and explained to him how it all works.

"Look, this rune letter means defense cloak... I engrave it using my mana on this piece of wood and this act as armor. it doesn't matter where I get hit, all the damage will take this scale, not me."

Minotaur finally gets it and says, "Oh! Bill gets it now, that is amazing... but why Bill hasn't seen any adventurer use it? Bill Met many adventurers in his life."

"That's where the useless part comes in, you need to carve it using only your mana and that's insanely hard. it's like you trying to carve it with a feather and that's just for wood. Try to imagine cutting metal using only a feather."

"Bill sees it now, that is useless indeed. HAHA! No one can cut steel with a feather! That's stupid talk, Bill goes to the forest... The stupid girl can play here. Haha!"