At the Mouth of Calabria (Part 1)

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***The railway line to the port city of the Mouth of Calabria...***

Upon realizing that they had one of the six demi-gods of Chersea and the Other Realms on the train, everyone (save the elves' party) quickly knelt to give their respects. Nevertheless, the Elf Saint tried to put them at ease.

"Please don't be so formal!" she told them, chuckling. "I went to the exhibits as a normal elf, not a saint."

"Still, our apologies for not knowing," the paladin captain replied. "Had we known that you are with us, we—or at least I—would have been more vigilant."

"It's fine! If anything, it's me who should give apology since your companions were nearly killed because of me," Lady Hinwe reassured her, "By the way, I haven't introduced them yet. This is Meanor, my faithful servant in the tree palace. And the other elf is my guard, Gerard of Yusave."

"Your Holiness," Gerard finally spoke, "while I don't object to you getting chummy with other people, remember that we're not yet out of the danger. Please keep your hat back on your head!"

"Y-Y-Yes!" the Elf Saint, with the help of her maid, complied with her guard's request.

"Sir Gerard!" the paladin captain saluted him with her sword, "Please allow us to join you in protecting Her Holiness!"

"Yeah, an extra hand is great," then he turned to her companions, "But you have to look on your own. Aside from you, the other ladies don't even know how to fight!"

"Hey, wait a second there, elf boy!" it was Salis, "I know you're jumpy because Her Holiness the Elf Saint is in danger, but you can't just talk down on us like that! We're only surprised by those villains, but it won't happen again." Then, she pulled out a beastman knife from under her owl-wings, as well as small gun-like weapon, "If you want to try my strength, then I can show to you how deadly the beastfolks like me can become."

"That's a derringer!" Gerard blurted out.

"Huh? What are you saying?"

"Err...nothing," the white-haired elf turned his gaze away, focusing on the other girls. "But how about these demons and the human girl? Can they even fight?"

"Tama can squish a human if she wants to!" the orc-girl flexed her muscles, before saying about Nari, "And Nari is a Tambara! She can transform into a powerful wolf!"

"Yeah, and I have to save your necks from being slashed by those villains earlier," the elf guard pointed out.

"W-Well, haha!" Tama'lee scratched her head, "Tama was surprised, and she was restrained with magic, much like Nari, right?"

Nari nodded to back up the orc-girl's claim.

"Alright then..."

"I may be a girl who loves make up and doing household chores," Eris said when she noticed Gerard's disbelieving eyes on her, "however, I must tell you Mister Elf, I can betray your low expectations of me."

"..."

The white-haired elf glared at them for a few moments, but as he knew they were already involved with their predicament, he had no choice but to accept their help. He cocked his revolver once more and told them, "The port of the Mouth of Calabria is still hours away from our position. Since we already dragged you ladies into our mess, please stick with us to the end. And the most important, keep yourselves alive."

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When she was younger than her current self, Eris' mother told her stories about the 'beautiful elf saint' who sent armies of her people to help the humans turn the tide of battle against the demon forces from the 11th Human-Demon War. As a child, it fascinated her at how the elves would come whenever men needed their help the most. And so, she formed an idea that the Elf Saint was some sort of a powerful and mystical protector of humankind.

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