Back when I was called the Great Sage, there were others besides Pal who lent me their aid.
One of them should still be running a workshop on the outskirts of the city of Drorias, located in the eastern part of the Arond continent.
To meet them, Pal and I boarded an airship bound for Drorias.

The journey on the airship was smooth until we neared Drorias and encountered a storm. The airship had to divert and landed in a town called Iskis, located south of Drorias, to avoid the worst of the weather.

“This town feels off somehow,” Pal remarked.

Just as she said, the streets of Iskis were quiet, with few people out and about.
It could be attributed to the rain, but given the size of the town, it wouldn’t be unusual to see several times the number of people.

“It’s because there’s been a rash of mysterious disappearances lately...”

When I inquired about the town at the hotel front desk, they mentioned a surge in such incidents.

Mysterious disappearances? That’s just a fancy way of saying kidnapping, isn’t it?

“They say the storm should pass in two or three days, so we’re stuck here for now.”

Pal started drying my rain-soaked hair with a towel.

“You’re going to investigate the disappearances, aren’t you? Only you have the right to be called a god, master. Let’s go teach whoever’s behind this a lesson!”

Pal seemed strangely enthusiastic. I’m no god, though.

“Could you dry me off too?”

Once she finished drying my hair, Pal began taking off her clothes. Wait, weren’t we talking about hair?

“I want you to dry my whole body,” she declared.

“Then let’s just take a bath.”

“Yes! I’ve already drawn the water!”

As expected of Pal—she’d prepared it before I could even notice.

By the second day, the rain had stopped. Since it had kept us confined to the hotel, we decided to leave Iskis on the third morning. Hiring a magic vehicle for the journey, we headed toward Drorias, a half-day trip away.

However, just as we were leaving Iskis, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop.

“Someone’s lying in the road ahead. I’ll go check it out,” said the driver, about to step out.

“Pal,” I said, stopping the driver.

“Yes, young master.”

The two of us got out of the vehicle.

This is such a bother.

“Hey, get up. You’ll get run over lying there.”

Even after calling out, the person showed no sign of waking up.

“I’ve heard kidnappings are on the rise lately. You’re not planning to kidnap us, are you?”

“How foolish,” Pal giggled.

At the mention of kidnapping, the person lying on the ground twitched ever so slightly.

“Fine, Pal, tell the driver to run them over.”

“Understood.”

I wasn’t about to touch them. It was obvious they were holding their breath, waiting for us to approach.

As we turned back to the vehicle, the man sprang to his feet and lunged at us.

“You little—!”

“Too slow.”

A spinning kick to his face sent teeth flying, and the man hit the ground with a thud.

“Seriously, this kind of cliché ambush? Even I’m surprised,” I muttered.

“It’s because you’re too adorable, master.”

“No, it’s because you’re too beautiful, Pal.”

“Oh my, master!”

She playfully slapped my back. It hurt.

“Tch, you useless idiot,” came a grumble from the side of the road. About ten more men emerged from the bushes.

“Oi, kid. Hand over the girl, and we’ll let you off without a scratch.”

The scruffy man smirked. Judging by his demeanor, he was the leader of the group.

“They’re after you, Pal.”

“Well, dark elves are rare. She’ll fetch a high price,” he sneered, leering at Pal.

“Master, it seems I’m about to be defiled,” Pal teased.

“That’s unacceptable. What should we do?”

“How about leaving them half-dead?”

“Sounds good. That way, they’ll have time to repent for their sins. Though I doubt they will.”

Before I could finish speaking, Pal vanished in a blur. She moved so fast that these men likely didn’t even realize what happened.

The ambush ended in an overwhelming defeat for the kidnappers, leaving us free to continue our journey toward Drorias...

Arriving at the outskirts of the city, we headed for an old workshop that remained just as I remembered. This workshop had been built in my previous life and fortified with a preservation spell, ensuring its timeless appearance.

As we approached, the unmistakable sound of craftsmanship filled the air.

“You there! What do you want?” came a rough voice. A dwarf appeared, his manner as brusque as ever.

“I’m here to see Gesso.”

“Ha! No way! A brat like you has no business here. Get lost!”

It was going to be a long day.