The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-88

In the vast fields near Nevenia’s borders, Seol encountered a troll.

Remarkably, it was the only troll that Seol had become acquainted with, aside from Jamad.

- My name is Mael, the star child.

Mael, a troll exiled from the Rock Molar Tribe.

His appearance was completely unexpected.

“Put your sword away, Karen.”

“What? You knew a troll other than Jamad, Master?”

“Through this and that, yeah.”

Mael slowly approached Seol’s party.

It was only after confirming the troll’s identity that Seol took a look at his clothes.

He wore glasses that made his eyes appear smaller, likely due to their high prescription, and carried a bag so full that it was being stretched to its seams.

“What is all that?”

“Old books, medicinal herbs, and a whole bunch of miscellaneous stuff, hahaha!”

“Mael, how have you been?”

“I’ve traveled all across Nevenia; the human world truly is incredible. It was a good decision to descend the mountain.”

Seol was delighted to have met a helper after so much time.

Since the situation was so unexpected, Seol felt more excited to see him than he usually would.

“Come sit down, the winds are strong. You should warm up by the fire.”

“Then would it be alright? It was so cold that I thought my lips would freeze together, haha!”

Mael shuffled over to the campfire.

Though he was smaller than Jamad, he was still a troll and was considerably big.

With him now sitting by the fire, the campfire, which once felt open, now felt cramped.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Karen. By the way… do trolls wear glasses too now?”

Mael gave Karen a gentle smile before responding.

“I use them more for other miscellaneous uses than to supplement my vision.”

“I see… I know it’s a bit rude to say this, but you seem quite intelligent for a troll? You’re different from the trolls I’ve met so far.”

“Hey, are you talking about me, elf?” scowled Jamad.

Karen simply shrugged without an answer.

“The belief that trolls are ‘simple’ is a misunderstood fact. Though their actions could seem foolish from the perspective of other races, we have our own established beliefs and cultures. Ah, obviously there are simple trolls too, though.”

“I see… So, how did you meet Snowman?”

“Snowman is my savior who pulled me from the depths of despair. He is also someone to whom I have a debt to repay, however lacking I am.”

“Hm, I guess Master gets called a savior regardless of wherever he goes. Even though... he doesn’t look trustworthy to me at all.”

“Many times, we may fail to understand something properly because we examine it too closely. How could this not also be true for people, when it applies to objects as well?”

“What?”

Karen looked at Seol’s face before cracking a smile.

“Yeah, you might be right. Man, it’s so easy to have a conversation with this troll!”

- I’m sorry, but Mael’s just bodying you.

- He just walked up slowly and down smashed.

- I can’t believe there’s actually an elf dumber than a troll…

- The greatest mind of our generation… Mael!

As Mael conversed with Karen, he locked eyes with Jamad. Observing Jamad's massive size and imposing presence, he then remarked, “Jamad, Tyrant of the Rock Molar Tribe… it’s you.”

“You know me? Who are you?”

“I am the son of Mayora.”

The moment Jamad heard the name Mayora, his eyes grew wide.

“The female who the previous generation exiled. But… she had a child?”

“She was pregnant with me when she was exiled.”

“Ah, so it was like that.”

After hearing about Mael’s circumstances, Karen got annoyed with Jamad for his reaction.

“How could you only say that after hearing his story?”

“What should I do then, huh? Cry?”

“Mael, he’s always like this. I’m not a racist, but I can’t help but have prejudices when the troll that I’m with always acts like this.”

“Even so, I am a troll as well.”

“Ah, sorry.”

- Ah, right! You were a troll too!

- LMFAOOOO

- I’m sorry but you’re very biased against them already, Karen. LOL

Jamad then spoke to Karen in an indifferent tone.

“I also lost my parents when I was young.”

“What?”

“My father was drafted into a war and croaked there, while my mother died young. The funny part was that the previous generation offered my mother’s corpse to the dragon as a snack.”

“......”

“What about now, elf? Are you going to sympathize with me too?”

“Um… sorry.”

Seol didn’t know Jamad had a story like this either.

In the first place, Jamad was an irregular whom Seol had encountered for the first time during that Adventure. It wouldn't make sense for Seol to have any knowledge about him, considering he had never even seen Jamad before.

“Hmph, but now that I think about it… you…”

“Me?” asked Mael.

“Yeah, you. You’re the one who helped Snowman, weren’t you?”

Mael smiled.

“I am.”

“I knew it. I knew there was no way he could’ve done it on his own. Did you use shamanic spells?”

“I used a potion infused with one.”

“Hm… You’re pretty good. It’s a potion that I’m not familiar with. I’m curious about your level.”

“I am nothing compared to you, Jamad. I simply possess some useless knowledge that I haven’t even made fully mine.”

- How is Mael so good at buttering people up?

- I bet even my boss would love him.

Seol ended the pleasantries there and moved on to what he was actually curious about.

“What brings you to the north?”

“A prophecy.”

“What?”

“One of my talents is divination. I foresaw a huge disaster and came to prevent it. Obviously, of course, I knew that I’d run into you again.”

“Did you foresee that too?”

“That one was more due to astronomy.”

“Hahaha, Mael! You really are incredible!”

Mael was clearly extraordinary as he was able to find Seol through divination and astronomy alone in this vast land.

Seol was surprised by Mael’s sudden appearance, but then he also remembered the message he received not too long ago.

- Helper ‘Mael, the Star Child’ will join you in this Adventure as an ally.

“Mael, then are you here to help me?”

“Help you, hm… Before I give you an answer, I should remind you that you still have yet to tell me what troublesome situation you’re currently in.”

- Ah, right!

- Ah, right! Again!

Seol started to explain the current situation.

“Well…”

“It’s because of the Sulfur Skull Tribe, is it not?”

“...You knew? How?”

“How long do you think that I have been waiting for you?”

The fact that Mael knew he would meet Seol here, also implied that he had been waiting for Seol to pass by.

“How long have you been waiting for me here?”

“Divination and astrology both aren't great at telling the exact time when something will happen. I’ve been here for fifteen days.”

“Oh man… Also, how did you know that the Sulfur Skull Tribe was the issue?”

“Because they passed by here.”

“What?”

Mael adjusted his glasses.

“The Sulfur Skull Tribe passed through this area.”

“When?! When did those bastards pass through here?”

“Calm down, Karen.”

As Karen exploded in emotions before Seol could even speak, Seol quickly calmed her down.

“Hm… After this night passes, it should be around four days. So some time ago.”

“Four days? It’s only been that long since they passed by?”

Karen couldn’t believe that they had caught up to four days' worth of progress from the trolls, but Seol nodded at Mael’s words as if he had expected this.

‘They should be much slower than usual because they’re taking the kidnapped people with them.’

They had managed to shorten the distance between themselves and the Sulfur Skull Tribe, and they were still closing the gap.

“But… they would have escaped the kingdom by now.”

“Already? It should have taken them four days to even reach Gulia, though?”

“You’re talking about that fortress, right?”

“Well, it’s a useless fortress now though. How the hell were they able to sneak past the wall?”

“Snowman, let me ask you something.”

“Sure, Mael.”

Mael looked at Seol.

His calm, gentle eyes gave a chilling feeling.

“What do you plan to do after tracking down the Sulfur Skull Tribe?”

“I plan on getting back the people who were kidnapped.”

“The Sulfur Skull Tribe is not just any other ordinary group. They are a tribe of competent fighters. In fact, they are the most notorious, and violent tribe around here. Do you really think you can recover the abducted people with just three individuals?”

“...Do you think that it’s impossible?”

Seol looked at Mael with serious eyes.

Mael slowly nodded back.

“It would be impossible with three people.”

“Look, troll! Are you giving up already?”

As Karen retorted back, Mael smiled once more.

“However, it may be possible with four…”

“Are you saying that you’ll help us?”

“If it was someone else, I would have just let them die. However, you are not someone who would do anything without reason, Snowman. I, Mael, shall be your guide.”

“Guide?”

[You receive help from Helper ‘Mael, the Star Child’.]

[An experienced shaman can help the party in a variety of ways.]

[Mael can partake in combat, change the terrain, crowd control, support the party, and a variety of other things.]

Essentially, Mael was a capable helper who could assist in everything, in a variety of ways.

Lift…

Mael raised his hand and stretched his palm out into the sky.

Glow…

Glowing particles gathered in his hand.

The particles slowly formed into shapes before eventually turning into the shape of trolls.

“The Skull Sulfur Tribe?”

“I’m simply showing you what the trolls who passed through here are doing. It seems like they’ve set up camp and are sleeping.”

“Oh my god… How?”

Mael smiled.

“I told you they passed through here, didn’t I? When they passed through, I sprinkled some spirit powder on them.”

“Mael!”

- GOD DAAAAAAAMN! I believed in you!

- As expected from a heroic-class helper.

- I’m sorry for looking down on you 😭

“The trolls didn’t slip past the border with shamanic spells or other spells. They simply passed through a tunnel that was lax in security. If we can find it, it won’t be too difficult for us to use the tunnel as well.”

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

A few days later, Seol and his party were led by Mael to the tunnel that Mira’s party broke down.

“Oh no… this doesn’t look natural at all.”

“Do you think the Sulfur Skull Tribe did this?”

“I doubt that would be the case. They don’t have a reason to.”

“Then…”

“Let me inspect it.”

Inhale…

Fuuu…

Mael grabbed a handful of dust and blew it off his hands. The dust, as it scattered in the air, slowly found form.

“This is what the earth here remembers. It seems like… it was done by humans.”

“I think I know who it was.”

“Someone you know?”

The party was led by a woman at the vanguard.

It was the same woman who was the protégé of Kibo as she followed him around.

“It’s Mira.”

Jamad and Karen both reacted at the sound of her name.

“Hmph, she must be tracking down Kibo.”

“Mira? Who’s Mira?”

“You should know Kibo since you met him last time, but… basically she’s his right-hand man.”

“Is she strong?”

“I’m not sure…”

Seol then asked Mael a question.

“What should we do then? Don’t we have to go to Gulia now that we can’t use the tunnel?”

“Hold on…”

Mael pulled something from his backpack, resembling a berry.

He then murmured a few words before tossing the berry into the destroyed tunnel.

And then…

Rumble Rumble…

Chomp!

A long bug, the size of an adult, emerged from the ground, snatching the berry before burrowing away.

It was a bug that had no eyes and a lot of teeth in its mouth.

“Oho… is that a rock bug?”

Jamad showed interest in it.

“I noticed there were a few rock bugs in the area and rock bugs absolutely love kokurin berries. Since I imprinted the berry with a suggestion, that rock bug should soon open up a path for us.”

“...You’re quite talented. It would have been a huge help to my tribe if someone like you was around.”

“There’s nothing as useless as talking about the past. After all, the Rock Molar Tribe was a place of resentment, not a place to rest.”

“Hahaha… well, that’s life after all.”

As the two trolls continued conversing, the rock bug had completely restored the tunnel.

Seol, taking the lead, spoke to the rest of his party.

“Let’s go.”

And like that, Seol’s party was easily able to go through the tunnel and arrive on the other side.

“So that’s Yognatun.”

“It is a massive volcano. It is also the mountain where the old god of fire resides. We’ve almost caught up to them, let’s keep going.”

As there was still a lot of time before nightfall, Seol’s party continued their pursuit.

“It’s their territory from this point on, so we need to be careful,” warned Jamad.

“Got it.”

“Don’t worry too much. Even if they show up, I, Karen, will kill them all for you. If you’re still scared though, you can hide behind me.”

“Hmph, don’t look down on trolls. The tribe alliance is filled with skilled trolls that you can’t even imagine.”

“Hm… it’s just because there weren’t many trolls who were notorious in my time. But does the Sulfur Skull Tribe really have someone as skilled as that?”

“They do, one troll. An absolute monster.”

“Woah, really? What’s their name?”

“It’s…”

Everyone became more tense the closer they approached the volcano.

As there wasn’t too much left until they reached the foot of the mountain, they were all on alert.

And then…

“Urgh…”

“A human?”

“He’s probably a member of Mira’s pursuit party.”

At the top of a cluster of rough rocks was someone gasping for air.

“I'll take care of it. I've also read some medicinal texts for situations like this,” said Mael before stepping forth.

- Go Go Gadget Encyclopedia!

- I’ve also read some demonic texts for situations like this.

- I’ve also learned how to kick an overhead kick for situations like this.

- He’s a one-man army LMFAO

- He’s the protagonist now LMFAO OP MC!

Mael wiped off the injured person’s face with a wet towel before chanting a spell.

Glow…

A strange light entered the man’s body.

Rustle…

“This is a santuri leaf. Chew on this before swallowing it with water.”

Chew… chew…

The injured man did as Mael told him to.

“Gasp… Gasp…”

“Can you breathe now?”

“...away.”

The injured man tried to communicate the moment he could.

“What?”

Mael brought his ear closer to the man’s mouth.

And then, the dying man uttered his last words before taking his final breath.

“Mon… ster… run… away…”