We left through the large gates separating the noble district from the market district. Joining the constant flow of people that seemed to ceaselessly pass through it.

Alita held onto my arm and hastily started to lead me along the street. I didn't complain, having little to no knowledge of this particular section of the city. Therefore, I entrusted myself to Alita's lead. She was more than familiar with the district, cutting through the throng with a well-practiced ease. In the meantime, I gawked at the various merchants, their generous goods, and the colorful buildings and stands filling out every nook and cranny.

Alita's hold around my wrist tightened as she pushed towards a side street, dragging me along. Sensing her distress, I pulled my gaze away from the market and did my best to help my friend leave behind the influence of this unlikely human current. Finally succeeding in pushing past the last of the complaining dwarves, we duck into a nearby side street that was far less crowded compared to the main ones.

I glanced back into the chaotic market district, which served as the metaphorical heart of the city. ─ "I could never get used to this crowd." ─ I complained. I lived in a big city in the past, true. However, the streets were wide and built in a way that would make it more acceptable. That was not the case here. Pressing against each other like damn sardines in a can. I sighed. ─ "How can they focus on buying anything in a state like that?"

Alita chuckled at my words. ─ "You will get used to it, you just need to know where you are heading and how to get there."

I glanced at her, feeling frustrated. ─ "Easy for you to say, you lived your entire life here."

"Perhaps, but you will still get used to it. It's hardly unusual as market districts go in capital cities." ─ That said, she waved for me to follow her, letting go of my hand. She seemed confident in the fact that I would not get lost here. I swallowed silently, hoping that she was right, as we passed through a maze of side streets in a relaxed manner, those fears seemed to settle down, and I had the chance to continue my previously cut short sightseeing. I immediately noticed that the streets here were less vivid compared to the previous ones, while these parts were still filled to the brim with street vendors and many potential customers.

I followed Alita through many such streets, which were interwoven with one another, forming a labyrinth of their own. We met many people in these streets, doing their own business, selling their wares, or buying them. Sometimes both at the same time. The tall dwarven buildings stretched far above our heads, on all sides, and you could catch snippets of daily conversations or arguments leaking down to the streets from their occupants. True privacy was a luxury that few could afford here. There were clothes hung to dry above the stands on extended ropes from one side of the street to the other. One could see all manners of clothing, from underwear to official garments, while right under them, vendors cooked their flavorful foods and sold their other goods to all sorts of people. The smoke from the cooking or grilled food permeated the air, just like it was seeping into the drying clothes above.

I couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous idea of having my knickers smoked with the scent of spicy grilled meat.

An absurd idea that was likely an everyday occurrence for many of the people living here.

I drew my gaze away from the sight as a loud argument made my ears twitch. The shrill voice of a housewife echoed through the air, causing several chuckles from the nearby people. ─ "Are you drunk again, you pig-headed bastard! I told you if you go out and get wasted again, I will personally beat some sense into you!"

I shook my head, trying not to make my amusement too obvious. As an elf in a dwarven city, I was still an uncommon sight, easily drawing glances even if people only passed by me. Of course, Alita's presence right beside me made them stare less, not that I cared about it that much anymore. In this last month, I kind of got used to the weird looks. Thinking about that, I couldn't help but acknowledge the girl's wisdom. She was likely right. After all, I was getting used to being a girl, something that I would have never thought possible, and definitely not on such short notice.

True enough, on a fundamental level, I still think of myself as a man, but regarding my general awareness, my thought process, and the way I handle certain things. I was unmistakably shifting towards a more feminine prospect.

I... I think I stopped caring about it for a while now. It was just how I was now, I couldn't run away from it, there was no chance that I could hide it, so... there was only one walkable way, to try and accept it. Of course, it was easier said than done... but if I really live as long as Lord Axis told me... Well, perhaps at one point, living centuries as a female elf would become more relevant than living seventy-two years as a human male.

Life was truly a wonder after all.

The very idea that I was standing here the way I was after dying a few months prior sent shivers up my spine. Over the past few months, I have experienced many unusual things that were previously thought impossible. This caused a shift in the way I perceive the world. Many things, thought impossible are now very much possible, given the right circumstances.

Magic was such a wonder after all.

It could create true miracles, and I had the talent and power to do so.

~oOo~

Some time later, we reached one of our goals. To my surprise, there was an adventurer guild branch on the outskirts of the market district. The building in itself was quite spacious, undoubtedly a sight to see, something similar to the noble estates, but less frivolous and more practical in its design.

Either way, its sheer presence demanded recognition, drawing the eyes of nearby citizens who were used to the multi-floored and relatively narrow buildings of dwarven architecture. Buildings that were haphazardly packed together, creating a strange sight, like a forest made from a mixture of metal, concrete, and rock.

There were quite a few people of different races gathering around the guild hall, chatting with the locals or among themselves. There was a small market set up right in front of the sizable building, occupying most of the onlookers with a plethora of fresh goods. The eager haggling, along with more relaxed conversations, was sometimes mixed with the distant sounds of clashing swords and the occasionally thrown-in incantation. I concentrated on the sounds and could sense that they were originating from the backyards of the building. Alita, catching my curious and focused expression, smirked at me, showing a victorious smile. ─ "See, I knew that you were going to like it. No matter how much you tried to give me the cold shoulder."

I shook my head. ─ "Please, I would never."

"Bullshit." ─ She snorted and turned towards the open gates that led into the main hall of the building. ─ "Try not to get into a fight right after we enter. Some of these people can get cocky." ─ She looked at me over her shoulder and added. ─ "Consider yourself warned."

I rolled my eyes and silently followed her into the building. Sparing a few glances at the vendors surrounding the entrance and the small square in front of it. Eventually, I shook my head, dismissing them for now. I did not bring too much gold with me, but I had a few coins in my bag. A gold coin was worth a lot after all. Sometimes, I still struggled to get used to the local currency.

The interior of the guild hall opened up into a spacious two-floor hall right after I entered. I run my gaze along the walls and the general design, appreciating the sight. Once upon a time, the space within was likely a ballroom or something similar. However, that time was clearly centuries ago. The space now was filled with various message boards and just as many tables and chairs, making it look similar to a mid-range restaurant. My eyes were drawn to the vivid illustrations, colorful paintings of unknown monsters hanging from the walls. In other places, there were giant bones, mostly skulls, attached to the walls or hanging straight from roofs on thick ropes, similar to how some museums tend to showcase dinosaur skeletons, but here they only collected the skulls. I stared at a car-sized one that once unmistakably belonged to a sort of lizard. Oh, who am I kidding? That was definitely a real fucking dragon. It was hanging from the ceiling, filling up most of the space above. The awe-inspiring sight sent a few shivers down my body. After all, the implication was different than that of my past life. These creatures still exist in this world. I shook my head and walked further into the building. Some of the people walking or sitting around offered us curious glances, some waving towards Alita, while others waved towards me. I nodded towards those, acknowledging their gesture.

The sight of geared-up people drinking and chatting didn't surprise me anymore. Besides the looming threat of war, it also had a cultural side to it.

Even in noble gatherings, more than half of the people tended to wear their armors, which was, after all, accepted as official wear. It was a personal choice after all, dwarven people held their freedom far above the strict expectations of regulated formal attire. Sadly for me, it was a notion that women didn't seem to share to the same extent. Either that, or Nerha didn't like the idea of me wearing men's clothes more than absolutely necessary.

Walking to the center of the hall, my presence quickly drew some attention. I would even say that far more than I initially anticipated. Many gazes swept over us, starting various whispers to break loose among the members of small groups spending their time there.

I listened to some of the voices, focusing on random conversations.

"... that is the one we heard about, that white elf, you know!" ─ Spoke a human lass to his male companion peaking from behind a column of people waiting in line for some sort of services that the guild provided.

My focus shifted to another conversation. I still struggled to keep my focus, especially in a noisy environment.

A dwarven man sitting by the counter was exchanging something with one of the guild representatives until his attention flicked to my presence. ─ "Look at that, a rare sight! An elf in the deep that doesn't try to spill your guts indifferently." ─ He mumbled to the cashier, who chuckled at the words politely.

As my focus shifted once again.

This time, it landed on a human man leaning against a nearby wall, his eyes focused on my presence quite intently as he spoke to his nearby companions. ─ "Isn't that the brat that bombarded the dark ones with a stream of ice shards? We could use the help of a chick like that." ─ His dwarven companion snorted at the idea. ─ "Are you out of your damn mind? How do you intend to pay for her services? A mage like that can only be afforded by the crown. I hear she is already a member of the Bronze Company. At the same time, that might not say much anymore, since their ranks have been heavily decimated in the initial attack." ─ The dwarven man added in a darkening tone, which didn't seem to affect his companion's mood. The man grinned as he spoke boastfully. ─ "I will pay her in nature, of course. She will love it too! Haha! Who knows, she might even thank me for my help in repopulating her kind." ─ His dwarven companion snorted at that. ─ "Dream on, you dirty bastard, dream on!" ─ Then they laughed it off with a few more of their friends joining in.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

My left eye twitched while listening to their banter. I mumbled to myself. ─ "These idiots are courting death... didn't they just point out how my spells decimated the enemy lines? Still, they dare..." ─ I swallowed down my anger and released some of it in a frustrated sigh, forcing myself to relax.

It is not the time to make a scene, and they didn't plan to say that to my face. They couldn't have known that I would hear it even across this large hall.

Even so, my heart sank at the harsh reminder regarding the Bronze Company's fate. Of course, I already know about that. It was even expected. They were entrusted with the recapture of lost dwarven territories. It meant that they were the ones who patrolled the outermost sections of the kingdom. In other words, they were the ones who faced the full might of the invading forces, taking the most extensive casualties. Of course, the Bronze Company is a much larger military force than the few-hundred-strong group I became a part of. There are many such groups around the kingdom's borders, many who were eliminated or cut off following the large-scale invasion.

Naturally, we didn't know anything concrete about the fate of the particular group I worked with, but Emrum repeatedly warned me not to have high hopes for their survival. It was a cold but logical way to assess our losses and temper our expectations. Still, those thoughts left me with a lingering sense of hollowness.

I shook my head. Trying to get rid of those depressing thoughts.

I reluctantly decided to give one more try at using my supernatural hearing in a vain attempt to pick up some useful gossip.

As the world faded once again, my ears twitching sharply, I focused on the conversation of two dwarven women talking animatedly behind the counter. ─ "My husband struggles with it, I don't know why... am I not pretty anymore?" ─ The other woman seemed to dismiss the inquiry, answering in a dull voice. ─ "Your face is pretty, but you are also kind of fat..." ─ A shiver went through my body as I felt the woman's eyes on my skin. ─ "I bet he would get it up for that elf, though." ─ In a second, a flying wooden spoon hit the thoughtless girl in the face with enough force to make her cry out in both surprise and pain. ─ "Did you just casually call me fat, you useless lass! I am going to spank you, come here!"

My heart skipped a beat, as a wave of nausea and embarrassment pulsed through me from head to toe. I immediately stopped listening and instead lowered my head and went after my friend.

Following Alita's clearly unbothered form, we walked up to one of the empty counters. After a bit of waiting, a dwarven woman came over, welcoming us with a practiced ease. My face paled immediately, recognizing the matron, who just sent that wooden spoon flying. I unconsciously straightened my back, glancing at the woman warily.

"Hello, girls! How can I help you tod-..." ─ Suddenly she clapped her hand. ─ "OH! Aren't you that white elf lass everybody was talking about? You showed those bastards what for!" ─ She laughed softly, waving me closer. I didn't budge. Which made her laugh even more. ─ "A shy one, I see, well, don't mind my antics. It's just, one of my boys keeps talking about you! He is not going to believe me when I say I actually met you here!"

Alita smiled smugly, seeing the woman's reaction. Giving me a pointed look.

I sighed. I should have been expecting this. Even in the noble district, I was often stopped by random people who simply wanted to talk with me. That was not the issue, though. That began when they tried to get me acquainted with their various cousins or sons...

Alita chuckled, seeing my sour face, and decided to cut to the chase, before I could bolt away. She also preemptively grabbed my right arm with both of her hands. Feeling her deceivingly light hold on my arm, I gave up the idea of running away.

"Oh, yes, she is indeed that elf! She is also very shy!" ─ I stared at Alita. My eyes were boring into the thick-skinned girl, who didn't even spare me a glance. ─ "That said, I finally got her to let me show her around the city! First of all, I wanted to show her the guild here and some other places later. Is that fine?"

The woman chuckled at that. ─ "Of course, don't let me hold you up!" ─ She paused before adding with a teasing smile. ─ Still, I have to say... My dear boy is right about one thing. Your eyes shine just like silver coins." ─ I blinked at that. ─ "Uh, thanks?" ─ The woman laughed, seeing my uncertain reaction. ─ "What a sweet lass." ─ She shook her head, clearly amused. ─ "You may roam around the guild all you want, but don't make any trouble. Oh, and watch out for yourselves, some people are on edge, more than usual."

Alita smiled genuinely. ─ "Yeah, we promise. I just want to show her around and perhaps eat something, but that's for later."

My ears twitched at the mention of food, as I glanced towards Alita. Now that she mentions it, I could see quite a few people eating or drinking at their table while being lost in their conversations.

Looking at the sight of eating people, I swiftly realized that I was quite hungry myself.

I felt a bit perturbed by my unexpected hunger; I had eaten just a few hours prior to this. How come I am so hungry again? Taking a glance at my stomach, I noted that it was still mostly flat. Initially, I was worried about getting fat, but it didn't seem to happen. I mean... I definitely gained some weight since I live in the Dimhollow House. However, only so much that it made my shape fill out to a healthier degree. I was way too skinny before, which was something my newfound family kept mentioning. In fact, they were still occasionally comparing me to a glorified twig.

I couldn't understand elven physiology. It seemed no matter how much I ate, I would only gain more than a minuscule amount of weight.

When I complained to Aria about these strange things, she simply laughed at me. Telling me that most people would be happy if they didn't have to worry about getting fat. Seeing that I was actually confounded by my predicament. She eventually told me that it wasn't that elves couldn't get fat. It had more to do with my daily magical training. Constantly emptying, then refilling one's mana storage would take an immense amount of energy from the body. A lot more energy than conventional training would take.

It was an enlightening thought. Today, I already blasted off half of my mana in the morning, which would explain my sudden sense of hunger. True, by now most of my used up mana has been replenished.

Feeling Alita's hand lightly touching my shoulder, I shook off those thoughts; it was not the right time to get distracted.

~oOo~

Wandering around the guild hall was an interesting experience. The building was a bit unusual with my modern sensibilities. It was a mix of a restaurant, a hotel, a tactical base of a large association, a training ground, a museum of sorts with all those trophies, and there was even a modest library here with books that could be useful for adventurers. I didn't even mention the various merchants who were specified to sell to the adventurers. Gathering unique items and gears that I couldn't imagine any other people would often need.

There were guild-managed shops inside the building, not just the sellers in front of it.

In other words, the adventurer's guild house, or at least this particular one, created a similar sensation then those of large trade centers or plazas did back in my original world. You could essentially get everything in a single large building; you could even sleep there. It was awfully convenient, and I kind of liked it. Especially with the middle-aged style and with all those armed and armored people roaming around.

I couldn't quite hide the grin that sneaked onto my face, and Alita didn't miss the opportunity to rub in my stubbornness. She was right to be pissed with me. I turned down some of her invitations. I didn't intend to be mean towards her, but... after how easily I was thrown around by that crazy elf, I couldn't contain my terror-fuelled urge to train my magic.

I also had to heal first... so that was that.

While I wasn't exactly satisfied with my current progress. I had a lot more mana and more precision regarding my magical abilities than I had a month ago. It was progress, slow but undeniable.

I leaned against the backseat of my well-cushioned chair. Looking out from one of the building's balconies from the first floor down onto the busy streets of the dwarven capital. There was an empty plate in front of me, a few bones lying forgotten at its bottom, the last remains of my most recent feast. I lifted the glass of sweet red wine to my lips and gulped down a few mouthfuls of the godly nectar. I will have to give it to them; dwarves loved their alcohol, and they had a great variety of it. A comfortable warmth with a distant sense of fuzziness filled my body, carefully caressing my soul.

I sighed, feeling content, as I stared towards the distant lights of Bal Dorahl. The city was always beautiful, but from this elevated angle it was even more so. The lights of Bal Dorahl never dimmed, being a city in the deep, hidden under God knows how much earth and rock. The cavern it resided in was enormous, unreasonably so.

Moving my gaze from the city towards my dwarven companion, who shared a similar content look at the other end of the table, I decided to question this very phenomenon.

"How come there is such a gigantic cavern at the heart of a mountain like this?" ─ My question gained Alita's attention, who immediately noticed the melodic lilt of my voice. The effect was more pronounced when I felt content, calm... happy. I guess? It was another one of those strange elf things, which I was getting used to.

She hummed, playing thoughtfully with a wisp of her brown hair. ─ "It was not always just a mountain, you know. It was a volcano once, probably thousands of years ago. There is no more magma at this depth, perhaps not at all. This particular cavern was the core of the volcano. It was a magma chamber. Only after Earthmother's fury calmed and the rock cooled down did the dwarves settle in it. Of course, it was dangerous." ─ She paused before adding. ─ "It is dangerous. It took thousands of years for our ancestors to make this place into what it is today. A jewel, hidden in the heart of the mountain." ─ She smirked. ─ "Twin jewels, so to speak."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the unexpected innuendo. A gesture that made Alita break into a fit of laughter. She caught herself after a bit, giving me a glinting look. ─ "What? Don't give me that judgmental look. Like you are any better, elfy."

I raised an eyebrow at my newest nickname. It was one of the more acceptable ones. ─ "So, you are saying, we are living in the heart of a dead volcano? That's... I don't even know what to say to that."

Alita chuckled again, letting her head fall back over the top of her backseat, staring directly at the darkness above us. I followed her example, although reluctantly, looking up into the dark void above. There, beyond numerous layers of metal nets holding chunks of giant rocks, there was nothing but suffocating blackness. The realization filled me with a sharp sense of anxiety, forcing me to look away, resting my eyes on the lovely lights belonging to the underground city instead. Even so, my fingers kept tapping against the table in an attempt to distract myself from the panic that had threatened to overcome me a second ago.

Alita slowly straightened her posture. Noticing my unease, she continued her explanation.

"Admittedly, the idea of living in the magma chamber of a volcano was unorthodox, even among dwarves of the time. However, once you go over the layers of deadly gases that filled the place, it turned out to be surprisingly great." ─ She turned towards a sudden cacaphony of voices; some of the adventurers got rowdy in their game. There was some sort of broad game that seemed quite popular among adventurers. A number of them were following a party a while back, resulting in occasional bouts of random cheers. ─ "This place is incredibly rich in valuable minerals even now after eons of constant mining. It was also filled with thousands of natural caves crisscrossing across the entire mountain. We only had to reinforce the already existing caves, instead of digging them from nothing. Naturally... even with our skill and precautions, many died. The mountain takes its due, till to this very day."

I thought about it. There was something poetic in the way Alita explained everything. I could see a glint of veneration in her eyes as she spoke about everything. There was no doubt in my eyes that she held this place, this mountain, in great regard. It was not simply a mountain to her. It was her homeland.

"Thank you for telling me this. I appreciate it, Alita." ─ I told her, honestly, which made her smile, before looking over to the city once again.

"I should be the one thanking you, Selora. You are an elf, yet you fought for a land that you barely knew. You elves often say that we short-lived races don't realize the true weight of a life." ─ She paused. ─ "I don't know about that... but, I will admit, that I struggle to wrap my head around the meaning of eternity. Is that true, that you live forever, Selora?"

I continued to stare at the distant, flickering lights, my heart hammering against my rib cage at the unexpected question. A thought which I myself struggled to accept.

Offering a hesitant smile, I answered truthfully. ─ "I have no idea." ─ I continued in a soft voice. ─ "I don't think I will ever truly see the world as a white elf should." ─ I admitted. ─ "To me, a full life always has a start and an end to it. Nobody lives forever." ─ I explained with a surprising ease.

Alita smiled at that. ─ "That... well, that fills me with relief, we are not so different after all."

I looked her in the eye, a powerful certainty taking hold of me, as I added. ─ "Indeed, what matters is how you spend the time that is given, not how much time you are given. Some may reach the same destination in a handful of years, while others take a fraction of an eternity to get there. The turning of the wheel of time pressures us differently, but the path we walk is quite similar."

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