Capítulo 13: Tia Salisia

After what felt like an eternity of running, the two finally found a safe corner in the dungeon, away from the relentless Mantidoxes. Tia collapsed onto her knees, gasping for breath. Her chest heaved, and she could feel the last of her energy slipping away. In contrast, Zal barely showed any signs of fatigue, his posture relaxed as if they hadn't just been sprinting through a monster-infested labyrinth.

Tia shot him a look between heavy breaths.

"H-Hey… How did you *huff* not tired after all that running?"

Zal grinned down at her, shaking his head. "Heh. Kids these days, so easily worn out."

Annoyed, Tia glared up at him. "Hmph. You don't look THAT much older than me."

Zal chuckled, but his tone shifted to something more serious. "Anyway, I've been wondering—how'd you end up in the lower stratum? Rovers usually stick to the upper levels."

Still trying to catch her breath, Tia wiped the sweat from her forehead and sat back against the cold stone wall. "Uhh, it's a long story…"

Zal leaned against a nearby pillar, his gaze fixed on her, waiting patiently. Tia sighed and began recounting her ordeal.

"I was assisting some new F-rank Rovers. They'd just joined the guild, and one of their party members got caught in a trap down here. The guild issued a rescue commission. It was a simple search and rescue mission... or at least it was supposed to be."

Zal raised an eyebrow. "You're a D-rank, right? I reckon you'd be working alongside more experienced folks instead of them newbies, especially in a rescue mission."

Tia nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I usually do. But you see, the payout for the quest is low but with a rather high risk. It's almost like a voluntary work at this point. No one wanted to do the commission in the guild aside from me and a friend of mine."

"I see. But you know, I thought there would be at least a handful of people with at least good heart to go help the poor kid."

"Yeah, well, you see, the Rovers Guild I'm issued at has only 10 active Rovers: Two B-rankers, one C-ranker, two D-rankers, and five F-rankers."

"Ah, I get it now. Lack of manpower is an issue, huh."

"Yeah… Losing a Rover is like losing a piece of the public security. My friend who assisted me is a B-rank Rover. So, along with the remaining F-rankers, we went to the Iron Grave. We managed to find the trapped Rover, and he's in a bad shape. Like, really, REALLY bad. We were in this open area, with cliffs and water all around us. Just as we reached him, a big orc dropped down out of nowhere."

Zal's eyes widened slightly at the mention of an orc. Tia continued, her voice laced with frustration.

"The thing was wielding this massive axe. One of the F-rank Rovers freaked out—understandably—but I had to shove him out of the way before he became monster food. The orc hit me with the flat side of its weapon and... well, I went flying off the cliff."

Zal blinked, genuinely surprised. "And you survived a fall like that? That's like falling out of the sky."

Tia let out a weak laugh. "You wouldn't want to know what I looked like when I woke up." She gestured to her outfit—her red-and-white dress was torn in several places, and her breastplate was shattered. "I've seen better days."

Zal glanced at her armor, imagining just how brutal that fall must've been. Maybe even worse than the time I fell from that catwalk.

"Lucky for me," Tia continued, "I had just bought an elixir—discounted, no less. That's what kept me alive. I've lost track of time since that insane fall. And, well, I ran out of food pretty quickly…"

Zal crossed his arms, a playful smirk on his lips. "You must've been starving."

Tia grinned, though there was a tired edge to it. "Nah, not really. I had no choice but to eat whatever I could find down here... even though it might've killed me."

Zal raised an eyebrow. "You ate the creatures raw?"

"Wha—No! Of course not!" Tia shook her head profusely. She flicked her gloved fingers as a tiny flame sparked into existence.

"Gladly I taught myself some fire magic, hehe. Enough to cook the meat to something vaguely edible. Well, hopefully edible."

Zal nodded, genuinely impressed. "Hoho… Not bad. You've got some good survival instincts."

Tia's grin widened. "I know, right?"

She took a moment to steady herself before standing up, though she was still shaky from exhaustion. With a deep breath, she straightened her posture and bowed politely before Zal. "I'm Tia Salisia. I owe you my life for saving me back there. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Zal blinked at her sudden formality, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, no need for all that. Just glad I showed up in time."

Tia rose from her bow, a glint of determination in her eyes. "Well, it means a lot to me. Had you not shown up, I'm sure as heck be minced meat by now."

Zal smiled, though a hint of curiosity flickered in his gaze. He hadn't expected to run into another Rover down here, let alone one as capable as Tia. But there was something about her—her resolve, perhaps—that intrigued him.

"Heheh. In that case, you're welcome, kid."

"Nng…" Tia's face pouted. "Just so you know, I'm fifteen years old. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say. So, Miss Tia, shall we be heading off?"

"Just Tia is fine. Can I call you Mr. Zal?"

"I'm fine with that. I thought you said we're not that far in terms of age."

"Well, the way you're talking reminds me a lot of the older people in the guild."

"Haha. Guess even though my looks are young, I'm still as old as the hills."

"What are you muttering about…well, never mind. Once again, thank you, Mr. Zal!"

…

***

"I've been wondering. How did you know I'm D-rank, Mr. Zal?"

I raised an eyebrow. Wait, did she not mention that? I replayed our conversation in my head. She didn't. And that amulet Rovers carry? Hers was missing.

"I never told you what rank I am until I told you that bit of a story. Heck, my Rover's amulet – the telltale symbol of my current rank, was snapped off my neck when I fell," her voice carrying a sharp edge. "So, how did you know?"

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I was mentally cursing. Ellen, I thought, knowing she was the one who clued me in. "Well, you've got a point," I said with a shrug. The truth was Ellen made an educated guess just based on Tia's appearance—D-rank felt about right, and somehow, she nailed it. But now I wasn't sure if I should tell Tia about her.

She wasn't letting this go. "Earlier, when you were shouting... You mentioned someone named Ellen. Who is that?"

Sharp one, this girl.

I scratched the back of my head. No point in hiding it now. "You're perceptive," I said. "Ellen's... well, she's my friend, and she's in my backpack."

Tia blinked. "Your backpack?"

"Yeah," I continued, glancing at the large, bulky pack on my back. "Ellen's an automaton. She gives me advice, suggestions, that kind of thing."

Tia's brows furrowed. "An automaton...?"

Wonder if she can speak to her directly, I thought, feeling Ellen stir in my mind.

"You could let me speak to her," Ellen's voice chimed into my thoughts, calm and measured. "I can borrow your audio module. With your permission, of course."

*Why didn't you mention that earlier?* I shot back at her mentally, but agreed, giving her the go-ahead to speak. My lips stopped moving as Ellen took control.

"Greetings, Tia Salisia," Ellen's flat, robotic voice came through loud and clear. Tia looked startled, her eyes widening. "I am Ellen, working in cooperation with Zal to escape the dungeon. That is all."

Tia's shock was evident. I knew Ellen wasn't one for excessive conversation, but she could've toned down the eerie tone. Ellen transferred control back to me, and I could feel the weight of Tia's gaze.

"That's that," I said with a shrug. "Ellen's... not one for long explanations."

Tia took a step back, blinking rapidly. "Wait... does that mean you're an automaton too? You seem... human, but—"

I could see the awe in her eyes as she processed what she was seeing. I figured there was no point in explaining the mess that is my situation—besides, I wasn't in the mood to get into existential questions of whether I'm more human or machine. So I just let her keep wondering.

"Anyway," I said, trying to shift the conversation back on track. "If you're looking to head back to the surface, you're welcome to join me—and Ellen, of course."

Tia gave me a wry smile. "I've been lost down here so long, I was starting to think I'd make this place my new home." She shook her head. "But no, I have to get back to Batustone. I need to report that I'm still alive, for starters. I can't let everyone worried sick back in the guild…"

"That's fair," I nodded. "Welcome aboard."

Suddenly, Ellen's voice chimed back in, this time with a strange enthusiasm. "Tia Salisia has joined the party. Temporary alliance formed!"

Tia looked even more confused as Ellen continued, flatly delivering a triumphant fanfare. I couldn't help but chuckle. "Ellen, where'd you pick up that kind of line?"

"From your memories, Zal," Ellen replied. "The phrase seemed appropriate for the current situation."

Tia burst into laughter, doubling over as if the weight of the past week's stress had finally lifted. I glanced at her, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. It was nice to see someone laugh down here, in a place where everything usually went to hell.

"Alright, alright," she said between chuckles, wiping a tear from her eye. "You two are so funny. I like you guys already. I'm not as strong as you, but I can definitely hold my own when it comes to a fight."

"Good to hear," I said with a nod. "Now let's get moving. The passage to the middle stratum isn't far."

And with that, the three of us—a man turned robot, an automaton with a dry sense of humor, and a D-rank Rover who magically survived down here—continued deeper into the Iron Grave, hoping to find a way out.