Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 82: Outing (3)

Eventually, they adapted.

Luneth, as expected, was the most efficient.

She barely needed to move. She would watch, step once, and catch a lizard with eerie precision.

Cassian, on the other hand—

"Well, that’s four," he said cheerfully, holding up a squirming lizard. "Who knew they’d respond to food?"

Lindarion stared. "You just fed them?"

Cassian grinned. "I call it ’distract and snatch.’"

Luneth nodded in approval. "Simple, but effective."

Lindarion hated that it worked.

—

Five lizards down.

’Only one left.’

And, of course, it had to be the worst one.

Lindarion glared at the last lizard, which had somehow managed to get itself on top of a hanging shop sign.

It flicked its tail mockingly.

Cassian squinted. "I think it knows."

Luneth’s voice was calm. "It is learning."

Lindarion exhaled sharply.

’No. Absolutely not.’

He refused to let a rift lizard outsmart them.

—

Cassian tried food again.

The lizard stared at him.

Then, in an act of pure defiance—

It knocked the food off the ledge.

Cassian looked personally offended.

Luneth tilted her head. "It appears to have rejected diplomacy."

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Lindarion rubbed his temples.

’This is getting ridiculous.’

—

In the end, it took all three of them.

Lindarion cut off its escape routes, Cassian distracted it, and Luneth—

Luneth simply waited for it to make a mistake.

And when it did—

She grabbed it mid-air.

Cassian clapped. "That was beautiful."

Lindarion sighed in relief.

The lizard looked betrayed.

Luneth held it up. "We are done."

Lindarion turned back toward the watchman’s post. "Let’s get this over with."

Cassian slung an arm around his shoulder. "See? That was fun."

’Fun my ass.’

Lindarion ignored him.

—

When they finally returned the lizards, the watchman looked impressed.

"Didn’t think you’d actually catch all of ’em."

Cassian grinned. "You lack faith."

Luneth handed over the last lizard. "They were predictable."

Lindarion adjusted his coat. "Can we go now?"

The watchman laughed. "Fine, fine. You did good. Here—take these."

He handed each of them a small coin pouch.

Cassian immediately opened his. "Huh. Decent."

Lindarion raised an eyebrow. "How much is ’decent’?"

Cassian grinned. "Enough to get food again!"

Luneth nodded approvingly.

Lindarion sighed.

—

They ended up at a small tavern.

Cassian ordered first.

"I’ll take whatever’s biggest."

Luneth chose something light. "Something warm."

Lindarion… just ordered something simple.

By the time the food arrived, Cassian was already talking.

"Alright, so what’s next?"

Lindarion blinked. "Next?"

Cassian grinned. "We should pick another job."

Luneth nodded. "That would be efficient."

Lindarion wanted to rest.

But Cassian was already looking through a new list.

"…What about bounty hunting?"

Lindarion closed his eyes.

’This is going to be a long day.’

—

After finishing their meals they made their way towards a bounty board.

"Look I’ve done bounty hunting before…we need to be careful."

Lindarion spoke as he remembered the bunch of hunts he completed with Erebus.

"Seriously?"

Cassian asked as both Luneth and him look at Lindarion weirdly.

’Is that such a bad thing?’

Lindarion nodded innocently as they arrived in front of the board.

He had one rule when it came to bounty hunting.

Never take a job without knowing the details..

Cassian, unfortunately, did not share this philosophy.

"This one looks good!" he said, snapping the bounty notice off the board.

Lindarion looked at it. Then he looked at Cassian.

Cassian grinned. "It pays well, and you are experienced! Should be easy!"

Lindarion read the bounty again.

Target: Ralven the Grin

Crime: Theft, smuggling, resisting arrest

Location: Last seen near the east docks

Reward: 200 gold

Luneth tilted her head. "The name is odd."

Cassian shrugged. "Maybe he just smiles a lot."

Lindarion exhaled.

’No. Absolutely not.’

Cassian took his silence as approval. "Great, Let’s go."

The east docks were exactly what Lindarion expected.

Dirty, loud, and filled with people who were either working, stealing, or doing both.

Cassian seemed at home.

Luneth… was Luneth. Unbothered, untouchable.

Lindarion was already regretting this.

"Alright," he muttered. "We need information."

Cassian nodded sagely. "Got it."

Then he immediately walked up to the shadiest man in sight.

Lindarion barely had time to stop him before he was casually asking a dock worker if they knew a wanted criminal.

The man looked at Cassian.

Then at Lindarion.

Then at Luneth.

Then back at Cassian.

"…Who’s asking?"

Cassian hesitated. "Uh—"

Lindarion stepped in before Cassian got stabbed.

He placed a few gold coins on the table. "We’re looking for Ralven. You know where he is?"

The dock worker stared at the coins. Then at Lindarion.

Finally, he sighed. "You bounty hunters?"

Lindarion nodded.

Cassian shifted awkwardly. "He is. We’re just… assisting."

Luneth nodded. "He has experience."

The dock worker looked deeply amused by this information.

"Well," he said, pocketing the coins, "if you’re looking for Ralven… I’d suggest you check the old warehouse near the pier."

Lindarion narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The dock worker grinned. "Because you’re not the first ones to come looking for him."

Cassian frowned. "That’s… not reassuring."

Lindarion was already walking away.

Luneth followed silently.

Cassian sighed and jogged after them. "This is starting to feel like a mistake."

Lindarion didn’t bother to answer.

It absolutely was.

—

The warehouse was quiet.

Too quiet.

Lindarion didn’t like it.

Cassian hesitated at the entrance this time. A good sign.

Luneth… simply stared into the darkness. "There are bodies."

Cassian froze. "Wait—what?"

Then he saw them.

Two men, slumped against the crates. Alive, but unconscious.

Cassian let out a low whistle. "Well, that’s ominous."

Lindarion was already moving.

He crouched next to one of them, checking for injuries. Bruises, shallow cuts—nothing fatal.

Whoever did this… wasn’t trying to kill them.

Lindarion exhaled. "We need to be careful."

Cassian nodded. "Yeah, I—"

The doors slammed shut behind them.

Cassian cursed. "Oh, come on."

Luneth remained perfectly calm. "Expected."

Lindarion exhaled. "Of course."

A voice chuckled from the shadows.

"Well, well. More bounty hunters."

A man stepped into the dim light.

Dark clothes, a dagger in one hand, and a wide, unsettling grin.

Ralven.

He twirled the blade between his fingers. "Let me guess—you saw the reward and thought you’d try your luck?"

Cassian shifted uneasily. "Something like that."

Lindarion ignored him. His eyes were on Ralven’s stance. Loose. Relaxed. He was confident.

That meant one thing.

He thought he had the advantage.

Ralven laughed. "I’ll give you credit for making it this far."

Cassian exhaled slowly. "We’re not looking for a fight."

’…we are bounty hunters…’

Lindarion sighed and Ralven’s grin widened.

"That’s disappointing."

And then he dashed forward.

Lindarion reacted instantly.

Cassian fell back with Luneth.

And just like that—the fight began.

Ralven’s blade moved fast—but not fast enough.

Lindarion saw the attack coming before it even finished.

His sword was already in place when Ralven lunged, sword meeting the blade. Sparks flew as the force of the clash rippled through the air.

Ralven pushed, flames licking up the edge of his dagger. A desperate move.

Lindarion didn’t flinch. Lightning surged through his sword—

Ralven barely had time to react before the shock slammed into him.

His body seized. The flames on his dagger snuffed out instantly.

Cassian whistled. "That was fast."

Ralven staggered. His legs buckled beneath him, but before he could fall, Lindarion stepped forward.

’That was easy..’

One smooth step—his knee slammed into Ralven’s stomach.

A sharp gasp. The thief crumpled.

Lindarion grabbed him by the collar before he could hit the ground.

The entire fight had lasted seconds.

Luneth tilted her head. "Huh. Expected more."

Cassian crossed his arms. "Well, that was anticlimactic."

Lindarion exhaled through his nose. He never liked dragging fights out against criminals.

Ralven groaned weakly. "Was that—really necessary?"

’Oh..he’s still conscious.’

Lindarion didn’t answer.

Cassian crouched beside him, poking him in the side with his foot. "Think he’ll stay conscious long enough for us to turn him in?"

Luneth blinked. "Unlikely."

Ralven let out a weak, pained laugh. "You guys are—awful."

’Tough luck..’

Lindarion rolled his eyes channeling lightning onto Ralven’s neck making him unconscious.

He dragged Ralven up with one hand, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

Cassian chuckled. "I gotta admit, that was a little impressive."

Lindarion didn’t bother responding.

He hated bounty hunting.

—

Dragging an unconscious thief through the streets of Eldenholm should have attracted more attention.

It didn’t.

The people here had probably seen worse.

’I thought it would attract far more attention.’

Lindarion carried Ralven with practiced ease, his weight barely an inconvenience.

Cassian strolled beside him, hands in his pockets, whistling.

Luneth trailed behind, her gaze flicking between the buildings as if cataloging everything in sight.

The bounty office wasn’t far. A squat, weathered building with a reinforced door and thick, iron-barred windows. A place built for frequent, violent visitors.

Lindarion pushed the door open with his foot and dropped Ralven unceremoniously onto the wooden floor.

A clerk glanced up from behind the counter. He didn’t even blink at the unconscious man at Lindarion’s feet.

"Name?"

Cassian grinned. "Ours or his?"

The clerk sighed. "The bounty."

Lindarion spoke before Cassian could make another joke. "Ralven, thief operating in the eastern quarter. Wanted for robbery, assault, and multiple escapes from detainment."

The clerk nodded, flipping through a logbook. After a moment, he pulled out a slip of parchment, scanned it, then gestured toward a back room. "Take him to the holding cell. Payment will be processed once he’s secured."

Lindarion didn’t argue. This part was routine.

He grabbed Ralven by the back of his collar and hauled him into the cell like luggage. The guards inside barely spared him a glance.

By the time he returned to the front, Cassian was leaning against the counter, idly tapping his fingers. Luneth stood beside him, patient as always.

The clerk counted out a stack of coins and pushed it forward. "200 gold coins, here."

Cassian picked up a coin and flipped it between his fingers. "Good enough for a couple of meals."

’We already ate anyways.’

Lindarion took the rest of the stack without comment. He didn’t do this for the money.

Luneth simply blinked. "Are we done?"