It was early in the afternoon in the imperial capital.
Two young elven girls were walking on a busy street with a lot of people coming and going.
Even though they were called young girls, it was only based on their outward appearance, and their actual age was double how they looked. Elves stopped aging after they beca adults. There were limits to how active they could be, but they would look young until they died. In addition, having beautiful looks as a whole was also one of their racial characteristics.
In fact, the sight of the two elven girls--Leisha and Ophelia walking together was so beautiful and picturesque that all those who passed by involuntarily looked back.
It was a holiday that day. A precious day when the two Seekers were freed from their bloody work. They wore their favorite clothes, went around the boutiques and jewelry stores, and had fun window shopping.
Still, to think that even you would beco a Seeker
Walking next to Leisha, Ophelia said, as if shocked.
Despite refusing my invitation, youve sure got so guts, huh?
She wasnt angry, but her words were barbed. Leisha scratched her head awkwardly.
Hahaha Well, things changed
Ophelia was from the sa village as Leisha, and was like an older sister to her. The two of them were remarkably beautiful even among elves, who were reputed to have many beautiful-looking people, and they were proud friends when they were in their hotown.
When they were still young, Leisha had admired Ophelias strawberry blonde hair, and had once tried to dye her hair into the sa color using crushed raspberries. Even the good scolding that she had received when her mother saw her sticky and dirty hair had beco a good mory after all this ti.
Moreover, Ophelia wasnt just beautiful, she was also kind, intelligent and strong. She mastered her Job of Archer, and was better at fighting than anyone else of the sa generation.
It seed like she would undoubtedly end up as the new village chief. Everyone expected that to happen, and Leisha also believed and didnt question it.
But--
I'll beco a Seeker. I absolutely refuse to end my days in a cramped village like this
One day, Ophelia declared that. Certainly, for soone of Ophelias caliber, it was probably natural for her to aim for greater heights. And then, she continued with this:
Leisha, wont you co with too?
Just as Leisha adored Ophelia as an older sister, Ophelia also loved Leisha like a little sister. They were always together when they trained and hunted, so it would be unnatural for Ophelia to not invite Leisha.
But--
Seeker~? I don't like troubleso stuff like that, so Ill pass, alright?
Leisha had found it botherso.
Doing dangerous work outside the village was preposterous. Certainly, life in the village was boring. The forest was forever unchanging, and there was nothing stimulating. It would be a lie for her to say that she didnt yearn for the outside world.
However, between the stress of living aimlessly in the village and the stress of starting a life outside of the village where she couldnt know what tomorrow would bring, it was a no-brainer which one was more burdenso.
Thats why, please do your best on your own, Ophelia. Im rooting for you! Fight for your dreams!
When Leisha encouraged her cheerfully, Ophelia was stunned, and then tears flowed from her eyes.
You heartless personnnnn!!!
Owwww! Why are you pulling my hair!?
She had probably never dread that her precious little sister would turn her down because she found it botherso. Ophelia was outraged and grabbed her. The sisters first fight heated up, and continued until they were blue in the face.
In the end, they had been able to reconcile, but Leisha beca even more unwilling to consider going to the outside world because of this event.
That was why becoming a resident of the imperial capital in this way was definitely not by her own free will.
Theres no way that I could have dreamt that I would get thrown out by my real parent, right?
Shortly after Ophelia left the village, Leisha's mother got remarried. Leisha also knew her mothers new partner quite well as he lived in the sa village. It had been several decades since she had lost her father to illness, and as a daughter, she was delighted at the fact that her mother had remarried and found happiness.
But--
Leisha, youre a hindrance to our newlywed life, so get out
Leisha, who had given her blessing to her mothers remarriage, was treated as a nuisance and chased out.
She lost a house to live in all of a sudden, so Leisha had no choice but to try to build her own, but the village chief wouldn't allow it.
Leisha, you're already a grown woman. Take this opportunity to get married and settle down. Thats right, how about my grandson? The both of you should get along well as youre childhood friends
In short, it was abuse of power. In order to get Leisha to marry his grandson, he didnt allow her to use a new piece of land.
So troubleso
She absolutely refused to marry soone she didnt even like. Leisha, who had co to completely hate living in the village, ran away imdiately. She drifted to the imperial capital, and that was how she beca a Seeker.
You see? There's nothing good about living in a lousy village like that
I told you so, said Ophelia as she laughed.
Because there is only that primitive way of living there, isnt it natural that won would be told to get married and give birth to children without any regard to our will?
Youre absolutely right
There is freedom here. It isn't a forgiving place, but you can get whatever you want just by doing your best. Delicious food, beautiful clothes, wonderful art and music, all of which are things that cannot be found in that village. Leisha also finds the life here more fun, right?
hahaha, right
Leisha agreed while scratching her cheek. As Ophelia said, life in the imperial capital was fun. Every day was filled with new discoveries. But it had been half a year since she started living in the imperial capital, and these days, she had started to feel nostalgic about the way of life in the village. She missed that quiet forest.
Urghh
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. It was a migraine that had plagued Leisha of late. It was brought on by the stress of living in the imperial capital.
Elves were inherently poor at adapting to the environnt. Moreover, this was a human city. There were many discoveries and stimuli in her new life. But at the sa ti, that also caused her a lot of stress.
In particular, because Leisha's Job was Archer, which had outstanding five senses, the amount of stress that she felt because of the lively and noisy way of life in the imperial capital was huge.
Another headache? Are you alright?
Leisha nodded to Ophelia, who was looking at her worriedly.
It's okay. As I have the dicine
Leisha took out a red tablet and swallowed it.
That dicine works well, but it dulls your senses, so you must never take it before a battle. If we Archers dull our five senses, well expose our allies lives to danger, got it?
I got it
The dicine that Leisha took was a painkiller that had been passed down by elves since a long ti ago. She had been completely reliant on this dicine of late.
Well, Ive gone down this path before so I know how tough it is. Its okay, youll be fine soon
I hope so
Youll be fine, I said! Hasnt your toughness been the only thing youve got going for you since way back!?
Isn't saying only terrible!?
Ophelia laughed happily as Leisha retorted.
I an, you should have let know much earlier that you had co to the imperial capital. If you did, I would have given you advice before it got to this state
Hahaha
Leisha laughed vaguely.
As a matter of fact, she had intended on turning to Ophelia for help. But she was the one who had refused to beco a Seeker at the start, so she felt embarrassed to consult her about becoming a Seeker after all that had happened. While she was wavering over what to do, she couldnt bring herself to get in touch until all this ti had passed.
In the end, Leisha beca a Seeker by herself, and she was fortunately able to obtain allies that she could trust as well.
Lightning Bite, that was the na of the party that Leisha was in.
But it's good that you also seem to be doing well. The reputation of Lightning Bite has even reached our ears. Youre all promising rookies, they say. I'm also proud of you
Well, its not that big of a deal
Seeing Ophelia, who looked like she was sincerely proud of her, Leisha beca embarrassed.
Lightning Bite was an erging party that had just happened to be recruiting mbers when Leisha arrived at the imperial capital. Including the leader, Wolf, and Leisha, it was comprised of six mbers in all.
Wolf, a Swordsman. Gareth, a Healer. Oscar, a Spearman. Kitty, a Mage. Eugene, a Gunner. And Leisha, an Archer.
Everyone showed great talent as Seekers, and regardless of the fact that it had only been half a year since they were ford, they had beco a party that everyone in the know would know of.
Its difficult for a rookie to succeed without experiencing setbacks. Injuries and illnesses, troubles with money and among allies, it also wasnt uncommon for people to lose their lives. The mbers of Lightning Bite, who were able to grow steadily despite such circumstances, were undoubtedly promising rookies.
I also heard a lot about Ophelias party, Sky Winged Knights. They say that all of you are absurdly strong Seekers. You guys were even featured in the newspapers, thats really amazing
Fufufu, thank you
Ophelia didnt act conceited nor did she act humble, she rely smiled calmly. When soone beca an outstanding talent of her level, they probably got tired of listening to such words of praise.
Will you guys beco a clan in the near future after all?
Ophelia shook her head at Leishas question.
No. we plan to solidify our foundation a little bit more. Of course, we intend on becoming a clan, but our target is so ti next year, not right now, I suppose
Seekers worked in parties, but that was an informal arrangent. It was only after they had applied at the Seeker Guild to beco a clan, that they would be recognized as an official organization for the first ti. And in order to receive requests related to Abysses directly from the country, it was a prerequisite that the organization had been acknowledged as a clan. In other words, being in a clan was also the sign of a professional Seeker.
A party that hadnt been acknowledged as a clan could receive Abyss-related requests only by receiving outsourced requests from other clans. This rule was absolute, and it applied to both Lightning Bite as well as Sky Winged Knights, which Ophelia belonged in.
In truth, we could have applied to beco a clan much earlier, you know? However, once we beca a clan, the expenses and taxes will increase in proportion to the increase of money coming in, and well have to clear strict assessnts, so if we ca to a standstill for even a mont, well go bankrupt. Thats why its more advantageous to beco a clan after obtaining enough power without being impatient
I see
The parties that applied to beco a clan mostly did so in the fifth year since they were ford. That was because it was around that ti that they would possess sufficient strength as Seekers, and have saved up enough money for the necessary expenses starting with the compulsory fee that served as collateral.
Sky Winged Knights was a party in its fourth year. Considering the fact that next year happened to be their fifth year, it could probably be said that it was neither too late nor too early, and was the best timing for it.
There were so who did it earlier, but that wasnt really typical, and there were many cases of them dissolving because they had beco a clan despite lacking strength. It was obvious that being too eager for success would give rise to distortions. Success could only be achieved on top of a solid foundation.
If you beco rich after the application for a clan gets approved, treat plenty of delicious food, okay? I'm looking forward to it
Ophelia smiled wryly when Leisha flashed her white teeth like a mischievous child.
Don't talk as if its got nothing to do with you. Even you guys will beco a clan, right?
I do think that it would be nice if we beca one, I suppose
Thats vague Will it be alright?
But it has only been half a year since we were ford, you know? Theres no telling what the future holds
Lax! With such a lackadaisical way of thinking, you wont beat your rivals! After all, theres a Seeker in this imperial capital who reached EX Rank at the age of fifteen, you know!?
Even if you use a monster like that as an example
Are you going to talk back to ? In the first place, youve always been
Ophelia began to lecture her at great length. Ophelia was a beautiful, gentle and dependable senior, but her flaw was that she had a habit of preaching. On top of that, once she started, it would never end.
Leisha had a desire to improve too. But there would be no end to it once she started comparing herself to those above, and rather than having to work frantically, what she really wanted was to continue having fun with her party mbers, whom she got along with well. But if she said that, it would only extend the duration of Ophelia's preaching.
Hey, Leisha! Are you listening to !?
Yes yes, Im listening, alright?
Leisha replied thoughtlessly, but she was enjoying it a little. It had been quite a while since she had to listen to a sermon from Ophelia. It felt like she was back in her hotown.
She was glad that she had tried getting in touch because she had missed her.
She was able to think that from the bottom of her heart.
Leisha and Ophelia decided to take a break at a fanciful open cafe. They had fun talking about the past while smacking their lips at the delicious cakes and tea.
I'm going to the bathroom, okay?
In the middle of their talk, Ophelia left her seat. As Leisha waited for her to return, the surroundings started becoming noisy all of a sudden.
Extra!!! Extra!!! Read all about it!!!
Turning to the direction of the voice, she saw that a newspaper vendor was selling an extra edition.
That major clan, Night Rage, failed in their exploration of the Abyss! The clan is devastated after suffering many casualties! Details are written in the newspaper! Co, buy a copy!
Huh, Night Rage is!?
Leisha was shocked by the words of the newspaper vendor.
Night Rage was a prominent major clan even in the imperial capital, and its strength was said to a match for the Regalia. It was hard to believe that such powerful people were defeated all of a sudden. Leisha left her seat and yelled to the newspaper vendor.
Mister, give one!
Leisha managed to get a copy of the extra edition, while being jostled by the crowd of people who were scrambling to buy it. She imdiately skimd through the newspaper, and what was written in it exceeded her expectations.
Night Rage, unable to do anything in defeat to Lord.
The overwhelmingly strong Lord had killed the main mbers of Night Rage instantly. The remaining mbers, who had scattered and ran for dear life, were being protected/sheltered by the Seeker Guild.
The Seeker Guild, taking the matter seriously, sent a request imdiately to Supre Dragon Squad, 1st Star of Regalia, to subjugate it, but the Lord had returned to the Void by itself.
According to a Beast researcher affiliated with the Seeker Guild, he suspected that the Abyss that had ford most likely lacked the capacity to sustain the crossing over of the Lord. He said that he would continue to investigate why that Lord had been able to cross over into such an unstable Abyss.
To think that Night Rage would be unable to do anything
It didnt seem to be a Variant, but its strength was disparate even considering that it was a Lord. As a matter of fact, Night Rage had succeeded in defeating Lords twice in the past.
It was a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma. A cold shiver ran down Leishas spine at the fear of the unknown she felt.
A detailed full-length portrait of the Lord was also included in the extra edition. It was a slender humanoid that was covered by red armor-like carapace, and had two horns growing from its forehead. And it was holding a huge battle axe.
This is the Lord that overwheld Night Rage
Leisha, who was looking at the picture of Lord, suddenly had a feeling that sothing was out of place.
This axe
The battle axe that the Lord was holding was terribly odd. There were many examples of humanoid Beasts that were equipped with weapons and armor, but because they were residents of a different world, the materials and design differed from those made by humans.
However, the battle axe that this Lord was holding looked like it could only be sothing of this world. To put it simply, it was too well ordered. Of course, she had no proof, and it was ultimately just a sense of wrongness that she felt from the picture. Most of all, she had no idea why a Lord would possess a man-made battle axe.
Leisha tilted her head. --It was at that ti.
So you lived after all I'll kill you
She felt an intense and ominous killing intent.
When Leisha spun around with a start, she saw a young girl with black hair there.
No, that was wrong.
Because of those beautiful features, she had thought it was a girl, but it was a boy instead. The bone structure and muscles were those of a man. Even so, because he was slender and short, there must have been many people who mistook him for a girl.
The black-haired boy was reading the extra edition with a grim look. That look was almost as if he was staring at a bitter foe that had killed his parents. The killing intent from earlier had probably been released by this boy.
She didnt think that a normal person could possess a killing intent that was so intense.
Who on earth was that boy?
Hey, what are you looking at? What business do you have with ?
The boy had noticed Leisha's gaze and was making a wondering expression.
Oh, s, sorry! I dont particularly have any business with you!
At the boys nacing attitude, Leisha hastily apologized.
Now that she had t the boys gaze, she could tell that this boy wasn't soone that should be approached carelessly. Despite his young age, his eyes looked cold and cunning like a snakes. He had a dangerous air and it felt like she would get devoured instantly if she let her guard down even a little.
Tch, dont stare at other people. Its unpleasant
Hahaha, thats true Im really sorry, alright!? Well then, bye!
Leisha hurriedly turned on her heel. She wanted to get away from this boy as soon as possible. She had confidence that she could handle herself in a fight, but her instincts were telling her that he was dangerous.
Hey, wait
However, the boy called for Leisha to stop with a sharp voice.
Wh, what is it?
When she stopped and turned back, the boy squinted at her.
You're Leisha from Lightning Bite, arent you?
Huh, you know about ?
When Leisha asked, the boy nodded.
Leisha, the Archer, who has a reputation of being a promising rookie
Ha, haa. Hmm? Wait, weve never t before, right? How did you know it was ?
Leisha's na was known in Seeker circles, but today was the first ti that she had t this boy. There was no way he knew her face.
And yet, how did he know that it was her? She was off today so she hadnt even brought her bow.
When Leisha beca wary, the boy twisted the ends of his mouth.
Dont worry. Im not an enemy
If thats true, how did you know that it was ?
Its slight, but your left arm is longer, and you have more muscle mass on your right side as well. Moreover, your left thumb is a little bit thick and the side of your little finger is smooth. Those are all physical characteristics of Archers
Certainly, Leisha had the characteristics that the boy had listed. The cause of all those characteristics was the load placed on the body by the action of drawing the bow.
The way you carry yourself, your bearing, theyre very refined. Thats the sign of a good Archer. And youre a female elf. All that matches up with Leisha of Lightning Bite
There are plenty more female elves who are excellent Archers in this imperial capital
In the first place, elves were a race that gave rise to Archers easily. In addition, since they were generally beautiful, they tended to look alike. In other words, he shouldn't have been able to conclude that she was Leisha just from the fact that she was a good Archer.
Answer without deception. How did you know that it was ?
When Leisha hardened her tone and asked again, the boy shrugged his shoulders.
Didnt I say that I wasnt an enemy?
In that case, prove it
Understood. There is another reason for why I knew that you're Leisha. Its your sll
Ehh? Sm, sll?
Leisha was perplexed by his surprising answer. The boy continued matter-of-factly.
You sll sweet. Its not a perfu. Its the sll of the kagaya fruit. Thats the fruit that elves often use as painkillers. You use it regularly, dont you? Since you have no symptoms of illnesses or injuries, you must be using it because of stress-induced headaches. Elves are bad at adapting to the environnt. The stress of living in an unfamiliar city of another race is causing you to have chronic headaches
Th, that is
According to statistics, it takes about nine months for an elf to get used to his or her new environnt. In other words, youve been living in this city for less than nine months. There are many capable elves in this city, but in terms of elves that have started living here less than nine months ago, and a woman on top of that, youre the only one that fits that criteria
Leisha was surprised and at a loss for words. That was because the boy's deduction had hit the nail on the head perfectly. It had been so correct that there was no room for rebuttal at all.
Its because you're a woman. I was reluctant to say that I realized who you were because of your sll
The boy said that without looking abashed.
She had known that this boy wassothingout of the ordinary, but even so, he had terrifying powers of observation and insight. He was an extraordinary person after all.
Are you by any chance a detective?
When Leisha tilted her head, the boy laughed loudly.
Ahahaha, Im a detective, you said? Theres no way thats true, isnt it?
Muu, then what are you?
The boy wiped the tears at the corners of his eyes with his fingers and changed his expression.
I'm not a detective. Im a Seeker just like you. However, Im not able to officially register since I'm only 14 years old
In other words, youre a Seeker in the making?
Well, sothing like that. Ill be able to register half a year later
Hmm. In spite of that, you
You act pretty self-important, dont you? Were the words that Leisha hurriedly swallowed back.
Hmm S, so, what did you want with ?
Nothing in particular. I just wondered what kind of person you were. You've an extrely good reputation. Youre not only capable, it seems like youre also able to diate well between your strongly individualistic party mbers. Its rare for talents to possess both combat ability and virtue. Moreover, when it cos to rookies, the rarity is even higher. Thats why Im interested in you. Frankly speaking, it's no exaggeration to say that Im your fan
Ehh, fan!? Stop, its embarrassing
Leisha scratched her head happily. It was the first ti since she was born that soone had said that he was a fan of her. He was a mysterious boy, but he might actually not be a bad person.
Should I give him an autograph or sothing? She wondered.
As Leisha was considering it half-seriously, the boy snorted softly.
But you don't look like youre as great of a person as I had imagined
Huh?
Promising rookies, Lightning Bite. I was looking forward to how much talent they had, but at the very least, theyre no match for
Hu, huh!? What did you sayyy!?
Leisha was furious at his sudden criticism.
Arent you being rude all of a sudden!?
But it's a fact. Sure, you seem outstanding, but I can't feel even a shred of ambition from you. You beca a Seeker without much resolve, am I right? I can tell just by looking at your face
What!?
He had hit the nail on the head. Leisha didnt have a clear goal, but had beco a Seeker in order to make a living. She couldnt refute him at all when he said that she had no ambition.
Dont misunderstand. I'm not finding fault with you. Youre free to do whatever you want regardless of whatever reasons you have. But no matter how outstanding a talent is, he or she wont be able to rise to greater heights without a strong will
Ur, urgh
She was extrely angry. His argunt was sound, but she would be frustrated if she left it alone and didnt say anything back. So Leisha sohow swallowed back her anger and strived to put a composed smile on her face.
Hm, hmm~, you sure can talk big, cant you? However, is it okay for you to talk so boastfully when you havent even registered as a Seeker? Dont co crying to when you end up with egg on your face
Egg on my face? What can you accomplish if youre afraid of being embarrassed? Above all, even if you behave humbly, no one will acknowledge you unless you produce results. Results are everything in this world
Im, impudent talk to the bitter end
Leisha was so vexed that she ground her back teeth. However, the boy didnt look bothered at all, and to make matters worse, he even ended up yawning.
Fuwaaa, I'm so sleepy. Sorry for stopping you. I'm leaving now
The boy turned on his heel and began to leave. Leisha hurriedly chased after his back.
Wa, wait! Youre just going to say what you want and leave!?
She had no intention of starting a fight, but if she left things as they were, she wouldnt be able to contain her anger. However, just before she grabbed the boy's shoulder, a voice called out to her from behind.
Leisha, what are you doing?
It was Ophelia. She had probably co looking for Leisha, who had left her seat. The instant Leisha turned her attention towards Ophelia, the boys presence suddenly disappeared.
Ahhh!? He escaped!?
It appeared that he had slipped into the crowd of people coming and going on the busy street. She had already lost sight of him, and it would likely be difficult for even a Seeker with excellent sensing abilities like Leisha to find him.
Jeez, co on! What on earth was that child!?
Ophelia drew close as Leisha stomped her foot on the ground.
Wh, whats wrong? Did sothing happen?
Its nothing!!!
Leisha yelled, venting her anger.
And then, she swore to herself resolutely.
That if she ever saw that black-haired boy again, she would definitely make him cry.
Woohoo, ladies and gentlen, its a prequel! Well, sort of. So many backstories added here, Lightning Bite, Sky Winged Knights, and even Lioud got thrown in for good asure! The poor mbers of Lightning Bite got nad after all this ti lol.
And we finally learn more about the disparate Lord that Noel, the disparate Seeker, is seeking revenge on.
Like most of the best relationships, Leisha and Noels sure started on the wrong foot! He instilled resolve in her in the end, though Im going to go ahead and guess that it wasnt the type he was expecting lol.
How did Leisha end up being so friendly with Noel in the main story? Which nostalgic faces are going to make an appearance next!? Stay tuned to find out!!
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