“Now that they had gathered enough Silver Wolf Fangs, only the Magic Flower remained elusive.”
Having moved to another part of Fingel Forest, Jeanne D’Arc and her companions found their spoils significantly increased. They had even acquired extra Silver Wolf Fangs.
However, the elusive Magic Flower, their crucial quest item, still remained unfound. None among them knew its whereabouts.
Just as they fell into a contemplative silence, Alisa Dragon rejoined the group, her arms cradling a vibrant bouquet of multicolored blossoms. Amongst the array, a distinct five-petaled flower, streaked in blue and white, caught their eyes.
“Oh? Alisa, where did you gather those flowers you’re holding?”
The others, seated on the grass, watched Alisa Dragon return from her water-gathering errand. Luoge East lifted her head, her gaze falling upon the blossoms in Alisa Dragon’s hands, noticing a faint ripple of magical energy emanating from them.
“I picked them from in front of a cave,” Alisa Dragon replied, “There were so many more there.”
She then set the vibrant bouquet before them and began to animatedly describe everything she had seen, utterly oblivious to the crucial detail she had forgotten.
“Oh ho~ Is that so?” Luoge East purred, her eyes narrowing into a mischievous smile. “There’s something, though, that I find quite intriguing.”
Behind her pleasant expression, a hint of playful mischief, or perhaps a hidden scheme, seemed to lurk.
“Hmm? What is it?” Alisa Dragon asked, still completely oblivious.
She gazed at Luoge East, whose face was now blooming with a smile, her own expression a picture of adorable bewilderment.
“Now, what was it that I remember you going to do?” Luoge East prompted, deliberately vague.
She chose not to state it directly, instead opting to further prod the single-minded simpleton before her.
“Ah! Oh no!” Alisa Dragon exclaimed, a sudden realization dawning on her. “I forgot to bring back the water flasks!”
She had, in fact, volunteered to refill everyone’s water flasks. Yet, upon discovering the beautiful flowers by the stream, the flasks themselves had vanished entirely from her memory, left abandoned by the water’s edge.
“That’s precisely why I say it,” Luoge East declared with a sigh, though a hint of amusement laced her tone. “She truly is an idiot, a bona fide simpleton. I can’t fathom how she ever passed the mage’s appraisal exam. Honestly, I believe this nitwit would be far better suited as a knight.”
One of Luoge East’s greatest joys was teasing Alisa Dragon. Despite being distant relatives, they were, in a sense, sisters. Crucially, this fact was known only to Luoge East and Alisa Dragon’s mother, a truth Alisa Dragon herself remained entirely oblivious to.
Alisa Dragon was notorious for her habit of ‘picking up sesame seeds and dropping watermelons’ – fixating on trivial details while completely overlooking vital matters. This tendency often gave Luoge East a monumental headache.
Yet, Luoge East had once promised Alisa Dragon’s mother that she would always look after her. A promise that, despite the exasperation, she intended to keep.
“I am not an idiot!” Alisa Dragon protested, her cheeks puffing out. “I merely forgot! Besides, I did fill the water flasks, you know!”
She couldn’t resist defending herself, even in her flustered state.
“I’ll go fetch them right now!”
Determined to rectify her oversight, Alisa Dragon spun around and sprinted off.
“Alisa, wait, wait for me!”
Driven by the undeniable bond of camaraderie, Windy Feron clutched her magic staff and hurried after Alisa Dragon, her small steps quickening to keep pace.
“Should we go with them?” Jeanne D’Arc asked, her unease palpable.
She found herself unable to remain seated, unwilling to let Alisa Dragon and Windy Feron venture off alone. Having already felt apprehensive about Alisa Dragon’s earlier solo excursion, especially with the forest’s current instability, Jeanne D’Arc believed it was far safer for them all to stick together, ensuring mutual protection.
“Yes, let’s go,” Shavier Aznar agreed, nodding with a gentle smile.
She rose to her feet, taking her sister Shana Aznar’s hand in hers.
“I, too, am concerned about that silly girl,” Luoge East admitted, a wry smile playing on her lips. “Who knows if she’ll forget something else again.”
She linked her arm through Jeanne D’Arc’s, and the four of them quickened their pace, following in the wake of Windy Feron and Alisa Dragon.
****
On the other side of Fingel Forest, a desolate wasteland stretched out.
“These individuals weren’t entirely lacking in strength,” the Cool-headed Young Man mused, wiping the blade of his greatsword. “A pity, though, they were only good for a warm-up.”
Across the desolate wasteland, bodies clad in identical uniforms lay sprawled, each felled by a single, fatal blow.
“Our current mission is to rendezvous with Lucy and the others,” the Leader Girl stated, her voice firm. “Furthermore, the plan has changed.”
Without a glance at the fallen bodies or the blood-soaked earth, she stepped directly over the corpses, unperturbed.
“There’s no need to worry on that front,” Sophia Intist reassured them. “There have been no incidents concerning Lucy’s group for the time being.”
Perched on the shoulder of her summoned familiar, a colossal Stone Golem, Sophia Intist raised her hand. A beautiful bird descended, alighting gently upon her shoulder, its clear chirps sounding almost like a report to her.
“Rushu, my clothes are soiled,” the Elven Girl complained, her voice laced with distress.
She winced, genuinely upset that even a minuscule speck of blood had marred her attire.
“It’s just a bit of blood,” Rushu retorted, his tone laced with impatience. “Just wash it clean when we return. If it truly bothers you, discard it and get a new one.”
“Sophia Intist, do you know Lucy’s precise location?” the Leader Girl inquired, looking up at Sophia Intist, who was still seated atop the colossal Stone Golem.
“Yes,” Sophia Intist affirmed with a calm nod. “However, my familiar just relayed some new information.”
“Could something have befallen that woman, Lucy?” the Cool-headed Young Man mused, a sardonic smile playing on his lips, reflected in the polished blade of his greatsword.
“You’re quite right, actually,” Sophia Intist confirmed. “They’ve encountered a minor setback, though neither side has initiated direct conflict.”
She gestured towards the upper right, the direction from which her familiar had transmitted the latest report.
“What are we waiting for?” the Leader Girl exclaimed, already moving. “Let’s go at once!”
However, just as they prepared to depart, the corpses scattered across the ground began to stir. Their movements were grotesque, each rising like a shambling zombie.
As if that weren’t enough, two Bone Dragons, identical to those previously seen in Jeanne D’Arc’s village, erupted from beneath the earth. It was clear their adversaries had anticipated their arrival and prepared for these ‘harassers’.
“It appears our hosts aren’t keen on letting us depart,” the Cool-headed Young Man remarked, a sneer gracing his lips.
He hefted his greatsword, ready to confront the monstrous creatures before him.
“How truly troublesome,” Rushu muttered, pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead. “Two Bone Dragons and a swarm of ghouls.”
He was, by nature, utterly averse to handling bothersome affairs, yet the academy had dispatched him on this mission, and, to his utter dismay, paired him with the very Elven Girl he least wished to encounter.
“I absolutely despise these repulsive creatures!” the Elven Girl declared, her voice sharp. “Rushu, hurry and deal with them! I refuse to get my clothes any dirtier. This is my most cherished outfit, and while it’s already been sullied, I absolutely will not allow it to be stained again!”
She held a particular fondness for issuing commands to Rushu, always directing him to perform tasks.
“You woman are truly infuriating!” Rushu snapped, his patience finally snapping. “Can’t you ever be quiet for a moment?”
He whirled around, glaring at her as he yelled.
“You… you actually yelled at me?” the Elven Girl stammered, her voice trembling. “Rushu, you scoundrel! I’m your fiancée; you can’t treat me like this!”
Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared at him, utterly wounded by his outburst.
“While I shouldn’t meddle in your personal affairs,” the Leader Girl interjected, her voice firm, “do not forget the precarious situation we currently find ourselves in.”
As the leader of this mission, she bore an immense burden of responsibility. With three volatile individuals within her ranks, the pressure was nothing short of overwhelming.
“Sophia Intist, would you be able to compel those two Bone Dragons, please?” the Leader Girl requested.
She placed her hopes on Sophia Intist, who, among them, was generally the most reliable.
“I can,” Sophia Intist began, then hesitated, her words trailing off. “No, perhaps not. I will do my best.”
She suddenly stopped herself, leaving the others wondering what she had originally intended to say.
“We appreciate your efforts,” the Leader Girl replied, nodding to Sophia Intist. “We will eliminate the ghouls with the utmost speed.”
“Leave the Undead Summoner to me.”
Despite Sophia Intist’s personal strength not being exceptionally formidable, her innate talent and fortuitous encounters were truly enviable. She was one of the rare genius summoners on the European continent capable of forging a summoning contract with the Elf King.
The Elf King was not, in fact, the monarch of the elven race. It was a unique spirit, traversing the very fabric of dimensions, possessing immense power.
It could effortlessly cleave open the space between two worlds, and legend claimed its existence predated the world itself, though no one had ever been able to verify the truth of such a claim.
“My immortal warriors, awaken!” the Undead Summoner intoned, his voice echoing. “Let the world bear witness to your majesty!”
He then began to conjure the undead denizens of the underworld into battle. The numerical disparity between the two factions rapidly swelled, though with a summoner also present on the opposing side, a lack of numbers might not prove to be an insurmountable obstacle.
“Let our battle commence!” the Leader Girl declared, drawing her one-handed sword.
Within her, magical energy began to surge forth in a steady, powerful flow.
“Since the Captain has given the order, I shall certainly complete the mission,” the Cool-headed Young Man affirmed.
He effortlessly lifted his massive greatsword with one hand, resting its weight upon his shoulder. His magical power, it was clear, was in no way inferior to the Leader Girl’s.
“Rushu, I don’t care what it takes!” the Elven Girl insisted, her voice rising. “You absolutely must not let those filthy creatures come anywhere near me, absolutely not!”
Her relentless insistence clearly exasperated Rushu. With a sigh of annoyance, he drew his weapon: a deceptively ordinary wooden bow.
“Such a nagging woman, truly a nuisance,” Rushu grumbled under his breath.
With evident reluctance, he strode away, completely disregarding the Elven Girl’s continued shouts from behind him.
“Guardians of the Earth, Stone Soldiers!” Sophia Intist commanded.
She conjured two formidable stone giants, each fully armored and standing no shorter than the Bone Dragons. Sophia Intist had summoned only these two, confident that their presence would suffice, for she was not fighting this battle alone.
“Be careful not to get injured,” the Leader Girl warned, before charging forward. “We don’t have a healer in this team.”
Right beside her, the Cool-headed Young Man kept pace. Despite wielding a massive, heavy greatsword, his speed was every bit as impressive as the Leader Girl’s, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Crash!
The Cool-headed Young Man slammed his greatsword into the ground, and several unfortunate ghouls were instantly flattened into pulp by the sheer magical pressure.
“Shadow Flash.”
The Leader Girl transformed into a blur, streaking through the ghoul horde like a dark light. In her wake, a line of ghouls were instantly decapitated, their heads consumed by the encroaching darkness.
“Lightning Strike.”
The Elven Girl raised her right hand, channeling her magic to unleash a cascade of lightning. A wide area around the ghouls and the Undead Summoner’s summoned skeletons was bombarded by falling bolts.
“Sophia!”
Rushu, sensing something amiss, whirled around. He grabbed the Elven Girl’s hand and, with a powerful heave, threw her directly onto the Stone Golem where Sophia Intist was perched.
“Spiral Arrow!”
Rushu leaped backward into the air, his magic coalescing into a spiraling arrow of pure energy. He aimed and fired it precisely at the spot where the Elven Girl had stood moments before.