“Come on, since you still have some fight left in you, let’s finish this appetizer and move straight to the main course.”
Yue Wu suddenly grew exhilarated.
“…”
Adia found himself in an impossible predicament. Fighting was perilous, yet retreating seemed equally so.
The sheer terror of Yue Wu’s magic had already sapped a significant portion of his combat strength. Coupled with the close-quarters combat Yue Wu had displayed earlier, Adia realized he was utterly outmatched.
He possessed immunity to all physical attacks, but his magical resistance was notably low, as his strengths lay predominantly in the physical domain.
“…”
Thus, Yue Wu and Adia stood there, staring at each other in a silent standoff for a while.
“How boring. Let’s head back, let’s head back. Remember to give me one of those rings.”
Finally, Yue Wu and Scheffiel, who was delighted with the dozen or so spatial rings she had acquired, departed from the cavern.
Deep within the cavern, Adia remained impaled in the ground like a giant green onion, a sight that unequivocally declared it Yue Wu’s handiwork.
The most lamentable aspect was that the entire demon army stationed within the cavern had been annihilated, leaving not a single high-ranking demon alive.
Only Adia remained, a solitary commander guarding the entrance to the Demon Realm—a truly pathetic sight when one considered it.
“Once this is all over, will you be returning? Back to the Empire?”
Yue Wu, bored beyond measure, casually posed the question to Scheffiel.
“Yes, I’ll first head to the nearest town from here to find the local authority. After briefing them on a few matters, I’ll return.”
After carefully considering her itinerary, Scheffiel recounted her upcoming travel plans to Yue Wu.
“Is the Empire interesting, then?”
“The Empire is incredibly prosperous. There are so many enjoyable sights, delicious foods, beautiful things to see, and wonderful sounds to hear. Would you like to come back with me?”
“Ah, never mind.”
“I see.”
“If I ever have the time, I’ll visit.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, I’ll go.”
“That’s wonderful! When the time comes, remember to write to me. I’ll take you to all the best places and let you taste all the finest foods.”
“Well then, I’ll trouble you when that time comes, hehe~”
“Oh, right, I forgot to ask you. Do you have an affiliation?”
“Affiliation? Oh! Yes, I do. Why do you ask?”
“Are the people there all as strong as you?”
“Uh, about that…”
Yue Wu hesitated, finding himself at a loss for how to answer Scheffiel’s question.
“They’re… alright.”
“I really want to meet your companions.”
“Is that so? Ahahaha.”
Yue Wu and Scheffiel exited the cavern, returning to the Silver Lion Knights’ camp to rest.
With the cavern reconnaissance now concluded, the narrative shifts forward to the early hours of this very morning.
****
The sky had barely begun to lighten. In the central residential district of Sachsen City, within the home of Yue Wu and Jeanne, Jeanne had already risen early.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and dressed, then picked up the small satchel she had prepared the night before. It contained all the essentials she would need for a mission outside.
Today marked Jeanne’s very first time venturing to the Adventurers’ Guild alone to accept a quest.
Jeanne was clad in the clothes Yue Wu had gifted her, garments he had assured her would protect her from significant harm.
She then took out a white shawl and draped it over her shoulders, tying the two small pom-pom strings together.
Clutching the magic staff Yue Wu had meticulously prepared for her, its tip adorned with a golden, five-pointed star gem, Jeanne presented a truly endearing picture.
‘I must be spirited today! To avoid disappointing my brother, Jeanne will definitely do her best, definitely!’
Jeanne stood before the mirror, psyching herself up.
Jeanne still remembered the way to the Adventurers’ Guild and followed her memory to its location.
At this hour, the guild wasn’t bustling with many people, only a scattering of low-level newcomers, freshly initiated into the world of adventurers.
“Hello, excuse me, do you have companions?”
As Jeanne entered the Adventurers’ Guild, a party of five approached her.
Leading them was a long-haired golden-blonde girl named Shavier Aznar, a swordswoman with a single-handed sword at her waist. It was she who spoke to Jeanne.
The remaining four were all girls as well: Luoge East, with her golden curly hair, a Sage; Windy Feron, with short blue hair, a Water Priest; Alisa Dragon, with long red hair, a Fire Mage; and Shana Aznar, with long golden hair, Shavier’s twin sister.
Shavier was the older sister, and Shana the younger. Like her sister, Shana was also a swordswoman.
“No.”
Jeanne shook her head as she replied.
“Then, would you consider teaming up with us? We just accepted a quest, but it requires six people, and we only have five, so please, we beg you!”
Shavier pleaded earnestly.
Jeanne said nothing, but instead offered a gentle smile and extended her hand to the group. Her meaning was clear: she accepted their invitation to join.
“My name is Shavier, Shavier Aznar. This is my sister, Shana Aznar; she’s not much of a talker.”
“This one’s name is Luoge, Luoge East.”
“H-hello, m-my name is Windy Feron. Thank you.”
“This is Alisa, Alisa Dragon! And I’m really strong, you know!”
“Hello everyone, my name is Jeanne, Jeanne D’Arc.”
The six girls quickly acquainted themselves. Perhaps it was because the party consisted solely of females, but their conversation flowed incessantly from the moment they teamed up.
They were exceptionally chatty, and Jeanne, in particular, was overjoyed.
“Wow! I can’t believe your brother taught you magic, Jeanne!”
After Jeanne and the five others quickly became good friends, the outspoken Alisa often enjoyed throwing an arm around Jeanne.
Having been born in a tavern, Alisa’s speech was indeed rather blunt and unreserved; she was a true social butterfly.
“Then Jeanne’s brother must be incredibly powerful.”
Shavier turned to Jeanne and smiled. Shavier had once been a noble lady, but tragically, her family had vanished overnight.
Her younger sister, Shana, had become withdrawn and quiet ever since that incident.
“Oh ho? This one would truly like to meet him.”
Luoge enjoyed referring to herself using the archaic term ‘this one’. Her voice was beautiful and deeply moving, befitting her role as a songstress.
Her mother had also been a songstress, and much of Luoge’s personality was inherited from her.
“I-I’m so envious.”
Windy was a very introverted girl, prone to blushing easily whenever anything happened.
“…”
Shana maintained her usual indifferent expression, walking steadfastly by Shavier’s side, shoulder to shoulder.
“However, my brother left on a long journey yesterday. He’s probably not coming back until much later, so I’m living alone at home.”
The quest Jeanne and her companions had accepted involved collecting Magic Flowers and Silver Wolf Fangs from the Fenrir Forest.
News of Fenrir Forest’s resurgence had already spread throughout Sachsen City, causing merchants to eagerly set their sights on its resources.
It was a place rich in alchemical ingredients, though the dangers lurking within were considerable.
Jeanne and the others journeyed towards Fenrir Forest by carriage, all of them chatting and laughing merrily, their conversation never ceasing.
However, upon learning the quest’s destination, Jeanne instinctively touched the necklace hidden beneath her clothes.
In her mind, Yue Wu’s words from the day he gave her the necklace echoed.
‘If you encounter any difficulties near there, just use the magic-linked necklace. Cang Lang will come to your aid, and don’t hesitate to call on him.’
These were the words Yue Wu had spoken to her then.
“Jeanne? Jeanne?”
At that moment, as Shavier and the others were engrossed in their lively conversation, Shavier noticed Jeanne, seated diagonally opposite her, had suddenly fallen silent.
Her hand remained pressed against her chest, causing Shavier to feel a surge of worry.
“Ah? Is something wrong, Shavier?”
Jeanne snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Shavier.
“Nothing, really. I just saw you suddenly stop talking, and your hand was on your chest, so I worried you might not be feeling well. Are you perhaps unaccustomed to riding in carriages?”
Shavier reached out and gently placed her hand on Jeanne’s, her voice filled with concern.
Within the party, everyone was roughly the same age; all were fourteen, save for Alisa, who was fifteen.
However, Alisa’s personality wasn’t particularly reliable, while Shavier demonstrated a more dependable approach to tasks, which led to her selection as the team leader.
“Thank you, Shavier, but I truly am fine.”
Seeing Shavier’s genuine concern, Jeanne couldn’t help but smile cheerfully.
“That’s good to hear.”
Only then did Shavier let out a sigh of relief.
“To ensure our journey isn’t dull, this one has decided to grace our travels with song.”
If asked what she was most proud of, Luoge would declare her singing voice without hesitation.
Having grown up listening to her mother’s songs, Luoge had inherited all of her mother’s virtues, appearing both adorable and captivating.
She was destined to become a stunning and exceptionally talented beauty as she matured.
Throughout the journey, everyone found themselves enchanted by Luoge’s sweet and moving voice, a voice capable of plunging listeners into a state of blissful intoxication.
Jeanne had initially thought that their praise for Luoge’s singing was merely an exaggeration, simply describing it as ‘very pleasant’.
She never expected it to be so profoundly beautiful, a sensation akin to being filled with exquisite wine, leaving one deeply captivated and utterly unable to extricate oneself.
It wasn’t until the carriage reached its destination that Luoge’s singing finally ceased.
While there was a slight tinge of regret, overall, everyone felt quite satisfied and eagerly anticipated her next performance.