A(n) (un)clear talk and a(n) (un)godly meeting

[A/N: Co-written with ScarletRabbit.]

Aveline's violet eyes looked to her left, eyeing Lis'te. The man wore a dark silver robe that descended to his ankles, showing his feet clad in small shoes. The blue glimmer of his eyes was focused on the garden they walked through before he noticed her staring.

"Is something the matter?" he raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing," the blonde Stormrider shrugged as she shuffled her long dress. Inwardly, she could only scoff at the article of clothing, but keeping up an appearance was imperative. "Mind if we take a seat?" her thick eyebrow raised as she nodded toward a bench.

"By all means."

"Does Princess Seraphina feel alright?" Aveline asked, slowly sitting down.

Lis'te nodded with a small smile as he did the same. "She was sleeping last I checked, so I believe she managed to calm down."

"That's good. Proper rest is important," Aveline nodded lightly. The unbound, wavy hair shifted to her front, the gold mixing with silver undertones. Then, she looked to the sky. "Though, I've been meaning to ask. What kind of a person is Princess Seraphina? She appeared... displeased yesterday, but what is she like on a normal day?"

"Usually, she is a very bright and pleasant person. Soft and kind, to the point where I sometimes wonder if she is of the same parents as her brother."

"Is that so? I think you said her brother was sent to the frontlines? Is it because of his personality?"

"Partially, I suppose," Lis'te almost chuckled. "Prince Dellin has always been the sharper razor of the two. Perhaps not in a purely aggressive way, but he does enjoy combat."

"Well, I do hope everything works out for Inallel. Perhaps even Etnal could get involved in the conflict."

"Perhaps," he nodded lightly. "Though, I believe they will attempt to solve the issue on their own, for now at least."

"Doesn't sound smart," Aveline let her hand roam on the wooden surface momentarily. Suddenly, she felt something on her skin. '...breadcrumbs?' she frowned ever so slightly, sweeping the crumbs away, but the expression went unnoticed by Lis'te. "Our country's military is decent. We may be neutral, but denouncing Ureliar is not something our king would shy from."

"I understand your point, Mistress Aveline. However, elves have their pride, even more so when we consider nobility. It would take a miracle (or rather, a catastrophe) for their attitude to change."

"I see," Aveline's expression turned to ponder. "Though, I do wonder. You said the attacks were sudden, and some even happened in Rigus. How come? I always imagined the elves to have the pinnacle of security."

"Well, that is true. Inallel possesses the most advanced detection magic. However, it only works on magical items."

"So, what you're saying is, Ureliar attacked with non-magical weapons?"

Lis'te nodded lightly, "We're not sure how, but they managed to create items with destructive power comparable to 4th-circle magic. The most dreading thing is, they are undetectable with any form of detection we have. Was it not for the fact that Inallel is brimming with primal mana, the devastation would've been severe."

"I see," Aveline's complexion darkened. "Did you capture any of those items?"

"A couple, yes. Unfortunately, our Alchemists cannot figure out what they are. From what they said, no magic was involved in their creation. This is something we have yet to learn of. Deciphering that will likely take days."

The blonde woman didn't answer. Straightening in her position, she appeared to be thinking about something for but a moment.

"However," Lis'te broke the silence. "I'm certain that Inallel's military strength is enough to fight Ureliar on our own. Such trickery as that only works once."

"...yeah, you're right," Aveline nodded, but her eyes strayed away from the man. A faint feeling stirred in her heart.

However, the talk between the two was suddenly interrupted.

A man, one of Princess Seraphina's guards, approached with hasty steps. Immediately, he called out Lis'te's name and spoke something in Mins. The blonde elf quickly answered, seemingly with a question. The back and forth continued for about ten seconds before the elf sitting on the bench stood up.

"I apologize, Mistress Aveline," he said apologetically. "Princess Seraphina has woken up and is requesting my presence immediately. I have to go."

"Ah, of course," she replied, sporting a gentle smile. Her large frame shuffled as she stood up. Looking down at both men, she fixed her hair. "Don't let me hold you down. If you feel like continuing the talk, find me when you have some time."

"Thank you, I will. Until we meet later," Lis'te bowed, his long hair tenderly swaying with the motion.

And then, he walked away with newfound grit, the guard guiding his way.

...

Aveline sighed heavily. Turning on her heels, the robust woman walked deeper into the garden. Reaching a large pond, she sat on a bench by the water's edge.

Her reflection was almost pristine and unmoving, like looking in a mirror. The stare of her violet orbs was reflected, and within, the woman could see a bit of sorrow stir.

'A trick only works once... right, Father?' she thought, lifting her head a little. With a long exhale, Aveline closed her eyes. The beat of her heart reverberated within her skull. Her lips curved faintly at the recollections she had of Valerian.

Lifting a hand a little, she looked at her palm. A particular memory from six years prior resurfaced as she traced along the calluses. She could almost picture the rims that formed when she clutched the bottle with all she had.

Then, her fingers clenched, the nails almost piercing her skin. A sting of pain erupted. Her teeth clenched. A bit of wetness appeared at the rims of her eyes before she took a deeper breath, calming down.

Aveline felt her heart become heavy.

'I won't fail you, Father.'

Slowly, the blonde Stormrider stood up. Wiping any remaining wetness around her eyes, Aveline turned around.

But she didn't step away. Her gaze met a stare of bronze eyes looking at her from ground level.

A cat was sitting atop the grass. Its fur, the shade of a moonless night, glimmered with polish as the animal moved slightly. It appeared neither tense nor on alert against her. Rather, the cat moved closer as though to indicate its willingness to be touched, should the woman reach for it.

Aveline blinked hastily before approaching it slowly. The faintest of smiles appeared on her face.

-Meanwhile-

Lucas's steps led him through Weydan at a quick pace. The pleasantly swirling air served as an aura of chill he needed in the sweltering heat. Inwardly, he sent a gesture of gratitude to Ruminis, the God of Wind.

Having finished his lectures for the day, he stepped forth with vigor, soon entering the marketplace. The cacophony of voices that welcomed him felt like a pleasant refresher.

However, he did not come here to listen to the intermingling talks.

Summoning his status, he confirmed his WP to be reaching 400. Thankfully for him, the potion from Professor Schweizer helped him immensely, scarcely a memory of the headache remaining.

Therefore, his eyes quickly scanned the people, deciding to pick his target. His hand wormed into a pocket, pulling out a few golden coins.

Now came the time to train.

Coming up to a merchant, he quickly inquired about buying an apple. A few words were exchanged, and as the talk appeared to be getting nowhere, Lucas sent out a <Subliminal Guidance> toward the merchant's mind. Double usage of the spell managed to get him a small discount on the fruit.

Going further, he haggled with a woman about buying a piece of bread at a lower price than advertised. This time, a few more spells required being used.

He felt the voice in the back of his mind observe his actions. Although it gave no other reaction than mere curiosity, he could almost picture the owner smiling in glee.

Within a few minutes, the white-haired man sat on a bench near a large fountain. He took a bite of the apple he'd bought before drinking some dark-colored, sweet liquid. A small pouch sat on his hips, a couple of other small items within (he needed not one of them, but they were the effects of his training).

He brought up his status and confirmed a change.

[...

Mental Power: 1 -> 2

...]

'It doesn't seem too difficult to raise.' he conceded, reminding himself that the stat growth happened early on. While there appeared to be little effects, Lucas didn't fret. 'It took 25 points in Magical Resistance to get it as a skill. I cannot expect much of anything for now. For now, getting one point in Mental Power elevated maximum WP by 4 points.' he nodded lightly, confirming that the resource stood at 120 out of 428 points. 'Not bad. I wonder if it will increase with a level-up, as well...' he grimaced at the thought. 'I'll postpone that until later. No matter what, this is still a support class. I may know how to handle a sword, but going against monsters on my own is a **** sentence.'

He reminded himself of the time when he leveled up. He dreaded the memory even though it was nearly a year old. During one of the lessons, Deuce decided that going for a monster hunt would be a proper experience to gain for both Lucas and Aveline. In a way, he called it his 'birthday gift' for the white-haired man.

In theory, it was straightforward. Find monsters and kill them.

Reality, however, was anything but easy.

Rats were simple monsters. They operated in packs and boasted high speed. However, they were somewhat brittle and could be taken down reliably. They were perfect for beginners...

...if the one hunting had a class or an attack skill.

Aveline had no problems. Even if her aura control and fighting form were less than ideal, she took down several beasts without breaking a sweat. The only thing she nagged about was the limited experience from the hunt. Having reached level 15 back then, monsters of levels 1 to 3 were a negligible gain for her.

With Lucas, however, the story was starkly different. He had no skills designed for fight. Making up for the lack of attack power with refined techniques could work in a duel against a human. However, when faced with an opponent relying on their physical strength, speed, and numbers, he couldn't win. The rats were faster than him and could evade his attacks. It took almost a day for him to catch just a few of those rodents, and leveling up even once took several such adventures. From the gains, he received some extra max HP, MP, and 5 stat points of increase across his base stats (which mostly went into his highest stat, however ironic it was). It was not worth the effort.

And that was just rats - the most basic monsters one could face. They were so commonplace that even walking through Weydan, one could cross paths with a pack or two. On the flip side, they mostly ignored people unless provoked.

Should he face anything more robust, he'd be dead meat.

Lucas sighed heavily. A bitter feeling swelled in his throat. However, it was washed away in an instant. Struggles of being weak were like bread and butter to him.

Finishing up his meal, he stretched his body a little. The combat between the heat and cold attacking him had reached a pleasant standstill, which made him want to stay sitting for some more time.

However, that was bound to only last for a short while.

Some commotion could be heard, even without activating <Keen Senses>. Lucas felt his head turn in its direction. A couple of people had gathered not too far from him, intent on watching the scene unfold. However, the situation was impossible for the man to look at clearly.

An idea entered his mind. Shooting a gaze left and right, Lucas closed his eyes.

'<Astral Projection>.'

Instantly, he flew upward, clearing the large fountain and then standing atop it. From his vantage point, he could notice the scene with ease.

A large, powerful man, no doubt around Deuce's height, looked fiercely at a small person ahead of him. A light armor made his overall features more difficult to discern. His head was hidden under a large helm, but its open visage allowed the tanned skin to meet the outside world. A big battle axe rested in his hands, ready to be swung. However, the man did not wear Enforcer's clothes. He appeared to be a mercenary or the like.

Then, Lucas glanced to the other side of the conflict.

The woman appeared to be slightly shorter than Nimue. Her blood-red hair, curly and unbound, cascaded to her shoulders, shuffling against a blue cloak that reached her knees. Unlike the man, Lucas could discern the woman's facial structures, composed of a small nose and thin lips. She also sported pointy ears poking from between the curls of hair. The brown eyes glimmered with intelligence mixed with laughter.

Her body reminded Lucas of Elaine's. Slim lines of her hips and upper body were hidden under dark-colored pants and a gray shirt. She appeared entirely unarmed, not even a dagger affixed to her side.

A stinging sensation struck him from the back of his mind. However, unlike before, when it sounded warning or commanding, it now felt... flabbergastered.

The man quickly floated as close as his skill allowed him to. A few meters of distance was enough. Lucas concentrated, doing his best to listen to the talk.

"You elves are really pissing me off," he growled, the axe making an arc and striking the ground with its tip. A heavy sound went through the air as Lucas noticed some things nearby shake slightly.

'Holy, that thing must weigh a lot. Getting hit by that won't end on just a cut...' he thought with a bit of inner worry.

The woman, however, appeared hardly fazed.

"Look at you, so high on your horse. Are you compensating for something with that thing?" the woman's eyebrow raised as her mouth curved in a playful smile.

'Dammit, seems like it's an issue with racial backgrounds. Though, why is she so relaxed? That man can probably behead her in an instant. She doesn't seem to have a sword, so she likely is not a melee fighter... and even a Rogue-type has a limit to their reaction speed.' Lucas put a hand to his mouth as he watched the situation unfold.

"Chill, big guy," the woman continued. "The confidence makes the man, but are you sure you know what you're doing?"

The tall man appeared even more agitated upon hearing the words. "You bitch!" his muscles moved, clearing the distance of a few meters almost instantly.

'This speed! She won't react!' Lucas's heart skipped a beat. He knew the truth. His eyes could not even follow the motion fully. To react to that, even instinctively, was unlikely.

He sent a mental condolence to the woman's family.

A loud noise rang, and the earth around shook. The people who watched the commotion took some steps behind, clearly wary of the man's power yet unable to stop watching.

Lucas's eyes shot to the spot where the woman stood. A small cloud of dust that clouded everyone's vision started dissipating. However, the target of the attack was gone. The axe's head was lodged in the ground deeply.

"Did you get her?" her voice sounded. Snapping to the source, Lucas saw the woman standing... right next to the man?

The attacker immediately reacted, swinging his weapon horizontally and attempting to catch her. This, however, was ineffective. The woman swiftly ducked, getting out of the attack's path. Then, she skittered sideways, evading the man's side hook. Her face still kept a relaxed countenance. In fact, a faint smirk stretched her thin lips.

'To react to that speed... what kind of power would one have to have? The higher end of Rook class... or perhaps even stepping into Queen class.' Lucas frowned. 'I don't think any of the guards that arrived yesterday were this small... who is she?'

The red-haired woman evaded another blow aimed to decapitate her.

"Really? Why don't you just mail me the axe?" she asked. Making a quick spin, she kicked the weapon, deflecting a motion that would cut her in half.

"You elves, always acting superior," the man gritted his teeth before turning around.

"Superior, am I?" the woman appeared to scoff, backpedaling. Coming to a halt after a few steps, she sighed. "Then again, when was the last time you took a bath?"

"I'll put you in your place, bitch."

"Better start with some Tic Tacs in your mouth," she gave the man a big grin before jumping out of the way of another strike.

The fight continued for a couple seconds. The air was filled with whip-like cracks of the axe's tip traveling at nigh-sound speeds. The feet of both fighters shuffled as the elf continued to evade further strikes.

And then, the red-haired woman looked in a direction. That direction was exactly where Lucas's astral projection was.

Their eyes met.

Half a second. That was enough for everything to happen.

A cold shiver went down Lucas's spine. Unable to peel his eyes away, he noticed the woman mouth a single word with a smile.

'Hi...?'

The word bounced in Lucas's skull for a fraction of a second. Then, it was replaced with something else.

'Wait, she got distracted!'

A thundering sound resonated. A shockwave went through the air, shaking the nearby stands and causing a blow of wind to go through the area. Dust was raised in an instant. Lucas could almost sense the immense vibrations.

His mind was filled with equal amounts of dread and curiosity. At this moment, the question of how the woman managed to see his astral form was put aside. Instead, he felt concern for her well-being.

The voice in the back of his mind sneered at his worries. It appeared to know something about the situation that the man did not.

The dust cleared after a few seconds.

The red-haired woman, previously unarmed, was now holding a massive greatsword, blocking the strike. Even by a rough estimate, the weapon was longer than she was tall, and its blade was at least as wide as Lucas's palm.

'What?! Where the hell did she pull that thing from?!'

Her expression remained relaxed despite the seemingly uncomfortable weight being pressed against her.

"Hey," her voice sounded, now louder than before. "Something came up on my end. You mind if we call it quits?" her eyebrow raised, a genuine question stirring in her bronze eyes.

The man roared in response, relenting slightly before making a rapid spin. The red-haired woman dashed to the side.

"I guess that's a no," she sighed. "I'll finish it up, then."

She spread her legs slightly, taking a proper stance. She raised the sword, expulsing some air from her lungs.

'...I don't recognize that stance...' Lucas thought, looking at her. He didn't know that much swordsmanship, but the base stances of all five countries were known to him. This did not fall under any of them. It was a more advanced concept... or something entirely different.

His ponder found an answer nearly instantly. The moment the tanned man started moving, the woman answered in kind. Her steps connected fluidly.

"<Hyllen Sword Dance>, <Whirl>," she spoke softly yet with power. Mana welled up around, coating her blade in a blue aura. She raised the sword, meeting the axe's strike.

A loud sound reverberated in the air as the man's weapon shifted its momentum, cutting his shoulder deeply. With a shout of pain, he moved backward. Shooting a hateful gaze at his opponent, he appeared ready to rush in an instant and attempt another ****.

However, the woman's advance did not finish.

"<Perturbation>," a glint of blue energy sept from the blade, forming a projectile that hit the man in his stomach.

Stunned by the blow, the man tumbled onto his back. Groaning in pain, he seemed to voice some slurs at the woman who lowered the blade. However, it was clear that he would not get up immediately.

A tiny smirk graced her face. Her brown eyes shot toward Lucas for a split second. His heart froze at that moment, only to begin moving again once he canceled the skill.

Feeling his body move freely again, the white-haired man looked to his sides. The group of people was starting to dissipate quickly. He breathed a shallow sigh of relief when he did not see the elf woman between the people.

'...what the hell did I just witness...?'

"You know," he heard a voice just next to himself. "Some people may not take nicely to being watched like that," the woman spoke with a neutral tone, but he swore he could hear a glint of laughter underlying it.

"??!" he almost jumped in his seat. 'When did she...?!' the thought filled his head with uneasiness. Even if she moved quickly, he'd have felt a gust of wind, but... there was nothing?

The red-haired woman shot a quick glance at Lucas. The sword was already gone from her hands, its current location unknown. Her brown eyes stirred with some laughter as she chuckled vividly.

"Well, if someone doesn't look like he's seen a ghost."

The voice in the back of Lucas's mind stirred with uncertainty.

'[Why is she here?]' it asked, its tone full of reserved curiosity. It appeared slightly uneasy at the woman's presence, but curiously enough, not in a negative way.

"...do I know you?" Lucas asked carefully.

The woman formed a slightly perplexed expression, visibly surprised by the question. Within her bronze eyes, a bit of a ponder stirred for half a second. Then, she sighed.

"Well, I suppose you don't," she shrugged with a faint chuckle. "It's not like I know you either, right?" she raised a hand, its palm open as though to show her point.

"...right," Lucas responded slowly, his voice full of hesitation he tried to not show. The elf emanated no pressure, but having seen her fight just now, he knew she was suppressing her power. "So... what's your name?"

"Not sure if there's a point in you knowing. You'll say it wrong anyway," the woman's shoulders moved as though in a shrug. "I mean seriously, 'b', then 'e', then 'a'. Three distinct letters, yet most people say my name like I'm a bee," the woman huffed at her hair, getting it out of her face. "Do I look like I fly around and collect pollen for a living?"

"...no?" Lucas shook his head slightly.

"Exactly. But somehow, the world is the way it is. 'Read' rhymes with 'lead' but doesn't with 'lead', people pronounce 'bea' as 'bee', and white wine is called 'white' because it's made of green grapes and has a yellow color," the red-haired woman chuckled lightly, gazing up front.

For a long moment, the duo sitting remained silent. The marketplace seemed to have moved on from the scene that just happened. Some Enforcers entered the area, arresting the man and helping him away. Strangely enough, none of them approached the two.

The voice from the back of Lucas's mind whispered quietly, telling the man to speak up. Reluctantly, his mouth parted, "Though... 'bea' is spoken like 'bee' in Siles. It sounds... better, to be honest."

The red-haired elf glanced at him, a palpable amount of surprise stirring in the bronze eyes. After a moment, she chuckled, seemingly in defeat.

"Well, I'd lie if I said you are the first to say that. You know ravens, right? Very intelligent animals. Yet, there is one that just can't seem to speak my name right."

Lucas didn't answer, instead pondering on the meaning of the woman's words.

"Though, that guy is a 'raven' in one place, and in others, he becomes a 'rabbit', 'boar', 'dolphin', and those are only the ones I know of. And the naming sense of them being scarlet-colored makes me wonder if his real nickname is 'Pet Shop'. Maybe he grows stronger by eating," she chuckled.

'What...?' Lucas felt his mind clouded by a momentary sense of perplexity. The voice from the back of his mind appeared just as surprised by the woman's seemingly random words.

"Ah, whatever," she slowly stood up. The red curls of hair swayed in rhythm with the motion. "I'm not on vacation to bicker about word spelling. Opinions are like... well, you know the rest."

'Vacation...?' Lucas's eyebrows knitted. The more he heard this woman, the less she made sense. Seeing his astral projection? Showing abilities nearing Queen class in swordsmanship? Those strange fighting stances and skills? What the hell was Hyllen Sword Dance?

However, those ponders halted in an instant. The woman stepped away a little before coming to a stop. She turned to him partially, only one side of her head visible. The brown eye looked over him as her mouth parted, "Well, you probably already heard this, but let me give you some advice. Having power is good. Using that power is better. But knowing when and how to use it is the best. Got it?" she asked.

Lucas, however, felt a shiver go through his body.

"...yes," 'Is she not going to say anything more...? For a moment, I thought she knew what my class was...'

"Good. Well then, take care, Lucas," the woman gave him a small smile before stepping in between some people. Before Lucas realized what happened, she was already gone, not a sign of her presence left.

...

'Wait. Did I introduce myself...?' Lucas frowned.

...

'I should return home.'

The voice in the back of his mind quietly agreed.

...

...

...

Sitting atop the roof of a tall tower, the red-haired woman looked at Lucas from a distance. Although he was more than a kilometer away from her now, she had no difficulty seeing him as though he was just ten meters away. The slight nervousness of his step also didn't escape her senses.

She sighed heavily.

'I was wondering why it was so peaceful...' her mouth formed a tiny, pouty grimace.

She breathed a sigh, defocusing from the man's back. With a swift motion, the elf woman put a hand on the roof tiles and lifted herself off the surface. Then, she bent her body, planting her feet atop the tiles. Straightening to an upright posture, she swept her cloak lightly, getting any remaining dust off its surface.

The woman's brown eyes closed for a long moment. Concentrating intensely, she felt the mana in the air. Her nose stirred ever so, but she fought the feeling, instead expanding her senses further. Instantly, she felt every tiniest perturbance in the power on a range that could not be estimated.

'...!'

Her eyes opened sharply, darting to the man. No, more precisely, the woman looked ahead of him. In the place she discerned to be Lucas's destination, some mana moved.

'...this is... strange.' she frowned. The amount of mana was not significant, but its type... 'It feels... like Desa...'

After a few more seconds, the red-haired elf relaxed her senses. Then, she took her steps toward the roof's edge. Without waiting, she jumped down, landing on a street more than fifty meters below. Stepping away with light steps, one thought wormed into her mind.

'...you failed, Eamon.'

---

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