by Iliev, Neven
“I’ll be fine, Lia. Just gotta… rest a bit…”
“Hmm, if you say so.”
The two of them were riding a cart on their way back from a training session. Today’s hunting expedition had turned out to be much harsher than Keira expected, so it was only natural that she was dead tired. Though, it wasn’t because the ten-man class’s targets were particularly challenging. Those sheep-sized termites that ate away at the elves’ hylt tree farm to the south of the city were simple enough to deal with. Their shells weren’t particularly tough and they lacked any form of ranged attack, so a small team of Rangers could easily take down a large number of the giant bugs.
In fact, trainees like Keira were often dispatched to act as pest control since fighting those things allowed them to safely and steadily acquire Levels and Skill Proficiency. Well, provided they steered clear of the actual nest, as that particular threat required copious amounts of fire-based magic to safely clear out. What these fledgling archers had to do was merely cull the termite population to make it easier to manage and contain their spread.
“So, how many did you get today?” asked Lia.
“I got twenty. You?”
“Twenty-three. Looks like you’ll have to try better next time.”
“Just you wait, I’ll get better and definitely beat you!” Keira stated confidently.
“I don’t plan on letting you just catch up to me though,” the elf smirked.
The two’s scores for the day were rather impressive, as most trainees only managed to bring down about a dozen termites on average in that time. Those pests loved to climb up the sides of the forty-to-sixty-meter-tall hylt saplings and nibble on the bark and branches, so hunting them often involved dealing with the numerous limbs and leaves that got in the way.
This was typically accomplished either by climbing up the side of the tree in order to get a clean shot or relying on pure marksmanship to take them down from the ground. Keira had gone for the first approach while Lia opted for the latter. Both of them performed exceptionally well for their Level, but neither could hope to match the guy who came in first today. And every day.
“… I just wish that Miller guy wouldn’t show off so much,” said Lia while glaring at the plain-looking male elf riding the cart in front of theirs. “I mean I appreciate a little rivalry, but he just makes me feel inadequate.”
“Why? How many did he get?”
“Thirty. Seven.”
“Wow. Okay.”
“It’s not just the body count either,” the female elf continued. “The way he runs up those trees and that scary accuracy of his both make me wonder if he’s really in the Level 10 to 15 bracket …”
“He’s not.”
A sudden male voice from the side made both girls jump a little in surprise. A grizzled, old elf with slicked-back brown hair and most of his left ear missing walked alongside the cart. A thick, rune-inscribed longbow was slung across his torso and bouncing off fancy, silver-scale armor.
“Ah! In-instructor Faehorn!” Lia exclaimed. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“His Ranger Level is significantly higher than yours,” explained the old elf, “but his actual skill level is atrocious.”
“A power-leveler, huh?”
“You are correct, miss Torlee,” he nodded to Lia. “If he had the same Attributes as you two, he’d struggle to get even half as many as he did.”
“Hmm, so that’s why he seems to have it so easy.”
“Indeed. Well, he’s properly absorbing my teachings and isn’t as overconfident as most power-levelers, so I’m sure I can fix him right up before the end of the course.”
“Uhm, wh-what’s a power-leveler?” Keira asked sheepishly. “I’ve heard about it before, but…”
“It’s what we call people who get their Job Level artificially raised,” said the instructor. “Attacking a high-Leveled monster and then having someone else finish it off in order to gain easy XP is a fast way to raise Job Levels, but I disapprove of that approach since those people never learn to apply themselves properly.”
Faehorn tried to instill two main lessons in all his students— ‘Don’t mistake Status for ability’ and ‘power without direction is meaningless.’ While developing one’s Attributes, Skills and Jobs would make them more powerful, being able to properly utilize that power was what made the difference between a good adventurer and a great one.
“There are some things you won’t learn from just gaining a bunch of Levels,” continued Faehorn. “Punctuality, for example. Isn’t that right, Miss Morgana.”
Having her last name called out so suddenly made Keira freeze in place with a stiff smile. Being subjected to the instructor’s piercing gaze didn’t help matters, either.
“C-come on, mister Faehorn,” she pleaded. “I already did a twenty-kilometer run this morning, didn’t I?”
That was her punishment for being late earlier today, and also the main reason she looked like she was about to pass out. The instructor purposefully kept pushing her for the remainder of the day, not willing to give her exhausted body the chance to fully recover. There was a good chance the catgirl might not have made it back to the city if she wasn’t allowed to ride the supply cart. Faehorn wanted to make her walk the whole way, but he also promised that she could rest on the way back if she made it in the top three. Which, surprisingly, she had. It was amazing how motivated she became at the prospect of being able to laze about.
“You did, though I think another fifty or so kilometers are in order,” he said sternly. “Guess you can do them tomorrow.”
“S-surely that’s too much just for being a bit late,” she pleaded with him.
“This is unrelated to you being tardy.”
“It… it is?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while. You get tired way too easily. Your need to learn to pace yourself better.”
“Uhm, teacher?” spoke up Lia. “I don’t think it’s a matter of pacing. Don’t all beastkin get tired easily?”
The young elf had a point. Compared to elves, beastkin tended to be faster, more agile and had slightly sharper senses, but their stamina was atrocious. An elf Ranger of Keira’s Level would normally be able to run those twenty kilometers without so much as breaking a sweat, and yet she was a total wreck from just that.
“Hmm, you may have a point,” said Faehorn, much to the two girls’ surprise. “We don’t get many of her kind around these parts, so I didn’t take that into account. It was my fault as a teacher, for which I apologize.”
“It-it’s okay, mister Faehorn!” Keira insisted, her cheeks red from embarrassment. “You really don’t need to worry.”
“No, no, I really need to consider your race when thinking up your training menu.”
The grizzled Ranger cupped his chin in thought as he sped up to check on the slow-moving cart up ahead.
“Perhaps a twenty-kilometer run every morning and evening to help build stamina…” he mumbled as he speed-walked away.
“Lia! Don’t say unnecessary things!”
The redhead stared at her colleague as if she had just condemned her to a life in prison, making the guilty elf avert her gaze.
“W-well, he does have a point,” she offered weakly. “Being a Ranger is a taxing Job so having more endurance is hardly a bad thing.”
“I’ll die! I’ll seriously die if I have to run that much each day!” the catgirl complained.
“Hm? Hey, Keira, not for nothing, but I think that guy is staring at you again.”
Lia’s rather clumsy attempt at changing the subject seemed to work, as the catgirl’s accusatory stare was redirected to follow the elf’s line of sight. Looking forward, she noticed that the supposedly high-Leveled elf they were talking about earlier was staring at her over his shoulder. Their eyes met for a brief moment, then he turned his gaze back forward.
“That boy, I bet he has a crush on you,” Lia teased her. “He’s been sneaking glances for a while now.”
&nbs
p; “Huh? But we’ve barely even spoken.”
“Maybe, but you’re pretty and energetic. And surprisingly adorable when you get flustered.”
“Oh… Uh, when you put it like that, I guess you have a point…”
The catgirl calmed down, her cheeks slightly browning from embarrassment.
“So? Aren’t you going to talk to him?” Lia urged.
“Why would I?”
“Shouldn’t you go talk to him, maybe give him a chance?”
“No, I don’t think I should.”
“Oh, come on, live a little. His face isn’t half bad, and Mister Faehorn made him sound like a responsible guy.”
“He’s not my type, okay?” Keira snapped, sounding annoyed. “Besides, I already have someone.”
“Wait, what? You’re already in a relationship?!”
The catgirl’s pouting face lit up with a brilliant smile comparable to a sunrise.
“I am indeed!”
“How!? Why?! When!? I mean, you only got here a week ago, right?!”
“What can I say? When you meet that special someone, you just know right away.”
The dreamy look in Keira’s eyes made it abundantly clear she wasn’t just saying that—she believed it.
“Details! Give me details!” Lia insisted, hungry for gossip.
“W-well, it’s not that big a deal. I mean, I was just looking for a cheap place to stay when I arrived here, but didn’t have a lot of luck finding one. It was getting late so I went into this restaurant for dinner. It was crowded and noisy, and I noticed this guy at the bar in some fancy clothes.”
Lia swallowed audibly as she clung onto every word.
“Then he slapped my butt, so I clawed him across the arm.”
“… Huh?”
“Oh yeah. He must have gotten some mixed signals or something and groped my butt when I walked past, so I reflexively slashed at him. It was a shame too. He got blood all over my clothes. Then a guard came in and he got super angry.”
“Of course, he did! I mean, I guess the guy sort of deserved it, but attacking him with those things seems overboard!”
Lia had seen the retractable claws hidden in Keira’s otherwise normal-looking toes and fingertips. One really wouldn’t know they were there unless she brought them out. They looked rather small and unthreatening at first glance, but the elf knew better. She had seen firsthand just how sharp and tough they really were when Keira used them to scale those hylt saplings with absolutely no difficulty. That’s how she was able to get third place in today’s hunting expedition despite being dead-tired the whole time.
“… My butt is really sensitive,” the beastkin blushed.
“That’s not the point! You can’t just assault people like that!”
“Anyway, the guy raised a huge fuss over that tiny scratch.”
Keira continued her story while completely ignoring Lia’s protests. She explained how she nearly got jailed because the guy kept saying she attacked him unprovoked. Then Rowana showed up and managed to talk him into sparing everyone a bunch of headaches and letting both parties go. She then invited Keira back into the restaurant, offering to buy her dinner to apologize on behalf of her fellow elf.
“It was the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a long time,” the redhead said with tears welling up in her eyes. “Then we started talking and one thing led to another and we ended up living together.”
There was a brief moment of silence as Keira stood there with a light smile while hugging her knees.
“… So?” asked Lia after the brief pause.
“So… what?”
“Is that all there is to the story?”
“Pretty much.”
“But, weren’t you going to tell me how you met your lover?”
“I just did, didn’t I?”
“But you didn’t mention a boyfriend or… anything… like… Oh.”
Lia’s words trailed off as realization washed over her like a cold shower.
“What’s wrong, Lia?” Keira asked, looking confused.
“Ah, sorry! I was just a bit surprised… I mean, your face and voice are just so feminine that I just assumed you were a girl. That was bad of me.”
“I am a girl,” the redhead said sternly.
“… You are?”
“What’s with that dubious expression? I’m most definitely a girl. I mean, I know my chest is a bit small, but I have room to grow. Here, I’ll prove it to you!”
Keira’s hands grabbed the edge of her chainmail tunic and started rolling it up.
“Okay, okay! I believe you, so please stop stripping!”
Lia waved her hands around in a fluster, somehow managing to calm down the ticked-off catgirl. If she denied it to that extent, then it was obvious the elf misunderstood the nature of the misunderstanding. That did, however, raise another question.
“So, you, uh, are in a relationship with another girl?” she asked after another awkward pause.
“Yup! Rowie’s the best girlfriend I could ever ask for!”
Keira’s previous dissatisfaction disappeared in an instant when the topic of her special someone came up. Her wide smile and sparkling eyes made it seem like her angry fit was an illusion.
“And you said you two… live together?”
“Ehehehe… It’s kind of embarrassing when someone else says it…”
The petite catgirl hid her blushing cheeks with her palms while shaking her head lightly, although her goofy grin did not diminish in the slightest. It was without a doubt the image of a maiden in love.
Wait, was she actually still a ‘maiden?’
“Th-then… have you two… done it?” asked Lia, unable to contain her curiosity.
Keira’s tanned skin flushed with an even darker shade of red at the slightly inappropriate question. She didn’t deny it, but couldn’t bring herself to admit it either. Which was more or less the same as screaming “YES, WE’VE HAD SEX!” with all her might.
“Wow… So this little girl has already become a woman, huh?”
“Lia!”
“Ahaha, sorry, sorry! I was just a little surprised, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
The elf let out an embarrassed chuckle and apology while trying to calm down the hyperactive beastkin she was riding with. However, both her face and tone turned rather serious a few seconds later.
“Look, Keira, I appreciate you sharing this with me, but you might want to avoid telling too many people about that relationship of yours.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Just please, hear me out. I don’t know how things were back where you grew up, but Azurvale is hardly the best place for… those like you. While a lot of people don’t really care, there are quite a few fanatics that think same-sex couples should be outlawed. You probably had no idea about any of this, right?”
Keira shook her head with a troubled expression.
“As I thought… Look, you have to understand it’s a religious thing. The vast majority of elves worship Nyrie, the Goddess of Nature and Fertility. Her realm mostly has to do with crops and livestock, but it also technically includes, uh, *Cough* baby making.”
“So what? She hates people who don’t make kids?”
“No, she doesn’t. At least, I don’t believe she does. There are those who say otherwise, however. There’s a certain… movement that claims couples that can’t bear children are heretical and should be prohibited. Or worse. And while such a stupid law is unlikely to become reality, it doesn’t stop them from doing terrible things to innocent people.”
Keira had no idea how to respond. She had absolutely no idea this was the case, but it made sense now that she thought about her various interactions ever since she came to this city.
“My point is,” Lia continued, “you might be targeted if word got out.”
“But… why didn’t Rowie mention any of this?”
“She was probably scared to tell you since it’s a difficult subject for her
. Besides, you probably have a few secrets of your own, right?”
“Yeah… I see… Thanks a lot for telling me this, Lia.”
“Don’t mention it. All I ask is that you don’t let that vocal minority warp your perception of us elves. We got a bad enough reputation out there as it is.”
“I won’t,” Keira forced a smile. “After all, you don’t seem to mind.”
“Yeah, well, I personally think those people are just full of shit,” the elf scowled. “Those fanatics are all dirty old men, you know. Just pigs who want women to serve as baby factories and nothing else.”
“Do elves struggle with having kids that much? I mean there are a lot more humans than elves around so-”
“That is most certainly not the case. We’re not any less fertile than humans or dwarves, you know! It’s just that we’re more in control of our lower halves!”
“Really? That’s not the impression I got from Rowie…”
“Keira.”
“What?”
“Too much information.”
Part Four
The door to Rowana’s humble abode swung open, and Keira walked through it with her usual, carefree grin.
“Honey, I’m home!” she called out in a cheerful voice.
“You don’t need to shout so loud, Keira!” the elf protested from her seat at the desk. “I’m right here, you know!”
“Oh, come on! Is that any way to greet me?”
“… Haah,” the elf sighed, then put on a tired smile. “Welcome back, sweetie.”
Those three simple words were all Keira wanted to hear. She nodded with a satisfied expression and closed the door behind her, then walked up to Rowana.
“More paperwork?” she asked, pointing at a small stack.
“Yeah. Apparently, there was an outbreak of Snake Eye at a nearby restaurant, so we got swamped with patients suffering from tunnel vision. It really strained our supplies at the clinic, so I’m writing up requisition orders.”
The nineteen-year old elf was an Alchemist who worked as an apothecary and physician. Open wounds and fractured bones could easily be patched up with healing magic, but persistent problems such as rashes, diseases and toothaches were best dealt with by applying the right poultice or elixir. Her wages were a bit low since she was technically still an apprentice, but it was nevertheless a steady job that involved helping people, which was everything Rowana wanted. She could do with less paperwork, but that was inevitable with government jobs.
