Two Weeks Later
Hina
"Shit," a woman dressed in a black and white maid outfit muttered under her breath. "If it's not the sun, it's a fucking storm."
On cue, thunder cracked outside of her restaurant. Currently, the building was nearly empty, with only the woman in the maid outfit and her father inside.
Considering the fact that it was so late, and that this restaurant was located in The Outskirts, a ring of spread-out establishments and homes, disconnected from each other, just outside of Amber, Hina figured this meant that business was just about done for the day.
The positioning of this restaurant might have seemed strange to a traveler, but its placement meant that anyone who was looking to get to Amber from Jade would inevitably pass through this area. Which, of course, meant guaranteed business.
It also meant guaranteed trouble with bandits and the like, but Amber's soldiers were usually quick to respond to calls for help.
"Looks like no one's coming," her father said. "We might want to just close up for today."
"... I guess the storm caught some people out," Hina replied, sitting down at a nearby stool and crossing her legs. "Ugh, I'm soooo not looking forward to walking through mud though. Dammit."
"A little dirt on your boots ain't nothin' new, Hina," her father replied. "Anyway, I may as well clean things up in the kitchen. Once I'm done, we head home."
"Alright," Hina nodded before reaching back and taking off the band keeping her raven hair up. Letting it drop over her shoulders, she took a deep breath. Working here for so long, she wondered if this would ever get fun.
Between the bounty hunters, the merchants, the Arcane Knights, and everyone else who came here, it had been cool at first but now she was bored of it. Still, her father paid her a sum for her troubles, which was nice.
Hopefully, someday, she'd take that money and travel up north to Jade, or Onyx, or anywhere that wasn't this dirt-covered place.
"Alright, done!" Her father called out and Hina got off her stool. "Ah, I hope your mother's prepared some tea already. I could use it after...."
However, he didn't finish his sentence, as someone entered the establishment.
What? Hina thought as the front door opened to reveal a tall woman walking in like she owned the place.
Hina blinked as she took in her features, and she felt chills go up her spine. Long, smooth white hair, a pair of black horns at her forehead, violet eyes that were focused squarely on her, narrowed.
She was wearing a short black dress embroidered with gold that just reached her knees. Strangely though, she was wearing metal leggings, metal boots, and a pair of sleek gauntlets. At her waist, there was a golden cube tied to her belt.
Hina gulped.
Who the hell is this? Some assassin?
"W-Welcome..." Her father stepped past Hina.
"Do you sell food here?" The woman asked with an impatient tone as she looked for a nearby chair and sat down.
Hina had trouble placing her age. Her face was youthful, almost suggesting that she was just a little older than Hina was, who was 16, but her body was that of a fully-grown woman.
"Y-Yes," Hina's father answered. "Would you like some?"
What?
"Dad?" Hina raised a brow. "What are you doing? Excuse me," she turned towards the woman, "sorry, but... we're closing."
"Huh?" The woman raised a brow, looking pissed. "But your dad just-"
"Yes!" Her father interrupted. "I-I'll get you something, whatever you want!"
"What? But, dad," Hina started to complain but her father pulled her aside.
He pulled her behind the counter and whispered to her.
"What did I tell you about strangers?"
"Uh..." Hina couldn't remember.
"Always, always, check their levels before you start talking to 'em. I'm guessing you forgot, didn't you?"
Blinking, Hina nodded.
"Okay, subtly then," he told her. "Check."
So, trying her hardest not to be noticed, Hina threw a glance back at the woman, whose violet eyes were planted squarely on the two of them.
And, finally, she saw why her father was being so subservient.
Level 70
MP: 330/330
Hina nearly had a heart attack. Her soul just about left her body.
"Are you going to give me something to eat or not?" The woman asked, suddenly, and Hina's father bowed furiously.
"Yes! Yes, what would you like?" He asked with a merchant's smile, gesturing at the old menu to his right.
There weren't many options written on it, so each one was written in big, bold letters. Which made the woman's next statement seem even stranger.
"... What does that say?" She asked.
"Hm?" Her father hummed.
"I don't get it. What does it say?" The woman asked.
"Um... Well, the first option..."
He listed off the different items they were selling, mostly dishes composed of different meats and vegetables until eventually, the woman heard something she thought sounded interesting.
"What the fuck is 'raptor soup'?"
"Soup made with raptor meat... Think of it like chicken," he explained.
"Sure, that." She said, waving him off.
"Coming right up!"
With that declaration, Hina's father retreated into the kitchen.
Hina, unfortunately, was left alone with this woman. However, something did come to her mind that she felt was curious.
Raptors... Raptors are super common. Who wouldn't know what those are? Is she a foreigner? Hina wondered, looking at the woman.
The half-demon then caught her eyes and Hina nearly yelped, looking away.
"Hmph," the woman huffed, crossing her legs.
Eventually, the question burned so intensely in her thoughts that Hina took a deep breath and walked up to her. Admittedly, this lady, being level 70, could probably wipe her out with one strong slap, but well...
As bored as she was, the danger was part of the fun right now.
"Excuse me," Hina said, putting on a smile.
"Hm?" The half-demon raised a brow at her.
"... Are you from Amber?"
"... What if I'm not?" The woman asked with a challenging tone, turning towards her.
"N-No, I was just wondering, it's no problem."
"That so?" The woman smirked. "No. I'm not from here."
"... Oh. I see. Thank you."
"Heh, for what?" The half-demon asked.
"For... answering?" Hina shrugged.
At that, the girl chuckled.
"Gotcha. You're welcome, then."
With that, the two of them settled into silence, as many more questions came to Hina's mind, but she was afraid of testing her patience too heavily. Eventually, Hina's father returned with the finished soup in his hands.
"Here you go! Raptor soup, enjoy!"
The woman simply nodded as he put the bowl in front of her. She picked up a nearby spoon and silently started eating away. It was fairly awkward, as Hina and her father made no conversation while the woman ate.
Soon though, Hina's father got curious as well, and he too asked some questions.
"Are you an Arcane Knight of some sort?" He asked her.
"Hm? No, what's that?" She asked.
Wow. She's REALLY a foreigner, Hina thought.
"Ah... Well, the Arcane Knights are the Arcane's personal guard," her father stated.
The Arcane, of course, being the Lord of Amber. However, unlike the other cities where Lords were elected, to Hina's knowledge, here, the role of the Arcane belonged to a specific family. The Sylphia family, who were said to be the strongest mages in the world. Hence, why they were the only ones deemed worthy by the gods to manage and rule Amber. Or, at least, that's what the legends about them said.
"Mhm? I see."
That was all she said. She seemed completely uninterested in them, which, again, was surprising.
"So... Where are you from, traveler?"
"... Jade," the woman replied.
Yeah, I would have guessed that. Maybe Pearl, if that place hadn't been destroyed.
As she continued eating from the soup, something happened though that cut off whatever conversation would continue from this point. Outside, a shrill roar pierced the air, one that Hina knew well.
Keeping their business where it was, there were always possibilities of monster attacks. Most of the time, they were out of the building by the time those could happen, but thanks to this traveler's late arrival, they remained here, and now, they had this problem to deal with.
"Uh..." She said. "That sounded fairly close, dad."
"Yes," he nodded. "Sounds a bit too close."
"What is it?" The woman asked casually. She didn't even stop eating, she asked that in between bites.
Right. Level 70.
"U- I-It's, uh, a Raptor."
"Oh, like what I'm eating here?" She asked.
"Y-Yes..."
Raptors. Distant cousins of dragons, they were far smaller in size, but what they lacked in that department, they had in speed and ferocity. Their fire breath, as well, was unlike that of a dragon in that it was poisonous.
"Hm... Actually," the woman started, putting her spoon down, "I got a question. Can I make some food out of a 'raptor' or whatever with just some water and a campfire?"
"What? Yes, yes, indeed, you can," Hina's father replied.
"Could you show me how?"
"Well... Provided we make it out of here, sure."
"Hm. Alright."
Then, without another word, the woman stood up and dusted off her black dress. Then, she turned away, walking out the front door.
And, in that instant, all Hina could think was:
I need to see this!
She ran out after her and nearly hit the woman as she had stopped. Ahead, in the distance, was the raptor. It was one individual creature, about as large as a wooden cart.
Level 56
MP: 10/10
... Yeah, Hina thought. This would have killed us if it had tried to come into the restaurant somehow. Maybe bust in through a window or something.
However, the white-haired woman was undaunted. She walked up and took that golden cube from her waist, taking a deep breath.
"Spear."
With that word, the cube changed in front of Hina, turning into a golden, elegant spear.
And so, the woman charged forwards. She ran straight up to the raptor and the monster tried to bite her, but she dodged and stabbed its body, earning a pained screech. Then, she stepped back and the raptor leaned its head back, about to shoot out its flames.
"What?" The woman though hadn't anticipated this. So, its attack connected onto her left arm, as she tried to dodge but was still caught.
No! Hina thought, almost about to run after her, but her father held her back.
"It's dangerous," he said. "Let her fight."
As the woman borderline growled, she ran up to the creature's side.
It tried to bite her again, but this time, she ducked under it and the woman stabbed through its head.
And the creature was dead, just like that.
"Mother... fucker!" The woman said as she ripped her spear out. "Ugh, still not used to this thing..." She mumbled, looking down at her weapon.
Hina saw the raptor's body fall over, limp, and this time, her father allowed her to move, so she started running over to check if the woman was okay.
This lady was like something out of a fairy tale. Hina was absolutely in awe.
However, before she could reach her, something struck her side.
She was launched to the left, rolling along the dirt multiple times as her body burned with pain from the hit. The wind had been knocked out of her.
"Hina!" Her father cried out.
What... What happened? Hina thought. My arm's broken.
Then, the culprit screeched. It was a second raptor that had been hiding behind the building. These monsters were smart like that, unfortunately.
The raptor ran up to her, ignoring both of the other people nearby, trying to finish her off.
And, all it got for that was a spear through its head, just like its friend.
The raptor fell, landing near Hina's body, blood pouring out of its head. Hina blinked as the woman walked up to her.
"You... Are not too lucky, are you?" She asked Hina as she turned her over.
"Ow..." Hina whimpered as her broken arm moved.
Then, with a hushed incantation, the lady's hands began glowing and she placed them over Hina's body. And, within seconds, she felt fine.
"H-Huh?"
"Or, maybe you are lucky, I don't fucking know," the girl said as Hina stood up.
"You're a healer?"
"No shit," the girl muttered before turning towards Hina's father. The man was frozen, watching Hina like he'd seen a ghost. The hit she took must have terrified him. "So, old man, ready to show me how to make that soup or whatever?"
"R-Right, sure, come!"
"Wait!" Hina called out.
"Hm?" The lady turned around.
She couldn't help herself. This woman was amazing.
"What... What's your name?"
"Ash," she replied nonchalantly, and with that, the two of them turned away and Hina was left there before she finally stood up and followed them in.
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