Arie wakes to the pleasant sound of birdsong. As and elf the native sounds of the forest naturally put her worries to rest. Her violet eyes flutter open, adjusting to the soft light streaming in from the window. The ceiling above her is low and made of timber, not the usual princess canopy she's used to seeing. There are no hovering maids ready to dress her for the day.
She sits up and pushes away the coarse wool blankets, noting the new unfamiliar bed. Her sensitive nose catches the distinct scent of elwood and herbs. The room is softly illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the windows. Curious about this new environment, she gets out of bed and begins to move around the room.
Faintly if she squints she can see luminous glyphs and runes on the walls and door of the cabin. It's obvious why her captor would let her freely move around, it's the confidence that she can't break through their spell work to escape. She's just grateful not to be bound or chained, this lessens her anxiety levels, making it possible to think clearly.
Dazed, she walks around the room to gather her thoughts. The last thing she remembers is a glowing purple light and then her memory gets hazy. There was the distinct voice of a male, but she can't recall what he said. She checks herself to make sure no new strange marks can be found on her skin. It was a crazy idea by the developers but to make the game seem more realistic they added in the concept of an illegal slave market. NPCs could brand players with a slave mark and sell them for money.
An unlucky player might find some dodgy NPC out in the wild and approach them hoping for a mythical quest. They would be tricked into selling themselves without even knowing it. The dodgy NPC would usually play tricks if the player's character were strong, luring them into a trap. If the player was weak, they'd just outright attack them and brand them on the spot. It's almost like a penalty mini game. Players then must go through troublesome training to overpower or break the slave seal.
Thankfully, she had not been branded. For now, she is still a free elf. Upon closer inspection of the room, she concludes the owner must be someone who values neatness. Nothing seems out of place, despite being out in the wilderness there are no signs of dust or pests. The dried herbs are neatly hung in rows by the windows to get the sunlight, books on the wall are all sorted by title in an orderly manner, and the writing tools on the desk are neatly lined up. She's disappointed to find there are no pictures, journals, or any personal items that might disclose the identity of her kidnapper.
Her kidnapper seems confident that he took her somewhere far enough where she can't escape by herself, or in his ability to recapture her at any time. Since it's like this, there's no point trying to escape without knowing the full situation. For now, instead of working herself into a senseless panic it's better to observe the situation.
She picks a book off the shelf to read to pass the time before sitting back on the bed. She chose a book about magic interference. A few days ago, the contents of this book would be ineligible to her, but with her recent rise in levels and intelligence she can comprehend it. It's very satisfying to see her visible progress in this way.
'Just who kidnapped me?'
She lets her mind begin to wonder as she reads. It's odd that she got kidnapped in the first place, out of the duke's castle no less. Say what you will about the overpampering duke but his meticulous defense planning for his estate is no joke. The duke's castle is protected by hordes of knights visibly patrolling the estate around the clock, and unseen shadow ninjas secretly protecting the household members. It's where his precious daughter lives after all. Whoever did this must be an expert on multiple levels.
In fact, for a minor character like Ariellia, being kidnapped was never a concern. Who would benefit from it? Who has enough courage to kidnap the favored daughter of the duke? A scenario like this never happened in the game. Could this be the negative effect of the protagonist halo? Could it mean her actions were already changing things, and is that even a good thing?
All these questions, yet Arie can't find an easy answer for any of them. She can only sit back and read her book while watching nature. She knows she's in a forest, but the question is which one? Rahnoff is surrounded by one mountain range and two major forests. To the east there is the Witch's Forest, a den of monsters which most travelers avoid, and to the North there is the Evergreen Forest, home to the child root of the world tree.
If her kidnapper is trying to evade pursuit, it's unlikely he would take her to the evergreen forest. While still populated with monsters, the natives of that forest aren't as fearsome, and the child root of the world tree is protected by her father's guards. Which only leaves the witch's forest. It's more likely this is where he took her to make any pursuit more difficult, but the question of why still remains.
While ransom may be a possible motive, attempting to extort a duke is highly inadvisable. Even if the perpetrators succeed in exchanging the individual for money, they will remain fugitives, constantly evading apprehension with a bounty on their heads. Rahnoff's prosperity can largely be attributed to her father's wealth and dedication.
The Garrod family was here before Rahnoff even became a grand dutchy granted to the family by the King. The people migrated here for a better life. People here genuinely favor her father. They wouldn't want to risk angering him and ruining their peaceful lives. The developers did this intentionally to enthrall users at the start of the game, right before they rain terror and destruction upon this little utopia.
It's supposed to make the hero's loss seem more relatable for the player. On the other hand, perhaps this is karma. After all, the real 'Arie' had gotten Clad to kidnap Ayna to force Rei into marrying her. Now she herself is about to get a taste of her own medicine. Let it never be said there isn't a God. Having figured all this out with nothing to do, she can only practice her magic spells to pass time.
"You're pretty calm for someone who just got kidnapped."
"You reap what you sow I suppose."
She looks up from her book, turning to the doorway where the smooth voice originated. At some point, an unidentified individual dressed entirely in black entered the room, positioning himself with his shoulder against the doorframe. She never even heard him step in. It takes quite some skill to evade the ears of an elf.
He's slightly taller than Rei, wearing a dark robe that concealed most of his face and body. Somethings however aren't easily hidden, his aristocratic features are still discernable, and those red eyes are a dead giveaway. It's the MVP himself, Jasper Ellis Bastion.