[Accept Hidden Quest: The Elf of Avarice!][Quest Reward: Forced Trait — [Corruption]! (This forced trait is only effective on non–guild-member units!)]
Kurose Akira was completely caught off guard by the sudden quest prompt. For a moment, his mind went blank.
Who gave me this Elf's Tear in the first place?
When he thought it through, the number of elves he knew was painfully small—only Beiyalera and her two daughters, plus Winnie, the elf scout connected to Liu Xue.
Could it have been Beiyalera?
All the signs seemed to point in that direction. And this hidden quest, no matter how he looked at it, appeared to be deeply entangled with her existence.
"The Elf of Avarice…" Kurose Akira murmured under his breath.
He really had sensed an intense avaricious quality from Beiyalera. Her possessiveness toward her two children—the ferocity of her maternal protectiveness—far surpassed that of any mother he had ever seen.
Of course, their encounter last night had only brushed against the outermost edge of the Sin of Avarice. Whatever lay at its true depths remained completely beyond his understanding.
There was also the issue of the newly revealed forced trait.
It couldn't be used on guild members.
Which meant neither he nor Ivsha nor anyone affiliated with his guild could wield this power.
Was this prepared for Beiyalera?
…No. That didn't make sense.
The keyword was forced.
Which meant—this was meant to be used on enemies.
"Accepted."
Kurose Akira tapped the confirmation without hesitation.
[Quest Objective: Help Beiyalera!][Quest Description: This was a grave mistake made twenty years ago. Please—help them.]
"Hiss…"
Kurose Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, muttering to himself.
"A mistake? Whose mistake?"
The Mother Tree of the Elves?
After all, within elven society, only the Mother Tree was responsible for reproduction…
The quest description was frustratingly vague. But Akira understood how hidden quests worked—only as the main storyline progressed would the fragmented clues gradually reveal the truth.
"Looks like the elf storyline is only just beginning," he murmured.
Beiyafri and Beiyafro's character quests hadn't even been unlocked yet—but there was no doubt they were connected to their mother.
At the same time, Akira glanced at a newly refreshed E-rank → E+ special commission.
This commission had a prerequisite:Kill a viscount of the Starfall Kingdom.
The task itself wasn't difficult. The target was only level 20. The reason for the kill was simple—he had become a follower of a witch and caused civilian casualties.
The Enforcement Knights had issued the commission, calling on adventurers to hunt down the fleeing viscount and return his corpse.
However…
Akira rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"This is only a prerequisite quest… Does that mean the follow-up involves another witch?"
Before he could fully untangle his thoughts, the teleportation array flared with white light.
He looked up toward the guild entrance.
He had expected Ivsha and the others—
—but instead, he saw Loserine.
And behind her…
Roxia?
Wait.
Did that mean the "coach" Loserine mentioned… was Roxia?
Genius.
"So this is Mr. Akira's guild?" Roxia stepped inside, carefully examining every corner of the space.
This was her first time entering a player-established guild. Naturally, curiosity and anticipation sparkled in her eyes.
"She's the coach you mentioned?" Akira walked over and asked.
"Yes," Loserine nodded decisively. "Roxia can serve as your instructor for this stage. She'll teach you the fundamentals of swordsmanship. Nothing advanced—just the basics, so you can properly understand cold-weapon combat."
"Oh~"
Akira nodded thoughtfully and shifted his gaze to Roxia.
She was still clad in silver-white armor, her golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, carrying with it the fresh scent of youth. Her sapphire-blue eyes were deep and luminous, glinting softly under the light.
"Please take care of me, Mr. Akira!"
Noticing his gaze, Roxia straightened instantly.
Perhaps because she was stepping onto Akira's territory, she seemed a little nervous.
Which was understandable—after all, Roxia had only just come of age a few days ago.
Even though she had already inherited the position of head of the Yerman Family, her true trials had only just begun.
"We're short on time. Let's begin immediately," Loserine said.
She headed straight into the training room.
As soon as she entered, she casually removed her armor.
"Aunt…?"
Roxia was utterly confused. If this was knight training, why take off the armor?
"It's just sparring," Loserine explained. "No need to burden yourself with heavy armor."
As she spoke, her armor scattered like falling petals, revealing her supple, mature figure beneath.
"Oh…"
Roxia was still puzzled, but she chose to trust her aunt.
Then—
She froze.
Because the tank top and training pants Loserine wore simply did not exist in their world.
They weren't revealing—but they perfectly outlined the curves of a grown woman's body.
And…
Why did Aunt look… kind of lewd in that outfit?
How is Mr. Akira even holding it together?!
"What are you spacing out for? Training's started!"
Loserine's sharp voice snapped Roxia back to reality.
"Oh!"
Roxia immediately drew her sword. At the same time, Akira assumed a combat stance.
Loserine stood off to the side, arms crossed over her chest, her tone icy.
"Begin. I'll observe every move you both make and point out your mistakes."
"Got it!"
"Alright!"
(A thousand words of swordsmanship instruction follow—omitted.)
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring echoed as Akira's sword was knocked several meters away.
"Not bad. You managed to last ten moves against me," Roxia said with a bright, approving smile.
"But only ten."
Akira smiled calmly.
In just one hour, he had managed to block ten of Roxia's attacks using only basic swordsmanship.
Whether she had held back or not, this was undeniable progress.
The moment he picked up his sword, a system notification flashed before his eyes.
[Basic Swordsmanship Learned!]
"Basic Swordsmanship…?"
Akira's eyes gleamed.
Basic Swordsmanship was the foundation of all sword techniques. Without it, advanced techniques couldn't even be learned.
Which meant—
He could now begin studying higher-level sword skills.
Of course, all swordsmanship ultimately depended on Strength and Agility.
Without sufficient physical stats, even mastering advanced techniques would be meaningless against an enemy whose attributes completely overwhelmed your own.
Just then, the teleportation array flared once more.
Ivsha and the elf sisters arrived at the guild.
"Mr. Akira (Guildmaster), we're here~"
"So~ do you have any missions for us today?" Beiyafri and Beiyafro looked at him eagerly, eyes full of anticipation.
"There is indeed a task that needs handling," Akira said, handing them the prerequisite commission. "But it carries some risk. All four of you are going."
If it were just the elf sisters, he wouldn't feel at ease.
But with Loserine and Ivsha accompanying them—
He could relax completely.
"I understand," Loserine said, nodding.
She swiftly donned her armor, picked up the Oathbound Sword resting against the wall, and walked toward the portal.
"Let's go."
"Mm!"
The elf sisters followed closely behind.
"Then~ Mr. Akira, we'll be back soon~" Ivsha smiled sweetly before stepping into the portal.
Moments later, only Akira, Roxia, and Alice—who was brewing coffee—remained in the guild.
"Let's continue," Akira said, tightening his grip on the sword. He had finally found his rhythm.
"Mm." Roxia nodded, raising her sword again.
Another hour passed in the blink of an eye.
"Stop, stop—let's end it here for today!" Akira said.
After two full hours of training, his body was utterly exhausted.
"Alright." Roxia sheathed her sword.
"Master~ coffee!" Alice hurried over, presenting him with a cup. On the surface floated a carefully drawn heart—her personal touch.
"Thanks," Akira said sincerely.
He took a sip.
The icy coffee instantly refreshed him—
—but immediately after, he frowned.
It was bitter. Way too bitter.
Alice had clearly gone light on the sugar.
Roxia walked over as well. After intense exertion, her chest rose and fell visibly. Combined with the heavy armor, sweat had accumulated beneath it.
"Miss Roxia, here's your coffee," Alice said kindly, handing her a cup.
"Thank you." Roxia took a sip and sat down on a wooden chair to recover.
"Isn't it hot?" Akira asked curiously.
"A little…"
The heavy armor plus her sweat-prone constitution was practically a double debuff.
"If it's hot, take it off. There's a bathing area in the guild—you can wash up before heading back," Akira said while drinking his coffee. "So bitter! Alice, do we have sugar?"
"No sugar~! The sugar jar seems to have been hidden by someone…" Alice replied innocently.
"Damn it! There's a thief in the guild!"
Akira sighed helplessly. Too tired to buy sugar from the shop, he resigned himself to drinking it as is.
And then—
Roxia gently removed her armor.
The supple, full curves hidden beneath were revealed before Akira's eyes.
But what caught his attention more were the crystal-clear beads of sweat glistening on her skin. Under the sunlight, they shimmered like pearls embedded in her flesh.
Because her body had been tightly sealed within the armor, the scent of sweat had been faint—
—but the moment she removed it, the cursed fragrance surged forth like a tide, flooding Akira's senses.
Even with Roxia following Loserine's method of suppressing the curse—soaking three times daily—this was the best it could be restrained.
Akira couldn't even imagine how terrifying it would be if the curse fully erupted.
"May I use the guild's bath?" Roxia asked softly.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Thank you."
Akira replied simply. Covered in sweat, she really did need a proper wash.
…Wait.
Didn't Roxia think Alice's coffee was bitter?
Curious, Akira glanced at the cup Roxia had been drinking from and secretly took a sip.
"—So sweet!!!"