A Few Hours Later...
Lucian Pov:
Lucian: Damn, If Not For Great Sage, I Would Be Already Lost In This Forest....
Currently, I Was Outside The Territory Of Alf Forest,
Before I Completely Left The Place, I Had Bought Some Stuff From Merchants,
Obviously A Map And A Compass, Some Rations, Some Flint And Steel,
As For My Bed...
A Trusty Hammock Is Enough, With A Backup For Emergency Cases,
Making One In High Grounds Would Keep Me Away From Dangerous Animals In The Night,
And Orario Wasn't That Far Then I Expected,
It Was 4-5 Days By Carriage Or 10-12 Days By Foot,
And as a Curious Person I Am, I Didn't Waste My Valis And Walked Into The Open World,
Fortunately, The Body I Had Now Was Very Good,
By Genetics Alone, Dark Elf's Had Talents For Physical Activity, And White Elf Had Talents For Magic ....
And Being A Mix Of Both, I Got Both Boosts,
Also,
So Far, By Thinking About It, I Fortunately Already Knew Koine, I Also Knew Elven Language, And Alf Language, And High Dark Elven Language, Great Sage Allowed Me To Even Improve Further Thank To The Photographic Memory Effect,
Yep, A Total Of 4 Different Types,
Koine Is Common And Easy To Pick Up, Even Without Great Sage, I Was Subtly Matching It's Vibe And Picked It Up, Originally My Mother, Reya Vandris Had Taught Me That,
Elven ? A Bit Tough, But Not Hard When You Have Nothing Else To Do For Years,
Same Goes For Alf Language, Or More Commonly Known As High Elven Language....
Yes, My Pronouns For Individual Long Eared People Are Elf,
And Anything Related To Them Is Elves....
Yep, That's My Core.....
As For High Dark Elven Language, Is Just Slightly Different Then Normal Elven Language In Pronouncing, But The Writing System And Grammar Are Different, But Not Much....
Lucian: Besides I Should Look For A Suitable Place To Spend The Night...
Only Thing Wrong Was That I Set Out At Around 3 Pm,
With Less Then 3 Hours Left For Walking,
Not To Mention, I Spend Out A Amount Of 7,700 Valis Already,
Also, Great Sage, Any Water Source Nearby ?
( Great Sage: Notice, 787 Meters In The South-East Direction.....)
Oh...
Now That I Mentioned, Shouldn't There Be Wild Animals ?
Also, Having A Small Kitchen Knife Doesn't Mean It Can Work On Huge Bear's ..
Anyway, I Should Be Fine.....
A Few Days Later.....
Lucian Pov:
I Take It Back, I Am Not Fine,
Even After Traveling For 4 Days, I Can't Say I'm Not Exhausted....
In The First Night, Thanks For Great Sage's Help, I Survived Pretty Much Safe,
For The Next Day, I Woke Up And Had Faced Up A Boar, About 4 Meters Big, Called A Great Boar.....
Not Wanting To Die, I Allowed Great Sage To Eliminate It,
The Results ?
In Less Then 20 Seconds, It Was Dead....
The Boar Recklessly Charged In, With High Momentum Adding Into The Force, A Direct Hit Would Undoubtedly Break Some Bones,
But Great Sage Controlled My Body Perfectly, Dodging The Initial Charge, And With A Quick Precise Stab Into The Brain.... Directly Slicing Through His Skull....
I Stood And Stared At The Boar And The Knife.... It Was Supposed To Be A Kitchen Knife With Little Sharpness...
For The Next Two Days, I Had Boar Meat For Eating,
But After 2 Days, As I Suspected, The Meat Started Rotting, Heck I Was Surprised It Even Lasted That Long, I Hadn't Used Predetor Yet, Almost Forgetting It Existed,
And Before Finally Leaving The Trail Of The River,I Remembered About Predetor's Sub-Space, I Stored Large Amount Of Water Inside My Sub-Space....
And The Result Of Using Predator Without Large Magic Reserves....
I Was Unconscious, Thankfully Great Sage Allowed Me To Sleep Without Worry, She Had Taken Over The Control Of My Body Temporarily...
A Few More Days Later....
Lucian Pov:
Lucian: How Much More Great Sage ?
It Was The 9th Day Of My Journey, I Was Already Following The Main Road Route That Led To Orario....
Yet Still, I Was A Bit Far Away....
Another Fact I Learned That The Outside World, Even Besides The Dungeon, Is Plenty Dangerous....
Heck, I Was Ambushed By 3 Goblins, If Not For Great Sage Saving My Skin, I'd Be Dead....
Besides, Remembering How My Brain Got New Data Slapped Into It, Which Made Me Feel I Have Been Fighting Like That For Years,
(Great Sage: Your Stance During The Third Strike Was Off-Balance By 12 Degrees, Correction Data Prepared, Inputting Directly To Motor Cortex...)
Lucian: Do It,
And With Just Like That, My Fighting Skills Got Improved Real Time,
Besides, Then I Finally Remembered That Bell Cranel Once Said He Had Killed A Goblin Before Getting Falna From Hestia,
So, A Few Escaped Monster In The Out Was Now Official, I Had To Tread Carefully,
And After Walking For The Past 6 Hours, I Finally Asked....
(Great Sage: Notice, The Targeted City Orario Is Estimated To Be Around 4 Km - 3,700 Meters Away From Here ....)
Lucian: Well... I'm Climbing Through A Mountain, So It Shouldn't Be That Far Long Before I Can See The City Walls, I Should Be Able To Reach There By Evening....
Orario's City Walls Were One Of The Biggest Protective Walls And Also Strong Enough To Hold Attacks From Random Monster....
Lucian: Sigh.... At least I Didn't Encounter Any Random Troublesome Things....
Thinking About It, Slave Trading, Soma Familia's Wine Which Made A Few Peoples Life Like Hell, There's Evilus Familia's As Well.....
'Rustle...'
'Crack !'
I Instantly Pushed My Body Towards The Inner Side Of The Mountain,
As A Few Large Rocks Fell Down, Clearly Missing Me By Few Meters ....
I Touched My Ears, Long, Sensitive To Sound, And Twitchy If I Didn't Wash It Properly.....
Yes, Having Them Has A Few Perks, But Making Sure You Have to Keep Em Clean....
Also, I Was Currently Traversing A Narrow Forested Saddle Between Two Mountain Peaks,
Yeah Talk About Dangerous Scenery.....
'!!!!'
I Stopped, There Was A Scream Wasn't It Great Sage ?
(Great Sage: Notice, Yes, Anomaly Detected, Multiple High Frequency Combat Distress Signatures, Suspected Subject: Reptilian Type Monster, Estimated Source, About 400 Meters Downhill....)
Thinking About It.... Yeah Someone Could Have Gotten Crushed By Those Falling Rocks, Or Even Died- Wait, Monster ?
(Great Sage: Correct...)
A Reptilian Type Monster ?
Lizardman ? Or Wall Crawling Dungeon Lizard?
Should I Check It Out Or .... Should I Just Leave It ? There's Multiple People There That's For Sure, They Can Survive And Possibly Kill It, But It Would Take A Few Sacrifices.....
Lucian: Can't Help With It Huh....
As A Person From The 21st Century With Decent Morals, I Couldn't Possibly Leave People Who Could Be Saved... Especially.... Nevermind,
It's Not Some Heroic Desire,
It's Just For Me It Sounds Normal.....
Sighing, I Asked Great Sage For Leading The Path,
After Walking Downhill, I Silently Looked Around,
My Skills For Stealth Was Good, Especially Living A Life Always Avoiding Other High Elf's In Alf Forest.... And With Stealth Magic, I Could Easily Hide Away,
I Activated My Stealth Magic, Vail Of Shadows,
3rd Person Pov:
Lucian Moved, Avoiding Making Sound As much As Possible, As He Quickened His Pace,
After A Few Minutes Of Running And Fast Walking, He Reached The Place Where The Fight Was Supposed To Happen,
But What Lay Instead Was Different Then He Imagined....
A Wooden Carriage Lay In Ruin, Splintered Like A Matchstick,
Bodies—Mercenaries, Merchants, Likely—Were Scattered, Broken Like Dolls, Standing Amidst The Wreckage, Picking At The Remains Of A Horse
It Was A Large Reptilan Type Monster, It's Large Scales Sickly Green, And A Massive Scar Ran Down It's Flank, Oozing Black Blood, It Was A Injured, Hungry, Enraged Beast....
Lucian, Even If He Never Saw Such Type Of Monster, Could Still Instantly Place 2 Names, Either A Dragon Or Wyvern,
And Looking At It's Body More Clearly, He Had Recognised What It Was....
(Great Sage: Suspected Monster, Reptile Type Lizard Monster, Wyvern, Threat Estimated Level 3-4....)
A Level 3 Minimum And Level 4 Maximum Threat Level,
It Was Powerful Enough To Kill Lucian Before He Even Notice, Yet Thanks To His Magic, He Remained Undetected,
Besides The Broken Carriage, Backed Against The Trunk Of A Massive Oak Tree, Was A Woman,
She Was Unarmed, Her Robe Was Torn At The Hem, Stained With Dirt, But Her Posture Was Defiant, She Had Auburn Hair And Eyes That Held A Terrifying Amount Of Calm For Someone About To Be Eaten,
The Wyvern Snapped it's Jaws, Turning it's Head Towards Her, It Was Like Toying With it's Dessert,
Lucian Didn't think Much, He let the Great Sage Handle The Trajectory,
He Moved Silently, His Boots Making No Sound On The Grass Thanks To His Magic,
The Wyvern Was About To Lunge, it's Neck Extending Like A Coiled Spring,
Lucian: "Now !"
Lucian Dove Into The Space Between The Monster And The Woman, He Didn't Attack, He Scooped,
His Arm Went Behind Her Knees, The Other Around Her Back, He Lifted Her In A Bridal Carry, The Sudden Weight Straining His Unblessed Arms,
The Woman's Eyes Widened, Her Mouth Opening To Speak,
???: Wha—!?
Lucian's Hand Shot Up, His Index Finger Pressing Firmly Against Her Soft Lips.
Lucian: "Shh,"
He Mouthed, His Eyes Wide With Urgency.
He Channeled Every Ounce Of Focus He Had, [Veil of Shadows] Expanded, It Was Meant For A Single Object, But Through Direct Physical Contact, He Forced His Mana To Drape Over Her As Well,
They Vanished,
A Split Second Later, The Wyvern's Jaws Snapped Shut On Empty Air, Right Where The Woman Had Been Standing,
The Massive Beast Blinked, It Sniffed The Air Violently, Exhaling A Cloud Of Sulfurous Steam That Washed Over Lucian And The Woman,
Lucian Stood Frozen, Not Five Feet From The Monster's Snout, He Held The Woman Tightly Against His Chest, He Could Feel Her Heart Hammering Against His Own Ribs—Or Maybe That Was His Heart,
She Was Staring Up At Him, Her Expression A Mix Of Bewilderment And A Strange, Flushed Embarrassment At Being Manhandled So Suddenly, But She Didn't Move, She Understood At Least What Might Be Happening,
The Wyvern Growled, A Low, Rumbling Sound That Shook Lucian's Bone's, It Swept it's Head Left, Then Right,
It's Slit Pupils Dilated, Looking For The Prey That Had Seemingly Evaporated,
For A Full Minute, Time Stopped,
Lucian's Arms Burned, Maintaining The Magic On Two People While Suppressing His Own Fear Was Draining His Mana Reserves Rapidly,
(Great Sage: Notice, Mana levels at 60%, Consuming Goblin Magic Stone For Supplement Mana, Heart Rate Elevated. Adrenaline Critical....)
The Wyvern Snorted, Frustrated, It Turned Back To Then Horse Carcass, Ripping A Chunk Of Flesh Free,
Lucian Didn't Exhale, He Took One Step Back, Then Another,
He Moved With Agonizing Slowness, Stepping In The Rhythm Of The Wind Rusting The Leaves To Mask Any Accidental Noise,
Only When They Were Fifty Meters Away, Behind The Cover Of Dense Brush, Did He Turn And Run,
He Didn't Stop, He Ran For Twenty Minutes Straight, Ignoring The Burning In His Lungs, Keeping The Cloak Of Invisibility Active Until His Vision Started To Blur, Even With Pain Nullification, He Could Still Recognise His Fatigue....
Finally, Deep In A Grove Of Birch Trees, His Legs Gave Out,
He Let The Magic Drop, Becoming Visible Again, And Gently—Or As Gently As His Trembling Arms Could Manage—Lowered The Woman Onto The Mossy Ground,
Lucian: Safe...
He Grasped, Stumbling Back,
He Collapsed Onto His Back, Staring Up At The Filtered Sunlight Through The Leaves,
He Was Gasping For Air, His Chest Heaving Violently,
???: Are You... Are You Alright ?
The Voice Was Melodious, Concerned, The Woman Was Kneeling Beside Him Instantly,
Disregarding Her Own Torn Clothes, Her Hand Hovered Over His Forehead
Lucian: Just.... Tired..... Mind Drain.....
He Cracked One Eye Open To Look At Her, Now That The Adrenaline Was Fading, He Could See Her Clearly, She Was Undeniablely Beautiful, With An Aura Of Nobility That Felt Out Of Place In The Dirt,
???: You Saved Me....
She Spoke Softly, Her Eyes Were Searching His Face, Looking At His Pointed Ears, His Dark Skin, And His White Hair,
???: That Was... Incredibly Reckless, But Brave....
Lucian: .... You Were The Only One Left.....I Just Couldn't Just Watch.....
It Was A Fleeting Feeling, No Matter How Hard He Tried, He Just Couldn't Ignore Those Memories.....
The Woman Sat Back On Her Heels, A Small, Gentle Smile Gracing Her Lips,
???: You have A Good Heart, Child, Most Would Have Run From That Wyvern,
Lucian Didn't Spoke, He Didn't Want To Say Anything More About It,
Lucian: I'm Lucian Vandris, And You're Welcome....
The Woman Placed A Hand On Her Chest, Her Expression Shifting Into One Of Formal Gratitude, Yet Warm And Sincere,
Astrea: I Am Astrea,
Lucian blinked, The Name Sounded Familiar...
Lucian: Astrea ? As In Goddess Astrea ?
She Nodded In Confirmation,
Lucian Tried To Sat Up, But The Exhaustion Was Even More Then He Expected, As He Almost Fell Down Again, His Vision Slowly Fading, The Adrenaline Was Finally Vanishing.....
And Before His Consciousness Faded, All He Heard Was A Soft Voice,
Astrea: Don't Worry About Me, Please Rest....
After That, He Went Unconscious,
Astrea Looked At The Child Who Had Just Saved Her,
He Wasn't Dead, He Had Simply Pushed A Mortal Body Beyond It's Absolute Limit To Snatch A Goddess From The Jaws Of A Wyvern,
Gently, With A Care Usually Reserved For Sacred Relies, She Shifted His Body,
She Sat Against The Trunk Of A Large Birch Tree And Lifted His Head, Placing It Softly On Her Lap,
She Brushed The Stark White Strands Of Hair Away From His Face, Her Fingers Trembling Ever So Slightly,
He Was So Young,
Now That The Chaos Had Subsided, She Truly Looked At Him For The First Time Since They Had Met On The Road,
Astrea: "...His Hair Is Like That Of A High Elf's Hair... But Dark Elf Skin....."
She Noted, Her Divine Eyes Tracing The Contours Of His Face, Even If Normal People Couldn't Tell, As A Goddess, She Had Higher Perception And Could Tell The Difference Between So Called High Elf and Normal Elf's....
Astrea: "A Half-Blood, And A Child, Fifteen, Perhaps ?"
He Slept With A Frown, His Expression Tight Even In Unconsciousness, As If He Expected The World To Hurt Him The Moment He Woke Up,
Astrea Let Out A Breath She Didn't Know She Had Been Holding, Her Shoulders Slumping As The Adrenaline Left Her System, The Silence Of The Forest Felt Heavy, Pressing Down On Her,
And Then, The Grief Came,
It Didn't Come With Wailing Or Tears, But With A Crushing Weight In Her Chest,
She Closed Her Eyes And Tilted Her Head Back Against The Tree Bark, The Images Flashed Behind Her Eyelids, Vivid And Horrifying,
The Merchant, Mr. Garris, Who Had Been Laughing About His Daughter's Upcoming Wedding Just An Hour Ago,
The Two Mercenaries, Gruff men Who Had Taken The Job To Pay Off Debts, Who Had Drawn Their Swords Against A Level 4 Monster Without Hesitation To Buy The Carriage Time,
Crunch, The Sound Of The Wyvern Crushing The Carriage, The Silence That Followed,
They Were Gone. All Of Them, In The Span Of A Few Heartbeats, Six Lives Were Extinguished Because A Monster From The Deep Levels Had Strayed Too Far,
Astrea Brought Her Hands Together, Resting Them Over Lucian's Chest, And Bowed Her Head,
Astrea: Garris, Hemma, Torph, Liana...
She Whispered Their Names Into The Quiet Air, A Prayer For The Spirits Ascending To Heaven, As A Goddess, She Knew The Cycle Of Souls, She Knew They Would Return To The Heavens, Perhaps To Be Reborn, But That Did Not Make The Loss Of Who They Were Now Any Less Tragic,
Astrea: " I Could Do Nothing... Without My Children... Without A Familia... Without My Divine Powers..... I Am Just A Girl In A Dress Watching People Die...."
She Looked Down At Lucian,
Why Had He Lived ? Why Had She Lived ?
She Recalled The Moment The Wyvern's Jaws Had Snapped Shut, This Boy, A Stranger She Never Met, Had Charged Towards The Monster,
He Didn't Know She Was A Goddess, To him, She Was Just A Traveler, He Hadn't Saved Her For A Blessing, Or For Glory, Or Because it Was His Duty,
He Had Saved Her Because He Couldn't Stand To Watch Her Die,
Astrea: You Foolish, Brave Child.....
She Murmured Softly, Her Hand Resuming It's Gentle Stroking Of His Hair,
She Felt A Tear Finally Escape, Tracing A Hot Path Down Her Dusty Cheek,
She Wept Silently, For The Merchant Who Would Never Walk His Daughter Down The Aisle, For The Mercenaries Who Died Scared But Standing, And For The Sheer, Overwhelming Gratitude That She Was Still Breathing The Forest Air,
Astrea: I Am Sorry,
She Whispered To The Wind, Apologizing To The Dead That She Could Not Save Them,
Astrea: And Thank You.....
She Whispered To The Boy On Her Lap, Promising The Living That She Would Not Waste The Life He Had Returned To Her,
She Sat There As The Sun Began To Dip Below The Horizon, Painting The Sky In Hues Of Orange And Violet,
She Was The Goddess Of Justice, Stripped Of Her Power, Grieving For The Fallen, Guarding The Sleep Of A Nameless Hero Who Didn't Look Like Any Hero The World Would Accept,
For Now, That Was Enough...
Meanwhile, Somewhere Else,
A Carriage, Carrying 7 People, Were Heading Towards The Same Direction, They Were Clad In Polished Metal And Treated Leather, Their Armour Bearing The Emblem Of A Stylized Elephant, They Moved With The Heavy, Practiced Discipline Of Veterans,
??? 1: Do You Think We'll Find It This Time ?
??? 2: Don't Know, This Is Like The .....5th Time We're Tracing It's Tracks....
??? 3: That Wyvern's Really Flying A Lot.... But Damn Those Evilus ! Always Making Trouble For Us.....
All Of Them Sighed Bitterly, Those Lunatics Had Literally Released A Level 4 Wyvern Out In The Open.....
And Now The Ganesha Is Had Sent Them To Investigate And Possibly Kill That Wyvern,
With Two Level 4's, And Five Level 3's, Hunting A Single Wyvern Would Be Easy, Especially That They Had Mage And Healer's Along,
??? 4: Wait !
Suddenly, One Of Members Of This Investigation, A Cat Person, She Halted The Carriage, She Looked Around And Breathed In Some Air .....
??? 1: What Happened?
??? 4: Blood, I Smell Blood.... Strong Stretch At That...
Now The Others Understood, After All, They Were Humans, While She Was Actually A Cat Person, Her Sense Of Smell Would Obviously Be Better,
??? 1: Which Direction?
??? 4: South East,
??? 1: Move South-East ! Leave Gina And Liam For Guarding The Carriage !
They Nodded In Unison, After All, The 5 Of Them Were The Main Combat Team, While Those Two Were Here If They Needed Substitute, After All, Mind Down Or Critically Injured People Can't Fight, They Would Need Back Up,
The Five Of Them Got Up And Went Towards The Place Where The Smell Of Blood Was Coming Off,
And When They Reached The Place....
It Was A Mess....
A Carriage Broken Down To Sprinter....
Pieces Of People's Body, And Carnage That Happened,
And The Abnormally Large Footprints Drawn In Blood Had Left The Proof, Who Did It....
??? 1: Tch, We Were Too Late.... Go Check For Tracks And Look If Anyone Somehow Escaped Or Not....
???: 2 Hai !
The Others Did The Same, Even In The Wyvern Had Wrecked Carnage, It Had Left It's Track,
And Even With Little Chances, Someone Could Really Escape....
Afterwards, They Checked The Place Throughoutly, And It Was Almost Evening By Then,
Then Suddenly One Of Them Rushed Towards The Leader, His Expression A Bit Tight,
??? 4: Sir ! We've Found Foot Tracks Of Someone Running Away !
Thier Leader Turned Towards Him, A Bit Surprised, Though He Had Suspected Someone Might Have Escaped, He Didn't Think The Chance's Would Be High,
??? 1: Then Follow The Tracks ! We Can't Leave Them In The Wild, Search For Survivors!
The Others Nodded Without Hesitation, And Started Tracking The Bloody Footprints, Carrying The Remenents Of Other Travellers.....
Back To Astrea
The Snapping Of A Twig Shattered The Mournful Silence,
Astrea Didn't Flinch, But Her Body Went Rigid, Her Hand, Which Had Been Gently Stroking Lucian's Sweat-Dampened Hair, Moved Instinctively To Cover His Ear, As If To Shield Him From Whatever Was Coming,
She Was A Goddess Without A Familia, Weary And Dress-Torn, But As She Looked Toward The Dense Thicket, Her Eyes Held The Cold, Imperious Steel of Justice,
Astrea: Show Yourselves,
She Commanded. Her Voice Was Not Loud, But It Carried An Authority That Made The Leaves Tremble,
From The Shadows, Five Figures Emerged,
They Were Not Monsters, They Were Clad In Polished Metal And Treated Leather, Their Armour Bearing The Emblem Of A Stylized Elephant, They Moved With The Heavy, Practiced Discipline Of Veterans,
The Man In The Lead, A Hulking Human With A Broadsword Strapped To His Back, Stopped Ten Paces Away,
He Took In The Scene—The Beautiful, Disheveled Woman, The Unconscious Boy On Her Lap, And The Defensive Glare In Her Eyes, He Raised His Hands Slowly, Palms Open,
??? 1: We Mean No harm, My Lady, We Are Of The Ganesha Familia,
Astrea's Shoulders Dropped A Fraction Of An Inch, Ganesha, The God Of The Masses, If There Was Any Familia In Orario Dedicated To The Protection Of Order, It Was Them,
Astrea: You Are Far From The City,
Astrea Said, Not Fully Letting Her Guard Down, Even If They Weren't Lying, It Was Suspicious They Found Them Just After They Escaped The Wyvern,
??? 1: We Were Hunting A Stray,
The Leader replied, His Face Darkening With A Grim Shadow,
??? 1: A Wyvern, Level 4, Though Injured, It Had Been Let Run Amok By Evilus Remenents....
The Ganesha Familia Members Noticed It, And The Leader, He Gestured With His Thumb Back The Way They Came,
Astrea's Face Also Grimed A Bit, Especially Learning That Evilus Was Behind This Too, All Of Her Familia Members Aside One Has Been Killed By Thier Trap....
??? 1: We Found The Carriage On The Road, We... Checked The Bodies.... Of What Was Left.....
The Large Man Looked Down, His Fist's Clenching At His Sides
??? 1: We Were too Late, Damn It, If We Had Been An Hour Faster.....
A Female Adventurer, A Cat Person With A Healer's Satchel, Stepped Forward,
??? 4: We Counted Six Dead, But The Tracks... They Were Strange, There Was A Seventh Set, Bloody Footprints That Vanished Into The Brush, Deep Indentations Suggesting They Were Carrying Extra Weight, We Followed The Trail Hoping... Praying Someone Made it.....
She Looked At Astrea, Then At The Boy.
??? 4: It Seems The God's Were Listening....
Astrea looked down at Lucian Speaking Softly,
Astrea: He Saved Me, When The Monster Attacked, He Didn't Run Away, He Ran Toward Me, He Saved Me.....
The Ganesha Adventurers Exchanged Glances, To Charge Towards A Wyvern To Save A Stranger Was The Mark Of A High-Class Adventurer—Or A Fool With A Heart Of Gold,
Astrea: I Am Astrea,
She Said, Deciding That Honesty Was The Only Currency Worth Spending Here,
The Effect Was Instantaneous,
The Leader, Who Had Been Merely Respectful, Froze,
His Eyes Widened, Snapping From Her Face To Her Torn attire, Then Back To Her Eyes, As The older Members Of The Group Stiffened,
Seven Years Was A Long Time, But The Dark Era Was Not Easily Forgotten, Nor Was The Goddess Of Justice Who Had Lost Everything,
??? 1: Lady Astrea ?
The Leader Breathed, Dropping To One Knee,
The Others Followed Suit Immediately, The Clatter Of Armour Filling The Clearing,
??? 4: The... The Goddess Astrea ? Lady Astrea Please Wear This....
The Cat Person Stepped Forward, Taking A Cloak, And Gestured Around Her Waist,
Astrea Realized What She Ment And Took The Cloak, Covering Herself, Her Face Slightly Red Due To Embarrassment....
Astrea: Thank You, And Please, stand,
Astrea Said, Waving A Hand Wearily
Astrea: I have No Familia, I Am Just A Traveler Now, And I Am In Need Of Aid,
She Gestured To Lucian,
Astrea: This Child... He Used Some Form Of Magic To Hide Us, But He Collapsed The Moment We Were Safe, He Hasn't Stirred Since,
??? 4: Let Me See Him,
The Cat Person Healer Said, Rushing Forward,
Astrea Shifted, Allowing The Healer To Kneel Beside Lucian, Murmuring In Soft Voice, Chanting Her Spell, The Adventurer's Hands Glowed With A Soft, Emerald Light As She Used A Healing Spell,
The Group Waited In Tense Silence, The Leader Watched The Perimeter, His Hand Resting On His Sword Hilt, Ensuring No Wyvern Would Catch Them Unaware This Time,
???: He's Physically Fine, It's A Case Of Mind Down, His Mana Reserves Was Depleted And His Physical Stamina Is Also Considerably Recovering, He Would Recover Soon....
She Pulled A Small Vial Of Blue Liquid From Her Pouch—A High-Potion—And Carefully Tilted Lucian's Head Back, Administering A Few Drops To His Lips Just In Case,
??? 4: He Just Needs Rest,
The Healer Said, Looking Up At Astrea With A Smile,
??? 4: He's Sturdy, He'll Be Fine....
Astrea Let Out A Breath That Shook Her Entire Frame
Astrea: Thank You...
The Leader Stood Up, Looking At The Two Survivors With A Mixture Of Duty And Guilt,
??? 1: Lady Astrea, We Failed To Save Your Companions, That Shame Is Ours To Bear, But We Will Not Fail You Now,
He Turned To His Team,
??? 1: All Of You, You're With Me, We Finish The Hunt, That Wyvern Dies Tonight,
The Members: Yes, Captain !!
He Turned Back To Astrea,
??? 1: Modi, Go Fetch The Other Two, They Will Escort Lady Astrea And The Boy Safely To Orario, You Can Take From Our Supplies, We Won't Take 'No' For An Answer....
Astrea Looked At The Earnest Faces Of The Adventurers, She Saw The Guilt They Carried For The Carriage, And Their Desperate Need To Do One Right Thing Today,
She Looked Down At Lucian, Sleeping Soundly On Her Lap, He Needed A Bed, He Needed Safety,
Astrea: I Accept... Thank You, Children Of Ganesha, Your Assistance Is... A Blessing....
The Captain Saluted, A Sharp Fist To His Chest
??? 1: For The Masses....
As The Main Group Turned To Sprint Back Into The Forest, Hunting The Beast That Had Caused This Tragedy, The Adventurer Named Modi Stepped Forward, Offering a Respectful Hand To Help The Goddess Stand,
But Astrea Didn't Take It Immediately, She Carefully Gathered Lucian Into Her Arms First, Refusing To Let Him Go, Before Allowing The Adventurer To Help Them Up,
Astrea: Let's.... Go Home, Lucian.....
She Whispered In Soft Voice, As Modi Eventually Led Them To Thier Other Teammate,
Next, The Start Of The Story