After being transported to some far off place through transmission magic, Victoria hacked at the ground with her scythe and left a huge gash in the earth.
Striking out in anger.
(I blundered. I shouldnât have been so careless fighting that womanâŚ)
She tightened her grip on the scythe.
She doesnât know exactly where she is, but she seems to be in a forest.
She swung the scythe back over her shoulder.
(No, this isnât the time to feel sorry for myself. I have to get back to Rings, no matter whatâŚ)
However, she doesnât know where she is.
Her family lineage has been historically weak in magic.
So, she canât use transmission magic.
Although, unbeknownst to her, she wouldnât be able to use it here even if she did.
She started walking through the forest, looking for any clue to her location.
Thatâs whenâŚ
âKyaaaaaaa!â, she heard a scream in the distance.
âWhat theâŚ?â Victoria looked confused.
She heard another voice shouting âDonât come any closer!â right afterwards. Was it the same person who screamed?
It would be a mistake to just assume that both voices belonged to the same person.
Victoria raced in the direction of the scream with a series of long dashes that seemed to ignore the weight of the scythe on her shoulder.
It wasnât out of the goodness of her heart. But, because she sought information about where she was.
She threads her way in between the trees and reaches the origin of the scream.
And, in front of her, was a young girl cornered by a savage pack of bandits.
She jumped onto a tree branch and observed the scene.
(Thatâs⌠An elf of the âeternal seedâ? What is she doing in such a place?)
Creatures of the eternal seed are living organisms with no concept of a lifespan. Typically all such creatures are designated as S-rank monsters in need of sealing, but an elf alone is different and are not marked for sealing.
Incidentally, a dragon is also a creature of the eternal seed.
(What should I do? It would be a simple thing to help, but to get involved with an S-rank monsterâŚ)
The elven child was frightened, and visibly shaking.
Seeing that figure, Victoria unconsciously gripped the scythe even tighter.
(No, I should help that elf.)
Having decided so, Victoria jumped from the tree and extended that scythe behind her once more.
One slash.
Some of the bandits collapsed in a heap without a single scream.
âThe fuck!?â
âThat elf summoned some kinda monster!â
âOh shit!â
The brigands started to panic.
Victoria landed cleanly and returned the scythe to her shoulder, as she stood between the child and her attackers, her blonde hair swayed in the wind.
âYou low-lives. Were you planning on selling this child for money?â
Selling her blood? Selling her hair? Victoria was going to ask.
âYeah, thatâs right! Thatâs damn right! Selling her off would set us up for life!â
âDonât interrupt me.â
Slash. The sickle was swung once more. The remaining robbers were reduced to lumps of flesh.
âItâs unfortunate that life was all a set up to be ended here, then.â
As the young elf stared at Victoriaâs back, it was if she was seeing a ray of hope in a violent and desperate world.
Her blonde hair swayed beautifully as she ended lives as if in the midst of a dance, it was almost like art.
The heart throbbing violently in her chest, was it fear? Or some other emotion?
She doesnât truly understand the emotions sheâs feeling, but one thing she does know is that she was saved.
âAre you unhurt?â
After everything had ended, that blonde woman called Victoria spoke to her.
Wiping away the blood on her cheek, Victoria bent down to look at the child in her eyes. Behind her, she can see mangled bodies. But, the beauty in front of her was so great that she could ignore it.
The elf nodded and looked into Victoriaâs eyes.
âYes, Iâm ohkay.â
She stuttered slightly. Victoria breathed a sigh of relief.
âOnee-chan, who are you?â
âMe? I am⌠Letâs see. Thatâs a good question.â
Victoria thinks to herself.
There are a few ways she could introduce herself.
The Lord of Rings, the only survivor of the noble house of Victoria, an S-rank hunter, a Grim ReaperâŚ
Those were the names that best described herself.
But, this child wouldnât understand any of those.
âItâs difficult. For now, letâs just say that Iâm someone who saved you in your time of need.â
The elfâs cheeks puffed up as she broke into a huge smile.
âThen, Onee-chan is my Prince!â
âNo, itâs nothing as big as that. Moreover, what are you doing in such a place as this?â
âWell⌠I was looking for my older sister.â
Victoria tilted her head.
Elves, like dragons, are creatures that reincarnate into a new form once they reach the end of their life.
In other words, a unique individual.
There should only ever be one elf, another cannot exist.
âYou have an older sister?â
âYep! Sheâs my twin!â
ââŚI see.â
Victoria wonders about just how such an unprecedented thing came about, but it seems unlikely her question will be answered just yet.
Iâm sorry, I had to make the dumb joke, I didnât know if I was going to get another chance.\n