"Why does this elf have so many demands?"

The mustachioed staff member muttered irritably as he headed toward the cell that wasn’t quite a cell, carrying a meal.

Picking her own menu, choosing how the food is cooked, demanding alcohol. Is this an elf who was captured, or a guest at a fancy restaurant?

Ropermahn is to blame, too. He treats the elf like a prized possession, giving her everything she asks for. It’s as if he’s her parent. At this rate, she’ll be walking around freely in no time.

Clang.

The staff member began unlocking the three locks attached to the door.

Though he could simply slide the meal through the hole at the bottom of the door, the man always chose to open it. It felt good to see the powerless elf up close, and she smelled wonderful.

Occasionally, the devil’s temptation whispered in his ear: "Why not kidnap her and run away?" Not that it mattered. He wouldn’t make it out of Noctar before getting caught.

Click.

He unlocked the final lock and released the chains. As the door opened, the refreshing scent of the forest wafted through.

Ah, this smell.

A scent that washed away the fatigue of the day. I’d love to have this in my room.

"Hey, I brought your foo… huh?"

The man's voice trailed off stupidly.

Something was wrong. The room looked luxurious. What does that mean? It means that when the elf was present, he never noticed the room’s appearance. He was too busy staring at her.

But now, he could only see the room. The elf, who should have been there, was gone. The shackles that had once bound her to the pillar lay on the floor, unlocked.

It was then that the man realized something was seriously wrong.

"W-what?!"

He rushed into the room as if he were being pulled in. The food tray fell to the floor, spilling its contents.

The man inspected the shackles. They weren’t broken. They had been neatly opened, as if someone had used a key.

"Could it be…?!"

Someone kidnapped the elf before I could!

Was it Marco?

Or Tram?

Those bastards got ahead of me! If I can’t have her, neither can they!

The man turned to report the situation, but—

"Huh?"

He froze, locking eyes with Karamir, who was quietly sneaking out, about to close the door behind him.

"You… you…?"

As the man pointed at him in shock, Karamir gave him a gentle smile.

"Please, take a nice rest. The air is fresh, the facilities are great. As for the food… it's been on the floor for about three seconds, but it’s still safe to eat."

The man, who clearly preferred work over rest, scrambled to his feet and rushed forward, but the world didn’t wait for him. In one swift move, the door slammed shut.

He tried desperately to open it, but the door barely budged. While Karamir leaned his weight against it, Arpia quickly locked the door from the inside.

The man’s furious shouting echoed through the hall, but no one paid attention. They were too busy making their escape.

"Let’s run."

Whoosh.

Just as they hurried to escape before being discovered, a black mist appeared, blocking the hallway.

"Why are you coming out from there?"

Emerging from the mist was a dark elf—Leonard, tasked with capturing Arpia on Ropermahn’s orders.

His icy blue eyes, cold enough to freeze the air, locked onto Karamir.

"I thought Ropermahn had already sent you off?"

"I came back. I couldn’t bring myself to leave without my slave."

"But I didn’t sense your presence."

"That’s because you’re incompetent."

Leonard’s eyebrow twitched. Karamir’s ‘persuasive words’ weren’t only useful in negotiations; his sarcastic remarks could provoke even a trained assassin.

"It doesn’t matter. I’ll just throw you back in."

Leonard moved, pulling out two daggers strapped across his waist.

"The elf has escaped!"

It wasn’t just Leonard. Ropermahn’s henchmen, alerted by the commotion, were climbing the stairs.

Arpia’s eyes darted around, scanning the situation. They were in a straight hallway. If they stayed, they would be surrounded from both ends.

Her gaze landed on the hallway window.

"Hey. Uh, Master?"

"Yes?"

"We’re going to escape, so cover your face with your clothes to avoid getting hurt, and hold on to me tight."

"What do you mean—?!"

Before Karamir could finish asking, Arpia had already swung her bow, smashing the window. She pulled Karamir close and leaped out.

To anyone who didn’t know she was an elf, it might’ve looked like a suicide jump.

Elves, who spent their lives moving through the trees, were often called the fairies of the forest or wingless forest angels. Elves didn’t know how to fall.

And even if Arpia had lost her shine, she was still an elf. She gracefully jumped from tree to tree beside the building and landed as lightly as a leaf riding the wind.

Karamir, wide-eyed from the sudden action, remained frozen in place. Arpia let out a soft laugh as she asked,

"You’re not scared, are you?"

"S-scared? No way. I’m just impressed with how well you handle the trees…."

"I’m an elf, silly."

Arpia flicked her hair with a stylish nod. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to bask in the moment; other elves were nearby.

As the humans stared down like dogs chasing chickens, Leonard moved.

The black mist spread out from the window, flowing up to the roof. Using the mist to travel, Leonard appeared above them, silhouetted against the moonlit night.

Arpia frowned.

"What is that? A spirit?"

"Yes, it’s a shadow cloud spirit. They’re particularly fond of dark elves, but their weakness is light."

"How do you know that…?"

"It’s in the Spirit Compendium. If you complete the collection, you get an achievement. Do you know how many times I reset my elf character to try to get a full collection?"

Leonard’s disdainful gaze shifted to Arpia. She flinched, unable to meet his eyes.

"Is that truly the master you trust?"

"…I decided not to think about it too deeply. Who cares? As long as he’s good to me, that’s all that matters."

"What are you talking about? I’m good to all my slaves."

"Master? Please, just shut up and run to the tavern. I’ll handle this."

"Haha, I’d probably just get in your way, wouldn’t I? Well then, I’ll leave it to you."

Without any misplaced pride, Karamir turned to leave, but not before calling out to Arpia.

"Miss Arpia."

"What?"

"Your master always believes in you."

Karamir winked, and Arpia couldn’t help but chuckle.

"I know that without you saying it."

As Karamir ran down the path, Arpia kept a close eye on Leonard, worried he might pull some trick.

"So, you’re tasked with catching an elf. Wouldn’t it be perfect if you offered yourself up? You’d complete the task, and he’d be happy."

"Your master wants you, a white elf."

"Such discrimination. My master doesn’t care about that stuff. How about it? Want to become a slave too? As your senior elf, I’ll treat you nicely. Though, I will have to scold you for pointing a blade at my master."

"You’re stalling. But there’s no need. I’m not chasing him."

Leonard glanced at the retreating Karamir. He already knew where he was headed—no doubt, to the Duke of the Night’s estate.

There were already agents waiting for him. Capturing him would be no problem. All Leonard needed to do was deal with the elf before him.

"Let me warn you. Drop your bow and accept your fate. You can’t defeat me without mastering your spirits."

He might be right.

It had only been a few months since Arpia started using the bow, and her only practice had been mock battles. Thinking she could defeat Leonard, a skilled assassin, might indeed be foolish.

‘But so what?’

Karamir said he believed in her.

What more explanation did she need?

None.

Arpia nocked an arrow. Her target: Leonard’s forehead. It was time to show the results of her training.

Arpia released the bowstring.

The elf’s arrow sliced through the night.

 

"That’s cheating!"

It wasn’t even close.

Leonard dodged the arrow with a simple tilt of his head, sending it harmlessly behind him. He didn’t seem impressed, as if he were about to say, ‘Too slow.’

Attacking from below wasn’t ideal. Realizing this, Arpia climbed up the wall and leaped onto the roof.

She hid between the roof tiles, tilting her bow horizontally to shoot.

Whizz.

The arrow flew in the complete opposite direction from Leonard.

But the moment it left Leonard’s line of sight, the wind shifted. The arrow made an extreme turn, boomeranging back toward Leonard’s temple.

Leonard didn’t even blink. Without looking, he swung his dagger and sliced the arrow in half. Arpia’s calculated strike was reduced to splinters.

Leonard, a dark elf, could read the flow of the wind just as well as any elf. No ordinary archery would reach him.

Leonard lowered his eyes. Arpia flinched.

The black mist wriggled. It enveloped Leonard’s form, cloaking him in darkness. The mist, like a living entity, soared through the air toward Arpia.

"Tch!"

Arpia sprinted across the roof, looking like a thief sneaking away with a priceless gem. Even while running, she nocked another arrow. She jumped, turning mid-air to fire behind her.

Whoosh.

The arrow pierced through the mist. But no matter how many times she shot, or how many arrows she fired in rapid succession, the result was the same. Leonard moved freely within the mist, evading every attack.

‘How can I win?’

Arpia bit her lower lip anxiously.

"Can we really just sit and watch?"

Meanwhile, at the Duke of the Night’s estate…

Under the moonlight, two men sat at an outdoor table, sipping drinks. Scattered around them were lifeless figures consumed by shadows.

Victor, one of the men, observed the battle from afar. Arpia was showing impressive archery skills as expected, but her opponent was no easy target.

As an assassin himself, Victor could tell Leonard’s skill level. He was among the best in the assassin’s guild.

Especially Leonard’s black mist.

Unless you had a way to counter its magical nature, it was nearly impossible to defeat. It was an absurdly unfair advantage.

Victor wanted to intervene. He had grown fond of Arpia, and his companion Emily liked her too. But Karamir had firmly opposed it.

"This is her role. Stay out of it."

"What if something happens to her?"

"Then that’s something she has to deal with."

Hand-feeding her everything would only hinder her growth and push her further from her full liberation.

Victor sighed. "You’re a lot tougher on her than I thought."

"I’ve always believed in giving the tough ones more chances to prove themselves. You give the naughty ones more candy, and the good ones a firm slap."

‘Is that so?’ Victor mused, watching the battle unfold.

The two elves were closing in on each other. It was difficult for Arpia to outrun Leonard, who was moving through the mist.

Leonard’s upper body emerged from the fog, slashing his dagger in a diagonal arc. Arpia barely ducked in time to avoid the strike.

But the shift in her center of gravity caused her to lose balance, and she fell to the ground.

Leonard didn’t waste the opening. Like a snake ready to swallow its prey, his daggers, like fangs, descended toward her.

"Ugh!"

Arpia reflexively raised her bow to block. Thunk! The bow collided with Leonard’s wrist, stopping the blades just inches from her face. Arpia twisted her head, struggling to break free.

But the daggers remained unmoved.

"I don’t enjoy killing my own kind. Give up. This is my last mercy."

"Mercy is selling your kin?"

"It’s better than death."

"Elves bond with only one person for life. I’d rather die than be sold…!"

By most standards, Arpia’s archery skills were commendable. She had the raw talent and the spirit to back her up, making her formidable in real combat.

But her opponent was simply too strong. Fighting an elf without the aid of a spirit was like a mage battling without magic.

‘If only I could deal with that mist!’

Karamir had said it was weak to light.

There were many spirits within her. Surely, one of them had to be a light spirit?

Arpia focused her mind on the expanded connection with the spirits. She forcefully dragged one of them out from its hiding place.

The spirit resisted, thrashing as if it didn’t want to comply.

The pain surged as the spirits rebelled inside her.

But she wouldn’t stop. She had suffered for far too long.

"If you’re going to live inside me, you better pay rent!"

With a shout, a spirit was pulled along the path. A soft white light began to flow along the lines of the brand on her back.

When the light fully filled the brand—

FLASH!

A light brighter than the sun illuminated the night sky of Noctar.