24 Chapter 24: The First Light Elf I Met was Somebody I'd Rather Not Meet

This took place shortly after Agnes, Seal, and Grayson left the office to leave the father and son to their moment. The young boyish-looking girl stared at her new hunter I.D. card while recalling the conditions of the exam she and Soar would have to take.

{I may not have known him much yet, but after seeing his power first-hand, I imagine he will want to clear the whole dungeon in one go, Agnes thought briefly. I can share sentiments in that but after putting us into comparison, would I even be considered 'worthy' after clearing it with him? Would I not be riding along as he clears a path? I want to pass this test but the last thing I want is being a burden for him. I have to do what I can to keep up with him.}

"Milady? Are you all right?" Wilfred asked, snapping Agnes out of her thoughts. Her Fire Fairy Companion, Flicker, flew to her side and set a small hand on the shoulder in comfort. Agnes sighed in resignation.

"I guess I am just a little nervous."

"You'll be okay, Agnes!" Fila exclaimed, surprising the young lady with her sudden intrusion. "From what I watched yesterday, you looked like you knew how to use a sword, and your magic was amazing. Whatever it is you're being tested on, you'll definitely pass!"

"I've been to where you two will be going," Claire added as she joined in the talk. "I may not have seen your skills myself but I only made it this far through observation and self-teaching methods while working on the field for the past few years. Since you'll only need to get to the 3rd floor, from what monsters I had seen up to that point, your odds are good with your experience in the sword."

"The thing is … I have never fought off a monster before, let alone defeat one. Will I not hold Soar back just being there?"

"You'll be fine. Soar's had to work with us in some of our small-time subjugation quests around Lunargrove and there were times he was looking after us more than the other way around."

"More like looking after you, Weiss. You were just starting out in the party and was miffed to 'babysit a snot-nosed brat' when you first met Soar. He not only showed you up, he even scolded you for not paying attention to your surroundings. You wouldn't even think the kid was just seven back then with the lip he was giving to someone older than him."

Weiss cut in the girls' talk to point out Soar's experience in working with others. Sam put in his piece involving Weiss' blunders when he first joined the party in his mid-teens. Weiss sulked after having that embarrassing time of his life pointed out to him.

"He was rather harsh when his patience was being pushed to the brink back then," Seal commented while getting to Agnes' level. "Despite how things were yesterday, he has gotten a lot better working in a party and was able to teach you a little something in magic, too. The point is, he will not think of you as a burden, Lady Agnes. He will show and tell you what you need to know if you ask him."

"… You really think so? Even after what happened?"

"Only if he knows you are serious enough about the task at hand. You will be fine."

Seal assured Agnes' uncertainty before giving her a smile. Seeing her instructor having so much confidence in her, the young lady's anxiety was replaced with determination.

"Hunting monsters at seven years old … Soar really is amazing," Fila muttered while looking down with a blushing smile.

Onelri, who was silently observing the conversation from the side, took Seal's words to mind as she thought of her own goals as well as how she had treated Soar from their first meeting to the present.

["If you wish to grow stronger, I would take Mr. Galveston's words to heart, Onelri."]

["Father?"]

Onelri was surprised mid-thought when her father, Darida, whispered to her long and pointy ear in their native elven tongue while on his knee.

["Our acquaintanceship with Soar did not start out well, true, but if what Ms. Renne said was also true, he may help improve your magic while finding a fairy for you to make a contract with during our stay. I know you had some … difficulties with other kids back home, but this may be a good opportunity for you to get to know the new friends you have made. You could open yourself more to Soar like Fila has to start with.]

From Darida's advice, Onelri glanced over to Fila and mentally compared the bunny girl's experiences with Soar alongside her own.

{… I do not know about sucking up to him but I should follow her example to some degree, right?} Onelri thought.

"Hey, Darida, I didn't notice you came back. Did you get your money situation sorted out?"

Weiss' question got Darida back up to his feet.

"Yes, I have received the rest of the bounty that the guild owed me," Darida answered while holding up a pouch jingling with money. He then chanted the Dark Space spell to open a small black hole in space for him to drop the pouch into.

The bounty was in regard to the bandits that captured Onelri's and Fila's families after their reportedly 'unknown hunter' had done them in, saving those said families and leaving the bodies to exchange for reward money in the process. Considering the crimes committed as former guardsmen of Reskondant Kingdom, the reward was quite a hefty amount.

"You had to use some of it for carriage fare to Lunargrove, yeah? What are you going to do with the rest?" Sam asked, and just as Darida opened his mouth to answer …

"Yes~, what will you do with all of that money, I wonder?"

The interruption of a woman's voice dripping with seduction and teasing close to his long, pointy ear startled the dark elf, more so when he recognized that same voice.

"Z-Zalena?!"

"… Vaxine."

"You!"

"The one and only~."

Weiss' surprise, Darida's grumble, and Onelri's accusing shout brought the attention of everyone in the guild towards the mentioned woman. The hustle and bustle of activity in the guild came to a complete stop. Most of the men's cold, hard exteriors dropped to the ground with faces of great self-conscience and lacking confidence the moment their eyes laid on the radiant light elf. Most of the women, on the other hand, were either glancing at said men with disappointment or glaring at the subject of interest with sheer jealousy.

As for the younger girls, Claire and Fila suddenly got uncomfortable from the sudden change of air, Agnes stood agape at seeing both dark elves and a light elf in the same building, and Onelri was practically foaming at the mouth.

"Are you acquainted with Zalena?" Seal asked with a slight surprise.

"… We have only met a few days prior, moments before we left for Lunargrove, actually."

"Ah, so that was where you all were going. I wish you had told me. I wanted to say hello to an old friend of mine over there since my recent quest was finished."

"What we do with our time is none of your business!"

Darida answered Seal while staring Zalena down coldly, said light elf expressed her slight discontent, and Onelri yelled her disapproval.

Zalena then looked down at Onelri and the other young girls with a half-lidded smile. "I see the little dark elf and bunny girls are still as cute as ever. Hm, I think I have seen you around but we have never been properly introduced, yes? And oh~, look at this young and handsome-looking fairy boy! Are you a new hunter?"

"U-Um, my name is Claire Galloway, E-Rank, ma'am! It's an honor and pleasure to properly meet you, Ms. Vaxine!"

"… Agnes Zanri. Yes, I am a new hunter … and I am a girl."

Claire formally introduced herself towards Zalena, one of a much higher rank in both as a hunter and a woman, and Agnes gave hers monotonously with dead eyes as well while correcting her assumed gender.

Zalena gasped and covered her open mouth. "Goodness, please pardon me for my misperception, but that just makes you even cuter!"

"Gullivan, you have to steel yourself, because—"

"Did I hear Gully's name being called? Ah! There he is! Gully~! Yoohoo~!"

"Hey! Get back here! I am not through with you yet!"

Hearing a familiar man's name called, Zalena averted her attention and made her way to the back of the guild, not minding the stares around her in the slightest, let alone Onelri's yells.

"Wow … she's so much more than I ever imagined when I first heard of her," Claire said as she stared at Zalena with awe. "And to think, she's been with the guild long enough to become the S-Rank hunter she is today."

Agnes jolted her head to the young teen. "Wait, what?!"

~~

"A light elf? Here?" I asked aloud, more confused about the sudden change of events than anything else. I noticed my Companions were above me, specifically on the beams where many other fairies were talking amongst themselves, but my own also looked concerned at the scene here.

"… Zalena. Done with another difficult quest, I see?" Dad asked. He had an especially difficult time keeping a straight face as he watched his voluptuous acquaintance approach him.

"Indeed! I was wiling away my time with some errands while thinking of coming to see you."

Dad sighed. "You know you can't do that, yeah? You'll cause more drama than there needs to be just being there."

"Oh, come now, Gully, I know how to be good when I … hm?" The light elf woman said before she noticed something that caught her eye, slowly following a trail before stopping on me.

Alarm bells ring in my head when I realized that 'trail' was the mana strings connecting between me and my Companions. The smile the woman showed on her face while looking at me at that moment not only ascertained my assumption but when I glanced at her own mana strings that connect to four of her own fairies watching in at the scene, my inner alarms went full blast.

"Well, who do we have here~?" she asked.

"This is my son. Soar, this is a hunter who I've worked with on some quests in the past, Zalena Vaxine."

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Vaxine …" I greeted before bowing. The light elf woman's name bounces in my head for I felt I had heard this name a number of times before.

"This is the famous son you're always boasting about?! But he looks so cute with no resemblance to you at all, Gully! I mean, just look at these cheeks! Yours weren't even this pinchable when you were around his age! And you didn't even tell me he was a fairy boy, too!" Ms. Vaxine gushed and lightly pinch my still baby-faced cheeks as she was down to my level. Her large cleavage that was practically in my face was difficult to ignore.

"I get that a lot … wait, what was that about Dad being around my age?"

"Really, Gully, have you even told him anything about me? Why I am hurt. Who taught you how to use Earth and Wind Magic when you were just a boy? Who looked after you while you were so reckless in your first few quests as a hunter? Who helped you become a man—"

"Zalena! There are children here!"

I was staring at Dad wide-eyed long before he interrupted Zalena's rambling on, and it was at that moment that I remembered where I heard her name.

'Zalena the Meat-Eatah,' 'Virgin-Curing Vaxine,' 'Prize Ball Crusher,' and the 'Shameless Succubus of Light,' these were just a few of the names Zalena went by with her promiscuous off-times when she wasn't taking hunter quests. Dad and his drinking buddies had talked about some of her 'exploits' from time to time but I had no idea that same woman was actually a light elf. It was almost no wonder how she hadn't been the subject of violent hostility for long periods with her infamous rep.

From the stories I had heard, a light elf being able to do at least four of the six magic elements (if her fairies were anything to go by) on top of being an S-Rank hunter, if you mess with her, you would likely die in one of two ways, and some have wished they would crawl in a hole and rot to death instead.

Elves, in general, were known to have long lifespans while not aging so it may not be a surprise to some when they hear them talk about their long distant pasts. When I heard how Zalena was the one who taught Dad how to use magic since he was a kid, I realized then how much of a dangerous adversary she could be, but that wasn't the jarring fact that rattled my head after hearing some of their moments together.

{Just how old is she to know Dad for that long?! And wait, is she seriously suggesting that she … and Dad before he met Mom?!} I desperately kept myself from screaming that thought aloud.

"Um, what does she mean by 'helping him become a man?'"

"I uh … think your mom can answer that along with where babies come from, kid," Weiss answered Fila who brought up the question.

"Anyway, what a lovely surprise to have two fairy children in the same building. Are you also starting out to become a strong hunter like your father?" Zalena asked me. Despite the circumstances of the situation, I had to keep calm and play the part of a 'mature, growing boy' to some degree.

"… More or less. Agnes and I were going to take an exam to determine our rank."

"That is until we find a hunter escort," Grayson then said while scratching his head. "Typical that not many experienced hunters in this building would want to look after some brats while not hitting on Rala on the job as an examiner, and she can't do that at the same time as assuring their safety. Of course, we can't have the brats' masters, Gullivan and Seal, go with them, same goes for the latter's party members he's registered with."

"Were these exams rigged from the past? Is that why those rules are set like that?" I asked.

"Unfortunately. While we are making sure the brats can handle being by themselves without their masters, we have to make this fair for everyone involved or it will affect their chances of passing, for better or worse."

Suddenly, a loud clap grabbed everyone's attention, directing them to Zalena who had glimmers in her eyes.

"I-dee—a~! If no one else has volunteered, then I will be their escort!"

""What?!"" The only people in the building who didn't react to Zalena's proposal that way were the girls in my group, myself, and Grayson.

"I'm not a registered party member with Gully or Seal, I'm not into girls, and I'm an S-Ranked hunter with some spare time in my hands. I think I should be plenty qualified, right?"

"You sure about this, Zalena?"

"Oh, come now, Gray, this isn't the first time I've looked after kids, you know, exam or not. Been a while since I took part in this but I can handle this fine. Besides, Gully's son and the girl over there are both fairy children. I'm curious to see what they can do."

"Excuse me, Grayson?"

"What is it, Rala?" he asked while turning to the pantherkin.

"I honestly think I'm capable of looking after the kids while being the examiner. I mean, it won't be just me who'll be protecting them. Flinto!"

Suddenly, a puff of smoke came out of nowhere at Rala's side. When the smoke dissipated, a very large cat appeared. Fiery orange, fluffy fur with white markings coursing through them like grapevines coated the cat, and he had wings that matched to said markings. Despite the vibrant fur colors and wings, he sort of resembled the maine coon breed of domesticated cats from Earth.

"Good morning, Milady. As always, I will work my best today," the cat spoke with a very mature, sophisticated voice and tone like a gentleman's. It reminded me of that one guy you see sitting in a luxurious chair next to a burning fireplace as he was ready to tell a story. Somehow, picturing the cat in that same chair fitted the setting surprisingly well.

"Oh my gosh, he talks! And he looks so fluffy! Can I pet him?! Please?!" Fila asked excitedly while bouncing in place like the bunny she was.

"As long as Flinto's okay with it."

"Oh, yes, pet away, but please be gentle. I just cleaned myself."

With Rala's and Flinto's permission, Fila quickly came up to the large cat and gently brushed his head with her hand. Claire suddenly came from the side to occupy a spot pet as well.

"He's so soft!"

"I might just die and go up to fluffy heaven with this fur!"

Fila and Claire exclaimed with amazement and stars in their eyes. Agnes and Onelri, meanwhile, were fidgeting in place, looking like they really want to pet Flinto, too.

"Amazing, he's a familiar from Zaleese, isn't he?" I asked Rala.

"The realm ruled by God Nodem of Mind and Order, Zaleese? How did you know that?" Claire asked me with widened eyes.

"I skimmed a little of that book you got me last night. It read one can see where familiars hailed from by the markings on their bodies." Of course, 'skimmed' was definitely an understatement from how much I really read last night.

"Well, your studying paid off because you're right! Yes, I made a contract with Flinto first thing after I registered as a hunter. I didn't have a Companion at the time, I still don't, but Flinto's been my trusty partner from that first meeting up to now. We've worked and trained together for years, and with Flinto at my side, I'm confident we can look after you two ourselves." Rala puffed her chest with pride while glancing at Zalena with a cocky smirk. I had a slight feeling she didn't want to let her be our escort.

"I'm sorry, Rala," Grayson apologized. "I know how capable you and Flinto are and it might be one thing if we're examining only one brat. That isn't the case here as we got two. We gotta go by hunter's guild regulations under these circumstances."

"… Anybody else here who wants to volunteer?!" Rala exclaimed to everyone in the guild, sounding desperate, but no answer came to her. "Oh, come on, people! This is Gulliver's son and what looks like a noble's daughter, for crying out loud! Sharla! You're a C-Rank! Help me out here!"

"I don't like kids!"

{I can share your sentiments, lady, but my god, that raspy voice, though. Were you smoking from birth? You should have your throat or lungs checked,} I thought jokingly.

It was then I felt a very subtle tap on my cheek. I turned to that direction to see a Darkness Fairy hovering beside me. Specifically, the same fairy who's contracted with Darida. Not only did I recognize her but the mana string connecting her to Darida confirms their Companion/Chaperone relationship.

I opened my mouth to ask what was up but she put a finger over her lips before nodding her head in Zalena's direction, signaling me to keep quiet and take a look at her.

I did as she silently requested, not seeing anything strange besides Rala quickly going around the guild looking for a volunteer to replace Zalena, but then the Darkness Fairy hovered up to my ear.

"Pretend you're not hearing me while I give you a message from Darida," his Darkness Fairy instructed. "It's highly likely Zalena will be your escort and Darida wanted me to warn you to use your magic with caution. Zalena has surely already figured out how many fairies you're contracted with right now, and from what he had overheard from other hunters in this guild, she had apparently done her own little investigation on our incident with the bandits. She had even left for Duston early yesterday, probably to confirm the 'incident' near the town's borders.

"If Zalena's able to look at the bandits' bodies with her position as an S-Rank hunter, then she may have some idea of how they were killed. If you don't wish for your secret being exposed, he strongly suggests you using magic in a different matter than you have up to now, if not doing it at all is something you can't do. Finally, most importantly, do not let the 'disgusting vixen's' charms get the better of you, his words, not mine.

"That is all. Best of luck on your exam, Soar. We'll be rooting for you two and your fairies."

With that, Darida's Companion flew away and towards the dark elf himself, staring at me seriously with arms crossed, as if he was seeing me off for a trip to a war zone.

I definitely appreciated Darida's warning at that point. I already had some idea I should be wary of Zalena's advances but I had no idea she would even investigate a murder on bandits. Why did she do it? What was she looking for? Is there more to why Zalena was so enthusiastic about being mine and Agnes' hunter escort for our exam? I didn't have an answer to any of those questions in my mind at the time.

When Rala finally deflated and collapsed on the floor in defeat, the moment Zalena smiled as her eyes met mine, a cold chill ran down my spine. I had no idea what was going on in her mind, but I knew one thing: I had never been more afraid of women other than Mom when she was angry than I did then.

Little did I know that Zalena Vaxine was only one of the few who would rouse such feelings from me, and she was definitely not the last.