120-Year-Old Picture

After Morgana departed from the guild master's office, Angie and the remaining members of the Freebird party recounted their harrowing tale to Roland and Tina. The guild master and the clerk listened intently, their eyes widening in astonishment as the narrative unfolded.

Angie vividly described how Morgana appeared from a summoning ritual after the other three party members had been killed and how she used a powerful spell to take out the cultists and restore the rest of her companions.

Just as Angie was done recounting their experience, Tina slowly walked towards them with a somber expression, making the teenagers tense their bodies as they awaited her reprimand.

"S-sorry we made you worry…" said Angie with remorse in her voice.

Yet, to their surprise, Tina's expression softened, and she drew them all into an unexpected embrace. Tears of relief streamed down her cheeks. "I'm so glad that you are all okay…" she muttered, overwhelming the party with gratitude and comfort, making them share her tears for a few moments while embracing her back.

Once everyone in the office had calmed down, Roland walked to his desk and opened a drawer where he retrieved a framed picture.

The photograph depicted a united group of adventurers, proudly posing with their weapons held high, and even though they were getting ready to go to battle, they all had a smile on their faces.

Passing the cherished picture to the group of teenagers, they immediately noticed Morgana's familiar figure positioned at one end of the photograph. Standing beside her were a man and a woman, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Roland and Tina.

"This picture is over 120 years old… It was taken hours before the 'Battle of Scar'..." explained Roland, his voice tinged with reverence.

"Then how are you and Tina in the picture, guild master!?" asked Conrad, frustrated by his perplexion.

Roland gave the teenager a solemn smile and said that while they looked similar, those were their ancestors who pledged their loyalty to the tricksters.

The teenagers carefully inspected the picture, noticing that Morgana looked the same as she did currently, with the only noticeable difference being her gear, which looked more like a knight's plate armor.

"So, this was before the Red Calamity?" asked Conrad, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Roland nodded, confirming Conrad's assumption. "Indeed, it predates the Red Calamity," he explained. The Battle of Scar was an event that had happened a long time ago where goblins and orcs banded together to attack the city, making hundreds of adventurers from around the world rally together to lend their aid.

"I see… So this was even before the Chaos War…" muttered Conrad as he kept inspecting the picture.

Roland delved into his drawer once more and retrieved a second photograph. "Here," he said, extending it towards the teenagers. The image depicted nine distinct individuals, each exuding an air of strength and prowess. Among them, the teenagers recognized only one familiar face.

Morgana, once again positioned at the side of the picture, adorned with a radiant smile. Her arms were wrapped affectionately around two unfamiliar figures standing beside her.

One was a gorgeous woman with flowing blonde hair, donning sleek and vibrant red armor that accentuated her elegance.

The other was a tall and imposing man, his short white hair contrasting with his gleaming, pristine full-plate armor, which enveloped him entirely in a radiant white hue.

"W-who are all these people with big-sis?" asked Angie.

Roland took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. "Those, my dear, are the legendary nine tricksters," he revealed.

It was another picture over 120 years old and had been captured merely a few hours before the momentous event known as the "Chaos War."

The teenagers were somewhat familiar with the story of said war since it became an important event in the history of the world. However, they were completely unaware of the essential details.

Roland began to recount the tale to the eager teenagers. In the early days, their world, Aegis, was governed by four powerful gods.

Aelara, the benevolent Goddess of Life, bestowed vitality and nurtured the world. Zaudan, the enigmatic God of Death, oversaw the natural cycle of life, death, and reincarnation.

Sylvari, the resolute Goddess of Justice, ensured balance and order prevailed. And Ravaxis, the cunning and unpredictable God of Chaos.

Ravaxis, entrusted with the task of creating dungeons to introduce controlled chaos and challenge to the realm, initially fulfilled his role harmoniously. These dungeons served as testing grounds for adventurers and maintained equilibrium with Sylvari's peaceful influence.

However, Ravaxis's insatiable thirst for chaos drove him to commit a grave transgression. He plotted and executed the assassination of Sylvari, unleashing an era of unprecedented disorder upon Aegis.

It was during this time of turmoil that the nine tricksters, together with their loyal clans and countless adventurers, united to form a formidable army to fight against the forces of Ravaxis.

In the end, it was the nine tricksters and their companions that faced the God of Chaos, and thanks to the power of Zaudan and Aelara that bolstered them during the final confrontation, they were able to kill Ravaxis and end his era of chaos before it could take over the world.

"So… if they got along so well… Why was there a Trickster War?" asked Ray, the party leader, making the rest of the group perk up with anticipation.

"Well… Nowadays, there are plenty of different versions of this story…" Roland said before pausing with a tinge of sadness.

"Morgana, in particular, experienced betrayal during those tumultuous times-," he said before pausing again and shaking his head. "Argh, I think it would be better if she told this story to you guys…."

But Conrad had already tried to inquire about those events, and he told Roland she didn't want to speak about it.

"Hmm, I can't blame her… I suppose you should wait until she is ready to tell you…." Roland answered as he made his way to his desk with the picture in hand, placed it on a magic scanner, and printed a copy for the teenagers to keep.

Angie took the picture with both hands and a slight blush on her face. She really liked the way her big-sis Morgana looked in that picture. Full of life and with a big smile on her face.

'I wonder if we could make her smile like that…' she pondered as her fingers gripped the photo tighter.