Dagger

Ervian gradually breathed in and out. He sits in meditation below a tree next to the cottage.

It was quite challenging for him to walk outside. But the reward was worth it. The fresh air in the morning after breakfast.

After being quiet for some time, he heard the sound of a water drop which reverberated heavily in his head.

'Finally, I'm closer to being able to draw my Vis again,' He smirked until a sudden voice broke his peace of mind. He even missed the voice in his mind that his Vis System made.

"Ervy! There you are." Adelle walks closer to him. "First time in the open, Huh? How does it feel?"

'After a long time in Nethereal?' "Pretty darn awesome!"

She giggled. "Your face says it all too."

"Anyhow," she added, "I'll have to go to the town to buy food supplies."

"Oh? Okay." Ervian is quite concerned. He even had to ask Adelle for help to use the bathroom. But nothing can help it, the cottage is in a remote place.

"I could see your hesitant face."

"Stop it. J-just go."

She held her laughter. "Don't worry, I'll be back before dinner. Gramps should be back tomorrow."

"Alright. Take care then."

"Cool, see ya later!"

How Adelle sounded kicking the dirt until it slowly vanished was convincing enough for him to state that she indeed was leaving.

After that, it was quiet again and would be for quite some time. Perfect condition for him to start a deep meditation.

For Adelle, it would be some walk for her. She had this in her memory that she would arrive at the town before the sun could reach its peak.

Traversing the Barren Hill was the hardest. The hills are sloppy. If her bag were full of loads, she wouldn't be able to dash-hopping like a bunny.

Once she was out of there, she would easily follow the King's Road that connects between cities. Oftenly used by caravans that she mostly got herself a ride, sometimes for free.

But unluckily this time. None crossed.

She then held her breath and intended to utilize her Vis System. She had Aspect that controls wind. The Vis flowed around her body and then she activates it the moment she takes a dashing step.

Gushing wind aided her movement, resulting in a more swift dash that helped carry her weight.

And just like she predicted, she came before high noon.

Rumabel is a famous settlement known for its friendly people and nature. It's so wide, but not too dense, that on average there are four trees for each house which have never been too close to each other. It's not walled unlike most cities and capitals. Here, people of many races, with the majority of Forest Elves, lived in tolerance.

"Hey, hey. Isn't this Lil' Doc? How have you been?" A man who was similarly aged to Adelle but with a body way bigger than her waved and walked to her.

"Luke!" Small talk to greet each other was inevitable. Luke used to be a member of a hunting party which Adelle usually partook in everytime she was in the town. Errand to earn some coins.

"You came early? That's the first time. You used to be on the classic schedule. The classic Adelle, came before the hunt began tomorrow, stayed in town inn for two days, and left for food restock. Haha. It's like everybody in the hunting party surely remembers that. What gives?"

"Y-yea …. I might call it an emergency food restock."

"You got trouble?"

"Nah. I'm totally fine. Well, I gotta keep going. I have to return on the same day."

"Eh? So you won't be joining the party the day after tomorrow?"

"Yea. Please tell Ron about that."

"Surely do."

"Cool. I'll be going now. See ya." She then left him and headed towards the market.

Luke sighed. Adelle was one of their primary team members. She never missed a single weekly hunt, until now.

Not long after, a fine half-breed of human and elf walked toward the town patrol of the day. "Hey, Luke. Wasn't that our Little Doctor, was it?"

Adelle was quite easy to sight due to her natural silvery hair. The one and only in town.

"Damn, Ron. Speak of the devil. Well, it was."

"That's unlike her to come at this time."

"You bet. She said something about food restock, but it's an emergency."

"That's new."

"Well, the thing is. She won't join us on the hunt."

"And why is that?"

"I … didn't ask specifically."

"That's bad. Our team Little Doctor position is now vacant. Not that many of Vis User have Aspect of Ordo like her. Since we'll be dealing with curses, dark forest nymphs."

Luke gulped. "It does sound bad." He had bad memories about ghastly monsters.

They recalled the first moment of their hunt. When Adelle was just new to town. One of the members got struck by a venomous snake and the last antidote has been used. Then Adelle came to him, using her Vis of Ordo, Aspect of purity that burns away impurities.

The white flame of Ordo blazed in her hand onto her friend's leg. It took quite a lot of her Vis and stamina to finally burn out the poison from his veins that was impurities to the human body. His life was saved and thus earned her the Little Doctor title by her colleagues.

"No backing out now. The deal is on. We'll have to be extra careful," Ron replied to Luke.

But Ron had other ideas in mind and decided to tails her from an unseen distance.

Despite her teammates' worry, Adelle was busy haggling with the trader. It quite shocked her that the prices went up dramatically from last week. Wondering how the price went that fast.

She sighed, after finally filling her bags that she carried on her back. 'I should've known why Gramps left so much money. I was swayed by the thought that I could save a lot.'

She was just afraid that she wouldn't be able to afford the last item that she needed, personally.

Last night, she discussed many things with Ervian, since talking was what he currently did best to accompany through the time.

That time, Adelle asked, "What will you do once you fully recover, Ervy?"

"Maybe, I'll be traveling around. Being for so long in Nethereal, just imagining it kinda makes me fulfilled."

She forced a smile. "That would be amazing." Luckily, Ervian couldn't see how she forced it.

Deep down in her heart, Adelle longed for the same thing. But there were invisible shackles that tied her, rendering her unable to travel for as long as she wanted.

'Okay, the plan to break free from the Rune of Obedience is now in motion.'

Adelle took a moment to firm her determination. Once the plan was executed, there would be no going back. She then entered a herbalist shop located in the corner of the town of Rumabel.

Bell rang after she opened the door. Adelle then told the owner that she was looking for a mushroom called 'Red Ear' that got its name from how it looks.

"That's quite a rare mushroom from the east. It'll cost you two grand, dear."

'WHAATTT?!?!'

She was dead inside. Trying to be emotionless as hard as she can be. All she had was silver worth three hundred.

'Can't be helped. It's time for plan B.'

Before she could mutter a word asking about the price, the doorbell rang.

"Sorry, I'm late, Adelle."

'What?! Ron?! What are you–'

That half-breed was eavesdropping, pretending like he was waiting for someone near the shop. His short pointy ear is as sharp as adult Elves.

"We'll take that." He took out two gold coins. Since the owner was eager to finally sell it, she then glanced at the girl.

Adelle silently nodded. She just couldn't pass up this opportunity. 'Let's play along for now.'

"Well, thank you for your purchase." The owner handed Ron the mushroom in a small glass bottle filled with water.

Adelle stared at him with discontent. She knew it. There was more than meets the eye. But Ron kept giving her a 'sincere' smile.

Moved, Adelle sighed. "Let's have a little chit over there." She dragged his hands. She knew that Ron has been trying to be nice to her, oftenly to an extensive degree.

All of the time, she would just reject them off, until now.

"Alright, spit it out. I knew you had something behind this act."

Ron laughs awkwardly. "W-why would I? I mean, it's fine that you get in trouble and your friend helps you, right? Never seen you buying medicine before."

"You tailed me and meddled with my business. That's stalking you know."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry on you, Okay? It's just that I'm worried. Even Luke knows that."

Despite her looking irritated, Adelle was smiling in her mind. 'Make him think that I was angry, check. He apologized, check.'

"So? What do you say? Are we good?" Ron added. He offered the bottle to her.

'Actually my plan B was to borrow money, well, not from him, to be honest. But, it's not so bad though. That makes it a plan B plus.'

"Fine, and … thank you." She tried to act sincere. It was not that she hated him.

It was just that she already had room for someone else, it was long before even Ervian came and none of her friends in town knew that person. Only Gramps did.

"Well, actually, there is something I want to ask you," Ron said after handing the bottle to her.

"Wait, what …."