"How could this be?"Kurose Akira stroked his chin, utterly baffled.
Why did Loserine's character quest look so simple on the surface, yet have a higher recommended level than Ivsha's?
Confusion gnawed at him.
He stared unblinking at Loserine, who was seated on the floor of the training room. From her, an indescribable sense of danger quietly radiated outward—subtle, but sharp enough to make a chill run down his spine.
Loserine slowly opened her eyes.
Although her body was wrapped only in a soul-form shell, the details of her features were never lacking. Under the glow of her crystallized skeletal frame, her eyes shone brilliantly, like stars scattered across a night sky.
The moment she rose to her feet, the first thing she did was draw the Oathbound Sword from her waist.
"…What are you doing?" Akira asked, curiosity edging into his voice.
A cold, steady voice answered him.
"My swordsmanship has improved… if only by a trace."
"…Huh?"
Before Akira could fully react, Loserine swung her blade.
A sword technique was released.
Almost simultaneously, a full moon manifested out of thin air. Brilliant moonlight poured down like a cascading waterfall, transforming into countless razor-thin arcs of sword light that slashed toward the training dummy in the distance.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out.
The training dummy shattered instantly, reduced to fragments.
[Simulated Combat Power: 1000!]
"…?"
Akira froze, staring at the number that had popped up.
Just a few days ago, when Loserine used Water Moon, its simulated combat power had only been 500. And now—it had jumped straight to 1000?!
What made it even more terrifying was that 1000 was the maximum value a beginner training dummy could register.
Which meant—
That strike had already exceeded what the beginner dummy could even withstand.
"Though it still has not crossed into the realm of high-tier sword techniques," Loserine murmured softly, gazing at the Oathbound Sword in her hand, "its power far surpasses my previous strike."
She paused, then spoke again, almost reverently.
"I shall name it… Falling Moon."
Akira watched her quiet soliloquy, his heart involuntarily stirred.
A Legendary-quality adventurer really was on an entirely different level.
"Guildmaster," Loserine said, turning toward him, "did you come looking for me?"
"…It's nothing," Akira replied calmly.
He had come out of concern for her—but not only was she perfectly fine, she had even comprehended a more advanced sword technique in the process. That was far beyond what he had expected.
"If there is something, please say it plainly," Loserine continued coolly. "As long as your command is not excessive, I will obey."
Her expression showed no ripples of emotion.
But Akira was certain of one thing—
She would absolutely follow his orders.
"Actually… there is something I need you to handle," Akira said suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashing through his mind.
"What is it?" Loserine asked, puzzled.
"We've recruited two new members," Akira explained. "They're extremely enthusiastic about taking commissions. But they lack combat experience. I want an experienced senior adventurer to guide them."
And besides—
As the guild continued to grow, there were tasks that he, as guildmaster, no longer needed to personally oversee.
"I understand," Loserine replied at once, grasping his intent immediately.
"As compensation," Akira added, feeling a faint twinge of guilt—he had never truly given Loserine anything in return, "I can grant you a small wish."
"…A small wish?" Loserine repeated, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.
After thinking for a moment, she said calmly,"You are the guildmaster, yet your physical constitution is far too weak. Tomorrow, accompany me for sword training. I will help strengthen your body."
"…?"
Akira was genuinely startled.
The content of her request was almost identical to her character quest.
But then again—character quests were manifestations of an adventurer's deepest wishes.
When he thought about it that way, it made sense.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that Loserine's wish would be about him.
That… caught him completely off guard.
"…No problem," Akira said without hesitation.
"Then tomorrow morning. Do not be late."
"…Got it."
As they spoke, the teleportation array suddenly flared with a blinding white light.
The elf sisters had returned.
"Let's go," Akira said. "I'll introduce you to the new members in the guild hall."
When they arrived, the elf sisters were already waiting.
Each of them was holding a massive pink pearl in her hands, their beautiful faces glowing with bright smiles.
But Akira noticed something else.
On their jade-white hands were fresh injuries.
Clearly, they had paid a real price to complete the collection task.
"Guildmaster! We've collected the pearls!"Beafly and Beafro spoke in unison, lifting the enormous pink pearls proudly.
"You did great. Good work—and thank you," Akira said sincerely.
He took the two pearls from them. Each one was nearly the size of a washbasin, which genuinely surprised him.
He submitted the quest.
A prompt window appeared.
[Collect Giant Pearls (2/2) — Quest Complete!][Silver Coins +15, EXP +1500!]
"This is your reward," Akira said, handing them a pouch of silver coins.
"So amazing!"
The moment the elf sisters received the reward, Akira saw starlight sparkle in their eyes.
"Guildmaster!" they pleaded eagerly. "Are there more quests we can take? We want to keep going!"
Their enthusiasm exceeded even his expectations.
But when he checked the time, he realized night had already fallen.
"It's too late today," Akira said. "Tomorrow."
"But—"
Beafly looked reluctant, clearly wanting to continue, but Beafro gently stopped her.
"Sister… we shouldn't trouble the guildmaster. And it's already night—doing missions now would be much more dangerous…"
After whispering to each other for a moment, the two sisters turned back toward Akira and bowed lightly.
"We understand~ Guildmaster. See you tomorrow~"
As soon as they finished speaking, they hurried into the teleportation array and left the guild.
Akira watched them go, deeply curious.
What kind of force was driving these girls—still in the bloom of youth—to work so desperately?
As guildmaster, it seemed he would need to learn more about his newly recruited elf sisters tomorrow.
With that thought, Akira removed his VR headset, washed up briefly, and went to bed.
Elf Kingdom.
Beafly and Beafro returned through the teleportation array to their homeland.
The moment they arrived, they rushed impatiently toward a small wooden house beside the Elf Mother Tree.
The house was strange.
It was wrapped in a deep-blue magic formation, as if imprisoning someone within.
They pushed open the door.
A gentle, water-like voice drifted out.
"You're back, my children~"
Inside sat a mature elf woman with pale golden hair. Her long hair was braided loosely and draped over her chest. Her figure was full yet graceful, like a future reflection of what the sisters might grow into—radiating warmth, kindness, and quiet virtue.
"Mom! Look! This is the first money we ever earned!"The sisters rushed into her arms, eagerly presenting the first adventurer commission they had earned.
"…This…"
The elf woman gazed at the coins her daughters had earned through dangerous work. Tears shimmered softly in her mismatched eyes—one fiery red, the other calm blue.
She set the pouch gently on the wooden table, then raised her hands. Warm magic flowed from her palms, softly covering the wounds on her daughters' hands and healing them.
"Mom! Once we earn enough money, we can take you away from this place!" Beafly said excitedly.
"Mm… yes…"The woman smiled gently, the tender affection of a mother filling her expression.
"Ah~ I'm sleepy~"
"Then sleep, my precious ones~"
After the sisters drifted into slumber, the elf woman slowly stood.
She walked to the window and gazed up at the bright moon in the night sky, as if contemplating her fate.
After a long while, she turned back toward her sleeping daughters, a soft smile on her face.
"They say you are my calamity," she whispered. "That because of you, I bear an unearned罪 and am confined here…"
Her voice carried faint sorrow—but she quickly steadied herself, her tone once again gentle.
"But to me… you are the greatest gift the Elemental Goddess ever bestowed. My most precious treasure."
She leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to Beafly's and Beafro's foreheads.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," she whispered."You are… my children."
"Bzzzz—"
A flash of white light.
Akira arrived at the guild.
He had come unusually early today, intent on honoring his promise to Loserine.
But the instant he stepped inside, he froze.
On the guild counter—
There lay a silver-white tear.
"…What is this?"
He picked it up curiously, examining it closely.
[Elf's Tear (Epic): A gift bestowed by a mysterious elf…]
"…Huh."
So it wasn't a multiple-choice question after all.0.0