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The passage of time leads to growth and maturation, but inevitably, the relentless flow also causes erosion and wear of something.

And this is particularly evident for elves, who live more than twice as long as other races.

‘…Just as I thought.’

This is similarly true for the young elf, Friel Arielte, who has lived for 60 years.

The years Friel Arielte has accumulated allow her to wield aggressive and intricate spirit magic. However, during those long years, the various incidents she has faced and experienced must have eroded her sensitivity and emotional richness.

‘Sixty years is by no means a short time.’

Compared to the centuries lived by elves, sixty years may seem relatively short, with many more days to come. Yet, the waves of experiences and memories that can be created in that time are definitely not insignificant or easily manageable.

With countless, perhaps even thousands of battle experiences stacked up, she could easily witness a blood-soaked scene without even blinking.

‘It’s a natural trait of elves.’

I nodded slightly at Friel’s smiling face, which hidden the genuine visage of an elf I hadn’t seen in a while.

The strength of an elf comes not only from their inherent talent but also from their long lifespan, giving them high proficiency in combat, accompanied by an emotional deficiency that can be seen as either a blessing or a curse.

For instance, a robust human female mercenary, after more than 20 years in the mercenary life, would naturally carry an undeniable skill and know-how that comes from experience. And with the blessings of the World Tree and the support of a reliable noble family, what kind of elf would grow up during those long years?

Whoosh─!

Friel Arielte unleashes a gale of killing intent, cutting winds, an overwhelming force of violence that cannot be resisted.

Insignificant monsters that have lost their reason, consumed by intent and impulse, must become powerless before such ruthless might.

“Keek…!”

“Grrr…!!”

A wolf with four legs and a bear-like monstrous form, alongside the determination-filled death throes of bipedal demons, pierced through the carriage’s procession.

The chilling cries reached the rear of the carriage, freezing the bodies of helpless men and awakening the battle senses of the strong female knights.

“Huh?”

Just beside me, Shione had just arrived.

It seemed that witnessing the overwhelming visual spectacle presented by Friel Arielte had caught her off-guard, more than she had anticipated.

In that moment of overwhelming violence, she had gained certainty that Friel could effortlessly handle the chaos solo.

Shione immediately refrained from jumping into the fray and instead murmured,

“…Is this what elf spirit magic is? It’s rougher than I expected.”

“Spirit magic is indeed a type of magic, isn’t it? Just as lethal magic can be very rough, so too can spirit magic.”

“Hmm…”

“Well, using spirit magic to pierce a demon was quite rough, wasn’t it?”

It was a spell that turned the upper half of a demon into powder, separating the limbs of surrounding monsters.

“Still, isn’t that more majestic than brutal? It feels somewhat different.”

“Is that so?”

Well, if I were on the receiving end, I couldn’t say with certainty that I wouldn’t be even more severe than that, so I nodded vaguely at her words and watched Friel’s battle.

“Maybe because I’ve been cooped up in the carriage lately, I feel restless…It’s good to finally stretch my legs.”

As an archer, she was only equipped with a sword, having left her bow behind.

Given her fidgety demeanor, it seemed she intended to slice through the monsters directly with that sword.

Just as expected, Friel’s right hand gripped the sword’s hilt.

Its blade was longer than my shortsword, seemingly reminiscent of a thin blade with a refined design.

Once Friel drew her sword from its sheath, the cold, sharp gleam shone brightly.

Step by step.

Friel advanced and began to wield her sword.

“Huuh…”

Exhaling, she relaxed her body and lunged forward to strike.

Summoning the wind, her movements became more fluid and swift.

She darted among her enemies, outmaneuvering them.

Whoosh─!

Every time her sharp blade sliced through the wind, a dry cutting sound echoed.

The head of the demon, which had been balancing on two feet, was cleanly severed, and the bear-like monster, choking on its own blood, crumbled.

Shione watched Friel and quietly remarked.

“…She’s as adept as my sister.”

I too nodded gently at her words.

Siabel Shianella, on that snowstormy day, had danced through a horde of orcs. Just how many of those muscle-bound creatures did she slice through amidst that chaos?

While those damned orc hordes were formidable, entangling with various types of monsters, the mechanical precision of her clean strikes evoked memories of Siabel’s efficient movements.

‘If Friel’s style is refined and clear, Siabel’s can be called the wicked blade that chokes its victims.’

Friel’s flowing swordsmanship was clear, making it easier to watch; each blow was delightfully embedded in my sight.

However, it wouldn’t do to just sit and watch.

Some creatures, grown bold enough to attack Friel, were diverting their attention toward the carriage.

I firmly gripped my bow and spoke to Shione.

“It’s about time we help out. Letting this chaos drag on won’t bring us any good.”

“Um… Yes, we should first take out the ones lurking on the periphery,”

Shione narrowed her eyes.

“Those monsters seem to be slowly moving our way now.”

Her keen sight focused on capturing the target, her right eye, the dominant one, thick with determination, opened wide while she narrowed her left eye.

Then, raising her hand gripping the bow, she adjusted her angle and calmly retrieved an arrow from her quiver, nocking it.

The sharp, iron arrowhead gleamed brightly in the sunlight streaming through the leaves.

“Kuooh!”

The massive monster, resembling a bear with horns, shifted its gaze toward us.

Shifting its target from Friel to us, I asked Shione as the creature drew nearer.

“Princess Shione.”

“Hm?”

“Spirit magic. Would you like to try it out once?”

“Me… Using spirit magic?”

“Yes, spirit magic.”

“I’d like to try handling it once, but… I don’t have any talent for spirit magic, do I? Speaking of which, the reason I’m asking this now is—”

I glanced at her while she expressed her confusion and noticed the aura gathering around Shione’s arrowhead, smiling slightly.

“In place of talent in spirit magic, isn’t it me you have?”

With those words, I reached out to the bouncing little spirit that had been staring vacantly at the situation.

—Myeong!

Once the Cotton Puff hopped onto my palm, I locked gazes with the small spirit.

“Please, help me out.”

—Yaaang…

The spirit glanced at Shione then showed signs of pondering a bit but eventually nodded reluctantly.

At that instant.

Whooooosh─!

“Ah!”

A strong gust formed around the arrowhead on Shione’s bow.

The single arrow nocked on her string was infused with spirit magic.

Shione’s partially closed left eye popped wide open, visibly amazed by the wind surrounding her attack.

“This is—”

“Try shooting it out once.”

“…Alright.”

She steadied her breath and pulled back the string.

With Split Finger, the string drawn back, aided by Dead Release, she aimed precisely at the monster’s wide-open maw.

Whoosh!

With the whirlwind, the arrow was shot straight into the monster’s vital point, resulting in a blast of wind.

“This is…”

Between the battling monsters, Friel was suddenly taken aback by the unexpected gust created not by herself, but from us.

Upon noticing Shione and me, she faintly curled the corners of her mouth upward, which had grown cold after witnessing the lifeless monster.

While I meticulously observed the nuances of Friel’s reaction, because of the distance, she hadn’t started using her mana yet, so I could only watch her subtle expressions at a distance.

“The arrows leaving the bow feel even more brisk than usual.”

Thus, I diverted my interest back to Shione.

“I can’t believe you were having all this fun by yourself… How unfair, Ray.”

Saying that, Shione gazed at me and the Cotton Puff with sparkling eyes, then gently asked,

“Um… Could I go for another round?”

“That is—”

Hmm…?

The spirit softly knocked against my palm.

—Kyaah…

The Cotton Puff seems to be sulking at the thought of having to share magic with Shione again.

I smiled lightly at the Cotton Puff.

And just as it began to brighten again, realizing its thoughts had been understood.

“Of course.”

While the mental communication with the spirit is essential for a spirit magician, certain circumstances necessitate forceful action at times.

I issued precise orders to the spirit to infuse wind into Shione’s arrowhead.

Besides, there could be situations in the future where Shione would need to shoot with spirit magic as well, so this would serve as good practice.

—Breee…

Since I had spent all my time playfully in the carriage up until now, it was time to get to work.

Living just to eat and play is not much different from a monster’s life, right?

—Phaa…

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

The spirit sighed a little in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Shione’s smile widened, thinking of all the snacks the spirit had stolen from her all this time as even more pleasant.

 

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