Chapter 1

“Yes that's it, haul it up here!” hollered the dockworkers.

“Fresh fish just caught today! You there! Would you like some good sir?” hawking by the fishermen and fish sellers.

Such were the chatters you'd hear in the most bustling city in all the Great Lands. He walked down the roads, the sounds of waves crashing into the rock walls echoing behind him carrying the salt of the sea through the air.

“Hey boss, you have my sword ready yet?”

“Roselind, what do you think? Of course not! You had your sword snapped in half, how did you even manage to do that fighting a moving tree. Putting it back together as one piece in less than a day is already pretty impressive. Give me a few more hours or so and I should have the kinks grinded out and have it sharpened for you.”

“It’s still a tree you know, have you tried cutting at a tree with a sword,”

“Well bring an axe next time. You know, I have one over there. Being good friends and all, I’ll sell it to you for half price, heha.”

“Oh shut up. I’ll come back around in a bit.”

“Nah, come stay, go get yourself a place to sit. My apprentice had to go back to help his family mill their grain. Come keep me company for a while, you know you don’t have anything worthwhile to do.”

“And what makes you think that, jobs here get taken then the moment you take your eyes off the poster.”

“Ah come on, that leshy must have paid you well to come stay down for a bit.”

“It was supposed to be a wolf extermination job, that thing came in and swept it all up and now I had to deal with it. And since it was supposed to be a wolf job, they only paid me for that.”

“Heh, unlucky as always. You should still settle down for a bit though. Don’t get me wrong, you going off so often and having to come back to have me repair your things is great for my business, but you know, caring for yourself and all.”

“And do what exactly? You know that I only know how to pick up a sword and fight.”

“Well then it's time to learn, Detlas is a big enough place for you to try practically anything, and maybe go pick a girl up for yourself as well—”

They chatted on for a while, until Roselind’s sword was finished.

Ultimately Roselind decided to ignore the advice he got, and went to the job post anyway. It was beginning to turn from pastnoon to evening, the warmth and grace of the Eternal Blazing Sun slowly setting behind him still shining.

He sorted through what was left on that day's postings. Guarding for a caravan, no; escorting on a minor noble’s pilgrimage, no; another forest monster extermination quest, “absolutely not.” Roselind sighed and muttered under his breath.

“How about this one?”

Pointed by a slim finger on a pale hand, shiny scales ran down her wrist covered by a pretty, white robe. She had a gentle smile on, platinum white hair, and fin like ears. She was a Merling.

Roselind looked back at what she was pointing at, a job posting about, “Escorting a fair maiden to the edge of the Sea of Fire. Reason: furthering one's ability in magecraft. Reward: 5 Grand Helms. Posted by, Lilia the white mage”

“Lilia, that’s me!” the Merling said, holding her gentle smile steadfast.

Roselind took another closer look at the posting, “5 Grand Helms? That must be barely enough for half of the trip if you go by sea. I’m not even sure if you could make it there in a single voyage.”

“I wasn’t thinking of going by sea actually. I was thinking we could go by land—”

“That makes the 5 Grand Helms even more ridiculous!”

“You didn’t let me finish. Hey! Come back! You don’t have to solely escort me all the way to the north, you can still take other jobs along the way, I’d even help out! I’m still a mage you know, you don’t usually get to travel with one like this. What if you take in an injury or a wound too much to take care of yourself? I could mend you right up!”

“That’s what the vials of ichor are for.”

“And what if they are lost or destroyed?”

“Then I’d go to one of the many churches, even if they are not the church of the Sun, many still have mages capable of healing.”

Lilia, running out of reasoned arguments, was defeated, her expression turned to a pout. With no options left, she threw out her last squabble.

“Who gives up the chance to travel with a mage for free. This one even offers a reward only asking to travel vaguely north. Do I really seem as that terrible of a travel partner?”

With such a reply and pitiful look on Lilia’s face, it was difficult for Roselind to reject her further. The two decision driving forces were tearing him apart, so much so that his footing was physically unsteady. Then after a short while, he too was defeated.

“Fine, I accept your quest.”

The moment Roselind’s acceptance reached Lilia’s ears, a light whose brightness rivaled the Sun itself returned to her, shining bright like a diamond.

“Really? No turning back now!” She chuckled. “I know, have you eaten dinner yet? Why not go dine out together, it would serve as our proper introduction as well. Let’s get to know each other.”

Roselind, still shocked he accepted such a preposterous quest just like that, nodded along, unable to pull together thoughts anymore.

The night ran along, both Lady Spring and Lady Summer could be seen in the sky as grand divine pillars behind the star as it was the changing of seasons. Though, Merilas, the elder of the twin moon sisters, wasn’t as garish tonight as she usually is. Perhaps the shy Sonnet, younger of the twins, needed extra pampering. She was hiding more so behind Merilas than normal, and her hue was not as red, could she be weeping on the other side?

Roselind and Lilia were at a portside tavern. They sat at the roofless tables directly under the twins, by the fence guarding anything from the fall into the sea.

They stayed well over just finishing their dinner, continued chatting on well into the night. The atmosphere was undeniable, anyone would wish to be in the seat of either of them; not for Lilia or Roselind, not for the food, though it was quite superb, not for the scenery, but for the sheer sense of comfort radiating from the two of them. Roselind, however, would like to disagree. Not just because he was still slightly dispirited from getting himself into this situation, though he had begun to learn to accept it, nor how energetic Lilia was even well into the night to the point of being a little irritating, but the fact that there was this weird strangeness about her. Whenever Roselind tried to ask more about Lilia’s background, not even particularly digging into her past, her illuminating cheerfulness would flicker for the briefest of moments. Just enough to put Roselind on edge, but not enough to make him distrust her. Lilia’s overwhelming innocence covered any of his doubts.

The next morning came, marked by the rise of the flaring Sun. Roselind already had his things readied. He walked around and took in the view of Detlas for the last time in what would be quite a long while, wandered over to the smithy he frequented, and proceeded to be scolded by the boss for completely ignoring the advice he was given. When he reached the western gate of the city, Lilia was already there waiting for him, arms flailing above her head waving at Roselind to come hurry over already to begin their journey north.