Sophia stepped out of the room, just in time to see Nina and Wendy standing beneath the window at the end of the corridor—well, one was standing, and one was squatting.
Nina was obviously the one standing.
Wendy was crouched at Nina’s feet, looking utterly despondent, filled with regret for sneaking out on her own.
No, what she really regretted was getting caught!
If she hadn’t been caught, she wouldn’t have ended up in this predicament.
All Wendy could think about now was going home as soon as possible.
“As expected, I really can’t handle being around important people!”
Nina had one hand pressed on Wendy’s shoulder, bombarding the Forest Elf girl with all sorts of questions—questions that were especially difficult to answer.
Noticing Sophia’s presence, Nina spun around quickly and, upon seeing it was indeed Sophia who had come out (and that Enya wasn’t with her), her face immediately broke into a silly grin.
Calling out “Sophia-sis,” Nina dashed over at a brisk pace.
Sophia closed the door behind her and spread her arms to hug Nina, a faint smile appearing on her face.
She glanced at Wendy, who, as Nina moved away, finally breathed a huge sigh of relief beneath the window, then turned her gaze to Nina, who was now clinging to her.
She reached out to gently stroke Nina’s smooth golden hair, then spoke.
“We might have to fight in a bit.”
“Fight? Nina’s best at that!”
At the mention of a fight, Nina’s delight soared to a new level, and she let go of Sophia’s waist.
Taking a small step back, Nina tossed off the Long Robe she was wearing.
She never liked this concealing piece of cloth.
As the Long Robe slipped away, Nina revealed her black skintight suit, along with the two Short Swords sheathed at her waist.
Seeing Nina’s eagerness to show off, Sophia only shook her head, pouring cold water on her excitement.
“You’re not allowed to make a move.” “Huh?”
Nina wondered if she’d heard wrong.
Sophia bent down and picked up the Grey Robe she had altered to fit Nina, dusting it off with a delicate hand.
After straightening it out, Sophia draped it back onto Nina. “Wendy and I will handle it. Nina, you just stand by and watch.”
“But… Nina is Sophia-sis’s guard! How can I let Sophia-sis make a move?”
Nina’s cute little brows furrowed, and she immediately thought—could this be Enya’s doing? She spoke up without holding back.
“Did that mother dragon say something to Sophia-sis? I’ll go scold her!”
Nina nimbly slipped past Sophia and was about to push open the door, but Sophia’s hand caught hers, stopping her from turning the handle.
Sophia smiled at Nina and said,
“Nina, it’s not a contradiction. When the time comes, you’ll support us from the side, watch out for possible sneak attacks and any hidden enemies.”
Nina still wasn’t satisfied with this job, but the look in Sophia’s eyes was resolute—this decision was not up for debate.
The two elves stared at each other for a few seconds, but in the end, Nina relented.
Nina hung her head and pouted, then turned to look at the dazed Forest Elf girl, Wendy, and spoke bluntly.
“Hey, blockhead, if anything happens to Sophia-sis, you’ll regret it!”
“Ugh…”
Wendy’s face instantly filled with grievance.
Nina spoke so loudly that there was no way these thin walls could keep out the sound—those inside would surely hear it too.
In fact, Nina was saying this to Wendy, but it was really meant for Enya, who was sitting at the window, staring listlessly at the gloomy sky.
Sophia turned her gaze to Wendy, covering her mouth with a light laugh.
“We’re counting on your spirit, Miss Wendy.”
“Y-Yes, of course!”
With a gulp, Wendy nodded emphatically.
To her, Sophia’s status was noble, and that person who Sophia called “senior” was not only mysterious but immensely powerful.
Someone who had already surpassed the sixth rank of magic.
In the Elven Kingdom, Nina was a famous prodigy, a star destined to shine the brightest. Even at her young age, she had already broken through—
With her talent, she was likely to become a new Guardian.
In the Elven Kingdom, such praise meant Nina had a real chance of breaking through to the ninth rank; with her talent, eighth rank was almost guaranteed.
Being around three such figures, it was impossible for Wendy not to be nervous.
The three elves descended the stairs.
The entire inn seemed deserted; even the innkeeper and the serving staff had vanished without a trace.
It seemed they’d all gotten the message and gone into hiding.
Sophia, leading Nina and Wendy, walked to the first floor and out the front door.
Seeing the empty street outside, she had the unsettling sense of having stepped into another world.
Sophia’s expression grew a little more serious.
A carriage rolled to a stop in front of the inn.
Ronald stepped down from the carriage, just in time to see the three of them standing at the inn’s entrance, looking in his direction.
He narrowed his eyes, surveying them—he didn’t see the gray-haired woman from before, but now there was a short little one?
Ronald didn’t have a taste for shorties.
The other two seemed quite fine though—their presence was intoxicating.
Raising an eyebrow, he said,
“So you all heard I was coming and came out to greet me yourselves?”
Just as Ronald was about to laugh, a swift, chilling figure flashed before him.
A cold blade gleamed with icy light, slashing straight for his neck.
Ronald realized what was happening, but his body couldn’t move.
He’d been locked down by something.
Ding!
A clear ring rang out as blades clashed. The black-faced guard had moved in front of Ronald just in time.
Though the guard managed to block the attack, the fierce sword energy still blasted him back into Ronald, sending both of them crashing through the side of the luxurious carriage.
The carriage splintered apart in an instant.
A pale golden radiance flared, chasing after the explosion of shattered fragments—a pursuit that showed no mercy.
Murderous intent filled the air!
Everything happened so quickly that even Sophia hadn’t reacted before Nina had already acted.
“Lord Ronald!”
Those stationed around the area, ready to provide backup at any time, rushed forward as well—several were fifth-rank magicians.
They drew their weapons, charging toward the conspicuous, gray-robed shorty in the middle of the road.
Seeing this, Sophia could only shake her head helplessly.
With Nina’s personality, there was no such thing as “standby.”
Since she had the strength, she’d just crush her opponents directly, solve things as quickly as possible, and use the remaining time for a meal.
Sophia switched to her Staff and called to Wendy beside her.
“Be ready to support.”
Wendy, being from the border patrol, managed to calm her nerves as the unexpected battle broke out, shedding her anxiety over being with such important figures.
Once she’d gotten into the right mindset, she parted her lips and began to chant.
A layer of bright azure light formed a thin barrier over Sophia and Nina, quickly followed by layers of Blessing.
The Blessing Spell was a special kind of magic based on divine power.
It was extremely rare in the Human World, but among Forest Elves, almost everyone could use it.
Once the Blessing Spell settled on her, Sophia felt her body grow much lighter, her energy surging.
She gripped her Staff and called up the wind.
She soared high into the air, unleashing various elemental spells without reservation, bombing the group of humans attacking Nina, and using the wind to rise even higher.
Suddenly, a dark magical attack streaked toward her.
The darkness swallowed Sophia’s silhouette, but with a sharp “crack,” as if something had shattered, the black pillar was dissipated.
As the black column faded, Sophia emerged unharmed—though a layer of the Blessing Spell’s light had shattered.
With the end of this attack, Sophia locked onto her opponent—a magic user hidden in the shadows. She turned toward the source.
On a distant rooftop, a figure in black robes, face old and pitted, with a hooked nose and sinister gaze, grinned wickedly.
“Heh heh, not bad, little girl. Not only can you wield multiple elemental magics at once, you even blocked this old man’s Dark Radiance. But it’s a pity—you have to face me here.”
Despite his decrepit body, the aura radiating from the old man was overwhelming.
Sophia frowned slightly beneath her veil.
The man’s soul reeked—who knew how many people he’d harmed? With so many curses and resentments festering for decades, the stench had seeped into every fiber of his soul—a truly wicked criminal!
Hundreds of black spheres, each the size of a human head, materialized in the air, hurtling toward Sophia’s slender form with ruthless speed—no mercy at all, just intent on smashing her into elf paste.
Sophia swept her Staff and said softly,
“Level Five: Frigid Flower!”
The swirling high winds around her instantly turned into blades of blue-green wind, aimed at the dark spheres, blossoming like flower buds.
Wind blades and black spheres collided, bursting into blooms with muffled thunder—like the arrival of a storm, but this time, the thunder seemed too close for comfort.
Those hiding in nearby houses trembled with fear at the sound, dreading that the gods themselves had come to punish them.
On the ground, the fifth-rank experts brought by Ronald—wielding knives, swords, axes, spears—looked fierce or cold as they battled.
In their own territories, these people were powers to be reckoned with—pampered and revered.
Who would have thought that, after coming here, they’d be reduced to playthings before a little shorty?
Each of them was both enraged and drenched in cold sweat.
Nina danced among the blades, easily evading every attack—her Grey Robe didn’t even get so much as a scratch.
Ronald, not far away, was dumbfounded.
He’d thought to use his status to intimidate that gray-haired woman into surrendering what he wanted.
He never expected to end up being frightened himself.
That Dragon Bone had taken Golden Town ages to track down, and he was planning to use it to break through to the sixth rank.
He hadn’t expected a woman to snatch it from under his nose!
Enya leaned on the windowsill, watching the commotion outside with a mischievous smile—so few people, it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy her appetite.