Xiveall contemplated life every unsteady step she took.

"Hmm~ A woman always confronts her problems not-head-on~!"

The sound of two horses sneering to a stop interrupted her stupid comical singing right after she had stepped out of the forest.

Xiveall halted by the roadside and faced up to see a chubby merchant coaching a large wagon with a cover.

"Morning, missy! Heading somewhere?"

By this point, many thoughts were going through Xiveall's head.

If there were humans around here... Then it must already be colonized, right?

Plus, how would she appear to others as a woman? Urgh, life sure is tough!

Xiveall then recalled the name of the Demon Capital.

If they were going to settle, that would be the place.

"Devankul?" she said with an unsure smile.

"Yep, we're heading the same direction, hop on!"

The merchant later down the road introduced himself as 'Qatar'.

Xiveall, on the other hand, insisted that she doesn't name herself.

Their wagon took a turn around a steep hill before going downwards at a rapid speed.

Xiveall had her doubts and clasped her hands onto the wooden side railing.

"Is it fine to go so fast, mister...!?"

"We aren't carrying any merchandise right now so it's completely fine! Let's live a little! Hiyup!"

Qatar smashed the reins as their wagon sped further before drifting out onto the flat non-elevated ground.

The rumbling coming from the wheels caused the nearby animals in the plains to scatter.

But to their side was a flock of sheep who weren't scared away by the wagon sounds.

"Baaaaaa!"

Xiveall happily waved with both hands high at the flock who were just out of arm's reach below the elevated roadside.

The sheep who were grazing slowly looked up and froze for a few seconds before also returning the gesture.

" " "Baaaaaaaaaaa!!!" " "

Qatar scoffed a little to himself before gently whipping the reins, letting the horses rest a little as they calmly trotted the wagon forward.

Upon entering the farmland area just before the city limits, he had to at least slow down this much according to local law.

The paved road was wide enough for four wagons to pass so there was occasional overtaking which caused accidents.

Mainly keeping his eyes on the road to avoid such trouble, Qatar took a slight glance at Xiveall.

"I bet you're hungry?", he hinted over his shoulder, "There's bread and water in the baggage behind."

After peeking through the wagon covers to grab the bread, Xiveall lobbed herself back onto the front shotgun seat.

"Sleeping poison?"

There was a long pause as the wagon rolled on, passing a few other wagons on the wide 4-way road.

"Oh, you noticed."

"Hm, I also noticed...", she lowered the bread to glare at him, "That you're an evil person."

Qatar felt shivers down his spine as he narrowed his eyes, trying to withstand the face of death.

Just... How many did she...? It was such true innocence, smiling and humming... But this... She's-!

However, that chilly feeling dissipated the moment she munched a big bite off the bread in the next second.

Qatar gasped for breath before quickly recomposing himself- "Hey, wait... Why did you eat it then? Missy?"

"It's fine... I have enough Life Force to handle poisons. Plus, you won't do anything fun anyway."

She smiled at him, "It's better to make connections in this line of work than enemies, is it not?"

"And what makes you say that? What if I pull out this knife and take you by force or something?"

Qatar tried to sound intimidating, slapping onto his Dirk strapped onto his belt which had many pouches.

"Mister, you're going to do that in all this traffic? The city guards can also see us from their watchtowers."

With her mouth full and still chewing, she passed the bread over, which Qatar brushed aside. "Wanna bite?"

"You're crazy, missy... I knew something was fishy the moment a doll-like girl walked out of that forest..."

"What? Is there something wrong with walking out of a forest these days?"

"The 'Forest of Desolation'... There's a bunch of Demonic Beasts..."

He looked at her, "You must be quite good at fighting too I presume."

"You're right... Hm, I did kill at least a dozen magical beasts on the way out..."

"Ugh, is that something a cute young girl like you should say so casually-!?"

"Sorry to disappoint, this 'cute young girl' had seen too many things in life."

Xiveall shrugged, "So it's too late for her to act like a normal person in most cases."

"Ugh... You're a pain in the ass to talk to, Missy."

"Anyways, mind explaining why you tried to abduct me? I've had enough abduction attempts in my life, honestly."

"Truthfully speaking... I was thinking... From the demeanor and the way you look... You're from a noble household... And-"

"Wow, so you abduct noble children to sell off? Hm, but I don't think any nobles would go to visit some stupid rock?"

"Stupid...? Oh! The Farewell Monument? Haha, alright... At least you have an okay sense of humor..."

"Thank you?" she threw the bread loaf aside, "Also, do you have some grudge against nobles?"

"It's... a long story? Even now, I still can't let go of the grudge... Those damned-!"

"Woah, calm down! I won't pry into it so please!"

Xiveall quickly raised her hands to hint him to stop.

She then took note of his exquisite merchant attire.

"But a rich merchant would be akin to a noble, no?"

"Influence and power have nothing to do with bloodline and lineage...!"

He whished the reins, "Then again, I made it happen... But I feel empty."

"Hm, I get your point... How about we move on?"

"Sorry for earlier, Missy. Thought you were a noble so I was going to sell you to a lecherous pig."

"Like said, I'll look over it...", she clicked her fingers then pointed at him, "If you can tell me about the Saint of Hope in return?"

"Aha, it's not rare for people to take interest in him... So that's why you went to visit the monument?"

Qatar scoffed, "Well... Lucky for us, my great grandmother told me a bit about him, so here goes-"

It first normally started like some fairy tale of the legends... But took a sudden turn for a super exaggerated history class.

Xiveall played along since she had fun hearing the tall tales and exaggerations of what she had once done back then.

Enduring through the seemingly useless blabber was worth it since she was able to catch up to the current developments of the world.

Xiveall flowed along with the conversation, branching off to varying questions while relating it to the main topic to not cause any suspicion.

It seems that the world plunged straight into chaos after the demons were gone since there was no more need for unification.

The humans indiscriminately went their ways and began to oppress other races, especially ones who had migrated into their territories.

As for the Empire, it fell shortly after Xiveall sealed himself away... The fallen remnants then went overseas in search of a new continent.

The rest had built their nations and secured, if not seized, territories within the split landscape to rule them all with might and magic.

Mankind deemed themselves superior because they had contributed majorly towards the winning factor during the Great War against demons.

Why? Well, the non-human races did not have the manpower and resources to support the anti-demon war effort as much as the humans did.

Naturally, the majority of humans had less quality as a combatant than the non-human races in their specialized fields.

However, the human race had the advantage of quantity and not to mention their technological advancements and adaptability.

Siege Weapon Technology... The main factor during large-scale battles! This was where the other races lacked mainly in.

Creativity, insight, adaptability, and sheer willpower to improve within the shortest amount of time due to a short lifespan.

Hell, even the demons did not have proper siege weapons... As in ones with destructive power akin to high-tier impact magic.

Take trebuchets, catapults, and scorpions for example... No! Just leave it to the mages who were inefficient in a drawn-out battle!

It's easy enough to load a large projectile and launch it... But is it as easy to consistently cast high-tier impact magic like it was nothing?

"And that's about it, Missy. Things are getting better. The people are beginning to reflect upon our past after-"

But before she could hear the ending, Xiveall's perception of the world began to fade and she fell over, tumbling into the wagon cover, paralyzed.

She flinched and weakly grinned at Qatar, who looked over and was shouting something inaudible to her... He whished the reins to speed up-

A CENTURY LATER

(Blackout Transition)

A cozy room filled with shelves stocked to the brim with herbs, potions, and various medical supplies came into view.

Xiveall was deep in her weary slumber by the small neat bed tucked below the only medium-sized windowpane.

The light outside the restless city seen through the clear glass above her head shifted from dusk to dawn.

The moon spurred across the starless sky before the sun rose once again beyond the strangely shaped city walls.

By the next morning, the only door leading into the medical storage room was suddenly swung open.

"Ahhhh-!! Has my patient awoken-!?!?"

A herbalist stumbled into the room, slamming the door shut behind her as she rushed left and right.

Xiveall groaned and sat up against the bed.

"Hello, are you the household herbalist?"

Somewhat confused, she asked.

"H-Household...? W-Well... This is my house... Yes, I suppose? I- AAAAA-"

Still rushing about, she ended up bumping hard into one of the medicine stands.

The shelf that was about to tumble over her caused the herbalist to cower, but-

It was a subtle shift in the wind... Xiveall was already there to hold back the shelf.

The herbalist glanced up to see Xiveall idly pushing back the shelf with a finger.

"Uhm... Y-Y-You shouldn't be out of bed and straining yourself... Nooo!! B-Back to the bed!!! G-Gooooo!!"

The herbalist quickly stood up and began shoving Xiveall forcefully back towards the bed beneath the window.

She was indeed a bit too eccentric if coming from the overalls and patchwork gardening costume.

Otherwise, it was a relatively timid appearance with her medium-length green hair and small stature.

When the clouds shifted away from view, her emerald eyes glinted as the sunshine came through the windows.

“A-Alright... I-I see that your condition is stable...", she felt Xiveall's forehead, "Are you f-feeling okay now?”

"Yes, I am honored to be in the care of a genius herbalist such as you."

"G-GENIUS-!? Um... A-All I did... Was let you rest here on the bed... After that fatty... B-Brought you over...? Yes..."

Xiveall grasped onto the herbalist's shoulders.

"There is no need to be so humble, lady."

"Eeeh?! B-But I am... Saying the t-truth..."

"To save me from a near-death state, magic exhaustion, without transferring mana... Is there any reason to hide your ability?"

Magic Exhaustion...? It must be from consuming the three lost-magic glyphs at once.

Yet Xiveall still wondered why its after-effects were so delayed... Welp, it's whatever.

"Thus, I shall give you my most sincere thanks."

Upon seeing Xiveall genuinely lower her head as thanks, the herbalist made a bitter look.

She looked away, flustered. "W-Well... I-I do have my r-reasons..."

"Hm, then it seems like I owe you a big favor, especially if you seek wealth-"

"N-No! That fatty s-said you ran away from home... B-But it would be n-nice if you could r-repay me..."

"Since I'm penniless right now, it would surely take some time for me to repay you."

"No, there's a quicker way-"

The herbalist's eyes dimmed into a trance as she spoke without stuttering unlike before.

Xiveall perceived a near-invisible needle-blade being flicked at her... Oh, please, enough with the needles, Xiveall thought.

In that shift of a second, she swiftly reacted by smacking it away before systematically grabbing the herbalist's main wrist.

The needle dripping with green toxin clinked on the floor below the bedside. "Well, about this, I inquire an explanation."

Qatar had also attempted the same thing, although with a less vicious method than this girl here.

Honestly, at this point, Xiveall had had enough abduction attempts, including during her times as Xiveall.

It would be nice if she wasn't targeted around every corner-!?

It was also the same thing back then, during her times as the summon.

What's wrong with those noble ladies trying to kidnap him or whatever-!?

Xiveall sighed within her thoughts. "Damnit, why is everyone trying to...!? Is it because of this accursed face-!?"

She who had her head drooped down began to laugh. "Heheheh~ Having a good face must be nice, huuuh~"

What is this girl saying? Is she drunk? Xiveall tested by waving her other hand in front of her face.

There was no reaction. It seemed she had entered some sort of trance mode without knowing it.

Although she put up a slight effort to stop that needle blade, Xiveall was certain that the dose wasn't enough to do anything.

At much, it should be something bigger like a crossbow bolt or dagger that took the poison directly into her heart's arteries.

Xiveall frowned, "Wake the fuck up, herbalist- You got a patient to treat!"

The herbalist's tranced eyes widened in surprise and she immediately writhed in pain.

"W-Wha--- AA-!? O-Okay! I-I'm s-sorry! W-What happened-!? Oww! M-My wrist!"

"You must have had a rough past to suddenly snap and become hostile like that."

Once Xiveall let go, the herbalist clasped her hands in a repenting prayer.

"S-Sincere a-apologies...!! I-I... Y-Yes... I-I can't h-help it... S-Sometimes..."

"Well... It's fine as long as you try your best to keep me out of it."

"A-Ahaha... B-But... H-How are you so strong? I-I'm sure m-most people w-wouldn't h-have avoided t-that needle..."

"In what way?"

"No, I mean... Yes! That, b-but mainly the muscles! I want to be able to c-carry patients and lift m-medical supplies around myself!"

"Does it look like I have muscles? You saw my body when you treated me, no?" Xiveall flexed her doll-like arm, "See? Any muscles?"

"N-No... But y-you're extremely strong... It felt l-like I was being clasped on by a big macho... M-My wrist still hurts, y'know..."

"If you regularly circulate high amplitudes of magic throughout your body, it will reinforce and naturally exceed human limits."

"W-What-?! But won't doing that make y-your tissue and veins burst apart...!?"

"You'll just have to also circulate healing magic at the same time while doing so... It's also more effective if you can do both on your own."

Xiveall paused to think, "Actually... I think I was the only one to think of this training method... It was the only way to keep up with the others."

"W-What-!? Y-You c-can b-both a-at once-!? T-To heal... A-And also to f-flow magical p-power...!?"

The herbalist widened her eyes, "A-And just w-who were you trying to... K-Keep up with...!? Th-That's crazy!"

"Who else?" Xiveall tilted her head. "My comrades, of course?"

"B-But... Y-You can use magic, no...? Your m-mana... It was e-everywhere... A-And was very intense... I-I n-nearly fainted while t-treating you..."

"Sorry about that. Also, this result is because someone once lectured me that: muscles are the last thing that'll betray you in any situation."

"Isn't that idiot just a musclehead t-then-!? You t-took his a-advice too s-seriously-!?"

"It was a 'she' for your information. Two times my height? And if I remember correctly, she was magically inept so it was pure muscles."

"Eeeeeh-!? W-What kind o-of wandering b-barbarian m-mercenary w-warlord woman did y-you s-serve under...!?"

"Bruh, it was nothing like that... Reasons aside, mind enlightening me with some answers since I am new here?”

Luna tilted her head as if wondering why she should listen to Xiveall's demands.

"Otherwise the person going on sale at the slave market isn't me today."

"Eeh... D-Do you think I'm scared...! N-No one w-would buy me a-anyway-!?"

"Hm, what about your business rivals? Won't they enjoy abusing you to death?"

Xiveall gave a chilly smile, "I hope you'll treat me well after hearing that?"

"A-Ah... That's... O-Okay, never mind... Y-You're the boss! A-Ahaha..."

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"Alright, what is the current date?"

"3rd Aprimay of the 199th."

“How long have I been resting?"

"One day."

"Year 199... No, it's... Year 91299...?"

"You... Pfft-!!!"

The herbalist fumbled as she tried to hold her laugh.

"Huh?"

"T-That can't be... A-Are you one of those b-boomer people who still u-use the old calendar-!?"

"Boomer? What a strange term... So it has been a century!", Xiveall paused, "No- Nearly two?"

"Y-Yes? It has been that l-long since the d-demons were eradicated...? W-Why do you sound surprised?"

"Forget it. Plus, I still owe you for saving my life so I'll try to get money and pay you... Despite what you tried to pull on me earlier."

"Ahaha... I see you're q-quite the forgiving p-person...?"

"To boundlessly forgive is also a kind of evil... But to be free is sometimes to be evil, so I'll do what I want to do."

Xiveall leaned in with an outright scary smile. "That also includes putting someone on sale if they go against me."

In return, the herbalist raised her hands in surrender, lurched away slightly, and began nodding rather quickly.

"Y-Yes-!? Y-You can do what you want, ahahaha~? I'll... U-Uhm... I'm sure I'll be of great help to you! Y-Yes...?"

Xiveall scoffed once to herself before leaning back against the bed once again.

"To put it in simple words, consider yourself in luck. I'm not as bad as you think."

"Eeeh... Okay... Uhm, what do I call you, Boss...? My n-name is Luna... N-Nice to meet you..."

"Boss is fine? But as for my name... It's- Huh?"

Xiveall paused abruptly; 'the man herself' hadn't made up a new name for 'the woman himself' yet.

"Ooh noo!! M-Magical E-Exhaustion must've p-paid a toll on your m-memory!"

Luna reached out with her hands to push Xiveall back down to sleep.

Annoyed by her actions, Xiveall came up with a female name on a whim by jumbling the letters around.

"Xiveall... Uhh... Yeah, it's Vixella... It's Vixella! I'm completely fine up here, so let go of me... Sheesh."

The benevolent holy maiden who sacrificed herself to summon him.

The sacred name she had granted him-!? What was it all for...!?

"E-Eh? A-Ah, I see... Vixella... T-That's a nice and f-fitting name... Unlike me..."

"I completely understand." she crossed her arms, "Someone like you needs a greener name... How about Jade or Leafa?"

"Y-Yes! Why did my p-parents name me after the moon when I'm all green...!?"

"Hmm~ Maybe they saw the moon on your night of birth? But still... You should respect the name that you were given."

"O-Of course! B-But I'm still fed u-up with it till this day!" Luna heaved, "A-And thanks for understanding... V-Vixella-"

"Call me 'Boss', Genius Herbalist Luna."

Vixella winked before pointing a finger gun at her.

"J-Just L-Luna is fine, Boss!!"

"Anyways, is there a fast way I can repay the debt?"

"O-Oh? About that... I can suggest..."

"Anything that doesn't tarnish my pride, sanity, or let a stranger molest me without my consent, if you may."

"O-Of course! How can I treat my Boss like that! I mean... Well... I think it's a somewhat h-honest job...?"

Vixella crossed her legs on the bed, joined her hands, and leaned in with a serious look.

"Please clarify, my dear genius herbalist Luna-chan." ((-chan is weeb (jap.) suffix honorific for 'cute person'.))

"E-Ehm... B-Before we proceed, I would like to know... W-What did you formerly do?"

There was no reply except for how Vixella gave Luna an eye smile, hinting 'What do you think?'.

The atmosphere then suddenly became somewhat heavier and harder to breathe.

Luna felt cold sweat. It was as if she was being overshadowed by a vicious predator.

The herbalist struggled to clap her hands, which broke the tense atmosphere.

"I... You m-must be some famous m-mountain lumberjack's daughter, right Boss-!?"

"Teheh, as expected------ Haaah-!? Just what made you come to that conclusion-!? And here I was sure-"

Luna who was profusely sweating from the intense bloodlust earlier shook her head and forced a smile.

"Y-You... T-That was wood lust, r-right...? The i-intent to cut down trees, yes yes... T-Toally~!"

Vixella blinked once before looking at her who was still somewhat sweating but forcing a content look.

She seemed a bit unsure of what Luna was getting at. "Well... Go on then...?"

"Yes! You m-must've run away from home b-because you had e-enough of cutting w-wood in the mountains!"

"Approved. That background might prove useful as a future reference regarding how strong and sturdy I am... Blah blah..."

Vixella continued, "Let's also add that there was an abundance of mana in those mountains which explains everything."

"Aha... F-For whatever reason... You are s-strong...! So go to the Adventurer's Guild..."

Luna reached into her apron, "T-Take this! A recommendation token from me!"

Vixella received the small token, an insignia of a pouch and blade crossing each other.

“Advent what? But... The heck is this? Looks like some sorta thieves guild token...!?"

“No, it's the Adventurer's Guild! Adventurers do t-tasks and jobs for any person in need... M-Mercenaries... The nice-guy monster-slaying kind!"

"Nice-Guy Monster-Slayer?" Upon hearing that phrase, Vixella was reminded of a certain someone from the Great War.

"Hm? Wait, you mean the demonic spawns...? I see... I met about a dozen in what... the 'Forest of Desolation'...?"

"Ooh! W-Wait... T-That forest... Ahaha... But y-you did? Was it a g-goblin scout? You d-didn't let it get away, right?"

"Nono, it was demon bears, giant frogs, phantom spiders, and the like...? Yep, they're all but annoying to me."

"Eeeeeeeeh-!? D-Did you run away?" Luna sounded a bit disheartened.

"Why would I have to run away? I could've brawled with them barehanded but I decided to use magic and save time."

Vixella leaned into the bed and snuggled up with the blanket. "Then again, it hurts to fight barehanded against them."

"Well, Boss... I-If you're speaking the truth, then y-you s-should be fine! Noo! Just do simple things like gathering herbs for now!"

"If I make sure to wipe the whole forest grounds clean of herbs, will that make us even then?"

"Y-Yes, go a-ahead... B-Bring me all of those herbs then that's it for your debt, Boss!"

Luna continued, "Ah, adventuring i-is also one of the most profitable jobs in Elderia!"

"Elderia?"

“Yes, it's the nation we're in right now... W-Wait... If you didn't come from the Elderian Mountains... Then..."

“Please do not question me of my past, I don't remember much myself."

"That's so u-unfortunate! To n-not be a lumberjack--- I mean to forget a-about your past, family, and loved ones!"

"One thing I do remember is that I came to my senses somewhere within the Afrian Empire..."

“I-If you mean the h-human area of the c-continent, then yes... Because t-that empire is long gone for a c-century..."

Luna shook her head before looking up straight at Vixella and strengthening her resolve with pumped-up fists.

"What is it now? You seem rather determined for once?"

"Um-Uhm...!! To h-help you regain your m-memories...! Uh... I... I s-shall re-explain EVERYTHING a-about this world t-that I know of!"

"Hm? Everything? Wait... Stop! Won't that take too long-?"

**An Eternity (~1 Hour) Later**

The fact that humans discriminated against other races after the Great War against the demonkind was bad enough.

However, the conflicting views and traditions of many societies made it worse; as we all know, it split up the empire.

The human nations that broke off into independent fiefs and houses began to wage war among themselves.

The Afrian Empire? It was no more, not even a single trace of unity was left after that unexpected turmoil.

Independence was suppressed as the many small nations were eventually swallowed by the more powerful ones.

At the present day, there were only five great human nations left standing in the main area of the continent.

The further nations beyond the mountain ranges were eventually overrun by barbarians and monsters.

Thus, the current day's map has shrunk to a much smaller view of what the whole continent would be.

The first humans to colonize the Demon Capital eventually started their frontier of peace and prosperity with no restrictions.

Branching throughout the demon land, the frontier turned nation had long since stopped the expansion of the demonic spawns.

Like said, the frontier managed their own and later grew into a community large enough to be called a nation: Elderia.

Elderia was named after the elderly demon landscape filled with wonders if not to mention the life-taking dungeons.

Since there were already enough conflicts with the monster spawns, every nation made a truce to Elderia by default.

They were the country holding back the demonic spawns from spreading too far out into the continent, after all.

Planning an invasion for Elderia was a bad idea since the monsters would surely wear out any army.

The methods and technology to consistently combat monsters had disappeared with the empire.

That aside, the nation itself had also become popular for commoners to try out a risky but fulfilling life: Adventuring.

This was very popular in contrast to being mercenaries in the neighboring country, Katraia, who mainly fought people.

The threat of demonkind was long gone but it was still impossible to eradicate all the demonic monster spawns up to date.

That was the reason why 'Adventurers' became something so significant and popular in this part of the continent, if not everywhere.

In the nation of Elderia existed plenty of monsters and dungeons to subjugate every single day; an opportunity existed for everyone!

So to say, the summon of the 911th century did a great deed by eradicating demonkind.

However, this was also the reason why the continent of Afria, alongside its empire, fell.

"Hero, huh... To think I'd become called something like that..."

"Eh? W-What did you say, Boss...? P-Please do n-not mumble!!! A-And p-please be q-quiet! I am about to f-finish telling the story!"

To sum it all up, the Afrian Empire itself split up due to having conflicting perspectives on how to manage a society.

It was because they had already lost the reason to unite as one since the mutual threat of demonkind was gone.

Vixella yawned and hopped off the bed, "Is that it?"

"Y-Yup... T-That's it...!" Luna nodded whilst quickly making the bed.

"Well, it seems like you've wasted my precious time, Luna."

"W-Waah... Please don't hurt me...!"

Elderia.

Devankul City.

Former Demon Capital.

Aprimay the 13th, 199th Year of the New Calendar.

Luna's Herb Store.

Second Floor.

Vixella let out a tired breath as she slid open the window.

"I can freeload here for a few days as long as I wipe the whole forest clean of herbs, right?"

"Yes... B-But why are you climbing out the window- EEEEEHHHH!?"

Luna was shocked to death as she saw Vixella lob herself out the window.

Vixella landed softly in the streets below.

She looked back up at Luna who peeked out of the window in a panic.

"Ahhhh!! It-thought you died for a moment, Boss!! A-Although that might be good for me!!"

"Die? But it's only the second floor... No, maybe if it were a hundred floors... Anyways, where was this... 'Advent Guild' thing again?"

"Adventurer's Guild-!!! And... Haah... D-Don't do that again!! G-Go out through the front door like normal people!"

She pouted while pointing towards the front door below the window.

Vixella nodded firmly and dashed against the building wall to run and kick herself back up.

She then gently lobbed herself back through the open window with upward momentum.

Luna tumbled back just as Vixella gracefully landed on her two feet in front of her whilst doing the T-Pose.

"Dominance asserted" she grinned before helping Luna get back up, "Front door it is then?"

"Being able to scale buildings like that... Are you some sort of legendary thief or assassin-!?"

"Hm, that might be a secondary mystery background idea? The lumberjack phantom!!!"

Vixella looked away, "Anyways, I'm now a lumberjack's daughter through and through!"

Luna sighed before guiding Vixella down the stairs leading out into the ground floor's vast storefront.

**A while later**

Luna had just finished giving Vixella directions to the adventurer's guild just when the doorbell rang.

A stern-looking mustache-dude clad in chainmail armor without a helmet politely entered the store.

"Aah, a fine bloke... Is he a regular customer?"

"W-Well, in a way... Y-Yes?"

He happily skipped over with a smile.

"Heya, Luna-chan! Will you go out with me today?"

What Vixella was expecting from that gentleman disappeared immediately!

Luna held her cheeks and shook herself playfully.

"Eeeh! I-I s-said no... H-How many times already?"

"Already lost count! Jokes aside, any discounts today?"

He looked around the shelves, "I'm bulk-buying for another party waiting at the guild, so..."

"Then, would you like to buy the usual antidote concoctions at the market price--- AAAAH-!? BOSS!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Luna screamed out upon seeing Vixella lift and choke the man by his collar despite his heavy stature and armor.

"Is murder still eligible if someone offends you around these parts?" She casually turned over to ask.

"H-Hey! Murder isn't eligible anywhere nowadays! Are you from the Demonic Eras-!? J-Just let him down already!"

Luna ran up and tried her best to pry apart Vixella's right hand which just didn't want to budge at all.

"L-Luna-chan! W-Who's this-- S-She's crazy strong...!! S-Shit, I can't break free---"

The man who was also desperately trying to pry apart Vixella's hand whilst smacking it a few times coughed out.

"Alas, an amateur! You can still improve so watch and learn! This is how a real man... I mean, woman-- Ahem, does it!"

Letting go of the choke on the mustache-dude, Vixella reappeared behind Luna with her gleaming amber eyes.

A quick sweep of the right foot. "Whaa-!? Luna was fumbled over.

However, Vixella held her with a supporting arm to stop her fall.

They entered a graceful embrace that exchanged glances up close.

Luna looked back up in embarrassment at Vixella's face who was up now very close. Luna had finally realized something.

Peering into Vixella's eyes, Luna noticed the beautiful cross-shaped pupils that blended within the same-colored irises.

"Woaaw!", the male adventurer happily praised, "You're amazing, Senpai!"

((Senpai = Senior or Respected someone better at doing something etc. || Don't worry, I won't be using weeb terms too much.))

The two silently glared into each other's eyes from such a daring distance.

Vixella then softly caressed Luna's hair out of the way before narrowing her gaze.

"B-Boss... W-What are you d-doing...?"

"Aishiteru, Luna-san~" ((Aishiteru is romanized 'I love you' in Japanese. While -san is like 'Miss./Mr.' to show respect.))

"Nnn..."

Luna made a slight sound as she turned away in embarrassment.

Vixella smiled and moved her head after Luna's face to take a good look.

"Nnn...?"

Luna was somewhat teary and pouting with her cheeks puffed.

She was not happy with Vixella's method of bullying her.

"W-Whaaaa~! P-Please s-stooop ittt~~!!!!"

An extremely loud slap could then be heard echoing inside the herbalist storefront that morning.

"L-Luna-chan... Is she dead-!?" The mustache-dude quickly ran over to inspect Vixella who was lying face-down on the ground.

"Kukuku... How can I die and not cherish a woman's slap?"

She then raised an unsteady thumb of approval.

"S-Senpai... Y-You're my idol...!" The mustache-dude cried out.

"Hmph! You still have yet much to learn, boy."

She sprung up as if nothing happened, although with a red cheek where Luna had slapped her.

The two then did an epic handshake, much to Luna's confusion as she watched them.

There was a mutual sense of accomplishment achieved in the silence between them.

[https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/012/468/shakeee.jpg]Epic Handshake

"Haah... Y-You perverts! G-Get out!! Get out of here---!!!"

The mustache dude meekly raised a hand to get their attention.

"Hey, Luna-chan... Aren't you going to sell me those potions?"

"A-Ah, y-yes... T-This way please...!" she then forced a smile at Vixella, "And B-Boss... Please get out b-before I throw acid on you!!"