I
It was a quiet, slow afternoon in the Spell Caster Forest when Minerva stepped outside to investigate a chilling sensation of wrongness. She spoke to Voi, who also sensed something uneasy. Minerva hurriedly searched the surrounding area but found nothing amiss until she looked up and saw streaks of blue magic falling from the sky.
The blue magic crashed nearby, prompting Minerva to rush towards the impact site to investigate. Upon reaching the crash area, she found nothing but sensed someone approaching from behind. Just as Minerva turned, she was attacked, but she managed to block the assault with her magic shield.
Before her stood a wounded woman wielding a mysterious weapon that fired magical projectiles. Without hesitation, Minerva brought the injured woman back to her hut to tend to her wounds and kept her restrained, unsure of the woman's intentions.
When the woman regained consciousness within a magical cage, Minerva questioned her identity. "Who are you?" Minerva demanded.
The woman replied weakly, "Raven... Raven Silvertooth."
Minerva inquired about the woman's weapon, and Raven explained that it was a pistol that fired magic pellets. Intrigued, Minerva used her magic to disassemble the weapon, much to Raven's dismay.
Reassuring Raven, Minerva sought to understand where she came from. To Minerva's surprise, Raven claimed to hail from Grass Mark, specifically the west side across the oceans. Raven urged Minerva to confirm her adventurer status with a badge, verifying her as a rank ninety-seven adventurer.
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Expressing a desire to meet the rulers of Grass Mark, King Orvell and Queen Beatrice, Raven pleaded for their assistance. Suspicious of Raven's true motives, Minerva delved into her mind, discovering that Raven had lost her voice and genuinely sought aid.
Raven explained, "I came seeking help, not harm. I was told of three strong adventurers on the east coast of Grass Mark."
Curious, Minerva asked for their names, to which Raven replied, "Minerva, Beatrice, and Orvell."
Minerva clarified, "You've found Minerva. The others are the rulers of Iron Hall."
Raven pleaded again to meet them, seeking guidance and power to address the imminent crisis. With the fate of the world at stake, Minerva reluctantly agreed to accompany Raven to Iron Hall.
Back in the city of Iron Hall, in the throne room, Beatrice, now with frosty blue hair, was seated, cradling the newborns—two girls named Dande and Daisy. Meanwhile, Ardent was engaged in sword training with his rugged-faced father, Orvell. Suddenly, a portal opened, and Minerva emerged, exclaiming, "Wow, you guys look different!" It had been ten years since their last encounter, and this was Minerva's first time seeing them since Ardent was a toddler.
"Guys, I have someone who's eager to meet you," Minerva said, stepping aside to reveal Raven, who emerged from the portal. Guards in the throne room instinctively drew their weapons, but Orvell ordered them to stand down upon Minerva's reassurance that Raven was a friend, not a foe. "Can we discuss something in private?" Raven requested.
They moved to the war table room, while the children were attended to by the butler and nanny. Here, Raven explained that she is a pirate and captain of the ship called "Wave Seeker," hailing from the west coast of Grass Mark across the oceans—a region previously deemed perilous due to aggressive sea monsters.
Raven proceeded to reveal her urgent mission: to thwart a madman named Behem, a wizard seeking to conquer lands and realms. His latest ambition was to find pieces of the star. Behem possessed a unique ability to absorb realm energy and now aimed to become a star himself making him a godlike human. Orvell, though intrigued, had sworn off adventures. However, Raven presented him with a quest contract, urging them all to join her in saving the world from Behem's impending cataclysm.
The trio hesitated, but Beatrice, leaning close to Orvell, emphasized the gravity of the situation. "We have to do this. If what she says is true, our children and the kingdom of Iron Hall will have no home." Convinced, Orvell signed the quest sheet.
As they gathered their belongings and bid farewell, Orvell and Beatrice ensured the kingdom's safety with their friend Jakob, now ruler of Zephyr Vale, tasked to watch over Iron Hall in their absence. Boarding Raven's ship, they set sail.