Where are they? Someone should have followed me, right? At least Mephina wouldn’t let me leave like this without someone watching. Sellitha thought to herself as she stepped out of the carriage she had hired to escort her to Lermen.

Well, if it’s Mephina, she might actually have done exactly that.

She looked around to see if she could spot someone, but it was useless.

Whatever. She thought, brushing her crimson hair behind her long elven ears and tying her hair up in a ponytail.

I should find an inn first and get myself a room. Then I need to find some team willing to let a Bronze mage join them. It might be difficult, but I can pay them if needed. Worst case, I’ll just hunt alone. It’s not like I need protection. It’s just safer to hunt beasts in groups.

Sellitha made her way through the gate and entered the outpost, looking around curiously. It was the first time she had come to the Outskirts alone. Or at least as alone as she could.

I don’t want to end up with a group of psychos, though. Mephina would come in handy in looking for a suitable team. Should I try calling her out and see if she’s really here? No, that would make everything certain. I’ll just do it myself.

Sellitha walked at a leisurely pace, lost in thought, until she saw a building with a sign that said ‘Outpost Inn.’

I guess this place will do.

Sellitha walked in and noticed that there wasn’t a reception, just a tavern with a few people drinking. She walked up to the man behind the bar.

“Do you have a room available?” She asked.

“Oh? Ah…Sorry, of course we have a room for the young miss. How long would you like to stay?” He asked.

“How long can I stay with this?” Sellitha asked as she handed the man a few gold coins.

“This…a few months at least,” The man answered hesitantly.

“Good, where is my room?” Sellitha asked.

“I’ll take you there. Please follow me,” The man said, changing his expression to a polite smile.

She followed the man and was shown to a room that was probably big for an inn this size.

“This is the best room we have. Please let me know if anything is wrong,” The man said with a slight bow.

“It’s fine,” Sellitha said and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She threw her pack on the floor and lay down on the bed.

Pretty comfortable. She thought.

“Haaah,” Sellitha let out a long sigh. What to do?

I don’t want to reveal my identity. That would just make things stiff and awkward. I could hide my strength, I guess, but that would make people not take me seriously. And a middle Bronze 15-year-old is pretty good protection against idiots. Not many would dare mess with me. It will give away that I have an impressive background, but not how impressive.

Even though my strength and age in itself might make things weird, it won’t be unmanageable. That innkeeper didn’t react too much to my strength, so it might be alright.

Sellitha got up from the bed and walked up to the window. She looked out over at the people walking on the streets.

What will Mom and Dad say when they hear I’ve advanced? Surely, they’ll be shocked. But will they be happy or sad? They’ll probably be a little more worried about me going to Cyalis. I’ll be able to enter the diamond class after all.

I wonder what they’d do if they found out about my ability. Will they lock me up and prevent me from getting stronger, or will they give up on their cowardly plans?

Maybe they’ll make me take over Rell’s place. No, she has an ice core. I can never compete with that. And even if I reached middle Bronze earlier than she did, it doesn’t prove anything. I might be stuck for years at peak Bronze, not having the Will to advance.

Not that I’d want to take her place anyway.

Sellitha decided to stop thinking about useless stuff and headed out of her room. She had no time to waste.

If there is no suitable team to join, I’ll just head out alone for now. I can handle it. Mom and Dad will make me go back home to Iitha with them after the ceremony in a few months. This is probably my last chance to temper my Will in the Outskirts before Cyalis.

It didn’t take long for her to reach the Outskirts Guild. When she entered, the place quieted down, and a lot of eyes were on her. It was expected, not only because of her looks, but a middle Bronze 15-year was about as rare as a Soul mage. These Outskirters had probably seen a lot of young geniuses, but someone like her was perhaps a first.

Just like the inn, this branch of the Outskirts Guild doubled as a tavern. But at least Sellitha could see a proper reception desk for Outskirters. She walked up to the desk, where she saw a Bronze mage in her early twenties looking at her.

“I’m looking for a team of Silvers to join,” Sellitha said to the clerk, “I know I might be a burden, so I can pay for the service. Do you know any team, or should I put up a mission?”

“Oh, well, first of all, welcome to Lermen, young miss,” The lady said with a smile, “My name is Belra. If you need any help in the future, just ask me. As for any teams of Silvers, that’s pretty much everyone here, so you have plenty of options. I don’t know who would be interested, though. There is a team of three Silvers led by a Kuwamin named Mashi. He is very popular around here. There is also that group over there, the one with the faelin,” Belra said, pointing out a table with five people enjoying drinks together.

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A faelin? Sellitha thought excitedly. She had spent a lot of time with a faelin back home when she was younger. Sellitha enjoyed listening to her stories a lot as a child. Unfortunately, she returned to Fornia before Sellitha had a chance to grow up and ask more important questions.

I might be able to learn more about Quemer. You can’t learn it all through books, after all. If I plan on heading there after Cyalis, I should try to learn as much as possible before leaving.

“They came here about a week ago, so I don’t know much about them,” Belra continued, “But as you can tell, they have a Bronze mage in their team already, so they might be open to letting you join.”

Sellitha looked towards the group of five and sensed that there indeed was a low Bronze mage among them. He was also Sellitha’s age, almost exactly.

A few days younger? Older? I can’t make it out. Other than him, the rest are all middle Silvers, except the girl, who is high Silver. That’s an alright strength. But what about that guy? He must be from a Noble family, right?

She tried feeling his aura the same way she always did, but was suddenly shocked.

He is clearly a mage, so why? Why can’t I tell what his element is? What’s going on? Doesn’t he have one? But he is obviously a mage. He must have one!

“That Bronze mage, what do you know about him?” Sellitha turned to ask Belra with a serious expression.

“Oh, his name is Adion, I think,” Belra answered, “Very talented, not as talented as you, of course!” Belra nervously added, “Their group seems to get along with each other nicely, and they haven’t caused any trouble that I know of. But that red-haired bearded guy is a real flirt,” Belra said with a slight blush, “You better keep your guard up against him.”

“What about this Adion? What do you know about him? What’s his element?” Sellitha asked.

“Oh,” Belra nodded with an understanding look, “He’s quite handsome, isn’t he? I’ve never seen him acting like that bearded guy, but you never know with men, so be careful!”

Sellitha felt her patience running thin. “Element.”

“Oh! Right, sorry. His element…I don’t know. I can ask if you want?” Belra offered.

“I’ll just ask myself,” Sellitha said.

She turned around and walked to the table where the team was sitting. They were laughing about something, especially the bearded man, who seemed to be struggling to control his loud laughter.

“Excuse me,” Sellitha said as she addressed the faelin, “My name is Sell. I’m looking for a team of Silvers to hunt with. I was wondering if you’d be willing? I can pay.”

“Well, Benji is the leader,” The faelin looked to the man next to him.

“Money won’t be necessary, but I’m not sure-” The man Sellitha assumed was Benji started talking, but was interrupted as the bearded fellow whispered something in his ear. Benji got a light smile and looked to Sellitha again, “Sure, we’ll give it a try. Having Adion join us was probably the best decision I’ve made after all, and you don’t lose to him by much in terms of talent. We’ll try out hunting together and see how it goes.”

“Don’t lose by much? You mean he’s more talented?” Sellitha asked and then turned to Adion, “Are your concepts so powerful? What element do you have?”

Before Adion had a chance to answer, the woman started laughing.

“‘Powerful concepts’!” the woman said, laughing, “He didn’t even know about concepts a few months ago.”

“Why do you keep telling people that?” Adion muttered and took a sip of his beer.

“Because it’s a funny story!” The woman said with a smile.

“That’s not a story. It’s just a thing you say,” Adion said.

“Well, it’s still funny,” The woman shrugged.

“Okay, okay. Sorry, Sell. Why don’t you take a seat and tell us a bit about yourself?” Benji asked with a smile.

It feels weird having someone who’s not family call me Sell, but my full name would give away my identity immediately.

Sellitha grabbed a chair from a nearby table and took a seat.

“Well, I’m Sell. I’m 15, 16 this winter. I’m from Iitha, and I won’t say more than that about my identity. I just want to experience the Outskirts before going to Cyalis when I turn 17. I thought fighting Bronze beasts wouldn’t be enough, and I was in the area, so I came here looking for a team to join. Oh, I’m also a fire mage. What about you guys?” Sell asked.

“Alright, I won’t pry,” Benji said, “I’m also a fire mage, so is Sahra here and Adion. Rufus is an earth mage, and Lomin is a wind mage. Being an elf and a fire mage is pretty rare, no? Is it common in your family?”

He is a fire mage? I should be able to tell no matter how well he can hide it. So how could he hide it? What kind of aura training would it take to hide his element from my aura sense?

“No,” Sell answered Benji, “I’m the first fire mage in generations.”

“I see,” Benji nodded, “Well, why don’t we meet up here tomorrow morning and-” Benji didn’t get to finish as Adion cut in the conversation.

“Do you have any ulterior motives in wanting to join us?” Adion asked.

What is he talking about?

“No, of course not,” Sellitha answered.

“Do you mind answering again without hiding your aura this time? It makes it hard to tell if you’re being honest,” Adion said.

Does he realize how rude that question is? Then again, I guess I am the one asking to join them. I could answer just that one question.

Sellitha stopped hiding her intentions in her aura as much as before and began speaking again, this time clear for everyone to see that she wasn’t lying.

“I have no ill intentions toward anyone in your group. I just saw you for the first time today and thought you seemed like a nice group to join,” Sellitha said.

“Mm,” Adion nodded.

“Sorry about that,” Benji said with an awkward smile, “But I agree that it’s best to be safe if we are going to hunt beasts with our lives on the line together,”

“It’s okay, I get it,” Sellitha said, non-committedly, “Well, I’ll be here tomorrow morning then.”

“Oh yeah, right,” Benji nodded.

“It was nice to meet you, Sell!” That Sahra said in a little too loud voice, “I look forward to having another girl around.”

Sell let a smile slip. She reminds me of Rell, even though their personalities are polar opposites.

“See you,” Sellitha waved goodbye and turned to leave for her room at the inn.

I’ll get some meditation done.

But as Sellitha came back to her room and sat down to meditate, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering.

Why was that guy Adion’s aura control so good? Is he from the Imperial family or something? But that doesn’t make any sense. Why is he here? And with those people? They are alright talented, but other than the faelin, their aura control tells me that they can’t be Nobles.

And why would he hide that he had a fire core? Gah! It makes no sense. Just for fun? What are the odds of focusing on that aspect of your aura control for no particular reason? I mean, I kind of chose to focus on it for a pretty random reason, but still.

I’ll figure it out eventually, I guess. And what was that about him being more talented than me? I know they can’t know how strong I am, but I am still a middle Bronze mage while he is just…wait. He wasn’t hiding his strength too, was he?