Tiel had once been an A-rank adventurer, having traveled across the Romana empire, and reached his peak when he was 300, before settling down and becoming a guildmaster out in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of nobles at the time had protested this action, but after a century or two they calmed down(died), though a few still lived and made sure he knew, still contacting him. The duke of Rasta had given up contacting him around 5-6 years ago. Elves did perceive time differently from men.

As an elf, Tiel fit in just fine in Snowsberry village, a village on the border of the Romana empire, near one or two of the smaller countries that bordered it, though Snowsberry village was always ignored due to its small size and positioning near a relatively peaceful forest. It was at best, a place for new adventurers to start slow and steady, but too far out for major players of the empire to send their children.

Tiel had enjoyed doing his work in quiet. Of course, he missed his old friends, but as an elf, he was well aware that they were all most likely dead by now. A reason as good as any to lock himself up in an elf only village.

Even though he missed adventuring and the comradery, he often felt that same friendship once he listened to the cheer and joy downstairs, as the local adventurers joked and had fun. It may not be as crowded or exciting as the more popular guilds, but the quaint and peaceful aura had its own charm.

Of course, there was a whole other problem that was shaking up his peaceful life.

A high elf was going to pass by this village soon.

Most elves will never evolve. They just never do. Only .1 percent of the whole elven population ever evolve into a high elf. No one's quite sure what the requirements are, whether it's a natural evolution like monsters undergo, or a unique recessive trait amongst elves. Many choose not to discuss, for discussing this leads to moral arguments about the elves and their place amongst men and monsters. Humans had used this argument to invade elven countries, claiming they were nothing but monsters.

Thankfully this sentiment had long faded, especially since dwarves also evolved into high dwarves, though many races like lizardmen, kobolds, harpies and even giants still faced this same judgement, by status of actually being monsters, regardless of sapience.

The mere thought was enough to make him mad... and he ended up breaking another pen. Sighing, he picks up another pen and continues to write. He does buy a lot of pens sadly.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Thankfully, none of that is his problem. No, his problem is that a high elf, treated as greatly as nobility, or even greater, was going to be passing through this village soon, and that would be Tiel's problem now. If that high elf were to be hurt, or Isis forbid, she was killed, the blame would all be laid at the former A-ranks feet.

Of course, he found that unfair, but politics are politics. Sigh. There was a reason he retired to this random rural village after all.

As Tiel worked, he heard muffled footsteps before he heard a knock on the door. Oh joy, it seems something else has come up. Please let this be good news.

"Come in"

Upon hearing this, the door burst open, and a young elf burst through, clearly rather excited. Oh boy, it's Leon.

Leon is a young elf, born and raised here in Snowsberry village, and at a young 100 years, was a rather excitable child, eager to be an adventurer and see the greater world.

A child like this was obviously not going to be contained in this village forever, but for now, this bottled-up puppy was here to bark at him once more.

"What is it Leon?" Tiel asked as he rested his head upon his arm. Leon usually brought the most mundane stuff to him or brought more trouble than a kid his age should be able to. Tiel was hoping it was another mundane thing, like that two headed skink he brought back one time.

"cannonballs!" declared Leon, as he jumped up and down, earning himself a skeptical look from Tiel, but Tiel held on. He was sure Leon wasn't just lying now.

"I looked around and found evidence of an object crashing through trees, approximately 3 feet long maybe, in a parabola shape."

Tiel's eyebrow furrowed. That did sound like a cannonball. Had he missed a recent political issue? Was Friendce in danger of another revolution?

"How many do you think there are?" Asked Tiel.

Leon hummed, and seemed to be unable to come to an answer. "Well, guildmaster, there seems to be one, I think but it is just the weirdest thing. At the site of impact there seems to be another cannon shot. With all ten shots being done consecutively. If I didn't think it was absolutely stupid, I would think that whatever shot itself out of the cannon-"

"Is the exact same thing that shot itself out of another cannon." Finished Tiel, groaning as he rubbed his eyebrow. He might actually have to get the gin for the first time in a century. It had been too much to ask for, to ask for another century of peace hadn't it.

"I thought the same thing" Agreed young Leon. "But what could be so stupid as to shoot itself out of a cannon? You'd have to be stupid or something."

"We have a variant monster on the loose. That is just the worse." Grumbled Tiel, but Leon didn't get it.

"Well, if it's just a monster guildmaster, couldn't you just kill it? It can't be that strong."

Tiel rolled his eyes. "The problem isn't killing it Leon. The danger of variant monsters is how unpredictable they are. Even now, we have no clue what kind of monster it's becoming. It could be doing something absolutely catastrophic, or something extremely stupid."

----------------------------------------

'Now, swing whenever I do so. 3,2,1,'

swing

"..."

'fine, bonk whenever I do so'

bonk!

'bonk!' bonk!