In the middle of the night, two people were currently fighting in bed.

“Damn you’re heavier than Mel!” [Ava]

Lying on her back, Ava was trying to keep the man, who was straddling her, from strangling her. Unfortunately, the difference in strength didn’t allow her to do so and his hands were tightly constricting her throat. While choking, the black-haired elf slipped her hand under her pillow and groped around until she caught what she was looking for.

She swung her knife at the man’s wrist and he quickly let her go. Rolling off her and taking some distance from the bed, the trespasser stared at her, surprised that the half-elf was keeping a knife under her pillow. But, the next second, his eyes narrowed dangerously and he unsheathed his dagger. He originally planned on using it to threaten her if she screamed, but now, he was going to use it for real.

A battle soon unfolded in the small room that was causing a lot of noise. When Ava tossed her pillow at him, he simply knocked it away. So, she tossed her chair at him and he broke it into pieces.

The hooded man swung his dagger, but made sure not to inflict deep wounds since he was supposed to kidnap her. The half-elf dodged by stepping back over and over until she bumped into her table. Thinking he had her, he thrusted his dagger at her shoulder, but she crouched down and rolled backward, under the table. As she got up, she pushed the side of the wooden furniture that was between them from below. The intruder blocked the flying table with his arms and backed off.

When Ava lunged at him with her knife, he barely avoided it by leaning back and counterattacked. She crouched down once more and kicked the table at him. It knocked against his feet and caused a bit of pain, just enough to take his attention away for a moment. As such, the half-elf threw her knife at his face. However, he deflected it with his dagger and took a few steps back.

“… Ah.” [Ava]

Ava just lost her weapon.

“… Maybe using you to test my strength wasn’t such a good idea.” [Ava]

The hooded man smirked cruelly under his mask. He grabbed one of the knives strapped to him and threw it at the half-elf. Ava ducked behind the table and used it as cover. However, more projectiles came at her and stabbed themselves in the wooden furniture. Of course, the trespasser wasn’t trying to kill her, but to wound her when he threw the first knife. The rest are to scare her since the half-breed was getting on his nerves.

However, his time to play with his prey was over. Ava lifted only her left hand over the table. A cloud of smoke hung around it. A black bullet was shot at the hooded man and expanded before it hit him. From the smoke emerged a cloaked individual. He was a Shadow Puppet of one of the mercenaries that previously infiltrated Sanctuary Academy. He tackled the shocked intruder on the ground rather easily since the latter froze up. The hooded man swung his dagger at him, but he stopped it by holding his wrist and brought his own dagger to his foe’s throat, signaling the end of the fight.

“Yeah, should have done this from the start.” [Ava]

Ava went out of her hiding place and approached the fallen intruder.

“So, let’s talk… Wow…” [Ava]

Although she planned on interrogating him, she noticed that he was convulsing on the floor. Then, his body went limp and light disappeared from his eyes. Ava pulled his mask down to see his face. She didn’t know who he was and she definitely knew that he was dead.

“Poison capsules? They have poison capsules in this world?” [Ava]

While she was contemplating what to do, the approaching sounds she heard told her of her next move. Quickly, she dispelled the Shadow Puppet, grabbed the dead trespasser’s dagger and cut her own shoulder. The half-elf grunted from the pain and swiftly made another cut to the side of her waist. Then, she wounded both of the man’s legs and kneeled beside his corpse.

“What is going on here?! Lights ou-!” [Dorm manager]

Right after, a woman in her forties, who was the dorm manager, barged in because of the ruckus and when she saw the cadaver along with the injured Ava, she froze.

“… KYAAAAAAA!!” [Dorm manager]

Then, her scream woke up everyone in the dorm.

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A couple of weeks passed since Ava fought off the hooded intruder. Back then, the dorm manager hurriedly called the guards while panicking and other students came to see what was happening. Pretty much all of them screamed in terror too. When Fyr saw her injured friend, she was fully pale and shaking like a leaf, but sprang into action. Smoothly, she began to treat Ava’s wounds. Her years of studying medicine paid off. As for Mel, she practically tackled the half-elf and hugged her tightly.

Later, Ava explained to the guards who showed up what happened. Except for her self-inflicted wounds, the leg wounds on the hooded man and the Shadow Puppet, she didn’t lie. Someone slipped into her room in the middle of the night and she fought against him. After sustaining some injuries, she managed to wound him and subdue him. However, before she could interrogate him, he committed suicide by swallowing poison he had prepared in case he got captured.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

There was an awkward atmosphere when she mentioned that she was hiding a knife under her pillow, but that wasn’t important. What mattered was that an intruder tried to attack a student and slipped past them. The assault from two years ago flashed through everyone’s minds.

This case would be discussed further, but for the moment, they congratulated the half-elf that managed to fend off her attacker and reassured her that she was safe.

That was until Elyon, who somehow heard about the circumstances, showed up.

“My lord, I’ve brought her.” [Orist]

Following behind Orist, the trusted servant of Nylian, Ava silently entered the room.

“Good.” [Nylian]

Nylian nodded and faced the half-breed. The three of them were currently in his office.

Elyon, doing his job as the half-breed’s Observer, decided that attending Sanctuary Academy was too dangerous. As such, he and Ava returned to Faywood, the elven kingdom. Allen, Fyr, Goro and Mel were both sad and mad at her departure. Even Murma, the quiet ogre, seemed a bit down, even though he barely interacted with her. They told her not to leave, but she didn’t listen.

Her goal wasn’t to stay with people who liked her. It wasn’t to have these people take care of her and protect her from danger.

Her goal was to live without danger and the best way to do that was to keep her head down and remain obedient. If the elves wanted her to return, then she would return.

“I have a job for you.” [Nylian]

Nylian plainly told the sixteen-year old girl who was staring at him emotionlessly. As always, he found her right, white eye rather creepy.

“You were attacked by an assassin and, though injured, managed to win.” [Nylian]

“Yes, my lord.” [Ava]

It would be bad if she came out of that fight unscathed and the Luceran clan believed her to be strong. Elyon, as her Observer, surely knew that she trained on the rooftop. But, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t try to hide her abilities in combat.

She could put up a fight, but she wasn’t the strongest.

It was for that that she injured herself to show that she struggled against her attacker.

“That’s good enough. Tomorrow, you’re going with a few of my soldiers into the forest to subjugate some dangerous beasts that have been getting too close to the city.” [Nylian]

“… Will I have to fight?” [Ava]

“If it’s necessary, but you’ll mostly be in charge of support.” [Nylian]

“B-but, my lord, I’m, scared…” [Ava]

Ava’s eyes became teary and her face showed a trace of unease and fear.

“You fought an assassin and before that, mercenaries, and before that, were kidnapped.” [Nylian]

Still, that expression didn’t move Nylian at all.

“It, it was all terrifying.” [Ava]

“Get used to it. I’m thinking of letting you join the soldiers’ training later on.” [Nylian]

Ava’s goal was to live without danger and the best way to do that was to keep her head down and remain obedient. If the elves wanted her to stay in Faywood, then she would stay.

“Although not officially, you will be part of the army. Be grateful. No half-breed has ever had that honor before.” [Nylian]

The reason to remain obedient was quickly disappearing.

“I’ll send someone to your room for tomorrow. Is that clear?” [Nylian]

“Y-yes, my lord.” [Ava]

And so, Ava’s first mission was decided. Orist brought her back to her room where she was then locked up and left alone. She sat on her bed and looked up at the ceiling with her hands supporting her.

After taking a deep breath, she muttered a few words in a low and laidback voice.

“… Yep, time to leave.” [Ava]

A few weeks after coming back to Faywood, Ava decided to leave for good.

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The next day, Ava went off on her subjugation mission. The group of elven soldiers that she accompanied were all, as expected, giving her the cold shoulder. They travelled by horse and, as if blatantly showing their distrust, one person held onto the reins of her horse. So, if she wanted to escape, she’d have to get off and run on her own two legs.

When everyone took a break to eat lunch, they sat away from the half-breed, yet made sure that they were close enough to chase after her if she tried anything. The horses were, of course, kept away from her. Although these soldiers knew that it was their lord’s order and what the half-breed’s power could do, they didn’t exactly like being around her. She was oddly quiet, expressionless and her eyes of different color were unnerving. Furthermore, she was a half-breed.

Basically, during the whole trip, the soldiers showed a perfect example of how to alienate and exclude someone from the group.

As for the victim herself,

“(… It sure is hot today.)” [Ava]

She didn’t care one bit.

Once the group was close to their destination, the soldiers and Ava dismounted. Large claw marks on trees had been sighted, which meant that some beasts had made their territory there. After a bit of careful searching, they finally found their target.

“A pack of bears…” [Elven soldier]

Someone whispered when they saw five brown bears walking towards them while growling. All of them looked like ordinary bears that were 1.5 meters tall, except for the two saber teeth sticking out of their mouths.

“Half-breed!” [Elven soldier]

The elven soldier who was in charge of the subjugation team shouted at Ava in a rather rude manner. As he readied his sword, so did the others. A beat later, the half-elf did what she was brought for and shot a light bullet at all of them, increasing their abilities. Afterwards, the battle began and the soldiers bravely fought the saber-toothed bears.

They used their powers one after another. Someone shot lightning balls that electrocuted the beasts. Another formed a shield made out of light and used it to defend against the heavy claws.

The battle was going well and the bears were being taken down one after the other. As for Ava, she was standing behind and watching the fight next to a tree. Unnoticed to the soldiers, her left hand that she hid behind the tree was covered in dark smoke.

“We’re done. Good work.” [Elven soldier]

“Killing bears was easier than I thought.” [Elven soldier]

“It’s thanks to the half-breed’s power.” [Elven soldier]

“You’re right. At least she’s good for something.” [Elven soldier]

When the elven soldiers won without casualties and congratulated each other, they finally realized their huge blunder.

“What?!” [Elven soldier]

When they turned around, someone in a dark cloak had stolen one of their horses and was riding away. Behind him was Ava who was unconscious and limply lying down like luggage.

“AFTER HIM!! HURRY!!” [Elven soldier]

Questions such as who that cloaked figure was and how he sneaked so close without being seen were pushed aside.

“DON’T LET HIM KIDNAP THE HALF-BREED!!!” [Elven soldier]

The elven soldiers quickly got onto their horses and the chase began.