The Disappearance of Adventurers

"Kyouko! Watch out behind you!"

I called out to her. In a flash, her blade had pierced through several orcs at once. I turned to look over at Noir who alongside Yuji- were fighting back to back. Maru, summoning her multiple forms of magic- had hidden her Divine Blades with the brilliant glowing flames.

As the Orcs were all sent to one small area, I rushed in with my white blade, charging it and as I put my left foot down, I swung my sword with great might!

"Rendscale!" My blade had seemingly sapped the power from the several orcs in front of me, enlarging it's physique and size before meeting with all of our enemies at once.

'You are already dead.' I thought, as the pure silence after my attack was followed by several thuds of the heads and torso's of each orc and wolves that we took down.

"Nice work everyone, especially you Blanc. Keep going at this rate, and I won't have much left to teach you... despite only a month passing..."

Noir looked at me, as if he was disappointed that I was learning so fast. I laughed it off, knowing that even after I master swordsmanship, Noir wouldn't just up and leave me on my own. After all, we've become somewhat of a popular duo!

"At this point, I'm beginning to question if you even need Divine Blading... After all, it's what allows me to have some MVP moments..."

Maru seems a little wary too, but I wouldn't be concerned! After all, I'm only level 31... If anything, they're way above me at the moment...

"Sigh, what surprises me more is how flexible your fighting style is... Your Rend has already ascended to Rendscale, I only remember teaching you that a month ago..."

I began to blush slightly- everyone seriously is giving me all the praises... My heart was somewhat rushing, as if I was waiting for more compliments... is asking that too much?

"If I'm correct... Your last attack... You've really been taking my training seriously too... Your stance is similar to my Divine Stance..."

Kyouko tugged on her hat, lowering it down as she acknowledged her student's abilities.

"W-wait- a second, this is the first I'm hearing of this... no wonder you improved so quickly Blanc, you're training with Kyouko too?"

Noir exclaimed- as if I'm cheating on him. But it's just doing what I can to be the best version of myself... isn't everyone doing this??

"Well, thanks to Kyouko, I've managed to attain a skill level of S..."

Noir and Kyouko both looked at me in shock, as if I had said something bad...

"Oi... how is she growing this quickly...."

"Well.... they say a tutor of SSS level sword mastery can really help lower levelled mastery people to master it faster..."

"Well obviously... but Mastery is a skill that isn't calculated by numbers but rather by actual mastery..."

"Getting teached by two masters... you're right... that alone isn't enough... is she...?"

"Yes... she is..."

the two continued to whisper amongst each other. They weren't very good at keeping a quiet voice, but they were growing far away enough for me to be unable to hear them.

"Anyway, now that we've completed the Orc Rampage quest, we should head back. Everyone seems to be taking on that Demon Forest quest so we should at least take a look at it too."

Yuji stated. Maru folded her arms and nodded, smiling at the results we've produced today. I too felt somewhat proud. Especially after everyone's sudden outburst of praise. I seriously didn't know how to accept it!

Before long, we departed back to Rivdale Exis to report the situation of the rampaging Orcs on Wolfback. Maru seemed extremely invested into the story Noir was telling about a Bear that tried to eat him- but was frantically met with an uppercut from his right hand as he panicked about the food he was cooking.

Kyouko trailed next to Maru, seemingly interested in the story too, smiling in enjoyment- in star contrast to Yuji who trailed behind the three, looking down with an unusual slouch which was odd for a knight like him.

I debated for a moment, whether or not I should approach him. 'He's a party member, I should at least see if he's okay...' but. 'What if he doesn't want to talk right now?' Many questions surged my head as I began to ponder if I should interfere with his mental affairs.

Eventually, I shook off all questions and acted anyway. As anxiety inducing as it was, I knew I had to do something for someone I consider my friend.

"Yuji? What's wrong?"

I asked him after upping my pace, catching him off guard as he let out a quick 'AA'. Placing his hand on his chest, he replied.

"Sorry Blanc, you caught me in the middle of my thoughts there..."

I giggled at his reaction, but remained silent as I let him speak his mind.

"It's just... That quest is bothering me. The one about the Demon Forest."

"Is it because of the Adventurers?"

I asked him, lowering my head to meet his eyes that were still facing down.

"It's hard to not think about the people I'm supposed to protect... They're carelessly throwing their lives, and yet..."

He seemed really bothered about it. Yuji... he must sincerely care for the people, as an earnest knight should do.

"Hey, don't worry about it. For all I know, I'd like to bet those Adventurer's are having the time of their lives drinking all the booze they can get their hands on! So don't worry too much. If anything, we'll be tackling that quest tomorrow, and we'll get to the bottom of it..."

That's right... That quest- we're tackling it tomorrow. We accepted this quest on top of our already accumulated quests, but yesterday it wasn't so bad. When we departed for this orcan quest yesterday, we learnt some rumours from other Adventurers about the situation of the Demon Forest. We're returning from our day trip, so that we can be prepared for tomorrow's journey.

I had a feeling... that it was going to be our next big steps towards the world... and yet another step closer to learn about my mother...

...

(Yesterday, 8am.)

"We'd like to accept this quest please."

Noir placed his hand down that held the sheet, a quest that seemed to be pretty popular at the moment.

"Ah, Noir, Blanc, it's lovely to see you two again. As much as I'd like to set you on this quest right now, our que for this quest has built up and... well, chances are, you'll have a 2 day wait to tackle this quest."

Heatheryne behind the counter had put a stamp on the sheet, and upon contact- our quest log had updated.

"In 48 hours, come back here and we'll get you ready."

Heatheryne gave us the gentle smile she always wears. Her eyes narrowed down at that moment though- as if something was up.

"Heatheryne? Is something the matter?"

Noir asked, unusually perceptive as he always is. He folded his arms, as if expecting some sort of big info drop. Well, Noir is pretty good at reading situations...

"Well, you see... this quest's difficulty is spiking fast. When the first set of Adventurers departed into the Demon Forest, only one returned... He begged us to publish this quest to find his friends. As each day passed, more and more adventurers disappeared... Even the guy who published it- he departed with another party... Alas, they were never seen since."

I took a glance over to a table, and as it happend- Yuji was sitting down, pondering...

...

That was when I noticed something was off about Yuji. Deep down, I knew it was because of the selfless Adventurers, but I wish we could've approached this quest sooner... The delay time was most likely set due to the risks... We later found out, that it was one party a day. Tomorrow was our day, so we decided to kill time by clearing this Orc quest as well as a few other side quests involving collecting wheat for a harvest in a nearby village.

As pure happenstance, the village was close to where the orcs were rampaging, so we took the opportunity to rest there. It felt like it had been a while since we last camped out.

We were soon nearing the gates to Rivdale Exis, and before we entered the gates, Kyouko suddenly spoke up.

"Everyone, we had a good day today. So let's hope tomorrow goes just as well."

Kyouko was always modest and humble, hearing her cheer us on was a great boost in motivation. Yuji back in his normal spirits, also spoke up.

"Yeah. I'm gonna have an early night, so be sure to get some rest, okay everyone?"

We all nodded, Kyouko following him too.

"I'll be off too."

"Alright you two, don't make a mess of the mansion. We'll be there shortly, we'll go collect the rewards for you guys and split it afterwards."

Noir smiled, to which Maru and I giggled.

"You know rewards are distributed automatically? We have a shared inventory remember?"

Maru chuckled, much to Noir's embarrassment, he tried to hide it with a slight scratch. Ofcourse Noir's most vulnerable moments would only ever consist of him lacking knowledge in one department that was so otherworldly to him.

"Let's go talk to Heatheryne, maybe there are some updates to the quest."

I suggested. Noir agreed, and ofcourse- Maru did too. We began to make our way towards the Gates, but my eyes caught a glimpse of Yuji once more. He still seemed extremely bothered by everything...

...

"Heatheryne! We've completed the Rampaging Orcs quest! Tomorrow is the big day for us."

Noir exclaimed, some adventurers cheering as they heard him say that.

"That's our Black Swordsman!"

"I'll bet that Maru ignited them orcs no problem! As expected of our Viridescent Witch!"

Some nicknames huh... But hey! I'm the one who subjugated every orc and wolf at once!

"There team is godly! Ain't no way they're not clearing that Demon Forest quest! After all, the Ashen Blademaster is with them!"

"Oh? and just what would those three do without the god-like Icy Fortress!"

Seriously- these nicknames... I wonder if I have one...

"Oh, look! There's Blanc!"

Right... I'm still just Blanc...

"Noir, Blanc, Maru, as expected! I suppose you all cleared that with flying colours hehe."

Noir and Maru's pride could not show any further than the type of faces they made. The look of confidence really accentuated their ego.

"Actually, Heatheryne, we also wanted to see if there were anymore information of the Demon Forest quest. Did the batch of Adventurers come back today?"

I asked her, but alas- her look said enough.

"Unfortunately not... Because of this quest, we're planning to establish different branches of the Guild."

"Branches? Like different groups?"

Noir asked.

"Yes, we're running the beta test for it at the moment. We sent out a set of adventurers to essentially take notes of what they find. The plans for it will split the Guild into three, one batch are Adventurers who directly tackle the quests themselves, while the other two are providing assistance towards harder quests using their skills in expeditions to answer riddles, and the last being an emergency backline in case any incidents occur that may need their aid in medication."

It seems uniform, but I could only guess this system was in the making since the events 2 months ago... The Necrodragon and the battle against Monsters caused awareness towards our flaws in the lack of uniformity of the Adventurers. The Knights and Mages respectively fulfilled their roles, and the most the Adventurers could do was provide support. Albeit, Noir was the deciding factor of the entire battle, the ever expressing concern of the validity of the Adventurer's Guild was questioned. Of course those questions flew out the window once we began to hit quests again- but it doesn't mean that what was said wasn't taken to heart.

"I see, so did you find anything out?"

I asked, wondering how efficient the system was.

"Yes, although it's incredibly vague- it gives us a chance to be able to prepare better for this situation. When the Adventurers entered deep into the forest, the Scouts, their official name, were able to deduce why the Adventurers disappeared. A mysterious fog would descend, and after a period of time- it would disappear. The Adventurers never came back, but it does mean that some sort of illusion spells are being casted in the forest as Adventurers enter the deeper parts of it."

That sounds terrifying, but at least we could prepare our torches so we don't lose each other. That information is extremely helpful.

"Hm... If I had to guess, it could be to the hands of Spriggans."

Noir suggested, to which we all, Heatheryne included, look at him strangely.

"Noir- Fairies don't exist..."

"Really? I thought they did. After all, I've encountered many in my life."

I couldn't tell if Noir was joking.

"Wh-while we can't rule out the possibility- I somehow highly doubt that's the case..."

Heatheryne responded. Laughing it off, Noir then proceeded to say his farewells, and just like that- we departed home.

"Oh! Crap! I was meant to hang out with Aquila today- sorry you two, I'm gonna have to leave, I've still got an hour before the planned date, so I should get ready, take care and tell the other two where I'm off to okay?"

Maru disappeared in a flash. Though Maru's usually intelligent demeanour would indicate that she's very punctual, she has a bad habit of forgetting things.

"Looks like it's just us two again. Lead the way!"

I said before pointing towards the southern region of Rivdale Exis. Noir chuckled, before silently walking before me.

I followed his tail, wondering what to talk about. It had never been this awkward when we were alone- so... why does it feel that way now?

Though... the silence was nice. The Sun usually sets at 5pm around winter, and since we're edging closer to winter as it is, the Sun was already set despite it being only 6pm.

"So... oh! Noir, did Fairies exist in your world?"

Caught off guard by my sudden question, he then looked towards the rising Moon.

"Yeah... they did, in fact... there were multiple races of them."

"Could you tell me a bit more about them?"

"Sure... Get ready... there's a lot to go over haha."

As we were passing by I couldn't help but notice a beautiful scenic spot. Noir had noticed it too, and upon seeing my face, he decided to sit down at the bench closest to us.

"Well, might as well enjoy the scene while I explain, right?"

He asked. I of course, accepted his invitation. Sitting down, I took a moment to really appreciate the sight of the city at night. The lights lit up the grounds we walked on, all whilst being able to appreciate the beauty of the cloudless night sky, full of stars and a bright moon...

"Back in my world... there were 7 races of Fairies, and they were mystical entities that lived in a Demonic Tree. The truth was, these Fairies were just harmless creatures who merely wanted to live their lives providing for the home they care for."

"Really? What are the seven races?"

"There were 5 minor races, and 2 major ones. The 5 minor were always at peace, constantly getting along with each other to no avail It consists of the Undines, Imps, Sylphs, Leprechauns and Spriggans."

"What made them different between each other?"

"Let's start with the Undines. The Undines were mystical fairies with adept affinity with water. They helped flourish the forests with their control over water, keeping a healthy eco system as a result. Next are the Sylphs. They worked with the Undines and are naturally acquainted with wind, and so spreading the fertilization of seeds was their obvious job. Because the Demon Tree would constantly sap away at the forest, it was these two races that kept the pure green and nature of the forest itself."

"Oh... That sounds wonderful... What about the Imps, Leprechauns... and those Spriggans you mentioned..."

"The Leprechaun's fawn over treasure, and have a natural affinity towards the earth. They're fantastic builders, and they were the ones who established the homes for the fairy races. Because of their love for creation and treasures, they were efficient enough to mine and create a whole system underneath the forest for certain magical ores that enhanced the forest's nutrition."

I was gobsmacked by how awfully uniform they were- but then comes the Imps and the Spriggans. He mentioned Spriggans earlier the moment illusion magic was involved.

"The Imps are quite the unique fairies. They specialise in flight under the moonlight, a trait not shared by the other races, as their flight was naturally empowered by the sunlight. What was interesting is that they specialise in dark arts, stuff typically used by dark mages. But they aren't evil whatsoever. Their excellence in this type of magic allows them to protect the forest during the night whilst the Spriggans protect the forest during the day. As for the Spriggans, they're a crafty bunch. On top of loving to play pranks, they're naturally adept with illusion magic. During the day, they cast illusion magic on the forest when outsiders enter, often confusing them and turning them back around the way they come from.... Certain Spriggans however can be known to be cruel, and would set an illusion that would put the victim asleep- or in worst case scenario..."

He didn't need to finish that sentence for me to understand. The Spriggans do what they do out of consideration for their people, but... I can't shake off this bad feeling that those Adventurers are starving to death...

"Spriggans sounds dangerous..."

"Naturally, they are. Despite being not as adept in combat as the Imps, they are still a force to be reckoned with."

"What about the last two? You mentioned two major races..."

"Yeah... The two major races are the Alves and Svartalves."

"Alves? is that just a fancy way of saying Elf?"

"No, an Alf and an Elf are not to be confused... though they share similar traits, Alves are indeed fairies. The biggest difference between them is that they have wings and are capable of flight under both the sun and moonlight."

"Oh... Elves are simply humans with long life spans and ears."

"I wouldn't put it like that- but sure... Anyway, the Alves and Svartalves share this trait, and are both capable of everything a fairy can do. Whether it's water bending, nature bending, earth bending, illusion magic or dark arts... they're more than capable. But there is a stark difference between the two. An Alf is capable of Divine Magic, whilst a Svartalf is capable of Fell Magic."

I shivered at the idea of Fell Magic. Such a form of magic was unique only to Fell Dragons and the Demon King- so...

"That's..."

"I know, it seems preposterous, but it's the truth. The Svartalves have been more or less extinct by the hands of the entire fairy race. They were the most dangerous, and as a result, the Alves were forced to protect their forest in isolation."

"But... Why is that..?"

"I'm not entirely sure. After all, the reasoning could be very different in this world."

Noir looked slightly bothered- a look that I didn't notice until now. How long has Noir himself been bothered by this?

"We should get going anyway Blanc. Don't wanna make Kyouko and Yuji wait too long, do we?"

Noir turned back, smiling at me- but I still couldn't shake off the gloominess that everyone's been giving lately.

...

Not to mention... I'm just Blanc... No cool nicknames...

After yet another night, I felt my eyes close slowly...

Noir's adventures in his own world seemed so grand... I wonder if I could ever experience something like he did..?

As I questioned, I fell deep into sleep...

Voices began rushing into my head...

"Watch out!"

The voice called, as I instinctively reacted. I had dodged the mighty blow of what looked like a black beast-... no- it wasn't just a beast... it was as if it was a deformed human. I felt terrified at that moment, looking at my hand... my clothes were different- no, even my hand was different... Suddenly, in a rush, a girl clad in other worldly clothes had approached me and held me up.

"Mai, get her to safety!"

"I'm on it Bianka! ... It's okay Kiara... you're in safe hands now..."

The woman said to me, as she smiled... I felt a strange sense of familiarity, but I couldn't pin it down... What was more concerning was my name... Kiara? I've never heard of that...

"The Khaos Beast is growing more rampant..!"

"I'll handle it!"

Suddenly a woman of ardent blazing red hair had appeared and swung her mighty greatsword at it- holding it in place. I was stunned to move, but with the assistance of this black haired lady, she took me to safety.

I slowly felt my consciousness fade away, as my vision grew red. I could see the veins coursing through my vision, and yet another voice spoke out...

"Feed into my power..."

It spoke- and suddenly, I felt as though I was commanding magic. It looked like Divine Blading...

The girl looked at me in concern, and confusion- but suddenly...

"Blanc!"

Yuji woke me up, shaking my body. I was confused, and sitting up from my bed, I realised the time.

"Ah... you're awake... You were muttering some weird stuff in your sleep. I should be the one asking if you're alright."

Yuji said, and as I looked down to my hands, I opened and closed them. What... what was I dreaming of anyway..? I can't remember now...

"R-right, I should get ready then... U-um... could you please leave?"

I asked him, knowing I was only wearing a top. I find it comfortable like this, and I couldn't really leave my bed until the male left my room.

"Of course. Just be ready by 9, we're planning to depart from the Guild Hall at 9:30 so we need to at least be punctual."

He said, before leaving and closing the door behind him. Noir would've made a fuss if he saw me like this- so I'm thankful Yuji is at least respectful of my own privacy and is stern enough to not pay attention to stuff like that.

I began to get ready, and as I looked into the mirror, I began to question what I was seeing. It was as if... On one hand, I could see myself- but on the other, it felt like I was looking at someone else... But who?