Nero left Elin alone in the cottage for awhile after he casted a spell to ward off any lurking beasts. He slowly placed a small shadow homunculus to keep an eye of the sleeping beauty. Nero entered the shadow portal and arrived at a room with a desk filled with paperworks.
âArrraaaa, Good morning Nero. It has been awhile since your last visit. You didnât even say âHiâ to us and just reported directly to darlingâ, a stunning woman with a long black lustrous hair and caliginous eyes was sitting across the pile of papers drinking some warm tea.
âGood morning, My Lady! Forgive me for being so inconsiderateâ, Nero bowed down infront of her.
âYou are as stiff as always. Be more at ease, will you? Besides, you have grown into a fine-looking manâ, the Lady looked at him with a smile.
âDarling, wake up. Nero is hereâ, the papers began to move revealing the man Nero met at the patio. He was soundly sleeping despite being crushed by a huge amount of documents. The woman got annoyed as her husband didnât even budge as she called out to him. She sighed deeply, stood up and went near the sleeping man.
âIf you donât wake up, I will leave you foreverâ, the woman whispered near him.
âI was awake the moment Nero arrived. You need not go that far, Darlingâ, The man immediately stood up still groggy from his nap.
âYou were joking, right Dear? You wonât leave me, right?â, He flashed a worried smile to the woman. Despite the appearance of a dignified man that exudes immense power, he immediately shifts into a needy puppy when it comes to his wife.
âIf you bring HER to me immediately, then I might change my mindâ, the woman walked towards the door and left the room.
âEherm. You heard her, Nero. Where is she?â, the man cleared his throat out of embarrassement.
âLady Elin is still sleeping at the cottage. She plans to enter a guild to gather more informationâ, Nero reported to the man.
âWhat?! Stop her this instance. I want you to bring her to me forthwithâ, the man looked upset.
âWould that be a wise decision, My Lord? We have been doing this for more than a decade. To suddenly do this is ---â, Nero stopped as the man cut him off.
âI know what Iâm doing, Nero. I will deal with it afterwards. Oh! Instead of the guild, just bring her to the usual placeâ, he sat down and continued to stamp some paperworks.
âAs you wish, My Lordâ, Nero bowed and went home straight.
***
Cold breeze brushed against the exposed cheeks of a pale lady lying on the ground. It felt like millions of needles were poking every single cell of her skin.
Elin lied down on the grassy field with only her thin clothes covering her body. Not even a single mitten was seen trying to keep the lady warm. However, Elin was not bothered in a slightest bit for her body was not even shivering.
âWhy canât I feel any pain?â, she raised her hand infront and stared on her upper limb that seems to be faintly glowing. Her body began to feel warm from the surging mana inside her.
âThe winter breeze doesnât even bother me anymoreâ, the glow started to spread all over her body. She made a small ice mirror that reflected her face.
âWhatâs more, the color of my iris changed. It is more blue. Or maybe itâs green. Or maybe both? How peculiarâ, Elin kept stretching the edge of her eyes. She immediately stopped as she sensed a presence nearby.
âMy Lady, why are you outside? It is freezingâ, the black fairy suddenly appeared.
âOh! Itâs you, Nero. I thought I sensed a manâ, Elin released a sigh of relief.
Nero flinched as he heard her statement. He made sure that no one was around her. The fact that Elin was able to sense Nero from afar before changing his form was unsettling.
âOf course, itâs me. Now, go inside before you catch a coldâ, Nero looked agitated.
âOkay. Okay. Calm down. By the way, where did you go, Nero? When I woke up, you were goneâ, Elin marched towards the cottage.
âI searched for a guild that you can register. Itâs not far, plus there are few people in that town. We can move inconspicuouslyâ, the black fairy flew right beside Elin.
âLet us be off thenâ, she changed her clothes and went straight to the portal Nero made.
âAre you sure this is it, Nero?â, they arrived at a remote place with few houses.
âNot that Iâm doubting you or anything. Youâre great at doing things. Itâs just that this place seems offâ, Elin kept her head down as her hood covered half of her face to prevent people from catching a glimpse of it.
âEnter that building over there, My Ladyâ, Nero whispered through the shadow.
âThat shabby-looking place?â, Elin remarked.
âYesâ, he replied.
As Elin entered the place, it was bustling with people. What she found strange was that the town was awfully quiet but the guild was crowded.
âWhy would they stay here? Are there perhaps alot of quest posted in this guild?â, she thought to herself.
âAs long as they donât interfere with my business, itâs all goodâ, Elin mumbled. She looked around to take note any person that might try to follow her.
Her forehead creased with concern as she tried to scan the place. The people present in the building seems strangely familiar. Elin felt that she encountered them somewhere but couldnât remember. Her heart started to pump wildly. Alarm bells rang in her head trying to warn her to backout but she continued to walk towards the desk. As she finally arrived, the people that was idly chatting before was now looking at her back with a piercing gaze. It was as if every single one present in the room was looking. She was now the center of attention. Her sweat trickled down at the side of her face and her throat began to dry. She mustered some strength to rang the desk bell. All she could do now was call for the attendant, register and leave as soon as possible.
âHow may I help you?â, a lady came out from a room.
âIâm here to registerâ, Elin replied.
âAlright then, enter that room for an interview with masterâ, the lady pointed to the room where she came.
Elin was now even more nervous. She thought that she would just fill some information about her in a paper and be done immediately. Elin didnât know there was an interview with the guild master.
âPardon me for the intrusionâ, Elin entered the room as she knocked a few times. Her eyes widen as she saw the people present in the room.