James realizes that he has lost and raises his hands in surrender. "You got me," he says with a smile. Ophelia and Idril, who were still ready for more, decide to sheathe their weapons. "At first, I thought you guys were just waving your wands and shooting your arrows willy-nilly, but you actually had a plan. Well done," James praises Aria and her team. However, his eyes remain serious and fixed on Aria. "You especially had me surprised," James singles out Aria, who had exceeded his expectations. "Apothecaries are support class adventurers that often just stay back since they don't have offensive and defensive capabilities and only provide heals and antidotes. Some parties even make them carry their stuff, like a pack mule," James explains. Aria is not surprised by this; she knows that apothecaries are a dying job class due to more efficient clerics and healers. "But you seem to be something more. I assume you are the one responsible for making the goddess's holy fire white?" James continues, while Ophelia and Idril listen intently. Aria nods, confirming James' inquiry. James touches his cheek and says, "Since you lot did land an attack on me, I hereby welcome you as adventurers," concluding the challenge. Aria approaches James and thanks him. She then asks him to crouch a bit so she can apply medicine to his wound. Aria places a small adhesive plaster with medicine on his wounded cheek. James is grateful and gives Aria a soft smile. Ophelia and Idril come to apologize to James for the wound they inflicted. "Don't worry about it," James assures them. "Your ranks will be determined by our spectators," James adds as he leaves the room. Surprised by this, Aria and her team look around to see if there are truly spectators. As they look up, they see people on small windows gazing at them. The receptionist then comes to the door. "Congratulations for passing the promotion exam. I apologize for misleading you earlier; James was really adamant about keeping you in the dark," the receptionist says. Aria and her team are shocked by this revelation. They thought it was a special exam for the ones they had botched. Ophelia and Idril are ecstatic with this news. Aria feels that their proctor, James, knows more than he was letting on, but she shrugs off the thought for now as Ophelia and Idril revel in their success. "Here are your current ranks," the receptionist reads from a piece of paper. "From the lowest rank of Tin, you are now promoted to the rank of Copper, except for Ms. Alice Aephine, who will be moving ahead and be ranked as Bronze." The receptionist smiles and hands them their rank tags, which are in the form of necklaces. Idril and Ophelia receive Copper tags with their names engraved on them, while Aria receives a Bronze tag with her name, "Alice Aephine," etched on it. With that done, the receptionist leaves the room, congratulating Aria and her team once again. Ophelia and Idril are happy for Aria, knowing that she is more capable than them. They smile towards Aria and thank her, with Ophelia almost on the verge of tears. "I won't lose to you. I'll catch up soon enough," Idril declares to Aria with a confident smile. Aria smiles back, believing that Idril will indeed catch up in no time. "Don't forget about me. I'll be two ranks ahead of you two in no time!" Ophelia also declares, turning the whole thing into a friendly competition. Idril and Ophelia banter for a while, while Aria smiles at them and reminisces about how their relationship improved throughout the exam. "I'll see you again, Alice. Thank you for everything, you too, Elfboy, although you didn't do much," Ophelia snickers at Idril but is ultimately grateful for him as well, though she doesn't want to admit it. Finally, Ophelia hugs Aria tightly and smiles, leaving the room and waving her hand.
Idril is grateful now that Ophelia is gone. He wanted to express some things to Aria as well, but he wasn't quite sure where to start. However, the only thing that has been burdening him is his guilt. He looks at Aria and says, "Back there, in the catacomb, I let you down, I let myself down. I'm sorry." His words are short but sincere, and tears well up in his eyes as he tries to hold himself back from crying. But Aria suddenly hugs him and reassures him, saying, "You don't have to apologize. I'm here now, thanks to you." Aria then looks at Idril, whose tears are streaming down his face. She takes a handkerchief from her pocket, gently wipes away Idril's tears, "Believe in yourself and your companions." Aria says this with a gentle tone as she slowly lets go of him. Idril, now blushing, takes the handkerchief but hesitates to give it back because it's soiled. Silently, he gives Aria a sincere bow and then rushes outside, leaving Aria puzzled, but she just laughs it off. Aria gazes out the window as the sun slowly sets, reflecting on her newfound friends and confident that they will meet again someday. She feels a sense of familiarity, similar to when she traveled with the Hero's party. She reminisces about the fond memories they shared and of Arlan, the Hero. Aria smiles to herself, filled with hope and new fond memories, and then she leaves the room.
Aria approaches the receptionist and greets her. A nagging thought prompts her to ask the receptionist, "Why did Sir James decide to give us a promotion exam? It would have made more sense if it was about passing or failing us." Aria's brow furrows as she inquires. "Ms. Alice, you can ask him yourself," the receptionist respectfully tells Aria, extending her hand to point at something. As Aria turns, she sees James Llarme grinning behind her. "Come with me," he says, then leans towards Aria, close to her elf ears, and whispers, "Aria Nightbloom." Aria freezes a bit at the mention of her real name but then realizes that she is not in immediate danger. She looks at James and decides to follow him.
Just outside the Adventurer's Guild, James leads Aria to a secluded place between the Guild and the stone walls of the town. James stops just inside the shade of a tree. He faces Aria and gazes at her, waiting for her to say something. Aria breaks the silence and asks him, "How did you know?" Her eyes show a hint of nervousness but also curiosity. "I didn't," James playfully proclaims. "I just had a hunch, until now." Aria realizes she was just tricked into admitting her real identity. "Relax, I just wanted to know," James starts to explain. "There aren't many half-elf apothecaries in this world, you know. And definitely not anyone that used to be in the Hero's Party." James's serious eyes contradict his smile. Aria wonders what James wants from her in saying all this, but since he did not speak about her identity in the open, there must be a reason. Growing restless, Aria asks once more, "How did you know it was me?" referring to when he started speculating. "Let's see, there's that advancement test we had earlier and that holy fire turned white." While listening, Aria can’t fathom that it only took him those moments to start theorizing her identity. But then James adds, "I don't think you still remember, but we've met before." Aria gazes into James's eyes and feels something familiar. "You saved my life seven years ago, in the battle against the Demon Colossus." James finally reveals the reason he knew who Aria was.
Seven years ago, when the might of the Demon Lord was at its peak, the Demon General Balsathor, also known as the Demon Colossus, invaded the Elven Kingdom of Luminaris. They ravaged any and all inhabitants they came across, including the Kingdom of King's Harbor, which they passed through. The Alliance sent their most capable soldiers, warriors, and adventurers to meet the Demon General and his minions at the border of the Kingdom. The battle raged on for weeks, with the body count rising each day. Until the fateful day that the Hero Arlan and his party arrived at the battlefield.
James Llarme, an adventurer with a few years of experience under his belt, joined the fight with the Alliance against the forces of the Demon Lord. It was already dusk, and he could see the magnificence of the Hero's Party, which was not far from him. The dwarf Zephyr, the greatest wizard of their time, destroyed wave after wave of the Demon General's vanguard with ease. Lunariel, the elf paladin, protected the Alliance with her impenetrable defense. Thalia, the drow assassin, made quick work of the Demon General's rear army. And Draco, the beastman barbarian, wreaked havoc amongst the Demon General's higher minions. But James' eyes were fixed on the Hero Arlan with his dual blades, standing his ground as he fought the Demon General alone. Each stroke of his blade made the air vibrate. James was in awe of the Hero's Party's strength and power, which inspired him to fight better. James was a rogue class adventurer; he delivered silent kills among his enemies with his shadowslip skill and his deadly crossbow. But at one point, his luck ran out as he got overrun by demons. He fought as hard as he could, killing the demons one after another. His body was marred with wounds, but his will was still strong. Inevitably, his stamina ran out. James fell to the ground, content that he had fought until the end. He closed his eyes as he resigned to his fate. But suddenly, the demons surrounding him screamed. James opened his eyes and saw the demons burning with a white flame. The brightness was blinding, but it was also strangely soothing, like being embraced by a cherished person. James tried to stay awake as he held his wound on his stomach, trying to apply pressure to it. Suddenly, a girl approached him, a half-elf. Her beautiful ginger-colored hair moved with the wind. In her hand, she held a torch with a white fire, making the demons avoid her. She knelt down, not caring about the muddy terrain that dirtied her clothes. She gave James a healing potion, but it was more than that. Not only did his wounds heal, but his stamina was restored as well. He remembered the freckled face of the young half-elf girl. Her emerald green eyes were full of warmth and compassion as she saved his life.
After the battle, when the Demon General and his army were defeated, the Hero's Party had already left. But James searched for the girl who saved him. He wanted to thank her, but he didn’t even know who she was. It was not until a few years later that he saw her face again. But it was not as he expected, as he looked at the girl who saved his life on a wanted poster, accused of betraying Solandis.
James realizes that he has lost and raises his hands in surrender. "You got me," he says with a smile. Ophelia and Idril, who were still ready for more, decide to sheathe their weapons. "At first, I thought you guys were just waving your wands and shooting your arrows willy-nilly, but you actually had a plan. Well done," James praises Aria and her team. However, his eyes remain serious and fixed on Aria. "You especially had me surprised," James singles out Aria, who had exceeded his expectations. "Apothecaries are support class adventurers that often just stay back since they don't have offensive and defensive capabilities and only provide heals and antidotes. Some parties even make them carry their stuff, like a pack mule," James explains. Aria is not surprised by this; she knows that apothecaries are a dying job class due to more efficient clerics and healers. "But you seem to be something more. I assume you are the one responsible for making the goddess's holy fire white?" James continues, while Ophelia and Idril listen intently. Aria nods, confirming James' inquiry. James touches his cheek and says, "Since you lot did land an attack on me, I hereby welcome you as adventurers," concluding the challenge. Aria approaches James and thanks him. She then asks him to crouch a bit so she can apply medicine to his wound. Aria places a small adhesive plaster with medicine on his wounded cheek. James is grateful and gives Aria a soft smile. Ophelia and Idril come to apologize to James for the wound they inflicted. "Don't worry about it," James assures them. "Your ranks will be determined by our spectators," James adds as he leaves the room. Surprised by this, Aria and her team look around to see if there are truly spectators. As they look up, they see people on small windows gazing at them. The receptionist then comes to the door. "Congratulations for passing the promotion exam. I apologize for misleading you earlier; James was really adamant about keeping you in the dark," the receptionist says. Aria and her team are shocked by this revelation. They thought it was a special exam for the ones they had botched. Ophelia and Idril are ecstatic with this news. Aria feels that their proctor, James, knows more than he was letting on, but she shrugs off the thought for now as Ophelia and Idril revel in their success. "Here are your current ranks," the receptionist reads from a piece of paper. "From the lowest rank of Tin, you are now promoted to the rank of Copper, except for Ms. Alice Aephine, who will be moving ahead and be ranked as Bronze." The receptionist smiles and hands them their rank tags, which are in the form of necklaces. Idril and Ophelia receive Copper tags with their names engraved on them, while Aria receives a Bronze tag with her name, "Alice Aephine," etched on it. With that done, the receptionist leaves the room, congratulating Aria and her team once again. Ophelia and Idril are happy for Aria, knowing that she is more capable than them. They smile towards Aria and thank her, with Ophelia almost on the verge of tears. "I won't lose to you. I'll catch up soon enough," Idril declares to Aria with a confident smile. Aria smiles back, believing that Idril will indeed catch up in no time. "Don't forget about me. I'll be two ranks ahead of you two in no time!" Ophelia also declares, turning the whole thing into a friendly competition. Idril and Ophelia banter for a while, while Aria smiles at them and reminisces about how their relationship improved throughout the exam. "I'll see you again, Alice. Thank you for everything, you too, Elfboy, although you didn't do much," Ophelia snickers at Idril but is ultimately grateful for him as well, though she doesn't want to admit it. Finally, Ophelia hugs Aria tightly and smiles, leaving the room and waving her hand.
Idril is grateful now that Ophelia is gone. He wanted to express some things to Aria as well, but he wasn't quite sure where to start. However, the only thing that has been burdening him is his guilt. He looks at Aria and says, "Back there, in the catacomb, I let you down, I let myself down. I'm sorry." His words are short but sincere, and tears well up in his eyes as he tries to hold himself back from crying. But Aria suddenly hugs him and reassures him, saying, "You don't have to apologize. I'm here now, thanks to you." Aria then looks at Idril, whose tears are streaming down his face. She takes a handkerchief from her pocket, gently wipes away Idril's tears, "Believe in yourself and your companions." Aria says this with a gentle tone as she slowly lets go of him. Idril, now blushing, takes the handkerchief but hesitates to give it back because it's soiled. Silently, he gives Aria a sincere bow and then rushes outside, leaving Aria puzzled, but she just laughs it off. Aria gazes out the window as the sun slowly sets, reflecting on her newfound friends and confident that they will meet again someday. She feels a sense of familiarity, similar to when she traveled with the Hero's party. She reminisces about the fond memories they shared and of Arlan, the Hero. Aria smiles to herself, filled with hope and new fond memories, and then she leaves the room.
Aria approaches the receptionist and greets her. A nagging thought prompts her to ask the receptionist, "Why did Sir James decide to give us a promotion exam? It would have made more sense if it was about passing or failing us." Aria's brow furrows as she inquires. "Ms. Alice, you can ask him yourself," the receptionist respectfully tells Aria, extending her hand to point at something. As Aria turns, she sees James Llarme grinning behind her. "Come with me," he says, then leans towards Aria, close to her elf ears, and whispers, "Aria Nightbloom." Aria freezes a bit at the mention of her real name but then realizes that she is not in immediate danger. She looks at James and decides to follow him.
Just outside the Adventurer's Guild, James leads Aria to a secluded place between the Guild and the stone walls of the town. James stops just inside the shade of a tree. He faces Aria and gazes at her, waiting for her to say something. Aria breaks the silence and asks him, "How did you know?" Her eyes show a hint of nervousness but also curiosity. "I didn't," James playfully proclaims. "I just had a hunch, until now." Aria realizes she was just tricked into admitting her real identity. "Relax, I just wanted to know," James starts to explain. "There aren't many half-elf apothecaries in this world, you know. And definitely not anyone that used to be in the Hero's Party." James's serious eyes contradict his smile. Aria wonders what James wants from her in saying all this, but since he did not speak about her identity in the open, there must be a reason. Growing restless, Aria asks once more, "How did you know it was me?" referring to when he started speculating. "Let's see, there's that advancement test we had earlier and that holy fire turned white." While listening, Aria can’t fathom that it only took him those moments to start theorizing her identity. But then James adds, "I don't think you still remember, but we've met before." Aria gazes into James's eyes and feels something familiar. "You saved my life seven years ago, in the battle against the Demon Colossus." James finally reveals the reason he knew who Aria was.
Seven years ago, when the might of the Demon Lord was at its peak, the Demon General Balsathor, also known as the Demon Colossus, invaded the Elven Kingdom of Luminaris. They ravaged any and all inhabitants they came across, including the Kingdom of King's Harbor, which they passed through. The Alliance sent their most capable soldiers, warriors, and adventurers to meet the Demon General and his minions at the border of the Kingdom. The battle raged on for weeks, with the body count rising each day. Until the fateful day that the Hero Arlan and his party arrived at the battlefield.
James Llarme, an adventurer with a few years of experience under his belt, joined the fight with the Alliance against the forces of the Demon Lord. It was already dusk, and he could see the magnificence of the Hero's Party, which was not far from him. The dwarf Zephyr, the greatest wizard of their time, destroyed wave after wave of the Demon General's vanguard with ease. Lunariel, the elf paladin, protected the Alliance with her impenetrable defense. Thalia, the drow assassin, made quick work of the Demon General's rear army. And Draco, the beastman barbarian, wreaked havoc amongst the Demon General's higher minions. But James' eyes were fixed on the Hero Arlan with his dual blades, standing his ground as he fought the Demon General alone. Each stroke of his blade made the air vibrate. James was in awe of the Hero's Party's strength and power, which inspired him to fight better. James was a rogue class adventurer; he delivered silent kills among his enemies with his shadowslip skill and his deadly crossbow. But at one point, his luck ran out as he got overrun by demons. He fought as hard as he could, killing the demons one after another. His body was marred with wounds, but his will was still strong. Inevitably, his stamina ran out. James fell to the ground, content that he had fought until the end. He closed his eyes as he resigned to his fate. But suddenly, the demons surrounding him screamed. James opened his eyes and saw the demons burning with a white flame. The brightness was blinding, but it was also strangely soothing, like being embraced by a cherished person. James tried to stay awake as he held his wound on his stomach, trying to apply pressure to it. Suddenly, a girl approached him, a half-elf. Her beautiful ginger-colored hair moved with the wind. In her hand, she held a torch with a white fire, making the demons avoid her. She knelt down, not caring about the muddy terrain that dirtied her clothes. She gave James a healing potion, but it was more than that. Not only did his wounds heal, but his stamina was restored as well. He remembered the freckled face of the young half-elf girl. Her emerald green eyes were full of warmth and compassion as she saved his life.
After the battle, when the Demon General and his army were defeated, the Hero's Party had already left. But James searched for the girl who saved him. He wanted to thank her, but he didn’t even know who she was. It was not until a few years later that he saw her face again. But it was not as he expected, as he looked at the girl who saved his life on a wanted poster, accused of betraying Solandis.
