Night had fallen. The moon was bright, the stars sparse, the sky clear. A pure white moonlight hung over the center of the courtyard of night, setting off the scattered stars.
In legend, every star was said to be a god's dwelling, distant and unreachable, just like the Holy City of Avalon forged by the elves.
The moonlight was so bright there was no need for lamps; with her own eyesight, Maria could clearly make out the writing on the white paper atop the table.
Don't misunderstand, this wasn't a love letter.
It was merely the note Su had left her today, without any meaningful words on it. But that didn't leave Maria puzzled; after all, as a closed-beta player, if one lacked that level of vigilance after living in Fractured for so long, then death was but a step away.
"How long are you going to keep staring at that…"
On the bed, Felia had already curled herself entirely under the blanket, leaving only her head exposed, lips pouting. It was so late already, why wasn't her sister resting? Was she like this outside too, or had she always been this way?
"Coming soon."
"Hmph~"
Hearing her little sister's satisfied hum as she snuggled deeper under the blanket, Maria's brows unconsciously softened. She brushed her flowing silver hair, her face radiant and flawless in the moonlight. If one were to speak of a true beauty beneath the moon, then at this moment, Miss Maria fit that name best.
The moonlit night was beautiful, yet too desolate, without a kindred soul by one's side, loneliness was inevitable.
Maria preferred snow.
Pure and spotless, so that even the slightest stain upon it would stand out harshly. Just imagine: on a silent snowy night, sitting down slowly against a withered tree amidst the piled snow, finally closing your eyes to listen to the crackling of snowflakes pressing and breaking against one another, that was so very beautiful.
"hoho~"
Suddenly, from outside the window came the astonished cry of some lecherous man, followed by a rogue's whistle that shattered the beauty of the moonlit scene.
Unnoticed, Gehrman had slipped to just outside Maria's room, admiring with appreciative eyes the cold elegance of his disciple's face beneath the moon. With her hair let down, she looked less heroic and more gentle, domestic, and fragile.
"Gehrman?"
"Hm? That perverted Foreigner again?!"
Hearing her sister call out that vile man's name, Felia immediately tightened the blanket around herself like armor. She and that man were sworn enemies.
"Felia, sleep. I'll be back shortly."
Maria reassured her sister, then casually draped a shawl over her graceful figure. Lifting her chin slightly, she revealed the swan-like whiteness of her neck.
Coming here so late at night without rest… what, planning a night raid?
Maria could never quite read her shameless master. To say he was lecherous, mostly it was just vulgar teasing for fun. To say he was frivolous, yet he was also a man you could entrust your back to. In any case, he was a little different from the First Hunter Gehrman she had once imagined.
The beauty walking under the moon carried with her a faint fragrance, part chill, part metallic sweetness, both alluring and dangerous.
Gehrman sat upon the railing of the veranda, thinking suddenly that his beautiful disciple might suit not only the purity of the bright plum blossom, but also the fervor of the red rose, and the cruelty of the thorned briar.
"Is there something you wanted?"
"What, I can't come see my disciple without a reason?"
His mouth as shameless as ever, Gehrman teased his graceful disciple.
"Gehrman, do you always go out of your way to make people dislike you?"
Maria tugged at her shawl, then sat properly and elegantly on the opposite railing. Her crimson eyes were immaculate, deep as an unfathomable abyss, accepting and containing every emotion.
Pierced through so cleanly by his pupil, Gehrman squirmed awkwardly. Fine, he admitted he had underestimated her powers of observation. Beneath this frail outward shell, what truly lay within was known to very few.
"Ahem. Business, business. We haven't had time on the road, and I never got to teach you my specialties. I was thinking, when you're free, I'd lay some foundations first. Then, once I finish developing my new class, I'll guide you through the full transition."
As he spoke, Gehrman himself felt a little embarrassed, didn't it sound like an empty promise used to coax girls? Still, his skin was thicker than a Wall. Whatever he felt inside, his face showed only righteous certainty.
"You have to trust me, I'll have the innovation soon, the new class is already in progress~" he added hastily, lacking confidence.
"If it's you, I'm sure it will be no problem."
Out of trust in the First Hunter, Maria didn't notice his guilty conscience, and answered seriously.
What a joke, if Gehrman didn't create the Hunter class, then how would Version 3.0 of the game even be playable?
Her casual words, however, stirred something deep in Gehrman's eyes. Complex emotions flickered there; for someone long accustomed to solitude, this was the first time he had received such earnest trust and encouragement.
"But… I won't have much free time soon. If you'd be willing to teach Felia instead-"
"No no no, she doesn't suit my transcendence path."
Waving his hand dismissively, Gehrman grimaced at the thought of the fiery-tempered sprout. "You really haven't noticed? That little sprout has a special talent, related to the gods. The transcendence path for her, most likely lies with the divine-"
"Despicable Foreigner! Who's a sprout?!"
A heavy tome flew out of the room, aiming squarely for Gehrman's dog head!
Eavesdropping, Felia could no longer endure his insults. Even if he was their savior, she would not tolerate it!
The book never struck, Maria caught it neatly with one hand.
"Tsk."
Gehrman clicked his tongue, though of course he had noticed Felia eavesdropping. He'd only played along to amuse himself.
"I, Felia, would rather die than learn a single thing from this shameless Foreigner!"
Her little head popped out from behind the door, glaring twice fiercely before vanishing again.
"Looks like that won't work," Maria said with a helpless smile at her little sister's pouting face. Learning some Hunter's knowledge earlier would've had its benefits, but it wasn't that important after all.
The next moment, Maria's expression grew solemn.
She had heard it, Gehrman had said that her sister Felia was connected to the gods…
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