Half-Blooded Archer
At the same time, in a different part of the forest, another person sat in the tree. Well, not exactly. Druella is not a person. Neither is this individual, at least not completely. She is a young woman, perhaps in her late teens or early twenties. Blonde hair, a pale complexion and . Her half-elf ancestry is evident in her ears, which were pointed like an elf's but not to the same extent. Purple eyes looked out from under her bangs, scanning the forest for anything that moved.
"Hmm," she muttered, "nothing today."
She is dressed in a green dress covered by lots of green leaves. In fact, it appeared as if her dress existed to hold all those leaves together. Presumably, they functioned as camouflage, as she also held a longbow in her hands, indicating her status as a hunter.
A hunter of monsters that is, for she is Primera Concerto, an archer informally serving in the Order's army. Called the Half-blooded Archer, Primera was consecrated as a hero and served in the defence of Lescatie. Her skills with the bow are legendary amongst the archers of Lescatie, able headshot monsters at a range where human archers would be lucky to hit a monster at all. It wasn't uncommon for her to bring down flying Wyverns with a single shot into its skull. Some attribute this to the blessings of the Chief God, while others state it is due to her elven heritage.
Whatever the reason for her deadliness, Primera is held in high regard by the people of Lescatie. However, she never liked them. Her story started when her mom got knocked up by some human. The other elves didn't like this, resulting in her exile from the village. Primera's parents lived a hard life before dying, forcing her to live on her own. When monsters attacked, Sasha Fullmoon saved her and brought her to the orphanage.
However, for all the adoration of the people, Primera never liked them. Long-time discrimination caused her to develop a strong dislike for humans and elves alike. To this day, she prefers to stay in the forests outside of Lescatie. The Order would send Elt to find her if they needed her for a mission. Elt was probably the only person who could tolerate her cold, moody temperament and the only person Primera didn't have a strong dislike for.
"Damn," Primera muttered, "this is so boring. No monsters today either. I almost miss the days when the foolish monster girls would try to take over Lescatie by force. Yeah, there was that time where Mimil trashed a bunch of Amazonesses. It was hilarious to see those hulking women get beaten by a little girl."
An hour later, Primera finally got bored. She decided to abandon her post and go hunt for something else. Turkeys are a rare sight around the forests of Lescatie, but Primera considered their flesh to be better tasting than the chickens sold at the market. She planned to take one back to the orphanage to share with the children for lunch. Sasha makes some damned good turkey.
Primera walks to the edge of her branch before jumping onto another branch of another tree. She has been jumping from tree to tree for years and is very familiar with the physics involved, even if she is not educated in it.
After a while, she sees her victim. A large turkey stalked along the ground.
Primera grinned as she raised her bow and takes out an arrow from a quiver. She aimed at the turkey before releasing the arrow.
The bird never stood a chance.
Primera returned to the city of Lescatie an hour later, holding a turkey by its claws. She walked through the city before arriving at the orphanage.
"I'm home," she calls out as she enters the front gate.
A loud cracking sound was heard before a chunk of wood flew to her head. Primera narrowly dodged the wood, which bounced off the door before clattering to the ground.
"Huh!?" she exclaimed angrily, looking around, "Who did that!?"
Her eyes landed on an unfamiliar figure who stood in front of a tree stump. He held an axe in one hand and a piece of wood in another. From behind, the figure is a man, about the same age as Elt. He is dressed in a long sleeve shirt, black trousers and what looked like Sasha's old boots. The man places the piece of wood on the stump before lifting the axe above his head. He then brings it down with great force, cleaning splitting the wood in one hit.
Who the hell is that? Primera thought, I've never seen him before.
But then, another thought hit her, Wait, why isn't there any spiritual energy being emitted by him? I am a half-elf, so I am very sensitive to spiritual and demonic energy. But I can't sense either of them. What the hell is this thing?
"Primera!" a young voice suddenly exclaimed.
"Huh?" she answered.
A young girl runs up to Primera and hugs her.
"Hello, Emiyu," Primera smiled at the girl, "how has it been?"
"Pretty good," Emiyu smiled slyly, "Elt came over today."
Ah, a warm feeling spread through Primera's chest as she digested the words, he's here.
The stranger, having heard the commotion stood up straight and turned around. He looked very different to the other people. His skin, eye and hair colour indicated a heritage from the Far East, possibly Zipangu or the Mist Continent. He sounded like he was muttering something in another language. It sounded vaguely like the Lescatie language, but the pronunciation was different, as was the grammar.
"Who is this man?" Primera asked Emiyu.
"I can answer that myself," Astramille interrupted, "my name, which is a gift from General Sasha, is Astramille."
"So, Astramille," Primera said, looking at him suspiciously, "who are you?"
"Oh?" Astramille tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean?"
Primera put a hand over her quiver, "I'm sorry, I meant, what are you?"
Astramille closed his eyes and sighed, "I don't even know what you mean. You speak as if...HOLY FUCKER OF MOMS!"
Sasha would be pissed off at his foul language, but when Astramille opened his eyes again, Primera had handed Emiyu the turkey and aimed an arrow at him, ready to let loose.
"What are you doing?" asked Emiyu, shocked.
"I know Sasha is too kind for her own good," Primera said, her voice dripping with venom, "but this time she has gone too far. Why the hell did she bring a soulless...thing...back to the orphanage?"
"Um," Astramille said nervously, hands up high, "that is a long story. Why don't you come inside and I will tell you everything?"
"What is going on?" Sasha asked as she came storming out, several kids trailing after her, "Astramille, I don't care what world you came from but such language is unacceptable! What the-?"
"Oh hi," Astramille turned his head to Sasha, "umm, as you can see, I am in a bit of a predicament here. I was just minding my business chopping wood like you told me to. Then out of nowhere, this PSYCHO LADY just threatened shoot me!"
Sasha turned to look at Primera, who gulped and lowered her bow.
"What are you doing?" Sasha crossed her arms and looked at Primera angrily.
"Umm," Primera looked around before saying, "I was trying to protect Emiyu. I was alarmed by the fact that he had no soul. And by the fact he was strong enough to split those pieces of wood with one swing of that blunt axe."
Sasha's face softened, if only slightly, "Well, I assure you Astramille means no harm. In fact, he is quite helpful."
Primera raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "How so?"
"Well," Sasha said, "usually I would use magic to make a fire glyph to cook. Astramille said that I shouldn't tire myself out, so he went next door to help a lady chop firewood, in return for a few pieces."
Astamille smiled a smile that showed too many teeth to be looked at comfortably.
"It doesn't change the fact that he is a creep," Primera muttered, "by the way, look what I brought you."
She pointed at the turkey, "The kids are going to have a good meal."
After lighting a fire for Sasha, Astramille returned to the room where Elt and Wilmarina sat.
"Ah," he said when he saw the two close together, "getting nice and cosy, are we? Wilmarina, are you staying for lunch?"
"Umm," Wilmarina looked conflicted, "I don't think I should be here anyway. Father clearly said to avoid the commoners."
She frowned and crossed her arms, "Why doesn't she say that to Sasha? I mean, General Sasha even lives with them."
"Girl," Astramille, "how old are you?"
"Seventeen," Wilmarina replied, "just turned recently."
"Your seventeen, not seven," Astramille said, "you should be given greater freedom. Besides, aren't you a hero?"
"Indeed," she said, pride rising in her voice, "the rookie knight of Lescatie."
"So you are a seventeen-year-old," Astramille leaned onto the door frame, "and a hero of Lescatie. Yet the government allows this treatment of you? You are defending humanity, yet the nobles, the royalty and even your own goddamned family stripped you of yours, treating you as nothing but a weapon. If my government pulled this kind of bullshit on their soldiers, they're get their asses shafted to the ground by the military AND the common citizens."
Wilmarina let the words sink in. Yeah, she never thought of this. Here she was, standing at the frontline of the war, protecting humans from those that wished its destruction. Yet the Order is hell bent on controlling every aspect of her life, even dictating who she can or cannot meet. Why is it like this? Father claimed that she was better than the commoners, yet the commoners seem to have more freedoms than her, a hero.
"Why is your father so afraid of you speaking with commoners?" asked Astramille as he stood up straight and walked to his pile of books, "Is he afraid that you will…okay, I don't even know what is going on in his balding head, but I am from another world."
"Is that why you don't have spiritual energy?" Wilmarina asked.
"Yeah," Astramille replied, "there are no souls in my world. No gods or devils either. Just seven and a half billion humans and a tonne of other animals."
"Really?" asked Wilmarina suspiciously, "Then why do I see pictures of Templars in your books? And of churches and cathedrals?"
"Those guys are delusional," Astramille smirked, "believing in something as absurd as an all-powerful, all loving god. Those Templars are of a religion called Christianity. You know what they believe? Some crazy shit that you would laugh at."
"Well," Wilmarina said, "that does seem rather odd. If an all-powerful god truly hated evil, why wouldn't she destroy it?"
"Well aren't you a clever cookie," Astramille laughed, "and by the way, the god those Templars worship is a guy. Anyway, regarding your question for the all-powerful god, I have a riddle."
Everyone in the room looked at Astramille intently.
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but unable? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able to, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able or willing? Then why call him God? This is the riddle that baffled countless religious people in my world."
Astramille smirked, expecting the residents of the orphanage to be confused as well. Yet Wilmarina just gave him the what-the-fuck look and said, "Well, the answer is simple. I cannot speak for the gods of your world, but the Chief God is not all-powerful. If she truly was, there will be no monsters. Why else would she empower hero to slay the demon lord, if she cannot do it herself?"
Astramille looked shocked, though he tried to conceal it. He cleared his throat before saying, "Well, admitting that your god isn't all powerful. Isn't that revolutionary? I must say, your Order of the Chief God is a lot more progressive than Christianity or Islam, the other major religion that believes in an all-powerful god."
He gestured at Wilmarina, "The fact that women can be soldiers or even be blessed by god to possess great martial powers…well…those two religions see women in a very different light."
It was at that time the smell of roast turkey wafted into the room.
"Lunch is ready," Sasha called out, "come and get it."
"Well then," Astramille nodded in the direction of the dining room, "come on, or the kids will clean out that bird."
Sasha, Primera, Elt and the children sit down at the table. Wilmarina and Astramille, on the other hand, stood by the table.
"I must go now," Wilmarina said as she headed towards the door, "I bet father would be suspicious if I don't return soon."
"Ah, yes," Astramille nodded, "and please don't tell him any of the things you read in my books or my riddle."
Wilmarina paused at the door before turning around and asking, "Why?"
Astramille looks at her seriously, "Centuries ago, my world was like yours in terms of technology and society. Thus I have reason to believe that if I spoke of unpopular ideas, my life would be at risk. The fact that I have no soul could be an excuse for any inhuman treatment I recieve."
"But…" Wilmarina said, "if your society and technology level is truly centuries ahead of ours, why wouldn't father accept you? You are the only one who can understand those arcane weapons, which will be very helpful in our war. I wish we had your cannons and iron ships. The Order will be pleased if such weapons are in their inventory."
"No," Astramille said sternly, "ignoring the fact that I am not educated to build weapons, I refuse to take part in your war."
He softened his stance, "I am willing to assist in healthcare and legal matters, but I don't want to take part in your genocidal war. The idea of killing something just because they are different does not appeal to me. My people have been on the giving end and the receiving end of atrocities that I will not speak of in front of the children."
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Sasha breathed a sigh of relief.
"What?" Wilmarina demanded, "Are you for real? Those monsters are bloody savages! They feast upon mankind! Their existence is an abomination!"
"Hmm," Astramille hunched forward slightly in a comical manner and stroked an imaginary beard, "is that so? This morning I ran into a Wurm. She actually caught me inside of her coils. But then she let me go."
"Yes," Sasha added quickly, "General Merse and Mimil witnessed it."
"And she didn't look like she wanted to eat me," Astramille continued, "instead looking like she wants to…procreate with me. Not that it is preferable, doing the horizontal tango with something that is half lizard. Regardless, it does not justify their murder. If you want to convince me to build cannons, then you better prove to me that those monsters deserve to be slaughtered without mercy."
Wilmarina looked really angry, "You are committing blasphemy. The monsters are our enemy."
She turns around and leaves, but not before saying, "Maybe that Wurm didn't like you because you have no soul."
After Wilmarina left, Primera rolled her eyes and said, "Ugh, what a rude woman. Damned nobles, thinking they are so great and stuff."
"Hey," Astramille turned to face Primera quickly, "at least she didn't threaten to kill me like a crazy killer."
"What did you say?" Primera demanded, "Call me names and I will live up to them!"
Elt put his arm around Primera's shoulder before cooing to her, "Now, now, Primera, you should know better than to argue with him. Astramille may be a little bit crazy, but he means well."
"Thank you, my man," Astramille said, "you-"
"Yes?" Elt asked.
"Never mind," Astramille said as he saw Primera's face, "it is nothing interesting."
Though the grin on his face said otherwise. Depending on whether one liked Astramille, they will say that he had the grin of "the cat that ate the canary" or a "shit eating grin". Astramille was grinning because he saw Primera's reaction to being hugged and spoken to softly by Elt. Damn, that kid is good at stealing the hearts of women. What is this, a love square? Elt, Sasha, Wilmarina and now Primera.
Well then, my dear readers, do you like Astramille? Would you say his grin is like the cat that ate the canary (or the grin of the Cheshire Cat) or a shit eating grin?