Chapter 29: Colette’s Older Sister

"Big Sister, you should really meet Big Brother Lux," Colette said with a smile. "Although he is a Half-Elf, he is as brave as a Dwarf! Both of you are of the same age, and he is also very good looking!" 10

A charming young lady with long blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, smiled back at her little sister, who had been chattering non-stop about the Half-Elf she had met in Leaf Village. 5

Colette's older sister looked like a doll that was made to perfection. But, unlike the adorable Colette, her sister's charm was like a flower that was about to bloom. 10

Her name was Aina, and she was recognized as one of the top prodigies in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, as well as the Dwarven Empire of Evarith in Solais. 7

"This is the first time that I've heard of a Half-Elf, or any other race for that matter, appearing in the Beginner's Village in the Dwarven lands of Elysium," Aina said with undisguised interest. "So, what is he like? Is he strong?"

Colette shook her head. "He's not that strong, but he is very cool! During the battle, he prioritized saving Dwarves and transporting the injured to the treatment area, at the far end of the village, away from the fighting." 1

Aina sipped the tea in her cup as she eyed her sister. "Maybe he's just scared of fighting, so he prioritized taking the injured as an excuse to not get killed." 1

"Big Brother isn't like that!" Colette pouted. "If he's afraid of fighting, he wouldn't have faced three Draugrs to let us escape! Those are three Rank 1 Monsters. If Big Brother didn't block them, I might have also died, you know?"

"I'm sorry," Aina apologized after seeing her sister's teary-eyed face. "He is indeed not a coward. He is a very brave person."

"Yes! He is a very brave person! I already told Father that he saved my life, and he agreed to give him ten Rank 2 Beast Cores as a thank you gift." 14

"Father sure is generous." 1

"Yes!"

Aina smiled. She could already understand what her father was thinking. If her guess was right, her father was indeed very thankful to the Half-Elf for saving her sister's life. However, gifting the young generation was akin to spoiling them and making their lives easier. 5

This would give them a fake sense of security seeing that their stat points would drastically increase due to the power of the Beast Cores. But, at the end of the day, even if they suddenly gained an increase in overall stats, there were still many dangers in Elysium that could end their lives if they weren't careful. 4

'Father's purpose is to let Lux graduate from the Beginner's Village, so that Colette would no longer be able to meet up with him again,' Aina thought. 'I guess this is not a bad thing. Once he steps into the Intermediate Area, I will be able to see this "Big Brother" that Colette is so proud of.' 8

The Beginner Villages would only allow Foreigners to stay in them until they reached the Apostle Rank. 14

Once they stepped into that realm, the laws of the world would only give them ten days before forcefully teleporting them away to the nearest Intermediate Area in the vicinity. 5

'The only question is, which Intermediate Area will he be transported to?' Aina frowned.

The Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven had over twenty Intermediate Towns for Apostles, and five cities, including the Capital City, Aeronwen, where the Rankers of the realm stayed. 2

Although twenty towns might seem like a small number, they were several miles apart from each other. 1

Aina had only registered in three towns so far, which meant that she could teleport to these three towns whenever she liked. If Lux were to appear in any of the towns that she had visited before, she could personally thank the Half-Elf for saving her sister.

'Ten Rank 2 Beast Cores would be enough to give him at least a hundred stats points,' Aina calculated in her head. 'This meant that he would just need a hundred more in order to reach the limit of the Beginner's Village. If he's talented enough, it would only take him two months before he reached the Apostle Rank.' 13

Aina was using her knowledge about gaining experience from monster kills, and leveling up in order to gain stat points. What she was not aware of was that Lux didn't need to level up, and could directly earn points by finishing his quests.

"Big Sister, once Big Brother and I come to the Intermediate Towns, make sure to take good care of us, okay?" Colette said while holding her sister's hands and looking up at her with puppy eyes.

"Okay," Aina replied with a smile. "However, you should understand that there will definitely be prejudiced people against him. Not many Dwarves like Humans, and although he is a Half-Elf, he might still be shunned because of his race." 5

Colette nodded in understanding. Their Dwarven Empire, Evarith, in Solais disliked Humans because of what happened in the Hundred-Year War. 3

Up to this day, the Evarith Royal Family still held grudges against Humans, and refused to entertain discussions about reconciliation between the two races. 1

"So, when will you be going back to Elysium?" Aina asked.

Colette pondered before raising two fingers. "Mother said that I should stay for two days because she missed me terribly. Father is also preparing new equipment for me to ensure my safety.

"I already talked to Matty and he said that his parents were doing the same. It seems that what happened in Leaf Village made them realize that it isn't as safe as the other Beginner Villages due to the Monster Outbreak." 2

Aina nodded in understanding. She, too, was surprised when she heard that a Monster Outbreak had happened in a Beginner's Village. Although this was not the first time something like this had happened, it was still something that the adults didn't want to hear. 4

After all, if their children were to appear in Leaf Village at the wrong time then they might also come face to face with a Monster Outbreak, which would lead them to an untimely demise.

"Father issued a decree ordering parents to educate their children about the dangers of Leaf Village," Aina stated. "If they were to encounter a Monster Outbreak, all of them were ordered to flee the village, or hide in the Underground Shelter until the reinforcements from Norria arrive."

"Should I do that as well, Big Sister?"

"Of course. Your life is very important. If a Monster Outbreak happens, just bring your party to the Underground Shelter. All of you are still children, so the people in Leaf Village will not bat an eye and allow you to enter their shelter." 2

Colette nodded. "Understood. I will hide when a Monster Outbreak appears. I'm just wondering, will they also allow Big Brother to take shelter with us?"

Aina frowned. She didn't know the answer to this question, so she didn't dare give her sister false hope.

"I don't know if they will allow him inside the Shelter or not," Aina replied. "But, it might be possible for him to leave Leaf Village long before the next Monster Outbreak starts." 8