Chapter 37: I Am a Tier 4 Archer
Early morning sunlight slipped through the cracks in the wooden shutters, tracing faint gold lines across the simple room.
"Hmm…?" Elara's long lashes fluttered open. For a moment she blinked in confusion, her silvery eyes adjusting to the soft light. The ceiling above her wasn't rock. The air wasn't cold or damp. And there were no howling winds or dripping echoes from a cave.
She sat up abruptly, her snow-white hair spilling down her shoulders. "Huh? Where am I?"
It took her a second to realize—she wasn't sleeping in the wild anymore. No stone cracks, no rough blankets made of beast hides. For the first time in what felt like forever, she'd slept in an actual bed.
A soft smile crept across her face. "It's been… so long since I slept this comfortably."
Elara stretched, arching her back like a cat waking from a long nap. Her silver-white eyes wandered curiously around the room. The layout was simple—bare walls, a wooden table, and a rack of swords hanging neatly on one side. Some blades were suspended with strands of spider silk so fine they shimmered faintly in the light.
Other than that, there wasn't much. No fancy furniture, no decorations. Just a bed and weapons.
She tilted her head, amused. "So this is a man's room, huh? No surprise it's so plain."
Elara swung her legs off the bed, her bare feet brushing the cool wooden floor. She sat there for a moment, idly kicking her legs, her gaze lingering on the wall of swords. They looked battle-worn yet meticulously cared for—a strange reflection of their owner.
After a few minutes, curiosity got the better of her. She slipped out of the room quietly.
The faint clatter of utensils and the aroma of roasted meat greeted her in the hall. Luciel sat at a table, sketching something across a wooden surface—maps, from the look of it. Beside him, Mino was humming softly, stirring a pot that sent a rich, savory scent curling through the air.
"Good morning," Elara greeted, her voice light.
Luciel glanced up, offering one of his small, unhurried smiles. "Morning. How did you sleep?"
Elara hesitated, her cheeks tinting faintly pink. "It was… fine. Better than usual."
"That's good to hear," he said simply, setting down his charcoal stick. "Come eat. Breakfast's ready."
Mino lifted the steel pot off the fire with practiced ease and set it on the table. The girl's long rabbit ears twitched as she handed out cutlery—though there weren't enough wooden bowls, so she'd repurposed a few old iron lunch boxes.
Each bowl was filled with steaming broth and a generous chunk of roasted meat.
Luciel nodded toward them. "Don't just stare. Eat."
The two girls exchanged a quick glance, then, seeing him dig in first, finally picked up their bowls.
Elara lifted the wooden bowl to her lips and took a sip. The rich, warm flavor spread across her tongue, and she sighed with genuine satisfaction. "Ahh~ this is good."
Mino wasn't far behind, slurping eagerly and puffing out her cheeks like a hungry squirrel.
Luciel watched the two of them with a faint smirk, chewing his barbecue leisurely. It was a rare, peaceful scene.
After a few bites, Elara spoke, her tone casual but her eyes thoughtful. "Luciel, aren't you planning to move today?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Move?"
She set her bowl down. "You carried off half the Bloodbeard gang's loot yesterday. Do you really think they won't come looking for it?"
Luciel swallowed a mouthful of meat before replying. "You think they can track us here?"
"Of course they can!" Elara rolled her eyes. "They were camped close by. And thieves like them always have ways to track what's theirs."
Luciel's mouth curved slightly upward. "Maybe."
He took another sip of broth and changed the topic, almost too casually. "Elara, do you know how to reach the Moon Lake Tribe?"
At that, Elara froze, her spoon halfway to her lips. "The Moon Lake Tribe? You're… planning to go there?"
"Yeah," Luciel said, leaning back. "I promised Mino I'd take her there. And I'm curious myself—how does a tribe of tens of thousands survive out here?"
Elara's brows furrowed. "If this were before, it would've been fine. But now…"
Her tone shifted, her usual playfulness replaced by something sharper. "Now that you've got that spirit beast's crystal fish, it's dangerous to go anywhere near the Moon Lake Tribe."
Luciel blinked. "They know about it?"
"Not yet," she admitted. "But word travels fast. The Bloodbeard thieves will realize soon enough their crystal fish is gone—and they'll spread the word. The big tribes always have spies among the bandits. Someone will figure it out."
"So you're saying someone could detect it on me?"
Elara nodded gravely. "Yes. Some mutants can sense spirit energy from rare artifacts. If one's near, they'll know."
Luciel's gaze flicked toward Mino, whose long ears were trembling slightly. "Mutant ability?"
Mino's spoon trembled in her hand. She'd been quiet the whole time, but now worry clouded her face.
Elara took another bite of meat and spoke through a mouthful. "Exactly. You should move soon. Bloodbeard has mutants in his ranks who can track traces left behind."
She swallowed and sighed. "Once he returns, he'll definitely send a team after you."
Luciel leaned back, seemingly unbothered. "Then it's simple. Just tell me the route to the Moon Lake Tribe."
"What? You still want to go there?" Mino blurted out, grabbing his sleeve. Her large eyes were filled with worry. "Luciel, let's not. We can find another place—somewhere far away, where Bloodbeard can't find us."
"That's… not easy," Elara muttered under her breath. She scanned the supplies stacked in the corner—food, pelts, weapons, crates. "Unless you're planning to throw away nine-tenths of your stuff, they'll catch up."
Her voice turned faintly exasperated. "All that work I did helping you pack last night… for nothing."
Luciel chuckled, unbothered. "Relax. We're not taking the crystal fish into the Moon Lake Tribe."
Mino looked up, confused. "Then why go at all?"
"Because," Luciel said, his eyes glinting with calm confidence, "we have the Black Tortoise."
The name alone seemed to ground his plan. He wasn't just wandering aimlessly—he had a purpose. The Black Tortoise had evolved again last night, reaching level four. But its evolution points had dropped by a thousand, and that meant one thing—he'd soon need new beast cores.
The Moon Lake Tribe was the best lead.
Mino's expression softened, but her worry didn't fade completely. "Still… the Bloodbeard thieves will hunt us down. You know they won't give up."
Luciel's eyes turned cold, the warmth in them replaced by a sharp, icy determination. "Then I'll make them regret chasing us."
The air in the room seemed to tighten. Even the simmering broth crackled louder for a heartbeat.
Elara watched him silently. For someone who looked so calm, there was a frightening edge buried beneath that stillness.
"…Don't underestimate Bloodbeard," she finally warned. "He's not just some bandit. I'd say he's at least a Tier Four Enhancer."
Luciel tilted his head curiously. "And you?"
"Me?" Elara blinked. "Why are you asking?"
"You're the strongest person I've met so far," he said simply. "I need a frame of reference."
Elara's lips curled in a faint, proud smile. "I'm a Tier Four Archer."
Her silver eyes sparkled with confidence, though she added coolly, "In close combat, I'm about the level of a Tier Three Enhancer."
Luciel raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "Then you're pretty good."
Elara's smile froze. "What do you mean by pretty good?"
"It's a compliment," he said, though his tone was suspiciously playful.
Elara's forehead twitched. "Doesn't sound like it."
Luciel wisely chose to stay silent, hiding a grin behind his cup of broth.
After a tense pause, he asked, "So which way to the Moon Lake Tribe?"
Elara huffed, puffing her cheeks like an annoyed cat, then finally pointed toward the east. "That way."
"Perfect," Luciel said, standing up and stretching. "From now on, you'll lead the way."
"Wait, what? I never agreed—"
"Too late," he said over his shoulder, gathering up gear.
Elara could only sigh in defeat. "Fine. But before that… what exactly are you planning to bring to the Moon Lake Tribe?"
Luciel gave her a blank look, as if the question were absurd. "Everything, of course."
Elara stared at him for a long moment, at a complete loss for words. "…Everything?"
"Everything," he repeated without hesitation.
Her face twitched. "You can't be serious. Half this stuff will slow us down, and you're acting like we're moving into a mansion!"
He just smiled, unbothered, as if carrying half a mountain's worth of supplies across dangerous territory was perfectly normal.
Elara pressed her fingers against her temple. "Unbelievable. You're worse than a hoarding dragon."
"Thank you," Luciel said, clearly taking it as a compliment.
Elara groaned softly. "That wasn't praise."
Mino giggled, breaking the tension a little. "He really is hopeless sometimes."
Luciel looked between the two girls, a rare, faint warmth in his expression. "Hopeless or not, we move at sunrise."
He walked to the door, pushing it open. The morning light poured in, golden and fresh.
Elara followed his gaze toward the horizon. The eastern mountains shimmered under the dawn, cloaked in a faint mist. Somewhere beyond those ridges lay the Moon Lake Tribe—and, most likely, more danger than any of them could imagine.
But despite the risk, Luciel's steps were steady, his mind already fixed on the path ahead.
Elara watched him for a while, then sighed softly, brushing a strand of white hair from her face.
"Honestly…" she muttered, a faint smile curving her lips. "You really are impossible."
Then she picked up her bow, slung it across her shoulder, and followed after him.