The Moonlight Swordsman



Aizel turned on the television to watch the ongoing K-drama, but after two minutes he turned it off with a sigh of relief, clearly uninterested.

After her wash, Alora returned to sit next to him. He inhaled deeply as he sniffed her, taking in her fresh aroma. His face lit up with happiness as he reached up and began to lightly pat her head.

"Good, now come and train me; I can probably create a loop in my dream at least for 5 years.

"I want you to help me master the different weapons in the loop."

"Why me? Go and train alone; I have to watch my series."

"I am not asking you, come and train me." His once casual demeanor took on a note of seriousness as he repeated his request in an increasingly authoritative tone.

"Tsk. Now you are acting more like your past self."

Without a word, Aizel laid his head on Alora's lap and quickly fell asleep. Alora sighed softly and put her arms over his head, closing her eyes. They both knew they had another training session ahead of them, and it seemed like it was going to be a lengthy one.

*****

When Aizel was reliving his past memories last night, Daisy and Vespara waited impatiently for Kaley to appear. They couldn't afford to waste time, as they knew she contained crucial information regarding Daniel.

The tavern became increasingly rowdy while they waited, with the clink of drinks and the laughter of customers filling the air.

Suddenly, a hooded figure approached Daisy and Vespara, their face concealed in the shadows.

The person placed a crumpled piece of paper on the table without a word and left just as silently as they arrived.

Both Daisy and Vespara looked at the paper in confusion before picking it up to read it.

"Hmm, interesting,"

"What does it say?" Daisy asked.

"It says Daniel has joined the commonist group, and right now he is with some of them in Twilight Harbor."

"Isn't this towards the east side, closer to the Theodora Kingdom?"

"Yes," Vespara replied.

"We should head straight away and complete the task tonight, we can't wait any longer now."

Daisy and Vespara got on their horses and rode off into the distance, heading eastward in the direction of Twilight Harbor.

The wind whipped through their hair as they rode on, the horses' hooves pounding the dirt road beneath them.

Vespara and Daisy could see the ocean and several enormous ships in the harbor as they drew near the town.

The ocean separated the two kingdoms from the town's location.

It was already late at night, and they had been traveling for four hours, but their task was far from over. They had to find out where Daniel was hiding in town.

The homes were modest, but the abundance of enormous warehouses indicated this was a commercial hub.

"So how do we find him?" Daisy asked.

"Hmm, I can sense the whole town and can pinpoint where most of the hunters have been gathered. The commonist tend to always be together.

"Maybe that can lead us to him."

Vespara searched the town with her mana sense; she carefully scanned for any signs of the group.

A group of hunters and two mages caught her eye inside a warehouse, and her gaze turned there. Vespara's instinct told her to look into them more because they were the most likely culprits.

"I think I have found them. Get ready, you are going to take them alone,"

Daisy's heart was pounding, so she took a deep breath to calm down. This was her first battle, and she was going to face a Grade II mage she might have to kill for the first time.

She felt the pressure of the situation, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on.

With the help of her wind magic, she climbed onto the roof of a nearby house and moved quietly toward the warehouse, where Vespara had sensed the hunters and mages.

She moved stealthily from one rooftop to another, constantly using her mana sense to keep track of her surroundings.

Daisy reached the rooftop of a nearby house and directed her senses toward the warehouse.

As she concentrated, she was able to pick up on the presence of ten hunters and two mages within the building.

They appeared to be conversing and completing a task at the same time.

"Don't worry, just go and have some fun, darling. I am here," Vespara whispers from behind, appearing out of nowhere.

With a nod, Daisy summoned her bow and dagger and rushed with all haste toward the warehouse.

As Daisy drew closer to the warehouse, one of the mages inside was able to sense her presence, and quickly alert the other mage.

"Boss, someone found us."

"What! But how?" spreading his senses, the other mage realized that a Grade I mage was on his way.

"Hahhaha, a grade I, let's welcome them,"

Daisy could feel the hunters getting closer as she made her way into the warehouse. She prepared for battle by taking out her bow and dagger. The two mages stayed behind, watching the events unfold with keen interest.

She prepared to shoot as she drew her bowstrings, keeping her eyes peeled for any unexpected movement.

Daisy released an arrow with wind magic as soon as she felt the gate open, which sped through the air and struck one of the hunters in the head, instantly killing him.

In an instant, she felt a tiny axe whizzing at her head.

She acted swiftly, rolling backward to avoid it, and wasted no time releasing another arrow, this one striking one of the hunter's squares in the chest.

The two mages who had been observing the situation suddenly sprang into action, realizing that something was not right. They quickly darted towards the back of the warehouse in an attempt to escape, evidently wary of a potential trap.

"Daisy, go and catch them; leave these kids to me."

She quickly nodded and made her way toward the roof. She left the hunters to Vespara and chased the fleeing mages.