Chapter 385: Anastina

This black-haired Elf had a high-bridged nose, deep-set eyes, and blue irises. She looked like a Mercenary, carrying a greatsword on her back that was almost as tall as she was. However, her attire was unlike that of any Adventurer or Mercenary from the north, or even from the City-State Alliance. The thin, almost revealing outfit would have been bold even in summer, let alone in the dead of winter.

"What are you looking at?"

Aive noticed Ron’s scrutinizing gaze. A little annoyed, she asked in a low voice, "You think she looks good dressed like that?"

Of course she was beautiful; even the Half-Elf herself had to admit it. The gods had certainly blessed the Elves. Even in an outfit like that, the uninvited guest’s beauty was undeniable.

"But I bet she’s not doing well for herself. She’s at least three hundred years old, yet she’s still dressed like a—"

"Her clothes are Enchanted," Ron said, his eyes fixed on the Elf’s thin attire. "Temperature regulation, cut protection... This one outfit probably costs over a thousand Gold Coins."

"Two thousand three hundred Gold Coins, kid," the tips of the Elf’s ears, visible through her hair, twitched slightly. "This is the latest style from the Gem Flower Kingdom. It’s not something you can get just by having money."

"Two thousand three hundred..." Aive stuck out her tongue. "That’s enough to buy a set and a half of plate armor!"

"Mass-produced goods can’t compare to this kind of equipment, Aive," Daniel said with a smile, warmly inviting the guest to sit down. "You’ve come at just the right time. If you’d arrived even a few hours earlier, we wouldn’t have been open yet—what can I get for you?"

"That’s because you’ve been missing for the past month, haven’t you?" the Elf said as she sat down where Daniel indicated. She showed no intention of ordering, instead just staring at the man who looked slightly older than his actual age. "That’s precisely why I’m here—where’s Liya?"

"Uh, pardon me?" Daniel was taken aback. "You know my wife?"

"Who’s out there?" Liya’s voice came from the kitchen. It was followed by a massive dragon’s head poking out, only to be grabbed by the horns and dragged back in. Liya, who had just wrangled the Young Dragon back into the kitchen, emerged. The moment she appeared, her eyes locked with the other Elf’s.

"Liya?"

"You’re... damn it, Anastina! You’re still alive!"

Liya and this Elf were apparently old acquaintances. After confirming each other’s identities, they embraced tightly.

"You! All these years with no word, I thought you’d died on the battlefield!"

"I thought the same about you! Oh, gods," the Elf called Anastina was just as emotional. They were half-crying, half-laughing, recounting everything that had happened since they’d parted. "I was on a mission nearby and heard that the Night Wind Tavern in Rose City had suddenly closed. I rushed over without even collecting my pay!"

"My husband and I got caught up in some trouble," Liya said, shaking her head and gesturing toward Ron and the others. "Thanks to them, we were able to escape!"

"I offer you my thanks, ladies and gentlemen." Anastina turned to face them and gave a standard Elven military salute.

She turned specifically to Seymour, who had been trying his best to fade into the background ever since she arrived. "And my thanks to you as well, compatriot from the underground."

Seymour rolled his eyes. He and Anastina could both see a hint of arrogance and disdain in each other’s eyes. This so-called gratitude was just a formality.

"So what about you, Anna?" Liya took the hand her friend had just lowered. "I remember you transferred to the army of the Gem Flower Kingdom. What kind of mission could you have over here?"

"Actually, things haven’t been peaceful in the three kingdoms lately," Anastina sighed. "So I retired from the army and became a Mercenary. It happened at the beginning of this year. I haven’t had a chance to write to you about it yet."

Communication between Elves, even the closest of friends, wasn’t particularly frequent. Liya and Anastina kept a rhythm of writing about once every five to ten years. It was still a long time before their next letter was due.

"Anastina, oh! I remember now!" Daniel suddenly slapped his forehead. "You’re the pen pal, Anna, she told me about? It’s been so many years without seeing any letters between you two, I completely forgot!"

"Didn’t you also come to our wedding? We never heard from you again after that!"

"There was nothing I could do about it," Anastina said, giving Daniel a friendly smile. "The situation with the Elves has been unstable, and I was in the army..."

"You can talk more later!" Aiksuuri’s head poked out from the kitchen again. "Sister Liya, the food’s almost ready!"

"Liya... *Sister*?" As the Young Dragon called her that, the expression on Aive’s face immediately became complicated.

’Aiksuuri calls my mother ’sister,’ so what does that make me to him? Has he even had his ninth birthday yet?!’

"What, you have a problem with it?" Liya shot her daughter a look, then turned and pulled Daniel into the kitchen. "Anna, please be patient. The food will be ready in a moment. You can see my cooking skills for yourself!"

"Liya’s cooking was considered one of the best back in the army." Now that they knew who the other was, Anastina let her guard down around Ron and his group. The Elf simply pulled up a chair and sat down next to Aive. "You must be Liya’s daughter, Aive? You’ve gotten so big."

"The last time your mother wrote to me, she said you were just a little tyke!"

"Half-Elves grow differently than Elves," Aive said with a dry laugh. ’I’m supposed to be the younger one, so why do I look older than her?’ "Aunt Anna, did you say you’ve retired too?"

"That’s right," Anastina couldn’t help but shake her head at the mention of it. "Your mother and her sister were among the ones who saw things most clearly back then. They left early, got a hefty compensation, and everyone was still around."

"I was her superior at the time. The royal family of the Gem Flower Kingdom made me a good offer, so I kept working for them. Who would have thought they were all just warmongers in fine clothes?"

"It’s been a generation, even for Elves, since the Hailan Empire fell, but our homeland still hasn’t known peace. The conflicts never cease; in fact, they’re getting worse! Damn it all! How can we possibly revive the Elf Empire with a bunch of vermin like them?!"

Anastina angrily slammed her fist on the table. The solid wood table actually cracked under her punch, making Liya, who was bringing over the food, wince in distress.

"Anna, that wood is from my hometown! Even if it’s you who broke it, you’re still going to have to pay for it!"