Echoes of the Lost Elf

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Nothing particularly significant occurred during this time—aside from Historias signing contracts with three more spirits: Dryad, Salamander, and Naiad.

Then, one morning, Professor Elias entered the classroom, her sharp gaze sweeping over the students. With a stack of papers in one hand, she tapped her fingers on the desk, signaling for silence.

"I have an announcement to make."

The idle chatter died down immediately.

"Your first major practical assessment is approaching." Her voice was calm but firm. "It will test your mental fortitude, physical endurance, and mana control."

Some students shifted uneasily, while others straightened up, eager for the challenge.

Professor Elias continued, "The final phase will take place in the Nazara Forest, where you will be placed in teams of four and assigned objectives. Your goal is to accumulate as many points as possible."

Murmurs spread through the classroom. Nazara Forest was infamous for its unpredictable terrain and magical beasts.

"Teams will be assigned using a lucky draw system," Elias announced. "Each of you will write your name on a chit and submit it. The groups will be decided at random."

With no other choice, the students complied, scribbling their names onto slips of paper and placing them into an enchanted box.

Once everyone had finished, Professor Elias waved her hand. The box shimmered, its contents stirring on their own. One by one, names floated out, arranging themselves on the board.

Group One:

Leonhardt Drakus

Selene Varrow

Roland Greaves

Irene Callisto

Group Two:

Marcus Alvane

Lucia Ashford

Darian Voss

Freya Laurent

Group Three:

Historias Vaelcrest

Adriana Von Atheria

Kael Viremont

Zephyr Nightshade

Group Four:

Reiner Falken

Naomi Estera

Cedric Hawthorne

Elara Veswyn

Group:5,6,7.....

----------------------

The moment she saw the names, Adriana grinned.

Historias, Kael, Zephyr, and herself.

A magic swordsman, an archer, a wind-user, and… Well, Historias was whatever he wanted to be.

Adriana tapped her fingers against the desk, already running through strategies. They had speed, range, adaptability, and raw magical prowess.

"We're going to dominate this."

She wasn't arrogant—just confident.

But the murmurs of discontent from the other students made her roll her eyes.

"Of course, they put the strongest in one group."

"How are we even supposed to compete with that?"

Adriana smirked. "Luck of the draw," she said, though even she doubted the randomness of this selection.

Still, she wasn't about to complain. If nothing else, this meant the test wouldn't be boring.

----------------

Kael scanned the names on the list, his expression calm but thoughtful.

His father had drilled survival training into him since childhood, but this was different. This wasn't a military operation—it was a test within an academic environment.

"Nazara Forest, huh?" he murmured.

He had read about it—a place where mana surged unpredictably, where even a simple beast could mutate into something monstrous overnight.

His gaze flickered toward Historias.

The enigma.

Kael still couldn't quite figure him out. Historias acted detached, lazy even, but there was a weight to his presence that Kael couldn't ignore.

Something told him this test was going to be more than just an assessment.

------------

Zephyr stifled a yawn.

"Survival test? Fighting? Stealing points? Now this sounds fun."

Unlike the others, who were meticulously planning, Zephyr was more interested in how much chaos he could stir up.

When he saw their team composition, he couldn't help but grin.

Historias? A lazy elfAdriana? A warrior princess.Kael? An assasinAnd himself? Well, he'd do whatever he felt like.

"Heh. This is gonna be a riot."

-------------------

The murmurs continued, complaints rising about how 'unfair' the teams were.

Zephyr stretched, smirking. "You know, I bet at least one team won't make it back in one piece.", adding fuel to the fire.

The room went silent for a moment.

Adriana rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to scare people."

He just chuckled. "Who said I was joking?"

Zephyr, lounging lazily in his chair, seemed positively amused by the outrage.

"Not our fault you guys weren't lucky enough," he quipped.

The irritated grumbles only grew louder.

Professor Elias, unimpressed by the noise, clapped her hands sharply.

"Enough. Strength alone does not guarantee victory," she said. "You will face environmental hazards, unpredictable scenarios, and more. Do not assume that a strong team will automatically succeed."

The room fell silent, though the undercurrent of tension remained.

Historias sighed internally.

A survival test, combat scenarios, gathering resources, and rival teams?

He could already feel the headache forming.

Can't I just sleep through this?

.......

Leon caught up with Historias as they left the classroom, nudging him lightly with his elbow. "Man, you got lucky," he said with a grin. "Adriana, Kael, and Zephyr? That's practically a dream team."

Historias arched a brow. Luck? If anything, this meant more effort on his part.

"How unfortunate," he murmured. "Now I have expectations placed upon me."

Leon chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're devastated."

They continued down the corridor, talking about the upcoming assessment—Leon mostly speculating about what kind of creatures they'd encounter in Nazara Forest, while Historias simply listened.

Before long, Adriana appeared, her presence commanding attention without effort. She walked over with purpose, arms crossed.

Leon took one look at her and smirked. "Well, I'll leave you be," he said, backing away with an amused wave. "Good luck."

Adriana watched him go before turning to Historias. "We're meeting up later to plan. The library's too crowded, so we'll use the training hall in the West Wing. Be there after classes."

Historias gave a slow nod. "Understood."

"Good." She gave him a small smirk. "Don't be late."

With that, she strode off, leaving Historias to head to his next class.

........

By the time classes ended, Historias made his way toward the West Wing's training hall at a leisurely pace.

When he arrived, the first thing he noticed was that everyone else was already there.

Kael leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Zephyr was sprawled out on one of the benches, looking half-asleep. Adriana stood near the center, inspecting a practice sword on the rack.

As soon as Historias stepped in, Zephyr cracked open an eye and grinned. "You're late."

Historias tilted his head slightly. "I arrived precisely when I intended to."

Adriana scoffed. "Which means you're late."

Kael shook his head with a small sigh. "Let's just get started."

Historias exhaled lightly. Troublesome.

Adriana unfolded a rough map of Nazara Forest onto the table, smoothing it out as the others gathered around. The parchment was marked with various landmarks—rivers, cliffs, dense thickets—along with red markings indicating known monster territories.

"The Nazara Forest lies between the human and demonic domains," she began, tracing a line along the map with her finger. "Which means we'll be dealing with a lot of monsters. Fortunately, nothing too dangerous—mostly F-rank and E-rank threats."

She listed them off:

F-Rank (Minimal Threat): Slimes, Giant Rats, Wild Boars, Small Goblin Tribes.

E-Rank (Minor Threat): Large Wolves, Lesser Undead, Low-Tier Elemental Beasts.

At that moment, Zephyr leaned back against the wall, arms behind his head. "So, what's there to plan? These are all low-level monsters."

Kael nodded slightly. "True, but it's still better to be prepared. Overconfidence leads to mistakes."

Historias glanced at the map, then at Adriana. "Even so," he mused, "there's not much we can strategize. We don't even know which part of the forest we'll be assigned to. The only thing we can do is ensure we have the right supplies."

Adriana sighed. "Fair point."

There was a brief pause before they all came to the same conclusion—most teams would likely avoid them entirely. Their reputation alone meant that if any rival groups saw them, they'd either retreat or refuse to engage.

That didn't mean they could afford to be careless, though.

Supply Assignments & Planning

After discussing the terrain, potential ambush points, and the general weather conditions, they moved on to supplies.

Each person was assigned something to bring:

Adriana → Healing Supplies (bandages, potions, minor antidotes for poison-based creatures like venomous insects or snakes)

Kael → Survival Gear (maps, rope, flint, basic rations, camouflaging materials for cover if needed)

Zephyr → Traps & Tools (throwing daggers, small mana-infused traps, and signal flares for emergencies)

Historias → Magic Enhancements (enchanted items, reinforcement scrolls, mana restoration potions, and anything else that might be useful in unexpected situations)

Once everything was decided,

Adriana folded the map and stretched.

"Alright. That should cover the basics."

Zephyr yawned. "We done? Finally."

Kael checked the time. "We should rest. We'll need to be at full strength when the test starts."

Historias, having lost interest in further discussion, gave a small nod. "Then I shall take my leave."

With that, the group dispersed for the night.

......

Late Afternoon, Vaelthorn Estate, Sylvaris

The golden hues of the setting sun streamed through the towering windows of Vaelthorn Estate, casting shifting patterns of light across the polished marble floor. The grand study remained quiet, save for the occasional crackle of the enchanted fireplace and the rhythmic scratch of a silver quill against parchment.

Seated behind a mahogany desk, Aldren Vaelthorn sifted through various documents, his focus unwavering—until a soft knock at the door.

"Enter."

A butler stepped in, bowing slightly. "My lord, a letter from Castellas Academy has arrived."

Aldren's silver eyes flickered with mild interest as the butler placed the envelope before him. The academy's official wax seal gleamed under the dim light.

His first thought?

"What did he do now ?"

He exhaled quietly, breaking the seal with practiced ease. The parchment unfolded, revealing the neatly written words:

"Guardian Permission Form for Ward Attendance."

Aldren's brow lifted slightly. So, not trouble—just formality.

With a faint smirk, he picked up his quill and, without hesitation, signed his name at the bottom.

The moment the ink settled, the letter shimmered with golden runes—then burst into gentle embers, vanishing into the air.

Aldren leaned back, watching the ashes fade. A self-destructing message, likely enchanted to ensure authenticity.

He let out a quiet chuckle. "Efficient."

His gaze lingered on the empty space where the letter had been before he sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Hopefully, everything goes smoothly..."

A pause.

"I didn't jinx it, right?"

With a resigned shake of his head, he returned to his work, bracing himself for whatever came next.

........

F-Rank (Harmless/Weakest)

Threat Level: Minimal (common folk can handle them) Examples: Slimes, Forest Critters (giant rats, wild boars, goblins in small groups)

🔸 E-Rank (Minor Threat)

Threat Level: Slightly dangerous (trained individuals can handle them) Examples: Large Wolves, Lesser Undead (zombies, skeletons), Low-tier Elemental Beasts

🔸 D-Rank (Moderate Threat)

Threat Level: Dangerous to normal adventurers/soldiers Examples: Ogres, Lesser Demonic Beasts, Strong Undead (ghouls, wraiths), Basilisks

🔸 C-Rank (Serious Threat)

Threat Level: Capable of wiping out villages or elite squads Examples: Wyverns, Alpha Werewolves, Giant Spiders, Chimera, Orc Warlords

🔸 B-Rank (High Threat)

Threat Level: Can destroy towns, require national intervention Examples: Lesser Dragons, Lesser Void Beasts, Ancient Undead Lords, High-Tier Elementals

🔸 A-Rank (Catastrophic Threat)

Threat Level: Can devastate entire cities, requires a nation's best warriors Examples: Greater Void Beasts, Ancient Demons, Mystic Beasts

🔸 S-Rank (World-Class Threat)

Threat Level: Can destroy multiple cities, considered calamities Examples: Archfiends, Dragons, Void Lords, Undead Monarchs