Pillar of Yita

Outside the wooden window lattice, verdant vines and leaves hung, and in the distance lay a lake bay, framed by forests. Closer by, a street was lined with southern-style wooden and stone buildings.

But the scenery here was somewhat better; through the woods, one could even see the shimmering surface of the lake, a pier stretching into the water with people fishing on it—both Natives and Invokers.

The girl finally turned back, dressed in a tight dark leather armor that outlined an almost perfect figure—except for her somewhat flat chest. She toyed with a silver dagger at her fingertips, looked across the wooden table, and spoke:

”So, isn’t it beautiful here?”

Opposite her sat an elf girl with hair like bluish frost, wearing a moon-white mage robe, holding an oak magic guided wand, looking at her a bit sulkily.

”I ask you, is this fun?”

”What’s wrong?”

”Do I have to compliment that you’re good-looking?”

The black-haired girl smiled slightly: ”You could, you know.”

Frost Sky gritted her teeth: ”Handwasher, cut it out.”

”Alright, alright, Little Frost, we’re here on serious business,” the black-haired girl glanced around, her eyes curving as she replied: ”I’m just in disguise, see? Nobody recognizes us around here.”

”No one would recognize you even without makeup.”

”Hey, am I that unpopular? I’m at least a star player, right?”

Frost Sky took a deep breath and sighed: ”Isn’t it because you’re always like this in public? Do you think anyone would recognize your true appearance?”

The black-haired girl smiled, revealing little sharp teeth: ”Not necessarily, you know, I know a little guy who’s seen my true form. Haha, I bemused him, you know how adorable he was?”

The girl with bluish frost short hair rolled her eyes, deciding never to discuss such topics with this lunatic again.

She sighed before changing the subject: ”So, where do you plan to start the investigation?”

”We’ve already started investigating, haven’t we?”

”Hand—washer, you—jerk!”

”Wait, wait,” the black-haired girl quickly raised her hands, turning around to see the curious glances their conflict had drawn from the tavern patrons—which was small, yet crowded: ”I’m serious, don’t you want to hear my analysis?”

Frost Sky restrained the urge to smash her magic guided wand on the girl’s face, coldly glaring at her.

”You wouldn’t know, Little Frost—”

”Wait, wait, I’m talking business, don’t act rash,” the black-haired girl saw her companion raising the wand and quickly changed her tone: ”Do you know the last place Quicksand appeared?”

Frost Sky rolled her eyes again: ”Please don’t waste my time, of course it’s here, why else are we here?”

But the black-haired girl shook her head: ”I don’t mean the last, I mean before that.”

”You—said—the—last.”

The girl with bluish frost short hair gripped her magic guided wand tightly, a pseudo dragon pet climbing from her backpack, sensing its owner’s anger, unfurling its wings and hissing at the black-haired girl.

”Okay, okay, my mistake, I now mean before that.”

Upon hearing this, Frost Sky frowned slightly but then shook her head.

The black-haired girl finally answered somewhat seriously: ”Quicksand went to Nevade.”

”Nevade?” Frost Sky was slightly startled: ”What was he doing there?”

”I’ve actually been there too and even saw him.”

”What?”

”Don’t look at me like that,” the black-haired girl hurriedly explained, ”This has nothing to do with me, and besides, I’m not the only one going to that place; Odin, Nether, September, and that Silver Weslan guy, they’re all there.”

Frost Sky listened to these names and couldn’t help but show a look of surprise.

After all, these names aren’t ordinary at all; each one alone is a figure renowned in the Third District, but how did they come together? Like the person in front of him, considered one of the more leisurely top Invokers, but that’s just the public’s perception, not the truth.

In reality, they’re always running between various missions and information trades, rarely having personal time. For them to take time out to gather together, something significant must be happening.

But the black-haired girl shook her head, ”It’s not as big as you think, just a gathering, to give Odin a favor. He asked us to teach a little guy, the one I mentioned to you earlier, he’s adorable, always blushing. By the way, I’ll introduce him to you when there’s a chance—”

”Handwasher,” Frost Sky glared at the other, ”Could you not use that tone about a guy, it’s disgusting, plus, seriously, I’m not interested in those things.”

Though she said that, she was actually somewhat curious about the newcomer Odin valued, since teaching by so many big shots isn’t a trivial matter.

”Alright, alright,” the black-haired girl said with a chuckle, carelessly, ”You’re not interested, I won’t talk about it then. Quicksand also accepted Odin’s invitation, he stayed there for over half a week before saying goodbye to us.”

”He said he had a meeting to handle, destination is the White City,” she glanced around, lowered her voice and said, ”I secretly asked who he was meeting, but he wouldn’t say, although I found out that the meeting place is in this tavern.”

”He told you the meeting place?” Frost Sky was very skeptical.

”Of course not for free,” the black-haired girl answered, ”I’m an information dealer, he has to at least give me a favor.”

”Right here?”

”More precisely, it’s where you’re sitting.”

Frost Sky was startled, almost stood up from her seat, but after calming down, she couldn’t help but look somewhat angrily at the other, ”Handwasher, do you think our target isn’t flashy enough?”

”What?” The black-haired girl was quite puzzled, ”We’re supposed to investigate the other party’s whereabouts, they’ve disappeared after reaching the White City, there has to be a trace, right? The Guild also has no information, we have to carry out the commissioner’s commission, starting from here, obviously.”

”So, can you pick a less noticeable seat?”

”Well... I hadn’t thought of that.”

Frost Sky felt somewhat powerless regarding her partner’s personality, but at least understood her business prowess was first-rate, she sighed and said, ”Alright then, did you find anything?”

”There are a few things.”

”Like what?”

The black-haired girl’s face showed a very mysterious air, looking around.

Then she got up from her seat, moved closer to her friend, and whispered, ”Frost Sky, your bust seems to have shrunk?”

’Bang’ a loud noise, all the guests in the tavern turned their heads involuntarily, just in time to see the short-haired blue-haired girl violently use a Magic Guided Wand to knock the graceful black-haired girl off her chair.

The other party turned back wrathfully and looked at them, angrily said, ”What are you looking at? Haven’t seen this before?”

The frightened guests quickly turned away.

Only then did the girl drag her half-dead companion out.

But not long after the two left, someone stood up from his seat, settled the bill, and quickly walked out.

It was a tall and skinny elf, but the biggest difference from Ordinary Elves was the indigo pattern painted on each side of his cheeks—typical of a Sea Clan, a descendant of Nagas, a lineage now quite rare in Eteliria.

Scholars even claim that the original Sea Clan has ceased to exist after the Giant War, but since Invokers have emerged, this group has been resurrected. Because Invokers discover, after enough filtering, they can choose Sea Clan heritage.

However, compared to other races, this lineage doesn’t offer special advantages, so usually no one bothers with it.

The Sea Clan member looked around after leaving the tavern, just in time to see Frost Sky dragging the black-haired girl turning into a nearby alley.

Seeing this, he pondered slightly and immediately pulled his collar, quickly followed.

...