“This town is a shithole,” Valeria Drachfell cursed out loud enough for all the surrounding people to hear, her ire drawn to the guards stationed at the western gate of Sylvane. With her rather distinct features, people quickly identified the young noblelady and naturally started whispering amongst themselves.

Despite that, none of them said or did anything against her obvious disrespect against the town, and especially the guards just watched her, but could not muster up more than a frown. None of them dared to draw genuine anger from someone like her. A high-leveled individual, a noble, a hero. All that protected them was a thin shield of politics, and doing anything else could cause the said shield to break.

Valeria still glared at the guards who just had handled their identification and entry fees, while the guards tensed up, their hands tightly wrapped around the handles of their spears. It was like being watched by a predator, and a single wrong move could provoke them to become prey.

Yet, the predator lost all of its ferociousness, when a single petite woman grabbed the red-haired woman’s hand, interlocking their fingers.

“Val, stop it. See, that one’s legs are shaking, he can barely stand,” she pointed at one of the guards, a young man barely out of puberty. He was a level 60 Apprentice Guardsman, but when a mere elf pointed out his trembling legs, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

And then he did what none of the other soldiers dared to do, because they valued their lives, they had families to care for. But the young man, in his foolishness and blinded by pride, glared at the elven woman.

In an instant, a red aura flared from the Hero of Fire, emanating a heat that threatened to melt the young guard in his place. Two blazing eyes stared at him and he felt flames creeping up his arms and legs until he was engulfed in fire.

He did not even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back into his head and he started frothing. The young man, drenched in sweat and with tatted pants, fell to the ground. His reaction was strong, but despite this, the only thing that died as a result was his pride and social image.

More guards rushed to the scene, but despite the clear offense of Lady Drachfell, they did not try to arrest her, and instead just carried away their shamed and broken colleague. The crowd, seeing the display of power, quickly dissipated, the people going on about their business as if nothing happened.

“Val, Val,” Eirwen tapped against her arm, so she looked down to find the petite woman with a pained expression. Quickly, she released her hand, which she had squeezed harder due to focusing her aura on a single person.

“I’m sorry, Ei.”

“Don’t be,” she chuckled, “You did more than enough to make up for it.” She stood on tip-toes as she whispered into Valeria’s ears with a bright smile.

It was an angelic smile, almost innocent, yet everyone had noticed just what had transpired. The elf had enjoyed it.

“You made the poor guy wet his pants in public, Val,” Leon finally spoke up after watching the entire spectacle with glee. Different from his sister, his enjoyment in the suffering of the guard was not hidden behind a mask of innocence. “Though he did deserve it. Why in Nature’s name do these humans still hold a grudge against elves?”

“Don’t you also hate humans?” Valeria asked back flatly as she patted Eirwen’s head.

“I don’t hate them,” he raised his shoulders in a shrug, “I just acknowledge that they have perfected the discrimination game. I mean, they even segregate amongst themselves.”

Leon was not entirely wrong. Humans loved to separate from other species, as well as construct different social classes to separate themselves. As a part of humanity, Valeria could not deny that fact, but she also knew that humans were more complex than that. After all, hate does not just come to be, it’s like a tree. It needs a seed that needs water and time to grow until it sprouts. And although the nature analogy might have intrigued the druid, Valeria was not going to hold an ethics and moral debate in the middle of the street.

Leon always hated the human class system, and Valeria had no intention of defending it. Even she was annoyed at some of its workings, to the degree where she even decided to give up her position of heir and leave her family for good.

If she still had the authority of her family, she could have gotten the guards that offended her pay for even assuming Eirwen to be a slave, for treating Leon like garbage for being a ‘half-blood’. But now? There was no way the Kepler family, a prime perpetrator of the Arwen Genocide, would bother with the complaints regarding an elf. If she tried bringing it to his attention, chances were higher he would make a mess out of things.

Honestly, Valeria was quite surprised when she arrived in this town because the common people did not seem to mind the presence of the elf by her side. Most of their attention was focused on Valeria and Gerd, due to their renown in the kingdom.

It was just the ones affiliated with the Kepler estate that thought less of her and her half-brother. She was also quite sure that there were one or two slave traders to be found in this town. One of the reasons why Valeria was so on edge when people stared at Eirwen.

And while she did not need to worry for the same reasons about him, she still didn’t wish Leon to meet any kind of hate just because of his heritage. People like Kepler had little respect for a man born out of the love between a human and a race people like him considered ‘cattle’.

Commoners tended to have a far shorter memory of such grudges, and as such, most of them only saw and glanced at Valeria or the Iron Wolf. The only gazes Eirwen drew upon herself were those of young men whose hormones were going wild upon seeing an elven beauty like her. Valeria shut most of them down with a glare of her own, but it wasn’t like she was expecting any of them to do anything especially not after her short display of power.

Finally, after the four had decided to not stay in this place for any longer, they started moving along the western street, which led in a straight line from the western gate to the town square.

“So, what are we doing?” Valeria asked as they navigated through the crowd, passing adventurer parties coming back from or heading out for a quest, vendors who sold rations, important items, and other products adventurers required.

“I will head for the guild, collect our reward, and handle all the paperwork. Gerd will restock potions and rations for our next mission,” he pointed at the tall man in armor, who nodded curtly in reply. “Since none of us need either of you, you can do whatever you want. Maybe look for a place to stay?” He looked at his sister, who was still walking hand-in-hand with the human woman, smiling as brightly as she did when the two were still kids and playing together. Then his eyes wandered to Valeria.

“We will do that. Finding a place to stay, I mean,” the Hero of Fire replied confidently. Leon eyed the suspicious grin on her lips and considered her words for a moment. He could roughly guess what the woman had in mind.

“Alright, then let’s split. I wanted to check out a herbalist on my way,” as Leon spoke, Gerd headed for one of the many stalls around.

The other three learned not to mind his lack of manners, too much and did not let the disappearance of their party member interrupt their conversation.

“You are buying seeds again? You need money?” Valeria asked casually, but Leon reacted with a frown and said nothing before turning around and leaving.

“Why do the two of you always bicker about money?” Eirwen sighed, gazing up at the taller, red-haired woman.

Valeria put her free hand to her chin. “He’s a good brother,” she replied, not saying any more than this. It was an honest evaluation of Leon, even if his pride sometimes got in the way of receiving help.

“I know that, but now answer my question,” the elf woman urged but was ignored.

“After that request, we need a warm bath, a good meal, and a fluffy bed, don’t you agree?”

Eirwen pouted but did not deny that she wanted these things, too. After two weeks of wilderness, she had earned herself some indulgence.

As they got closer to the heart of the town, the bustling sounds of activity grew louder, and the already broad street widened even further until it opened into the spacious city square. It was surrounded by a medley of buildings, one of which they were very familiar with The Guild’s building.

The ground was paved even, and in the middle of the square stood a large beautiful fountain. Just looking at the city and its citizens, one really couldn’t tell that its lord was a mass murderer.

Valeria led Eirwen across the center and towards the eastern road, which surprised Eirwen. Since this town had its palace, there probably was a noble district surrounding it. It was a part of the town which would have heavily restricted entry and high security, and more importantly, it was exclusive to nobles.

That was why Eirwen, not only a commoner but also an elf, just did not expect her companion to take her toward the said district. Even if she was a former noble, by human society’s rules, she should not be allowed entry.

One could easily tell where a noble district started, since not only was there a literal border, guarded by numerous armed soldiers in full suits of armor. Because of the heavy tight security, the amount of people on the street would also shrink the closer you got to it.

Eirwen eyed the border of the noble district—a set of walls that was by far smaller than the town’s outer wall and looked more like a big fence.

She never understood humanity’s fixation on social segregation and class systems solely based on the blood you were born with. There were no differences between commoners and nobles at birth, yet they created a system that would elevate the one above the other.

As they drew nearer and the guards detected an elf, they quickly turned hostile, but a brief flare of a certain fiery person’s aura quickly put them in their place.

Eirwen heard Valeria click her tongue. “They never learn.” Her voice was filled with frustration and disdain as she glared at the highest-leveled guard, forcing him to open the gate that led into the noble district.

There was something in this and the last incident that none except Eirwen, Valeria, Leon, and Gerd were aware of. Valeria showering humans in bloodlust was not because she could not handle her emotions, and she did not even want the worst for the guards, after all, this was how they were raised and trained.

What they were unaware of though, was that it was Valeria who protected them. Because if she did not put them in their place, then they might provoke Eirwen. And while the petite woman was a bundle of smiles and positivity, she was a High Elf with an even higher level than Valeria herself.

Valeria herself had no love for these guards, but she at least had enough of a conscience to not take away the fathers, sons, or husbands of innocent people.

Well, for people of their level, identifying one of the High Races was an impossible task, so she could not fault them for mistaking her for an ordinary human or Eirwen for an ordinary elf.

After crossing into the noble district, the atmosphere of the town changed drastically. Gone were the chatter, banter, and laughter, replaced by a refined air of calm and quiet. There were barely any people walking about and the building changed, too.

No longer were there simple houses or shops, now there stood one great mansion beside the next, each with a garden that could have fit two or three commoner houses.

Valeria kept guiding her, passing fancy carriages, fancy people, and fancy horses. Everything in this place was fancy, refined, and aesthetic. Everything was filled with a noble spirit of sorts.

As they were about halfway to the palace, Valeria came to a halt before a single mansion that was bigger than the other ones she had seen, with a garden wide enough to fit an entire other mansion. No adventurer below the highest rank would even be able to dream of affording something like this. That being said, Valeria wasn’t your average adventurer.

“And this mansion is?” Eirwen asked, admiring the beauty of the garden.

Valeria glanced over the mansion’s premises before jumping over the gate, landing on the other side without making a noise despite her heavy armor.

Eirwen followed that example, jumping over in a somersault and acing her landing like a master. She briefly bowed jokingly, earning a scoff from Valeria.

“Nobles tend to have mansions in major cities like these. Although they rarely get to use them. This mansion belongs to House Drachfell. It is also the house I was gifted when I was announced the heir, so technically it is mine.”

“Even though you are not the heir anymore?”

Valeria shrugged. “I doubt my old man will sue me for it.”

Approaching the entrance, a wooden door adorned with an emblem came into sight. Eirwen recognized it to be the same engraved into the handle of Valeria’s sword whip. The skull of a wyvern with serrated teeth, and a blazing blade thrust right through it—the Drachfell crest. It was surrounded by flames, symbolizing the family’s connection to fire.

Valeria pressed her hand against the door, shut her eyes, and drew in a long, deep breath.

As she breathed out, her breath emitted steam and the flames etched into the door lit ablaze, giving the illusion of an actual fire, but it lacked the heat to be real. When all the flames on the door were burning, they extinguished in an instant, and the door swung open.

“What was that?” Eirwen inquired about the spectacle she had just witnessed. It was rare to find such mechanisms so openly in a simple human mansion.

“A fancy spell for a fancy mansion. On a serious note, there was a time when someone raided one of our mansions in the past, so we added some extra protective measures,” Valeria answered and stepped over the threshold of the magical door.

Contrasting with the ornate exterior, the inside was less flashy but still held up the standards for a noble mansion. The floor was made from dark brown wood. Eirwen recognized it as Blackspruce from the far north of the continent. It boasted high resistance to both high and low temperatures, which was fitting considering the Drachfell’s relation to both fire and ice.

The walls, too, had been made of the same material, but they additionally had been carved along the edges in a way befitting a noble mansion. There were four hallways, two to the left and right each and two straight ahead at the sides of a staircase that led up to the second floor.

The main hall was dark, since curtains blocked the windows, so to bring some light into the mansion, Valeria flicked her fingers and lit the candles of the silver chandelier above them.

“There are no servants?” Eirwen noticed that the mansion was well taken care of, despite there being no staff around. She knew humans employed servants to do housework for them, and considering the size of this mansion, she was surprised to find none at all.

“We don’t need them. I will explain later.” She stretched. “For now, let’s just relax and enjoy.”

Valeria gestured for Eirwen to follow her as she ascended the stairs. On the second floor, a balcony unfurled along the walls on the left and right, leaving only the wall above the entrance inaccessible, but instead, there hung a large painting of a man who looked strangely familiar to Eirwen.

When she looked at Valeria, she noticed it was because the man resembled Valeria. Valeria was a beautiful woman, but if her features were only slightly more masculine, and her hair grew a little longer, then differentiating the two would become nigh impossible.

Due to the striking resemblance, Eirwen could not hold back her curiosity. “Who’s that?”

Valeria followed her gaze. “Siegfried Drachfell. Founder of House Drachfell, High Human, and the Original Hero of Fire.”

Eirwen noticed the lack of… respect in Valeria’s voice. It was not uncommon for people to respect or idolize famous or powerful ancestors, especially if he was the first to carry the title ‘Hero of Fire’, the same title Valeria carries now.

The two kept inspecting the portrait for a while before Valeria finally turned away. “Alright, let’s take a bath. We have some time before Leon and Gerd find us here, so we should use it the best we can.” She walked into the hallway leading straight ahead.

Hearing this, Eirwen, too, broke her gaze away from the painting and followed behind Valeria with a bright smile.

The next morning, Valeria woke up in the giant bed of the master bedroom, Eirwen still in her arms when she felt a few presences outside the mansion. Since there were over fifty, she was sure it was neither Leon nor Gerd. 

Wondering what was going on, she carefully unwrapped Eirwen from her embrace, grabbed her underwear, pants, and shirt, and threw them on. She did not take her armor, but just in case picked up her weapon.

On her way into the main hall, she suddenly heard a loud voice.

“VALERIA DRACHFELL! COUNT KEPLER ORDERS YOU TO COME OUT OF YOUR MANSION! BE WARNED! DO NOT DISOBEY OR WE WILL TAKE ACTION!”

It seemed like a vermin had interrupted her pleasant morning with Eirwen and Valeria could not say that she was pleased, but if he wanted to speak with her, she would gladly follow along.

Let’s see how loud the dog will bark before a lion.

Thanks for reading^^

 

Some things regarding this chapter(not really important, but I could see some people raising an eyebrow in this one):

1. Originally, this chapter did not exist, but due to a recent idea, I have changed the story a little, so this whole Valeria/Eirwen side plot will become quite important (as one can suspect from the end of the chapter)

1.5 I left out precise levels for Valeria and Eirwen on purpose. I also kept information regarding High Races vague, since I want to introduce important concepts in the MC POV chapters. 

2. I planned to make this a side story at first, so not very relevant to the story, but changed my mind, still some might not find the interaction between new characters that enjoyable. 

3. To not break through the atmosphere of this side arc, the next chapter will be another side chap concluding this three chap arc for now. After that comes the next main chap. 

4. I found out that I am not good at describing buildings, I will work on that.

5. This chap as very, very faint romance touches, mainly because I wanted to try out how it felt to write. I have no plans to turn this into a romance story. Also, yes Eirwen and Valeria are in fact lesbian. I don't think it will bother anyone in 2023. No Main Character GL or Romance in general planned at the moment (a lie). 

6. I love writing dialogue, even though I am bad at it, but I feel like it is getting better. 

7. Also yes, I compared hate to trees. I know, I'm a poet. TwT

If you read all of this: Thanks for reading... again^^