In the midst of the "Forest of No Return", A woman wearing a robe indicating that she was a Spell Caster was gazing at the sight of an endless number of dead monsters and destroyed trees. Some monsters were cut in half and others have their head severed. While the trees have marks of being sliced apart. Looking at how it all ended up, it means this was done by someone using a sharp weapon. And the woman happened to know who caused all of this since it was the woman herself who sent the person in the forest.
"What a mess. Didn't I tell her to not destroy the trees?"
The woman continues to follow the trail to find the person herself.
Meanwhile, at the end of the line of dead monsters and wrecked trees, A girl holding a wooden sword was sitting on top of a tree, seemingly taking a break from her usual sword training.
"Phew! I killed a lot again today. I feel like the monsters are getting weaker and weaker lately, I think we should find a new training ground."
Chilling on top of the tree, she heard the voice of the woman echoing throughout the forest as it calls the name of the girl who had the wooden sword.
"Christa! Hey, Christa! Come on out!"
"It's her!"
Suddenly, Christa came up with an idea.
"Oh! Someone stronger than monsters! Perfect timing!"
Christa had found a stronger target than the monsters in the forest, and so she decided to hide on the trees and wait for the chance to ambush the woman.
A moment has passed since then, the woman in a robe finally reached the end of the trail of dead monsters, but there's no sign of the girl she's looking for.
"Christa?! Where did that idiot go?"
In a quick second, Christa, who was hiding behind the tree found an opening and went for a surprise attack. But before she could even get near the woman, the woman casts a spell.
"Time Stop!"
Christa stopped in mid-air the instant the woman cast her spell. Not just Christa, but everything around her froze in time.
"You sure have guts trying to ambush me."
The woman summoned her staff from the ground.
"Even if Spell Casters are weak against Swordsmen if you're not fast enough, you are inferior to us!"
The Spell Caster raised her staff as she casts another spell against the frozen Christa.
"Gravity Ball!"
The staff formed a dark ball of gravity and she shoots the sphere towards Christa. However, the ball of gravity just went passed through Christa's body as it slowly fades away like smoke.
"What? Afterimage?!"
The woman dispelled the Time Stop and everything started moving again. The woman stands at the same spot as she waits for Christa to show up.
Then, Christa appeared behind the Spell Caster once again. Having noticed Christa, the Spell Caster tried to hit her with the staff. But Christa used another Afterimage to dodge the staff. And on top of the woman, the real Christa finally appeared and went on the attack.
"It's over!"
Christa swings her wooden sword strong enough to blow the wind. But instead of hitting the woman, Christa hits the ground.
"Eh? She disappeared?!"
Christa faced upward as the Spell Caster did the same trick Christa do. She appeared on top, and with her staff, she hits Christa's face and sends her to the ground.
"It's over!"
The Spell Caster laughs as she triumphs on her Afterimage duel against Christa. Meanwhile, Christa suffers in pain after getting hit in the face.
"It hurts! Why did you put so much force on that hit, Auntgelika?!"
"Wha?! Did you just put auntie and my name together?! Also, you shouldn't talk like that to someone you just tried to ambush! If it was someone else, they would have killed you!"
"But it was you who I ambushed anyway, so it's fine!"
Christa laughed, making the woman irritated. Also, her name is Angelika.
"Eh... Do you want me to kill you?"
A dark aura of death surrounds Angelika as she prepares her staff to hit Christa again if she ever says yes. Christa felt Angelika's anger rising and so she apologized.
"I'm very sorry. If someone hit me in the face, I'll kill them next time."
Angelika's malicious aura disappeared as well as the staff she brought out.
"If someone ever kills you, you'll come back eventually anyway."
"Eh?"
Christa faintly heard Angelika's mumble, getting her a bit worked up. Trying to avoid Christa from asking her what she whispered, she told Christa why she came calling her.
"O-oh, right! I came here because I want to tell you something important."
"Huh, important? What is it?"
Angelika sighed out of relief as she avoided something she doesn't want to tell Christa. After that, she told Christa what the important thing she wanted Christa to know.
"End of training?"
Angelika nodded, affirming what Christa asked.
"Yes."
A scene of what happened in the past ten years began flashing back on Angelika.
"Aunt Angelika, look!"
"What?! You already learned how to make an energy ball?!"
"Aunt Angelika, look!"
"The wooden sword is flowing with energy?!"
"Cool, isn't it?"
Christa learned how to use her energy to create an energy ball, and she also learned how to make her energy flow towards the weapon she uses. She learned how to do it at the age of 5.
"Wha?! Hey!! Stop destroying trees, will you?!"
"It's fine! You can turn them back anyway! Hahaha!"
"You!!"
After turning 6, Angelika sent Christa to the "Forest of No Return", the forest that no people have ever tried entering due to it being the home of dangerous monsters like wolves, goblins, orcs, and other creatures. After two years, the forest that a man feared became a playground to an 8-year-old girl.
"Are you ready, Aunt Angelika?"
"Whenever you are!"
"Then, let's go!"
Another few years have passed and Christa is finally 12 years old, she and Angelika started dueling as part of Christa's daily training.
"Ten years have passed since then, Christa, you finally become a strong and an excellent swordsman. I can't believe how fast your progress is, I'm proud of you."
Christa smiled.
"So that finally ends my training, huh? What do we do now?"
"Actually..."
Angelika seemed to have one more important thing to tell Christa.
"What's the matter?"
A few moments after their talk.
"Aunt Angelika, you're going somewhere?"
"Yes. There's this request for me in a place far away from here."
"Request?"
"Yes. The reward is so incredible that I couldn't just say no."
Angelika is known as a genius Spell Caster who fought a great evil alongside eleven other people to save the world from the brink of destruction. With her mastery in magic that surpasses other Spell Casters, her beauty, and her dignity, the people began referring to her as the "Majesty".
At least that's what she told Christa. Right now, she's an old Spell Caster whose in her 50s who looked suspiciously young due to her magic that she used to make herself look like she's just Christa's older sister in her 30s.
"I see. I guess it can't be helped. You're still an adventurer after all... An old-"
Angelika glared at Christa with her eyes terrifying enough to stop Christa from what she was about to say.
"A-anyway, when are you going to leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, right when the sun comes up."
"I see."
Christa stood up from the ground, removing the dirt from her clothes.
"I'm sorry, Christa. I know you've become strong but this request is far more dangerous than staying in this forest and killing monsters every day."
"It's fine, I understand."
Angelika and Christa were not really blood-related. Ten years ago, a tragedy caused Christa's family to lose their lives. After a few days of endlessly roaming in the middle of nowhere, Christa met a woman called Angelika. Angelika took care of the young Christa and they started living together since then.
Seeing Christa talked calmly even after telling her that someone is about to leave her side again, Angelika began to wonder. Is telling Christa about it really necessary? Concern to what might happen to Christa, Angelika decided to make a promise.
"Christa, when I'm done, I will come back. I promise!"
Christa's usually calm face was replaced with relief and happiness.
"I see! Then, I'll be looking forward to it, Aunt Angelika!"
Angelika's anxiousness was replaced with relief. Now, she doesn't have to feel worried when she leaves. Then, Angelika came up with an idea.
"I see! How about this? If you're looking forward to my return, then I should have to look forward to something when I return, right?"
"Oh, that's right I guess? Then, what do you want to see when you return?"
"Let's see... I want you... To be stronger than you are now when I return!"
"Stronger, huh? I don't really know why you want me to become even stronger but, how do I even become stronger than I am now? I just finished training and all the monsters in this forest became too weak to even make me sweat!"
Having said that, keeping Christa's training in the Forest of No Return is no longer an option. And so, Angelika thought of an idea for Christa's new training ground.
"If that's the case, you should go to the Reilaea Kingdom!"
"Reilaea? Are there strong people like us in there?"
"I don't know."
Angelika shrugged.
"Eh? Are you sure it's a good idea to go there?"
Christa began to doubt Angelika.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll meet someone strong eventually. But for now, going to the Kingdom will be the best option."
Christa's training in the Forest of No Return had finally ended. But in order to fulfill Angelika's wish when she returns, the best and only option they have is to send Christa to the Reilaea Kingdom. And so, the day after, they began to part ways.