Eldric Athame.
With short hair styled in an undercut fade and a spider bite lip piercing, Eldric Athame exudes a unique aura. A dragon tattoo adorns his neck, adding to his distinctive look. He dresses simply in a white polo shirt and long black pants, with a pair of daggers strapped to his back.
Standing at 174cm, the same height as me, Eldric has the air of a movie-style mafia gang member – an intriguing blend of danger and approachability. His friendly Australian accent and tone soften his otherwise intimidating appearance.
"The others are in the training hall," Eldric said, glancing towards the door leading to the training hall.
"Could you introduce me to them?" I asked, curious about the rest of the squad.
Eldric hesitated, scratching his cheek. "I can't do that, but I can tell you about them."
"That'll do," I replied, nodding my head.
Taking a deep breath, Eldric began. "Besides me, there are seven others."
"First is our captain, Seraphina Durendal."
She's Commander Natalia's younger sister. Cold and ruthless, Seraphina shows no mercy to her foes. She doesn't speak much within the squad, but beneath her icy exterior lies a kind heart.
She is one of the team's main attackers. Although her class is a swordsman, When she draws her blade, it becomes invisible, slicing through everything before her.
Her technique involves channeling all her strength into the sword's handle, resulting in a swift, powerful strike. These strikes are enhanced by her Path, making her strikes faster than sound.
As she advances in rank, her sword strikes become even faster. Initially, when she started, her strikes were still visible to the naked eye, though one needed a very high perception to see them.
However, now even if she faces someone who is two sub-ranks higher, her sword remains invisible to the naked eye of her target.
This makes her a deadly opponent, as she is one of the strongest within the squad.
"Mhmm, I see," I mumbled as I placed my hands on my chin.
Eldric smirked at the thought of what he was about to say.
"Oh, she is also stunning," he added.
"Many students at the academy have tried to hit on her, and.."
"Not interested." I interrupted, as I gazed at Eldric with dead eyes. As someone who had already graduated from university, I had no interest in a teenager who wasn't even 18 yet.
"You'll be, once you see her," Eldric chuckled to himself.
I stared at him, waiting for him to continue providing information about the squad members. After he finished laughing to himself, Eldric composed himself and continued.
"Anyway, the next member is..."
Valeria Skadi.
She is the only archer within the squad and also one of the members in the rear. With the support of her icy arrows, the squad members can find more openings on the target they are attacking.
These icy arrows can penetrate metals as strong as iron. Not only that, but the icy arrows also induce hypothermia, slowing down enemies and sometimes freezing them in place due to the ice energy infused within the arrows.
When the icy arrow penetrates a target's body, it releases icy energy within the target's body, paralyzing the nervous system. As the energy disrupts the flow of blood through the nervous system.
Although everything around her relates to ice, her personality isn't as cold as Seraphine's. Instead, she is one of the more active members of the squad, as she is always cheerful. a stark contrast with Seraphina's coldness.
"However, the bad thing about her is..." Eldric looked around, seeing it was just Scarlet, who sat on the couch sipping tea.
Eldric leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "She is a sadist."
I looked at him puzzlingly. "Uhh, how bad is it?"
"Emm, let's say if you get on her bad side, she will always try to find ways to annoy you or maybe even kill you," Eldric replied, shuddering to himself at the thought of being chased by Valeria.
"Mhmm, I guess I'll avoid provoking her then." I nodded, mentally noting not to make Valeria angry. The last thing I needed was a sadistic ice archer out for my blood.
The next member is, Moren Laevatein.
Eldric paused for a moment as his face took on an evident weird expression. "Emm, let's say that Moren is one of the more...peculiar members of the squad."
He seemed unsure of how to describe this next person. I braced myself, wondering what was peculiar about related to him.
Eldric coughed to himself, clearly hesitant about what he was about to say. "Anyway.."
Moren is a dual-long sword user, always moving with an air of elegance that belies his quiet nature.
He's the type to stand apart, observing rather than engaging, his chill demeanor a stark contrast to the squad's more boisterous members.
Yet, there's an enigmatic twist to Moren. When he dons his mask, it's as if he sheds his skin. The elegant swordsman is replaced by a figure of pure, unbridled ferocity.
His swords, extensions of his will, dance in a berserk frenzy, each movement a testament to his transformed persona. It's a startling shift that has earned him a mix of wariness and respect among the squad.
Eldric's expression grew serious as he recounted this. "When that mask is on, the man you knew as Moren is gone."
"In his place, a warrior of wild instincts takes over, turning him into a whirlwind of destruction on the battlefield."
I nodded, intrigued by the duality of this warrior.
"Moren Laevatein," I mumbled to myself, His complexity was a puzzle I found myself eager to solve.
"Next up is Alissa Caduceus," Eldric continued.
She is the embodiment of kindness within the squad. As the squad's priestess, her eyes are perpetually veiled by a blindfold, keeping the secrets of her sight guarded and undisclosed.
Despite appearing visually impaired, Alissa moves with a certainty that defies her covered eyes, as if the blindfold enhances rather than hinders her perception.
As the team's healer, she plays a pivotal role stationed at the strategic rear of our formation. There, she deftly manages the vital energies of our team.
Eldric's tone took on a hushed reverence when mentioning Alissa. "She's the core of the squad, always ready to heal and support the team from the rear."
I nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging the depth and complexity of Alissa's character.
'So she is like those saintly figures often depicted in novels,' I thought to myself.
Before Eldric could continue our discussion, I heard a rhythmic cracking sound emerging near the training hall.
-Takk.
-Takk.
I cast a glance toward the nearby sound and saw two figures emerging from the training hall.
A tall, muscular man with a shield strapped to his back caught my eye first. He wears a long black winter coat over a white shirt, a pair of black pants, and white sports shoes.
What made him stand out was the aura of confidence and resolve that emanated from him. I tried to get a better look at his face but his features were obscured by the hood covering his head, adding an air of mystery.
Beside him was a small girl who looked no older than elementary school age.
Startled, I leaned into Eldric's ear and whispered, "Is she part of the squad? She looks so young."
Eldric coughed, nearly choking. "You mean Aziza?" he sputtered.
"Is that her name?" I asked.
Eldric nodded. "Uhh, let's discuss it later," he replied evasively.
Confused by his reaction, I simply nodded in response.
"Eldric, are you hunting with us today?" The tall man called out from afar.
"Yeah, come on over!" Eldric shouted back.
The two figures glanced at each other briefly before making their way toward us.
...
I still couldn't see the man's face before me. It seemed as though his hood completely hid his appearance.
Shaking my head, I glanced over to the little girl beside him.
The girl had long black hair with bangs covering her eyes. Around her white, milky neck hung a blue crystal pendant. She wore a short black dress decorated with butterfly designs, showing her exposed slender white legs in high heels.
Although she looked to be around 165cm tall, her body made her seem like a beauty.
Even though her hair bangs somewhat obscured her face, if she pushed them back, she had the looks to rival top models from my previous world.
Her features were striking, with full lips and delicate features. Sadly, the bangs cast a shadow that prevented her true beauty from shining through.
"Lucian, Aziza!" Eldric exclaimed.
"Let me introduce you to Robin," Eldirc spoke as he cast a glance at me. which I nodded in response.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Robin."
"I am the team's strategist," I added, observing the two individuals before me.
The two of them looked confused for a moment before replying.
"Hello, my name is Lucian Aegis," Lucian stated.
"I am the tanker of the team," he finished, looking over at the little girl beside him.
Aziza kept her silence as she stared at me for a minute.
"Aziza," she replied softly.
"..."
An awkward silence fell over the group of four. I scratched my face, unsure of how to respond.
-Cough..
-Cough..
Clearing his throat, Eldric caught our attention. "Where are the others, Aren't they supposed to be in the training grounds?" he asked to Lucian and Aziza.
"The rest are still in the training grounds," Lucian replied, while Aziza continued to stare at me.
"Anyway, Eldric."
"Are you coming with us?" Lucian asked once again, Eldric, However, looked at me with a sly smile on his face, before placing his hands on my shoulders.
"Robin is also coming with us."
"..." I was speechless for a moment, as my dead-pan eyes glared at Eldirc, which he chuckled in response.
I was about to refuse of the offer before Scarlet spoke, which caught our attention.
"Robin, you're the strategist."
"You need to know, how the team fights an opponent."
"But..." I tried to refute it, but Scarlet's piercing black eyes bore into me with intense pressure.
-Sigh..
Taking a deep breath in, I sighed and relented. "Fine, but you'll teach me later."
Scarlet nodded in return and continued sipping her tea while reading the papers.
"Uh, when did the leader come back?" Lucian asked as he finally realized that Scarlet was within the meeting hall. Meanwhile, Aziza finally shifted her gaze away and stared at Scarlet.
"Leader," Aziza spoke.
Scarlet sighed, rubbing her temples. "I know your concerns, Aziza."
"Robin is a skilled strategist, which is why I added him to the squad. You'll see his capabilities when you're hunting together."
Aziza remained silent before nodding her head and giving me a once-over look from head to toe.
"Pass," she said softly, indicating her tentative approval. Her guard seemed to lower slightly.
Lucian placed his hands on his chin as he nodded at Scarlet's response in return. "Although your rank is a little bit low, I'll need to test your capabilities later on."
I replied with a smile in return. "I'll be in your care then."
The two individuals nodded before we made our way out and leave the building.