At the break of dawn, a whistling sound echoed through the air.
This sharp noise, resembling the sound of a grass flute or birdsong, broke the still silence of the twilight, produced by the swift motion of a wooden sword cutting through the air.
In a corner of Orario, where the moon had already set but the sun had yet to rise, a slender elf girl wielded a wooden sword almost as tall as she was.
Her movements, swift and sharp, stood in stark contrast to her slender limbs. First, a precise strike from high to low, followed by a rapid upward slash, akin to a sword-drawing technique.
Each time the wooden sword sliced through the air, her light green hair danced in the wind. She was dressed in simple, movement-friendly attire: a short-sleeved top and shorts, with her porcelain-white skin standing out even more under the dim sky.
Even though the tavern began preparations early in the morning, Ryuu had a habit of training with her wooden sword at an even earlier hour, long before the sun rose. Formerly an adventurer, she never neglected her training, even after leaving that life behind.
Not long ago, she had invited a companion from the bar, Anya, a catgirl of similar adventurer level, to train with her.
However, after a few sessions, Anya refused to spar with her again.
"Ryuu, you useless elf! You can't even control your strength—you're too heavy-handed!"
After that scolding from Anya, Ryuu resigned herself to practicing alone.
As for the accusations like, "Ryuu's just jealous that Anya gets to help Shirou train,"
Ryuu does not know what Anya's talking about.
Though she didn't fully understand the purpose of continuing such ambiguous training every day now that she was no longer an adventurer, Ryuu persisted. At the very least, she wanted to keep her body sharp, to ensure she didn't forget the feeling of combat.
"Maybe one day, my limited strength will be of use," she thought. Deep inside, the elven girl harbored this belief.
She wasn't as beautiful as Syr, nor as cute as Anya, and certainly didn't possess the unwavering resolve of Shirou. Now that she had even abandoned her sense of justice, her only remaining value lay in her combat strength.
Ryuu thought this as she unleashed a fierce slash, her movements gradually becoming more fluid and swift.
The elven girl didn't wore any shoes, her pale feet pressed into the soft earth of the courtyard. As a forest elf, Ryuu was uncomfortable with human contact, but found peace in touching natural elements like soil and grass.
As her sword strikes and footwork quickened, a new rhythm emerged.
Without realizing it, Ryuu began to subconsciously imitate the movements of the young boy.
Although there was a vast difference in their abilities, the benefits of their sparring sessions weren't limited to Shirou. Both Ryuu and Anya, who watched daily, were being subtly influenced by him.
Movements, footwork, timing of attacks, breathing rhythm—these excellent adventurers were unconsciously absorbing Shirou's techniques. It seemed almost unbelievable, but the higher level adventurers were indeed growing because of the existence of the lower level one.
Neither Ryuu nor Anya had realized this yet.
"I want to spar with Shirou too." Whenever Ryuu thought about how Anya could help the boy grow while she could only watch helplessly on the sideline, she felt a strong sense of frustration and a painful feeling, as if something important had been stolen from her.
But, due to her clumsiness, all of her attempts had ended with Shirou getting seriously injured.
"Sigh." Suppressing the sadness in her heart, Ryuu headed toward her private room in the building where she was assigned.
It was time to freshen up and change into her uniform.
Today, like any other day, she would be working as a waitress in the tavern.
A new day was about to begin.
The bright sunlight that illuminated Orario beyond the walls brought light and warmth to the city. The dawn's fresh air and radiant sunlight lifted Ryuu's spirits. After all, at least she had found some meaning in her life here.
"For Shirou and Syr, I'll do my best!"
...
"Shirou, are you not going to the Familia or the dungeon today?" A silver-haired human girl approached the boy practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard, handing him a towel.
"No, the goddess said I should balance work and rest. When it's time to work, work hard; when it's time to rest, rest well." Shirou took the towel from her and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Thank you, Syr."
It was the weekend, and though Shirou had planned to spend the entire day practicing forging in the workshop, the goddess had strictly forbidden it.
"On weekends, take a proper rest. Pushing yourself too hard might harm you in the future," the goddess said. She then turned around and scolded Tsubaki, who wanted to take Shirou out for a drink, and the other blacksmiths who tried to gift him coupons for the Entertainment District.
Shirou had also thought about heading to the upper floors of the dungeon, but he realized the goddess was right. It was important to rest sometimes.
"But you're still practicing swordsmanship, Shirou." Syr placed her hands on her hips. "Shouldn't you listen to your goddess and rest properly?"
"To me, this level of training is rest." Shirou was telling the truth. This simple sword practice wasn't tedious for him; rather, it brought him a sense of peace and tranquility.
"Is that so?" Syr tilted her head. Today was her day off, so she wasn't wearing her usual waitress uniform but a cute casual outfit.
She wore a simple white long dress with no decorations, which made her natural charm even more striking. A gentle breeze lifted the hem of her dress slightly, revealing her smooth, ivory calves and white sandals.
Her silver hair was tied into a ponytail, its ends fluttering slightly with her movements. Shirou, unconsciously, stole a couple of extra glances at her fair collarbone.
On her previous days off, Shirou had always been at the Hephaestus Familia workshop forging weapons, so this was the first time he'd seen Syr in this casual outfit.
For some reason, today, Shirou found it difficult to control his gaze around her, as if some irresistible force was pulling him in.
Noticing Shirou's gaze, Syr smiled. Although she was the "leader of the Shirou-Ryuu ship," and she always intended to match the human boy with the elven girl, but she couldn't help but feel happy seeing Shirou act so adorably.
The frustration she felt from the "useless elf's" incompetence, and Shirou's tendency to attract attention from other women, began to fade.
"What a shame. Ryuu is working today," Syr thought.
Ryuu and Anya had their day off two days ago, which just so happened to miss Shirou's rest day.
So, Mama Mia would never allow Ryuu to take a day off, especially after Ryuu accidentally broke one of Mia's favorite vases a few days ago.
After working at the tavern for almost a month, Ryuu's debt had only increased instead of decreasing—truly living up to the name of "useless elf."
But even if she couldn't take a day off, skipping work wasn't out of the question.
Her wages were already in the negative, so losing a little more wouldn't make a difference.
"There is no helping it. That useless elf is too hopeless. For Ryuu's happiness, I'll have to be more proactive." Syr thought as she looked at Shirou.
"Shirou, how about the three of us—Ryuu, you, and me—go on a date?"
———-
(Let's begin our date!(saa, watashitachi no date, hajimemashou)
(Fun fact: Date A Live Spirit are called 精灵 in Chinese which can mean both Spirit and Elf. Shido name in Chinese is 士道 while Shirou is 士郎. Coincidence I think, YES.)
Ivory Maiden Syr
https://danmemo.boom-app.wiki/entry/chara-484
https://danmachi.fandom.com/wiki/Syr_Flova/Image_Gallery?file=Episode_Freya_391.jpg#FC_Light_Novel
https://images.app.goo.gl/ZQTDLXW4BNeUk39WA
https://images.app.goo.gl/P17Jq7mpR3pDexDWA