On the outskirts of Feroa Village, Sona was hunting five Horned Rabbits, F-rank monsters, to complete a quest. After storing them in her magic bag, she returned to the guild. She handed the rabbits to Sarah, who checked them over and confirmed the completion.
"You're taking on more and more quests, aren't you? You're such a hard worker, Sona," Sarah remarked.
"Yes, Ms. Sarah... it's for my sister..." Sona replied.
Curious, Sarah asked about Sona's sister, and Sona explained that Dema would receive a blessing when she turned twelve, but with her birthday just four weeks away, Dema was still eleven. Sona worked hard to earn money for her sister's birthday gift.
Touched, Sarah called Sona a sweet, loving sister. Sona, a little embarrassed, asked her to stop teasing. Sarah chuckled as Sona left, bidding her farewell.
On the way home, Sona accidentally bumped into someone on the road. It was Kasandra, the merchant's daughter.
"Oh, it's you! Sona, right? The one who got an F in the Mana Capacity test?" Kasandra said with a smirk.
Sona nodded, confirming the test result, and Kasandra immediately asked what she was doing in this small town. Sona, confused, replied, "I live here with my sister. I'm just a D-rank adventurer and an ordinary mage. There's nothing special about me. I'm just a commoner, working hard."
Kasandra was taken aback. She hadn't expected Sona to be so humble, especially considering that she could cast multiple spells at once without needing incantations. Realizing Sona wasn't aware of her own potential, Kasandra offered her a deal: "Why don't you become my guard? In exchange, I'll enroll you at the academy."
Kasandra thought this was a brilliant idea. If Sona agreed, she would gain a powerful ally and a useful tool for the future. However, to her surprise, Sona declined the offer.
"I think you should ask someone else, not me," Sona said before walking away, leaving Kasandra in stunned silence.
When Sona arrived home, Dema was outside cleaning. She ran to greet her sister. "Welcome home, big sis! I've already made dinner for us!"
Sona smiled and thanked Dema, and they sat down to enjoy their meal together. Meanwhile, Kasandra's men observed them from a distance.
That night, as Sona stood on the balcony while Dema slept, she thought about Kasandra's strange offer and her sister's upcoming birthday. Suddenly, she noticed a young boy standing on the road below. It was Greg, and Sona recognized him immediately.
She called out to him, "Hey, Greg, long time no see! What are you doing here at midnight? Are you a thief?"
Greg was startled by her sudden approach but quickly handed her Dema's magic necklace. "I forgot to return this to Dema. Can you give it to her and tell her I'm grateful for her help?"
Sona took the necklace and remembered how Dema had used her healing magic to help Greg's grandmother. Dema's healer class allowed her to use holy magic, which consumed mana to heal others. Sona thanked Greg for returning the necklace and apologized for her earlier suspicion.
Greg shyly asked about Dema, and Sona, noticing his interest, mentioned that Dema was asleep. Greg said his farewells and left.
The next morning, Sona was doing chores at the guild with her co-worker, Juragan, when an A-rank adventurer named Zargon caused a commotion. He was arguing with Sarah about extra rewards for his quest, but Sarah explained that no such rewards existed. Angered, Zargon insulted her and called her an "old hag." As the tension escalated, Zargon threw a punch at Sarah, but Sona quickly created a barrier to block the attack, protecting her.
Zargon turned his anger toward Sona, bad-mouthing her. Calmly, Sona explained that Sarah had done nothing wrong and that using force against the receptionist was unjust. Zargon, arrogantly, challenged Sona to a mock battle. Juragan and Sarah tried to stop her, warning her that Zargon was an A-rank adventurer and she was just a D-rank. But Sona, determined, accepted the challenge, declaring, "I must protect my dearest friends!"
Zargon smirked and made a deal: "If I win, you'll become my slave for life." Sona, unfazed, countered, "But if I win, you'll be kicked out of the guild and have your adventurer's license revoked." They agreed on the terms, and the battle began.
In the arena, the adventurers watched as Sona faced Zargon. He was a skilled fighter with body enhancement abilities, making him much stronger and faster than Sona. Zargon rushed at her with lightning speed, landing several hits, but Sona didn't give up. She used her agility to dodge and counterattack. The spectators were impressed by her resilience and quick thinking, including Kasandra, who realized that Sona's battle IQ far exceeded her expectations.
Sona cast several spells, including "Flame II," but Zargon dodged and countered with a devastating kick that sent her flying. Though injured, Sona refused to surrender. She created a barrier to reduce the impact of the blow, and despite her exhaustion, she kept fighting. Zargon continued to taunt her, but Sona's determination only grew stronger.
At one point, Zargon took advantage of an opening and delivered a crushing blow to her stomach, sending Sona flying. He prepared to place a collar around her neck, claiming victory. But just as he approached, Dema arrived, shouting her sister's name.
"Ah, so you have a sister," Zargon said with a sinister grin. "It's good to have both of you. I'll sell her at the auction."
Sona's anger flared, and she suddenly found herself in a vast, clock-filled space, facing an automaton. The machine asked, "If you hold power… what will you do?"
"To protect… their smiles!" Sona declared.
A bell rang, and an ominous energy surrounded her. Back in the arena, Zargon was still taunting her when a sudden explosion rocked the battlefield. Sona, now glowing with a fierce yellow light in her left eye, dashed toward him with incredible speed. She struck him with her wand, knocking him back. Her movements were so swift and precise that Zargon couldn't keep up.
With a powerful series of strikes, Sona incapacitated Zargon. As he flew through the air, Sona cast a level 10 spell, summoning a massive magic circle. "I WILL LIVE THIS AS MY NEW LIFE! TO BECOME STRONGER AND PROTECT THEM! INTERMEDIATE SPELL… DIVINE JUDGEMENT!" she shouted.
A pillar of blue light shot into the sky, blinding everyone in the vicinity, including the spectators. Even those in distant lands saw the explosion. The prince and his knights, watching from the palace, were intrigued by the display of power.
When the light faded, Zargon lay unconscious on the ground, heavily injured but still alive due to his armor. Sona, exhausted from the immense magic she had just used, collapsed. Dema, Sarah, and Juragan rushed to her side. Sarah immediately called for help as Sona's consciousness faded.
When Sona woke up, her injuries were bandaged, and Dema was there, crying and hugging her tightly.
"Big sis!" Dema cried, her voice trembling.
The others, including Greg and Kasandra, were also there, surprising everyone when they revealed they were siblings. Everyone was shocked by the revelation.