"Meet Reminiscence, an elven sorceress blessed by the Nature Goddess." Ancameros introduced with uncharacteristic warmth.
Fredra understood immediately - coming from the notoriously stingy-with-praise Ancameros, this glowing elven beauty must be a rising star among her people. She greeted the elf enthusiastically, receiving a dignified smile in return. Her brother Mensile merely nodded, his face stormy throughout.
If he dares give our dear sister the cold shoulder, he's certainly bold enough to show displeasure to a high elf, Fredra mused, sharing a sympathetic glance with herself.
Concerned about potential retaliation from the aristocratic lace-bearers, the siblings proposed hastening eastward past Mercenary City, opting for small towns as rest stops. The elves raised no objections.
Within the Scarlet Empire's vast territories stretching from Thunderbolt Mountains to southeastern coasts, even its less desirable northeastern borderlands adjacent to the infamous Frontier served strategic purposes. After all, human hearts proved far more inscrutable than beastly minds.
Compared to the island-nation of Miuga or the beastkin territories of Behemoth Ridge, Scarlet stood unparalleled in prosperity. Its only rival lay beyond the Frontier - the enigmatic nation of Wu Zheng. Ordinary citizens might never meet its people, but Wu Zheng merchants traversed continents annually, trading exotic treasures with Scarlet's royalty while maintaining their reputation as peaceful neighbors true to their "Conflict-Free" name.
Scarlet's might manifested even in humble towns like Gemstone Township, where well-stocked public libraries stood open to all citizens.
Our painfully ordinary protagonist currently found herself trapped under a combined invisibility and silence ward, curled awkwardly in a library corner. Each dawn, Ancameros deposited the sleep-rumpled girl with daily rations and selected tomes before departing with the beautiful elf on mysterious errands. Mensile, retaining a shred of brotherly compassion, had only added two books to her pile on the first day: Seeing Through Hearts - A Guide to Human Nature and Basic Self-Defense Tactics.
Fredra: "TAT! I'm not some photosynthesizing elf! Humans need proper nutrition with digestive cycles!"
Fortunately, the former stablehand possessed both bookish passion and sturdy constitution. She devoured knowledge ravenously, nibbling provisions only when necessary. After days of this regime, her cheeks hollowed noticeably.
Stunting my growth during prime development years! Fredra lamented, glancing mournfully at her chest. As she reached for rock-hard bread, a strange warmth pulsed against her heart.
Am I... hemorrhaging from starvation?! Panic surged until the bread's aroma overwhelmed her senses. Suddenly -
Pop.
The world dissolved into silver stardust. Countless luminous particles swirled around her, whispering incomprehensible secrets. The once-invisible ward materialized as an ornate silver web. Drawn instinctively, Fredra pressed her palm against the shimmering lattice, feeling energy trickle into her veins.
This... almost feels nourishing?
By sunset, when the elderly librarian bolted the heavy doors, a soft pop echoed through the empty building. A gaping hole appeared in the disintegrating ward as it collapsed into the now-visible girl, who slept on blissfully unaware, dreaming of grilled fish.
She awoke mid-air, cradled against Ancameros' chest as they bounded across rooftops. Blushing furiously at her proximity to the elf's sculpted jawline, Fredra focused on passing streetlamps.
"Awake?" The elf's voice vibrated through his chest.
"Y-yes! Wide awake!" Fredra stiffened like a board.
A chuckle rumbled beneath her. "My oversight. Never imagined hunger could drive someone to consume containment wards."
"Yep! Ate it right up!" She wished immediately for portal magic to swallow her whole.
Ancameros' silent laughter shook them both as Fredra covertly admired his profile, convinced no creature could rival his beauty.
"Magic through starvation?" Reminiscence's elegant features twisted in disbelief. While late-blooming mages weren't unheard of in human societies - with some achieving remarkable feats - such awakenings typically occurred before adolescence. A seventeen-year-old case was... unconventional.
Mensile returned from combat training, arching an eyebrow at his sister's predicament. After detailed questioning, he offered consolation: "Don't dwell on it. Having minimal talent differs little from having none."
Fredra: "..."
Magic potential hinged on two factors: mana channel capacity and elemental affinity. During awakening, ordinary veins restructured into specialized mana channels. Subsequent cultivation involved elemental absorption to gradually transform flesh into energy. Thus, master mages could disintegrate and reconstitute their bodies - making the stereotype of fragile spellcasters quite misleading.
Professional assessment revealed Fredra's critical shortcomings: her veins remained stubbornly mundane, and her elemental absorption rate made glaciers seem hasty.
"Even a persistent chicken could peck through that ward faster," Ancameros remarked bluntly.
Though briefly disheartened, Fredra quickly shrugged it off. Magic had never been her ambition - she far preferred tinkering with alchemy and cursecraft. The silver lining? Enhanced starvation resistance for her nocturnal experiments.
Post-awakening, Ancameros abandoned his library confinement strategy. Fredra now spent nights cackling over illicit alchemical pursuits and days training at the combat academy with Mensile.
The elven-trained girl proved surprisingly formidable. Though no match for her brother's brute strength, she became the academy's favorite sparring partner - a rare combination of aesthetic appeal and durability.
"Finally! A pretty face that won't break!" roared the warriors, taking turns testing new techniques on her. Forced to adapt quickly, Fredra's skills skyrocketed.
During one bout, she blocked a descending chop, pivoted into elbow strike range, then - in a flash of inspiration - channeled wisps of magic into her opponent's knee. As the man staggered, she vaulted using his fist as leverage, scissoring her legs around his neck for a dramatic throw.
The ensuing applause drowned out Mensile's facepalm. His sister's victorious smile radiated pure innocence that somehow amplified her mischief.
"Dorat siblings! Visitors!" A freckled page called.
The training hall erupted in whistles as two ethereal figures materialized at the entrance - elves in ornate traveling hats, looking like living paintings.
Ancameros cut straight to business: "Time to depart."
Though reluctant to leave her combat comrades, Fredra kept her magical cheating during spars secret. Some reputations were worth preserving.