A cracking sound can be heard as a fire illuminates the campsite.
To call it a campsite is a bit generous considering there's nobody there and no equipment, but for now, this is where Shiro and the blonde-haired girl are.
They had been running away for a few hours. The black-haired woman kept attacking them without end.
Even with that sudden speed boost Shiro used, the woman was able to keep up.
Luckily, though, they seem to have given her the slip a while ago, so for now, they are resting.
The fire crackles.
Neither of them speaks for a while.
Shiro sits with his back straight and his sword across his lap, his eyes moving between the tree line and the darkness beyond it.
The blonde-haired girl sits across from him, her knees pulled to her chest as she watches the fire.
Eventually, she breaks the silence.
"I'm hungry."
Shiro doesn't look away from the tree line.
"I don't have food."
"What do you mean you don't have food?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like."
The blonde-haired girl stares at him.
"You've been running around in a school uniform carrying me for hours, and you didn't think to bring food?"
"In all honesty, I didn't expect to be doing any of this."
"That's even more of a reason to bring food."
She pulls her knees tighter.
"What kind of Arcane Knight doesn't carry emergency rations?"
Shiro finally glances at her.
"What's an Arcane Knight?"
They stare at each other before the blonde-haired girl responds.
"Don't try to trick me. Even with that uniform you're wearing, your skills are more than enough to be one of the Arcane Knights."
"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you're talking about."
"You can't be serious."
Shiro shakes his head.
The blonde-haired girl sighs before tucking her hair behind her ear.
"The Arcane Knights are Selene's enforcement arm. The real one—not the academy, not the regular guard. They answer directly to the Council and operate across every continent."
She watches his face for recognition and finds none.
"They're the people who show up when something is too large for local authorities to handle. Disasters, political crises, Calamity-class threats. There are maybe ten thousand of them in the entire world."
"That few?"
"Of course. You need some very specific qualifications to become one."
"Like?"
"For one, you need to be an Emperor-rank swordsman, have a mana output above that of a Saint, and have experience handling A-rank monsters or higher."
"Really... On second thought, ten thousand might actually be a big number considering the qualifications."
"Duh. That's why everyone at Selene Academy trains so hard. If you manage to graduate from there, there's a good chance you'll be scouted."
"Does that include you?"
"Of course."
The blonde-haired girl lifts her head proudly.
"If I become an Arcane Knight, then I'll get to live on the Aether Ark."
Shiro tilts his head.
"What's the Aether Ark?"
"Seriously, have you been living in a different dimension?"
"Something like that." Shiro shrugs.
Not wanting to question that answer, the blonde-haired girl decides to let it go.
"The Aether Ark is the mobile fortress where the Arcane Knights operate."
"Mobile fortress?"
"Yes."
She looks toward the sky as if she can already picture it.
"It's not just a ship. Calling it a ship is actually an insult."
She pauses.
"The Aether Ark is one of the largest creations in human history. A fortress capable of traveling across continents while carrying thousands of Arcane Knights, researchers, and support personnel."
"I can see why anyone would want to join. Is there a particular reason you want to?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You seem a bit too enthusiastic whenever you talk about them."
The blonde-haired girl sighs softly.
"I don't know how someone can be so dumb and yet so sharp at the same time."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
She smiles.
"My little brother. Compared to me, he's probably the weakest person I know. He's timid, shy, and just the cutest."
Her eyes beam with happiness.
"But like I said, he's weak. I could easily kill him with a single swing of my sword. But if I become an Arcane Knight, then I can arrange for him to live on the Aether Ark."
"I thought you needed special qualifications to enter."
"You do. That's why when he came to Selene, I was planning to have him join the researchers' faction and earn top qualifications. Then I'd use my connections with the Arcane Knights to secure him a research position aboard the Ark."
"...You must really value your little brother to go through all of this."
"Of course I do. Even a researcher is guaranteed to live a better life than a noble."
She pauses.
"Most importantly, aboard the Ark, he'll be safe from whatever the world throws at him."
The fire crackles.
For a moment, Shiro says nothing.
Then he smiles.
"Your brother is very lucky to have a sister like you."
"Naturally," she replies. "But I still hope that one day he'll become strong enough to surpass me. That's why I have to find him. I just hope he isn't dead."
"That's good. But don't just keep hoping. You have to work for what you want as well."
The two stare at each other in silence.
Finally, she nods.
"Of course. Dreams are nothing if you don't work for them."
"Alright then. Get some rest. We'll be heading to the next city soon."
"You mean Zenith."
"Oh, so that's what it's called. Okay, yeah. We're going to Zenith."
Seriously, where has this guy been all this time?
For someone older than her, he sure seemed to know less about the world.
Wait...
Looking at his face, he definitely looked older than her, but not by much.
Maybe seventeen.
If he was only seventeen and already this strong...
Who knew how powerful he'd become as an adult?
The thought alone made her shiver.
Shiro raises a hand, and a barrier of magical energy envelops the area.
"That should keep any intruders out. Just in case, I'll stay awake and keep watch."
"No, that's fine."
The blonde-haired girl stands.
Her silver eyes glow faintly as white and blue light gathers around her hand.
The light slowly takes the shape of a sword.
The blade is pure white with transparent edges like frozen glass. Thin silver patterns run along it like veins of ice. The hilt is decorated with snowflake-like engravings, and a small snowflake keychain hangs from its end.
Thin white particles spiral around her like drifting snow, wrapping around her body like a cocoon.
Her clothes dissolve into countless motes of light.
The light reforms.
A white short-sleeved turtleneck appears first, followed by a navy-blue jacket that hugs her figure.
Black trousers form next, followed by snow-white boots reaching just below her knees.
Her blonde hair gradually turns snow-white.
A small crescent-shaped accessory forms above her left ear.
Finally, her silver eyes become a brilliant shade of azure.
Shiro stares in amazement.
The now white-haired girl laughs.
"Have you never seen an Arcium?"
"I've heard of them. This is the first time I've seen one up close."
"Oh, really? Well, whatever. You should get some rest yourself. You've protected me enough."
"How do you know I'm not the villain here?"
She laughs.
"If you are, then you're the worst villain I've ever seen."
"..."
"You carried me all the way here, didn't bind me, and even let me summon my Arcium."
"Your point?"
"Actions speak louder than words. If you were a villain, you would've already killed me."
Shiro chuckles.
"I suppose that's true."
"I'm still not saying I trust you,but...you've had plenty of chances. Anyway, get some rest. I'll keep watch."
"It's fine. I don't really need sleep."
"You don't... sleep?"
"Not really."
The white-haired girl rests her sword across her shoulders and shrugs.
"...You're even weirder than I thought."
Eventually, after several minutes of arguing, the white-haired girl finally gives in.
"Fine. But wake me up if anything happens."
"Sure."
She lies against a nearby tree and slowly drifts to sleep.
───
When she wakes up, dozens of corpses are scattered around the campsite.
Shiro calmly wipes the blood from his sword with a napkin.
He notices her awake and greets her.
"Morning."
She blinks.
"There's no way you did all this."
"Maybe."
"..."
She decides not to ask any more questions.
It's too early for this, she thinks.
Now the two of them are heading toward Zenith.
When the white-haired girl asks why they're going there, Shiro simply replies, "We're going to register as adventurers."
She stops walking.
Why?
Shouldn't they be looking for her bro—
...family.
That was the entire reason she went to the principal's office in the first place.
Going to an Adventurers' Guild wasn't part of the plan.
"Right now, the capital of Selene is destroyed," Shiro says. "You're looking for your family, so the first place to check would be home, right?"
"Naturally. So let's head there."
"Do you have any money?"
"...No."
"That's why we're registering as adventurers."
He continues walking.
"We need money to pay for the train ride."
The blonde-haired girl decids to keep quiet and continue walking toward Zenith.