- Before -


    Aki rushed through the forest cloaked in darkness. Although Aki was practically blind, without any light to guide her way, she could catalog her surroundings based on sounds and an instinctive feel which was developed after rounds of grueling training.


    It was more difficult to not pick up the skill when you are thrown into a cage, blindfolded and surrounded by hungry beats waiting to tear you up into pieces.


    A faint light glowed in front of her - Layrid, the Herb to hunt for this trip. Emitting a faint yellow light, the delicate plant had bell-like flowers dropping off its stems. Squatting in front of it, Aki began to patiently unearth the flower carefully.


    Layrid was a Herb that was used to make light element potions, and most of it goes into creating healing potions. After successfully digging out the pricey Layrid, Aki packed it into her magic bag and made her way back to the campsite.


    Heiki and Takeshi had decided to follow Tsukasa since they were all going the same way. Although Aki found that decision not very smart to volunteer to go with someone with a big red target painted on his back, Aki reckon that she could still protect Heiki and Takeshi when worse comes to worse.


    This was why Aki was rushing through this job, using magic to manipulate the surrounding air to make herself move faster. Not that Aki wasn’t already fast without magic.


    Back at the campsite, a fire was burning in the middle with a delicious smell coming from the pot that was set on it.


    “Aki! You’re back!”


    Heiki waved at Aki towards him and handed her a bowl of stew with vegetables simmered to a soft texture and dried jerky which added salt to the mix. Not super delicious, but it warmed Aki’s stomach.


    Tsukasa was tending to his knights, speaking softly to his confidents a little distance away. The intruder has been stashed into the carriage, with Tsukasa’s magician reinforcing Aki’s spell.


    “Heeeeeey Aki!!!”


    Takeshi sat next to Aki before the fire and in his hands was a bag that was wriggling.


    “What do you have in this bag? It''s moving so much!”


    Realization bloomed in Aki’s eyes as she took the bag from Takeshi. Opening the drawstring, a ball of pink flew out of the bag and onto Aki’s head. Aki had forgotten that she had stuffed Kit Kat into the bag.


    As Aki was setting off early and could not wake Kit Kat up at all, she just stuffed the pink fluff into the pet magic bag which Rory had gifted to Aki as thanks.


    Angry at being forgotten, Kit Kat was huffing and puffing on top of Aki’s head and pulling at her hair. Not too hard of course.


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    “Ouch- Ouch. okay, okay. I’m sorry I forgot. Here, some of your favorite chocolate.”


    Hmph! Don’t think that I will forgive you just because you gave me this utterly delicious piece of morsel!


    The pink fluff clutched the piece of brown rectangular sweetness and nestled in Aki’s embrace as Aki brought it down from her head.


    Stroking gently over the fluff, Aki mumbled softly at the pink ball, showering it with apologies and pets. Although Aki’s face was still expressionless, her eyes were filled with softness that was rarely seen.


    “OOOO that is a Hase right?? Is that your pet Aki?”


    “No, it just decided to follow me.”


    “Wow a Hase. Here you go little guy.”


    Heiki tossed a piece of jerky towards kit kat and kit kat flew up to catch it, munching on it happily.


    “Piya!”


    “So Aki, did you find the herb? Was it beautiful? Did you encounter any monsters on the way?”


    Takeshi''s eyes shone in excitement as he pried every detail from Aki. Wanting to do a fast hunt, Aki rejected Takeshi when he wanted to follow along. The look of disappointment on his face at that point almost made Aki give in. Almost.


    Aki narrated her uneventful adventure to Takeshi, who decided that it was an adventure no matter how short or how boring it was. Heiki stirred the pot of stew occasionally, listening to Aki and Takeshi on the side.


    A while later, Tsukasa joined them. Although the atmosphere between Aki and Tsukasa was not as awkward as before, it was still tepid at best.


    “We will be transporting the Assassin to the castle. Would you guys want to come with me? I would love to host and bring you guys around the castle and also express a formal gratitude for your help.”


    Heiki and Takeshi looked at Aki who was disinterested and was more focused on teasing the pink fluff.


    “Takeshi and I will follow you back. Since the Academy is just next door. But Aki is busy with her job.”


    “What job?” Tsukasa looked at them questioningly. Although Aki had shown prowess at magic, she still looked young and should be still studying. Thinking that Aki was also returning to the capital for studies, it never occurred to Tsukasa that he was looking at a C Class Hunter.


    “Aki here is a Hunter! Isn’t that amazing? She is already C class when she had just started a little more than a week before!”


    Tensing, Aki wanted to shut Takeshi up. Providing more information than necessary to other people was a call for disaster. Information spreads and it makes it all the easier for others to track her down. Her instincts were shouting for her to remain unseen and unnoticed, which also made it safer.


    Feeling that Aki had tensed up, Heiki drew the conversation away from her and engaged the other two in conversation about their classes instead. Aki slowly relaxed and felt content to just listen in and picture an ordinary everyday student’s life which she had never experienced before.


    Although Aki did attend school back home, her days were filled with solitude and often missed class due to missions that would come up. She never had the chance to complain about school work, or the teachers or even simply dread going to school.


    Painting an image of their everyday life from the conversation in her mind, Aki cuddled a sleeping ball of fluff and smiled at the mundane peacefulness.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    - After -


    After rechecking the data on her bracelet, Aki got up from the sea soaked.


    "How am I going to get a herb that is underwater...."


    An image flashed in her head. She saw a similar scene as she was watching a movie about a prophet.


    "What was it again?... oh yeah. Ahem! BEHOLD HIS MIGHTY HANDS!" Aki stretched out her hands and imagined the sea parting. The calm sea answered her back.


    "... ... ..."


    "... well I just wanted to try that once." Aki put down her arms awkwardly. It was lucky that no one saw that.


    Resigned to dive into the waters, a rumble was heard. Suddenly the sea became rough and surged up. Aki''s eyes widened as the sea seriously parted right in front of her.


    “.... ….”


    Even though it was her who created this absurd situation,  Aki tried to ignore it and walked down between two walls of water and following the holographic map, she finally saw the Trifolium. It was shaped like a small three-leaf clover in yellow.


    "Trifolium is a spice that is used to make a traditional dish in Valticand. The dish comprises a deep fried rare flying fish and golden gravy and is said to bring good luck. That''s why it is a popular celebratory dish for nobles." Aki mumbled to herself, recapping what she had learnt from reading through Herbs 101.


    At the distance, Kit Kat and Cadbury stopped and stared at the wondrous sea parting, but what made them even more stunned was when the water walls came crashing down before Aki returned.


    The sea returned to calmness like the previous scene never happened before and Aki was nowhere to be found. Silence permeated the air before the shocked Kit Kat and Cadbury turned mechanically to look at each other.


    Wh... What should we do?!!!