Chapter 2

Ralph Voghan is a well-known adventurer in the area.

Despite not being able to use magic and not being particularly skilled in physical enhancement, becoming a solo second-class adventurer is no small feat. Some of the lower-class adventurers mock him, saying he only got where he is because of his looks, but the higher-class adventurers know his true worth. The position of a second-class adventurer is not something that can be achieved so easily.

In terms of combat, he is far from the best, but he has other abilities that make up for it. He is eloquent, quick-witted, knowledgeable, perceptive, and meticulous in his preparation. He has several means to ensure his survival and is a reliable man.

That was Ralph.

He has a well-proportioned appearance, with golden hair that reaches his shoulders and slightly drooping, gentle eyes. Unlike other high-ranking adventurers, he does not give off a violent aura, which is why he is also popular among women.

Ralph is an adventurer who values his routine. He believes that his current success is thanks to it, and he thinks that letting others dictate his pace is a matter of life and death. Having some obsession and a switch to return to his routine is the key to a long-lasting career as an adventurer.

He completes quests, drinks, and spends time with women. After that, he leaves town and spends a few days in quiet solitude by his favorite lakeside. He regains his strength and then looks for adventurers who need him.

Just the other day, he had completed a guild quest. He drank with his fellow adventurers and spent the night with a woman in the city.

Today, he came to his usual lakeside, whistling, to complete the last piece of his routine.

The place he reached after a half-day walk through the forest is a beautiful, almost untouched secret spot. It is lush with vegetation, and herbivores live peacefully there. It is a clean and pure land, rarely visited by humans, undead, or monsters. Ralph even thought it might be blessed by some kind of protection.

However, today was a little different. For some reason, his chest felt uneasy.

This kind of unease always suggested the beginning of something. Ralph, who is skilled in detecting danger and traps, never doubted his sixth sense.

He stopped whistling and cautiously approached the lake.

Peering from the bushes, he saw a figure around his usual campfire. If this place could be shared, it would be fine, but if not, he would have to take some action.

At first, he thought it was an out-of-place woman.

She was a beautiful, dignified dark elf.

She wore a loose, unfamiliar outfit and was rummaging through the ashes. Despite her drooping shoulders and tears, her expression remained unchanged, maintaining her dignified image.

In the northern continent where Ralph lives, there is a region called the Elven Forest, but the elves rarely leave it. Moreover, dark elves do not live there; he had only heard of them in the southernmost part of the southern continent.

He never thought he would encounter one here.

While Ralph was confused, she stood up unsteadily and pointed a long, ash-covered stick at the lake.

Wondering what she was going to do, Ralph's entire body was suddenly covered in goosebumps.

A nauseating flow of magical energy swept over his skin.

If this magic were directed at him, Ralph would not hesitate to flee with all his might.

Ralph was not a mage, but years of experience had made him sensitive to the flow of magical energy. When the magical energy showed significant movement, it felt like something was caressing his skin, causing goosebumps.

This was one of the few advantages Ralph had over other adventurers.

However, when she muttered something, the pressure dissipated. Ralph slowly reached for the sword at his waist and carefully drew it without making a sound.

If this beautiful dark elf was a threat, he would have to resist.

Casting a spell requires incantations.

Even though he was not particularly skilled in combat, Ralph was a second-class adventurer. If he could catch her off guard and bring the fight to close quarters, he would not lose to a mage.

At this distance, he judged that attacking was a better option than fleeing.

As he quietly stepped out of the bushes and took a step forward, the wave of magical energy hit him again.

Despite knowing from past life-or-death situations that stopping was a bad idea, his body stiffened and began to tremble. His initial judgment was wrong. He should have fled without looking back, and he regretted it now.

Perhaps his sixth sense had already gone haywire the moment he decided to deal with her. No, it was probably the storm of magical energy that had driven him mad.

Gripping his sword tightly, his body shaking, Ralph stood there.

The flame that scorched the lake, the air, and the sky was not particularly large, given the flow of magical energy. However, for Ralph, who could feel the magical energy on his skin, that flow was the source of his fear.

The beautiful dark elf slowly turned around, as if she had known he was there all along. Her red eyes reflected Ralph's image, but her expression did not change.

To Ralph, her appearance was more terrifying than anything he had ever seen. Yet, at the same time, she was more beautiful, more alluring, and more radiant than anything he had ever seen.