Chapter Text
Dear FrayHow are you? I mean, if you're okay with living in the wild and all... well, I just hope you and your cousins are doing fine after that fiasco with that random goddess appearing in your town.
Anyway, there, uh, seems to be a shortage of Summoners ever since that little incident. With everyone trying to gather the escaped fusion units and dealing with the surge of demons from Ishgria, I was seriously considering writing to you for help. Well, actually, I'm doing that right now, as you read.
Well, the Hall (the higher-ups don't know actually, but I got Elder Grah's approval) needs your help in routing monsters and tackling the important, vacant missions. Even though you aren't affliated with the Hall or the Randall Imperial Guard, everyone needs more hands. We already got wounded people, and we all need someone like you.
I already arranged a few rewards for you and your units if you decide to arrive here in the Capital and help by next Saturday. I'll meet you at the north entrance by then to introduce you to the Hall. Considering your immense prowess in combat, you would end up being an incredible helping hand. It's alright if you don't come. I mean, I don't want to barge into your peaceful daily life, but please consider this offer.
Lo(incomprehensible scribbles) Your buddy,
Lin
On a path leading to Randall...
A Summoner, sixteen years old, walked on a path to a city in the distance. He consulted a map, looked around the wide grassy fields and kept on walking, pebbles and dirt crunching underneath his steel-capped shoes.
This Summoner has short messy black hair that spiked a little sidewards and downwards, with side-bangs that framed his gentle, angular face. He has dark green eyes that were slightly covered by his bangs, but he had no trouble with sight. His own body is overall medium, but only bulky enough to just shoulder the forest-green cloak he wore.
Underneath the cloak, he wore a zipped white, long-sleeved coat lined with red and black segments down the front, like an instrumental cutter. For comfort, this coat was a few sizes larger than he was. From the waist to bottom, pieces of lightweight, segmented armor sewn into the coat covered the thighs and legs as it separated in half from the zipper. The coat also has a hoodie with small black cat ears stitched to it. Underneath the coat itself was a simple blue shirt with gray colors at the ends, and black trousers. While he carried a large red leather bag, two swords were sheathed at his left and right hips: a kindjal and a shortsword.
It was a calm day at that time, the wind blowing and ruffling his hair. He was on his way to the Imperial Capital of Randall, a well-known city for its advancements in technology, magic, Akras Summoners' Hall and the Randall Imperial Guard. His long-time clumsy friend currently waited for him at the entrance for his help.
He just felt relieved for having something to do. It was a nice quiet (or peaceful at least, with his cousins) life back at his new forest town, but it was... boring. There were little to no major monsters to fight. There were not much travelers who came to his town, so there were hardly any updates on the outside world. Most of all, what was he going to do with his few battle-hardened units? They had hardly seen much action.
Fighting is unsafe, but it would be pointless if he and his units no longer fought at all.
A few days was what it took to get here, encountering a few monsters and people here and there, but at least he had adventure. Now he was going to get started this morning.
A few minutes had passed, and he was already getting nearer to his destination. The closer he got, the more buildings and people Fray saw until he guessed that he went into a small village.
The area he was currently in was probably named the Village of the Venturer, as seen in his map. It was a peaceful place, with plenty of wood, stone and brick buildings to go by that served different purposes that the Summoners in this area required. This village is the most popular of many villages that seemed to gather plenty of Summoners, leading to its larger-than-average size.
Fray maneuvered around a wagon pulled by horses carrying green bottles, then ducked to avoid a rubber ball being tossed around by a bunch of children. He quickly went on another path that he guessed would lead him out of the village and to Randall, only to get into a more crowded place, one that seemed to be a busy market.
"I need directions..." he muttered to himself. He tried to ask a burly man making a puppet, faltering when he seemed focused in his work. He then moved on out of the market and looked for someone who seemed knowledgeable about this place.
This is quite a big place. His search took him to a stream, where he could see small droplets flowing through it, all of different colors that served as potent Synthesis ingredients. A blue-haired boy sat on the shore, a halberd laid to his right. He had a wistful look on his face.
"Um, excuse me," Fray got his attention. The boy turned to see who did. "Do you know the way to Randall?"
"Ah, you must be a newcomer right? Just take the path in front of you and go right. You'll find a sign that should point the right way. Just watch out for the girl in red. She's in a bad mood as of late." He chuckled at that.
"Really? Is that the one you're talking about?" Fray pointed at the red-armored girl stomping towards the blue-haired boy.
The boy cringed, quickly getting to his feet. Fray idly noticed that Karl was half a head taller than him. "S-Seria...? Why do you look so mad now?"
"Mad? Mad!? Of course I am! You left me to report to Owen! Didn't you realize he's the one in a bad mood!?" Seria shouted, attracting a few onlookers, who pretended to ignore them.
"I-I'll be going now." Fray quickly backed away and started walking.
"...Were you flirting with that girl, Karl?" The swordswoman did not sound pleased.
"Wh-What girl? And I was merely showing the way to Randall to a newcomer!" Karl replied.
Girl...? Was something wrong with my masculinity? Right, so that boy Karl knows Fray is a boy, but that swordswoman...
Whatever. He had larger matters to worry about.
(---------)
It took an hour on foot, and even then he still had to ask for directions, what with the villages and towns he passed through, just to get to Randall.
In front of the gates, he felt like he was about to step into a new chapter of his life.
Or at least he let several people do so before he was able to.
A girl with waist-length snow-white hair ran by. The rims of her white sundress billowed behind her, the top covered by a blue jacket.
Following her was presumably her unit: a man with green hair and a saber by his side.
"W-Wait! Hey wait up! Your brother's still—!" He continued running and shouting between breaths, but the girl still ran as if she were excited.
Not a moment too soon, a boy that was dressed in black jeans and jacket, and red shirt and sneakers, taller than the girl, was shouting, "Hey sis! Hang on! You forgot your bag!"
He had a messenger bag similar to the one kept in Fray's travel bag, only this one was sky-blue. His greatsword padded on his back over and over as he ran.
"Aaaakuuuuumaaaaa!!!" A blond guy Fray's age came running along after the other boy, wearing a navy blue long coat, white T-shirt, brown trousers and armor covering his hands and legs. He seemed angry.
Duh.
Then a girl with long wavy black hair, with clothes that boasted purple in a vest and skirt, other than her red ribbon in her hair, and a white shirt and brown boots. She too was shouting.
"H-Hey! My cake! H-How do you not notice—!" She suddenly skidded on a puddle and stunbled right into Fray.
He quickly took her two hands, spun her around and half-flung her towards her target: the fist-sized pink box that somehow latched onto the blond's coat collar by a hook.
She narrowly managed to pluck it out as she spun, stopping by the gates. The blond did not even notice and continued sprinting for an unknown revenge.
"...Whoa! Dion's gonna flip when he hears about this! Wait, that doesn't even interest him... A-Anyway, thanks for the help uh... new girl!" The girl waved at him in thanks, Fray waving back in return.
He faltered though. Girl? Again? From that moment, he decided that people who do not pay attention do not notice his gender.
Once she was gone, Fray turned to look back if there was anyone else coming. Satisfied with the absence of eccentric people, he walked on.
He looked around. There was a row of buildings from where he was in front of him. Lin, however, was not where she said she would be.
Fray checked his silver pocketwatch. It was eight o'clock... Three hours early?
That was just his small dose of misfortune, he supposed. He can get familiar with the city in the meantime.
Had he looked back, he would have noticed two girls tailing him from behind a horse.