THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

The heavy wooden doors of the Adventurers Guild creaked open, allowing the golden afternoon sun to spill across the threshold. Out skipped Yue, her platinum hair shimmering in the light like threads of moonbeams, eyes alight with mischief and joy. Behind her trudged Litty, her weary expression paired with a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her soul. She pushed her light brown hair back from her sweaty brow, the strands clinging to her flushed skin, and stared at her mother in exasperation.

"We actually made it in time to register for the

'Leviathan's Abyss' raid!

" Yue chirped, twirling with such carefree delight that a few passing adventurers glanced at her with bemused smiles. The sight of a seemingly youthful girl so animated was not unusual, but Litty knew better. The cheer in Yue's eyes held centuries of wisdom behind their emerald glow.

"We were lucky," Litty groaned, hands on her hips, "and only because the registration deadline is a day before the raid. Otherwise, we would have missed out—all because

someone

kept getting sidetracked." Her tone, sharp as a dagger, jabbed into Yue's blissful reverie.

"Oh, my precious blossom, you need to loosen up!" Yue threw her arms up in a playful tantrum, her pout exaggerated like that of a child denied candy. "You're still a child, after all! You need to live a little."

Litty's brows shot up, incredulous. "

I'm

the one who needs to act my age? Mother, you're the one behaving like a child!" Her voice was loud enough to draw amused looks from a group of seasoned warriors passing by. One snickered behind a hand, whispering something about mother-daughter antics, but neither paid any mind.

As the commotion settled, the duo's attention was drawn to the inviting aroma drifting from the nearby market stalls. Spices, smoke, and the tantalizing scent of grilled meat wove through the air, and the savory tang of fried horn octopus made Litty's mouth water. They ambled over to the nearest food stand, a small booth draped in colorful fabrics and manned by an old, bearded vendor who nodded in recognition.

"Two horn octopuses, please," Litty called out, tossing a coin pouch into the vendor's hands.

In moments, they were seated on a low stone wall, devouring their lunch. Litty licked the spicy oil from her fingers, her eyes narrowing as she examined her worn leather vambraces and chipped sword. Their long journey from Aethelwarin County to the coastal city had taken its toll, and her gear showed every mile of it. She sighed, the corners of her mouth dipping in thought.

"Mother, I'm going to look for commissions later," she said, wiping her hands on a scrap of cloth. "I need to earn enough for new equipment. This gear won't survive the raid." Her eyes flickered to Yue, who was still nibbling on her octopus, her small frame perched on the stone with carefree ease.

"And you try selling a few of your potions or formulas," Litty instructed, but Yue had other plans. "I'm too lazy for all that. Why don't you do it, darling? You're young and full of energy." She flashed a grin, the mischief twinkling once more.

Litty's eyes darkened with playful wrath. "Lazy? Really?" Without warning, she reached over and pinched Yue's pointed, elf-like ear, pulling just enough to elicit a yelp.

"Alright, alright! Mercy! Stop hurting your poor, old mother!" Yue surrendered, wincing with a theatrical flair as Litty clicked her tongue, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

They sat in silence for a moment, the clamor of the market bustling around them. The only reason they had traveled this far—to the very edge of the empire where the sea met the jagged rocks of the coast—was because of the whispered rumors that had tickled Yue's ancient ears.

The Codex of the Sea

. Litty's eyes drifted to her mother, who, despite her youthful appearance, bore the weight of millennia.

The Codex was said to contain knowledge long forgotten, secrets of the ocean's power and mysteries, and perhaps even the key to curing Yue's ailment. The Verdant Spirit Glut had reduced her once-majestic form to that of a young girl—a cruel twist for one who had seen 2,500 years pass under the sun and stars.

"If we find the

Codex

and you manage to crack it…" Litty's voice softened, a rare show of vulnerability. The thought of seeing her mother in her true form, vibrant and free, brought a lump to her throat.

"I know, love," Yue said, her voice suddenly serious, the playful mask slipping to reveal the ancient woman within. "If I can decipher it, I may finally heal this wretched condition." She gazed at the horizon, where the waves beat against the rocky shore, their rhythm like a siren's call. For a fleeting moment, the sea reflected in her eyes held more than just light—it held hope.

Litty swallowed hard, determination stiffening her spine. "Then let's make sure we're ready for that raid," she said, her voice steady. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold. The raid would be brutal, and survival uncertain, but they would face it together. The promise of redemption was worth every risk.

Yue grinned, the shadows of age and worry momentarily forgotten. "That's my girl."

Yue's gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the restless sea sang a lullaby only the winds could carry. As she watched the sunlight dance on the waves, memories stirred deep within her, uncoiling like the roots of an ancient tree. It was here, in the stillness between heartbeats, that she remembered

him

—Litty's father. A human with bright eyes and a laugh that could shake the leaves from the trees.

He had been unremarkable in many ways, a third-class mage in a world where power determined status. But he was an alchemist with dreams that defied the stars themselves, a man whose theories were decades, even centuries, ahead of their time. Though his name had long since faded like a whisper lost to time, the essence of his passion remained vivid in her mind.

He had died at the age of 450, a mere moment in her lifespan, yet he had left an imprint as indelible as a tattoo on her soul. Their paths had crossed in the dense heart of Elanthrial Woods, under the shimmer of an ancient moon.

Yue had watched in awe as he scribbled furiously on parchment, eyes alight with that maddening blend of genius and obsession. His hands were always ink-stained, shaking not from age, but from the fervor of unspoken possibilities. "Imagine, Yue," he would say, pressing her hands with his trembling fingers. "The world reshaped not by the might of the strongest mage, but by the subtlety of an elixir." He poured his life's work into her, passing down every half-crazed formula and reckless theory, confident she had the mana and talent to make his dreams manifest.

Yet it wasn't until 150 years after his death that the impossible happened—Yue became pregnant. Litty was a miracle that defied logic, born of love that transcended time. But that day, that fateful day when Litty's cries first rang out, it became a moment seared into her very being.

The room was filled with the crackle of surging mana, Yue's body alight with raw power that threatened to tear her apart. Her vision blurred, and pain like wildfire coursed through her veins. It was then she knew—if she did nothing, she and her newborn daughter would be consumed by the storm she had created. Desperation clawed at her, and in that fleeting heartbeat, she reached for the last vial her trembling fingers could grasp.

The potion she created was both salvation and curse, an elixir forged of alchemy and hope. She swallowed it, feeling the ancient magic seal away half of her Verdant spirit. It worked, but at a cost. The once-majestic elf, whose presence could bend forests to bow, was left looking like a mere child. The laughter she once shared with Litty's father had turned to silence.

Years later, when Litty's inquisitive eyes gleamed with determination and rebellion, Yue found her sneaking out of their hidden enclave in Elanthrial Woods, maps and scrolls clutched to her chest. The young girl had set her sights on the world beyond the trees, searching for answers that only the untamed lands could offer. It was that night, under the silvered light of a hunter's moon, that Yue made a choice. Experience exclusive tales on мѵʟ

"No more hiding," she had whispered, gathering her few belongings and taking Litty's hand. Together, they stepped beyond the boundaries of their woodland prison, setting off on a journey across realms and kingdoms. Their quest for a cure had begun, and neither the ocean's roar nor the whispers of ancient forests would stand in their way.

Now, back in the present, Yue watched her daughter—stubborn, courageous, and brilliant in a way that mirrored the man she once loved. This raid was just another step, another chapter in the tale of their undying search. And with hope as fierce as the sea, Yue knew they would find their answer one day.

****

A/N: Yue has

Nature mana glut, causing

her lifespan to shorten. Kind of like cancer.