Runa and Tine walked side by side as they made their way down a hallway. The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in tree vines, giving it an earthly, natural atmosphere. The perfect ambiance for the elven race, who were known for being one with nature, and the elven sisters, Runa and Tine, were no different.

Runa adjusted her light, blurred hair as her pointed, knife-like ears twitched in response. "What do you think our lord has called us for?" She asked, sounding curious.

Tine brushed her olive-green bangs to the side. "I'm not sure. Considering the current state of our village, I hope it's nothing too serious."

The two elven sisters are part of the Mapleash village of the Elven Race. Their village and clan were among the prime leaders and protectors of the Great Forest of Meir. And their clan has not forgotten their duties...even in the face of the apocalypse.

It's been around five days or so since the sisters, along with the rest of their tribe, finally returned to their world. Unfortunately, it was not the same as it used to be. The geography has been altered due to the interventions of the System, the very thing that dragged everyone into the dreadful Tutorial Dungeons.

Because of these alterations, the entire Mapleash village was no longer the same. Even the hallway the sisters walked down was slightly warped and cracked, making it slightly difficult to trek down.

The pair soon stopped in front of two massive double doors. Opening it and moving inside, the sisters found themselves in a large room with a massive round table at the center and a large glass-pane window positioned in the back. Standing near the table were two people, one male, the other was female.

The first one that caught the sisters' attention was the man. He possessed a bulky frame, giving him the appearance of a bodybuilder while clothed in armor made from what appeared to be a tree with patches of leaves seemingly sewn on. Instead of his face being revealed, the man wore a wooden mask with tree branches sprouting from the top, acting like horns.

Next was the woman next to him. She was an elf, much like Runa and Tine. Her hair was long and blond, and her skin was pale yet beautiful. She wore an elegant green and brown dress and a golden tiara placed on her head. While the man in the mask gave off the impression of a mysterious yet powerful being of the forest, this elf was a prime example of royalty.

These two were some of the few leaders who were keeping their village from falling apart. And thankfully, they were doing a good enough job.

Entering the room, the sisters bowed and greeted the two individuals before them. That was when the two figures turned and faced them.

"Ah, Tine and Runa, you're here." The elven woman said with a smile.

"Hello, Mistress Hlif," Tine greeted.

"We came at the behest of our lord," Runa explained while turning her gaze to the masked figure whom they called "lord".

The man in wooden armor sighed, sounding a bit tired. "I thought I told you guys to stop calling me Lord."

Tine shook her head. "We cannot do that."

"We have sworn our loyalty to you," Rine stated. "Which is why we will be addressing you as our lord."

The two sisters stood their ground in their statement, not giving the masked man a chance to refute them. Seeing the debacle unfold, Hlif giggled.

"You should've known that this would happen after they became your followers," She told the masked warrior.

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"Yeah, against my will, I might add," He retorted while crossing his arms. "Besides, they're your followers too, so can't you back me up?"

"Not a chance," She teased. "You get so flustered when they address you so formally that it's quite a show to watch. Especially when it's the great Druid Lord himself that's reacting like that."

The Druid Lord. That was how the masked warrior was addressed. It wasn't just his appearance that gave him the appearance of a forest guardian, but also the class he possessed, which was the Druid class. This was a mage-type class that allowed the user to use magic related to nature.

He was given this title after saving the Elves of Mapleash when everyone returned from their 30 days of Hell in the Tutorial Dungeon. The Druid Lord was praised and respected by the village to the point where he was officially welcomed as a member of their tribe.

The so-called druid lord hung his head low in shame, clearly embarrassed by the title. "Please don't call me that. It's way too cringy..."

"No can do. That's what everyone else is calling you, so I'm going to be calling you that as well."

"Good grief," He groaned while placing his hand over his mask. Taking a closer look, his left hand, along with his entire arm, looked like it was made of wood with moss and leaves growing out of it.

The sisters waited for the banter between the two to meet its end before one of them finally spoke up.

"May I ask what it is that our lord has called us over for?" Tine brought up the subject, causing the Druid Lord and Hlif to focus.

"Ah, right," He said with a cough. "The reason why I called you both here is because I have a task that I can only trust to you two."

As soon as he mentioned this, both elven sisters' eyes lit up with anticipation.

"What is our task?" Runa asked eagerly.

The druid lord then pulled out a large sheet of paper and placed it down on the conference table. Upon closer inspection, the sisters realized that it was a map of their world. Or at least one of them.

"I need you two to head to Portland, Maine," He explained.

Both sisters leaned their heads to the side curiously. It was clear from their reactions that neither of them knew where this place was. After all, Portland, Maine, was a place on Earth, not their world.

"Where is that?" Tine asked.

"From what I could gather from the map of your world, it's here," He pointed at a specific location on the map. "It's likely merged with a place called Mossley Town. Do you know it?"

Runa nodded. "We have visited the area before on a mission. It's a Port Town located in the Briarhart Kingdom."

The Briarhart Kingdom was one of the countries that were neighbors with the Great Forest of Meir. Both nations were neutral to each other and stayed that way to avoid any conflicts unless certain special circumstances were to arise involving crimes being committed and the matter of Jurisdiction being addressed.

"Why are you asking us to go to Mossley Town, my lord?" Tine questioned.

The Druid lord was about to comment about her addressing him as "my lord" again, but held back, knowing that they would get off topic and waste time. "I need both of you to head to this location because...I need you to find some people for me."

"Who?" Runa asked.

"My family," He answered in a solemn voice. He then pulled out two more sheets of paper before placing them down next to the map. Both papers appeared to be sketches of people. "These are the people you need to find."

He pointed at one of the portrait sketches. It showed a drawing of a young woman who looked the same age as the sisters, if only in appearance. She had long, dark hair, symmetrical facial features, and firm and stern eyes as if she were judging you.

"This is my older sister," He said, his finger trailing on the portrait. "Her name is Hazel Thatcher. And this..." He then pointed at the next sketch, this time of an older woman, who remarkably looked similar to the first person. "This is my mother, Evelyn Thatcher. I need you to head over to Portland, Maine, or Mossley Town and see if you can find them and bring them here."

Hearing the task they were given, the sisters quickly realized what they had to do. This was a rescue/escort mission. They needed to find their lord's family and try and bring them back to the village, likely so they could be safe with him.

"When do we leave for Mossley Town, then?" Runa asked.

"Preferably, as soon as possible," The druid lord stated.

"The Griffins are already being prepared," Hlif told them. "So, all you two need to do is pack your things for your departure."

Griffins were the village's main form of transportation when they were tasked with traveling great distances. Due to the recent uproar involving the system and their worlds merging, their current stock of the species was sparse at best, and no one could use them to travel unless it was crucial.

And it was clear to the sisters that the task that their lord was giving them was such an occasion.

"And may I ask what we are supposed to tell them when we find them?" Tine questioned, attempting to cover all their bases.

The druid lord straightened up as he stared at the two sisters. "Please tell them that their family member, Damien Thatcher, is alive and is waiting for them in the Mapleash Village within the Great Forest of Mier."

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