On the rooftop across from the small building, the elf sat at the edge of the eaves, her long legs dangling in the air and swinging back and forth.
"She looks a lot like you did as a child, but she's much cuter."
With that aged voice, a dwarf emerged from the elf's shadow.
The dwarf was about as tall as the elf's calf. Her silver hair was arranged in a beautiful bun as she demanded, "Is that the apprentice you picked for me before?"
Zhuri tugged at the corner of her mouth in annoyance. "What do you mean, your apprentice? She's my apprentice. I'm still looking for yours."
The dwarf raised her foot and kicked the elf, but the latter dodged. The dwarf said, "Didn't you send me a message saying you'd found three highly gifted cubs for me to pick from? Where are those three cubs?"
Zhuri played dead and said nothing.
The dwarf sneered. "One word from me, and Monbas will stop cooperating with the little game you arranged for your apprentice."
Knowing her teacher's personality well, Zhuri stopped wasting words. "...Tell me. What do you want?"
The dwarf said, "Your apprentice is pretty good. Give her to me."
Zhuri was neither angry nor hurried. "If you can make her betray me and become your apprentice, then she's yours."
The dwarf said, "Fine. You don't mind if I add a little difficulty to your little game, do you?"
"She isn't your apprentice yet!" Zhuri was genuinely offended this time. She said sternly, "You can't interfere with the lesson plan I made for her this early... Wait, did you interfere during the arena trial too?"
The dwarf did not refute her. Instead, she suddenly looked like a truly aged elder, her eyes clouded as she stared blankly into