Departure

In the frigid snowfield, a profound silence reigned.

In this land of sub-zero temperatures, it seemed devoid of any life.

But even in the cruelest of places, life finds a way.

Even this seemingly dead snowfield was home to quite a few living creatures.

However, several years ago, due to a certain young girl.

The powerful creatures in the vicinity were either dead or had fled, leaving few survivors.

Looking down from the sky, the entire snowfield was extremely quiet, with no anomalies other than the snow being blown by the strong wind.

But if one looked closely, two people were present on this snowfield.

On the snowfield, Lilith and Esdeath lay on the ground, looking forward.

Their silver-white hair provided excellent natural camouflage on this snowfield.

If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't be able to tell that two people were lying there.

Lilith was currently learning how to hunt from Esdeath.

To avoid being a burden, Lilith had actively requested Esdeath to teach her how to hunt, and she studied diligently while Esdeath instructed her.

At this moment, Esdeath had brought Lilith to a place where a certain Dangerous Species frequently appeared.

They were waiting for that Dangerous Species to appear and deliver a fatal blow.

Of course, it was Lilith who would strike.

To become a good hunter, one needed sufficient patience.

Lilith considered herself not to be an impatient person.

Therefore, even after lying still in one spot for a long time, she felt no impatience.

And Esdeath was even more so.

While Lilith and Esdeath waited, a small, pure white beast poked its tiny head out from the ice and snow.

Its furtive appearance was actually quite cute.

Seeing a creature emerge, Lilith still made no move.

Just as the little beast was sneakily looking around, the snow behind it suddenly exploded!

A white shadow pounced on the little beast, its sharp teeth piercing its body.

A one-hit kill!

As soon as the white shadow stopped, Lilith moved.

Lilith, like a white lightning bolt, shot towards the white shadow.

The white shadow was startled, its four hooves leaving the ground as it leaped more than a meter high. It then turned and ran, without letting go of the prey in its mouth.

However, it was clearly too late for this white shadow to run now.

Lilith leaped onto the white shadow's back, her two delicate little hands grabbing the white shadow's head and twisting!

Crack! With a sound, Lilith snapped the white shadow's neck.

The white shadow's body fell limply onto the snow, and Lilith stood up from its back.

After the white shadow died, it became clear that it was a creature resembling a fox, or rather, it was a fox.

"Very good. It seems you are skilled enough at hunting ordinary animals."

Esdeath appeared silently beside Lilith and said.

At the same time, Esdeath was incredibly surprised.

She hadn't expected Lilith to learn so quickly.

In just a few days, Lilith had become very proficient at hunting ordinary animals. This speed was significantly better than her own when she was younger.

"Now that we have enough food, should we continue hunting in the snowfield or leave?"

Lilith tugged on the snow fox's tail, while her other hand held the small beast that the snow fox had killed, as it was also meat.

"That depends on you," Esdeath replied. "I was planning to teach you how to hunt Dangerous Species."

"...Then let's leave. We'll have plenty of time in the future anyway."

Lilith had been living a very fulfilling life these past few days. She spent her days learning how to hunt with Esdeath, and at night, she would review the day's memories and think about how to do better.

Coupled with the careful guidance of Esdeath as her teacher, Lilith had grown remarkably fast without her realizing it.

Although Lilith felt very satisfied with these past few days, especially when she heard that Esdeath would teach her how to hunt Dangerous Species, for a moment she felt that living in the snowfield wasn't so bad.

But she hadn't forgotten that Esdeath could have left the snowfield long ago, and it was she who had delayed her.

Esdeath's willingness to teach her how to hunt was already more than she could ask for; she had no right to request more.

Moreover, for Esdeath, there were no memories worth cherishing in the snowfield anymore. The only things left were the sad memories of her father and clansmen dying in the snowfield.

"Alright. Your strength, speed, and physique are all very powerful. Hunting ordinary Dangerous Species will be simple for you, no different from hunting ordinary wild beasts."

"Besides, I've already eaten all the powerful Dangerous Species nearby. The remaining ones aren't worth practicing on, so it's time to leave."

Hearing Lilith's answer, Esdeath felt a sense of anticipation.

She truly wondered what the outside world was like.

What were mountains like? What was the sea like?

Also, were the Dangerous Species outside different from the ones in the snowfield?

She was very curious about all of it.

Then, Lilith, dragging the corpse of the snow fox and carrying the smaller beast's carcass, followed Esdeath towards her home.

From behind Esdeath, Lilith could tell that Esdeath was genuinely happy.

Seeing Esdeath's joyful expression, Lilith's lips curved upwards for some reason.

After spending these past few days together, Lilith had come to consider Esdeath a friend.

After all, Esdeath's guidance over the past few days had made her feel that Esdeath truly cared for her.

The reason Esdeath trusted Lilith so much, besides Lilith's strange "charm," was more importantly that Lilith harbored no ill will.

No ill will specifically directed at Esdeath.

Esdeath was a person who loved and hated openly. Although Lilith had refused to become her sister before, it didn't stop her from treating Lilith as her own sister.

Wasn't it perfectly normal to be good to one's sister?

Upon returning to Esdeath's residence, they didn't pack their belongings.

Because their luggage had been packed days ago.

Or rather, there wasn't much to pack.

One was a mysterious Vampire, and the other had consumed countless powerful Dangerous Species, her physique far surpassing that of ordinary people. She didn't need heavy clothing, only food for the journey.

However, when they left the next day, Esdeath had a scimitar hanging from her waist.

It was the well-maintained scimitar Lilith had seen in the tent.

Lilith wisely didn't ask any further questions and followed Esdeath, leaving the tribe.

At the very end, Esdeath cast one last glance at the dilapidated tribe, a look of reminiscence flashing in her eyes.

"Let's go."