What am I?

You have no other choice but to teach me about it today.

Huh? What was that?

I think I heard Ruina's voice.

As a teacher, aren't you supposed to teach me just about everything?

Calm down, Ruina. I'd very much like to teach you everything you want to learn about...

Then do so.

But even as a teacher, there are things that I can teach you and things that I just can't.

Well, I'm not going to go anywhere until you change your mind, then.

What?! Oh dear...

Ruina, what are you doing?

Oh. Aldo...

I've never seen you acting like this. What's bothering you?

I've got a problem. My teacher isn't going to teach me the stuff I want to learn.

She isn't? Looks like you are in trouble, then...

But I thought you were a good student, Ruina... What is it that you wish to learn?

I want to learn how to read...

What?! Learn how to read?

Well, I can read without a problem...

What? Really?

In that case... Read this for me, Aldo.

Ah, a letter? Hmm... This paper feels strange.

It's a letter that's extremely important to me.

Okay. Let me see...

......

What the heck?! I've never seen letters like these!

You can't read it, can you?

That's not surprising. That's Elvish writing you've got there.

Elvish?

That's right. Ruina has been pestering me about teaching her Elvish.

Look. I don't think you can ask your teacher to teach you Elvish if she doesn't know the language.

Why? She's a language teacher. As a teacher, she should be able to respond to students' questions.

My logic is sound.

Even if she is a language teacher, it's not like she can teach you every language.

Is that so? I thought she'd be capable of doing so. But if you say so, then I suppose I'm convinced.

Either way, I'm up against the wall now. I know no one else who might know Elvish.

But I really want to read what this letter says.

Ruina...

Well, I really hope that you can find someone who studies Elvish.

Hang on!

The Archaeology Buff might be able to read Elvish!

The Archaeology Buff? Do you know this person?

Definitely.

In that case, I'd very like to ask him to teach me Elvish.

Got it. Let me introduce you to him. Let's head to the Theta District.

Good bye. See you next class.

......

Phew. I wish Ruina could learn to be a bit more calm.

Still, I'm worried about her. Perhaps I should go and check in on her later.

Here we are. This is where the Archaeology Buff lives.

Take a close look at this!

This must be part of a clay figure discovered in the East!

Hmm. Let me see...

I heard your family is running a museum, no? I was assuming you'd buy stuff like this at a high price.

Heheh! I'm dying to know how much you're going to pay for these. I can't stop smiling!

Hmm.

Zero... I'm sorry but I can't buy them. I afraid it's fake.

Wh-What did you say?!

Hey, come on! Take a closer look at it!

I already did. Besides, even if this really was a part of a clay figure... They're not as valuable as you think.

Urk!

Looks like he's busy talking to someone else at the moment.

Let's wait here.

Sure, Aldo.

This isn't your area of expertise, is it? You don't discover real treasures just like that.

Don't underestimate archeology!

But then... What sort of stuff fetches a high price?

Haven't you heard what I said? I'm telling you that you can't easily get your hands on treasures.

If I had to give an example... Then it might be a relic of an ancient intelligent non-human lifeform. It could be the decorated horn of a beast, the leaf from the forehead of a Nopaew... A piece of Elvish writing or the looong hair of a dwarf... These could be considered treasures.

Hmm... So if I were to have any of those, you'd buy them at a high price, right?

Believe it or not, I'm no ordinary merchant. The Macminal's blood runs through my veins, and I keep my word.

But unfortunately, I may not be able to cover such expenses with my personal budget. I might have to use the budget at the Macminal Foundation. You might want to contact the museum directly.

The museum, eh? Got it! I'm looking forward to our business transaction!

Hmm... Looks like we have many visitors today.

Are you the Archaeology Buff?

Indeed I am.

Hmm... I recognize those ears... You must be Ruina from IDA, right?!

You know her?

Of course I do!

She doesn't know me, though.

She is the only descendant of elves recorded in our "Citizen Data." I'm sure everyone knows about her. Anyone who is involved in the field of archeology is interested in her!

I don't really know what's going on, but I wanted to ask you about this letter.

A letter?

Hmm... Hmm... Hmhmmm... Hmhuh?!

Wha... What the?!

Whoaaaaaa!

It's a real treasure!

This is exactly what I was just talking about! A letter written in Elvish!

Yup. It's a letter written by my ancestor...

...As far as I know.

Ah, I see. If that's the case...

Ruina!

I want you to sell this to me!

No way. This letter is important to me.

Urrgh!

Okay, I can't force you to do anything... Although... I know it's wrong, but...

This... This is a true treasure... Must... control... self...

Hey... Umm... Are you all right?

Oh, absolutely... Hahah!

(I don't believe that for a second.)

So, what do you want to know about that letter?

I want to know what it says. Do you know how to read Elvish?

Hmm. As someone with elven descendants, can't you read it yourself, Ruina?

I can't. That's why I've been trying to learn the language.

I see... That's some important information you've got there.

Well, do you know how to read Elvish? If you can, I want you to teach Ruina.

Unfortunately I don't. There's so few records out there about it. Just little bits here and there.

That's disappointing.

Well, even the Archaeology Buff couldn't read Elvish. I guess we'll have to look for someone else who might know it.

There's someone I can introduce you to!

Hey. You're the guy who was talking to the Archaeology Buff.

That's right! I happened to overhear your conversation.

You were eavesdropping?

Hey, don't make me sound like a bad guy. I just happened to be there when you all started talking about it!

Anyway, let me get to the point! I know a scholar who reads Elvish. If you want, I can introduce you guys to this person.

You will? Thank you.

Bring the Elvish letter with you and go to the hotel in Gamma District. It just so happens that the scholar is staying at the hotel. I'll go on ahead of you.

This is great. Looks like we have a solution.

Say, Ruina. Are you sure we can trust this guy?

There was something sketchy about him...

Sketchy?

Well, I'm not concerned about trivial things as long as I can learn Elvish.

......

All right. As long as you say so.

Let's head to the hotel in Gamma District, then.

There you are. Come with me. I'll take you up to the room where the scholar is staying.

So, where's the scholar?

No one's here. Didn't you say he is staying here?

Strange. He was here just a moment ago!

......

Relax, guys. Don't give me that face. Let's wait for a moment until he gets back...

...Or not! It was all a lie! The whole scholar thing was a ruse! Hah aha hahaha!

Yeah, I kind of figured that.

Whoa... What's happening?!

I'm starting to feel... sleepy...

Why are you... doing this?

For the treasure, of course!

This is a special sleeping gas. You won't wake up easily without the medicine designed for it. Sorry guys. I'll come back and wake you guys up once I got the money I need.

Damn it!

Goodnight...

There it is! A letter written in Elvish!

Hee-hee! I'm calling the Macminal Museum now!

...?! This looks bad!

...... O gracious gales... Hear my prayer! Lend me your strength to expel evil and restore purity to this world!

That takes care of that.

...O benevolent breezes. Dispel the malevolent mischief that emerged and lingers on their flesh!

With that... You two should wake up shortly.

Oh, Ruina. I can't believe you've gotten yourself in trouble. Anyway, it looks like I've got to keep an eye on you.

Urgh...

......

Good... morning.

Aldo. The letter's gone.

Ugh. It must be that guy! He's probably at the museum, selling it for a fortune!

How terrible... That letter meant a lot to me.

We'll get it back! To the museum!

Got it.

As you can see, I'm a bit furious right now. It's wrong to steal people's stuff.

I'm going to go all out... That man deserves an intense punishment!

You're right. And I could tell this isn't his first time.

It's fine. I'll make sure he'll learn a lesson so it won't happen again.

The museum is in Nilva. Let's hurry!

What's taking Ruina so long? We've got to catch the guy before anything happens to the letter.

I'm ready, Aldo.

There you are. Let's hurry! We've got to stop him before he sells the letter...

Ruina! What's with that outfit?!

This outfit? Well...

It's a battle outfit worn by my people. I wore them back when I used to get into trouble.

When you got into trouble?

Yup. It was during that time when I was still living on the planet surface.

Wait, you were on the surface?!

Before Elzion was established, all humans used to live on the surface. Myself included.

Oh, I got it. You live a lot longer than other humans.

But are those glasses for battles, too?

Do they instantly calculate the power levels of your enemies? How about me?

No. They're just fashionable.

I can dress anyway I want to since we're not around school at the moment.

I-I see...

Since you're like a serious, role-model student all the time, trying out new fashion could be a good thing.

Really? Thanks.

Well, I have a lot of questions I wanna ask... But right now, we've got to focus on getting that letter back!

Right.

Where did that guy go now?

I don't believe this. How did you manage to discover a new treasure so soon?

This is no joke! I got it right here, just for you!

So, have you got what I asked for?

Of course. I have your money right here.

You said you prefer cash instead of online transfer, so here you are.

Haha! Thanks buddy.

And here's the treasure.

Oh my! A letter written in Elvish?!

Exactly! It's real. No joke!

You're right... The letter is real for sure.

But how did you get it? I mean, it looks exactly like the letter that Ruina was holding onto.

Perhaps... You stole it from her?!

There's nothing to worry about. I have a good explanation for that...

What's with the mask?

This is the very reason why I asked for cash.

Stay calm. I'll leave the letter right here. But I'm taking the money with me.

Wh-What are you going to do?!

Relax, it won't hurt. I'm just going to use some smoke to let you take a nap.

Not so fast!

There you are. Give me back my letter!

Geh! How did you two manage to wake up?!

Tch! I'm taking the treasure with me.

So it really was stolen.

Where's my letter?

I'm sorry, dear. The man took it with him when he ran off.

Let's get after him, Ruina! He went inside the museum!

Got it.

Let me come with you. He can't just do whatever he wants in the museum.

All right. Let's go and get him!

I have a feeling he ran into this room.

That'll make things difficult.

Wahhhhh!

No way!

Wh-What the heck is this?!

Eek!

The security system has been activated!

Let's take care of this robot first! We'll think about what to do about the letter after that!

Time for the elves' dual sword techniques.

I'm serious now. I'll take this robot down quickly.

Phew! We survived!

My letter...

Of course!

I'll return it to you! Here you are... Heheh!

Good. It's real.

Great! The letter's been safely returned.

All's well that ends well!

......

All's well that ends well?

No. It doesn't change the fact that you tried to steal my stuff.

You are subject to punishment.

...I shall slay you.

R-Ruina?!

W-Wait, seriously?!

I'm wearing this outfit today for a reason. To show that I'm serious.

B-But you might want to reconsider harming him!

Aaargh!

...... In the past, I would have.

But that's not something a student would do. So I won't slay you this time.

Y-Yeah... I think that's a good decision!

I'll take care of the rest, Ruina. I'll make sure to hand this guy over to the EGPD.

Good. Please do so.

Well, come on you!

All right, all right. I'll go anywhere as long as I don't have to see this crazy girl again!

Aldo. Ruina. Sorry to have caused you guys trouble. I hope you'll come back to visit me again.

I'm glad we were able to get the letter back.

Well, shall we head out?

Hey, aren't you a teacher at IDA?

Indeed I am. I was worried about Ruina, and came here to make sure you two were safe.

Good thing it looks like no one got hurt.

Yup. Everything's fine. I'm tougher than you think.

But Ruina, please don't do anything dangerous again. You're special, and I'm worried about you all the time.

She's special? Is it because she has the long lost blood of the elves?

Not exactly. Being an elf does not make you special... I mean...

......

I shouldn't have said that.

...?

I tried my best to look for someone who reads Elvish, but no luck.

I beg you once again. Please teach me Elvish!

I think I've told you again and again that I can't... It is taboo to do so.

I don't get it. How can that be taboo?

You'll come across various taboos being an elf. A breach of a taboo means one thing... You'll become a dark elf.

Wait a minute. You're making it sound like you're a...

I guess it can't hurt. It seems Aldo here has seen a lot throughout his journeys.

I shall unravel the truth hidden under this facade.

Let me appear as the mortal being I used to be. Let me be in the state I was born as...

So you were an elf this whole time!

Indeed I was. This time I had to do quite a lot to keep you safe, Ruina.

And you didn't notice that she was an elf this whole time, Aldo?

How could I have known that?

Hold up. Was that why you were asking her to teach you Elvish, Ruina?

Of course it's because she is an elf. It's not like I would just ask a human to teach me Elvish. That's just nonsense.

R-Right... It's a bit strange to hear you talking about what's nonsense.

By the way, you mentioned that Ruina is special. But that's not because she's an elf, right?

Yes. It's true that elven blood runs through her veins, but if I were to be specific, there's more to it. Believe it or not...

She's has the genes of a dark elf!

A dark elf?

About a thousand years ago, there was a group elves who all broke the elven taboos, and thus became dark elves.

It's not unusual for a single elf to become a dark elf in such a manner. But we thought it was only a myth that a whole group of elves could change.

Therefore, these dark elves were watched with extreme caution by the other elves.

And one of them is Ruina, huh? And you've been watching her this whole time. Does that mean elves still exist in the future?

That is correct. Many believe that we disappeared long ago because we avoid other peoples.

Is that right?

Are we done talking?

Well, have you changed your mind about teaching me Elvish?

Ruina... Haven't you been listening to what I've said?

You see... Getting involved with dark elves is a huge risk in itself. But there's also another reason I can't teach you.

This letter is written to you, and it's meant to be read only by you. It contains the feelings your kind wanted to pass down to you.

I want you to try to be able to read it on your own, and not rely on someone else.

...... I see. You've convinced me.

One of the 7 Guidelines for students states that we must respect our teachers whom guide us in our studies. From now on, I'll study on my own until I'm able to read Elvish.

You make me proud, Ruina. I'm sure you can do it.

I still can't believe you're a descendant of a dark elf. Don't you have any other family members?

No. They're all dead.

Apparently if you're a dark elf from birth, you only live as long as the humans do. My parents passed away long ago, back when we were living on the planet's surface. I've been alone ever since then. That is until I entered the IDA School.

Is that right?

I'm not clear on what happened, but I was born right after some kind of incident among my people. That's why I'm pretty much the same as an ordinary elf.

Now I understand.

So, Ruina. Have you studied Elvish up to this point?

Sure. I've been studying ever since I entered the IDA School.

Then, can't you at least partly read and understand what the letter is saying?

I do, but I don't really get what it's trying to tell me.

Is that so?

Let me give it a try. Keep your ears open.

The forest...Atonement...The clan...Taboo? ...Rules? Far...Future...Darkness? Night? Shadow...Someday...Hope? Child? Shines?

You're right. It really is hard to understand what it's trying to say.

Those words are pretty much all I can understand. But there's a whole paragraph I can't read at all. And at the end of the letter it says "Bree...na?...no? The Elder?" That should be whoever wrote this letter.

A dark elf elder, huh?

Wait, is it Breeno? No, it can't be.

I like being a student at the IDA School. I feel safe when I'm having to obey school rules. That's why I intend to keep studying as an IDA student until I become proficient in Elvish.

Good idea. You live longer than humans do anyway. You should continue your studies and someday you'll learn how to read that letter.

I'll try my best.

One day I'll read it, and tell you what it says.

I'm looking forward to it. Just try to make sure I'm still alive when that time comes!