In the heart of the continent of Iridian lay the city of Zeralion, a place that never seemed to rest. The markets were alive with ceaseless motion, the golden rays pouring down from the city's sky scattering through its narrow alleys, reflecting off the precious metals and gemstones that adorned the shopfronts.
And in the midst of this restless city stood a girl named Misaki Rina, pausing in the middle of the crowded market, staring in confusion at a map of Zeralion in her hands. She was trying to find the Hunter Recruitment Center, hoping to register for the trials and, if successful, join one of the Hunter Corps of Iridian.
The streets pulsed with noise and movement — merchants shouting deals, traders arguing, and nobles exchanging words in booming voices — while she was caught in her own kind of battle: a battle with directions.
"I think the road's that way… or maybe that way?"
she muttered to herself, waving her hand vaguely through the air.
"Ahhh, where even am I? Everything here looks the same!"
She ran her fingers through her light-blue hair in frustration, as if trying to shake the confusion from her head.
"Looks like I'm going to stay lost forever!"
she said out loud, only to freeze when a few hurried faces turned toward her.
"Ah, great… they probably think I'm some lost kid! Do I really look that helpless?!"
Yet she was determined not to ask for help — convinced that doing so would make her the laughingstock of Marintal Market.
"Maybe I should ask someone…" she thought, before forcing a shy smile.
"Or maybe not. No way I'm that lost girl. I'm Misaki Rina — no one loses me!"
Still, after a while, frustration began to seep into her heart. She glanced back at the map, tracing the lines with her finger — lines that seemed to bear no resemblance to the streets around her.
Then, suddenly, an image flickered in her mind — her mother's face, the same gentle expression that always appeared in moments like this. She remembered the conversation they'd had before Misaki left home:
Her mother had placed something small on the table and said,
"What do you think about taking the light-map with you? It'll help you on your journey — much easier to use than that paper map of yours."
Misaki had sighed and replied defensively,
"I told you, Mom, I don't want it. The paper map is more than enough! I can read the symbols and follow the paths on my own."
Her mother smiled softly.
"Misaki… there's no shame in relying on modern tools. It's not weakness like you think. The light-map shows you directions in real time — you'd never get lost with it."
Misaki had shaken her head firmly.
"But that makes everything too easy! What's the point of adventure if I have something telling me every step? I want to learn from the road — from my mistakes!"
Her mother had laughed lightly, her voice warm.
"Sometimes, my dear, being wise doesn't mean facing every hardship — it means knowing when to shorten the path."
Misaki had replied with gentle stubbornness,
"Maybe… but I want to prove to myself that I can do it alone, without a light-map or any fancy tools!"
And finally, her mother had waved goodbye, saying,
"Remember, Misaki — even the road you think you know can mislead you if you insist on walking with one eye closed."
Those words now echoed faintly in her mind amid the clamor of the marketplace, like a soft whisper in her ear. She smiled wearily.
"She was right, as always…"
A flush of embarrassment washed over her.
"I never listen to her… I always think I can handle everything myself."
She took a deep breath, trying to encourage herself.
But maybe this map still has something useful… I can find the way on my own.
Yet with every step she took, her confusion only deepened — until frustration began to boil inside her.
"I should've listened to Mom and taken the light-map!"
she shouted at the top of her lungs, but her voice was swallowed by the chaos of the city.
"You there, girl!"
The sudden call made Misaki whirl around. From between the crowded alleys, she spotted a small wooden stall surrounded by the scent of spices and perfumes.
Behind a worn table sat an old woman with thick white hair and a patched brown cloak.
"Yes, you — the girl with the blue hair and eyes. Come over here."
After the vendor gestured to her, Misaki took a hesitant step toward the stall, weaving her way through the crowd. She stopped in front of the worn wooden table, her sapphire eyes scanning every detail of the old woman and her patched brown cloak.
"Do you need something, Grandma?"
The old woman replied with a sudden question, "Did I hear you say you're looking for a light-map?"
Misaki blinked in surprise, then answered eagerly, "Yes! Do you have one?"
The old woman smiled.
"How about we make a little deal, then?"
She reached into a wooden drawer behind her and pulled out something resembling a large golden compass, engraved with celestial blue markings. When she opened the lid, a soft light emerged, projecting a three-dimensional map of the entire city of Zeralion above the table.
Misaki's eyes sparkled in awe.
"Incredible! The entire city of Zeralion? This… this is a live map!?"
Then, suddenly—
> "Finally… I can breathe again! Do you have any idea how stuffy that drawer was?!"
Misaki froze, looking around in confusion.
"Wh–Who just spoke?!"
The same soft, feminine mechanical voice came again—from the glowing light itself.
"Me. The map. Is there a problem? Don't maps talk in your village?"
"Whaaa—!! A talking map?! I… I wasn't ready for this level of technology!"
The old woman chuckled.
"I forgot to mention—it's an older model. They used to talk to their owners to prevent accidents… or to scold them occasionally."
The map sighed dramatically.
"I once guided kings and legendary hunters… and now I'm in the hands of a lost girl who can't tell north from south."
Misaki put her hands on her hips.
"Hey! I'm not lost! I'm just… recalculating my path!"
"You've been walking in circles for ten minutes. Even the rats have started pitying you."
Misaki groaned in despair.
"Oh great… even the map's mocking me."
The old woman laughed softly. "Before we discuss the price, why don't you tell me your name? And where you're from?"
Misaki straightened up and placed a hand over her chest.
"I'm Misaki Rina. I came from a small, peaceful town called Rima, far to the north of the Iridian Continent."
The old woman tilted her head thoughtfully.
"...Rina? From Rima?"
Misaki tilted hers back, curious.
"Yes… is something wrong?"
The old woman shook her head gently and smiled.
"No, don't worry about it. May I ask why you want the map?"
Misaki's eyes gleamed with determination and excitement.
"I want it to find the Hunter Recruitment Center — to follow my brother's path and become a strong hunter myself, someone whose name will be remembered in the history books!"
The old woman's gaze softened, filled with genuine interest.
"A noble goal, Misaki… Tell me, who is this brother you wish to follow?"
"My older brother, Ryne Rina. He was a hunter, but he hasn't returned for years. That's why I decided to walk the same path — and surpass him."
The map's voice rang out, shocked.
"Ryne?! Impossible… I never thought I'd hear that name again."
Misaki raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"
The map replied sharply, "Know him? Who doesn't know that legendary hunter who saved the entire continent single-handedly?!"
The old woman, unsurprised, merely nodded — she had suspected as much from Misaki's appearance, her blue eyes, and her surname.
Misaki froze in disbelief.
"Whaaaaat?! Legendary?! Ryne?!"
The old woman sighed deeply.
"Ryne… my dear, your brother isn't just a hunter. He's one of the most powerful hunters in the entire continent. He fought in the War of the Black Valley, defeated the Eternal Vermis beast alone, and even stopped one of the Seven Emperors from erasing an entire city. Then, three years ago… he vanished without a trace. Since then, rumors about him have never stopped."
Misaki closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her head in frustration.
"All this time, and I had no idea?! I thought he was just a strong adventurer!"
The map muttered dryly, "Well, that explains your overconfidence… it's apparently genetic."
The old woman added gently,
"Rima is an isolated place. It seems your brother was protecting you — even from his own fame."
The map's tone softened slightly.
"Don't worry… even if you told people he was your brother, no one would believe you anyway."
"Would you shut up already?" Misaki snapped.
The old woman placed the map back on the table.
"Normally, I'd sell this map for a hundred thousand rubies. But… for Ryne's sister? Fifty thousand."
Misaki's eyes widened in shock.
"Fifty thousand?! I don't even have that kind of money!"
Fifty thousand rubies — an amount far beyond anything she'd ever owned or dreamed of. Disappointment washed over her like a wave, crushing the hope that had burned so brightly just moments ago.
"How much do you have?" asked the old woman curiously.
Misaki opened her bag, took out her wallet, and flipped it open.
"I have… about fifteen thousand."
The old woman let out a soft chuckle, followed by a faint, raspy cough.
"Fifteen thousand, is it? That won't even buy you half a compass these days."
Misaki shrank in place, embarrassment heating her cheeks.
She closed her wallet slowly, as though sealing away the last bit of hope with it.
"I understand…" she murmured, then forced a sad smile.
"Thank you for your time, Grandma. I'm sorry for bothering you."
She turned to leave, but the old woman watched her silently for a long moment, as if weighing something in her heart.
Then she spoke softly,
"Wait, girl."
Misaki stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around. She heard the creak of the drawer opening again.
"You know…" the woman began, "I thought Ryne's sister would be different — arrogant, proud… But you resemble him more than you think."
Misaki turned slightly, eyes wide with confusion, just as the old woman pushed the glowing map across the table toward her.
"Take it."
Misaki froze. "What? But… I can't accept it for free!"
The old woman smiled warmly, with a strange depth in her eyes.
"Think of it as an heirloom continuing his path. This map has chosen you now — use it well."
The map's voice rose in protest.
"Are you serious?! You're giving me to a girl who can't even find east or west?!"
The old woman chuckled and patted the golden lid.
"Silence, you brass-tongued relic… you've found your new master."
Misaki took the map with trembling hands, staring at the soft glow radiating from it.
"Thank you… I don't know why you're helping me, but I'm truly grateful."
The old woman simply smiled, nodding quietly as the evening breeze carried shimmering light across her face.
The map muttered in a monotone voice,
"Sold again for sentimental reasons… where's my digital dignity?"
"I promise I'll use you for great missions!"
"Fine… just don't lose me or smear food on my surface."
"Deal!"
And just as Misaki was admiring the map's glow, a faint whistle cut through the bustling market — followed by a flicker of shadow slipping between the crowd. Before she could react, the weight of the map vanished from her hands.
She froze for a heartbeat, then shouted, voice trembling with shock,
"What—?!"
Her gaze darted upward — a masked figure was sprinting away, the glowing map gleaming in his grasp.
"Hey, you stupid thief!!! Give that back right now!"
The crowd turned in confusion, murmurs spreading, some trying to follow the thief with their eyes, others backing away from the chaos.
The old woman rose from her seat, alarmed.
"Oh heavens! It's gone!"
Misaki bolted forward at full speed, dashing through the narrow alleys, forcing her way through the startled crowd. Her blue hair streamed behind her as her eyes locked on the fleeing figure.
He wasn't just any thief — his movements were fast, precise, calculated. He slipped through the streets like someone who knew every corner of the city by heart.