The First Drop of Poison
Morning at Wolf Lodge – Something Is Wrong
The sun had barely risen, but Wolf Lodge was already full of life.
The staff bustled in the kitchen, Kagura stood guard at the gate, and Ersi sat on the stairs, watching the guests while spinning fireballs between her fingers.
Noelle stood before the herb shelf, checking the fresh water supply.
The water was always pure — one of Wolf Lodge's prides.
According to the Wolfwood tradition, water symbolized purity, healing, and peace.
But today… something was different.
Noelle stopped.
On the surface of the water, a faint green shimmer vibrated.
No one else would have seen it.
But to a water mage, it was like someone had poured ink into the sea.
Noelle's eyes narrowed.
"This… is poison."
The Poison Mage's Message – Subtle but Deadly
Noelle let a single drop fall into her palm.
The water was cold.
Too cold.
The poison wasn't lethal — more like a signal.
A signature.
A nameless greeting.
In the water, a tiny black symbol appeared, then slowly dissolved.
A snake.
Coiled around a dagger.
Noelle's face darkened.
"Poison mage…" she whispered.
Ersi entered the kitchen at that moment.
"What happened? What's that face? You look like someone who just saw their own tax bill."
Noelle held up the droplet.
"Someone tried to contaminate our supply. They failed. But… they're watching us."
Ersi's eyes flashed.
"Then let's catch the bastard right now."
Noelle shook her head.
"No. This is my opponent. Water purifies, poison corrupts. This… is personal."
Ersi nodded.
She understood.
The Poison Mage's First Victim – It Happens in the City
In the afternoon, Tessa returned from the market, her face pale.
"Noelle… you need to see something."
The girls followed Tessa to the edge of the city, where a man lay in a narrow alley.
He wasn't dead — but barely breathing.
His skin had taken on a greenish tint.
His eyes were glassy.
His pulse weak.
Noelle knelt beside him and placed her hand on his chest.
The water element gently wrapped around his body.
The poison… was there.
Deep.
Cruel.
"This… is not natural poison," Noelle said. "This… is magic."
Tessa nodded.
"In the city, they whisper that a new underworld figure has appeared. Someone who doesn't kill with a blade, but… quietly. Slowly. Invisibly."
Ersi frowned.
"The poison mage."
Noelle closed her eyes and guided the power of water into the man's body.
The poison resisted.
Coiled.
Fought.
But Noelle was stronger.
The man suddenly gasped for air, then began coughing.
His skin slowly regained its color.
Noelle collapsed back, exhausted.
"This… was only a warning. The poison mage didn't want to kill. Just… send a message."
Tessa looked around grimly.
"And the message reached us."
The Poison Mage Watches Them – From the Shadows
On the rooftop above the alley, a figure stood.
Black cloak.
Masked face.
A small vial turning between his fingers.
The man looked down at Noelle.
His voice was soft, like a snake's hiss.
"Water… purifies. But poison… always finds a way."
He smiled behind the mask.
"Let's play, Wolfwood girl."
Then he vanished into the shadows.
The Game Has Begun
Noelle stood up and took a deep breath.
"This fight… will be mine."
Ersi placed a hand on her shoulder.
"And we stand behind you. All of us."
Tessa nodded.
"The poison mage is not just a criminal. Someone sent him. Someone who aims for the imperial throne."
Noelle's eyes darkened.
"Then we'll find them. And stop them."
Around Wolf Lodge, the air shifted.
The city's breath quickened.
And in the background, a new game began.
The poison mage had appeared.
And Noelle was the only one who could stop him.
Kagura and Ryuzen's Second Encounter
Night at Wolf Lodge – Kagura Cannot Sleep
The night was quiet — too quiet.
The city's noise had faded, the inn's guests were asleep, and only the faint glow of lanterns lit the courtyard.
Kagura Cry sat in her room, her sword resting on her knees.
She couldn't sleep.
Ryuzen's face flashed again and again in her mind.
His movements.
His voice.
His gaze.
The style of the Island of Warrior Maidens.
But twisted.
Distorted.
Betrayed.
Kagura clenched her fist.
"Why did you come here? What do you want from me?"
The question echoed in her head.
Then… she heard it.
A faint tap from the courtyard.
Kagura lifted her head.
Something Moves on the Rooftops
Kagura silently opened the window and leapt onto the ledge.
Her movement was light as the wind, silent as a shadow.
Between the rooftops, a figure darted.
Fast.
Precise.
Familiar.
Kagura's heart skipped.
"Ryuzen."
The man stopped on the edge of the neighboring roof and slowly turned toward her.
Moonlight glinted on his sword.
"You're fast," he said quietly. "You still remember what they taught you."
Kagura drew her own sword.
"What do you want from me? Why are you following me?"
Ryuzen smiled.
"I'm not following you. I'm just… watching."
Kagura's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Ryuzen stepped closer along the roof's edge.
"Because you are the last."
Kagura froze.
"The last… what?"
For the first time, Ryuzen's voice was serious.
"The last one who still believes in the traditions of the Warrior Maidens. The island… is no longer what it was. The masters… have fallen. The teachings… have been twisted."
Kagura tightened her grip on her sword.
"You're lying. The island lives. The tradition lives."
Ryuzen slowly shook his head.
"No. The island is no longer yours. And soon… your past will reach you too."
Kagura stepped forward.
"What do you know? Tell me!"
But Ryuzen stepped back to the edge of the roof.
"When you're ready. You're not yet."
Kagura lunged forward — but Ryuzen was already gone.
The man vanished silently among the rooftops.
Kagura stood at the edge, breathing hard, gripping her sword.
"Come back! Ryuzen!"
But the man was already far away.
Kagura Returns – And Ersi Waits
Kagura jumped back into the courtyard, and at the inn's door Ersi stood with her arms crossed.
"So? Running around on the rooftops again?"
Kagura blinked in surprise.
"You… saw me?"
Ersi shrugged.
"Fire is sensitive to shadows. And you were clattering on the roof like an oversized cat."
Kagura blushed.
"There was a man. Ryuzen. From the island. He said… I am the last."
Ersi's face darkened.
"That doesn't sound good."
Kagura nodded.
"No. And I feel… this is only the beginning."
The Shadow Watching From Afar
On one of Wolf Lodge's chimneys, a figure sat.
Ryuzen.
The man silently watched Kagura.
His eyes were cold, but not hostile.
Rather… sad.
"Kagura Cry… you are the last hope. But you don't understand yet. You don't see it."
The man stood up and vanished into the night.
Kagura's Path Begins
Kagura gripped her sword, and standing in the moonlight, she knew:
Her past had returned.
And her future was just beginning.
The Water Mage's First Message to Ersi
The Kitchen of Wolf Lodge – Where Fire Meets Water
The morning began peacefully.
The staff bustled in the kitchen, Noelle arranged herbs, Kagura stood guard at the gate, and Tessa read documents upstairs.
Ersi stood at the kitchen counter, trying to cut fruit — naturally, with fire magic.
Instead of a knife, she spun a tiny fireball between her fingers, caramelizing each fruit with a single touch.
"Ersi, please don't set the kitchen on fire," Noelle said from behind.
"Relax, Noelle. This is professional technique," Ersi grinned.
The next moment the fireball grew too large, and the fruits exploded.
Noelle sighed.
"Professional technique, huh?"
Ersi shrugged.
"Experimental phase."
Then… the air changed.
The Sudden Chill – Someone Is Watching
The kitchen temperature dropped sharply.
The lamps dimmed.
Moisture settled on the walls.
Ersi froze.
"This… is water magic. But not Noelle. Damn it… that other water mage again."
Tiny ice crystals appeared in the air, floating slowly as if scattered by an invisible hand.
Noelle stepped back.
"This isn't natural. Someone… wants to send a message."
Ersi stepped forward and held out her palm.
One of the crystals landed in her hand.
Inside the crystal was a tiny blue seal.
A droplet‑shaped mark.
Ersi's eyes narrowed.
"This… is a challenge."
The crystal suddenly crumbled, as if it had never existed.
The Water Mage's Voice – But His Mouth Doesn't Move
In the corner of the kitchen, the water in the bucket stirred.
Tiny ripples ran across it, and on the surface a single word formed, shaped from water:
"Weak."
Ersi's face turned red.
"Weak?! And who the hell—"
The water rippled again.
"Find me."
The waves smoothed out.
The water returned to calm.
Ersi clenched her fist.
"This water mage… is playing with me."
Noelle stepped beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ersi… be careful. Water mages aren't like fire mages. They don't explode. They… wait. Watch. Then strike."
Ersi snorted.
"Then I'll watch too. And when I find them… I'll show them that fire doesn't just destroy — it bites."
Noelle smiled.
"That's my Ersi."
The Water Mage Watches From Afar
On top of a tall water tower in the merchant city, a figure stood.
Blue cloak.
Masked face.
A tiny ice crystal turning between his fingers.
The water mage looked down at the city.
"The fire girl… interesting. Fierce. Unpredictable. Exactly what I need."
The crystal slowly melted in his palm.
"But still weak. She doesn't yet understand the power of water. The power of patience."
The water mage turned and disappeared behind the tower.
Ersi's Flame Ignites
Ersi stood in the middle of the kitchen, still feeling the cold of the ice crystal in her palm.
"Weak, huh? We'll see."
Fire flickered gently between her fingers.
The game had begun.
And Ersi was ready.