Raven

Personal Info

A member of the treasure-hunting organization Wilderness Rangers, whose codename within the group is Judgment Knight.
She usually looked lethargic, but the moment treasure was mentioned, she perked right up.
Whenever the topic strayed from treasure, she often said unexpectedly philosophical things, like a sage who had seen through the nature of the world.
Because of that, some saw her as a vulgar Explorer obsessed with money, while others treated her as a wise woman training in the Abyss.
Raven herself did not care about any of those opinions and continued doing as she pleased, chasing treasure leads throughout the Abyss.

Chronicles

Sometimes the Knight of Judgment chats with me about exploration, life, and all kinds of insights. I still don't understand a lot of it, but anyone who can say things like that is incredibly cool!
And her title is amazing too. Knight of Judgment. Just hearing the name is enough to make people dream.
I really hope that after I pass the trial, the Knight Commander will give me an awesome title like that too.
— Skylark from Wilderness Rangers

That child used to be interested in everything when she was little. She was always asking me to teach her martial skills and pestering me to tell her stories about my old expeditions.
She even said that when she grew up, she wanted to become an Explorer too, uncover the secrets of the Abyss, and see a wider world...
But then one day, she suddenly lost interest in everything.
I've kept wondering whether I put too much pressure on her. But since the day she was born, I've done everything I could to dote on her. I shouldn't have been putting any pressure on her at all.
— Raven's father

What is the nature of the world? Survival. Continuation.
And what do survival and continuation require? Money, of course. So even though Lady Raven can see through all things, the one thing she still cares about is treasure, because she understands the nature of the world better than anyone.
She longs for treasure for the sake of survival and continuation, and the purpose of survival and continuation is to enlighten more lost people with her absolute wisdom.
Of course, you can doubt everything I'm saying. But if you've ever spoken with Lady Raven yourself and received her enlightenment, you'll become a faithful follower like me too.
— A certain Raven fan

Record

Like the other members of the Wilderness Rangers, Raven made no attempt to hide her desire for treasure.
But after getting to know her better, one could not help but wonder whether what she truly sought was treasure, or absolute financial freedom.
It was hard to get an answer from Raven herself. After all, even if you asked, all you would get was something like, "What's the difference? Mortals always love getting tangled up in trivial things."
Yet during expeditions, Raven was the complete opposite of her usual self — what she displayed was an almost perfect, efficient art of combat.
So much so that after seeing her in action, many members suspected that her usual lazy demeanor was a deliberate attempt to hide her true strength and keep a low profile.
Of course, that suspicion was hard to prove as well. For now, the only certain thing was that Raven had already become a part of this expedition team.
No matter what kind of companions she worked with, she always performed brilliantly. No matter what kind of personality a fellow member had, she could always chat with them for a few lines.

Anecdote

The girl was diligently practicing her martial skills when her eyes drifted to a cat off to the side.
The cat stretched out on the haystack, basking in the warm sun and gentle breeze.
How comfortable. The thought suddenly flashed through the girl's mind, but she immediately shook her head and pulled herself back.
Now was not the time to lose focus. For the sake of a comfortable life in the future, she had to make every moment count.
With that thought, the girl rallied herself a little more.
For the sake of a comfortable life later? But doesn't life already seem comfortable enough now?
Even if everything I have now was given to me by Father, as long as he's still here, can't I keep living like this?
If that's the case, then what am I working so hard for now?
Is it so that even after my parents are gone, I can still maintain the life I have now?
But with my current ability, I should already be strong enough to become an Explorer, right?
From now on, I just need to go into the Abyss, find a few treasures, trade them for money, and I won't have to worry about my future.
Yeah, that's it. Today's training ends here.
If today's effort is for tomorrow's comfort anyway, then as long as nothing is going to change about the current situation,
there's really no difference between enjoying comfort today and working hard again tomorrow.
Seizing the present also means seizing the chance to enjoy life while I still can.
It's like how people say they make money when they're young to prepare for old age, but by the time they're old, even if they have money, they can't enjoy life anymore.
Besides, don't people always say, "You never know which will come first: your tomorrow, or your end"? I'll think about later things later.
At this very moment, I should just do what I most want to do.
The girl stopped what she was doing and let out a long breath, as if she had already made up her mind.

"Harper, look what I brought back for you — huh? Where is she?"
"She was just over here practicing her martial skills."
"Got it. She probably went to spar with someone, right? She's improved so much lately, she must want to test herself! I'll go look for her."
The middle-aged couple went back to their own work, neither of them noticing that on a haystack not far away, the girl was fast asleep with the cat in her arms.