Ith Lightbell is a supporting character in The Journey of a Dark Elf with Fading Powers manga series. She is also an oni student at the Kisaro Academy of Sorcery and an aspiring staff crafter. Lightbell helps Amira during her first attempts at making a magic staff and explains the mindset behind crafting.[1]
Appearance
Lightbell is a young oni girl with small horns and pointed ears. She has short, light colored hair and wears a school uniform with a cape.[2]
During her childhood, Lightbell lived in a snowy mountain village and wore simpler clothing while practicing staff crafting.[3]
Personality
Lightbell is hardworking, focused and passionate about crafting. She can become so absorbed in her work that she does not notice people calling out to her. Even when Amira & Lilicena tries to get her to stop working and go to the dining hall, Lightbell chooses to keep working because she feels close to finishing her staff.[4]
She is honest but kind when judging another person's work. When Amira's first staff fails to carry Lilicena's magic force properly, Lightbell still praises it as good work for a beginner and encourages her to keep improving it.[5]
Lightbell sees crafting as a personal conversation with the object she is making. She explains that she begins with a plan, eventually reaches a point where the work no longer goes as expected, and then slowly adjusts the piece until it feels like she and the staff are matching each other's rhythm.[6]
She is also determined to prove herself. As a child, she was mocked for being weak and told that an oni should become a warrior instead of a staff crafter. Rather than giving up, she kept working so she could show others something only she could do.[7]
Relationships
Amira
Lightbell helps Amira during her first attempt at crafting a magic staff. Although Amira's early work fails, Lightbell encourages her and says that the staff only needs adjustment. Her attitude and dedication inspire Amira to keep working seriously on her own staff.[8][9]
Amira later becomes impressed by Lightbell's passion for crafting, saying she has not seen a crafter like her in centuries.[10]
Lightbell's mother
Lightbell's mother disapproved of her interest in staff crafting. She told Lightbell that staff making was work for dwarves and that being an oni meant becoming a fighter and a warrior.[11]
Plot
Lightbell appears while Amira is struggling to make her first magic staff. After Lilicena tests one of Amira's attempts and finds that the magic force does not carry over properly, Lightbell explains that the work is still impressive for a beginner. She points out that staff crafting is difficult and that even dedicated crafters do not usually succeed right away.[12]
Later that evening, Amira and Lilicena find Lightbell still working in the academy workshop. Amira & Lilicena tries to invite her to the dining hall, but Lightbell wants to keep working because she feels that her staff is almost in sync with her. She explains that crafting begins with a plan, but eventually becomes more like a conversation with the staff itself.[13]
Lightbell then explains why she became a crafter. As a child, she lived in an oni village where her horns gave her little power to brag about. Other children mocked her for being weak, and her mother told her that an oni should become a warrior rather than make staffs. Lightbell continued crafting anyway, hoping to amaze others with something only she could create.[14]
Her dedication leaves a strong impression on Amira. After listening to Lightbell, Amira decides to continue working on her own staff that night rather than stop.[15]
Trivia
- Lightbell is an oni.[16]
- Her horns were considered unimpressive among other oni.[17]
- She describes crafting as matching her breathing rhythm with the staff.[18]