We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A fairy-race girl.
Every time her semi-transparent wings fluttered finely, her deep blue hair shimmered with a golden, scale-like powder, swaying mysteriously.
Though small in stature, her appearance was the same as ours.
The wings growing from her back, like those of a winged race, resembled those of an insect.
And I knew only one person who possessed similar wings.
I haven’t seen her in a while, but she resembles Micheila-chan.
Micheila-chan is a special existence as an transcendent being, but I believe her race characteristic was fairy-race.
However, even Mistral, who has the ability to identify races, apparently cannot identify her race?
The little girl who introduced herself as Lazuli, judging by her size and the wings on her back, perhaps she is of the fairy race?
“Hello, Lazuli-chan. Are you of the fairy race?”
I decided to ask directly, and she replied with a somersault in mid-air, “That’s right.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Elnea. This is Ares-chan.”
Ares-chan is intently watching Lazuli-chan, who is cutely fluttering above my head.
Even among Spirit Tree Spirits, are fairy folk rare?
Spirits and fairies are said to be close beings in fairy tales, aren’t they?
But speaking of which, I’ve never encountered any fairy folk in Dragon Peak or the Dragon Forest, despite them supposedly being close.
Moreover, even with my ability to sense incongruities in the world, I’ve never felt the presence of a fairy.
Does this mean that encounters with fairy folk are rare enough to pique Ares-chan’s interest?
“Hmm?”
Sensing something from my gaze, Lazuli-chan tilted her head slightly.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that this is my first time meeting a fairy, so I was staring.”
To my apology, Lazuli-chan smiled and said, “Don’t mind it.”
“You have such mysterious spirits and a mystical branch, yet this is your first time meeting a fairy?”
Then, Lazuli-chan stared intently at Ares-chan and the Spirit Tree branch.
It seems Lazuli-chan can recognize things related to the Spirit Tree as special, doesn’t it?
Is that a fairy’s ability?
Or is it because Lazuli-chan herself is something special?
As expected, I can’t ask such a probing question to someone I’ve just met.
Instead, I asked why she approached us.
“Because, I’ve been watching you for a long time! I couldn’t talk to you during the exam, but now that the scary demons are gone, I thought I could finally speak to you.”
“Since when?”
Even though she was watching me, I didn’t notice her gaze.
Perhaps that’s because Lazuli-chan is of the fairy race?
Lazuli-chan smiled charmingly at me, who was full of questions.
“You’re such a cute boy with ever-changing expressions. Hey, hey, why are you interested in the spring?”
“You know that much?”
It seems I was observed quite thoroughly.
If Lazuli-chan were someone whose profession was espionage, everyone might have their secrets exposed, and it would be a disaster.
Well, setting aside such fantasies for later.
“During the exam, I felt a slight incongruity, and I was trying to confirm it. Perhaps this spring hides a great secret! Just kidding?”
Hearing my words, Lazuli-chan exclaimed “Oh!” with exaggerated surprise, and then burst into laughter, seeming amused.
“That’s a wonderful sense! If you do find out the spring’s secret, please tell me too?”
“Ahaha, unfortunately, the incongruity I felt seems to have been a mistake. So, after this, Ares-chan and I were just going to take a walk and head back to the inn.”
Even after looking so closely, I don’t feel any incongruity from the spring anymore.
It seems my misunderstanding was indeed a mistake.
Lazuli-chan, who was fluttering cutely above my head, also stared intently at the spring.
Then, she nodded broadly and said, “Yes, there’s no incongruity.”
“Well then, you’ll head back after your walk to prepare for tomorrow’s exam?”
“Unlike the trio of extremely wicked demons, I ran whole day seriously. If I don’t recover my stamina properly, I’ll end up showing a pathetic sight in tomorrow’s exam.”
“In the second exam, will you be wielding that mysterious branch? I’ve never heard of a school of martial arts that uses branches as weapons?”
When Lazuli-chan reached out to touch the Spirit Tree branch, saying “It’s really a mysterious branch, isn’t it?”, Ares-chan immediately stopped her.
“No, no. This is important, so you can’t touch it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Even though it’s a branch, it’s part of Spirit-chan. I can understand Ares-chan’s desire not to let it be touched carelessly.
If Ares-chan hadn’t stopped her, I would have refused.
Lazuli-chan didn’t seem offended by Ares-chan telling her no.
“Perhaps this mysterious branch is related to you, a human, commanding a spirit girl? I’m sorry.”
This time, Lazuli-chan flitted around above Ares-chan’s head.
Ares-chan looked up at her and stared intently.
“Fufufu, that’s a secret.”
I don’t know how much Lazuli-chan could sense with the Spirit Tree branch and Ares-chan.
However, the fact that the word “Spirit Tree” didn’t come up means that Lazuli-chan at least doesn’t have any knowledge about it.
In that case, it’s best not to say anything unnecessary.
Lazuli-chan didn’t seem to be digging for information either, as she didn’t press me further after my answer.
However, continuing with superficial conversation like this would be boring, wouldn’t it?
“The second exam may, in a way, be the biggest hurdle for me?”
Even before Lazuli-chan pointed it out, I had already thought that the Spirit Tree branch, which looks like nothing more than a branch to ordinary people, wouldn’t be properly evaluated no matter how much I wielded it.
But then again, if I put away the Spirit Tree branch, a precious part of her that Spirit-chan gave me, and took out my Spirit Current Sword, Spirit-chan would get jealous again, right?
“It seems Lazuli-chan has been watching me for a long time, but do you have any advice for the second exam?”
From her tone, it sounds like Lazuli-chan knows a lot about the Holy Knight Academy’s entrance exam.
So, when I asked, she cheerfully giggled.
“You want advice from me? Really?”
“What do you mean?”
Could it be that Lazuli-chan is a student at the Holy Knight Academy and was participating in the exam as an examiner? I suddenly considered her position.
If Lazuli-chan was an examiner, then it would make sense that she was watching me the whole time.
“M-m-maybe, Lazuli-chan, are you a student at the Holy Knight Academy?”
What if she’s a student? Why would someone who was supposed to be an examiner approach a candidate like this!?
With a hint of unease, I asked, and Lazuli-chan flitted around again, giggling charmingly.
It seems Lazuli-chan is a girl who expresses her joy with her whole body.
Even though she’s small, she’s very energetic and being with her uplifts me.
“Me? I’m not a student at the Holy Knight Academy? But, you’re close.”
“My answer just now was close? So, … are you perhaps a master at the Holy Knight Academy!?”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Mumumu. Then…”
She perceives even a bit of mystery from Ares-chan and the Spirit Tree branch.
She’s knowledgeable about the Holy Knight Academy’s exams.
She’s been watching me for a long time.
The answer derived from these facts is…?
“Could it be, could it really be. …Lazuli-chan, were you also taking the entrance exam!?”
At my answer, Lazuli-chan’s eyes widened as she hovered in the air.
Then, she started laughing joyfully again.
“Fufu, that’s right. Exactly! I’m also a candidate like you.”
“I see!”
It all made sense.
Lazuli-chan must have seen us at the exam assembly location?
Perhaps she was more interested in the Spirit Tree branch I was wearing on both my hips, rather than the trio of extremely wicked demons.
And then, during the day-long running exam, she observed me?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t sense Lazuli-chan’s presence.
So, Lazuli-chan unilaterally knew about me, didn’t she?
As I voiced this thought, Lazuli-chan playfully flicked my chestnut hair with her small hand, saying “Very well done.”
“But why couldn’t I sense Lazuli-chan’s presence until the end? I was quite focused, trying to find lazy Ruilala and the others.”
Currently, I can correctly perceive Lazuli-chan’s presence as she happily flits around above my head and Ares-chan’s.
Indeed, her presence resembles that of spirits.
I can see her and clearly feel her presence, but her essential being seems to exist on a different conceptual plane?
Lazuli-chan answered my question.
“That’s because we fairies live in a different world. See, when that mysterious spirit next to you isn’t manifested, you can’t sense its presence, let alone its form, right?”
“No,” I didn’t say aloud, “I can feel Ares-chan’s presence at all times.” But with Lazuli-chan’s words, I somehow understood.
Ares-chan is an exception. My ability to sense the presence of spirits from “another world,” like the long-eared folk, is probably due to my past experiences.
Considering that, it’s natural that I, who had no contact with fairies, couldn’t perceive Lazuli-chan’s existence from “another world,” isn’t it?
And fairies, like spirits, can probably come and go between our world and theirs at will.
In that sense, I understand why fairies and spirits are said to be similar beings.
“So, that’s why Ares-chan finds fairy folk unusual…?”
“Elnea and I are one?”
“That’s right. Ares-chan, you were in the depths of the forest until you met me.”
Deepest part of the Dragon Forest. Since there were no fairies at the roots of the Great Spirit Tree, Ares-chan and I have the same “experience with fairy folk.”
To Lazuli-chan’s question, “Are you my first fairy acquaintance?”, Ares-chan and I nodded together.
“I’m happy to hear that. Then let’s continue to be good friends!”
“Likewise, let’s both do our best as fellow candidates!”
“Fufu, I hope you both pass the Holy Knight Academy without issue?”
“Yes!”
I absolutely have to enroll, no matter what. So I will definitely pass the exam!
Does Lazuli-chan have confidence in passing?
Does she have a recommendation or certification of ability from someone?
I’m already starting to feel a sense of closeness to Lazuli-chan, whom I met for the first time just now.
After all, we are aiming for the same goal.
However, right after the first exam, both Lazuli-chan and I are tired.
“Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow at the Holy Knight Academy exam venue?”
With those words, Lazuli-chan’s wings sparkled, and she vanished from our sight and presence.
“You still can’t read my presence, can you?”
“Mijukumijuku?”
“Grrr, I’ll strive to be able to sense fairy presences from now on.”
Has Lazuli-chan already left our side?
Being unable to read her form nor her presence puts me in a surprisingly difficult position.
“There’s no use worrying about it, let’s head back for today.”
Saying that, I scooped up Ares-chan and left the Foot Spring facility.
“Alright, let’s have a debrief from yesterday to today on our way back?”
A lot has happened today.
Reflection and review are important.
Then, Ares-chan looked up at me from my arms.
“You know, before that, I have an important announcement.”
“An important announcement? What is it?”
Ares-chan’s serious gaze made me instinctively brace myself.
To me, Ares-chan made a significant confession.
“I’m going to see Priscilla now! Good luck with your exam, good luck!”
“A-, Ares-chan!?”
Before I could even say “Wait a minute,” Ares-chan vanished from my arms.
Yes, just like Lazuli-chan!
“Ah, how could this be! Will I have to get through the remaining exams without Ares-chan!?”
Passersby who heard my despair looked back, wondering what was wrong.
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