We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A young priestess.
The girl’s head mercilessly dug into my solar plexus.
“Guh!”
I convulsed in pain from the dull ache in my abdomen.
The two moonlit arrows floating above the girl’s head were the only things that hadn’t hit me, still suspended in mid-air.
The girl nuzzled against me, pressing her head to mine as if she were Fiorina. But then she seemed to notice something was wrong.
“Sister! …But you’re a bit hard, aren’t you? Sister, building too much muscle isn’t very ladylike…”
When the girl looked up then, her eyes widened upon seeing my face.
“Uh, hello?”
I greeted her with a smile.
Suddenly, her face turned bright red, and she jumped away from me.
“I-I am so sorry. I never expected anyone other than Sister to come out of Sister’s carriage!”
The girl apologized breathlessly, flapping her hands in a flustered manner. I, in turn, apologized for giving her the wrong impression.
“Actually, the Head Miko, Madrine, devised a plan for me at the Royal Palace. Ah, I’m Elnea Eris.”
“Is that so, your sister’s trap… Hah! Elnea Eris? Then, you are that great hero who saved the country and was promised to my sister in the future!?”
“Uh, your sister is?”
I had a feeling I knew the answer, but I had to ask just in case. After all, it was the first time I’d heard that Madrine had a sister.
The girl straightened herself in response to my question. It was only then that I noticed she was also clad in splendid Miko’s Attire. She looked about ten years old. Her beautiful blonde hair and large blue eyes bore a striking resemblance to Madrine. Her mannerisms and way of speaking were a bit more mature than her age, but that’s probably just a girl her age trying to act grown up.
The girl in Miko’s Attire bowed her head deeply in greeting.
“Allow me to introduce myself, belatedly. I am Mary Variety. Madrine is now my official sister.”
“Officially?”
“Yes. I was adopted into the Variety Family.”
“Ah, I see.”
I learned that Mary was originally Madrine’s cousin. I nodded along to the girl’s explanation.
“Do you understand, Elnea-sama? Normally, even for royalty, if one wishes to form a marriage alliance with the Variety Family, they must enter as an adopted son-in-law. However, this time, it is for the great hero who saved our country. As you are an esteemed individual who rivals, no, surpasses the Variety family crest, you are an exception to the exceptions, and my sister will marry you.”
Madrine belongs to a branch family of the Variety Family. And the Variety Family is a prestigious lineage that any clergyman knows. Although she belongs to a branch family, Madrine is indeed a worthy successor. Therefore, when marrying a woman from the Variety Family, one would normally have to become an adopted son-in-law. Otherwise, the lineage of the continuously flowing branch family would be cut off.
However, Madrine was treated as an exception. This was because her intended husband was me. I am just a man, raised in a family that is not wealthy, with no lineage to speak of. Yet, I have met various people from different races and overcome numerous trials. Therefore, even Madrine, the legitimate successor of the Variety Family, was deemed worthy of marrying and changing her surname.
But this would truly mean the end of the Variety Family’s branch lineage. That’s why her cousin, Mary, would be adopted to become the successor.
I realized that a significant matter had been progressing without my knowledge. Madrine must have handled all these matters by herself. And I thought, Mary explained it so calmly, but this must not have been an easy task at all. Even for Madrine. Even if she was marrying me. To arrange and conclude such matters would have required immense effort and careful planning. Madrine managed all of it alone. And she didn’t show us the slightest hint of this hardship.
“As expected, Madrine-sama is amazing.”
“Of course! She is someone who took the position of Head Miko, surpassing her mother who is the current head!”
“Now that you mention it!?”
That’s right. Madrine’s mother would also be a woman of the Variety Family, and if she were the head, she would undoubtedly be serving as a Miko. Yet, it was not her mother, the head, but her daughter, Madrine, who became the Head Miko at such a young age. That alone was proof of Madrine’s exceptional talent.
And I am going to marry such a woman. So much so that she would abandon the proud surname of Variety.
“As Madrine’s husband, I must be a man worthy of her!”
“That’s right! Therefore, I shall now test you, Elnea-sama!”
“Eh!?”
The sudden turn of events made my eyes widen in surprise.
The small priestess crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked up at me with a serious expression. She had the air of an examiner. However, the young examiner had made a major miscalculation.
“Uh, uhm…”
She looked up at my face intently. This meant that Nimia, lounging leisurely on top of my head, was within her line of sight! Nimia, who had been watching us, swaying her fluffy long tail. Mary’s eyes widened as she recognized Nimia. And then, they began to sparkle.
“Kyaa! So cute! So beautiful! Wonderful!”
Mary leaped up and tried to catch Nimia.
“Meow.”
Nimia jumped off my head, landed on the ground, and started to run around.
“Kyaa, kyaa, please wait!”
Mary chased after Nimia and ran off.
“…It seems my trial is over.”
Behind me, the guide priestess was smiling.
It appears this is indeed Madrine’s family home.
Madrine’s family home was located on a hill surrounded by greenery, in the southern part of the capital city’s expansive cityscape. The entire hill as far as the eye could see was Variety Family property. However, the building at the summit was quite small and had a very modest exterior. Although the exterior of the building appeared modest, it was the main residence of the prestigious Variety Family. While it projected an image of simplicity, intricate craftsmanship was visible in the pillars and walls. Seasonal flowers adorned the windowsills, and colorful flowers bloomed in the flowerbeds surrounding the building.
The garden was exceptionally spacious. The gentle slope of the hill was covered in lawn, with deciduous trees planted here and there, spreading their branches. Several areas were demarcated by well-maintained hedges, and there were even paved plazas and water features centered around ponds. And surrounding the hill was a rich, natural forest.
Mary ran around the vast lawn, chirping excitedly. Of course, she was chasing Nimia. And, for some reason, she still had two small moonlit arrows floating above her head.
“Um, what are those moonlit arrows above Mary-sama’s head?” I asked the guide priestess. She answered with a smile.
“Those are part of her training. Hōjutsu often involves spells that need to be activated for long periods, such as healing, barriers, or binding spells. Therefore, she is training to maintain such spells.”
“I see, so it’s training to increase the duration of the spell.”
Maintaining a spell is surprisingly difficult. It requires concentrating power instantaneously to unleash it explosively. This is common in highly offensive spells, but instantaneous spells are not too difficult as the concentration is also instantaneous. However, sustained spells like binding or barrier spells, even if they appear inconspicuous, can be a significant burden on the caster. This is because they must maintain concentration throughout the spell’s activation. Furthermore, it also continuously consumes their power.
Concentration and consumption. These are major challenges that even masters inevitably face. I also have to continuously draw power from the Dragon Vein to maintain the Storm Dragon Arts, and I can’t maintain my concentration unless I continue to perform the Dragon Sword Dance. Priscilla also practices summoning spirits whenever she has free time to train in maintaining her spells.
And Mary also appears to be in the midst of training to sustain spells by maintaining the small moonlit arrows above her head.
“That’s amazing. Even when chasing Nimia or hugging me in surprise, those moonlit arrows didn’t dissipate or disappear. That just goes to show how excellent Mary-sama’s Hōjutsu is, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Mary-sama is a genius, and at her age, she has already received her baptism. She is minimizing and maintaining those small moonlit arrows herself.”
“What!? Those small moonlit arrows were developed by Mary-sama herself!?”
Hōjutsu can only be activated through incantations woven with ancient words or by drawing complex patterns in the air with one’s fingertips. Therefore, even to slightly alter the effect of a spell, one must understand the meaning of the incantation and change only the intended part, or alter the pattern being drawn. In other words, one cannot even change the effect without a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Despite that, Mary has already understood the basics of moonlit arrows and has developed a new spell for herself.
“However, she is still a child, so she tends to get absorbed in whatever is in front of her.”
“Forgetting about the trial for me, right!”
“Fufufu, that’s right.”
Getting absorbed in what’s in front of her, she truly is a girl of the same blood as Madrine.
“Meow.”
“Please wait. Please wait! Wait!”
Nimia ran on the lawn without flying. Mary ran around with two small moonlit arrows floating above her head. We watched the lively scene with smiles, along with the guide priestess. Then, the entrance of the mansion on the hill opened, and two women appeared. One of them looked at Mary running around the lawn and murmured quietly.
“Mary?”
Just that. With a single word, devoid of any pressure or coercion. Mary, who had been running around energetically until just now, stopped and froze.
“M-Mother…?”
Mary turned around cautiously. As soon as she saw the two women standing at the entrance, she straightened her disheveled Miko’s Attire and sat down in seiza on the lawn.
“M-Misunderstanding, Mother. I-I was properly training. A-And! I was going to give Elnea-sama a trial…”
“Oh, a trial? You, for who?”
“Th-th-that is…”
Mary was speechless. The two women watched her from the entrance. Although they appeared to be of different ages, they resembled each other in appearance. One was around forty years old, perhaps? A woman with a calm demeanor. The other was around thirty? She also exuded a gentle aura. Not only in their aura but also in their appearance, they looked alike. In fact, their attire was the same. Both women were clad in Miko’s Attire.
And it was the younger woman, around thirty, who spoke to Mary. She asked Mary questions with a smile. She exuded no aura that would intimidate others; rather, it was a gentle smile full of maternal love. Yet, Mary was completely frozen, like a frog stared down by a snake.
“Now, Mary, please explain? To whom were you going to administer a trial? And was it important for your training? Chasing the Guardian Dragon too?”
“Ugh. Uuuuh…”
It seemed that both Mary and the two women who appeared at the entrance knew Nimia’s true identity. In the Yorttenitos Kingdom, Asher, who appeared during the time of national crisis, is sometimes referred to as the country’s Guardian Dragon. And Nimia strongly resembles her mother, Asher. Also, since she has visited the capital with us many times, it is known that she can grow larger or smaller. Furthermore, if one thinks about it a little, it becomes apparent that I, who brought Nimia, am Elnea Eris. In other words, the women at the entrance are questioning Mary, including me standing in front of the carriage and Nimia, whom she had been chasing.
With an innocent, guileless smile! Hmm. This might be more terrifying than actual anger. She isn’t angry at all. She isn’t scolding or rebuking the other party. She is simply and purely thinking of the other party from the bottom of her heart. But because of that, when she asks questions along with that smile, it pierces deeply into one’s heart. Especially if one has something to hide.
Mary must be feeling her heart constrict right now. She didn’t say “trial” with any ill intentions towards me, and it’s understandable for a girl her age to get caught up in Nimia. But she was in the middle of training. I was Madrine’s fiancé. Nimia was the daughter of Asher, praised as the Guardian Dragon. Various conditions converged, putting Mary in a situation where she couldn’t make excuses.
Mary sat in seiza with tears in her eyes, trying desperately to explain. But a girl of ten years old doesn’t have the eloquence to deceive adults. In the end, she remained seated in seiza in silence.
“Meow.”
Nimia, looking worried, climbed onto Mary’s lap. Normally, she would have been overjoyed and jumped around, but Mary didn’t even look at Nimia on her lap, continuing to stare straight at the women at the entrance.
“Well, this is too pathetic.”
It’s my fault for visiting without notice and disrupting Mary’s training.
“Nice to meet you. I am Elnea Eris. Please forgive my sudden visit.”
I raised my voice so it could reach the entrance of the mansion on the hill from in front of the carriage.
“It was I who offered Mary a trial. To gain the approval of Mary, who deeply respects Madrine-sama. And during the preparations, I asked her to entertain Nimia. Therefore, Mary is not at fault.”
“Nyan!”
I felt a little bad about lying to the priestesses, but it was to help Mary. Besides, I wasn’t planning anything bad, so it’s okay, right? Nimia even nodded in agreement, as if to confirm my words.
“Elnea-sama. You don’t have to cover for Mary, you know?”
“No, I’m not covering for her.”
“Then, what kind of trial did Elnea-sama offer?”
This time, the woman turned her smile towards me. Ugh. When it’s directed at me, I understand it even better. The woman doesn’t doubt my words at all. She is simply asking me, purely, what kind of trial it was.
“Uh… Th-That’s right. A trial of spell continuation!”
I blurted out what came to mind. Two small moonlit arrows are still floating above Mary’s head. Mary is in the middle of training to maintain Hōjutsu by not releasing the moonlit arrows. I also believe that spell maintenance is a fundamental aspect. Perhaps that’s why I said it.
“Mary-sama and I will each activate a spell, and if I can sustain my spell longer than Mary-sama, the trial will be complete!”
As I improvised, I began to gather Dragon Energy. And then, I activated a Dragon Art. A green mist appeared. This was the visualization of dense Dragon Energy. The dense Dragon Energy gradually converged, forming a shape.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
A chicken dragon, so realistic it looked like it was about to crow, was created by my Dragon Art.
“I will overcome this trial with this spell!”
“That is a wonderful spell. However, will it be alright? If nothing else happens, Mary can maintain it for about two more days.”
“Eh!?”
My face twitched at the unexpected duration.
“Mary-sama is a genius.”
The guide priestess behind me gave a wry smile. No way, am I, who spoke to help Mary, now in a pinch!? Can I really maintain the chicken dragon spell for more than two days…? I despaired inwardly at the unexpectedly harsh trial.
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