"Leca was always the referee. Shall we begin?"
The cat-eared beastfolk, Kai, announced cheerfully. But Leca frowned.
"If your clothes get wet, you'll catch a cold. Even if you had spares, there's nowhere to change around here."
"In this heat? They'll dry in no time, right?"
Mia nodded at Zeffel's remark. More than anything, she hadn't seen water in so long—she wanted to jump in.
"Alright then, ready, set—go! First one to that big cactus wins!"
Splash, splash, splash.
Mia prided herself on being a decent swimmer, but there was no way she could match Zeffel or the beastfolk boys. They shot ahead, leaving her far behind. Despite trying her best, she came in third out of four.
The last place finisher was, surprisingly, the earth spirit Beron. He wrung out his long hair with a sour expression.
"I'm just not in top form today."
"Really? Seems to me you're always last."
Zeffel, the air spirit and today's winner, giggled and teased him. Beron twitched his eyebrow.
"Want to bet on something you're terrible at, Zeffel?"
"What's Zeffel bad at?"
Mia asked. Zeffel waved his hand dismissively, but Beron jumped in.
"He's terrible at materialization. Can't create a single decent object. Quite embarrassing, really—for a spirit."
"Wow, I'm the same way!"
Mia smiled brightly and extended her hand for a shake. Zeffel grinned as he took it.
Surrounded by laughter and banter, Mia felt her heart ease.
She hadn't smiled like this since arriving in Sibareth—since she left behind a world where no one welcomed her. For once, she was having fun.
"You should dry off, Lady Mia. You'll catch a cold."
Leca said worriedly, looking at her drenched clothes.
"The sun's blazing. I'll dry off soon."
"Fluctuating between hot and cold is worse for the body."
With that, Leca summoned a few small flames. They hovered gently around Mia, drying her clothes without touching her skin. Kai and Zeffel chuckled.
"Someone's playing nursemaid. Gonna warm up her milk next?"
"That's enough nonsense. According to the pact of the spirits, it's only natural to serve one's master with sincerity."
Beron spoke sternly.
"Hah, well I'm not cut out to be anyone's nanny. Do you do this too, Beron?"
Zeffel asked. Beron made a vague expression.
"My master doesn't enjoy being near me. Outside of work hours, we're more like strangers."
"Ugh, why was I born a spirit anyway? Serving a master just isn't for me."
Zeffel shook his head dramatically.
Meanwhile, Mia's clothes had dried completely, and Leca dispelled the flames.
"Um… I've heard this a few times now, but—what exactly is the spirit pact?"
Mia finally asked what had been on her mind since the day the fire lizard wrapped around her arm and Leca started taking care of her so attentively.
"All spirits must choose a master upon turning eighteen. We then devote ourselves fully to that person. The pact is sacred—it defines our existence. If we disobey orders or harm our master, we die."
"Wha…?!"
Mia was horrified. Death?
"That's brutal!"
"It is. But thankfully, we're allowed to change masters twice in our lives."
"Oh, so if your master turns out to be a jerk, you can switch?"
"Exactly. But you only get two chances—so the first choice has to be made carefully."
"Being a spirit sounds… tough."
Mia murmured. Beron sighed softly in agreement.
"Most spirits working in the palace don't get to choose their masters. Their pairings are decided by the royal family or the king."
"It's time to return. We've lingered too long."
Leca's voice had a subtle heaviness to it. His expression seemed darker than usual. Mia wondered about it but brushed the thought aside.
She said goodbye to Zeffel, who chirped brightly,
"I live in the palace! See you again soon!"
Kai, the cat-eared beastfolk, handed Mia a fist-sized spotted orb as a gift. She raised an eyebrow.
"It's called Tiger's Eye. It's a lucky charm that brings wealth!"
A charm? Who knew. But since it was a gemstone, it might fetch a good price.
"Just keep it with you all the time. That's how it works."
"Sure, thanks. I don't have anything to give you though."
"Then let's play again next time! That'll be your gift."
His words warmed her heart. Mia said her farewells to Beron and Mino, then began the return journey with Leca.
"This area is actually part of Naizman territory."
"Wait—did we cross the border without knowing?"
"It's not an official border. More like a hidden route east of Sibareth, through monster-infested lands."
So the Cave of Pitch had been like a secret tunnel between the two countries.
Not that any ordinary human without magic or strength could get through.
"Shall we visit the southern coast tomorrow?"
"Are you seriously suggesting sea monsters now?"
Leca smiled faintly.
"No need. Let's rest tomorrow. You already pushed yourself hard for my sake."
The sun was sinking low on the horizon.
Even though Mia had wings now—and her appearance had changed slightly—none of the palace people stared at her openly.
It was as if they were deliberately pretending not to see.
Lily remained as cold as ever, and since that day, Mia hadn't seen Julius or Shamanaz again.
No summons from the king, either.
No clue when the rite of passage would begin or what it would be.
Her etiquette and history tutor pretended not to notice her transformation.
Only Rodolphe reacted at all.
"Have you gotten used to flying?"
He asked during her evening lesson.
"Still feels awkward. I can't go very high or far yet."
"You'll adjust in time. Now then, it's time for sparring."
Mia gripped the wooden sword tightly.
She used to lose to Rodolphe in three moves, but this time, she blocked his strikes several times.
His surprised gaze peeked through the clashing swords.
Clack.
She lasted a few more exchanges before Rodolphe finally broke her wooden blade clean in two.
Breathing hard, Mia smiled.
"You've improved tremendously. Very impressive."
"Thank you. I still have a long way to go."
"High Commander Leca's special training must have helped."
Rodolphe looked genuinely intrigued.
"Yes… I suppose so."
"And your magic seems stronger since your metamorphosis."
Mia only offered a quiet grin.
That night, she couldn't sleep.
She'd always fallen asleep easily before, but lately…
Too much had happened. The anxiety of a foreign land kept her tossing and turning.
Finally, she kicked off her blanket and sat up.
Might as well do something instead of just lying here.
She changed clothes and stepped out into the night garden, filled with the sounds of insects.
She spread her wings. The sensation was exhilarating. She felt like she could fly anywhere.
A huge, full moon hung bright in the sky.
Perfect weather for a flight.
She began flying gently, heading toward the cluster of lights in the distance.
Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen a village of Sibareth's commoners before.
Everyone's asleep, right? Should be fine.
Holding her breath, she glided toward the village.
The streets were empty, but through lit windows, she could hear chatter and smell food.
Drawn by curiosity, she hovered near one building—it seemed to be a tavern.
Peeking through an open window, she saw men and women dancing to the music of a bard.
A club, in this world?
Just as she leaned in for a better look—
"Please refrain from such dangerous behavior."
Huh? That voice—
She turned and saw Leca, frowning. Startled, Mia stumbled.
He reached out, steadying her.
"Let's go. Come back with me."
"What? Why? I can't even watch?"
"Not with those wings. The people of Sibareth are not accustomed to fairies."
"Ugh…"
Mia pouted.
"How did you even find me?"
"You already know. I can sense your mana."
Right. Just like when he found Mithys at the club.
She hadn't known then how her fate would spiral from that moment.
Sigh…
"Who goes there?! What are you doing?!"
A man appeared out of nowhere, shouting at them. Another drunken man beside him joined in.
"It's a fairy!"
Unfortunately, someone inside the tavern had overheard.
"What?! A fairy?!"
"There's a fairy outside!"
Heads popped up in the window—right where Mia had been peeking. The bard stopped playing.
The door burst open.People poured out.
"It's real! A real fairy!"
"Look at those wings!"
Someone yanked her wings roughly.
Mia screamed—