SERAPHIS ELTATH VERLICE
Ever since the day Esil introduced us to Runic Spire, Altius and I had spent every waking second of the day putting our absolute best forward in attempts to learn it.
So that, if even by a little, we could find ways to explore magic differently.
Rather than trying to breakthrough into the next tier of magic—and by extension, our magic cores—we were learning to incorporate more creative and intricate ways to utilize what magic we could use.
…At least, that was half correct. Altius still hadn't shown a shred of willingness to learn water magic, for reasons unbeknownst to me.
When I asked her if she'd like me to teach her what I knew, she vehemently declined in a way that made it seem as if water magic was her arch nemesis.
Regardless, she seemed to be doing fine without it, although for the first few weeks after we began our lessons (mostly) guided by Esil, she seemed a bit distracted. This allowed me to get a decent amount ahead of her in terms of knowledge, to the point where I could almost name and pronounce every rune I saw listed, but I also even began a small journal where I kept track of the spell runes used in each spell we cast—as a sort of instructions manual.
Really, it became a collaborative effort at some point, but for the most part, I was the one managing it.
In the case of my bubbly little retainer, she soon took a strong interest in learning Runic Spire some time before I began that journal, which leads us to where we are now, with her being quite the scholar.
And as a side note, I had still never bothered to learn to use earth magic, even if gravity magic lied at the end of the spectrum, like one of those devices that fashioned a carrot (for example) on a stick, and a rope that tied around the pig. It was all just so… mundane.
I wanted to groan every time I thought about it.
Maybe one day I'd learn what to do with this part of myself.
Maybe.
As for now, I'd continue on in ignorance to what could be, rather than what can be.
That, as I came to learn throughout my past life, was much easier.
In any case, this was the situation that surrounded us now. Despite the sudden appearance of Altius and how quickly things in my life seemed to be changing, I was learning to adjust, now that there weren't any more unfamiliar progressions…Well.
That's what I would've said. There is for one teeny tiny problem…
Excited giggles and voices echoed across the expansive garden in its usual, sweeping fashion, as two young girls—both sitting directly across from me—engaged in small conversation.
Altius wore a shocked and slightly reverent expression as she regarded the silver-haired girl at her side, who held herself in a graceful, more reserved manner.
"No way… you're totally kidding, r-right?" Her voice resounded, disbelief woven into her features.
"Your reaction is quite understandable, Lady Altius. It took my family and I some time to come to terms with it as well, but I assure you, it's quite true," the fox-eared girl replied, stifling a giggle.
"You look no less surprised than my brother when he first found out."
Altius, catching herself staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed, gathered herself.
"W-well, that's just because who would've expected that I'd meet not just one, but two—" she glanced towards the area not far from here where Esil stood with another girl, this one much younger than the rest of us, gesturing with her hands and giving a small demonstration of her healing magic; a soft, green light suffusing her hands—"...Bearers of Exchange. On the same day, no less. Even now, it's still hard to believe. You'll have to forgive me if I come off a bit… reluctant, I guess. Sorry."
Shaking her head, the silver-haired girl continued with a gentle smile. "No, that is only to be expected. Please, do not concern yourself over such a matter. It doesn't bother me one bit. Besides, I cannot blame you. Sometimes, it even surprises myself when I consider the way things have turned out. Not only with our magical capabilities, but also…"
As her voice trailed, she bashfully placed a hand on her cheeks, her molten ivory eyes settling on me, leaving an unspoken—yet thoroughly understood—sentiment.
A nervous tremble ran through my body, and I compelled myself to not look away. "Ah, right…"
Yes, that was right.
None of us could've known things would've suddenly taken such a turn in our lives.
Well… Except for the ones who puppeteered this situation.
That calculating witch of a mother…!
I, for one, certainly hadn't seen this coming—not until the distant future, at least.
After all, who would've expected that I'd have a fiance; being the First Princess of the Beast Kingdom of Eurethemia, no less?
Suddenly, a thought washed over me, and I shuddered.
…Am I a criminal?
This all began earlier this week.
The day started like any other, with Altius and I getting ready to spend our afternoon knee deep in some studying and experimentation. As per our usual routine, we went outside to start our morning off with some fresh air from the city. Only what awaited us, was not what we expected.
***
A rowdy song of cheers and murmurs filled the streets of the city with an even more livelier atmosphere than usual.
In the near distance, a crowd of people could be seen shifting to make place for what seemed to be a cohort of sorts, providing a clear view straight through the middle of the street.
There was a group of four… no, five—people dressed uniquely from anything I'd seen in the capital city of Ciyradyl.
The closer they got, the easier it was to discern their individual features.
Soon, Mother's voice was cutting through my own small group, as she arrived at the very forefront, positioning herself slightly ahead to my right in the practiced manner for Verlice royalty.
The group of people finally arrived, leaving a couple inches of space between us, allowing me to fully take in their appearance.
Surrounding two young girls—one being very noticeably smaller than the other—were three guards, all donning intricate and unique armor inextricably fashioned with various animal hides. They all emitted a sense of nobility and knightly valor, but there a certain bestial vibe they gave off, which only seemed to bolster their qualities and make them seem more capable.
…But I guess that could all be chalked up to a result of their animal features.
Two of the guards had feline-like ears, meanwhile the last one, positioned at the very rear, had… Actually, on second thought, that guard didn't have any ears. Or any noticeable feline-like features for that matter.
That one wore scaly armor that blended seamlessly with its appearance, and even accentuated its reptilian-like features.
So, that's a baella…
A non-furry demi-human.
Though that… person?—lizard?—guard wasn't quite the same as the others, they still carried an unshakable sense of authority and elegance that seemed fitting for a personal guard.
The ones who carried the highest sense of importance, however, were the two girls situated at the very center of the cohort. The oldest appeared to be around my age, only slightly shorter than myself, yet she held herself with practiced grace and modesty.
Flowing tresses of pristine silver hair fell past her shoulders, parting like curtains around her fox ears, and highlighting her gentle, ethereal gaze. Hiding slightly behind her left leg was a girl with light-blonde hair that shimmered with fiery-orange highlights.
Stepping forward, a proud guard bowed slightly and made an announcement, her voice ringing with practiced formality.
"Highly Esteemed Queen Eslin, and Prince Seraphis of the Verlice kingdom, we bring greetings of sincerity from His Majesty, King Galahd and Her Majesty, Queen Lauriel, of the Beast Kingdom of Eurethemia, as appointed Royal Escorts. It has been our privilege and solemn duty to ensure the safe passage of Their Royal Highnesses across the breadth of the lands. We arrive here today as a symbol of our deep respect for the traditions that bind our kingdoms, as well as in agreement to them. We present before you the daughters of Venerated House Eurethemia: Firstborn Princess Aria Astralis Eurethemia," she gestured to the ardent-haired girl, "and Second Princess Noelle Astralis Eurethemia, both referred to as the Twin Graces of Vasia, and endowed with the Twilight Blessings of the revered Erus Fauna."
The male guard standing across from her stood forward, offering his own respectful greetings before continuing. "As agreed upon in the contract between the kingdoms, both princesses will reside here in Verlice, partaking in tutelage so that they may glean information in the ways of magical arts under the watchful eye of Mage Esil of Esteemed House Verakos, and return having learned to better wield their Twilight Blessings, more commonly known as Heavenly Exchange."
A sweeping murmur of approval swept through the crowds, anticipation building as their announcement seemed to reach its crescendo. The guard cleared his throat, his voice lowering with the gravity of the moment.
"And now, by the will of our sovereigns and with the blessings of both royal houses, we are entrusted to share news of most significance. In accordance with and in celebration of our ten-year-plus renewal of the Quad-Union treaty between the kingdoms, it is hereby decreed that Her Royal Highness, Princess Aria of Venerated House Eurethemia, shall be betrothed to Prince Seraphis Eltath Verlice, heir of Verlice."
***
A teasing grin appeared on my retainer's face.
"Well, well, well, Sera. Truly, I would've never expected you'd get engaged so early in your life. Ah, you're taking your first steps into adulthood, leaving me behind to wallow in the reminiscent memories of our unforgettable time together," she began, dramatically wiping fake tears from her eyes as if she was some widow. She quickly showed her true feelings, though. "No matter, though, that just means I'll be able to pass you up even sooner!"
Scoffing, I folded my arms and said, in the most haughty manner possible, "Hah. I'm sure you'd quite like that, wouldn't you? Oh, but of course you would, otherwise you'd forever stay in my shadow, chasing behind me like a lost puppy. I suppose that's fitting for you, my dear retainer… Seriously, Alti, what would you do without me?"
Two could play that game…!
Mock hurt flashed on her face, and then, in a stage whisper, she leaned in towards Princess Aria.
"...Just a month ago, I was teaching him how to keep his hands from burning whenever he used fire magic."
"Hey, that's inexcusable! It can't be helped! Don't think I've forgotten all of the times I've had to practically hammer a lesson into your head, only for you to forget it the next day!" I shot back.
"And anyways, in your dreams. Not only do I feel even closer to a breakthrough than I did before, but also, we still have unfinished business with Runic Spire. We've been making good progress recently, so I'd rather not stop it prematurely. Or at least, I have been."
Altius merely shrugged off my comment.
"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot to ask. Princess Aria, what's it like back at home? I've only ever heard stories about Eurethemia from my father, and he says it's a really nice place to travel to, so I've just been wondering. I'm especially curious about the culture, and the whole Twin Graces thing, if that's not too much to ask."
The princess seemed to think for a second. "Well, personally, I didn't have much of a tendency to explore the various cities, so there's not really much I can speak about them, unfortunately. You could… call it a preference, I guess."
An indescribable emotion flashed across the features of her face, quickly subdued by her enthusiasm.
"However, where I was born, the capital city of Vasia, is quite lustrous. The most eye-catching feature being the Mountain of the Fauna that lies at the backdrop of the city, with the symbols of each of the Erus Fauna of Yore carved into the surface. Additionally, there's also a certain, very highly regarded temple there, too, run by a lovely lady revered as the Blessed Maiden! Mother has taken both my sister and I there a few times for my offers of blessings."
Altius tilted her head, a slightly puzzled look creeping into her expression.
"Ah, forgive me but… I'm not too familiar with the Erus Fauna of Yore," she admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.
"No worries, Lady Altius. It is to be expected. By my people, both Vaellean and Baellean, the Erus Fauna are worshipped as deities. To land, prosperity, courage, will, travel, peace, and life, of all kinds. Since the beginning ages, they are thought to have been responsible for the watching over and protection of all lives—especially beastkin. There are, in total, eight. The existence of the Twin Graces—prophesied children of blessings, only to be born on fateful days—is one of such ways of "protection", so to speak. Along with the Twilight Blessings."
"Twilight Blessings…" I muttered, louder than I intended, and the princess affirmed, turning to me. "Yes. Our abilities," she gestured to her sister, "are one of the very reasons we're here, as you both are aware. Mines, in particular, are the cause for my appearance. And since my sister has yet to fully master hers, to the point where she can summon them at will, it's theorized that her appearance will remain the same until she can. I once had a hair color somewhat similar to her, actually. Though, I am quite grateful for my blessings."
Slowly, she raised her palms, and a small, gentle, pale ethereal white flame suffused them, reflecting brightly in our eyes, meanwhile a different emotion reflected inside the princess'. Hidden discomfort.
Altius and I watched, awe-struck. "Silver Flame healing, right? It looks so cool! I wish I'd undergone Heavenly Exchange, too, sometimes," she commented absent-mindedly. Princess Aria gave her a look.
"While they can be quite… extravagant, Lady Altius, I'd like to urge you to remember that they do come at a cost."
Noticing her slip up, my retainer reeled herself in. "Right, sorry, I didn't mean to offend."
"Please, do not worry yourself over that. I've taken no offense, I can assure you. If anything, I'm pleased you would think so highly of my abilities. I only wish you could glean the same spark of passion from your own."
"W-what? M-me?! No way, my flames are nowhere near as cool as yours. I've been trying to get them stronger for what's felt like ages, yet I still can't seem to get anywhere. It's why Sera and I have decided to take an alternative route and learn Runic Spire. And oh, speaking of, I have to tell you about my recent progressions!"
The two young ladies slipped into a stream of conversation from there, leaving me in my own world.
I turned my attention inward, pondering over the course of events since Princess Aria and Noelle's arrival.
Heavenly Exchange.
A contract imposed upon birth, in which the person loses something in exchange for something, typically being their use of a variety of magic.
In the two cases of the princesses—or, more accurately, Aria's—in exchange for the ability to wield a particularly more potent form of healing magic (she was born as an emitter), she is, in return, subjected to a harsh pain upon the use of her powers, from what she's told us: a potent burning sensation, directly in equivalence to how much of her ability is being used.
It didn't take a genius to see why she wasn't particularly excited to see Altius being slightly envious of her.
In her younger sister's case, Noelle, she was expected to have something similar, or perhaps even more unique, than that. At the expense of something unknown, as of now, since she's not capable of using magic yet.
The reason they were sent together to receive lessons, however, was because of the prophecy in Eurethemia.
I only knew what Aria cared to share, but from what I remember, the Twin Graces are said to be an extremely rare manifestation of the Erus Fauna's will in Eurethemia, beings born on the same day at different periods in time, and inheriting something they refer to as Twilight Blessings; great, divine-like abilities.
And because of that, it's expected that Noelle is the second grace.
However…
In the near distance of the garden, I observed the two figures.
One, a beautiful and refined lady with brown fox ears and hazel eyes, adorned in the signature black, white, gold and slight hints of purple colors of Verlice, and the other, a much younger girl with pale, blond hair and fiery-orange highlights with a more reserved and shy demeanor.
The little one looked at her hands with something akin to disappointment and half-exasperation.
Esil gave her a gentle, reassuring smile, and bent over, slightly readjusting her clothing.
Though I couldn't hear what they were saying, I could still see the sentiment being conveyed.
Princess Noelle's shoulders dropped, and she seemed on the verge of trembling, before Esil managed to calm her down.
After a bit, they made their way back to us. The princess shyly took her place besides her sister, using her body as a sort of shield, despite her attempts to reassure her that we were, in fact, not going to harm her in any way.
Without reading the room, Altius leaned over, mouth watering, and wielding an expression that conveyed something akin to extreme adoration. "Aw, don't be scared, little Noelle! Don't worry, your non-related big sis here—and Prince Sera—won't bite you, hehe…!"
Or so you say, yet your face says otherwise…
If she had ever looked at me like that, too, then I think I would've just hit her with a water cannon.
The young princess, however, didn't budge, her eyes slowly peeking out from behind her sister's ethereal, silver dress robes.
"...Then what's with that scary face of yours?" She deadpanned. Princess Aria and I stifled a giggle, meanwhile a shiver ran through Altius' body, draining the color from her face and leaving her eyes wide, jaw-slacked.
"I-I… W-wha…"
Ever since I'd met the enthusiastic girl, I'd never seen her so… speechless. And shocked to such an extent, no less. I wasn't sure why, but for some reason, I felt satisfied.
Proud, even, and perhaps avenged. Well done, kid! You deserve ice cream.
I took a glance at Esil, who wore a very complicated expression. The closest thing I could compare it to was the sorta face you made whenever you saw someone make a mistake similar to your own, like, "Yeah… That can happen."
Watching their back-and-forth antics continue from there brought rise to an idea. One of utter genius.
A smirk spread across my face.
"Everyone, I have an idea."
The princess was only like this because she hadn't gotten accustomed to Altius and the rest of the kingdom, right?
So then all she needed, theoretically, was to get better accustomed with everything, yes? Well then, I might have a suggestion for that.
"How about we take a small vacation…"
***
Several days later…
"Hey, hey, Noelle, you've gotta try these! They're so delicious!"
Carefully, the shy princess reached out and took the honeyed roll out of Altius' hands, glancing back and forth between the two as if she was unsure it was okay to receive the offer. Finally, she bit into it.
A satisfied expression slowly spread across her face, a light flush spreading across her cheeks, and her ears and eyes drooping in an unusually relaxed way.
"...This is good, I suppose," she murmured in between bites.
…That's pretty adorable, I suppose.
While I found it hard to restrain myself from being utterly enamored by this adorably unique characteristic, Altius, on the other hand, had no qualms with wearing her heart on her sleeve.
Drool dripping from her mouth, and wielding a hungry expression, she locked eyes with me and said, in the most serious tone I'd ever heard her muster, "Can we keep her?"
Hey, this is someone's child, not property!
Dummy…
And as wrong as it was, I found myself completely agreeing with the girl. When I suggested an outing, I honestly expected to see Noelle closely tucked behind her sister's robes, flinching at every little thing.
Of course, she was still somewhat like that, but from what I've seen thus far, she can actually be quite expressive if she wanted to be.
Which made me wonder…
Was there a particular reason behind her shyness, or was it just a natural trait of hers?
After a few flights of fancy, one of which explored the idea that she was a skilled spy sent from Eurethemia in order to find out the inner affairs of Verlice, I decided to relent.
And in any case, it didn't really matter too much. I was just happy to see her express anything more than a timid curiosity.
From my right, Princess Aria chuckled lightly to herself.
"I must thank you both, once again, for providing us with the opportunity to experience the city in such a way. Truly, it means more to me than it may seem. At home, Noelle and I weren't able to do things like this very much, so it makes it that much more exciting. I shall repay you one day, I swear it."
Altius responded before I could, waving away her words.
"Nonsense, Princess! Don't worry about little stuff like that! Really, I'm just glad we could all do fun stuff together. It's been a blast so far, and this is only just the start of it. Sera and Esil have been meanies, keeping me locked inside the library for so long… I haven't even had the chance to explore the capital myself."
"Well, if you were on top of your studies, as you should be, that wouldn't be an issue," I shot back, giving her a look. "And anyway, we should keep moving. Ciyradyl is pretty big, so I wouldn't be surprised if we only managed to do a quarter of the activities we had planned before the day ended."
"Ah, right! Plus, we can't forget about our competition—which I definitely won't lose…! On to the next stop!" She responded, a sudden determination lighting like a fire in her eyes. As I resisted the urge to sigh, we continued our way through the city, with our personal guard at our rear.
He wore a fitted, dark-colored uniform with silver pauldrons lined with purple-gold rimmings, and held an intricate spear in his left hand, giving him a very distinguishable sense of importance.
The man's eyes were a dull, silver color, meanwhile his short hair matched more with his uniform's colors.
My cohort and I, on the other hand, were all dressed in relatively casual outfits.
We'd aimed to avoid stiff formalities and stuff along that road so that we could simply enjoy our day of relaxation. At the moment, we weren't Prince Seraphis of the Verlice kingdom, retainer Altius Caelum, or even the Twin Graces of Eurathemia.
We were simply children having fun.
The key to inception was usually the periodic, long-winded breaks that allowed you to clear your mind, after all. Another quote by yours truly!
Anyway, we spent the rest of our time visiting the many shops and stalls the city had to offer, spending a particularly long time in each store, thanks to Altius, who, additionally, seemed quite intent on besting me in this competition of hers.
When I suggested a trip to the city, she suddenly added, "Sera, I propose a challenge! It'll be called The Battle for the Heart of the Cutie, and the foundation for this competition is to see which of us can make Princess Noelle the happiest!"
Of course, I didn't pay her silly challenge any mind, but somehow, my lack of response led to her thinking it was confirmation.
…Seriously, what was I to do about such a retainer of mine? In any case, I was just satisfied with merely showing everyone around. Excluding the two princesses, we'd been in Ciyradyl for quite some time now, and though Alti and I routinely took morning strolls, the city was simply too expansive to see it all in the span of an hour or so.
Also, though Alti lived in Verlice, she was situated in one of the other sections of it. An area in the west called Lendorre. It was much more rural, though not by a staggering amount, but you certainly wouldn't see skyscraper-like buildings towering into the sky, so it made sense why she was so fascinated by everything here. It was probably more like a town than anything.
In total, there five integral cities/towns of Verlice, and some are managed by the Governing Estates of Verlice: Ciyradyl, the capital city situated in the center, Valindar, a city in the north managed by the Ministry of Finance and Economy, seen as a more entertainment-based city that tourists or sightseers are, statistically, extremely likely to visit, triumphing even the capital, Velheim in the east; a rather unassuming town, much smaller than the other two mentioned, Angelard, a city in the south managed by the Ministry of Justice, and finally, Lendorre, the town in the west that is overseen by the Ministry of Defense,
Or, in other words, Altius' father, Lord Karyst of House Caelum.
Since it was the bordering area in the kingdom, by which I mean if any envoys from different regions wanted to directly enter Verlice (with an exception of those coming from the east), they'd have to pass through it, I presume its governance was rightfully given to the supreme general of our military.
But all in all, it basically meant more work for him, so. Tough luck.
As for our own adventurers, it took the entire day for us to arrive back towards the main area surrounding the palace, and to finish our sightseeing tour.
By the time we were finished, everyone—specifically Altius—was pooped, though there were a bit more relaxed expressions on their faces, which made it all the more worth it to me.
Even our guard seemed to be enjoying himself.
We had just finished stopping by a shop for aspiring mages, filled with beginner gear like practice swords and wands. The owner was a pretty… odd person. Not because of any particular misdemeanor of his, but rather, he just had this off feeling about him.
He looked to be in his mid-late twenties with relatively handsome features, bordering on the more "cutesy" side, with round cheeks, wide, dark-orange eyes with strangely shaped pupils, and almost matching orange hair that bordered somewhere between dark and light. That was about it, though, he hadn't done anything wrong. I guess I was just still unused to the feeling of having people staring at me intently…
There were some other magical conductors, too, but nothing we cared to purchase. We stopped there purely on a whim.
…Or at least, that's what I was expecting, before Altius instructed us all to wait outside while she went back in order to "check something".
"Just what could she be up to, I wonder…" I murmured.
Right as the words finished, she exited the shop with a satisfied, suppressed grin on her face.
She seemed to bounce on her heels towards us all, holding her hands behind her back in a very uncharacteristically reserved way, and when she caught up, it seemed she could no longer take it.
"Ta-da! Presents!" The young girl announced, spreading a palm and revealing three, small, chibi-like characters that I vaguely recognized from a recently popular brand.
They were each different, though they shared the same art style.
From the furthest to me, there was: a chubby kitty with light gray fur and sharp, amber eyes, a snow-white-fur kitty with deep magenta eyes, a knight donning considerably polished armor and wielding a sword, and finally, a fox with equal parts blonde and reddish fur.
We all stared at the creations with confused—to say the least—looks on our faces, each of us seeming to echo the same thought.
Just what the hell is thi—
"I must sincerely express my gratitude, Lady Altius. Forgive me for my initial surprise, but upon closer inspection, I understand now what you have brought us. And I'm truly ecstatic for this gift. Thank you, once again!"
Princess Aria was the first to speak, her usual, steadied demeanor momentarily lost as she reached for the white figurine, giving it an approving look.
Uhh. What? I thought we were all in agreement…
I shot a glance towards the youngest of us all, who bore an almost tangible, radiant sparkle in her eyes as she wordlessly regarded the figurine.
Finally, she uttered, "Oh, I… I like these. Thank you… Lady Altius," and tentatively reached out for the fox.
The "lady" in question here simply shrugged, her previous excitement seemingly quelled.
…Though it wasn't hard to tell she was holding back a victorious grin, evident by the look she gave me, as if to say, "I officially win!"
Being the only voice of reason here, I spoke up. "Not to rain on everybody's parade here, but… Am I the only one that doesn't quite know what this is about?"
"Sera, Sera, my dear, little Sera," she began, wagging a finger as if she was a dissatisfied elder on the border of preaching.
"These, my prince, are but mere gifts from a land of great dreams and imagination, born from the hearts of mankind. These figurines represent the great power nestled within the human—and beastkin, and elves, and a dwarven—mind, a forever-reminder that, together, we are as indomitable as the will of the gods…"
"...So what does that have to do wi—"
"—And…!" she interjected, "that we all fundamentally share the same hopes and desires. Desires for times of peace. Hopes for times of prosperity. Today, I come before you all not as a speaker, an employee, or even a preacher. No, I come before you as a person—first and foremost—so that I may welcome you to an exciting land of wonder and dreams. I present to you: Dreamland, and with it, our first ever mascot-group—the Supplushies."
Finishing in a dramatic way, she bowed, and received an equally dramatic applause from our cohort.
…Guard included.
After a second, she raised her head, looked around and said, with a toothy expression, "So? How was my impression?"
"It was flawless, Lady Altius…"
"It was… inspiring."
"Such a beautiful performance…" Hey, damn guard, not you, too!
Sighing, I pressed her on this matter, and she promptly revealed that they were simply mascot charms originating from a new entertainment arena recently revealed to the public in a kingdom quite a distance from here.
One quite infamous, actually.
The Holy Kingdom of Myreddin.
"And how exactly did you get these?" Was the question that burned at the center of my mind the most.
She shrugged.
"Oh, that guy back there sort of just handed them to me. I was planning to buy another swo—uh, I mean, browse the wares—and, being the nice guy he was, said that I could have them. Apparently, he travels a lot, so he was able to get his hands on them, but he hasn't any use for them, really. He was going on and on about something like us having the light of "eternal yearning", whatever that means. Probably could sense that we're something like bigshots, hehe—and they're limited edition, too, so be careful with it, by the way!"
Carefully, she placed the gray kitty in my palm.
I paused, looked at her and then blinked. "And what did you buy?"
Without missing a beat, she deadpanned. "Hm? Nothing—ohh! …Crap, I forgot."
I struggled against the urge to sigh and facepalm, meanwhile she sheepishly rubbed her neck.
"Ah, it'll be fine. I'll come back some other time. And I'm exhausted, blame it on the lack of sleep, not me! I want nothing more than to just plop onto that soft bed…"
For once, I actually agreed with the young girl.
So, I found myself merely dropping the subject altogether, and we began our journey back to the palace.
…Yet, on numerous occasions, I glanced at the chibi she gave me, feeling a lingering sense of confusion and unease.
Gave them to us for free…
And light of eternal yearning.
For the next few days, I struggled to even comprehend the implications behind today's events, before eventually giving up.
There didn't seem to be any point in thinking about it, anyways. If anything, I was starting to get a bit excited thinking about my upcoming seventh birthday—which was, at least, three more months from now. But even then, I was looking forward to it. Time tends to pass by quickly, you know?
After all…
That was when I was leaving for the elven kingdom of Testruam, in order to pursue official training.