"Mia? What is this...?"
Mia stared blankly at the purple vial, wondering if Leca had created it.
Clink, crash!
In the meantime, the vial fell to the bathroom floor and shattered.
"This... Leca made this, right? Didn't you?"
Leca looked between Mia, the vial, and the bathtub. He also glanced down at his own hand, still holding Mia's. Embarrassed, Mia quickly withdrew her hand.
"I-I'm sorry. This is..."
Leca always kept his distance from Mia, as if getting too close would cause some catastrophe. He never approached beyond a certain point. Holding his hand like that—Mia's face turned red up to her neck in her fluster.
"Actually, about the so-called Fairy's Spring..."
Leca began to speak heavily.
"There is a legend passed down about it."
"A legend...?"
"It's entirely my oversight. I thought it was merely a legend, never imagining it could be real."
Leca's voice was deeply subdued.
"What kind of legend?"
"They say that anyone who enters the water where a fairy underwent molting gains the same abilities and attributes as that fairy. But since fairies usually molt deep in the forest, in places rarely touched by humans, no one has actually experienced this phenomenon."
What is he talking about? Mia's already queasy stomach churned even more.
"The vial earlier wasn't something I made."
I knew it.
"And..."
He's probably going to talk about holding hands. Mia quickly cut him off.
"I understand. It seems I've inherited those abilities. I must have made the vial myself."
A brief silence followed.
"From now on, you mustn't use magic. You're not yet accustomed to it, so controlling it will be difficult. Like earlier..."
He's referring to the charm spell, isn't he? I know. Mia felt embarrassed again.
"I'm sorry."
"No, there's no need to apologize to me."
Leca spoke coldly, like a blade of frost, and stepped back.
The next day, Mia was awakened by Leca's voice near her ear.
"Mia, I'm going to search for herbs effective for Lady Mithys's illness."
"Ah... huh? Okay."
Leca vanished as if he'd teleported. Taking the opportunity, Mia got up, prepared for work, and left the house. As she walked, still drowsy and contemplating calling in sick, a tall shadow loomed before her.
Looking up, she saw—
"Hey, we meet again."
That man. The blond guy we met at the club, looking like a celebrity!
"Uh..."
"Quite the coincidence, isn't it? I was disappointed when you suddenly left yesterday."
"Sorry, but I'm on my way to work. I'm busy."
Mia thought the man would back off if she said that. However, he matched her pace and walked alongside her!
"If you don't mind, could you show me around near your office? I'm a tourist."
The man smiled down at Mia. Perhaps due to his striking appearance, people around glanced at him. Mia couldn't find the words to respond and ended up taking the subway with him.
The man looked around the subway with curiosity, as if it were his first time. Mia tried to break the awkwardness by asking a few questions, but he only smiled or changed the subject.
They arrived at her office. With some time before work, Mia decided to buy him a drink and send him off. She got a zero-calorie cola from the vending machine and handed it to him. He examined it with fascination but didn't drink it.
"Um, is this your first time seeing coke?"
But he gave an unexpected answer.
"Thank you. Next time, come visit our country. I'll buy you tea then..."
"Ah, by the way, which country are you from?"
"Our country's name consists of 8 letters."
"...(How many countries are there like that...?)"
"It's a country where your friends are, so please visit."
As Mia, puzzled, was about to ask what he meant, the man waved and left.
"You... from that time...!"
Mithys looked at the tall woman pressing on her neck. The woman smiled coldly.
"Yes. It would have been better if you'd died then. How troublesome you've become."
Mithys struggled to free herself from the woman's grip, but the strength only intensified.
Coughing and gasping, Mithys recalled the moment she met this woman. At the club, after taking a sip of the drink the woman offered, she had vomited.
"Who are you... Le... ca... Mia..."
"It's useless. There's no one here now. Goodbye, foolish fairy."
Just as the pressure on her neck became unbearably strong, Mithys summoned all her strength and chanted a short spell.
Pop.
"Ah... ow!"
Stones from the cave ceiling collapsed with the weight of Mithys's body. As she suddenly fell from the air, moles gathered around her.
"Mithys?"
"What happened?"
"Help me... someone tried to kill me..."
Mithys said no more and fainted. The moles looked at her in astonishment.
That night.
Even after her part-time job ended, Leca didn't come to pick her up. Thinking he was probably nursing Mithys, Mia headed home alone.
However.
Upon arriving home, she found Leca kneeling neatly in the living room, as if waiting for her.
"Leca? What's going on? Is Mithys okay?"
"Actually, I can't sense Lady Mithys's mana anywhere."
"What?"
"It's completely gone. I can't detect it at all."
"Maybe... she returned to your world?"
"I've already checked. Even in our world, there's no trace of Lady Mithys."
"Then..."
"Fairies..."
Leca's composed lips slowly opened.
"When they are about to die or become extremely weak, they retreat deep into the forest or into water to erase their presence and end their lives. They don't leave their bodies for others to see."
"So... Mithys... has she..."
"I believe so."
Suddenly returning to his cold demeanor, Leca knelt on one knee before Mia.
"Lady Mia."
"Yes?"
"Would you come to our world?"
"...!"
"I told you before. Since you entered the water where a Mithys underwent molting, you've inherited her abilities."
"That's true, but..."
"Lady Mithys was the only queen candidate of our kingdom. Now that she's gone, we hope you, who have inherited her attributes, will take her place."
Mia, overwhelmed, looked at Leca's bright red hair as he knelt before her. She hadn't understood how she could legitimately assume the queen's position, but now the story had taken this turn.
"There's no need to worry. I will always be by your side to protect you."
Finally, the moment had come. As Mia trembled and nodded, Leca stood up, raised his hand, and summoned a large flame. The flame transformed into a ring of fire, encircling Mia and Leca like a ring.
Leca closed his eyes and spoke.
"From this moment, I, Leca Parvati, the Spirit of Fire, declare that I will serve this woman, the new queen candidate of Sibareth, as my master."
As Leca finished speaking, a snake leaped out from the ring of fire. It slithered around Mia's wrist and solidified. The snake stayed on Mia's arm like a bracelet, then gradually became transparent and disappeared.
Mia, flustered, asked,
"Wh-what is all this?"
"It's a spirit's pact. Spirits always have a master they serve. From this moment, you are my master."
Leca summoned flames again, creating a ring of fire that bound Mia and himself. Then, wearing Mia's peridot ring, he murmured an incantation.
White smoke rose from the ring.
"Close your eyes. You might feel a bit dizzy."
Mia tightly closed her eyes. She felt her body lift off the ground. It seemed impossible to open her eyes. How much time had passed? Her ears were ringing.
"We've arrived."
Mia cautiously opened her eyes, thinking of the green grass and cute moles she had seen before.
"..."
But before her was a desolate rocky mountain. Dust rose from the barren ground. However, among the rocks, many beautiful light green stones jutted out. Mia looked down at her ring on Leca's finger.
The same texture of gemstone. Could those stones also be peridot?
Leca removed the ring from his hand and returned it to Mia, then whistled. Suddenly, a tremendous flapping sound was heard, and a large white horse descended from the sky before them.
"Th-that!"
Bat wings. Larger than the ones that had fallen near Mia's house before. Though the color was different, it was undoubtedly the same winged horse.
"Let's go to the palace."
Leca gently lifted Mia onto the horse and mounted behind her. Sitting so close to Leca made Mia's heart race. Leca always had a pleasant scent.
After a while, they landed in the courtyard of a grand palace. Several women, who seemed to be maids, looked at Mia with curious eyes, scanning her up and down. Leca strode ahead of Mia.
As they entered the palace, people glared at Mia with imposing attitudes. Mia tried to straighten her back and walk confidently, but inside, she was trembling.
There was no one who gave off a friendly vibe. Everyone looked at her with suspicion and whispered among themselves.
Leca stopped in front of a door. Two guards in iron armor stood before the grand and ornate door, crossing their large axes in an X shape.
"Announce me."
At Leca's low command, the two soldiers nodded and shouted loudly.
"His Majesty the King, Commander Leca Parvati has arrived!"
Creak.
The massive door opened with a heavy sound. At the same time, Mia felt several intense gazes piercing her.