Chapter 59: The Big Test (2)

Because she had gone to bed early, Merlin woke up before dawn.

She smoothed her slightly messy hair and stepped quietly out of the cave.

‘I should set out early; it will be more dangerous once it’s light out.’

By the time she finished her patrol and slipped back into the cave, her classmates were already fumbling around in the dark, preparing to depart.

They kept their voices low as they checked their equipment and rucksacks, the leather and metal making soft, muffled scraping sounds.

“Merlin, I’m afraid we have to set out early.”

“Alright.”

“Did you see anyone out there?”

Merlin shook her head and picked up her dry rations.

“When we took the long way to meet up yesterday, there were almost no traces of streams on this side of the mountain. I’m afraid there isn’t a stable water source on this side. That’s probably why the magic beasts we encountered were on the weaker side.”

A girl nearby checked her water skin; its flattened shape made her agree worriedly.

“If we don’t hurry across the first mountain to find a water source and secure the terrain, it will be very disadvantageous for those of us in the Alchemy Department.”

“We don’t have much water left, either.”

Merlin suddenly remembered Mahina’s face. A surge of competitiveness welled up from her heart.

‘I don’t want to lose to her.’

“Let’s go.”

Merlin and her classmates packed their things and peeked outside.

Morning mist hung thick, and only the sound of the wind echoed through the woods. At least for now, there were no suspicious sounds.

“Bo —”

“— oss —”

“An enemy?”

Merlin let out a small, startled cry. Her sudden movement caused everyone to stop. They immediately scanned the surroundings nervously but found nothing.

Everyone looked at the jumpy Merlin with questioning gazes.

“Where is this enemy? Being so jumpy will only attract others to our location.”

“But I really heard something.”

Merlin’s face flushed as she argued urgently; she was certain she hadn’t misheard.

“Over here, over here.”

Merlin felt something rustling in her pocket and slapped it as if swatting a fly. A sharp, aggrieved protest came from inside.

“Ouch, Boss!”

The pocket finally stopped squirming. Merlin froze in place, her hand still pressed against her pocket. She could feel a tiny silhouette beneath the fabric.

“Can you come out?”

Merlin tried to communicate with them.

“Boss!”

With a cheer, a group of small creatures with fluttering, transparent wings swarmed out of her pocket. They looked like a cluster of dancing blue fireflies, trailing deep blue and sky-blue stardust as they circled excitedly before Merlin’s eyes.

The upperclassman wearing glasses froze, instinctively pushing up his spectacles again.

“Are these fairies? This is the first time I’ve seen them anywhere besides books.”

“Yes… anyway, let’s keep moving. If there’s anything to say, we can talk on the way.”

They were about to reach the summit, and Merlin didn’t want anything to go wrong.

The group set out once more. Merlin walked in the middle of the line while the little fairies flew around her head, making themselves right at home.

“Why are you following me?”

A slightly larger fairy with deep blue wing edges flew in front of her eyes and hovered in midair.

“We’ve been here for a long time; it’s just that you wouldn’t answer me, Boss.”

“Since when?”

Another sky-blue one beat the others to the answer.

“Probably around the time Princess Ophelia picked you up. We smelled your scent back then, but you didn’t seem to see us, Boss.”

“Mm-hmm, and we couldn’t even reach you when we wanted to play pranks.”

The smallest fairy let out a joyful trill. “We succeeded today!”

Merlin noticed the strange looks from her classmates.

“Can’t you hear them?”

They all shook their heads.

“We just hear buzzing. Legend says that most fairy voices can only be heard by elves.”

“Legend?”

“Because these classic types of fairies almost never appear before the world.”

‘What the…’

This was all news to Merlin.

“Actually, the vast majority of humans will never see a fairy in their entire lives. What I just said is mostly speculation.”

“Alright…”

“Fairies are practically the embodiments of mana. These little ones are composed of 100% mana. Legend has it that if you gain their favor, your magic can even be amplified.”

Merlin looked at the fairies, and they all nodded in unison.

“That’s right!”

‘What peculiar fairies.’

“Let me chat with these little ones for a bit first.”

“Go right ahead.”

Merlin turned her gaze back to the little fairies floating in the air. Each was mostly only the size of her thumb.

“Why do you call me Boss?”

The swarm of blue fairies stopped flying and tilted their tiny heads in unison, as if they had just heard an unbelievable question.

“Boss is Boss!”

“Well… there has to be a reason.”

The group of fairies began flying about restlessly again.

“It looks like Boss doesn’t know.”

“Aww, and after we’ve been helping Boss every day, too.”

“Because Boss is elven royalty!”

Merlin grew even more confused.

“Is there a connection between fairies and elven royalty?”

“There is, there is! Elven royalty are our bosses, too.”

“That’s how it is!”

Several fairies flew excitedly in front of her. They reached out their tiny hands, and faint sparks of mana leaked from their fingertips to draw patterns in the air.

[Elven Royalty > Fairy = Elf]

This was the first Merlin had heard of this; Ophelia hadn’t mentioned it to her yet.

“But we only follow royalty with similar wavelengths—meaning mana. Boss is ice-attributed and water-attributed. Princess Ophelia should also have a group of lightning-attributed fairies, but we won’t see them here.”

“But I haven’t seen any fairies around Mother, and she never mentioned them to me?”

“If we don’t show ourselves, even royalty can’t see us. And fairies aren’t interested in royalty outside our own attributes.”

“Though we tried to remind you, and you still didn’t see us anyway.”

Merlin apologized dryly.

“Then I’m truly sorry.”

Merlin fell silent.

‘Ophelia probably wanted to teach me,’ she thought. ‘But if I factor in the time I spent being difficult, deliberately distancing myself, and our cold war… those lessons about royal bloodlines probably got cut off right at this part.’

‘Mom was right after all.’

Even if she could see these little things now, her situation in this exam wouldn’t suddenly change.

‘Ah… right. Since there are water fairies…’

“Then, can you produce some water?”

“We can!”

Merlin handed her empty water skin to the fairies. The sky-blue fairies gathered around it, and in an instant, the container was full.

Merlin looked at her classmates.

“Anyway, please let my little friends help you fill your bags with water, too.”

“You got it, Boss! It’s Boss’s first request!”

‘Wait, that’s not right.’

Merlin had forgotten that she could use a bit of magic herself now. In fact, she didn’t need the fairies at all.

‘Oh well, let’s just call it bonding.’