The next morning, I collect Ilina, Alto, and Zara, and I teleport them with Nina to my training area clearing. I am completely buzzed about this. It's finally time to learn the item box spell. First, let's get the brawlers squared away.
"Zara, we'll take care of you first!" (Mizuki)
Zara's eyes sparkle with excitement, and she steps forward.
"Yes, what magic will you be teaching me?" (Zara)
Oooh…she's going to be disappointed if that's what she thinks is happening here. I direct an apologetic gaze at her.
"Actually, for now I think the best thing for you would be actual combat practice with your new weapon. So, since I'm not really a sword or weapons expert, you'll be sparring with Nina. Try to get good enough to beat her while you're on equal physical footing, and then I can get you a real sword teacher. I can teach you a fireball spell or whatever magic you're interested in another time." (Mizuki)
Zara's excitement seems to have dampened a bit, but she's still looking at Nina with anticipation.
"Fufufu…yes Zara, come with me and let's get started. Mizuki, can you send us to my old nest, so we have plenty of room?" (Nina)
I nod at her and quickly teleport them to Nina's clearing, then return to the elves. When I return, Ilina is staring at me intently.
"Mizuki…did you just casually mention teaching that wolf-kin girl elemental class spells? I assumed she was an alteration class like pretty much all wolf-kin?" (Ilina)
Oh yeah…I guess I've never explained by theories on magic to Ilina. Wait…what was that last part?
"Uhm…yeah, she is, but what do you mean 'like pretty much all wolf-kin'?" (Mizuki)
Surprisingly, Alto speaks up.
"The class proportions in the population vary between races. For example, relative to humans, elves are mostly elemental class and there's also an enrichment of dark class users, but there are almost no alteration class. By contrast, the wolf-kin are almost exclusively alteration class." (Alto)
Huh…that's interesting. On the surface, that suggests that magic class has a genetic or biological component. Meanwhile, I've been thinking it was purely about what kinds of natural phenomena are most intuitive to you. However, those different races have drastically different cultures, too.
The elves fancy themselves scholars, while the wolf-kin value strength and are very in tune with their bodies. So, their class biases make sense for their different upbringings. In that case, I may still be right, or at least partially right.
At this point, Ilina continues her questioning.
"That's right, Mizuki. If she's alteration class, why do you think she can learn spells from the other classes?" (Ilina)
"Right, sorry, I forgot to mention this. Essentially, I think that the people of your world have some misunderstandings about how magic fundamentally works. I think magic is just a form of energy you can use to alter the natural world through visualization, and I think classes are just people's different natural talents, not an inherent limitation. If I'm right, I can teach people any kinds of spells they want with enough study." (Mizuki)
Ilina looks surprised and skeptical. She glances at Alto, who shrugs.
"He said the same to me, and I think he may have a point based on what he's told me about his home planet. Also, if our world's magic tests concluded that he couldn't use magic, we obviously don't know as much as we thought we did." (Alto)
Ilina seems to think that over, conflicted. Eventually, she seems to make up her mind, and she looks at me hopefully.
"M-Mizuki…in that case, do you think you could teach me new spells? Ones where I would be able to defend myself? When you commented on my magic power the other day, you were correct, but you were wrong in assuming that I have any combat ability. I can only use my appraisal and item box spells…I have no offensive magic." (Ilina)
Ilina looks down at the ground, seemingly embarrassed and frustrated. No wonder…all that magic power and she still feels helpless without combat spells. I smile at her warmly.
"Sure, how about we start with that, then?" (Mizuki)
Ilina's head snaps up to meet my gaze. Alto can be heard chuckling.
"Mizuki, do you mean it!? You really think I could learn combat spells, so I won't be so helpless!?" (Ilina)
I nod at her and continue.
"Yes, I do. Also, given your magic power level, and if your item box spell works in the general way I think, you could become monstrously strong soon. Teleportation, flight, spells that pin your enemies to the ground and crush them. You could even learn to slow time itself. I think those spells may be related to your item box spell." (Mizuki)
Alto and Ilina just look bewildered. Ilina speaks first.
"Mizuki, that's absurd. What does an item box have to do with flying or slowing time?" (Ilina)
Yeah, without the theory of general relativity and the concept of spacetime, I guess that does sound absurd to her. Still, I'm only guessing that the item box is spacetime manipulation, so let's confirm that first. I smile at Ilina and shake my head.
"Like I said, the people on my planet had learned quite a lot about the natural world, and to me, all of those abilities seem like they affect the natural world in a similar way. I'll explain this to you later, but first I need to confirm that I'm right about your item box spell. After all, if I fully understood how it works, I'd be using it already. So, why don't we have you teach me the spell right now, and go from there?" (Mizuki)
Ilina nods and gestures for me to come over to her. I walk over, and then she nods and begins her incantation for the spell.
"Part thyself, cosmic cloth, and accept my treasures!" (Ilina)
As Ilina says the incantation, a basketball-sized distortion appears in front of her that looks like a large soap bubble. On the surface of the bubble, I can see distorted images of several items, with a coin purse being the one I recognize.
Ilina seems to focus on the bubble while reaching towards its surface, then her hand disappears briefly inside and pulls out the coin purse I saw. Sure enough, it's no longer visible on the bubble surface.
She drops the coin purse back into the bubble surface, and then I can see its distorted image reappear on the bubble. Afterward, she seems to relax and the bubble shrinks and disappears. That was awesome!
Also, 'part thyself, cosmic cloth', really? That basically screams that you're stretching the fabric of spacetime, which begs the question of where these incantations come from? I guess that's a puzzle for another time, though.
For now, I need to confirm what is going through Ilina's mind as she casts this spell, what is she intuitively visualizing? I smile excitedly at Ilina, and I nod my thanks.
"Okay, that was truly spectacular Ilina, thank you! I think I was right about how this spell works, but before I try it myself, could you explain to me how you feel and what you're thinking about when you use it?" (Mizuki)
Ilina's eyes go wide in surprise when I mention using it, but she appears contemplative after my question for a few moments. Then, she looks back up at me and answers.
"Hmm…I guess kind of like the spell says, I feel like I'm stretching a piece of cloth apart with magic until it starts to tear, and that's when the sphere of the item box begins to emerge." (Ilina)
Bingo, that's got to be it.
I nod at Ilina appreciatively, then turn towards an empty space in the clearing. I close my eyes, and I visualize my magic surrounding that space in about a 2-meter-wide sphere. Much like teleportation, I imagine my magic 'grabbing' the fabric of spacetime in the area.
This time, instead of imagining it and another area of space being pressed together, I imagine this space being stretched outward from the inside. It's like stretching a piece of cloth, but in three dimensions.
I begin to feel resistance, and I pour in more magic as I focus on stretching the space further. After a moment, there's a sharp drop in resistance, like a tear, and I hear gasps from Ilina and Alto. Can't stop now, though.
I focus on 'tearing' the fabric even more, until it seems to fill the whole space I surrounded with my magic. I hear a sharp yelp from Ilina, and I open my eyes. There's an item box distortion like Ilina's in the space I intended, but it's almost two meters wide. Ilina speaks up.
"M-Mizuki…that's…" (Ilina)
I ignore her and let out a very satisfied laugh as I pull my coin purse off my hip. Using gravity magic to levitate it, I float the coin purse into the distortion, and see its image appear on the bubble's surface. Perfect.
I walk over to the distortion, then place my hand just 'inside' the surface, and I will my magic to float my coin purse back to my hand, like before. After a moment, I feel the coin purse and pull it out of the distortion.
I can't help but break out in another gleeful laugh. I toss the coin purse back into the distortion and release the item box spell. Then, I turn to Ilina and Alto with a huge smile on my face.
"Ilina, thanks so much, you have no idea how helpful this is going to be!" (Mizuki)
Ilina's face has gone pale, and Alto is just shaking her head in exasperation.
"Mizuki…you got it your first try, without an incantation…and…it was huge. Can you please explain this?" (Ilina)
Alto nods her assent at Ilina's statement. Yeah, I did promise to explain it, so I don't mind.
"Yes, I was right about how your spell works. Essentially, one of the things we're aware of on my world is that the space around you and time itself are not separate things. They're part of this concept called 'spacetime'. When you jump, and feel like you're pulled back towards the planet, that's from the planet itself distorting spacetime. I think your item box spell is stretching spacetime apart until cracks form, then storing items in those cracks." (Mizuki)
Alto and Ilina's mouths are hanging open in shock. Alto recovers first, seeming to have made an important realization. She speaks to me excitedly.
"Mizuki, so when you're flying are you just altering this 'spacetime' of yours so that it pulls on our bodies like the planet does? That's exactly what it felt like when you first lifted us into the air, like the planet itself was losing its grasp on us!" (Alto)
She's a quick learner, so working with her is going to be a blast. I nod at her approvingly, and she beams with pride.
"That's right, Alto, but it's more like spacetime pushes you than the planet pulls you. Still, I can already tell you're going to do well with this stuff. In case you're curious, when I teleport, I'm using my magic to grab two areas of spacetime and fold them together, then I temporarily form a hole and move between them." (Mizuki)
Alto is practically hopping with excitement at this point. No doubt, she's fantasizing about being able to fly herself. I glance at Ilina, and she has a deathly serious look on her face.
"Mizuki, can you teach me a combat spell now, based on what you've learned?" (Ilina)
I turn serious and nod at her.
"Yeah, let's start with gravity spells. Those are spells that alter the pull of the planet on you. You can make someone feel like their weight increased a hundred-fold and crush them into the ground, or you can send people flying backwards or forwards by shifting that 'pull' to different places around them. This is how I fly. Nina knows this ability now, and it's how she makes her arrows change direction to always hit their targets. So, does that sound like something you're interested in?" (Mizuki)
Ilina nods vigorously. I smile at her and nod my agreement.
"Alright, Alto, you're welcome to try this as well, but don't get your hopes up. Ilina already knows what a form of spacetime manipulation feels like, so she'll have a much easier time. Ilina, with your item box spell you're imagining that cloth being stretched and torn. However, gravity magic will feel like compressing it. Imagine the very space under my feet as a fabric or sponge, and then start trying to squeeze it. The harder you squeeze, the harder I should be pulled towards it. Whenever you're ready!" (Mizuki)
I apply max body enhancement to myself and the ground, just in case. Ilina nods with a determined look on her face, and she begins focusing on me. For several minutes, I can't detect anything. However, eventually I start to feel like my body is getting slightly heavier. It's very subtle, but it's there. Ilina seems to be grimacing.
"Ilina, I'm starting to feel it! Whatever you're doing is working, so focus on refining that feeling!" (Mizuki)
Upon hearing that, Ilina's eyes widen in surprise, and her expression transitions to a hopeful one. She seems to narrow her eyes in focus, and after a moment I feel the weighted sensation begin to increase. I give her a thumbs up, and she presses on. My weight is almost inconvenient at this point, which is saying something for me.
I glance at Ilina just in time to see her collapse backwards onto the ground in exhaustion, then the spell on me breaks. I jog over and sit down by her. She looks elated.
"Mizuki…thank you so much. I know it wasn't enough to bring you to your knees, but I could feel it working. With enough practice, I think I could get better. That try, it felt like I wasted a lot of effort at first trying to do what you described. However, once I overcame the resistance to that squeezing sensation, I got better at doing it." (Ilina)
She's sweating heavily, but she has a huge smile on her face as she looks over at me. I smile back at her approvingly.
"I think you'll get better at it, too. Plus, I put a body enhancement on that was so strong that Nina can barely even hurt me. The fact I could feel it at all on your first try is impressive. Maybe you should practice on Alto next, or practice trying to make yourself float? That way, you have clearer results." (Mizuki)
Alto buts in at this point.
"Yes, Princess Ilina, please try it on me next! I want to feel this gravity spell, it might help me learn something about them!" (Alto)
Alto is begging to be a test dummy with the utmost enthusiasm. For someone as reasonable as she normally is, Alto might have a few screws loose when it comes to flying magic.
Is she so desperate to feel closer to flying that she's willing to get crushed into the dirt to experience the sensation of gravity manipulation?
Ilina seems to have recovered some, and she stands back up. She nods to Alto and takes aim at her. I should interject.
"Ilina, start slowly! I'm not kidding about how much easier it will be on Alto than me. Don't underestimate yourself or you may kill her by accident." (Mizuki)
Ilina looks at me skeptically, but she nods her agreement. Then, she turns back towards Alto and starts focusing, with her hands stretched forward. Almost immediately, Alto starts to look like her knees are going to buckle and she calls out.
"Woah, Princess Ilina, I can barely stay on my feet that's incredible! You can turn it up more, though, until I hit the ground!" (Alto)
No doubt…Alto is the first ever gravity spell junkie. No sooner than Alto yells her challenge is she mercilessly slammed into the ground with enough force that her body compresses the earth slightly. Then, I see a trickle of blood around Alto's lips. That's not good.
"Ilina, stop!" (Mizuki)
Ilina stops right as I call out, seemingly coming to the same conclusion, and I see a flash of fear and guilt on her face as she calls out.
"Alto, I'm so sorry, are you alright!?" (Ilina)
I rush to Alto and immediately begin healing her, and after a moment her wheezing breath returns to normal. She sits up shakily, then turns and…smiles at me!? What a nutjob.
"Oh, Mizuki, that was incredible! Princess Ilina, that was an impressive spell, I wouldn't have been able to fight you at all!" (Alto)
I shake my head at Alto disapprovingly, then glance at Ilina. She looks relieved that Alto is okay, but she is also staring at me intently now. I raise my eyebrows at her questioningly. Seeing my expression, she nods and speaks up.
"Mizuki…it felt easier to cast the spell that second time in general, but still…what hurt Alto easily seemed ten times weaker than when you started to notice the spell. I'm really grateful that you warned me before I tried it on Alto, but I'm also terrified that a gravity spell strong enough to kill a powerful elf wouldn't even be noticed by you." (Ilina)
If her assessment of the spell strengths is true, then that's good to know. I've noticed that my normal body as well as my physical enhancement spells have gotten significantly stronger since my contract with Nina. I turn to Ilina and shrug.
"Yeah, I told you as much…I'm strong. Please don't be terrified, though, we're friends after all. I'm on your side, remember?" (Mizuki)
That seems to put Ilina's mind at ease, and she smiles back at me warmly.
"Yeah, that's good to hear again anyway. Thanks, Mizuki." (Ilina)
I nod at Ilina, then turn to Alto.
"Alright, Ilina, you can stick around and practice for as long as you want, and I'll take you back to your room whenever you're ready. For now, I need to move on to helping Alto. Alto, you ready to learn some magic?" (Mizuki)
Ilina nods her agreement and moves to the other side of the clearing to practice. I turn to Alto, and she's already back on her feet and staring at me excitedly. Yeah, she's fine.
"Alright, Alto, so I can see what you're working with, give me a basic fireball spell towards that boulder over there." (Mizuki)
I gesture at the boulder I melted once upon a time, which is about ten meters away. Alto launches a baseball-sized fireball at the rock, and it erupts over the rock face and burns out after a few seconds, leaving some minor scorch marks. Not bad at all. I turn to Alto and smile appreciatively.
"Great, thanks! Now, time to hit the books before we do any magic. If you wave your hand around in front of you, can you tell me what you're touching?" (Mizuki)
Alto gives me a puzzled expression.
"Well…yesterday I would have said 'nothing', but I'm guessing that's not true? Am I touching the spacetime you mentioned?" (Alto)
She gets excited when she mentions spacetime, I guess she thinks it will be related to her magic lesson. I can't help but chuckle at that. I shake my head at her, then continue.
"There's something there, and it's what you're feeling when you move your hand really fast through the air. Basically, everything around you is full of these little spheres, called 'atoms' – even you. There are lots of different kinds of atoms that interact with one another in different ways. This is why water seems heavier and thicker than the air around you, they're made out of different kinds of atoms." (Mizuki)
I don't really have time to explain elements, the subtleties of atomic structure, molecules, covalent bonds, and all the other context. I'm hoping it will just be enough for her to understand that there are tiny things moving through the world around her. I glance at Alto, and she is waving her hand in the air curiously. I stifle my laughter, but at least she seems to believe me.
"You're right, I guess I'd never really thought about it, but if I swing my hand fast enough, I can feel something there. So, you're telling me that this is all just really tiny spheres around me, and even I am made up of different versions of these tiny spheres?" (Alto)
I nod.
"Yes, or at least that's all you need to know for now. You'll find out with time that it's a lot more complicated, but we don't need to discuss that today. Are you comfortable accepting that and moving on?" (Mizuki)
Alto looks like she has lots of questions, but she nods her agreement. I nod back, then grab a piece of wood from the forest and light it on fire with a fireball and toss it in the clearing between Alto and me.
"Now, I mentioned that atoms can interact with each other, and what I meant was that certain types of atoms are attracted to each other, kind of like how you are pulled towards the planet. When you make fire like this, what's happening is that the atoms in the wood there are being separated from one another by the heat of my fireball. That separation is used to release more heat, which continues the cycle until you've separated all the atoms in the wood that you can." (Mizuki)
Alto looks thoughtful, then asks a question.
"Uhm…Mizuki…why does heat make the atoms in the wood separate? I don't understand that part?" (Alto)
"That's because of what heat actually is. Heating something is like making the atoms in it move or wiggle faster. When you add heat to the atoms in water, they move fast enough that they can escape some of their attraction to each other, and the water becomes steam. If you slow the atoms down enough by cooling so that their attraction can hold them really close together, then the water becomes ice. Is that something you can imagine and accept?" (Mizuki)
Alto seems to think about this concept for much longer, but eventually she nods and asks another question.
"Why does separating the atoms in the wood release heat? Also, if what you say is true, why is it that turning water to steam does not do the same thing as a fire and continue to turn itself to steam?" (Alto)
That's insightful, actually, but I think explaining atoms versus molecules, covalent versus noncovalent bonds, and physical versus chemical changes is a little much for right now. She didn't even know about atoms five minutes ago.
"That's a great question, Alto, and the answer is that it's because the atoms aren't interacting in the same way in those cases, so separating them has different effects. In all honesty, that's way more information than you need for right now, and it won't make the spell I'm about to teach you any better. Do you mind if we save that for another time?" (Mizuki)
Alto looks disappointed at me dodging her question, but she nods her agreement. I know, I'm kind of treating her like she's dumb, but that's not what I think, it's just that I want to keep this information practical.
"Okay, thanks, Alto. Now, hold out your palm like you're going to do a fireball, but imagine your magic forming a small sphere in front of your hand. Let me know when you've done it." (Mizuki)
Alto gives me a deeply confused look, but she seems to realize something after a moment. What's that about? Before I can ask, she holds out her hand in front of her, then seems to focus for a while. After a minute…
"Okay, I think I'm doing what you described, Mizuki. You spoke about magic like it was a separate substance, like these atoms, and that confused me at first. Anyway, what now?" (Alto)
Wait…they don't think about magic as a separate entity? I guess there's time to press her about that later.
"Great! Now, imagine the outside edge of your magic sphere reflecting any atoms in the air, so that the atoms outside it don't come in, and the ones inside it don't leave. After that, imagine the atoms inside it starting to move and bounce around faster and faster. Will your magic inside the sphere to speed them up as much as you can without letting them escape." (Mizuki)
Alto nods and begins to focus quietly. After several minutes, the air in front of her palm begins to glow red. It looks like one of my basic fireballs. Alto squeals out in excitement and surprise.
"Mizuki? It started glowing!" (Alto)
"Yes, when you get the atoms in the air hot enough, they start glowing red like this, like fire. Great job! Now, try and heat them up even more, until they look blue!" (Mizuki)
Alto is trying to focus through her gleeful state, and eventually the fireball starts to change colors again. Yellow…green…finally, blue. Alto squeals.
"Mizuki, this is warm!" (Alto)
Yeah, the magic sphere should be a perfect insulator, but that doesn't stop heating through radiation.
"Yeah, now imagine that, instead of warmth passing through your magic sphere, it's reflected back in towards the atoms! You should start to feel the heat go away." (Mizuki)
Alto attempts to comply.
"O-Okay, that seems to be helping, thanks!" (Alto)
"Great! Now, launch it towards that boulder whenever you're ready. Make sure to keep containing everything in your magic sphere until it hits your target!" (Mizuki)
Alto nods and launches the blue fireball towards the boulder, and it lets out a marvelous explosion with a brief afterburn. For a few seconds, the rock can be seen glowing a dull red. Alto is ecstatic.
"Mizuki, I did it! That was incredible! Did you see how hot the rock was after it hit!?" (Alto)
I nod at her approvingly, and she beams with pride again.
"Congrats, Alto! Just so you know, you can use the same concept to heat and cool a room that you're in, or to make ice out of your water. You can also change the heat of that fireball spell to be even hotter. That massive hole you see in the boulder is from me doing that. It's the spell that almost killed Nina when we met." (Mizuki)
Alto's face goes pale at the mention of the spell's capabilities, and she looks at the hole in the boulder nervously. However, it quickly changes to excitement. I think my work here is done.
"Okay, that's all I'm going to teach you for today. Please feel free to practice with it as long as you want…I'll have a test for you tomorrow." (Mizuki)
Alto gives me a smirk.
"Oh, what kind of test?" (Alto)
I make sure to smirk right back. I think I'll be somewhat vague.
"Oh, just something to make sure that you're proficient with the basic concept of heating and cooling atoms, instead of just that fireball spell. So, I'd practice some of the other applications I mentioned if you want to pass." (Mizuki)
Alto smiles confidently and nods. I guess she's sure she can rise to the challenge. Alto turns her attention back to the boulder and appears to be starting her self-training.
I turn my attention to Ilina, who seems to be taking a break on the ground across the clearing, and I teleport over to her and sit down beside her. Seeing me appear in front of her, she yelps initially, but then gives me a huge grin.
"Mizuki…this is incredible…watch this!" (Ilina)
As she speaks, I see a small rock start floating off the ground nearby, then go screeching towards a tree. The impact is enough to shatter part of the tree trunk – definitely useful for combat. She's also started experimenting with the other applications of the spell, too.
I give her an excited smile – she's made quite a lot of progress for just a couple hours of work.
"Congrats, Ilina, I'm really happy for you. I didn't know that you couldn't use any offensive spells, so I also appreciate you trusting me enough to tell me. It gives me peace of mind to know that you can defend yourself now. I'm sure that with time you'll be one of the most powerful beings on this planet." (Mizuki)
Ilina's eyes go wide, and she stares at me with a strange expression for a moment. Before I can react, she launches herself into a hug around my neck and knocks me on my back on the ground.
"U-Uhm, Ilina, what gives!?" (Mizuki)
Ilina cuts me off with a tongue click.
"Tch…shut up, Mizuki, and just let me hug you!" (Ilina)
I'm…not sure how to respond to that, so I just hug her back for a moment. Eventually, she speaks again.
"I'm really glad that we met, Mizuki…I hope we can stay in each other's lives like this, at least until our different lifespans get in the way." (Ilina)
Well, I know it seems short to her, but I'll live another sixty years or so if I'm careful. That's plenty of time for me. I can't help but laugh at her, and she pulls away to look me in the eye. She seems annoyed, so I explain myself.
"Woah don't be mad! It was just funny hearing you make fun of my short lifespan. I know 60-70 years doesn't seem like much to you, but it does to me. I promise I'll hang around for as much of that as I can!" (Mizuki)
Ilina gives me a very puzzled expression, then seems to realize something. She sighs deeply, and I think I hear her mumble something about a dragon. Not sure what that's about?
After a moment, she smiles at me warmly, then leans over and kisses me on the cheek before climbing back to her feet. I'm stunned to silence for a little while, but eventually climb to my feet as well.
"I-Ilina, I don't think…" (Mizuki)
Ilina cuts me off again with a smirk and a dismissive gesture.
"Relax, Mizuki, it was just on the cheek. Nina and I have an agreement, so feel free to tell her about it. If she takes issue, her and I can talk again." (Ilina)
Ilina gives me a smile and is acting nonchalant, but I can see her blushing slightly. Nina and her are talking about me like they negotiated timesharing contracts, but I'm a person not a beach house! I shake my head in exasperation, but I decide that it's best to move on.
"Ilina, that aside, I actually need to talk to you about our trip to the Elven Kingdom. There are a number of serious topics I'd like us to discuss." (Mizuki)
Ilina's expression turns somewhat nervous as she responds.
"Yeah, I suppose that we do. I'm nervous about bringing you around my family, especially my mother. I'll also be revealing that I snuck out of the country, and dragging a dangerous Elder Dragon into the palace, so I'm sure I'll be getting lectured extensively when we return. I'm glad we're closer now, though, because I at least trust you to not cause trouble. What did you want to discuss?" (Ilina)
"Well, for starters, what group dynamic we should present to your family. If possible, I'd like you and Klaus to act as though I'm Nina's subordinate like before. If the elves think that Nina is stronger than me and I follow her orders, I think they'd be less likely to act on their prejudice or to fear me. I don't mind you mentioning that I seemed strong, just not how strong. I know you might consider this lying to your mother or something, so I wanted us to discuss it." (Mizuki)
Ilina looks conflicted, but she responds surprisingly quickly.
"I'm not sure how my mother will react to you, since we're not as close as you'd assume. My father, the King, would probably be okay to trust, but he'd tell my mother anything he learned. So, as much as I don't want to hide information from the Queen of my own country, I think it's for the best if we do exactly as you suggest. I'll make sure to convince Klaus to keep quiet about you, and we'll just act like everything we learned about you after you freed the elves didn't happen." (Ilina)
I smile at her apologetically.
"I really appreciate that, Ilina, and if you have any requests for me about what to say or do when we get there, I'm happy to reciprocate?" (Mizuki)
Ilina smiles gratefully, then looks a little embarrassed.
"Uhm…actually…could we keep how close we've gotten a secret for now? As you can imagine, it might cause serious issues with the elven royals and nobility if they knew a princess was so close with a human. They're judgmental like that. I'm not embarrassed of our friendship, I promise, I just don't want to cause any more trouble while we're there. So, just pretend that we're polite acquaintances?" (Ilina)
I nod my agreement with a warm smile, and bite back my desire to tease her.
"Sure thing, and I'm not offended. I don't care if it's a secret. So long as we're friends with each other, that's good enough for me. Anyway, my next question was if Zara and Alto can accompany me as part of Nina's party. I figured it wouldn't be that weird, since leaders of other nations usually travel with an escort." (Mizuki)
Ilina nods thoughtfully as I speak.
"Yeah, I was a little resistant at first, but you're right. If you consider Nina kind of like the leader of a major country, it would be rude to refuse her small escort as well. So long as you are sure that everyone won't cause issues or start anything, I'm fine with that. You should ask Alto if she's fine with your ruse though, since she may have to lie to the Queen." (Ilina)
Ah, that's actually a really good point.
[Hey, Alto, can we talk really quick?] (Mizuki)
Alto looks surprised, then runs over to Ilina and I after my thought message. She's wearing a curious expression on her face.
"Hey, Mizuki, what did you want to discuss?" (Alto)
"I was telling Ilina my plan for our visit to the Elven Kingdom tomorrow. The story is that I'm Nina's subordinate, and weaker than her if anyone asks. The question is, are you okay backing up that story? It may involve you lying to the Queen if you were asked directly." (Mizuki)
Alto has a solemn face, but nods.
"Yes, I'd already come to terms with that, especially if Princess Ilina is on board. I don't want to lie to my Queen, but if the truth caused aggressive actions from other elves, I'd never be able to forgive myself for the collateral damage of you defending yourself. I'll stick to whatever story you want, as long as you think it's best for everyone's safety." (Alto)
I nod at her appreciatively.
"Thanks, Alto, you can go continue training if you want. That was all I needed to know. Ilina and I will sort out everything else." (Mizuki)
Alto nods, then takes off back to her training with a wave. I turn my attention to Ilina.
"Okay! So, from what I'm hearing there's no reason why we can't leave for the Elven Kingdom tomorrow morning. It should take us two full days of flying on Nina's back in her dragon form to reach your country's eastern border. How should we enter the country? I can turn us all invisible and fly straight in, but I'm guessing that'd be bad." (Mizuki)
Ilina shakes her head in exasperation.
"Yes, Mizuki, that would be bad. We should land outside the eastern gate at the edge of Gelrod's pass, then enter with the soldiers' permission. That way, nobody thinks it's an invasion, and the guards can clearly see Nina transform into a human and confirm that she's an Elder Dragon. That's not something anyone would know that she can do, so it will save us the trouble of proving it later. Otherwise, your timetable sounds fine to me." (Ilina)
I nod with a sheepish smile. After a moment, Ilina's annoyance breaks, and she smiles back at me.
"Alright, I understand. I'm going to go round everyone up so we can head back to the inn. When we get back, can you explain the travel plans to Klaus and the elves, and the cover story to Klaus only? I'll take care of Alto and Zara." (Mizuki)
Ilina nods her agreement. Great! Now to see about Nina. I focus on Nina's emotions through the connection, and I sense…enjoyment? That's a good sign.
[Hey Nina! How's training going? Ready for me to come pick you up?] (Mizuki)
[Fufufu…the wolf-kin girl is quite the fast learner, Mizuki! When I match my strength to hers, I'm having a little trouble at this point. Bringing her into the party was good, I'm going to have someone to practice my dagger techniques with now.] (Nina)
Wow, that's high praise from Nina. Even just her liking your company is rare.
[I'm glad to hear it, Nina. In that case, the two of you are welcome to go to the guild alone and take any job as training if you want? You're A-rank, so you should be able to take anything, and Zara is G-rank, so she could use the experience to rank up at the guild. Might be a good way for you to observe her as a teacher, huh?] (Mizuki)
[Oooh, Mizuki, I like this idea! Yes, I will let Zara know. Please come get us and let's go to the guild while we still have time!] (Nina)
I chuckle internally and can't help but smile. Looks like Nina's found a new friend and sparring partner. I guess it's not surprising that she likes Zara's whole strong and stoic vibe. I teleport to Nina's location.
When I arrive, Zara is breathing heavily with a crazed grin on her face, and I can see dried blood at spots around her body. Her sword is already crackling with lightning. Nina is smiling back at her, still full of energy, but having dried blood on her limbs as well from several healed wounds.
Seeing me appear, Zara seems to calm herself and sheathes her sword. Nina sheathes her daggers and runs over to hug me. After she pulls away, she's all smiles.
"Mizuki, this was so much fun! Can we go to the guild now?" (Nina)
I glance at Zara, and she seems to be nodding excitedly. They're so cute when they're getting along like this. How could I say no?
I smile back at them and nod, then gesture for them to get close. They squeeze in, and I teleport them back to Nina's and I's inn room.
"Alright, you two, go to the guild if you want. Have fun!" (Mizuki)
Nina and Zara nod excitedly, then head off out of the room. I teleport back to my clearing with Ilina and Alto, and I walk over to Alto. Seeing me approach, she smiles and waits patiently.
"So, Alto, apparently Nina and Zara are getting along so well that they decided to take a job together at the guild. What do you say, do you want to go do a job as well, just the two of us? Alternatively, you could train some more, or I guess I could try teaching you more. It's up to you." (Mizuki)
Alto seems to think it over for a few minutes before responding.
"I actually think I want to train some more here myself if you don't mind. I'm just realizing that there's so many ways to experiment with what I've learned today. Thinking of magic this way instead of as a series of spells is really groundbreaking, and there are lots of possibilities I want to explore." (Alto)
"Hey, that's great, Alto! I don't mind in the slightest. It looks like there's maybe three hours of daylight left, so why don't I come back and pick you up a little before sunset? If you get bored before then, the city is north of here, almost an hour away." (Mizuki)
Alto nods appreciatively and I smile back, then I wave goodbye and walk towards Ilina. Ilina's been watching me, and she smiles as I approach.
"So, Nina and Zara have gone off to do a job at the guild, and Alto wants to stay here and experiment with her new magic some more. Looks like it's just the two of us, so is there anything you'd like to do together? Training, a guild job, food, you name it!" (Mizuki)
Ilina looks surprised, then seems to think on my question for a moment. Eventually, something seems to occur to her, and she looks at me with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"Uhm…yeah, actually. Alto mentioned what flying was like the other day, and it sounded beautiful. I know I'll get to fly with Nina tomorrow, but could we go flying using your gravity magic now?" (Ilina)
I smile at her broadly and nod.
"You bet! Here, just come hold on to me like we're going to teleport." (Mizuki)
Ilina smiles and walks over to wrap me in a hug from the front. I see her begin to blush, and she responds.
"Okay, I'm ready!" (Ilina)
Without another word, I wrap one arm around her back, then float us up into the air a few hundred feet and apply full flight spells. I look around, then start accelerating us west. Ilina looks out to the side of my chest, and I feel her grasp on me tighten. She seems nervous, but she's also excited.
"Mizuki, this is amazing! Alto was right about how beautiful it is. Did you say that I'll be able to do this too with gravity magic?" (Ilina)
"That's right, though I'm not sure how useful it will be for you. For us to fly this fast and this high without issue, I'm also using magic to split the wind around us and make sure we don't freeze to death. If I can teach you those spells, you can fly like this, too. It may take longer than learning gravity magic, though. How fast you can fly will depend on your power." (Mizuki)
"Oh, I didn't realize it required all those additional spells, that's a bit disappointing. I guess it wouldn't be so easy, though. Out of curiosity, just how fast can you fly?" (Ilina)
"Oh, that depends, it gets much slower the more people I carry. With just the two of us, and you holding on to me like this, I could fly us at over 1000 kph for several hours." (Mizuki)
Ilina is silent for a moment.
"Mizuki…I don't know what that means. Can you put it in terms of time? Like, how long would it take you to fly us both to the Elven Kingdom at max speed?" (Ilina)
"Oh…right, that's my bad. I forgot for a moment that this world doesn't measure speed like that. Let's see, with just the two of us I could probably make it there in two hours or less!" (Mizuki)
Ilina looks up at me in shock.
"Two hours!? Mizuki, that's insane! Wait…can I ask a question then?" (Ilina)
"Yeah, I know, it's pretty cool! Sure, ask away." (Mizuki)
"Why didn't you just fly yourself to the Elven Kingdom border in under two hours, teleport back here, then teleport us all back to where you flew later?" (Ilina)
That…is actually a good idea…and it didn't occur to me. I guess I never thought about how fast I could get there by full speed alone. Should I tell Ilina that, though?
"Fufufu…that's a good idea, it honestly just didn't occur to me since I don't know where the eastern entrance to the country is located. We have nothing to do for the next few hours, though, do you want to just go there with me now and guide me to the entrance? That would be a nice surprise for the elves tomorrow." (Mizuki)
Ilina gives me a conflicted look for a while, then smiles and nods her head.
"Yeah, let's do it. Besides, I like being up here together, and I want to see how fast you can go." (Ilina)
"Fufufu…be careful what you wish for. Now, I know the general direction, but let me know when we need to alter course later!" (Mizuki)
With that, I accelerate as quickly as I can in the west-northwest direction, and Ilina lets out a squeal. Before I know it, we're at top speed and Ilina is squeezing me tightly. I chuckle and she gives me a menacing glare, then smiles and starts enjoying the view of forest whipping by below.
After about 15 minutes at top speed, the terrain below transitions to mountain ranges. I see mainly just exposed rock and snow caps around the mountains, but there's some greenery in the valleys.
Ilina and I pass the next hour admiring the terrain changes below us and making idle small talk about the things we both like. It's not very important stuff, but it feels like a good bonding experience for us.
Ilina interrupts our friendly chat with an unexpected remark.
"Woah, that was even faster than you said Mizuki! You need to turn that direction now, and it doesn't seem like it will take us long to reach the entrance to my country. There is only one major valley in the mountains that passes through my country's eastern border, so a massive defensive wall was built there. You should see it soon if we continue in that direction." (Ilina)
Ilina gestures for me to make a slight course-correction to the left. I do, and after another ten or so minutes I can see a massive stone wall blocking the whole width of the valley below. I enable stealth flight, and I begin lowering us towards the wall.
"Ilina, I've made it so we're invisible to others, but we still make sound. So, remain quiet while I try and locate a safe spot for teleportation tomorrow." (Mizuki)
Ilina nods her agreement. I look around, and there doesn't seem to be much cover. Hmm…I guess it doesn't matter if one of the soldiers notices us teleporting later, so long as I can blame it on Nina. Plus, I could teleport us all while using a concealment spell, then deactivate it while the soldiers aren't looking.
I bring us closer to the wall and scout out where the guards are located, and I pick a decent blind spot near the border wall on its eastern side. I set Ilina and I down, and I take note of the surrounding environment for teleportation later.
After, I nod to Ilina that I'm ready, and she grabs onto me again. I lift us way back up into the air with flight spells, then tell her what I'm thinking.
"Okay, that should take care of it! I was thinking, though, the Elven Kingdom is massive. If the royal capital is towards the center, it'd take Nina a whole day to fly us there from this entrance. Also, a dragon flying through your country is probably not ideal. If you want, you could direct me to the entrance of the capital city, and I can find a discreet place to teleport us to? We could still teleport to this entrance first, but it'd save us some time after that. What do you think?" (Mizuki)
Ilina thinks it over for a while.
"Hmm…I'm not sure if that's the best approach, but I think we should at least do what you suggested and find a place to teleport near the royal capital while we're already so close. Head that direction, and it's about halfway across my country. Based on how fast we got here, I'd guess maybe half an hour at your top speed?" (Ilina)
I nod my acknowledgement to her, then take off at top speed due west, where she's pointing. I see a few large villages scattered over the next half hour, and lots of agricultural development, but no major cities like Elmesia.
About half an hour after we entered the country, with a few course-corrections from Ilina along the way, I start to make out the shape of a city on the horizon. As we get closer, I realize that's an understatement.
It's probably five times as wide across as Elmesia, if not more, and a fifteen-meter wall made of white marble-like mineral encircles the entire city. Several entrance gates can be seen around the wall from our eastern vantage point – east, north, and south gates, presumably.
Inside the walls, there is a massive building towards the center of the city. It's probably five or six floors in some areas and is made largely of the same white mineral. I'm guessing that's the palace.
The rest of the city inside is beautiful and heavily developed, and it's fair to say that nothing I've seen in this world so far compares. I'm so entranced by it that I let out an audible gasp, and Ilina turns to me with a proud smile on her face.
"Beautiful, right? Especially from up here. I'm glad I'm getting to see it with you alone first, Mizuki. Welcome to Avalon, the royal capital of the Elven Kingdom – my home." (Ilina)
"It's incredible, Ilina, thanks for letting me come here. Your people's engineering skills are marvelous. To think that you made something this grand with what I've seen in this world…the builders have my deepest respect." (Mizuki)
I pick out a spot midway between the east and south gates, where there seems to be minimal activity, and set us down beside the wall. I take note of the surroundings, and it seems to be a good spot to teleport into. I cast a silencing spell, then speak to Ilina.
"Okay, Ilina, I think we're all good here. It's almost sunset, so are you ready to go back to Elmesia?" (Mizuki)
Ilina is looking around with a blissful smile on her face, and she maintains it as she looks back to meet my gaze and respond.
"Yeah, thanks so much for this Mizuki. I didn't think I'd be seeing my home again for several days, so this little trip with you has been great. You can teleport us back whenever you're ready." (Ilina)
Ilina steps in for a hug, and she rests her face on my shoulder. I grab her, then teleport us back to the clearing.
When we arrive, Alto notices us and starts jogging over. Ilina steps away and waves at Alto as she approaches. Alto is wearing a puzzled expression.
"Where have you two been all this time since I saw you fly off!? It's almost sunset!" (Alto)
Ilina and I glance at one another with stupid grins on our faces, then I turn back to Alto.
"Oh, nothing much, just a little joy flight." (Mizuki)