Crackle, crackle, crackle…
The firewood crackled softly as it burned.
Leca was awake, sitting beside the still-sleeping Mia. Julius's healing magic had been more powerful than expected—his body was recovering faster than usual. He still wouldn't be able to fight, but flying the rest of the way to their destination would be no problem.
Just half a day more, and he'd be completely restored.
But…
That strange scent was back in the air.
It drifted in and out, sharp and unsettling, bothering Leca's senses. He rose quietly and looked up at Nakil's night sky, thick with stars.
At that moment, a red meteor streaked across the heavens.
Leca blinked, surprised.
A red comet… That was supposed to be a bad omen. He wasn't well-versed in astrology, but he vaguely remembered hearing something about ruin and calamity.
What in the world was going on?
His thoughts returned to the dead blue scorpion from earlier. In Sibareth, the desert blue scorpion was considered a symbol of great fortune. Warriors would even tattoo its image onto their bodies before going to war.
To witness such a creature dead…
It left a sour feeling.
Leca gently shook Mia's shoulder, trying not to startle her. Every fiber of his being was telling him—they had to leave. Now.
"Lady Mia. Lady Mia."
"Mmm… what is it…"
Still drowsy, Mia made no effort to rise. But Leca remained patient.
"You need to wake. We should leave."
"Why? Did something happen?"
She sat up slowly, her voice still thick with sleep. The fairy transformation had been wearing on her—her human body was struggling to keep up.
"No, not exactly. But I think we've stayed here too long."
"Yeah… let's go. I'm worried about Roy."
Mia began preparing their things. Leca summoned a flame spirit. A small, human-shaped fire appeared and hovered in the air.
"Tell me where my subordinate—and your comrade—the salamander is now."
Without a word, the flame disappeared. Leca turned to Mia.
"Do you feel rested?"
"Mostly. Still kind of weak, though."
"It's likely due to the blood you gave. You'll need to eat well once we return."
"And what about you? Are you really okay?"
"Of course."
He smiled.
Mia could tell he wasn't being completely honest—but that smile of his... it made her stop thinking. His smile was warm, reassuring. It made her feel like everything would be okay.
"…Leca, look—"
Hoo… hoo…
A large bird was flying toward them, its wings cutting through the air. As it drew closer, Mia gasped.
"It's an owl!"
The owl flapped powerfully and stopped mid-air at their eye level. Leca immediately noticed the letter tied to its leg. He hurried to untie it, and the owl promptly flew off in the direction it had come.
"…It's a letter from the Fairy King."
"What does it say?"
To Mia, and the Fire Spirit Leca Parvati,
We have shown you many courtesies.
And yet, without a single word of notice, you fled Muria—
an action that constitutes a grave and serious breach of diplomatic protocol.
I sincerely hope we shall never meet again.
Henceforth, for any reason, I shall offer you no aid.
–Thorpel III, 210th King of Muria
"Yikes. That's cold."
Mia muttered, sticking out her tongue.
"You think I can still learn the wing-concealment magic from someone else?"
"I believe so… but I can't say for sure."
For a moment, a chill ran through Mia's spine. What if I can't learn it? Was all this really worth it, just to save Roy…?
Leca must have sensed her worry.
"King Thorpel isn't so rigid as he sounds. He may have written that out of anger, but if we speak with him again… I believe reconciliation is still possible."
Yeah… He did seem more reasonable than Julius, at least. Julius… I really don't understand what he's thinking. That stunt he pulled yesterday—especially with Leca right there—what was that even about?
Mia's chest tightened at the memory of the tense encounter between the two men. What did Leca really think of her? Did he only see her as someone he was meant to serve and protect?
"Lady Mia. The fire spirit has returned."
The tiny flame reappeared, whispering something softly into Leca's ear. He nodded slowly, listening with care. Moments later, the flame flickered out and vanished.
"What did it say? Where is she?"
"That mansion… it's not just protected by a barrier. Apparently, it can only be reached through something called the Mage's Path—one that opens only on the night of a full moon."
"…That's a thing?"
"This is the first I've heard of it as well. The path can only be accessed during a full moon."
"And the flame spirit didn't know more than that?"
"No, it didn't."
Even spirits don't know everything, huh.
Mia had expected as much—that it wouldn't be an ordinary place. But now it all felt even more hopeless.
"If it's called the Mage's Path… then maybe the spirits don't know about it, but some of Sibareth's nobles or royals might."
"Most likely. Perhaps even some human witches… if any of them know."
"Your father's a mage, right? Can't we just ask him?"
Leca visibly stiffened. Then, slowly, he replied,
"He's… likely busy. And technically, adult spirits don't often maintain regular contact with their families."
"But if you really wanted to see him, couldn't you? It's not like it's forbidden."
"Spirit family structures differ from those of humans."
With that, Leca fell silent.
Mia looked baffled. From what she'd seen, Leca's father had seemed like a concerned, if nosy, dad. Just an overprotective parent who spied on his son for worrying too much.
"…Do you just not want to see him?"
"…We still have time until the next full moon. Let's try to uncover the path before then."
He turned his head away. Clearly, he didn't want to continue the topic. Mia had a dozen questions but held them in for now.
"Then who should we ask?"
"Perhaps a human witch. I knew one in Naizman, actually. She might be able to help."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leca shifted into his wyvern form. Mia stretched her wings and followed. Her previously torn wing was now fully healed, and after plenty of rest, her body felt light.
They soared into the pitch-black sky. Mia felt a tinge of fear that another fiend might appear, but Leca assured her that aerial attacks were rare.
"Just a little more… we'll be in Naizman soon. Ah—but wait…"
Leca suddenly stopped in midair. Mia hovered beside him.
"What is it?"
"One moment. I'm receiving a mind-transfer message… from the Council of Elders in Sibareth."
"A… mind-transfer spell?"
Leca paused, listening silently, then turned to her.
"Lady Mia. We need to go to Sibareth first. His Majesty has summoned us."
"What? Why?"
"They received word from King Thorpel. He reported that we left Muria without permission and insists we return immediately to explain ourselves."
"So he really did rat us out."
Mia had expected either Julius or the Fairy King to do just that. She just hadn't known which one would be faster. Apparently, it had been the latter.
"…Let's go, Lady Mia. We can look into the Mage's Path later."
Mia fell silent, lost in thought.
She was glad she hadn't told Julius about Roy. There was no way she was sharing her secrets with someone so unpredictable. Naturally, that meant she wouldn't tell the king or the twelve bloodlines either.
Putting on a bright tone, she asked, "So… how do you use that mind-transfer spell? Can I learn it?"
"It's similar to teleportation—requires a tremendous amount of mana, stamina, and focus. Also, if the recipient is asleep, it won't work. I'll teach you eventually."
The two turned and headed toward Sibareth. In the darkness, a flock of migratory birds passed quietly beside them.
Leca and Mia knelt before King Minophon and the twelve elders of the bloodlines.
"You truly can't go a single day without causing trouble, can you?"
The king's voice was stern as he scolded Mia.
"…I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
"So what is it this time? You didn't get into another fight with Leca, did you? You left together, after all."
"No. It wasn't Leca's fault. I tried to leave first, and he only followed."
"Thorpel believes his hospitality was insufficient and asked that you not be punished too harshly. He also declined any form of compensation. He said he'd welcome you again if the opportunity arose."
That sly snake of a Fairy King… completely different from the tone in his letter to me. Still, I suppose this is his way of keeping our deal a secret.
Mia kept silent, but the king's gaze sharpened.
"Well then? What happened this time?"
"…Since arriving in Sibareth, I've been unwell. Both physically and emotionally. Adjusting here has been difficult."
"That's understandable. Go on."
"And then, once the fairy transformation began, my mood swings worsened. My health became unstable. It reached a point where I felt I couldn't bear it anymore."
"Hm."
Murmurs spread among the twelve elders. Mia swallowed once, then continued.
"I had only just started to adapt to life here. But in Muria, everything felt unfamiliar and… terrifying. I felt like Sibareth was the only place I belonged. I had no desire to learn anything in Muria. So…"
The ruby embedded in King Minophon's forehead flickered ominously. The elders exchanged wary glances. Mia straightened her back and took a deep breath.