“Uh, um, are you… Lumia-san…?”
It was Neil who asked the question.
The three of us had the same question, though.
“Indeed. I am Lumia of the Staff. A sprightly eighty years old.”
You’ve got to be kidding.
From any angle, she looked like a girl around ten years old.
Bright, inquisitive, round eyes, and long, deep green hair that almost reached her feet.
And those long ears are a characteristic of elves.
The only thing unusual is her hair color.
Elves usually have blonde hair.
“Uh, is this a prank?”
“A prank? Hmm, what language is that from? In any case, I’m used to reactions like yours. Do you know of high elves?”
“High elves…? Eh, really?”
It was Fina who reacted to the words “high elf.”
“Do you know about them, Fina-san?”
“They’re like relatives, or rather, parents of my race, you see… I see, so that’s why she looks like this… Lumia-sama, may I explain?”
“Yes. Go ahead, half-elf girl.”
She identified Fina as a half-elf at a glance…!?
Or did she already know?
“…Yes, I’ll take the liberty. High elves, Katia-chan, are a race more adept at magic than ordinary elves. Moreover, their lifespan was said to be semi-permanent. I think Lumia-sama’s youthful appearance is due to that.”
I see, so they’re superior to elves in terms of abilities.
Is that why Fina is using a respectful tone towards Lumia-san?
“In high elf terms, eighty years old might be considered a child.”
Eighty is a child…?
It’s immeasurable.
More than that, something’s bothering me.
“Wait a minute. Why are you using the past tense and making guesses?”
“…”
Fina silently looked at Lumia.
Her gaze seemed to be one of concern.
Lumia, on the other hand, let out a sigh.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a story from when I was a baby. Don’t worry, you can tell them.”
“Yes, then. High elves, you see, they were wiped out… about eighty years ago, by the invasion of the Dao Empire.”
…So even if they’re ageless, they’re not immortal.
I don’t know how many high elves there were, but perhaps they were overwhelmed by the Dao Empire’s favorite tactic of overwhelming numbers.
“…I see. So, Lumia-san is…”
“Indeed, I am a survivor. Apparently, I was a baby when I was found in the village, and I grew to my current size in ten years, and I’ve stayed that way ever since. There are no other high elves left, so I don’t know why my growth stopped.”
Indeed… Then there’s no way to compare whether Lumia-san’s current state is normal or abnormal.
“They were a closed-off people, so there are no documents left… They apparently asked the Kingdom of Garcia for help just before their destruction, at the very end, so perhaps they were destined to perish.”
Ah, so this country sent reinforcements, but they didn’t make it in time.
And they only protected the baby, Lumia.
“So, your appearance is due to the characteristics of high elves?”
“Probably. Do you understand? Understand? And don’t give me any strange pity. I don’t remember anything from when I was a baby.”
“Yes, I understand. Right, Neil-san? …Huh, Neil-san?”
“…sniff, sob, without a family, in a foreign land, alone… so small…”
…Oh, dear.
This guy probably didn’t hear the last part of Lumia’s story.
I glanced at Lumia’s expression… yeah, she’s not angry.
If anything, she looks dumbfounded.
“Why is this one crying so much…?”
“Please leave him be… He’s, well, how should I put it, an exceptionally pure-hearted man.”
“I… I see. I dislike cheap sympathy, but to be cried at like this… it takes the wind out of my sails.”
Fina lightly tapped Neil’s head, looking embarrassed.
“Now then. May we get to the main topic, Lyall?”
“Go ahead. Bring it on!”
Lyall-san is really fired up.
I don’t know if it means anything, though.
“Then, I’d like you to hunt a dragon.”
Eh, a drag…!?
“Yeah, leave it to me!”
No, no, Lyall-san!?
You’re both too casual about this!
“Oh, is that okay? Even for you, you might die alone.”
“Don’t worry. These guys are coming too.”
“Wha… Are you serious? Ah, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. We are—”
“That won’t be necessary. Neil the knight, Fina the painter, and Katia, the up-and-coming swordswoman, right?”
“Eh, how do you know?”
“We’re practically at the capital’s doorstep. Information travels quickly. And that painting, it’s in the capital—”
“Ah, my painting, what’s happening with it, Lumia-sama? I’m curious!”
“Hmm. The publishers are overwhelmed. The disciple of the Sword Saint, that magic sword, and a famous artist… well, it’s no wonder it’s selling. The intelligence division is also fueling the popularity with rumors.”
“Yesss! As expected of Katia-chan and me!”
The painting is selling, huh.
Fina’s painting is certainly wonderful, but what should I do with my embarrassment?
…Sigh.
Well, whatever.
I’ll ask what I’m curious about.
“Magic sword? Is my flame sword being called a magic sword?”
“That’s right. Moreover, you’re being called a magic swordsman, you know. Show me later.”
That’s so straightforward…
Well, it’s better than a cringey nickname.
Besides, I can only produce flames, so it doesn’t fit the image of a magic swordsman.
“I understand that we don’t need introductions, but… isn’t this reckless? The four of us, dragon hunting?”
“That’s right… Normally, even for a young dragon, you’d need a regiment of at least fifty people, right?”
“It’ll be fine. Originally, Lyall and I were going to go alone.”
Originally, so did something happen that prevented her from going?
Even so, just the two of them?
“The two of you!? Isn’t that even more reckless?”
“What good is a titled individual who can’t do the work of a hundred people? I heard, Lyall, that you lost to that magic swordsman there.”
“Ugh, you already know.”
“In other words, she’s at least as strong as Lyall. On top of that, there are two more people than planned, so there’s no problem, right?”
Dragons didn’t appear in the mountains of my hometown, but I’ve heard that they’re extraordinarily “strong.”
Hearing Neil’s opinion makes me uneasy…
“Why can’t Lumia-san go?”
“I’m busy, very busy. …I’m verifying a new theory of magic.”
“A new theory of magic?”
“To put it simply. A spirit has manifested in the capital.”
“Huh?”
A spirit?
“Yes, a spirit. And in a visible form.”
I didn’t mishear.
No, I guess given the existance of magic, it’s possible they could exist, but… still.
“A spirit… not just in fairy tales?”
“Indeed.”
“And that’s related to magic?”
“It’s very much related… The activation of magic has always been understood as using the magic power within the body to interfere with something and trigger it, right?”
That’s common knowledge in this world.
Magic power acts on matter to activate magic.
“It seems the process is the same up to the point of releasing magic power from the body… but it seems that invisible spirits receive the magic power and use it as a medium to activate the magic.”
“In other words, spirits are the intermediaries for the activation of magic?”
“That’s what the manifested spirits themselves said… so we have no choice but to believe them. They have such an extraordinary presence that anyone would recognize them as spirits at a glance.”
“Themselves…? There are multiple, and they can talk!?”
“Indeed. They are in the royal castle. Outside, the city is in a frenzy with your rumors and preparations for the Fighting Arts Tournament, and inside the castle, it’s chaos with the spirits. The capital is quite a mess right now.”
Is that so?
But is it okay to talk about information from inside the royal castle?
“Is it okay to tell us about the spirits?”
“Even if you tell anyone, they won’t believe you. Unless they see the spirits directly or hear it from a magic expert like me.”
That’s true.
They’d probably think we were dreaming.
“Besides, eventually—no, never mind. Forget it.”
?
Lumia seemed about to say something, but she probably wouldn’t answer even if I pursued it.
It can’t be helped, I’ll change the subject.
“Going back to the topic, why does that dragon need to be exterminated?”
“Hm, do you ask for a reason when you defeat a monster?”
“Well, yes. Other than for defense, it’s good if it’s for food, for some kind of material, or something like that.”
I don’t like meaningless killing.
But if there’s a purpose, that’s a different story.
“I see, you are indeed that one’s disciple. I don’t dislike that way of thinking, indeed. This time, it’s for defense. There have already been about ten casualties. It’s in a mountain not far from here.”
“I see. Then there’s no reason to refuse…”
“And, it’s also a preventative measure. The Soul-Calming Festival is coming up soon, right?”
It’s that time of year already.
The Soul-Calming Festival is like Obon from my previous life, but it’s customary in this country to welcome the spirits with a lively celebration.
In other words, it’s going to be a festival.
“This city’s Soul-Calming Festival is more extravagant than others. They set off fireworks, so the sound and light might provoke the dragon. We want to eliminate the threat now.”
Fireworks…?
Do they exist in this world?
“They’re setting off fireworks, Lumia-sama!? Katia-chan, I want to see them!”
Fina seems to know about fireworks.
Was I the only one who didn’t know?
Neither Neil nor Lyall seem particularly surprised.
“They are. If you accept the dragon slaying, I’ll even prepare special seats for you—”
“Let’s accept it, Katia-chan!”
“Eh, well, um…”
“Let’s accept it!”
“…Okay.”