It was a quiet night in a large wooden inn. I lay on the bed in my assigned room, lost in thought.
As I’d expected, the atmosphere at dinner had been strange. Lilia-san and the others were clearly not their usual selves.
On the surface, they acted normally, but my Sympathy Magic picked up a quiet, heavy determination from Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san, and a mess of complicated emotions from Sieg-san. Even Rei-san and Fia-san, who were also planning to enter the hunting competition, seemed to be forcing their cheerful behavior. There was a palpable sense of incongruity.
The cause was undoubtedly the reward for this tournament—the Fruit of the World Tree.
A mystical fruit said to heal any wound... There was clearly some deep-seated history there.
I was curious, and I wanted to know the truth, but I didn’t feel it was a topic I had the right to pry into after only knowing them for a month. Still, brooding over it alone wasn't going to give me any answers.
(Shall I tell you?)
As I wrestled with my unanswered questions, a voice echoed inside my head.
...I appreciate the offer, Shiro-san, but I feel like asking you would be cheating. I’ll just take the thought for now.
(Is that so? In that case, Kaito-san, please hold your hand out in front of you, palm up.)
Shiro-san didn't seem particularly bothered by my gentle refusal and immediately switched the topic.
Palm up? What for?
I didn't understand her intent, but I followed her instructions anyway. My palm glowed for a brief moment, and a small white sphere, about a centimeter wide, appeared in my hand.
(A gift for you.)
What is this? It looked like a simple white marble, but if Shiro-san was personally handing it over, it had to be something special. And why now?
(It’s a bit late, but I’ve decided to classify that previous incident at the temple as an "event." Therefore, this is your reward.)
...Shiro-san, you too? So it really was her teaching Kuro all those strange terms. W-Well, putting that aside, what exactly is this?
(It is a Magic Crystal.)
So, this sphere was a Magic Crystal.
That actually made me pretty happy. I’d finally started getting the hang of magic recently. While I couldn't construct my own formulas yet, I could use the spells Kuro taught me without any issues. I’d been thinking about trying my hand at making a simple Magic Tool soon, so the timing was perfect.
Its white color probably meant it wasn't very high purity, but for a beginner, that was probably for the best. I decided to accept it gratefully.
(I am glad you are pleased. I shall take my leave now.)
It seemed she had only reached out to deliver the gift, as Shiro-san prepared to end the conversation. I sent a silent word of thanks her way and tucked the crystal into my Magic Box.
(Since it’s unfair that only Kuro gets one, please go on a date with me next time.)
...Huh? Wait, Shiro-san? What are you—? A date with the Creator God? That sounds like it would cause an absolute disaster for the rest of the world.
I tried to ask her what she meant, but no answer came back.
In the Hanging Garden of the God Realm, Chronoa had been waiting for the conversation to finish. Once it did, the God of Space-Time approached Shallow Vernal.
"Shallow Vernal-sama. What were you discussing with Miyama?"
"There was an event, so I gave him a gift."
"A gift? Miyama is a fortunate man to receive something directly from you. If I may ask, what did you give him?"
"A Magic Crystal."
"I see. And what was its purity?"
Chronoa asked with a look of surprise, to which Shallow Vernal replied concisely.
"Who knows?"
"...Why are you tilting your head?"
"I just 'created' it. The concept of purity does not apply."
"C-Created? You mean... um, what kind of crystal is it, exactly?"
When Shallow Vernal used the word "created," it meant she had brought into existence a Magic Crystal unlike anything that currently existed in the world. Chronoa felt a surge of profound anxiety.
"..."
"Um, Shallow Vernal-sama?"
Shallow Vernal didn't answer. Ignoring Chronoa, she moved to a nearby table and chair that had appeared out of nowhere and began drinking black tea.
"With that, he 'will not die.'"
"Die? Miyama? Is something going to happen?"
"He will be injured. Whether it is a grave wound or a light one is yet to be determined."
"...Was it not necessary to warn him?"
Shallow Vernal possessed power that was essentially almighty; Future Prediction was a simple matter for her. However, the future was merely one possibility among many—uncertain and shifting. This was why she used the word "determined."
Still, she spoke of the injury itself with absolute certainty. Chronoa realized this was a future that was almost guaranteed to occur.
"Even if I warned him, Kaito-san would still take the same action."
"I see..."
To Chronoa, Shallow Vernal was her absolute master. She would never dream of objecting to her decisions. Having served her for eons, she knew when Shallow Vernal had no intention of elaborating further, so she dropped the subject.
"Also, I am going to the Human Realm soon."
"...Excuse me?"
"I am going on a date with Kaito-san."
"W-Wait a moment! If you descend to the Human Realm, it will cause an absolute uproar—!"
"I leave the management of that to you."
"What?! I... Yes. As you wish, Shallow Vernal-sama..."
Facing Shallow Vernal’s flat, monotone command, Chronoa bowed her head, her expression twitching with stress.
Once again, the God of Space-Time had drawn the short straw in the God Realm.
Leaving the head-clutched Chronoa behind, Shallow Vernal sipped her tea and gazed into the distance with the faintest of smiles.
My conversation with Shiro-san had left me wide awake. Unable to sleep, I headed outside the inn to get some fresh night air.
Even though it was the Eve of the Treasure Tree Festival, the night in Rigforresia was remarkably quiet. The cold breeze felt good against my cheeks.
As I stood there for a while, I heard a faint noise coming from the back of the inn.
Curious, I circled around the building and found Lilia-san. She was alone, silently swinging her sword.
"...Lilia-san?"
"Eh? Kaito-san? What are you doing up so late?"
"I just couldn't sleep. Are you training, Lilia-san?"
"Yes, just for a little while..."
She was likely lying. This didn't have the air of a "little while." She had probably been out here swinging her sword ever since dinner ended.
Why was she pushing herself this hard? I wanted to know. I wanted to ask her right then and there what was going on.
But that would be prying into the depths of her heart. I couldn't do that out of mere curiosity.
If I wasn't going to ask, then all I could do was support her. Lilia-san was my benefactor; she had been kind to us and taught us everything we knew about this world. The least I could do for her now was...
I organized my thoughts, then reached up, unclasped the black necklace from my neck, and held it out to her.
"Lilia-san, take this."
"This is... Kuromueina-sama's? Why are you giving it to me?"
"It has search magic cast by Kuro inside it. I don't know much about magic yet, but I thought it might help in the hunting competition. You’re aiming for the win, aren't you?"
"...Thank you."
If she was going to be hunting in the forest, search magic would be an invaluable asset. Lilia-san looked bewildered for a moment, but then she reached out, took the necklace, and thanked me.
"I’ll head back inside then. Good luck with the competition."
"..."
I couldn't think of anything else to say. I turned to walk back to the inn, but a small voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Kaito-san, could I have a moment of your time?"
"Eh? Yes, of course."
"...It isn't a happy story, but I’d like to tell you a bit about my past."
Her voice was quiet, her expression full of a new resolve.
It seemed Lilia-san was ready to tell me. She was going to explain the history between herself and the tournament prize.
Dear Mother, Father—On the night we arrived in Rigforresia, under the light of the moon—I ended up learning about Lilia-san’s past.