As we headed toward the teleportation Gate, Falce-san seemed to hit her stride, and she launched into a lecture on the nature of Special Individuals.
"Tell me, have you heard that there are both inborn and acquired types of Special Individuals?"
"Yes, I have. Some races are born as Special Individuals, while others evolve into them later in life, right?"
"Exactly. That is the current consensus. However, I suspect there may be another possibility. For example, while Elves are categorized as a race that evolves into Special Individuals, that doesn't necessarily mean an inborn Special Individual could never exist. It may simply be that we haven't seen one yet. I believe there is always a chance that such a child might be born someday."
When she put it like that, it made sense. Just because only acquired Special Individuals had been confirmed so far didn't rule out the possibility of inborn ones; it sounded like a plausible theory.
"Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, High Elves lack significant changes in their physical appearance. Generally, a Special Individual possesses traits that someone with the right knowledge can identify at a glance—a change in coloration, perhaps, or a distinct feature on a specific part of the body."
"Ah, I see. Since the transformation in the Elf Race happens to the internal organs, they’re a bit of an outlier."
"Precisely. It is merely a hypothesis, but it is possible that becoming a High Elf is simply a natural growth stage for an Elf who fulfills certain conditions, rather than a true evolution into a Special Individual. In other words, the True Special Individual of the Elf Race has yet to appear. Doesn't that thought carry a certain romance?"
"It definitely feels like peering into the unknown."
"Doesn't it? Truly. Well, I am no Specialist of Special Individuals, but my nature as a researcher makes me susceptible to the romance of such mysteries."
I walked leisurely, nodding along to Falce-san's cheerful chatter, when I suddenly felt a sharp tug on my hand.
"Oh! That is quite a rare material! With that, I might be able to find a new approach to my current project. And look! Over there seems even rarer... I can smell the research potential!"
"Yes, yes. Maybe next time."
"W-Wait, hold on! If I miss this chance, I might never get my hands on it again..."
"Come on, the Gate is right in front of us."
She was constantly being lured away by the siren song of research materials as we walked. If I hadn't been holding her hand, I probably would have lost her in an instant.
Laguna-san and the others must have really had their hands full with her... I couldn't help but wonder who was better at wandering off, her or Tre-san.
"You know, I feel like the way you handle me is gradually becoming rougher. I am quite torn. Should I be happy that we've grown closer, or should I lament that you've started treating me the same way Laguna and Hikari do?"
"...Was Hapty-san any different?"
"Ah, Hapty... Well, the number of times Hapty caused financial trouble far outweighed the number of times I got lost. She was under even stricter surveillance by Hikari and Laguna than I was. However, she was so shrewd that she would use that very caution to manipulate us, skillfully turning it into a money-making opportunity. Honestly, Hapty was such a troublemaker during those adventures that my habit of getting lost was practically overshadowed."
Just how much of a headache was Hapty-san... or rather, Alice? Even back at the Six Kings Festival, Noin-san had mentioned that Alice was an even bigger troublemaker than Falce-san. Given Falce-san’s tone, she really must have been a handful.
Serious-senpai: "To the point where three out of the four people in the party would point at her as the primary troublemaker without hesitation."