......
After school ended,
Hulim didn’t head straight home. Instead, she took a detour, making her way toward the mine on the outskirts of Mentor Town.
Some time later,
Deep within the forest.
“ROAR!”
A massive black boar with bloodshot eyes rammed into a tree, snapping it clean in half.
Behind it, Hulim leaped down from the branch of another tree.
“【?????????????????????????????????????????】”
“Earth Sink!”
BOOM!
The ground caved in abruptly. The dazed Steel-Fanged Demon Boar plummeted straight into the pit.
“ROAR!”
Trapped at the bottom of the narrow crater, the boar’s enormous body was wedged tight, unable to move an inch. It could only thrash and roar in fury.
Staring down at the helpless monster, Hulim took a deep breath, then—
“【???????????????????????????????】”
“Fireball!”
“【???????????????????????????????】”
“Fireball!”
“【??????????????......】”
“Fireball......”
Fireballs rained down one after another.
Minutes later, the tough-skinned Steel-Fanged Demon Boar was thoroughly roasted to a crisp.
“Wow~! Taking down a Steel-Fanged Demon Boar like this—you’re getting more and more skilled at handling monsters, Hulim!”
Semiris descended from the sky, landing lightly beside her. Hulim glanced at her, hesitating as if she had something to say.
But Semiris didn’t notice her gaze. Her eyes were fixed on the roasted boar in the pit. “It’s just a Rank D+ monster, sure—but once it’s stuck in a trap like that, it’s as good as dead~! Just goes to show, no matter what era it is, targeting weaknesses and using countermeasures is the way to go. Even a Rank E weakling could take down a Rank C powerhouse with the right strategy......”
“Hey, Semiris......”
Just as Semiris was rambling on about Hulim’s battle tactics, Hulim finally spoke up.
“What’s up?”
Semiris turned to look at her.
“You shouldn’t fly around so much when you’re in the forest.” Hulim said flatly.
“Huh? Why not?” Semiris tilted her head in confusion.
“......Some adventurers spotted a glowing figure flying overhead. They think you’re a monster. Chances are, they’ll start searching the woods around here soon.”
Hulim relayed the rumor she’d heard that morning.
Semiris looked utterly crushed.
“What?! They mistook me for a monster?! Those idiotic adventurers! I’ll teach them a lesson! Who are they?!”
“I’d really rather you didn’t......” Hulim sighed. “Besides, even if you showed up in front of them, they’d never guess you’re the Fairy Queen. And word about you is already spreading around town. If this keeps up, it’ll be hard for you to stay here unnoticed.”
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“Ugh......”
Semiris fell into deep thought.
“That’s a problem. The last thing I want is to be gawked at by a bunch of humans...... Fine, I’ll lay low from now on. No more showing off.”
Semiris sighed in defeat. Then, the wings on her back began to glow with a faint, ethereal light.
What happened next left Hulim gaping in shock. Semiris’s figure gradually faded from view, until she vanished completely.
“S-Semiris? Are you there?”
Hulim called out uncertainly to the empty air in front of her.
Was this Concealment Magic? No—she couldn’t sense any fluctuations in the dark element. Just what kind of spell was this?
“Ah, almost forgot to do this!”
Semiris’s familiar voice rang out. At the same time, Hulim felt a light tap on her forehead.
A glowing Magic Array flickered to life on her skin for a split second, then vanished without a trace.
And just like that, Semiris reappeared before her eyes.
“You’re back!”
Hulim stared at her in amazement, reaching up to touch her forehead—but there was nothing there.
“Semiris, what did you just do?”
“This little trick lets you see me,” Semiris explained, spinning gracefully in mid-air. “I cast a permanent concealment spell on myself. No one else will be able to spot me, no matter how close they get.”
“That’s incredible!”
Hulim gasped in awe.
“Magic really can do anything, can’t it?”
“Of course it can~! You can praise me more if you want—I might even teach you some fun spells as a reward!”
Semiris puffed out her chest proudly, her tail flicking with smugness.
But Hulim was already used to her friend’s boastful antics. She simply ignored the comment and changed the subject.
“Speaking of magic...... School’s starting formal magic classes tomorrow.”
Semiris’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement.
“Huh?! Really?!”
She leaned in eagerly, grabbing Hulim by the shoulders. “What are the classes like? Tell me! Tell me right now!”
Perhaps it was because she was also Hulim’s magic tutor, but Semiris had somehow developed a competitive streak. She was dying to know how other people taught magic.
“Calm down. I said tomorrow. I’ll tell you all about it afterward, okay?”
“Oh right! Tomorrow!”
Semiris’s enthusiasm dimmed a little, but a spark of anticipation remained. Usually, she was the one regaling Hulim with tales of the world’s hidden secrets. For once, she might get to hear something new from Hulim instead.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she leaned in, her voice turning serious.
“Ah, right! Hulim, when you’re in those school magic classes—don’t reveal your true magic affinity. Got it?”
Hulim’s eyes widened in realization. An Omni-Element Mage was beyond rare—it was practically unheard of. If word got out, it would bring nothing but trouble.
Semiris could tell she wasn’t taking the warning seriously enough, so she pressed on, her tone urgent.
“I mean it. This is serious. It’s fine if a few trusted people know—but if it leaks to the wrong ears, there are plenty of troublemakers out there who’d jump at the chance to get their hands on you! Those guys are bad news. If you ran into any of them right now, you’d be dead before you even knew what hit you! So promise me—be careful. No exceptions!”
“......”
Hulim felt a chill run down her spine at Semiris’s uncharacteristically stern warning. So there really were dangerous people like that in the world. Now that she thought about it, Semiris had always said the world was a dangerous place, that she needed to stay on her guard.
With that in mind, Hulim made up her mind. She would never, ever reveal her true abilities—not unless she had no other choice. And if someone did find out by accident......
Semiris rambled on, listing all the terrible things that could happen if Hulim let her secret slip. She had no idea that the girl standing in front of her was already brewing some rather dangerous thoughts in her mind.
And so, with a flicker of unease about the days to come, Hulim waited for the arrival of the next morning.
......
......
On the training grounds of the Preliminary Academy, dozens of boys and girls—Hulim included—stood in neat rows, waiting for their magic instructor to arrive.
Magic class required plenty of hands-on practice, so most lessons were held outdoors on the grounds.
“Hi~! Hi~! Sorry to keep you all waiting, everyone~!”
A woman sauntered over, wearing a sleek black mage’s robe and sporting a head of short, fiery red hair. She held a wooden staff in her arms, twirling it casually between her fingers.
“Are you our magic teacher?”
A boy in the front row called out bluntly.
“You bet I am~! I’m Colette, your brand-new magic instructor~! Oh, and for the record—I’m only twenty-two~! And single~! That’s right, single~!”
Colette introduced herself with a flourish, striking a pose she clearly thought was adorable and winking at the students.
“......”
The entire class fell silent.
Mentally, every single one of them was screaming the same thing: No one asked your age! And why are you telling a bunch of kids under ten that you’re single? Do you want us to set you up with our older brothers or something?!
“Hehe~! Cat got your tongues, huh? You’re all so shy~!”
Colette preened, utterly oblivious to the students’ inner turmoil.
Shy my foot......
The students groaned inwardly.
Their new magic teacher seemed completely unreliable. For a moment, every boy and girl on the training ground couldn’t help but worry about whether they’d actually learn anything useful in her class.
As a side note: in Himril World, humans came of age at fifteen.
