(EP-176.1) Sand #1
176 – Wind and Sand #1
Elga and I continued our lives as usual.
Waking up early, circling the Ark grounds, and lightly stretching had become our normal routine now.
Thanks to Elga’s guidance in the past few days, my stamina had noticeably improved. I no longer struggled while running around the campus.
“You are doing well. See, it’s not that hard.”
Elga finally praised me after a long time. Words of affirmation could make people happy. So, even with Elga’s seemingly casual remark, I felt really good.
As I wiped the sweat from my face and neck with a towel, Elga put her hand on my head.
“Hm, what’s wrong?”
“Well, it might be because I’m in a good mood. But did you grow taller?”
“Taller?”
I got taller?
I doubted it. But according to Elga, I seemed to have grown by about 1-2 cm. Being the one with the keen senses, her observation was highly likely to be accurate.
Was my body still growing? There was a good chance it was. Well, at least now, I wouldn’t be surprised if this Half-Fairy body underwent any changes.
“Elga-nim, how are you? Are you feeling well?”
“Well, it’s just the same…”
Indeed, Elga’s body seemed just like usual.
But thinking that my child was in her lower abdomen behind the thin tracksuit fabric, I suddenly had the urge to hug Elga’s waist.
━Wah, I’m little Theo, mama give~.
━What are you doing you, crazy bastard!
… However, acting on such impulses would just be asking for Elga’s wrath. So, I decided to keep the enthusiasm to myself.
“…….”
“…….”
Elga and I silently stretched, loosening our bodies. Since the examination, occasional gaps in our conversations like this began to appear.
However, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Instead, there was a serene feeling of stability, as if we were sailing one ship together amidst the silence.
At least I thought so.
It might be a little childish, but it was like when kids took the same side against an imaginary monster. The thought that ‘Elga is now on my side’ crossed my mind.
It felt like we had truly become a family.
“Well, I have a lot to do today, so I’ll be going. See you later.”
Seukseuk.
Elga waved goodbye and swiftly disappeared into the distance. I continued to gaze at her back until she vanished around the corner.
Her parting words sounded quite warm.
* * *
As Elga mentioned, my height had indeed grown by 2cm.
The last time I measured my height was during enrollment, so it could be considered a significant growth spurt in a short period.
“It’s a fairy mystery~.”
Upon hearing about my height increase, Aira patted my head and made the above remark.
“I’ve heard of Nymphs having sudden growth spurts. It is said that even child-like ones grow up to be adults at some point.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I read it in this book.”
Aira pointed to the novel, ‘Alien Scammer In Another World,’ that she was reading. In the novel, Nymphs growing up like adults was a recurring theme.
“But that’s fiction, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe that Nymphs grow up like adults.”
“Hmm, is that so~?”
Seurek, tak.
Aira inserted a feather bookmark on the novel she was reading and closed it. With a stretch and yawn, she peered into her calendar.
“The trial by combat is a few days away. It should be an interesting watch. So how’s the champion selection going?”
“That’s-.”
In truth, the plan was a bit up in the air. Stella seemed to have been abducted or taken away somewhere by the Bellhawk Family.
And with Elga having a child, I was uncomfortable putting her in danger. Mirna and Narmi still also needed to sort and discuss the recent rules they made for each other.
No, in the first place, the Draco twins weren’t on good terms with Queen Tarantera. It was simply impossible for either to be the champion.
But who would be suitable? Well, many faces came to mind. Because of the rumors that the Queen needed a champion, a lot of brave men stepped forward in pursuit of fame and wealth.
However, all of them had some questionable aspects, making it difficult to make a choice. As I was lost in thought, Aira spoke as if providing an answer.
“If choosing is difficult, Theo can do it.”
“… Me?”
That was not happening! I wanted to dismiss it outright, but denying Aira was not an easy task.
“I’m sure you’ll show me an interesting match.”
“That….”
Me fighting would be entertainment for Aira. Though, it was a big tragedy for me.
However, after some consideration, it wasn’t impossible.
Although my recent growth had slowed down, I was now a 4.5th Rank Mage. To put it into perspective, there were only about 10 mages stronger than me in the world.
If you included the hidden hermits, it would be about 20. While that might sound like a lot at first, but this was in the whole world.
You could say that I was in the top 1% of Mages.
Even if I couldn’t defeat the Hunter, I would be able to hold my ground to some extent.
Then Aira looked at me with her chin resting on the desk.
“Theo, aren’t you still growing these days?”
“You mean being 2cm taller?”
“No, not your height. I’m talking about the growth of your mana. Seeing that you haven’t broken through Rank 5, you seem to be in a kind of mannerism.”
“Mannerism?”
Edited by: faker
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om