Volume 2, Chapter 1 – A Moody Beginning

Translator Note

kirill>kiril

callista>calista

i feel like single “L” is better

The summer weather is always unpredictable.

One moment it’s bright and sunny, the next it might be dark with gathering clouds. The sweltering heat rising from the ground has yet to dissipate before raindrops have already formed puddles on the muddy road.

The humid, hot air hits you in the face, the sticky feeling of clothes clinging to your sweaty body, combined with the piercing buzz of mosquitoes by your ear, creates an intense cacophony that is irritating and keeps one’s spirit on the verge of an outburst.

The only solace is the cool breeze blowing from the mountains. Unfortunately, Liti, stuck inside the carriage, couldn’t enjoy this coolness at all.

—The inside of the carriage was like a stuffy can.

It should be said that only Liti was bothered. For Fia and Anastasia, the gentle breeze and the endless green were refreshing. Fia rode her own horse, while Anastasia sat in the driver’s seat, guiding the carriage.

The carriage prepared for Fia by the church was extremely luxurious; it was more fitting to describe it as a mobile bedroom than a vehicle for travel. The carriage could not only accommodate eight people without feeling crowded, but a small table could also be placed in the middle for reading and writing. The interior wooden panels were painted red, and the floor and seats were covered with blankets and soft cushions for added comfort.

Coupled with the gilded reliefs on the exterior, even without a noble family crest, people could tell the extraordinary status of the carriage’s owner at a glance.

Although Fia initially thought the overly luxurious carriage was too ostentatious and that its large size would make it difficult to navigate the narrow and rugged mountain roads, practice proved her worries to be unnecessary.

First, if any mountain bandits or robbers had ideas about the carriage, Anastasia alone could handle them, not to mention Fia was right behind her.

Second, if they encountered places difficult for a large carriage to pass, such as a suspension bridge, they could use the storage treasure box obtained from the temple in Aurora City. They could separate the carriage from the horses, store the carriage in the box, and have Anastasia guide the horses across the bridge. After passing the difficult section, they could take the carriage out and reconnect it to the horses.

Although the storage treasure box was only a meter long, and theoretically, a huge object like the carriage couldn’t be stuffed through the opening, it was, after all, a mithril-grade item. By simply placing the carriage in front of the box and opening it, the box would emit a white light and store the carriage.

Furthermore, according to the rules of the World Tree Continent, no storage item could hold living things, nor could a storage item store another storage item. For example, Fia couldn’t use the spatial backpack given to her by Claire to store the temple’s treasure box. Although the treasure box had the volume of a living room, it couldn’t hold living creatures like cats or dogs.

As for why only Liti was in the carriage, the answer was that during the time Claire left using “High-Speed Flight,” Fia had already learned how to ride a horse. The church had prepared two sturdy, white, eight-legged horses for Fia. Eight-legged horses had stronger physiques and muscles than ordinary horses; even one was strong enough to pull the heavy carriage.

Now, Fia rode one of them alongside the carriage, while the other was driven by Anastasia, pulling the carriage along the mountain road.

Tightening the reins in her hand, Anastasia, wearing a green hood, looked up. It was already six in the evening, and the sky was darkening. The dark clouds from the recent downpour had not yet dispersed.

She turned her head to look at Fia, who was following beside the carriage.

“Your Highness, let’s stop here for today. We should make camp.”

“Can’t we go a little further? It’s not completely dark yet.”

Fia turned her head. Although it had been less than half a day since she parted with Claire, her mind was already filled with the urgency of returning to the Elf Kingdom to knock some sense into any potential, clueless fools in the court.

Anastasia looked troubled.

“We could… but making camp after it’s completely dark will be more troublesome than doing it now. There’s a clearing here perfect for camping. If we go further, we don’t know if the terrain will be more complex, and cooking at night can easily attract magical beasts. In my experience, if we camp now, we can set off at dawn tomorrow morning.”

Lowering her head, Fia thought for a moment.

“If you say so, Anastasia, then fine. Let’s make camp now.”

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Under Anastasia’s control, the carriage stopped in a clearing on the side of the mountain path. Someone had camped here not long ago; a pile of charcoal embers remained on the cleared grass.

Camping was a routine matter for Anastasia. As the second captain of the Royal Guard, she often had to camp in the wild, whether on long marches or during covert protection missions. Therefore, Anastasia always carried all sorts of camping gear.

It was worth mentioning that because the carriage provided by the church was so spacious, Fia’s group only needed to fold away the seats inside and lay out the bedding to immediately use the carriage as a tent, saving the step of setting one up.

“Well then, I will go hunt for dinner nearby. Your Highness and Princess Liti, please wait a moment.”

Picking up the exquisite longbow from the driver’s seat, Anastasia bowed to Fia. Her long blonde hair, pointed ears peeking out, a green windbreaker befitting an elf, and the longbow on her back all gave Anastasia a very traditional elf feel.

Seeming to remember something, Anastasia narrowed her eyes and looked in the direction they had come from.

“I saw many refugees on the road. If Your Highness encounters them, please be sure to suppress your pity. No one knows what is in the minds of these refugees. Some may be grateful for your help, but more will take a mile if you give an inch and ask for more. Humans are inferior creatures, never satisfied and full of jealousy. You have lost your memory and do not yet know the wickedness of ordinary humans. Please do not trust them easily.”

“Of course, I’m not a child who will believe whatever anyone says.”

“I’ll also help my sister chase away any clueless people, so don’t worry, Sister Ana.”

Liti poked her head out of the carriage.

“I hope Your Highness will be careful. I will be back soon.”

After another bow, Anastasia turned and disappeared into the dense forest, leaving only Fia and Liti by the carriage.

“Hah.”

With her hands on her hips, Fia took a deep breath of the fresh air, washed clean by the rain.

I should do something too. I can’t just stand by and watch Anastasia do all the work.

In Aurora City, because Anastasia spent most of her time gathering information, Fia hadn’t noticed some of the details. But now, Fia finally had the real feeling that Anastasia was her personal maid. Along the way, even pouring a cup of water for herself had to be done by Anastasia, otherwise, Anastasia would show an uneasy expression, to the point of being distracted while driving the carriage.

According to Anastasia, if Fia, a princess, did a servant’s work, it would lower the nobles’ opinion of her. At the same time, the nobles would blame Anastasia, the servant, for it, believing it was because of her incompetence that the princess had to do things herself.

In Fia’s view, Anastasia seemed to be worried on one hand that she would be blamed, and on the other, that Fia’s independence would take away her reason for being a maid.

Although it was logical, it made Fia, who was used to being self-reliant, feel uncomfortable.

How could she just sit and watch while someone else bustled about for her?

Thinking such thoughts, Fia dismounted, removed the harness from the eight-legged horse, and tied the carriage and horses to a tree stump with a rope.

Since the ground was wet from the rain, it would definitely be difficult to start a fire later. Fia used “Fairy Fire” to keep a cone-shaped flame in a ready state, slowly drying the soil.

“What are you doing, sister?”

Walking out from behind the curtain, Liti stood on the driver’s seat and looked at Fia curiously. Compared to Fia’s fourteen-year-old appearance, Liti was younger, looking only about twelve or thirteen, perhaps not even 1.4 meters tall. Her cute cheeks and a pink and white dress, set off by her long purple hair, brought to mind a pristine snow lotus, very much the image of a young princess.

“Drying the ground,” Fia answered briefly.

Liti’s expression clearly stiffened.

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“Drying… drying the ground with magic?”

“Mm.”

“As… as expected of you, sister, hahaha… A normal person definitely wouldn’t think of using magic to dry the ground. It wastes too much mana, and it would be terrible if an emergency occurred.”

With a soft thud, Liti, wearing white stockings, jumped down from the carriage. She silently came to Fia’s side, tilting her head to watch Fia slowly dry the ground.

Although it wasn’t a malicious gaze, being stared at by Liti for no reason still made Fia feel awkward. She wasn’t good with this kind of one-on-one atmosphere where nothing was said.

Fia asked subconsciously.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm…” A thoughtful look appeared in her large, purplish-red eyes, and Liti touched her finger to her lips. “I was just thinking, sister really has lost her memory. If it were the old you, you would definitely leave everything to Sister Ana and sit silently in the carriage reading magic books.”

Maintaining the flame in her hand, Fia couldn’t help but smile.

“So, does Liti prefer the me now, or the me before?”

“The now!” she answered decisively. Liti broke into a cheerful smile, jumped in front of Fia, and hugged her free left arm tightly. “The old sister was very strict and didn’t like to talk to me. Even when she did, it was always a cold lecture. The current sister is gentle and strong, and cares about me. I like the current sister.”

No wonder Liti was afraid of her when they first met. For a child, constant strict lectures are easily disliked.

“Ssssh… haaah… sister’s scent…”

Hmm?

Did I mishear?

Shifting her attention from the cone-shaped flame in her right hand, Fia turned to look at Liti, who was still hugging her left arm. However, the latter was just leaning against her affectionately, her eyes still on the flame, showing no abnormality.

I must have misheard.

How could Liti make that kind of sound?

Fia reassured herself inwardly.

After quickly drying the ground, to make more space, Fia began to clear the nearby dead branches and bushes with “Wind Blade.” Worried that splashing water droplets would land on her and Liti, Fia made the “Fairy Fire” form a wall of fire in front of them, and then had the “Wind Blade” pass through the fire wall to clear the bushes.

Such a sight seemed impossible for an ordinary person. Upon seeing it, Liti’s jaw dropped in a stunned daze.

“By the way, how old is Liti now?”

“Mmm, it’s rude to ask a lady’s age. But if it’s you, sister, it’s okay.”

Tsk, still just a little kid.

Without showing her inner thoughts on her face, Fia waited for Liti to finish.

The latter looked up and said obediently.

“Liti · Alexia · Yushir is already seventy-five years old. In human years, that should be around twelve.”

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“Seventy-five years old…” Fia murmured.

Most humans wouldn’t live to this age, but for an elf, it was just a child not yet an adult. The difference in lifespan was astounding.

“In the past, did something unpleasant happen between me and Liti?”

“Yes! When I was twenty, you slapped me hard across the face, and after that, you rarely saw me again.” Liti answered with great certainty.

She could actually bear to hit such a cute sister?

A question mark appeared above Fia’s head.

“The reason?”

“I accidentally spilled water on your magic book.”

It seems the elf princess has a setting of loving books as much as her own life.

Seeing Fia remain silent, a flash of panic crossed Liti’s eyes, and she quickly explained.

“I wanted to sit on your lap at that time, but you were too engrossed in your book. I tried to squeeze under your arm, but it made you knock over a cup of water and wet the book, so… You had a very scary expression then. From… from then on, I’ve been a little afraid of you.”

Shrinking her neck into her clothes, Liti looked timid.

Fia couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Sorry… I don’t have any memories of the past. But from now on, I will protect Liti like a real older sister. Can you not be afraid of me anymore?”

“Of course, I like the current sister the most.”

As she spoke, Liti took Fia’s hand and held it to her cheek, letting Fia’s fingertips touch her soft face. Her watery eyes, lifted upwards, flickered slightly. Her pitiful appearance made Fia feel a surge of affection.

She will definitely be a kingdom-toppling beauty when she grows up.

Not inferior to the elf princess in the slightest.

Politely averting her gaze, Fia cleared her throat.

“Ahem, let’s continue with the camping preparations.”

“I’ll help you, sister. Is there anything I can do?”

“Hmm… gather some branches, and I’ll build a stove.”

“Wind of Exploration” feedback indicated that there were only small animals like squirrels and rabbits nearby. Even if Liti wandered a bit further, she wouldn’t be in danger.

“Okay~”

After quickly clearing the remaining branches and leaves, Fia, having assigned the tasks, began to set up the stove.

Although Anastasia would surely be shocked, even horrified, to see the cleared campsite when she returned, Fia couldn’t just treat Anastasia, who was very important to her, like a slave and leave all the dirty work to her.

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If she helped out more often, Anastasia would gradually get used to it. She just had to be careful not to let the nobles among the elves see this.

During the time Fia and Liti were busy, indeed many refugees passed by the carriage. Following Anastasia’s advice, Fia paid no attention to the raggedly dressed refugees, focusing only on her own tasks.

And the refugees who wanted to quietly approach the carriage and Fia, after seeing her use “Fairy Fire” and “Wind Blade,” all retreated and left in a hurry as if nothing had happened, clearly afraid of Fia’s status as a magic caster.

As for Liti, at first, Fia thought she would be soft-hearted and distribute the food from the carriage to the sallow and emaciated refugees carrying large and small bundles. For this reason, Fia had even prepared some simple food for Liti to distribute.

However, things did not go as Fia had imagined. Not only did Liti not distribute food, she didn’t even look at the passing refugees, focusing all her attention on Fia. She skillfully collected dead branches of the right size and gave them to Fia, and on the side, even started to steam rice with primitive tools.

Fia had always thought of Liti as a true princess with zero life skills, innocent, cute, and kind. But now, it seemed Liti was surprisingly much smarter and more capable than imagined.

A quarter of an hour later, Anastasia, carrying her longbow, returned to Fia’s side. However, the prey Anastasia brought back made Fia hesitate.

—Not a rabbit or a wild boar, but two humans tied up by Anastasia.

She’s not going to say a term like “two-legged sheep,” is she?

“Your Highness, how could you do a servant’s work, and with Princess Liti at that! This kind of dirty work should be left to me!”

Tossing the two humans aside like garbage, Anastasia hurried to Fia’s side, a look of utter shock on her face. She grabbed Fia’s hands to check for calluses.

Although she had anticipated Anastasia’s overreaction, she didn’t expect it to be so irrational. Fia gave a wry smile at the anxious Anastasia.

“There’s no one else here. Those nobles won’t know I’m making a fire and cooking. Besides, isn’t it nice to do something other than fighting occasionally? Liti and I are both very happy.”

“Sister is right. It’s stuffy and hot in the carriage, and it’s boring to just sit there. Sister Ana, don’t worry about such small things.”

“I have failed as a maid… I should have let Kiril stay behind to hunt…” Anastasia muttered under her breath, still looking apologetic.

Fia had no choice but to place her hand on Anastasia’s.

“Alright, don’t worry about it anymore. Anastasia, what’s going on with those two humans over there?”

“It’s these two humans that delayed my time.” In an instant, Anastasia’s gaze turned sharp. “On my way back, I found these two hiding in the nearby woods, spying on you, so I captured them. Although I interrogated them, these two insisted on seeing you before they would answer, and said they had important matters to discuss with you. Your Highness, how should we deal with them?”

“You didn’t find out their origins?” Liti frowned, her expression carrying the dignity of a superior, a contrast that made Fia tilt her head slightly.

“They say they are from the ‘Eternal Daylight Mages,’ and have been following us since we left the city, looking for an opportunity to talk to us. But if they didn’t have malicious intentions, they should have met us openly, not hidden in the grass like cowards.”

“Mmph—!!”

Hearing Anastasia’s reprimand, the two people, tied up with ropes and gagged with cloth, immediately struggled, desperately shaking their heads as if trying to explain something.

“Let me see.”

Walking around, Fia came to the front of the two.

After getting a clear look at one of their faces, Fia froze on the spot.

It was the blue-haired girl she had saved in the square of Aurora City.