Chapter 10: Mushrooms First!

A brief hike after leaving the academy led the group to their wooded destination, whereupon they all let out a breath of wonder. A sea of golden foliage greeted them. Sunlight percolated through the leaves and trickled down onto the amber-colored path. The whole of the forest was dyed a brilliant yellow, brightly illuminated and dazzlingly vibrant.

“What a strange forest...” murmured Mia.

Behind her, Rafina chuckled.

“Gosh, Mia. Is this your first time seeing autumn foliage?”

“‘Autumn Foliage’? Is that what these trees are called?”

Previous-timeline Mia’d had zero interest in forests. Having paid no attention to the life cycle of trees, she now gawked in wonder at the enchantingly strange hues on display.

“No, no,” said Rafina, giggling. “Autumn colors refer to the phenomenon of leaves changing color in the fall. Some tree species end up with red leaves, but it looks like the ones growing here all turn yellow.”

“My... What a mysterious phenomenon...”

Mia proceeded to indulge in a bit of fantasizing.

Hm... This forest is pretty close to the academy... Maybe I can get Abel to come again later... It’ll be just the two of us, and we can walk around in this forest...and maybe even hold hands... Mmm, what an excellent idea!

Just then, she heard a soft murmur.

“A forest of yellow...”

Turning toward the voice, she found Citrina gazing at the forest. Her usual flawless smile had vanished, replaced by...nothing at all. There was no discernible expression on her face at all.

“Rina? Is something wrong?” Mia asked with a curious frown.

“Hm? Oh, no, there’s nothing wrong. I just felt, um...a connection with these trees, I guess you could say. I mean, I’m a Yellowmoon, and these leaves are all yellow, you see?” she explained with the hasty tone of an off-the-cuff excuse. Then her lips regained their usual curve.

“Mmm, I get what you mean. If I were a member of the House of Yellowmoon, I’d probably feel a connection with an all-yellow forest too.”

“I’m glad you agree, Your Highness. Now then, let’s keep going. Follow Rina, please,” said Citrina as she took the lead.

Golden tones permeated the forest. The glow of the yellow canopy overhead reflected off the amber carpet of leaves underfoot, bathing the eyes in gilded hues.

“Wow! Amazing! This place is amazing!”

Miabel bubbled with excitement as she dashed through the trees with bounding steps.

“Ah! Be careful, Bel. These leaves on the ground are slippery.”

Citrina hastily ran after her like a protective older sister, which then prompted Lynsha to give a helpless shrug before jogging off as well.

“So this is what autumn foliage looks like. It’s my first time seeing it too,” said Chloe, staring inquisitively at a yellow leaf she’d picked up.

“Yes, yellow leaves are a pretty rare sight, aren’t they?” Tiona said in agreement as she fetched one from the ground as well. “I should press a few and send them to Cyril as a souvenir.”

“Aaah... It’s so nice here... I’ve been missing forests... I never knew there was a place like this in Saint-Noel...” said Liora, humming happily as she trailed Tiona.

The boys were gazing curiously about as well. Anne, standing beside Mia, regarded the group with a placid smile.

“This is such a beautiful place, isn’t it, milady?” she said, closing her eyes to take in the scents and sounds of nature. “I do hope we have lots of fun today.”

Everyone basked in the peaceful, pleasant atmosphere. Everyone except Mia, whose response to Anne’s comment was a simple “Yes, fun...” Her reply’s terseness was due to the fact that she’d barely even heard Anne speak. Unlike the others, Mia was not here to luxuriate in the aureate glory of autumn. No, she was a girl with a goal. She was a hunter, and whereas her companion’s eyes were gliding about the swaying branches and fallen leaves, hers were locked onto the bases of trees, sweeping from one to the next in search of her fungal prey.

As of this moment, Mia’s guiding principle had become Mushrooms First! She was now a fungal extremist espousing the ideals of fungus supremacy! With the sharp gaze of a predator, she scanned the surroundings. Then, pupils dilating, she pounced.

There! Found some! Mushrooms!

Mushroom Hunter Mia charged across the leafy ground, claws brandished and fangs bared, to descend upon her prize. In that moment, woman and mission had become one. She was mushroom, and mushroom was her. Nothing else mattered. The world faded from view, leaving only her and the fungi she so craved.

The problem, of course, was that the world was still there; failing to see something did not make it stop existing. For example, that pile of slippery-looking leaves in her path remained quite slippery, and when she stepped in it the leaves gave way in a decidedly inconvenient fashion, causing her foot to shoot outward against her will.

“Eh?”

Her impromptu kick sent up a geyser of yellow leaves, and the momentum spun her body backward. By the time her brain could begin to process what had happened, she was already at the mercy of gravity.

“...Eh?”

Her view tilted on its axis until all she could see was the tree canopy. She pressed her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable impact.

“Whoa— Gotcha. Careful now.”

A voice so gentle and so familiar rang in her ears. She felt her body sink into the tender cradle of someone else’s.

“...Eh?”

She opened her eyes to find...

“Are you okay, Mia?”

Abel’s face inches away from her own! But wait! Today, Mia was in mushroom hunter mode. Therefore, she would not be flustered by Abel’s embrace. She was mushroom and mushroom was her. Nothing could shake her commitment to Mushrooms First—

Oh moons... He’s so dreamy...and so handsome! He was so cute in that apron getup, and now— Ah, the contradiction! It’s so good!

...So much for Mushrooms First.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

“N-No, I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” She hurriedly pulled out of his arms. “Merciful moons, I’ve made such a fool of myself...”

As her cheeks filled with color, Abel shook his head.

“That’s not true. In fact...”

With a mischievous smile, he reached toward her hair.

“Huh? Wha—”

Her confused gaze followed his hand, which returned from the side of her head with a leaf between thumb and forefinger.

“I’m a little glad that happened,” he said with a chuckle. “Now I know you look good no matter what you wear on your hair.”

With that, he strolled off. Mia, left to her own bewildered devices, could manage only a fourth “...Eh?”

And so it was proven that despite her espousing the tenets of fungal supremacy, a hug from Abel was all it took to wipe her mind of all mushroom-related thoughts. Mia was a fake Mushrooms Firster!