RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
"Thank you so much for helping us and for letting us stay here, Great Crescent Master."
"You're welcome."
"Partner Rhein, you're awake!" My adorable pracien's cheerful voice rang out as she entered the room. She immediately landed on my right shoulder, pressing her cheek against mine. "Do you feel any pain anywhere?"
"None. I'm fine. Don't worry too much—you might give yourself a heart attack," I teased with a laugh, brushing a finger over her head.
"What about you? What happened back there? You suddenly started struggling in that pit, like you were talking to someone. I got so scared that I left to find help, but when I came back with Allie and Owlice, you were already unconscious. Who were you talking to, Rhein?"
I stared at her, processing her words. It seemed she hadn't seen or heard the deore mnarillaza or the snakes.
Blinking slowly, I shook my head. "How should I know? All I remember is falling, feeling dizzy… and then blacking out," I lied.
They accepted my words easily—everyone except the Great Crescent Master. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him smiling knowingly.
He knew the truth.
GREAT CRESCENT MASTER'S POINT OF VIEW
How fascinating. It's the first time I've met a mnarillaza and her pracien who are both hiding secrets from each other. I have no intention of interfering in their secrecy. Even though I know what they're keeping from one another, I have no right to intrude. Besides, no secret stays hidden forever.
RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
After two days of nothing but fruits and water, Forelody and I finally had a proper meal. The food here was just like what we had in the human world, but if you asked me, it actually tasted better.
Allie and Owlice took us on a tour of Abracadabra Town.
According to the information Grandfather Lembo had given us, this is one of the most prosperous towns in this world. It was too big to explore all at once, so Allie only showed us the central district, where her home was located.
Looking around, you'd never guess you are in another world. The shops are modern, as the clothes worn by the mnarillazas and their praciens. Technology is also common here—though there are no towering skyscrapers. The tallest building I saw was only three stories high.
We stopped by an ice cream stall. Allie bought two vanilla cones from a middle-aged woman, fishing two silver coins from the pocket of her white skirt. After paying, she handed one cone to me.
Their currency here is nothing like the human world's—it's made of pure gold, silver, and copper. No paper money.
"Here."
"Thanks." I took a bite, and my eyes lit up at the perfect sweetness. "Yum!"
Without asking, Forelody tasted it too, her face lighting up. "Yum!"
Allie smiled faintly while eating hers. "This is my favorite. Delicious, right? It's not overly sweet, but the flavor dances on your tongue. This is heaven."
I couldn't help smiling back. She'd been frowning all day. The Great Crescent Master had told me that she's been like that since she was a child—ice cream is the only thing that can make her smile.
We were about to continue walking when a child standing beside Allie cried. His chocolate ice cream had melted completely, dripping down his hand.
"Don't cry." Allie quickly asked the vendor for tissues and wiped the boy's hands. She even bought him another cone, and his tears stopped instantly. "There. Don't cry anymore."
"Thank you, Sister!" The boy beamed and ran off.
I caught another glimpse of Allie smiling. I couldn't resist teasing her.
"So it takes ice cream and an ice-cream-loving kid to make you smile. Is that all it takes to break your serious face, huh?"
I playfully nudged her arm, earning an eye roll and a huff. Forelody and I laughed, joined by Owlice, who also seemed amused by her pracien's reaction.
After nearly two hours of exploring, we returned to their mansion-like home. Naturally, it is huge—its owner is the leader of this very town after all.
Allie and I both frowned in surprise when we saw the Great Crescent Master waiting at the gate, holding a medium-sized blue backpack in one hand and mine in the other.
"Good, you're here." He looked at me, then at Allie, smiling. "Now you have someone you know, Allie. I assume you won't refuse to attend the academy anymore."
Even now, I still couldn't believe we're riding on the Great Crescent Master's pracien, Ubeo—a massive bird with pure violet feathers.
Allie sat in front, me behind her. Between us were Owlice and Forelody, so the wind wouldn't sweep them away.
We'd been flying for over half an hour, the mountain ranges sprawling beneath us.
"Allie, is it far?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been there. This is my first time."
I turned to Forelody for an answer, but she only shook her head.
"We can't see the ground, so we can't tell if we're close or not," Owlice replied in her gentle voice—so different from my pracien's.
"You still have eight kilometers to go," Ubeo said. Apparently, he overheard us despite focusing on flying.
Another thirty minutes passed before we reached the academy. Ubeo set us down beneath a tree, then returned to Abracadabra Town after our farewells.
We took in the sight of the school. Unlike human schools, this one looked like a grand palace.
A shimmering blue barrier surrounded it—likely a defense against hostile mnarillazas.
"Now, how are we supposed to get in?" Allie asked coolly.
I took a deep breath. "I don't know. Maybe, we should wait until they notice—" I didn't finish my sentence. My instincts kicked in, and I flipped backward just in time to dodge the dagger aimed at me. Instead of piercing my leg, it buried itself in the grassy ground.
I glanced at Forelody to make sure she was alright. "I'm fine, Rhein. I'm not going to fall off your shoulder—my talons have a strong grip. Trust me, I can keep up with your quick movements," she said with a wink, which made me smile.
Allie immediately conjured an ice wall, catching the dagger that had been aimed at her. She remained calm, just like I did.
This must be the trial before entering this school—apparently, it involved dodging daggers. Didn't the head of the school realize how dangerous this method is?
We thought it was over, but then the blades came one after another, launching from every direction. There were so many that I pressed myself against Allie's back.
"Make an ice barrier," I said, and she followed without hesitation.
Dropping to the ground, I pressed both palms against the grass. All around us, countless thorny vines burst from the soil, intercepting the blades midair.
A few moments later, my vines stilled—the signal that no more weapons were coming. As Allie and I stood, her barrier dissolved along with my vines, leaving the ground littered with fallen daggers.
"Congratulations," greeted a woman who seemed to be in her forties. She stood a few meters away, holding a dagger in each hand. From her formal attire, it's obvious she's the one in charge. "Call me Principal Oak. I—as the principal of this school—would like to personally welcome you. Welcome to the MnarilltesAleid."