Back to school.I wonder how this phrase resonates with children.When I was a bit older, I disliked returning to school.After all, you have to go to school, right?But Naru, Hina, and Cecily looked forward to going back.
“Wow, holy shh…! We get to see our friends at school again!”“Everyone’s going to be shocked when they hear what happened to this Cecily during vacation!”“Finally…finished…sumr howork…”
I never thought I’d see children heading to school with their bags again.Though the kids could now go to school on their own, today all the mothers made a point of holding their children’s hands on the way.
The path to school had a lovely flower bed along the straight road, autumn blooms in full glory.The children hopped along the flower bed like butterflies or bees. Seeing their morning energy, I was struck anew by children’s incredible stamina.
Pat—At last, the children arrived at school.
“Celly! Doruru, hello!”“Ah, it’s Naru, Cecily, and Hina! How have you been?”“Long ti no see!”
Wham—The children, reuniting after so long, hugged each other to celebrate the new term.Watching the kids get along so well warms the heart and brings back mories of my own childhood.Lost in thought, I was startled by Naru waving vigorously at .
“Dad, Mom! Thanks for bringing ! See you later!”
Wave- Wave—After watching her enthusiastic farewell, I made my way back to the mansion.
# # #
“Naru finished all her sumr howork! This ti I didn’t even need Molumolu’s help!”
ow—
“Hina…helped with…Molumolu observation diary…”“Oh right! I didn’t get help from Molumolu, but Hina helped !”
Naru and Hina shared a giggle.Soon, a crowd of children flocked to Naru, Hina, and Cecily.Each had heard amazing rumors and wanted to confirm their truth.
“Naru! Did you really beco the Molumolu Battle Champion in the Ordor Kingdom?”“Hina, were you actually a princess from the Desert Empire?”“Cecily, do you know why our parents suddenly started reading that Nymph Declaration of Rights as punishnt?”
The stories were all surprisingly bizarre.Naru, Hina, and Cecily were overwheld by the swarm of curious classmates. Suddenly, Naru stood up, climbed onto her desk, and called out.
“Naru made tons of new friends during vacation! Princess Neva from next door, quirky Soso, Nari the raccoon, even the Hornet Kingdom princess…!”
Naru wished she could introduce her new friends to her classmates here. Just then, Elizabeth’s face fell slightly.
“Naru, I’m still your best friend though, right? Right?”“Of course! Elizabeth always bought bread for Naru! But from now on, you don’t need to anymore!”“W-What? Why not?”
Elizabeth was visibly shocked.Naru eating the bread she bought had been Elizabeth’s cherished daily routine. She’d even learned to bake during vacation just for this.But now she’s told it’s unnecessary.Did Naru not need her anymore because of all the new friends she’d made?
Naru explained.
“Naru has to leave soon! Hina and Cecily too! We don’t have much ti left to play with everyone! But you have to promise to be our friends when we et again later!”
Wave- Wave—As Naru waved to her classmates, the classroom door creaked open and their horoom teacher Salo entered.Salo tapped the podium as she had last sester, then addressed the children.
“Settle down, everyone. Naru, off the desk please. Before we start class, I have an announcent. It’s about Naru, Hina, and Cecily leaving us this term.”
Salo calmly explained to the children.She told them that the girls actually ca from six years in the future.And that it was ti for them to return.
The children were stunned by these incredible revelations, but then again, many unbelievable things had happened since Naru, Cecily, and Hina arrived.The news that Naru’s sisters were from the future was shocking, but the first-graders were still naive enough to readily accept their teacher’s words.
Naru looked around the classroom and corridor where she’d played with her friends. Despite the scoldings from teachers and the tough science howork, it held many fond mories.
“Naru wants to co back to this school when she grows up! I’ll try super hard to rember everything that’s happened and never forget!”“…Of course, when we’re six again…you’ll all be twelve…”
At Hina’s soft addition, the children tried to picture themselves at twelve. At twelve, they’d be first-year middle schoolers.To kids who’d just started elentary school, being in middle school seed impossibly grown-up and hard to imagine.
Swish—Elizabeth stood up.
“Teacher, could we give Naru and the others letters or presents to rember us by?”
Everyone agreed Elizabeth’s idea was excellent.It was their first experience with a classmate leaving. Salo thought it a good chance to teach the children about ‘farewells’.
In that spirit, each child wrote a ssage on a large sheet of paper.It beca a collective letter for Naru, Hina, and Cecily.
“Cecily, this is my favorite pebble. You should have it!”“Hina, take the sausage I was saving for lunch…!”“Naru, want this bumblebee I caught?”
The sisters were delighted with the letters and modest gifts from their friends. Among them, Naru seed the happiest.
“Naru is so happy today! Happy Naru! I wish every day could be like this!”
# # #
They say that morning was unusually cool.Apparently, the slightly chilly weather woke them naturally, without anyone rousing them.And that’s exactly how it happened.
I awoke to the crisp morning air.Passing through the corridor to the living room, I found Sifnoi tossing split logs into the fireplace.
Crackle— Crackle—As I watched the dancing flas, soone approached.It was Brigitte, a thin shawl draped around her shoulders like a cape.
“Hey, it’s suddenly turned chilly. I want to buy so fall and winter clothes. Why don’t we browse the city center together? My treat. You should get a cloak too.”
Though she tried to sound casual, I sensed she’d mustered so courage to ask.I nodded.Brigitte offered to pay.I figured I’d just tag along beside her.
“Then I’ll make breakfast today.”
For breakfast, everyone ate the apple pie I’d made myself.After all, autumn is apple season.
“Done.”
It looked decent enough on the outside, but the taste was so awful even Sifnoi grimaced.
“Master Judas should never attempt pie again…! It tastes utterly nymphobic, I’ll never forget this day as long as I live…! It’s like eating a nightmare…!”
It really was that bad.Even I had to admit it tasted like a nightmare.
“October 13th. Saturday. The day I made my first pie and served it to everyone.”
Indeed, it was a taste I wouldn’t soon forget, even rembering the exact date.
After choking down the pie, I headed out with Brigitte.Like any ordinary couple, we strolled the streets, sampled street food, rested in cafes, and went shopping.
For lunch, we sat on a park bench to enjoy the cool autumn air. Brigitte produced a lunchbox she’d prepared earlier, and inside was a very black strawberry.
“That’s interesting. A black strawberry.”“It’s called a snake strawberry. The black, pointed shape resembles a viper’s head, don’t you think? They only grow in areas where lots of black snakes live.”
As Brigitte explained, it did look a bit like a small snake’s head. I wondered about the taste, finding it incredibly sweet. Sweet, but with a spicy kick going down the throat.It felt like swallowing strong liquor.
“It tastes alcoholic?”“Snakes usually live in shady spots, right? Those places often have strange lunar magic. Magicians call them ‘snake grounds’. Plants growing there often have an alcohol-like energy. It’s good for n’s vitality too.”
Who’d have thought a strawberry could rival snake liquor?Indeed, my body felt so warm I could sense heat despite the cool autumn breeze.Feeling remarkably invigorated, sothing caught my eye.Oddly placed tents stood next to the park.
A large banner fluttered beside tents decorated with colorful balloons and paper, proclaiming “World Tour Troupe”.“The world-famous ‘World Tour Troupe’ opens in Freesia on October 13th! We look forward to your patronage!”
“A performance? Like a circus?”
As I pondered this, Brigitte exclaid.
“The ‘World Tour Troupe’ really ca to Freesia! They passed through Walpurgis territory before, but I was stuck cleaning and missed them!”
She explained it was a renowned circus.In this world of commonplace magic and miracles, what feats could make a circus famous?I had to admit, I was curious too.
“Let’s check it out!”
Swish—Brigitte tugged my arm.I followed, feeling like a boy again.Admission was 50,000 rene per person.
“Judas, look! They say there’s a unicorn!”
Unicorn.An animal considered “fantasy” even in Freesia. Wondering if it could be real, we went to look. Sure enough, wasn’t that a white horse with a single horn in the pen?A middle-aged announcer in a fedora proclaid.
“Ladies and gentlen, behold! A unicorn captured from the Island of Fantasy! Unicorns love purity and beco enraged at the sight of impurity…”
Neigh—
“What’s this, Selene? Why’s the unicorn angry at you? Didn’t you say you were pure at our engagent?”“Th-This unicorn must be fake! We shouldn’t have co to this sketchy circus! I’m upset now, let’s go!”
Whoosh—The place offered quite a variety of sights.Soon the announcer called out:
“Who wants to ride the unicorn?”
The won stirred excitedly.So looked scared, tugging their partners’ hands and muttering, “It’s all a scam,” eager to leave.That’s when Brigitte stepped forward.
“I’ll give it a try.”
As Brigitte approached, the unicorn stomped angrily. Just as I wondered what would happen, Brigitte grabbed its horn.Thud— Roll—As onlookers gasped in shock, the unicorn’s horn fell off as easily as an ice cream cone. Brigitte comnted nonchalantly:
“Just a horn stuck on a horse. This unicorn’s a fake.”
So it was fake after all.From the start, this “World Tour Troupe” was full of fakes and amateurs. Brigitte seed well aware.
“But I always wanted to see it as a kid. They say the fortune teller here is genuine. My sisters claid she tells you who you’ll marry. My impudent sisters went to see her, while I was stuck cleaning.”
A Cinderella-like tale. Her sisters off to the ball while she did chores alone.
“I was so curious back then too. Whether I’d ever marry. And if so, to whom. Honestly, I’m still curious. Is the fortune teller real or not? Want to find out?”“Sure, why not.”
Brigitte and I made our way to the fortune teller’s tent.
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