Professor Galahad clapped his hands once, the sound echoing across the wide training field. "Hush now, hush! Hohoho... please, let’s get back to our lecture, shall we?"
The students imdiately straightened up, laughter fading into silence. Their posture stiffened like soldiers, afraid to make another sound. The wind carried the scent of fresh grass, and above them, now faint white clouds drifted lazily across the bright morning sky.
Galahad gave a satisfied nod, then twirled his hand in the air. "Now... I shall give each of you your brooms, one by one. Treat them with respect. They may look simple, but they are made from enchanted cedar and respond only to magical energy."
The brooms began to float from a glowing circle beside him, gently drifting through the air like feathers. Each one hovered before its chosen student, pausing as if to observe its new owner. Excited murmurs broke out again as the students reached out, eyes wide with curiosity.
Dila stood near the back, watching quietly as her own broom floated toward her. It glimred faintly, a sleek shaft of pale wood with silver threads carved along the handle. It looked almost alive, softly vibrating in the air.
She swallowed, clutching her Archane staff with her right hand. The mory of falling earlier still made her body ache a little, but she smiled faintly. "Alright... let’s see what you can do," she whispered.
She reached out with her left hand, hesitant but curious. Her fingers brushed against the broom’s polished surface. Instantly, a warm hum traveled through her palm back to the broom, and tiny sparkles of magic shimred around her wrist. Her blue eyes widened, reflecting the faint silver glow.
Around her, so students whispered again—half in awe, half in fear.
"Did you see that? Even the broom reacts to her power..."
"She’s not even channeling yet..."
Dila tried to ignore them. Her heart fluttered slightly—not from pride, but from a quiet excitent she hadn’t felt in a long ti. She thought to herself with a small smile, So this is what it feels like... to finally hold sothing that can fly...
Her grip tightened on both her staff and the broom, as the soft breeze brushed her hair. For once, the thought of what awaited her back in Eldor faded away. All that mattered now was this mont... and the sky she had yet to touch.
As Dila stood in the open field with the broom still floating beside her and completely grabbed it, Suddenly Nari’s gentle voice echoed inside her mind, soft and familiar like a breeze brushing her ear.
☆ Master... you should keep your staff in your palm instead of carrying it all the ti. ☆
Dila blinked slightly. Really...? I could do that? she replied in her mind, her tone half surprised, half skeptical.
☆ Of course! ☆ Nari giggled in that cheerful little voice of hers. ☆ You’ve had that function since the beginning, master. ☆
Dila’s eye twitched faintly. Then why didn’t you tell last ti during our first journey, huh?
☆ Because... you were too fixated on your enemies and problems back then. ☆
Dila sighed in her mind, crossing her ntal arms. But I’m still fixated now.
☆ My bad... hehehe... ☆
Her face turned into a slight pout. Nari... are you playing with again?
☆ N-no! Of course not, master! ☆ Nari’s voice cracked a little, nervous but trying to sound innocent. ☆ I just... forgot to ntion it too, you know? ☆
Dila exhaled deeply through her nose, whispering under her breath, "All this ti... I’ve been walking around carrying this staff on my back like so stubborn hiker." She frowned, looking at her Archane staff glowing faintly in her right hand. "Even if it’s light to lift because I’m the so-called chosen one... still, it’s annoying sotis."
Nari chuckled softly. ☆ Hehehe... but hey, master... you still care on it right? ☆
Dila puffed her cheeks slightly, murmuring in her mind, Are you mocking right now, Nari?
☆ N-no no no! Not at all, master! ☆ Nari’s voice trembled, clearly flustered. Then she quickly changed her tone, trying to sound serious. ☆ O-okay, okay, let’s just forget that... let’s focus on sothing else now before you decide to scold again... ☆
Dila couldn’t help but let out a small laugh under her breath, shaking her head slightly as her silver-white hair shimred in the light. You really are sothing, Nari... she thought.
Her irritation faded into a faint smile as she lifted her eyes toward the training field once more.
holding her staff tightly while the other students trying to practiced grabbed with their new brooms while trying to channel their magic. Her lips curved slightly as a soft chuckle escaped her.
"Hehehe... no, let’s not focus on sothing else," she muttered under her breath, smiling faintly. "Nari, I want you to store this staff in my palm now, okay? Wait... wait a second..."
Her expression froze. Her eyes blinked twice. Then suddenly, she slapped her own forehead lightly. "...What the heck!" she burst into laughter. "Hahaha— I just rembered— I didn’t carry my staff on my back at all! I’ve been using my spatial storage the entire ti! When I didn’t lost you last ti."
She started laughing harder, nearly bending forward. Her voice echoed softly across the quiet field, drawing glances from the other students nearby. A few whispered to each other, confused by why the quiet elf in the back suddenly laughed all by herself.
"Hahahahaha... oh stars, I can’t believe this," Dila muttered, covering her mouth as her cheeks turned pink.
☆ Pretty much, master. Hehehe... ☆ Nari giggled inside her mind.
Dila exhaled, trying to stop laughing but failing. Lol... I seriously forgot I stored my staff in there. Hahaha.
☆ See? I didn’t forget everything! You did! ☆ but Nari just trying to sound like she found a scapegoat.
"Alright, alright," Dila said quietly, grinning. "Now... open [Spatial Storage Skill: Open Contents]."
A faint glow appeared in the corner of her vision. An ethereal screen projected beside her, shimring softly in pale blue light. Lines of runic text appeared before her eyes.
[Spatial Storage Contents:]
• Healing Potion: Potion version [1] — Restores a small amount of vitality. Includes mild mana regeneration.
• Money: 6 Silver Moons
As she read the list, her laughter slowly faded... replaced by a warm silence. Her eyes softened.
She stared at the glowing interface inside her eyes, her thoughts reflected faintly shimring in the surface of the light. A small smile crept back to her lips— not the playful kind this ti, but tender. "Heh... the potion... I still have it," she whispered softly.
☆ The very first one you brewed, right? ☆ Nari said in her gentle, lilting tone.
Dila nodded slowly. "Yeah... that’s from the beginning. When I first transmigrated into this world." Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes grew misty.
She scrolled down a bit again using her mind, staring at the "6 Silver Moons." "And this... it’s from when we finished that quest with Sarios and Fran." She let out a small laugh between shaky breaths. "It was fun... wasn’t it?"
☆ It was... and you turned into a jukebox last ti.☆ Nari’s voice softened, like a mory in a dream.
A tear rolled down Dila’s cheek, glinting under the sunlight. "We didn’t even split the money evenly," she said, chuckling weakly. "But... I didn’t care. That was the first ti I really bonded with Fran. The first ti I started accepting her... her kind, caring, and annoying little self... sotis."
Her words trailed off, her voice trembling slightly as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "Those were... good tis."
☆ They still are, master. You carry them even now... right here. ☆
Dila placed her hand over her chest, feeling the faint warmth of her heartbeat beneath her palm. She smiled, small but bright.
"Yeah... I do."
And though the other students still glanced at her from afar, whispering and wondering why the princess was laughing and crying all by herself... Dila didn’t care anymore.
For once, she was simply content rembering what she had... and the people who gave her those mories.
Nari’s voice softly echoed in her mind again, gentle and bright like a bell in the wind.
☆ Master, cheer up... you didn’t lose anyone, right? ☆
Dila blinked slowly, her thoughts still hazy from the soft ache of mory. Then she smiled faintly, her head tilting up toward the sky. "Right..." she whispered, her voice quiet and fragile. "It’s just... nostalgia hits hard sotis."
The blue sky above shimred in her eyes, clouds drifting lazily as if ti had slowed just for her. The breeze brushed through her silver hair, making it sway softly, and for a mont she forgot where she was— lost in the warmth of the past.
Then a familiar voice suddenly called out, breaking her trance.
"Princess! Princess!"
Her eyes blinked twice, still dreamy. "Hmm?"
"Princess!" Canopy’s voice grew louder. He jogged toward her, stopping just behind her shoulder. When she didn’t react, he leaned closer and tapped her shoulder lightly. "Hey—High Princess Dila!"
"Eep!" She flinched a little, turning around fast. Her blue eyes widened, caught completely off guard. "Oh—ohh! Sorry about that!"
She forced a small laugh, scratching her cheek nervously. "Ahahaha... I was just... you know... thinking... or maybe... spacing out? Hehe..."
Canopy raised an eyebrow but chuckled too, shaking his head. "You sure space out a lot for soone who just laughed like a maniac a minute ago."
Dila blushed slightly, waving both hands as if to push away the embarrassnt. "H-hey! I wasn’t a maniac, I was... emotionally rembering sothing!" she said, puffing her cheeks a little.
Her voice cracked halfway through, making Canopy laugh harder.
She sighed, slumping her shoulders and muttering with a shy grin, "Ugh... I really need to stop laughing loudly to myself in public..."
But deep down, even as she turned away to hide her face, her heart felt a little lighter... because Nari was right—she hadn’t lost anyone.
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