Moonlit Portal and Unicorn Secrets
Moonlit entrance to the monastery bedroom. I pretended to sleep for a while with my eyes closed, waiting until the children's soft breathing and snores began to mix in one by one. Then I quietly opened my eyes and slipped out of bed.
I approached the window where moonlight filtered in and gazed up at the moon.
'Lumina said that with my will alone, just looking at the full moon should let me enter...'
But no matter how hard I stared at the moon... nothing happened.
'Is it not a full moon yet?'
But that didn't make sense either—the moon looked plenty large and round.
'Then, like last time, do I need to immerse myself in water?'
I bit my lip for a moment. My mind flashed through the hassle, the chill of the cold water, and the embarrassment of having to strip naked.
'Ugh... I really don't want to...'
After hesitating for a long while, something suddenly occurred to me.
'Wait... she didn't say to look up at the moon—she said to look down at it.'
Just in case, I poured a full cup of water from the glass the nuns had left out in case the kids got thirsty at night, then returned to the window. I held it up to let the moonlight shine into it and peered down at the reflection.
The moonlight in the cup began to ripple and blur.
Full Moon Entrance Discovered
Enter?
'Knew it.'
I glanced around the room once more. The kids were still fast asleep, and there were no strange presences.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully selected yes.
In the blink of an eye... the ground beneath my feet trembled softly, and suddenly I was standing in an entirely different space.
"Mmnya..."
As I slowly took in my surroundings, a softly glowing fountain and a serene pond like the color of the sky came into view. In the distance, antique spires rose proudly toward the heavens.
I admired the dreamlike scenery for a moment before deciding to start walking. Somehow, I had a feeling she would be in the castle gardens.
Along the path to the castle, cute and beautiful flowers bloomed here and there, and just looking at them lifted my spirits. Of course, there had been flowers last time too... but back then, they felt like careless wildflowers blooming indifferently. These ones, though, gave off a warm feeling, as if someone had lovingly tended each one just to show me.
...
..
.
When I arrived at the garden, it was vastly different from before. The lush garden burst with vibrant, colorful flowers, and one section had become a small vegetable patch neatly growing vegetables, fruits, herbs, and medicinal plants.
As I strolled slowly through the garden, I spotted Lumina near the central fountain. She was crouched down, carefully tending to white flowers infused with a holy glow. Just from her touch, I could tell those flowers were special to her above all others in the garden.
As I approached, she spoke first.
"You've come. I was waiting."
She turned toward me.
'Whoa...'
Her beauty was still impossibly stunning, and with that faint smile, my mind went blank for a second.
"Teresa?"
"Ah..."
I barely pulled myself together and cautiously opened my mouth.
"Hehe... been well?"
"Yes. My heart fluttered with anticipation that someone would visit, so I've had a joyful time after so long."
I didn't quite get what she meant, but it sounded like she'd been waiting for me.
"But the garden looks so different from last time, doesn't it?"
"I tended it a bit. What do you think?"
Her eyes held a subtle expectation.
I didn't sugarcoat or beat around the bush—I was honest.
"I love it!"
"Thank you for the praise."
She gently stroked my head.
"...Mmnya..."
It was cool... and terribly clumsy, but instead of feeling chilly or uncomfortable, it was a pleasant coolness.
"Sit at the table and wait a moment. I prepared new tea and treats for when you arrived. We'll talk over them."
"Sure!"
I grinned and replied.
...
..
.
Sitting at the table, I took a sip of the warm tea Lumina brought. With treats on the side, I started sharing everything that had happened.
"So, there's a unicorn at the monastery."
The tea's aroma gently filled the air, and the cookies were sweet and crisp.
"A unicorn?"
"Yeah, a baby donkey in the monastery's donkey stable... but with the eyes you gave me, I could see its horn, and when I touched it up close, it was real!"
It was probably silly nonsense, but she listened attentively, seeming genuinely delighted the whole way through.
"If it has a horn on its head, it must be a unicorn disguised as a donkey."
"But it's kind of weird. Don't unicorns usually like pure girls?"
"That's the common knowledge."
"Right?! But this one... it doesn't like me, or rather, it's mean to all the girls. But there's this boy named Isaac, and it actually liked being petted by him! I wondered if I had the wrong idea about unicorns."
A brief silence fell...
Lumina set her teacup down gently and spoke in a serious tone.
"Hm... the unicorn you described might be a female."
"Huh?"
"The idea that unicorns simply like girls stems from most unicorns—males—preferring them. Female unicorns, on the other hand, prefer pure boys."
So it's just a pervert?
"Somehow... my illusions are shattered."
"But if the unicorn you saw is female, that could be a problem."
"A problem?"
"Unlike males, female unicorns are extremely rare."
"Female unicorns are rare?"
I tilted my head.
"Out of ten unicorns born, barely one is female."
"Mmnya..."
"It's one of the main reasons their numbers never grow despite their strong sex drives and promiscuous lifestyles."
Pretend I didn't hear that. It felt like I'd overheard something I shouldn't have.
"I don't know about now, but in the past, there was an era when only one female unicorn remained, putting them on the brink of extinction."
"...If females are that rare, shouldn't it not be alone in a place like this?"
"Indeed... the elves might be desperately searching for that unicorn."
I took a sip of tea and thought for a moment. Then I cautiously asked,
"Should I find them for it, then?"
"I don't know. Do as you wish."
"As I wish?"
I pondered. After a long pause, I slumped forward onto the table, letting my body go limp.
"...Haa... anyway, lately... I'm tired. Probably from not sleeping enough..."
"Sleep is crucial for children."
"I know... or I won't grow... So I'm trying to cut back on reading."
"You seemed to love reading so much. That must be disappointing."
"Haha... no choice, right."
I never mentioned the erotic novels, of course. She might already know somehow, but no need to bring it up.
"Even so, you still look sleep-deprived. How about cutting back a bit on those early-morning training sessions, at least until your fatigue recovers?"
"No way! I can't give that up!"
I shouted before I knew it.
"Ah... sorry for yelling suddenly."
"It's fine."
Even as I sheepishly scratched my head and apologized, she just gave a light smile.
"If you say so, then do it."
"Ugh..."
As I wracked my brain with no good ideas, Lumina suddenly tossed out a comment.
"There is actually the most efficient method."
"An efficient one?"
I perked up, eyes wide, ears open.
"Using your ability."
"My ability..."
"Your immortality. You should recover from fatigue after dying and reviving once."
I was flustered for a moment, but I shook my head carefully. It wasn't that I hadn't considered it.
"...Even so, killing myself just to recover from tiredness feels... inhuman? Scary? It makes me feel like I'm turning into a psychopath, so I have this aversion... Am I foolish?"
Lumina shook her head too.
"No. Death is one of humanity's greatest fears. Fearing it is a perfectly natural instinct. Overcoming death is, in another sense, abandoning your humanity. Indeed... perhaps I was the foolish one for advising without considering human instincts. I'm sorry."
"...No, it's okay."
As I drooped my head over the table again, she continued.
"How about this, then?"
"What?"
"She might not like it... but would you receive a blessing from me?"
"A blessing from you?"
I slowly lifted my head to look at Lumina... and felt myself drawn irresistibly into the deep, serene depths of her eyes, darker and quieter than the night sky.