Chapter 95
Chapter 95
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Change of Pace (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Us?"
"Right, you're not us."
Akanksha corrected herself in response to Galen's question.
"Among us earth fairies, I mean."
"Ah."
"Of course, it wouldn't be wrong to say she's the strongest among these four, either."
Not a correction after all, but an additional explanation.
Of course, Akanksha didn't know Galen's true power.
What she'd seen directly in the ruins was Spirit Creation, mixed subtly with Water Flow Manipulation for the performance.
Even that alone had overwhelmed ordinary Gold-rankers, and that's why the expedition leaders had readily yielded their share of the ruins.
Yet for her to declare so definitively that Radika was the strongest... surely...
'...Akanksha has pride in her own skills, so she's not just hyping up family.'
Galen took a fresh look at Radika.
She resembled Akanksha so closely that the word "sister" had slipped out immediately, even without prompting from their side.
'Or is it the other way around? Radika was born first, so maybe Akanksha takes after her?'
Purple like grape wine... with a bit more red mixed in, perhaps. Her hair was a variation of red, falling softly in curls to just below her shoulders.
Judging purely by looks—aside from her ears, which were unmistakably pointed sideways longer than a human's—she had the delicate air of a young lady from a fine family, raised like a flower in a greenhouse.
She was a head shorter than Lilia, making her seem a few years younger, but if she already had a wild weed vibe, that would be its own problem.
Of course, considering Akanksha—who looked similar—smashing mud dolls with her fists, judging earth fairies by appearance was pointless anyway.
"All three of you, have a seat first. No need to keep standing and talking, right?"
Radika gestured to the chairs around them. Akanksha nodded with a slightly displeased expression.
The chairs were rather low, apparently not meant for human guests.
As the two sat in slightly uncomfortable positions, Radika smiled.
"Feel free to stretch your legs out."
"We're fine."
"No, no. I'm the one who feels uncomfortable watching."
"She'll keep insisting until you do. That's just how she is—go ahead and stretch."
Akanksha added this as she sat one seat away from Radika.
Galen and Lilia exchanged glances before awkwardly extending their legs.
It was a bit cocky posture, but if the host didn't mind...
With the table in the center, the four sat around it, and Akanksha spoke first, addressing Radika.
"So, why are you here exactly? Don't you have Assembly work?"
"The Alliance is pretty much always idle, isn't it? Same with the Assembly."
"Usually, sure! But the festival's right around the corner!"
"The staff handles the work, and the Chairman does the approvals. This big sis has nothing to do."
"Still, you could at least help out of courtesy!"
"That's why I came to help you."
"...Help with what?"
"You saved time bringing these kids to me."
"They just happened to be staying in Mezaia, so I grabbed them right away. Otherwise, I'd have spent ages searching. What then?"
"Then I'd have counted it as a quick outing and headed back to the Assembly."
"So you just came to play after all!"
From this single exchange, it seemed impossible for the little sister to win against her big sister.
Her looks didn't match at all, but she had that eldest-daughter vibe of doting on her much younger sister like a daughter. She was the type who never lost her smile, though in a different way from Lilia.
Anyway, there was something in their conversation that felt like a hint.
Lilia seemed to have caught it too. She asked cautiously.
"Um, you two?"
"Yes?"
"As I recall, the Alliance Leader invited us..."
"That's right."
"Didn't you call Radika the Vice Chairman earlier?"
"Ah, here's how that is."
To summarize the explanation that followed:
All earth fairies belonged to an "Alliance," like Akanksha's Red Rock Alliance.
An Alliance was like a small nation; the earth fairies were its citizens, and the Alliance Leader was akin to its king.
The gathering of all these Alliances was the "Alliance Assembly," or Assembly for short—like the EU on modern Earth.
The Assembly's head was called the Chairman, and Radika was the Vice Chairman.
"So... you're second in rank among all earth fairies...?"
"That wouldn't be wrong."
"No, it's not that big a deal."
As Akanksha affirmed it, Radika waved her hand shyly.
"It's a bit different from human culture. We're all equals. The Vice Chairman title... what do humans call it? Honorary position? Something like that."
"But that doesn't mean it's nothing. Sis does command a lot of respect among earth fairies. Compared to her usual behavior, anyway."
"Oh? Is there a problem with my conduct?"
"You just play around all the time! And you invited these kids on your own whim!"
"I got the Chairman's permission."
Radika calmly patted the heated Akanksha and turned to the two with a gentle smile.
"I'm from the Red Rock Alliance too, so I know the Alliance Leader. I asked her to invite you both. Does that make sense now?"
"Yes. Though now I'm even more curious why you invited us..."
Lilia shrank back a little. Galen wasn't much different.
Earth fairies started at Silver, but Gold and above were just as rare as for humans.
So a Gold like Akanksha was naturally high-ranking in her Red Rock Alliance.
He'd figured someone who doted on Akanksha like that, Radika, held an extraordinary position too... but second among all earth fairies?
Honorary or not, in human terms, that was at least archbishop level, right?
No matter how casually she acted, it was hard for them to fully relax.
Thankfully, his immunity to "high and mighty" types had built up thanks to Daimus, and Radika's constant warm smile kept the mood soft.
"Don't overthink it. My little sister talked about you so much, I got curious."
"I didn't talk that much."
"Enough to make this sis unable to hold back her curiosity, though?"
After lightly shutting down the grumbling Akanksha, Radika continued.
"Would it be rude to ask your ages?"
"N-No, not at all. I'm nineteen."
"Twenty-three."
"Impressive at such young ages! I heard you don't shy away from spars like most humans, either."
"They're a bit unusual. First ones I've seen complaining about not running into evilkin on the way here."
"Huh?"
"That serious about hunting evilkin."
"If it's that much... did you suggest they enter the tournament?"
"I thought about it but held back. It's not something I can approve."
"You should've at least asked."
"We can ask now."
"Should we?"
At Akanksha's jab, Radika nodded and turned to the two right away.
"If you're interested in evilkin, want to give the tournament a shot?"
"That competition you mentioned?"
"Yeah. You heard about the big festival coming up from my sister, right?"
"Yes. She offered to let us watch if we wanted."
"This is the main event of that festival."
"What kind?"
"Hmm... simply put, an evilkin hunting contest?"
"Hunting contest..."
Lilia's eyes wavered with interest. Galen asked carefully.
"Do they rank by the number of evilkin killed?"
"Hardly. Anyone can rack up numbers."
"Ah... right."
Their perspectives differed so vastly.
For humans, there were far more evilkin that even equipped Bronze mercenaries couldn't handle one-on-one.
But for earth fairies, where the whole race was at least Silver, most evilkin were just annoying trash mobs.
So they apparently didn't count by sheer numbers.
"It's a Gold-only tournament to begin with. The evilkin are scaled accordingly."
"Hm."
"This one's got great prizes, especially. So expect fierce competition."
"But can we even join?"
"You'll have to check when we get there. I'm just gauging your interest first."
"I'm in."
"Me too!"
Galen, eyeing the experience buffet, and Lilia, once obsessed with evilkin hunting, answered in unison.
"Great. I'll pass it along to the Assembly. Even if they say no, you can still watch the festival—no worries. But... I doubt they'll object?"
Radika paused teasingly, her eyes crinkling in a smile.
"No participant will think you two are a threat, probably."
"Is that so."
Galen's eyes narrowed slightly. Radika added,
"No earth fairy lacks pride in their skills. Only sis and Sachet have seen you Golds in action."
"Do you think so too, Radika?"
"Well, I haven't seen it myself, either."
Radika's smile deepened.
"Care to show me?"
"If you mean a spar, anytime."
"Answering like you've been waiting? You really are unusual."
Well, he'd been quietly excited ever since hearing she was the strongest among them.
If she truly was Gem-rank...
She might even surpass Daimus in usefulness.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Only the three of them went.
"I'll wait here."
Akanksha waved them off as they left her at Alliance HQ.
"No telling when the Alliance Leader's back, and I've already sparred with them plenty."
For those reasons, Radika took Akanksha's mule instead, and the three headed out of the city.
No walls or anything, so they just kept going until the buildings thinned out and open land appeared.
"Perfect. No fields nearby, nothing to break."
In an undeveloped patch of bare earth—less a clearing, more just untouched ground—Radika halted the mule.
"Watch the mules for me."
"Sure!"
Leaving the three mules with Lilia, Radika led Galen to a suitable distance.
"I heard from sis you handle water spirits or something. Can I see?"
"Of course."
Galen casually flicked his wrist.
The spirit flowed down in a stream, rolling forward and swelling in size.
Soon, a giant emerged.
"Ah, so that's it."
The expedition leaders had freaked out seeing it first time, but Radika just showed curiosity.
"You smashed the ruin mud dolls with this?"
"Yes."
"But sis guessed the power differs between spars and real fights. True?"
Well, he'd used pure Spirit Creation on Akanksha, but added Water Flow Manipulation for the special mud dolls.
"Sparring with earth fairies just means you hit me unilaterally."
"So you held back?"
"Not out of disrespect for Akanksha, never."
"I get it. So, hit me full power?"
Radika said nonchalantly.
She was tougher than special or even captain dolls, so Galen saw no need to hold back.
Besides, smashing the captain doll had involved Lilia's axe first, then his Illusionary Flame Burst in the gap, topped with a spirit smash.
Pure Water Flow Manipulation punch wouldn't dent her much.
'But it'll be good practice.'
That was enough for now.
Galen's eyes gleamed.
The water giant raised its arm at his signal.
And then.
The max speed Water Flow Manipulation could muster propelled the giant's arm.
The massive water pillar—stronger now, post-level-up from the ruins—slammed down.
Boom!
The splash exploded like a bomb, cratering the ground.
Radika shifted her foot as her footing crumbled, steadying herself.
Nothing else. As expected.
"No complaints on power. Sis would've been hurt for sure."
Radika grinned. Galen grumbled.
"Saying that while you're totally fine feels off."
"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt? Just not scream-worthy."
Radika paused, eyeing the regenerating water giant with interest.
"Regen infinite? Even if fully shattered?"
"As long as mana remains."
Precisely, as long as water stored in the spirit lasted too—but its capacity was huge, so it'd run out of water before mana unless deliberately drained.
"Sorry, but could you smash it once?"
"No issue, but..."
How?
Made of water, it broke easily under impact, but the size was massive.
Without wide-area magic, and earth fairies being essentially warriors... how long to pummel it by hand?
"Step aside a bit?"
"Ah, sure."
As Galen moved sideways thinking that—
Radika lightly clenched her fist.
Tsss—
His senses screamed in alarm.
Then, the earth fairy's small fist struck empty air.
Kaboom!
The water giant exploded apart.
```