Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
Has anything about me changed? Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war. It's a maxim that says you need enough overwhelming force to deter an opponent from attacking recklessly.
Before, I was so pathetically weak that a single spell from an elf had me scrambling desperately. I only escaped unscathed by exploiting that elf's stupidity.
It won't work twice.
I couldn't bet my precious life on the gamble that elves had below-average intelligence. I needed a new way to deal with them.
Of course, I wasn't planning to hole up in the Fairy Realm and train until I could beat an elf. Gaining the power to take one on in short order was unrealistic from the start.
My goal was a level where I could withstand an attack from a trigger-happy elf and attempt a conversation. Even if negotiations with the elf priest turned out impossible, I wanted the means to flee quickly.
Fortunately, I had a reliable way to get stronger.
Evolution.
I'd already hit max level, but I needed the evolution that had been stalled by my lack of Natural Affinity.
Having made my decision, I devised the "Mana Milking Training Method" to efficiently level up the [Natural Affinity] skill as quickly as possible.
And now, by using that method to max out the easiest one, [Water Affinity],
• Evolution level reached!
• Evolution conditions met!
I'd finally reaped the rewards of my hard work.
"It's all done!"
Until now, I'd always combined Veronica's magic lesson ASMR training while milking mana. So, when I emerged from the muck much earlier than usual during her usual ASMR prep, Veronica gave me a puzzled look.
"You're out earlier than usual today...?"
"Finally, Diana needs, there is, affirmative. I'll use it well."
"Uh..., um—. C-Congratulations...?"
"Thanks!"
Veronica clapped for me with a bewildered expression for a while before grabbing a handful of dry reed leaves from a nearby pile and setting them down in front of me. Then,
"Anáflexi." Ignition.
Whoosh!
A spark the size of a fingernail from Veronica's fingertip devoured the reeds.
Crackle. Crackle.
"Haaah...."
As I warmed my frozen body by the flames, stretching out both hands,
[Fire Affinity lv.4] → [Fire Affinity lv.5]
Once again, the status window popped up announcing a skill level increase.
Compared to diving right in, this is slower, as expected.
Over the past four days, [Water Affinity] had jumped seven levels from 3 to 10. Meanwhile, [Fire Affinity]—unlocked and trained with Veronica's help—had only reached 5.
Considering how harder it gets to level skills as they rise, the gap in growth rates was stark.
I could probably max Fire the same way as Water, but...
Enduring in ice water versus fire? The difficulty was worlds apart.
No matter how hungry I was for growth, I wasn't desperate enough to burn myself alive. So, for Fire Affinity, I settled for basking as close as possible.
[Natural Affinity lv.6]
Fire Affinity lv.5 | Wind Affinity lv.7 | Water Affinity lv.10★ | Earth Affinity lv.4 | Space Affinity lv.1
But why isn't [Water Affinity] evolving...?
Even at max level, there was no sign of it changing.
...Maybe I need all affinities at lv.10.
I figured it was because they were sub-skills of [Natural Affinity]. I glanced at the others.
Wind's closest to 10 next, probably.
Unlike Fire Affinity, which required huddling by the fire, or Earth Affinity, needing to watch seeds sprout into flowers from start to finish—Wind Affinity just meant enduring gale-force winds while flying. I could handle it solo without Veronica.
...They'll all max eventually.
Except [Space Affinity], whose method eluded me. The rest were doable with effort.
I was a bit curious what would happen if the four elements all hit max, but...
...Right now, the priority was this.
I grinned.
Show me the evolution menu!
I commanded my status window sternly in my head, and the long-awaited screen appeared.
.
.
....
...Traffic lights?
No, on closer look, no yellow—just red, blue, green. RGB, not CMYK.
Anyway, what was this?
"Hmm...."
Compared to the first evolution menu—where even human wasn't an option—this was decent. But even accounting for that, the window screamed "problematic."
As I glared at the options, new text appeared.
....
* Special evolution conditions met!
Yes! That's more like it—
【Fairy lv.10(max)】 can evolve into:
4. 【Jack-o'-Lantern】 (Unlock: Fire Affinity lv.3, Dark Adaptation lv.1, Invisibility lv.1)
...No thanks.
Why is this special?
Jack-o'-Lantern: a Halloween pumpkin-headed spirit or supernatural being that wards off evil ghosts. A trap disguised as "special evolution."
I had no idea why my options always veered off the rails, but...
...This time, pick from the other three.
Complaining to the status window wouldn't change it. Better to think productively.
Switching gears, I examined the choices again.
Fairy(Red), Fairy(Blue), Fairy(Green).
Before, I'd have racked my brain guessing differences. But now?
Come forth, my cheat skill.
I had [Analysis lv.4]—the ultimate cheat from any isekai story.
Analysis.
Click.
I activated it on the window right away.
A brave fairy! Fears no battle. Enhances acquisition and proficiency of combat skills. (Flight ability up, [Instinct] strengthened.)
Upon evolution: Acquire trait [Madness]
Oh.
As expected, detailed explanations appeared for each path. Satisfied with the solid specs, I smirked and read them carefully.
.
The red fairy was combat-focused. My main attack was spear arts with my buddy Fork, so this would boost my fighting power immediately.
And flight improves too.
Flight was crucial in any situation, and strengthening the [Instinct] that let me sense the elf attacking Veronica? Perfect for wild survival.
However.
...Madness.
That trait nagged at me, stopping me from picking red outright.
All my prior skills and traits had been useful, mediocre, or worst-case ambiguous.
But this feels straight-up bad.
"Madness" evoked nothing positive.
I'd already endured my will being eroded by alien urges multiple times.
Worst case, I become no better than a beast.
Pick this, and I might lose my humanity, turning into a bloodthirsty infant monster reveling in gore. I shelved Fairy(Red) and moved on.
.
Next: Fairy(Blue).
A quiet fairy. Observes all things deeply and meticulously. Maintains calm and composure in any situation. (Guidance ability up, [Analysis] strengthened.)
Upon evolution: Acquire trait [Cool-Headed]
This one's solid.
If red was warrior vibes, blue felt like an analysis support role.
[Analysis] was my most practical skill, so boosting it was a big merit. Maintaining composure meant no emotional swings.
Might reduce fairy ego overrides?
I could hunt with a clear mind, enjoying the slaughter carefree. Guidance up? A buff to [Pathfinder]'s iffy 50% success—not bad.
But.
Too bland.
Decent all around, but no standout features. I was smart enough already; more intellect wouldn't wow. No direct stat boosts.
Not an instant-impact pick.
If I had time, slow-building here might work, but...
No leisure for exploration now.
With elf arrows at my back, it was less useful than red. Shelved Fairy(Blue), last up:
.
A lively fairy! Always brimming with fresh, surprising inspiration. Skill "Projection," "Integration," and "Transformation" occur far more often. (Max mana up, [Dimension Corridor] strengthened.)
Upon evolution: Acquire trait [Optimism]
...This is it.
No need to read further.
[Dimension Corridor] boost—the exact thing I needed most—was on Fairy(Green).
* * *
It was the dawn of the fifth day since Veronica arrived in the Fairy Realm.
"Veronica! Veronicaaa! Wake up! Hurryyy!"
"Umm... Lady Diana...?"
"Wake uppp!"
Unable to resist Diana's nagging from before sunrise, Veronica stirred.
Why so early... Oh...
Puzzled by Diana's wakefulness, Veronica recalled yesterday.
Usually, she woke Diana each morning. But after lunch, Diana declared "Gonna sleep!" and turned in early.
Early to bed, early to rise. Simple.
"Yaaawn...."
Rubbing sleepy eyes and sitting up groggily, Veronica faced:
"Veronica, look at Diana!"
"...?"
Diana stood proudly, hands on hips, chest puffed out.
"Has Diana changed somehow?"
At Diana's smug vibe, Veronica blinked, then tilted her head slightly.