The weather was perfect, making me feel optimistic about the examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keith, who wouldn\u2019t be going to the Ministry today since he had to help Father with his work, came to the garden to greet me before I left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBe very careful, Big Sister,\u201d he said, for the hundredth time since yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s just like a little field trip to the country. There\u2019s nothing dangerous about it! You\u2019re too anxious, Keith.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that I\u2019m too anxious, the problem is that you get yourself into trouble too often. Make sure not to go anywhere weird and not to talk to weird people. Even if they offer you snacks! Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was slightly offended that he spoke to me as if I were a grade schooler, but I knew that talking back to him would just make the whole thing drag on longer, so I just agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay. I\u2019ll be careful,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I left the mansion (while Keith was still muttering \u201cBe careful!\u201d), and went to the Ministry. When I got there, the others on my team were already waiting. Sora looked aloof and carefree as usual, but Maria looked a bit nervous, and Dewey seemed to be as annoyed as he had been yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I greeted all of them, and then our (unique) examiners arrived on the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you all set, boys and girls? We\u2019re going to leave very soon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Handerson (Laura?) was acting like the friendly boy (girl?) hosting one of the children shows from my previous life. Her makeup was perfect despite it being this early in the morning, and her uniform looked different from yesterday, with new frills and ribbons. How many does she own?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For some reason she had a rope in her hand, and to the other end of the rope was tied… Nathan Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What? Why are these two connected by a rope?! <\/em>I asked myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura, seeing me staring, explained. \u201cThis is just so Nathan doesn\u2019t get lost! We aren\u2019t into any weird things!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t really thinking of that, but still… didn\u2019t her get-up count as a weird thing to be into, according to her criteria?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hart, by the way, just stood there silently with a sad look in his eyes. After seeing how easily he got lost yesterday, I agreed that we needed some measure to keep track of him, but… the rope tied around his waist just made him look like an oversized pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow let\u2019s stop wasting time and go,\u201d Laura said, guiding us to the carriage that had been prepared for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This carriage was much larger than the one we had used when going to rescue Keith. Maria, Dewey, Laura, Hart, and I could all ride comfortably on it. Hm?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, where\u2019s Sora?\u201d I asked, realizing that he wasn\u2019t with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, he\u2019ll be driving. We asked for a carriage, but we forgot to ask for a driver! Whoopsie! I wouldn\u2019t know how to do it, and letting Nathan do it would risk us getting lost. Thankfully, Sora offered to do it,\u201d Laura replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I later heard that yesterday evening, when the carriage had arrived, Laura realized that she had forgotten to ask the Ministry to prepare a driver for her. Since he just happened to be there at the right time, poor Sora could do nothing but offer to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that she would forget the driver was surprising enough, but what surprised me the most was that she wasn\u2019t able to drive a carriage. Apart from the makeup and clothing, she looked like the type who was good at that kind of thing…<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Hart would get lost even in a carriage? <\/em>I thought while looking at the man who was lowering his head apologetically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After waking up to such fine weather, I\u2019d been feeling good about the mission. But now, seeing my examiners, I was having second thoughts. The carriage started moving, and I wasn\u2019t feeling so safe anymore. At first we were all silent (mostly because we didn\u2019t know what to talk about, given this unique crowd), but after a while, Laura started talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria, you cutiepie, your skin looks so smooth. Do you use any special treatments?\u201d she asked all of a sudden, going with a girly topic right off the bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Maria and I were a bit shocked, but my friend somehow managed to reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo… nothing in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?! That\u2019s not fair! I wish I could have that porcelain skin without putting any effort into it!\u201d Laura said, pouting. Her mannerisms \u2014 and only those \u2014 were really cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then again, the fact that Maria\u2019s skin was as beautiful as it was without any treatment was surprising to me too… That\u2019s a game protagonist for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every day after I finished my bath, Anne would cover my face in lotions and creams (I certainly wouldn\u2019t do that myself). Because of that my skin wasn\u2019t half bad, though not as smooth and shiny as Maria\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, love, are you using something to make your hair so fluffy?\u201d Laura asked, smiling at Dewey, whose face was as still as if carved in stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n …Did she just call him \u201clove\u201d?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not using anything,\u201d he replied, but she didn\u2019t seem to be offended at the coldness of his reply, just pouting while shouting \u201cThat\u2019s not fair!\u201d as she had with Maria, before finally looking at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, first skin and then hair… What is she going to ask me about? Unfortunately I don\u2019t even know what kind of treatment I use on anything, since Anne\u2019s in charge of all that stuff. Or rather, Anne\u2019s forcing me to use all of that stuff. How am I even going to reply?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina, my dear…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I should probably just tell her that I\u2019ll ask my maid when we\u2019re back home.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…What kind of sweets do you like?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That question was so unexpected that I froze still for a moment. After all my worrying, her question had nothing to do with cosmetics. But wait a second, why am I the only one being asked about sweets? She even asked Dewey, who\u2019s a boy, about his hair… Don\u2019t leave me out of it, c\u2019mon! Praise my hair, or my skin, or something! Of course those two are much prettier, but I am putting \u2014 <\/em>Anne is putting so much effort into my looks! Why sweets?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Sweets? Why would you ask that?\u201d I asked, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm… You just look like someone who likes sweets,\u201d she said, bending her head sideways. Again, her mannerisms \u2014 and only those \u2014 were really cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what did that even mean? I did like sweets, that was true. I periodically checked the snacks that the servants at the mansion bought to make sure that they tasted good, I went around town to look for good bakeries, and I considered myself a connoisseur of all things sugary. Did all of that just… show from my face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t you like sweets, honey?\u201d she asked with yet another cute gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I do like them…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust as I thought! Do you have any recommendations?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRecommendations? Well… What type are we talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s see…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that is how our discussion of sweets, which went on for quite a while, began. I wasn\u2019t that good at talking about romance or makeup or other similar things, but when it came to food, I could keep at it for hours. I knew everything from the luxury patisseries that served the royal family to the small mom-and-pop bakeries. We even talked about Maria\u2019s homemade treats, involving her in the discussion as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd those cream puffs, you know, the shells are so soft that…\u201d I said, just before my stomach growled loudly… All this talking about delicious things had made me hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hearing my tummy\u2019s embarrassing sound, Laura giggled and then suggested that we stop for lunch in the nearby town. I wholeheartedly agreed, and noticed that I had been so enthralled in our conversation that I hadn\u2019t noticed how much time had passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t feeling anxious about the mission anymore, and even Maria no longer had the nervous expression she\u2019d had at first. Dewey, however, looked as aloof as always. Laura called out to Sora, who was driving the carriage, to tell him that we would stop for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since we were so far away from the capital, the town that we stopped at was pretty small. But we were able to find a small tavern, probably family owned, which was just large enough to serve all of us. They only offered a few dishes, but they tasted good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, this is so good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bread was soft, the lettuce fresh, and the bacon crunchy. All of these textures, together, made for an incredibly tasty sandwich. I could go for another one… or two… or three…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked for seconds, and Dewey glared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you want one too? Here, take it,\u201d I offered, thinking that he was envious and wanted to try out one for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-No, thank you. Lady Claes… you don\u2019t seem to disdain the cuisine of such places…\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean \u2018such places\u2019? It\u2019s delicious!\u201d I said, unsure of what he meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see…\u201d he replied, taking his eyes away from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was that all about?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had spent almost half a day together with Dewey, and this was probably our first exchange. He looked like he hated me, and, if that was the level of conversations we were going to have, I would probably never find out the reason why. Well, he actually didn\u2019t speak with anyone else either…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I\u2019d realized that he was one of the main characters in FL2, I wanted to get friendlier with him so that I could get some useful information. But our eyes didn\u2019t meet for the remainder of the lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to get another sandwich, but Sora and Maria stopped me because we were running late. The old man in charge of the restaurant noticed how sad this had made me, and wrapped up a sandwich for me to eat later, saying that he was happy to see me enjoy the food that he made that much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and left, ready to go back to the carriage… when something happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s get back on the road now,\u201d said Laura, and we started to follow her when suddenly she jolted in terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWh-What happened?!\u201d I asked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked at me with her blue eyes and said, \u201c…I forgot to hold onto the rope… I was holding onto it as we went into the restaurant, but…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her voice was filled with nothing less than desperation, and her hand, in fact, wasn\u2019t holding onto anything. We all tried looking around, but Hart wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was like one of those scenes in manga where everybody is so silent that you can hear the wind blowing… Laura, however, got her cool back, and started giving orders clearly and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe can\u2019t have gone that far. You two look over there, and you two over to that side. I\u2019ll go and retrace our steps. If we split up, we should find him in no time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all did as we were told, but… why did she have to pair us like this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A passing glance at my teammate\u2019s annoyed expression was enough to make me feel awkward. Laura had split us up depending on who was closer to what, so Maria ended up being paired with Sora and I with… Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh… this is going to be so bad. I really hope we find him soon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How did he manage to get lost after walking this little, and in a place with so few people around? I almost wanted to praise him for his talent at getting lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is he trying to play hide-and-seek? If so, he could be hidden in some weird place.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried opening the garbage can near the restaurant, but he wasn\u2019t in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI… don\u2019t think he would be in a place like that,\u201d said Dewey, appalled, and I quickly put the lid back onto the garbage can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went back to searching for Hart, silently keeping to ourselves… But that wouldn\u2019t do. Even after finding our lost examiner, we would have to perform a mission together… and we certainly couldn\u2019t collaborate like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was the perfect chance to find out why Dewey hated me so much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cS-Say, Dewey…\u201d I asked shortly before realizing that I hadn\u2019t thought about how to actually ask him at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs there, like, uhm, anything you hate about me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All I managed to do was straight out ask him what I wanted to know. And if he replied \u201ceverything\u201d? That\u2019d be the end of it…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I regretted not having planned a better way to get information out of him before opening my mouth, he looked at me, bringing his eyebrows together in a visibly troubled look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s…\u201d He stopped for a second, then sighed loudly. \u201c…I come from a destitute family, and I had to start working while I was still a child. I asked to be sent to a free school near my house, and I had to promise that I would keep working while doing that. I put my soul into my studies so that I could overcome poverty one day. My efforts were rewarded, and I graduated while skipping grades, eventually managing to reach a job in the most powerful organization in the kingdom \u2014 the Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course I already knew all of this from reading that mysterious note, but hearing it straight from the source made it sound all the more intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWork was hard, and I barely had any time left to study during the day, so I would often do it at night instead of sleeping. But I wanted to escape that sad state, and I kept going without looking back… That is why I\u2019m here at the Ministry… But what about you, Lady Claes? How did you get into the Ministry?\u201d he asked me, his blue eyes flaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cW-Well, I…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got into the Ministry because I owned a Familiar of Darkness, but that was top-secret. And the reason why I accepted the job was that I was too scared to marry Jeord right now, and this seemed like a good way to delay the marriage… But after hearing Dewey\u2019s story, I could never tell him honestly. Now, I finally understood his feelings…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey grinned at my lack of a reply. \u201cWhy would a duke\u2019s daughter, without any particular magical skill nor outstanding results in a test, ever work at the Ministry?\u201d he said, choosing his words to be as mean as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that\u2019s why he hates me…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have come here to work using the best of my abilities,\u201d he said, and then started searching for Hart once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have come here to work using the best of my abilities too,<\/em> I thought… but I couldn\u2019t say it. After all, I had just chosen the Ministry as a place to run away to, and had managed to get in without any effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I had shed blood and tears to get a job and then found someone there who wasn\u2019t diligent about what she did and who got her position without even trying, that\u2019d make me mad too. I\u2019d turn sour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was reborn into this world as the daughter of a duke, and enjoyed all the benefits that came with that (as well as the doom, but that\u2019s another story). Maybe that had made me too arrogant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In my previous life I had been the daughter of an office worker dad and a part-time housewife mom, and I couldn\u2019t take money for granted. I remembered going to the convenience store near my house and seeing a rich kid buying the premium ice cream, while I had to settle for the cheapest ice pop…<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now, not only did I eat all the sweets that I wanted, even getting seconds, but I even asked my servants to tell me when the bakery had any new products. Maybe luxury had turned me arrogant… at this rate, I would fall into doom like the Katarina in Fortune Lover<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reflected that I had never thought about the comfort that being reborn had put me into. That was when Sora appeared, coming to tell us that they had found Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After finding Hart, we went back onto the carriage and left for our destination. Laura kept talking to her fellow examiner, presumably scolding him for getting lost, but I was so shocked about what Dewey had said that I barely listened at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe I really was spoiled and entitled… and that would explain why I still had to contend with the Catastrophic Bad Ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to organize my thoughts in the only way I knew how: holding a meeting inside my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting chairwoman: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting representative: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting secretary: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuff… huff…<\/em> P-Please, everyone, sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuff… <\/em>No, Ms. Claes, wait, we\u2019re still missing someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuff…<\/em> You\u2019re right… We still aren\u2019t ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. This meeting was so sudden that we couldn\u2019t prepare in time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI also feel that there have been too many meetings lately. We\u2019re busy people! We can\u2019t just spend all our time in meetings. I\u2019m afraid we can\u2019t do this today. Meeting adjourned!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, the meeting of the Katarinas ended prematurely… \u201cWait! Ms. Claes! Please! That won\u2019t do! Let\u2019s have a meeting, even a short one! Ah, Ms. Secretary, where are you going?! This is important to all of us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You have a point. It\u2019s a drag, but I guess we have to do it. Oh well, what was today\u2019s agenda again? Deciding what to eat for dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot exactly… We must discuss whether or not Katarina Claes is really entitled and spoiled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm… Lately she\u2019s been eating sweets all day, eating even Keith\u2019s share, and even asking Maria to cook more for her… She does sound entitled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed. And after graduating from the academy, she has been eating so much that Anne was complaining about her dresses getting too tight. We have to do something about this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA spoiled glutton… That\u2019s not how a young noblewoman should be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt this rate, she\u2019s risking a catastrophe regardless of the Bad Ends…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt cannot go on like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really have to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMm… What if we ate less sweets?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould that solve the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Katarina is risking really becoming a villainess, she has to repent and mend her ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, that is a wonderful idea! But how?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I remember that our grandma in our previous life used to say something like \u2018When you don\u2019t know what you should do, concentrate on doing the things that you must do, one at a time. Eventually, you\u2019ll see the answer.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWords of wisdom!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the time being, let\u2019s do what Grandma suggested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt sounds really deep, so we might as well try it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo the first thing we must do is… get rid of the tanuki and finish this examination!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Let\u2019s concentrate on the tanuki for now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The emergency meeting of the Katarinas thus agreed on a course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, about that grandma… She was the one really into soap operas who was always talking about hot actors, right? Where would she find words of wisdom like those?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think she heard it, in fact, from a hot actor in a soap opera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Let\u2019s just not think too much about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as the meeting finished, and we decided that we would focus on getting rid of the tanuki, the carriage reached its destination. I was expecting the branch office of the Magical Ministry to be of a size worthy of its name, but it was hardly bigger than a large-ish shop back in the capital. Inside, old men and women were sitting together at a table enjoying tea. This probably doubled as a meeting place for the elderly…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? Y\u2019all don\u2019t look familiar. Where\u2019s y\u2019all from?\u201d one of them asked us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHello. We have been sent here from the capital,\u201d Laura replied for all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey make \u2019em different back in the capital! Look at how sparkly that fella is!\u201d commented one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To these old country folks, a buff man covered in makeup and wearing a frilly skirt was just \u201chow people are in the capital…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The atmosphere here reminded me pleasantly of my previous life. I was enjoying the sight of these men and women leisurely drinking tea inside the Ministry when a man who looked like an actual employee noticed us. He stood up from his seat and froze with shock as soon as he saw Laura, probably knowing that was not \u201chow people are in the capital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, showing the composure expected of a Ministry employee, he eventually got his cool back and welcomed us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat must have been a long trip! Thank you for coming all the way here,\u201d he said before showing us some free seats and serving us tea, along with some sort of berries. \u201cThese are a local specialty. Help yourself.\u201d He sounded like a kind person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, thank you,\u201d I said, eating one. Unfortunately I don\u2019t know what kind, but, yup. It\u2019s a berry alright.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We ate berries silently for a while, and then the man in charge of this Ministry branch walked into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After taking a look at Laura, being surprised, and quickly regaining his cool, this middle-aged man \u2014 with a plump face that just screamed \u201cnice person\u201d \u2014 greeted us with the same exact words as his subordinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat must have been a long trip! Thank you for coming all the way here!\u201d After hearing about the examination from Laura and Hart, the man nodded with a smile. \u201cYes, headquarters contacted me about it. Thank you for helping us out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hart then asked him to elaborate on the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe usually just set traps all over the place, and that is enough… but this year there are just too many of them,\u201d he said with a sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust how many?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAround three times as much as an average year. It\u2019s probably because of what happened to the forest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe forest where the tanuki used to live?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Someone from outside the village went into the forest, maybe to hunt or something, and made a mess out of it. So now the tanukis have all run out of it and into the fields. It\u2019s not the first time this happens, mind you, but this year it\u2019s so bad that we had to send people into the forest to fix it up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He explained to us that, during this time of the year, the villagers relied on what they gathered from the forest more than on what they could harvest from the fields. Since the village\u2019s well-being depended on the forest, they had to prioritize that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo your people are busy there, and you cannot get rid of the tanuki yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly. Which is why we asked headquarters for support,\u201d he said with a tired expression on his face. The situation must have been worse than we imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you know who that outsider could be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, we have no idea. All we can do is get the forest back to normal as soon as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After we had heard the explanation, the younger employee guided us to the fields that had been ravaged by the tanuki. As someone who tended to fields myself, I should have been impressed at how large the one in front of me was, but…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is terrible…\u201d I blurted out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes it is. All the farmers are distraught about it,\u201d the Ministry employee said sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The field was extensive, but all of its produce had been either ripped or bitten into, leaving nothing to be harvested. All the neatly aligned ridges were full of holes, probably made by the tanuki\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey have tried putting sturdy nets over the plants, patrolling the fields at night, and all other sorts of countermeasures, but there are so many of those pests that it is a lost cause…\u201d he explained, looking distraught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remembered that Grandma, in my previous life, used to put nets on the plants too… was that to keep the tanuki away? She had vehemently insisted that I didn\u2019t help her (because I\u2019d make the plants wilt), so I never noticed…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had built fields both in Claes Manor\u2019s and in the academy\u2019s gardens, but there were no tanuki there, so I didn\u2019t need to take any special measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I should probably use this as a learning experience in case I\u2019m eventually exiled and have to live as a farmer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The field in front of me looked terrible, but the culprits didn\u2019t seem to be around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are no tanuki anywhere, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. They mostly come at night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, of course. They\u2019re nocturnal animals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow that we have seen what they have caused, let\u2019s come back at night to see how many of them there are,\u201d said Hart after assessing the field\u2019s condition. \u201cFor the time being, let\u2019s go to our lodgings and discuss strategies,\u201d he continued, and we did as he said. The village was too small to have an inn, so we were all going to stay at the village chief\u2019s house. Obviously it was much smaller than the manor I was used to, but the small countryside building felt cozy and nostalgic to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were enough rooms for the men and women to sleep apart, so Hart, Sora, and Dewey were in a room, Maria and I were in another, and Laura was alone, in yet another room. The village chief\u2019s wife probably couldn\u2019t tell Laura\u2019s gender, so she put her in a different room to not risk offending her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt sorry that we were imposing so much and taking up three whole rooms, but to be honest, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to relax sleeping in the same room as Laura, and not only because she was my superior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After bringing our luggage to our bedrooms, we all gathered in the living room to discuss the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow you will all put your heads together and decide how to get rid of the tanuki. The two of us will only be observing, and will not intervene unless the situation becomes dangerous. You will need to plan for the mission and put that plan into action, all by yourselves… And Guy, we\u2019re indoors, you don\u2019t need to keep me tied to a rope…\u201d said Hart, first talking to us and then to Laura, who was still holding tightly onto the rope tied to his waist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I wouldn\u2019t want you getting lost…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not going to get lost inside a stranger\u2019s home…\u201d he said, and was finally freed from the rope. \u201cNow, discuss your plans,\u201d he continued, and, together with Laura, started silently staring at us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the examiners had so obviously removed themselves from the meeting, we examinees turned to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only solution I had come up with was to trap the tanuki in cages and bring them back to the forest, but after seeing the scale of the damage they\u2019d done in that field, I was sure that we weren\u2019t talking about just a couple of animals here…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think that all we can do is make a lot of traps and try to catch them,\u201d said Sora, the oldest in the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was thinking the exact same thing,\u201d I quickly agreed, since his idea was pretty much the same as mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe damage on the field hints at a very large number of tanuki. I do not think it would be feasible to make that many traps,\u201d Dewey said coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a point; if each trap could only catch one animal, we would need a lot<\/em> of traps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if we built traps that can catch multiple tanuki at once?\u201d I suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd how would you do that? Do you have a specific schematic in mind?\u201d he replied quickly, staring at me sideways and making me retreat in shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, do you have any ideas, Percy?\u201d Sora asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe could just spread some trap-feed,\u201d he replied calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrap-feed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Tanuki feed with delayed-onset poison in it. If the poison acted immediately, the one who ate the feed would die on the spot, and the others would realize that it was a trap. But if the poison only kills them after a certain amount of time, they could even bring that feed back to their den, effectively killing all of them at once,\u201d he explained nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sounds too extreme… and the poison could also be dangerous for humans and cattle,\u201d said Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen we would just need to use a poison that poses little harm to humans and inform all farmers of our plan, giving them an antidote in case their cattle accidentally eat the poison,\u201d Dewey replied without a second thought. He probably had it all planned from the start. \u201cI believe that this is the fastest solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t deny that this would probably be fast, but…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…But the tanuki came into the village because their habitat in the forest was compromised, right? It was humans who chased them out of their home… I don\u2019t think they deserve being poisoned and killed,\u201d I said, feeling compassion for the poor animals, but Dewey looked at me with contempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo are you suggesting that we catch them one by one and bring them back to the forest? Do you have any idea how much time that would take? This is not the time to feel mercy for animals. Kindness cannot solve all of your problems, much less the problems of this village.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was right that I had no better suggestions, and I couldn\u2019t argue with his point. I was clenching my fist, unable to reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPercy, you don\u2019t need to put it so strongly…\u201d said Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI also believe that poison is too dangerous to justify using it from the start,\u201d Maria followed. Her voice wasn\u2019t loud, but it sounded calm and fearless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMay I hear your suggestion then, Miss Campbell?\u201d Dewey replied immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do not have any practical ideas yet, but if we go to look at the field tonight, we will come up with something. There is no need to risk a dangerous solution so early,\u201d she said, looking straight into Dewey\u2019s eyes with the powerful stance of someone who would not retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He remained silent, probably because he was so impressed by the strength of her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, our meeting didn\u2019t result in any actionable plan, but we decided that we would discuss our options again after checking the fields. We all went to our rooms to wait until night time, and I went into mine together with Maria. I started thinking about what Dewey had told me about kindness not being enough to solve all problems. He was right… but I didn\u2019t want to poison those poor animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Lady Katarina,\u201d said Maria all of a sudden, lowering her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? What\u2019s the matter, Maria?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEarlier, with Dewey. I am sorry he was so rude to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s… Why would you apologize for him, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou see, Dewey and I grew up in the same town,\u201d she said with a slightly troubled expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t know that!<\/em> There was no mention of this surprising fact in the game itself or in the note I found in the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you two childhood friends or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good old trope of falling in love with a childhood friend was very common in otome games, so that would have made sense. It wasn\u2019t in FL, but maybe they used it for FL2. They didn\u2019t really look like friends, but now that I thought of it in this light, I realized that Maria trying so hard to talk with Dewey wasn\u2019t just because of her kindness \u2014 it was because she wanted to talk with her friend after being apart for so long. He didn\u2019t really seem to be responsive to that, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, we lived in the same town, but our houses were quite far from each other. And he is much younger than me to begin with, so we did not know each other so well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were 18 years old and Dewey was 13, making for a 5-year difference. For children that is very substantial, especially if they don\u2019t live close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…But I remember seeing how hard-working of a boy he was… I believe he used to have a warmer personality, but he had to go through so much adversity all on his own that he gradually became aloof, and now he treats everyone coldly,\u201d Maria recalled sadly. Apparently that note hadn\u2019t detailed all the hardships that Dewey had to go through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This all started to sound like an otome game. Two childhood friends (well, she said that they weren\u2019t, but still), one of which is a boy who goes through a lot of difficulties and slowly turns cold. The girl worries about him and eventually falls in love with him… No! This can\u2019t be! Maria, my waifu, taken by another man?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But she was the protagonist of a romance game after all, so I had to expect that she would fall in love with someone…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, unaware of how much I was worrying about her being stolen from me now, kept on talking. \u201cTo me he\u2019s more than a stranger… I also know how hard it is, having to fight on your own for so long…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n D-Did she really fall for Dewey already?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, Maria, do you… What do you think of him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t tell me you love him!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI… really want him to open up his heart and learn how to rely on people more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phew… This isn\u2019t love, at least not yet. She\u2019s just worried about him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Maria. I\u2019m sure that you\u2019ll be able to help him. You\u2019re the kindest, most wonderful girl I know,\u201d I said, taking her hand in mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina… I am so happy to have come to know you. I love you,\u201d she said, slightly blushing after being complimented, and with her voice full of gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a girl this pretty blush while telling me that she \u201cloves\u201d me made me feel… weird. I knew that she was talking about love between two friends, but if I were a man, I would have gone crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was reflecting on that when, all of a sudden, something hit my head from behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWh-What?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bewildered, I protected my head with my hands and looked around. Just beside me, there was a pillow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It must have been this pillow… but why? Did it just fly into my head?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was very confused, and I also started feeling someone staring at me. I turned around and saw…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy is this bear here?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria followed my gaze and noticed who was behind me. \u201cYou\u2019re here? I told you to wait at home!\u201d she said, surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was the magic (sentient) teddy bear that used to ride on Maria\u2019s shoulder all the time back at the academy. Larna lent it to us, and it helped us find Keith when he was kidnapped. It was during that journey that it became attached to Maria and started following her around everywhere. It didn\u2019t come with her to the Ministry, so it had been a while since I\u2019d last seen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pochi, hearing my surprised voice, came out of my shadow for just a second, looked at the magic plushie that had caused me to scream, and then, unimpressed, went back into hiding. He probably wasn\u2019t interested in bears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can\u2019t just follow me like this!\u201d Maria said, and the teddy bear looked sad at being scolded… However, when its eyes met mine, if only for a moment, I could tell that its sad expression had turned into a mocking one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not really feeling bad about being scolded… and it\u2019s trying to make a fool out of me, as usual.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sorry, Lady Katarina. He sneaked in my bag and followed me because he was lonely,\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Maria, it\u2019s okay,\u201d I said with the kindest smile I could muster, just before giving a \u201ctry anything funny and you\u2019ll regret it\u201d look at the bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear, in response, sent me a \u201cright back at you\u201d look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You cheeky bear…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our two-girl room was now a two-girl-one-animal room… well, two-animal if we counted Pochi, who was still hiding inside my shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and I decided to lie down on our beds for a while, since we would have to go out to the fields during the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear smoothly sneaked into Maria\u2019s bed, and, as she patted its head, it looked at me as if to say \u201cEnvious, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You awful bear…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I briefly considered calling out Pochi to annoy the bear, but that would have kept Maria from getting any rest, so I decided against it. I started thinking of ways to get back at that dreadful animal, and, before I knew it, I was completely asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, Maria woke me up and said that it was time. I prepared in a hurry and went to the living room, where the others were waiting. Maria told the bear to stay in her room because it was dangerous outside, and it reluctantly obeyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to wait here alone,\u201d I taunted it, and immediately another pillow came flying my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You vicious bear…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had to admit that throwing a pillow with those tiny arms was impressive, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, Dewey, Hart, and Laura were already in the living room, ready to go. They were all wearing their uniforms except for Laura, who was wearing something that looked like a nightdress. Was she planning to wear something different each time we saw her? That would explain why she had brought so much luggage with her…<\/p>\n\n\n\n We made for the Ministry branch office, and since getting lost at night would be even more dangerous than during the day, Hart was now tied to two<\/em> ropes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once there, a Ministry employee guided us to the field we had visited earlier. We had a lantern, but the dark road was making me feel uneasy, so I tried taking out the magnifying glass that I had borrowed from the Ministry. Just as I was told, its light was so feeble that it was completely useless, so I put it back into my pocket. I kept walking on the dark road, thinking of how convenient having a flashlight from my old world would be right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We finally reached the field, and we froze in our tracks… because what was in front of us was too shocking to keep on walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWh-What?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hours earlier, the only things on the field were a few farmers. Now there were so many animals \u2014 not only tanuki, but also rabbits, foxes, squirrels, and more \u2014 rummaging through it. The field was so crowded that we couldn\u2019t even take a step onto it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The animals didn\u2019t approach us. Naturally, being wild animals, they were wary of people. I got the feeling that getting any closer to them could be dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cW-Were they not supposed to just be tanuki?!\u201d said a visibly shaken Hart to the Ministry employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes… Even last night, there were only tanuki…\u201d he replied, shaken as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder what could have caused this to happen in a single day,\u201d said Laura suspiciously. \u201cDid something happen in the forest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe checked it today, in the afternoon, and nothing had changed…\u201d the employee replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomething could still have happened between when you checked and now. We should go and check it,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is far from advisable. The forest is too dangerous at night,\u201d the employee replied, shaking his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUmm… Then all we can do is retreat for the time being and go check on the forest tomorrow. There are way too many animals for this to be normal. What do you say, Nathan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. It could be dangerous if we let the newcomers deal with things as they are. Let us get some rest for the night and investigate once the sun rises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, let\u2019s get back before we stumble upon a dangerous animal,\u201d said Laura, prompting us to start walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few steps, I felt a weird chill run down my spine. Immediately after, I heard Pochi growl from inside my shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi, quiet,\u201d I said under my breath, and he stopped. I was supposed to keep his existence a secret, and he had almost risked being found out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnything the matter?\u201d asked Hart, who had heard me, but thankfully not Pochi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-No, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so busy thinking about Pochi and worrying that he would growl again that I completely forgot about that chill from earlier, and I didn\u2019t even notice that there was something wrong with Maria, who was walking right beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked faster coming back from the field than when we\u2019d headed towards it, so we quickly reached the village chief\u2019s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEveryone, go back to your rooms and sleep. We will go look at the forest tomorrow,\u201d Hart said, and we all made for our beds. \u201cHahhh, I\u2019m so tired,\u201d I said, feeling this hard day of work taking its toll on me as I spread out onto the bed. \u201cIt turned out to be more problematic than we expected, huh?\u201d I said to Maria, who was sitting on the bed on the opposite side of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes,\u201d she replied with a weak voice that was very unlike her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned around to look at her. Even in the poor lighting, I could tell that her face was unnaturally pale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria! What\u2019s wrong? Are you okay?\u201d I asked her, sitting up and seeing that the bear was already by her side, looking at me as if to say \u201cHow could you take so long to notice?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her hand felt cold to the touch. We had been walking side by side all the way from the field, but I hadn\u2019t noticed how sick she looked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I am fine,\u201d she said, with a voice so feeble that it was obvious that she wasn\u2019t fine at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShould I call for Laura or Hart to get you some medicine?\u201d I suggested, sure that the examiners would have something ready in case anything happened to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you… But I am fine, really,\u201d she said, stopping me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am just not used to the air around here… I am sure that I will get better if I just sit still for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? The air?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes… The air around here feels… strange.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but this wasn\u2019t the best time to shower her with questions, so I just made her some hot tea and started rubbing her back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while, color started coming back to her face and her hands warmed up. \u201cThank you. I am feeling better now,\u201d she said with her usual smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou said the air feels strange… what did you mean by that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI cannot explain it well… It just feels heavy, like it did inside the mansion where Master Keith had been kidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That mansion had felt weird because a Familiar of Darkness had been summoned inside it, so that made me think of something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you saying that someone\u2019s using Dark Magic around here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I cannot tell for sure. Sora looked unfazed…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, who had become somewhat of a Dark Magic user, was also able to sense it just like Maria could thanks to her Light Magic. But he didn\u2019t look troubled and, if he was, he didn\u2019t say anything. And he wasn\u2019t the type to hide something like that from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I will try to confirm it tomorrow. For now, I cannot say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t push yourself too hard, Maria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, if Dark Magic really had anything to do with this, it would be a serious matter, but… Maria looked so pale just minutes ago…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you trying too hard and feeling sick again. We\u2019re all here for you, so you can rely on us,\u201d I told her, holding onto her warm hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, like a stereotypical otome game protagonist, tended to shoulder all of her problems by herself. But she was my friend, and I didn\u2019t want to see her suffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust rely on us, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t exactly proud of it, but I relied on people all the time. Anne helped me get up and dressed, and she had even prepared my luggage for this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeming moved by the strength of my words, Maria nodded. The color had returned to her face, so much so that her cheeks were starting to look red. That must have been because of the hot tea. I was glad that she felt better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow let\u2019s sleep. We have to rest before tomorrow,\u201d I said, standing up from her bed to get back to mine, when I felt something lightly tapping my butt. It was the bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at it, curious why it\u2019d do that, but it just looked away. What was that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I made sure that Maria had gone to sleep, and then I did the same. By that point I was so tired that I fell asleep the second I touched the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was dreaming of being at an all-you-can-eat sweets buffet. I kept stuffing my mouth with food, but, no matter how much I ate, more appeared. I was happy at first, but there was so much that I could never eat all of it, and I started getting nervous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sweets kept increasing and increasing until the whole room was completely full of them, and I started suffocating amidst a sea of marshmallows. The marshmallows were hitting my face one after the other…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stop! I can\u2019t breathe! <\/em>I thought right before waking up and seeing a soft round thing hitting my face. Upon closer inspection, I realized that Maria\u2019s bear was standing on top of me and hitting me with its squishy little arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that\u2019s why I was being hit by marshmallows in my dream…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside the window the sun was starting to rise, meaning that it was way too early to get up. Why would you wake me up, you heinous\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear was pointing at the bed on the other side of the room, where Maria was supposed to be sleeping. I say \u201csupposed to be\u201dbecause her bed was empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where had she gone at this hour of the morning? I looked at the bear for answers, but it shook its head. It had probably just noticed Maria\u2019s absence and woken me up immediately after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Normally I would just shrug it off, thinking that she\u2019d gone to the bathroom or something. But after seeing how she looked yesterday I was worried that she could have felt sick on her way there, so I went to look for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear jumped onto my shoulder, something that it\u2019d never normally do… It must be worried about Maria. Okay, you can ride on my shoulder. But just this once, okay?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried going to the bathroom, but Maria wasn\u2019t there. Where is she? Maybe she passed out somewhere! But where?<\/em> I was looking around for ideas, and my eyes met the bear\u2019s. It moved its arm to tell me where to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why is the bear giving me orders now?!<\/em> I thought for a second, but then I remembered that this insufferable bear was actually a wonderful magical tool made to search for people. The \u201cinsufferable\u201d was so strong in my memory that I had forgotten about the \u201cwonderful\u201d part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, just tell me where to go,\u201d I said as I moved in the direction that it was pointing at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It brought me outside of the house, behind it, and to a tree near the garden. Under that tree, sure enough, was Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMar\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I almost called out to her, but I stopped when I saw that there was someone else standing beside her… Dewey. The two of them were staring at each other with deep, serious expressions. It wasn\u2019t the kind of meeting that you could barge into screaming \u201cG\u2019morning, buddies!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was trying to stop the bear from running to Maria when I heard someone\u2019s voice behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned around, and Sora was standing there, watchful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cS-Sora! Why are you here?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI should ask you the same thing. What are you doing up so early?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I explained why I had woken up so early (or rather, why I had been woken up<\/em> so early) and had gone looking for Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see… Well, you found her. Why don\u2019t you go and talk to her?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-They look so serious! I can\u2019t just go in between them like that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were still looking at each other and apparently discussing something, but they were so far away that I couldn\u2019t hear what they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you want to know what they\u2019re talking about?\u201d asked Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d I told him honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora took something out of his pocket and put it against my ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, what is it?\u201d I clearly heard Dewey saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at the thing on my ear, surprised, and I saw that it looked like a megaphone. This thing is probably the reason why I can hear their conversation from this far away… but what is it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora was grinning like a kid when he moved it away from my ear and asked me, \u201cSo? Did it work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I could hear everything… What is this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a magical tool that lets you hear sounds from afar. It only works if you\u2019re close enough to see what\u2019s going on, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWas this in the warehouse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would have surprised me if this useful tool had been amongst all of that junk, and I didn\u2019t remember Sora bringing anything like this out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh no, a colleague from my department lent it to me after I asked for something better than all that useless stuff in the warehouse,\u201d Sora explained casually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wish I could get better tools too, but I\u2019d never have the courage to outright ask a colleague for something like that…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI thought this could come in handy for the mission, but who knew it\u2019d make itself useful at a time like this? You want to listen to them, right? Go ahead,\u201d he said before handing me the megaphone, completely oblivious to how shocked I was at his brashness towards colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, I really wanted to listen, so I gratefully accepted the megaphone and put the small end on my ear, pointing the wide end towards Maria and Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just thought that you were being too hard on yourself, Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat would you know about that? You barely even know me! Leave me alone!\u201d Dewey\u2019s voice had lost any hint of calmness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their conversation sounded like something straight out of an otome game. Was this a scripted scene with Dewey? Was this when they\u2019re supposed to fall in love with each other?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you think of this?\u201d I asked Sora, but he just gave a blank stare in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, that\u2019s right. He can\u2019t hear them. I have to do something about that…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I grabbed Sora and pulled him so that his face was right in front of mine. \u201cCan you hear too now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I can, but being this close is kind of…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShhh! <\/em>This is where it gets good! Listen!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and I went on listening while facing each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I was just like you…\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sneaked a sideways glance at her and saw that her head was drooping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI thought that I had to do everything on my own… I can\u2019t leave you alone, Dewey, because you\u2019re just like what I used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spoken like a true otome game protagonist… Add the slightly teary eyes she sometimes shows and you\u2019ve got yourself enough to make anyone, including Dewey, fall in love…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As expected, Dewey, who had been so motivated to contradict her, just fell silent at her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this alone. You can rely on us,\u201d she said, grabbing his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We weren\u2019t close enough to see his expression, but I could tell well enough that Dewey\u2019s cheeks had turned red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s fallen for her. O, Maria, you incredible heroine! Best waifu!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had to share my excitement with someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGeheheh, we just witnessed the very moment someone fell in love! Maria really can\u2019t help it, huh?\u201d I said, looking at Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He didn\u2019t seem to agree, and instead looked perplexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Coming from you, that\u2019s… Nevermind. Can you let me go now? This is starting to get hard to bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, sorry. Did it hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I noticed that I\u2019d been so thrilled that I had grabbed onto his shoulder, and was still holding onto it very firmly. So rude of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that it hurts,<\/em> but…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook, they\u2019re coming back! Let\u2019s go back before they see that we\u2019ve been snooping!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ran towards the house while pulling Sora with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, why were you out there?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had just woken up and was going to the bathroom, but then I saw you walking around alone and followed you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This explained why his timing had been that perfect… He was following me. But then, this meant that…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you follow me because you were worried about me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell… I… was worried that you\u2019d cause some other trouble, y\u2019know,\u201d he said, stumbling for words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was still grateful though. Say I went out alone and got lost… I could never make it back alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, Sora. You\u2019re so kind,\u201d I told him, and for some reason that made him freeze still for a while before letting out a big sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria may be oblivious, but you\u2019re on another level… No wonder the prince worries so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria? The prince? What\u2019s he talking about? <\/em>I asked him for an explanation, but he just grinned and told me to go rest in my room before the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went back to my room and thought about whether I should ask Maria about Dewey when she came back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was one romantic scene, though… My heart throbs just thinking back at it! The teary Maria and the blushing Dewey, staring at each other against the rising sun… It really looked like a picture from an otome game… Hm? What\u2019s this feeling of deja-vu?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahh! It was exactly the same as one of the pictures from that dream!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw that scene with Maria and Dewey in one of the still pictures in the FL2 gallery that Acchan was looking at…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That could only mean that this very examination was also an event in the game, and that means that doom could be waiting for me around every corner!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to be careful,<\/em> I told myself while ducking under the still-warm blankets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to be careful, and watchful, and… Going back to bed after waking up feels so good… so good that I feel my eyelids getting heavy…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I, Maria Campbell, walked through the fields that night, they were entirely different than when I had seen them during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was an incredible number of animals, and the air around them was so heavy that I felt like I could drown in it. I was so uncomfortable that I had to cover my mouth with my hand, but the others that were with me seemed unfazed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the past, when I was the only one able to feel how stagnant the air was, it had been caused by Dark Magic. Could that be the case this time too? I peeked at Sora, who, like me, was able to identify Dark Magic. If that really was the cause for this weird atmosphere, then he would react to it too… but he did not seem to notice anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps this had nothing to do with magic, and I had just been tired or ill. While I kept thinking to myself, the investigation was postponed to the next day, and we went back to our lodging for the night. As soon as I came back to my room, the tension I had been feeling was released at once, and I started feeling even worse. I sat down on the bed to catch my breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt turned out to be more problematic than we expected, huh?\u201d asked Katarina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could only muster a feeble sound to reply to her. She immediately noticed and came close to me, asking me if I was okay. I thought that I would start feeling better after a while, and told her I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShould I call for Laura or Hart to get you some medicine?\u201d she asked me, concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I declined and explained what had happened, struggling for words as I still felt ill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina kindly prepared me some hot tea. Drinking it, I noticed how cold my body had become. After making the tea, she started rubbing my back. I do not know whether it was because of her warm touch, but I instantly felt better. Warmth was returning to my body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you. I am feeling better now,\u201d I told her, and she gave me a pleasant smile of relief. She then asked me to explain more about what I had felt in the fields, and I, now feeling much better thanks to her, obliged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI cannot explain it well… It just feels heavy, like it did inside the mansion where Master Keith had been kidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you saying that someone\u2019s using Dark Magic around here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I cannot tell for sure. Sora looked unfazed…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was sure that if he had felt anything, he would have told me about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I will try to confirm it tomorrow. For now, I cannot say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Dark Magic was really involved, I had to be sure of it, and then report it to the examiners… feeling ill and becoming useless again was not an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I must try harder next time!<\/em> I thought to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t push yourself too hard, Maria,\u201d Katarina said, looking worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What did she mean? It was possible that we were dealing with Dark Magic, so I had to give it all my best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you trying too hard and feeling sick again. We\u2019re all here for you, so you can rely on us,\u201d she said, holding my hand. \u201cJust rely on us, okay?\u201d she continued with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt my face become red, and I replied with an embarrassed nod. Her smile became even more beautiful, filling my chest with a pleasant, warm feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now more than ever, I realized how much I loved Katarina Claes, the kind but strong girl who had changed my life \u2014 or rather, who was still changing my life, day after day. I wanted to be with her for as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow let\u2019s sleep. We have to rest before tomorrow,\u201d she said, and I went to bed feeling so elated that the pain I had been in moments ago now felt like a dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My bear was starting to feel lonely after being neglected as I talked with Katarina, so I hugged him close to my chest and happily fell asleep. My sleep was so pleasant that I woke up earlier than usual, but I didn\u2019t feel like going back to sleep a second time. The sun shone through the window, showing a morning too beautiful to be spent in bed. Surely it wouldn\u2019t be a problem if I just took a stroll in the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got up, taking care not to wake up Katarina and the bear. The air outdoors was so fresh that I felt like strolling a bit farther while taking it in. The birds had already woken up too, and were singing cheerfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat a wonderful morning!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked around to make sure that nobody was there so I could take a nice walk by myself, but I noticed someone not far from the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Dewey Percy, the boy who I used to know from my old hometown, although I had rarely spoken with him. To be exact, I used to avoid him. When I first tried to talk to him, years ago, he had sent me off abruptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat would a chosen one, a Light Magic user, want to do with me? Leave me alone,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After being treated like a nuisance in that way, I certainly did not look forward to more interactions with him… but now, I finally understood him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey\u2019s family was very poor, so much so that even the children had to work and could not attend school regularly. The other kids would make fun of them, and Dewey was doing his best not to let that influence him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back then, I used to protect myself by shutting other people out, and all that I could think about was myself. But now I could understand, and I had Katarina to thank for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now that I knew how he felt, I felt worried about how he had become… he was even more stubborn than he used to be, and his face always looked bleak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just looking at him, walking alone, reminded me of myself when I had just entered the academy and was trying to take on everything on my own. I had to help him. I had tried to speak with him several times after our reunion at the Ministry, but with very poor results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This time probably would not be that much different… but still, I went after him. He stopped under a tree behind the house, and I gathered my courage and spoke to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning, Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noticing me, he first looked surprised, and then annoyed. \u201cWhat are you doing here, Campbell?\u201d he asked coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was just strolling, taking in this beautiful morning, and then I saw you. I was wondering what you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean you followed me?\u201d he asked, even more coldly than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t let that get to me. \u201c…Yes. I just wanted to talk a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sounded as if I was bothering him so much that he wanted to run away immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, you know, we grew up in the same town, but we\u2019ve never talked much. I thought it would be fun to get to know each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat need is there for that? Is there any point in befriending your coworkers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think that maybe, if one is feeling down, or stressed about something, it can help to have someone to talk about it with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was only the two of us now, and I had managed to draw a longer response from him than I usually did, so I tried to be as open as I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no such problem. Please leave me alone. If that was what you wanted to talk about, there is no need for further discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut lately you\u2019ve been looking so much more tired than you used to…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you are not going to leave, I will. Goodbye,\u201d he said, turning around, but I grabbed his sleeve and stopped him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just think that you\u2019re being too hard on yourself, Dewey,\u201d I told him. I had to let him know \u2014 I would not have another opportunity any time soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat would you know about that? You barely even know me! Leave me alone!\u201d he said, even stronger than before, shaking off my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But his face did not look cold anymore… It was sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course. Being alone is hard, and it is sad.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I was just like you… I thought that I had to do everything on my own… I can\u2019t leave you alone, Dewey, because you\u2019re just like how I used to be,\u201d I said, holding onto his hand, just as Katarina had done for me the day before. This time, he did not shake it off, and just stared at me silently. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this alone. You can rely on us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina had given me these wonderful words, and now I passed them onto Dewey. He looked at me, and, without a word, he nodded. His expression didn\u2019t look as bothered anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As usual, Katarina was incredible. Her words had reached into Dewey\u2019s heart. I was so happy that I couldn\u2019t contain a smile, and he awkwardly followed suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We then went back to the house together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay, Campbell…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust call me Maria. You don\u2019t need to be formal with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes… So, Maria…\u201d he said, and I couldn\u2019t resist giggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I wanted to ask you… why are you friends with Lady Claes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean Lady Katarina?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. This may be rude to say, but you two have very different ranks, and I heard that she is not that powerful of a magic user. I do not even know why she is in the Ministry to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that Dewey did not think well of Katarina, and that made me sad, as I loved her so much. I could easily talk about how wonderful she was for a whole hour (not that that would be nearly enough), but then he might think that I was only being respectful because of her high rank. Before talking with her, all I had known about her was that she was the daughter of a duke, and the air of nobility around her made me feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s amazing. Just talk to her and you\u2019ll realize it,\u201d I said. That would be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Really?\u201d Dewey asked doubtfully, but I was sure that, eventually, he too would come to love Katarina. How could he not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We then went back to our own rooms, and I saw Katarina sleeping peacefully in her bed. Seeing her face was enough to make me happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is weird.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I remembered feeling very anxious about the possibility of impending doom, but I had somehow fallen asleep and stayed like that for quite some time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria had tried to wake me up, but she was so kind in doing it that it ended up taking very long, and, when I was finally out of bed, I had to hurry up and prepare to meet the others. When Anne woke me up at home, she would just violently take all my blankets off…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t even have time to ask Maria about Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We ate a light breakfast at the village chief\u2019s house and then made for the Ministry\u2019s building to report about what we had seen yesterday and to coordinate our actions with the local employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On our way there, I told Sora what Maria had felt in the air yesterday. I wanted to tell Hart and Laura too, but Larna was very strict in telling me that Dark Magic is a sensitive topic that should not be discussed with anyone willy-nilly, so I hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora confirmed that he hadn\u2019t felt anything out of the ordinary, but that he would try to pay more attention just in case. I told that to Maria, reminding her not to push herself too hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Ministry branch office, the employees were sitting around a table with preoccupied looks on their faces. They explained that the employee that had come with us yesterday had already reported on the situation and on how dire it seemed to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They even told us that now the animals \u2014 possibly because so many of them had come down into the village and no longer had places to hide \u2014 weren\u2019t going back to the forest during the day anymore, which could be a serious hindrance to the farmers. Our examination had now become too serious for newcomers to deal with. The problem had to be fixed as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, going back home because the examination had become impossible wouldn\u2019t be very responsible, so it was decided that we would stay and help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs you said, Handerson, we also believed that something could have happened in the forest, so we sent a man to investigate,\u201d said the branch director, wiping the sweat off of his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s the most reasonable thing to do. If the reason for the animals gathering is not in the fields, for example some kind of chemical attracting them, then something must be going on in the forest,\u201d Laura said while passing a hand through her hair, which was decorated, as usual, with a cute ribbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Nobody has been using any weird chemicals, nor planting any unusual crops. Also, the animals are not gathering in any one specific spot… Most of the animals are in the fields nearest to the forest, so they are probably running away from whatever happened there,\u201d the branch director was saying when another employee barged into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDirector! It\u2019s terrible! The forest…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was probably the one who had gone to investigate. He stopped, surprised by our presence, but his superior asked him for details and he started talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe forest itself was just like it was yesterday. It did not look any worse. But… there were no animals. None at all. Usually there are birds flying around and squirrels in the trees, but it is completely silent now,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It had all started with more tanuki than usual coming down into the village, but the situation had degenerated into something much bigger…<\/p>\n\n\n\n This meant that we had to go investigate the forest ourselves, together with the Ministry branch employees. Some of the villagers also came to help us, as the forest, while not particularly deep, was very wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was worried about Maria feeling sick again once we were in there, but she said, \u201cThe air does feel slightly heavy, but nowhere near yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, despite being able to sense Dark Magic as well, didn\u2019t seem to feel anything out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we went to rescue Keith, I thought that my power to sense this kind of thing was as powerful as Maria\u2019s, even if we sensed it in different ways. Did her magic get more powerful all of a sudden? Or did mine get weaker?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora\u2019s magic could have gotten worse, I figured, but it was more likely that Maria\u2019s had gotten better, since it would be normal for a game protagonist to become stronger in the sequel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We started our inspection of the forest. We were told that it would be dangerous to walk around alone since we weren\u2019t sure what was going on, so we were divided into groups. I ended up with Sora and a Ministry employee, since the two just happened to be near me at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was concerned about Maria not being in the same group as me, but since she would be with Dewey and a bulky Ministry employee, I figured that she\u2019d be fine. I told her to call out to me for help if anything bad happened, just in case, and then the groups all entered the forest and parted ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere really isn\u2019t a single animal around… it\u2019s so quiet it\u2019s giving me the creeps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbsolutely true,\u201d the middle-aged employee in my group said, looking around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked like a kind, amicable person, but his chubby, relaxed appearance suggested that he wouldn\u2019t be too useful if anything went wrong… on the contrary, we\u2019d probably have to protect him. The huge guy in Maria\u2019s group, on the other hand…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I wasn\u2019t exactly the best fighter around either, so I wasn\u2019t one to talk. My magic powers amounted to Dirt Bump,<\/em> and I didn\u2019t fare much better with swords and knives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All in all, the one we\u2019d have to rely on was Sora. He\u2019d probably have a hard time protecting both me and this other guy… If push came to shove, I\u2019d have to bring Pochi out and make him bark. I started regretting not having taught him any tricks yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…rina? Lady Katarina?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh! Yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora had been calling out to me with a preoccupied look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is no time to spaz out,\u201d he scolded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Dark Magic really is involved, this could be dangerous. Stay alert,\u201d he warned me under his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was right. I had to be careful. I started looking around, taking in every last detail…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, it all looks normal to me…\u201d is all I could say. Apart from the lack of animals, there was nothing off. It was just a… standard forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back during the Keith kidnapping, the atmosphere in that mansion was so thick that even I could feel that evil was afoot. This time, however, everything felt normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe it would have been different if we were surrounded by scary wilting trees, but all the plants were green and lush, and you could easily imagine the heroine coming here to pick flowers. No obvious evil here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI cannot find anything suspicious either,\u201d Sora said, carefully choosing his words. He probably meant that he didn\u2019t feel any Dark Magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt looks as it always does…\u201d said our puzzled Ministry companion, who had been to this same forest several times. \u201cMaybe the problem is in another area,\u201d he said with his shoulders slumped, maybe out of disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But not finding anything out of the ordinary was no reason to be disappointed! Though I did see him get all worked up about something big finally happening in his boring countryside life before we\u2019d set out… so that explained his reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What he meant by \u201canother area,\u201d by the way, is that we had divided the forest into four areas (east, west, south, north) to make it easier to search, and we were currently in the east one, while Maria\u2019s group, for example, was in the north one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered if she was okay. If this whole incident was an event in the game, then it was likely that something would happen in the area that the heroine was searching, and that worried me a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, I had to follow the orders, so I kept searching the east area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora probably noticed how troubled I looked, because he said, \u201cCalm down. And don\u2019t stray too far away, or I won\u2019t be able to protect you if anything happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sounded like he was worrying about me, so I thanked him with a grateful smile… and he gave me a light bonk on the head with his fist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we had seen that there was nothing wrong with our area, I suggested to the other two that we go looking for Maria, since I was still worried about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis area seems fine, so we should go check the other ones! We may be able to help the other groups if they need us to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora probably understood how I felt (possibly because I\u2019d looked nervous this whole time), and he promptly agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou are right! They might need our help!\u201d said the other Ministry employee excitedly, and we went back to the forest\u2019s entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The people who were keeping guard there were surprised to see us. \u201cAre you finished?\u201d they asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was no trouble in our area, so we came back to help with the other ones,\u201d I explained, seeing the other man in our group lagging, short of breath, behind me and Sora. He was drenched in sweat… Maybe we should have taken it a little easier.<\/em> Sorry.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, seeing how tired he was helped the sentries understand how serious we were about helping the other groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have not received any report of trouble from the other groups either, so rest here for a while, please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, it seemed that all the other groups, including Maria\u2019s, were fine. That made me feel slightly relieved. Now that the worry was out of my head, I noticed that I was thirsty. Hurrying all the way here had made me sweat quite a bit, if not as much as our soaked teammate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got some water from the sentries, and after giving some to our Ministry companion, I drank some myself. I felt so refreshed as the cool water poured down my throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, delicious. Maybe I\u2019ll have another glass,<\/em> I was thinking to myself when a man came running our way out of the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey! Hey! We got trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The relaxed atmosphere turned cold in an instant. What had happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d asked one of the sentries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe west area group…\u201d said the running man with a terrified face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? Did they find something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo… it\u2019s… someone got lost!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid they find a lost child or something?! But we barred entry into the forest!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not it! The Ministry employee that was in that group got lost!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sentry was at a loss for words, and the man from our group was just standing still with his mouth open in disbelief. Sora and I felt awkward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nathan Hart came all the way from the capital just to get lost in the forest… and during this emergency mission of all times… \u201cUnnghh, I\u2019m so sorry! I let the rope slip! It\u2019s all my fault…\u201d said Laura with tears in her eyes. It could have looked endearing, except for the fact that she was huge and musclebound…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and I immediately ran to meet the West area group, only to find our examiner wailing. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault,\u201d I said to comfort her, but I was worried about what we were going to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the trouble in the fields still had to be dealt with, we told the villagers and other Ministry employees that they could continue investigating the forest, but would we be able to find Hart? The forest, while not huge, wasn\u2019t exactly small either, and I honestly wasn\u2019t so sure we could succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And of course we couldn\u2019t just leave without him. I asked Laura if there was any possibility that he would find the way out of the forest on his own, and she promptly replied that it was utterly impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We started searching the area in which Hart had gotten lost, but there was no sign of him. Why do we have to look for a lost colleague in a forest? And with a Dark Magic user potentially lurking around, at that,<\/em> I thought, sighing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, there you are,\u201d we heard someone say. It was Maria, accompanied by Dewey. The two had finished investigating their own area and had come here to offer some much needed help. I was relieved that nothing bad had happened to Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe heard about Hart… did you find him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all. We don\u2019t even know if he\u2019s still in the west area. The worst thing about Nathan is that he can walk really fast,\u201d said Laura, putting a hand to her face as she sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI cannot promise that it will work, but there is something that I would like to try. Do you have anything that belongs to him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo Nathan? Well, all of his stuff is at the village chief\u2019s house where we\u2019re staying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCould I go back there to retrieve some of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, I guess. But why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just so happen to have a plush bear with me who is really good at finding people,\u201d said Maria with a troubled smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why, of course! The bear was originally a magical tool to search for people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria quickly explained about the bear to Laura and Dewey, and we went back to the village chief\u2019s house to borrow something that belonged to Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We first went to the room where Maria and I were staying to get the bear, who was relaxing on the bed. We then went to Hart\u2019s room and, while feeling guilty about it, looked through his luggage. I\u2019m sorry, but this is an emergency…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We found a small towel which we could easily bring with us and let the bear smell it. Technically the bear was \u201csensing the person\u2019s aura\u201d or something, but it just looked like it was sniffing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe even Pochi could be able to find people by smelling for them… I should teach him to do it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear raised one its short arms and pointed at where it thought Hart was, and we went in that direction. It worked for Maria this morning, so it might work this time too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the bear\u2019s arm we found ourselves near the forest, which was to be expected, and then we were guided into the west area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so he hasn\u2019t moved that much. Maybe he finally learned how easy it can be to get lost if you wander around aimlessly in such a place,\u201d said Laura, relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hart sure was being treated like a… No, I shouldn\u2019t think anything bad about my seniors. That would be rude. <\/em>But we had searched the west area quite thoroughly earlier. Just where was he hiding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm? Was this cave here all along?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bear had pointed us in the direction of a cave in the middle of the forest which I hadn\u2019t noticed before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe we just didn\u2019t see it, considering it\u2019s this deep into the trees…\u201d said Laura, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The weirdest thing was that, despite its location, it was a really large cave… How could we miss it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was still wondering that to myself while Maria called out to us in a stern voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat place is dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can\u2019t mean…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is she talking about Dark Magic?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria read my expression and nodded, her face darkened. I looked at Sora to see if he was feeling anything, but he shook his head with a confused expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDangerous? What do you mean?\u201d asked Laura, who wasn\u2019t in on the Dark Magic thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy Light Magic allows me to perceive dangerous powers, and I can sense them being at work there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat dangerous powers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do not have permission to say more…\u201d said Maria, troubled, following Larna\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, I won\u2019t ask any further,\u201d replied Laura, surprisingly easily persuaded. Despite her flamboyant looks, she was a reasonable type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019s dangerous as you say, then we shouldn\u2019t enter it… but your teddy is pointing towards it,\u201d she added with her shoulder drooped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at the bear, and it was definitely pointing towards the cave, meaning that Hart was in there…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019s a dangerous place, that\u2019s all the more reason to get Nathan out of it as soon as possible,\u201d she rightly said. We couldn\u2019t risk leaving him alone in that cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wish I could just tell all of you to wait for me here, but going alone doesn\u2019t sound very enticing… Will any of you come with me?\u201d Laura asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will. I can sense those evil powers and I can heal light wounds with my magic,\u201d Maria immediately replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll come with too. I\u2019ve overcome my fair share of danger in life, and I\u2019ll probably be able to help,\u201d said Sora, raising his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, those remaining outside of the cave, would be…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I glanced at Dewey, who instantly looked elsewhere. This was going to be awkward, and I also didn\u2019t want to stay here, worrying about them while I was doing nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will be coming too!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll come too!\u201d we both said simultaneously. We were probably thinking the same exact thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, we all went inside together. At least that made me feel safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We stepped into the cave. The ceiling had enough holes in it for enough sunlight to shine through. It wasn\u2019t dark or scary \u2014 actually, it was shiny and beautiful. But this was no time to appreciate the landscape, not after Maria had said that she could feel Dark Magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cave was very wide and full of branching paths, so Sora, who was probably used to this kind of exploration, started marking our path so we could get back outside safely. If I\u2019d gone in alone, I never would have thought of it… And the person we were looking for was a genius at getting lost, so he\u2019d never make it out of the cave by himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while, Sora whispered something into my ear. \u201cI\u2019ve started feeling the darkness too… we must be close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Maria, and her face was even bleaker than before. Maybe Hart was kidnapped by a Dark Magic user… that would be trouble. I hope he\u2019s safe…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhh!\u201d Laura screamed all of a sudden, before starting to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We ran after her until she stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-Nathan! We\u2019ve finally found you!\u201d she said, grabbing her colleague with one of her thick arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hart looked really surprised \u2014 who wouldn\u2019t be, if a femininely-dressed macho grabbed them all of a sudden? \u2014 but quickly understood what had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sorry… I must have caused you a lot of trouble,\u201d he said, lowering his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?!\u201d said Laura, tying him with the rope. He realized that he was in no position to complain this time. \u201cWhy did you come into this cave? I know that you have no sense of direction, but isn\u2019t this a bit too much?\u201d Laura asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI knew that this wasn\u2019t the way out of the forest, obviously,\u201d he explained, a bit offended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura, meanwhile, stared at him coldly… as if doubting that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhem…\u201d he continued, slightly awkwardly. \u201cAfter losing you people, I ran into someone suspicious and followed him here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomeone suspicious?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, there was a man walking alone through the forest. I sneaked after him and he eventually entered this cave, where, unfortunately, I lost him,\u201d he said, sounding proud of his achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what you\u2019re telling me is that you got lost in the forest, followed someone to this cave, lost him, and then got lost again inside the cave?\u201d said Laura, and now, as he nodded, he didn\u2019t look so proud anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMm… Maybe we should look for this person, but we can\u2019t risk getting lost in here,\u201d she continued, and I agreed with her. Of course I wanted to investigate the suspicious man, but I\u2019d rather not get lost inside a cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do not know whether that will lead us to him, but I can sense the dangerous aura becoming stronger. I could probably pinpoint its origin if we went further into the cave,\u201d said Maria with a serious gaze. Maybe the man that Hart had seen was a Dark Magic user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two examiners, after hearing what Maria said, looked at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can look after two of them, I\u2019d say,\u201d said Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can protect another one,\u201d said Hart. \u201cCan you look after yourself, Sora?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, as long as it\u2019s just me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood,\u201d said Laura with a smile, \u201cthen it\u2019s decided. I\u2019ll take care of you, Maria, and you, Katarina. Don\u2019t stray from me, got it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, you come with me,\u201d said Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey looked displeased, maybe because he had to be protected just like me and Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMake sure he doesn\u2019t get lost,\u201d Laura told him, giving him the rope that was connected to Hart, and Dewey hesitantly nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We then started venturing deeper into the cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t do anything dangerous, and stay behind me at all times. And if anything happens, just run away, okay?\u201d Laura whispered to us while we walked, and we nodded in agreement. \u201cI may not look it, but I\u2019m quite strong. Just leave it to me,\u201d she then said, apparently unaware of how ridiculously strong she looked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked through a narrow tunnel that forced us to walk into a single line, and then entered the large open space beyond it, which was darker than the rest of the cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it is coming from there,\u201d said Maria under her breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura led us into the open space, and we looked around while staying hidden behind a rock formation. I imagined that the place would be full of bad people scheming terrible things, like when Keith was kidnapped, but there didn\u2019t seem to be anybody in this large area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s someone,\u201d said Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following her gaze, I saw that there was indeed a man standing there. He seemed to be alone. Or is there someone else hidden from sight? <\/em>We moved a little closer to him, but we still couldn\u2019t see anybody else lurking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man wasn\u2019t particularly tall or short, fat or skinny… he was very average. However, his face looked so distressed that we could easily tell how upset he was despite the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think he\u2019s alone, and he doesn\u2019t look that strong, at least physically. Magic prowess being a different issue…\u201d said Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is likely to possess very strong magic. Coming in contact could be very dangerous,\u201d said Maria, referring to how Dark Magic users could control people by touching them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo we\u2019re fine as long as we don\u2019t come in contact with him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay. Wait here, all of you,\u201d said Laura before launching herself towards the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait!\u201d I screamed, meaning to run after her, but Hart stopped me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorry not. Guy is an incredibly talented magic user. They even call her \u2018the flame witch\u2019 at the Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was surprised to find out that people referred to her as \u201cwitch\u201d and not \u201cwizard,\u201d but more importantly, I was surprised to know that she was hiding that much power. I\u2019m sorry for thinking that you were just a weird macho…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fast like the wind, she reached the man and stopped in front of him. \u201cWho are you, and what are you doing here?\u201d she asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone would be surprised if a macho in girls\u2019 clothes spoke to them all of a sudden… but the man didn\u2019t even flinch. All he did was start muttering something to himself while staring into the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow, this is even more suspicious than I thought. Is he on something?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura looked at him, confused. \u201cAre you… alright?\u201d she asked, but the man, once again, did nothing but mutter to himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura gave up and came back to us, her head hanging low. \u201cThis isn\u2019t going anywhere… He\u2019s so out of it that he won\u2019t even look at me. I don\u2019t see anyone accompanying him, and it\u2019s too dangerous to leave him here alone. We have to bring him back to the Ministry with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can feel a dangerous magic aura coming from that man… If we are bringing him back, I will do it,\u201d said Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou say it\u2019s dangerous and you think I\u2019ll let you do it?\u201d Laura said, but Maria shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wield Light Magic, so his magic cannot affect me. There is no problem. Please let me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She really was immune to Dark Magic, but that man looked like trouble regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, you and I will do it together. I assume I can\u2019t touch him, but if anything happens, I\u2019ll be there to protect you,\u201d said Laura coolly before leaving the hiding spot behind the rock. She was probably thinking the same thing I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria nodded and followed her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, you still have Nathan\u2019s rope, right? Let\u2019s tie that guy up with it,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes,\u201d replied Dewey, and stood up to give it to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whoooooosh!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A gust of wind, so intense that I had to close my eyes, came from the direction that Laura and Maria were headed towards, accompanied by a deafening noise. The wind felt so strong even with the rock in front of us \u2014 if we hadn\u2019t been behind cover, we probably would have been blown away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wait, what about Dewey, Laura, and Maria?!<\/em> I tried looking past the rock to make sure that they were safe, but the wind was kicking so much dust into the air that I couldn\u2019t see anything… and I couldn\u2019t hear anything either. I hope they\u2019re okay…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I waited, worried, and eventually the wind subsided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you guys alright?\u201d I asked, jumping out from behind the rock, but they weren\u2019t where I expected them to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the dust fell back onto the ground, I realized that they\u2019d been blown away, Dewey and Maria to the right, and Laura to the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you alright?\u201d I asked again in both directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d all of them replied in turn. Phew, they\u2019re fine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at where the wind had come from. In the spot where the suspicious man had been standing, the dust was still dancing in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happened there? Was it an explosion or something?<\/em> I stared, trying to find out what had happened, until the dust settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw a large figure standing in place of the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I squinted, and eventually managed to make it out. I held my breath and my eyebrows raised in shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was… a dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before my very eyes was a beast that didn\u2019t even exist in my previous life. It looked just like the dragons in movies or manga: long neck, scale-covered body, and bat-like wings. The only unexpected thing was that it wasn\u2019t green, but black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Wow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The unicorn I\u2019d seen at the Biomagic Department in the Ministry was impressive, sure, but it had nothing on this huge, menacing creature. I never expected the day to come when I could say this, but I was sitting, frozen, staring at the dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and the others who were hiding with me, as well as those who\u2019d been blown away by the wind, were also looking at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat the…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That reaction had probably been Sora\u2019s, but everyone\u2019s expression was just as surprised. Was it the first time they\u2019d all seen a dragon? Maybe they were very rare, even in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Let\u2019s run,\u201d said Hart, standing up and looking terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Run? Why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was waiting, confused, when Sora grabbed my hand. \u201cPull yourself together! This is dangerous!\u201d he scolded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, yeah, dangerous. <\/em>I kind of understood what he said, so I stood up. Maria, Dewey, and Laura had also stood up, and they were coming towards us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s go back to the entrance! Follow me!\u201d said Hart \u2014 who wasn\u2019t tied to the rope anymore \u2014 before starting to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the entrance is in the opposite direction…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at a time like this! That idiot!\u201d said Sora, loudly clicking his tongue with annoyance. \u201cGet out of here, I\u2019ll catch up to you later,\u201d he told me before going after Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did as he said and started running, but I heard a loud sound behind me. I looked back and saw the dragon moving, making its way (smoothly, despite its huge body) towards the three that had been blown away by the wind and that were now trying to get back to where I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, it swung its huge arm towards Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No!!! <\/em>I tried to run and save her, but I could tell that I wouldn\u2019t make it in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was the closest one to her, so there was no way that Laura, who was at the opposite corner of the cave, would be able to help her. Nor could Hart and Sora, who\u2019d gone off running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria!\u201d I shouted. At the same time, I saw a small figure jump in front of Maria, pushing her away. That figure was hit squarely by the dragon\u2019s arm and flew through the air, and then smashed into a large rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey!\u201d This time it was Maria who screamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey, who had saved Maria, was lying motionless on the ground. When Maria ran to him and lifted him up, he let out a small painful moan, which at least meant that he was still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A faint light, probably created by Maria\u2019s healing Light Magic, now shrouded the two, but it was too far away for me to tell clearly what was going on. I had to move closer…<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dragon started moving again, aiming for Maria and Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wh-Why?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria had noticed, but she didn\u2019t move. Actually, she couldn\u2019t <\/em>move, because she had to bring the motionless Dewey with her. She hugged him as if to protect him and then stared the dragon in the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to do something! If I don\u2019t, they\u2019ll both be…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I grabbed a small rock from the ground and threw it at the dragon. I was pretty good at throwing things after all those years of training with toy snakes, and my rock hit its target. I actually felt a bit proud that this talent had come in handy at a time like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was afraid that the scales covering its body would be too hard for a single rock to matter, but it noticed me and looked away from Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfect!<\/em> I threw another rock (again, skillfully) at the dragon and shouted at the top of my lungs. \u201cHey you! Over here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either because of the rocks or because I had shouted, the dragon did indeed start moving towards me, as smoothly as a snake. I knew I had to distract it from Maria and Dewey, but I had no idea what to do after that… so I just ran away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina!\u201d Maria shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was a fast runner, but I was no match for a dragon, and I soon found myself cornered against a wall. I picked up a stick from the ground and held it like a sword, but I realized that wouldn\u2019t help much. At least if I\u2019d had a proper sword, I could have made use of all those fencing lessons…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, with a wall behind me and a dragon in front of me, I was in a very tight spot. Am I going to be doomed before even dealing with the routes in FL2?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt something warm in my pocket. Hm? I\u2019ve felt something like this before. It was that mirror back then… <\/em>Now all I had in my pocket was a magnifying glass, but why was it so hot? Maybe it had caught the sunlight and it was going to burn my clothes… that would be a serious problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall my name,<\/em>\u201d I heard a voice call out all of a sudden. I didn\u2019t know that voice, but it sounded familiar for some reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall me, and I will save you, Master.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, I know who you are.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t sure why, but I understood who that voice belonged to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did it. I called his name…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n My shadow started waving around, and out of it came… not Pochi, but the largest black dog I\u2019d ever seen, around the same size as the dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WH-WHAT?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The giant dog looked at my shocked face and wagged its tail, just like…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cP-Pochi? Is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWoof!\u201d he said happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This frightening beast was Pochi, the Dark Familiar pup who lived inside of my shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi… why\u2019d you become so big? How are we going to play in the garden like this?\u201d I asked him as he kept wagging its tail. He looked terrifying, but inside he was the same Pochi as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dragon, which we had both completely forgotten about, roared, and we remembered what a dangerous situation we were in. Being able to play in the garden should have been the last of my concerns. If we didn\u2019t do something, we wouldn\u2019t even get to see our garden ever again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dragon, maybe offended at being ignored, raised its arm to swing it down as it had previously done to Maria. Pochi swiftly jumped in front of me and bit the dragon\u2019s arm, making it cry with pain and back away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whoa, great job, Pochi!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He was growling menacingly at the dragon, who, with the pride befitting a beast its size, showed its fangs and roared in return before running towards him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi! Look out!\u201d I screamed, but he calmly dodged the dragon\u2019s bite, jumping to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I could feel any relief at the avoided attack, the dragon went in for a second bite, which Pochi dodged as well, but then it hit him from behind with its huge tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cP-Pochi!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ran towards Pochi, who was growling and grimacing, and the dragon showed its fangs again. He tried to dodge, but this time he was too injured to move quickly enough. The dragon scratched him, and Pochi writhed with pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to help Pochi before the dragon kills him…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I started throwing rock after rock at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStop! Stop hurting Pochi!\u201d I shouted while throwing rocks, sticks, and just about anything I could find on the floor. I managed to catch the dragon\u2019s attention, and it turned towards me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pochi took advantage of that and jumped incredibly fast at the dragon, biting its neck in a powerful critical hit. Even when the dragon fell onto the ground after letting out a deafening roar, Pochi kept biting, as if to finish it. Still on the floor, it twisted its body around a few times until it finally stopped moving at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! Pochi won! He defeated the dragon!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi! You were awesome!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He turned towards me and wagged its tail side to side with the same happy face he made when we were playing fetch at home, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. I patted his nose and told him that he was a good boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you hurt?\u201d I asked, and looked at where he\u2019d been hit by the dragon\u2019s tail, but there was no wound to be seen. He started jumping around, probably to show me that he was fine. I was so, so glad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were so cool, Pochi! Really great!\u201d I complimented him while still patting his nose. I\u2019d usually hold him in my arms and pet him all over, but now he was definitely too big for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will he be able to get back to his usual size? Will he even be able to hide in my shadow anymore? If he can\u2019t do that, then I\u2019ll have to keep him in the garden… Mother complained enough about the vegetable field, so this won\u2019t make her happy… She\u2019d probably tell me that I can\u2019t keep him… What would I do then?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I was busy thinking about this, I noticed smoke coming out of the dragon on the floor. I-Is it going to explode?!<\/em> I thought, but the smoke quickly vanished, and the dragon with it. What? Where did it go? Why did it disappear? Can dragons just disappear?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That was surprising enough, but when I looked back at Pochi, I realized that he\u2019d also gone back to his normal puppy-size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have no idea what\u2019s going on anymore… is it some kind of trick?! Disappearing dragons, shrinking dogs… how does this even work? …Well, magic <\/em>does exist in this world, so I guess it all makes sense.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, Pochi, I\u2019m so glad you went back to normal! We\u2019ll still be able to play in the garden!\u201d I was so relieved that I wouldn\u2019t need to build a house in the garden for Pochi, and he could still live in my shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I patted his little head as he breathed with his tongue sticking out and his tail swinging from side to side. I noticed he was looking at my hand, which was still holding one of the sticks I\u2019d grabbed to throw at the dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you want to play? Okay, try to catch it!\u201d I said. I pulled my arm back, preparing for the throw, when someone grabbed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to interrupt you while you\u2019re having so much fun,\u201d said Laura, who had appeared behind me all of a sudden, short of breath and with a troubled expression. \u201cThere are a ton of things that I\u2019d like to ask you, but first… are you hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pochi had protected me from the dragon, and I had come out of it without a scratch. And even Pochi himself, despite his fight just now, looked fine too. I checked him after he went back to his normal size, but I couldn\u2019t find any wounds. Another thing to write off as a mystery of magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s good. Now, Maria and Dewey…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight! Maria and Dewey!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forget about throwing sticks!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I ran towards them, and Maria, with a pale face, asked me whether I was wounded. I told her I wasn\u2019t, and her face instantly changed to show her relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat about Dewey?\u201d asked Laura, looking at him. He was being held by Maria, his eyes closed but visibly still breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria let Dewey go and pushed him into Laura\u2019s arms. \u201cI used my Light Magic to heal him, but the blow was so strong that he lost consciousness, and it would be better if a doctor took a look at him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay. As soon as we\u2019re out of here, we\u2019re bringing him to one,\u201d Laura said, taking Dewey into her big, strong arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, however, was looking down uneasily. He\u2019d gotten hurt trying to protect her, so that would make it even worse if anything serious had happened to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria finally stopped looking at Dewey, raised her head, and walked towards me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hm? Does she need something from me?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She stopped in front of me, looking into my eyes and glaring. \u201cI apologize in advance for being rude,\u201d she said, bowing her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was the first time Maria had ever looked at me like that, so I was surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wh-What? Why?<\/em> I asked myself, confused, and Maria, as angry as I\u2019d never seen before, started scolding me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy did you lure the dragon your way?! You could have died! Did you even think about what could happen?! I bet not!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI… I didn\u2019t, but… I mean, you two were in danger, so I just… I just went and did it without thinking about it too hard…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to excuse what I had done, but Maria\u2019s expression turned even angrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am thankful that you tried to save us. But to use yourself as bait… If anything had happened to you, I… I…\u201d Tears were now falling from Maria\u2019s wide eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cM-Maria!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf anything had happened to you because of me… How could I…\u201d she kept saying, crying. She must have been so worried about me…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I made you worry. I won\u2019t do dangerous stuff anymore,\u201d I said, sorry for what I had done, and I hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Please do not,\u201d she said, blushing and hugging me back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was shivering and shedding tears, so I gently stroked her back. I felt terrible that I\u2019d made her worry about me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria eventually calmed down and stopped crying and shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re awake,\u201d said a deep, manly voice besides us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWaaah?!\u201d replied a different, terrified voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We turned to look, and saw that Dewey had just woken up in Laura\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing he saw upon waking up was the face of a huge, muscular woman staring at him… I\u2019d have screamed too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, who had regained her composure, left my hug and walked towards Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?\u201d she asked, and he jumped up and out of Laura\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m perfectly fine!\u201d he said, flailing his body around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He really looks okay. I\u2019m glad.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria was relieved at seeing that he wasn\u2019t hurt. \u201cThank you for saving me, but don\u2019t do anything dangerous anymore, okay?\u201d she said, stroking his head. Dewey\u2019s face instantly flushed red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hehe, look at him. He\u2019s completely fallen for her. This must be his first crush! Ahh, it\u2019s too cute!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me… can we leave already? We have caught the suspicious man,\u201d said Hart, who had just come back after getting lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind him was Sora, holding the rope connected to Hart in his hand and carrying the suspicious man on his back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUh? Is it okay to touch him, Sora?\u201d asked Laura, surprised, remembering that Maria had warned her against that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is unconscious, so I think there is no problem,\u201d said Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d added Maria, \u201chis aura is not as threatening anymore. It should be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine then,\u201d said Laura, reassured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe should leave before we run into anything else,\u201d Hart pointed out, walking in the complete opposite direction to where the entrance was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis way,\u201d said Sora, pulling on his rope. Who\u2019s examining who, again?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, if you can\u2019t move well I can always carry you,\u201d Laura kindly said to Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, but I can move on my own,\u201d he replied coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe waking up to Laura\u2019s stare had been hard on him… He seemed to have no intention of being carried around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we were walking out of the cave, Sora also scolded me under his breath, calling me a \u201creckless idiot\u201d and gently smacking me on the back of my head. He didn\u2019t put it kindly, but his expression really looked worried, so I just apologized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t ever do that again!\u201d he said while giving me a noogie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had made so many people worry… I\u2019ll have to be more careful from now on.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The cave wasn\u2019t exactly dark, but when we stepped out into the forest, it was bright enough to feel dazzling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? There are birds,\u201d I said, noticing them flying over my head. There were none when we\u2019d gone inside the cave. I wonder why…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d said Maria, \u201cthe animals had left the forest because of that dark aura I felt. It has almost disappeared completely now, so that could explain why the animals are back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt disappeared? When?\u201d asked Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen that large creature did. Maybe the aura was emanating from it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder if the animals left the forest for fear of that creature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat seems likely,\u201d said Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were right. We went back to the village, and, after a while, the animals started going back to their old habitat in the forest. At Hart\u2019s suggestion, I sent Pochi after the few who had taken a liking to the crops and didn\u2019t want to go back, and he quickly drove them back into the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hart also wrote a report on what had happened, lifting that responsibility from the rest of us, since we couldn\u2019t properly explain all the things that had happened involving Dark Magic. He wasn\u2019t very useful on the field (if anything, he was a burden), but when it came to administrative work, he was an outright genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaning up after the mission would normally have taken several days and multiple people, but he managed to do all of it alone and in less than a day, giving out all the appropriate instructions and quickly finishing all the work we needed taken care of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, a few days later, we were back at the Ministry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The weather was perfect, making me feel optimistic about the examination. Keith, who wouldn\u2019t be going to the Ministry today since he had to help Father with his work, came to the garden to greet me before I left. \u201cBe very careful, Big Sister,\u201d he said, for the hundredth time since yesterday. \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3419"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3421,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3419\/revisions\/3421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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