Mia turned back at the king's words just as she was about to leave.
"For what reason…"
Even after the ministers, the Grand Vizier, and Roland had all departed, the king waited a little longer. Just when Mia began to feel a twinge of boredom, he finally spoke.
"Don't be too disappointed about not receiving training from Leca. The Grand Vizier is a rather exacting stickler for principles…"
Mia nodded.
"I'm fine with it."
"For your reference—no one in Sibareth has ever successfully communicated with one of the vicious hybrid unicorns. It's said that only a very small number among the fairy race have managed it."
"Then…"
"Yes, you may have the advantage over us. It might even be surprisingly easy for you. It would have been ideal to receive help from the Fairy King regarding this…"
Mia lowered her head.
"I apologize."
The king gave a gentle smile.
"I didn't bring it up to blame you. If not Leca, you can train with Rodolphe or another instructor. How about Julius?"
"…Excuse me?"
"He's worked with many divine beasts and fiends. He's got a wealth of experience. And, it wouldn't be a bad thing for you two to grow closer before you become queen."
"O-oh… well…"
Perhaps misinterpreting her hesitation as shyness, the king let out a hearty laugh.
"No need to be embarrassed. Two is better than one, after all. I'll leave him the message—"
"Mia!"
She had gone to the Fairy Garden. Julius had been speaking to Gaia, but when he saw her, his eyes sparkled with joy.
"I… I was told to come here," Mia murmured.
After what had happened before, it felt awkward facing this man again.
"I heard about it too. So it's been decided—your trial will be with the unicorn, right?"
"So they say."
"I'm honored His Majesty trusts me with this. Truly, I'm the most suitable one for the task. Right, Gaia?"
At his words, Gaia swished her silver tail, then let out a cheerful chirp and flutter, looking directly at Mia.
Though she'd never spoken to a horse before, Mia instinctively knew it was a greeting. Gaia was magnificent—noble and beautiful. Mia gently stroked her shimmering silver back in admiration.
"She's stunning. Do you brush her every day?"
"No need. Divine beasts don't require care from humans. Their intelligence and sensitivity are on par with ours—they can take care of themselves. That's why we call them divine."
"Then what's the difference between them and fiends?"
"Fiends are far more aggressive and have much lower intelligence. I'll show you."
Julius whistled. A moment later, a fiery red bird flew in. It was about the size of a dove.
"Neria, this is Mia—my future queen. Say hello."
At that, the red bird fixed its blazing eyes on Mia… then suddenly lunged.
"Ahh!"
Mia instinctively closed her eyes and shielded her face with her arms.
But—
Nothing happened.
When she peeked through her fingers, she saw Julius's arm in front of her face. The red bird had already pecked him and flown off, leaving blood dripping from his wound. Julius slowly pulled his arm back.
"Oh no! Are you okay? You're bleeding a lot!"
"I'm fine. It's nothing."
He tore a strip from his white robe and wrapped it around the wound like a bandage. Still, the pain showed in his expression.
"Ack… Um… Thank you. But if the wound's serious, maybe we should postpone the training and—"
"No need. I can endure something like this."
Julius smiled despite the pain, and the peridot embedded in his forehead shimmered intensely under the sunlight.
Interesting. Those gemstones on their forehead—they are like mood stones. When they are sad, they weep elixir like tears. When they are happy, they gleam. When they hurt, it clouds over. And when they feel disturbed or suspicious… they flashe with something dark and sinister.
"What are you staring at?"
"Nothing, but… I was just thinking how interesting the jewel on your forehead is."
Julius looked pleased. An uncharacteristic blush briefly crossed his face before he straightened up with a smug grin.
"Normally, mixed-blood children from different bloodlines are discouraged. They're born with only tiny fragments of gemstones—too weak, with barely any mana."
"Ah…"
"But we don't need to worry. No one's ever seen a hybrid between our kind and a fairy, or a child born of a human who bathed in the water where a fairy underwent molting. Who knows—we might give rise to a whole new race of unimaginable power…"
As he spoke, Julius cupped Mia's chin and gazed into her eyes. Mia stared at him in disbelief.
Wasn't this the same nonsense the Fairy King had spouted?
She pushed his hand away.
"If that's your reason for wanting a child, count me out."
"Ah, of course. I couldn't care less about the child. I only want you."
His eyes bore into her with unshakable sincerity. Mia felt the pressure of his gaze and swallowed hard.
"You need to train me."
At those words, Julius gave a soft chuckle. The light from the peridot on his forehead dimmed noticeably, and Mia felt a twinge of confusion.
"I can't help but be weak in front of you. Then…"
Julius turned to face both Gaia and Mia, then said,
"All divine beasts are wary of humans at first. So they usually keep their distance and observe. You must never approach or try to touch them too soon. Unlike dogs or cats, they react strongly to unexpected human contact and may attack—so you have to be careful."
"So basically, treat them like people?"
"Exactly. Just like humans keep a respectful distance when meeting for the first time, so do divine beasts."
"Can they understand everything we say?"
"Of course. Some can even speak human languages. I'm not sure about unicorns, though."
"But they at least understand what we say?"
"Yes. Also, like people, divine beasts have different personalities. Most are gentle, but some individuals are as violent and aggressive as fiends. So be cautious."
"…So basically, it depends on the one I end up with."
Just then, Gaia gently licked Mia's cheek. Mia's face lit up with joy.
"What does this mean? Does she want to be friends?"
"…Something like that. I think she likes you."
Overjoyed, Mia stroked the soft fur on Gaia's face. Her long eyelashes shimmered beautifully. Then Gaia snorted softly, stomped a hoof, and looked at Julius.
"Hm? Ah—right!"
Julius brushed through Gaia's silver mane.
"Is this what you meant?"
"Prrr… prrrr…"
Gaia nodded just like a human would. Julius summoned a pair of scissors into the air and snipped off a bit of her gleaming mane.
"Take this with you for the unicorn trial. It'll help. Be sure to thank Gaia."
"Huh? What is this…?"
"Unicorns are still horses, after all—same species as Gaia. If you carry her hair with you, it'll go much better. At the very least, it should keep the unicorn from ramming you with its horn."
"Wow… thank you! I don't even know how to express it… Gaia, thank you so much!"
Mia pressed her cheek against Gaia's face. The silver mare stood calmly, swishing her tail as if pleased.
"Aren't you going to thank me for anything?"
Julius approached, and Mia mumbled awkwardly.
"I… just said thank you."
"Then—would you allow me a kiss on the forehead?"
"…No."
Mia stepped back.
"I'm sorry, no."
The peridot on his forehead dimmed with a dark flicker. Julius let out a light sigh, then took Mia's hand and lightly kissed the spot where her pulse beat at her wrist.
"Then… good luck, brave girl."
"…Thank you. For everything you've done."
Mia turned and ran.
A large moon glowed in the darkness. Between drifting black clouds, a few bats flitted across the sky.
Wearing a long robe with a soot-gray hood, Leca stood before the door of a modest hut nestled deep within the black forest.
He had come to visit a witch's home he had contacted in advance. He had known her since childhood, when he used to wander through markets and back alleys.
The nobles of Sibareth's twelve bloodlines often scorned these lower-ranking witches—most of whom were of mixed blood between humans and the twelve clans, or crossbreeds between clans themselves—but Leca often felt more at ease with them than in the royal palace.
He knocked on the skull-shaped knocker with a heavy rap. A raspy voice came from within.
"Just pull the handle—it'll open!"
Leca opened the door and stepped inside. The hut was small, but well-equipped. At its center, a large cauldron bubbled and steamed impressively.
A calico cat meowed when it saw him.
"Well, well! Look who it is. You've grown so much."
A crooked old crone with blotchy skin and a hooked nose cackled in a gravelly voice. Leca smiled warmly.
"I've been grown for quite a while now, haven't I? You still say that."
"Do I? Old folks lose track of time, you know… hohoho."
"You're not that old. You still seem strong to me."
When Leca kindly removed his hood, the old woman grinned again.
"By the way, that was quite the curious letter you sent."
"I'm sorry to ask on such short notice. Were you able to find anything?"
Instead of answering, the old witch walked over to the bubbling cauldron and gestured to him.
"Come here, dear. Take a look for yourself."