I am Ruriha.
A Class I delver known as the "Fairy Empress."
I also serve as the elder of the fairial village.
I usually stay in the village, so this is my first time descending to the surface in three years.
On top of that, this time I'm meeting my daughter Mineha for the first time in two years.
According to Emmy, whom I had left her with, she's currently active as a Class III delver.
That's wonderful news. No mother could fail to be pleased if her daughter has become what she wished to be.
But there is one concern. The OOPArt my daughter uses.
The "Fairy Phantom Spear" holds deep sentimental value for me as well.
It's a memento of my late husband.
Of course, the armor and spear I use are mementos too.
Those were found by the Witch, given to me, maintained by my husband, and made usable.
They're precious mementos of our adventures together. Passing the Fairy Phantom Spear to our daughter was my husband's dying wish.
Mineha knows this and has continued using the Fairy Phantom Spear.
But the Fairy Phantom Spear is a weak OOPArt.
According to my husband, it was a prototype. And a failed one at that—unsuited for combat.
The weapon of a fairial is a spear.
A spear is a point of pride for fairials.
My daughter—a village elder and Class I delver—using such a crude spear, no matter how precious the memories...
And what if something were to happen to Mineha?
If she's still... using the Fairy Phantom Spear even now.
That said, I've arrived at the meeting place, but... it's in front of this hero statue fountain, right?
She's not here. Where are you, Mineha?
I deliberately kept my fairial form large so I'd stand out.
The only person in front of the fountain is a woman. Oh my, she's extraordinarily beautiful.
How should I put it? Dazzling beauty with an undeniable allure.
Like... a body so lovely it makes one feel jealous.
Honey-colored hair and honey-colored eyes. By coincidence, the same as mine.
A coat, a shirt, and a skirt. None of them are flashy, but they're beautifully tailored.
A girl-like purity and a woman's sensuality are so blatantly on display. I'm envious.
If I were younger, I would have wanted to become that kind of woman too.
Oh, oh, there we go. Can't overlook that, can we? She's being hit on by men.
But she seems troubled. Yes. If they get too pushy, maybe I should lend a hand.
Oh, she's looking this way. She gives them a radiant smile, ignores them entirely, and comes toward me.
"Mother!"
"Huh?"
"Mother. Oh, thank goodness—I can see you again."
"...Mineha...?"
"Yes. It's Mineha. It's been a while, Mother."
"...It's been two years since we last met, hasn't it?"
"Yes. That's right."
"You're ten years old, aren't you?"
"Yes. I turned ten."
"...It's Mineha, right?"
"Yes, it is. See, just like this."
She transforms into a fairial.
She's gotten smaller, but she's still a magnificent, beautiful woman with an enchanting allure.
No way.
"...You're ten?"
"Yes, I am. But Mother, what's been wrong with you since we met?"
What in the world—my daughter became a woman in just two years.
Two years.
To us, who live for a thousand years, two years feels like two months.
No. Normally, two years is still two years.
And in those two years, my daughter... has become a woman so beautiful that even I feel jealous.
Mineha has grown up.
"Who is he?"
"Mother?"
Mineha tilts her head in confusion.
"The person you're seeing."
"There's no one."
She answered immediately. No way.
"Don't play dumb!"
"It's not that I'm playing dumb—I've never dated anyone. What's been going on with you, Mother?"
My daughter raises her voice with a troubled expression on her face.
This demeanor. It seems to be true.
Then why is this child so...
"You have someone you love, don't you?"
"There is someone precious to me."
"I see."
Can falling in love really make someone this beautiful?
Apparently so.
"I'm living with that person right now."
"Wait, living together...? Such important news—you never mentioned it in your letters."
"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you in person."
"You surprised me, Mineha."
"I'm sorry, Mother. It was difficult to tell you, so I couldn't bring myself to write about it."
"I understand, but... I'm worried. Are you living properly?"
"Yes, I'm doing well. Recently, I've been making breakfast. I cook it myself."
"Oh, a morning person."
"Mother?"
"Sorry. Yes, so you're cooking now."
I taught her a few dishes, but this was the child who absolutely refused to cook at home.
"Yes. I didn't used to be, but I've come to enjoy cooking."
"..."
What a radiant smile. This child—was she always the kind who could smile like this?
I've seen her smile before, but was she ever this brilliant?
"I'd love to meet that precious person of yours."
"I'm an Attendant, so you can meet him."
"Oh?"
"Yes. He's the Witch's apprentice. His name is Wof."
"Wof..."
I've heard that name somewhere. No—I've seen that name before. The Witch's apprentice!?
"Let's go, Mother. To Hydrangea Grand Hall."
She starts walking. I fall in beside her.
"Yes, I'd like to hear more about this Wof."
"Gladly."
"Oh, come to think of it, I met a very kind person recently."
"A kind person?"
"Yes, when I got lost."
We'd been exchanging letters, but talking like this in person is rather enjoyable.
After catching up on things, Mineha stops.
"There's one more thing I haven't told you."
"What is that?"
"—It's about the Fairy Phantom Spear."
"So you're still using that one, aren't you?"
I could tell from the atmosphere.
I expected as much, but it's still disheartening.
Mineha pulls a spear from her pouch.
No. That spear was pure white.
But this one is blue, with triangular white patterns spiraling around it.
And there's more.
The beloved spear in my own pouch, the "Fairy Decree," reacted slightly.
"This is the 'Fairy Star Emergent Spear.'"
"That's not it."
"No, Mother. It is the Fairy Star Emergent Spear. I obtained a 'Star.'"
The expression on Mineha's face at that moment carried a sharpness that felt like a challenge aimed right at me.
How interesting.
"So you've finally taken a step forward."
"Yes."
"Very well. Then let's have an exhibition match to prove it."
"Mother... understood. I'll prove it."
"Show me your 'Star.'"
"Yes. To your heart's content."
Oh, I never thought this day would come. I'm so happy I could cry as a mother.
I'm looking forward to it.
Though I wonder—what is a "Star," exactly?
"Oh, on another note, I'm hungry."
"So am I. I know a great place—I'll introduce you."
Mineha puts her spear away.
That's when it happened.
"Oh, found ya~♡ Found ya~♡"
"Heh, not just decent—they're really somethin', huh?"
"And they're fairials, no less."
"Ooh, mother and daughter. We ain't gonna be bored."
Oh my, the men have surrounded us.
From the looks of it, they appear to be delvers. Or perhaps just thugs.
"You were that one from earlier."
"How rude, ignoring us like that."
Oh, one of them presumptuously reaches to put his hand on Mineha's shoulder.
But Mineha swats his hand away with a look of disgust. Good.
"Ow!"
"Hey now, no need to be so rough."
"Oh my, and what do you want? If this is a pickup attempt, we're not interested."
"This ain't no pickup~♡"
"Mother, let's go."
"Hey now, hold on hold on."
The men block our path. Good grief.
One of them grabs Mineha's arm by force. How terrible.
Another grabs my arm. That hurts.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"That's enough. Let's drag 'em into an alleyway~♡"
"Right."
"Now, now. Be quiet!"
"Don't resist, or I'll stab ya!"
The men draw swords and knives. How impatient.
But an alleyway? Just what I had in mind. I say to Mineha, who is struggling:
"Mineha. Be still."
"Mother!?"
"Don't resist. All right?"
"Ohhh, she gets it~"
"Resistance is futile~♡"
"Let's have ourselves a real good time."
"And then we'll sell 'em off. Fairial mother and daughter—pretty ones like these'd fetch a fine price."
"Mother!"
"Let's go. The alleyway."
And so we were dragged into the alleyway by the men.
I wonder what happens next. Hee hee.
The alleyway.
Mineha is sulking.
"There's no need to be that upset. You understand, right?"
"I suppose so, but I still wish you'd said something more firmly."
"Sorry. This alleyway was perfect, and since they were going to drag us there anyway, it saved us the trouble."
"Ugh. And Mother—what happened to these guys?"
The men from before are on the ground, convulsing.
The moment we arrived in the alleyway, I sent an electric current through them from the ground up through their feet.
I don't mean to boast, but I've mastered a Thunder Relic.
A trick like this is nothing special.
"I have no idea."
"This was your doing, wasn't it, Mother?"
"Yes. I sent a fairly strong current through them, so I'm not sure whether they're alive or dead. Besides, what happens to them is none of our concern. Right?"
"I suppose that's true."
Alive or dead—it doesn't matter to me.
Even if they're alive, they won't be moving for a while. A guard will find them eventually.
Considering what they tried to do to us, that's only fair.
That young man warned me, but this really is a dangerous place.
"Right then, let's go."
"Whoa, what the hell is this?"
"What's goin' on?"
"Those guys—"
Just as we're about to leave, another swarm shows up.
Cockroaches, are they? If you see one, there are thirty more.
These look like about twenty.
"What do you want?"
"Ohhh, so you did a number on 'em, huh?"
"They dead or what?"
"My, my. Does it really matter if they're dead?"
"Mother?"
I'm irritated. I don't want to waste any more precious time with my daughter.
I draw my beloved spear from my pouch. A silver spear with four black wings.
It's wrapped in a yellow band inscribed with black characters.
I incant:
"'Fairy Decree,' Article One: In the name of the Fairy Empress, all who are foolish, prostrate yourselves!"
I swing my spear downward, and every last one of them slams face-first into the ground.
"Guhk—!"
"Guaaah!"
"Gaaaahhh!"
"Gyaaaah!"
"Guaaaaaaah!"
What ugly, wretched screams.
"So this is Mother's Relic..."
"Mineha. This time, let's really get going. I'm hungry."
"Mother, you're just going to leave them like this?"
"Don't worry. Someone will clean them up."
"..."
Don't make that face. You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen—enough to make me jealous.
But you don't need to surpass me in allure. Not yet.