Bonus Short Stories

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The following story depicts a discussion that takes place the day after the events of this book.

◇Houghtow City—Elinàsze’s Room(?)◇

Elinàsze stood with her arms folded in a room lined wall-to-wall with bookshelves, packed tight with innumerable magic grimoires. She was perusing one of her texts, which was floating in the air in front of her, the pages turning by magic in response to the movement of her eyes. “I see...” Elinàsze nodded as she read, touching the rim of her large round glasses. “Yes, I do believe this would be a perfect use case for that spell...”

Knock, knock...

As Elinàsze read, there came a knock on the door. Instantly, her eyes lit up. “Papa! Come in!” As she turned to face the entrance, she quickly changed the dark-hued and drab outfit she had been wearing during her work into a gorgeous white outfit featuring an elegant skirt with a single wave of her finger. Removing her glasses and placing them in her pocket, she went to open the door.

There on the other side was Flio—just as Elinàsze had surmised. “Hello, Elinàsze,” he said. “How did you know it was me?”

“Well, my laboratory is in a whole other world, of course!” Elinàsze replied with a smile as she showed Flio in. “You’re the only one who could possibly show up here uninvited.”

That’s right...Flio thought as he glanced over the surrounding shelves.Come to think of it, didn’t Hiya say they were unable to enter this place directly? But I was able to get in with my Teleportation spell...

“So, papa,” Elinàsze said. “What brings you here today?”

“Actually,” Flio began, “the Oldwass College of Magic sent us a message.”

“The Oldwass College of Magic?” Elinàsze cocked her head ever so slightly. Not long ago, she and a small number of her classmates had visited that institution on a short-term exchange study program. “Do they want me for another exchange program, perhaps?”

“Um, well...no. It isn’t that...” After a moment of searching, Flio’s eyes landed on one book in particular among the many tomes in Elinàsze’s laboratory. “So, Elinàsze,” he said. “Didn’t you tell me you made copies of some of the books that the Oldwass College of Magic forbids people from removing from their library?”

“That’s right,” Elinàsze nodded. “What about it?”

“Well apparently, one of the magic grimoires in the library was found to have been replaced with a copy...” Flio reached out, casting a quick spell. The book he had spotted flew off of the shelf, gliding through midair into Flio’s hands. He opened it to find a wax seal on the inside of the cover, testifying that this volume was in fact the original. A knowing smirk crossed his face.

“You know, now that you mention it, I remember the library’s security magic going off when I left. At the time I just dispelled it without giving it any further thought. I suppose I must have taken one of the originals by mistake. Oopsie!” Elinàsze said, playfully sticking out her tongue.

I thought the library’s security magic was supposed to be pretty tight...Flio thought as he looked over at his daughter’s expression of innocent mischief.I guess Elinàsze was able to dispel it without anyone noticing...

“So, papa!” Elinàsze said, a distinct sparkle in her eyes. “Would you like for me to accompany you when you go to the Oldwass College of Magic to return the book?”That way I can spend a whole day with my papa!.

Flio cast another quick spell. The magic grimoire shone with light and promptly vanished, a new one appearing in its place. “No need,” he said, smiling his usual easygoing smile. “I already made the exchange.”

“Oh...” said Elinàsze, her expression visibly darkening.Leave it to papa to switch out the book all the way from another world...she thought.But... But I really thought I’d have a chance for a daddy-daughter date...

Flio couldn’t help from looking just a bit amused at Elinàsze’s disappointed reaction.

◇Houghtow City—Flio’s House◇

Belano was confused.

She was sitting at the living room table after dinner, enjoying a cup of Charun’s tea. Elinàsze was sitting across from her, nominally doing the same, but for some reason she was sitting completely still, holding the Hi Izuran teacup without taking a drink. Plus, her eyes had been focused on Belano for a while now.

Sh-She isn’t looking at my face, though...Belano thought.She’s looking at something lower than that, I think...Distressed, she took a sip of tea, only to see Elinàsze’s eyes flicker slightly, moving to follow the cup.W-Wait...Belano thought.Is it just me, or are her eyes moving every time my hands are...?Unable to tell what Elinàsze could possibly be thinking, Belano could do nothing but sit there as her confusion mounted.

“Oh, Belano,” Flio said, stepping up beside her and interrupting her thoughts. “How’s the new magic ring treating you?”

Belano, as it happened, was born with only a small amount of magic power in her body. In order to increase her volume of magic, Flio had designed a training regimen for her that involved wearing a number of magic rings of his own creation. Even as they spoke, the fingers of both her hands were covered in an astonishing number of gems—only her thumbs were free of such decoration.

“A-Ah!” Belano said. “W-Well, I did feel a little unwell at first, but I think I’ve mostly gotten used to it...”

“The new one should increases your magic power further above what you’re used to,” Flio said, smiling as usual. “Keep it up, but don’t push yourself past your limits, okay?”

“Th-Thank you very much...” said Belano. “I’ll do my best...”

Belano idolized Flio as something of a surrogate for the father and older brother she lost in the war with the Dark Army. Needless to say, receiving such words of praise and encouragement from him put a great big smile on Belano’s face.

Elinàsze watched the exchange with conflict in her eyes.All those rings Miss Belano is wearing...she thought, keeping her expression completely neutral as she stared at the rings on Belano’s fingers.I know they’re only training to help her increase her magic reserves—intellectually, I know that...Elinàsze clenched her teeth together tight in an unconscious gesture of frustration.But even if it’s only for training...it makes me just miserably jealous to see her receive new rings from papa so often!

To Elinàsze, who loved her father more than anything in the world, it would be simply impossible for her not to envy Belano for the rings Flio gifted her on a regular basis.

I could ask for help with my own training...Elinàsze thought.But there’s no need to increase my magic reserves at all, is there...? I wonder... Is there any way I could convince papa to givemerings like that?

◇Houghtow City—Flio’s House◇

In the living room on the first floor of Flio’s house was an enormous table big enough for all the residents of the building to sit at together. Further back, in a carpeted area by the window, stood a large hutch. This hutch was home to Flio’s pet Sybe and his family.

It was early in the morning, before the sun had risen, and Sybe’s family were sound asleep in their hutch just like always. Sybe was in his psychobear form, lying flat on his back and snoring away. Shebe, his unicorn rabbit wife, and their children Sube, Sebe, and Sobe were all asleep on top of his belly, with Rylnàsze nestled up in the middle. She was lying face down in Sybe’s fur, sleeping very comfortably. Rylnàsze had her own bedroom on the second floor, but she loved Sybe and his family very dearly and ended up falling asleep like this more often than not.

“Mrrrh...” Rylnàsze adjusted ever so slightly in her sleep, and settled in once again.

Just then, a magic beast’s head came poking into the entrance of the hutch—Leonorna.Mwa ha ha...he thought.Little Rylnàsze looks so peaceful when she’s sleeping!The lion licked his lips as he tiptoed into the hutch itself.

Leonorna was by all accounts worshiped as a Divine Beast in some faraway world, but due to his excessive fondness for women of all species he had been exiled to the subterranean world of Dogorogma. All in all, he was a magic beast with a very shady past.

Today’s the day, I just know it!Leonorna thought, a stupid smile on his face as he crept step-by-step up to where Rylnàsze was sleeping.Today’s the day I sleep cuddled up to my darling Rylnàsze, as thanks to her for taking me in!

Suddenly, however, Leonorna felt something pulling at his tail from behind. “Whaha?!” he exclaimed, his eyes opening wide in surprise as his whole body was hoisted forcefully out of the hutch and into the air. There, before his eyes, he could see the menacing visage of Tybe pressing close to his face. “M-My...” he said. “If it isn’t Tybe!”Oh no!Tybe might be young, but he’s still a Bear of Misfortune! Even for a Divine Beast like myself, he might be a little too hot to handle...

Tybe glared angrily at Leonorna as the lion dangled by his tail. It was clear he understood perfectly well what Leonorna had been trying to do.

“O-Oh, well, you see...” Leonorna said, floundering for some kind of adequate excuse. “Th-There’s a perfectly innocent explanation for all of this, I assure you...”

At that point, Leonorna sensed a telepathic voice coming from below. “So,” Grimby said with a sigh, placing his colorful wings on his hips. “Once again you’ve come to disturb Rylnàsze’s precious beauty sleep. I suppose you haven’t learned your lesson then, you incorrigible bastard...” All around him were the other magic beasts who served as Rylnàsze’s playmates.

Geh!Leonorna thought, his face rapidly losing color as he understood the situation he was in.The Divine Beast Grimby spotted me! A-And he’s brought quite a number of formidable magic beasts...

“We’ll wake Rylnàsze if we do this here,” Grimby said. “So let’s continue our discussion elsewhere.” With one wave of his wings, the magic beasts surrounding Leonorna vanished. A moment later, there came a sound from somewhere far off. It sounded something like Leonorna’s screams.

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Rylnàsze, however, kept on sleeping as peacefully as ever.