...It's hard to comprehend the complex thoughts that ran through my mind in that instant.
Sister, you know your public image has been ruined!
I stared at her in disbelief, and before long I was met with a scabbard strike from her, a sight that filled me with shame and anger.
Fortunately, it was just a joke. Not only was it slow, but the force was also almost nonexistent. I easily dodged it with a simple sway of my body. Otherwise, I would have been really worried that with her abilities, she might have turned me into some kind of hollowed-out dessert.
“What I mean is,” she turned her face away, her expression indifferent, but her ears flushed red, “that as a sword, one must be prepared to be one, even if the next moment is the inevitable possibility of breaking.”
I shrugged, too lazy to argue.
Anyway, no matter what I say, she will shut me down with her own set of theories, and I might even be labeled with something like "a half-baked understanding cannot achieve the goal".
If I were reborn, my ultimate goal in life would be to just coast through life and wait to die!
So please, let me just get by in this damn world!
"Ah! You two! It's only been a day, are you also attending this celebration?"
As we walked toward the main gate, a petite fairy wearing eye-catching glitter suddenly appeared in front of us. Her flower-like skirt swayed in mid-air as she stopped abruptly, and she wore a familiar half-mask. It was the flower fairy.
"She's planning to participate in the competition, I just happened to be passing by and lending a hand." I nodded in affirmation first, then asked, "Why did you come out?"
"Of course we're here to help!"
The flower fairy, hands on her hips, beamed smugly: "City defense, competition confirmation, remote support, and logistical guidance—these are all within our scope of work! Although most of my sisters aren't as capable as me, at least everyone wants to contribute, after all, we made a promise to you~"
I hadn't paid attention before, but now, looking around again, I could indeed see countless little fairies covered in glitter fluttering about with the passing crowds. According to the flower fairies, this glitter was a byproduct of their own secreted magic, used to attract attention. Although people often wanted to collect it, it wasn't very useful; it was mainly just for decoration. In the distance, many new dancing vines had appeared on the outer side of the city wall. Upon closer inspection, I could see that they were covered with dark black thorns, clearly poisoned.
"It looks quite decent."
Miyuki commented, relaxing from her sudden shift to a wary stance. After a brief pause, she couldn't help but retort, "But obviously, I'll be the one killing more."
"Yes, yes, you're amazing. We're only concerned with whether we can effectively defend against the first wave of attack and buy as much time as possible for everyone to prepare. We're not just focused on lethality."
The flower fairy, unusually good-natured, didn't retort: "Anyway, if you're going outside the city, remember to register with the city guards before you leave. According to the rules, they were supposed to give you some more plant seeds to buy time, but, um, you still have that little flower with you, right? That thing is much more useful than those seeds that need water to grow quickly. Just take that with you."
That pink flower?
I reached into the crevice I carried with me and quickly confirmed that the little pink thing and all sorts of odds and ends were safely placed inside, still in full bloom, showing no signs of wilting after being separated from its roots. Upon closer inspection, I couldn't see that it had undergone any treatment and remained in its most natural state.
After bidding farewell to the busy flower fairy, we followed her instructions to leave a record at the city guard post and officially stepped out of the city.
Miyuki seemed to still be bothered by their encounter, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she immediately switched her state and quickly entered hunting mode.
"Are you really okay being this relaxed?"
With her right hand resting on the hilt of the knife, she kept a close watch on the shadowy grove of trees, asking the question without turning her head.
"What do you mean? Investigating?" I yawned, still feeling a bit listless. "I do do that kind of thing."
Mages have many ways to observe the world, not just relying on their eyes. Expanded perception is our best way of exploring—although it can be a headache to extend the distance too far, it is easy to pay attention to everything within a dozen meters around us, and the accuracy is also high for monsters with unpredictable magical reactions.
Oh, by the way, a mage's perception of ordinary animals that are completely forbidden might be slightly weaker than that of a martial artist who has undergone rigorous training, but only slightly.
Anyone thinking of using this for a sneak attack or assassination should reconsider. This is only a low-level trap that insignificant mages and rogue mages might fall for, and even then, it's only the kind of classic version that only those who haven't read "The Collection of Foolish Mage Deaths: Selected Editions" would be able to avoid. In most cases, they'll be hit by the constantly activated defensive barrier-breaking flying blades surrounding the mage, and this is no joke.
...So why are there so many books recording the foolish things monks did?
In short, my senses, which I had already extended to the vicinity, gave me a clear response. Within a radius of a hundred meters, not only were there no monsters, but even ordinary wild animals had vanished completely, just like a plate that had been licked clean. I don't know if they sensed the impending danger early on and fled in a swarm, or if they were captured by other people passing by who wanted to get an admission ticket.
When I shared my findings with Miyuki, she remained completely calm: "Just because there's no danger now doesn't mean things will be the same as when we arrived. You never know what might suddenly appear, whether it's from the sky or the ground. But in that case, I can allow you to rest for a while. I'll be here to protect you."
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