Kalia stood in front of the fairy tree, holding the sword of Amuntia imbued with Gaias power.
The desolate appearance of the tree seemed to reflect the state of the city.
Kalia closed her eyes and thought of the fairy children.
Recalling their innocence and sweetness only made her feel even worse.
[Hmm, this tree feels quite powerful. It must be a tree that has possessed the power of nature since ancient times, like the Primordial Tree. It wouldnt have been easy for a tree to retain such refined power in the human realm Ah, and this tree]
Gaia sighed with a hint of sorrow.
[It seems like it played a role in protecting the village at the center of this city. It must have had a strong attachment to this village.]
The tree that steadfastly guarded its position, along with the fairies, protecting the village.
If they were unharmed, they surely exerted great power to protect the village.
In a way, it was a pity that they fell into a deep slumber, but at the same time, it might not have been a bad thing.
Kalia opened her eyes and took a step closer to the tree.
She could feel a cold gaze observing her from a short distance away.
That gaze wasnt solely focused on her companions.
Well, it didnt really matter.
There was no need to do things secretly.
No, it might even be better to be watched.
She could show them a miracle while they were immersed in unhappiness.
Lets do it.
She tightened her grip on the sword of Amuntia.
And she slowly felt the purifying power flowing through her body.
The pulsating warmth and the slowly flowing coolness.
She sensed a stronger energy than when she first felt the power.
[Indeed, its more stable than before.]
Gaia exclaimed with admiration.
The power that felt like a mist turned into a stream of water, flowing like a river through Kalias body.
Soon, a tremendous force surged toward her like a wave, engulfing Kalia.
Kalia calmly focused, throwing herself into the power flowing within her own body.
She could feel the power gathering at the tip of the sword.
Controlling this unruly power was difficult, but she wasnt willing to give up.
This is my power. Its my own power. So I can control it.
Roughly trembling, she focused her power into the sword of Amuntia.
In that moment, as her whole body was filled with the overflowing power, Kalia forcefully drove the sword into the ground beneath the tree.
Crack!
With a dazzling light, a wave of power spread out in a wide circle, expanding in an instant.
The size of the power rapidly extending outward was tremendous.
However
I need more, more power.
This level of power wasnt enough to envelop the entire village.
Kalia clenched her teeth and concentrated even harder.
It felt as if her palm holding the sword was being scorched, and her muscles felt like they were being torn apart by excruciating pain.
The uncontrolled power exploded uncontrollably.
Kalia struggled to contain that power, holding her breath, but it wasnt easy.
[Let the power spread. What you need to focus on is the direction the power goes, Kalia.]
A gentle voice flowed into Kalias mind, like a soothing whisper.
Along with Gaias words, a gentle power enveloped the sword.
[I will control the smaller fragments of power. So you just focus on your direction.]
The turbulent purification power, like sparks flying, became much more refined than before.
With no unnecessary leaking of power, the concentration of power increased.
Following Gaias guidance, Kalia focused on the direction of the power.
She gritted her teeth, urging it to reach further and spread wider.
[Now!]
At the moment Gaia shouted, the pinnacle of the wave was felt.
Kalia once again poured her strength into the tip of the sword.
Crack!
The rough sandstorm created by the wave of power whirled around her.
Kalias companions watched them happily from a distance for a moment and then quietly turned away.
Some people who witnessed Kalias group tried to find them, but they had already concealed their tracks perfectly with Simons magic.
Wouldnt it be better to let them know who you are?
They already saw us acting so confidently, so they wont be unaware of who I am. Its just that if we get caught by the people here, it will delay our time and we still cant be sure of anything, so its best not to show too much showmanship.
Simon nodded in agreement with Kalias opinion.
She was right.
Being cautious in such a big situation wouldnt hurt.
But there is one concern I have.
A concern?
Yes. So, Simon, I think I need to ask you for a favor.
Kalia reached out to Simon with a small glass bottle she had prepared in advance.
Whats this?
Inside the small glass bottle, which could fit a couple of Simons fingers, was filled with a transparent liquid.
Kalia smiled and answered.
Fairy water.
Fairy water?
Yes. Its the fairy water that the fairies of that tree gave me as a gift. I thought it would be nice to give this to those children So, by the way, can you come back here quietly tonight?
Simon recalled the three little ones he had seen before.
On the day he saved them from Bufords sorcerer, the conversations they had right before they fell asleep, feeling exhausted.
What did those children say again?
-With the same light as you from that beautiful humans-
The words of the children, which were about to fade away in vague memories, came to his mind.
Now, inferring from that, it was probably not With the same light as you. From that beautiful humans?
Perhaps those fairy children knew about Sashas existence, growing inside Kalias belly.
Simon smirked and accepted the small bottle from her.
Alright. Its not a difficult task.
Thank you, Simon.
If youre thankful, at least show it.
Simon tilted his eyes slightly and gently nudged her right cheek with his.
Although they exchanged kisses overflowing with passion every day, kissing on the cheek felt embarrassing for some reason.
Ahem.
Kalia cleared her throat softly and stole a kiss from his cheek.
Then she made a kissing sound loudly on purpose, and Simon smiled with satisfaction.
In the future, use me often. Ill run errands for you.
Who could possibly stop Simon?
As if indicating that Kalia couldnt stop him, she shook her head and laughed, playfully nudging his side with her elbow before turning around.
But as she expected Simon to follow, she saw him standing alone in that spot.
Why are you like that?
Wait a moment, I need to cast a healing spell.
Huh?
Why would he cast a healing spell?
Where are you injured, Simon? When did it happen?
No, its nothing. Lets just go.
Simon wiped the cold sweat and shrugged his shoulders as if it was an ordinary occurrence.
Where does it hurt? Why did you cast a healing spell?
Theres no such thing. Lets go quickly. Ill wait for you.
Thats strange. So, when did you get hurt?
Unable to bring herself to say that he had an injury because of Kalia, Simon got on the carriage first.
The companions who were waiting saw Kalia and Simon getting on the carriage and quickly hit the road.