CHAPTER 39: Misunderstandings

Inside the hot spring, Leina, Anna, and Sakura were already soaking in the warm pool.

Gentle steam rose around them, casting a serene atmosphere—one that should have been peaceful.

Yet…

The boys on the other side of the partition were far too loud.

Laughter echoed through the wooden walls, disrupting the much-needed relaxation.

Anna, arms crossed and visibly irritated, sat with her eyes shut tight, trying to keep her cool.

Meanwhile, Sakura sat in the water, absentmindedly playing with a floating rubber duck, blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding.

And Leina?

She remained silent, her blue eyes calmly observing the situation, simply listening to the boys’ banter with mild curiosity.

Then—it happened.

“Hahaha! Woa—Baihou! Yours is tiny!”

Kaziel’s laughter rang through the bathhouse, clear as day.

Leina’s serene expression cracked. She blinked in mild confusion.

Anna froze, her face instantly heating up.

Sakura, in the midst of squeezing the duck, jolted so hard it almost slipped from her fingers.

“What?! How dare you call my territory tiny! Show me what you got then!”

Baihou’s voice erupted in outrage.

A bubbling sound echoed from the other side.

Then—

“Woah?! What the—so hella huge?!”

Baihou’s shocked yell followed immediately after.

Silence.

The girls’ side of the bath fell completely still.

Anna turned completely red.

Sakura, who had been floating the duck, suddenly found herself overthinking far too many things.

Leina, still composed but clearly intrigued, tilted her head slightly.

“…Are they?” She mused aloud.

Sakura swallowed hard, her mind spiraling.

What… exactly are they talking about?

The more she thought about it, the worse it got.

“How did you even manage to make yours big?!”

Baihou’s voice rose again, sounding frustrated.

“I did something like this~”

Kaziel’s voice was far too confident.

That was the breaking point.

Anna shot up from the water, steam practically billowing around her as she clenched her fists.

“CAN’T YOU BOYS STOP TALKING OVER THERE?! DON’T YOU SEE YOU’RE RUINING OUR TIME HERE?!”

The other side fell dead silent.

Baihou sighed dramatically. “Geez, Anna never changes, huh? She scared me.”

“That’s Anna for you,” Kaziel smirked, unfazed.

Meanwhile, Helion sat calmly with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He shut his eyes, trying to tune out the sheer stupidity unfolding around him.

Yet, no matter how much he tried…

His two companions were insufferable.

The sounds of splashing and childish laughter filled the air as Kaziel and Baihou engaged in a completely pointless competition—forming bubbles on the water’s surface.

“Mine’s bigger!” Kaziel smirked, cupping his hands carefully as a large bubble swelled between them.

“Tch—just wait!” Baihou scoffed, his tail flicking in determination as he concentrated, attempting to form an even larger bubble.

Helion’s eye twitched.

This. This is what he had to deal with.

Baihou turned toward Helion with a grin that practically screamed mischief.

“Hey, Helion! Try showing us what ya got too! I wanna see!”

Helion didn’t even open his eyes.

“I’m not going to play along with this ridiculousness. Leave me alone.”

“Awww, come on, Helion~! Just once! Let us see your territory!” Kaziel teased, laughing.

Helion let out a long, exhausted sigh.

He knew exactly what kind of idiots he was dealing with.

They wouldn’t stop unless he shut them up.

With minimal effort, he cupped his hand on the water’s surface—

And suddenly—

A bubble, impossibly massive, swelled between his palms.

Bigger than either of theirs.

It lasted a single second before it popped instantly, sending a soft ripple through the water.

Silence.

Kaziel and Baihou stared, completely stunned.

Then—

Baihou practically screeched.

“THAT WAS HUGE! WHAT THE?!”

Back on the girls’ side…

The mood had completely shifted.

Anna sat frozen, her hands clamped over Sakura’s ears as she trembled with a mix of rage and humiliation.

“C-CAN YOU GUYS SHUT UP ALREADY?!”

Meanwhile, Sakura—who had absolutely no idea what was going on—was utterly bewildered.

Leina, however, remained unfazed.

She simply turned to Anna, her expression as calm and unreadable as ever.

Then—she leaned in slightly, her blue eyes focused.

“By the way, Anna… I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

Anna, still red-faced and tense, hesitated.

“…What?”

Leina’s tone was calm. But the weight of her next words hit like a boulder.

“How did it take your boings to grow larger?”

Silence.

Sakura blinked.

Boings?

Anna’s entire body jerked backward.

“Wha—WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” she screeched.

Leina, completely unbothered, tilted her head, fingers moving in a thoughtful manner.

“I’ve rarely experienced growth in that area. I would like to understand the process. Please allow me to feel the weight. I need to gather knowledge.”

Anna’s soul left her body.

“STAAAAAAPH!!”

Meanwhile, on the guys’ side—

A loud knock echoed through the partition. “HEY! Be quiet over there!”

Sakura—still absolutely lost—sat frozen.

Her rubber duck floated aimlessly beside her, long forgotten.

She watched the scene unfold with pure horror and confusion.

This hot spring trip was not what she expected.

The sun was still climbing over the horizon, casting soft golden hues across the wooden corridors of the Goldenleaf Springs Inn. Inside the dining room, the scent of freshly prepared food filled the air.

Sakura and Anna sat on floor cushions around a short table, admiring the meal set before them. The plates were filled with a combination of warm, hearty dishes—some of which looked familiar.

“W-Woah…” Sakura’s eyes gleamed as she took in the spread before her.

Anna chuckled, picking up a piece of bread. “Some of these were from the gifts people gave Kaziel and the others yesterday.” She turned to Leina, who was seated calmly beside them. “You prepared these?”

Leina gave a small nod. “I made use of what was given. It would be wasteful otherwise.”

Sakura looked at her in admiration. “Thank you, Leina! That was really kind of you.”

Anna grinned. “Yeah, this is way better than just stuffing everything into our carriage.”

Leina, however, was already finishing her last bite. Before the others could even take their first, she had smoothly stood up and slid open the door.

“L-Leina..!”

Sakura called out to her just as she was about to leave.

Leina paused, turning slightly.

“Wouldn’t you want to stay a bit longer?” Sakura hesitated, watching her.

Leina shook her head. “I can’t. I have a meeting to attend to.”

“Oh… I see.” Sakura’s voice softened with slight disappointment.

Leina gave a small nod before stepping outside.

The morning breeze greeted her as she exited the inn. The sounds of faint sparring echoed in the distance.

Out in the training grounds, Baihou and Kaziel were locked in a friendly spar.

The sharp clack of wooden weapons echoed as they tested each other’s reflexes.

Between strikes, Kaziel’s expression grew serious.

“I have a few questions regarding the borderline… We need to go to the Bisora coastline, which requires us to cross the border.”

Baihou, his hands behind his head, let his stick rest between his arms.

A smirk played on his lips.

“Oh? And why the sudden interest in the border when you could just take another inland route, hmm?”

Kaziel adjusted his stance, gripping his wooden stick.

“Because… it’s the best shortcut for us.”

Baihou’s golden eyes narrowed.

“You do know the risk of facing high-tier Greeds, right?”

Kaziel didn’t flinch. “I’m fully aware.”

Baihou’s grin widened. “Then I must test how far you can go—! If you pass, I’ll give you your answers!”

Without hesitation, they clashed.

Wooden weapons met with force, Baihou’s strikes cutting through the air with sharp, whirling precision. Kaziel maneuvered swiftly, countering each strike with smooth, calculated footwork.

They matched each other blow for blow.

Until—

Leina grabbed the back of Baihou’s collar.

“Ack—!? H-Hey—!!”

Baihou let out a startled yelp as he was suddenly yanked backward.

Kaziel, mid-counterattack, stumbled slightly as his opponent was abruptly dragged away.

Leina, completely nonchalant, held her staff in one hand, and Baihou in the other.

“We need to catch up for the meeting.”

Baihou flailed helplessly.

“Aaaah—Wait! I wasn’t done fighting yet!!”

Kaziel blinked.

“…Huh.”

He lowered his weapon as he watched Baihou be effortlessly carried off like a misbehaving pet.

Then, realization struck him.

“W-Wait! About the borderlines..!“

The old man, Otto, let out a hearty laugh as he approached the platform. “You both were no match for her energy.”

Kaziel turned, realizing Otto had appeared behind him.

“Ah, Grandpa Otto.” He bowed slightly out of respect.

Then, his gaze drifted toward the drinks in Otto’s hands.

The old man smirked, offering him one. “Wanna sit down with me for a bit and talk?”

Kaziel, smiling gently, accepted the offer.

“Sure.”

He took the drink, settling back onto the platform as Otto eased himself down beside him.

As the two of them sat on the platform, their eyes drifted toward the blank, fogged sky.

The old man sighed, his gaze distant.

“It’s been a while since I last saw the true color of the sky… I’ve almost forgotten what it looked like.”

Kaziel, listening, turned his gaze upward as well. “I’ve heard stories… but I never knew what caused it.”

The old man fell silent for a moment, lost in thought before finally speaking.

"Some say it’s a curse. As if our land was once wrapped in layers of good fortune, only to be sealed away… Others believe a witch cast a shroud over the sky, trapping us here—keeping us from ever witnessing the full potential of magic."

Kaziel listened intently, his expression thoughtful.

Then, the old man turned to look at him.

“Though… our lands have rarely been fertile since. We’ve only ever survived by relying on magic.”

He sighed.

Kaziel frowned slightly. “Has anyone ever tried to find the cause?”

The old man’s expression grew weary. “No one has ever found the true reason. And eventually… people stopped caring.”

His words hung heavy in the air.

But then, his gaze shifted slightly.

“Then your friends arrived—Baihou and Leina. Ever since then, they have never stopped searching. They have been investigating, learning, seeking answers…“

As if drawn to the truth.

They had this conversation before.

Kaziel glanced at Baihou, his lips curled into a smirk.

“So… who is she?”

Baihou instantly froze.

His nose twitched. His tail stilled.

“I-It’s not like that!” He waved his hands. “She just… she gave me a reason to start using magic. That’s all.”

Anna blinked. “Wait… isn’t magic supposed to take years to learn?”

Kaziel nodded. “Baihou? Learning magic? That’s impossible!”

“Hey! Why don’t you guys believe me?!” Baihou whined.

Helion flipped his coin, “The Baihou I know doesn’t read books.”

Baihou pouted. “Come on, Helion! At least trust me a little!”

“I only trust fate.”

Sakura added, “And learning magic does take years…”

Baihou sighed, his voice quieter.

“…I’ve been here for two years already.”

Anna and Kaziel’s jaws dropped. “Two years?!”

Helion shut his eyes, flipping his coin again. “Hmph. As if you’re stuck with unfinished business.”

Kaziel finally realized.

“..I see.”

Kaziel stood up, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then that makes two of us. Now I'm interested too." He turned his gaze toward the old man.

For a moment, the old man remained silent, a sense of lighthearted relief washing over him. It was rare to find young ones willing to uncover the truth—most would have given up on the mystery long ago. But Baihou and his companion, now joined by Kaziel and the others… he felt a sense of trust in them.

He wished to see the sky’s colors again. As his eyes drifted upward to the ever-clouded heavens, a thought stirred within him. Then, glancing at Kaziel, he spoke. "Ah… Kaziel."

Kaziel turned to him. "Yes, Grandpa Otto?"

The old man studied his face with a furrowed brow. "Your face… it looks familiar somehow."

Kaziel tilted his head. "R-really?"

"So familiar that I could swear I’ve seen it before… but I can’t quite place who—oh. Never mind! You just reminded me of an old friend who used to live nearby!"

Kaziel blinked as the old man suddenly let out a hearty laugh. "That was a long time ago, huh."

With a sigh, Kaziel shook his head, but a small, amused smile tugged at his lips.