Gift

Even when I made her tear up with disappointment because of a prank that crossed the line, I was easily forgiven, but she couldn’t easily forgive me for not explaining to her about the legendary secret room of the Academy.

After being scolded for a long time with my head bowed and hands behind my back, I was barely forgiven by promising to take separate time after the date to give a detailed explanation about the club room (and even draw pictures).

Navier, with her arms crossed, glared at me and threatened.

,If you’re hiding anything else, spill it now. Like a broom that flies in the sky, or an invisibility cloak to hide yourself, or anything else you’ve secretly hidden.

Her voice was so full of conviction that I was dumbfounded and scratched my head.

,…Aren’t your expectations too high? I’m not some legendary adventurer, just a lucky Combat Department freshman.

As soon as I finished speaking, the God’s Fountain Pen came to mind. Hmm, if I get caught, it won’t just end there, will it? Let’s just keep my mouth shut.

Navier gave me a dumbfounded look at my answer and blurted out.

,The Combat Department’s top freshman who hid the secret room from me. And even got permission from the Headmaster to enter the forbidden section! What student can freely enter the forbidden section? That’s a special privilege that even 4th years don’t have!

At Navier’s words, I nodded nonchalantly.

,That’s why I’m always living with a grateful heart towards Headmaster Nelson.

,Turns out you’re Headmaster Nelson’s hidden bloodline or something…?

At her suspicious gaze, I unconsciously slapped Navier’s forehead with my palm.

Wow, the feeling of hitting is superb. My palm sticks perfectly to her forehead. It’s definitely because the writers set Navier as a reaction character.

,Ow-!

I didn’t even hit her that hard, but Navier was holding her forehead with both hands, so I laughed and said.

,That’s the price for talking nonsense.

The playful atmosphere continued. But I couldn’t just keep standing there, so I decided to head inside.

The interior was similar to the Academy’s sewer, but the difference was that the walls and floor were made of hard soil instead of stone. It felt like an ancient aqueduct connected to Lake Zairen, so the purpose would be similar.

Seeing Navier swinging her arms excitedly as if she was just happy to be on an adventure, I felt good too and diligently moved my feet.

Navier, who was walking and humming happily, suddenly asked.

,Do you even know what this place is for?

Since there’s a place like this deep underground, it’s understandable that she’s curious. I explained as I had read in the book.

,The book said that there used to be many dangerous monsters around Lake Zairen, so it was difficult to use the water. So they dug the ground to the bottom of the lake and connected the aqueduct to the village.

,Ah, so that’s why it looks like a sewer. I just thought it was a cave.

Navier, who was looking around with a curious expression, tilted her head and asked.

,But if this is an aqueduct… even if we go further, there’s not much to see, is there? It’s already mysterious enough as it is.

At Navier’s words, I unconsciously stroked my chin. I was amazed that Navier, who hadn’t noticed my acting, had pinpointed the important point. Are reasoning and insight different?

,The reason why this aqueduct is no longer used is at the end of it.

,What is it?

At Navier’s question, I stopped walking and turned around. Navier, who met my gaze, flinched her shoulders at my serious face.

,I can’t tell you.

,What, what is that? Are you hiding something again?

Navier put her hands around her waist, raised her chin, and glared at me with an angry expression. I slowly shook my head at her.

,No, I just don’t want to tell you in advance what you’re going to feel.

Navier was the one who awakened me to see the beauty around me when I was only focused on finding the tree. I just wanted to repay the memorable feelings I had felt in the same way.

,N-Not like a male lead… saying things like that.

,Huh? What did you say?

,Ah, nothing! L-Let’s walk again! Let’s go!!!

Navier’s face looked strangely flustered as she hurriedly moved her feet, but I wanted to show her quickly, so I hurried my pace as well.

Finally, we arrived in front of a door engraved with ancient letters that seemed to mark the end of the passage. I put my hand on the doorknob and turned to Navier.

,If you open this door, you’ll know why the aqueduct is no longer used. Are you ready?

,Yeah, ready…!

Navier’s brown eyes sparkled with interest and anticipation. She looked like a child just before entering an amusement park.

To meet Navier’s expectations, I opened the door wide with all my might.

Light poured out from beyond the door, incomparable to the plants that had been illuminating the path.

,Ah….

Navier let out a short exclamation and froze, looking straight ahead. I followed her gaze and looked ahead as well.

A small world was unfolding before us. All sorts of flowers, plants, and trees grew on the floor and walls, and like an upside-down world, the water of Lake Zairen was shimmering like huge water droplets on the ceiling, absorbing the sunlight.

Somewhere, a joyful laughter flowed in on the wind. It was the sound of something wetting its body at the bottom of Lake Zairen.

Navier, who raised her head and looked at it, asked in a trembling voice.

,T-That, that’s…?

,Yeah, it’s a fairy. The fairies of the lake live here.

The reason why Lake Zairen is so clear that it can be used as drinking water is because fairies live at the bottom of the lake.

The fairies are just playing in the water of the lake, but that act alone triggers the [Purification] effect. The fairy’s existence saves the lake, and the lake saves the surrounding life, repeating a virtuous cycle.

,This is why the aqueduct is no longer used. They gave up the aqueduct so that the fairies could live freely in their world. As long as the fairies exist safely here, Lake Zairen will not be polluted even as time passes.

The nameless heroes gave up the aqueduct that they had built with blood and sweat for the sake of future generations who wouldn’t even remember them.

So that the life and beauty that Lake Zairen gives could continue even in the distant future.

I gave Navier some time to appreciate the scene as she looked around with an impressed expression, then gestured.

,Follow me.

,W-Wait a minute…! I-Is it okay for us to just enter a place where fairies live?

At Navier’s worry, I gave her a reassuring look. To get a stroke of good luck, we have to go inside anyway. And if they’re the fairies I know, they’ll stick to us so annoyingly that we’ll get annoyed.

,Don’t worry. After bringing you all the way here, you still don’t trust me?

At my question, Navier made a ,Ugh…., sound and shook her head, approaching me.

,J-Just in case, let’s go together.

,Should I even offer you an arm?

When I said playfully as if teasing her, Navier glared at me.

As we carefully moved our feet so as not to step on the flowers, the fairies who were playing in the water noticed us and giggled among themselves, flying towards us.

,U-Ugh…! R-Ross…!

Before I knew it, the fairies had clung to Navier’s body, groping here and there without any wariness, burrowing between her clothes.

,It’s okay. Fairies don’t attack people.

,B-But still…!

It seems she’s flustered by the fairies who are arbitrarily lifting her silver hair or dancing on her shoulders.

But before long, Navier quickly adapted to the situation, even putting a fairy on her palm and finding it cute.

I blocked the fairy who was trying to enter my nostril with my fingertip and looked for the stroke of good luck that would be nearby.

Finally, I found the only water that was pooled on the floor instead of the ceiling. When I looked inside, I could easily find what I was looking for.

,Navier.

When I called her name, Navier approached with a bunch of fairies. She had a look on her face that said, “Why are you calling me when I’m having so much fun?”

,Why?

Instead of answering, I pointed to the water pooled on the floor.

,It’s a gift. Figure out how to take it out yourself.

When I said it bluntly, Navier put the fairy she was holding on her palm on top of her head and looked at the water pooled on the floor, tilting her head.

,Don’t tell me, you put the gift in there? Are you sulking because I scolded you a little while ago?

I wanted to ask her how she could think that way, but… I decided to hold back since I had decided to go on a date for Navier today.

Even at Navier’s expression of looking at me with pity, I held back and said with a smile.

,Just take it out first.

Navier frowned slightly with a reluctant expression and put her hand down into the water. Soon, Navier took her hand out, and in her hand was a ring.

,A ring…?

,I didn’t put it in there, it was a ring that had been in there from the beginning.

Navier, who was looking at the pretty golden ring, looked at me and asked.

,Are you calling someone else’s thing a gift?

Hold back. You’re repaying your past mistakes.

,No, it’s not like that, just… try putting on the ring. Then you’ll know.

The fairies who were clinging to Navier’s body giggled and rubbed their bodies against the ring. Navier looked at the fairies and the ring for a moment, then asked in a suspicious voice.

,It’s not something weird, is it?

,…What kind of image do you have of me? I thought it was a good one, though.

,A detective with a lot of dark secrets?

Think whatever you want. I shrugged my shoulders, and Navier smiled playfully and put the ring on her finger.

At that moment, a pillar of water rose around Navier as if wrapping around her. The fairies who had been clinging to Navier’s body giggled and entrusted their bodies to the pillar of water, flying to the ceiling.

When the pillar of water disappeared, Navier, who had been closing her eyes for a moment, regained her senses and looked at me with surprised eyes.

,T-This is…?

,You know what a relic is, right?

At my question, Navier looked down at the ring on her finger.

,T-This is a relic…?

,It’s a ring that’s been with the fairies for thousands of years. Thanks to being exposed to the fairies’ power for a long time, it’s become a relic imbued with the [Blessing] of the Lake Fairies.

The setting was that someone accidentally dropped a ring into Lake Zairen and it became a relic. It was a small gift for Navier, my reliable friend who always helps me.

I tickled the fairy who was pulling on my ear with my fingertip and said as if joking.

,With this much, I think I can confidently say that the mysterious and adventurous date to uncover the secrets of the past was a complete success, right?

At my question, Navier’s face contorted as if she was about to burst into tears.

No, why are you crying again…?