Chapter 108

Aisia, determined to make a bold move, headed to a hunting ground far from the Elf Village where she had once brought Kurt and his group.

“This place is…”

“Yes. It’s the hunting ground of the elves.”

“Thinking about it, it was strange. What matters in judging whether you’re an elf suited to be an adventurer is your ability, yet we unnecessarily tested your companions.”

At Aisia’s words, Marisia stiffened, sensing what was coming next.

And the words that came from Aisia’s mouth were exactly what she had anticipated.

“Today, I’ll test your skills, Marisia.”

“…Understood. I’ll prove to you, Mom, that I’m not trying to become an adventurer with half-hearted determination.”

For Marisia, being evaluated was something she had been looking forward to.

She saw it as an opportunity to show Aisia that her desire to become an adventurer wasn’t just the reckless bravado of a young elf.

Moreover, considering the hunting contest Aisia and Kurt had before, she could guess what the test would entail.

She was confident about it.

“Good. Today, I’ll test you on three subjects.”

What Aisia had learned from her hunting contest with Kurt.

It was the fact that she had confidently proposed a single-round contest, only to suffer a great loss.

Therefore, Aisia decided to be extra cautious, changing her strategy to include multiple tests so that even if she failed one, she could still recover.

“Th-three subjects…?”

“Yes. Any problem? If you’re not confident, you can give up.”

“N-no, no problem!”

Perhaps she hadn’t expected the number of test subjects to increase to three.

Marisia felt her confidence drain away in an instant.

If it were just a hunting contest, she thought she had a fair chance, but she hadn’t expected two more subjects.

However, from Marisia’s perspective, she couldn’t show weakness now by saying, “That’s a bit…”

Showing such lack of confidence would only make her seem unreliable to Aisia.

So, the only option she had was to move forward.

“Actually, it’s good! I’ll definitely pass and earn your recognition, Mom!”

“Hmph. Good spirit. It would’ve been nice if you were this confident before running away.”

“…Ugh! That’s…”

“Well, let me explain the test details first.”

Aisia, glancing at the flustered Marisia with a complicated look, lightly smiled and brushed off those feelings, starting to explain the test details. Marisia listened intently, determined to overcome whatever test came her way.

And so, the first test began.

“This is so unfair.”

But before the test started, Mari frowned deeply and spoke to Aisia.

Though she had firmly resolved to overcome any test, she couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with this one.

“What exactly is your complaint?”

“Of course, I’m complaining! A test where the spirits we summon fight each other?!”

The first test.

It was a contest where each would summon spirits and have them duel to determine the winner.

The summoners themselves wouldn’t intervene, only providing support, to test the capabilities of the spirits they could summon.

Thus, what mattered wasn’t the summoners’ abilities but the spirits’ capabilities.

“Of course! My close friends are only low-level spirits, while you’re on good terms with mid-level spirits! How can I possibly win against that?!”

“Did I ever say you had to win to pass? Even if you lose the duel, if you show good performance, I’ll still pass you.”

“You say that, but you won’t pass me if I don’t win, right?”

“Hahaha. Do you think I’d do something so ugly? Do you really think your mom would do that?”

“….”

“Ahem! Anyway, let’s start the test.”

With those words, the two began to focus silently.

Soon, red, blue, and various colored lights began to float between them like fireflies, soon gathering to form shapes.

[Marisia! Why did you call me?]

The first to speak familiarly and appear was a blue water spirit named Nai, looking like a ten-year-old girl.

[Huh? Isn’t this the Elf Village?]

Next, a red fire spirit named Sara, looking like a seven-year-old girl, appeared and curiously looked around.

[Did you return to the village?]

The oldest-looking spirit, though only about twelve, was a brown earth spirit named Nomi.

[Did you get scolded for running away?]

Lastly, a green wind spirit named Sir, looking like a ten-year-old girl, teased Mari as soon as she appeared.

After summoning the four spirits, Mari quickly explained the situation.

“…That’s how it is, so please cooperate for a bit!”

[Alright. Just trust me!]

[But call us more often from now on. We can’t manifest without someone’s mana.]

“Okay. I promise. If we win, that is. Sir.”

[Of course. With the four of us together, no one can defeat us!]

As Nai expressed confidence, the other three spirits nodded silently, and Mari felt a surge of confidence, as if she had gained reliable allies, despite their young appearances.

“Right. With all of you, we can definitely do it!”

[So, who are we dueling against?]

“My mom.”

[What?]

[…Really?]

At those words, the spirits, who had been confident just moments ago, were stunned and looked at Mari with blank expressions.

“Yes, of course.”

And answering the spirits’ question in Mari’s place was Aisia’s voice.

Hearing that voice, the spirits creaked like old, unoiled machines as they turned their heads to see Aisia and a mature-looking blue water spirit in her twenties, casually leaning on Aisia’s shoulder.

[If you’re ready, shall we begin?]

[Ahhh! It’s Nai-el unni!]

[Nai-el unni is a mid-level spirit!]

[Miss Nai-el? No way, no way, no way!]

[It’s a disaster! A disaster! Ahhh!]

As soon as they saw the spirit Aisia had summoned, Mari’s spirits immediately lost their will to fight and began to scatter like a disorganized mob.

It was a chaotic scene, like lambs fleeing from a wolf.

The sight of children, averaging about ten years old, running in different directions was quite cute and brought a warm smile to anyone watching.

However, it was hardly a sight befitting a duel, and as the spirits fled, Nai-el stood up and created a large wave in the middle of the forest, sending it towards the spirits.

[Ahhhh!]

[Hahaha! This is fun!]

[Water! I can’t swim!]

[The end is nigh! It’s doom!]

Swept away by the wave, the spirits were easily dispersed, and their manifestation ended, concluding the duel.

“Well. My victory. Any objections?”

“…None.”

Mari, her face red with embarrassment, admitted defeat.

In truth, this first victory was Aisia’s from the start.

The spirits Mari could summon were only the four low-level spirits she had grown up with.

And four young, low-level spirits could never defeat a mid-level spirit Aisia could summon.

With the first test over and victory secured, Aisia smiled inwardly.

‘Children can’t beat adults, after all.’

Soon, Aisia looked at Mari, who was completely soaked from Nai-el’s water wave, and thought.

“Ugh… I’m completely drenched…”

‘That’s why… Mari. You’re still too young to go out into the world.’

They say that in a parent’s eyes, their child is always a child.

Though Mari, wringing out her soaked clothes, looked like a grown adult, to Aisia, she still seemed no different from the little elf who had clung to her mother’s skirt, sniffling, twenty years ago.

“Hmph… Sniff. Just wait. I won’t lose in the second and third tests.”

“Your persistence is late.”

“It’s not late; it’s nonexistent!”

At Aisia’s words, Mari burned with determination, and Aisia, feeling both affection and exasperation, began to explain the details of the second test.