Chapter 23: Finn, the Water Spirit, Appears!
Amber was silently shocked by Eldarin's declaration that they would use a [Warp Stone].
Warp was magic that transcended time and space.
Even Eldarin, an Ancient Race, could not simply cast Warp while standing in place.
So she bound the spell into objects called [Warp Stones].
The process itself was far from easy.
Creating a single [Warp Stone] often took nearly a hundred years.
She always said they were too precious and she'd never use one...
But Amber did not argue.
Eldarin's expression was sharper than Amber had ever seen.
Holding Kaian in her arms, Eldarin was practically grinding each word through clenched teeth.
"I should never have tried to extract the fire in the first place."
"Fire should be extinguished with water."
"Even this little child understood something that simple."
"Twofold."
"We need to get to Twofold immediately."
Amber carefully asked through Eldarin's anger.
[But that child is at Twofold.]
[The water spirit...]
"Hm?"
"Oh, her."
Eldarin answered dismissively.
"No need to worry."
"She'll behave the moment she sees this child."
[...Really?]
Amber understood absolutely nothing.
But Eldarin looked as though something terrible might happen if they did not reach Twofold immediately.
So Amber decided not to ask more questions.
By now, Eldarin was even grinding her teeth.
"How dare mere residual mana covet my disciple's inner world?"
"Fine."
"Today, I'll erase you from this world forever."
Amber wanted Kaian to survive just as much as Eldarin did.
So she quickly took out a [Warp Stone] and handed it over.
The silver-white stone let out a sharp humming sound, as though resonating with Eldarin's fury.
HMMMMMMMM...!
At that moment, the tip of Amber's braid stood on end with a terrible premonition.
Surely... Eldarin isn't going to start using [Warp Stones] like this from now on, right?
Amber had thirteen [Warp Stones] remaining.
Eldarin had asked Amber to manage them because, in Eldarin's own words, if she kept them herself, she might use them whenever the mood struck.
Amber had agreed, but privately thought Eldarin was worrying for no reason.
She had barely left Eldargrove for nearly seven hundred years.
What could she possibly need [Warp Stones] for?
But after today...
Amber realized Eldarin's concern had been completely justified.
She simply never had a reason to use them before.
Now that Kaian is here... who knows what will happen.
Amber decided she would discuss proper rules for [Warp Stone] use with Eldarin once this emergency was over.
Meanwhile...
Holding the feverishly hot Kaian, Eldarin jumped into Fulgor.
"Let's go."
"I want to show this child Twofold's sky as soon as possible."
Once Amber climbed inside as well, Eldarin immediately spoke the activation phrase.
"[Spatium Gate, Connect.]"
The [Warp Stone] shattered.
White light poured out.
FWOOOOSH!
The light swallowed Fulgor whole.
The sound of the silver waterfall faded away.
And soon...
The faint, raw scent of water brushed past their noses.
Finn examined her reflection from every angle on the surface of Twofold Lake.
She made every pretty expression she could think of.
Yet no matter what she tried, she hated the way she looked today.
"I'm not beautiful..."
Finn knew exactly why.
Her hair.
Normally, it should have grown longer than her own height.
Now it barely reached the base of her neck.
Finn screamed.
"This isn't beautiful at all! Why does hair grow so slowly?!"
Twofold Lake sighed.
[Haah. You're still going on about that hair? Aren't you tired of it yet?]
It had already been an entire month.
For one full month, Finn had visited every single day without fail to complain about what she was supposed to do with her hair.
Twofold's head practically hurt from it.
[Honestly, life was easier when you ran away every two or three days.]
[How long are you planning to keep whining like this?]
"It's not running away!"
"It's adventure!"
[Fine. Adventure.]
[Please go on another adventure already.]
"I want to!"
"I really want to!"
"But how am I supposed to go anywhere looking like this?!"
Twofold clicked her tongue.
Creatures born from water mana had always possessed eccentric personalities.
But Finn was extreme even among them.
The fact that she repeatedly escaped Eldargrove despite its abundant mana was proof enough.
And then there was her abnormal obsession with her hair.
"It wasn't just hair!"
"It was my identity! My essence! My soul!"
[If something you treasured that much burned away, you'd think you'd learn how fleeting such things are.]
"Tch..."
"Granny doesn't understand because you don't have hair."
[You insolent little... haah. Never mind.]
Of course, Twofold knew Finn's lost hair really had been beautiful enough for her to mourn.
Black hair shining like the night sky had wrapped around Finn's pure white body.
It had been enchanting and mysterious.
But hair grew back.
And beings like them, made of mana, could live for eternity unless destroyed by some special circumstance.
Like an exhausted grandmother dealing with an endlessly energetic granddaughter, Twofold tried to calm Finn.
[Child... please.]
[Instead of doing this in front of me, go find some puddle somewhere.]
[If all you want is a mirror, surely you can find one.]
[Why must you cause a scene here?]
Finn raised her chin haughtily.
"Hmph."
"Where am I supposed to find a puddle bigger than Granny?"
"You don't have anything to do in this world Eldarin made anyway."
"If I come talk to you, at least you won't get bored."
Twofold's waters rippled angrily.
[You disrespectful little brat!]
[How many times must I tell you I'm a sacred lake, not a puddle?!]
"Hah! That's funny."
"You make it sound like you're the only sacred one around here."
"I'm a spirit too!"
"I'm plenty sacred!"
"And if a bunch of water gathers in one place..."
"That's a puddle!"
[You rotten... acorn-sized brat! Who do you think you're talking to?!]
"Acorn?"
"ACORN?!"
"Not even a chestnut, but an ACORN?!"
Unable to contain her fury, Finn began kicking the surface of Twofold Lake.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Twofold's waves surged in anger.
[You...! Insolent brat! Look at your hair! It's shaped exactly like an acorn cap!]
"Oh, now you're attacking my hair?!"
"You think you can say anything just because you're talking, you old hag?!"
For the last month, Finn had tried everything imaginable to restore her ruined hair.
She crushed colorful flower petals and dyed it.
She wove flowers together into crowns.
She ate so many fruits supposedly good for hair growth that her stomach nearly burst.
Yet her reflection in the lake still looked miserable.
And her hair had grown by barely a speck.
There was no one in the world she resented more.
