Chapter 29: The Flower Sprite

The trio stood silently in place, watching the direction of the battle and awaiting its outcome.

They only knew that the last Oni to appear was incredibly powerful. Its horns—the most significant feature of the Oni race—symbolized strength through their size and majesty. This Oni's horns were enormous, exuding a regal, commanding presence.

It must have been a king among the Oni, an ancestor-level figure.

As for who would win between it and Aino, the group had no way of predicting. They lacked the strength to comprehend such battles and could only silently pray in their hearts.

After a long time, the Karlsa Shadow Forest returned to silence, and the waves of magic in the air settled.

Aino staggered out of the woods toward the group. Parker rushed forward to support her, but Aino waved her hand, signaling she was fine.

However, she looked slightly different than before.

Two horns sprouted from her head, though one was broken in the middle. Black bony wings jutted from her back, and her vertical pupils gave her a distinctly inhuman appearance, emphasizing a sharp divide from her human form.

Though not physically exhausted, Aino was still dazed from surviving the ordeal and hadn’t yet caught her breath. Panting, she said, “Let me rest for a bit, and then everything will proceed as normal.”

The group said nothing more, dispersing silently to ensure the area was safe, though they all knew that no creatures were likely to approach this place anytime soon.

Once Aino stood up again and her body reverted to its original form, the group began their usual banter.

“Master, how did it end? Is that guy still alive?”
“Are you hurt?”
“…”

Aino, in a good mood, smiled as she reassured her companions and described the battle.

It had been her first life-or-death fight since she was born. From initial tension to the eventual suppression of all emotions to focus solely on winning, this battle had been a tremendous learning experience for Aino.

It was like training in a driving school for years and then finally getting behind the wheel for a real drive—successfully completing a full loop around the course.

She felt a newfound clarity, an epiphany.

Understanding her powers on a deeper level, Aino realized there had been a gap in magical strength between her and the opponent. In training, she had always held back from using her strongest magic, afraid of causing too much destruction. This time, however, she had unleashed everything against the Oni king, finding the experience exhilarating.

Oni were skilled at hiding and evading? Too bad—magical attacks weren’t limited to directional strikes.

The magic she inherited from Tananorn included terrain restriction, gravity manipulation, parasitic curses, and much more. Unlike dragons who relied purely on brute force to destroy everything, Tananorn specialized in magic. His vast repertoire, a treasure trove of the world’s arcane secrets, included innate talents, personal inventions, and spells acquired over his long life.

Ultimately, the powerful Oni king was no match and perished at Aino’s hands. She relayed only the broad strokes of the battle to her teammates.

When strong beings clash, one dies, and the victor reaps the spoils.

With a flourish, Aino revealed the massive pair of horns she had taken, stroking their smooth surface with pride. The horns radiated an extraordinary aura.

“These could easily replace hundreds of Shadow Wolf fangs, but since I made a promise, let’s finish the task before heading back.”

The group nodded in agreement.

With no further obstacles, hunting Shadow Wolves became a trivial task. Each wolf had four fangs, and Aino even spared the lives of three wolves, leaving two fangs intact and releasing the creatures—lucky or unlucky, it was hard to say.

Indeed, she removed their fangs while they were alive, using magic to immobilize the three enormous wolf-like beasts. In their terrified state, she extracted the fangs without causing fatal harm.

Watching the three wolves vanish into the forest, Aino murmured thoughtfully, “Tell me, is life in this world truly so insignificant?”

“What do you mean?”

Her companions didn’t understand, leaving Aino momentarily speechless. She struggled to articulate her feelings.

The forest was eerily quiet, with only the crunch of their footsteps breaking the stillness.

“Why did the Oni attack us so recklessly? The last one even risked its life just to fight me.”

The others had their own interpretations.

Alea spoke first. “For some races, trespassers are mortal enemies. Some are natural battle maniacs who will fight to the death for any reason, believing that’s the only way to grow stronger.”

Parker offered a different perspective. “Because life really isn’t worth much. As an ordinary human commoner, I’ve seen people starve, get beaten to death by robbers, or be crushed under a noble’s carriage. I’ve never thought life was precious. Master, haven’t you also…”

Seeing Aino’s growing confusion, Parker quickly stopped talking.

“I think, Master, you’ve always fought for justice. Those people I brought to you before—they were all scoundrels. I stayed with them to survive and know the awful things they did.”

“And as for the Oni, they attacked us first, didn’t they? I think as long as you stay true to yourself, everything will be fine.”

Zola remained silent, perhaps unable to grasp these matters—after all, she was just a tree.

“Hmm… I guess I’m still not used to this era…”

Hearing Aino’s cryptic murmur, no one responded. It seemed she needed time to process her thoughts.

To Alea and the others, born in this era, such events weren’t surprising. Battles with other species in the forest were just part of an adventurer’s life. Why question it?

Everyone had their own experiences—there was nothing strange about that.

Upon returning to the blacksmith in Grantham, Aino exchanged ten fangs for the agreed 130 Sol coins (the dwarves’ currency). She immediately began browsing for weapons.

However, with one ordinary human and three magic users, there was little need for regular iron tools. Ultimately, Parker suggested buying two portable knives for cooking and other daily tasks.

The rest of the money went toward purchasing necessities.

While looking for suitable shops on the street, Alea suddenly gasped. “Look, isn’t that your ‘little cutie’?”

The group followed her gaze and saw the Flower Sprite they had encountered upon entering Grantham. She was directing several tall Beastmen laborers as they moved supplies, apparently setting up a new shop.

The Flower Sprite, only about ten centimeters tall, hovered midair with delicate, cicada-like wings fluttering rapidly. She barked orders at the “movers,” her tiny mouth running non-stop.

Approaching quietly, the group overheard her speaking fluent Beastman.

“Put the flour over there, and move the table inside.”
“Wait! Get the shelf in first! Can’t you figure out the big stuff goes in first?”
“Careful! Hey, I told you this box is fragile—do you want to bankrupt me?”

Noticing the group approaching, the Flower Sprite glanced at them and seamlessly switched to Human language.

“Move along, humans. Don’t block the construction of my store. It’s not open yet—don’t rush!”

This tiny creature, barely the size of a Fiji cup, had an attitude that towered over her stature.