The Strongest Fairy

Chapter 21 Priorities

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「Aidol...」

「What is it Arena, is something wrong?」

Arena comes out of my hood and went in front of me. Why are you looking at me with those big googly eyes. I might get a nosebleed if you come any more closer than that.

「Back to original form?」

「You want me to return being a fairy?」

She quietly nodded. Since there's no reason to refuse, I decided to climb on a nearby tree and then return to my original form.

Now that I think about it, this was the first time in a while since I started the journey that I have returned to my fairy form. When I crawled out of the robe, the now silent Arena was waiting for me.

「Here I am, I have ret~(Ugu)!?」

For some reason I was hugged! Eh!?

「... ... ...」

「Errrr.... Ummm... Arena?」

「... finally, Aidle, returned...」

「...ah!?」

I hugged her in silence in return. I combed her hair and rubbed her back. And then my chest was getting damp, she is also not letting go of me...

「... ... Hicku... Uhuh... For saying something selfish... Sorry...」

「No Arena, it's not your fault... I'm sorry... I see... You were lonely right?」

「Uuuuu... Unn~~!!」

The fairy Arena has only been with the human me in the past week and don't really know anything about humans or the city. It's only been a short time, but she lived with me surrounded by humans in a world without a single fairy in sight. How insensitive of me? There is in no way that a 3-year old child being thrown in a place where everyone is larger than her would be fine on her own. Even if there is me with her, she would still be unsettled in a place where she feels alone.

I wonder if I really should have listened more to Testania-san that time and it also reminded me of myself as Sayuri. Even at that time I also...

「I'm really sorry about that, Arena...」

But well, Arena was able to hold herself back a lot. Playing like she usually is. I probably didn't think too much about it because she has higher INT now as effect of the board games. So I thought, this child is probably much wiser, and I didn't worry about it. Also because only a few days have passed since we arrived here.

「Yu... you don't hate... you don't hate Arena?」

「I will never hate Arena you know?」

I wiped her face that was getting messy with tears and snot with my robe. Our two eyes are in line with each other because we are now in the same size.

「Since the moment I was born in this world, I was really saved because I met you. I always had fun every day in these past three years we have spent together. You know, I have been cherishing every moment because all I can think about is Arena. I really like you a lot.」

If had not met this child back then, I would have probably died. It might be just a coincidence that I met her at that time, but if that didn't happen, then my second life would have ended earlier that I would have expected. If they would call that a miracle then I will probably believe it.

「Arena, I have agreed to go with you together, I don't really want to expose you to danger, that thought didn't really change even when you acquired hiding skills.」

「... ...」

「But, the moment you told me that you want to go with me, I was really happy because of that you know?」

「...really?」

「Yes, though I have promised that I will come back as fast as I can, I still would have been lonely, missing Arena during that time. Arena is now half of my life. I want to see your smile and happy face all day long, so much that I was hesitating to leave back then. That's why I set those conditions, hoping, really hoping that Arena would overcome them and learn.」

This is what I truly felt at that time. I can lie or hide things to others, but not to this one here. It's only with this important person that I want to share everything.

「Honestly, I was really delighted when you were able to complete all those challenges. Being able to travel with Arena made me really thrilled and excited. That I forgot to think about how you feel, I didn't even notice anything...」

I hold Arena again. Stronger than before and not letting go.

「And because of that, in the future, if there is something you want to say or if you are holding back something, don't. As a companion of mine in this journey, please do not hold back okay. If there's anything you are holding back now, you can say it, okay?」

「... ...okay~?」

「I will listen, so let us discuss and see if there's anything that the two of us can help with. And do not try it alone okay?」

「... ... ... Oooohh!!」

And so we went on in this form. She says that she wants us to be like this till later. Be it eating together, travelling or playing, right? I will always give time and starting now I will definitely show my affection. And so we decided our priorities when travelling.

「And then, and then let's play Shogi~!!」

(Ahhhhh... sigh... how many times am I going to lose)

Night finally blanketed the sky, and we have finally arrived at Haval, but since the gate was already closed a while ago, we decided to camp out. We looked for a place that no one would notice and placed our tent, we also spent the night in fairy form, eating dinner and so on.

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「Haaaaaah~! Pancake with Splendid Sauce made from World Tree Honey!!」

「The Best~~~!!!」

Eating Honey after a really long time of absence was so delicious. After that we spent the night playing shogi under the moonlight... And I didn't win even a single time.

I turned around and smiled.

「Arena~」

「Hmmm~~」

「Let's find a lot of friends along with Arena okay~」

「...Hai~~!!」

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「Hello, Testania-san, I want to make a lot of friends for Arena, so I'm thinking of building a country for such, can you help me?」

『You, what are you spouting out all of a sudden!?』