After the topic of the Wind Dancer came up, the atmosphere between the two gradually returned to normal.
Or one could say... at least outwardly, it didn’t continue to get any weirder.
It was just that, as the child listened, he suddenly blurted out, "Come to think of it, I really do envy those who can fly."
Those words caused a slight flush to creep over Bofis’s cheeks.
"It’s not like it’s impossible..."
She murmured quietly.
As if she felt a chill, she hugged her slender left arm tightly, and her right hand nervously touched her fair left shoulder, feeling the coolness of her fingertips.
Just like the layout of this city’s buildings.
The child could vaguely see that the layout of the city was filled with a sense of asymmetry... If one were to describe it in one sentence, it was to the extent that one could easily know their exact location at every intersection.
On Bofis’s body, there was also a strong sense of aesthetic beauty brought on by asymmetry.
Her left shoulder and arm were completely bare and one could even make out her armpit and the side of her chest, while her right arm was securely wrapped up, even covering half of her hand; the short hemmed, figure-hugging white dress emphasized her form, and her knee-high, heavy metal boots exuded an asymmetrical beauty.
When pondering this, he realized that his own appearance was similar...
That’s when the child belatedly looked down at his own attire.
The most striking was the odd pair of boots on his feet, which were short on the left and long on the right.
There were also his two-tone pants and long coat—cut right down the middle, with the left side purple and the right side dark blue. The purple side, decorated with some gold floral patterns and sharp-looking shoulder pads, was like a dress suit. Meanwhile, the dark blue side, soft and devoid of decoration, bore black squares, resembling everyday wear.
...Well, it did have a sort of "fashionable" feel to it.
It’s the kind that one wouldn’t normally wear out.
"...Wait, did you say something?"
Suddenly, the child raised his head, looking at Bofis with a bit of confusion.
He had just been pondering the artistic aesthetic style of the elves of this era, and hadn’t paid attention to what Bofis had said. Or perhaps, it was precisely because Bofis had been talking nonstop, that he realized something was amiss when she suddenly fell silent.
However, seeing the child’s reaction, Bofis stomped her foot in slight annoyance, her voice rising a bit, "No way, no way!
"I’m not taking you flying again!"
"Wait, wait a minute..."
The child was somewhat flustered, but then he immediately shut his mouth.
Seeing his reaction, Bofis seemed to grow even angrier.
The moment it slipped out of his mouth, he realized what Bofis must have said.
She was probably offering to take him flying or something like that.
It was all because he had inadvertently said something inappropriate again... It was like implying "I want to see a movie" or something, wasn’t it?
The child could tell that Bofis really liked Julian.
It must be an opportunity for her to get closer to him...
After all, saying she would take him flying likely didn’t mean grabbing him by the nape of the neck and taking off, or attaching a bamboo dragonfly to him... Perhaps she was contemplating flying together while holding him in her arms.
But that wouldn’t be right... Bofis didn’t like him, but a young elf who appeared to be a human adolescent around fourteen or fifteen years old, named Julian.
Though no one saw... he couldn’t take advantage of her.
—It wouldn’t be right, since he was just a child.
In such moments, the child could be very stubborn and innocent.
Luckily, their standoff didn’t last long before a magnetic, somewhat authoritative female voice echoed from afar:
His pupils contracted momentarily.
That was a stunning beauty.
The figure in the sky had a full, yet solidly powerful physique. Her waist was not slender, but her pectorals and thighs were well-developed and strong. Under the sunlight, the skin of her exposed neck, peeking out from her clothing, was so fair it was nearly transparent. Her supple silver hair was tied into a ponytail and rested on the front of her left shoulder.
She was dressed in something akin to a high-collared long coat. Her lower half was clad in what appeared to be modern casual pants.
However, there were asymmetrical holes on both sides of the white coat, adorned with various strange geometric patterns. Through these holes, her black sweater was revealed.
For some reason, just by gazing at those geometric patterns, the child felt waves of dizziness. It was like the world’s proportions were being confused, as if he had had too much to drink.
The only thing that woman had in common with Bofis was those heavy metallic boots, which conveyed a sense of weight just by looking at them.
Like a graceful crane folding its wings, she descended from the sky and landed silently. Although the boots seemed heavy, they caused her no trouble and did not make a sound upon landing.
Bofis called out joyfully, opening her arms wide for an embrace.
But the woman just glared at Bofis, causing her to deflate completely.
She briefly glanced at the two of them and then asked with an indisputable tone, "Did you two have an argument?"
Bofis grumbled unhappily.
The woman’s brow furrowed slightly, "That means you did.
"— Did you bully Julian again?"
Under her gaze, Bofis’s voice got softer and softer, eventually fading away.
This demeanor, akin to that of a female CEO... why does it seem like she’s the boss in this nightmare?
The child grimaced and politely greeted her, "Teacher."
This was information he had just weaseled out of Bofis—his teacher was Bofis’s mother.
Even though he didn’t know her name, she was likely a warrior of at least Gold rank...
The woman’s gaze shifted slightly, turning towards the child.
It was only then that the child finally got a clear view of her pupils.
...Those were not human eyes.
They were golden pupils, as if capable of emitting light. Inside those pupils, there were also indistinct blue patterns spinning rapidly.
Her skin was even emitting a mist of pale blue particles. And around her eyes and fingertips, these particles became more pronounced, even visible to the naked eye.
A blatantly rude question arose in the child’s mind.
He nearly blurted it out, if not for the sudden tensing of his back as their eyes met.
He had never experienced such a feeling before. A sense of fear and oppression made his heart thump loudly and violently.
If one were to describe it, it was like a pet dog encountering a wild wolf. He felt as though his fur was standing on end, and he nearly couldn’t help but yelp.
...Or, was it more like a Pichu facing a Raichu?
To the child’s surprise, however, the woman merely nodded at him with satisfaction: "Daring to meet my gaze... not bad, your courage has improved.
"How is your Vine Strike Technique coming along? Show me."
The child silently replied in his mind.
He raised the ring blade in his hand, tossed it casually to spin it around once, and then caught it again. It was like twirling a pen in school days.
Then, he pointed it towards a large tree not far away.