Chapter 7: An Overnight Transformation

Where Hilvyn should have been, to Elara’s right, an elf now lay. She stood approximately 1.65 meters tall, her features delicate, her skin and hair as white as snow.

Elara stared for five seconds.

‘I must be terribly overworked,’ she thought.

Believing herself to be dreaming, Elara lay back down, ready to re-experience the bliss of a long-missed second sleep.

As if!

In truth, Elara had already more or less confirmed that this outrageously cute, beautiful girl was none other than Hilvyn.

But why?

How could a person—no, an elf—grow so quickly? Not even crops matured at such a speed.

“Oi, oi.” Elara poked the soft, plump cheek a few times with her finger.

No response.

Elara’s eyes darted about, and a plan began to form in her mind.

She leaned close to the elf’s long, slender ear and whispered:

“Toast with wind chime berry jam on one side, and honey bell melon jam on the other…”

“Where?!” The girl jolted awake, her azure eyes gleaming with ravenous desire.

It was as she suspected.

This was the wish Hilvyn had made at dinner the previous night:

“May the Wind God bless me, and may I eat toast with wind chime berry jam on one side and honey bell melon jam on the other every day.”

“Hold on, no eating yet.”

“Ow!”

Elara delivered a sharp flick to Hilvyn’s forehead.

Confusion might not harm the brain, but it certainly sharpened the mind.

“Master, why did you ‘ow’ me?”

Hilvyn tilted her head, staring up at Elara.

The two exchanged glances.

“Huh? What happened to my voice?”

Then, Hilvyn suddenly sat upright.

The blanket slipped, revealing a significant portion of her slender waist. The clothes she had been wearing seemed to have shrunk to a miniature size.

The fabric across her chest bore a tension ill-suited for her previous age.

“Master, am I going to die?” Hilvyn cast a pitiful gaze at Elara.

“I feel so stuffy in my chest, I can barely breathe…”

Elara was speechless.

Then, she watched helplessly as it slipped out.

Elara’s face flushed.

She quickly averted her gaze to the right.

She felt as if she had caught a cold; her nose was itchy and runny. She sniffed hard, but the discharge that reached her mouth wasn’t salty—it was a briny, fishy taste.

This snot had power…

****

Once Hilvyn was dressed in Elara’s clothes, they could finally discuss the situation properly.

However, Hilvyn knew nothing. She simply began to run, jump, and walk around, comparing her height to various pieces of furniture in the room.

It was as novel as experiencing magic for the first time yesterday.

Elara gazed at the wind chimes hanging from the eaves of the balcony, a tentative answer forming in her mind:

All living beings in this world grow slowly during their infancy. Once they reach the magic-driven maturation period, the magic within their bodies rapidly matures their physical form within a few years, after which they remain in their prime for a long time.

Thus, for the majority of their lives, the physical bodies of all beings in this world remain in their prime.

The magic-driven maturation period for humans is generally between 16 and 19 years old. Elves, due to their immense magical reserves, typically undergo this process a few years later.

As for precisely how many years later, Elara herself was unsure.

Hilvyn had originally suffered from a magic blockage, but now that it was cured, the magic that had been obstructed in her body for so long rapidly caught up her ‘already maturation-ready’ physical form overnight.

This was akin to a slow-flowing ditch that had been blocked by a plank for a long time. When the plank was suddenly removed, the accumulated water from upstream would surge furiously downstream.

Of course, there was no precedent for this, as magic blockage was supposed to be a terminal illness, and such an overnight transformation was unheard of.

“Master, this is so troublesome.”

The once childish voice had transformed into a maiden’s, which Elara found a little unsettling.

Elara gathered her thoughts and saw a sight that made her head ache.

Hilvyn was holding up her own chest with both hands, expressing her dislike for it.

Elara slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath—then exhaled, and opened her eyes.

“You can’t get rid of them. You’ll just have to get used to it.”

“Eh—alright.”

“There’s one more thing: when you’re outside, you need to be mindful of your actions. For example, you can’t lift them up and show them to others like you just did.”

Elara never imagined she would live to teach someone such things.

She casually picked up the cup and took a sip of water.

“What about at home, then?”

“Pfft—”

****

After a series of twists and turns, Elara finally managed to teach Hilvyn some basic common sense.

****

At the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Good morning, Miss Black Rose.”

Serene, the receptionist, still wore her signature smile.

“Good morning.”

“You look a little tired,” Serene remarked, her ability to read people being quite excellent.

She glanced behind Elara; the small elf was not there. Instead, there was an elf of Elara’s height.

“Is this a new companion? Where is little Hilvyn?”

This posed a dilemma for Elara.

If she told the truth, it would be far too outlandish. Serene wouldn’t fully believe her, especially since their relationship was merely transactional, always through her window for guild business.

If she concealed it, her reason for being out would be flimsy. A disappearing party member, if reported, would lead to a thorough investigation…

Just as Elara’s left brain battled her right, Hilvyn made the choice for her.

“I am Hilvyn.”

“Sigh~”

Elara truly felt her heart breaking.

“How did you grow so tall overnight?”

Serene was slightly astonished, scrutinizing Hilvyn from head to toe. The exquisite facial features confirmed the truth of the statement.

“I thought she was little Hilvyn’s older sister.”

The current Hilvyn was now as tall as Elara, and Elara’s back could no longer hide the ‘big’ girl.

“Children grow quickly… heheh…” Elara offered an awkward laugh.

Serene, hearing this, didn’t press further and shifted the conversation back to Elara.

“When will Miss Black Rose take her assessment to become an A-rank adventurer?”

Elara’s number of completed quests had already met the A-rank standard, allowing her to apply for the A-rank promotion assessment.

“I’ll wait a bit longer,” Elara said, shaking her head, and turned towards the B-rank quest board.

A-rank already signified a seasoned adventurer with excellent talent and a commendable record.

Whisperwind City boasted three thousand adventurers, yet fewer than a hundred were A-rank.

Promotions to A-rank also credited the team’s efforts; when a team completed a commission, the number of completed commissions was added to each member’s record.

A team being able to handle A-rank commissions did not mean that one or two individuals could handle them alone.

Elara found herself in precisely this situation. If she were placed in an A-rank team, she believed she could perform competently.

However, if she were to go solo, as was currently the case, A-rank commissions would undoubtedly be quite challenging.

A-rank commissions, she decided, would have to wait until Hilvyn matured further.

Elara focused her attention on the quest board, knowing that practical experience was the best way to grow.

****

On the outskirts of the Whisperwind Forest.

Hilvyn used the ‘Wind Listener’ magic to remotely ascertain the approximate range of their target. Once they drew closer, Elara’s ‘Spatial Perception’ would pinpoint the exact distribution of the magical beasts.

It was a cluster of magical beasts.

The gathering of various magical beasts in one spot indicated that the magic concentration in that area was higher than normal.

This was caused by the free-flowing winds of the Whisperwind Forest, which could carry magic and sometimes cause it to accumulate in specific locations.

Elara sensed the fluctuating, overflowing magic.

She immediately locked onto the three strongest magical beasts: two B-rank Sawtooth Centipedes and one equally powerful Windblade Mantis.

This was the perfect opportunity to test the high-tier magic, ‘Shadow Dart.’

Elara condensed two miniature, prism-shaped black lights.

They shot silently towards the two Sawtooth Centipedes.

If her affinity and proficiency were higher, she could even conjure shadow darts from within the shadows themselves.

In the blink of an eye, the two Sawtooth Centipedes instantly ceased their magic dispersion.

Several other magical beasts were then startled, noticing their presence.

Elara gripped her twin blades.

“Hilvyn, let’s go!”