“Fuhaha, Yufelia and Niina? Those two are one in the same. They are without a doubt twins.”

  Gild-san stares off into the distance, as if remembering fond memories from long ago.

“The Boisterous Dragon Spear Dance? That technique must have a magnitude in power.”
“Yeah, I never thought I’d meet people able to use the high level dragon technique of wildly throwing dragon spears.”

If it were Mistral, she’d probably be able to overpower the Boisterous Dragon Spear Dance with a single dragon spear. Although, in regards to being incredible, it would have to be those members of the human tribe pulling off such a wild feat. I doubt I’d be able to do it.

“Certainly, that is a technique unexpected of the human tribe. However, that technique, it can’t be used unless they are together. No, that’s not quite right. Those two can’t use dragon techniques unless they are together.”
“What do you mean?”

They can’t use dragon techniques on their own? Not even simple ones?

“First, the elder twin Yufelia. She possesses dragon power on par with dragon tribesmen. That said, she is unable to refine it into dragon spirit. The younger twin Niina is the reverse. While she doesn’t possess a single drop of dragon power, she can refine vast quantities of dragon spirit.”
“In other words, the younger sister refines the elder sister’s dragon power to use dragon techniques?”
“That’s right. Hence, regardless of who, they will never be able to invoke dragon techniques on their own. They’re inept twin sisters.” 

Ceries-sama said her dragon power is weak, but being able to use techniques on her own is a benefit.  Considering everything I’ve learned of the twin ouji-sama, I get the feeling the troubles those honorable two face is no small number.

“Yufelia and Niina, I’ll remember them, wa.”
Mistral gives a firm nod with those words.

I guess for Mistral, members of the human tribe who can use high level dragon techniques require vigilance.”

“As this one said just earlier, those two are dangerous solely because they might become thou’s brides.”
“Venerable elder?”
“Guh…”

Old Sleigstar flinches at Misrael’s glare as she brandishes her one-handed cudgel.

“Nntto, play?”

Priscilla-chan tugs on the hem of my clothes. Up until now, she has been playing with the spirit of the spirit tree Ares-chan along with the spirit-san of wind and the spirit-san of earth.

“Priscilla, the area around your mouth is dirty, wa.”

Looks like she ate the souvenir treats I brought with me.

Mistral wipes the grime around her mouth with a cloth.

“Me too, me too.”

Apparently, Ares-chan seems to have eaten them together with her.

I wipe Ares-chan’s face.

Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan are already close friends. The two of them are always together whenever I come to the moss covered plaza. Just like a pair of twins from somewhere, I get the feeling that recently, their words and actions have begun to resemble each other’s.

I ask Priscilla-chan if she will make a contract with Ares-chan like she did with the spirit-san of wind and the spirit-san of earth, but she seems to be against it.

“Ares likes onii-chan, won’t take her.”

So, it’s like that. 

Incidentally, Priscilla-chan still hasn’t decided on names for her spirit-san. When I secretly ask Nymia, I’m told that she has only come up with outrageous names like Pochi and Tama which were rejected by the spirit-san and everyone of the long eared tribe. I hope she’ll be able to decide on names for them soon.

A warm atmosphere is created within the moss covered plaza by the two children.

“Nntto, let’s play tag.”

Ever since the new year started, there have been some changes to our games of tag. Running away and chasing are the same as usual, but Gild-san and Old Sleigstar sabotage our efforts, upping the difficulty.

To be specific, Gild-san flings dragon techniques at those of us running around. The strength he uses is extremely weak, but terrifyingly fast. He sends them off the instant they are invoked and getting hit stings. Getting hit also comes with a moment of paralysis.

Mistral easily avoids them while Ruiseine anticipates and evades them. Priscilla-chan is still too small to be targeted. Arere, essentially, I’m the only one suffering from these.

Then there is Old Sleigstar, he obstructs the refining of dragon spirit in of itself. He makes things exceedingly intense. Whether it be running away or chasing, whenever I try to space jump or augment my physical strength, I don’t know what kind of technique it is but the dragon spirit I gather for my techniques vanish.

I am not the only one affected by this. Mistral is also receiving harm.

The key to avoiding Old Sleigstar’s interference is swiftly refining dragon spirit and invoking the technique. Not even Mistral can avoid having her techniques stopped if she is just a bit too slow. This is the first time I’ve gotten to recognize just how incredible Old Sleigstar is.

Incidentally, as Ruiseine and Priscilla-chan can’t use dragon techniques, they aren’t affected by this.

Once Priscilla-chan is satisfied, the training-like game of tag ends and I proceed to meditate. That’s followed by drilling the Dragon Sword Dance and then I practice against Mistral and Gild-san. My afternoons are terribly intense.

There are only a few more days until my departure. I still have so much more to improve on, so I frantically push myself to get even a tiny bit stronger.

I only finally decided on my goal for the year long trip once the new year passed. That’s why, not even for a second, I can’t cut corners. When Mistral and everyone else heard my goal, they too started helping me train without holding back.

Come the first day of Spring, I want to have enough strength to reassure my parents and to have enough experience to be told by Mistral and everyone else that I will be fine.

Therefore, I spend all day everyday training until the sun goes down.

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T/N: You can do it, Ernea.  Just like Ares first said, Ganbatte!!

~Gandire Alea

<84.1 The Final Days
85.1 The Declaration Ceremony>