Fairy Tail Space Mage

After all, this wasn't the first time Kong had come to harass it. It seemed to have gotten used to it and decided to ignore Kong's presence.

If you look closely at this point, you'll find that it's not an ice coffin at all, but rather two leaves of the "ice coffin grass" that look just like an ice coffin when put together.

Yes, the "Ice Coffin Grass" is an extremely large plant-type monster. It is closely related to the Insectivorous Grass. The part it uses to hunt is its ice coffin-like leaves.

Kong controlled "The Circle of the Sky" to move around for a while and finally found the trace of the dual-core slime-type volcanic demon. It was still in the appearance of about to use "clone self-destruction", covered in the largest ice coffin, completely frozen into an ice sculpture.

That's right. Even a terrifying being like the Volcanic Demon is captured, frozen, and becomes delicious food for the "Ice Coffin Grass" here. This shows just how terrifying the "Ice Coffin Grass" truly is!

Unfortunately, neither physical enclosure nor low-temperature methods can prevent the "Ice Coffin Grass" from posing a threat to the air. In this situation, the "Ice Coffin Grass" can only watch its food dangle near its mouth, completely helpless.

Sora had no intention of rescuing the volcanic demon. Because, after the volcanic demon was digested by the "Ice Coffin Grass," the remaining demonic core, devoid of demonic power, was the material Sora needed.

Under normal circumstances, if a volcanic demon is driven into an inescapable predicament, it will definitely self-destruct its magic core... Demons don't care about death; as long as its Demon Book exists somewhere, it will eventually be resurrected. But Kong, who cannot obtain the magic core, will be greatly troubled by this.

That's why he went to the trouble of teleporting the volcanic demon here... all to obtain the intact volcanic demon's core. Of course, that's not all.

In fact, the seeds of the "Ice Coffin Grass" fruit are also the materials needed by the Void.

However, the seeds of ordinary "Ice Coffin Grass" fruits are of too poor quality to be of any use. That's why Sora thought of capturing the Volcano Demon, feeding it "Ice Coffin Grass," and then obtaining special seeds.

The "Ice Coffin Grass" naturally dislikes any creature with a temperature higher than its own. Any creature with a higher temperature will be swallowed, frozen, and digested by it. After digesting these creatures, the "Ice Coffin Grass" will slowly produce fruit.

Strangely enough, the more fire-attribute magic power the "Ice Coffin Grass" absorbs from the creatures it grows, the higher the quality of its fruit! Under these circumstances, it's only natural that Kong would think of this plan to kill two birds with one stone.

The "Grimoire of Arrays" happens to require these two materials, and these two materials can be obtained in one go through this method... Regarding this coincidence, Kong couldn't help but suspect that the first person to create the "Grimoire of Arrays" had also used this method to obtain these two materials in one go.

The subsequent reaction of the "Ice Coffin Grass" seemed to confirm Kong's conjecture.

After digesting the "Volcano Demon," the Ice Coffin Grass seemed to vomit garbage, forcefully spitting out two demon cores of the Volcano Demon, one large and one small. Kong quickly caught them with the "Shield of the Void" and then moved them away from the Ice Coffin Grass.

Then, Kong temporarily deactivated "Emptiness Circle" and "Emptiness Sphere" and put the two magic cores into his spatial ring.

Of course, during this process, Kong was so cold that he shivered again.

When the "thermos" was recreated and returned to the "ice coffin grass", the roots of the two largest leaves of the volcanic demon had already grown a crystal-clear fruit, like a transparent apple.

At the heart of that fruit lies the high-quality "Ice Coffin Grass Seed," which contains surging power!

This is the time to test one's abilities.

What it just spat out was "garbage," so even if Sora took it away, the "Ice Coffin Grass" wouldn't care at all. But now, Sora is taking its fruit, which is equivalent to its child.

Sora made all sorts of preparations, even preparing two "Singularities". But when Sora used the "Sky Ball" to knock the high-quality fruit onto the "Sky Shield", the "Ice Coffin Grass" didn't budge at all.

When Sora then controlled the "Shield of the Sky" to leave with its fruit, the "Ice Coffin Grass" still did not react at all.

Kong recalled that many plants have the characteristic of using animals to disperse their seeds. He felt that the ice coffin grass in front of him was actually the same.

In this way, everything becomes incredibly easy. It's as if once you choose the right starting point, no matter where you go from here, it will always be a smooth road.

Sora became increasingly certain that this was indeed the correct method to obtain the "Volcanic Demon Core" and "High-Quality Ice Coffin Grass Seeds." The sage who first created the "Array Magic Book" must have obtained these two materials using the same method.

However, it would be great if the other party could also write down how he obtained the materials in the book.

In that case, Kong will probably be able to collect other materials just as smoothly as he has this time.

It's just a thought, nothing more.

After obtaining the two materials, Sora returned to the city closest to the hot spring town via a teleportation magic circle. Then, using Kaoru's location as coordinates, she initiated several consecutive relocations.

"ah!!!"

Sora had assumed Kaoru would be patiently waiting for him outside the crater, but that wasn't the case. This was a hot spring at a ryokan (traditional hot spring inn), and moreover, it was a "women's bath"!

Chapter 050 Secrets of the Hot Springs

While venturing deep into the dangerous, frigid lands to gather materials for crafting a magic book.

Xun'er, having exhausted her magic power, was invited by Ya'er to soak in the hot springs at the inn that had just returned to normal after the volcanic demon disappeared.

Because it restores magic power. Because it feels good. And because of this...

"You, you, why are you here! No, don't look!" Ya'er was wrapped in a bath towel, but her face was still flushed with embarrassment. She hugged Xun'er to her chest, as if the bath towel wasn't enough and she wanted to use Xun'er to cover herself as well.

"Sister Ya'er, put me down! You're wrapped in a bath towel, but Xun'er isn't wearing anything!" I don't know why she, a cat, is so shy.

Speaking of which, Xun'er usually dresses like a girl. This is different from Happy, who is always naked. Could it be that the influence of anthropomorphic education is too deep...? Come to think of it, when did Xun'er start wearing dresses? Kong can't quite remember.

While Ya'er and Xun'er were in a panic, Kong looked around. This should be a hot spring, as the steam was very thick. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to completely obscure the view.

Sora could clearly see what Ya'er looked like now.

Because she was taking a bath, Ya'er had her hair up in a bun. She already possessed a refined and beautiful air, and now she appeared even more immaculate, exuding a unique charm.

Perhaps it's because she's originally from the East, but Sora really appreciates the delicate and refined charm unique to Eastern women.

At this moment, in this scene, Kong couldn't help but stare at Ya'er in front of him, lost in thought. Well, how to put it? If you had to describe Ya'er at this moment in one sentence, it would be that she was as beautiful as a painting.

Ya'er lowered her head, her face turning as red as fire, as Kong stared at her like that.

"Kong, if you keep watching, Xun'er will tell Sister Mira!" Xun'er was very angry.

"Mira!" Kong suddenly woke up and quickly used teleportation to leave the area.

“Mira?” Ya’er repeated the name, somewhat concerned.

"I'm sorry, Sister Ya'er. Kong probably thought Xun'er was still waiting for him outside, so he used Xun'er as a coordinate to initiate 'movement' and came straight here. He didn't do it on purpose," Xun'er explained to Ya'er.

"Hmm... I know. That person isn't that kind of person." Ya'er nodded, seemingly trusting Kong inexplicably.

"Huh! Why would Sister Ya'er think that way? We've only known each other for a short time, and we even fought before..."

Xun'er suddenly realized that Sora seemed to easily win people's favor all along. If Sora were a cute little kitten like her, it might make sense. But Sora was clearly cold and aloof... Did Sora have some kind of special personal charm?

"Well...maybe it's just a feeling. I always felt that that person wasn't dangerous. He had a kind of...ordinary person vibe, someone who could easily approach the weak..." Ya'er thought for a moment and then replied.

Of course, Xun'er couldn't understand what she was saying at all... Was she saying that Kong looked weak?

Xun'er felt that Ya'er's meaning was not what it seemed on the surface, but unfortunately, Xun'er, who was only three years old and had limited experience in cat life, could not understand it at all.

Xun'er couldn't help but scratch her head, but finally decided to give up thinking about the problem for the time being.

"However, speaking of which, it's rare to see someone staring blankly at a girl like that. It seems you're quite charming, Sister Ya'er." Unable to understand what was said earlier, Xun'er decided to talk about something she could understand.

"Very charming... Well, I'm quite confident about that. By the way, you said that the situation that person was in just now was very rare, is that true?" Ya'er surprisingly didn't know how to be modest at all. But Xun'er didn't think Ya'er was bad; on the contrary, she was infected by Ya'er's confidence and thought that she was indeed a very charming woman.

"Yes. Sora is a conservative, silent, and aloof man. So, he doesn't pay attention to things that don't concern him. Even if a beautiful woman flashes by, he might not react. So, he rarely stares blankly at women like that... As far as Kaoru knows, only Ya'er, Sister Erza, and Sister Mira can make Sora act like that."

Xun'er seemed to have given Ya'er a very high evaluation.

"Elsa...do you mean that 'Ruby Elsa' lady? What is the relationship between Lord Kong and her?" Ya'er asked with great concern after hearing Xun'er's words.

"Well... it's because of the 'princess carry'." Xun'er teased Ya'er, who seemed to find it amusing that she cared so much.

"Huh! A princess carry! That lady and Lord Elsa! ...Really?!"

Ya'er was immediately astonished. Rather than astonished by their relationship, she was more surprised that the dignified Lord Elsa could be 'princess-carried'! She couldn't imagine such a scene. Or rather, she found it unacceptable.

"Xun'er knows what Ya'er is thinking. But it's not like that. Although it's a 'princess carry,' the person being carried is empty."

Perhaps knowing that Sora wouldn't be coming in for the time being, Xun'er became bolder and began to expose Sora's "shameful experiences."

Girls often enjoy "exploding" themselves and others in hot springs. What are the psychological reasons behind this? Is it the immense sense of liberation that follows excessive shame when naked?

"So that's how it is... Although it seems so obvious at first glance, it's even harder to accept now... No, my brain is fried! Xun'er, just tell me, what exactly is their relationship!"

Ya'er's impression of the two people clashed drastically with Xun'er's account! Ya'er's mind was completely overwhelmed. She grabbed Xun'er and shook her violently, making Xun'er feel dizzy.

"Stop it... Okay, I won't tease Sister Ya'er anymore. There's nothing between them! That 'princess carry' was just for coordination in battle. They're just good friends!... Whew!" After explaining, Ya'er finally let go of Xun'er. Xun'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“Oh, I see… I also think they’re better suited as friends than lovers. How should I put it, they’re both very handsome, they could be good buddies!” Ya’er breathed a sigh of relief, but said something that was very rude to Erza.

But Xun'er, who had just escaped the clutches of evil, didn't want to be caught again. Therefore, she didn't speak up for Elsa.

"Oh, right, besides Lord Erza, there's another one..." Ya'er finally asked about the woman whose name had made Sora flee immediately. Although her previous words had already hinted at much, Ya'er still clung to a sliver of hope. If that person was a family member, like her sister...

“Sister Mira! She’s the woman Sora likes… well, no, I mean she loves him. Because no other woman can make Sora favor, care about, and worry about her like that…”

The reality was indeed a blow. Ya'er's face fell.

Before leaving the hot spring, Ya'er still couldn't resist asking Xun'er for Mira's photo. After seeing it, even someone as confident as her couldn't help but feel ashamed.

For the first time, Ya'er complained to the gods: why did they create such beautiful women!

Chapter 051 Agreement

"What's wrong?" Kong asked with concern when he saw Ya'er looking downcast after her bath.

"Hmph! Sora actually asked what happened! Of course it's because Sora suddenly barged into the women's bath and saw Ya'er's naked body..." Before Xun'er could finish speaking, Ya'er covered her mouth with a blush.

"Of course not... I didn't care... No, it's impossible for me not to care... No, anyway, it's not because of that!" Ya'er didn't know how to explain.

"...Regardless of whether it is true or not, first of all, I must apologize to Miss Ya'er for my offense and rudeness just now!" This was probably the longest and most well-organized sentence that Sora had said since arriving here.

"I understand. I accept your apology, sir." Inspired, Ya'er couldn't help but sit up straight.

"Phew..." Xun'er, the instigator of the series of events, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If things continue like this, it will inevitably come back to her in the end. After all, it was because of her that Sora accidentally wandered into the women's bath. And it was because she spoke carelessly without understanding the situation that Ya'er became so depressed...

To be honest, she never expected that Ya'er, whom she had only met a few hours ago, would develop romantic feelings for Kong so quickly.

Of course, seeing Ya'er's reaction upon seeing Mira's photo, even the naive Xun'er understood. However... although she felt sorry for Ya'er, she would never betray her sister Mira!

Mira is Xun'er's number one owner! This throne is unshakeable, not even by the sky!

"Miss Ya'er, you can just call me Kong. Also, that volcanic demon has been completely wiped out."

Kong wasn't used to being addressed as "adult." It was too different from his self-image.

"I understand. Then please, sir... call me Ya'er." Ya'er was still not used to it immediately.

"I understand, Ya'er." Kong nodded.

“Um…” Xun’er ran to Kong’s side and tugged at his sleeve.

"We've already succeeded, don't worry." Kong, of course, understood what Xun'er meant.

"Great! Thank you, Kong! Next, as long as we can find the magic core of the Crystal Earth Giant... but it seems there's no suitable environment for that kind of mutated earth giant within the Kingdom of Fiore..." Xun'er was very happy, and then entered a cat's "data search" mode.

"In short, sir... Sora and Kaoru's request has indeed been completed. We just tested the hot spring, and the temperature has returned to normal. This is the reward, as Father announced before, 400 million J."

Ya'er took out a money bag containing gold coins that she had prepared at some point. The money bag was bulging, and one could easily estimate that it contained about 40 large gold coins.

"Regarding my previous suggestion, Ya'er, are you really unwilling to consider it?" Kong didn't take the money pouch, but asked again with some anticipation.

Seemingly noticing the situation here. Of course, it's also possible that she was simply attracted by the clinking of the gold coins in the money bag, as Xun'er's gaze also turned this way, eventually becoming a pleading look.