4. Where the Magic Goes…

Aquasteed, Stillca, and Stillio all cried out and tried to help TiaraRose—but it had the opposite effect. The moment the three of them touched her, their powers surged together and became entangled.

“Eeeek! Master Aqua, Luca-kun, and Rio-kun’s magic is mixing even more! This is bad! It’s bad, but this setup is delicious!!”

“Akari-sama!!”

Though confused by Akari’s hopeless commentary, TiaraRose called out to rebuke her. However, not knowing what to do, TiaraRose and Akari remained with their hands joined. They couldn’t pull away even if they wanted to.

Olivia, watching from behind, seemed unable to do anything either. “What should we do!? Levy, do you know!?” she asked. But even the capable Levy couldn’t handle this; he simply shook his head weakly.

“Mother!!”

LuciaRose hurriedly stepped forward, but since she wasn’t particularly skilled at handling magic, she too was helpless. She held her grimoire, but this was apparently outside its area of expertise. It couldn’t break the current deadlock.

—What should I do!?

As Tiara closed her eyes tightly in anxiety, she was enveloped by large hands from behind.

“…!”

“It’s okay. Calm down, Tiara.”

“A-Aqua…!”

the hands resting on her were warm. As if her tension were melting away from that touch, the feeling that everything would be alright grew stronger. Nevertheless, this situation could not continue.

“It seems unlikely that Lady Akari can do anything to resolve this on her own.”

“I’m technically trying my absolute hardest to suppress it, but…”

Despite the difficulty, Akari seemed to be standing her ground, desperately trying to control the massively swollen magic. She had been saying silly things, but now she was displaying incredible focus, her brow furrowed with a terrifying expression. It was a face far removed from that of a heroine.

With Aquasteed supporting her, TiaraRose gradually regained her composure. If she panicked here, they would never be able to break this state. She needed to stay calm and think about what she could do. Taking a deep breath, TiaraRose concentrated. Then, she was able to feel her own magic, Aquasteed’s magic, and the magic of Stillca and Stillio who had touched her moments ago.

—With this much magic, it’s only natural that control becomes impossible.

What to do with this excess, massive magic? That was the problem. TiaraRose’s capacity was already at its limit, and although Akari was the heroine, it would likely be difficult for her to handle any more magic than this.

Aquasteed didn’t have much room to maneuver either. As TiaraRose was considering a countermeasure, Stillca and Stillio came to her side.

“Mother, please let us help as well.”

“…We won’t make the same mistake as before.”

“Luca, Rio!”

TiaraRose was startled by their forceful words.

—To be able to make a calm judgment in this situation…

Despite the circumstances, TiaraRose felt a surge of happiness at the unexpected growth of her sons. She looked back at Aquasteed behind her and exchanged a glance. She wondered what Aquasteed thought about Stillca and Stillio joining in.

“…Understood. It’s dangerous, but you seem serious.”

“Father!!”

Aquasteed had been worried about the two of them, but seeing the earnest look in Stillca and Stillio’s eyes, he immediately gave his consent. He chose to believe in his sons.

Watching this, Akari let out a sharp breath of excitement.

“I believe Luca-kun and Rio-kun can do it! Because, because—they are the sons of Tiara-sama and Aqua-sama after all!!”

Despite the struggle, Akari’s eyes were sparkling as if she were playing an otome game.

Taking Akari’s voice as a signal, Stillca and Stillio exchanged looks and nodded to each other. Stillca stood on TiaraRose’s right side, and Stillio stood on her left. They placed their hands over the joined hands of TiaraRose, Aquasteed, and Akari.

Immediately, the magic swelled up with a massive whoosh. A prickly tension ran through the room, and everyone gulped.

Being only eight years old, Stillca and Stillio had pained expressions on their faces. They suppressed the powerful magic within themselves daily, but now other people’s magic was mixed in. Compared to their usual state, this was something entirely different and foreign.

However, they couldn’t afford to lose here.

“I am the son of Father and Mother. I am fine with this much.”

Stillio nodded at Stillca’s words.

“I train every day, too. I won’t lose to something like magic!”

Hearing the powerful voices of their sons, TiaraRose and Aquasteed gave wry smiles, thinking they couldn’t afford to lose either.

—As their mother, I have to show them my best side as well.

TiaraRose slowly closed her eyes and deepened her concentration. She visualized the magic that was about to overflow, gathering it toward their joined hands to keep it from spreading. She figured that if she used her power as a Fairy King correctly, the magic would become much, much easier to handle.

“My power as the Candy Fairy King will surely be of use!”

Responding to TiaraRose’s forceful voice, the candy fairies appeared. They had come to aid their King, TiaraRose. The fairies immediately began returning the leaking magic back to TiaraRose.

“Wow, amazing. The fairies…!”

LuciaRose cried out in delight at the appearance of the candy fairies and cheered, “Do your best, Mother!”

『What amazing magic!』

『But we’re on the King’s side, so it’ll definitely be okay~!』

TiaraRose’s power as the Candy Fairy King began to gather the magic into one. Aquasteed and Akari assisted her. Stillca and Stillio worked desperately to control and regulate the gathered magic.

Seeing this, TiaraRose and Aquasteed decided to leave the task to the two boys. With the exceptional talent Stillca and Stillio possessed, they would surely be able to handle it. They chose to believe in them and entrust them with it. Of course, they were prepared to help immediately if anything went wrong.

Stillca and Stillio gasped at the magic flowing into them. They blinked in surprise, looking at each other with wide eyes at the unfamiliar sensation.

“If we let go of our concentration, it feels like it would run wild instantly…”

“But with Father and the others’ support, even we can handle it.”

Watching Stillca and Stillio speak with voices bordering on joy, TiaraRose and Aquasteed’s expressions softened. They believed the two could do it, but they hadn’t expected them to be able to handle this magic so quickly. Seeing this, Akari giggled.

“If Luca-kun and Rio-kun are working so hard, then as the heroine, I have to work even harder! Since I have holy power, I should be able to help them too!!”

Akari suddenly became energized and poured strength into the magic. Then, the magic seemed to become easier for Stillca and Stillio to manage. Their expressions relaxed into smiles.

“With this, I think I can take this magic into myself and make it my own power.”

Everyone present was shocked by Stillca’s words. He had said that he could not only control the magic but also absorb it into himself. Stillio immediately agreed.

“Yeah, I think I can do it now.”

The two slowly, slowly moved their hands away from TiaraRose and the others, keeping the magic held within them. Once their hands were free, they took the overflowing magic and absorbed it into their own bodies.

“This is Mother’s…”

“Father’s… magic…”

The great power—TiaraRose’s portion for Stillca, and a part of Aquasteed’s for Stillio—melted into them.

“It’s warm, but… I can tell it is a massive amount of magic.”

“Yes.”

The tense voices of Stillca and Stillio were drowned out by Akari’s cheerful one.

“Haaa~~, thank goodness! It looks like the magic won’t run wild anymore. Still, for Luca-kun and Rio-kun to play such an amazing role…! I’m so glad I got to see it!!”

“…Akari-sama.”

TiaraRose rebuked the over-excited Akari and immediately went to Stillca and Stillio’s side.

“Are you two okay? Do you feel sick or anything like that?”

“It might feel different than usual. How is it?”

Despite the concern from TiaraRose and Aquasteed, Stillca and Stillio laughed lightheartedly.

“We’re fine. We have more magic than usual, but it feels easier to handle. That’s how it feels.”

“Maybe it’s because it’s Father’s and Mother’s magic?”

“…Maybe.”

Hearing the words of Stillca and Stillio, TiaraRose breathed a sigh of relief. Precisely because it was TiaraRose and Aquasteed’s magic, it likely settled well within their sons. Additionally, their feelings of love for their children might have made it even easier to handle.

“Phew… I wondered what would happen, but I’m glad everyone is safe.”

“Indeed.”

If one step had been wrong, it could have been a disaster. However, looking only at the final outcome, this event likely worked out as a plus for Stillca and Stillio. The magic, which had become much easier to handle after absorbing the magic of TiaraRose and Aquasteed, would surely become their strength in the future.

“Haaahnn! That was wonderful!!”

Just as everyone had breathed a sigh of relief, the sound of applause rang out with incredible vigor. The source was, of course, Olivia. With her handkerchief dyed red and tears streaming down her face, she continued to applaud frantically, shouting how wonderful it was. Levy, standing behind her, was also applauding. Beside them was LuciaRose, who was also clapping; she had apparently been caught up in Olivia’s pace.

The tense atmosphere from earlier seemed to be wiped away by Olivia, and smiles returned to everyone’s faces.

『This calls for it!』

『We have to have a celebratory sweets party!』

The candy fairies also clapped their hands happily and began creating sweets one after another. Cakes, cookies, ice cream—all of them looked delicious; it was a Candy Fairy Special.

“Wow, amazing.”

TiaraRose’s eyes sparkled instantly, and Stillca and Stillio looked restlessly happy. It seemed the sweets party would continue late into the night.

End of 214