From Blade To Spell

Inside the castle, a strikingly beautiful girl with bright, determined eyes stood before a massive wing structure, crafted from countless feathers, glued and stitched with care. Today was the day she would fly.

Beside her stood Fiona, her maid and close companion, equally young but visibly anxious. Fiona admired Alice deeply, but her obsession with flying had become a source of constant worry.

"Miss Alice," Fiona said, her voice trembling, "how about I try flying first? Just to test it… then you can try."

Her face had gone pale. Though Fiona was beautiful in her own right, Alice's radiance overshadowed her, especially in moments like this.

Alice shook her head with a playful smile.

"No way, Fiona. I'm not letting you steal the fun. This time, I'll fly. No one can stop me."

She turned, arms outstretched.

"Quickly, help me put the wings on."

Fiona hesitated, then tried once more.

"Miss Alice, please reconsider. You've tried five times already… each one ended in failure. You were injured every time."

Alice waved her off.

"I'm a knight, Fiona. A few bruises won't stop me. But if I succeed, imagine it. Flying soldiers, scouting the forbidden zones from above."

Fiona sighed, defeated. With a heavy heart, she stepped behind Alice and secured the wings to her back.

As she finished, she added softly,

"Miss Alice… the Master has already begun searching for a suitable husband. Some suitors may arrive soon."

Alice barely reacted. She was focused, testing the wings, flapping them gently.

"This time… I'll fly."

Her voice brimmed with confidence.

"Fiona, open the window."

Fiona sighed again.

"Okay, Miss."

The window creaked open. Without hesitation, Alice leapt, arms flapping, wings trailing behind her.

In his study, Duke Alaric looked up just in time to see his daughter soaring past the window, again. His face darkened, then softened into helpless resignation.

Outside the castle, Aaron had just entered through the gates with Elwood, Edrin, and Garric. But as he stepped forward, he noticed the trio had suddenly moved away.

Confused, he paused, then a sharp pain struck his head, as if something had fallen on him.

He staggered, barely staying upright thanks to his increased level. Looking down, he felt a soft sensation in his hand, and instinctively squeezed it.

"Slap!"

"You rogue!"

Aaron blinked, stunned.

"Hey! Who are you? You were the one who crashed into me!"

Before him stood a beautiful girl, feathers tangled in her hair, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had just gotten up, clearly flustered.

Feathers were scattered everywhere.

Alice's face flushed with anger, feeling she'd been taken advantage of. But after a deep breath, she calmed herself.

It was my fault… I jumped.

She glanced around and noticed the man, Aaron, had arrived with Garric, Edrin, and Elwood. That gave her pause.

"Who is he?" she asked, her tone sharp but curious.

Garric stepped forward, his voice filled with admiration.

"Miss Alice, this is Aaron, a wandering knight from the Kingdom of Riverbend. Don't judge him by his appearance or background. He's incredibly knowledgeable."

Alice blinked, surprised. She studied Garric's face and saw genuine respect. The same was true for Elwood and Edrin.

Her curiosity deepened.

"Aaron, right? If you can answer one question of mine, I'll believe you're as knowledgeable as Garric claims."

Aaron raised his hand, almost sheepishly.

"Miss Alice, I'm just a wandering knight. What could I possibly know? Garric and the others are teasing me."

Alice was stunned. There was no arrogance, no false pride, just quiet humility.

Interesting… very interesting.

Something about him tugged at her attention. She wanted to know more.

Garric, sensing the moment, quickly stepped in.

"Miss Alice, Aaron truly is knowledgeable."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a green coconut, holding it up.

"You recognize this wild fruit, don't you?"

Alice nodded.

"Yes. It's that wood fruit. Useless, really."

Garric smiled.

"That's where you're wrong. This isn't a wood fruit, it's called a coconut. That's the name Aaron gave it. And he told us about its many uses…"

He began listing them, hydration, nutrition, oil for skin and hair, medicinal value, even its potential for long-distance travel rations.

As Garric spoke, Alice's eyes lit up. Her gaze shifted toward Aaron, no longer skeptical but intrigued. The irritation from earlier vanished.

She had completely forgotten the slap.

Aaron rubbed his head, wincing.

"Damn… my head still hurts. How is she fine? Is she even human?"

He muttered to himself, still stunned by the impact.

Meanwhile, Alice stood smiling, her wings of mismatched feathers fluttering slightly in the breeze. She looked almost comical, but no one dared laugh. Her presence carried weight, even when wrapped in feathers.

She turned to Aaron, eyes gleaming with challenges.

"Aaron, if you can answer my question, I'll grant you anything you want. Even a territory."

Aaron blinked, surprised.

"Really? That's… generous. But I'm not as knowledgeable as they say. Still, I'll try my best."

Alice's tone shifted, serious and focused.

"Aaron, can humans fly?"

Aaron paused, thinking carefully. Then he replied with calm certainty.

"Nope. Ordinary humans can't fly. And if you're trying to use bird feathers to do it, it's impossible. There are other ways to achieve flight, but your method is the worst possible one."

Alice's heart sank.

She had poured countless hours, effort, and hope into crafting her flying feathers. And now, with just a few words, Aaron had dismissed her method as the worst.

It was hard to accept. Her pride felt cracked.

But then, his words echoed in her mind.

"There are many other ways to fly…"

Her breath caught. She looked at him, eyes wide, voice trembling.

"Are you… for real? You know more than one method of flying?"

Aaron nodded calmly.

Behind him, Garric, Elwood, and Edrin stood frozen, their expressions stunned. They had always known Miss Alice was mocked for her obsession with flight, called a fool in hushed tones. In this backward world, flight was a fantasy, a child's dream.

But Aaron's words had shattered their worldview.