Fiona's Adventures in Wonderland

Fiona's Adventures in Wonderland

As he spoke, Anvis made a gesture with the hand behind his back. The air before Fiona suddenly rippled, and a faintly glowing phantom appeared out of thin air in midair.

It first took on Fiona's appearance, then a field materialized around it.

Having reached the First Order, Anvis could now use Illusion Magic to add animated effects to his stories.

The girl paused slightly, then curiously stretched out a small hand, trying to touch the "Fiona" floating in midair. But her slender pale fingers passed uselessly through the illusion.

"This is only a Silent Phantom, Fi."

Anvis chuckled and shook his head, continuing the story.

"She ran happily through the lush green fields, chasing butterflies one moment and picking wildflowers the next."

"Could she tell which butterflies and wildflowers were safe, and which ones would be dangerous to touch?"

Fiona stared wide-eyed at the illusion in midair and asked in confusion.

"Of course. She was as clever and knowledgeable as you."

Anvis raised his pale, slender hand and indulgently stroked Fiona's soft, light golden hair.

The girl tilted her head back comfortably, a contented expression on her face. Her lake-blue eyes, clear as pool water, narrowed into two crescents.

"By afternoon, Sae's① radiance had grown more scorching. The girl was a little tired, so she went to rest beneath a huge old willow tree by the lake.

Between several massive roots, the lush grass made the ground wonderfully soft. She lay comfortably in the cool shade, dappled sunlight falling over her like scattered gold..."

"She got tired so quickly? She must have been pretty weak. Wouldn't it be dangerous to take a nap outdoors?"

Fiona looked up at Anvis with innocent eyes.

"Of course she wasn't as strong as my adorable little sister, but she was still a formal Spellcaster.

You should know that on such a comfortable, leisurely afternoon, even a Great Mage would want to relax a little."

Anvis smiled faintly and explained calmly.

"Mm! That makes sense. I get sleepy every afternoon too!"

Fiona nodded in agreement. Bracing her fair arms against the sofa, she perked up her ears and waited intently for the story to continue.

"As she was drifting off, a large white rabbit in black formal wear, with pink eyes, hopped past her.

She seemed to hear the rabbit muttering to itself, 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I'm going to be late—'

As it spoke, the rabbit pulled a Pocket Watch from its coat pocket, checked the time, and hurried into the distant forest."

The rabbit appeared in the illusion overhead. It wore a Tailcoat fashionable during the era of Gloria II, along with a crisp black top hat.

At that moment, it was looking at a tiny Pocket Watch.

"She must have encountered a mysterious phenomenon!"

Fiona fixed her eyes on the illusion in midair. Her pale little hand clenched into a fist, her gaze filled with excitement and curiosity, while her waterfall-like light golden hair flickered.

This was an effect she had gained after her Bloodline Awakening. Upon reaching the First Order, both of her Legendary Bloodlines had fully awakened.

While this had greatly increased her strength, it had also brought some minor changes to her appearance.

Under the influence of her Radiant Bird of Paradise Bloodline, her hair constantly emitted a faint glow. Whenever her emotions fluctuated strongly, the brightness of that glow changed as well.

"What happened next? Did she catch the rabbit? I heard that a rabbit with mysterious traits like that has a left hind leg that can be used to make a lucky Amulet! It can bring its wearer extraordinary good fortune!"

Seeing Fiona's eager, excited gaze, Anvis smiled and continued the tale.

"The girl leaped to her feet, all sleepiness gone. But the strange rabbit had already run far away, so she hurriedly cast Windwalk on herself and gave chase.

During the pursuit, she tried using Animate Plants to bind the rabbit, Telekinetic Control to trip it, earth magic to create pits in front of it, and more... Yet every time, the rabbit evaded her in some strange way.

At last, the rabbit ran deep into the forest, beneath an enormous Carol Banyan so thick it would take several people linking arms to encircle it, its roots tangled and sprawling.

The girl was ultimately one step too late and could only watch helplessly as the rabbit darted into a large hole among the roots."

In the illusion before the girl, the scene unfolded in step with Anvis's narration. As miniature Fiona's final Ice Imprisonment missed, the rabbit successfully shook off the girl pursuing it.

"Oh—that's such a shame."

Fiona adorably shook her little head, as though she herself had been the one to lose the rabbit.

"But she didn't give up. She followed the rabbit straight into the hole!"

A mischievous smile suddenly appeared on Anvis's face.

"At first, the Rabbit Hole sloped diagonally downward. But after she ran forward a few steps, the tunnel suddenly turned straight down!

Unable to stop in time, Fiona stepped into empty air and screamed as she fell into the deep, dark hole!"

As Anvis described it, the illusion in midair abruptly became a pitch-black cavern, then suddenly swallowed the girl on the sofa!

"Wah—!"

Fiona cried out in fright, instinctively drawing her little head back. Her light golden hair shone as brightly as a light bulb.

The fragile phantom was instantly scattered by Mana. Once her vision returned, the girl immediately looked up and glared fiercely at the culprit beside her.

"But at the crucial moment, she quickly activated the Feather Fall permanently inscribed on her Ring, allowing herself to descend slowly.

At the same time, she instant-cast Candlelight, summoning a white Light Orb and controlling it to float beneath her as it descended with her."

"This was meant to illuminate the cavern below while also disrupting the sight of any Magical Beasts that might be there, preventing her from being ambushed while unprepared."

Pretending not to notice the girl's glare, Anvis very naturally added another Silent Phantom and continued the story, taking the opportunity to teach her some Ruins Exploration Knowledge.

He also deliberately ignored her puffed-up cheeks and casually stroked her glowing, silky hair.

Mm, it felt amazing!

Fiona froze for a moment, her anger instantly rising to a new height, but she was also reluctant to miss the story still unfolding.

In the end, the girl huffily flopped back onto the sofa, viciously thinking that she would not speak to that hateful Anvis again for the rest of the day.

That's right! A whole day!

She swore it in the name of her Little Cat! ① Sae was this world's formal name for the sun.