[72.4] Not Raising Any Quitters

….A few months later….

"Great fairy! Try this!"

I took a bite, smiling happily.

"Great fairy, try my treat! It's tangy~"

I opened my mouth and she placed it in. I munched happily as the villagers fawned over me, hand-feeding me snacks and drinks as I lounged around.

The three children worked really hard in their training while I lounged around enjoying the food from the villagers. Lene and Atta were able to transform despite struggling to maintain it. The only issue was-

Lovi ran towards me crying, jumping onto me as she sobbed, "WHY CAN'T I GET IT!?!"

Bale ran after her, jumping on her and nuzzling her chin with his soft hair, "Don't give up Lovi!"

I felt irritated by his closeness to Lovi but forced myself to brush it off, "He's right, Lovi. You will get it if you keep trying."

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"

I squeezed her cheek, "You don't know you can't do it either."

"B-BUT LENE AND ATTA TRANSFORMED IMMEDIATELY! WHY CAN'T I EVEN CREATE A SINGLE FEATHER!?!"

I smiled at her, "It's okay, Lovi. You're just a late bloomer. Everyone has their own timeline, so you can't compare yourself to others."

The other villagers tried to encourage her alongside me, "Yeah! That's right!"

"Not everyone is perfect!"

"You have a dedicated teacher too!"

Bale nuzzled her affectionately, "And this teacher has no plans on leaving your side."

She pushed his face away while still sniffling, "I-I hate you! A-And give me s-some space already!!!"

It's a relief Lovi is always pushing away his advances…

If she didn't -

I glared at Bale as I considered the possible measures to take.

Bale, who felt the murderous aura, shivered, "D-Did the air get colder all of a sudden?"

Lovi tapped me and asked with a tearful gaze, "What if I never transform? What if I die before I ever turn into a blackbird!?"

I squeezed her cheek, "Then you'll just keep trying. I'm not raising any quitters for disciples."

She sniffed, rubbing her eyes, "I-I will try my best…"

"That's my girl!" I patted her head, "Now go find your sisters and have some fun. Sometimes your brain needs a reset and you can only do that by messing around~"

Bale heard this and pulled her away, "YES! LET'S PLAY!"

I watched them leave with a feeling of unease settling into my chest. I reached out to shove more food into my mouth without realizing the lowering temperature around me.

The villagers all looked at each other with helpless expressions.