Pangu

"You crafted this?" Yuu looked to her in surprise.

"Pretty much." Lotus responded bluntly.

"It's amazing..." Yuu replied with a shocked expression, "It's really well crafted, but how..."

"I found some old chains in the mine when I found the magestone piece." Lotus stopped him calmly, "I'll explain the rest later. Right now, I need to finish this matter. Can you please watch over Kalim until the other returns?"

"All right. Just leave him to me. You be careful though. The mines are too dangerous for exploration."

"I understand." Lotus nodded and hurried to finish her talk with the fairies.

Watching Lotus discuss serious talks with the fairies without a hint of hesitation or fear impressed Yuu. At the same time, it made him feel at ease seeing her fit right into her element. He had always known that Lotus struggled with opening her heart to others. So, when he sworn to treat her like family, he knew that it would take more than just a vow to make her open up like this. However, he was told before that he was the patient one yet quick to act according to his own moral back in his world. So, he took the chance to see if he really had what it takes to help her open up. Perhaps, they were right and this was a small reward for his efforts. If it had been in the past, she probably would've said that she got it from somewhere or found it without a proper explanation.

The fairies chimed as Lotus nodded after some thoughts, "I will excuse the incident that occurred today. This shall be a warning for you three this time and I will not report this to Chief Fern."

The fairies nodded rather dejected as they were about to leave with a chime of reluctance. Lotus nodded as she responded, "Very well. I shall continue to look forward to your effort to this forest."

The fairies frozen in bewilderment before turning around with stunned expressions and chimes in surprise. Lotus shook her head, "You made a dangerous mistake today, yes. However, if I remember correctly, you have always kept a close eye on human activities in these areas for the past ten years. You went from watching over the borders between the villages to guarding the forest from the crimson forest. Are you not the third generation group that the chief personally trained to protect the forest when the first appearance of campers began to reappear after the crimson flower incident? Till now, you've done very well in your work despite being rookies for so long. They say that no news is good news in your line of work. Your honesty and dedication to protecting the fairies are impressive. Hence, I will give you another chance. Being a soldier is hard on the morals when it clashes against the laws. Every good deeds does not go unpunished. While some may have the pride, you suppressed it in order to help save a life. Pride is important, but, compared to a life, many will question themselves. Ah yes, I believe the word to overcome this was determination and wisdom."

Curious and amused, Lotus smiled, "Normally, I would have reported you to the chief. However, seeing you faced with real concerns have made me think otherwise. Hm….. I look forward what strides the third generation will make in the future. That being said, you would not make me watch the same drama unfold now, would you?"

The leading fairy chimed back rather shocked and confused.

"Good." Lotus nodded before looking around curiously, "Let's see… They're goals in this swamp should just be the lantern blossoms. Once they finish, they will return to their campsite. If you wish to stop them from there, I shall not stop you."

The fairy chimed to her hesitantly and curiously. He was asking her for the reason she let them do so. Lotus opened her mouth, "This is also the reason the chief told you not to go overboard with your intimidation. These humans are still young life. Due to being cared for since early on, the adults are concerned they would be unable to survive should they ever get stranded somewhere in the wilderness. This is just some step by step practice for them to learn what to do when that happens and to put what they learnt to the test. If they do not do their best, they will be forced to stop doing the activities they enjoy the most and be placed into other activities they do not wish to do."

The fairies looked confused as lotus chuckled, "For example, if you were tested for your skills in martial arts but failed just by a slim margin, then the chief would have you transfer to office work against your own will. You could be running back and forth trying to get the papers right and messing up, then getting scolded for messing up and all that trouble, right? Because these students are so confident they could get away with taking this course, the headmaster is forced to use this ultimatum on them. It was the same for the last batch who came here. They just didn't want to come. Yet, you saw how easy it was to just go up to them and out out their fire. They had completely forgotten about what they learnt in history class regarding the crimson flower and needed their senior to remind them. Even he was disappointed they forgot something so important."

Hearing this, the fairy shook his head with a groan. Lotus laughed a loud upon seeing this, "Hahaha! It would seem you understand the pain, huh? Well, I've already asked the two chiefs to do their best. So I'm looking forward to your hard work."

The leading fairy sighed with a chime. He was rather bummed out that they were not informed any of this and ended up worried for nothing! He had thought the humans were here to start another crimson flower such as all those years ago!

"Students at their age tend to become cocky with their own abilities. Overconfidence can lead to oversight. As such, I have asked the chiefs not to go lenient for this very reason. Should another crimson flower incident occur again, many will be lost. The reason I permitted your intervention is to have them remember to keep their fire under control and make sure it does not spread. By attacking them, it will force them to protect their only source of warmth and protection. This, they will remember to keep watch of the fire. Do this enough times and they will be forced to remember to always keep watch of their crimson flower as if by second nature. Your attacks will also make them remember to keep watch over how much magic they can utilize without a mage stone and to use their resources wisely. You saw what happened during the last group's test. Even our instructors had to get involved."

The fairies chimed curiously asking why it seems she was finding this very amusing. Lotus chuckled coldly, "Well, it would seem that, despite the ultimatum, SOME people still decided to break the rules or even slack off causing quite a few concerns to their group for their sudden and mysterious disappearance. My own group even decided to throw a drama performance with several others as well… If they are so energetic, maybe sports club will be better suited for them. Hehehe…. Aside from that, they do their work quite nicely now."

A sudden jolt ran down their back as they quickly realized that their princess was actually angered and quickly excused themselves in a hurry. As they were entranced by their princess's mercy, they were just as fearful of her wrath as well feeling the chill down their spines…

…..

After writing a full report and putting Kalim to his tent with Cater's help, she retreated back to her tent and began fiddling with some of the iron ore in her hands. That was until Ren snuck into her tent. Curious rather than upset, Lotus allowed his entry and he politely kept his distance across from her as he opened his mouth hesitantly, "Thanks for not kicking me out when I so rudely barged in here. It's just have you seen Malleus?"

"Malleus?" Lotus nodded, "I saw him last night, but that was it. When I came back, Trey mentioned that he wasn't found."

"Ugh….. Just where did you go, Malleus-sama… Now, Lilia has disappeared too…" Ren shuddered nervously, "Something definitely isn't right…"

"Oh?" Lotus looked to him in confusion, "If I may ask, why is that?"

"It's just… it's widely known how powerful Malleus is. Even Lilia is strong. Why would the two strongest people in the group suddenly vanish out of the blue?"

"Hmm…." Lotus shrugged, "Who knows? Since they are so strong, we aren't exactly worried."

"Still…." Ren hesitated.

"Relax." Lotus shook her head with a sigh, "Would you like to hear a story to calm down?"

"Is this really the time for a story?!" Ren frowned in dismay.

"Ooh! Did someone say story!" Kalim poked his head in with a wide grim across his face as he sat himself in her tent, "Can I hear it too?"

Lotus shrugged and nodded her head before she began her tale, " In my birthplace, there was once an old tale retold in every household as though it was a fact. It was the story of how the world came to be. At the very beginning of time, there was only darkness and chaos that existed. There was no earth, no heaven, and no order. Amongst all of the darkness and chaos, there was this small universe that appeared in the shape of a very large egg. In the center of this egg, there was the first living creature to have ever existed and, one day, this being began to stir and awaken from his long slumber. Thousands of years passed when he was able to gain the strength and build to fully awaken from this half slumbering state. He was a giant who gave himself the name Pangu."

"A giant!" Kalim gasped in bewilderment as Ren remained silent, "That must've been one big egg..."

"Feeling awake and refreshed, he stood upright inside of this shell. He yawned and stretched out his enormous limbs, but, as he did so, he had cracked open the walls of the egg into two even portions. One was lighter than a feather and more fragile. This part floated up to create a white silken sheet of what we will call the sky. The other half of the egg was heavier and more compact. This half dropped downwards to create the earth's crust-like surface. Seeing the light that had shone from this, Pangu was ecstatic by what he had created and proud to have created light into the darkness and chaos, which shone upon this universe. However, at the same time, he bore fear."

"Fear? What was he afraid of?" Kalim questioned in confusion, "He's a giant, right? He should be able to do what he wants without worry."

"Fear that the sky and the earth may fuse once more if he left it alone and, with that, the light was one day vanish." Lotus explained, "He was determined to find a way to prevent that from happening, so he stood for a while scratching his huge head pondering for a solution. After a while, he finally came to a solution. He positioned himself between the two eggshells and, taking deep breathes, he pushed the sky and the earth apart from one another with his entire body being the only thing keeping the two apart. With this decision, he continued to uphold the sky and earth apart from one another for eighteen thousand years."

"What?!?!"