The Sword Saint and The Dragon

Arc 1 Chapter 5: Behold An Unthinkable Present

"Hey now, Lia. Where are you going off to, come over here." 

Stopped by that gentle voice, she turns around.
A woman with short silver hair beckons her to the dining table. Her eyes are nasty. Her voice is gentle. Either indicates the persons ideal for women.

"Mother, Fortuna...."

"...? Are you still half-asleep? Then you stayed up late again. You're not a child any more, you can't be giving others trouble like that."

Fortuna approaches, her tone chiding as she pokes Emilia in the forehead. Letting out a tiny pout, Emilia tries to shake the sleepiness from her head.

"Wash your face in the river. You'll stop saying weird things once the cold water's woken you up. Though when it's you, Lia, that might not change even when you're properly awake." 

Fortuna spoke with a chiding tone full of care and adoration as she teases Emilia.

"Wh-what are you saying, Mother?" Emilia said as she grew flustered, "That's not what it is. I'm not half-asleep at all... and I didn't say anything a trifle weird in the first place."

"Where are you learning this archaic speech, a trifle? I'm sooo worried that everyone might be teasing you and putting these things in your head. I'll have interrogate Arch later." 

Emilia pouts. But Fortuna merely nods back, not conceding an inch. While shocked that her own opinions are not working, Emilia slumps her shoulders and starts walking her journey for the river.

 "Goodness, hello there, Emilia. You're not looking the cheeriest." 

"Gosh, she really isn't. Which means Lady Fortuna told her off? She may've stayed up late." 

"Emilia's old enough now. I'm sure she wants her me time now and then."

After exiting her house and embarking along the road to the river, the elves of the village address her. A group of older elves sit at a table surrounded by thick tree roots as they chat. She had heard they were the same age as Fortuna, though everyone, including Fortuna, sees Emilia as young. 

"Good morning. You're all out early."

 "It's you who's late, Emilia. It's nice that you're helping your Father's work, but it's a waste of your youth if you don't use some of your time for yourself."

"Exactly, exactly. You're so cute, Emilia, you need to have fun while you're cute."

"If I were as young and cute as you, Emilia, I'd be bicycling the village."

Emilia tilts her head at the term 'bicycling the village' while the women all look at each other and laugh, squealing. The details of their conversation are more or less beyond Emilia, but it's good that everyone is having fun. Finding herself feeling happy, Emilia relaxes as well.

"There, now that's much better than looking down. Smile, smile, let's see a smile."

After pointing at the smiling Emilia, the women's fingers pull their cheeks into a grin. Finding their argument as legitimate, Emilia identically makes a smile and nods.

Waving a goodbye to the women, Emilia resumes her course toward the river. She scales the gnarled tree roots, passes through gaps in verdant leaves. Hearing the burbling of a brooklet, Emilia breaks into a jog, her face beaming. 

"Iiiii'm—heeere!"

"Waugh!? Emilia!?"

 The instant she pushes a branch out of the way and pokes out her head, she sees someone toweling themselves dry right in front of her, looking shocked. Realizing that the intruder is Emilia, the youth's eyes flit here and there and there in confusion.