Chapter 17: The Path of Reinforcement and Fairy Observers
Yui clutched the front of Ardi's kimono, her deep blue eyes full of worry. "Anata, you can't just use Reinforcement on yourself like that!" she protested, shaking her head.
Ardi chuckled softly and pulled her into a gentle hug. He could feel her trembling slightly—her concern was real.
Running his fingers through her silky silver hair, he let her rest her forehead against his chest. "I get why you're worried," he said gently. "But Reinforcement Magecraft isn't just about brute force—it's about understanding what you're strengthening."
Yui pouted but stayed quiet, listening.
"My Ultimate Adaptation will warn me if I push too far. If anything goes wrong, my body will naturally resist serious damage. That's why this experiment is safe." He rested his chin on her head. "I promise I won't be reckless."
Yui's fingers tightened slightly around his kimono. She wanted to believe him, but the idea of using experimental magic on himself still scared her.
After a long pause, she sighed and pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes.
"…At least let me watch over you," she insisted.
Ardi smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't want anyone else."
Yui huffed, crossing her arms. "Hmph. If you mess up, I'm lecturing you all night."
Ardi grinned. "I'd rather cuddle all night instead."
Yui's cheeks turned pink, but she quickly looked away. "J-Just focus on your training!"
Not far away, Vivian hovered near the treetops, her tiny wings fluttering softly. She peeked over the leaves, watching them with curiosity.
Beside her, her mother Amanda stood with her arms crossed, her expression more guarded.
Vivian tilted her head, her golden eyes thoughtful. "Mother… do you think a Hyuma and a Fairy can have children?" she whispered.
SMACK.
Amanda lightly smacked the top of Vivian's head.
"Stop thinking about weird things," she sighed. "That's not why we're here."
Vivian pouted, rubbing her head. "But I'm curious! He and Yui seem really close…"
Amanda sighed, her gaze returning to Ardi. "Curiosity is fine, but don't forget why we're watching him."
Vivian nodded, her wings twitching. "We need to see if he's worthy of Yui… and if he's dangerous to us, right?"
Amanda nodded, her expression serious. "Fairies have suffered because of Hyuma before. We were hunted, captured, used—our wings taken, our magic exploited."
Vivian's ears drooped. "But… Lord Ardi doesn't seem like that. He's kind to Yui, and the villagers respect him."
Amanda narrowed her eyes. "Maybe. But kindness isn't enough. If he's truly worthy, he needs to prove he's not just good—but strong enough to protect Yui and Minori Village from whatever comes."
Vivian fidgeted. "And if he isn't…?"
Amanda's face hardened. "Then we take Yui with us—by force if necessary. For her sake… and ours."
Meanwhile, Ardi sat cross-legged near the Fairy Spring of Abundance, rolling his shoulders to loosen up. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Alright… let's get this right," he muttered.
Yui, now in her small fairy form, floated beside him with her arms crossed. "One mistake, and I'm making you take a break!" she warned.
Ardi smirked but nodded, placing his hands on his knees and taking a deep breath.
He closed his eyes, pulling in the mana around him. The dense, pure energy from the Fairy Spring seeped into his body, flowing through his meridians like warm golden threads.
His mind replayed the Reinforcement process—analyzing structure, finding weaknesses, strengthening them without throwing off balance.
He had done this before with objects.
But this time—he was the object.
Step One: Structural Grasp
A faint golden glow traced along his skin as Ardi examined his own body's structure.
He could see everything—the flow of blood, the tension in his muscles, the electrical signals in his nerves. It was overwhelming. Unlike a stone or a twig, his body was alive, always moving, always changing.
"…This is harder than I thought," he admitted, breaking into a sweat.
Yui hovered closer, frowning. "Do you need to stop?"
Ardi shook his head, breathing deeply. "No… I just need to focus."
Step Two: Tracing the Pathways
Slowly, he guided the mana through his body's natural pathways—his meridians.
Golden light flickered along his arms, following the energy lines in his muscles. His breathing became slower, steadier, as Reinforcement took hold.
The strain in his limbs faded. His movements felt sharper, lighter.
"…I can feel it working."
He stood up, stretching. His body felt stronger, more stable—but not in a forced way. It was like he had reached his peak condition, free of fatigue or inefficiencies.
Yui's wings fluttered. "Anata… did it work?"
Ardi smirked. "Only one way to find out."
Step Three: Testing the Reinforcement
Suddenly, Ardi dashed forward, his speed nearly double what it was before.
The wind rushed past him as he sprinted across the clearing, his movements smooth and precise. With a quick pivot, he leaped onto a tree branch—his balance perfect.
Yui's eyes widened. "You're… way faster than before!"
Ardi grinned. "Not bad for a first try."
But before he could celebrate, a sharp jolt of energy ran through his limbs. His vision blurred, and his body wobbled.
He stumbled, barely catching himself.
Yui gasped, instantly flying to his side. "Anata! Are you okay?!"
Ardi exhaled heavily, sweat forming on his brow. "...Yeah. It's just—" He clenched his fists. "I put too much into my legs without balancing the rest of my body. The effect didn't last."
Yui placed a tiny hand on his cheek, her eyes filled with worry. "See? You need to take this slower. Magic isn't a game, Anata…"
Ardi chuckled, leaning into her touch. "I know, I know."
He sighed, stretching again. "But hey… at least now I know my limits."
Yui sighed, shaking her head. "You're hopeless." But despite her words, she smiled warmly.
Ardi grinned. "But I'm your hopeless fool, right?"
Yui blushed and lightly smacked his chest. "Hush."
As the two shared a quiet moment, hidden among the trees, Amanda and Vivian watched closely.
Amanda's gaze lingered on Ardi—on his determination, his control over his power, and most importantly… his kindness toward Yui.
Maybe… just maybe… he really could be worthy.
Ardi stretched his shoulders as he walked back from the Fairy Spring of Abundance, with Yui floating lazily beside him in her fairy form. The training session had been exhausting but eye-opening. He had managed to apply basic Reinforcement Magecraft on small objects and on himself, and even though there was still much to learn, it was progress.
As they neared the village, a sudden thought struck him—he hadn't transferred the precious seeds from his inventory yet. Checking his Inventory interface, he saw 300 Cotton Seedlings, 150 Pipeweed Tobacco Seedlings, and 100 Red Rubber Tree Saplings waiting to be moved.
Ardi blinked in surprise.
"I completely forgot about these..."
Yui, now resting on his shoulder, smirked.
"Ara, ara ~ Master, are you getting forgetful already?"
Ardi rolled his eyes and playfully flicked her forehead.
"I'm not old—I was just focused on training."
Yui giggled and crossed her arms.
"Good thing you remembered! If you'd forgotten any longer, I might have started calling you 'Grandpa Ardi'~"
Ardi groaned.
"Yeah, no thanks."
He quickly accessed his inventory bar and used the Transfer Item feature to send the seedlings directly to the village storage at Daimyo Manor.
Scanning the village, Ardi spotted Genjiro, the head farmer, tending the Meat Field. He approached the older man, who straightened and bowed slightly upon seeing him.
"My Lord," Genjiro greeted. "What brings you here?"
Ardi nodded toward the field.
"Just checking on production. How's the yield today?"
Genjiro stroked his beard.
"Today, the field produced 85 Meat and 15 Giant Meat—about 130 food units total."
Ardi raised an eyebrow.
"That much already? I expected good results, but this is even better than I thought."
Genjiro chuckled.
"It's a miraculous farm, My Lord. With proper care, we can boost production even more."
Ardi nodded in approval.
"Good work, Genjiro. Keep it up. Also, I just transferred some new seedlings—cotton, tobacco, and rubber—to the village storage. I want you and the farmers to set up new cultivation areas for them in the eastern fields."
Genjiro's eyes lit up.
"That would really improve our crops. We'll start preparations right away."
"Good," Ardi said with a smile. "Let me know if you need extra manpower."
As Genjiro hurried off, Ardi turned to Kazuo, who was overseeing construction nearby.
"Kazuo!" Ardi called.
The carpenter jogged over and bowed slightly.
"My Lord, what do you need?"
Ardi crossed his arms.
"I want you to build wooden fences around the village. We need basic defenses to keep aggressive creatures out."
Kazuo nodded seriously.
"Understood, My Lord. We'll begin right away. Any specific design?"
"Make it sturdy and simple for now," Ardi replied. "Just enough to keep out unwanted visitors. We can upgrade later when we have more resources."
Kazuo bowed.
"Consider it done, My Lord."
Watching his villagers move with renewed energy, Ardi let out a deep, contented sigh.
Yui, still on his shoulder, playfully poked his cheek.
"See? You're acting cool and reliable again. Are you trying to impress me, Anata?"
Ardi chuckled and flicked her forehead.
"I don't have to try—I already am impressive."
Yui pouted, rubbing her forehead.
"Hmph, confident as always."
Ardi simply smiled. There was still much to do, but for now, he was satisfied with their progress.