*Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock*

The dawn had arrived. It was 8:03 am. As the first rays of sunlight entered through the window, Alviona was the first to open her eyes, being met by Mira’s sleeping face, her hands wrapped around her body, clutching her as to not allow the child to get lost again, and to shield her from danger.

Chuckling, the young girl carefully slid out of her embrace, getting out of the cozy atmosphere and into her clothes, stretching and yawning in the process.

Alviona could not believe that she was out on an adventure, learning about the world that she inhabited. There were a lot of unknown to her experiences, feelings, places, ideas and more importantly, people. This was the sort of life she was granted. Retrieving various records about how deities lived, what they did during their spare time, of countless wars they waged against each other and mortals from time-to-time, she was excited, but a little scared. What if someone decided to get in her way of exploration, or chose to hurt her family and the friends she would make? This was a question that applied heavy weight on her essence, but not understanding how mortal emotions worked, she was unable to comprehend this feeling and instead, experienced immense itchiness within her.

She had decided that natural course of action would be to allow her body to grow, learn, adapt, and become stronger. Be it through combat or research. Both combined would yield extraordinary results, such that would protect everyone she cared for, and more importantly, herself.

While contemplating, the smell of food came into the room, forcing Alviona to drool and close her eyes, attempting to follow the scent, sniffing out the place of origins for this delightful sensation, walking into the door and causing a ruckus.

“Nnn… Mm? Eh? Huh? Did something happen?! Alviona, why are you awake so early? It is barely dawn,” exclaimed Mira, confused by the fact that the child was fully dressed up. Assuming something terrible was happening she extended her hand and recalled her soulbound wand.

*Stomach Growl*

“Ehm… that… uhm… grandma, I am starving,” replied Alviona, touching her tummy and looking at Mira with eyes filled with hope, and trying to cuddle with her.

“Hahahahahaa! Child, you made me a bit nervous there. Come here, let me hug you for a moment you adorable little mischief,” laughed Mira sincerely, accepting her attempt to cuddle, tickling her, lightly bumping their noses, and landing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Alviona was enjoying the pampering; however, her stomach kept growling, somewhat ruining the atmosphere. Mira got up, getting herself dressed and exiting the room alongside the child, going downstairs to eat breakfast.

“Oh, Solomon, you are awake?!” asked Mira, approaching the table where the man sat, taking a seat in front of him.

“Good morning Mistress. Hello Mira. Yes, I actually have not slept all night,” replied Solomon, elegantly sipping his tea. “The breakfast will be served shortly. It was delayed a little because the innkeeper had gone to the prison square alongside most citizens, to watch the assailant from yesterday be publicly executed.”

“Is that so?” asked Mira, to which she received a nod from the man.

Janine woke up half an hour later and joined the company, taking her seat beside Solomon. A few minutes later, the breakfast was served.

Alviona’s appetite being at its full ended up not eating the food but instead devouring it, finishing up her plate only to ask for an addition. After about third plate, Mira wanted to refuse but seeing her beautiful eyes and a plea behind them she ended up ordering three more courses of breakfast that consisted of boiled eggs, bread, cheese, honey, and a dark-red tea.

“That… How on earth is her stomach not bursting? Why does she look so innocent?” Demanded Janine, looking at Mira and Solomon for answers while glancing back at Alviona, who had overeaten too much food for one person’s enjoyment. However, looking at her innocent face, she could not help but facepalm, let out a loud sigh, and resign. It appeared that questioning this would only result in her defeat.

“So, Mira, what are we going to do today? You have booked the inn rooms for two days, yes?” (Solomon)

“You are correct. We are going back to the marketplace. I need to purchase beginner’s items for Alviona. She requires basic garments, gear, and weapons. It is better to shop now, while we are in a city filled with various merchants. I will be teaching her how to handle money, barter a little and pick out the best items for her. Janine, you also need to purchase some gear. Your current clothing and armor are in bad condition. After all, you are coming from a battlefield. So how about it?” asked Mira, clasping her hands together and smiling, exciting Alviona in the process by being told that something new would be learned.

Janine, who had her head planted within her hands in frustration, raised a thumbs up nonchalantly and went back into thought.

“And what of school? Which one are we going to?" Asked Solomon curiously.

“That… uhm… is a problem. The only school that was given to me by the criteria that I requested is the one located in the Kingdom of Dalei. To make matters worse… They require students to be at least 16 years of age, know at least basics of magic spells, and make a hefty payment of 25,000 silver per year of education.”

“So we are not going to academy then?” asked Janine, confused.

“We still are. I am going to find a way to get her enrolled. Even if I have to skin someone for that. There is something that bothers me though, which I need to address. Janine, Solomon, would you two mind coming with me to the bath again for some time? We will head to the marketplace after, but right now, I want you two with me please,” declared Mira, with an odd tone. It seemed like something was bothering her.

The man was surprised by the sudden deceleration, but seeing Mira’s fiery eyes, he somewhat understood that it was going to be a girly talk, one he should not attend. He nodded and received her thanks for that. Alviona, in the meantime, was carried into another world from all the tasty nomming she had performed and did not pay any attention to the talk.

“Today is going to be somewhat confusing, exciting, and essential for her,” thought Mira, contemplating over how she should approach Alviona and begin asking her for vital information about her body. From the bathing experience the day prior, Mira witnessed an oddity: Alviona's puberty had not started. To ensure that everything was all right with her health, Mira needed to talk, and it had to be a serious one.

Entering the bathing establishment, the elf was greeted by the girls yet again, whom she paid ten silver coins to book the establishment for two hours and not let anyone in, no matter the circumstances. The offer could not be refused, for it was a considerable sum of money. She also had them activate magic, which would not let any sound come out from the area. Approaching the double doors, Solomon and Janine were instructed to stay and guard the entrance, while Alviona and Mira entered.

“Allow me to apologize for bringing you here so suddenly, child. However, I need to ask some relevant questions before we are to go out and purchase you some clothing,” said Mira slowly, not to scare her off and complicate the situation more than it needed to be. “Alviona, please answer me truthfully.”

The girl replied with a nod and an innocent smile. She seemed to be willing to talk, but she also harbored an expression of confusion and a little disappointment.

“Is everything all right? You look a little sad.”

“No grandma… it’s just that… I don’t understand why Solomon was not allowed to come with us. He was here yesterday, was he not?”

“Oh, that is simple. It’s just because what I need to talk to you about is only relevant to you, and no one else. Besides, it would be awkward and embarrassing for both of you.”

“Ok… I do not understand what that word means though.”

“That is quite acceptable. Now then Alviona, let us begin by me asking the first question. You can ask me one too after you explain my previous ones. Does it sound good?”

The child nodded.

“Well then. Do you feel any odd sensations occurring within your body? Your breasts have not started to develop yet, as you do not have breast buds. Your pubic hair has not started to grow either. Is everything all right? I am concerned about your puberty not starting,” said Mira nervously, trying to be as straightforward as possible.

“I feel discomfort whenever I do not have my wings out. Aside from that, I do not quite understand what any of your words mean,” replied Alviona after a ponder.

Mira somewhat understood how a child whose physical body has skipped ages would feel. She had not experienced her body growing naturally but instead had it forced.

“You can ask a question now if you want to since you answered mine,” said Mira with a smile.

Alviona nodded, her face expressing curiosity.

“How important is this puberty?”

Nodding and falling into thought, Mira came to a conclusion that she should further explain how the female body worked. The elf explained how growth worked for both men and women. In detail, she told why girls body developed the way it did, the function of every body part, - pointing out the importance of puberty, menstruation cycles, and explaining that it was all to let one conceive a child someday. Ensuring that she did not miss anything out, she asked the child if there was anything she did not understand.

“No. I understood everything you told me. However, that is not how my growth will occur or how my body overall works. I can not grow further than I already have,” replied Alviona after brushing her chin and giving it a thought, smiling and shaking her head slightly.

“W-what do you mean, child? Can you elaborate?”

Alviona nodded and stepped back a little, allowing her wings to appear and extend.

“Grandma, remember what I told you when we were inside of your dreamland, on how my body was created?” she paused and looked at Mira. Seeing that she nodded, she continued. “My physical body is made to resemble lifeforms as closely as possible. As such, I can experience every sensation that all of you can. Such is a gift that my creators have granted me since they wanted to have a child of their own that would not be too different from other life forms and blend in well. Thanks to my mommy, Sofia, my physical vessel was born. However, I am not capable of birthing life in a way that you have explained. I do not produce a zygote. Of course, I will grow. But, it will not happen naturally. I discovered this after scrolling through the many reports in my which were created.”

Seeing that she finished talking. Mira was dumbfounded, shocked and confused, unable to speak for a few minutes as she tried segmenting and chewing the information that just flew into her head. “B-but then…”

“Grandma, I am sorry. Can you turn around for a moment?” asked Alviona, who stepped back even further, interrupting her question.

Mira nodded and turned her back.

Seeing this, Alviona undressed, becoming fully naked, moving her hands towards her small horns that protruded from her head, firmly pressing her thumbs down on it, not letting go until deep cuts occurred.

Report: You have grown to the age of 11. Congratulations! You may now raise your body to its proper adult age and unlock the first mana chain, granting you an ability to learn and acquire mana related skills. Proceed?

Alviona thought about the message that she neglected to check after the had ended. Now she was staring at the simple question asking her Yes and a No

: You may develop your body to its intended age. The process will take 15 minutes. Would you like to proceed?

[Yes]

“Grandma, I will talk to you in fifteen minutes,” she stated with a giggling voice, moving her hands towards her mouth and sucking on her two thumbs. The moment she did, a massive, non-transparent blue bubble coated her entire body, resembling a balloon.

Mira, who turned around after hearing her words, not understanding what she alluded to, saw the sight in front of her and fell into a panic. She immediately ran towards a child, but the bubble was like a solid boulder, unmovable.

Janine, who stood outside alongside Solomon, noticed something awry going on, for his body turned into ash which then disintegrated into nothingness. Panic flowing through her body, she ran into the room to tell Mira but stopped mid-way as she noticed the same sight as her.

“W-what is that?!” asked confused Janine, unable to comprehend anything at all.

“That is Alviona,” replied Mira, whose mouth was agape. “I don’t know what is going on!”

The two of them kept staring until about thirteen minutes passed and cracks began showing on the bubble. Two minutes later, it shattered, and a girl fell out of it, who was no other than Alviona, while the scrambled pieces became transparent, being sucked back into the cut thumbs of the girl, fully healing.

“… What the hell?” asked Janine, for the girl in front of her was clearly Alviona. Her skin color and face did not change much, except it became fuller and more elegant. Her breasts developed, having a perfectly round shape. The child’s hips and thighs had also widened, and more importantly, her legs were slightly longer. Crimson pubic hair, which Mira talked to the child about was also visible. Alviona’s current height was 1.72 meters.

Name: Alviona

Primary Race: Unknown creation

Secondary Race: Pure-blood elf of unknown origins

Age: 1.3 years

Physical Age: 18 years

Your body will not progress beyond this age. Appearance is locked but may be altered later for a price. Subsequently, once the Chain level 2 unlocks, you will be allowed to create a secondary body.

Body Condition: Fully recovered

Mana related skills may now be acquired.

“J-Janine… grab some clothes, please. Right now!” ordered Mira, to which the girl immediately complied to and ran outside, back to the inn, grabbing every single piece of clothing that she could get her hands on.

“Child, just what the hell did you just pull?” asked Mira, angry and frustrated at Alviona’s behavior.

Alviona started to cough, as she needed to readjust her body to newer breathing patterns. Unlike in , she had sustained some injuries and change was too rapid. If what Mira had seen from her dreams took days or even months while the time was frozen, before activating the timer on the ability, this took exactly 15 minutes, meaning that adjusting would require rest.

*Sigh*

Mira approached the child and began inspecting her body, looking for any signs of injury. Relieved that there were none, she cast her [Greater Cure Wounds], [Greater Cleanse], and [Greater Heal] just in case.

Janine rushed back into the bathing area, bringing all the clothing she could muster. Bras, Panties, and robes. She did not have much to go off for all she had aside that would be armor pieces, but those were useless.

Mira and Janine helped Alviona to get dressed up. Once the process was complete, Alviona could finally stand up and walk a little, although slowly. The first thing that the child did was to try and call forth her wings, understanding what sort of change had occurred to her body. The limbs that appeared were twice as large as previously, signifying the child’s growth. Lastly, the small horns that protruded from her head were no longer there. Instead, swirling goat-like horns were visible, that elegantly were leveled besides her cheeks.

“Grandma, I grew up. Just like you told me to. I could have performed the ritual earlier but was too excited to do so. And now, I can finally learn magic from you and the academy,” stated Alviona with a warm smile, and a light giggle, her eyes filled with excitement.

“Child, for the love of mother nature explain to me what just happened. What was that giant blue bubble? Why did you do that?” asked Mira with a saddened voice, her eyes tearing up a little.

“D-did I do something wrong? Are you not happy?” asked Alviona, confused and scared. Why was she always scaring everyone around her?

“Happy?! I was so scared, child! You foolish little kid! I worried about you! I understand that your body works differently from ours, I get it that you have different abilities compared to us, but me, your mother, Anita, we all love you! Why can’t you understand that pulling out shenanigans like that gets us nervous? It is hard to keep a calm mind!” shouted Mira in frustration, walking up to her granddaughter and embracing her as tightly as she possibly could. Not letting her go. “Of course I am happy if you grow! It is a wonder. Please, tell me that there won’t be any more of crazy things like those!” she begged.

“Love… I too love all of you grandma. I love, love, love you!” replied the girl sincerely. “There won’t be any more growth. I can not physically advance past this. The only thing I can grow is my essence, which has been compressed all this time. But that will happen naturally,” replied Alviona, rubbing her cheeks against her grandmother’s, as if she were some puppy.

“A-Alviona… S-Solomon… H-he di-disappeared,” said Janine, still panicking over what happened. Seeing this child grow? Ok! Seeing Solomon disintegrate? Nope! She was chilled to bones.

!!!

Alviona just realized what she had performed and distanced herself from Mira, who got confused by the sudden action.

I am so sorry for doing that, Mr. Solomon! I should have told you about my ritual! (Alviona)

Yes, you should have. But, worry not. I understand what you did. The moment I was destroyed, I watched you. As embarrassing as it was. (Solomon)

“I will bring you back! Give me one moment!” said Alviona firmly, closing her eyes and waving her hands randomly. After focusing, she cast a [Summon the Cursed Man] ability, after which a giant pentagram appeared on the ground, and Solomon’s body was reassembled.

“Good. Good. Splendid. Now,” said Solomon who walked to his mistress, chopping her with his left hand straight in the head.

“Ooowie!”

“This is for suddenly making me disappear embarrassingly in front of a lady,” he said, chopping her again. “And this is for making me very nervous, you foolish mistress.”

“But I…”

“No.”

“But…”

“Nope!”

“But,”

“No, and No”

“But?!”

“Goddess, would you like me to chop your head again?”

“Owieeeeee… No! Meanieeeeee!” cried Alviona with a saddened face, trying to make herself look as adorable as possible to gain forgiveness somehow.

Looking at her face, Solomon could not help but laugh. Turning around to Mira, he looked at her and declared: “Well then, it appears that the restriction of going to the academy is no longer in effect hmm? So, shall we go?”

“Wait… what age did you jump to Alviona?”

“I am the same age…” replied the child.

“Your body age?”

“Oh, well I am now 18-year-old,” replied the girl, with a warm smile.

“Well then, looks like you are correct Solomon. I will book the inn for two more days. Let’s re-supply our ratios, get Alviona geared up with beginner items, and we can set out. We will adventure for a few months, for that is the time it takes to get there. In between, I will teach her how to use magic. So then, Janine, what is your plan?”

“I… I want to change my profession so if it is ok, I would love to learn alongside Alviona. Although I do not understand how will you and Solomon get into the academy,” Replied Janine, still feeling uneasy from everything she just witnessed.

“Ha! Let’s get there, and you will see. As for Solomon, silver and gold can solve everything,” replied Mira with a wink.

With this, the company decided to return to the inn, and upon their arrival, three men in plated armor stood by the entrance, and at their head, was a dark-skinned woman named Spitfire.