If one were to train their vision enhanced with mana enough, even with multiple people surrounding you, you could tell which fairy was a Chaperone’s Companion by tracing an invisible ‘mana string’ that connects them no matter how far apart they were.

That’s how I was able to tell which of the fairies belonged to the bandits and who had a higher priority to be taken out immediately as I eliminated them one-by-one. First, the guy who was bonded with a lone Fire Fairy as he seemed to be most experienced with that element in the group. Then, before anyone could see him drop dead, I cast Water Magic to extinguish the fire lighting up the cave. This would send the remaining bandits in a fluster and confusion, giving me enough time to take out the second of the three remaining bandits. Doing that in the dark was no problem as I had my mana-enhanced vision to help me see things clear as day.

Finally, the leader, who likely was appointed that position for the magic power drawn from his Fire and Darkness Fairies, despite his inexperience in the former. Since he was the only one who could use Dark Space to carry everyone’s belongings to not slow them down, his cooperation was of the highest importance; thus, pressuring him to empty all of their contents as the last remaining bandit before I offed him.

Yes, I could’ve just used my stupid powerful Wind Needle to take them out all at once, but if those who can use Dark Space die suddenly with their belongings still inside, while it was said they’d be dropped at very random places around the world, with the chances of having even one dropping nearby being minuscule if not impossible, it might as well be the same as losing them forever. It’s like even if you were brought back to life in an RPG, you’d be lucky to have one item from your item storage found next to you after dying once. Some of the two families’ belongings could be included in that bandit leader’s Dark Space, so it would suck if something outside of their control made them lose their valuables.

Another thing to consider was the two little girls. I was aware there were hostages inside the cave, but I had no idea who or what they were, only their races from what the first two bandits I killed outside said before that, so I had to step inside with the hide-detection spell on and see for myself. Even though had the mentality of a 50-year-old man, the little girls were still in quite a young and tender age. Watching their parents getting raped in front of them was bad enough, seeing the gruesome sight of one’s life being taken away before their eyes in a messy manner could scar them for life. That was why I put out the flame and darkened the cave first before anyone noticed a dead body. It was also why I had the bandits’ corpses wrapped in the tarp they brought. I even came in with my shirt off so I could rinse their splattered blood off me, the blades I used, as well as the stained cave floors with Water Magic to make the scene less gruesome to see. I used Wind Magic to basically blowdry myself off quickly, but with little success as I was too hasty in doing it efficiently.

Sure, I could’ve used Wind Needle from a distance to lessen the mess splattered on me, but I wanted to see how different it was taking someone’s life with weapons in their hands. Using magic as a comparison, it might as well have been this world’s guns if they were controlled correctly. Plus, I wanted to see how effective it was to cut and pierce someone with a mana-infused blade for the first time with all of my swordsmanship training up to then.

It might’ve been cold of me at the end, but I was going to leave the hostages to their devices while I left so I could dry myself off properly on my own, but I didn’t expect one of them actually tackling me to prevent my escape, let alone using the same cuffs they were just bound with moments ago on me. When one is restrained by Null Cuffs, they couldn’t cast magic no matter how high their aptitude and capacity was. The Companion(s) can still keep themselves in hiding, but when their Chaperone is cuffed, they couldn’t really do much as their magic is connected, allowing them to draw power from each other. It’s basically like flipping a light switch that connects or disconnects to the circuit breaker with just a flick.

Which brought me still topless and cornered by the former hostages as I sat up against the cave wall with my wrists cuffed behind my back.

“Listen, boy, we understand that you are upset but you have to realize that this is a very unusual situation here,” the dark elf father said.

“And what, may I ask, is unusual? That I'm a kid? Should that matter at all? I just saved you guys from getting enslaved and possibly worse, I was going to leave you guys alone without any harm or demanding anything in return, and yet here I am cuffed up like I'm just as bad as those bandits,” I said, trying to keep myself from sounding irritated but failing with my snappy attitude.

“It is because you are a kid that this whole thing is nothing but unusual at all!” the dark elf daughter exclaimed. Under the active Illumination spell, one can see her platinum-silver hair shining under the light while tied in neck-length twin tails. She was currently wearing dark-colored shorts, boots, and a sort of sleeveless tunic. “You are not just any kid, either! A human boy with three fairies and a high magic affinity?! How do we know you were not trying to take us for yourself or take all of the stuff the bandit leader took out from his Dark Space?!”

“You have no proof that what you said about me is true. If me trying to sell you off really was the case then I wouldn't have released you from your locks, would I? I also would have stowed those things away a long time ago and ran off without saying a word, too, but oh look, there they all are right there, stationary and unmoved since the bandit leader took them out.”

“Gkh!” the dark elf daughter grunted.

“Look, I'm tired, I'd like to put on a change of clothes before I catch a cold, get home, and get some sleep. I'm willing to put all of this behind me, still let you keep all of the stuff, and pretend this thing never happened if you let me go right now. I'll even throw in the sword and dagger I used to take down the bandits so you can have some extra money to have on your way or ensure extra protection.”

“H-Hold on! There are still a bunch of questions that need to be answered! And my eyes are proof enough to confirm you have both of those things! Even now, one of the fairies in your Companion Trio is giving us the stink eye as we speak!”

“That's because a total brat shouldn't be talking to her rescuer like that!” Shadina exclaimed.

“This is not good. I want all of us to calm down but their confusion and fear might be accurate in these circumstances,” Breezy said. “Also, did you forget that they can't hear us while keeping ourselves hidden, Shadina?”

“Seriously, this is really shitty!” Shadina continued while ignoring Breezy. “It's bad enough most of the kids from Soar's school avoid him like a disease just because he behaves differently from others, let alone talk smack about him behind his back, yet he just ignores all of that while he helps the adults when it's convenient enough for him. Don't even get me started on keeping his contract with us a secret for the past 6 years just so we don't risk his reputation spreading to some certain people that might try to take him away for their own nefarious gains! And now tonight, while he could've ignored that bandit taking a piss and not risk putting himself into danger, he made the difficult choice of taking a person's life for the very first time, even though part of him didn't want to go to such extremes, just so he wouldn't feel guilty of leaving somebody behind in dire need of help when he could do something about it. What does he get out of that? Getting captured himself! I swear, if I was big enough to hold Soar myself, these ungrateful pieces of shit would get such kicks to the face!”

“…” The dark elf daughter stood there with eyes wide open, holding a hand up to stop from anyone speaking a word as if she was listening to a speech, even though she and the rest shouldn't be hearing anything at that time.

“What did you hear?” the dark elf father asked with a hand on his daughter's shoulder. By the way, they were both wearing similar clothing to their daughter, but the father was wearing slacks while the mother had some short shorts.

“… The Darkness Fairy's name is Shadina. She and the other two have been in a contract with the boy, Soar, for 6 years, keeping it a secret from everyone in his town. The other kids treat him like an outcast for acting differently, but he still goes out of his way to help the adults if he is nearby. Whatever reason why other than ‘not feeling guilty over something he could do himself,’ it sounded to be the same case here rescuing us. It seems he has never taken a life before now, and Shadina wished she was bigger so she could beat us up for capturing and treating Soar like a criminal. That was what she ranted about.”

It was our turn to widen our eyes in shock.

“Um, Mist thinks the dark elf girl heard Shadina.”

“Yeah, Mist, I’m aware of that. Thanks for stating the obvious.”

“Um … excuse me.” The one who butted in next was the other young girl among the hostages that had long bunny ears flopped over her light blonde locks that stretched past her shoulders. She had an old, worn-out blouse and skirt that stretched to the ground while shyly carrying a pouch in both hands as if it was a great treasure while everyone’s eyes were on her. “I may not have seen what happened in the dark, but from what I had heard, you saved Mama and the rest of us, right? And your name is Soar?”

I sighed in defeat. “That’s what I've been trying to tell you, and yes, my name is Soar.”

“But you … killed those bandits, right? They may have been mean and scary, but did you have to kill them?”

“If I let them live, they'd probably try to fight back while letting my guard down, or run away and spread around how a kid like me killed their comrades and spin the story so they would play the victims. Even if the last guy was begging for his life, I couldn't guarantee that he was telling the truth, so I made the choice of ignoring those pleas myself.”

“And to avoid getting yourself caught, you tried to run away after saving us in the dark so we wouldn't know who you were and what you looked like. Is that right?” the bunny mother asked. She wore a similar blouse-skirt ensemble from her daughter’s, but was clearly more roughed up from its share of abuse of whatever she went through, or maybe even the person who owned it previously as they seemed a bit tight for her fitting, especially around the chest area that was the biggest I had ever seen in this world so far.

“Yes. I have a home and family to go back to. I didn't need any of those belongings for some extra money, so I thought it was better to leave them with you guys to distribute amongst yourselves. If I escaped successfully, you wouldn't know who it was that saved you, my cover would still be secured, and everybody would be happy as they go back to their normal lives.”

“I wouldn't be happy,” the bunny daughter said. “Even putting the bad bandits aside, I'd be sad not having the chance to thank you properly for saving us and leaving these fruits. That's probably why Onelri caught you before you ran away. Isn't that right, Onelri?”

“W-What the—are you kidding me?! And do not just blurt out my name like that!”

“You spoke of Soar's and Shadina's names without their permission though? You also told us all something Soar and his fairies wanted kept secret. I don't think that's really fair for them.”

“Gkh!”

Despite the dark elf girl's, Onelri's, shock, the bunny girl turned back to me and bowed. “My name is Fila. I'm sorry we were rude to you. If it means anything, my secret …” Fila trailed off, trying to concentrate on what secret she should tell more than necessary. “Mmm … Mama said a girl should only tell their sizes and underwear to a boy she really, really likes. I don't know why, but would one of those work?”

“… Fila, do you know where babies come from?” I asked.

“No?”

“Then you should avoid mentioning anything like those to guys until you know that first and you're at least 18 years old.”

“What do sizes and underwear have to do with where babies come from? And why do I have to wait 8 more years before telling all of those?”

Well, at least I know she's 10 from that alone, I thought. “How about you just tell me what your favorite color is and we'll stick with that as your ‘secret?’”

“No! Making a contract with a fairy is a huge deal, right?! I think almost anyone would keep that a secret! It's not fair that we forced that out of you and I won't give up until I tell a secret of mine that's equal of value!”

“I just want to go home and forget this all ever happened.”

“Wait! But being contracted for 6 years is true, right?! How old were you when that happened?! When did you start casting magic?! How did you get all of them?!” Onelri exclaimed.

“Like I'd tell you anything with that attitude.” Sheesh, damn kids, always so loud, demanding, and selfish in what they want. And they wonder why I don't hang around with them. Then again, some of the adults in retail back in my old job on Earth were like that, too. Kind of makes you wonder if they ever really ‘grew up’ all that time. Well, unless they started screaming their heads off like kids would do when in a tantrum, I’d question their sanity by that point, I thought. I always didn’t like kids for their noises alone.

“Why, you—”

“Onelri, stop!” Fila exclaimed while standing between us. “Why are you bullying him so much?!”

“Bullying?! He just killed 5 people, Fila! I think that is far more severe than ‘bullying!’”

“But Soar saved us while putting himself in danger! Doesn't that make him a hero like those in the stories?!”

“I mean … you are not wrong, but—”

“I know that killing is bad and it sounds like Soar knows that, too, but what else could he have done if what he said about them was true?! I may not know what they were about to do with Mama, but I know I would've done something to save her if I wasn't so helpless! Are you saying you would stand there while your mama was about to go through the same thing?!”

“Of course, not! I would never forgive them for hurting Mother!”

“Then tell me what you would have done! What would you do to keep everyone alive and not let the bandits speak of anything happening to them that would put the rest of us in greater danger?!”

“…” Onelri bit her lip while her fists clenched.

“Before you all continue, could you pipe down to your inside voices, please? I think the cave’s echo is making my ears ringing. Ugh, and I have such an itch, too …” I said while trying to scratch that irritating spot.

“Putting that aside, Fila has a point,” the bunny mother said as she kneeled down next to Fila and rests a hand on her shoulder. “I know I would go ballistic on anyone if they did something to my daughter. Seeing the sharpness of a kid like Soar is surprising, yes, but it really didn't look like he was going to do anything with us after dealing with the bandits. We all had a long day today, so why don't we let bygones be bygones and pretend we were lucky a hunter was passing by to save us? He has his reasons for keeping secrets like all of us do but I don't think he's a bad kid.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?” the dark elf father asked with a quirked brow.

“He's decent enough to keep my daughter from spilling something precious for a girl and even gave her advice, for one thing. I don't know about you, but I think he'd rather know my own sizes and underwear if that was an option. Isn't that right, Soar?” she asked while looking back.

“… I will neither confirm nor deny that statement and you have a very questionable parenting style to even teach Fila something like that at her age,” I answered while averting my gaze.

Hey, I was still a virgin who only saw naked girls in some websites and certain Japanese media. I never even got close to going that far with the few dates I had in my past life and puberty was running its course again in my new body at that time. Cut me some slack. If it means anything, I think her cup size looked like a G, maybe an H at the time. I was still small and growing in my new body back then, so everything seemed big to me. When I looked at her from behind back then, she looked like she had some amazing hips, too.

The bunny mother chuckled while rustling my damp-wet hair. “I like this kid! Name's Flomi Gartner. Sorry for putting you through all of this trouble and thanks for saving my ass back there. Come on, you three, you do your part as well, or are you as prideful in the superiority of your race to even do that much as a light elf might?”

Everyone in the dark elf family widened their eyes at Flomi’s question.

Oof, that’s quite the low blow right there.

In Manara, while there were elves in the general term, they were actually divided as light and dark elf subraces. All of them were more specialized in magic than other races that at least one of their capable elements matches the names of their heritages. It would be no surprise that an elf of either side had 2 or even 3 elements in their arsenal of magical prowess. It was because they were more talented in magic than others that they tended to be quite prideful of their lineages to the point of narcissism, and since their ‘primary elements’ were on opposite sides, they were as much at feud with each other as one might expect between an elf and a dwarf in some fantasy fictions.

Oh, and apparently, based on what I learned in the cultural studies of my school, dwarves didn’t exist in Manara. I was a little saddened at that when I found that realization.

“… Though I cannot speak for everyone, the three of us know who and when we should give proper gratitude. We would appreciate it if you do not compare us with those of the light,” the dark elf father said before looking to his wife and they nodded in agreement. The dark elf spouses then kneeled to my level. “I am Darida Gulzu, this is my wife, Zalfes, and you already know the name of our daughter, Onelri. Please forgive us for our unneeded hostility and suspicion towards you.”

“It is still a shock for us to take in, but we really do appreciate you going through the trouble and danger for us. I hope there is something we can do to make it up to you, Soar,” Zalfes then said.

“… You can uncuff me, to start with.”

“Of course.” Darida took the initiative and used the keys to undo the cuffs behind me. I rubbed my wrists from the chafing and scratched the places I need to get that were itching once I was free.

Finally …

“Onelri, it is your turn,” Zales said while giving her daughter a light push on the back.

Onelri stood there having no idea what to do with her hands or where to look with her shifty gaze, occasionally going directly at me for a brief moment before averting them. It looked like there was something else she wanted to say that the others weren’t expecting of her, and so when she opened her mouth once, she second-guessed and stopped herself. It was when she lingered her shifty gazes above me where my Companions were hovering about that I realized something.

She heard everything Shadina said, so she must hear and see her along with the others, right? Wasn’t she looking at them with great interest throughout most of the discussion? Maybe from the very beginning since we walked in?

“… Onelri.”

“Y-Yes?!” she exclaimed with a start.

“Could it be that … you’re wondering how and why I’ve been contracted with my fairies for 6 years? Maybe they were why you stopped me from escaping, to begin with?”

“W-Why would I be interested in your fairies?!”

“If I think back on it, my fairies and my aptitude were the first few things you questioned me about, and you brought up how I took out those bandits as a reason why you were pestering me, but that doesn’t really add up. Even if I had two or even one Companion while carrying a lower aptitude, if I planned enough, I could still take them out as well. And looking at my surroundings right now, while Flomi has a Light Fairy, Darida has one of Darkness and Zalfes with Water.”

“H-How did you …” Darida stuttered while his and Zalfes’ dark-skinned faces turned slightly pale. Even the parents’ fairies started shivering from goosebumps in place.

“Wait, you can see them and which Chaperones they are partnered with, too?!” Onelri exclaimed.

“I can also see that you and Fila are the only ones here who aren’t contracted with your own fairies right now, too. That said, you’re wanting to know how I managed to have made contracts with my fairies before you have so you can get them yourself. I don’t know why you were so desperate to know that to the point of cuffing me to prevent my escape when you could’ve asked your parents or friends who’ve already made their own contracts but am I on the right track?”

“… Mother and Father always said a fairy would find me one day, and I … do … friends,” she grumbled under her breath.

“You don’t have friends, Onelri?” Fila asked for me.

From the way she’s acting tonight, I think I can get why.

“Everyone around our age back in our home has a fairy except me, even though I have been on top of my magic studies above everyone else. We were out here during a holiday so that we may have a better chance of finding me a fairy outside of our home, and yet there were those bandits having one, the leader with two, and now you with three. It is not fair that you somehow get them so much earlier than me …” she grumbled while tightening her fists.

“Onelri,” Zalfes said with a concerned tone.

“… I can’t really guarantee whether you’ll form a contract with a fairy sooner or later and I don’t think the reasons why I’m contracted with my Companions also applies, but maybe somebody else can help us answer your question.”

“Huh?” Onelri asked in response to my suggestion.

“Excuse me, girls? You’re watching all of this, right? Would you come in here, please?” I asked towards the cave’s exit.

Moments later, 6 fairies of different types flew inside. 2 Wind Fairies, 2 Fire, plus a Water, and Darkness.

“Ah, you’re the bandits’ Companions, aren’t you?” Flomi asked. When a Chaperone dies, all of their Companions come out of hiding against their will as their inevitable departure was approaching.

When one sees a fairy alone and unable to hide their presence, that basically meant they’re on death row and would soon no longer be remaining in this world unless otherwise.

“‘Former’ Companions, to be specific, now that our Chaperones are no longer here, and we do apologize for taking part in all of the trouble we put you through,” the bandit leader’s Darkness Fairy spoke for the group before she and the rest bowed down to us.

“They weren’t always like that when we first made our contracts with them,” the fairy representative continued. “They all got a little over their heads when they threw their authority around as guards before they got discharged, and when they weren’t mugging innocents as bandits after that, they would take out their anger and blame everything on us. We all agreed that we’ve had enough being with those guys. We were actually discussing amongst ourselves how we would break free from our contracts. That was when this kid showed up and his own energetic line of Companions.”

“Come to think of it … the gemstones on all of Soar’s fairies are brighter and filled with color in life compared to the bandits’,” Onelri pointed out as she took a second look at my fairies.

“He was able to see us all miserable and closer to … well, something terrible, before he put himself into harm’s way,” the Water Fairy who I heard went by Blue added. “When we opened up our troubles to him and his fairies, he said we could decide what we want to do after he took care of our former Chaperones and saved all of you.”

“After seeing him in action and how he’s been composing himself in front of all of you despite his position, we came to a unanimous decision and decided to lend our powers to him and his Companions. If there’s anybody who’s able to better use their magic than all of us combined, Soar here would certainly fit the bill. He has earned our fairy seal of approval,” the representative finished with a thumb up before the others behind her nodded in agreement.

“Not to mention that we find him rather cute and charmingly mature for one his age. Isn’t that right, Cinder?” one of the two Fire Fairies teased the other, who apparently went by Cinder. While they were both the same type, they had differing hairstyles, skin tones, and even dresses to tell them apart.

“W-What are you asking me for?! He’s got guts, I’ll give him that, but that’s all, okay?!”

“That’s all, huh? Coming from you, that’s not much to say about him, really. Does that mean I get to be his main Fire Fairy, then? Because I’d gladly take him off your hands~.”

“Now hold on just a moment there!”

“Onelri,” I then called out to her, making her jolt to me in surprise despite the banter between the Fire Fairies. “I love magic and I love my fairies. They decided I was worthy to be their Chaperone, and there’s nothing more I could ever want than making sure they’re all happy being with me. That’s why I was so angry people like those bandits exist, who would abuse the wonders of magic in this world as well as their Companions who saw them as worthy during much better times. It was drastic, I know, but when I confided the decision to my Companions, they agreed that letting them off would be too dangerous and risky for those around them. I don’t consider myself a defender of justice or good judgment of character, but I don’t ever want to end up like those guys and abuse my powers to harm my Companions and innocent people like you.

“I think … we change partly because of how much other people, fairy or otherwise, influence our lives, and from those, we’ll later run into the fairies and people we do want to meet. I know the things I’ve learned and the times I spent with my Companions and the people around me in my town helped shaped me into the guy I am today. I don’t know if this answers all of the questions you may have for me, but I think our meeting here tonight happened for a reason. It would be best that we all remember what happened tonight so we can figure out what we want to do in the future. Don’t you think so as well, Onelri?”

“How other people influence our lives … meaning in our meeting …” Onelri muttered with a hand over her chin while contemplating and nodding to herself. She then turned back to me. “Yeah, I think I understand it a little. Thank you … for your input, Soar, and what you have done for us tonight, and I am sorry for my treatment towards you.”

“Glad to be of help, and apology accepted,” I said with a hand out. Onelri stared at it a little before grasping and shaking it with her own with a smirk on her face.

With a few growling stomachs echoing in the cave as well, we decided then and there to have a small feast of the bandits’ rations as well as apples and other fruits I brought out from my Dark Space that I shared with everybody, including the bandits’ former Companions. I also took the liberty of putting my shirt back on and swapped my damp pants for a spare pair I kept aside for emergencies.

It started out bumpy with some misunderstandings along the way, but the bright smiles Fila and Onelri made after thanking me for the delicious fruits left me quite satisfied and proud of what I accomplished that night.

It was a good start of my 11th birthday spent with the first legit friends I’ve made since coming to Manara, and it was the beginning of a new friendship that would last more than I ever thought was possible.