Not So Shoujo Story

The Red Pendant

I've discovered a new hobby: licking the candy stone my grandfather gave me while sitting in the park at night. I watch the stars and listen to the sounds of nature—the gentle splash of the fountain, the rustling leaves. Sometimes, a comet or shooting star streaks across the sky, and I silently wish for peace and happiness.

It's been three months since I came to this world, and the candy stone has only shrunk by a tenth of its original size. I've learned quite a bit about this world, which, surprisingly, is still called Earth. So far, humanity, elves, demons, and other races have only discovered five continents. Of those, only two are habitable. Adventurers and conquerors alike have been trying to claim the other three for themselves.

I heard it's nearly impossible to conquer those continents since the monsters there are overwhelmingly strong. Even the strongest mages, capable of wielding 12-cycle magic, have struggled. There's a rumor about one such mage, known as Divine Azure, a legendary water-elemental mage. It's said that they summoned a massive tsunami to one of the unconquered continents, yet even that devastating power failed to eliminate more than 10% of the monsters. After that, the continent was declared impossible to conquer, and visiting it has since been considered a death wish.

However, any monster parts retrieved from those lands are considered incredibly valuable and fetch a high price.

If I ever become strong enough, I want to try visiting one of those continents. But for now, I'm content enjoying my new life. Besides, I'm sure my parents would never permit such a thing. Maybe if I can reach 11-cycle magic, they'll allow me to explore beyond.

One thing that annoys me, though, is how Felis keeps scolding me for licking the candy during daylight. He insists I should only do it in my room and never in front of others. What's wrong with nobility? It's like telling someone not to eat a lollipop in public back in the modern world!

I've been searching everywhere for candy stores, but none of them carry anything like the candy crystal my grandfather gave me. They only sell ordinary-looking sweets, and when I ask my parent for different flavors, they refuse. Still, candy is candy, and it's always delicious.

Usually, I sit in the park until the moon is directly overhead, but tonight, I decided to head home earlier. As I was about to leave, I noticed a kid walking with his father. I quickly covered my candy with a napkin and started to leave, but the kid ran toward me.

"Hello!"

"Uh... hello, and goodnight."

"Father, I smell something nice coming from this girl!"

I took a better look at them. The boy had white hair and bright red eyes. His father, a slender man with long white hair and the same striking red eyes, was dressed like a scholar.

"It's rude to point, Rudis."

"But father, you can smell it too, right?"

"Yeah, it's a pretty strong scent."

Realizing what they were referring to, I took out the luring crystal from my pocket. After tasting it that night, I had lost all interest in it.

"Do you want to give it a taste?" I asked.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

I handed him the luring crystal, and his father didn't seem to mind. However, the moment the boy licked it, he dropped it and began wriggling like a worm on salt.

"What is this? Hueeek! Aaaaa!!"

After he calmed down, he looked at me skeptically. "Is your candy just as weird?"

I laughed a little, trying to ease his fears. "No, no! Here, try this!" I handed him a small piece of normal candy.

He hesitated for a moment, eyeing the candy suspiciously. But after a few seconds, curiosity got the better of him, and he took it. As he chewed on the sweet treat, his expression softened, and a smile broke across his face.

The boy's father immediately scolded him, his tone severe. "Rudis! You can't just accept things from strangers without thinking! You could have gotten hurt!"

Rudis's face fell, and he looked like he might cry. I felt a pang of sympathy for him as the father turned his attention back to me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant, its red gem gleaming in the light.

"Please accept this as my gesture of thanks for your kindness," he said, handing it to me.

"What does this do?" I asked, curiously examining the pendant.

"This will help you a lot in your future," he replied. "For now, it may not seem very useful, but trust me, its significance will reveal itself in time."

"What is your name, mister?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh, we've already met when you were very young," he said with a soft smile. "You'll remember my name one day. And look at you now, you've grown into such a pretty girl, Ruby."

"We've met each other?" I asked, surprised.

He walked away with his son, smiling warmly at me. I looked down at the red pendant in my hand and decided to wear it. It hung a little too long on my small frame—he must have thought I'd grow into it and keep it as I got older.

I glanced up at the sky and realized the moon was already high above me, signaling it was time to head home. With a flick of my wrist, I cast a small fireball, letting it hover ahead of me like a lantern as I walked back.

That night, I slept soundly, but when I woke up the next morning, I was startled by the sight of several beautiful dresses laid out in my room. It suddenly hit me—I had completely forgotten that today was my first party!