All around, a strange glittering pollen flew. In a strange twilight world where flowers grow. Inside they form glowing orbs of light, where mushrooms are as big as houses. Carved out into them were hundreds upon thousands of flowers shining with bright lights, fairies and mystical creatures, flying around and spreading.
This mythical place was none other than the fairy world or properly named, the Spirit world.
It is a world where creatures of the most mysterious myths exist in peace. Fairies were their main residents and were also the biggest supporters of life in this place.
The creatures did not hunt them, if they did they would die because, although they are tiny, Fairies are pure magical beings. Their bodies are simply husks formed to contain their magical essence and periodically they would shed these husks and make another. This is mainly because they grow stronger so they need a stronger body to contain their essence.
Because of this phenomenon the spirit world is filled with fairy mana. If one were to compare the power of fairy magic, only dragons would be their equal and only gods are more powerful. Of course, fairies aren't the only ones who do this. Countless spirits form husk like bodies to protect their essence. There are two things they protect it from, from those who would steal their essence to empower their magic and from evil spirit corruption.
Evil spirits are very rare though. Pixies are corrupt fairies and several times more mischievous and prone to do pranks that are, more often than not, deadly. Of the spirits, there are two races that do not do this or worry about evil spirits and they are the Great Fairy. Which is the queen of fairies and holds an immensely powerful essence that has grown over countless millennia. The others are high humans.
High humans are, in looks, the same as normal humans but there are several keen differences. First off, none of them have a common hair color, be it red, blue, pink or whatever, their hair is anything but brown and only a rare few have ink black hair. The second feature is that they have wings in the place of ears. Lower class high humans who have more human blood have a mix of them but the pure ones have complete soft pink feather wings. They also have the ability to summon fairy wings and their eyes can see through the illusions of fairy magic.
High humans are a race born from the love of a Great Fairy and a human. The original first high humans were even demi-gods because it was through the goddess of fairies' love for a man that made the great fairies, who are almost like her version of angels, follow in her love.
High humans, unlike humans, are incredibly magical and not only that, their lifespan even outstrips elves who are a kind of fairy. With a lifespan of nearly 1,000 years high humans are the most long lived race. Of course this number counts only for direct descendants of the Great Fairy and those with pure bloodlines.
Any high human directly born from a Great Fairy is counted as the most noble of high humans.
These humans also maintained their creativity when they escaped into the spirit world and built majestic and beautiful cities that are made for them to live in and for the spirits to play in.
At this time, in one of the higher, more center buildings which was like a grand mansion, Mimi and Momo were flying around laughing with a few others and under them was a well dressed high human. His ears, a pair of small white wings.
“Mimi! Where were you two!” a blonde haired fairy with a pure white dress asked.
“Hehe! You guys will have to guess!” she laughed.
Below the man looked up to the common fairies that visited his home but continued with his work.
“Don't tell me you went to poke the butt of those spirit wolves again?” said a small strange fairy with a mushroom cap on her head.
“Nope! Wrong answers!” she laughed.
“Then was it stealing the magic leaf from those racoon dogs?” another fairy asks.
“Oh that sounds fun but… NOPE!” she answered.
“Come on, tell us!” an almost crying red skinned fairy with butterfly wings made of fire asked.
“We went to the human world.” she said.
“Oh.” the other fairies muttered bored.
“Oh come on let me finish! The world is the one that was left behind by her great goddess Karie!” she shouted.
“What!” the man suddenly shouted looking up. “What was that! You mean you were able to enter goddess Karie's world! Where!” he asked.
This is obviously not hard to guess why he was agitated. All the high humans in the spirit world originated from this world when they had to escape the coup that the human nobles performed.
“Yep! It was in the dungeon of her great holiness’s blessed child!” Momo said.
The face of the man twitched as soon as she said that. ‘Did I hear wrong?! Did she just say the goddess’s blessed child! I'm very clear on the fact of the royal family not having any illegitimate children let alone one left in the human world.’ he thought then as he waved the fairies down. “Can you tell me about her? What does she look like and her name? It's very important.” he said.
“Well I can…” Momo said in an unsatisfied manner.
“I’ll have the maids cook up some Gummy Berry Cookies if you tell me.” he said.
“REALLY!” the fairies shouted in unison. They all seem to start drooling.
“Of course but you need to tell me first. Can you draw her image and tell me about her?” he asked.
“Sure!” Momo said and looked around before she snapped a small branch from a nearby tree that was in a pot. She made the branch regrow and asked for forgiveness to the plant before bringing the branch back and with magic it began to grow and slowly it took up Kuroko’s image.
“Her great Princess is called Kuroko Melody Ginshiro. She told me the ‘Melody’ in her name is an adoptive name. She has pretty light pink features and silver hair with purple eyes. She lives in the human nation, not the one that belonged to you great nobles the other one.” Momo said then poked her own chin thinking.
“Um… she is at the big floaty academy island right now.” Mimi said quietly.
“I see.” he nodded but in his mind he was working overtime trying to remember if he ever heard the name ‘Ginshiro’ but no matter how much he thought on it he couldn't remember the name.
He clapped his hand and a woman with mostly human ears walked in dressed as a maid.
“Go to the kitchen with them and make them some Gummy Berry Cookies.” the man said and the woman bowed and all the fairies cheered before fluttering around the young woman as she walked away.
The man smiled but as soon as the door closed his face turned stern and he got up.
He then took a small wand that was made of a strange glittery wood that was black as night and seemed like stars were embedded on the wand.
With a wave his body vanished.
The next moment, in the biggest palace, the king was in his study alongside the man that vanished upon hearing that the dukes had important news.
He explained what he heard from the fairies and knowing these fickle beings rarely lied he did not worry about inconsistent information.
“This surname ‘Ginshiro’ I have never heard it. It most certainly is not some kind of branch family. Could it be some leftovers?” the king asked.
The man had one white snow white hair that reflected many hues due to the many bioluminescent flowers and lights around him. This was the biggest sign of the royal family, pure snow white hair very unlike Kuroko’s shiny silver hair.
“If it was leftovers she would not have pure blood would she?” the duke asked.
“From what I understand, it is very likely the blessing's awakening has caused her blood to thicken. That or some unknown event made her fairy blood as thick as a direct descendant or else she would have no way of supporting her holiness’s blessing.” the king said and smiled. “This is fantastic news. Although I have lived in this world my whole life, the twilight of this world truly doesn't fit for mortal humans like us. Our numbers now are more than several million throughout the 20 Great cities but for all of us to leave we need a spirit world gate. A simple pond will only support at best one high human.” he said and sighed.
“I believe her own pond will support more mainly due to her blessing, your highness. If we can send your son to win her heart, maybe we can get the help of one of the royal families on that side to help us. Then we can send over some smarter high humans to construct the portal.” the duke said.
“My son, ah the boy truly is good with women, to steal a maiden's heart wouldn't be hard but I fear he will not be able to keep it. The personality of this girl seems a bit wild and somewhat unladylike.” the king said.
“Then what about your youngest son, he is rather timid but his innocent look causes those around him to worry for him and make them take care of his well being more than anything. No matter the lady they would all desire someone like him or his looks. It may even teach him to be more assertive if you give him a mission to catch her heart.” the duke said.
“That doesn't seem too bad. The boy is indeed too timid. Maybe getting some of the human world's views will help him grow.” the king nodded.
They both agreed on the fact that they wanted to send this timid boy to find her but they did not notice a pair of eyes under a layer of distorted space spying on them with a grin.
Kuroko PoV
Slowly the door of the dormitory room opened and from the door a small child sized maid walked in.
Unlike normal, Kawi is wearing thick white cotton stockings covering all her legs and had a warm undershirt before her maid dress over lapped it and on her head is a fluffy ear muffs. Lastly her nose and cheeks were bright red as she huffed, releasing a puff of smoke.
Indeed it is winter time now and almost a month has passed since the group had been added to the festival project to make the monster karts.
Most of them are capable of making large cars but not karts. Mainly because of engineering problems. The mechanics teacher had yet to return but the progress wasn't stagnant. In fact there was massive progress and not just from the five top ranks of the first year.
With the advent of massive profit, Dalton, my adoptive father, made some deals with the islands management and was allowed to set up a small branch for producing gel slimes which can become inanimate object mimics.
Along with this they also began to research specifically on the constructions created inside the game of monster karts because any self respecting businessman could see the sinkhole of wealth this could bring. Due to the dangers outside of the cities, there wasn't any extensive investment into entertainment except for video games brought in by the players which greatly evolved with the addition of mana in the mix.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Now with the possibility of creating something so fantastic, money wise, as well as entertaining, there was absolutely no way they would let it pass.
“Kuroko get up!” the halfling maid shouted but what she received was a grumble.
I frowned, after more than half a year being my assigned maid, formality had slowly vanished. “I said get up! You’re going to be late for breakfast!” she said, pulling the sheets.
Instantly I appeared in her view padded in a full body pajama. I instantly shivered with the sudden rush of cold air and hugged Peach even stronger.
I stuffed my face into the slime’s chest, hugged her waist and wrapped my legs around hers.
In the last month, it should be noted that the level of mimicry of the slimes has been jumping leaps and bounds from Basic level 6 and has already reached Basic level 10 as their levels were catching up to their actual mastery after they reached level 50.
Now the previously cool slime was now warm to the touch and, amazingly, on the inside, one could see slime forming shapes inside the slimes as if organs were forming.
Of course there was no danger of them getting injured with fatal hits because it was all slime but the mimicry ability is getting better and better.
This included the weapon mimics that level up alongside their users.
I began to shiver and my right hand unwrapped from the slime and waved around trying to catch the covers.
“Kuroko, get up!” Kawi said and pulled the girl and slime off the bed making her fall.
“Ah! COLD!” I exclaim getting up seeing the halfling that had pulled me out of the covers and quickly jumped back in and wrapped myself. “Why are you waking me up? It's so cold and we were given a week off so that the academy could gather the mana on the island to form a thermal barrier.”
“Obviously you need to eat breakfast. Especially you who has a fragile constitution. Your father sent a number of slime based products and your dungeon did as well since the cold seems to greatly affect your slime products. Now we have a surplus of tasty goods so the food is extra tasty today.” Kawi said, smiling.
“Don't want to.” I said and wrapped myself in a bundle.
Kawi sighs and rubs her forehead as she thinks of something.
“Girls~!” Steph’s voice suddenly called from outside. “Breakfast today has freshly baked Chocolate chip cookies with slime apple pie, slime candies, with hot tea and drinks. Then there will be hot cocoa, pudding and other freshly made hot foods and last but not least…” she said stopping but my and Kumi’s head was already out of the sheets looking at the door. “All the previously closed hot spring bath houses are open to the students!”
“What!” all the girls on the floor reacted to the announcement. Besides the warm food, the chance for a hot spring bath wasn't something they had before. There was only a shower in the room.
Instantly two covers over me and Kumi were off and we jumped quickly on the ground making sure their feet weren't against the wood ground and instead stopped in front of the closet either on their covers or sliding a carpet over.
We shivered after stripping but getting our underwear and a thick pair of cotton sock stockings to cover our legs all the way to the waist. Then we quickly put on a thin soft shirt followed by a thicker cotton shirt before bringing out a thick furry robe coat like those mages and wizards in fantasy games have. They are thick fur robes enchanted to resist heat and cold. As soon as we put them on we feel a great deal of relief.
An enchantment can only do so much after all. We need other clothing underneath to help keep up the heat.
“Still, with all the technology we have, why is there still no kind of heating system inside the buildings for this kind of situation!” I complain as I rub my hands.
The others nod agreeing. “Peach, like I taught you.” I said to the pink slime who smiled.
“Yes… master.” she said and her body turned pink as she reverted to her cute round slime form and jumped onto my head where it was most comfortable for me and her. I got used to it so I find it nice having something on my head.
When she landed two tentacles spread out from both sides and slime accumulated forming two bubbles that fell down covering my ears and slowly shaped itself like Kawi’s ear muffs before they strangely gained a feeling of fluffiness mixed with the squishy slime.
This was one of the reasons they leveled up mimicry so fast in the last month. Because it grew cold so suddenly, so I trained them in partial mimicry.
In this case she sits on my head and the two bubbles mimic her fox form fur which is puffy and soft. Soon the slime formed the fur filament and the color turned orange which matched the fox form’s color.
Next came the warmth from the slime as she regulated her slime heat and I could hear heart beats.
This is another mimic ability they developed. Using their slime to form a kind of heart, they form some spots on their slime where they heat with magic and have the slime pass through it and imitate blood by pumping the warm slime around their body instead of just heating their entire body.
With what I understand, mimic slimes will develop colors and shapes at the beginner levels, turn solid during the first half of the intermediate levels and learn to mimic clothing alongside their transformation until the advanced stage and then advanced stage no one knows because mimic slimes are just that rare. At that stage they should have intelligence mimicking humans and wouldn't be enslaved or ‘tamed’ having a fully grown personality unlike peach and glop at this moment.
I feel a slight cold as the air reaches my ears since Peach opened a few openings to not leave me deaf by completely blocking my ears.
“No fair Kuroko.” Kumi pouted and I smiled slightly before Glop appeared and he jumped on her head and covered her ears but she yelped when he jumped.
“Let's go, I want to get to those hot springs early to warm up faster but before that I want some hot cocoa.” I said, determined.
We quickly ran out to the much warmer cafeteria and quickly took up the hot foods before sitting and enjoying the heat as it flowed through them.
“Hey are you all going to the hot spring baths?” Kumi asked.
“Of course we are. You think we will stay here dying of cold.” Zach shouted complaining while drinking his tea.
“How will we get there?” Eleonora suddenly asked.
Everyone blinked at her question.
In truth, no one had thought of this, the snow was falling still, and quite strongly, and the paved path was covered.
Thinking of this for a while I smiled as I thought of my old life and got up and went to the kitchen door where the cooks were and asked if there was a lot of rocksalt in stock.
Indeed they did, luckily, since there were plenty of days Belladona had them roast meat.
I was able to get two large bags which were enough for what was needed.
Going back I finish my drink before running outside and summoning several dozen gel slimes and the newly created metal gel slimes which were unique gel slimes born by feeding slimes metal then feeding it enough slime nucleus to become a gel slime while having the conditions for metal slime. They make up the framework of my slime kart having more than 60 vitality and 40 strength which gives it a strong slime body.
I have them make the most basic structure for the kart. The others were watching from the inside safe from the wind.
I slowly built the kart but the frame was made a bit different with lots of space for the wheels.
The tires then appeared but I didn't do the normal and instead used four metal gel slimes to make something like gears that took the place of the wheels. Finally the tire slimes jumped and surrounded the tire before stretching and connecting the front and back wheels.
Then they began to form rivets horizontally before solidifying into tire rubber rivets and turning into something like a tank tire. The inside was shaped properly to not get injured on the gear wheels from the gel slimes.
Then the body came on it enclosing the interiors but I wasn't done and had several metal gel slimes making a support structure in front before having some gel slimes jump on it and make a flap sheet of metal. Then I modified the structure to be turned a bit sideways. Then I had the metal gel slimes become concave finally making the shape solidify and having the slimes merge into one forming a snow truck used in big cities to shovel snow out of the way.
With a smile I nod and pull out the bags of rock salt that were crushed well and dumped it into a space on the back which would spin at my command.
Nodding satisfied I jumped inside but before that I called out, “I'll be seeing you guys.” I said before the slime kart fused and hardened as much as possible into one then the shovel lowered and the large tracks began to turn.
With surprising power behind it, the slime kart quickly began to cut through the snow while the snow was shoveled out of the way leaving a clean path which had rock salt left behind by my action to keep the snow from gathering.
“There goes Miss Kuroko with her strange ideas again.” Kawi said and the others nodded.
They finished as well and ran after me using my pathway to find me.
I was actually curious how long this form lasted, mainly the tires which were very good as they were, and so I went around clearing the pathways that were being cleared by hand or magic by many workers but was a pass through bulldozing the snow to the side, everyone looks at me having fun while easily doing their work.
Depending where I was, I would change the side the snow flew and after about half an hour, I found that the slimes had low resistance to cold so they were all starting to weaken so thinking a bit I had fire slimes and had them move to and surround some key slimes as well as the main body and to release heat to maintain the heat of the slimes of the kart.
After this I cleared out the entrance and the path to the hot springs and found I was first, probably because of the kart.
I enter and wait inside for the others to arrive.
***
Back in the academy there were a number of workers who had reported what Kuroko had done. Obviously they were overjoyed by what she had done because it was the hardest job to complete but they were curious about the kart form. Obviously they knew about the monster karts but the big shovel powering through the snow wasn't an idea that anyone had even with vehicles. The kart was perfect for pathways like the schools but it was useless for streets but what of trucks pushing it.
Also the rock salt, it was known that salt kept water from freezing and it was something done already but much harder because one needed to throw the salt while shoveling and it was back breaking work.
It had never occurred to them to use machinery for something done by everyone.
With everyone shoveling when snow falls they would clear the cities in a few hours but what now. If several dozen machines were to do the same while each one could stay warm at home longer, wouldn't that be the best.
At once the hungry eyes of vultures to a meal appeared and all the workers began to think of replacing work in many areas with machines like the snow truck.
As for the culprit of this headache she was happy as her group arrived.
***
“You guys are slow!” I complained while looking at the shivering group.
“Don't compare us to someone driving a slime car completely isolated from the cold!” Kumi said, narrowing her eyes.
“Come on, let's go in.” Kawi said, shivering.
They walk inside and close the door to keep the wind out. The interior was warm thanks to the heated water and big baths inside which radiated out.
“Students can go in but adults pay.” the receptionist said.
Kawi and several maids happily paid and the boys and girls were led to two different sides.
Grabbing a towel and undressing everyone ran into the bath feeling the warm vapor already in the air.
“Yay! Hot tub!” I shouted.
Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me and I felt two large bulges fall on my shoulders.
“Kuroko, don't run around. You might slip and also you need to wash up first.” one of the elven maids said.
I only nodded because my face was already turning red while my heart began to race rapidly.
It was only thanks to Peach who had jumped out from under everyone and took human form before pulling my arm without wearing anything since no other female was.
When Glop appeared, I instantly unsummon him. He was a male so of course I would not allow him this, he might grow bad habits.
We each go to a bench and the maids come helping us girls up.
“Hey I wonder what the boys are doing?” Margaret asked.
“We are washing ourselves! What else would we do!” a voice suddenly came from the wall.
Everyone looked up and realized that the wall only went up three fourths of the way meaning the male and female bath was connected.
“You boys better not peep!” Kawi shouted.
“What is there to see, Kawi is pretty much the same size and shape as all the girls and boys our age anyway.” Zach said out loud.
Suddenly the woman's eyes landed on the halfling while probing her. She instantly felt the stares and tried to cover up.
“You can't really notice under the maid suit but Kawi has a big butt and boobs for her size doesn't she.” Steph suddenly said and winked our way and towards the halfling who was already getting nervous.
“Maybe she actually likes being treated like a child.” Emily joked.
“N-no I don't!” she shouted desperately, turned and sat down before washing her hair. “Just wash up quick and don't say stupid stuff!” she said quickly but how can we stop, not to mention, as a hot blooded teen male in my past life, how could I let this chance to ‘pet’ and ‘admire’ women in the flesh go?
The eyes of the fairy race trio shined as the three quickly appeared behind the halfling.
“Let us help you Kawi!” Emily suddenly said.
Steph suddenly grabbed the arms. Emily began to scrub the hair while I took the washcloth to rub her down.
“Kya!” Kawi shouted and tried to break free without injuring us which was hard to do, causing her to restrain herself, making escape impossible.
On the other side of the wall the boys were under the full stimulus of her screams as their young minds burned as they tried to think of what was going on.
Only after a bit did us three stop and walk back due to the maids saying it was enough.
They washed our hair for us and helped us with very long hair to make them into something like mickey mouse style buns to not get the hair in the water.
We then soaked until we were very warm and then got out before we got dizzy.
As we get out Kawi picks up a strange device we see all maids with and seeing it vibrate she looks it over.
“Miss Kuroko, the headmaster called you for an audience in his office. I am to take you there as soon as possible.” she said.
“Did he say what it was for?” I asked.
“A few things actually, the mechanics teacher is back and your father was called in and is waiting already.” she replied.
“Is it so serious that he needed to come?” I frowned. “Alright, let's cool down a bit then we can go by kart.” I said and she nodded.