Inside a vast chamber carved into a palace drifting in the highest skies, where the air itself seemed proud to be there.
The room was enormous. Pillars shaped like spiraling clouds rose toward a ceiling painted with glowing constellations. Strange symbols floated lazily in the walls like fireflies, shifting forms every few seconds changing their shapes to a better one. Pale silver and soft blue colors washed across the walls, giving the whole hall an elegant and divine calm.
High above, the ceiling stretched wide like an open sky, decorated with glowing patterns of wind and drifting slowly across it. And at the far end of the chamber stood a magnificent throne.
Tall.
Elegant.
Decorated with crystal feathers and swirling wind patterns that gently chimed whenever the air moved.
And on that throne… someone was enjoying herself far too much.
Zephyra, the Origin Spirit of Wind, lounged comfortably across the throne as if she had personally invented the concept of relaxation. Her long sky-colored hair spilled across the throne like drifting clouds, moving gently with the invisible winds surrounding her.
On each side of the throne stood two elegant humanoid figures wearing silver robes.
They were not ordinary attendants.
They were servants formed directly from Zephyra's wind, shaped into graceful beings that obeyed her wills.
One of them knelt beside the throne, carefully massaging Zephyra's shoulder with extreme precision.
The other stood beside her holding a golden bowl filled with fresh grapes, calmly feeding them to Zephyra one by one.
Zephyra lazily stared up at the glowing ceiling above, watching the drifting lights as if she had all the time in existence. Which, technically… She did.
After a moment, she slowly turned her head, her gaze drifting downward toward the two visitors standing below the throne.
Her expression was calm and unreadable.
The kind of expression that made it impossible to tell whether she was thinking about something profound… or simply deciding whether the next grape looked particularly tasty.
Below the throne stood two figures.
The first one had already given up... Completely.
Sylvaria stood there with her arms crossed, staring up at Zephyra with the most exhausted expression imaginable. Her face carried the pure, honest look of someone silently asking the universe:
"What the fuck is wrong with this woman?"
Beside her stood a much smaller figure... Vivi-chan.
Unlike Sylvaria, Vivi-chan was politely bowing her head with respectful composure, trying very hard to behave properly inside such a grand palace.
Meanwhile, above them…
Crunch.
Zephyra casually ate another grape. Then the wind servant immediately offered another.
Sylvaria's eye twitched. as she slowly raised her head, staring at the throne.
"…Zeph-chan."
No response.
Another grape disappeared.
Sylvaria inhaled slowly.
"Zephyra."
"....."
Still nothing.
Finally, Zephyra lazily looked down at them, tilting her head slightly as if she had only just noticed they were there.
"Oh?"
Her voice was soft and smooth like drifting air.
"You two are here already?"
Sylvaria stared at her in complete disbelief.
"Already?"
She gestured dramatically at the throne, the servants, the grapes, the entire ridiculous royal setup.
"We have been standing here for near half an hour."
Zephyra blinked once.
Then calmly accepted another grape.
"…Has it been that long?"
Sylvaria closed her eyes. as her shoulders dropped. Deep within her soul, something quietly snapped.
Meanwhile Vivi-chan remained politely bowed beside her, whispering very gently:
"Sylvaria-sama… please remain calm…"
Above them, Zephyra leaned comfortably against her throne, watching the two of them with a faint amused smile.
"...well," Zephyra said lazily from her throne, accepting another grape from the wind servant, "what do you want anyway, coming all the way here?"
Sylvaria blinked.
"All the way here…?" Her eye twitched.
"Just why the hell did you put a full island in the highest sky from the beginning?" She waved a hand toward the enormous floating palace around them.
"Couldn't you just live somewhere normal like the rest of us?"
Zephyra tilted her head slightly.
"Hmm?"
Her sky-colored hair shifted gently as the wind curled around the throne.
"Why would I live down there?" She casually leaned deeper into the throne, perfectly comfortable.
"I feel good here."
She took another grape.
Crunch.
"Anyway… what's the reason for the visit?"
Sylvaria stared at her for a few seconds. Then sighed... A long, tired sigh.
"...Haaah."
She rubbed her forehead before finally speaking.
"Well, Zeph-chan… I kinda wanted to know about the other species. The two powerful ones." Zephyra raised an eyebrow.
"…Ah." She nodded slowly, "Is that so."
She leaned slightly forward on her throne.
"Well, the demon pair already built a rather wonderful castle using that dark mana of theirs." Her tone sounded mildly impressed. "Efficient creatures."
She paused.
"Meanwhile the dragon couple…"
Zephyra glanced off toward the distant horizon outside the palace.
"…hm...?, well... It probably won't take long before they have children."
Sylvaria blinked.
"Children?"
Her face turned completely blank.
"What do you mean children?" She frowned.
"They're not Origin Spirits like us. They can't just create new beings." The room went quiet... Very quiet.
Zephyra slowly turned her head toward Sylvaria.
Vivi-chan also lifted her gaze slightly.
Even the two wind servants paused for a moment.
All four of them stared at Sylvaria with the exact same expression. A long… strange… silent stare.
Sylvaria looked around.
"…What?"
Zephyra blinked once as she asked "…You don't know?"
Sylvaria crossed her arms.
"Know what?"
The two wind servants quietly exchanged a glance as Vivi-chan's small face froze in polite confusion.
Zephyra opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
"…Well... Anyway."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Didn't a new pair of species just appear in your territory?"
Sylvaria nodded.
"Yeah, the Elf pair."
Zephyra stared at her.
For a moment her shoulders trembled slightly.
"…And?"
Sylvaria continued proudly.
"They're very beautiful."
Zephyra pressed her lips together.
"…And?"
Sylvaria blinked.
"…And what?"
That was it. A small laugh escaped Zephyra. Just a tiny one.
"Pff—"
The moment the sound slipped out, her face immediately returned to its calm, regal expression.
Silence returned to the room. But Sylvaria had already noticed something. Her eyes slowly narrowed.
"…Zephyra."
Zephyra did not respond.
Sylvaria pointed accusingly at her.
"Your hands are shaking."
Zephyra froze.
Sylvaria leaned forward slightly, staring straight at her.
"You're trying very hard not to laugh."
One of the wind servants quietly turned away as the other suddenly became deeply interested in the grapes.
Vivi-chan gently covered her mouth as Sylvaria's eye twitched again.
"…Don't tell me."
She pointed at Zephyra.
"You're laughing at me."
Zephyra remained perfectly still. Silent, Calm and dignified. Then her shoulders shook once.
"…Pff."
Sylvaria's face turned red.
"ZEPHYRA!!"