Fitoria, Jason, and Filo soon arrived at an open field again.
Fitoria stopped and turned to look at Filo: "I do have something I want to give you, but you still need to pass my test."
"Trial? Then come on! Although you've already compensated my master, what you did was really too much, so I'll help the master vent his anger."
Filo's fighting spirit surged.
"Are you angry?" Fitoria asked.
Fitoria shook her head, then looked at Jason: "Filo's trial is very important. I hope you don't interfere."
At this point, it was clear that Fitoria considered Jason to be on her level; otherwise, she wouldn't have sought his approval.
"Alright, I got it."
Jason backed away slowly. He knew Filo wouldn't be in any danger, so he waited calmly, resting against a large tree behind him.
The fight between Fitoria and Filo began shortly after.
It wasn't as intense as in the original story. After all, during their journey, Jason had taught Filo many combat techniques. Additionally, Fitoria had just finished a fight with Jason and had used some of her energy blessing Jack and the others, so she was still quite drained.
Of course, the gap between Filo and Fitoria was enormous, and even though Fitoria didn't use her full power, Filo couldn't avoid getting hit a few times, sustaining minor injuries.
Fortunately, Filo passed the trial smoothly, and Fitoria healed her injuries.
"Master!"
Since Fitoria remained unharmed, Filo felt frustrated and ran to Jason with tears in her eyes, seeking comfort.
"It's alright, it's alright. You weren't strong enough this time, but just try to get stronger. You'll win next time."
Jason gently rubbed Filo's small head, comforting her as he understood her good intentions.
"Master, can I really do it?"
"Of course, you can! You just have to believe in yourself—you can definitely do it."
Next to them, Fitoria watched the scene, momentarily dazed, as if she saw someone telling her, "You can do it."
She quickly shook her head and dismissed the fleeting thought.
"Filo, this is proof you've passed the test."
Fitoria took a few steps forward, approaching both Filo and Jason. From seemingly nowhere, she produced an incredibly delicate tiara adorned with a gleaming jewel.
"What is this?"
"It's the reward for passing the trial. It's also a form of compensation. Bow your head."
"Master?" Filo looked at Jason, puzzled.
"This is Fitoria's gift to you. Go ahead and accept it."
Jason knew the crown would benefit Filo, so he encouraged her to take it.
"Oh," Filo responded. Trusting Jason's words, she hesitated no longer and awkwardly bowed her head to Fitoria.
"Filo, I now entrust you with the first right of succession as the Filo Bird Queen."
Fitoria gently placed the crown on Filo's head, officially making her the next Filo Bird Queen.
Immediately afterward, the crown on Filo's head began to glow.
The light grew brighter and brighter until it burst into tiny stars, covering Filo's entire body.
Jason watched as a single strand of dull hair sprouted from the top of Filo's head, swaying gently in the breeze.
"What's this?"
Filo immediately felt the hair on top of her head. She touched it with both hands, stood there in a daze, then wailed like a child, upset by the sudden change: "I don't want this thing!"
"It's okay. Filo, even with silly hair, you're still very cute."
Seeing that Filo was about to yank off her silly hair, Jason quickly comforted her.
He knew it was impossible to pull the hair out, and even if she did manage to, it would grow back again. And as Filo's strength increased, so would the number of silly hairs—just like the three strands on Fitoria's head.
Of course, Jason couldn't help but inwardly complain about why silly hairs were so popular, but after some thought, he decided it was better than the alternative, like a receding hairline—although, admittedly, that theme song was pretty catchy.
Once Filo's mood settled, Jason helped her check her abilities. Sure enough, all of her stats had significantly improved, likely thanks to the silly hair.
"Now that Filo's trial is over, is there anything else you need to tell me?"
Jason asked directly.
Fitoria didn't reply immediately but turned to look at Filo.
"Filo, you can step away for a bit. Don't worry—Fitoria won't fight me again this time."
Jason understood Fitoria's intentions and gestured for Filo to leave.
Although Filo was reluctant, she had no choice but to leave, casting worried glances back every few steps.
Once Filo was out of sight, Jason spoke again: "Now we can talk."
"Well, first, please allow me to apologize to you once again."
Fitoria lowered her head slightly.
"It seems you finally regard me as an equal. But let's get to the point."
Jason still wasn't fully accepting of her apology and replied coolly.
"My next step may be to find the other three heroes. I will make sure they don't trouble you, and I ask that you live peacefully with them."
Fitoria didn't pay much attention to Jason's attitude and spoke slowly.
"Don't worry, as long as they don't bother me, I won't trouble myself with them. But, why did you still threaten me with Raphtalia and Jack when it's clearly easier to solve things peacefully?"
"Because i don't have much time to waste, and finding the other three heroes is extremely time-consuming. Since I encountered you here, I thought it would be best to resolve the internal strife among the Four Cardinal Heroes through you directly. Of course, there may have been some mistakes in my approach, but I really don't have extra time. After all, I'm trying to protect the world."
Fitoria's words echoed in Jason's mind as she emphasized "no time" twice, which suddenly made him recall something important.
The Waves of Calamity affect the entire world. It's not just this country that faces danger—when the Waves occur, other nations and even uninhabited areas are struck by disaster at the same time. Originally, each country should summon a hero, ensuring there would be heroes in place to fight the Waves of Calamity across the world.
But now, the King and the Pope had joined forces to summon all four of the Cardinal Heroes at once, leaving the rest of the world without any heroes to defend against the Waves.
At this moment, Jason realized that in her efforts to protect the world, Fitoria was aiding those regions without heroes, battling the Waves herself. This is why she kept saying she had "no time."
"Hoo~~~"
With these realizations, Jason let out a long breath. "Now, I can understand you a bit better."
The Filo Bird Queen, who has lived for countless years, may indeed have her own burdens. As time passed, her emotions may have dulled, and it's likely that she's been deceived many times by humans like the King and the Pope. This could explain why she barely interacts with humans anymore—her emotional intelligence may have diminished to nearly zero, causing her to act in ways that most wouldn't understand.
But even with these hardships, she continued to uphold her vow to protect the world.
"Yeah?" Fitoria responded softly to Jason's words, lowering her head, lost in thought.
"Although I understand you better now, I still can't completely forgive you. Yes, you have your reasons, but that doesn't justify threatening my life with Raphtalia and the others. In my original world, even if a murderer kills to protect their family, they still face punishment. Because no matter the reason, killing is still killing. It's a fact that can't be changed."
"Of course... you've compensated me, so I'm willing to stand here and speak to you calmly now."
As Jason said this, he stared directly at Fitoria.
"What do you want?" Fitoria asked, lifting her head to meet Jason's gaze.
"Let's fight again in the future. If I lose, you can do whatever you wish, and I won't complain. But if I win, you'll follow my orders!"