Chapter 116: The Man Who Drives People Crazy (3)

“Verdandes…”

Fienne and Rona furrowed their elegant brows in contemplation.

Putting aside the thought that even their frowning faces looked stunning—

“Hold on. There’s something we need to make absolutely clear.”

With a serious expression, I addressed the two of them.

They instantly mirrored my seriousness and replied…

“As expected… You’ve gotten yourself into some massive situation without us knowing again, haven’t you?”

“Ha… Alright. Just say it. I’m ready.”

“You just pronounced it wrong.”

“?”

“?”

Their tense expressions immediately loosened, not realizing the gravity of what I had said.

But I stayed focused and continued carefully.

“Listen carefully. Her name is Verdande…tte!”

Right?

I turned to her for affirmation, and the fierce-browed baby elemental responded with a sharp expression.

“No it’s not!!!”

“!!!”

“My name is, Verdande…”

Her tiny body trembled.

“Sh…”

A whisper of wind escaped her small mouth.

“No way!? Is this finally the moment!?”

At last, Verdande…(something) straightened her tiny frame with all her might and shouted:

“Ssiu!!!”

“Verdande… Ssiu!!!”

Ah, what a shame.

She was so close.

Still, it’s a good name. Feels like a name that makes you want to move energetically.

“You heard her, right? Her name is Verdande… Ssiu! Mind your pronunciation. Even if she’s tiny, she’s got a strong personality. See? Look at those razor-sharp brows.”

“!!!”

“Look at that face! Just brimming with spirit. Her future will be so bright with that kind of spirit, right?”

“…”

“…”

The two stared at Verdande… Ssiu! and tilted their heads.

“Hm…”

“Maybe not… Yeah, probably not…”

Then, as if they’d come to an understanding, they nodded and approached her, crouching down to meet her eye level and warmly said.

“Nice to meet you, Verdandessiu. I’m Fienne.”

“I’m Rona. Let’s get along, okay?”

The introductions were as elegant and princely as you’d expect from a princess and a prince.

The kind of first impression that would dazzle any child.

“I don’t like you two!!!”

“!!!”

“!!!”

“Wait, what!?”

But Verdande… Ssiu! raised both eyebrows and pointed fingers at the two of them.

Two fingers, one for each of them.

It looked like a rebellious rockstar pose on stage.

While visually striking, it definitely left a gaping emotional wound in Rona and Fienne’s hearts.

“Hey!”

I immediately scolded Verdandes.

“What kind of way is that to talk to your older sister and older brother-sister!?”

“But!!! They’re bothering Mastah when he’s trying to sleep!!! They’re the bad ones!!!”

“Oh no, that’s… actually a pretty reasonable reason. Makes it hard to defend you guys now. What should we do, bad people?”

“Why are you talking like that…?”

“When talking to children, you have to meet them at their level.”

“Haha… I feel like Risir would be a good dad someday. You’re surprisingly good with kids.”

Unlike the flustered Fienne, Rona kept her composed princely smile and spoke gently to the angry baby elemental.

“Sorry, Ver. We didn’t mean to disturb Mastah’s sleep. Could you forgive us just this once? We’re his friends and we were really happy to see him again. I bet even Mastah would rather hang out with us than sleep, right?”

“!!!”

Ver turned toward me with a proud stance, hands on hips.

As if asking: “Is that true, defendant?”

I gave her a thumbs-up.

“She’s right.”

At that, her little head nodded, sharp and disciplined.

“Mastah said it’s right!? Okay! Then I’ll forgive you two!”

“Verdande… Ssiu!? If you could use ‘big sis’ instead of ‘you two,’ that would be a great use!”

“Okay! Big sis! I’ll forgive you!”

“Ah, great use!”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

I couldn’t help applauding the heartwarming scene.

I turned to share the joy with Fienne and Rona.

Fienne clapped with a tired look, while Rona clapped cheerfully with a big smile.

—What do you mean by “great use”?

Rona leaned in and whispered in my ear.

—It means super happy.

—…That’s what great use means?

—Yeah, that’s what we come to.

Then, flashing her princely smile at Ver, she said.

“Being with everyone like this… it’s super great use, right?”

“!!!”

A new great use comrade.

Ver’s little head nodded sharply again.

“Pretty sis is good!”

“And I like you, Ver~ great use great use~”

“Great use great use!!!”

Winning over that difficult baby elemental… what kind of insane charm is this?

Truly, the prince of social circles.

“Gr… Grea…”

Next to him, Fienne was struggling to keep up with the shifting lingo and trends, looking visibly flustered.

Their contrast made me blurt out without thinking.

“When we have kids someday, I feel like Rona will be better at playing with them.”

“!?”

“!?”

Their eyes widened as they stared at me.

Whoa.

That was intense.

Did I say something wrong?

I had no idea what part of what I said had triggered that reaction, but in situations like this, the wise move is to just bow your head and apologize.

I was about to lower my head as if there were an invisible disciplinary board in front of me—

“Really? You really think so?”

Rona asked again with a beaming smile.

Her sky-blue eyes sparkled like starlight, and her healthy bronze skin seemed to glow even more with life.

Her smile was so radiant, I almost turned my head away instinctively.

Wait… is she not mad?

“Do you really think so?” Fienne echoed beside her.

Similar words, different tone.

Though she wore a small smile, her red eyes staring straight at me were kind of terrifying.

Fienne… could it be… she actually likes kids more than she lets on?

And now, because of what I said, she’s offended?

Should I… shatter the transparent apology board after all…?

I was just about to lower my head when Rona, puffing up with pride, spoke.

“Well, to be fair, Risir’s reaction isn’t all that strange. Fienne, you don’t exactly seem like the type who’d enjoy taking care of kids, right?”

“…Oh? Rona, and what exactly do you mean by that?”

Fienne smiled elegantly, but a vein popped on her temple.

“I didn’t mean anything bad, look, anyone can see that you’re graceful and dignified, right? Playing with kids just doesn’t really suit that image. Most noble families hire nannies for that anyway.”

Rona kept her signature bright and friendly prince smile, but somehow… it came off a little smug.

“That makes sense.”

Hmm.

Fienne huffed proudly and nodded.

“…?”

Rona’s princely smile stiffened into caution.

“Then just like you said, Rona, if we ever have kids, you can take care of them while I spend time with the dad. Sound good?”

“…”

“…”

The prince and princess stared at each other with poised smiles.

Sparks flew between them, and the air pressure around us began to rise.

What the heck is going on with this tension?

I froze in confusion, unsure how to navigate the moment, until Fienne suddenly turned to me and asked.

“What do you think?”

“…Ah! Must be the fatigue… My brain’s not working too well right now~”

“Tsk. Useless man.”

As our awkward exchange continued, Rona knelt down again and asked Ver.

“Ver~ Can sis ask you something? If you could have a mom, who would you want it to be?”

“Mom!?”

Hmm!

Verdande… Ssiu! crossed her arms with those bold diagonal eyebrows and fell deep into thought.

Then, her decisive eyes turned toward me.

“Mastah!”

“….”

“….”

Her unpredictable brilliance once again broke the bounds of logic, leaving Fienne and Rona speechless.

Same here.

“‘Mom’ huh… That’s not exactly a title I can live up to easily… Should I ask Rona how to change genders…?”

“…Why would you ask me that…”

Rona was briefly flustered, but quickly regained her composure and turned to Verdande… Ssiu! once more.

“Really? You want Mastah to be your mom? Then who’s the dad?”

Prince mode activated.

Rona asked with full princely charm.

“Mastah!”

But even that effort was shattered instantly by Ver’s legendary dribbling of all reason and logic.

And I too despaired.

“Mom and dad at the same time… Her expectations are rising way too fast… So I guess I need to learn gender-switching magic and cloning…”

“Stop saying creepy stuff.”

Still, thanks to Ver’s antics, the subtle tension that had filled the room naturally dispersed.

Riding that momentum, I introduced the remaining two elementals to Fienne and Rona.

“You must be the companions of Mastah that I’ve heard so much about!!! I am Dan’Galeon, the blazing radiance that reflects unparalleled beauty! It is the ultimate honor to meet the both of you! My White Flame dims in the presence of your brilliance!!!”

“White flame? Wasn’t it supposed to be gray?”

“Mastah!!! It only looks like that because the room is too bright!!! My White Flame shines its brightest in the presence of true darkness!!!”

Responding to my call, a grayish-white blob of fire appeared in elemental form and introduced itself proudly before Rona and Fienne.

Next up: the petite-mode Murderous Fiend.

“I’m Clana.”

With a sigh, Clana spoke like the entire situation was just a bother.

“…”

“…”

While I was introducing our elemental (?) friends, Rona and Fienne simply stared at us in blank disbelief.

Eventually, they turned to each other.

Then Fienne opened her mouth.

“Risir, just to be sure—”

“Yeah?”

“Where did those three come from?”

“Where did they come from?”

After a brief pause, I pointed at myself.

“Did you get some kind of magical item that lets elementals reside inside it?”

“Nope.”

“…Then?”

“…?”

Still not understanding the intent behind the question, I pointed at myself again.

Fienne and Rona both furrowed their brows.

“This is kind of hard to grasp, can you explain it in words instead of gestures?”

“It’s not really anything elaborate enough to need an explanation. They just live inside my inner world.”

“…”

“…”

Their jaws slowly dropped.

“What? Is that reaction supposed to be impressive? Is having three elementals at once unusual or something? Am I maybe gifted in elemental arts?”

As I puffed up with pride, I started to notice their stares.

Everyone—including Dan’Galeon and Clana, excluding Verdande… Ssiu!—was staring at me blankly.

Their expressions looked eerily similar, as if they were all thinking the same thing.

Fienne stepped forward as their representative.

Rubbing her temple like she had a headache.

“What kind of elemental summoner handles elementals like that…”

“Wait, don’t tell me I did something really bad?”

“Obviously… You said you’re letting elementals live inside your inner world? I’d bet even the World Tree’s greatest elemental summoner wouldn’t dare something that reckless. Not unless they were actively trying to get their mind eroded—”

A cold sweat slid down my back at her words.

“Th-then what do I do? Should I evict them right now?”

“…How long have those elementals been living in there?”

“A few hours?”

“Or maybe days?”

“Days?”

“…Forget it. Just leave them be.”

“???”

Not just Fienne and Rona, even Clana and Dan’Galeon were now looking at me like they’d completely given up.

Suddenly, I felt very alone.

And so, the introduction session ended, and the three of us were once again alone in the room.

Picking up the thread from before the nap police arrived, I spoke.

“So, Fienne. You mentioned there was something you wanted from me, right?”

“…”

Fienne looked at me with a strange gaze.

Or perhaps, she was gazing not at me, but at the tenants inside me.

“Those three… are they watching everything from in there, even now?”

“Seems like it.”

Haa…

She sighed.

“You don’t find that uncomfortable?”

“Actually, they’re really helpful. They teach me swordsmanship, magic… Oh, remember that time at the back alley meeting when I shouted, ‘This isn’t my fire sword!’ That was Dan’Galeon helping me out.”

“I figured…”

A dry laugh.

Fienne spoke with a face of pure resignation.

“We’ll continue this conversation some other time—when the ‘elementals’ are out of the room.”

“You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh, I definitely do!”

Letting out a frustrated chirp, Fienne walked toward the door.

“…”

But then she spun back around and approached me again.

“What, did you forget something?”

She passed right by me, walked to the window, and drew the curtains closed.

Then she tidied up the messy bed covers and turned to leave again, this time silently.

I called out to her back as she walked away without regret.

“Alright, Fienne! I’ll dream about you!”

“Don’t bother!”

Now only Rona was left.

She looked at me with a playful smile.

“Rejected~”

“My world has lost its light and is now swallowed by darkness.”

“Heh… Well, as a consolation prize—”

In the darkness, Rona’s sky-blue eyes locked onto mine.

“Wanna dream about me instead?”

“…”

Before I could answer, she quickly turned and headed for the door.

“Anyway! I’ll get going too. Get some rest!”

Practically fleeing the room.

Finally, the room was quiet again.

As a calm peace settled in, I also started to feel a bit lonely.

I lay down in the bed Fienne had kindly tidied up.

Alright, time to sleep.

I closed my eyes.

—Tonight!

Fienne’s voice rang out from beyond the door.

Ah, geez.

I let out a laugh and called back.

“You mean I should time it to dream about you again?”

—I mean we’re having dinner, so clear your schedule! If you’re still half-asleep and groggy then, you’re on your own!

A new priority had just overwritten finishing the enhancement technique.

Meanwhile.

In the basement of the mansion where the high priestess Moria was imprisoned.

Drey appeared, accompanied by a bespectacled woman, in response to a summons from Pallarg.

“Lord Pallarg, what’s this about? Why would you insist on meeting in a place like this?”

Moria, bound in the icy prison cast by Pallarg.

After briefly glancing at her, Drey addressed Pallarg.

But Pallarg’s attention wasn’t on Moria.

“Drey, take a look at this.”

His gaze was fixed on the crystal orb resting on his hand.

“What is that…?”

Drey stepped closer and examined the orb carefully.

“…!”

In that instant.

His pupils dilated.

He involuntarily stepped back.

The vision within the orb overwhelmed him.

“Wh-what is that…?”

Regaining composure, Drey looked again.

Within the orb—

A lake of blood spread wide.

A pillar of black flame reached the heavens, while a sandstorm raged so violently it swallowed mountains, sky, and sun alike.

It was the very definition of a demonic landscape.

That was the only way to describe it.

“Risir.”

Then, suddenly, Pallarg spoke the name.

“She says this is his inner world.”

“…!”

Drey was stunned.

He had known Risir was extraordinary, but to possess such a fearsome internal world?

“…”

The high priestess imprisoned in the ice looked at the two with a mysterious smile.

Then slowly opened her mouth.

“An inner world is a reflection of one’s true nature… The essence that never changes…”

To sow the seeds of doubt between them.

To take revenge on the one who ruined her grand plan.

“…Huh? Lord Pallarg? The sandstorm just stopped.”

“?”

“?”

Their eyes shot back to the crystal orb.

“Huh?”

Just as I was finally about to fall asleep.

I felt a strange weight on my chest.

Opening my eyes, I saw—

Ver had crawled out of my inner world and was now peacefully napping right on top of me.