Chapter 45 – Strange Occurrences

Strange Occurrences

‘Saya. Stupid. Sister is stupid too.’
Seeing Saya and sister so close together outside the window, my chest felt somehow tight for no reason.
It’s not unusual for them to be close, which is strange.

Maybe it’s because Saya decided to monopolize sister today.
Saya is also my very, very cute little sister, but sister is a bit more special.
…Because she’s the hero who rescued me from hell.

‘Is this what they call jealousy….’
I’m a bit angry at myself for losing the rock-paper-scissors game.
“You’re a bit rough, Puel…”

‘Finally, freedom….’
As the evening sun was setting, Saya got down from my arms. My body was starting to feel stiff, so it was fortunate.
Saya’s face was full of satisfaction. She looked as if all her previous disappointment had been resolved.

“Ariel! What’s this?”
It seems she felt a bit stuffy after being held all day long.
Saya was running around the room.

Saya pointed at something placed in the corner of the room and asked.
What Saya’s finger pointed at was a staff with the name ‘Ariel’ written on it.
…It was that staff I had confiscated from the auction.

“Um, it’s a staff I used to use.”
“A staff?”
“That’s right. It’s also called a staff, it helps boost or amplify the output when a magician casts magic.”

They say a good staff can make quite a significant difference when casting magic, but for a magician of my level, it’s not something to worry about too much.
“It smells like Ariel.”
…Smell? There’s no way my actual scent remains, she might be smelling the remnants of magical power. Dragons do have excellent senses.

Saya, who was sniffing the staff while wiggling her nose, seemed to like it and came up to me, softly saying,
“Ariel. Can I have this?”
“Huh? I don’t mind…”

Honestly, even being generous, it’s nothing more or less than a cheap staff sold at weapon shops.
The reason I lost it in the first place was that I was too lazy to put it in my subspace and just carelessly threw it around in the lodging.

“…I could buy you a better one.”
Shake, shake.
Saya, holding my staff preciously in her arms, shook her head.

“I like this one, Ariel.”
“If that’s what you like.”
‘Do dragons use staffs?’
A dragon using a staff. It seems quite unbalanced.

“Shaa─!”
…It’s been a while since I heard that “shaa” sound. She must be that happy.
“Saya. Sister. Dinner’s ready… Huh? Saya. What’s that staff?”

Puel, who came to call me and Saya in the room for dinner, asked about the staff Saya was holding.
“Hehe. Ariel gave it to me.”
“Sister did?”

Saya proudly held out the staff to Puel. Seeing this, Puel’s expression stiffened a bit.
‘What should I do….’
Although Puel is said to be mature for her age, she’s still a child. It wouldn’t be strange if she felt upset about why only Saya got something and not her.

“That’s nice, Saya.”
“Hehe. It smells delicious.”
But Puel quickly returned to her usual expression and patted Saya’s head while speaking.
Then Puel took Saya’s hand and headed towards the kitchen.

‘Is she… not bothered?’
“Good night, sister, Saya.”
“Good night, Puel!”
Even until the three of us fell asleep in the same bed, Puel didn’t show any signs of feeling upset.

.
.
.

And the next day.
“…It’s my turn today, sister.”
Puel’s eyes, as she approached me after breakfast, were somehow scary.
I was a bit nervous about what kind of request she would make, as she spoke with a solemn attitude as if she had been waiting for this day…

“Look at this, sister!”
“It’s a pretty flower.”
What she requested from me was to go for a walk down to the village. Just the two of us.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult request, so currently, Puel and I were in the middle of a leisurely walk through the forest path.
The reason Saya didn’t come along was because she had made a promise with Puel, apparently.

“Sister is prettier. Here, I’ll give you this flower.”
“Oh, um? Thank you…”
‘Was Puel always this tall?’

Looking at Puel brightly offering me the flower, I fell into a strange contemplation.
Puel’s height, which originally only reached my solar plexus, had grown to almost reach my shoulders.
Moreover, she had filled out nicely overall, so compared to when we first met, she had become a completely different person… no, elf in just a few months.

Considering she’s in the midst of her growth period, and elves naturally grow quickly in their childhood, it’s not strange.
“Sister. Is there something on my face?”
“…No.”

I received the white flower Puel offered me. Is it a lily? Like the potato flowers, it seems summer is approaching.
“Sister. Let’s stop by here for a moment.”
The place Puel pointed to was an open space where a stream was flowing.

It’s a stream on the way from our house to the village, a place we occasionally visit for walks because of its beautiful scenery.
After saying that to me, Puel headed towards the stream.
Following her, who seemed somehow excited, I was greeted by the beautifully sparkling stream in the sunlight.

‘…The scenery is nice.’
I was thinking I should bring Saya and Cherny here later─when Puel spoke to me.
“Can I go into the stream for a moment?”
“Of course. Keep your shoes on when you go in. You might hurt your feet otherwise.”

Shoes can be dried. What’s more important is that Puel doesn’t get hurt.
“…”
Puel nodded at my words and carefully stepped into the stream.
Then she closed her eyes and started murmuring something. Is she chanting a spell?

After a moment, the mana around her started to fluctuate.
‘Oh? Spirit summoning?’
What Puel chanted was undoubtedly a spell to attract spirits. Only then could I guess why Puel suddenly led me to the stream.

‘She called me to show me this.’
I already knew Puel had talent in spirit magic, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.
Water spirits that looked similar to butterflies started gathering around her.

Puel approached me with a smile, holding one of them on her hand.
“…How is it? I tried copying what I saw in the spirit magic book.”
Cute Puel approaching with a cute water spirit on her hand.

With cute things together with cute things, the cuteness feels doubled, no, multiplied by twenty.
Numerous water spirits following behind her create a spectacular scene.
…It’s like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

“It’s amazing…”
“Fufu. Oh, sister.”
As I lightly patted her head and was looking at the water spirits, a strange thing happened.
“Huh? The spirits…”

At the same time as the water spirits that were hovering around her started gathering in one place, the flow of mana in the surroundings began to distort.
They gradually formed a human shape, and soon a beautiful woman appeared.
“Child beloved by the spirits. For what reason have you called me?”

‘A high-level spirit?’
…At a glance, she looked like a person, but this woman made entirely of mana was what’s called a high-level spirit.
She, who had taken human form, started approaching us with her blue hair fluttering in the wind.

“S-Sister. That person is…”
“Puel. Stay behind me.”
Puel hid behind me, seemingly scared by the sudden situation.
…The high-level spirit started approaching her.

‘I knew Puel’s spirit affinity was extraordinary, but…’
To think she would summon a high-level spirit right away. I feel both perplexed and proud at this unexpected situation.
Spirit users are few in number, but those who can contact high-level spirits are even rarer. So how could I not feel proud?

A moment later, the water spirit reached us. Seeing her naked form, I wasn’t sure where to look.
“Child. Won’t you make a contract with me? You should be more than capable.”
She spoke to Puel, ignoring me as if I didn’t exist.

‘A contract?’
It seems she was quite itchy after being in the spirit realm for a long time.
…Being eternal beings, they probably don’t want to miss this chance to alleviate their boredom.

“N-No, I don’t want to.”
But Puel rejected the spirit’s offer in a shrinking voice, seemingly scared by the sudden situation.
At this, the spirit’s beautiful face twitched a little.

“Why? If you contract with me, I could give you power that would astonish the world.”
“I-I don’t need it. I just want to live peacefully with sister.”
How admirable. While I was filling with joy at Puel’s words, in contrast, the spirit started to distort her face as if a bit angry.

“…To think you’d be this foolish. There’s no choice. I’ll have to force the contract.”
It seems she didn’t want to miss this opportunity, as the water spirit tried to forcibly contract with Puel.
“Wait.”
I blocked her path and spoke.

“Get out of the way, insignificant human. This is not a place for the likes of you to interfere.”
“I’m sorry, but minors can’t make contracts freely without their guardian’s consent.”
This is why high-level spirits are problematic. I haven’t met them many times, but all the high-level spirits I’ve met so far were nothing but arrogant beings.

I was hoping this one might be different, so I waited and watched, but….
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. This is the final warning. Step aside.”
I returned the same final ultimatum that the water spirit gave me.
“This is my final warning too. Get lost.”