FSW Chapter 25

A ripple spread across the still surface of the lake. What poked its head above the water was a spirit! ...Or rather, a sea otter.

'...A sea otter?'

Question marks filled her gaze as she stared down blankly. She'd called for a spirit, and a sea otter appeared instead...

The otter stared up at her from where it floated slightly below ground level. Quite intently, in fact.

Could those round little eyes possibly be—

Nishina suddenly recalled a passage from the book.

Spirits have no fixed form, so they sometimes appear in the shape of animals familiar to their element.

"Excuse me, are you perhaps... a spirit?"

—Am I not disliked anymore? Can I talk to you now?

When she called out cautiously, the otter whimpered back a question. Tears welled in its pitch-black eyes, and her heart sank. Nishina dropped to her knees in a flash and apologized frantically.

"I don't dislike you! Last time, circumstances forced me to pretend I didn't see you—it wasn't because I disliked you!"

—...Really?

"Yes! Really! I'm sorry I hurt you."

When Nishina clasped her hands together and apologized sincerely, the hesitant otter soon wriggled up onto land. Then it placed its tiny hand—no, front paw—pat on Nishina's knee and tapped consolingly.

—Sincere! So it's okay!

The weightless patting made Nishina feel even more uncomfortable. Words alone weren't enough of an apology. She needed to show it through action. And that action was, naturally, a gift. Having made countless apologies accompanied by gifts, Nishina thought of it automatically.

However, she'd rushed here without preparing anything. Nishina searched her pockets desperately. All she had was the cookie for Lavis she kept on hand just in case.

'A spirit probably doesn't eat cookies...'

After agonizing for a while, Nishina untied the ribbon binding her hair tightly. It was a ribbon made of high-quality velvet fabric.

"I came in such a hurry today that this is all I have, but will you accept it as an apology gift?"

—A gift? For me?

The otter gazed at Nishina with sparkling eyes—or more precisely, at the ribbon string in Nishina's hand. It seemed quite pleased with it. Nishina smiled warmly and tied the ribbon around the otter's neck area.

The red ribbon suited it wonderfully, but... there was one thing she'd overlooked: even if it appeared as an otter, her companion was a water spirit. The velvet fabric soaked with water drooped pathetically.

—Pffft! What kind of look is that!

The giggling voice came from above her head. Someone descended as lightly as a falling leaf—it was the green spirit who'd been with the water spirit before. Still wearing its leaf hat, it landed on the ground with a confident posture.

Walking up to the otter with a swaggering gait, it proceeded to mock its companion mercilessly. It seemed to have made a personal appearance just to tease the otter.

—Did you tie that on to be funny?

At the leaf spirit's mischievous question, the otter's whiskers drooped along with the ribbon.

'No, why are you crushing our baby's spirits! Even that look is still adorable, though!'

Nishina screamed internally and hurriedly untied the waterlogged ribbon. Then she stroked the small head with her fingers to console the otter.

"This suited you wonderfully too, but next time I'll bring you a waterproof one."

—Okay!

Fortunately, the otter's mood improved quickly as it rubbed its face all over Nishina's palm.

'Wait. This is too harmful to my health.'

She barely managed to keep her face from melting into mush.

She wanted to bask in the spirits' cuteness just like this, but there were a few things she needed to ask first.

"By the way, that form..."

—Humans like this kind of appearance, so I graciously advised it.

The green spirit shrugged proudly. Its words weren't wrong. Anyone with two properly placed eyes couldn't possibly dislike that form. However, Nishina would have loved the spirit even if it hadn't taken an otter shape. Even if it had appeared as a crocodile, she would have been delighted just by the fact that it came to see her again.

Besides, it would be troublesome if they misunderstood that her attitude changed because their appearance changed. Before the problem could escalate, Nishina called out quickly.

"I like you in any form!"

Really? Then I can stay like this?

The otter's form turned transparent, then soon changed into the familiar fairy shape. It was the same appearance she'd first encountered at the lake. The spirit flew into the air, fluttering transparent wings made of water. Its sparkling movements reflected in the light were as beautiful as a butterfly's.

—I couldn't fly earlier, so it was a bit inconvenient.

After circling around Nishina as a demonstration, it soon settled on her palm. Unlike its energetic movements, the spirit's expression after finishing its flight was dark.

After hesitating for a while, wondering what it was thinking, the spirit asked in a small voice.

—But you don't dislike this form, right?

"Not at all! You're this adorable!"

The unavoidable rejection had stung.

Nishina launched into a detailed explanation of how cute and precious the spirit was. When she finally told it that she'd be delighted even if it appeared as a crocodile or sea cucumber, the wilting spirit giggled delightedly.

—Sea cucumbers are in the ocean. Dummy.

The leaf spirit looked up at her with somehow pitying eyes. Nishina knew perfectly well that the 'sea' in sea cucumber meant ocean. It felt a bit unfair, but if she tried to make excuses, it would obviously snort dismissively.

Instead of making excuses, Nishina extended her empty right hand. The green spirit looked back and forth between the hand before it and the water spirit sitting on her left hand, then climbed grumpily onto her right hand. With the leaf spirit on her right hand and the water spirit on her left, she lifted both to chest level.

Now they were at eye level. Only after meeting eyes at an equal position did she offer belated introductions.

"My name is Nishina. You can call me Shina."

—Shina!

The water spirit tried out the two syllables, then danced hop-hop on her hand excitedly. Ah! Shina! It repeated the name as if determined never to forget it.

The name ringing in that clear voice sounded quite pleasant. After listening quietly, Nishina only spoke once the spirit's voice subsided.

"What should I call you two?"

According to what she'd read in the book, spirits don't have names. But she couldn't very well call the spirit 'spirit.' That would be like calling her 'human.'

At Nishina's question, the spirit's head tilted. At such an angle that she worried it might topple sideways.

—Name? Don't have one!

—We let humans name us as they please. We simply exist, and it's only humans who give meaning and names to that existence.

The leaf spirit, now perched on her fingertip somehow, spoke cynically. Its manner and appearance were serious, so why did she feel like laughing? But if she smiled openly, she wouldn't escape being snapped at. Nishina suppressed her laughter and spoke.

"Then would it be better not to give you names?"

—No! Give me a name! I—I want to become special to you!

—Hmph, I don't need one.

It was a reason that shot straight through her heart. Unlike the leaf spirit that turned its head away haughtily, the water spirit's eyes sparkled brightly. Expectations overflowed from them. Feeling the weight of responsibility, she pondered seriously. She wanted to give it a wonderful name, but truthfully only one thing came to mind.

"Since I met you on a spring day, would it be alright to call you 'Wier'?"

—Wier?

Wier meant spring in the ancient language. Seeming to like the pronunciation, it muttered it several times before nodding vigorously.

—I like it!

—Just call me Saelik.

Just as water spirits are commonly called undines, it seemed 'Saelik' was the common name for willow spirits.

Wier and Saelik. They had a nice ring to them. Like the weather on the spring day when she met them both.

—So then, are you two contracting?

—Ah! Should we contract?

When Saelik asked indifferently, Wier tilted its head.

A contract. She'd made up her mind to develop her abilities and had rushed here with the single thought of meeting spirits, but she'd never thought about what came after. Certainly, a contract was indispensable to use her abilities freely. But...

After pondering, Nishina asked in a sunken voice.

"Um, if a contract is made, can other spirit users tell?"

—Anyone higher-ranked than you would notice. Spirit users of the same element resonate with each other. If they're similar to you or lower-ranked, they'd probably just feel a sense of familiarity.

Water spirit users with intermediate level or higher who possessed the power of 'regeneration' were rare talents, most dispatched to the large healing centers operated by the imperial family. She wouldn't easily encounter them within the palace, so avoiding their eyes wouldn't be difficult. However, Hugh had returned from leave recently.

If he was an advanced spirit user, he'd notice the moment they met. Moreover, hadn't she promised to visit him for a medical examination?

Unless she resolved the problem with Hugh, she really couldn't rashly make a contract right away. Sensing her troubled expression, Wier's wings lost their strength. Its saturation seemed to have somehow deepened.

'Does it become closer to pure color the more depressed it gets?'

Though it was made of water and shouldn't have color, it looked that way.

—Don't want to contract?

Nishina shook her head desperately at the visibly dejected appearance.

"It's not that I don't want to!"

—Then?

"It's just, there are circumstances, and I can't let other people find out..."

She added the detailed reasons. Wier didn't seem to understand all the complicated circumstances, but at least it seemed to understand that it wasn't because she disliked it.

—Then it can't be helped...

Regret saturated its voice. It seemed unable to hide its disappointment after all.

If they contracted, she could call Wier freely without having to visit the lake. That was probably the disappointing part.

"Um, a contract might be difficult right now, but if you're willing, would you like to be friends with me?"

—Friends?

"Yes! I'll come visit often—no, every day!"

—I want to! Let's be friends!

—Hmph, I won't.

While Wier trembled with joy even in its body, Saelik grumbled that all water spirit users were frustratingly dull, so no thanks.

Even though it huffed, it was endlessly adorable and made her smile. Was this perhaps the heart of a father who gets struck in the solar plexus by his young daughter's kick but laughs without resentment?

Somehow wearing a benevolent father's smile, Nishina spent a good while longer with her two small friends after that.