3 - Episode 1 When I get out of the supermarket...

Yuta Morizono, twenty-five years old, a working adult, I walk out of a supermarket and a wilderness spreads out before me. .................. Please help me.

How did this happen?　Since when did the automatic doors of supermarkets lead directly into the wilderness? I turn around and there's no automatic door where it should be. I take out my phone and tablet from my bag and check the signal, but both of them are out of range.

It's the long-awaited Golden Week. I was able to successfully get paid vacations and got eleven consecutive holidays. I headed to the supermarket to buy a large amount of food in order to digest the manga, rano-books, and games that I had piled up in my house.

A lot of instant foods. Retort foods. Frozen foods. Canned food. Cases of premium beer. My favorite whiskey and sake. Red and white wine. Shochu. All kinds of snacks. We bought a lot of snacks. We were so excited.

I couldn't carry it all by myself, so I loaded up my cart and headed for the parking lot ......, but somehow I ended up in the wilderness. The cart is right in front of me. I wonder how long frozen food lasts?　The harsh sun is beating down on the cart.

I don't know why, but I can't stand still. Let's look for someone. Reddish brown earth all around. In the distance, I see a tower-like rocky hill. It looks like the Monument Valley I saw on TV.

I'm stuck. ...... I thought I was looking at something high, but it seems I am on top of a rocky hill. I tried to go around but there is no place to get off. I am an indoor person. I've never been rock climbing.

Is this America?　There are no roads around. Cars aren't likely to drive through. Maybe we should make up some SOS letters.

I look around, but there's nothing but rocks. ...... It wouldn't stand out if we made SOS out of rocks of the same color. Maybe we could use the food from the cart?　If they were arranged individually, they would stand out, but if they were placed individually on the ground, the frozen food would melt rapidly.

For the time being, we should put the frozen foods together and make SOS letters with other foods and beverages. Direct sunlight on whiskey, sake or wine ...... would make me cry.

But they are glass, so we can expect some light reflection. I can't drink all of them in this situation. I bought three bottles of each kind. ...... I hope help is on the way. Please, please find me before the booze goes bad. You head for the cart to put the food in order with determination.　

...... sun hit your brain?　I see a little girl on the cart. She is peering curiously into a plastic bag.

She is about two years old?　She's cute, dressed like a leaf. He was not supposed to be there earlier, but ...... he was in the wilderness without knowing it, and he got a little girl without knowing it. I feel like I'm going to be ...... socially obliterated.

I don't have a taste for Lolita, would you believe it?　If we were in America, we would be in danger of being shot. I wonder intensely if things have gotten better or worse.

"Oh, sweetie. Why are you here?　Where are your parents?　I'd like you to help me if you can."

When I spoke to him, he looked at me with a strange expression on his face. Did I scare you?　Please don't cry if you can help it. I don't have the skills to soothe a child.

The little girl looks at me curiously, tilts her head cocked and points to herself. Cute.

"Yes. It's you. Where's your mother or father?"

I ask as gently as possible so as not to startle him again. For some reason, the little girl floats up and moves softly from side to side.

I look at her fluffy, crinkly, shiny emerald green hair. I thought it might be possible, but if she flies away, I'm screwed.

It's been three years since I started working. Sure, I have my geek interests, but I thought I'd locked away my young mind from creating black history. But seeing a young girl with emerald green hair flying in the sky, I can't help but wonder if I'm going to be transported to another world.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I'm a little excited. I move my face along with the fluffy young girl. I hope she is not a dangerous creature.

"Do you see it?"

The little girl asks me again, tilting her head cockily.

"I can see you."

I can see you perfectly. Are they usually invisible?

"Can you hear my voice?"

"Yes. You can hear me.

"Wow, that's great!"

Suddenly, the little girl's tension rises and she is spinning around in the air and wiggling her arms and legs. What happened?

"Um, calm down a bit. Is it unusual for me to see you?"

"Yes. It's amazing to be able to see the world!"

...... Seirei are spirits?　Well, it's a fantasy world for sure. So, if it's so great that you can see it, does that mean you've been given a cheat?

What a cutie. I can't help but pet her head. It's so fluffy.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh. I can touch it. I can touch it. I can touch it so good. It's amazing."

Oh-huh. Excitement is at an all-time high. Can't you spin around so much in the air that you can't see?　I'm going to have to ask you to calm down for now.

"Well, you're a genie, aren't you? What's your name?"

"Name?　My name is ...... and my name is secret. You can't tell me easily."

He's looking at me with a "that was close" expression on his face. I'm not trying to trick you.

"Oh, so it's a secret. I'm sorry I asked. Can you tell me where we are?"

"This is...Shino Daichi."

He told me with a two-pound laugh. It's cute, but the name he gave me sounded a little scary. Could it be the land of the dead?　That's not very fancy.

"Oh, yeah. Is there anywhere nearby that's inhabited?"

"People?　I don't know!"

I don't know ...... . You don't know because you're a kid?

"Let's see. I need to get down from here. Can you help me?"

"??　You want to get off?　How?"

I can't. We're not having a conversation. I feel like I'm in a lot of trouble. We've got to do something.

"Hey, do you know any spirits that might know people and come here?　If you know, I'd be happy to bring you here."

I know. I'm off.

"Oh, wait a minute. ......"

The little girl flew away with a "squeal. It's so fast, I'm not sure if she'll come back with ...... me. I wonder if the little girl is in control of my life right now.　The more I think about it, the more worried I get.

Let's stop thinking and get our stuff in order. Put cold things together with cold things, and put them under the cart as far as possible out of the sun.

It's still cold and hard, so it's okay, but it's going to go bad soon. I'll make a shade with cardboard cases of instant food and beer just in case. The retort pouch is okay, but what should I do with the frozen food?

As I was rummaging around in my cart, I heard a "cackle" from behind me. I turned around to see a beautiful woman standing there, holding a young genie in her arms. You're back here so soon.

She has the same emerald green hair, so is she a mother?　But the little girl's hair is fluffy, while the mother's is silky and straight, so there is a possibility that they are different. I wonder if genies give birth to children in the first place.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Yuta Morizono. I apologize for calling you.

"Hmm, that's fine. But you really can see us."

But you're beautiful. No, not a person, but a spirit. Her skin is translucent white. Silky hair. She looks like a foreign supermodel. She's beautiful and cool.

Yes. Is it unusual for you to be able to see her?　I don't really know what's going on, because it looks so normal.

"Yes, it is. That's very unusual. Even those of us who have an affinity for spirits can only vaguely sense them, and even hearing their voices is rare. Are you really human if you can see and touch them?

Oh, cheat?　I might be able to blueeeeee. I feel a tingle in my sealed middle-school heart.

"It's so rare. I think I'm human because I don't remember ever being human. What kind of things can you do if you can see spirits?"

I'm excited. It should be straight thinking to figure out how to return as a member of society. ...... father. Mom. Brother. Sister. I'm sorry.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It will be easier to make a contract with the spirits since you can see them and talk to them. Few people can make a contract with spirits, so I think it will be a big advantage.

"Oh, that sounds great. I don't mean to be rude, but if I ask you to sign a contract with me, is it possible?"

I would be so happy if I could make a contract with such a beautiful spirit.

"No, I can't."

"No? I'm sorry."

I'm pretty shocked.

"It's not that I can't. A contract with you would be interesting, but you simply don't have enough magic power. You don't have enough magic power to make a contract with this girl, let alone me."

The spirit of the elder sister smiles while patting the head of the little girl. Is my magic not strong enough?

"If my magic power increases, will you make a contract with me?　No, how can magic power be increased in the first place?"

You have magic before that. Maybe it's a world of swords and sorcery.

"As your level goes up, so does your magic. I'll sign you up for a contract with minimum magic power. Oh, I didn't tell you my name. I'm Sylphie, the Great Spirit of Wind. Nice to meet you.

There are levels. It's a complete fantasy world. What's the minimum magic power?　And a great spirit sounds amazing.

"Huh?　I was told by the girl that I shouldn't tell the genie's name so easily.

"Oh, young lower class spirits like these children don't have external names. My Sylphy has an external name too. If you make a contract with her, you must give her a name.

"A name? I'll do my best to think of one when I get a chance, but it's difficult."

A young genie stares at me with sparkling eyes. You want a name?　I'm not so sure, naming things is so hard. No, I need you to tell me how to get out of this place. I don't want you to leave me here in the land of the dead.