251 - - Episode 249 Recall of Marco and Gina

"Today's dinner was delicious!"

"Yes!　I enjoyed the feast!

Yes, today was extravagant because we celebrated the sanctification of this place. But if there is another celebration, I'm sure the master will provide us with many more treats like he did today.

"Yay! And Kikka, I love Purinto, Aisto, and Creep.

Kikka seems to recall the sumptuous meal at my words, and she makes a happy noise. When Sara tells Kikka that she will have another chance to eat, Kikka is overjoyed and then smiles happily as if she remembers the dessert that her master prepared for her.

Kikka has been laughing a lot since she became an apprentice of her master. Compared to the time when I was determined to protect Kikka, I am no longer anxious and everyday is fun.

"I'm glad that I became a disciple of the master.

Lying on the bed, I call out to Kikka and Sara, who are supposed to be in the same room, but they don't answer. I checked the beds on both sides of the room and found that Kikka and Sara had already fallen asleep.

"When did the light bulb go out?

Somehow, both Kikka and Sara had fallen asleep while they were thinking about what had happened since they became apprentices of their master.

As I stroke Uri, who is breathing softly on his stomach, I realize once again that this place is very special. Until now, I could only feel the presence of Uri. When Uri appeared in front of me, I was surprised, but at the same time I felt as if I had finally met someone special.

I heard that as a result of the master's efforts to collect staffs and build an altar, the spirit kings appeared in this place and this place became an amazing place called the sanctuary. I didn't really understand the explanation, but I was told that the Spirit Kings would protect this place.

If the Spirit Kings are protecting this place like Master picked us up and protected us, it must be very reassuring.

It reminds me of the first time I met my master, even though it wasn't that long ago. ......

Me and Kikka were living on the edge in the slums. If it weren't for Sarah, Gina, Torque, Martha, and the old man at the stall, we would have either done something bad or starved to death along with Kikka.

I had help from everyone around me, but I still had a hard time living ......, but I didn't want to do anything bad, but I wanted to protect Kikka. I didn't even know what to do, and I was living every day with nothing but anxiety, when all of a sudden my master appeared.

I told him to stay away from my house and asked him what he wanted to do. When I asked him about the details, he said that he was going to make me his apprentice and spread the word about how great a spiritualist he was, because he didn't like spiritualists and he felt bad about it.

It stunk just to hear him talk about it, but the words that he would feed me full of food every day were so tempting that I didn't know what to do.

However, I knew that there were dangerous adults who kidnapped children from the slums and sold them somewhere. I couldn't just listen to their words and be sold along with Kikka.

I asked my master if I could trust him, and he put money and treasures in front of me and then showed me how to fly.

I did not know the value of the money, but I did not think that a man who could fly with that much money would kidnap a child and sell him off, so I trusted him a little.

I told him that Kikka was there, but he already knew, and the master said he would take care of us all together. I knew that I would have a hard time staying in the slum, so I made a bold decision to go with him.

I still remember how relieved I was when my sister Sarah, who had treated me well in the slum, decided to go with me.

But now I think about it, there was a possibility that they would use me for something more scary than kidnapping. I didn't think about it at the time, but I wonder what would have happened to us if we didn't think about it and didn't go with him.

I might still be living on the edge in the slums, or I might still be involved in evil. Maybe someone kind would have picked me up and I would have lived like a normal child. But now I'm happier than ever to live like a normal child.

I did have many scary and unpleasant experiences, such as when I joined the Adventurers' Guild, I was looked at with dislike, my master was called a swindler, I was tangled with adventurers, I was taken to the land of death, I was made to fight undead, I was taken to a labyrinth...and so on.

But our master kept his promise and fed us full of delicious food every day. He made us a contract with a spirit and gave us a partner named Uri. I was able to beat trolls and giant toads that other adventurers had a hard time with.

Kikka has a new partner named Mame-chan, and she smiles a lot. Sara, who always seemed to have a hard time when she was in the slum, now happily tells us that she has learned how to cook new dishes.

In the meantime, my sister Gina became my master's apprentice. We had been indebted to her since we were in the slum, and we were very happy that she was with us all the time.

Even I, who did not have the knowledge, could understand that we were unusually blessed. Master sometimes says that since he is using us, we should use him, but I sometimes feel uneasy because I don't know if we are even useful for him.

When I talk to my sister Gina, she tells me that it's okay because every time we are active in the labyrinth, we are accomplishing the master's purpose.

I heard that the master was so happy when we made a big deal of selling Giant Deer to the Adventurers' Guild. What kind of dance is a "little leap"?　I'm getting sleepy. I'll do my best again tomorrow.

**

"Whew, dinner was really good tonight. I guess it's no surprise that Toruku-san's cooking skills are used by assault dragons and wyverns, but good food is good food, isn't it?"

"Wahoo!"

"Oh, you think so too, Sheba?　The master spread these dishes, and even royalty and aristocrats don't get to eat many of them."

I went back to my room and talked to myself. I had seen Shiva in pictures before, but now that this place had become a sanctuary, she was many times prettier than in the pictures.

When she looked at me with her beautiful eyes while wagging her tail, I couldn't resist hugging her and stroking her around.　

My master used to do the same thing by himself, and I finally understood how he felt. I knew he was stroking the spirits, but from our point of view, it looked like he was just doing strange movements by himself, so I thought he should just put up with it, but when he was this cute, I couldn't resist.

When the master's contracted spirits materialized, the lower level spirits were all so cute that I wanted to hug them too. And the great spirits contracted with the master were not so bad either.

The women in particular were extraordinary. Lady Sylphy, Lady Dine, Lady Dolly, and Lady If were all different types of incredibly beautiful women, and I was almost drawn in just by looking at them. The master was talking casually, but how could he keep his composure in front of such beautiful women? Even I, a woman, am in trouble. .......

If it weren't for Nomos-sama and Vita-sama, I might have misunderstood that the master is building a spirit harem.

In case you are wondering, the spirit kings don't get a good look at them. I know that there were dragons, incredibly beautiful women, incredibly beautiful men, jade rabbits, humanoid golems, and firebirds, but I can't help but feel a bit nervous at the mere mention of the king.　

"Wah!"

"Hmm?　Oh, you're holding up."

I was thinking and my hand stopped stroking Sheba. Is Sheba finished?　He looks at me with dull eyes. ...... Of course it can't be over. Let's think about it later and play with the materialized Shiva to our heart's content.

"............ too much?"

I have stroked Shiva's happy points, and as a result, Shiva is lying limp with her stomach exposed in front of me.

"Sheba, are you okay?"

Sheba sticks out her tongue, huffing and puffing, and her eyes are wide. ...... is no good. Let's put her to bed. I take Sheba in my arms and get into bed with her.

It's earlier than usual, so I'm not sleepy yet. I wish Master could have joined us for the banquet, but I don't want to drink with the ...... spirit kings. I thank the master for telling me to go back to my room.

But the sanctuary or ...... I don't know, it's a pretty amazing place, isn't it?　I felt cheated when I was brought to the land of the dead, but it is surprisingly comfortable and I can go to the labyrinth city frequently.

Every day I can eat delicious food and try new cuisines I never knew existed. Besides, I can learn cooking from Mr. Toruku through his introduction, so I'm glad I became his apprentice.

However, the training as a spiritualist is not at all what I expected. I'm sure I'm getting stronger and I've fought with undead and monsters of the labyrinth. I got some advice on formations and fighting styles, but basically it's all about getting along with the spirits.

There were no difficult spells to learn, no special training at all. When I asked my master about this question, he explained that the hardest thing was to make a contract with a proper spirit.

To make a contract with a lower level spirit, you need B-rank magic power, and most of the people make a contract with a floating spirit. It is said that there are many floating spirits that have little consciousness or only the consciousness of animals.

Shiba, with whom I have a contract, and Fukuchan, with whom Sara and her friends have a contract, told me that Master Sylphy took the trouble to bring us floating spirits with a clear consciousness for us.

The first contract is the biggest obstacle to become a spiritualist, isn't it? This explanation made me understand a little more why people don't like spiritists. If they understand our instructions with animal instincts, we will have problems.

I guess I was lucky to be an apprentice of a master just like Sara and the others. Thank you Sara and the others.