When I returned Nina-chan to her room, I went back to my own, only to find that my father wasn't there.
Inside, my mother was preparing by taking clothes out of her luggage for the bath, and meanwhile, Hina sat on the bed, watching TV. I glanced at the screen and saw a talk show covering the recent "mass unconsciousness incident at a Tokyo elementary school."
The topic wasn't exactly pleasant, so I turned away and asked my mother, "Where did Dad go?"
"He's taking a shower," she said, nodding toward the bathroom.
Sure enough, when I listened closely, I could hear the water running from that direction.
"He should try the hot springs," I said.
"He doesn't want to; with so many other guests around, I think he'd rather not show his scars," she said with a gentle smile.
That made sense. When we'd visited the hot spring in the afternoon, it had been empty, but now it was evening, and other guests were bound to be there. It would probably cause a bit of a stir if they saw him.
As I pondered this, my mom paused while pulling clothes from her bag and asked me, "What about you, Itsuki? Do you want to go to the hot spring?"
"Yes, I do!" I replied. I had only tried the sauna earlier, so this time I wanted to enjoy the open-air bath.
And with that, I took the clothes my mother handed me, and Hina, my mother, and I headed toward the hot spring.
"Can you go in alone, Itsuki?" my mom asked.
"I can manage," I assured her.
I entered the men's bathhouse by myself, glancing around. Sure enough, it was crowded, just as my mom had expected. If Dad or Mr. Renji were here, they'd definitely stand out.
It had been a while since I'd been alone. I washed up and headed to the open-air bath.
The cold air of early winter hit me as I stepped outside, making my wet skin shiver slightly.
I took hold of the amber-colored treasure on my necklace, focusing my magic through it. Wrapping it with Silveit, I shaped the energy to create a human form.
And with a surge of magic, he appeared—Harunaga Adashino, the Sixth Rank monster.
In his ancient attire, complete with floating talismans, the tall, pale man looked down at me.
"Long time no see, Harunaga Adashino," I greeted him.
He bowed low, his tall figure folding like a puppet. It felt oddly ceremonial.
"...What are you doing?"
'To think that I would taste life once more, this is beyond dreams. I offer my deepest gratitude for this opportunity,' he said, his voice reverent.
Why did they all react this way when summoned?
"Do you know of any magic to heal the human heart?" I asked directly.
Adashino's face twisted into a sinister grin.
'Master, that would be black magic. Forbidden arts.'
"...But that means it's possible?" I asked, a bit taken aback.
'Oh, indeed,' he said, with a creepy chuckle. 'One could, for instance, melt the spirit down, reshaping it anew. Then it would become a puppet, obedient and docile.'
"Were you even listening to what I asked?"
Maybe I should just return him to his treasure form. Sensing my irritation, Adashino raised a hand as if to say, "Hear me out," before continuing.
'Of course, there are also ways that might align better with your intentions. You are in Mino, after all, yes? You could try a method involving "Peaches of the Immortal Realm." The peaches there have potent restorative properties for the spirit.'