Ch. 56
“What are you talking about!”
[You’ve been in a bad mood ever since the Ice Spirit refused your contract. You’re taking it out on me, aren’t you?]
“I am not! I mean, sure, I’m petty and hot-tempered enough to get mad over something like that, but I wouldn’t take it out on you!”
Tch.
Now that I said it out loud, it’s kind of true.
Clicking my tongue, I sank back into the water and leaned against the edge of the tub.
[Quick to admit things—that’s one of your good points, Master.]
Rai’s spot-on remark made me grit my teeth. That guy might seem oblivious, but he actually knew me pretty well.
Well, we’ve been stuck together long enough.
“You’re annoying.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but the rejection from the Ice Spirit hit harder than I expected.
I’d been in a foul mood ever since—constantly irritated and just plain unpleasant.
Up until now, spirits had always done what I told them to do. They existed to follow me. That was normal.
But now I’d met one that didn’t. And it crushed my pride.
That’s what pissed me off so much—I just didn’t want to admit it.
Feeling like running away, I dunked my head completely underwater.
I held my breath until the very limit, only surfacing when Undine began hovering in front of me with a worried expression.
“Pwah!”
[If it bothers you that much, why don’t you try calling it again? The spirit stone is intact.]
“……Not right now.”
If I got rejected again, I felt like my pride would never recover.
I’d never thought of myself as particularly prideful, but that was only because I’d never been in a situation where my pride could get hurt.
I was born a noble, hailed as a genius, and grew up in luxury and peace.
Everyone around me pampered me.
Everything had always gone my way.
I did nearly everything I wanted, and I happened to be talented in this field too, so I never really had a reason to feel humiliated.
[There’s no need to be so disheartened. In the end, it’s just a matter of time. Once you’re grown, and once Master puts in the proper effort…… that spirit will no doubt end up kneeling beneath your feet.]
Listening to Rai’s words—which may or may not have been comforting—I slid back underwater.
Logically, I knew. I’d just had it too easy up until now.
Even Rai and Ador had practically walked right up to me.
I’d been lucky.
The only one I could say I truly contracted with through my own strength was Undine.
Maybe that’s why I liked her the most.
“Rai.”
[Yes, Master?]
Slowly raising my face above the water, I narrowed my eyes and looked at Rai.
“Be honest. You would’ve been fine with anyone, right?”
[What do you mean?]
“I mean, if someone else had summoned you when you were bored, you would’ve made a contract with them just the same.”
[That’s a terrible thing to say! What an outrageous thought.]
“Try getting rejected for once. All kinds of weird, awful thoughts pop into your head.”
[I believe I’ve mentioned this before. We wait endlessly.]
“…….”
[For our master. And not just anyone can be that master.]
I didn’t lower my suspicious gaze.
“Then what’s with being summoned and rejecting someone?”
[It means the wavelengths matched enough to summon us, but something’s still lacking to accept them as our master. Whether or not we accept an imperfect candidate as our master is up to us.]
“Hm?”
[We have to decide whether to accept someone despite their flaws or wait until they become more complete. That’s the issue. Because a master’s shortcomings can end up destroying us. Meeting an unfit master is dangerous for us.]
“You and Ador didn’t seem to care about that, though.”
Both of them contracted with a little kid without hesitation.
[Let’s just call it a difference in personality. Every spirit has different standards when it comes to choosing a master.]
“……True. Neither of you seem especially thoughtful.”
[How can you say that! We simply followed fate. We just knew. If it’s Master, then surely……]
Surely?
[Wait! This unsettling aura……!]
“Huh? Where are you going? Rai!”
[Iruze is coming! Don’t look for me, Master!]
Rai, who looked like he was about to shiver out of his body, bolted before I could grab him.
He moved so fast that I could see a faint white streak trailing behind him.
“Finish what you were saying! Hey! I said—!”
I shouted, but Rai was already gone. No reply. He’s gotten a lot faster lately.
“That guy’s been acting totally rebellious lately.”
Just up and leaving when his master’s talking. Grumbling, I stood up from the tub.
Ever since Rai suddenly turned white, Iruze had become convinced he was a diamond python.
Driven by curiosity, she began tormenting Rai in every way she could think of.
One day she claimed she was peeling off his scales. Another day she tried to extract poison and attempted to pull out his fangs. I heard he was held captive for hours at one point.
Rai wanted to kill Iruze so badly that if I ever gave him permission, he wouldn’t hesitate.
But I was never going to give that permission. She was my friend. So whenever she caught him, Rai had no choice but to suffer.
And at some point, whenever Rai wasn’t around, Iruze would appear.
Just like now.
“Geenie!”
A young voice called from beyond the door, followed by a knock-knock-knock.
“Just a minute!”
I happened to be nearly done bathing, so I got out of the tub and looked toward Undine.
One of the reasons I loved baths was because of Undine’s skill.
“Undine, dry me off.”
It was almost laughably simple to call it a “skill,” though.
With just a wave of her hand, Undine pulled all the water from my body.
In an instant, I was perfectly dry.
Towels? Totally unnecessary.
Not having to dry my hair after a bath was incredible. Just standing still and feeling your body dry—that kind of comfort was something only a Water Spirit Mage could know.
It was in these little moments that I thought becoming a Spirit Mage was the right choice.
“Geenie?”
“I’m coming!”
At Iruze’s urging, I quickly threw on the pajamas I’d tossed on the bed.
They were long shirt-style pajamas made of soft linen—one of the standard-issue items from the Academy.
Maybe it was a Royal Academy thing, but the clothes they provided were usually top-quality.
I walked over to the door. It was past dinnertime, so she probably wasn’t here to suggest we eat. Maybe she wanted to play a board game.
I was still in my pajamas, but since I knew who was on the other side, I didn’t really care and opened the door without caution.
“Iruze? What is it—”
“Gasp.”
Why is Bright here? And his shadow of a best friend too.
I opened the door, smiled a bit at the sight of Iruze, but then my face froze when I spotted the two tall figures standing behind her.
“What’s going on?”
“Uh… Hi! Geenie, would you… like to go see the dawn market with us…?”
“The dawn market? All four of us?”
“I mean, I’d rather it was just the two of us… but you said we should start as friends first… so…”
A group ambush, huh.
Bright looked really nervous—his face was bright red like it might explode.
Was he really that into me?
“More importantly, senior, I think your nose is bleeding.”
“What?”
“Bright!”
“Sorry! I guess I got too nervous.”
Don’t tell me he got a nosebleed just because I’m in my pajamas.
Getting a nosebleed over a ten-year-old in sleepwear… that’d be a serious mental issue.
Isn’t that what they call a loli…?
Of course, in this world, a ten- and sixteen-year-old age gap isn’t just dating material—it’s marriageable.
“Bright, here’s a handkerchief.”
Bright always had a shadow trailing him—a straight-laced honor student with blue hair and glasses who looked the very definition of studious.
He had the refined air of an intellectual pretty boy. Judging by his uniform, he was probably in the same year as Bright, but for some reason, he always spoke very politely.
“Thanks, Jaimam.”
Huh? Jaimam? Wasn’t that the alchemy club senior who roomed with Iruze?
I remember hearing that name a lot.
Wait a second. That means a male senior is sharing a room with a female junior? I was suddenly very confused.
I tilted my head, and Iruze beamed and said,
“Geenie. Jaimam-sunbae is a girl.”
“Oh, I see! A girl… huh?”
With her neat bob cut and androgynous looks, I had completely assumed she was a guy.
Just as I was nodding along to Iruze’s explanation, something felt off.
How did she know what I was thinking?
Was it that obvious on my face? Or did Iruze learn telepathy or something?
“I didn’t learn telepathy, Geenie. Hehe.”
“……Really?”
“I’m just pretty good at reading people, that’s all.”
That’s… not something you can chalk up to just being observant.
“Let’s go out too, Geenie! Everyone’s gone out!”
“Eh, I don’t know. I’m not feeling great—probably from motion sickness.”
“Ehh? But it’s a festival! The Winkan Festival, no less! It’s the biggest one on the continent! You’d be missing out if you don’t enjoy it!”
“I know that.”
That’s exactly why I don’t like it.
Never mind the hassle it took to get here—what really bothered me was the noise and the crowds. I couldn’t stand either.
“Come on, let’s go. Please?”
