Year 999 of the Holy Era. Late fall.
At the village of the spirit folk, just before the sun was to set…
In a room at the residence of the werefox Ursula, who was one of the three head elders of the village, Latifa finished writing her diary and put her quill down with a satisfied nod.
This is good enough for the first day, I think.
She picked up the journal she had just written in and stared at it intently. “…This really is too embarrassing to show anyone else. I wrote about so much… I’ll have to put it away so that no one else can find it,” she murmured as she stood up, then glanced around the room.
“All right… there.” After fitting her diary into the corner of the bookshelf, she beamed with an innocent smile.
◇◇◇
Meanwhile, at the same time, Rio was flying through the skies above the great forest, where the spirit folk lived.
Many layers of wide-range sorcery force field stretched around the village, but the most powerful barrier among them was composed of anti-detection sorcery that could only be infiltrated with a certain level of spirit arts training.
The anti-detection effect was considerably weaker against intruders approaching from the air, but the villagers were informed from the moment they entered the barrier’s range. Even Rio, who was flying closer through the sky, would probably be detected soon.
At last, Rio thought sentimentally as he looked upon the giant tree of Dryas, towering near the village.
Roughly two weeks had passed since Rio had departed from the Yagumo region; even though he could fly with spirit arts, it had been a long journey.
As Rio immersed himself deep in thought, a tingling sensation ran through his entire body. He had entered the barrier, meaning the village would undoubtedly be able to sense his presence as an outsider. With the village right before his eyes, it was only a matter of time before someone came flying out at him.
Rio halted in his flight and remained airborne.
I wonder if everyone’s doing well. Especially Latifa… He smiled at the nostalgic memories that surfaced.
He hadn’t seen her for nearly two years. Maybe she’ll be mad at me, he wondered to himself.
After several minutes of waiting, Rio spotted a group of people flying toward him from the direction of the village.
“That’s… Orphia’s Ariel.”
He enhanced his vision with spirit arts and strained his eyes to see. Ariel was the middle class spirit the high elf girl Orphia was contracted to. Several figures were riding on the back of the beautiful, giant bird that looked similar to an eagle, and there were more figures flying alongside it by themselves.
The group seemed to have locked onto Rio’s figure, as they were making their way straight toward him. Their figures gradually grew larger and clearer in Rio’s vision, until eventually —
“Onii-chan!”
A familiar voice could be heard — the voice of an innocent and adorable girl. The owner of said voice was waving enthusiastically at Rio. Despite the group being fully-armed, there was no trace of hostility in the air, so Rio was all smiles as he returned the enthusiastic wave.
Immediately after, Ariel accelerated dramatically and closed in on Rio ahead of the others. In no time at all, Ariel had closed the distance between them, before continuing to soar higher right in front of Rio. Rio followed the sight with his eyes, then caught sight of a single girl jumping down from Ariel’s back. Rio rose nearly reflexively and caught the girl with a hug.
“Oops…”
“Welcome home, Onii-chan!” The werefox girl — Latifa — shouted as she fit snugly into Rio’s arms.
“I’m home. Jumping down like that is dangerous, you know?” Rio warned her with a wry smile.
“It’s fine, because I knew Onii-chan would be sure to catch me,” Latifa said with a carefree smile.
Rio couldn’t help but soften his expression. Unable to conjure up any additional words of warning for her, he gently petted her head.
“Ehehe.” Latifa grinned bashfully and rubbed her head against Rio’s chest. “You’ve grown bigger, Latifa.”
“Yup. Of course I have — I’m nearly thirteen years old now!”
“I see. I’m glad you’re doing well… and to see everyone else is still the same, too. It’s been a while… I’m home,” Rio said with a happy smile and turned to the other faces hovering in the air.
The silver werewolf Sara and dwarf Alma were seated on Ariel’s back as Orphia floated in the air beside them. Uzuma, the winged werebeast who served the village as a warrior, was also nearby.
“Long time no see, Lord Rio. I am most relieved to see you are well, and to see that you have bulked up a fair bit, too. Perhaps you are even stronger now?” Uzuma said cheerfully.
“He really has. Rio, you look a lot more mature now. And very cool!” Orphia nodded in agreement.
“Thank you very much, both of you. I’m in the middle of my growth spurt,” Rio said bashfully.
“Fufufu. Rio’s so adult-like now, it seems Sara and Alma are feeling a little shy,” Orphia said with a mischievous smile, looking toward Sara and Alma. The two girls had been looking at Rio in awe when the spotlight landed on them, making them both flinch.
“I-I’m not acting shy at all!” Sara objected in a fluster.
“Sara’s the only one shy here. I was only thinking about how the air around Rio had changed a lot.” Alma turned her face away and excused herself with feigned composure.
“T-There you go again, saying things like that. It’s so obvious you’re feeling embarrassed, too!” Sara retorted without a moment’s delay.
“Sara was the one captivated by the sight of Rio.” “Waaah, Alma! Don’t say such weird things!”
Alma and Sara’s usual back and forth unfolded before the group, making Rio let out a small chuckle.
“…Hmph, why are you laughing, Rio?” Sara asked with an admonishing expression.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how it really feels like I’ve come home. The two of you have both turned into mature young women. It’s wonderful,” Rio answered as though he was holding back his amusement.
“Uh… T-Thank you very much,” Sara said with a blush on her cheeks. However —
“…I haven’t changed much, though,” Alma replied with a pout on her lips. “That’s not true. You look more mature now than before, and you’ve grown a little taller too, haven’t you?” Rio said with a smile, shaking his head. “…Well, yes, a little,” Alma nodded gently with a happy smile.
“Hmph. That must be nice, you two. Being praised by Rio like that,” Orphia muttered, envious.
“You’ve become more beautiful as well, Orphia. You seem even more calm and composed than before,” Rio said, complimenting her with a faint smile.
In fact, Sara, Orphia, and Alma were all in the middle of their growth period, so they had matured a lot since he had seen them last.
“Ehehe, thank you very much,” Orphia said with a broad, happy smile.
Just then, Latifa tugged at Rio’s coat from where she was being carried, and turned her expectant gaze up to him.
“Latifa’s also much more like a mature woman,” Rio laughed in amusement. “Yup!” Latifa replied with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
◇◇◇
After their initial greetings, Rio was led by Sara and the others as they descended into the village square. A large number of village children, who were playing there, noticed the group sink down from the skies.
“Welcome home, Rio!” Sara’s little sister, the silver werewolf Vera, came bounding over energetically.
“Hi, Vera — I’m home. I see you’re as lively as ever.”
“That’s right! And I see you’re close to Latifa, as always! Good for you, Latifa. You got to meet up with your beloved brother again!” Vera said, looking at Latifa being carried bridal-style in Rio’s arms.
“Yup! Thank you, Vera!” Latifa thanked her as she clung to Rio. She had been sticking right by his side since earlier.
“Please allow me to give Rio a hug later. I wanted to see him again, too,” Vera pleaded and waved her tail around happily.
“Sure, we can hug Onii-chan together!” Latifa nodded readily.
“Thank you for always being friends with Latifa. You’ve grown bigger, too, Arslan.” Rio said with a smile, turning to the werelion boy Arslan who had followed after Vera and stood motionless to the side.
“R-Right. Long time no see, Rio,” Arslan replied somewhat shyly. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders.
“Rio’s the one who’s gotten bigger and bulkier. You look a lot more adult-like than before.” Vera’s beautiful, silver hair fluttered in the wind as she looked up at Rio in amazement.
“Thank you. Sara and the others said the same.” Rio chuckled and looked toward Sara. Her eyes met Rio’s eyes, and she looked away in embarrassment.
“Fufufu. It seems my sister is too shy to look at a grown-up Rio,” Vera said with a complacent smile. “I-I’m just nervous!”
As Sara refuted Vera in a fluster, Rio averted his gaze with a strained smile. Sara glanced at his profile.
Ugh… It’s all because Alma said those things. He’d definitely find me strange for panicking like this, Sara thought to herself.
Indeed, she was nervous — Rio looked a lot more mature than before. He had a calm air about him when they had lived together previously, but there was still something innocent and fleeting about him back then. Now, she could feel a sharp and intimidating steadiness to him, making him seem strangely mature despite his young appearance.
His body had also become sturdier, his movements were as guarded as always, and there was no doubting the fact he had become stronger.
He must have grown mentally, too, so it was possible that his new disposition was seeping into the air around him.
With that thought, Sara came to her own conclusion. I’ll have to have Rio spar with me sometime soon. I need to show him he isn’t the only one who’s grown! she thought eagerly.
At some point, the children in the square had gathered around Rio. “Welcome back, Rio!”
“You went outside the village, right? What was it like?” “Did you grow taller, Rio?”
“Rio, souvenirs! Souvenirs!” They were all speaking at once.
“Rio won’t be able to answer anything if you guys all ask so many questions at once. Be more considerate and wait your turn. Anyway, the sun’s about to set, so it’s almost time for you guys to go home,” Sara warned the little boys and girls of the village in the tone of an older sister.
“Eeeh, but we wanna talk more!”
“Where are you guys going, Sara?”
“We wanna go with you!” The children all wailed.
Instead of asking the strict Sara, the children were shrewd enough to persistently plead at the gentle Orphia and Alma, who was unexpectedly good at caring for children.
“Geez, we’re going to see the head elders! You’ll be scolded if you keep making a fuss. Orphia and Alma, you two need to stop spoiling them so much,” Sara said strongly, reprimanding them.
“Geh, there’ll be lots of adults!” “Aww…”
“Let’s go home! Home time!”
The children finally backed down.
“Vera, Arslan, you two make sure the smaller kids make it home safely.” “Okay, got it!”
“Sure, leave it to us, Sara.”
At Sara’s order, Vera and Arslan nodded. “Shall we get going, then, Rio?”
Thus, Rio was led to the town hall where the head elders were waiting.
◇◇◇
That night, in the cafeteria of the town hall…
After Rio had greeted all of the elders and informed them of his return, the head elders held a small welcome party for him.
In attendance was Rio as the guest of honor, the three head elders — high elf Syldora, elder dwarf Dominic, and werefox Ursula — as well as Latifa and the three girls who used to live together with them: Sara, Orphia, and Alma.
“I must say, you’ve grown into quite the adult. I’ll check to see whether your equipment needs any adjustments, so pop by my place sometime tomorrow. Was there anything about the equipment that you were less than pleased about?” Dominic asked as he poured sake into his cup. “Thank you very much,” Rio thanked him brightly. “Its ease of use was of the highest quality, but if I had to pick something I was unhappy with… I’d say its high quality drew too much attention, perhaps?”
“Wahaha, that makes sense… I see, I see. That sounds about right.” Dominic laughed heartily.
“Lord Rio, I heard that you were able to fulfill the goal of your journey. If it is all right with you, would you share some stories of the Yagumo region? I’m sure the girls are interested in hearing about it, too,” Ursula said as she looked at Sara and the others.
“Sure, I wouldn’t mind,” Rio nodded agreeably, then started to recount his journey.
He told them about how he couldn’t find any clues about his parents in the first few months, how he wandered the Yagumo region endlessly, and how he walked through several hundred towns and villages until he finally met his grandmother and learned of his cousin, before beginning his life in their village.
When he told them of Yuba and Ruri’s existence, Latifa spoke up.
“So, Onii-chan had a granny and cousin…” Latifa murmured from where she sat beside Rio, listening with round eyes.
“When I told them I had an adopted sister, they said they wanted to meet you, too. But I didn’t tell them about this village, so I couldn’t bring them here to see you,” Rio told her gently.
“…I would’ve liked to see them, too, I think,” Latifa responded hesitantly.
“…Hmm. Well, if it was Lord Rio’s family, then it may be possible for a temporary stay to be permitted under certain circumstances. But the Yagumo region is far… Well, let’s set that aside for now,” Ursula said worriedly, a strange weight to her words. Syldora and Dominic also carried troubled expressions and strained smiles, while Latifa and the other girls tilted their heads in confusion. Rio reacted similarly, unable to comprehend the meaning behind Ursula’s words.
…I guess it’d be better to hide the fact mom was born as royalty. It might result in the topic of my past being dragged on forever, and it’s meant to be kept secret, anyway, Rio thought, detaching himself from the conversation to decide how much he could reveal to Ursula and the others; he didn’t want to cause the conversation to take a darker turn through a slip of the tongue.
“So, Rio, how long will you be staying here this time?” Syldora asked, changing the subject.
“At most, a few months. I’m thinking of leaving the village before winter begins, to head for the Strahl region,” Rio answered with a serious look, straightening himself.
“…Onii-chan, are you leaving again?” Latifa asked sadly, pouting with unhappiness.
“I’m sorry, Latifa. I’ll make sure to return a little earlier this time,” Rio apologized with a strained smile.
Latifa grabbed onto Rio’s sleeve unhappily and looked up at him. “…You promise?” she asked.
“Yeah, I promise.” Rio nodded his head firmly. The others watched their exchange with pleasant smiles on their faces.
“Lord Rio, was there anything you ran out of during your journey? We shall make preparations for you before you leave on your next trip, so do not hesitate to inform us,” Ursula suggested brightly.
“Thank you very much. I still have plenty of stock with me, but there was one thing I thought of on my journey… I would be grateful if you could lend me your knowledge,” Rio said, bringing up his request carefully.
“Hohoho, that is fine. Speak your mind,” Ursula agreed readily.
Rio explained the idea that he had come up with while he was in the Yagumo region. “I was actually thinking of building a house to stay in on my journey, one that could be carried around in the Time-Space Cache.”
“Oho, a portable house, you say? Now that’s an interesting thought.” Dominic immediately showed strong interest; his natural architectural instincts as a dwarf had probably been roused.
“A house to carry around… That would mean a house with no foundation would be more preferable, so that it could be placed easily. Is that correct?” Ursula asked.
“Yes. However, it would probably require the use of spirit arts to stabilize the ground every time it was set up. Well… That aspect shouldn’t be a problem for Rio, but…” Dominic mumbled to himself, placing a hand against his mouth.
“…Hum. Dominic won’t be paying attention for a while when he’s in this state. Lord Rio, leave the house idea to him and rest easy. I’m sure a good home will be constructed for you,” Syldora said with a wry smile.
“No, I was just hoping for some advice so that I could build it myself…”
“That’s impossible. Even if you began constructing it alone, the dwarves of the village would only swarm you out of interest. It would be best for you to leave the house to Dominic and focus on entertaining Latifa and the girls as much as possible. Isn’t that right, Latifa?” Ursula responded cheerfully to Rio’s bewilderment, prompting Latifa to speak.
“Yup, I wanna stay with Onii-chan the whole time he’s in the village!” Latifa hugged Rio’s arm and nodded energetically.
After that, it was decided that Rio’s home construction would be left to Dominic and the other dwarves. Rio gave Dominic a simple explanation of the facilities and rooms he had planned, before they wrapped up the day in high spirits.
“Ehehe!”
◇◇◇
The next day, Rio was walking around the village with Latifa and Vera hanging off each of his arms.
Their destination was the spirit shrine built at the foot of the village’s giant tree — they were going to greet the spirit of the giant tree, Dryas, and inform her of Rio’s return. It was a one hour walk to reach the giant tree from the village on foot, and while the tree was only a stone’s throw away by air, they decided to take the opportunity and go on a picnic along the way.
With a troubled expression, Rio let the two cheerful girls have their way. Then, as the three of them were merrily making their way on foot, Rio and the girls passed Anya, the werecat.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Rio. I see you’re making quite a display upon your return.”
She was several years older than Rio, but because her species had long lifespans that aged particularly slowly in their teenage years, she barely looked any different to when Rio last saw her two years ago.
“Ah, Anya! Good morning!” Latifa and Vera said together, greeting Anya cheerfully.
“Morning. Are the three of you going out to have fun?” Anya asked.
Vera took the initiative to answer first. “Not quite. We’re meeting with my sister and the others after this.”
“Oho, with Lady Sara. Which means Lady Orphia and Lady Alma will be there too. Isn’t that more flowers than you can hold, Rio?” Anya nodded in a show of great interest before grinning at Rio.
“…Long time no see, Anya. I was thinking of paying Lady Dryas a visit, now that I’ve returned to the village,” Rio said with a strained smile, ignoring Anya’s curious gaze.
“Fufufu, looks like you’ve grown a little. As your elder, I’m happy. Not to mention, you’ve become really handsome, too.” Anya nodded with satisfaction and beamed.
“Thank you very much. I see you’re still as beautiful as always, Anya,” Rio thanked her with a grin.
“Nya?!” Anya’s cat ears trembled in shock.
“Nya?” Latifa and Vera both tilted their heads in unison.
“Nya… W-What are you saying, all of a sudden? I’ve got my eye on you,” Anya said in a high-pitched voice; there was a faint blush to her cheeks.
“What’s the matter, Anya?”
“…It’s nothing, Vera. I was just a little surprised Rio tried to flatter me while I was off guard, calling me beautiful of all things. Sheesh, I guess that means it wasn’t your defensive power that grew while you were gone… Since you’re doing it half-naturally, it’s even more wicked. Good grief!” Anya feigned composure as she shook her head at Vera. She muttered the latter half weakly.
“…It wasn’t just flattery,” Rio said in confusion.
“It’s fine, just get going to the Great Dryas already. This blockhead. Don’t keep Lady Sara and the others waiting. I have things to do, so I’ll be going now.”
With a tired sigh, Anya waved her hand and took her leave. Then, Vera opened her mouth in wonder.
“Didn’t Anya seem a little strange?”
“Ahaha, maybe. But she’s right, we shouldn’t keep Sara and the others waiting, so let’s get going,” Latifa agreed with a faintly strained smile, before pulling Rio’s arm along. Then, they met up with the other girls, and headed toward the giant tree Dryas resided in together.
◇◇◇
The moment Rio and the girls stepped onto the spirit shrine estate, they saw Dryas, who had manifested before them.
“Oh, my. I was wondering who it was, but it looks like the whole gang’s here… Welcome, welcome. I see Rio’s here, too — back already?” Dryas greeted the respectfully quiet party in a friendly tone.
“Yes, I thought I’d drop by and say hello. Everyone made food, so let’s eat together,” Rio explained on behalf of the others.
“My, thank you for taking the trouble. There’s not much here, but I’ll gladly welcome you. Follow me.” Dryas welcomed them happily and directed them inside; Rio and the girls followed her.
Dryas glanced at Rio. “Judging by your current state, your spirit still seems to be asleep, but the presence is stronger than the last time we met. The day it awakens may be approaching… Did anything change while you were on your journey?” she asked as they walked.
“No, nothing in particular comes to mind…”
“I see. Well, come visit me again when it awakens. I’d like to hear its story, and there may be many things I call tell it, too.”
“I will. Thank you very much.”
As they exchanged words, they arrived at the spirit shrine.
It was a shrine constructed from stone, with a staircase that led directly to the front, where there was a hall reserved for ceremonies that could look over the entire shrine grounds. At the very back across from the hall entrance was an altar.
This time, Rio and the others didn’t step up into the hall, instead walking around it and through a door that led further into the building. The door was located directly underneath the hall.
“I had no idea there was such a place under here,” Rio said with widened eyes.
Before him was a living space filled with various pieces of furniture. It was roughly 200 square meters in size, with several rooms toward the back.
“The people from the village made the interior. It doesn’t get used much, normally, but it’s useful when guests come over like this, or when the villagers sleep over in preparation for the Grand Spirit Festival.”
“I see.” Rio nodded in understanding.
It was basically a guest room. For the record, Dryas’ official dwelling was a cavern inside the giant tree, though she had never invited anyone there before.
“But, that aside, let us eat! Something smells great, what did you bring? I’m looking forward to it, fufufu,” Dryas said radiantly, looking over at the small packages they were carrying.
“Hehe, today we have the recipes and snacks Rio learned to make in the Yagumo region. I made a few things, too, so please try a little bit of everything,” Orphia said with a smile.
After that, the group unwrapped all of the food packages they had carried along and prepared for their meal. They sat down at the round table in the order of Rio, Latifa, Vera, Dryas, Sara, Orphia, and then Alma. Once they had all taken their seats and arranged the dishes on the table, they finally began to eat.
“My, the flavor in these vegetables is very rich. It’s delicious. And these steamed foods, too… The vegetable rice goes along with it perfectly.”
Dryas was all smiles as she elegantly filled her cheeks with food.
Spirits couldn’t starve to death, but they were able to refill their magic essence through eating food, to an extent. While there was no need for the food to be prepared in an extravagant manner, Dryas liked to eat homemade cooking, and was rather particular about the taste.
“The chicken with steamed vegetables is yummy. It’s full of flavor.” Vera stuffed her cheeks with rice as she picked up the steamed chicken.
“I like the taro.”
Latifa’s favorite appeared to be the taro with the steamed vegetables. Her small mouth broke out into a smile as she munched on the taro happily, fully enjoying the flavor.
“Hey, you two. You can’t just eat the things you like and nothing else,” Sara scolded with a tired expression.
“Okaaay!” Latifa and Vera gave their drawn-out reply together. And so, just like that, time passed peacefully.
Once they finished eating, Orphia went to the kitchen and came back carrying tea. After taking the teapot from the tea cozy, she started pouring tea into the cups. The wafting scent of the tea made Rio and the others smile broadly.
“Ehehe, dessert, dessert.” “It’s dessert time!”
Latifa and Vera were happily humming away as they sniffed at the variety of tea cakes that were placed on the table.
“Go ahead, before it cools,” Orphia said brightly after she finished pouring tea for everyone.
“I’ll do just that, then. Mm, it’s delicious!”
Dryas smelled the fragrance of the tea with a pleased expression before bringing the cup to her mouth. She grinned widely with happiness when the flavor of the tea spread in her mouth.
“Your tea etiquette is as wonderful as always,” Rio said, praising Orphia.
“Ehehe, thank you very much. I’d like to drink Rio’s tea sometime soon. Let’s have lots of tea parties again,” Orphia requested, grinning bashfully.
Rio nodded pleasantly. “Sure, I’d love to.”
With an embarrassed grin, Orphia peered at Rio’s face and asked once more to make sure. “Yay! That’s a promise, okay?”
Rio nodded and agreed, his smile growing all the larger. That was when Alma, who had been watching them from where she sat beside Rio, started to tug at his sleeve.
“Rio, what kind of snack is this bread? The dough is a little different to what I’m used to…” she asked as she looked up at his face.
“That snack is called a manju. It’s normally filled with a sweet paste made from red bean, but I tried to make them with whipped cream as well this time.”
“Red bean… and whipped cream? It looks delicious. May I try one?” “Of course.” Alma hesitantly reached for a manju after Rio agreed. “Then I’ll try one, too.”
“Me too.”
“And me!”
All the girls suddenly reached for the manju at once, and in no time at all, everyone had a manju in their hands.
“It’s so yummy! The texture’s springy and the red bean goes well with the whipped cream!”
As they all took bites of the manju, Vera spoke up with her opinion first. The others also widened their eyes at the sweetness that spread throughout their mouth.
“I’m glad you found the taste to your liking.” Rio’s lips turned up in a happy smile.
After that, they chatted noisily with each other as they enjoyed their tea and snacks. Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before long, it was time to wrap things up.
“Come again soon. I’ll welcome gatherings like today at any time,” Dryas said with a pleasant expression as she saw Rio and the others off.
“Yes, we’ll bring lots of snacks again.” Rio bowed with a gentle smile.
“I’m counting on you to bring more manju. Ah, and please teach Orphia and the others how to make it as well, for when you’ve left on your journey.” It seemed like Dryas had completely fallen for the charms of the manju.
“Sure thing,” Rio agreed cheerfully, making Sara and the others laugh happily in anticipation.
“All right — take care, then. Did you make sure you didn’t forget anything?” Dryas asked.
“Yes,” Rio and the others nodded in unison. Or so they thought — “Ah, I forgot to invite Arslan to come along, too!” Vera said.
“Ahaha… Come to think of it, you said you’d bring him along before you came to our house. I thought he was busy since he didn’t show up…” Latifa said with a strained smile.
“Ack! I-I got so excited that I forgot. I have to hurry back and apologize!” Vera said with a regretful look.
After that, they all visited Arslan’s house and went through quite a bit to cheer him up from his grumpy mood.
◇◇◇
After that, days in the village passed by in a flash.
Every day was filled with laughter: Rio participated in the tea parties hosted by Orphia, sparred with Sara, Uzuma and the other village warriors, drank with Alma and Dominic, played with Latifa, Vera, Arslan, and the other village kids, and taught the village ladies how to cook the recipes from Yagumo.
Furthermore, while Rio was fully enjoying his life in the village, construction of his house was progressing smoothly under Dominic’s leadership. On a day two weeks after he had returned to the village, Rio paid a visit to the construction site, where huge numbers of dwarves were busily laboring away. When Dominic
spotted Rio, he paused in his supervising and approached Rio with a grin. “Yo, Rio. You’re here.”
“Good day, Dominic. I’m sorry for leaving everything to you…” Rio bowed his head in gratitude.
“Don’t worry about it — I was the one who wanted to build it. You’re not staying in the village for long, so spend as much time with Alma and the others as you can,” Dominic said, smacking Rio’s arm heartily.
“Truly, thank you very much. Speaking of which, the house is looking far more extravagant than I imagined,” Rio said with a faintly apologetic smile, looking around at the construction scene before him, where a huge rock stood that completely occupied the plot, which easily surpassed 200 square meters.
“Hahaha, I know, right?” Dominic agreed with a lively laugh.
“I heard you were processing natural rock to make the house, but are you hollowing it out?”
“Yeah, with spirit arts. It’s pretty big — we’ve extended part of it with space spirit arts, and we’ll make a second floor, too, so there’ll be lots of rooms.”
Rio’s smile twitched at the unexpectedly large scale. “Ahaha… That’s too much for one person to live alone.”
“Well, you’ll have a household yourself one day, so I figured I’d make it big enough for that. Although, it wouldn’t be enough if you were to take several wives and have children like me…” Dominic said while nodding.
The spirit folk village allowed one husband to take many wives, or even the opposite; Dominic himself had four wives. Because of that experience, Dominic would recommend polygamy to Rio at every possible chance.
“No, well, you never know what the future holds, or something, ahaha…” Rio personally had no intention of becoming a polygamist — he didn’t even have any desire for marriage — so he could only offer a reserved response with a forced smile.
W-Well, I guess it’ll be easier to live in, so it shouldn’t be a problem… I think. While the size is a little unexpected, it seems like it’s being built exactly as I requested, so I guess they can do what they want, Rio thought in resignation.
The conditions Rio had requested beforehand were for it to blend smoothly with the environment when camping, and that the house was sturdy enough to prevent outside intruders from breaking in. By making the house from a boulder, both of those requests were fulfilled perfectly. With this, he would be able to set a base for his activities outside of the cities when he moved through Strahl.
And so, the two of them continued talking, until —
“Hey, Head Elder Dominic! Do you have a moment?” one of the dwarves on location called.
“Oh, it looks like I’m being summoned. Well, just leave the construction to me, and look forward to its completion. I’ll call you immediately when it’s done. We can raise a glass in celebration!” Dominic said with a smile, before leaving Rio behind to head for the work site.
“…Looks like I owe the villagers again,” Rio muttered, troubled, as he watched the dwarves happily working away.
◇◇◇
Less than a month later, Rio’s house made of rock was complete.
The appearance of the home was truly rustic — in fact, apart from the entrance and several small ventilation windows, it looked just like a regular old boulder.
However, in complete contrast to the exterior, the interior was a wide and comfortable living space with custom-made furniture and all kinds of sorcery woven into its luxurious facilities. It went without saying that a wild housewarming party was held upon its completion, filled with singing and drinks. Furthermore, when Rio immediately moved in upon its completion to test the facilities, it was decided that — naturally — Latifa would live with him too.
After a while, Vera and Arslan also came to sleep over, then Sara and the others were invited partly as their guardians. And so, their lively days continued.
Thus, as winter approached, the new year arrived — year 1000 of the Holy Era. On a day when Rio’s departure for the Strahl region was steadily approaching and he was in the bathtub of his stone house…
The interior of the spacious bathing area was purposefully carved into bare stone, making a rocky bath that allowed for an experience similar to an outdoor hot spring. Rio washed his hair, face and body, before finally sinking into the water.
“…Hah.”
With a sigh, his fatigue from the day melted away.
Tomorrow’s the day, finally, he thought, gazing up at the rock ceiling that was intentionally left bare.
It was so comfortable, he almost wanted to extend his stay, but he didn’t want to pamper himself here.
He couldn’t afford to stand still.
There was no doubt that unwanted memories from his past would resurface once he returned to Strahl; it was possible he couldn’t remain the same person he had been until now.
Even so, he chose to move forward — that was what he had decided when he left the Yagumo region. That was why he had to move forward… Even if he reached the point of no return.
With a deep breath, Rio reaffirmed his resolve.
“Onii-chan, may I come in?” a cute voice said from the doorway to the bathroom.
“Yeah… Huh?”
Rio nodded reflexively, before he realized something was strange, and looked up at the source of the voice. Latifa, who had been sticking her head out of the changing room area, heard Rio’s reply and stepped into the bathroom hesitantly, clad in nothing but a single bath towel.
“Ehehe.” Latifa grinned shyly.
“…” Unable to close his open mouth, Rio simply stared at her in shock.
Her pale orange hair was tied back to reveal her nape, the towel emphasizing her small and modest chest. Her waist and hips were slender, yet well-balanced, and her legs were lean and white — despite being only thirteen, Latifa was already starting to show her womanly charms.
“O-Onii-chan, it’s embarrassing when you stare at me like that,” Latifa said, fidgeting. With that, Rio snapped back to his senses.
“S-Sorry. Wait, why are you here?!” Rio asked while averting his gaze from Latifa’s body in a panic.
“Umm. I wanted to wash Onii-chan’s back. May I?” Latifa smiled with a bashful yet pleased grin, noticing that Rio was seeing her as a member of the opposite sex and not just a little sister.
“No, of course not. You need to leave immediately,” Rio said with a high- pitched voice.
“I-It’s okay. I-I’m wearing a bath towel, so don’t worry. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be leaving the village tomorrow. So, let me have this just for today?”
“N-No, but…”
“Just for today, please!” Latifa hung onto him insistently when he expressed his reluctance. Since she was leaning into the bathtub from outside of it, the placement of her chest was rather precarious, making Rio beside himself with worry.
“N-No means no. Come on, put on your clothes or you’ll catch a cold. Okay?” Rio replied with his eyes averted, unable to find a good way to reject her.
“Hmph, then I’ll just get into the bath with Onii-chan like this. You sure?” Latifa puffed up her cheeks cutely, resisting to the bitter end.
Now that she had gathered up enough courage to come this far, she wasn’t going to back down without a fight. Despite her face being flushed with embarrassment, she tried to remove her bath towel with a trembling hand.
“A-All right! All right, I got it! Calm down, Latifa. You can wash me,” Rio said in a panic as he caught a glimpse of Latifa’s naked body from the corner of his eye. Latifa’s expression lit up; she was beaming.
“R-Really?!”
“…Yeah, just for today,” Rio gave in, nodding.
“Yup! Okay, come over here!” Latifa said, immediately hurrying toward the washing area.
“All right, I’m getting out now.” “Okay.”
Rio checked that Latifa had looked away, before standing up from the bathtub and swiftly wrapping a towel around his waist. He then walked over to her and sat down on the bath stool in front of her.
“Ehehe.” Latifa’s cheeks warmed happily.
I mean… It’s just a back wash… Rio smiled in amusement.
“Okay, I’m gonna wash you now. Erm, let me know if I miss any spots.” “Yeah, sure.”
Latifa rubbed the soap against a towel to lather it, then began to awkwardly wash Rio’s back. She seemed to be feeling nervous now that she was in the middle of doing it, moving timidly despite her earlier courage. Silently, she rubbed away with her hands, gradually falling into a calm state of mind.
Meanwhile, Rio was still feeling confused, but had regained most of his composure. He couldn’t find the words to start a conversation, but he smiled happily at the feeling of Latifa’s hands as she was doing her best.
“Latifa, that’s enough. Thank you,” Rio thanked her after a while, his voice soft.
“O-Okay. I’ll pour the water, then.”
Splash. Latifa touched the round stone artifact that supplied hot water and filled a tub with water to pour over Rio’s back. After repeating that a few times —
“…Onii-chan’s back is really big after all,” she murmured quietly.
“Really?”
“Yeah… I wonder if it’ll be bigger the next time we meet?”
“Who knows? I think I’ll stop growing soon, but — wait, L-Latifa?!”
Rio was replying with a strained smile when, suddenly, he could feel a soft sensation against his back. He flinched.
Latifa had suddenly hugged Rio from behind, drawing close enough to rub their cheeks together before he had realized it.
“…What’s wrong all of a sudden?” Rio asked, hiding his uneasiness. He could feel Latifa’s body heat through her towel; the areas where their skin touching directly was burning hot.
“Hey, Onii-chan… You’ll come back to the village again this time, right?” Latifa asked worriedly.
“…Latifa?” Rio called, checking on her.
“You’ll come back, right?” Latifa repeated the same question insistently.
Rio felt as though she had seen right through him. He guiltily averted his eyes, bit down on his lip and closed his eyes, then searched inside himself.
“…If you’re waiting for me, I’ll return,” he answered slowly.
“No — you have to come back,” Latifa demanded as she pouted with a sulk. “…I see. I’ll have to come back, then.”
Rio forced down the shameful feelings that he had, and spoke with an apologetic, strained smile. Latifa’s expression brightened a little.
“Yup. Make sure you come back earlier this time. Please?”
“Yeah. I promised, after all. I’ll come back when I can find the time,” Rio nodded with a smile.
He felt guilty because of his own reluctance; he wondered if it was really okay for him to have a place to return to when he was setting off on the path of revenge.
However, his desire to return to the village was his pure, honest feelings. And with that, he would return as long as Latifa wanted him to, he decided.
“…By the way, Latifa. You’ll catch a cold like that, so let’s get in the bath,” Rio suggested with a bitter smile to Latifa, who was still hanging onto him.
“Huh…? Ah, okay! That’s right, ehehe.”
Latifa distanced herself from Rio in a hurry, grinning bashfully.
◇◇◇
The next morning, Rio made his way to the village square, which was where he was to depart from.
The usual faces were there to see him off, along with the village’s elders. After Rio finished saying his goodbyes to Sara and the others, the three head elders approached him last.
“Lord Rio, take this with you,” Ursula said, handing Rio a sparkling, jade- colored spirit stone the size of a fist.
“…Is this spirit stone some kind of magical artifact? Is there some kind of formula sealed in it?” Rio asked, his gaze absorbed by the spirit stone in his hand.
A spirit stone could be used as a magic artifact by having a spell formula sealed within, but it would just look like a spirit stone to those who didn’t have the eye to see essence. The formula within was being reflected in Rio’s eyes.
“This is a teleport crystal — an artifact filled with sorcery that moves the user to a predetermined destination. The activation chant to use it is Transilio. I’ve already put the coordinates in, so you can return to the village easily with this. But it’s a one way method of travel, so you won’t be able to return to your starting position,” Ursula explained; the sorcery activation, however, required more than just chanting the keyword in order to prevent an accident from occurring.
“An item like this… Did you recently make it just for me?”
“Indeed. There used to be several of them in the village in the past, but they became unnecessary over our long history. The spirit stones had their formulas removed and were repurposed as other magic artifacts. After all, no one ever leaves the village. But, since you leave the village rather frequently, we figured it would be more convenient for you to have.”
“But the spirit stone is such a high quality. It’s sizable, too. Isn’t it a valuable item?” Rio questioned at Ursula’s generous words.
While a spirit stone could be turned into an artifact with sorcery, it also had a wide range of other uses, such as being a pure energy source for other artifacts, or for storing magic essence to use in case of emergencies. The essence capacity that could be stored varied depending on the quality of the stone, and the color of the stone changed based on the amount of essence stored. Among them, stones that could turn emerald green were said to be of high quality — proof it could store a vast amount of essence.
Logically, the bigger the stone, the more essence could be stored. However, because of the difference in stone quality, that reasoning could differ, too.
“It’s nothing; we’ve been making spirit stones for years and years now, so we have plenty of good stones in stock. There’s no need for you to worry.” Ursula shook her head with a smile.
“But even so, I’ve received so many items already… I couldn’t possibly accept any more than what I have. I’ve just returned and had a house built for me, and there was the equipment set and the Time-Space Cache from last time. I’ve received so many other good quality spirit stones, too.” Rio’s expression clouded apologetically.
“Don’t worry about it. Like we said last time, you are our sworn friend. It would be a dishonor to us spirit folk for our sworn friend to depart on a journey empty-handed, so just accept it. Well… it was Syldora and Ursula who made it, actually.” Dominic laughed merrily, looking over at the two of them.
“We simply used a spare spirit stone — the only thing it took was time. Space sorcery has complicated formulas, so it took some effort to get the coordinates right, but it was no big deal.” Syldora shook his head, smiling in faint embarrassment.
“Hohoho, Latifa was lonely while Lord Rio was in Yagumo. Hopefully this will help you return faster this time. We’ll need to discuss further, but it may be a good idea to use that to bring Latifa and Lord Rio’s cousin together for a meeting someday.” Ursula opened her mouth to deal the finishing blow.
“…Thank you very much, truly. For all the things you’ve done for me.” Rio bowed his head deeply.
“Well, that’s that. Those girls over there would be happier to have you around, kid. Come back a bit more often.” Dominic looked over to Sara, Orphia, and Alma with a grin.
“Head Elder!” “Grandfather!”
Sara and Alma blushed furiously and yelled in shock. Meanwhile, Orphia was avoiding digging her own grave by smiling cheerfully.
“Ooh, scary, scary.” Dominic shuddered exaggeratedly and quickly made his exit.
Then, Latifa approached Rio with springy footsteps. “Have a good trip, Onii-chan,” she said, hugging Rio.
“Yeah, I’ll be back soon.” Rio smiled gently and petted Latifa’s head.
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