Chapter 288: Is It Okay to Show My Face?
The zabuton that had been spread out on the bench suddenly lifted itself, propping up half its body and waving its horn.
“Why are you here…?”
“The Spirit that followed us earlier—no, it seems to be quite large,” Ash said, furrowing his brow. He looked scary again, but maybe he was squinting to get a better look at the Spirit?
“Could it be…?”
“It’s a zabuton,” I declared before the butler could guess its identity.
“Why is it here?”
“Perhaps it has already formed a contract?” Ash suggested.
“No way, that can’t be—” Just as I was about to say that, the zabuton flew behind me and kicked my knee, forcing me to sit on it.
Ash and the butler were left dumbfounded. I was surprised too.
“Gene, hello~”
“It seems you haven’t been home lately.”
“Mishto, Haralfa—why are you here?”
“I only returned home early in the morning.”
I could sense Ash and the butler freezing up, but it wasn’t my fault.
“Since yesterday, the Light Spirits have been in disarray. When I went to check, it was only Namina’s retainers. I wondered what had happened, and it turns out you visited Namina’s Temple?” Haralfa said with an amused smile.
“Thanks to the Severance, they couldn’t recognize you properly. Those kids had become vague about why they jumped out,” she continued. I hadn’t even gone to the temple yesterday! I couldn’t help but glance at the zabuton. Its horn was twitching—so you’re the culprit!
“For now, we are taking care of them. Once you return home, we’ll take them with us, so please perform the Liberation.”
“It would be better for Gene to perform the Liberation rather than just snatch away the retainers,” Mishto said with a smile.
Wait, could it be that the escapees from the temple are still around?
“Performing the Liberation is fine, but won’t it cause problems if we take too many from one place?”
“They might venture into the human world, but that has nothing to do with us,” Haralfa replied, her gaze curiously fixed on the zabuton beneath me.
The zabuton raised its horn slightly, showing interest, so I got off and sent it on its way. It seemed the zabuton was destined to become one of Haralfa’s retainers.
“Don’t worry, if it likes the place, it will return. However, when Namina’s followers make requests, they will need to prepare a satisfactory offering for the Spirits,” Mishto said, tilting her head with her index finger raised in front of her mouth.
“Then there’s no problem.”
“I think the majority will choose to stay with Gene,” Haralfa said, lounging on the zabuton in mid-air.
“Don’t worry, they won’t even fit inside the barrier. Once a contract is made, they can feel connected to you and be satisfied with that,” she added.
“Some that are too cramped have merged and grown larger,” she said, casting a meaningful glance at the butler.
“Hehe, it’s a reflection of this person,” Mishto said, looking at the butler with a gentle smile.
Is she talking about the Note…? It could lead to a violation of portrait rights, so I’m keeping that a secret!
“One day, you will gain power equal to ours.”
“I should return before Kadal scolds me. Good luck, Gene,” they said, disappearing with those words.
The zabuton returned to my backside.
“Gene… sir…?”
“Gene, who were those two?” Ash’s voice was tense, while the butler looked stiff as well. I could almost hear the creaking sound as they turned their faces toward me unnaturally.
“They are Haralfa and Mishto, who provide my protection. They govern light, love, and beauty, light and wind, romance and whimsy.”
“I see,” the butler replied, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but his smile seemed frozen. He answered and remained still, likely having abandoned his thoughts.
“Note, could you brew some tea?”
“Yes, right away.”
As Ash called out, the butler began awkwardly tending to the fireplace like a robot.
“Gene, why don’t you sit on the bench?”
“Yeah.”
I felt like I needed to calm down a bit.
Ash always seems so composed; I envy him a little. We sat side by side on the bench, waiting for tea. Despite his apparent mental freeze, the butler’s movements were efficient. Truly a butler.
“The Spirits are beautiful.”
Ash rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands under his chin. He was unusually not looking my way.
“Hmm? Yeah.”
Mishto was fluffy and adorable, while Haralfa was a beauty who knew when to show off and when to hold back. Perhaps because they were Light Spirits, both exuded a sense of purity.
“Gene is beautiful too.”
“Thanks?”
It would be nice if I could say Ash was beautiful too, but his scary face made it hard. At least I hoped he would relax a bit. It’s already a high hurdle to express such things.
Should I try to use Chris as a model?
“They’re beautiful, but I feel very anxious that Gene might disappear to that other world.”
Ash’s words were a bit unexpected. I mean, I’m technically human… or is this body questionable?
“I’m human, you know? Plus, there are so many delicious things in this world. Everyone’s here, and so is Ash.”
For now, since the Hero is treated as human, I should be too. It’s a case of first come, first served.
The Light Spirits that had parted ways with us at the temple began to appear one after another, passing through the walls.
Yeah, it’s a nice atmospheric effect at a good timing, but the butler is still putting tea leaves into the cups, right?
I need to figure something out before Dinoss and the others return…!