BSS 21

Chapter 21

“Really? Step aside!”

Monsters… I had only heard about them endlessly, but this was the first time I had seen one in person.

I slightly opened the carriage door and peeked outside to take in the scene.

About twenty knights were escorting our delegation, and they were easily subduing the orcs.

It wasn’t a situation to worry too much about. After all, these were the royal knights of Dmitri, famous for their strength.

“Ho… is that an orc?”

[Yes, not that strong.]

Orcs were known as aggressive monsters that often attacked humans.

They lived in groups and could communicate to some extent, but their intelligence wasn’t very high, so they were classified as monsters rather than a humanoid race.

I had heard that they were among the most commonly encountered monsters in forests because of their numbers, but I never thought I’d actually see one.

They were said to be gluttonous, killing humans to take everything edible, and sure enough, this one had a pig-like head. Its thick fur and large frame made it look almost like a primitive human at a glance.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the monster I was seeing for the first time.

[Master, should we absorb that?]

At that moment, when I looked in the direction Raiga pointed with his tail, there was a sword containing mithril lying on the ground.

Huh… whose sword is this? Are they dead?

I peeked further to look for the red-haired knight purely out of concern.

I soon spotted a knight sitting down with their shoulders slumped, close to the carriage I was in.

A brown-haired knight was guarding them from the orcs.

“They must be injured.”

[Will they die?]

“They won’t die from injuries like that… Wait, are you secretly hoping they do?”

[Honestly, a little.]

“Hey, isn’t it a problem to value metal more than a human life, even if it’s mithril?”

[Why? I’m a metal spirit, of course metal is more important.]

Well, that’s true too. Raiga said it so confidently that I couldn’t argue.

[And Master, you said it yourself—you can pick up things lying around. Look! That’s clearly lost property.]

Even though the owner was right next to it. I thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

“Fine. Go get the sword.”

I said this while taking out my shoes from under the chair, putting them on, throwing on my coat, and preparing to step out of the carriage.

[You’re going out?]

“Yes.”

[Why? You hate trouble.]

“Well, it’s a perfect opportunity to try out offensive magic.”

I needed a place to test it, so this was perfect.

I would do a little experimenting while the knights were busy handling the orcs. Orcs are sturdy, after all.

[Then is it okay to eat the mithril?]

[Of course! Technically not allowed, but a little should be fine, right?]

[……So, if I understand correctly, it’s okay to eat it?]

[Hmm, maybe about one percent of it… what do you think?]

[Of course. It won’t show at all.]

I pressed my head against Raiga’s and smiled meaningfully.

Conscience never gave me what I needed. Conscience was just a nuisance. Greed always got me what I wanted.

Evil, but never a loss. That’s what I called greed and selfishness.

[Go ask. Raiga!]

[Yes!]

Raiga was fastest when I told him to ask something, and I was most diligent when causing mischief.

“Undine.”

Calling for Undine, I stepped out of the carriage, and the smell of blood hit my nose.

Though it was late and dark, it was easy to see that flesh and blood were scattered around.

The darkness hid most things, but this was clearly a scene rated for ages 19 and up.

If the slaughtered creatures weren’t orcs but humans, the feeling would have been completely different.

Plop.

Undine flew toward me as if trying to speak.

Seeing the little creature wobbling in front of me amidst rolling orc limbs and guts immediately lifted my spirits.

I smiled slightly and whispered.

“Undine, we’re going to try a spell called ‘Aqua Ball.’ Can you do it?”

I had to admit I was especially gentle with Undine; I never spoke like this to Raiga.

Undine nodded slightly and formed a large ball of water above her head.

It was about half the size of the carriage, but it quickly shrank until it was only the size of a human head.

Ah, so ‘Aqua Ball’ is compressed water.

“Hm… will it hurt if it hits?”

I pointed toward the back of a nearby orc, estimating the mana used.

Undine moved her hands above her head as if throwing a ball, and the Aqua Ball flew slowly, hitting the orc squarely on the back.

“Kuagh?”

The orc stumbled forward from the sudden impact but got up quickly, looking around. Its soaked body seemed heavy, but there was no real damage.

“…Is this really offensive magic?”

[It… does. Master.]

“Too weak. This won’t be practical in real combat… huh?”

I thought I heard Undine speak just now, so I stopped scratching my chin.

“Undine?”

[Yes.]

“Undine.”

[Yes, Master.]

Impossible!

“You couldn’t speak before, right?”

[Now.]

“Now?”

[A little, very little.]

Undine’s shy smile was so adorable I wanted to show her off to the world.

Seeing her speak for the first time—after only ever making bubble sounds—felt like a child saying “Mom” for the first time.

Teacher El had said it would take one or two years of training to communicate with lower spirits!

“Our Undine is a genius!”

My little one is amazing!

[Master, I’m so… happy.]

“Oh my, oh my.”

[I wanted to speak.]

To communicate with a summoned spirit, trust had to exist between the spirit and the summoner, and the spirit had to want to communicate strongly.

Ultimately, it was a matter of intimacy…

Ah.

I realized Raiga had been able to talk from the start, but he wasn’t cute or admirable like this.

[Undine, I’ll get stronger!]

“Oh my.”

[I’ll try hard for Master!]

Yes, this is why one becomes a summoner.

I was so absorbed in communicating with Undine that I completely forgot about the battle.

Doesn’t matter if she isn’t strong; as long as Undine is healthy, I’m happy.

“Hey, miss! It’s dangerous! Go back to the carriage!”

Huh?

While I was briefly distracted by Undine, most of the orcs had been killed. Quick work, knights!

I ran toward the red-haired knight nearby. The knight, who had warned me to stay back, followed, but I ignored it.

“You shouldn’t come out!”

The red-haired knight shouted the same thing in alarm as I approached.

Despite blood streaming down his shoulder, he had stood up as if he’d seen something unspeakable.

“I’ll help.”

“Huh? Miss, helping means staying in a safe place.”

“All the orcs are already gone.”

“But more could appear… get back to the carriage…”

“But we need water, don’t we?”

Where there is an injured person, water is always necessary—for cleaning wounds and drinking.

The knight froze briefly, seeing Undine sitting on my palm. He had clearly never seen anything like this.

“What… is that?”

“That’s Undine. A spirit.”

“Magic?”

“How rude. Spirits are completely different from magic!”

Why can’t people tell the difference between spirits and magic? It was frustrating, and the knight looked embarrassed, not understanding what he’d done wrong.

“Sorry.”

“Anyway, I can provide clean water. You should be grateful.”

It was rare for me to show such kindness first. I filled a nearby bucket with clean water and smiled more than necessary.

The knight seemed completely baffled by everything I did.

Teacher El would have sensed ominous signs if it were him. Heh.

“Th-thank you, miss.”

“And your sword too.”

Raiga was climbing with the sword in his mouth.

“No, the snake?”

“That’s my pet snake. Very obedient.”

“That’s my sword!”

“I told him to bring it.”