BSS 99

Chapter 99

A simple creature. Even though it had been upset that I didn’t show it as much affection as Undine, it seemed to have forgotten its original grievance the moment I gave it a little attention.

It was a flimsy excuse, but Rai seemed very pleased with it.

I really liked that optimistic side of Rai.

[I am my Master’s secret weapon!]

In truth, I try not to show it off because if people started asking what kind of spirit it is or tried to use it, it would get annoying. But still, it’s nice to have.

For the outside world, it being a water spirit is enough…

I was laughing while watching Rai flap around joyfully and even sing, when Magi came running from afar.

It was carrying something on its head.

“Genie!”

“Be careful, you might fall, Magi.”

Finally, our water supplier had arrived! The one in charge of providing jewels.

“Can I put this in the pot? This!”

Magi, smiling brightly, carried on its head none other than half of a leftover troll.

[Gyaaaah!]

“Ah, my ears.”

Rai expressed its dislike with remarkable intensity.

“Alright! I get it, I get it!”

[No! I hate it! Gyaaah!]

“Ugh! Magi, can you at least bring one with all its limbs intact?”

“Not this one?”

“No. Rai is torturing me.”

Even with my hands over my ears, Rai’s shrieks were the kind that could still be heard, making it extremely unpleasant.

Magi, looking disappointed, put the troll piece down on the floor after my urgent gestures. Its face was completely sulky.

“Eh, but I like this one…”

Now, Magi had taken the form of a young human boy rather than a dwarf.

About thirteen years old, an angelically beautiful blond boy.

Even his eyelashes were dense and golden, giving the appearance of a wealthy child.

I had him take this age because the Magi inside me was exactly that age.

Since he had stayed in dwarf form for so long, I had gotten used to his short height.

Magi also loved it when I gently patted his head from above.

He was a dragon, yet simultaneously an immature young individual.

“Good Magi, listen. I always have to carry Rai around, but wouldn’t it be disgusting if it were a half-monster? At least it shouldn’t be repulsive to travel with.”

“But it was originally a snake, wasn’t it?”

“Snakes are cute in their own way, right?”

“……That’s true!”

Above all, Magi and I shared quite a bit of understanding.

Nodding in agreement, Magi immediately began chattering happily again.

“I checked, but in the freezer, there’s only leftovers!”

“Rai cries, so that won’t do.”

“Alright! Then I’ll go catch a new one!”

“Good, make sure it has all its limbs.”

“I’ll be back quickly!”

“Be careful.”

Especially around humans.

True to form, Magi teleported away immediately, and Rai was trembling.

[Master…!]

“What? I protected you.”

[I don’t like monsters in the first place!]

“Oh, really? I thought it was just because it was leftover.”

[Which spirit would want to turn into a monster! No! Absolutely not!]

Ugh, these spoiled creatures. Catering to them once or twice is fine, but constantly?

Neither Magi nor Rai were particularly mature, and I was by no means a grown-up human either.

The one I loved most was always myself.

I couldn’t stand being bothered. I didn’t even want to endure it!

“Shut up! Stop it! There’s a limit to whining!”

[That’s mean!]

“What is?”

[Protect me too! I said protect me!]

“What? Spirits protect, don’t they? Why should I protect you?”

[You cried so hard when Undine died!]

“First, Undine didn’t die. Second, if you die, I’ll cry just as hard. Fair, right?”

Rai began rolling on the floor, sobbing as if it were unfair. Though it was only fake tears, the sound was there.

[Bad Master! You’re such a bad woman! Bad person!]

“What a troublesome creature…”

[Boohoo.]

Rai often obsessed over me like this, making me tired.

There was no need to console it because even if I did, it would quickly cling again, demanding my attention exclusively.

A possessive spirit, of all things.

“Stop it! You said we can make bodies however we want! Then monsters don’t matter at all! Think positively—having a monster in the transformation list isn’t so bad, is it?”

[Where would that be?!]

“Uh, when you’re playing a prank on someone you dislike?”

[…Hmm, that’s tempting.]

“Right?”

[I suddenly feel better.]

Rai, which had been whining dramatically, now instantly switched to its normal form.

So it was acting again.

I almost fell for it, but Rai pretending to cry to get my attention wasn’t new. Annoying little thing.

“Why don’t you sometimes think about why you get scolded?”

[Is it because I’m too cute and charming?]

In short, it was an attention seeker.

And a completely unpredictable one. That was my spirit.

The next day, the grand project to create a new body for Rai began.

First, a large cauldron was needed.

Magi’s hobby came in very handy here. In just one day, Magi created a cauldron large enough to satisfy me.

It could almost fit a human inside.

Once the cauldron was ready, it had to be filled with jewels, which was the critical part. Luckily, Magi had agreed to support this.

While Magi was still a rare, I decided to make various types of bodies for Rai.

Because there truly was a mountain of jewels here.

“Every time I see this…”

It was amazing.

As soon as we passed through the huge door, an unbelievable number of jewels spread out before our eyes—countless as grains of sand on a beach.

How often would a human see a mountain made entirely of jewels?

I could confidently say that even an emperor could not have witnessed such a spectacle.

The dragon’s jewel storage, assembled from all the human treasure troves, was unrivaled in scale.

It was more a cave than a room.

And the jewels stacked endlessly up to the ceiling made it impossible to know where to start exploring.

There were hills, there were mountains…

“Genie! You come up too!”

I waved to Magi as it climbed a lower jewel mountain.

“No, I’ll pick from below. You pick the rare ones from above.”

“Rare ones, got it!”

“The more variety, the better!”

While Magi searched the top, I rummaged through the jewels scattered below.

I picked out the especially large and solid ones and tossed them into the cauldron—a strange moment of picking jewels from jewels.

Rai joined in as well, sorting jewels to prepare for its new body.

It was determined to take good care of itself.

[Master! This one is real!]

“I think they’re all about the same.”

[It has high hardness and no impurities! You can tell by putting it in your mouth!]

“You only know because you’re a metal spirit…”

[Ah, true!]

Eager Rai tirelessly carried jewels in its mouth back and forth.

I, reluctant to move, wandered near the cauldron, picking up jewels.

The cauldron was so big that filling it took more time than expected.

Eventually, I got lazy and threw jewels from a distance, like shooting basketballs into the cauldron.

When a jewel landed precisely inside, it made a pleasant, chiming sound—a luxurious little game.

Tang.

Tang-gle.

“This is kind of fun, isn’t it?”

“Genie! Look at this amazing jewe—eeeeh!”

Before I knew it, Magi appeared from the top of the jewel mountain, waving and then sliding down over the pile of jewels.

“Magi!”

[Sliding on jewels, feels so refreshing!]

For a moment, Magi sliding at super speed on the jewels really looked like sledding.

“Yes, refreshing… ah! Not that, Rai! Don’t sing weird songs! You’re confusing me too!”

Bang!

As I shouted at Rai, Magi reached the bottom, crashing violently into the cave wall.

It lay sprawled against the wall, but as I hurried over, Magi jumped up and ran toward me, proudly showing the jewels it had been holding even while falling. Despite the noisy landing, it was perfectly fine.

“Is this okay? Mom gave it to me!”

“…Magi, you’re not hurt? Is your forehead okay?”

“Why would it hurt?”

It truly was a boss monster with maximum attack and defense.

Looking back, I could see a large crack in the wall Magi had hit.

Magi seemed just as tough as Rai, maybe even tougher.

[This kind of thing doesn’t really hurt, Master.]

“Did you see that, Genie?”

Magi poured all the jewels it had brought into the cauldron, then held two up before me, clearly asking for praise.

“I’ve never seen these. What kind of jewels are they?”

One was an astonishingly brilliant golden color, the other a marbled black-and-yellow orb like oil in water.

Both were about the size of a fist, but the golden jewel drew my attention more.

Inside it, I could feel a whirlpool of mana.