Chapter 76

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

"Welcome back. ...More souvenirs than I expected."

"Yeah, I'm back."

When I returned to the forest, Chroa was surprised. Yeah, I kind of expected that.

"First, the things I was sent to get. Bread, cake, cookies, tea leaves, and a knife. Pretty stones and glass shards."

I laid them out on the table. Chroa picked up the glass shard and smiled.

"Thank you. These are great souvenirs. ...Hehe, just by looking at this, I can tell where you found the angels. How wonderful."

Chroa said, placing the glass shard back on the table carefully.

"And fairies."

"Huh?"

I brought out the fairies. When I opened the bag, the fairies flew out one by one and lined up on the table. Here, souvenirs.

"I didn't expect fairies to come."

Chroa poked one of the fairies lined up on the table and chuckled.

"This forest will become quite lively, won't it?"

"Yeah. With two angels and many fairies."

The fairies seemed to like Chroa and started moving around. They played with the tips of Chroa's fingers and hair, giggling. ...Still, they were much more reserved compared to how they played with Lian and Anje. It's like the difference between touching a favorite stuffed animal and a beautiful bisque doll. Lian and Anje are angels, but Chroa might be the queen of the fairy kingdom.

"Hehe, thank you. These are wonderful souvenirs!"

Chroa gently released the fairy she had been poking and chuckled happily.

"By the way, where will these fairies live?"

"I was thinking the flower field. It will be near Chroa's house."

"Oh, how nice. That way, we can enjoy a fairy-filled landscape anytime."

Is that okay? I asked the fairies, and they lined up neatly and nodded repeatedly. Yeah, I feel like they're being very respectful.

"...These fairies seem to hold you in high regard."

"Yeah. I wonder why..."

To me, it's fine if they treat me like a plaything, like Lian and Anje do, but the fairies just gently touch the tips of my fingers, the ends of my hair, and the hems of my clothes. Each time, they show a sparkling smile, so I can't say anything.

"Well... I often forget, but you are a spirit, you know."

Yeah.

"Maybe being called by a spirit is special, even for fairies?"

Maybe. I'm a bit at a loss when you say that.

However, Anje, who had been listening to our conversation, talked to one of the fairies... and then, blushing and fidgeting, said:

"Meeting the great spirit and being invited to your home is an honor..."

...I see. Yeah. Well, if they're happy, that's the most important thing, but...

I guess I really am no longer human...

---

After that, I made some simple preparations for the house for the Serez siblings.

Not much needed to be done since the house was already set up for guests... The only big task was moving one more bed, but that ended up being more of Laocles' job.

...Laocles moved two beds into one room, so the Serez siblings can now sleep together. It's been a while since they reunited. They probably want to sleep in the same room, but if they want separate rooms, we can ask Laocles again. We'll see.

Then, I drew a vase.

It was a simple, round ceramic vase with a color like a juniper berry, with a little gold decoration.

I placed it in their house and added some flowers. Chroa chose the flowers. This way, the fairies can come and play.

"Shall we have dinner now?"

"O-Okay..."

With that, the preparations for the Serez siblings' house were complete, and we had dinner right away.

...By the way, Chroa prepares dinner. I always appreciate it. With two more people, it's even more work for Chroa. Hmm, maybe I should summon a creature that can cook?

---

With more people eating dinner, the view is much livelier.

Fey, Laocles, Chroa, and the Serez siblings, Lian and Anje. Finally, there are six of us at the dinner table, including me. It's grown. My house is getting a bit cramped.

"...It feels strange."

While eating, Lian suddenly said.

"Oh, does it not taste good?"

"N-No! It's delicious! But... it just feels..."

Lian looked uncomfortable and mumbled.

"...Hey, is it okay for us to be here?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I need you here."

But to me, it's natural that they're here. After all, I caught the angels. I don't plan to let them return to the sky until I finish drawing them.

"Let's take a break tomorrow. I want you to rest. From the day after tomorrow, I'll need you to model, so please be ready."

"Eh, what about the rest?"

...The rest?

"Cleaning, laundry, farming, and such..."

"Um... there's nothing else?"

"Why? Why do you think I need to make you do those things?"

Well, why do you ask? Rather, why do I need to make models do cleaning and laundry?...

"Ah, do you think we're your slaves? Both Anje and I are slaves you bought, right?"

"Yeah, angels."

"Angels, angels... you keep saying."

Yeah. Angels. I want to draw them quickly. But they're both young, so I can't push them too hard. Tomorrow is their day off.

"Hehe, there's nothing you can do. Give up, boy. This is what happens when you're brought here by Togo. There's nothing you can do."

Chroa chuckled and patted Lian's head. ...When an older sister pats you, an angel has no choice but to be silent. Confused, Lian seemed to finally accept it.

"...If you really insist, I can teach you some work after the commissioned painting is done."

"Yeah, if it's something that won't hurt you, it's fine."

"But, kids' work is growing up healthy. Don't think too much about working."

Yeah. They're both young angels. The most important thing is that they stay healthy, I think.

...Healthy is better for drawing, too.

---

That day, after bathing the Serez siblings and making them wear clean pajamas, I carried them to their house and put them to bed.

Anje was already dozing off, so she fell asleep as soon as I put her in bed. Buried in the white sheets and blankets, she looked like an angel sleeping on a cloud. I want to draw this.

"...Hey."

"Yeah."

"Is it really okay? This feels... strange."

"It's fine. You earned it."

Lian was fidgeting on the bed, but when I said that, he looked surprised.

"Your beauty is yours, and the expressions you show are yours. With your expressions, movements, and emotions, you became attractive to me. I wanted to draw you. That's the evaluation you earned from me."

...I understand the confusion of suddenly receiving an evaluation. I felt the same way.

"But, no one has ever..."

"Yeah. That's why we're lucky to have met. Both of us."

But, I've already evaluated him. That alone gives him a reason to be here... The rest is just about making him understand it.

"Good night. From the day after tomorrow, I'll need you to model, so please be ready."

"O-Okay..."

When I closed the door, Lian sat on the bed, dazed, but then looked at Anje, relaxed, and dove into the bed with determination. Yeah. Good night.

---

The next day, I spent the whole day drawing fairies.

They flit around, but if I ask, they stop on the flowers and pose, so I can quickly sketch them.

Then, I take out watercolors and quickly color them. Yeah, this is quite fun.

Fairies are mostly like humans, so the drawing method is similar. Their skeletons and muscle structures look like small humans.

But, they are beautiful. Fairies are sparkling and very beautiful. So, I want to express the sparkling light in the coloring. ...But, this sparkling might be better expressed with oil paints than watercolors...

Around noon, Lian and Anje started playing in the forest. Lian still seemed a bit awkward, but Anje, being young, quickly adapted to the forest.

Finding tree bark with unusual shapes, admiring flowers, running and lying down in the meadow. They were having a great time.

"They look so happy. Yeah, I feel relieved."

"Yeah, me too."

While watching them with Fey, I started thinking about the composition of the painting.

The two playing around are already very angelic, but the commissioned painting is of "angels blessing humans." I need the two angels to bless humans.

Also, this painting will be displayed in the entrance hall, so it needs to look good. I could use many colors for a vibrant look or limit the colors for a more subdued look.

Hmm... it's a tough decision. The color scheme might depend on the composition. So, I need to think about how to have the two angels bless humans.

It's a painting to pray for the safe birth of Saphire's baby and to celebrate the baby's birth.

...Hmm.

"Can you try blessing humans?"

"Huh?"

I asked Lian, even though it was his day off.

"...What do you mean by blessing?"

"...What is blessing...?"

I know, but what is blessing?

I asked Fey, who was next to me.

"Hey, what is blessing...?"

"Huh? Uh... hmm, oh, right. Blessing is... wishing humans to be happy, I think? Yeah."

I see. That's fine. Got it.

"...Wait, my explanation is bad? 'Be happy' isn't it!?"

"No, I think that's fine."

I understand Fey's feeling. Well, an angel's blessing probably involves some mysterious power, but without that, what remains is probably just "be happy." That's why it's called a blessing. So, I think Fey is not wrong. Probably.

...But, Lian seemed confused.

"Huh? Even if you say that, I've never thought about it..."

Muttering, he thought for a moment, then said as if he had an idea.

"Mostly, a kid who steals can't think 'be happy' for anyone!"

...When he said that, I could only say, "I see."

Lian's father kept making debts, and Anje was sold. Lian was stealing to buy Anje back... In such a life, it's impossible to think about blessing someone.

I don't know much about how he lived, but if his whole life was like that, then, indeed, Lian...

"...But, I'm thinking about it now."

Lian said, looking up at me with eyes like a piece of the blue sky.

"You can be happy. Yeah, I hope you are."

Before I could say anything, Lian added, looking anxious.

"Look, you saved Anje. I'm free from that lousy father. The food was delicious. The bed was soft. Anje slept well and is having fun now..."

Looking at Anje, who was dancing with fairies in the flower field, spinning, falling, and laughing, Lian smiled a little. It was a different expression from when he stole from my bag.

"...I don't understand why you're doing this for us... and I don't understand what you mean by 'you earned it,' but... I was happy."

Lian said, still looking at Anje.

"So, I can return the favor. I can't give you anything, but... I can think 'be happy' for you."

Seeing Lian, who blushed and looked away, I suddenly thought of my teacher.

I received many things from my teacher. They shaped who I am now.

I didn't understand why my teacher gave me so many things, and I still don't understand everything. But... yeah. It's the same. The same as Lian.

I want to return what I received. That's "be happy."

I see. People who can wish for others' happiness are those who have received happiness. People who can bless are those who have been blessed.

...So, the angels I should draw are not just "angels blessing humans" but "angels blessed by humans."

As I thought, the composition of the painting gradually formed in my mind.

It's an angel with a happy face.

An angel who has suffered because of humans and was wary of them... but has become happy and, for the first time, wants to make someone else happy.

...Yeah. I want to draw this.