Chapter 43

After Golden Week ended, the usual daily routine returned.

I feel so lazy, but school starts again today.

“Haa~ I’m so sleepy.”

“Haa~ I’m so sleepy.”

Following my yawn, the fairy on my head yawned as well... Wait, a fairy!?

“Why are you just here as if it’s normal!?”

“Well, your head is just so comfortable, Master. So I followed you.”

Seriously, I didn’t even notice because it felt so natural.

There’s no time to go back now, so I guess I have to bring her to school...

“People might see you, so don’t show yourself under any circumstances.”

“No worries, no worries! I won’t make that mistake again!”

I find it hard to believe... but whatever. It’s not like anyone will see you anyway.

“By the way, Nia, are you still keeping that bug?”

“Yes, this bug is extremely interesting. Its appearance is very intricate, but there are many other fascinating aspects as well.”

“Is that so? Let it go when you’re done.”

For some reason, Nia is very fond of the golden beetle she caught after the cherry blossom viewing yesterday.

It has transformed into a robot and is still playing with the beetle in her bag.

Well, the beetle seems to be doing fine, so it should be okay to leave it for a while longer.

“Alright, let’s get the indoor shoes... huh?”

As I was thinking about this, it suddenly happened.

When I checked the shoe locker to change into my indoor shoes, I found what looked like a letter inside.

“This...”

I cautiously opened it and saw a simple message written in clumsy yet cute handwriting.

“After school, wait in front of Sapporo TV Tower. Please come.”

“This...!”

I quickly checked the shoe locker.

“It’s not a mistake. This is Master’s shoe locker.”

Nia is right; it’s definitely my shoe locker. No doubt about it.

So, this could be...

“Master, this is it! It’s a love letter, isn’t it!?”

I nodded quietly at the fairy’s words.

It seems spring has finally come for me as well.

◇

After school. In a park shrouded in mist, two girls were standing.

“I’m really sorry. I talked to my sister and my father, but they wouldn’t cooperate...”

“It’s completely fine. Just having your help, Runa, is a great support!”

The black-haired girl apologizing is Mizuno Runa. The blonde girl responding is her best friend, Owl.

“Owl, I have to maintain the barrier, so I can’t fight at full strength. Our opponent is a skilled one who managed to shake off your reconnaissance familiar. Be careful if it comes to a fight.”

“It’s fine. I won’t take unnecessary risks. Besides, I have these guys.”

As she spoke, Owl looked at the two glowing orbs flying around her head.

“You’re right. It was unnecessary worry. No matter how skilled they are, they won’t be able to hurt you.”

Owl’s confidence was echoed by Runa.

As a fellow spirit mage and best friend, Runa understands Owl’s abilities better than anyone.

“They’re here.”

“Let’s talk first.”

The two girls turned to face a boy walking calmly through the mist.

◇

“Ah...”

After school. I came to the TV tower as instructed, but I made a terrible mistake.

“I don’t know who the sender is...”

I got too excited. Why didn’t I realize this earlier...

“The letter didn’t have a sender. By the way, Master, maybe you shouldn’t have changed out of your uniform?”

“You’re right.”

The fairy is correct.

I went home to change out of my uniform, but it might have been better to come as I was. That was another mistake.

“But it would take too long to go back now, so I’ll stay like this.”

I’ll have to hope the person who wrote the letter can find me in my casual clothes.

“I found you!!”

“I found you!!”

“Huh?”

As I was thinking this, two girls suddenly burst out of the crowd.

One was a girl with a short, stylish ponytail... Ah! It’s Runa, the sister of the class representative!

The other blonde girl... It’s the one I bumped into during the cherry blossom viewing yesterday!

“I won’t let you escape this time!”

“You’re going to be caught quietly!”

“What! Why!?”

What’s going on? I didn’t call them, and I wasn’t trying to escape...

“‘Mist Illusion Barrier’!”

“Barrier!?”

The sister of the class representative cast a mist-like barrier without any regard for my situation. The tourists and passersby near the TV tower naturally moved outside the barrier.

I see, this barrier not only keeps people away but also blocks external recognition.

“Learned, learned.”

Still, what’s happening? I just came because I was called, and now I’m being accused of trying to escape and surrounded by a barrier... I’m completely confused.

“Master!”

“Huh? Danger!”

Thanks to the fairy’s warning, I dodged just in time. A water spear pierced the ground where I was standing a moment ago.

“You missed, but your reaction was better this time.”

“Runa... doesn’t she seem different from before? Her clothes aren’t her uniform...”

“Owl, what are you saying? We almost got killed by that guy. We can’t let our guard down.”

“You’re right. Sorry.”

“Let’s focus on defeating that guy first. We can talk afterward.”

“Yes! Sunda, ‘Shot Bullet’! Gran, ‘Saucer Blade’!”

Just as I thought they were talking, the blonde girl launched a barrage of lightning pellets and rock blades.

“Wow, that’s intense...”

The attack, consisting of countless pellets and blades, left no room for evasion.

Normally, that is.

“‘Enhancement’!”

I enhanced my thinking speed and physical strength, dodging all the incoming lightning pellets and rock blades at high speed.

“You didn’t block, you dodged!?”

“Such a response is the first time for us!”

The two girls were surprised. Hahaha! I’ve been improving the proficiency of ‘Enhancement’ every day! While enhancing abilities can become too powerful and hard to control, I’ve managed to regulate physical enhancements almost perfectly!

“Your physical abilities are impressive, but surely you can’t avoid this. Dine, ‘Lance’!”

The sister of the class representative launched a water spear at my landing spot as I jumped to avoid the attack. It was a good shot.

But, it was too easy!

“‘Scatter Flame Bullet’!”

Even in mid-air, I can fire scatter bullets from the soles of my feet to dodge! My shoes and socks will be ruined, but I have no choice...

“—Huh? Ow!”

The spell I drew on my feet didn’t react at all, and I landed normally, getting hit by the water spear.

Thanks to ‘Enhancement,’ it was just a minor scratch, and the wound healed thanks to the ‘Substitute Card’ effect.

But...

“Why didn’t ‘Scatter Flame Bullet’ activate?”

‘Enhancement’ and ‘Substitute Card’ worked fine, but ‘Scatter Flame Bullet’ didn’t respond at all.

“Now! Sunda, Gran, ‘Blast Lance’!”

“Gah!”

They didn’t give me time to think. So be it!

“‘Triple Barrier’!”

I tried to block the incoming lightning and rock spears with barriers... but the barriers didn’t activate either!?

“Damn, ‘Toy’!”

I created multiple clay figures as substitutes just before the spears hit. The spears exploded on impact, and the clay figures were blown away, but I was unharmed.

“I can’t use ‘Spells,’ but ‘Abilities’ work fine. What’s going on...”

‘When casting spells, I can clearly sense Master’s spiritual energy. The issue isn’t the presence or absence of spiritual energy, but the flow.’

Nia’s analysis was helpful, but what does ‘flow’ mean? I’m trying to use them as usual...

‘Ah, it might be my fault! I’ve been feeling Master’s magic power flowing to me, but I couldn’t do anything with it, so I just absorbed it. Teehee!’

“Teehee isn’t the right reaction!”

“Eek!”

When I shouted, the fairy was surprised and appeared.

“Fairy, how can I use spells like before!?”

“Hmm, I think a proper contract should fix it.”

“Contract?”

“Yes. Right now, the relationship between me and Master is just a casual one.”

Her wording...

“So, a proper contract should allow me to use spells.”

“How do I make a proper contract?”

“Maybe a name. I think giving me a name would help. Being called ‘Fairy’ feels kind of bland.”

“A name...”

It’s the same as with Kuro. In the world of spirits and fairies, giving a name is like forming a master-servant contract.

“Alright, I’ll give you a name.”

“Really!?”

“Yes, I’ve actually been thinking about it.”

I’ve been in the habit of naming spirits like Kuro, so I unconsciously thought about a name for the fairy. Habits are powerful.

“Hurry, hurry! What’s the name!?”

She’s really eager. I’ll tell her quickly.

“Your name is ‘Ur’.”

“Ur! Yay, it sounds great! Does it have any meaning or origin!?”

“Yeah, it does.”

She’s so excited, flying around my head at high speed. Her feathers are hitting me, and she’s being noisy.

“There are deities of abundance and goddesses of the past with names similar to yours. Also, the first two letters of ‘Ultimate’ in Japanese are ‘Ur’... There are various origins.”

“Wow! Amazing! Just as I expected from Master!”

It seems she likes it. That’s good...

“Yayyyyyy!!”

“Huh? Wait! Ur!?”

Did the name-giving have an effect? Ur suddenly emitted a rainbow light... and then it stopped without any issues.

“What happened?”

“Sorry for surprising you! It’s just a sign that the contract is complete!”

I was startled, thinking it might explode.

“More importantly, I think Master can now use ‘Spells’!”

“Oh, really? That’s great.”

Among the techniques I’ve learned, I’ve relied a lot on the yin-yang spell ‘Scatter Flame Bullet.’ I was a bit worried about not being able to use it.

“Hehehe! I’ll show you the power of the ultimate fairy, Ur!!”

“You’re going to fight too?”

Well, if she can fly that fast, she won’t be in the way. I’ll put her in a barrier if it gets dangerous.

“Ultimate fairy—Ur! Hehehe!”

It seems she really likes the name ‘Ur’... I’m feeling a bit guilty.

“Master, is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

I can’t tell her... about the other word that’s part of the name’s origin...

It’s been over a month without any updates, and I apologize for that.

I’ll restart the updates, though the pace will be slow!