Chapter 13

With the effect of the spirit contract in mind, I head towards a ghost-type monster that I couldn't defeat before. I walk behind Sylph, holding Bell. It seems that Bell's default position after the contract is in my arms.

"Yuta. Can you see the one floating over there?"

"Hmm? Yeah, there's definitely something there. Is that a ghost or a wraith?"

"Yes. The one with a clear shape in the center is a wraith. The ones around it, with unstable and distorted forms, are ghosts."

Suddenly, both ghosts and wraiths appeared. Since there's a wraith in the center, it might be a group with the wraith commanding the ghosts. The ghosts are barely discernible as human outlines, while the wraith is clearly and stably human-shaped.

"So, Sylph. How do we defeat them?"

"Get close to the monster and ask Bell to defeat it. Once you get used to Bell's attack methods, you can choose more precisely, and Yuta can fight in the way he wants."

I see. If I roughly ask Bell to defeat the enemy, Bell will act freely and take them down. If I add conditions, like asking Bell to defeat them without using flashy attacks, Bell will follow my wishes.

"Got it. I'll give it a try."

I approach the ghosts and wraiths while still holding Bell and ask her.

"Bell, can you defeat the monsters over there?"

"Sure thing!"

She floats up, raises her right hand to the sky, and confidently declares it. She's full of determination. Bell extends both hands towards the ghosts and wraiths.

"Wind Blade Dance!"

As Bell casts the spell, numerous pale green wind blades appear around the monsters and attack them from all directions. They are completely shattered.

So, the spell is called Wind Blade Dance? It's a Japanese name, but it's incredibly powerful. The ghosts and wraiths were cut to pieces and vanished, yet the attack continues. It's definitely overkill. If I can find the right spell to defeat monsters with the optimal power, it will be more efficient.

Finally, the spell's effect wears off. Bell flies into my chest and looks up at me with sparkling eyes. She wants praise, right?

"Wow, Bell, that was amazing. You looked so cool. Thank you."

I manage to praise her and stroke her head. Bell, excited by the praise, is wriggling in my arms. I'm starting to feel a paternal instinct, which is a bit concerning.

"Hmm, it seems hard to find magic stones this way."

I approach the battle site and look around. The wind blades have gouged the ground everywhere, leaving it in a mess.

"Oh, ghosts and wraiths don't have magic stones. They don't have physical forms."

"Huh? Then how do they exist?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's due to their attachment to the world of the living?"

Sylph, you're being vague. But if they're not monsters, are they ghosts? Thinking too deeply about it is scary, so I'll just accept them as monsters.

"Still, Bell's magic was impressive. If a lower spirit is this strong, how strong is Sylph?"

"Hehe. I'm a Great Spirit of Wind. I'm as strong as my rank suggests."

Sylph's face is full of pride. A Great Spirit... that's three ranks above Bell. I can't even imagine how strong she is.

"I'll work hard to be able to contract with you soon."

"I'm looking forward to it. It's getting late, so let's go back and rest. I'll bring the water spirit in the morning, so don't oversleep."

"Right, that's true. Let's go back."

I had completely forgotten about tomorrow because of Bell's magic. I need to get back and go to sleep quickly.

We return to the well, and I say goodbye to Sylph and Bell. As I try to slip into the rock cave, Bell follows me. She says she wants to sleep with me since we just contracted.

When I mention that the rock floor isn't comfortable, she says she'll sleep on top of me, so it won't be a problem. I won't be able to roll over easily.

***

When I wake up, it's pitch dark. I'm getting used to it, but I really want to install a window when I can make a safe place. Waking up to the morning sun would be refreshing and nice.

First, I need a soft bed. My body is stiff and sore. I float a light ball and carefully pick up Bell, who is curled up on my chest, to sit up.

Right, today the water spirit is coming. I should go outside early. I remove the rock blocking the entrance and step outside. It's still dim; the sun hasn't fully risen yet.

I call for Sylph, but she doesn't appear. She must not be back yet. Bell starts to stir in my arms.

"Good morning, Bell."

"Yuta, good morning!"

She greets me energetically, wide awake and ready to go. I'm a bit envious.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yep, I slept well."

"That's good. I'll tidy up, so play around here for a bit."

"Okay."

With Bell gone, I stretch my stiff body and clean myself with a cleansing spell. I try to smooth out my bedhead and the wrinkles in my clothes as much as possible. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.

For breakfast... I'm not sure what will happen, but once the water is clean, I'll boil some water and have instant ramen.

Okay, I need to boil water, so I'll make a stove. I also need some dishes. I take a suitable rock and process it with a saw. It's easier the second time. I make air holes with a chisel... and the stove is complete.

I'll also make a bowl and chopsticks for the ramen. I cut a piece of wood to a square shape and roughly shape it with a saw. It's easy to cut.

Once I have the rough shape, I use a chisel to smooth out the bumps and finish it with a magical plane. It's a bit uneven, but it's functional.

"Interesting!"

Bell, who was watching with interest, is now examining the bowl from all angles.

"Be careful not to drop it, Bell."

"Got it!"

I don't know what's so interesting about the bowl, but she's putting it on her head and sitting on it. As long as she's having fun, that's fine. I'll make the chopsticks now.

I take two sturdy branches and carefully shape them with a survival knife. It's hard to make the ends thinner. I manage to shape them and finish them with a plane.

Magic tools are amazing. The sharpness is incredible, so I can process things quickly. The problem is when I cut too much or cut myself. I need to be careful, or I might end up with a serious injury.

"Ah, Sylph is back!"

Following Bell's voice, I look up and see Sylph and someone else. Hmm? Something is flying around them. What is that? As I wonder, Sylph is in front of me. She's still incredibly fast.

The mysterious flying object is... a light blue dolphin, about eighty centimeters long. It has big, cute eyes. It's flying.

"Um, welcome back, Sylph. Is that the water spirit?"

"Back already. Yes, this is the Great Spirit of Water, Dine."

A Great Spirit brought another Great Spirit. Is it okay to have two Great Spirits in such a place?

"Hi, Dine. Nice to meet you."

I was distracted by the dolphin and didn't notice the incredibly beautiful woman in front of me. She has beautiful blue hair, porcelain-white skin, and slightly drooping blue eyes, giving her a gentle and calm aura.

Most of all, her bust is incredible. I can't help but compare her to Sylph.

"Hey, Yuta. You're staring without even greeting her. And you were comparing me and Dine, weren't you?"

Oh no, she noticed.

"N-no, I wasn't. Dine, I'm Yuta Morizono. Thank you for coming all the way here."

"Oh, you're very polite. Just call me Dine. No need for formalities. Yuta-kun, nice to meet you."

She uses the "-kun" suffix. Her tone is slow and relaxed... a spirit.

"What are you doing, pushing things forward? Yuta, you were definitely comparing us, weren't you?"

"Sylph, don't get mad over such small things."

"Hey, Dine. I'm not small. I'm average. You're just unnecessarily big."

Sylph, I don't think "small" means that. I shouldn't say it out loud, though. But Sylph was worried about it. I'll be careful in the future.

"Um, Dine, nice to meet you again. What's the flying dolphin?"

I ask about the flying dolphin, which Bell is now riding. She's laughing and having fun, and the dolphin is drifting leisurely. Is this okay?

"Oh, right. This is a lower water spirit. I brought it along after hearing from Sylph."

Lower spirits aren't always in the form of little girls. That's a shock. I pet the dolphin's head. It's cool and smooth, feeling great.

"Yuta, some non-humanoid lower spirits can't speak, but they understand words. You can talk to them normally."

Sylph seems to be in a better mood and gives me advice. It's true that it would be hard for the dolphin to speak.

"I'm Yuta. Nice to meet you."

The dolphin rubs its head against my hand, which is cute.

"Ah, right. This is Windbell. She's a lower wind spirit who has contracted with me."

"Windbell!"

Bell jumps onto Dine's ample chest, buries her face, and greets her. I'm really envious.

"Oh, how cute. Bell, nice to meet you."

"Hi!"

The arrival of the Great Spirit of Water has made things lively. I wonder what will happen next?

Thank you for reading.

Regarding the status error you pointed out, I have corrected it by changing the Intelligence to C in Chapter 2. Thank you for your feedback.