Chapter 3

Yuta Morizono, 25 years old, a working adult. As he stepped out of the supermarket, a vast wilderness stretched out before his eyes... Please help me.

Why did it come to this? When did the automatic doors of the supermarket lead directly to a wilderness? When he turned around, the automatic doors that should have been there were gone. He took out his smartphone and tablet from his bag to check for a signal, but both were out of range.

It was the long-awaited Golden Week. He had managed to take his paid leave and secured eleven consecutive days off. He went to the supermarket to buy a large amount of food to indulge in the pile of manga, light novels, and games he had accumulated.

A large amount of instant food, ready-to-eat meals, frozen food, canned goods, premium beer bought in cases, his favorite whiskey and sake, red and white wine, shochu, various snacks, and plenty of sweets. His excitement was at its peak.

Since he couldn't carry everything alone, he loaded a cart and headed for the parking lot... but somehow ended up in the wilderness. The cart was right in front of him. How long do frozen foods last? The harsh sunlight was beating down on the cart.

I don't understand what's happening, but staying still won't help. I need to find people. The landscape around me is a vast, reddish-brown land. In the distance, I can see steep cliffs that look like towers. It's like the Monument Valley I've seen on TV.

...I'm in trouble. I thought the view was high, but it seems I'm on top of a cliff. I looked around, but there's no way down. I'm an indoor person. I've never done rock climbing.

Is this America? There are no roads around. It doesn't seem like any cars will pass. Maybe a plane will spot me if it flies by. I should probably make an SOS sign.

I looked around, but there are only rocks... even if I make an SOS sign with rocks of the same color, it won't stand out. Should I use the food from the cart? If I arrange them individually, they might stand out, but if I put frozen foods on the ground, they'll melt quickly.

I'll gather the frozen foods and use other foods and drinks to make an SOS sign. The alcohol will be exposed to direct sunlight... I feel like crying.

But the bottles are glass, so they might reflect light. I can't drink them all in this situation. I bought three of each... if help comes soon, it'll be fine. Please find me before the alcohol goes bad. I resolved myself and headed to the cart to arrange the food.

...Am I hallucinating from the heat? I can see a little girl on top of the cart. She's peering curiously into a plastic bag.

She's about two years old, wearing a leaf-like outfit, and is very cute. She wasn't there a moment ago... but somehow she appeared in the wilderness. ...This is bad. I feel like I'll be socially destroyed.

I don't have a preference for young girls, but will anyone believe me? If this is America, there's a risk of being shot. I'm not sure if the situation has improved or worsened.

"Hey, little girl. Why are you here? Where are your parents? I need help."

I decided to speak to her, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression. Did I surprise her? I don't want her to cry. I don't have the skills to calm a child.

The little girl looked at me curiously, tilted her head, and pointed at herself. She's cute.

"Yeah, you. Where are your dad and mom?"

I asked as gently as possible to avoid surprising her again. The little girl floated up and moved back and forth in the air.

When I saw her fluffy, sparkling emerald green hair, I thought, "Maybe..." but if she flies away, it's over.

I've been working for three years. I do have otaku hobbies, but I thought I had sealed away the young heart that creates dark history. But seeing a little girl with emerald green hair floating in the air, I can't help but suspect I've been transported to another world.

I feel a bit excited, which is embarrassing. I move my face in sync with the floating little girl. On the top of a steep cliff with no place to run... I hope she's not a dangerous creature.

"Can you see me?"

The little girl tilted her head again and asked.

"I can see you."

I can see you clearly. Is she normally invisible?

"Can you hear my voice?"

"Yeah, I can hear your voice."

"Wow, amazing!"

The little girl's excitement suddenly spiked, and she started spinning and flailing her limbs in the air. What's going on?

"Um, are you calm? Is it rare for you to be seen?"

"Yeah, it's amazing to see a spirit!"

...A spirit? A spirit? Hmm, this is definitely a fantasy world. If being seen is amazing, did I get a cheat?

She's so cute. I can't help but touch her head. She's so fluffy.

"Wow, I can touch you. I can touch a spirit. Amazing!"

Oh, she's so excited. She's spinning so much in the air, doesn't she get dizzy? I need to calm her down.

"Um, you're a spirit, right? What's your name?"

"Name? My name... my name is a secret. I can't tell you easily."

She looks at me with a "Phew, that was close" expression. I have no intention of tricking her.

"Okay, it's a secret. Sorry for asking. Can you tell me where we are?"

"We're in the Land of Death."

She smiled and told me. She's cute, but the name she gave is ominous. Is it the Land of Death? That's not a joke.

"Is that so. Are there any places nearby where people live?"

"People? I don't know."

...She doesn't know. Is it because she's a child?

"Um, I want to get down from here. Is there any way?"

"??? Get down? How?"

No, this conversation isn't going anywhere. I'm in a very tight spot. I need to do something.

"Hey, do you know any spirits who can bring people here? If you know, I'd be happy if you could bring them here."

"I know. I'll go."

"Wait, hold on..."

The little girl flew away with a "whoosh." She's so fast... I'm worried if she'll come back. Is my fate now in the hands of a little girl? The more I think about it, the more anxious I become.

I'll stop thinking and organize my things. I'll gather the cold items and put them in a shaded area at the bottom of the cart.

They're still cold and solid, so they should be fine for now, but they'll go bad soon. I'll try to create some shade with instant food and beer cases. The ready-to-eat meals should be fine, but what about the frozen food?

As I was rummaging through the cart, I heard a "hee hee" laugh from behind. I turned around and saw a beautiful woman holding the little spirit. She came back quickly.

She has the same emerald green hair, so is she the mother? But the little girl's hair is fluffy, while the woman's is straight, so there's a possibility they're not related. I'm curious if spirits can have children.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuta Morizono. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Hehe, it's fine. But you can really see us?"

She's so beautiful. No, she's not human, but a spirit. Her skin is so fair, her hair so smooth, and her figure is like a supermodel. She's so beautiful and cool.

"Yes, I can see you. It's rare, right? I can see you without any discomfort, so I'm not sure what's happening."

"Yes, it's very rare. Even those who have an affinity for spirits can only sense their presence, and it's rare to hear their voices. To see and touch them... are you really human?"

Oh, a cheat? Maybe I can do something amazing. My sealed-away middle school heart is tingling.

"It's that rare, huh? I don't remember stopping being human, so I think I'm human. What can I do if I can see spirits?"

I'm getting excited. As a working adult, I should be thinking about how to return, but... Dad, Mom, brother, sister, I'm sorry.

"Yes, if you can see and talk to spirits, it will be easier to make a contract with them. Very few people can make contracts with spirits, so you have a significant advantage."

"Wow, that sounds amazing. Can I make a contract with you?"

It would be incredible to make a contract with such a beautiful spirit.

"Hehe, no."

"That's a shame."

It's quite a shock.

"It's not that you can't. I find you interesting, but your magic power is insufficient. You don't have enough magic power to make a contract even with this child."

The older spirit smiled and stroked the little girl's head. My magic power is insufficient?

"Will you make a contract if my magic power increases? Can magic power increase in the first place?"

It turns out I have magic power. This might be a world of swords and magic.

"Your magic power will increase as your level goes up. Since you seem interesting, I'll make a contract with you at the minimum magic power. Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm the Great Spirit of Wind, Sylph. Nice to meet you."

There are levels? This is definitely a fantasy world. What's the minimum magic power? And she's a Great Spirit, which sounds impressive.

"Wait, I thought spirits shouldn't easily tell their names, is it okay?"

"Yes, young spirits like this child don't have external names. My name, Sylph, is also an external name. If you make a contract with this child, you can give her a name."

"A name? I'll try to think of one if I get the chance, but it's difficult."

The little spirit looks at me with sparkling eyes. Does she want a name? Naming someone is difficult, and I'm not confident. But more importantly, I need to find a way to escape from this place. I don't want to be left in the Land of Death.

Thank you for reading.