Chapter 106: I’ll do my best

In the morning, after Melal came to pick me up, we left the inn, dealing with this and that, in order to meet Mel.

While walking, I noticed something that bothered me a lot. Perhaps influenced by Dyne’s story, Bell was persistently asking Dyne to tell her a story. Is it because she’s a spirit or a young girl? It’s delightful to see Dyne eagerly engaging in the conversation about romance.

“Hey, why do you look so happy? Is it okay to leave it alone? No, never mind that, can you please not involve me?”

Melal approached me in a desperate state, asking for my help. Melal should be older than me, but I, being younger, would teach her the truth.

“Melal, running away in times like this is futile. You should be a man who can listen to others with a closed heart and a smile. Hang in there.”

Huh? Melal looked at me with a confused expression as if saying, “What is this person talking about?” Melal, it’s no use. Even if you’re older, if you look like a child, your mentality will be influenced by childish things.

Melal seemed to dislike the romantic conversation with Dyne very much and asked if there was any way to avoid getting involved. It seems she can’t give up.

Yeah. The expression of anxiety and impatience she has now is better than the expression she had when she was worried about Mel. Maybe it’s thanks to Dyne that I feel better. When I watched Melal with kind eyes, she told me not to look at her with a creepy gaze. It’s shocking.

“This is the workshop where I am being enshrined. Mel is inside, so please come in.”

The place we arrived seemed to be a gathering place for craftsmen, as the sound of making things could be heard from all over. Among them, there was one workshop that was quite big and splendid, albeit a little old. Oh, I remember now, it’s a family of blacksmiths through generations.

As I entered, there was a little girl behind the counter, and a young woman who seemed like an adventurer was talking to her. I had a bad feeling… I should have come back later. “Welcome…” Ah, she called out to me.

The adventurer woman turned around in response to the girl’s voice and looked at me with a very unpleasant expression. As I thought, she knows about me. It seems that I am somewhat recognized as a spirit magician because I defeated the kidnapper, but being disliked hasn’t changed.

“May I take your order?”

“Hey, Mel, come over here.”

“W-What? Yunis-chan, there’s a customer. Hey, don’t drag me like that.”

The adventurer woman named Yunis pulled Mel along and went further inside. I can already guess what she’s going to say. Wait, that little girl is Mel? A blacksmith? That’s impossible. Huh? A small blacksmith equals a dwarf. Yeah, all the mysteries are solved.

If it’s a dwarf, then it makes sense. But I always thought male dwarves were blacksmiths. In this world, do female dwarves also work as blacksmiths?

“Hey, Melal. Who is that woman named Yunis who dragged Mel away?”

“Huh? Oh, she’s Mel’s childhood friend. But what happened? Yunis had an incredible expression on her face when she saw Yuta.”

“Well, my reputation at the Adventurer’s Guild is the worst. That girl, Yunis, is an adventurer, right? I think she’s probably telling Mel about the bad rumors about me.”

“Are you really that infamous?”

“Yeah, surprisingly so.”

“What are you going to do? Mel is stubborn but also easily frightened. She might be afraid to even talk to Yuta.”

Stubborn and easily frightened. Can those two traits coexist?

“Should I just give up?”

“No, you can’t. Wait a moment. Are you a bad person? It’s not good to get close to Mel if you’re a bad person.”

He said something unreasonable. Does he even know what he’s saying?

“I have a bad reputation, but I’m not a bad person. If you doubt it, you can ask Dyne and the others.”

I actually went to ask them. In times like this, shouldn’t I be the one who believes in Yuta?

“Well, um, let me see. Yuta-chan can be a bit mean, but I think he’s a good kid overall. But he’s going through puberty, so it’s natural for him to want to be mean to his beloved Oneechan. It’s really troublesome for me.”

“Puberty?” “Kyu?” “Adolescence.” “Kuu?”

I got annoyed for the first time in a while. I finished adolescence a long time ago. I’m just a slightly dreamy adult man. And I’m getting worried that Bell and the others are gradually being influenced by Dyne.

But this was supposed to be an easy job, and somehow it feels like it’s becoming troublesome.

“I don’t really understand, but for now, I believe in Yuta, so don’t do anything weird.”

Melal, you definitely don’t believe in that.

“What do you mean by ‘weird’?”

While pouting, Mel and Yunis came back.

“Uh, um. Sorry to keep you waiting. How can I assist you today?”

“I-I-I… um… Well, it doesn’t really matter if you kept me waiting. My name is Yuta. I have something I don’t want others to hear, so is there a place where we can talk privately?”

I wonder just how much negative reputation has been ingrained in them if they tremble in fear just from a response.

“Um, but…”

She’s supposed to be my childhood friend named Yunis, so she should be a proper adult, but I feel guilty when I see her scared of me just because I look like a little girl.

“Hey, you. What do you plan to do with that secret conversation? If you do anything strange, I won’t forgive you.”

Yunis says threateningly while hugging Mel. I don’t know what kind of beast-person she is, but her threatening stance resembles a fierce animal. She’s a carnivorous beauty like Eltina. But it’s hard to believe she’s childhood friends with this small girl and the brown-skinned glamorous beauty.

“I’m not planning to do anything wrong. I just have something very important to tell you, and it’s better if there are fewer people listening.”

Well, it seems like things have become troublesome. I should have quickly turned around and left before being approached. Should I go back now? … No, that would be too suspicious.

“I can’t accept that.”

Well, even though she’s an adult, it’s difficult for her to be alone with a small girl like me, who has such a terrible reputation.

“Even if you say that, it’s an important matter. … It’s about Mel, Melal. It might be able to solve your worries. Whether you listen or not is up to you. But if you continue like this, nothing will change.”

…It feels kind of like a spiritual scam, and it seems dubious even to myself.

“What do you mean?”

“Hey, Melal is the spirit enshrined in that furnace over there, right? What are you talking about?”

I understand how she feels, but Yunis is annoying. Behind the workshop she pointed at, there’s a furnace with a small fire burning. According to Melal, the fire is always lit except in very rare cases.

“If it’s Mel, you know what’s behind me, right? That’s all I’ll say. The rest is up to Mel to decide.”

“Hey, Yuta. Be nicer to Mel.”

Melal is overprotective. I actually think I’m quite nice to her. I use polite language and everything.

“Don’t ignore me.”

“This is a discussion as a spirit mage, and whether to listen or not is a decision for Mel to make. Please stay quiet for a moment.”

Why is it that conversations with beautiful women are often tense? I feel like it’s mostly my fault, but I would appreciate some light-hearted developments once in a while.

“I’m Mel’s best friend, you know? Are you saying you won’t tell even me?”

“Yes, that’s right. The contents of the conversation involve secrets of a spirit mage, so I can’t tell you. So please be quiet. What will you do, Mel?”

It’s not wrong to keep secrets if they’re something you want to keep hidden. It’s true that I’ve heard rumors about you being a spirit mage who defeated kidnappers… She mutters something. It seems that YYunis also knows that Sylphy protected Sara and the others.

“Um, so… Will my worries be resolved?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. Please tell me.”

“Mel!”

“Yunis, it won’t work like this. To properly inherit the shop, I need Melal’s recognition.”

“But… That guy is called a scammer and a wicked person who exploits children. If someone like him is coming and going, it will damage the reputation of this workshop that has been passed down for generations.”

She said something terrible. Does she think I won’t be hurt by that? But it’s the first time I’ve heard about someone being a wicked person who exploits children. I might need to confirm what kind of rumors are circulating.

“Is that so?”

What do you expect me to say? Yes, he’s a bad person! He’s a wicked person who exploits children! Do you think someone will say that? I’m starting to understand why Yunis is worried.

“I haven’t committed any crimes.”

“Understood. I’ll believe you. I have a feeling that the many beings behind you are also saying that you’re not a bad person.”

Maybe Mel has incredible talent as a spirit mage. Indeed, when Yunis speaks ill of me, Bell and the others always come to my defense and say, “That’s not true.” Maybe Mel sensed those feelings.

“Mel, are you really okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Phew, understood. But there’s a condition. I won’t listen to the conversation, but it has to take place within my sight.”

It’s troublesome, but I accept the condition and choose the location to talk. As a result, we decide to talk with Mel at one end of the corridor while Yunis keeps watch at the opposite end.

Since she’s a beast-person with animal ears, Bell creates an air barrier to block the sound and protect our privacy. Finally, we can start the conversation. It’s a simple and quick talk, yet it took so much time to get here.

“Well then, Mel, please promise me that what I’m about to tell you will be kept absolutely secret. That includes Yunis over there. If you break the promise, Melal will never come near you again. Understood?”

Uh-oh, she’s extremely nervous. Let’s not reject her here.

“Is it about a contract?”

“Yeah, it’s like a secret of the spirit mage. So it must be kept absolutely secret. If the secret is revealed, Melal will undoubtedly disappear.”

“I-I understand. I will never speak a word of it.”

“Okay, then let’s talk. I came here because Melal asked me to. The content is about resolving your worries and unraveling the techniques of a spirit mage.”

“Melal did? But I thought he hated me.”

Mel’s eyes widen in surprise. She seems quite shocked.

“You’re not hated. It’s just that Melal has evolved into an intermediate spirit, and the previous level of magic power wasn’t enough to form a contract. If you level up and increase your magic power, you can form a contract.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Now, I’ll teach you a simple way to communicate, which you can try.”

I teach Mel the communication method that Sara and the others use with Fuku-chan. It’s simple, so it will be over quickly.

“Now, try communicating with Melal.”

“Understood. Melal-sama… If my magic power increases, will you form a contract with me? If you will, please move towards my right hand.”

In response to Mel’s words, Melal happily moves towards her right hand. After confirming that Melal has moved to her right hand, Mel, perhaps relieved of her previous anxieties, bursts into tears loudly.

“You… What did you say to Mel?”

I knew it. Even if I can’t hear her voice, I can tell she’s crying just by looking at her. Seeing Yunis, who approaches with a fierce expression, it’s quite exasperating. It seems like it will take some time to calm her down.