Chapter 54

"Phew..."

Will, feeling unsteady, made his way to where his sisters were.

The evacuation area was set up in the back of the yard, with the seriously injured separated from the others.

In one corner, a place had been designated for the children to gather.

(They’re hugging me too tightly...)

Will was a bit annoyed.

He didn’t mind being hugged.

It was warm and smelled nice.

But when they hugged too tightly, he couldn’t breathe.

No matter how soft and comfortable it felt, being pressed was a nightmare.

Misha and Rosa, in particular, were the worst. His face would get buried.

Will thought.

This must be a weapon designed to stop a man’s breathing.

He needed to be careful not to get too close.

(If I worry them, I get hugged tightly... I’ve learned my lesson.)

Will had become a bit wiser.

"Will!"

As Will approached where the children were gathered, Nina, who had noticed him, ran over shouting.

"Nina-sama, I’m back."

"Will!"

While Will greeted her casually, Nina hugged him tightly.

The story of tight hugs resumed.

However, Nina was flat-chested.

This wasn’t uncomfortable.

Will hugged her back with relief.

"You worried us so much!"

"I’m sorry..."

Will apologized to the slightly excited Nina.

After apologizing and pulling away, Will looked up at Nina and was startled.

"I really, really worried... about you!"

Nina’s big eyes quickly filled with tears.

After trying to hold them back a few times, she couldn’t take it anymore, and large tears started to overflow.

"Phew, gah... waaaah!"

Nina’s loud crying made Will’s body tremble.

The adults turned to see what was happening.

"Oh dear..."

"Nina-sama must have been really worried about Will-sama."

Serena and Myne looked at each other with a troubled smile.

They had been very worried about Will at first, but had been relieved after seeing his doppelgänger.

Magic is linked to the user unless it’s something written down, so if something significant happens to the user, it’s difficult to maintain the magic alone.

Nina, who didn’t know this, had been on edge until she saw Will, even though everyone said they were safe.

The other children, startled by Nina’s loud crying, blinked in confusion.

Eventually, some of the younger children started crying as well.

"Huh...!?"

Will felt blamed.

He didn’t quite understand, but it was a chorus of crying.

Will was drenched in sweat and started to whimper.

He panicked, moved around, and even tried hugging Nina again.

But none of it seemed to work.

"Nina-sama is in trouble!"

Just as he was panicking, Serena intervened.

"Serena-sama, Nina-sama is...!"

"Okay, okay..."

Serena gently patted Will’s head to calm him down.

She did the same for Nina.

"Nina, Will is fine now, so calm down. You’re scaring the little ones. You’re the big sister, remember?"

"Hic..."

Myne wiped away Nina’s tears with a handkerchief.

"Here, all done."

"Mm..."

Myne stepped back after wiping her tears.

Nina was still sniffling but seemed much calmer.

Myne then started to comfort the other crying children.

"Will, it’s not just Nina. I, Mother, and everyone else were very worried. You should reflect on that."

"Yes..."

Looking straight at him, Serena made Will feel dejected.

Serena sighed and smiled, then knelt in the yard, opening her arms.

"If you understand, give your big sister a hug."

The story of tight hugs continued.

"..."

Will hugged Serena, who in turn hugged him back.

Since Serena was also flat-chested, it was still okay.

It wasn’t clingy.

"Okay."

She patted Will’s back a few times and then released him.

"Will, one more time."

As if waiting for Serena to let go, Nina, who had regained her composure, hugged Will from behind.

Nina’s hug was a bit more intense.

It was understandable since he had caused her so much worry.

Will let her do as she pleased, thinking how much he loved his sisters.

Serena, who is often praised for her ladylike demeanor, which she inherited from her mother.

Nina, who is often praised for her energetic nature, which she inherited from her father.

However, their fundamental thinking was actually the opposite.

Serena, who doesn’t dwell on past events, has a carefree personality like her father.

Nina, who first considers others’ feelings regarding past events, has a compassionate personality like her mother.

Therefore, Serena doesn’t get angry at Will and remains her usual gentle self as a big sister.

Nina, on the other hand, had been worried about Will all along, and her emotions overflowed, leading her to cry in relief.

Both sisters are wonderful, inheriting the best qualities of their parents.

*Will...*

"Here, Will."

Will, who had been swaying from Nina’s hug, looked up at the voice.

Following Serena’s gaze, he saw the earth spirit girl, who had a somewhat reserved expression on her usually emotionless face.

She seemed to have been a bit hesitant due to Nina’s outburst.

Noticing this, Nina let go of Will.

"I was monopolizing Will... I must have looked silly. I’m sorry... Come on, Will."

Pushed by Nina, Will approached the earth spirit girl.

*Will... I was worried... but I’m glad you’re safe...*

The earth spirit girl blushed slightly and met Will’s gaze.

"I’m sorry..."

Will realized he had also worried the spirits and felt dejected again.

He recognized that he had caused a lot of worry to many people.

(No matter how many tight hugs I get, it’s not enough...)

He thought he needed to hug them as much as he had worried them.

This was the best apology he could give right now.

*Will...?*

Will’s dejected expression turned serious.

The earth spirit girl, noticing the change in his demeanor, looked at him with concern.

She tentatively reached out and touched Will’s soft hair.

"I’m sorry for worrying you."

Looking back at Will, the earth spirit girl was surprised and then smiled.

*It’s okay. Everyone knows you’re sorry...*

She gently stroked Will’s head.

Will leaned into her touch and, as a natural progression, hugged the earth spirit girl.

The story of tight hugs didn’t enter a new chapter.

"..."

When the earth spirit didn’t hug him back, Will looked up in confusion.

The earth spirit girl was blushing and frozen in place.

Hugging is a form of affection for spirits, but the meaning changes when it’s between a spirit and a human.

Especially since Will had declared he would become the Spirit King and marry the spirits.

For spirits, a human’s age doesn’t matter, and responding to Will’s request means responding to love, which implies—

*Ah!?!*

Just as Will hugged the earth spirit again, a voice came from behind.

It was the wind spirit girl.

She looked shocked and angry, her cheeks flushed as she opened and closed her mouth.

*W-What are you doing!? Are you trying to make a familiar!? You haven’t even made a contract yet! That’s too early!*

*No, no...!*

The wind spirit girl frantically shook her head and raised her hands to show she hadn’t initiated the hug.

Nina, looking confused, tilted her head.

"Familiar...?"

Her gaze shifted to Geborg and Flo, the children of the wind fragment.

Myne then snapped her fingers.

"Oh, I see. Making a child..."

Myne’s words made the earth spirit girl’s face turn even redder.

Creating a familiar between a human and a spirit implies something more.

However, humans can’t create a child just by hugging.

"Baby...?"

Will looked up at the wind spirit girl, who had approached, with a curious expression.

"Eh? But Wind-Serena hugged me before, right?"

Will’s words made the earth spirit girl glare at the wind spirit girl.

*W-Well, that was before I knew Will wanted to become the Spirit King...*

The wind spirit girl tried to explain, but the earth spirit girl looked at her skeptically.

Nina, who had been watching in confusion, finally seemed to understand and snapped her fingers like Myne.

"It’s okay, Will! Hugging alone won’t make a baby!"

"Really...?"

Will tilted his head, still not quite following.

"Really! Babies are brought by the Jumokudori, as Father said!"

"Really...?"

Will nodded ambiguously, not sure if he understood.

Nina was, of course, referring to a folktale.

The Jumokudori is a bird beast that builds nests in safe, high places to protect itself from predators.

It is gentle and harmless to humans, often nesting near human settlements and warning of danger with its calls, making it valuable to humans.

In the past, a childless couple helped a Jumokudori nesting on their roof and watched over it until it fledged, after which they were blessed with a child.

This story spread, and now it’s common for parents to tell their children, "The Jumokudori brings babies."

The adults looked at Nina, who was proudly recounting the folktale, with warm smiles.

It’s the same everywhere, they thought.

Cecilia, who had been listening from a distance, was blushing.

In any case, it seemed Will understood that hugging wasn’t a problem.

"Serena... *n*!"

Will opened his arms to the wind spirit girl.

It was a pose for a hug.

*Um, well... Will, you see...*

"Will, I worried everyone. So... *n*!"

It was a determined pose, without hesitation or flattery.

Will was determined to make amends, but for the wind spirit girl, it felt like a public punishment game.

*Ah, ah...*

The wind spirit girl looked to the earth spirit girl for help, but she quickly averted her gaze.

Of course, she didn’t want to be in the same situation.

Unfortunately, there was no wind fragment present to explain the spirits’ feelings and advise Will.

As the wind spirit girl hesitated, Will’s expression grew sadder.

"Wind-Serena is mad... because Will worried everyone..."

*No, no, that’s not true!*

The wind spirit girl rushed to Will’s side.

Will looked like he was about to cry.

Some of the evacuees, who knew the girls were spirits, had clasped their hands or bowed, but they were now watching Will and the spirits curiously, not realizing the spirits saw Will as a romantic interest.

"Really...?"

*Really, I’m not mad!*

"Then, can you hug me?"

*Ugh...*

The wind spirit girl, blushing, took a step back.

*...Okay, okay...*

She resigned herself.

Will wouldn’t back down, feeling responsible even at his young age.

This was his way of atoning.

(It’s just pretend, just pretend...)

She closed her eyes, repeating this in her mind, and took a deep breath.

Shaking with embarrassment, she opened her arms, and Will’s face lit up.

*Okay, okay...*

"Okay!"

After a brief exchange, Will jumped into the wind spirit girl’s arms without hesitation.

*Ah...!*

The warmth of Will’s embrace filled her, making the wind spirit girl’s body tremble.

"Hehe..."

Thinking the spirit had forgiven him, Will smiled in relief and leaned into her.

He hugged her tightly, and the wind spirit girl, though stiff with tension, awkwardly stroked his head and back.

Their eyes met, and Will’s happy smile seemed to shine brightly.

(So cute...)

She had felt this way since they first met.

Will’s declaration had made her conscious of him in a different way.

She really liked Will.

She had stayed to help during the crisis because Will and the people around him had become important to her.

Will leaned into her again, and the wind spirit girl relaxed, feeling a bit reluctant to let go of the warmth but also embarrassed.

She loosened her grip to let Will leave if he wanted.

"Serena..."

*Hmm?*

"I love you! ♪"

*Huh...!?!*

It was unexpected.

The wind spirit girl, unable to regain her composure, nearly collapsed.

Her already red face turned even redder, as if steam was rising from it.

Will, satisfied, let go and turned around.

*W-Will...?*

The earth spirit girl, who had been watching, was blushing and trembling.

Myne grabbed her shoulder firmly, preventing her from retreating.

Despite her usual playful demeanor, Myne was a maid of the Turquis family and knew how to handle such situations.

"Come on, Spirit. We can’t keep waiting forever. ♪"

*Eh? Eh!?*

Before she knew it, Serena and Nina were on either side of her.

The earth spirit had nowhere to go.

"Serena! ♪"

Will’s cheerful voice.

The earth spirit, blushing and trembling, saw Will open his arms.

"Hmm..."

*Ah, ah...*

"Hug! ♪"

Without hesitation, Will hugged her, and the earth spirit’s consciousness flew away.

I wanted to write that his sisters and the spirits were worried about him, but it somehow turned out like this...