1.
"W-W-W-Wait!"
I do like cute things. I do.
But I meant cute puppies and cute cats—things like that.
Cute spirits...?
This was way too bewildering, wasn’t it?
"He can really see us!"
"I think he can hear our voices too!"
"He looked this way!!"
The little ones scampered up my arms and shoulders in an instant.
They were not particularly heavy, so I simply sprawled out on the floor and let them climb all over me as they pleased.
The strange thing was that the red little ones were warm, while the blue ones felt cool.
Meanwhile, the blue one that had climbed onto me seemed excited and hopped up and down on my chest.
It was not heavy. If anything, it felt pleasantly cool.
...It was cute, though.
"Hey! Get down! He doesn’t like it!"
"I’ll handle it myself!"
The red one immediately started picking a fight. They really did seem to get along badly.
"..."
And the female-shaped spirit who had asked, ‘C-C-C-Can you see me?’ earlier...
She was covering her face with both hands while peeking at me through her fingers.
"Um, excuse me, but could you explain what’s going on?"
She seemed like the one I could communicate with here, so I asked her.
The blue woman approached me and demurely knelt down.
There was no need to kneel... I could get up, you know.
"Ah, I-I’m sorry... Hello..."
The blue spirit hurriedly rose to her feet and neatly smoothed out her skirt.
She simply looked as though she were dressed neatly in sky-blue hair and sky-blue clothes.
The little ones, well... they were not wearing anything.
"I am Milien, a high wind spirit and direct disciple of the Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits..."
"I’m Lionel, blacksmith of House Dolores."
"Wow... a blacksmith... Ah."
Milien gasped in admiration, then covered her mouth again and bowed her head.
The Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits. If I remembered correctly, she was the one who had been eyeing my underwear at every opportunity.
So Milien was her direct disciple.
Well, if she was a high spirit, being a disciple made sense.
"Where are we?"
"This is your workshop, Lionel. The place itself has not changed. The mortal realm and spirit realm originally exist in the same space; they simply cannot perceive one another."
So I could see spirits because I had reversed the boundary with Totality.
Wait a second.
My past misdeeds flashed through my mind.
Sleeping with something thrown over my head, screaming to myself...
I had basically used the inside of this workshop as my room, so there were far too many scenes I could never let other people see.
"...Then do spirits normally live alongside humans? We just can’t see them?"
"That isn’t quite the case."
Milien shook her head, her face red as she continued avoiding my gaze.
"It is a rather long story, but..."
The spirit hesitated before slowly opening her mouth.
"It has been a very long time since spirits had any contact with other races."
"...Is that so?"
But that was strange...
Weren’t the elves originally quite close to spirits? The textbook for Children of the Forest, too, made it seem like they used spirit stones extensively as a matter of course.
"...What about the elves?"
Milien’s expression darkened at my question.
"Long ago, the elves committed a grave sin against us spirits."
"A sin..."
"War."
Flinch.
My body jolted at the word war.
If there was one war involving the elves that came to mind...
It could only be the inter-floor war against the dwarves.
"We had been companions of the elves for a long time. So when the war began, we gladly lent them our strength."
Milien’s expression gradually grew darker.
"But as the war dragged on... the elves began abusing the spirits’ power in order to win. Without contracts or consent, they extracted our power and turned it into spirit stones and weapons."
"..."
"Because they were our beloved companions... we helped them as much as we could... but in the process, countless spirits perished."
This was a far more serious story than I had expected.
"As punishment for that sin, the Spirit Queens withdrew the eyes through which the elves could see the spirit realm. They also closed every connection that had linked it to the mortal realm."
It was quite a sad tale of the past.
Ah.
I finally understood.
Why there had been absolutely no spirit stones on the market.
There simply had not been any channel through which spirit stones could be supplied in the first place.
The elves, the sole channel of communication, had committed that sin and lost their sight.
Even if any remained, they would be in the elves’ storehouses, and even those... would have to be used sparingly.
"However, someone with the potential to become a spirit master capable of overturning an era lives here."
A spirit master. It probably did not mean someone who handled threads here, but someone who commanded spirits.
Wait...
Could it be Ruby?
From what I had seen last time, Ruby seemed to have some kind of irresistible charm for spirits.
She had practically extorted—no, obtained—a spirit stone with just a few words.
"...Is it Ruby?"
"...Yes! That’s right! Princess Ruby."
I knew Ruby was talented, but I had not realized she was that talented.
And Princess... did she mean an actual princess?
Ruby might have been raised like a precious young lady, but calling her a princess was a bit...
What kind of princess benches 150 kilos?
"So you could say we are spirits dispatched to persuade Ruby. It has been so long since a spirit master appeared again..."
Milien looked around at the little ones.
"I came to convey the Queen’s will, and I am also her eyes and ears. Those children came to serve Ruby as well, but... recently, the Queen suddenly began taking an interest in you too, Lionel..."
"That’s why you entered my workshop as well."
"Yes, exactly."
"But for you to suddenly see us so clearly... Even Princess Ruby cannot see our true forms."
"Oh, really?"
Then this staff could definitely make Ruby stronger.
It seemed to give her the ability to see spirits.
That was a relief. Ruby was already someone who could perceive spirits, so I had been worried it might turn out to be a useless ability for her.
I nodded with satisfaction.
But the Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits was interested in me... I thought I knew why.
"Hmm..."
To be honest, I thought I knew what she wanted, too.
Since she had come all this way... it would feel a little wrong to send her back empty-handed.
I got up and opened the wardrobe.
This was where I kept my prototype clothing. Rows of Dolores’s sample underwear were hanging inside.
From [Windless Zone] to [Land of Storms].
They were pieces with names corresponding to different degrees of exposure.
Honestly, they were too good to put on Dolores. Not because they were underwear, but because it felt wasteful to dress Dolores’s body in them, so I had kept them stored away.
"So pretty..."
An admiring voice came from behind me when I opened the wardrobe.
I supposed this underwear style was to the wind spirits’ taste.
There was no point in hoarding them anyway.
I took out the most modest and decent set among them.
─────────────────
[Windless Zone][★★★☆☆]
[Compatibility][- / 60]
─────────────────
An underwear set crafted from the spirit stone of a high wind spirit.
The wind contained within the spirit stone assists the wearer’s movements, increasing agility.
─────────────────
『Elegant... So elegant and luxurious. C-Could it perhaps have been made for me...?』
-Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits-
─────────────────
I thought she probably liked [Windless Zone].
"Can you communicate with that Queen?"
I asked Milien, the corners of my mouth curling upward.
Nod, nod.
Her eyes sparkled as she nodded.
"Then please tell the Queen to choose one."
"Ah..."
I pointed to the underwear hanging in the wardrobe.
When Milien clasped her hands and closed her eyes...
Pop.
A tiny cloud-shaped puff appeared over her head.
Oh, that was cute.
"Y-Yes... Yes, Your Majesty. Ah... yes, I understand...!"
Milien seemed to converse with someone.
Then she opened her eyes and pointed to [Windless Zone] in my hand.
"Um...! She says the clothes you are holding right now are the most beautiful...!"
"She has a good eye."
I handed [Windless Zone] to Milien.
"Ah, is there anything you need, Milien?"
Well... even if the exposure became more extreme, the next level of underwear up was still wearable enough.
It was a little sexier, but not so much that she could not wear it.
"Ah, I’m fin—"
The moment Milien began to speak...
Pop, pop.
The cloud above her head puffed up twice with tremendous urgency.
"...Pardon?"
Milien’s voice became quieter.
"No, I’m fine... Yes... Ah, y-yes... I understand..."
What were they talking about?
Milien’s face turned as red as though it were about to burst, like a sunlight spirit’s, and after fidgeting for a long while, she lowered her head deeply.
"I-I know I have no right to ask, but... if so..."
Her finger pointed to one side of the wardrobe.
"Could I... receive the one on the far right...?"
"...Excuse me?"
I followed where she was pointing with my eyes.
For reference, the one hanging at the far right was [Land of Storms].
It was an extreme piece with even more exposure than the underwear Dolores was wearing right now.
Even looking at it again... I had no idea what I had been thinking when I made something like this.
You know, a crotchless bodystocking. That kind of thing.
─────────────────
[Land of Storms][★★★☆☆]
[Compatibility][- / 60]
─────────────────
An underwear set crafted from the spirit stone of a high wind spirit.
The wind contained within the spirit stone assists the wearer’s movements, increasing agility.
─────────────────
『No!! It’s too sexy!!! I can’t wear this!!!』
-Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits-
『Hmm... Then I’ll wear this one. What do you think, little girl?』
-Lustia, Goddess of Lust-
『Huh...? No, you can’t... That won’t do... I’ll wear it!!!!』
-Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits-
─────────────────
"...Here you go."
I took out [Land of Storms] and handed it to Milien.
"Thank you..."
Unable to meet my eyes, Milien accepted the underwear with both hands.
The little cloud above her head bobbed happily for a moment.
Pop.
Then it vanished.
"..."
I was not an idiot.
I could tell that someone higher up had just pressured Milien.
Most likely... Milien would not get to wear anything at all.
With a faint chuckle, I closed the wardrobe.
The Queen of the Distant Wind Spirits was surprisingly horny.
"Working life is hard wherever you go, isn’t it?"
"..."
Of course, I do not work for a company!
I never have.
Milien could not answer.
At some point, two little ones had settled side by side on my shoulders.
One red, one blue.
If I kept them with me like this, I would be warm in winter and cool in summer...
Unfortunately, Totality was not mine.
I had only spun the staff in the first place to test its functions.
"Milien."
"Yes."
"Actually, I made this staff as a gift for Ruby."
"Then...!"
"Ruby will be able to see all of you properly now."
"Ahhh...!"
Milien’s expression brightened tremendously.
The little ones on my shoulders looked at each other and began hopping up and down as well.
"The princess can see us!"
Seeing how delighted they were, I felt like I had chosen the right direction for the gift... Well, I did not know if Ruby herself would like it, but still.
Let’s make sure she learns to use her power over spirits well. That was the purpose behind making this staff.
However, once Totality passed to Ruby, it was highly likely that I would no longer be able to see these little guys myself.
It was a bit of a shame, but... I had made it for Ruby in the first place.
"Then I suppose I should go give the staff to Ruby now."
"Ah..."
Milien, who had been smiling brightly, stiffened in a strange way.
She seemed to have realized what I had just been thinking.
"Well, if the opportunity comes, I’ll see you again."
"Ah... yes. Thank you very much for the gift, Lionel..."
The moment I gripped the staff again...
Slip.
Milien’s hand suddenly wrapped around mine.
"...?"
Wow, that was fascinating.
It felt as though wind were slipping between my fingers.
It tickled, yet it was soft at the same time.
Then...
Pop!
A cloud appeared above Milien’s head.
"...!"
Whoosh, whoosh.
She hurriedly waved her hand and erased the cloud.
The tiny cloud was swept away by the wind and scattered in an instant.
"Um... thank you so much!"
"Ah, sure."
Still holding my hand, Milien met my eyes and spoke softly.
"I hope... we can see each other again next time..."
"Yeah. I hope so too."
The little ones were really cute, so I would like to see them from time to time.
"And if you ever need a spirit’s power or blessing again..."
Milien stared straight into my eyes.
"Please choose us wind spirits."
"Wind spirits?"
"Yes... us wind spirits are much better than sunlight spirits. Your body becomes lighter, you can go anywhere quickly... and you will probably feel cool while you work, too..."
"What?!"
The warm little one sitting on my other shoulder sprang to its feet.
Milien flinched, but she did not let go of my hand.
"...We’re much better at it."
"...I see."
She probably meant they were better at blessings or something.
Slide...
As though she had said everything she needed to say, Milien released my hand and stepped back.
Then...
Bow.
With her hands neatly clasped together, she bent deeply at the waist.
I gave a small bow in return.
Whirl.
I spun Totality half a turn.
And with the sensation of my field of vision reversing...
"...Whoa."
There was no longer anything in front of me.
Neither Milien nor the little ones.
I looked from one shoulder to the other for no reason.
"...My shoulders feel empty."
This might be a little disappointing.
Swish, swish.
Waving the staff, I headed out of the workshop.
It was time to deliver the item... to its owner.
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