Chapter 9
Beloved Child of the Spirits – Chapter : The Journey’s End
After waking up, having breakfast, and being dressed in the beautiful clothes that his older brother had prepared for him, the Fire Child realized that this was the end of his journey. From then on, he didn’t say a single word, just clung tightly to Wio’s clothes.
Of course, Wio didn’t notice what that meant. He only wondered why the child had stopped talking, but decided it wasn’t anything serious. He really was bad at picking up on emotions like this.
“The Fire Child is anxious. Explain to him what’s going to happen now.”
“We’re going to the church. Let’s see what kind of place Ruka will be living in from now on.”
“…Is this goodbye already?”
“Not yet. We’ll stay for a while.”
That explanation might have made him more anxious, but perhaps this kind of dry, flat response was actually easier for the Fire Child to trust.
Holding the Fire Child in his left arm—his usual spot these days—Wio left the inn. I rode on his right shoulder. Since we’d chosen an inn right next to the church, it was only a short walk away.
When we entered the chapel for worship, people around us glanced at Wio and the Fire Child, whispering, “It’s the Divine Child.” Then they noticed me and tilted their heads: “A familiar? A pet?” To smooth things over, I wagged my tail and played the part. The Fire Child looked uncomfortable under all the stares, but Wio, as always, didn’t care in the slightest.
Just as we were about to leave after praying properly, a priest approached. Well, it would’ve been negligence if he hadn’t noticed me entering the church grounds.
“Welcome, Divine Child of Ice. Is this the Divine Child of Fire you mentioned before?”
“Yes. I have matters to discuss regarding this child.”
“Please, come this way. I’ll guide you to a private room.”
“To the Fire Child, I’m just a familiar. I have no intention of telling him otherwise.”
I sent that by telepathy only to Wio and the priest. Since those around us didn’t know of my true nature, the priest treated me as Wio’s contracted beast. I wanted him to keep up the act, even in front of the Fire Child. Things were complicated enough—adding ‘acquainted with a divine beast’ to his reputation would only make things harder.
We were shown to a reception room and sat on the sofa. Without mentioning the duke’s household, we gave a brief explanation of how we came here and handed over the letter from the elder brother.
After reading the letter through, the priest nodded and stood. “I understand the situation. First, let me show you the facilities.” He led us to the living quarters of the Divine Children. We’d heard of them before, but this was the first time we’d actually entered.
Wio lifted the Fire Child to carry him along, and I nestled into the Fire Child’s arms to comfort him. Sitting on his lap as he was held against Wio’s left arm, I hopped up and settled there. Wio adjusted his hold so that he carried us both. Yes, you can pet me if you like.
“Currently, two Divine Children under adulthood and two who have already come of age live here. Some were entrusted here from neighboring countries and raised in this place. It is said that around these lodgings, a barrier was erected by the gods themselves for the Divine Children of the past.”
Indeed, in the secluded part of the church to which we were guided, a divine barrier was present. It prevented spirits from entering. So that was how they kept magical outbursts under control. Without spirits, runaway mana caused nothing to happen.
…If we had something like this at the mansion, the Fire Child could live together with his elder brothers.
“This is where they live and sleep.”
The room shown to us was simple, like a slightly spacious inn room, furnished with only a desk and a bed. Daily necessities were all provided by the church. Clothing too—the standard uniforms of the acolytes. The only difference from the life of a trainee priest was that prayer times were replaced with mana control training.
At age twelve, they could choose between attending the seminary or a noble’s academy, depending on their wishes. Until then, if their mana control was stable, they studied together with the children from the orphanage.
Just then, a child about the same age as the younger brother came out of the neighboring room, accompanied by a priest.
“This is our youngest Divine Child at the moment—six years old.”
“The Divine Child of Ice? Oh! The Divine Child of Fire!”
The child’s colors reminded me of the squad captain. Finding someone younger than himself, the Water Child’s excitement shot up. After confirming with the priest, he invited the Fire Child to play.
Wio set the Fire Child and me down, saying, “Go play for a while,” so I wagged my tail at both of them and dashed into the garden.
But the Fire Child hesitated, reluctant to move away from Wio. I ran circles around him until the Water Child grabbed his hand and pulled him along into a run. Of course, Wio had let him go on purpose—he wanted to speak about things he didn’t want the Fire Child to hear.
We ran around the garden playing tag. I slowed down on purpose, letting them almost catch me before escaping again. Soon the Water Child began directing the Fire Child, telling him how to corner me together. When the Water Child finally caught me, the game ended, and it was time for pets. I even offered my belly as a special service.
“My name’s Kai. What’s yours?”
“Ruka.”
“Where have you been living, Ruka? Are you going to live here now?”
“…”
When Ruka didn’t answer, Kai peered at him with concern. As I gently licked Ruka’s hand, he whispered in a barely audible voice:
“A faraway place. I’ll live here.”
“Then we can play every day! I’ll show you my room.”
With that, he pulled Ruka’s hand and led him off. It seemed a kind friend had been found.
The Water Child showed Ruka around: “This is my room, here’s the bath, and we eat here.” We followed behind, watching. Since they might become companions living together, the adults didn’t interfere, just observed quietly.
According to the priest caring for Kai, he had always been the youngest until now, so having someone younger to look after made him eager. Usually, he was a rather shy child.
After a full tour, it was time for the Water Child’s studies, so the two had to part ways.
“When will Ruka come here? Tomorrow?”
“Water Child, we’ll decide that from now. Once it’s settled, we’ll let you know.”
“Okay! Ruka, I’ll be waiting. See you later!”
Since the Water Child had accepted him, it seemed Ruka’s life here would begin smoothly.
After consulting with the priest, it was decided that Ruka would spend the next two days actually living here as a trial. Considering what he had been through, the priest suggested it was better not to separate him abruptly. If he managed two days without trouble, then he could officially live here, with Wio visiting him regularly. That way, Ruka wouldn’t feel abandoned.
Normally, children entered here before they were old enough to remember much, so none knew their parents. Parents were not forbidden from visiting, but few did. To these children, parents were just strangers; the ones they lived with here became their family, and gradually the parents stopped coming. Kai’s parents hadn’t come either, but Kai didn’t seem to mind.
Perhaps Wio’s frequent visits to see Ruka would also prevent Kai from feeling lonely.
