Chapter 10
Spirit’s Beloved Child Arc
. Water’s Spirit’sFriend
From today, it was time for a one-night, two-day trial sleepover.
Yesterday afternoon, we had taken the Fire Child around the city for a walk. Once he entered the church, he wouldn’t be allowed outside for a while. As long as there was the danger of a rampage, leaving the barrier was forbidden. That said, the barrier here wasn’t as large as a noble’s estate, but it was still bigger than a normal house with a yard, so he wouldn’t feel confined.
“Good morning. Starting today, I’ll be in charge of caring for the Fire Divine Child. My name is Shin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ryuuka, greet him.”
“……”
“Ryuuka, didn’t your elder brother and sister-in-law teach you how to greet properly? They’ll be sad if they hear you couldn’t.”
“Fwo… Foron Duke famiwy, second son Wyuuka. Thwee years owd.”
“Well done. Let’s first change into the clothes here. The Water Divine Child is waiting for you.”
“Go get changed.”
Wio gently pushed his back to encourage him, and the priest quickly took his hand, saying, “Let’s go,” while walking slowly. He seemed good at handling children, which was reassuring.
After a little while, the Fire Child returned wearing a trainee priest’s robe. It was far too big on him, which only made him look adorable. Since it was sudden, it seemed to be a hand-me-down from the Water Child, but even so, it was still oversized.
And, as if he had been waiting, the Water Child came along too, firmly holding the Fire Child’s hand.
“From after breakfast until study time, it’s free time, so let’s play. Fox-san can play too?”
『Yip!』
Of course I had to answer his expectation. I slipped between the two of them and wagged my tail to invite them—then tag began. Since the Water Child was shouting “Run away!”, apparently I was “it” today. All right then, I’ll chase you down. Awooo!
The High Priest had come under the pretense of greeting the new Divine Child, but his eyes went wide at the sight of me playing tag with the children. He turned to Wio for an explanation, but Wio only replied curtly, “This is normal.” Right now, I was just a contracted beast, after all.
The head priest of the facility, regaining composure, began introducing the Divine Children currently here. But… this should really include the Fire Child too, shouldn’t it?
I stopped chasing, and when the two came close asking “What’s wrong?”, I ran away again. Then when they got close again, I ran away once more. Playing reverse tag, I lured them back to where Wio and the adults were waiting.
When the Fire Child faltered at the sight of so many adults, the Water Child quickly noticed and pulled his hand, leading him forward.
“Ryuuka, they’re Divine Children. They’re all kind.”
“……”
As expected, he couldn’t easily open up to adults.
“Ryuuka, give your greeting.”
“……”
“Divine Child, could you show us that lovely greeting you gave earlier, one more time?”
“Fwon… Foron Duke famiwy, second son Wyuuka. Thwee years owd.”
He stumbled over his words. Cute. So unbelievably cute. Children’s lisping voices are just too adorable. Before I knew it, I was licking his little hand, but Wio stopped me. Why though?
Other than the Water Child, there was one more Divine Child under adulthood, a fifteen-year-old, but since he attended school, he wasn’t present. Of the two adult Divine Children here, one had the Earth attribute, the other Wind—the Wind Child was from the neighboring country.
Once introductions were finished, we were told “Go play now,” so the children and I returned to the garden for another round of tag. The adults apparently had matters to discuss elsewhere.
After running around for a while, it became time for the Water Child’s study session. For two hours before lunch, he studied letters and simple math together with the orphanage children. Normally, the Fire Child wasn’t allowed to attend because of the risk of a rampage, but since I was here today, he was permitted as a special case. It was also to let Wio see what kinds of lessons were done.
The orphanage’s classes were very basic. I didn’t know the literacy rate of this world, but since commoners didn’t attend school unless they were nobles, the only learning they got was through the open-air classes churches held on holidays. Orphans couldn’t inherit their parents’ trade, so from childhood they were taught the basics in order to be hired somewhere when they came of age. From around fourteen, they would begin working gradually, but true adulthood came at eighteen, so until then they were apprentices.
Divine Children, however, were treated the same as nobles, and began attending school at age twelve. Nobles themselves were taught at home by tutors until that age.
In the orphanage, curiosity about the Fire Child meant everyone fussed over him, so the lesson didn’t really progress, but no one seemed to mind—perhaps it was always like this. At one point he nearly got into a fight with another child of the same age, but the others skillfully diffused it. Since he originally had a strong personality, once he grew used to this place he might have some flashy fights with the Water Child too. Good luck, priest in charge.
Lunch was eaten back at the facility with the priests who took care of them, and the afternoon was magic training. During that, the Fire Child took a nap.
Magic training was done inside a barrier that spirits couldn’t enter, so it was purely about manipulating one’s own mana. It began at age six, so the Water Child had only just started. Since Wio was the Divine Child of Ice, an upper element of Water, it was suggested he explain mana control, which would surely make the Water Child happy. But when asked, Wio froze.
“……”
“How did the Ice Divine Child first acquire mana control?”
“One morning… I just kind of did.”
There it was. Geniuses really do say things like that.
Apparently, one day when his emotions had gotten so intense that he was freezing everything around him, he realized something was flowing out of himself. When he tried to stop it, it stopped—that was later explained to him as mana control. Totally useless as a reference.
What about me? Well, I’m a cheat. I just think it, and it happens. I’ve never had to bother with “control.”
So, in the end, training proceeded the usual way.
After the Water Child’s training ended and the Fire Child woke from his nap, it was playtime again until dinner. This time, they played indoors with toys and drawing, getting along well.
After dinner, they brushed their teeth, bathed, and got ready for bed. Baths were a luxury, but this was a facility for Divine Children, so there was a communal bath they could use every day. That night, the Fire Child happily bathed together with the Water Child.
We would also be staying here tonight. If it had been the older brother who brought him, it wouldn’t have been allowed, but since Wio was a Divine Child himself, there was no problem with him staying in the facility. On the advice of the head priest, it was decided we would sleep here too, in case the Fire Child woke up at night and felt lonely.
At dinner, the fifteen-year-old Wind Child returned from school and joined them. He took a strong interest in Wio, who was an adventurer, and began bombarding him with questions. Until now, their choices had been limited to serving the kingdom’s mages or helping the church, but with “adventurer” added as an option, his curiosity was endless.
He peppered Wio with questions—what kind of quests there were, how much reward money, when one used magic, and so on—until finally, at the third reminder of “It’s bedtime,” Wio called it to an end.
