Puck: "I get the feeling that's quite an interesting Divine Blessing."
Floating cross-legged in midair, the small feline spirit, Puck, hovered beside Rikuto, watching his movements with a thoughtful expression.
Rikuto: "Divine Blessing?"
Rikuto looked up at Puck.
Puck: "It's a kind of gift bestowed by the world."
"Some people are born able to understand animals. Some can see through lies. Others have telepathy."
"And it's not just people—even some creatures are born with blessings."
"For example, Earth Dragons naturally possess the Wind-Resistance Blessing, so wind won't hinder them when they run. Spirits like me are born with the Mana Lure Blessing, allowing them to store and use mana far more efficiently than most creatures…"
Just as Puck was in the middle of his lecture, resting his chin on his paw with an air of authority, he suddenly trailed off.
In his line of sight, his beloved Emilia was gently taking Rikuto's hand, massaging it with genuine concern.
Emilia: "Honestly, Rikuto, you really need to take better care of yourself. Can't you test your abilities more slowly?"
Though they'd only known each other for a day, her worry was completely sincere.
Her voice even carried a trace of gentle reproach—clearly, she was unhappy with how recklessly Rikuto had treated his body in order to test his abilities.
But no sooner had the words left her mouth than Emilia seemed to pause.
As if suddenly realizing her behavior might have been too forward or overly familiar, she glanced cautiously at Rikuto out of the corner of her eye.
Nervous and uncertain, she looked like she feared seeing irritation or rejection on his face.
Before she could gauge his reaction—
Puck: "Rikuto, buddy~"
"Is Emilia's massage nice and comfy?"
The spirit, who treated Emilia like his own daughter, suddenly spoke in an oddly sweet voice, one completely at odds with his usual demeanor.
Puck was exuding maximum kindness—a luxury he himself wasn't enjoying right now.
Rikuto: "…"
He looked up at Puck, who hovered above with burning, almost visible jealousy.
Rikuto honestly couldn't tell whether Puck was encouraging him to continue letting Emilia massage him… or hinting that he should stop immediately.
Refusing Emilia would surely be a misunderstanding—and Rikuto himself wasn't willing to say something like that.
But continuing… well, Puck's expression made his feelings pretty clear.
After a brief stare-off with the hovering cat, Rikuto turned back to Emilia.
Rikuto: "Emilia, Puck's jealous."
Without the slightest hint of shame, he pointed to Puck and exposed the spirit's feelings in full.
At that moment, Puck's intense aura visibly stalled in midair.
His awkward, prideful smile froze on his face.
Emilia: "Puck's jealous?"
She looked up in confusion at the hovering cat.
Innocent and pure-hearted, Emilia clearly couldn't grasp why Puck would feel such an emotion.
Faced with her sincere gaze, Puck stiffened, then rapidly tried to regain his composure, tail twitching in the air.
The pride of a guardian spirit made it hard for him to admit such "ugly emotions" in front of his "daughter."
Puck: "Of course not…"
He barely got the words out before—
Emilia: "Then do you want me to give you a massage too?"
Seeing how serious he looked, Emilia hesitated briefly before making the offer.
After all, she owed Puck a lot for all the care he'd given her over the years.
The serious expression on Puck's face stiffened further, and the words he had begun to say were swallowed entirely.
Puck: "Yes, please!"
He nodded his little cat head rapidly and decisively.
---
That day, sunlight unusually bathed the frozen forest of Elior.
Gentle beams filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the snow.
Emilia used two fingers to gently press on the head of a certain gray kitten.
Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the light, creating an air of tranquility.
Meanwhile, Puck—the small cat—wore an expression of pure bliss, basking in his "daughter's" massage.
Puck: "Rikuto, why are you looking at me like that?"
Half-lidding his eyes, he peeked at Rikuto, a smug expression playing on his face.
Rikuto: "What look?"
Rikuto responded, clearly baffled.
Puck: "You know what look."
The little cat waved a paw, looking utterly relaxed and self-satisfied.
He was feeling better than ever.
Compared to this strange kid who'd only been around for a day—
Emilia clearly cared more about him.
Puck was positively glowing with that smug "fatherly" pride.
…Until a moment later—
Emilia: "Okay, Puck, that's enough. Now it's Rikuto's turn again."
She gently picked up Puck and set him aside.
Rikuto, after all, still had muscle soreness and needed care more urgently.
Emilia: "Rikuto, give me your hand~"
With a serious expression, she moved beside him.
Rikuto: "No problem."
Meeting her earnest gaze, Rikuto nodded without hesitation.
At the same time, he shot a discreet glance at the small cat frozen in place nearby.
---
Time flew as the trio played around—one human, one half-elf, and one cat.
Emilia, head lowered, carefully massaged Rikuto's arms.
Her silver hair swayed with every motion, and a few stray strands playfully brushed his face.
A faint, airy fragrance lingered near his nose.
Although he was initially a little flustered and unaccustomed to it… there was no denying the silver-haired girl's serious massage was incredibly comforting—both to body and heart.
Puck: "A simple massage won't really help."
Floating cross-legged in the air once more, Puck suddenly spoke up, as if reminded of something.
Emilia: "?"
She turned slightly, puzzled, while continuing to rub Rikuto's arm.
Puck: "Damage is damage. You can't heal it with just a massage."
"If you could use healing magic, your arm's fatigue would fade instantly."
The small cat's tone was serious as he wagged his gray tail, almost as if trying to coax her.
Emilia: "But you know I can't use magic, Puck. My mana goes out of control too easily."
She lowered her gaze again and resumed the massage with full focus.
Puck: "That problem… you've already thought of a workaround."
"Even if your internal mana goes berserk when used, you can still rely on spirits to cast magic for you."
In this world, spirit arts users—spiritists—were a real profession.
While traditional magic casters used their own internal mana…
Spiritists drew upon external mana by forming contracts with spirits.
For Emilia, spirit arts were clearly a perfect match.
Still, she had long subconsciously avoided embracing magic.
But in Puck's eyes, this moment was the perfect opportunity for a breakthrough.
Emilia: "Magic, huh…"
Her voice was soft, and her face showed signs of worry and fear.
She looked at Puck for a while, then turned and gazed seriously at Rikuto.
He didn't speak—he just waited quietly for her to decide.
He could sense there was some hidden pain in Emilia's past.
At last, the girl slowly nodded.
Emilia: "Mm. I'll learn to become a spiritist."
Her voice was calm and resolute.
---
The warm afternoon sunlight blanketed the snowy forest.
Emilia stood with her eyes closed, gently communicating with the lesser spirits.
Pale blue light circled her, and a joyful, lively energy filled the air.
It was obvious—the spirits were incredibly fond of her.
Rikuto: "Compared to when they saw me and ran for their lives, this is a whole different story."
From a distance, Rikuto muttered while fiddling with his own abilities.
There was a subtle tinge of envy in his voice.
It was only human to want what you didn't have.
His [Process Simplification] wasn't bad, sure… but flashy magic—that was the true dream.
Puck: "Rikuto, your jealousy is showing."
Floating beside him again, Puck grinned as he circled gleefully in the air.
Rikuto: "And your gloating is obvious too."
Rikuto didn't hold back, glaring at the gray cat who was clearly trying to provoke him.
Cross-legged in midair, Puck didn't argue. After all, Emilia couldn't see him acting this way, so who cared?
Puck: "You know, I tried to convince her to become a spiritist for ages."
He looked off into the distance, his face now serious.
Puck: "Want to know why she suddenly agreed now?"
He turned to Rikuto.
Rikuto: "Pretty easy to guess."
Rikuto shrugged as he glanced at the focused girl not far away.
Surrounded by pale blue light, her silver hair danced in the breeze. Despite her serene appearance, her eyes brimmed with determination and hope.
Rikuto: "She wants to be useful."
"To make herself someone worth staying for."
Rikuto shook his head slightly.
He didn't think Emilia was deeply in love with him or anything like that—not when they'd only just met.
Her concern, her care, her sincerity—part of it came from kindness. But more than that…
Rikuto: "…She's just lonely."
There was a note of quiet sadness in his voice.
"She must've longed for someone—anyone—to talk to."
He looked at Emilia and wasn't sure how to feel.
Her actions spoke volumes about how the world treated her.
Silver hair. Long ears. Deep violet eyes. Features said to resemble the Witch of Envy.
Puck: "You're sharp, Rikuto."
Floating beside him again, Puck's voice was calm.
Puck: "So, what are you going to do?"
It was obvious Emilia wanted Rikuto to stay.
But afraid of being a burden, she never once dared say it aloud.
She only tried harder—to be helpful, to give him a reason to remain.
Puck had no such reservations. He laid it all bare.
Rikuto: "I never said I was leaving."
He glanced at the cat beside his head, then looked again at the girl standing quietly in the snow.
There's that old saying—"A life-saving favor must be repaid with your own."
Rikuto smiled wryly.
Whether or not he'd go that far was another matter—but the favor of being pulled out of the snow? That, he'd repay.
Besides… with this farming-type cheat ability, hiding out until he became overpowered and then making a grand comeback sounded like a solid plan.
The frozen forest of Elior, territory of the "Beast of the End," Puck—it was a fine base of operations.
Rikuto: "Tsk. I really wanted to keep sharing a room with a pretty girl, though."
"Guess I better start building my own place soon."
He shook his head and muttered, half annoyed.
Living with her was one thing—but having his own space was another.
Puck: "Want help building that house?"
Puck eagerly offered, slapping his chest with a tiny paw like he was full of confidence.
Rikuto: "No need. I can use this chance to test my ability."
"But if you're free, maybe help me find some knight training methods?"
Rikuto turned to ask.
Puck: "Knight training, huh…?"
"I'll have to do some digging."
Puck rubbed his chin with a paw, deep in thought.
As a spirit, he was plenty knowledgeable about magic and spirit arts.
But human knight training? That might take some research.