Debut
“∼∼∼”
“∼”
Faint snatches of conversation drifted in from somewhere nearby.
The instant he registered them, Jun’s sleeping consciousness surged back to the surface.
Where am I? How did I end up falling asleep?
He had no idea, and no memory of it either. Even when he tried to focus harder and dredge something up, the inexplicable pain radiating through his entire body made it impossible.
Those blanks left him uneasy.
But only for a moment. The sharp, medicinal scent that reminded him of the church infirmary, and the familiar weight settled on his stomach, let him reclaim a measure of calm…
Weird. Why do I feel two separate weights?
That was all it took.
Doubt promptly shoved calm aside and reclaimed anxiety’s throne.
Puzzled, Jun cracked his eyes open.
In that same instant—
“Jun!”
—an impossibly, unbearably adorable fairy slammed her face against his.
The soft, yielding press of her cheeks and the sweet milk scent that flooded deep into his nose finally let his heart settle again.
“Jun. My Juni. Hic!”
“Fortuna, what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?”
Whatever grief had seized her, Fortuna burst into sobs without warning. Startled, he stroked her back and asked the reason, but all she would do was mutter, “That bitch! Just a big damn cat!” without ever giving him a proper answer.
What the hell happened while I was out…
Jun fretted the thought under his breath.
As if she had overheard it, a calm, crystal-clear voice answered.
“After taking Master’s blow, the lioness only grew more frenzied and charged him again. Master suffered no small amount of damage as a result, and when the skill backlash hit shortly afterward, he collapsed on the spot.”
The moment he heard that voice, the image of the guild master cackling like a maniac while systematically tenderizing every inch of his body flashed through his mind.
She’s completely insane.
While Jun shuddered at the guild master’s excesses, the same serene voice continued its explanation.
“The reason Sister Fortuna broke down crying is a mixture of guilt for failing to stop it, relief that Master woke up unharmed, and pure rage at that lioness.”
“Uh… thanks for the thorough rundown.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m simply glad I can be of even this much use.”
“No, it really helped. But, you know… didn’t you leave out the most important part?”
As he spoke, Jun fixed a steady gaze on the tiny woman perched on his stomach like a fairy herself.
Peach-pink eyes and hair the same soft shade, a pure and lovely face, and an Eastern-style shrine-maiden outfit. One glance was enough to make the word “exquisite” leap unbidden to the tongue; she was the very picture of a demure young lady.
She tilted her head as though she didn’t quite understand the question, then covered her mouth with her sleeve and gave a modest little laugh. Only after her porcelain-white skin flushed the same pink as her eyes and hair did she answer.
“Very well. Through the soul-thread that already binds this humble one to Master, you have surely already guessed my true nature. Still, if Master wishes it, this lowly one shall formally introduce herself.”
With that, she offered him a deep, respectful bow and continued.
“This humble one has yet to receive a true name, but the temporary name Master bestowed is Sprout. To the Master who germinated this lowly seed after it had spent endless ages as nothing more than a tiny kernel, I offer my greetings and boundless gratitude. Moreover, I wish to devote this insignificant body and heart entirely to repaying even a fraction of that grace. I humbly ask for your continued favor from this day forward.”
The lengthy greeting, thanks, and declaration finally ended.
The speech had been long-winded, yet boiled down to a simple message: I’m Sprout, thank you so much for germinating me, I want to repay the debt so let’s get married.
What I actually wanted to ask was what the hell that form of yours is supposed to be…
He plants a tree and a beautiful woman pops out proposing marriage. Even in this fantasy world the situation was so fantastical that Jun found himself speechless.
“Mm-hmm. Good, good. Heehee.”
Unlike him, his principal wife was nodding in pure satisfaction even though another woman was proposing to her husband right in front of her.
Surely not…
“Fortuna, are you thinking of putting Sprout on the concubine shortlist?”
“Yep! I am. As expected of a divine beast that’s the very root of the world—her luck is ridiculously high! And because our souls are linked, her compatibility with you is amazing too. If you’re okay with it, I’d take her as a concubine right this second.”
“R-really?”
“Yep! So what do you think, Jun? Do you like Sprout?”
“How am I supposed to know that already? We just started talking.”
“Is that so? Then hurry up and chat with her. For the record, Sprout is super kind. While you were out cold she comforted me when I was crying. Oh, and her figure will be right up your alley. She’s a little on the slim side overall, but her chest is pretty big. And, and…”
Fortuna enthusiastically listed every one of Sprout’s virtues. Jun simply watched her in silence for a moment, then reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.
“All right. I’ll keep an open mind. But right now… right now just let me feel you, okay?”
“…Jun, I love you.”
“I love you too, Fortuna.”
“I love you so, so much. More than anyone else in this world.”
“I love you more than anyone else in this world too. So don’t worry. Even if a concubine joins us, my number one will always be you, Fortuna.”
“Hic! Jun. Mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah∼♡”
Tears streaming, Fortuna peppered kisses all over his face. The way he had sensed the anxiety and worry she had so carefully hidden and then soothed them made her love and gratitude overflow until she could no longer hold them back.
Leaving her to it, Jun looked over at Sprout.
She might have been expected to take offense or feel hurt by his declaration and Fortuna’s open affection, yet she still wore that same gentle smile.
“You okay with that? You heard me—my number one is always Fortuna. No matter how hard you try to change it, that will never shift. Your status will remain that of a concubine forever, and you’ll always be second in love.”
Of course, if he did take her as a wife he had no intention of rubbing it in her face. The reason he was spelling it out so bluntly now was to warn Sprout not to harbor any unnecessary ambitions. If she couldn’t accept that, he planned to refuse even if Fortuna herself proposed bringing her in.
“Please do not worry, Master. Sister Fortuna is, together with Master, the benefactor who germinated me. I would never dream of harming someone to whom I owe such a debt; I only wish to repay it. The principal wife must of course be Sister Fortuna.”
Through the soul-thread, the only emotion that reached him while she spoke was pure sincerity. Reassured, Jun nodded.
“If that’s how you feel, then good. By the way, that form of yours is… never mind, we’ll talk about it later.”
He had been about to ask for an explanation when the radar he habitually kept open the moment he regained consciousness picked someone up.
Carol, her face faintly flushed, was approaching.
Click.
“Oh my, Jun. You’re already awake.”
She opened the infirmary door and came straight to his bedside. Seeing him conscious, she pressed a hand to her chest in visible relief, then asked worriedly after his condition.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine. Still a little sore, but no actual wounds as far as I can tell.”
“Still? Haaah∼. Just how hard did she hit you… I’m truly sorry, Jun. I’ll apologize on the guild master’s behalf. And I’ll make sure she comes to apologize in person no matter what it takes.”
“It’s fi—no, please do that.”
He had been about to wave it off when two stern gazes bored into him, so he had no choice but to accept Carol’s offer.
Jun himself considered that he had landed the first solid blow and therefore won the spar, but the angel and the divine beast clearly did not share that view.
“Yes, leave it to me. But Jun… who is this?”
“Uh… well…”
Carol looked at Sprout and requested an introduction. Jun could only trail off. Sprout’s appearance had been so sudden that he still hadn’t decided how to introduce her. He didn’t even fully understand what that form of hers was yet.
Knowing the situation perfectly, the angel and the divine beast answered in his stead.
“Sprout is a spirit! Until now she was too young to have a proper form, but she just finished growing and took shape!”
“I am called Sprout. I have yet to receive a formal name, so please continue to call me Sprout until Master bestows one upon me.”
“Ah, yes. A pleasure to meet you.”
Carol was startled by the sudden appearance of a spirit, but she quickly recovered her composure and began examining Sprout with sparkling eyes.
“Truly, truly incredible, Jun. Not only a fairy but a spirit as a familiar as well.”
“Haha. Is that so? Is that the only question you have, though? You’re not going to ask when and where I met her?”
“No, I won’t. As long as it helps with labyrinth conquest and isn’t illegal, the guild’s policy is to look the other way and not dig too deep.”
That was a relief.
Strictly speaking, ownership of Sprout belonged to the Church. The Church had thrown nearly every resource it possessed at her and still failed to germinate her. If Carol started asking questions and learned that Sprout was the seed of a divine beast, things would get extremely troublesome in any number of ways.
“By the way, Carol, did you come just to check on me?”
“Oh right, look at me. Jun, do you think you can get up?”
“Yes. Like I said, there’s only a little pain—my body itself is fine.”
“Perfect. Then come with me to the central plaza.”
At her suggestion Jun studied her faintly reddened face and asked,
“Is everyone drinking as a group?”
“Yes, it’s the after-party for the certification ceremony. On the day of the ceremony the guild provides free food and drink to the participants as a welcome and encouragement. You’re naturally included, so please enjoy yourself to the fullest.”
“Waaah! Jun! Hurry, hurry, let’s go!”
“Haha. All right, all right.”
Whether it was from fighting the guild master with everything he had or simply because evening had fallen while he was unconscious, his stomach was growling every bit as loudly as it had around lunchtime.
Jun quickly gathered the mask and robe that had been neatly set beside him. The angel wearing a fairy’s guise and the divine beast wearing a spirit’s guise settled onto his shoulders. Once the three of them were ready, they followed Carol toward the central plaza.
Uwahaha!!!
The closer they drew to the plaza, the clearer the boisterous racket became. Jun normally disliked loud noise, yet right now those rowdy sounds were welcome. In the middle of that chaos, even someone who had pulled massive aggro twice in the span of a few hours could drink and eat in peace.
Unfortunately, that expectation—
Click!
Thud.
—was not to be.
The moment Jun appeared, the lively central plaza fell silent as if it had never been noisy at all. Only the occasional retching of kids unused to alcohol broke the hush.
“…Haaah. Carol, I think I’ll just sit this one out.”
“D-don’t mind them too much, Jun. It’ll go back to normal in no time. Look, Tatsu and Emili are waiting for you over there—let’s go.”
Pulled along by Carol’s hand, he moved to the table where Tatsu and Emili sat. The two of them greeted him with bright smiles. Touched by their reaction, Jun abandoned any thought of fleeing and took a seat.
Tatsu immediately rose, beer mug in hand.
Don’t tell me he’s about to ditch me because this is too awkward…
Jun looked up at him with anxious, trembling eyes.
Tatsu simply grinned, thrust his mug high, and bellowed,
“A toast to the brave adventurer who punched the guild master who never works and only slacks off!”
“““Cheers!!!”””
Adventurers of every sort raised their cups in answer. The central plaza erupted into noise once more.
“…Thanks, Tatsu.”
“For something this small? Don’t mention it.”
Grinning, Tatsu held out his mug. Jun grinned back and clinked it against the beer that Yuri—who had somehow appeared without a sound—had just handed him.
Clink!
“First round—”
“Obviously a bottoms-up.”
The two of them drained their mugs in one hearty go.
Emili and Carol joined in. The angel and the divine beast, apparently not fond of alcohol, drank sweet beverages instead.
After that, casual chatter began.
The topic of the hour was, of course, the guild master’s spectacularly swollen cheek.
“When the guild master showed up rubbing that puffed-up face of hers, I nearly fell over from shock.”
“Don’t lie, Oppa. You didn’t ‘nearly’ fall—you actually fell flat on your butt.”
“I keep telling you the floor was just too slippery!”
“Don’t be so embarrassed, Oppa. You weren’t the only one who went down. Let’s see… I’m pretty sure…”
Emili drew the words out while scanning the nearby tables; several adventurers hastily averted their eyes. Perhaps for their sake, Tatsu suddenly cleared his throat and reclaimed everyone’s attention.
“Ahem. Anyway, buddy. What are you going to do?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“About a party. If you want to go adventuring you either join one or make one yourself, right?”
Thud.
“…Tatsu (Oppa, Tatsu).”
“Hahaha. My bad.”
A silence woven from a dozen different desires settled over the central plaza.
Inside it, Tatsu’s sheepish apology echoed hollowly.