Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Even Spirits Have a Hierarchy
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Spirits even had a thing called a "hierarchy."
A suffocating awkwardness wrapped tightly around my body.
"...I didn't expect we'd meet again this soon..."
"Yeah, no kidding. Haha..."
The necromancer seemed to feel the same way.
She unnecessarily glanced up at the sky, scratched the ground with her staff, and turned her phone on and off repeatedly.
After a long silence, I finally broke it first.
"You're the seller who posted the purified water on the exchange, right?"
"Ah, right... the purified water..."
The necromancer rummaged awkwardly through her pockets and slyly offered a small bundle of vials.
When I tried to hand over the promised payment, she flailed her hands in a panic.
"N-no, it's fine! Just take it as thanks for helping our party."
But I couldn't accept it for free.
Other things aside, transactions had to be done properly—that was my creed.
"I appreciate the thought, but you should still take the payment we agreed on!"
When I insisted firmly despite her continued refusal, she reluctantly accepted the money I held out.
Just as another awkward silence began to settle between us...
"Healer, mind if I ask what you plan to use the purified water for?"
It was an unexpected question.
"It's not anything big, but my unique ability is alchemy, and it's at a pretty high level. If you need any help, I'd love to assist."
If it had been anyone else asking, I would've brushed it off vaguely.
But this was the person who'd teared up, not wanting to part ways, and who'd gone out of her way to help me. I didn't want to lie to her.
So I honestly confessed that I'd succeeded in cultivating Lumina Bells.
And that I planned to make mana potions.
And that I needed purified water for the process.
"What? You're cultivating Lumina Bells yourself?"
The necromancer's eyes widened at my words, and she continued cautiously.
"...Honestly, I could level up my alchemy to level 4 if I just had those flowers, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find any."
She kept stealing glances at me, of course.
"So, could you sell me just one or two each time you cultivate them...? I'll pay plenty."
Truth be told, there was no reason not to sell.
I already felt a strong fondness since it looked just like my favorite flower, and we'd built some camaraderie conquering the gate together.
But with mass sales on the horizon...
I figured trading for items I couldn't obtain myself would be more beneficial in the long run than just selling a flower or two.
Making a ton of money was already a given anyway.
"How about we trade the flowers for alchemy products instead? If you make items I can't craft, I'll give you flowers equal to their value."
"Really? Healer, are you sure that's okay?"
The necromancer grabbed both my hands, her face full of emotion.
She'd been with me for quite a while, her whole body soaked in sweat, but that didn't seem to matter anymore.
"Of course. Looking forward to working with you!"
"Thank you so much, Healer...!"
With the deal sealed, we exchanged our final goodbyes and headed to our respective homes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The moment I got home, I flopped straight onto the floor as usual.
Entering that runaway gate, feeling terror near death, the awkward farewell with the necromancer.
Everything felt like a dream now that I was so at ease.
'Gates really aren't for me.'
It was a realization that hit me once again.
After lying there until my energy was fully recharged...
'Time to check how much they've grown.'
I sprang up energetically to get to work.
The thirty Lumina Bells I'd planted before heading out to negotiate with Sprout Guild had already passed the growth stage and were on the verge of blooming.
'Growing so diligently.'
But then.
"Huh? What's this?"
Among the thirty, one had an unusually large bud and an abnormally long stem.
Bzzz-
Bzzz-
The bud was even vibrating at regular intervals.
Sensing something unusual, the moment I gently touched the bud with my finger...
'Pop-' It bloomed open.
Inside was a tiny, adorable little creature.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [If the plant's satisfaction is sufficient during the germination state, rare creature birth probability +20%] I hadn't understood what that message meant when I first saw it, but it turned out "rare creature" meant a spirit.
'So... cute...'
The spirit inside the bud was sleeping soundly, dressed neatly in a gown made of blue leaves.
If the ice spirit I'd met in the gate had been like a haughty queen...
This one from the Lumina flower was like a lovable, cute princess.
The newborn spirit was so adorable that I unconsciously reached out with my finger.
Then.
Thwack-!
With a sharp snap, my finger was flicked away.
The now-awake spirit glared at me with all its might, gesturing as if to say, 'How dare a mere human touch a spirit?'
Thwack, thwack.
It dusted off its outfit neatly, crossed its arms defiantly, and glared at me again.
Despite all the care I'd put in, feeding it whenever I could...
To think I'd be treated like this.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Favorability judgment toward nature spirits/monsters +50%] Come to think of it, my unique ability, Plant Lover, only gave 50% favorability with spirits and monsters, not 100%.
So the ice spirit liking me was just luck?
And this one was a gacha failure?
"……"
I can't even describe how upsetting that was.
But this little one seemed to have a serious troublemaker streak.
"Hey! You can't do that!"
Not only did it mess up the plants I'd lovingly raised...
It flew around the house, turning everything into a mess of dirt and dust.
It chugged a bottle of purified water from the necromancer and sprawled out on the floor.
Snoring away~
Seeing the spirit passed out with limbs splayed, I let out an incredulous chuckle.
What the heck is this thing?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Unnie! I'm here!"
Chae-eun, now so familiar with my place that she let herself in, entered naturally.
"Thanks for coming. Same as always today, please."
"Yes, Unnie!"
At first, she'd seemed so gloomy, like she had some huge worry weighing her down.
But as her visits increased, her face had been brightening up more and more.
'Being around plants naturally makes you happier.'
Phytocides aren't called miracle cures for nothing.
As I proudly watched Chae-eun's changes, ice poured over the pot with the spirit seed.
She'd started with just fingernail-sized ice chunks, but now she could produce marble-sized ones.
"Chae-eun, your ice seems a lot bigger than before?"
"Right? Everyone at the guild said the same... Hehe."
Chae-eun scratched the back of her neck bashfully.
Seeing her stand timidly in the corner during Sprout Guild dungeon runs had always tugged at my heartstrings.
Watching her grow like this made me feel good too.
'Ha... but what am I supposed to do with this one?'
But my mood plummeted the instant I turned and saw the house in chaos.
The spirit born from the Lumina Bell...
Was wreaking havoc all over the house again today.
- Groooan...
And then it chugged another bottle of purified water and flopped down to sleep.
"Seriously... I oughta smack it one."
This wasn't the first or second time.
Every day it trashed the house and guzzled purified water, so the stock from the necromancer was down to just two bottles.
My fist trembled in anger right then.
"Huh? Unnie! Look at this!"
Chae-eun, peering into a pot, urgently called me over.
"The bud's shaking like crazy!"
I rushed to the pot and stared inside, forgetting to breathe.
The blue petals in the pot unfurled one layer, then two...
Pong-!
And the ice spirit, Pristine, emerged from the bud.
Seeing a spirit being born for the first time, Chae-eun clapped her hands over her mouth and let out a small scream.
"Kyaa...!"
At the sound, Pristine slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
"Hi? Long time no see."
When I greeted her, Pristine spotted me and hopped up from the bud.
I carefully scooped up the ice spirit, whose wings were still wet and unable to fly, and placed her on my shoulder.
Pristine then hugged my neck tightly and nuzzled her head against me.
It was as if I could hear her saying, 'Why'd you wake me up so late!' 'I missed you so much!'
After lavishing me with affection for a while, Pristine turned to Chae-eun sitting nearby, lifted her skirt slightly, and bowed politely.
She must have recognized her as the benefactor who helped her be born.
'She's on a whole different level from the Lumina flower spirit.'
That was when I was thinking that.
Whoosh-
Suddenly, the smile vanished from Pristine's face, and the room temperature plummeted sharply.
'What is she looking at?'
I followed Pristine's intense gaze.
At the end of it was the Lumina flower spirit, sprawled on the floor after chugging a bottle of purified water.
Pat, pat.
Pristine shook her wings to dry them off and slowly toured the house, taking in the Lumina spirit's mess.
Empty purified water bottles.
Bent plant stems scattered around.
Dirt spread all over the floor, and more.
Finally, Pristine stopped in front of the snoring, purified-water-drunk Lumina spirit.
"……"
Woken by the sudden temperature drop, the spirit let out a cute 'Nyaaawn~!' and stretched leisurely.
Blink, blink.
Still half-asleep, it blinked a couple times, then spotted Pristine and shrieked 'Eek-!'
'What's going on? Why's it acting like that?'
The spirit flattened itself to the ground, trembling all over.
And standing bravely before it, Pristine turned to me and slowly blinked.
As if to say, 'What should I do with it? Just say the word-'
No way...
Is she establishing the hierarchy right after being born?