Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Survival in the Sky Garden (8)
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After Murmur's utterly shocking remark.
A chilling silence fell over the scene.
Murmur, having pulled away from my embrace, struggled to compose himself, his face turning as red as a tomato.
Chiriru, still nestled in my arms, tilted her head, her eyes wide with confusion, seemingly unaware of the meaning behind his words.
I, unsure of how to react, could only blink and offer an awkward smile.
But more importantly, he called me lewd.
That's a word you're supposed to use for someone overflowing with femininity, like Alice.
Using such a term for my small, childlike body... doesn't it feel a bit off?
‘Hmm… No, wait. Should I be thinking about this from a fairy's perspective, not a human's?’
Still, after some thought, I could sort of understand what he meant.
By human standards, I was quite small right now.
Short, with small hands, a light frame, and a youthful face... just a little kid.
I was at a level where I could confidently stand at the front of the line, even among the older elementary school kids.
But let's consider it from the perspective of a fairy, not a human.
Compared to them, who were barely 30 centimeters tall, I was a giant, nearly four times their size.
And while it wasn't something to brag about, I was the possessor of a certain softness acknowledged by Sabrina herself.
So, for a fairy with little contact with humans, this texture must have been a bit stimulating.
Like a primitive man from hundreds of thousands of years ago tasting seasoning for the first time.
‘Thinking about it that way, it's not an entirely unreasonable thing to say. Though it is a bit cheeky, coming right after I saved his life.’
If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have saved him.
Of course, I'm just saying that; he would have been seriously hurt otherwise.
Well, it's not like he said it with any real malice.
If it was just something that slipped out in his surprise, I could certainly understand.
After all, he was a fairy, a race known for their childlike mentality, and I was, at least in mind, a full-fledged adult.
I don't get hurt by a child's words. Really. I mean it.
"Kkigik... Kkigigik..."
"Gagak, gagagak."
"The boneheads are getting up again!"
But I guess it wasn't time to let my guard down just yet.
Just as I was convincing myself and sorting through my thoughts...
The skeletons that had fallen earlier began to rise again from all directions.
And their numbers hadn't decreased at all!
Realizing this, Murmur stretched his hand into the air and shouted with all his might.
"You disgusting things! Just die already!"
His voice sounded as if he were venting his frustration.
It also seemed like a desperate attempt to forget the embarrassing display he'd just shown me.
But the result was nothing to scoff at.
It was different from the wave of magic he'd scattered earlier, as if he'd been holding back.
The sight of countless formed weapons scattering in all directions like rain... was like a downpour of forged blades.
‘So… Murmur's magic is a creation-type. The rabbit he made to help me earlier must have been created the same way.’
It was truly exceptional magic. At this level, he was at least in the lower ranks of the Double Number Fixers.
Strong enough to hold his own against Alice or David.
Well, he wasn't on the level of Raven or Victor, though.
Perhaps it was the unavoidable, inherent limitation of a fairy, a race that dislikes fighting.
Still, for a fairy, he was skilled enough to be considered a mutant.
It wasn't for nothing that he'd boasted he would protect all the fairies.
"Huu, huu... They're being a nuisance."
"Murmur is so cool! That's Murmur for you!"
"...!"
*Clap, clap, clap.*
Holding the excited Chiriru with one arm, I clapped enthusiastically.
It was certainly an impressive scene. It was impossible to hold back my applause.
Did he notice the two of us?
Murmur, the fiery heat from a moment ago having subsided somewhat, looked our way.
His gaze was different from the wary one he'd had before.
It was filled with a palpable awkwardness, as if he found it difficult to meet my eyes.
And after repeatedly opening and closing his mouth, Murmur finally managed to spit out the words that seemed stuck in his throat.
"Hey, human. So... you were the one who helped me when I was in danger earlier, right?"
"..."
"There's no use pretending. Magic that doesn't use mana... so, you're a psychic, aren't you?"
Ugh... I guess it's impossible to hide it.
Averting my gaze as if looking at a distant mountain, I slowly nodded.
At that, Murmur clicked his tongue in displeasure and lifted his chin.
"I don't know what kind of amazing power you're hiding, but don't think you've bought my favor with it! I could have handled it just fine without your help!"
"..."
"Still, calling you lewd... I'll apologize for that. It was clearly a slip of the tongue. You're not a bad human."
What's with these classic tsundere lines?
Murmur's rapid-fire words left me blinking blankly in bewilderment.
Hmm, how should I interpret this?
Still, based on what I'd gathered from our not-so-short time together, the key part was surely the last sentence.
"You're not a bad human," huh...
I suppose I can consider this a sign that I've built up a decent amount of trust and favorability.
Of course, without a Murmur-to-English dictionary, it was hard to tell how much of it was sincere.
But did Chiriru notice something from his behavior?
She pointed a finger at Murmur and shouted in an utterly innocent voice.
"Oh, I know this! Murmur... you were mean to Whitey, but then she did you a huge favor, so now you're too embarrassed to apologize! Chiriru knows all about it!"
"Sh-shut up!"
"..."
Murmur, as if struck right in the heart of the matter, shouted with his face flushed beet red.
His carefully hidden feelings had been laid bare for all to see.
For someone as proud as him, it must have been unbearably shameful.
I guess no matter how different he claims to be, he's still a fairy at heart.
Chuckling to myself, I crouched down and patted Murmur's head as if to say thank you.
But what was he unhappy about this time?
He slapped my hand away and raised his voice, throwing a fit.
"Ugh, don't pat me! I'm an adult! I'm twenty-seven this year!"
"...!"
Twenty-seven... years old?
I was startled by his completely unexpected age, my eyes widening in surprise.
Fairies were known to be a short-lived race, yet he was older than me, even including my past life.
As someone who knew better than anyone what it felt like to be an adult treated like a child...
I scratched my neck, feeling like I'd done something wrong.
But Murmur didn't seem to care much about that.
He shot a fierce glare at Chiriru and said.
"And Chiriru! How long do you plan on being held! Stop being a burden and stand on your own two feet!"
"Ehh... But it's comfy in Whitey's arms..."
Should I take this as jealousy?
I chuckled at Murmur's antics.
It felt like the distance between us had shrunk considerably.
*
After somehow becoming allies with Murmur.
I joined him in traversing the Sky Garden, helping to rescue isolated fairies.
I still didn't have a grasp of the overall situation.
But I judged it would be best to align myself with the honorary fairy faction for now.
After all, the Sky Garden was teeming with people as skilled as I was.
Rather than joining the Fixers, it was more advantageous to build up favorability with Murmur.
And the fairy rescue operation yielded considerable results.
The group of fairies, which had started with just Murmur and Chiriru, had grown to over ten.
"Oh, a human~"
"Sniff, sniff... You smell nice... Wanna be friends...?"
"She's much smaller than the other humans we saw! But this size is just right!"
"..."
The fairies who joined us showed great interest in me, the only human.
Since Murmur was generally exclusive towards humans...
...they probably figured that if he was keeping me around, I must be fundamentally trustworthy.
Of course, when I gestured that I couldn't speak and naturally pushed them away with a look of gravity...
...the fairies stopped bothering me and settled for watching from a distance.
They were a fundamentally gentle and kind, childlike race. That was a relief.
"Hmph~ Whitey's chest is Chiriru's! I'm not giving up this spot!"
"I'm jealous..."
"Chiriru, you're so selfish. I like soft things too!"
Meanwhile, Chiriru was acting all high and mighty.
As the only fairy occupying my arms, she was busy fending off any contenders with palm shoves.
Is this really the Sky Garden turned into a battlefield?
It was a situation where my tension would dissipate on its own, no matter how hard I tried to stay focused.
Thankfully, Murmur seemed to have a proper understanding of the situation.
He scolded the carefree fairies.
"Hey, stop bothering the human and keep your distance. She's busy working. And this is a very serious situation, so don't wander off like you're on a picnic. Got it?"
"Okay~"
Well, this is better than them crying and making a fuss. It's all fine, but...
Please stop hanging onto my long hair. I feel like my head is going to tip back.
And just as we were moving to find the next fairy, I felt an ominous premonition in my chest.
A chill that warned of a great crisis if I ignored it.
I reflexively deployed my psychokinesis, enveloping the fairies in a dome.
Almost at the same moment the barrier formed, a hail of bullets rained down from all directions.
It was a silent ambush, filled with unmistakable killing intent.