The Rookie Who Needs No Teaching (4)
Sweep, sweep.
I gripped the broom tighter and swept the kitchen floor.
Because I'd scattered salt nonstop before it could even dry, the entire house—living room, kitchen, bathroom, attic—was blanketed in white. It was impossible to tell if it had snowed inside or if we'd opened a salt mine.
...Did I overdo it?
I knew I'd gotten jumpy since the tentacle fusion incident. But thorough preparation never hurt. Except for the cost, that is.
My 40 gold...
It made my vision spin with regret, but since we'd come out safe, it was fine.
Normally, I'd have gone back to the real estate office with the female agent to finish the paperwork. But the night breeze was pretty chilly.
Sariya sis might catch a cold.
"I'll rest here for now. I'll wrap up the rest tomorrow."
"Y-Yes! Got it! S-See you tomorrow!"
The agent bowed repeatedly and scurried off like she was fleeing.
Watching her go, I tilted my head.
Why's she bowing so much? I didn't do anything wrong.
Anyway.
I went up to the second-floor room, took off my outer coat, and spread it softly on the bed. Then I gently laid Sariya sis on top.
"Mmm..."
Palm-sized sis was sleeping soundly on my coat, breathing evenly. Her translucent, shimmering hair wrapped around her tiny body like a blanket, giving her an air of profound mystery.
Suddenly, I noticed white powder on her cheek.
Salt.
...
I held my breath and carefully brushed it off with my fingertip.
The spot was fine.
No sizzling burn, no grotesque melting.
...She's really not a yokai anymore.
I knew it in my head. But seeing it with my own eyes made it real.
Sariya sis had overcome even a yokai's fatal weakness.
Could other yokai change like this too?
Lannancy sis's pouty face came to mind.
If she could become a spirit too, we three could walk around openly without hiding from people.
...But that means betting her entire realm.
It wouldn't be easy.
Sariya sis had imposed a constraint at the cost of all her realm. For yokai, realm seemed tied directly to life itself.
Simply put, it was no different from throwing away her life.
If I were in sis's shoes, could I bet everything without hesitation?
I didn't know.
No confidence.
What was the most precious thing I had now? A new life in the Imperial Capital? My fortune, halved from 1,000 to 450 gold?
Could I give it all up for someone else?
The more I thought, the heavier her sacrifice weighed on my chest.
Stroke.
I gently caressed her soft cheek with my salt-free fingertip.
It was warm.
Not the cold, chilling skin of before, but the pure warmth of a spirit.
"Mm..."
Sis squirmed and mumbled with her mouth.
Is she waking up?
I watched hopefully, but she soon let out a contented snore again.
...Not yet, huh.
I pulled the coat edge up like a blanket and stood.
That's when it happened.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
Someone pounded wildly on the first-floor front door.
Who is it?
I thought maybe the agent forgot something, but the knocking was too violent. I headed downstairs to the entrance.
As I reached for the doorknob.
"Kid! I'm here to save ya nowwww!"
A deafening, familiar roar echoed from outside.
Huh? Ronan?
Before the gut feeling that something was seriously wrong could settle.
BOOM!
The perfectly fine front door ripped clean off and flew at my face like a cannonball.
"Ack?!"
I reflexively rolled across the floor.
CRASH!
A split-second slower, and I'd have been flattened under my own door.
As dust clouded the air.
Two figures burst in, weapons drawn, panting heavily. Ronan and Reina.
"Kid! You okay?!"
"Don't move!"
Ronan bellowed and scanned around, while Reina gestured, thick magical vines sprouting from the floor to bind my limbs.
"Wait, hold on!"
I was still piecing it together when.
Whoosh!
A soft breeze grazed my cheek. A cool, gentle whirlwind swirled around me.
Pop!
The vines binding me burst like they'd been sliced by an invisible blade, scattering everywhere.
"What the—?! My magic!"
"Magic? What kinda wind pressure...!"
I was shocked, and so were the two who'd smashed in.
...This is.
Only one guess. Sariya sis, still snoring on the second-floor bed.
No matter where you are, I'll protect you.
The promise held even in sleep. My lips curved in unconscious relief.
But the two, unaware, went straight into combat stance.
Ronan stepped forward, fists like pot lids clenched. Reina narrowed her eyes, prepping a second set of vines.
"Hey, there's some misunderstanding here. You know me...!"
I shouted in protest, and Ronan replied gravely.
"You could be charmed by a yokai, or worst case, a yokai ate you and took your form! We bind first, verify later—standard protocol!"
Reina kicked his shin at that. Naturally, she was the one who yelped in pain.
"Hey! You musclehead! Why spill our response manual to a possible yokai?! Ow... hurts..."
"...It could be the real deal."
Ronan protested innocently.
"I really am me. I took care of the yokai in the house."
I raised both hands to explain.
Reina pulled a silver rosary from her pocket and dangled the cross right in my face.
No reaction.
A yokai would've reacted to the holy power, but nothing happened. Reina pocketed it with a pout.
"Cross stayed quiet, so you're probably legit. Still, a few questions."
"Sure."
"Who are we?"
"Ronan and Reina. Heart's Eye Squad, council affiliation."
"Good. Got the token I gave you?"
I dug in my pocket and showed the silver eye badge. Reina nodded once, then squinted.
"Okay, last question."
Hand on hip, she asked sharply.
"When I gave you this badge, you promised to join Heart's Eye no matter what, help with my spirit research papers. Remember?"
...?
Did I?
...No?
For a second, I almost said yes.
"No! You did! Don't you remember? Yokai?"
"You said it so I wouldn't forget how you helped me."
"Think harder. You promised."
I was truly wronged.
I'd never said that.
Should I fetch Sariya sis to prove my innocence? That's when.
"...But Reina? Why'd you pull out the recording artifact behind your back?"
Ronan's innocent question echoed through the house.
"......"
Silence fell between us.
"Ahem, looks like you're sane. Just testing."
Tch.
Reina cleared her throat and stowed the artifact and rosary.
Pretty sure she clicked her tongue at the end.
Whatever, it worked out.
"Haa... don't scare people like that, kid."
"I was shocked when the door flew at me."
"Almost hit ya?"
"Yeah."
Thwack!
Reina kicked Ronan's shin again at my words.
Ronan ignored it, looking around and scraping the piled white powder with his foot.
"Anyway, glad you're safe! But kid, what's with all this white sand? It didn't snow inside."
"Not sand—salt."
"Salt?"
Reina dabbed some on her tongue and her eyes went wide.
"You exorcised yokai with salt?!"
I nodded matter-of-factly.
"Whoa... Church salt's rarer than stars these days. You little punk, you got money!"
"Not really. Seemed like any salt works on yokai?"
Reina scoffed.
"Say that anywhere, they'll call you clueless. Church salt works 'cause it's blessed. Regular market salt? Useless."
...What.
But it did...
If even Reina said so, maybe I was wrong.
Ask Estelle later... oh, right, can't.
Would've been easy if not for the archbishop impersonation mess. Shame.
"How'd you even get this much? Connections in Church high ranks?"
The silver-haired nun's serene smile and looming approach flashed in my mind.
...Better not. Might get dragged in for the fake archbishop thing.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Uh... just some acquaintances. Can we skip that?"
"Hmmm."
Reina eyed me suspiciously but dropped it.
"So what happened? We got a report of yokai nesting here."
"Cheapest place available."
"Oof..."
The mood sobered instantly.
"Ahem! Dangerous regardless. Kid, you're just a rookie spirit user facing yokai? Reckless."
"Yeah, yeah. How'd you catch 'em?"
I gestured at the salt-strewn house and answered flatly.
"First, circled salt around the house so they couldn't escape."
"Cut off retreat?"
"Yeah. Then went in and sprinkled on everything I saw."
Reina's brow twitched.
"Suicide-level means mind interference type. How'd you resist?"
"Didn't work on me."
"Spirit's doing?"
Lannancy sis's charm hadn't worked on me either. Maybe most mind tricks just bounced off.
Still, gave them a plausible reason.
"Probably the spirit."
"Hm. Makes sense."
Reina rubbed her chin and nodded.
"Yokai sneaky enough for the capital's barrier wouldn't be huge—hiding aura shrinks 'em. Not like that fusion beast, so figured not too risky."
"Resist mind stuff, salt barrage wins?"
"Yeah."
Not that impressive, really.
Strategy was 1, trusting Thousand-Day Salt was 9.
And strategy? Basic basics my parents drilled into me like meals.
How to hunt.
Learn prey habits, block escape, cut breath most efficiently.
Only flaw: examples were humans.
No need to limit to humans, though.
I didn't love hunting, never field-tested, but needed it now.
For a cozy nest.
Who knew Mom and Dad's lessons would apply here.
Bittersweet, but results were good.
Reina, who'd listened quietly, smirked.
"...You're one fun kid."
Ronan clapped my shoulder with his massive hand and boomed a laugh.
"Hahaha! Perfect newbie—no teaching needed!"
"This qualifies for entry test? Just formality?"
"Hm... yeah! I'll vouch for ya with my name!"
...?
They're sneakily pushing me field-side.
Ronan thumped his chest. Reina whispered devilishly in my ear.
"Hear that? Skip desk-jockey Thousand-Day Squad—Heart's Eye only. Mage app? Ten times better."
"No, I want admin..."
"Field suits you more than desk. Hehe, it'll happen."
Her smug smile. Why do I feel like Reina's scheming behind the scenes?
Right then.
Creeeak—
The second-floor door flew open roughly. Our eyes snapped upstairs.
...?
A small figure peeked between the railing.
Palm-sized. Shimmering translucent hair.
Rubbing sleepy eyes with tiny hands.
And.
"...Little bro?"
A familiar, affectionate voice.
"Sis!"
Sariya sis.
"...Calling a spirit 'sis'...?!"
Reina asked incredulously, but I was too focused on sis to hear properly.
She floated lightly in the air, yawning small.
"Yaaawn... too noisy, couldn't sleep..."
Cheek against the railing, she peered down lazily. Joy and relief bloomed on my face.
"Sleep well?"
"...Just woke up. Some idiot smashed the door."
Her cool gaze hit the entrance.
The pitiful door wreckage lay embedded in the living room's salt field.
Ronan flinched, coughed awkwardly, and looked away.
"Where's this...?"
"Oh, Imperial Capital. My new place."
"Your house...?"
For some reason, sis's face twisted sharply.
Oh, that face.
The one that could make someone vanish without surprise.
Even as a spirit, unchanged.
Fine for me—familiar, welcome. But those two?
Eh.
"Little bro's first home..."
Sis's voice quivered faintly. Tiny fists clenched tight.
"Door repair... on me...?"
I silently alternated glances between Ronan and Reina.
"...Not me."
Reina stepped back quietly. Ronan shot her a betrayed look.
"Reina! We're a team!"
"Who're you?"
Mage as expected. Calculations lightning-fast.