Savior Strict Elf

About 14 days. In that short time, I'd become such a half-dead wreck that handing me a wad of cash right there in bed wouldn't have felt out of place.

'Fit for instant retirement payout.'

My stamina was fine, actually. It was just mental exhaustion dragging me down.

The budget I'd sweet-talked out of Strict Elf's subordinate without her permission. Plus the manpower and extra funds the lady had hired out of her own pocket.

If Strict Elf caught on, it'd be war at minimum. And if the brewery didn't run properly? The lady would be disappointed. That would break my heart.

'I'd be ready to dive off the mansion roof from guilt.'

So when someone shows up saying they can fix it all, how could she not look like a literal savior?

"The savior! The savior has descended...!"

"......"

I dropped to my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knees and bowed my head like she'd truly come down from the heavens.

Of course, the back of my head was getting death glares hot enough to feel like thousands of capsaicin shots poured on it.

'How the hell did I hold it together.'

What can you do when your knees buckle on their own? Plus, if I overreact first, she might miss her chance to blow up at me.

Which means? 'She might let the whole "stealing from my subordinate" thing slide.'

In pro terms: preemptive strike wins. No fight needed, her mood lifts, everyone's happy. Win-win, two birds one stone, eat the pheasant and the egg.

"Ehehe."

As I grinned creepily with my forehead to the ground, Elir's voice stabbed down from above.

"...For now, uh, get up."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Let's test if it'll actually work first."

With that, Elir closed her eyes and opened them again.

{Sally, Silpo.}

Her pupils shimmered with silver as she spoke not in human tongue. At the same moment, a tiny bird spewing flames and a little fairy wrapped in wind appeared ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before her.

{Can you help me out a bit?}

"Those are spirits? They're so cute!"

The lady beamed, staring at them.

Well, yeah. Seeing spirits isn't exactly common. Totally normal to think they're adorable at first glance.

But not me.

'Long time no see.'

Back in the day, under the excuse of "sparring with Mom," I'd tangled with those things plenty. Tiny and cute as they looked, their real punch was like a K-9 self-propelled howitzer missile.

'Every time I blocked one, my wrists throbbed.'

Even now, the phantom sensation made them tingle.

'Wanna go another round.'

Battle lust surged. But I held back.

'Later.'

Not the time yet.

Meanwhile, the spirits caught my gaze and flinched. Especially timid Silpo, trembling as she looked up at Elir.

{Elirrrr.}

{What?}

{That guy's eyes are kinda weird... I wanna go homeee...}

{He's a bit crazy, but not a bad guy. Can you tough it out a little?}

{U... uuuh...}

Hmm. Stared too hard, huh.

'Yeah, if a stranger glares at you like their eyes are on fire, it'd freak anyone out.'

Realizing my mistake, I opened my mouth.

{Miyan.}

In spirit tongue.

Hearing her own language, Silpo rustled the air slightly and turned to me.

{Huh?! How do you know our language?!}

{A liddol. Learned it. From wind tribe. Miyan.}

{Oh... okayyy.}

Silpo then hid behind Elir, peeking out over her shoulder and staring at me.

Elir's eyes went wide too, shock plain on her face, but I had no bandwidth left to indulge it.

"Elir?"

"Y-y-yes?"

"Can we get started now, maybe?"

"Oh, right. One sec."

She spoke to them again in spirit tongue.

{Can you keep fire and wind steady in this space?}

{...Sure.}

{Got ittt!}

Whoosh—fwoosh—

Couldn't see the fire or wind outright. But a warm breeze swirled through the drying room, tousling everyone's hair.

Magic as hell.

'Instant greenhouse.'

If this existed on Earth, farmers wouldn't sweat greenhouse heating bills. What a shame.

As I smacked my lips wistfully, Elir gave me a weird look.

"This good enough?"

"Yeah, perfect. But can it keep going? Like if the spirits bail?"

"No issue. Spirits aren't summoned—they're just nudging what's already here."

"So it'll hold steady?"

"Yep. Even if they get tired of playing, ventilation and temp stay constant."

Whoa.

'Slap some plastic on this and boom—modern greenhouse.'

Why didn't Mom teach me this? Spirit magic's way too tempting now. Guard captain's shadow powers? Not jealous anymore. Got something better to covet.

'Gonna ask her to teach me later.'

Water spirits too? Portable washing machine, baby. One day, for sure.

With that resolve, I led everyone outside.

I completely missed the lady's death-glare from behind.

And that day, she entered major sulk mode.

Lucresia couldn't shake the feeling she'd been dragged around all day.

Dawn encounter with Elir. Rio joining mid-convo. Brewery arrival.

Up to there, no big emotional waves.

'Next up.'

Conversation only they understood.

And spirit tongue only they knew.

She could only watch from afar like a folding screen.

"......"

The vibe was weird.

They were just talking work.

'So why this alienation?'

Why the pettiness? Why the resentment? Why the anger?

Emotions she couldn't parse.

Like in her past life when the crown prince cheated—

'...!'

Lucresia whipped her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head hard enough to slap her own cheeks red with flying hair.

'No way.'

Couldn't be. Wouldn't be.

Just irritation. Her close guard slipping out of range.

'Infuriating.'

"Hey, Rio."

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you find time to learn spirit tongue?"

She snapped at him snarkily for no reason. Regretted it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instantly—such a childish tone.

"Uh, can I explain that later?"

Rio hesitated. It'd mean spilling his pre-guard past. Tough with Elir and Marie around.

"......"

Lucresia halted dead.

Already losing grip on her feelings, his dodge felt like dismissal.

"Forget it."

She puffed her cheeks like a mid-teen brat without thinking.

"Eh...?"

Rio couldn't hide his confusion.

Brewery fixed, no worries left. Why?

He eyed the cute glaring thing behind him.

'What's eating her?'

63 years as a total loner across two lives—Rio had zero clue about women's feelings.

Meanwhile, Lucresia boiled at his innocent face.

"I said forget it! I'm going out today!"

She stormed past him.

"Huh...?"

Lucresia strode off briskly. Marie followed effortlessly, shooting Rio a pitiful look over her shoulder.

Rio blinked blankly beside Elir, staring after them.

'What the actual hell.'

Meanwhile, Elir—witnessing the young lady and her lowly guard's chummy chat for the first time—frowned slightly.

'Aren't they a bit too close?'

Less lord-vassal, more friends. No.

'...Flirting?'

No no no.

What nonsense. If the duke and duchess heard that, her neck would be noosed that day.

Elir shook her neatly combed golden hair from dawn.

'Some thoughts are off-limits.'

She alternated gloomy stares between departing Lucresia and Rio beside her.

But.

"......"

Even through the gloom, a weirdly warm vibe pierced through. An invisible thread connected them.

Finally.

A bomb dropped in Elir's head.

'Fuck. This pisses me off.'

250 years single, squeezed dry by this mansion.

'Fucking bastards. Hope they all go bankrupt.'

She wiped the gloom, tears welling, eyes sharpening to daggers.

Dark-evolution Elir: born.

Then she spotted the maid effortlessly keeping pace with striding Lucresia.

'...The lady's personal maid.'

Been there the whole time? She'd barely registered her till now.

And.

That instant, the maid turned and met her eyes.

"...!"

Instinctive dread. Panic like plummeting into the abyss gripped her.

She smiled sweetly.

'...!'

Elir's pupils dilated huge.

"Take it slow, milady. Don't trip."

The maid spoke softly to the lady.

"Y-yeah! Let's go together, milady!"

Rio bolted after them from the side.

"......"

Elir closed her eyes.

Pitch black. Like her future.

Surrendering to the dark, she thought.

"...Gotta quit."

But whether the duke would approve 300-year veteran Elir's resignation? Only he knows.