Welcome to the Special-Grade Guild! ~ The Beloved Elf Poster Girl Soothes Everyone’s Hearts ~
Chapter 144

144. Momotarou Panic

“And so, Momotarou and his companions, Wolle, Monkeir, and Piido, returned the treasures they’d retrieved from the oni to the village, and everyone lived happily ever after. The end.”

“Wow!” A cheer erupted.

Now then, what was I doing? I was telling my spirits the story of Momotarou!

I’d tried telling them a different story before, and they loved it! So I tell them stories sometimes, and… They seemed to love Momotarou, this was the tenth time. I’d changed the companion animals to a dog, a monkey, and a bird, and their names to suit this world.

『Okay! We’re going demon hunting!』

『Yeah!』

Hmm? Hmm? Shou-chan suddenly declared this, and the others all responded enthusiastically.

“Demon hunting?”

『That’s right! I’m Momotarou, and… 』

『I’ll be Wolle.』

『I’m Monkeir!』

『I’m Piido!』

Ah, so they’re playing pretend? Now that you mention it, the casting was perfect. Though I wasn’t sure if Shizuku-chan was a wolf. And they’re so cute!

『Master, can we have some kibi dango (millet dumpling)?』

“Eh? You can’t eat them, even if I had some.”

『Master, it’s all about the feeling.』

『Master, the atmosphere’s important, you know?』

Even Shizuku-chan, usually cool and composed, was serious about this. I need to play along, as their master. But… I wonder if I have anything that could be used as a substitute for dango. Ah, that’s right, I have those!

“I have these mini-manjuu. Will these work?”

They were bite-sized manjuu, filled with anko, a gift from Tio-nee, that she’d given me as a snack. They were so delicious that I’d saved a few in my storage bracelet. I’d never imagined they’d come in handy like this.

『Yeah, those’ll do! Thanks, Master! 』

『Okay everyone! I’ll give you these mini-manjuu, so come demon hunting with me!』

Shou-chan immediately started distributing the mini-manjuu. They’re all pretty small, so even bite-sized manjuu look big to them. I wonder if it looks like I’m playing with manjuu, floating them around. Well, it’s fine, because I’m in my room, and no one else is here.

『I feel so strong!』

『Mmm, I can defeat any demon with this.』

『I’m full of energy!』

Everyone, after pretending to eat the mini-manjuu… placed them back in my hand and then proceeded to flip around and fly, showing off their newfound energy. Ugh, so cute…!

『Okay everyone! Let’s go demon hunting!』

『Yeahhh!!』

They then left the room, full of energy, with Shou-chan at the head of the line. …Left!?

“Wait, where are you guys going!?”

I shouted, left behind, my hands full of mini-manjuu. But the spirits didn’t answer.

Wait, wait, wait. Think, think. What would they do? I’ve been with them for 20 years, I know how they think!

Um, they’d gone “demon hunting,” right? And they wouldn’t go too far, so all I had to do was find someone who could act as the demon. The demon of Ortus…

“Juma-nii-chan…!!”

Whoa! It’s possible! Totally possible! And they’re the type to take things seriously! I’m sure Juma-kun’s being attacked by spirits he can’t even see!

“Whoa, what the!?”

See? I heard it! Juma-kun’s surprised voice, from the open window! My prediction was right! …No, that’s not the point, I have to do something!

I hurriedly rushed out of my room.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Meg-chan? You have manjuu all over your hands.”

I ran into Kei-san, as I was leaving my room and heading down the stairs. Ah, I still had them! I felt embarrassed that they’d seen me like this, and quickly stored them in my bracelet.

“Um, my spirits, they turned into Momotarou, and they’re playing pretend, but they’re being serious about it…”

“Spirits? Playing pretend?”

I was rushing, so I tried to explain as I ran, but it was a jumbled mess! You can do it, toddler brain!

“Um, they went out to hunt demons after I told them the story, and then…”

“Uwaaaahhh!?”

“Ah, I think I understand.”

Kei-san, maybe because they’d heard Juma-kun’s shout, seemed to have grasped the situation. And they calmed me down, patting my head. How gentle!

“Apparently spirits can’t use powerful attacks unless their master uses them for nature magic. It’s just strong winds that’ll make you dizzy, flames that are a bit hot, and water that’ll soak you. And since it’s Juma, it’ll be fine. And because those who can’t see spirits can’t even touch them, the spirits are safe too…”

Ah, yes, that’s true, but… isn’t it still incredibly annoying for Juma-kun…?

“Ah, but Shou-chan… since it can make anyone’s voice, so maybe it…”

That’s right, Shou-chan couldn’t really do much either, but it could perfectly imitate anyone’s voice, so someone might get falsely blamed…

“You bastard, Wyatt! Who’re you callin’ a muscle-brained idiot oni!!!”

“I see, so Shou-chan used Wyatt’s voice. It would do something like that.”

Ahhh! As I thought! Another victim! And Juma-kun, you noticed! Because Wyatt-san is a Flying Squirrel demi-human, so he can’t use wind, water, or fire. His twin brother Owen-san is a Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel demi-human. It’s normal in this world for twins to be different species, but it’s interesting how these two are so subtly different.

No, that’s not the point! I have to stop my spirits! I tried to run, but Kei-san stopped me. Why!?

“It’s just Juma being an idiot for not noticing it’s not actually Wyatt. It’s kinda funny, let’s watch for a bit.”

They smiled and said, “Why don’t we have some tea and watch in the hall?” It was a wonderful offer, their smile a feast for the eyes, but I felt guilty…!

“Wyatt will probably get attacked by Juma later on, but it’ll be good training. Or do you want me to be your sparring partner?”

“N-No, thank you! I-I’d love to join you!”

Despite being told about Wyatt-san’s future crisis, I’d fallen for Kei-san’s words. I immediately accepted the offer. And I stumbled. Is this really okay for me, a nature magic user, and a master of spirits?

But the new strawberry Mont Blanc at the guild cafe was delicious, and I enjoyed chatting with Kei-san. Juma-kun, throwing a tantrum, and Wyatt-san, who’d unfortunately passed by, eventually started a heated battle, which did become training for Wyatt-san. And Saura-san, who’d joined us out of curiosity, created a barrier around them, and we all ended up watching and cheering. So maybe it was a good thing. It was entertaining! Even though it was our fault!

By the way, my spirits had apparently retreated right after their initial attack, and Shou-chan was scattering silver coins with wind magic, saying “We’ve retrieved the treasures!” I have no idea when it managed to get those. The source was Juma-kun’s pocket. The perpetrator, Fuu-chan. …No stealing! Of course, I apologized to him later!

It seems like I still have a lot of work to do as a master, to discipline my spirits. Guh!

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