Chapter Eleven: Camping Out
It’d been half a day since we departed, carried by the filolials — Yuki, Kou, and Sakura. Our journey to Siltvelt was going smoothly so far.
“Ugh . . .”
“Are you okay, Eclair?” Father asked.
We’d just stopped at a riverbank and began setting up camp for the night. But Éclair and the Siltvelt emissaries had gotten dizzy from riding on the wagon and could barely even move. The filolials rode like a dream! I could imagine how trying to grasp the sheer bliss of it might make someone’s head spin. It was an out-of-this-world experience.
“It truly is a mystery how you heroes manage to act normal after being shaken around like that,” Éclair said with a groan.
I couldn’t say I understood how she felt, though. The shaking of the filolials was the epitome of happiness! Feeling lightheaded was just a result of filolials being so intoxicating. Ha! Ha! Ha!
“I’ve never really had to deal with motion sickness,” Father replied.
“Okay then, we’ll camp here tonight, I say!”
“Alright. I guess I’ll take care of cooking us a meal,” Father offered.
“And I shall convert our wagon into a carriage!”
We laid Éclair and the Siltvelt emissaries on the riverbank to rest, built a fire, and then went to work.
“Gweh! Gweh!”
Yuki and the other filolials were playing happily on the riverbank. They’d been looking on excitedly when I first started converting the wagon, but they must have gotten bored. Watching them play warmed my soul.
“And then I’ll add a bit of this . . .”
Father was in good spirits. He started to make some kind of stew in a big pot. It smelled fantastic. Drawn by the aroma, Yuki and the other filolials started making their way over to Father.
“You mustn’t interfere with Father’s cooking, I say!”
“Gweh!”
Yuki responded with a spirited squawk and the filolials all stood there drooling and watching Father eagerly. They were clearly hungry.
“Are they going to eat with us?” Father asked.
“They shall, indeed! Filolials are omnivorous, so these magnificent creatures will eat anything, I say!”
“Oh, really? I guess I’ll need to make more then.”
Before Father even finished speaking, he pulled some monster meat off of the wagon and began cutting it up. Oh! He must have been getting more comfortable with prepping, because his movements started to look just like those of the Father I remembered.
“There were some herbs in the materials you gathered, and I have some medicinal materials that I should be able to use for seasoning too,” Father explained.
Father skillfully coated the meat in cooking spices and then began tying it up with cooking twine. I wondered what he was planning on making.
“There are really a bunch of steps that I’m skipping. It won’t taste quite as good, but whatever,” he went on.
He stacked some stones up in the form of a stove and built a fire at the bottom. It looked like a smoker. Was he going to smoke the meat?
“It’s a really quick-and-dirty setup, but this will be a good way to preserve the meat too.”
“Gweh!”
The filolials appeared to be nodding in response to Father’s words.
“What else? Hey, Motoyasu, do you think you could slice through a boulder crosswise? It’d be great if you could make a thin slab for me,” Father asked.
“Consider it done, I say!”
I found a big boulder on the riverbank and sliced it up to form a slab. Father took the slab and set up a table. No, that wasn’t it. It was a stone griddle. He built another fire under the griddle and began grilling some meat on it.
“I guess that should do for now.”
The smell of the meat grilling caught the attention of Éclair and the emissaries. They got up and came over, looking much livelier.
“I was able to do something a bit different this time, since Motoyasu brought so much stuff back with him. I used lots of seasonings. Try just sprinkling a bit of salt on and eating it like that.”
“Wow!”
“Gweeeh!”
Everyone started gobbling up the food that Father had prepared.
“You really do have a knack for cooking, Mr. Iwatani!” said Éclair.
“All I did was grill some meat. That doesn’t take any talent. This meat is really stringy, so it might be a bit difficult to chew. Wild game sure is difficult to cook.”
“Well, it’s far more delicious than anything we could make. I have no complaints,” she replied.
Everyone went on chatting and eventually it started getting late. We set up shifts so that someone would always be on the lookout while the others slept. Thanks to my foolishness, Father had probably spent many nights like this the first time, before I got stuck in a time loop. The thought of it made me want to cry.
“Gwehhh . . .”
I was petting Yuki, fully aware that I had a ridiculously huge grin on my face. Filolials really were the greatest thing in existence, I say! Their very presence alone brought happiness and good fortune.
“I hear cracking noises every time the filolials move. Are they alright?” Father asked.
“They’re fine, I say! That’s the sound of their bodies developing.”
“Are you saying they’re still growing?!” asked Éclair.
She had been drifting off to sleep but sat up suddenly. What was she so surprised about? The answer to her question was obvious.
“They are, indeed! They have plenty of growing left to do, I say!”
“They must not be like the filolials I’m familiar with . . .”
“Filolials display a special pattern of development when raised by a hero,” I explained.
“I-I see . . .”
Unable to hide her surprise, Éclair lay back down.
“Nothing really strikes me as odd anymore,” Father whispered while petting Sakura.
There was nothing odd about it, I say! The filolials would complete their magnificent evolution into angels soon. How delightful! It seemed like Sakura had taken a real liking to Father. Nothing could be more heartwarming than that! Ha! Ha! Ha!
“Gweh . . .”
Father was sitting down, and Sakura laid her head on his lap. She began snoring and he petted her on the head lovingly. Was this how the Father I knew had treated filolials? My memories of the future were hazy and full of gaps, so I couldn’t deny the possibility.
Hmm . . . I did seem to remember him looking really happy and petting something once, but I couldn’t recall the details. I had a feeling big sis was involved, but . . . Surely it must have been a filolial! The memory was hazy, but I couldn’t imagine anyone or anything other than a filolial being that important to someone!
“You ran a lot today. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Thank you,” Father soothed.
“Gweh . . . gweh . . .”
Father spoke to Sakura so fondly.
“I think you and the filolials should go out leveling tomorrow, I say!”
“You mean power-leveling, right? Do you think it’s okay to do that here?”
“We lost our tail, so I’m sure it will be fine!”
“I see.”
“I want you and the filolials to do your best!”
“Going on what you’ve said, I can imagine leveling up ridiculously quickly. It’s kind of scary.”
Father looked at Sakura and smiled. Ah, seeing the two of them like that made me start crying for some reason.
Oh, Filo-tan! Wherefore art thou? I was sure she was still but an egg, hidden away somewhere inside of that monster trainer’s tent. When all of this was over — more specifically, once we had ensured Father’s safety — I would go running to her, I say! I just needed her to wait a short while longer!
And so our night, spent on the riverbank with the filolials, wore on.
Morning came. We decided that Yuki, Sakura, Éclair, and one of the pigs would take Father out to level. I had other things to do and Kou would be coming with me as my transportation. Éclair climbed on Yuki’s back, and Father mounted Sakura.
“Gweh!”
“Yeah, they’ve grown a lot,” said Father.
“I’m guessing they’re about fifty percent bigger than normal filolials. It feels like I’m really high up in the air,” Éclair replied.
The two of them were mumbling. The Siltvelt emissary was helping me convert the wagon into a carriage. I’d gathered plenty of materials, so we probably had everything we needed.
I noticed the filolials had established their positioning, or something of a pecking order, amongst themselves. Yuki seemed to be the overall leader and gave Kou and Sakura their orders. Today, Yuki would take the lead to help protect Father. Sakura would act as his personal bodyguard. They had only hatched several days prior, and yet they were already carefully coordinating. Filolials never ceased to amaze!
“Do your best, I say!”
“Gweh!”
I gave them a word of encouragement and Yuki saluted, as if to say, “Roger!” Sakura attempted to do the same, but she was being extra careful to avoid making any sudden movements so that Father wouldn’t fall off her back.
“What are you going to do today, Motoyasu?” Father asked.
“I’m going to take care of some preparations for the filolials, I say!”
“Preparations? Is something going to happen?”
“It shall, indeed! If everything goes as expected, the filolials will become angels tonight!”
“Huh? Are they going to die?”
Father was standing there speechless with a sad look on his face.
“Well, I guess that’s understandable considering how fast they’ve grown. Their lives are like an intense flame that burns brightly but only lasts for an instant,” said Éclair.
“They did get this big in only three days, after all. That’s too bad,” Father replied.
He and Éclair were gazing at the filolials with sad looks on their faces.
“That’s not it, I say!”
Father had apparently misunderstood. Death? That sure was a violent misinterpretation. And Éclair sure was rude! Had Father really been satisfied with her assessment?! My answer clearly needed further explanation!
“By angels, I meant that the filolials will literally take on the form of an angel. I must secure certain equipment to prepare for that.”
“Oh, I see. I was really surprised for a moment there. What equipment?” asked Father.
“A machine that can turn magic power into clothing, I say!”
“Oh, I’ve heard of those. They’re used in Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden to make clothes for demi-humans who have the ability to shapeshift,” said Éclair.
She seemed to know what I was talking about.
“Let’s just hope that they sell them in one of the towns around here,” she said.
“I shall be searching the nearby towns!”
In the first world, I’d asked the monster trainer for advice and he told me about the equipment. He even ordered one of the machines for me. But that wasn’t going to be possible in the current time loop. I would need to go to the nearby towns and look for a machine myself.
“Would you like me to help you secure the items you need?” asked the emissary.
“Can you do that?” I asked.
Come to think of it, Siltvelt was a country of demi-humans. There were probably a lot of shapeshifting demi-humans there too. The emissary had a lot of unique connections, so he just might prove helpful. I might even end up being able to make clothes far superior to those I’d made in Melromarc — splendid clothes that showed off the magnificence of the filolials perfectly! The thought of it made me giddy!
“That will give me an opportunity to reach out to our contacts back in Siltvelt as well, although I have already done so several times now,” the emissary explained.
“Yeah. We really need to do something about these people chasing us. No matter how many of them we defeat, more just keep showing up. Things would be much less dangerous if we had the Siltvelt military protecting Mr. Iwatani,” said Éclair.
Her words couldn’t have been truer.
“We shouldn’t have to worry about that quite so much if Father can make it through today, I say! Once he levels up a bit, it won’t be so easy to hurt him.”
“Y-yeah. I’ll do my best.”
“Yuki and Sakura, both of you be sure to protect Father!”
“Gweh!”
Yuki and Sakura lifted their wings and squawked energetically. The magnificent creatures were dependable and adorable!
“Then let the fun begin, I say!”
When I gave the signal, Yuki and Sakura squawked loudly one more time and launched into a sprint.
“Whoa! They’re so fast!” Father exclaimed.
“I’m going to fall! Can’t we go just a bit slow — ” Éclair started to say.
I watched Yuki and Sakura sprint away into the distance with Father and Éclair on their backs. It was a glorious sight! Then I climbed into the makeshift carriage with the Siltvelt emissary.
“And we’re off! To the nearest town, I say!”
“Gwehhh!”
I pulled on the reins and Kou broke out into a lively sprint. There was nothing quite like that exhilarating feeling of the wind on your face when flying along at breakneck speeds.
The Siltvelt emissary and I made our way to a nearby town. According to my map, it seemed to belong to a small country situated between Melromarc and Siltvelt. I’d been told there was no dragon hourglass there, unfortunately.
“Are you familiar with this country, Spear Hero?”
“I am not.”
I only really knew about Melromarc, Faubrey, and Zeltoble. I’d stopped by several other places in my travels, but I had never been to this area, unfortunately. I might have gotten a hint or two if I tried to remember what I knew from my gaming, but Father had told me all about how knowledge from games couldn’t be trusted. It would be best to go check things out with my own two eyes.
“I see. This country is rather weak due to its short history and small size. Since it’s located in a region where there are frequent struggles between humans and demi-humans, Siltvelt and its enemy, Melromarc, fight over who controls it whenever the two countries are at war.”
That made sense. So the country probably wasn’t very well-off. That made me wonder if they had issues with food supplies. From what I could see, the place appeared to be rather desolate.
“Is it known for any specific products or anything?”
I figured if it was known for a certain food, I could take some back as a souvenir for Yuki and Sakura.
“None that I’ve ever heard of. The country’s development was driven by trade, so it’s a good place to buy products from other countries.”
“Hmm . . .”
I bet that was it. Melromarc residents would purchase items that could only be found in Siltvelt via this country or something. So basically, it was a second-rate version of Zeltoble.
I thought back to my time gaming. Had there been a town in this area? Ah, yes, it was coming back to me. I recalled a town in the region that was where the locals —well, actually, it was more like a way station for travelers. It wasn’t that there was nothing to do there, but the only thing of any note was a nearby dungeon. But this world wasn’t a game, so I didn’t need to go chasing dungeons. I could have gone and checked it out to try to get some rare items or equipment, but Father and the others didn’t need any new equipment at the moment.
“Do you think they have equipment to turn magic power into clothes here?” I asked.
“I’m not sure, but I plan to inquire with my contact here,” the emissary responded.
“Understood.”
The emissary and I made our way to his contact’s base of operations. Fortunately, it turned out we were able to acquire the equipment I needed.
“You’ll need to have the thread woven into fabric. That will require a specialist,” the contact told us.
“Indeed. Can I have that done in this town?” I asked.
“Yes, as long as you can pay, there is a shop that can produce the fabric in no time.”
That would take care of everything I needed!
“Now I just need to get a sewing kit. I will take care of making the clothes once I have the fabric!”
“You’re going to make the clothes yourself?” the emissary asked.
“Is there something strange about that?”
The emissary clearly had no idea who’d been in charge of sewing clothes for the filolials. Making clothes was my specialty, I say! With my aptitude for crafting things and an eye for style that I developed by looking at fashion magazines back in my world, this was the one thing I was proud to say I excelled at more than Father! I wasn’t ashamed to admit that it was I, Motoyasu, who had handmade the filolials’ clothing.
I’d also made a life-sized Filo-tan stuffed doll. It had turned out brilliantly, if I do say so myself. It was certainly worthy of sharing my bed with me every night, I say! Hm? That reminded me. There had been someone else skilled at sewing in Father’s village. She’d declared me her rival when she saw how impressive the clothes I made were. But I couldn’t recall her name or what she looked like. I could remember the clothes, but not the maker.
It didn’t matter, anyway. This took care of the preparations for being able to produce clothing for the filolials. I decided to buy some large cloaks that I wouldn’t mind getting torn. The filolials could make do with those until I finished making their clothes.
“Gw . . . Kweh!”
Kou completed the transformation to his filolial king form. He looked absolutely adorable! The Siltvelt emissary looked at him with a confused look on his face.
“He looks like . . . the filolial king . . . from the legends. He looks like the bird god.”
“Indeed, that is what he is!”
“What?!”
The emissary stumbled over backward in surprise. What was he so shocked about?
“Filolials are all godly birds, I say!”
“Oh, yes. I’m sure they are.”
“Kwehhh . . .”
I rubbed Kou on the front of his neck and thought about what to do next. I’d already gotten everything I needed. All that was left was to wait for Father and the others to return. Was there nothing else for us to do then? The Siltvelt emissary had been talking to his contact and suddenly furrowed his brow.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just been told that Melromarc has begun to exhibit some ominous behavior.”
“They’ve already sent numerous assassins after us, I say!”
“They claim to have no involvement with that. But now they have issued a complaint to Siltvelt about the Shield Hero destroying a checkpoint tower on the border.”
The nerve! It was them who had responded with hostility and attacked. I’d simply turned the tables on them and now they were trying to pick a fight over that. They were contemptible, through and through! If Father would have allowed it, I would’ve used my portal to infiltrate Melromarc and kill Trash and his minions right then and there, I say!
“The Siltvelt nobility is currently attending an international assembly called to address the issue of the waves. They are attempting to inform the fox of Melromarc of the truth.”
“Does Siltvelt plan to invade and conquer Melromarc?”
“It would be a truly difficult feat to overcome the fox of Melromarc and the one they call His Excellency, the Wise. Any rash attempt to invade would not only draw the ire of the alliance, but potentially make an enemy of the whole world.”
Trash still had some influence, it seemed. Indeed, I could remember the crimson swine bragging about Melromarc employing sly tactics to make a mockery of Siltvelt in the past.
“Just as you and the Shield Hero have said, protecting the world from the waves is what is truly important. I would like to think that Siltvelt understands that as well, but . . .”
“Ha! Ha! Ha! You need not worry, I say! For I, Motoyasu, shall defeat any and all enemies of Father’s!”
“I don’t doubt you’re capable of that, having personally seen the extent of your power. However, the Siltvelt nobility has not, and so they are not confident in making a move. I would like to ask that you please remain patient for a while longer.”
I guess there were troublesome formalities that needed to be taken care of.
“Furthermore, it’s a fact that our country is in turmoil due to the waves. Just as the legends say, we must assist the Shield Hero in fighting against them.”
“You’re right. Addressing that issue is more important than starting a war, I say!”
“Our foremost priority is to deliver the Shield Hero to Siltvelt safely. The country’s nobility will decide what happens after that.”
The emissary clenched his fist as he spoke.
“Is there anything else we need to do here?” I asked.
“I’ve finished my business here. However . . .”
The emissary glanced over toward the shadows cast by a nearby building. I felt like I could sense the presence of someone hiding there.
“Should I go and take care of them?” I asked.
“We can’t be certain it’s a Melromarc assassin, so we should let them go for now. We’re slowly gathering more and more supporters, in any case.”
“Understood. Then I shall return us to the place where we split up with the others, I say! Portal Spear!”
I used my portal to teleport us and shake our tail and then waited for Father’s return.
“We’re back!”
“Kweh!”
It was just before sunset. I was waiting at the riverbank where we’d decided to meet back up when Father and the others finally returned. It looked like Yuki and Sakura had both completed the transformations into their filolial queen forms.
“So umm, their appearances suddenly changed in the middle of leveling, but that’s okay, right?” Father asked.
“It is, indeed! In fact, to say that this is their true form wouldn’t be an overstatement.”
“Oh, really? I guess it’s kind of like how monsters can evolve in some monster tamer games,” Father said.
Father climbed down off Sakura as we continued chatting. As soon as he was off, he started rubbing the inside of his thighs, like they were sore.
“Man . . . My thighs were rubbing the whole time. That’s really tough when you’re not used to riding.”
“Would you like me to cast some healing magic on your legs?” I asked.
“Oh, no, I’ll be fine. I had the Siltvelt emissary use some on me earlier.”
“Oh really?”
The Siltvelt pig tumbled off of Yuki and fell on the ground. Éclair was covering her mouth with one hand and leaning on Yuki for support. All of the color had drained from her face.
“N-no more . . .” she mumbled.
She then fell to her knees with a thud. She looked like she was on the verge of death.
“We were gaining experience at an incredible rate, and all we had to do was watch the filolials plow through monsters. But I can’t endure any more of this,” she said.
“Yeah, I can’t say it was a very comfortable ride,” Father replied.
“You’re not normal, Mr. Iwatani. I don’t see how you can be unfazed by that ride,” Éclair said.
“What can I say?”
Father was scratching his head awkwardly. It was only natural he would be unfazed, I say! Father had raised Filo-tan. He was like the head of the filolials. He wasn’t the kind of weakling that would be bothered by a bit of shaking, I say!
“How were the fruits of war today?” I asked.
“We made pretty good progress, I think. I’m level 28 now. Isn’t that incredible? Éclair and the emissary said they leveled up a bit too.”
“That’s excellent. I’d like to get your level a bit higher, if possible, though!”
“Yeah, but I should probably work on powering up my shield and stuff too, right?”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Come to think of it, I needed to take Father to the weapon shop in town. If he didn’t copy more weapons, he was going to have a hard time building up his collection of equipment.
“Hey, Motoyasu. Is it okay if I go ahead and power up a shield I can already use?”
“No problem at all, I say! If you need any materials, I’ll get them for you. We won’t have to worry about assassins nearly as much once you raise your defense, after all.”
“Thanks. Alright, then I’ll go ahead and work on powering up a shield I can use that seems to have good stats.”
There was no guarantee the weapon shop in that town would have a good selection of shields. Father probably wouldn’t be able to use “awakening” yet. That was Ren’s power-up method. He would probably be trying to implement some of Itsuki’s and my power-up methods, such as refinement, spirit enchants, item enchants, or the job gauge. That alone would be enough to allow him to withstand attacks from the average adventurer or soldier.
“You’ve finally grown a bit stronger, Father.”
“I’m still nowhere near as strong as you, of course. I can’t use magic at all, either. I need to unlock some skills.”
“It’s still a big step forward, I say!”
“Yeah. I feel like I’ve suddenly grown incredibly strong, even though I know that’s not true.”
I wanted to get Father to level 40 by sometime tomorrow. I tweaked the filolials’ stats to make some small improvements, and then we all decided to head to town to find an inn. We laid Éclair and the pig down in the carriage to rest and made our way to a different town than the one I’d gone to earlier that day.
Father sighed.
“It’ll be nice if we can finally spend some time just relaxing today,” he said.
He was sitting on the bed in our room at the inn and complaining. It was true that we’d had a hectic past few days, constantly being chased by assassins.
Judging from its appearance, this town seemed quieter than the one we’d stayed at previously. There probably weren’t any groups of thugs here that would be attacking the inn out of nowhere. Still, we had a bodyguard hired by Siltvelt standing guard out front. I wondered if the bodyguard would accompany Father tomorrow. Éclair and the pig were in their room asleep. The emissary had gone out to buy some medicine. He said their motion sickness had been so bad that they needed medical treatment. Either way, Yuki and Sakura would be plenty of protection for now.
“Okay, I’m going out to the inn’s stable,” I said.
“Huh? You’re not going to sleep in the room?” Father asked.
“My work for the day is not done, I say!”
“What are you going to do?”
“I should probably take you to see for yourself this time.”
I took Father out to the inn stable. The filolials were waiting there restlessly.
“Sorry to keep you waiting!” I told them.
“Kweh!”
They squawked cheerfully when they noticed I’d arrived. As a reward for their hard work that day, I fed them some of the meat Father had smoked.
“So what were you going to show me?”
“It should happen any moment now.”
The filolials were squawking excitedly. I turned to them and whispered.
“I believe you should be able to turn into angels any time now, my lovely filolials. Please show Father your new form.”
They looked at each other and then stood tall and . . . they began to transform.
“Huh?”
There was a faint glow as the filolials transformed into their angel forms. Father was looking on speechless.
The colors of their feathers, when they had been in their filolial forms, coincided with the colors of their hair and the wings on their backs. They were all around the same size. No, wait. Yuki seemed to be a bit taller than the others. She had a look of determination on her face that gave her an air of authority. Kou gave off an impression of being a young man full of curiosity. And Sakura . . . She seemed to be the happy-go-lucky type, I guess. Something about her made her look a bit drowsy.
“Motoyasu!”
“Motoyasuuuu!”
“That’s me, I say!”
They each called out my name. Well, aside from Kou. They were all so adorable! Father was opening and closing his mouth, but nothing was coming out.
“I mean . . . You told me it would happen. But seeing it with my own eyes still blew me away. It makes me want to go tell Eclair all about it,” he finally said.
“Éclair is off in la-la land. She probably wouldn’t even be listening,” I told him.
“Yeah. That’s true. But ‘la-la land’? She has motion sickness is all.”
“Naofumiiii!”
Sakura turned and ran over to Father.
“You must be Sakura.”
“Yup! I’m Sakuraaa!”
Sakura hugged Father. She was completely nude, aside from the lush, pink hair flowing over her shoulders.
“Whoa!”
Father’s eyes opened wide. He hugged Sakura back and petted her on the head. Sakura looked up at him and grinned.
“Tee hee hee!”
“This is the first time we’ve gotten to talk like this, isn’t it?” Father said.
“Yup. But you know, I’ve wanted to talk to you ever since I first met you! Thank you for always petting my head!”
“Oh, umm, sure.”
Father was glancing off in the other direction, like he wasn’t sure where to look.
“Are you not going to have them wear clothes, Motoyasu?” he asked.
“That’s what I procured that equipment for, I say! Come now, my lovely filolials! There’s a tool here that we’ll use to make your clothes. I need you to turn the handle.”
“But whyyy?”
“Because wearing clothes will make all of you even more attractive, I say!”
“Does that mean I should wear clothes, Motoyasu?” asked Yuki.
“I don’t mind being naked!” exclaimed Kou.
“That’s not an option!” Father shouted.
“Do you want me to wear clothes, Naofumi?” Sakura asked.
She loved getting attention. Seeing her act so intimate with Father reminded me of Filo-tan. But her hair and eyes were a different color than Filo-tan’s. She acted rather laid-back, and even her movements were somewhat sluggish. Her hair was wound up in the shape of a flower in one spot on the side of her head. It was attractive, but the texture of her hair wasn’t quite the same as Filo’s. Sakura’s defining characteristic was that all of the little details fell just short of Filo-tan.
“Umm, yeah. I think it would be good if you wore clothes.”
Sakura nodded in response to Father’s answer.
“Okay, then I’ll wear clooothes!”
“I’ll go first, then,” said Yuki.
“Huh?! But I wanna go fiiirst!” Sakura replied.
“You’ll wait your turn,” said Yuki.
“Boooo!”
Yuki made Sakura wait. She clearly held the role of leader.
“Hm?”
Kou was just standing there. I realized he still hadn’t called me by my name. I walked over to him and gave him a gentle smile. And then he said it.
“Kitamura.”
“That’s me, I say!”
“Umm . . . Why’s he calling you by your last name?” Father asked.
Kou grabbed the handle of the machine while we were talking and started turning it before Yuki could.
“Ahahaha! This is fun!” he said.
“Hey! No one told you to turn the handle, Kou!” shouted Yuki.
She scolded him. The whole scene made me chuckle.
“If they look like that, then I guess they can sleep in the room with us now, right?” asked Father.
“I suppose so,” I said.
After making sure that the thread was being spun correctly, I had the three of them put on some pajamas for the time being.
“Listen up, you three. You be good little filolials and sleep in Father’s room. It’s your job to keep him safe, I say!”
“We know that,” Yuki replied.
She sure was clever.
“Yup. I wanna sleep with Naofumi toooo!”
“Alright. You can sleep with me as long as you behave yourself.”
“Yaaay!”
Sakura hopped up and down excitedly and Father petted her on the head. I remembered he was good with children. My original filolials had been very fond of him too. I could remember him sleeping soundly once while he was surrounded by a bunch of filolials that were practically screaming.
Kou was turning the handle of the machine quickly and it spun his magic power into thread. Yuki went next. The way she turned the handle looked very graceful. The filolials were full of personality, and the differences showed even when doing something like spinning thread.
“Now then, Sakura, you’re next,” said Yuki.
“Okaaay!”
Sakura grasped the handle of the machine and began to turn it. But she moved at a languid pace and turned it very slowly.
“Sakura, are you not going to turn it any faster than that?” asked Yuki.
“Huh?”
Sakura looked over at Father.
“Do yooouuu want me to turn it faster, Naofumi?”
“It’s not like it really takes that long. Turn it however fast you like.”
“Reeeaally? Okay, I’m gonna turn it slooow then.”
Sakura began spinning her thread again. Kou sighed.
“I’m getting sleepy,” he said.
“I’m tired too,” Yuki agreed.
Sakura went on spinning her thread. Yuki and Kou started yawning a lot and kept complaining about how tired they were. Father motioned to me to go ahead and take them back to the room, so I told them to come with me.
“I’ll leave Sakura’s thread here once she’s done spinning it. You three go ahead and get some sleep while we finish up.”
“Understood. Sakura, if anything happens, it’s up to you to protect Father, I say!”
“Gooot iiiit!”
Sakura seemed to be having fun spinning her thread. She was alternating between turning the handle slowly and quickly, like it was a game. Father was watching her with a warm look in his eyes.
“Okay, we’re heading back to the room, I say!”
Seeing the two of them like that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I took Yuki and Kou back to the room and we went to bed.
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