Ch 142.1
Translator: Jiro Editor: Ryunakama
「Well how about we use this opportunity to hunt some Sti Beetles?」
「You’re right, we’re free until we need to go back after all.」
After that, we continued hunting Sti Beetles for a while. It was then that I noticed that Milly’s body was turning transparent.
Rather it was my Transparency that was running out.
「It seems like this is it for me. I only got grazed by it, so I guess the effect wasn’t as strong.」
「Zeph!! W-… Don’t leave me alone…」 Milly said as she looked very anxious and was on the verge of crying.
Come to think of it, wasn’t she trembling when I first touched her after becoming transparent myself? It probably must have been really hard for a child such as Milly to be left alone within the forest not having her presence recognized by anyone. I guess that must also be why she didn’t move my hand immediately.
I placed my hand on Milly’s head as her eyes were filling up with tears. I then crouched and turned my back towards her.
「Get on, we’ll go to the inn together.」
「…」
I couldn’t hear her voice anymore, however it felt like something was weighing on my back.
◆ ◆ ◆
After returning to the inn, I met Claude who was just coming out of the room.
「Oh… Welcome back Zeph-kun.」
「… Hey.」 I said as the memories of yesterday entered my head, which made it kind of awkward to be alone with Claude.
Claude tried to hide her blushing face as she invited me to the room.
「Oh my, you two. Did something happen?」
Good grief Lydia. She’s as sharp as always. Still, I’m surprised they’re already back.
「I-It’s nothing!! That aside, where is Milly-san?」
Come to think of it, wasn’t I carrying her? To think that even I completely forgot about her even though I was carrying her. This Transparency spell is really frightening.
「Ah, I’m sorry! I forgot to tell Kuro-chan!」 said Lydia.
It seemed like she had forgotten to talk about the Transparency with Claude.
It truly is a frightening spell.
After explaining about the Transparency to Claude and Shirushu, both of them showed faces of surprise.
We couldn’t blame them. It was hard to believe that the person was in fact there, however you couldn’t see them due to their presence being weak.
「When will she turn back to normal?」
「Hmph, well it heals faster the more magic power the person has, so Milly should be turning back soon but…」
「Zeph.」 said Silverie from one of the corners of the room with a shocked expression.
She was pointing at my back. I found it a bit strange but then I felt breathing. The feeling of that breath then gradually grew stronger… And then a familiar blonde hair tickled my nose.
I felt a small body weighing down on my back.
「Seems like she’s back.」
It seemed like her Transparency had completely worn off as I could feel her presence clearly.
I had let go of my hands at one point due to completely forgetting about her, but it seemed like she held onto me until the end.
I even worried that I might have dropped her somewhere.
She was clinching onto my body with both her arms and legs.
「Hey Milly! Wake up! Hey!」
「Hm…」
I shook my back however she showed no sign of wanting to wake up.
Rather than that, she even strengthened her grip on my body.
Well she did hold onto me this whole time, so I guess shaking her off won’t work.
「Milly-san, you’re bothering Zeph-kun.」
「…Hm?」
As she was called out by Claude, Milly slowly opened her eyes.
She slightly rubbed her eyes and looked around while yawning.
「Zeph, everyone, morning.」
That’s one deep sleep she had there, this damn brat.
Everyone was amazed that Milly was able to sleep so soundly while clinching to my back.
Claude was looking at her and laughing with a complex expression.
「Milly-san, you really are amazing to be able to sleep in that position.」
「Well it’s the safest place.」 said Milly with a bright smile, which surprised Claude a little.
「… Is that so… I guess you’re right.」
「Yea!!」
In contrast to Milly’s energetic reply, Claude showed a gloomy expression.
However, she then immediately turned back to her normal self.
Why did she do that… I guess I’m just imagining things due to being tired as well.
「You could have at least stayed awake you know, what an annoying fellow.」 「Hehe, I was just so comfortable you see…」 said Milly.
I then flinched her forehead with my finger, however she only smiled back.
◆ ◆ ◆
A few days later, Shirushu’s wounds healed to a point where we could finally take her hunting with us again.
However, I still warned her that she would only be following behind us today as a form of rehabilitation.
Due to me and Silverie taking care of almost everything, in the end Shirushu’s turn never came.
But even so she still looked excited and waved her tail around in a happy mood.
「AH! I can smell monsters!!」
「… Leave it to us.」 said Silverie after which she immediately fired off a Black Shot at the Sti Beetle that appeared.
At the same moment I used Scout Scope and I noticed that Silverie’s spell did damage exactly equal to the Sti Beetle’s magic power, without any deviation.
As expected of my master. To think that she’s able to do that without even having Scout Scope.
「… Still, this Scout Scope thing is really useful.」 she said.
「…!!」 I immediately spat out the water that I was drinking.
Which in turn drew the curious looks of Silverie and Shirushu.
「Zeph-san did something happen?」
「N-No, it’s fine. I just didn’t know that you knew about Scout Scope, Silverie…」
「Milly showed me the scroll the other day. She said it was a present for joining the guild.」
「… I see.」
Even though her father told her not to randomly show it around… What a stupid daughter. It’s not like I don’t trust Silverie and Shirushu, but Scout Scope is a dangerous spell in many ways. After all, it’s a spell that allows you to peek at your opponent’s magic power, their name, and even the spells that they use in combat. If by any chance the scroll spreads around people that are after it may come. I’ll have to punish her later…
I thought while taking down Sti Beetles.
◆ ◆ ◆
After hunting, we returned to the inn, and then Shirushu proposed that we go play at the sea.
Perfect. I’m gonna be able to keep an eye on Milly like this.
「Hey Milly, come here.」
「Hm? What is it?」
As everyone else was playing in the water, I dragged Milly under the shade of a tree.
I pushed her back against the rock wall that was there and placed my hand on it so as to block her escape.
「Wh-What are you doing Zeph? Suddenly dragging me here…」
「There’s something that I have to tell you.」
「Eh?! W-What is it…?」 said Milly as she put her hands in front of her lips and tried to avoid eye contact.
As I brought my face closer to hers, she lowered her hands and tightly closed her eyes.
I then used my fingers to pinch her bright red cheeks.
「Auchhhh!!」
「I wanted to talk to you about the Scout Scope scroll. Didn’t I tell you before not to spread that around so randomly?」
「Oh, you wanted to talk about that?」
Good grief, this girl…
「But look, they’re our friends so it’s fine isn’t it?」
「Just because they’re our friends doesn’t mean that you can just tell them everything. And when it comes to Unique Spells, let alone your friends, you can’t even talk about it freely in front of your family!」
「Buuuut…」
「No buts!」 I said as I used my forehead to hit hers.
I then repeated that a number of times.
「Auch!! Zeph it hurts!!」
「Did, you, learn, your, lesson?」
「I did!! I did, so stop!!」
「Okay then.」
As I released her she held her forehead as tears began to well up in her eyes. A red spot could now be seen on her forehead; however, I didn’t feel sorry at all.
After all, I couldn’t be too careful when it came to Scout Scope.
A Unique Spell Scroll was something that a magician would spend their whole life creating.
It wasn’t something that you could easily show to everyone…
I’ve already seen the worst outcome of it after all.
Several years in the future, Claude would bring the Scout Scope to the Association.
That future was one in which they hadn’t met me, however the sight of Claude at that time is recently beginning to pop up in my head.
「You brought me here just for that?」
「Just for that? You idiot. Looking as if nothing happened, it seems you need more reflecting…」
「No, no, I’ve reflected already.」
「Yea sure.」
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