Chapter 176 - Charge! The Journey's Dinner 9 - I Am a Salamander
I am a Salamander. My name is Sara. It's a simple name, given to me because I'm a Salamander, but I like it a lot, so that's fine.
I was born in an oil lamp in a medium-sized town near a big city called Faldina. When I came to, I was already inside it, and I was caught by some bad people right after that, so I don't really know how I was born or how I grew up.
That's why I'm a sheltered creature by nature, and I've never felt that being put inside a lamp was a hardship. My master and Anna-neesan think it's a pity to keep me like a caged bird, but I actually quite like small places, so I wish they wouldn't worry about it.
But since I can't speak, I can't seem to get this feeling across. I really want to become a respectable Salamander soon.
Oh, I forgot to mention, my master is Franz-san, a spirit user who commands fire spirits. My master is a person who thinks too much, and he hasn't realized his own rare talent for freely controlling the same fire power as me. He seems to have lost confidence because he can't control the fire dragon, even though just being able to summon it is amazing. It's really frustrating that I can't communicate with him when I know that if he just used me, the gate to summon it would open anytime.
That's me, but since coming here to Tashkur, I've been incredibly bored. I'd love to spit out a big ball of fire with a BOOM! just once, but I can't very well burn down our lodging in front of my frugal master, so I'm holding back.
Still, the house Anna-neesan borrowed to open her clinic has a splendid fireplace, so it's quite comfortable right now. My master takes me out for walks sometimes, and very rarely buys me high-grade oil, so I can endure. As I've said many times, I'm fundamentally a sheltered creature.
Right now, it's the middle of winter. I was dozing in the fireplace. My master and Anna-neesan often go to bed early, and it's always the people who can't see spirits who are left, so I decided to go to sleep early as usual and closed my eyes. But late at night, I sensed a presence and woke up.
There stood the big Ritz-san. He can't see me, so I've made it a habit to just watch him silently without speaking. Today, Ritz-san looks kind of tired.
"This is weird..."
Ritz-san muttered.
"Kii?"
What's wrong? I meant to ask, but speaking is very difficult and I can't do it yet. But maybe he heard my voice, because Ritz-san brought a chair in front of the fireplace and sat down.
"Still up, Sara?"
"Kii."
"I see. Want to have a man-to-man talk?"
"Ki... kii?"
I'm not a man or a woman. I'm a spirit... is what I want to say, but the words won't come out. But Ritz-san doesn't seem to care about my gender; he just wants to complain, so I silently curl up in the fire.
"It's weird, Sara. I thought I confessed to Anna with the resolve of a desperate man, you know?"
"Kii?"
Ritz-san to Anna-neesan?
"Normally, if you look someone straight in the eye and say you have someone you like, or that she's an important woman, you'd think they'd have an idea of who you're talking about, right? But instead, I get completely misunderstood and avoided, you know? How many days has it been since that night...? It's unbearable."
"Kii."
"Or maybe I was just flat-out rejected? Maybe she thinks I'm disgusting..."
"Kikii."
I don't think that's it, Ritz-san, I wanted to say, but I don't understand human feelings, so I have no way of knowing what Anna-neesan is really thinking.
"I see, that's it, isn't it? A guy you thought of as a big brother suddenly tells you he can't live without you and that he's in love with you... that's got to be creepy, right? They say you can't fall in love with someone after you've been friends or comrades for a while, and for a guy you saw as a big brother to say 'I need you,' that's just horrifying, isn't it? And on top of that, I'm a block of insincerity who buys prostitutes..."
With that, Ritz-san hung his head in dejection.
"The more I seriously fall in love, the worse things go. Why did I have to fall for her...? I guess I have no choice but to give up. There must be a man who's truly worthy of her. She shouldn't be dragged down by a loser like me."
Groaning, he held his head in his hands and muttered in a dark voice.
"But still, wanting to be by her side even as a big brother... is that just me being selfish...?"
Ritz-san's expression when he lifted his head was so dark that, for some reason I don't understand, I felt sorry for him. His face was pale, and he seemed to be trembling.
So I decided to warm him up.
"Kiii! Rii-kii!"
"What's wrong, Sara? Are you sympathizing with me?"
The moment Ritz-san peeked into the fireplace, I let out a huge blast of fire. Fire is the best way to get warm. But Ritz-san recoiled with all his might, dodging my flames. Since he was sitting in a chair, he couldn't completely avoid it, and with a loud scream, he and the chair tumbled into the room.
"UGYAAAAAAAH!"
Watching Ritz-san roll around, slightly on fire, I tilted my head in a daze. Huh, did I warm him up too much?
"What was that!"
"What, what is it!?"
His Majesty, a light sleeper, and Anna-neesan came running in and frantically put out the flames on the slightly scorched Ritz-san. The fire was extinguished quickly, but Ritz-san's clothes looked pretty ragged. After checking his condition, Ritz-san let out a loud shout at the惨状.
"Whoa! My clothes!"
"Ki, kii?"
"We don't have any money, Sara!"
"Ritz, that's not the issue here!"
Anna-neesan stood with her hands on her hips, towering over the seated Ritz-san.
"You can buy clothes, but you can't buy a life!"
"...Yes, ma'am."
Despite being scolded, Ritz-san looked somewhat happy.
"And you, Sara!"
"Kii?"
"Unless it's an absolute emergency, you're not allowed to set Ritz on fire!"
"Kiii!"
When I replied that I understood, Anna-neesan seemed to get the message and smiled, saying to be careful next time. From now on, I'll be really careful when I set Ritz-san on fire.
"Ritz, are you hurt?"
"A little burn like this will heal in no time. Don't worry about it."
"You're lying. Let me see."
"I'm fine, really."
"Not fine! Let me see properly!"
Neesan grabbed Ritz-san's arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing that his entire arm was red and raw. If left until tomorrow, it would likely be covered in blisters.
"See, you have a terrible burn!"
"...It's fine. You'll be using your powers tomorrow and you'll get tired, right?"
"It's not fine!"
"I just don't want to cause you too much trouble."
At Ritz-san's muttered words, Anna-neesan was momentarily speechless, but then she bit her lip and silently began the treatment.
"It's not trouble... We're comrades."
Staring at the wound, Anna-neesan murmured and then quietly cast a healing spell. The sad-looking Ritz-san looked up at Anna-neesan, who didn't raise her head, and formed words with his lips without making a sound. I carefully read them.
'I love you.'
It was very strange to me, the way Ritz-san looked so seriously at Anna-neesan as he said that. I think it would be better if he just said it out loud, but maybe I'm still just a salamander larva.
After Anna-neesan finished healing the wound and Ritz-san, with his burnt clothes, left, it was just me and His Majesty. His Majesty can't see me either, but he put the chair back, turned to the fireplace, and looked in my direction.
"Don't you find this frustrating?"
"Kii."
"I should think the matter could be resolved if they just embraced and said 'I love you' to one another."
"Kii!"
"Well, it's good for the young to struggle. A true conclusion can only be reached after much agonizing. Even if someone mediates and they convey their feelings, there is no truth that they have overcome themselves. What's more, their lifespans are long, so it is most important for them to take their time and reach a conclusion that allows them to be together for a long time."
"Kii~"
"You are a fire spirit. You will live longer than we humans, so from time to time, please watch over these foolish people."
"Kii!"
The winter night gradually deepens. It seems my life as a caged bird will continue for a while longer.
Thank you for reading.
And so, with the two of them in a rather troubled state, this volume comes to an end.
The next volume will feature the two getting even more entangled, and the appearance of a certain person who will only make things worse. Well now, what will be the fate of the love story of this age-gap & height-gap combo...
Well then, let's meet again in the next volume.