140 - Spirit's Favorite 2
Dealing with a storm like Arabella was tiring. She seemed to be the type who lost sight of her surroundings when faced with a research subject. Occasionally she would calm down as if remembering herself and straighten her posture, but soon she would return to an excited state and begin speaking rapidly about her research, ruining everything. And Nils seemed used to this side of Arabella, showing no signs of being particularly flustered or tired. Perhaps the job of assisting the researchers at the Menhishumi Church was actually a job of holding the reins on people like Arabella.
I no longer felt like continuing my embroidery today, so I lay down on the lounge chair in a rather ill-mannered fashion. When I let one hand dangle limply off the lounge chair, Kokumaro licked it, which was cute. I felt somehow encouraged. Hermine would definitely scold me if she caught me in this posture, but I just didn't have the energy to sit properly on a chair, so it couldn't be helped.
...So even reincarnators who aren't found out are called Spirit's Favorites, huh.
While having my hand licked by the puppy, I vaguely thought about the things Arabella's rampage had made me remember.
If the condition is limited to those who possess souls from another world, then that would be the case. Spirit's Favorite connects by an equal sign to reincarnator.
...But it's a strange phenomenon, isn't it?
A name that you can't make out no matter how hard you listen, and that when written in letters looks like it's been painted over, making it impossible to read. And this phenomenon only occurs with Spirit's Favorites. What's even more strange is that the original inhabitants of this world can hear and read it normally.
...Ah, can we find reincarnators pretty easily with this method?
It might not be a very welcome thing if it becomes established as a method. That said, I felt like I'd heard that reincarnators are surprisingly numerous. And that not all of them retain memories of their previous world.
...Maybe I don't need to worry that much?
While thinking such things, I remembered one painting I saw at the art gallery in Lagarette. When I saw that painting, I thought it was that young man from that time, but thinking back now, I feel like the features just matched and it wasn't actually similar.
...But I did know that painting was of that person, didn't I.
Was this also one of the strange phenomena? Although the face was completely different from that person, I recognized the figure in that painting as the young man from that time. Thinking normally, that's strange.
I had been brooding for several days, but the embroidery I planned to give to Aurelia was completed. It was a truly gorgeous handkerchief, with material costs covered by Alf and the pattern designed by Hermine. I felt it might be a bit too flashy to give to Aurelia, but since she was doing lacework, there was a possibility she actually liked cute things, so she might be unexpectedly pleased. What suits a person and what they like don't have to be the same.
As I was celebrating the completion of the embroidery, Leonardo, who had been away on an inspection of Mehl Fortress, returned. Since I, his burden, wasn't there this time, Leonardo's travel was quick.
I waited for Leonardo at the entrance hall and hugged him with a "Welcome home." By now both of us were used to it, and he picked me up and carried me to the living room.
"I brought a souvenir for Tina."
"Ah, I've seen this tin befor... arimashu!"
The tin he handed me, saying it was a souvenir, looked familiar. It was the same type of tin as the one Yurgen of the Restham Knights had brought when I was at Aurelia's house. When I opened the tin right away, there were clear candies with small flowers trapped in their centers. They were as cute as ever.
...I wonder how Aurelia-san is doing?
I listened to Leonardo's story while rolling the candy around in my mouth. Of course, no work-related stories came up, but judging from how he was talking about tourist spots and local specialties around Mehl Fortress, where the Restham Knights were based, this was probably groundwork for next winter. A hint that we should go on a winter trip together next time.
...If we're going in that direction, I'd rather spend winter at Aurelia-san's place, maybe?
Though I thought it was probably impossible for me, an unrelated person, to visit Aurelia for fun, thanks to all the secret arts and knowledge I mustn't leak to the outside. As a wish, I'd rather spend winter leisurely at Aurelia's than in an unfamiliar land.
...That's right. I should probably tell Leo about Arabella-san too.
I'd carelessly let slip the word "reincarnator." It might be better to tell Leonardo myself before it gets communicated in a strange way. Of course, while hiding the inconvenient parts to some extent, so that he would misunderstand in a favorable direction.
"The other day, someone from the Menhishumi Church came, deshu..."
"Ah, they came, did they. I heard they borrowed a Spirit's Favorite to search for Tina, so I thought they'd come eventually."
"They borrowed Nils to look for me, deshu ka?"
Come to think of it, I felt like he'd said something like that. I hadn't been able to hear the detailed story because the conversation had immediately gone in a different direction.
"On the day of the Divine King Festival, Alf apparently went to the Menhishumi Church to ask for their help. In the end they couldn't find Tina... but around dusk, word came from the Menhishumi Church that the missing little girl had safely returned to the hearth."
Although they couldn't find her whereabouts, they were at least certain she was safe, so it put their minds at ease somewhat, apparently. In the end, it was a week later that they learned she was in the city of Mandez, but the information brought by the express messenger was also confirmed information that 'a little girl named Tina had appeared in the city of Mandez,' so it seems there wasn't any further worry. The fact that the express messenger who returned about a week later had confirmed my appearance was also significant.
"I caused trouble for everyone in the city, too. Arabella-san said I could make up for it by working at the Recollection Festival, deshu..."
"Tina is a Spirit's Favorite, after all. Think of the Recollection Festival work as something like an obligation and accept it. It's the same as me wearing frilly clothes every year and being put on display."
Leonardo said that from this year, since there would be two of them including Nils, they could decide on shifts and work in turns, so she should be able to play half the time. Apparently, until now there had only been one Spirit's Favorite, so Nils had been made to work all day at the Recollection Festival.
"That's right, I'm the Spirit's Favorite, deshu."
I had gotten sidetracked from what I was trying to talk about, so I hurriedly corrected course. I was also curious about the part where Alf had borrowed a Spirit's Favorite, but first the report about being a reincarnator was important.
"While I was talking with Arabella-san, I remembered, deshu... it seems I'm a reincarnator, deshu."
"Pfft...!?"
When I said it while pretending to be as innocent as possible, Leonardo blinked for a moment, then violently spat out the coffee he had in his mouth. Since I was sitting next to him, I was fine, but the faint scent of coffee wafted around us.
"Are you okay, deshu?"
I reflexively rubbed his back as Leonardo coughed and sputtered. I was the one who surprised him, but I hadn't expected him to be this startled.
"...Where did this conversation come from?"
He waited for his coughing to settle before asking again. I explained to Leonardo, being careful not to say anything unnecessary this time, about what I had heard from Arabella and the strange experiences I remembered while we were talking. Apparently, spirits disliked humans of this world and sometimes lent their aid to those who weren't. When you connected those pieces of information, beings called Spirit's Favorites were souls originally brought from another world.
"...So that's how it leads to Tina being a reincarnator."
"I don't really feel it, though, deshu."
"I do feel it, you know?"
"Eh?! Why deshu ka?"
Had I let something slip somewhere? When I looked up at Leonardo in surprise, my eyes met his, which had a slightly mischievous expression.
"I felt it during that kidnapping incident recently, that Tina is loved by spirits. I mean, the kidnapper's carriage wheel broke, a tree fell to block the road... It was a string of good fortune that couldn't be explained by mere luck."
...Ah, it's that. I was startled for nothing.
For a moment I thought he had actually realized I was a reincarnator, but it seemed what Leonardo had realized was the good fortune that appeared for Spirit's Favorites. Certainly, hearing about it again, it was a terrifying amount of good luck.
...Wait, so the carriage breakdown back then was because of that, huh.
I'd thought Leonardo had gone wild and punched down a tree with his bare hands, but it was apparently just a coincidence in the name of good luck. That was a bit scary in itself, but since the spirits' favor in this case was directed at me, I decided to be grateful for it.
...I feel like I shouldn't get carried away, but thank you, spirits (people) who helped me!
As I was secretly thanking the spirits whose whereabouts I didn't even know, Leonardo's voice dropped slightly. I could somehow tell he was tense.
"Tina... do you remember your past life?"
...Of course that's what you'd ask, huh.
I had prepared myself to some extent, so I showed a thoughtful expression for a moment before answering honestly.
"I don't remember my pasht life, deshu yo."
If I believed what that mysterious young man had said, then the memories of being Japanese inside me were from several lives ago. To be precise, they weren't from my "previous life." So answering like this shouldn't be a lie.
...I know it's just sophistry, though.
I knew that the people behind Leonardo were seeking Japanese reincarnators, but since it wasn't entirely a lie, I hoped they'd let it slide. I did feel that I should tell him someday, but Leonardo was someone who kept public and private strictly separate. Just like he hadn't flinched even when I was taken hostage by a kidnapper, if it came down to his little sister versus national interest, he might prioritize national interest.
...If Leo sold me out, I'd honestly cry.
I thought if Leonardo ever sold me off somewhere, it would be as sad as being sold by my parents. After that, I would probably never be able to trust anyone again. That was how much I trusted Leonardo as family now.
"Still, that's an interesting discovery."
There were few who were recognized as Spirit's Favorites, but reincarnators were even fewer. Apparently, following Aurelia, there had been a reincarnator twenty years ago as well, but it was said that having reincarnators appear in one country this frequently was unusual.
...Actually, there's one more, you know?
And the reincarnator with the memories of a Japanese person that Leonardo had been searching for was right beside him. Perhaps it was something I should keep silent about for the rest of my life.
It's short since it's a continuation from yesterday.
I want that "sense of living there" feeling, so I have many named characters, but these days I sometimes can't remember names and it troubles me.
"What was the Restham Knights vice-commander's name again...?" I thought for five minutes (idiot)
Typos and missing characters will be another day! I found and corrected some typos and missing characters.