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“What!? Are the Guildmaster and Ms. Stella married!?”
“Keep your voice down. You can tell by looking at their rings.”

After finishing our meal at the guild and returning to the inn, a rejuvenated Momo started making a fuss. Her resilience and recovery were astounding, considering she had been on the brink of death. What kind of stomach and digestive system did she have?

“It would be an unbelievable thing if this was the past, but I guess some things change after a thousand years.”
“But I think it’s wonderful. It’s love that transcends races!”
“Not that it has anything to do with me. Water.”

Half-listening to the excited Momo, I generated water, slid it over my skin, and wiped away the day’s grime. It was a convenient spell that kept cleanliness without the hassle of undressing, and the dirty water could be disposed of outside without any trouble.

“Master, don’t you ever feel like taking a bath…?”
“If you want such luxury, you’ll have to prepare the water, fuel, and tub yourself.”
“Ugh, I wish I could use magecraft already… Ah! Cold!”

I tossed another water sphere at Momo and wiped away her grime the same way. Hygiene was important; falling ill would waste precious energy and time.

“If you want to use magecraft, watch and learn. Start with water or wind.”
“Hmm, indeed, causing a small fire or wrecking the floor would be bad. Hmm…”

Momo raised her hands to the void and groaned, but there was no sign of even a single drop forming. As an Outlander, her mana was minimal. How much it could grow with environmental changes was unknown, but it was best not to get one’s hopes up. The goal of creating a “spell for returning to her original world” was a distant dream. Whether such a spell was even possible was another matter.

“Hmm…! Master, is there any trick to it?”
“Hmm? Ah, a trick? Talent.”
“Do I have any talent?!”
“None whatsoever at the moment. But you have that Gift from the gods, don’t you? Who knows what the future holds.”
“Yay! Then I’ll keep trying!”

Even though I subtly told her it was hopeless, she remained incredibly optimistic. It was better than her getting depressed and souring the mood. Her simplicity was a blessing.

“Each person has their own way of cultivating magic power. It’s a matter of sense. Keep practicing and grasp your own feeling.”
“Got it! …Hey, wait. Are you going somewhere at this hour, Master?”
“I have my own routine. You keep practicing. I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright, don’t go too far!”
“Don’t treat me like a child! Good grief…”

Leaning out of the window, I rode the wind I created and jumped onto the inn’s roof. The sparsely lit townscape melted into the darkness under the faint starlight. It was a perfect night, ideal for a stealthy attack.

“You there, enough hiding. You’ve been skittering around and it’s annoying.”
“―――……”

There was no response, but instead, a knife with a black blade flew from a blind spot. I diverted it with a gust of wind, sending it off course, where it embedded itself in the roof. The area around the knife began to rapidly corrode. Quite the greeting, and the assailant was quick to escape; the faint presence I had sensed was already gone.

“Masteer, what’s all the noise…Whoa!? The roof is corroding!”
“Yes, we’ll probably have to deal with leaks now. Don’t touch the knife.”

I tore a strip from my clothing, wrapped it around my hand, and carefully retrieved the knife. The blade was coated with a foul-smelling black liquid, a corrosive substance that could be concocted using special materials and prayers to Orcus.

Was this attack because we had dealt with the specter in the haunted mansion? But why now, at this particular moment?

“Ugh, what is that sticky stuff… and it stinks!”
“It’s a corrosive magical liquid used by followers of Orcus. A highly dangerous substance, as you can see.”
“Orcus… Did the mansion’s culprit come after us?”
“There’s no proof, but it’s likely. The attacker fled, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be another. You should go back to the room… Hey, don’t pull me.”
“Master, you should come back too. It’s dangerous out here! If that stuff hits you, it won’t just be an injury!”
“I’ll be fine. I won’t get hit no matter how many they throw–wait! I’ll fall, I’ll fall! Fine, fine, I’m coming down!”

Half-dragged by her insistent tugging, I descended and returned to the room. Once inside, Momo quickly closed the window, moved a wooden table in front of the door, and set up a barricade.

“Master, let’s sleep together! No, you have to sleep with me!”
“I refuse. Your sleeping habits might crush me.”
“It’s fine! I have good sleeping habits! My pillow and bed are still intact, aren’t they?”
“Even so, you should not act like a pervert. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a man inside.”
“But right now, you’re a girl, and you can’t match my strength, can you?”
“Can you not be so rude?!”

Even if I couldn’t match her in strength, I had magecraft. Not that I intended to use it for something so ridiculous. However, Momo showed no sign of backing down, and I didn’t want to risk getting a bear hug that could crush me.

“…Sigh, if you’re worried, go to sleep first. I’ll keep watch during the night.”
“But then you won’t be able to sleep, Master.”
“I didn’t say I’d keep watch all night. We’ll take three-hour shifts. I’ll wake you up after a while, so get some rest now.”
“Oh, I see! That’s smart!”
“Good, now hurry up and sleep. Or should I put you to sleep by force?”
“Okay, good night!!”

Gathering magic power into my palm to threaten her, Momo quickly dove into bed. After waiting for several seconds, the lump under the deep covers began to emit the slow, rhythmic breaths of sleep.

“…Falling asleep so quickly is a talent. I’m envious.”

She had a sloppy sleeping face. Just a moment ago, she had been pale, yet now she slept soundly, her nerves seemingly made of steel. Or perhaps she felt safe enough to trust her back to me and sleep peacefully.

“Master… Are you okay…? I’m here for you…”
“What kind of dream is she having?”

It’s rude for an apprentice to try and protect their master. The roles are reversed. In terms of ability, I’m definitely superior. Even if I conceded a hundred steps in physical strength, I wouldn’t lose in magecraft.

“Geez…”

But waking her up to question her wouldn’t do any good. She’s quiet now, at least while she’s asleep.

The rest of the night passed without incident after the initial attack, and as planned, I let Momo sleep undisturbed until we greeted a peaceful morning.