SAE 08

Chapter 08

…Hah, thank god it wasn’t Felix who grabbed me.

Becoming someone Felix relies on would be worse than death.

But Isáel grabbing me first—now that was unexpected.

Up until now, whenever we were in the dark, I was always the one who reached out first to confirm the other person’s presence.

“…So even your clairvoyance doesn’t work in this darkness, huh?”

“Ah—yeah. I think because this place is made of magic, my ability doesn’t work.”

Ugh, good thing I had a prepared excuse. I almost panicked.

‘Once I learn to control my power properly, I won’t need to envy clairvoyance anymore.’

Clicking my tongue, I held Isáel’s hand.

He flinched for a moment, but only that. He didn’t try to sit as far from me as possible like before.

Meanwhile Felix, oblivious as ever, kept talking.

“Rosette, you’re next to me, right? I’m not alone, right?”

His anxious voice kept echoing, but Isáel and I ignored him completely.

And like that, we endured until the long darkness finally receded.

The flower was withering little by little.

Thankfully, it still seemed to be working for now, but we couldn’t relax.

Nobody knew when it would wilt completely and lose its effect.

To keep the flower alive, we needed blood.

Thanks to the two beans I’d eaten, the wound on my stomach had healed perfectly.

Not even a scar remained.

Which meant… I needed to draw blood artificially…

‘I hate pain.’

Naturally, my gaze drifted toward Felix.

Wearing short sleeves and shorts, Felix was curled up, hugging himself and shivering.

I quietly crawled over to Isáel on my knees.

He’d been swinging his sword a moment ago, practicing alone, and now he was glaring into the void, unhappy with his results.

“Hey, you know…”

The moment I leaned close and whispered into his ear—

He covered his ear with one hand, shuddered, and glared at me.

“What now, all of a sudden?”

“…”

Was it really something to hate that much?

Isáel… I’m a little hurt…

Do you know how I’m raising you right now?

I stared at him coldly and gestured.

Come closer.

He clearly didn’t want to, but he obediently offered his ear.

Even in the dimness, I could see it turn a bit red.

I whispered softly.

“I think the flower needs nutrients. It needs human blood.”

“Ah.”

Isáel nodded like he understood and drew his sword again.

“A finger should be enough, right?”

Then, without hesitation, he tried to cut his own hand.

I grabbed his arm, horrified.

“What are you trying to do with that dull, chipped sword? You wanna die!?”

He had no idea—things like tetanus exist in this world!

I quickly stopped him and gestured toward Felix.

“He’s right there, so why should you bleed? We should use him for things like this.”

Thankfully, he understood immediately.

He sheathed his sword and asked me,

“How many drops?”

“A few.”

I nodded, and Isáel went straight to Felix.

In an instant, he tackled him from behind.

“What the—!?”

Felix screamed.

The moment I saw Isáel pin his arms down, I ran in with a dagger.

“R-Rosette? Rosette! Why are your eyes like that? What are you going to do to me?!”

“Stay still unless you want more injuries.”

“Rosette!”

I lightly cut his pinky and stepped back.

Realizing only a trickle of blood came out, Felix blushed in embarrassment for screaming.

“Ahem… ahem.”

Isáel dragged his hand over the flower and squeezed out several drops.

Then he shoved Felix aside like he was done with him.

“…Ahem, i-if you needed blood you could’ve just asked.”

Yeah sure, like you’d give it willingly.

I took out the handkerchief I stole from Felix and wiped his filthy blood off my precious dagger.

“Grrrhhh…”

“…”

“Hrrrk!”

While Felix snored loudly, I practiced using my ability.

The first time he saw it, Isáel gave me a weird look, like he genuinely couldn’t understand what I was doing.

But now he just watched quietly, as if he had some idea.

Hopefully he wasn’t looking at me with suspicion.

He was probably silently cheering me on… right?

I worked my magic carefully.

And maybe all my training hadn’t been useless after all, because—

“I-it worked!”

I finally managed to form a complete human shape.

“Yes!”

I jumped up and turned to Isáel.

He stared back, wide-eyed.

“What is that? A summoned creature?”

“Uh, something like that. Anyway—amazing, right?”

“…Amazing? Before that… why does it look so gloomy? It doesn’t look like a normal summon.”

I ignored his muttering.

I did it.

I could use the power of the fruit!

Filled with joy, I looked at the humanoid figure made of black smoke—then my legs gave out and I sat down.

It seemed creating even one was already my limit.

“Haa… haa…”

Maybe because I’d squeezed out so much mana, my stamina plummeted.

I hurriedly took another bean from my pocket and ate it.

Even so, the spirit I created didn’t disperse.

I couldn’t hide my smile.

Even one was enough.

At least now I could finally use this ability.

“Can you go check where the door is?”

The spirit slowly nodded.

Then, without hesitation, it walked into the darkness.

I watched it disappear with satisfaction.

When it vanished from sight, I popped another bean into my mouth.

‘I need to keep the ability active until it returns.’

I had to constantly draw mana using the beans.

If I didn’t have them, scouting with the spirit would’ve been impossible.

‘My innate mana is low, after all.’

Thinking that, maybe meeting Felix here was actually lucky…

He himself was useless, but the items I got back from him were certainly useful.

I glanced at the sleeping Felix.

“Grnnk… khrrk…”

So damn loud.

Should I kill him? Spare him?

While I pondered, Isáel approached.

“So what is that ability?”

“Hm?”

“You have another ability besides clairvoyance?”

He looked very suspicious.

I hesitated, then just told him the truth.

“I ate a fruit I found in the tower. This ability appeared after that.”

“You ate what?”

“It was about this big. After I ate it, I could summon those smoke-people.”

“…”

“I think I still need more practice to use it properly, though.”

I gestured the size of the fruit.

Isáel just stared, speechless.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…Nothing. Forget it.”

“No, what? Say it.”

After I pressed him, he let out a big sigh and said, as if making sure I heard:

“Even if I say something, it’s not like you’ll stop your habit of eating random things you find.”