“Yes, that’s right.”
“You never saw spirits in our world before, then?”
“Not at all. The first time I saw Chibi was when I came to this world.”
“Ah, I see. I was only able to see spirits once I came here too. But my grandpa and mom have been able to see them for a long time, and there were a lot of spirits in our world.”
Apparently, spirits sometimes traveled back and forth between the two worlds and had even learned about tools that only existed in Ruri’s world. Cell phones and batteries, like the one in the digital camera that Riccia brought with her, were their forte.
“In a way, it’s a good thing that we weren’t able to see them, right? If we said we could see things other people couldn’t, we would have been labelled freaks immediately,” Sango stated.
“Good point,” Ruri agreed, not being able to deny that.
Neither Beryl nor Riccia had ever uttered anything about the existence of spirits in their home world, most likely because they’d known exactly how others would judge them. However, after coming to this world and recognizing their existence, Ruri had become able to see the spirits. Sango must have gone through the same change as Ruri since she also carried mana. There was also Asahi, who was using the power of Bewitchment without even knowing it. There might have been more people with mana in Ruri’s home world than she thought. It was likely that some people could even see spirits. However, pondering the possibilities was pointless, since she had no way of confirming them anymore.
Once out of the building, Sango took out the laundry she had collected and called for Chibi. “Take it away, Chibi.”
The squirrel jumped off Sango’s shoulder. In the next moment, a large body of water appeared, swallowing the laundry and lifting it into the air. The water then began to swirl around and around.
“It’s like a big washing machine,” Ruri noted, impressed.
“Chibi’s water has purifying effects, so no matter the stain, the clothes come out squeaky-clean,” Sango explained.
“I can’t believe they can do such a large load of laundry all at once. The power of upper-level spirits is simply incredible,” Rutile remarked.
Sango blushed. “If you need your laundry washed, feel free to call me at any time, milady. I will make sure there isn’t a single spot.”
“Thank you very much for the offer,” Rutile replied with a sweet smile.
That beautiful smile was enough to deal a blow to Sango’ heart that nearly sent her down for the count. However, when it came to the dragonkin, as long as you didn’t have mana quality hated by the spirits like Ewan, it was quicker to just use purification magic yourself. Sango was currently washing the dirty clothes of those who couldn’t use magic.
As she was skillfully using her upper-level spirit’s power, Ruri asked her, “Have you gotten used to life here, Sango?”
Unlike Ruri, not even a few years had passed since Sango had arrived. She also hadn’t been living in the castle for very long, so it was possible there were many things she wasn’t yet accustomed to. Ruri was worried precisely because she had experienced what it was like when she was transported here. Sango was a teenage girl young enough that she would still need her parents’ supervision in their world.
“Well, to be honest, there’s a lot I’m still not used to. I mean, I did just find myself in this strange new world. It would be weirder if I wasn’t lost, wouldn’t it? I heard you had it the same way, Ruri. Plus, you initially wound up in a nation far more dangerous than the one I did.”
Ruri wondered where she’d heard that. If she had to guess, she could probably point the finger at Euclase or someone close. “It certainly was dangerous. I was abandoned alone in a forest full of magic beasts,” Ruri clarified. She had basically been told to die. However, she’d been lucky since she was actually a Beloved.
“A person by the name of Chelsie-san saved me, and I lived in the forest from that point on, but the rules here were so different and none of my logic applied, so if Chelsie-san hadn’t been around, I’m sure that I would have died in the wild.” Ruri chuckled awkwardly. She could laugh about it now, but at the time, she had been in so much turmoil, so much anguish, and bore so much resentment that she couldn’t control her emotions.
Sango hesitantly murmured somberly, “I was also told that me showing up in that village was lucky. They said I could very well have been enslaved or eaten by beasts otherwise. I was sad about the fact that only I was going through all of this, but you must have had just as much trouble as I did, Ruri-sama.”
Ruri felt sorry for Sango’s struggles, replying, “I didn’t have as much trouble as you, Sango. In my case, my parents and grandpa came to this world. I never thought I would see them again. I think that alone makes me blessed. So much so that I’d get struck down if I said I was dissatisfied.” Ruri could no longer return to her home world, but she had her family with her. That alone made a huge difference.
“I wonder if they’re worried...” Sango whispered under her breath with a dour expression.
Despite it being very, very quiet, Ruri could hear her utterance clearly, and her heart ached just considering who she might have been thinking of.
“I can...never go back, right?” Sango asked.
“Right...” Ruri answered, presenting her with the cruel reality of the situation despite it filling her with sadness to do so. The wish that Ruri herself had made a million times would never come true.
“I asked milady and Chibi if there was any way to return, but they said it’s impossible,” Sango said, looking up with both hands covering her eyes. “Ha ha... Now that I hear it again, it’s sad... Never being able to see my mom and dad again...”
Her laughter was listless, and her words made it seem as though she was ready to cry at any moment. The spirit named Chibi looked up at her with concern. Not even Rutile had words to offer as she stared at Sango pensively. What could they do for her? That was the question on Ruri’s mind.
That was when she suddenly had a spark of inspiration and exclaimed, “Oh!”
“What is it, Ruri?” Rutile asked, puzzled.