They banded together to speak out against the supreme-level spirits in a rare display. That was how much the newborn Citrine was beloved by them. He wasn’t just favored by spirits of one element like Sango and Joshua—those of multiple elements were assembled in the room. That basically proved that he was a Beloved.
This only further intensified the celebratory mood both inside and outside the castle in the capital. As a parent, Ruri was happy to see so many people celebrating her child, but she also worried about whether it was safe to have this many Beloveds in a country.
Ruri wasn’t the only one to think this; beside the overjoyed Agate and elders, she could see that Euclase and Claus looked perplexed. They were probably happy to have another Beloved, but they were likely racking their brains over how to deal with so many being gathered in one nation.
The benefits to the nation were great, but they probably couldn’t get too happy when they considered the negatives that came along with them. It wasn’t a problem that Ruri, who couldn’t involve herself in politics, could do anything about. The most she could do was watch and control the spirits so that they wouldn’t go berserk over Citrine’s birth.
Fortunately, Ruri had Rin and Kotaro, who could tighten the spirits’ reins to prevent them from going overboard. Since Citrine was a Beloved, he had to be properly educated so that he wouldn’t grow up to be an arrogant tyrant. As far as Beloved ranking went, since Ruri had supreme-level spirits like Kotaro and Rin under her control, she was higher than him.
That was a relief, since it was a very important issue when it came to educating Citrine. If his rank were higher, there was a chance the spirits would spoil him, and she wouldn’t be able to scold him if the occasion called for it. She couldn’t allow him to become a selfish Beloved like others in the past and felt a sense of duty to raise her child to be a worthy son of the Dragon King.
As Ruri was filling herself with determination, the spirits were fighting to decide their spots in line. However, they ended up settling things peacefully with rock-paper-scissors. The spirits who were sent to the back of the line because they lost booed and complained, but they followed the rules and left the room. After that, there were no further disputes, and they visited in the order decided by their game. They did nothing in particular and basically just watched him.
Citrine himself was a newborn who spent the majority of his time sleeping, only waking up to eat, and he was unable to talk. Yet the eyes of the spirits quietly observing him glimmered with joy.
Riccia, who had just arrived herself, took in the sight and was reminded of when Ruri was born, bringing back fond memories. Apparently, spirits had flocked around Ruri in the same way when she was born, vying with each other to secure a spot.
“When I saw the spirits flocking to you, I laughed with your father and said, ‘She’s definitely our daughter.’” Riccia chuckled and continued. “The spirits were disappointed because you couldn’t see them. I consoled them by saying that you would be able to see them in time.”
Ruri was listening with interest. She never heard that anecdote before. She wished that her mother had told her about the existence of spirits sooner, but seeing as she couldn’t see them until she came to this world anyway, even if her mother had told her, Ruri would have shrugged it off as a fairy tale. However, as she watched the spirits viewing Citrine, part of her was glad to know that she’d had the same experience as an infant. Knowing that the spirits had watched her with joy brought a smile to her face.
“By the way, Ruri. Where are Lady Rin and Lord Kotaro?” Jade asked, noticing the absence of the two spirits. Rin and Kotaro had been permanent fixtures before and after the birth, but now they were nowhere to be seen. There was a reason for that.
“Ah, right. They said they would go to the Nation of the Spirit King. I doubt they’ll be back for a while,” Ruri answered.
No matter how fast Kotaro, the Spirit of the Wind, could move, it took time to make a round trip to the Nation of the Spirit King. They wouldn’t be back in a day or two.
“What business do they have there?” Jade asked, curious about why Rin and Kotaro would leave Ruri’s side when she hadn’t fully recovered, given they were even more overprotective than Jade. It was only natural to question that, since they normally wouldn’t leave her side even if they were told to.
“They said they’re going to get berries from the Spirit of the Trees.”
“Berries?”
“Yes, special berries that only the Spirit of the Trees can create.”
“Berries that they’d leave you behind to obtain?”
“It’s apparently for me. They said eating the berries restore both mana and vitality.” They’d both gone all the way to the Nation of the Spirit King in order to obtain them.
“Such a thing exists? That’s the first I’ve heard of it. Awain never mentioned that to me.” Jade was astonished. Dragon’s blood was also special, but it only cured wounds and illnesses; it didn’t restore strength or magic.
“I told them that I didn’t need it, but...” Ruri trailed off. Rin’s and Kotaro’s desire to have Ruri heal as quickly as possible was so strong that, after carefully placing a barrier around her, they had set off in spite of Ruri’s attempts to stop them. She looked at Jade with a wry smile. “They sure are overprotective...”
She hoped to get him to agree, but she received an answer she wasn’t expecting.
“No. If that will make you better, then I’d love to have it.”
“Right, you’re just as overprotective as they are...” Ruri said, weakly chuckling. “I’ve told you, I’m fine.”
“But you haven’t fully recovered, have you?” Jade prodded.
“Well, I won’t say I have...”
Jade knew she still needed more time because he spent most of the day by her side.
“Everyone cares about you that much, Ruri.”
“Yes, I know,” she answered with a grin.
Although there were many hardships that accompanied coming to this world, many more important things had happened as well. In the other world, Ruri had had no one she cared about aside from her family, but now she had more people she cared for than she knew what to do with. She had initially lamented her misfortune in coming here, but now she realized that she was much more comfortable in this world. Even if she were told that she could return to the other world, she would choose to stay. She could say that with certainty. Ruri felt that this world was where she belonged more. She had gained more here than she’d left behind.
Once Ruri thought about how blessed and fortunate she was, she wanted to thank God, if one existed. Then again, it would be funny if there was a God in a world with spirits roaming around.
Ruri giggled.
“What’s wrong, Ruri? You seem awfully giddy,” Jade asked.
“I was just reminded that a lot of people love me.”
“A little late for that,” Jade replied, lovingly caressing her cheek. “‘A lot’ doesn’t cover the number of people who love you. Then again, the one who loves you the most is me.”
“I’m sure Kotaro and Rin would vehemently disagree with that,” Ruri said, giggling. She could easily picture them hounding Jade.
“I won’t cede that fact, even if I’m against supreme-level spirits,” he said with conviction. When it came to Ruri, he always showed a childlike stubbornness.
“What are you trying to prove?” Ruri asked, momentarily exasperated.