Maribel nodded, and Lluisa observed her. My assumption was that it was rather unusual for Maribel to be born, and Lluisa simply wanted to check in. The dryad was keenly aware of possible monster outbreaks that could affect other creatures. Even if a new life posed no threat, it was the job of the master to see that for herself. This was a very possible scenario, but if that was all, she wouldn’t have needed to suddenly appear on such a snowy day. She could’ve easily visited us another day or even observed the new member of our family in the hot spring. In other words, Lluisa was in a bit of a hurry with reasons of her own.
Maribel looked terrified as she locked eyes with the dryad, but the latter soon smiled faintly.
“You were born in an excellent place,” Lluisa said as she petted Maribel’s head. She then turned to me. “Now then, Eizo.”
“Yes?” I asked.
We locked eyes, and I stared right at her. Silence settled in. The world seemed quieter than usual; the frosty temperature only added to the intensity of the silence.
After a few moments of hesitation, Lluisa finally opened her mouth. “Could you entrust this child to me for a while?”
My eyes widened in shock—the rest of the family followed suit. Maribel had only been with us for a few days, but I already treated her as one of my daughters and as a fellow precious family member.
“For how long?” I asked.
“I can’t give you a clear answer,” Lluisa replied. “But I’m fairly sure I can return her before all the seasons cycle through once more.”
“May I ask why?”
“It’s quite difficult to explain, but to put it simply... At this rate, she’ll be in danger. She’s a newborn, after all. I need to teach her necessary things so that she can live here with all of you. I assure you that I have no plans to harm her in any way.”
I placed a hand on my chin. The master of the forest had requested to be in charge of one of my daughters. Is she planning on educating Maribel somehow? Both Lluisa and Maribel are spirits. Surely, they’ve got stuff going on that humans can’t even begin to imagine. But then, why won’t Lluisa just teach her those things while she’s here?
I glanced at the rest of my family. Diana seemed the most worried, but everyone was anxious and concerned. I couldn’t easily hand over our youngest and most adorable family member—especially without receiving details on what exactly would happen.
“What do you think, Maribel?” I asked. “You think you’ll be all right?”
This wasn’t the best choice I could’ve made—I couldn’t properly decide, so I’d irresponsibly entrusted the final say to poor Maribel. While I might have opened myself up to critique, I still felt it was important to ask for her opinion.
Maribel looked troubled and turned to Lluisa. “Do I have to go?” she asked.
“Hmm, well, it’s not like I’ll punish you if you refuse,” Lluisa replied. “But I guarantee that it would be more in your favor if you came along with me. And as the master of the forest, I guarantee the same benefits for you, Eizo, and your family.”
Following the dryad’s serious gaze, Maribel gazed at the ground. I bit my lip. Was I vexed because of my powerlessness, or was it something else? Even I didn’t know.
Eventually, Maribel raised her head. “I’ll go with her.”
Her small eyes were filled with determination; she was so resolute that I felt a bit embarrassed about treating her like a child. She’d likely inherited some memories from her previous life, but that probably wasn’t all. I truly had no idea what she’d gone through.
“If I can be of use to everyone, I’d rather go,” Maribel said.
“I understand,” I replied. “Thank you.”
I won’t say, “I’m sorry.” I feel like if I say those words, I’ll be trampling all over her precious resolve.
“All right, why don’t we go?” Lluisa said.
“Huh? Right now?” I asked. I gulped nervously. Once again, the world around me was as silent as a tomb.
“The sooner the better when it comes to learning.”
“I see...”
This was more sudden than I’d expected. I’d wanted to host a farewell party for her. Maybe I should change my mindset. If this was more of a field trip of sorts, there’d be no need for a grand farewell party. Since Lluisa’s guaranteeing that Maribel will return, I should trust those words and instead make this into a “see you later” occasion.
And so, I was a bit rough when I tousled Maribel’s hair. An arm snaked out from one side of me, drew Maribel close, and hugged her dearly. That was Diana. No doubt Diana had wanted to shout that there was no need for Maribel to go—or, at the very least, that there was no need for her to leave right now. The time we’d spent together was priceless. I was the one who’d made Maribel make the final decision, but to Diana, all that mattered were her feelings and the memories she’d made with the spirit.
Everyone else followed suit. They held Maribel’s hand or tousled her hair more violently than I had. We managed to hold back tears, but we were all sad to see our youngest family member go.
Krul, Lucy, and Hayate noticed our gloomy mood and gathered around. Diana had finally released Maribel from her embrace and set her on the ground so that my other three daughters could lick her.
“Hey, you guys, that tickles!” Maribel squealed.
Krul cried out in laughter, and everyone else chuckled along. The snow beneath our feet cruelly chilled us to the bone, but we all smiled, blowing the frost away. Perhaps there would be an instance when another one of us would have to leave for an extended period of time. I’ll save the farewell party for that occasion. I smiled with the rest of my family.
“I’ll try to bring her back as soon as I can,” Lluisa said as she placed a hand on Maribel’s shoulder.
The fire spirit puffed out her chest proudly, though I wasn’t sure if she was putting on a strong front. Even if she were, I was sure that she’d regain her gusto in no time.
Gazing fondly at Maribel, I tossed out a question. “Oh, before you go, can I ask you one last thing?”
Maribel tilted her head to one side in confusion.
“When you come back home, what do you want to eat?” I asked. “I’ll make anything you want.”
“Anything?!” Maribel cried out. Her eyes sparkled with excitement; she was unable to hide her emotions. She crossed her arms and groaned, thinking long and hard. I guess both old men and fire spirits alike will agonize over a decision—especially if the choice will allow them to eat whatever they want for lunch.
“Oh, I want a thin layer of meat—grilled!” Maribel exclaimed.
“A hamburg steak, huh?” I asked.
“Yeah, that!”
I glanced at Samya, who nodded in response. It seemed we had enough meat stored up for that.
“All right, then,” I said as I pounded my chest. “Your request has been received.”
Maribel raised her arms in the air happily. “Woo-hoo!”
“Then...”
“I’ll be off!” Maribel shouted.
We all yelled back at her, radiating enough energy to practically make the snow melt. “See you later!!!”