“HELLO? What’s going on?”
Princess Yura was speaking with someone on the other end of the call. Nichika strained her ears to pick up on the conversation and practically leapt out of her skin when the wind line switched to someone else.
“’Tis been a while, child.”
“Great Fire Spirit!” Nichika cried in response to that rumbling voice.
“Oooh!” The wind spirit acting as the conduit for her voice rudely butted in on the conversation. “Why, if it isn’t my kindred spirit, Gaagaa! Long time no chat, my friend!” he delightfully exclaimed.
“…Sylmia.”
They were old friends, apparently. Not that it was strange with them both being a member of the Four Great Spirits, but Nichika struggled with the weird name Sylmia used when addressing the fire spirit.
“Why Gaagaa?” she asked Sylmia over her shoulder.
“His name is Ghazan, so he’s Gaagaa. Don’t speak yet. I’ll make it so everyone can hear you.”
The Great Fire Spirit has a name, too? I didn’t know. While Nichika regretted never asking for his name, the green crystal ball swelled like a balloon, engulfing the rest of their party.
“That handles that.”
“Nichika, behold the magic orb.”
“Okay.” At Ghazan’s request, Nichika removed the magic orb from her belt and held it in her palm. Flaming letters danced into the swirling lights contained within.
“Those are the letters inscribed upon the arrow that struck me.”
He can send me visuals through the orb! Extremely impressed by this new mode of communication, Nichika read out the string of letters only she could decipher.
“‘Ra-th’ …It’s supposed to mean wrath. I knew it. It’s the same sloppy misspelling as the flower crystal that put the petacolons to sleep. The arrow was Phantom’s doing, after all.”
“Is that another one of your deadly sins?”
Oswald frowned as he peered down at the magic orb with her. His expression grew more puzzled by the minute because he couldn’t decipher the text.
Nichika studied his side profile as she broke down the information. “Yeah, it literally means to be vengefully angry. And if you think about it, the Great Fire Spirit had gone on a raging rampage for no reason. I’m pretty sure we’re onto something here.”
“Phantom?” Ghazan’s suspicious voice inquired from the other end of the wind call.
That gave Nichika the chance to talk about the boy in white and his plot to interfere with her mission. She also shared information on the various things that they had discovered since departing Cherry Blossom Kingdom.
After hearing everything, the general princess and Emperor of Flame were ready to wage war. An angry voice sliced through the chilly air.
“Crush him on sight next time.”
“I second that. Immediately liquefy thine enemies who stand in thy way. My flames shalt always be at thy disposal.”
“O-Okay, cool it, guys. Let’s not jump the gun,” Nichika entreated, nervous they were about to tell her to slaughter the child next.
Were they naturally aggressive because of their close relationship with fire? Not that Nichika didn’t understand how they felt when they had gone through a lot because of him.
After that emotional bout, the pair from Cherry Blossom Kingdom advised her to be extra careful and ended the transmission. The rest of the group in Windy Village left the green ball’s sphere with grim faces.
Lambert rubbed under his nose as he summarized the facts. “You’ve destroyed Wrath in Cherry Blossom Kingdom, and Sloth in the petacolon valley, so there should be five more of these sin things left, right? But those things don’t give off a smell. Maybe it can’t be detected unless you’re close to where the item is activated?”
“Hmph. As long as I’m in this village I won’t allow such ugliness to be brought in!” Sylmia struck a confident pose.
Oswald’s exhaustion showed in his long sigh beside him. “I don’t care. If we’re done here, can we get a move on? People are gathering around us.”
Another crowd was forming around the Wind Whisper portal. Nichika placed a hand on the green ball, reluctant to part from it.
“Aw, there are other people I want to talk to. Like Mihm, Makina, Melissa, and…and…and—”
“Let’s move.”
“Aaaaaaaah! You big fat, meanieeee!”
Dragged away kicking by the mantle, she held her hand out longingly for the crystal ball until it was long out of sight.
✦ ✦ ✦
“WHAAA?! So you aren’t willing to lend me your power then?!”
Sylmia’s Palace. A palace in name only, his home was a normal house located in the residential district. Nichika’s upset voice resounded through the comfortable living room.
Sylmia continued to smile away and sip his black tea despite the loud ringing in everyone’s ears. “Now, now. Don’t be hasty. I haven’t said I won’t cooperate with you. I simply don’t think it’s very fun to just hand you my power without you earning it.”
“What does fun have to do with anything?”
We’re trying to revive the Spirit Goddess. He definitely doesn’t seem to care much. Nichika glared daggers at him.
Offended, Sylmia pursed his lips. “Gaagaa only accepted you after you saved him, right? It’s not fair for me to be the only one who hands it over without a condition.”
“You aren’t a child. Please don’t throw a childish tantrum.”
Forgetting she was dealing with the noble king of wind, Nichika flat out lectured him as she would Oswald. She was contemplating how to persuade him, when Sylmia flashed a sly grin and handed her a broom that was hanging on the wall.
“Without further ado, here you go.”
“I don’t get it.”
Is he asking me to sweep? I guess I can do something small like that. Nichika was about to accept, but his next declaration knocked her off her chair.
“I’ll acknowledge you as priestess if you win tomorrow’s race riding this.”
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaah?!”
Sparkles in his eyes, Sylmia spread his arms to an imaginary crowd. “The Spirit Priestess elegantly soaring through the blue sky! Aah, how truly beautiful and touching that shall be!”
“Stop right there! Please don’t put the cart before the horse!”
“Elegant, beautiful, and touching, huh?”
Nichika glared at Oswald muttering under his breath and pleaded with the wind spirit. “You are asking the impossible, Lord Sylmia! I, umm…can sorta fly, but my technique is, uh, unique. Put simply, it’s like I’m on an out of control stallion?”
She paled as she pictured all the times her broom tried to buck her off like a horse. A race would have a whole crowd of people watching. What if she plummeted to the ground upside down in front of all those people? No, she could still save face if she hit the ground. The real nightmare would be charging through the audience, knocking people over!
“Oh my gosh! I knew it! I can’t! It’s a danger to all involved!”
Sylmia pretended not to hear or notice her absolute panic and horror, and simply smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll assign Lam as your assistant.”
Lambert, who had been leaning against the wall with nothing better to do, quickly stifled his yawn. “Me? I guess I can help.”
“No, no. This is a problem beyond just assigning me help!”
The problem was with the rider herself. She tried to make him understand that basic issue, but Sylmia slipped away like a passing breeze.
“Oh dear! It’s almost time for my meeting about tomorrow. I’m looking forward to your performance. Buh-bye!”
“Wai—”
With those final words, the Great Wind Spirit disappeared in a gust of wind. Nichika’s outstretched hand fell limply to her side.
“Seriously, why don’t the people of this world ever listen to what others have to say?!” she wailed.