Reina and the others head home, but I’m staying here with the elves.
The great spirits have been revived, but the problem isn’t actually solved.
Apparently the great spirits live in Yggdrasil, so they take me somewhere even a person can stay comfortable, and I set up a tent.
While I do that, I tell them what happened before they came back, and they’re all surprised.
“Then that Wilhelmina took Ratatoskr?”
“Yes. She said she would train it.”
I explain to try to reassure the troubled looking Miss Miriel, but Miss Phi looks flustered, and jumps from her head in front of me.
“She’s bad news! We need to get it back soon!”
“Hm… I really can’t imagine that true ancestral is up to any good…”
Even Mister Dine, the calmest one here, agrees, and the way they speak really makes it clear Wil is always causing problems.
Well, she does tend to do whatever she wants, and use the idea that she’ll die if she gets bored as a shield, but I feel like she’s changed recently.
I feel like she’s more caring, like she’ll tease people, but also help them…
“Just saying whatever we want, are we? Do you want me to release those things from the darkness prisons and let the same thing happen again?”
““…!?””
The great spirits are all wary when we hear a voice coming from above us.
Wil doesn’t even try to look respectful, as she comes down with Ratatoskr on her shoulder.
“Welcome back. That was fast.”
“I was planning to give it more pain to make it meek, but it’s more spineless than I thought.”
Wil flicks Ratatoskr to the ground, but it immediately climbs back up her body.
It’s almost like it thinks it will be punished severely if it leaves her shoulder, so apparently the training is over.
“This problem is solved… But whether these people trust me or not is a different matter.”
Wil is looking at the great spirits with sharp eyes, and Miss Phi and Mister Dine’s eyes turn a little more menacing.
I’ve heard about Wil fighting deathly battles, and it looks like there are others like Suzaku who aren’t over that.
The situation feels volatile.
I think this is bad, so I try to step in the middle, but then…
“Now now you two. Don’t look at Wilhelmina like that after she came all the way here to visit.”
Miss Miriel moves before me, grabs Miss Phi with her fingers, and pats her head.
“Miriel! Don’t mess up my hair! If you want someone to pat, go to Dine…”
“There there there.”
“Kyaaaaah.”
Miss Phi tries to escape from being coddled like a small animal, but Miss Miriel is holding her harder than it looks.
And Mister Dine sneaks up behind me.
“It’s no easy task to stop Miriel when she is in that state.”
It sounds like this is a common sight.
Wil is also looking exasperated, but shows no intention to stop it.
After a while, Miss Miriel looks satisfied and lets go of Miss Phi, who hides behind me.
“Hey you! Try calling Miriel mommy!”
“I feel like something really bad will happen if I do, so give me a break.”
Miriel definitely looks like a kid.
Of course, I know she isn’t actually one, but the sight of me being held and having my head pat by a kid is still pretty troubling.
Wil approaches her, and looks at her with a soft smile.
“It’s been a while, Wilhelmina.”
“Ahh. You’re still the same, Miriel.”
Miss Miriel is the oldest great spirit on this island, so she must have been involved in Wil’s fights to the death…
But it looks like she doesn’t really care, and the air isn’t as tense as I would think.
“Hn…”
“What?”
Miss Miriel goes around Wil with a curious expression.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Of course I have. You haven’t seen me in over a thousand years.”
She says with a soft expression, and Miss Phi gets on my head.
“She never changed even after thousands of years passed! I’m not forgetting how many times she tried to kill me!”
“Phi, be quiet for a bit.”
“Mogu!?”
Mister Dine extends a… Tentacle? And grabs Miss Phi, bringing her towards himself.
He has a round body made of water, and she starts struggling on it like it’s a cushion.
“And she’s as annoying as always.”
“Phi is cute because she’s full of energy like that.”
“You say that about everyone… Oh whatever, here.”
Wil grabs Ratatoskr off her shoulder, and throws it at Miss Miriel.
It trembles in Miss Miriel’s hands. Just what did Wil do to it in that short amount of time?”
“It should do as it’s told, after that deathly bad time I showed it. If it doesn’t, just tell me. I will destroy it and the god that made it.”
Ratatoskr shudders.
I guess I have heard about Wil killing a god in the past, so she may have beaten these beasts too.
Well, from her point of view, they’re just doing what they have to, and aren’t actually bad, so she wouldn’t actually eliminate them.
“…You really have changed.”
Wil doesn’t respond to Miss Miriel, and walks over to me.
Miss Phi is shaking, and Mister Dine backs away from me.
“Look forward to it.”
“Go easy…”
She grins, and disappears into the darkness.
I can’t not be scared of what she might do, but she helped Reina and Snow, so I’ll do what I can.
“Miriel! Let me see that!”
“No. I don’t want it doing bad things again.”
Says Miss Miriel to Miss Phi, who I guess is free now.
Miss Phi has no intention of forgiving Ratatoskr for what happened, but I agree with Miss Miriel.
Honestly, this whole thing has left me mentally tired.
“Phi, leave it at that.”
“You too Dine!? We were all in trouble because this thing went around babbling!”
“It was bound to happen after a thousand or two thousand years.”
“Mu…”
Mister Dine’s voice really does have presence.
Miss Phi had a strong tone against Miss Miriel, but she’s stumped.
“Everyone, can we end this for now?”
“Yes. Let’s all sleep together! Mommy will hold you!”
I decline that offer, release the beasts in the darkness prisons, and we have Ratatoskr stop them from doing any more harm to Yggdrasil.
◇ ◇ ◇
Brynhildr and the other high elves thank me, and then the great spirits do so as well, and I finally leave the village.
“Ahh, I’m tired.”
I only came here to say hello, and then Snow was gone, Yggdrasil was in trouble… There was too much.
Well, at least they made up with Tiltue, and we made friends with them…
“But Reina cried…”
Thankfully, we got Snow back safely, but I need to not let this happen again.
After all, I have this tough body that god gave me when I reincarnated.
As I make that resolution in my heart, I finally see my house. I see it every day, but I breathe a sigh of relief.
I open the door, thinking I’m back to my regular life…
“Daddy!”
“Whoa.”
Snow charges at me and hugs me, and I feel her warmth.
I hold her and go into the living room, and approach the sofa where Reina is sitting.
“Arata… Welcome back.”
Reina hugs me like Snow.
I’m embarrassed, but I feel the warmth of family, and take it.
Ah, this already is…
I don’t want Snow or Reina to cry or leave me.
I really feel that in my core, and know what I have to do.
“I’m back.”
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Arata should say: Honey, I am home! 😜
Thanks.
“Hm… I really can’t imagine that true ancestral is up to any good…”
Shouldnt it be “true ancestor”?