* * *

<<<Kyakkyah!>>>

<<<Ahaha!>>>

Laughing cheerfully, the fist-sized, multicolored balls of light... what Omake-sama calls 'lesser spirits', flew towards me from the depths of the forest... gliding smoothly.

<<<I'm the fastest! Byun!>>>

<<<No, you're not!>>>

<<<I'm faster!>>>

It seems the lesser spirits are having a race.

They're laughing happily, flying through the trees!

<Lesser spirits... are petty spirits that have grown large by instinctively sipping mana from the forest trees and gained intelligence. Well, as for their intelligence, as you can see, it's not very high. To put it bluntly, they're a bunch of idiots.>

No, Omake-sama, 'idiots'... you don't have to be so mean, do you?

What's with that revulsion seeping from your words?

Certainly, they seem to have the intelligence of a toddler.

But, you know, they're kind of innocent... it's healing to watch them...

<<<Ah, a human!>>>

And here.

One of the lesser spirits, playing and flying innocently, noticed me, who was observing them.

<<<A human!?>>>

<<<What's a human?>>>

<<<It's that, over there, the four-limbed creature, the black and white one!>>>

<<<It goes 'woof', right?>>>

<<<That's a caaat!>>>

The lesser spirits immediately swarmed around me and started circling!

They seem to be very curious about the unfamiliar human.

My, my, aren't they adorable...

Come to think of it, in my life so far, it's not like I've never been treated so friendly from the beginning, but it's rare.

Usually, I'm despised, or recently, feared.

But these guys are different!

Without even caring about the 【Intimidation】 that should be leaking from me a little!

They've... come close to me like this!

<They're idiots, so they have no sense of caution.> 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Come on, Omake-sama!

Why are you so scathing!

Anyway, surrounded by these small, pure, and adorable creatures, I... I felt my heart grow warm!

A warm, and fluffy, gentle feeling.

Is this... love...?

"G-Good evening... lesser spirits-san..."

So!

I was a little happy, and greeted them shyly!

And then...!

<<<SHUT UP! BE QUIET, YOU FILTHY, INFERIOR CREATURE!>>>

Somehow, I was showered... with a lot of... abuse...!?

<<<Kyahaha! You're creepy!>>>

<<<Doesn't this guy stiiink?>>>

<<<Trash trapped in a cage of flesh!>>>

<<<Hurry up and 'woof', will youuu?>>>

<<<I told you, that's a cat!>>>

The lesser spirits, still circling around me... are throwing a storm of insults at me!

Eh, eh, eh...?

<Spirits, despite being idiots, generally look down on humans, who have physical bodies and are bound by lifespan. With the exception of a few oddballs, they fundamentally can't get along with humans. This is the reason why there are so few 'Spirit Users'.>

Omake-sama lectures on the subject of spirits, sighing.

Meanwhile, the unbearable insults of the lesser spirits continue.

The warmth I felt in my heart vanished in an instant, and I... I felt my heart grow cold!

A cold, and muddy, painful feeling.

Is this... hatred...?

Ah, so it's my usual psychological state.

Emi-chan is back to her normal operation.

<<<Let's go, human! Die!>>>

And here.

One of the balls of light with the spirit of trash, which had been circling around me, suddenly clung to my right arm!

This is!?

<It's absorbing your magical power, Emi! Spirits usually live by absorbing the magical power of the surrounding trees, but they also attack humans like this!>

Eh, eeh!?

They're dangerous creatures!!

<The Great Mage said so too, didn't he!?>

Eh, but...

I don't feel like I'm being drained at all?

I lifted my right arm and observed the lesser spirit clinging to it.

Its body is growing bigger and bigger, but...

I don't feel like my magical power has decreased at all.

<That's because the magical power you have, Emi, is enormous. An ordinary person, if a lesser spirit clung to them, would have their magical power completely drained and die of desiccation.>

Scary... they're dangerous creatures!!

<That's why they're dangerous creatures!>

As we're talking, the lesser spirit clinging to my right arm is inflating like a balloon!

Along with that, the color of this lesser spirit, which was green, is rapidly turning a dark black, and...!

<<<UGYOBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?>>>

It let out a truly strange cry, exploded, and disappeared.

In the air where the lesser spirit disappeared, the same dark black haze that I exhale is drifting...

Eh, what's this?

What happened?

<It seems that although it started absorbing, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ it couldn't stop the enormous amount of Emi's magical power from flowing into it beyond its own limit, and it exploded from absorbing too much magical power. What an idiot.>

It self-destructed!?

Isn't that too stupid!?

<<<Whaaa!? How dare you do that to our friend!>>>

<<<A mere human, what have you doneee!>>>

<<<We won't forgive youuu!>>>

<<<We're charging in toooo!>>>

<<<Dieee!>>>

The surrounding lesser spirits, seeing that, seemed to have felt anger.

Shouting in chorus, they all clung to my entire body at once and started absorbing my magical power!

And...!!

<<<<<<<<<UGYOBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?>>>>>>>>>

They also let out strange cries as they exploded and disappeared...!!

It's a mass suicide of idiots...!!

<<<No way, everyoneee!>>>

<<<Evil! This is an evil human!>>>

The remaining lesser spirits, seeing this, were understandably intimidated, and are shouting such things.

To be called evil after they self-destructed on their own is too cruel, isn't it?

<<<But maybe I can do it... UGYOBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?>>>

And even in this situation, the fact that there are still lesser spirits self-destructing is too stupid!

Stop!

Stop using your own lives for a misguided trial and error...!

<<<PIPIPIPIPPIIIIIIIII!!!>>>

"!?"

And it was at that moment!

From deep within the forest where the lesser spirits came from... suddenly, that high-pitched, loud sound was heard!

<<<Hey, lesser spirits!!! Why are you dawdling, ignoring the Forest Spirit King-sama's orders!!! PIPIIIIIIIII!!!>>>

And while screaming hysterically, something new flew towards us!

That existence was clearly larger than the lesser spirits.

To describe its appearance, specifically.

...A "whistle" the size of a child's head, shining white!

<Be careful, Emi. That's a 'Medium Spirit'!>

Omake-sama, seeing it, whispered that with a sense of caution.