* * *

Now, let’s switch perspectives.

Emi defeated the Whistle Medium Spirit, and then began to fight the Spirit Cleaning Trio.

Luctoria was captured by the Weasel Medium Spirit and is being tormented.

During that time.

What were the other, powerful spirits doing?

It was, as has been mentioned, a "feast".

◇ ◇ ◇

It's unknown to even the humans of the Hyupuet Spirit Kingdom, but in the center of the Spirit Forest... in the deepest part, a giant tree, well over 300 meters tall, soars.

This giant tree, formed from the fusion of the various trees that grow in this Spirit Forest, becoming one... is the dwelling of the Forest Spirit King, and he has made a large hollow, formed in the middle of this giant tree, into his room, and usually resides there, performing the "management" of the Spirit Forest.

And spreading around that giant tree is a flower garden, rich in magical power, shining in various colors.

Now, in that flower garden, powerful spirits of various forms had gathered and were holding a banquet.

It was an event to celebrate the fact that their beloved Forest Spirit King had finally taken his "beloved child" into his care.

For a spirit, a beloved child is an important existence.

A beloved child is an existence that a spirit is uncontrollably drawn to... for reasons that cannot be explained logically.

If a spirit finds its beloved child, it will obsess over it to the point of madness, and prioritize it above all else.

Even if that being is a human, which they normally despise.

In any case, that is the nature of spirits, and furthermore, finding a beloved child and being with it is considered a good thing in spirit culture.

That's why the spirits were greatly overjoyed and held a banquet when the Forest Spirit King brought back his beloved child.

The Spirit King himself, due to taking care of his beloved child who was bedridden with an illness, has not once come out of his dwelling, but that didn't matter to the spirits.

A joyous occasion must be celebrated grandly, and for a long time.

...This banquet is now in its third day.

Long-lived spirits also have long banquets, and they don't get tired of them.

The powerful spirits, under the star-filled sky, on the shining flower garden, danced, sang, drank, and enjoyed this celebration in their own way.

However... suddenly!

<<<HYUPIPIPIPIIIIIIIIII!!!>>>

A high-pitched warning sound echoed throughout the Spirit Forest!

<<<This is... the Whistle Medium Spirit's 【Great Spirit Whistle】>>>

<<<In other words... a dangerous enemy has appeared?>>>

The banquet fell silent.

The Violet Medium Spirit's face turned pale, and the Rabbit Medium Spirit's brows furrowed, and he trembled.

However.

<<<Hah-hah! That's ridiculous!>>>

<<<There's no one who can stand up to us spirits!>>>

The spirits who grew wary and anxious were only a few cowards.

After all, spirits, who can freely manipulate magical power, are strong as a species.

Every spirit is confident in their own strength.

That's why most of the spirits immediately laughed loudly to dispel the unsettling atmosphere and started drinking.

<<<Come to think of it, the Spirit King-sama asked the underlings to patrol the forest...>>>

<<<He said there might be humans coming to take back the beloved child.>>>

<<<Ah, so that warning whistle earlier was... an 'I'm working' appeal to our beautiful king?>>>

<<<Hah-hah, the desperate appeal of the powerless to the king! Isn't that endearing!>>>

The Whistle Medium Spirit's warning whistle was... casually dismissed.

And once again, a boisterous party began.

<<<By the way, that warning whistle is really loud, isn't it?>>>

<<<The Whistle Medium Spirit itself is loud.>>>

<<<That guy is annoyingly loud.>>>

<<<Its existence is loud.>>>

<<<Its characterization is annoying.>>>

<<<Its personality is also terrible.>>>

<<<I hate that guy. He spits when he talks.>>>

Furthermore, a bad-mouthing session of the Whistle Medium Spirit also began.

The Whistle Medium Spirit was disliked...

However.

That relaxed atmosphere, too, after this warning whistle, with the next report... would finally freeze!

◇ ◇ ◇

<<<I have a report!!! I have a report!!!>>>

The one who brought it was the Armor Medium Spirit, who serves as a messenger in this Spirit Forest.

He, who has the form of an empty suit of full plate armor, rudely clattered his armor as he jumped into the banquet hall, the flower garden, and knelt on one knee.

<<<Whistle Medium Spirit-dono, has been killed in battle!!!>>>

...and shouted!

<<<What!?>>>

<<<No!>>>

<<<Impossible!>>>

Tension ran through the flower garden!

<<<He's a medium spirit, even if he looks like a whistle?>>>

<<<Yes... his personality is annoying, but he's a medium spirit, you know?>>>

<<<Even if he's annoyingly loud, he's a medium spirit!>>>

<<<There's no way he'd be defeated so easily, right!?>>>

<<<IT'S A FACT!!!>>>

The Armor Medium Spirit loudly and succinctly refuted the spirits who were shouting in disbelief.

And then.

<<<Currently, the Mop Medium Spirit-dono, the Rag Medium Spirit-dono, and the Tawashi Medium Spirit-dono, who rushed to the scene after receiving the 【Great Spirit Whistle】, are engaged in combat with an unidentified human... the "enemy"!!!>>>

He reported the current situation.

The members of the flower garden, hearing that, looked at each other... and their expressions relaxed.

<<<What, it's that 'Spirit Cleaning Trio'!>>>

<<<Although they are medium spirits, if they join forces and cooperate, they are fierce warriors who can rival even a great spirit!>>>

<<<Yes, they are, what they call, the 'Cleaners of the Spirit Forest'... With this, that 'enemy' will also be 'cleaned up beautifully'! Kukuku...>>>

The Cleaning Trio... despite their somewhat unreliable appearance, modeled after tools familiar in human life, are medium spirits with immense power... they are deeply loyal to the Forest Spirit King, sincere, and willingly take on "dirty work".

If it's left to them, there should be no problem.

The spirits in the flower garden were immediately relieved.

That's how much trust the Cleaning Trio had.

However...!

<<<I have a report!!! I have a report!!!>>>

Not long after that, clattering loudly, another Armor Medium Spirit jumped into the flower garden!

The Armor Medium Spirit that came earlier was gray, but this Armor Medium Spirit is a different individual and is black.

Well, regardless of the coloring... this Armor Medium Spirit knelt on one knee.

<<<The Cleaning Trio, have been killed in battle!!!>>>

...and shouted!

<<<What!?>>>

<<<No!>>>

<<<Impossible!>>>

Tension ran through the flower garden again!

<<<Those kids... they were good kids, who loved cleanliness...!>>>

Saying that, the Bubble Medium Spirit trembled.

<<<Damn it! If only I had been with them... !>>>

And saying that, the Bucket Medium Spirit held his head.

The Spirit Cleaning Trio was well-liked...

<<<...I understand that the Spirit Cleaning Trio lost. Were they able to... land a single blow... on the enemy?>>>

And here.

A great spirit in the form of a giant insect stood up from a tree stump on two legs, and with a trembling voice... asked the black Armor Medium Spirit that question.

<<<...Hah!!!>>>

The black Armor Medium Spirit, after making a gesture as if wiping away tears...

<<<By the valiant efforts of the Cleaning Trio!!! The enemy... the enemy!!!>>>

He squeezed out his voice... and shouted! 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

<<<WAS SPARKLING CLEAN... !!!>>>

<<<<<<<<<NO, SERIOUSLY, WHAT'S THE POINT OF CLEANING HIM!!!>>>>>>>>>

Hearing the conclusion, like the punchline of a joke a child would come up with, almost all the spirits retorted at the same time!

<<<I see, they... achieved their long-cherished wish, then...>>>

However, only the Bucket Medium Spirit, saying that, shed a single tear...