Pheni-chan

Author: Ryusui
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2121hw/41/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

I aim my staff at the sky and pack mana in. Imagine the formula, send mana through, start it. What comes out of the tip is a deep-blue pillar of fire.

“My. How pretty.”

Mireille murmurs, impressed. That expression seizes up soon enough, though.
Almost a minute after I raise the pillar. That kid appears from above.
A magic beast like flame itself turned into a huge bird. This kid is big too. About the size of my house, I think. The fire bird looks quietly down at us.

“N-n-n-no way, a phoenix!?”

‘It’s a phoenixhhh!’
‘That’s a phoenix, huh!’
‘Holy crap seeing it for real is seriously cool!’

Yeah, yeah. Everyone’s surprised. Unlike Gon-chan, this kid doesn’t have much intimidation, so.

I raise a hand, and the phoenix opens her mouth.

“Rita-chan, long time no seeee.”
“Pheni-chan, long time no seeee.”
“Eeh…”

‘So casual’
‘Phoenix-san is way too light… lol’
‘The drop from Gon-chan…’

This kid is, well, yeah. She’s like this. She’s been really familiar ever since Master introduced us.

“Cute, right?”
“Ahem.”
“…………”

‘Cu… cute…?’
‘Mireille is having a really hard time reacting lol’
‘This time I feel like I became one with the alien’

I think she’s cute, though. Gon-chan too.

“So, Rita-chan, you need something?”
“Mm. Sorry, nothing in particular. Ah, leftover sweets. Want some?”
“Want!”

Pheni-chan comes down, lowers her face, and opens her mouth. I toss the sweets I have on hand into that huge mouth. Chocolate for now.

“Ohh… Sweeet! Tastyyy!”
“Mm. Super delicious ones.”

Munch-munch, Pheni-chan eats. See, cute. She’s big, sure, but cute is cute.

“Like this, when I have lots of leftover sweets, I have Pheni-chan and Gon-chan from earlier eat them. Both of them say they’re really delicious.”

‘O-ohh’
‘Earth sweets work on isekai monsters too, huh…’
‘Sweets are amazing’

Because they’re delicious. I think that’s amazing.

“Then, thanks, Pheni-chan. Be careful going home.”
“Thanks. Call anytime. I’ll come running whenever it’s for you, Rita-chan.”
“Mm.”
“See yaa!”

Pheni-chan spreads her wings wide and flies off. The leaving figure is really beautiful and mysterious. The leaving figure, yeah. She’s fun to talk to, but once you know how she talks, mysterious just doesn’t stick.

“And that’s Pheni-chan the phoenix from just now. That kid is a magic beast who’s lived a really long time too, and I can’t win.”
“Haa… I shall take that to heart…”
“Mm. Please do.”

To start with she doesn’t come down much, but she’s still a kid you must not make angry.

‘The Spirit Forest really is a dangerous place, huh’
‘By the way Pheni-chan is that bird just now, right?’

“Mm. Pheni-chan.”

‘From phoenix, maybe. Easy to understand, but…’
‘Rita-chan’s naming sense lololol’

Mm. Both of them liked it, so no problem. Definitely.

“Mireille, you okay? That’s about everything, but think you can put it together?”
“I-I shall do my best.”

She looks really tired, but I wonder if she’s okay. Well… she’s okay, probably.
So she can at least concentrate, I decided she’d stay the night at my house.

 

In my house’s living room, Mireille keeps writing letters on lots of paper. Scratch-scratch-scratch, only the sound of writing echoes in the room.

“I like this scratch-scratch sound.”

‘I get it’
‘Kinda calming’
‘But boring’

I won’t deny that.
Except at dinner, Mireille just writes and writes. She wants to put it together before she forgets, she says. Even if she forgets, I’ll answer anytime if she asks, though.
Dinner was curry again, by the way. When Mireille asked for that meal from that time, I couldn’t refuse. I’ll have to get more from Mami.

“Fuu… About like this, I suppose.”

Saying that, Mireille sets down the pen. She gathers the many papers spread on the table, and into the Item Box. She must be tired after all; Mireille slumps a little.

“Good work. Sorry I didn’t help.”
“You need not mind. I am used to this sort of thing.”
“Hmm…”

Used to it, huh. Whether that’s from requests or something else, I don’t really know.
I take two cups out of the Item Box, and put out fruit you can pick in this forest too. Fruit that looks like what Japan calls mikan.

‘There it is’
‘Fake-mikan’
‘What’s that’
‘A fruit widely distributed in the Spirit Forest. Rita-chan says it’s super sweet’

Yeah. Super sweet. Not as much as chocolate, but except for sweets I think it’s the sweetest. I like it, but it might be a matter of taste the other way.

I squeeze it tight with magic into juice and hand one to Mireille. Mireille’s eyes go round, and she stares at it.

“That… it couldn’t be… fake-mikan?”
“Mm…? No, um… Why do you know that name people are just making up…?”
“Sage Kouta handed them out as fruit from his homeland! He said that was the name then. Many nobles are searching around, saying they want to eat it again.”
“Ahh… Yeah, I see…”

Master, what were you even doing!?