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Cathia Chapter 6-3: Spirits and strange questions

「Wait, Lily. Why are you so impatient?」(Spike)

Spike-san tapped the princess’s hand and stopped her.
The humanoid flame scatters.

「That’s hurt…
Grandfather, why do you stop… that spirit is really weak …」(Lily)

I was told the princess is “same as me” and from the appearance, is that a spirit?
Maybe the Great Spirit possesses the princess?

Just now is the fire–?

「Things will have an order.
Cathia, I heard the story from Rumia.
First of all, I will explain how the Great Spirit appeared at this place.
After that, I would like to ask mainly simple questions.
Is it okay?」(Spike)

「Right now, I have no choice but to rely on the power of the Great Spirit. Anyway」(Cathia)

Spike-san seems about to explain it now, so I’d better stop making unnecessary inferences and concentrate on listening.
All four people sat down.
Rumia-san is next to me, we are facing Spike-san and Princess Lily.

「The Great Spirit appeared a month ago… all of sudden…」(Lily)

「…When I wake up in the morning
…Four people next to my bed?
Four pillars?
The spirit of…
I shouted unintentionally…
Kyaa…」(Lily)

(T.N: Lily talks in broken words.)

「Uhm, Rumia-san.
The princess is expressionless and says something strange.」(Cathia)

The Great Spirit of Fire, who I saw earlier, was also in the shape of a human but was clearly not a human.

I won’t make such a mistake.
I speak quietly with Rumia-san so that the other two won’t hear it.

「Do not say. She is somewhat a “Ponkotsu” (disappointed beauty)… It’s just that her sensibility is different from other」(Rumia)

Didn’t she say “Ponkotsu” now?

「The great spirits talked about three main things.
First: what they are and what are spirits.
The content completely overturned our magic theory that is the source of the current confusion.」(Rumia)

I’ve seen a lot of paperwork when helping Rumia-san, so it must be true.
It is said that the spirit was involved in the activation of magic.

「Second: the great spirits do not know the cause of their occurrence.」(Rumia)

「Occurred?
The Great Spirit was born recently?」(Cathia)

「Apparently so.
It’s only known that spirits rapidly gathered near the border between our country and the empire.
I suspect that the empire is involved, and I have the information department search for it, but the results aren’t good.」(Rumia)

Certainly unnatural.
The place near the border smells too bad.

Maybe someone was at work.

「Third: Spirits have the property of moving in response to magical power.
Therefore, the great spirits also started to move in response to some magical power.」(Rumia)

This was also in Rumia-san’s document.

The spirit itself doesn’t require magical power to maintain its existence, but it has the property of being attracted by magical power.

Therefore, people can activate magic without being aware of the existence of spirits.

「This is where they moved and arrived.
Apparently, they were reacting to Lily’s magical power」(Rumia)

「To the princess? All four pillars?」(Cathia)

「Umm.
In the royal family, the blood of excellent warriors and wizards has been actively awakened from ancient times.
It was unavoidable because there was always a never-ending war with the empire …
Lily is a wizard with four attributes, so to speak, an elemental master.」(Rumia)

In other words, the princess is an outstanding wizard.
However, if you are talking about a strong wizard, there’s one next to me.

「Did the Great Spirit not react to Rumia-san?」(Cathia)

「They didn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a high elf or another factor」(Rumia)

「Is that so?
But the princess is amazing, four attributes!」(Cathia)

「… But… because it’s heredity… I’m not great …」(Lily)

Doesn’t she say it strangely?
Doesn’t she like the power she was born with?

「Even if you said that, wasn’t this the first time the great spirits appeared?
I’m grateful that the great spirits choose her, but I’m worried that her body will be overloaded.」(Spike)

「Hmm… it’s all right… Grandfather… just a little noisy …」(Lily)

「Noisy?」(Cathia)

「I’m glad you ask, Cathia.
The spirits, in the end, are the dead, and the great spirits are the collective.
According to what Princess heard, something like a piece of their thought sometimes leaks out.」(Rumia)

「Then is it really okay?」(Cathia)

For thoughts and feelings other than my own suddenly flow in, the Princess must have mentally tough.

I don’t know what kind of thing it really is though.

「…It’s okay … After being possessed by the Great Spirits.
Staying bed for about a week … I just couldn’t get up …」(Lily)

「It’s not okay at all」(Cathia)

Was she sleeping?
I don’t know if she is joking or serious because her expression doesn’t change.

「Well then, from here on is personal questions.
As we talk, the Great Spirits are with Lily,
And Lily has already decided to help you」(Spike)

「Hm… I will help… however I can」(Lily)

「Thank you very much」(Cathia)

I’m so glad, really.
The rest is up to the Great Spirits.

「I would like you to answer my questions comfortably.
I swear that no matter how you answer, I will not interfere with the Great Spirits’ help.
I just want to know what kind of person you are.」(Spike)

「Yes」(Cathia)

What kind of question does he want to ask?
If he wants to know the human nature of “the other person”, it should be a serious matter.

Spike-san has a serious look.

「Were your a man in your previous life?」(Spike)

「Yes, that’s right.」(Cathia)

「Your soul is drawn into that body,
When you got girl’s body… to be honest, as a man did you get excited?」(Spike)

「…………Ha？」(Cathia)

What are you talking about, this grandpa.
Serious story… isn’t it?

「…Grandfather… the worst…」(Lily)

「Wh… why did you ask that question?! Filthy, you are filthy!」(Rumia)

The two girls glare at Spike-san with disdain.

But does it mean that older people have a naive reaction?

「Hey, Wait!
It’s a meaningful question, just wait!
How is it Cathia?」(Spike)

「Well, that’s right, I’m also a man.
There is no reason not to be interested in entering the body of the opposite sex」(Cathia)

「……」(Lily)

「Cathia… you…」(Rumia)

The cold stare pointed at me this time.
Sharp like needle.

Just great, Spike-san. (Mockery type of “just great”)
Ha~a.

「But as you know, this body originally belongs to her.
No matter how far I go, I’m just borrowing it, the body of another person」(Cathia)

「That’s true.
To be exact, it should be said that your souls live together」(Rumia)

「Therefore, I have treated it as carefully as possible.
Since then, I have always been careful about my diet, keeping my life rhythm, and training my body so that she won’t be easily killed by monsters when she comes back.」(Cathia)

「…For that reason, your arms and legs… look slender and beautiful…」(Lily)

「I’ve been very careful with this.
She is a girl, so I was wondering it would be hard for her if she has too thick arms and legs.
Training your muscles to be supple, with an emphasis on your core…」(Cathia)

「I think you had a hard time.
As a result, that maybe the reason leading to a body suitable for using swords.」(Rumia)

「Yes.
Well, my hair care and skin care were always taken care of by the girls in the village…
After all, I’m a man, so there were many places I couldn’t reach… haha …」(Cathia)

「…That’s not true… really beautiful…」(Lily)

「Actually, I have been wondering about that kind of thing all the time
I pretended that I couldn’t care about my appearance.
I have a low judgment about beauty and ugly,
I’m just scared…
I’m worried if I did well keeping her from being ashamed」(Cathia)

「What are you talking about?
Your body grows beautifully like a big ring of flower (大輪の花).
Right, Spike?」(Rumia)

「Well, it’s so beautiful that every man will look back on it.
Including the overgrown breasts」(Spike)

「……Grandpa… like I thought… you are the worst」(Lily)

「Mu~o!
My mouth slipped-wait, Lili!
Don’t look at me with such a face!」(Spike)

「Is that so……
Aren’t you growing up beautifully?
It’s a relief…」(Lily)

It seems like the weight was lifted off my shoulder.
The possibility of returning this body has become extremely low, but…

The clear eyes of the princess look at me.
Like she has something to say.

「…… You are a kind person」(Lily)

Gently?
Me?

「How?
Regardless of everything, I was still hijacking this body.
And until now, I still didn’t actively seek a way for her to return.」(Cathia)

「But until then, there was a feeling that your souls were united into one, right?
In fact, since her soul began to weaken after her soul was separated, you weren’t to blame.」(Rumia)

「But Rumia-san, that’s just an excuse.
There is no change in that no action was taken」(Cathia)

「…but if that girl can come back …
You will…
I thought you are willing to disappear so that you could return her body … Right?」(Lily)

「Uu!
Even so, it doesn’t mean anything!
She may not be able to regain this body anymore!」(Cathia)

My tone has just become rougher.
I know, it’s not anyone’s fault.
However, I can’t restraint myself.

「You are a sincere and kind man.
To put it badly, it can be said to be foolish.
No one would have noticed that the body, the soul was different if you had been silent.」(Spike)

「……」(Cathia)

That’s exactly what Spike-san says.
Humans are greedy creatures.

Living freely in this world without her existence.
It would be a lie to say that I never thought about it.
I’m afraid to die and disappear.

But more than that, I can’t forget the warmth she gave me in the darkness.

I promise to “protect” her.

「I want a man like you to be near Lily.
If possible, I’d be happy if you could protect Lily in that way.
You are probably full of my daughter’s soul now」(Spike)

「……Me too,
I like you …
When you calm down… I want to talk more」(Lily)

Am I eligible to receive such words?
I didn’t seem to get the answer until I met her again.

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