I headed to the Goddess's Spring once more, accompanied by
We passed through the sharply curved path created by the trees and advanced toward the spring where bright sunlight streamed in.
When the Chief Priest at the front rode his beast toward the spring, the surface of the water began to bulge and swell.
"Tarkrosh!"
Shadowy shapes burst forth near the center of the spring. Three—no, four shadows leaped high out of the water and launched themselves into the air.
"
"Yes!"
Following the Chief Priest's orders from the front, I channeled Magic Power into my ring. I had already prayed for the War God's blessing many times, so I was getting used to it.
"May the grace of Angriffe, the War God and kin of Raidenshaft the Fire God, be upon us all!"
Blue light shot forth from my ring and showered over everyone. This was the only thing I could contribute—being at the very bottom in terms of combat ability and a constant hindrance due to my lack of stamina.
"
"Yes, sir!"
The Tarkrosh that had leaped from the spring were toad-like creatures roughly the size of a grown man with arms spread wide. Compared to the Golzer we'd fought during the autumn gathering or the Schneetilrm that had presided over winter, they felt considerably smaller. Though when it came to repulsiveness of appearance, they were absolutely unmatched.
"Why is it always toads that stand in my way as enemies?"
When I let out a sigh, Brigitte and Damuel tilted their heads in confusion.
"...Toads, you say?"
"Creatures that look very similar to Tarkrosh. Doesn't it remind you of
Damuel burst out laughing. He made a clanking sound as he pressed his gauntleted hand to his mouth and faced forward, but the slight trembling gave away just how hilarious he found it.
Brigitte apparently hadn't seen Count Bindewald in person. "Someone who resembles a Tarkrosh? ...Not someone I'd want to approach," she murmured.
"They're merging!"
At Eckhart's voice, I turned to see the largest Tarkrosh extend its long tongue, wrap it around the slightly smaller Tarkrosh next to it, and gulp it down whole.
The moment it swallowed, the Tarkrosh began to swell and grow enormously. Then it shot its tongue out again and devoured the smaller Tarkrosh one after another.
"W-w-what?!"
"Please keep calm, Lady Rozemyne. Tarkrosh are nothing to be feared. ...They're merely disgusting."
Brigitte seemed to find Tarkrosh repulsive and hated them. I completely understood the feeling. Her left arm, the one wrapped around me, was gripping tighter than usual.
The Chief Priest and Eckhart transformed their Stabs into swords and, glaring up at the Tarkrosh, began channeling Magic Power into them.
Both of them raised their swords to strike at the Tarkrosh's bloated belly as it continued swallowing its companions and growing ever larger.
The next instant, a long, long tongue shot out from the Tarkrosh at incredible speed. Before we could even register what had happened, Brigitte—riding beast and all—was ensnared, and we went flying through the air.
"What?!"
"Wha—?!"
Before Brigitte could even draw her Stab and transform it, we were launched into the Tarkrosh's gaping maw.
As the tongue retracted and the mouth sealed shut, we found ourselves in a pitch-black, lukewarm, foul-smelling place where not a sliver of light could penetrate.
The moment we were released inside, Brigitte dismissed her riding beast and transformed her Stab into a weapon even taller than she was—a polearm of sorts. Whether due to Magic Power, the area around the weapon seemed to emit a faint glow.
"Lady Rozemyne, are you hurt?"
Having positioned the weapon so it would pierce the inside of the Tarkrosh's mouth should it attempt another swallow, Brigitte first confirmed I was unharmed.
I, who had been clutched in Brigitte's embrace, was not hurt in the slightest. She had held me without lessening the grip of her armored arm, so the only discomfort was nearly suffocating against her soft chest.
"I'm just sticky and gooey all over. No injuries."
"In that case, could you infuse your collection knife with Magic Power and stab the tongue? I can't move my weapon right now."
Brigitte crouched, holding me under one arm with her left hand while her right gripped the weapon ready to prevent being swallowed. The feeling of the warm, elastic, soft surface beneath our feet and knees made us both grimace.
"I'll do it."
As I drew my knife and began channeling Magic Power into it, Brigitte's left arm wrapped tighter around me.
Feeling her unwavering resolve to protect me no matter what, I drove the collection knife—charged with ample Magic Power—into the Tarkrosh's tongue with all my might.
"...Huh?"
Nothing changed.
No scream rose, and the mouth didn't open.
I hadn't expected absolutely zero effect. Sweat dripped down as I channeled a bit more Magic Power and stabbed again.
"Hah, hah, hah!"
Suddenly, blinding light flooded into what had been pitch-black darkness, and I instinctively shut my eyes.
I felt the ground tilt and my body go sideways. Still gripping the knife, I lost my balance.
Along with the tilted footing, Brigitte and I rolled and tumbled together. The arm she had wrapped around my waist tightened, and it felt as though Brigitte grabbed me and flew.
The reason it had brightened was that the Tarkrosh's mouth had been forced open with a snap. By the time I grasped that, Brigitte was holding me, and we had been flung into the open air once more.
The air around us was clean.
All sorts of sounds came rushing back.
I felt the air whipping against my skin like a slap.
"Jump straight into the spring!"
The Chief Priest's roar reached us, and Brigitte dove toward the spring in freefall. Bracing for a tremendous impact, I squeezed my eyes shut and clung to Brigitte.
We hit the spring with an enormous crash.
However, the water was far softer than expected and caught us gently. Neither hard nor painful—I was simply submerged in the spring.
It was a strange sensation.
Normally, the spring's water was snowmelt, and falling in could easily cause cardiac arrest from the cold. Yet it was neither cold nor hot.
When I opened my eyes, I could see the gently swaying surface of the water.
Bubbles of air puffed from my mouth and floated upward.
I could see the bright blue sky with light pouring down, a large shadow, and brilliant light flying toward it. It seemed the Chief Priest's and Eckhart's attacks had struck the Tarkrosh.
The Tarkrosh was hit from below by their attacks and burst apart.
"Pwah..."
By the time Brigitte and I surfaced with our heads above water, the aftereffects of their attacks were just settling.
"...It's over."
"No, it's coming!"
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, Brigitte looked upward, her voice tense and sharp, and readied her Stab once more.
"What?"
Following Brigitte's gaze upward, I could see something falling. Intestines or innards from the exploded Tarkrosh, perhaps? I furrowed my brow, and in that instant, locked eyes with a falling frog.
"Eek?!"
Frogs—or rather, Tarkrosh—of various sizes, from fingertip-sized to the size of a grown man's fist, rained down from above.
They stuck to my head, my face, my shoulders, one after another. A slimy sensation adhered to my cheek.
"...Eeeeeek!"
I flailed my arms, legs, and head, trying to shake them off, but the Tarkrosh that didn't want to be flung away clung on stubbornly and refused to let go.
"Get them off, get them off, get them off!"
"Rozemyne, stop screaming and peel them off! Your knife should be able to defeat them. If you leave them alone, they'll merge right away."
The Chief Priest said this mercilessly as he went around squashing the surrounding Tarkrosh. Eckhart was doing the same.
It seemed that attacking a Tarkrosh only caused it to split. They had to be defeated in their smallest state.
"I can't, I can't, I can't! At least get the one off my nose!"
"Lady Rozemyne, over here! I'll get them off!"
"Damuel looks so incredibly cool!"
Brigitte passed me to Damuel, who was mounted on his riding beast at the water's surface, and he pulled me up.
Damuel plucked the Tarkrosh off me one by one, and I finally managed to wipe away my tears and snot.
"I've had enough! I'm never coming to this spring again!"
"You fool. Tomorrow at dawn is the subjugation for harvesting the honey. As if you could refuse to come."
Immediately, a rebuke and cold glare flew at me from the Chief Priest.
"The Tarkrosh have been defeated. With this, tomorrow's gathering should proceed safely."
"You're absolutely sure, right?"
"Stop pestering! Tonight is Flutneranet Night. Go to sleep early and prepare for dawn."
I returned to the campsite and immediately had Lesseribus's windows more than half-closed so nothing could be seen from outside. Then, with Monica and
"Lady Rozemyne's riding beast is truly wonderful. I never imagined we could change clothes this comfortably."
If it hadn't been for my Lesseribus, Brigitte had planned to stretch a mantle between the trees and change clothes in the snow. What on earth. That was hardly something a noble young lady should have to do.
"Even so, falling into a spring in this season could kill you. Lady Rozemyne, you're already delicate enough as it is."
"If you come down with a fever tomorrow, we won't be able to gather anything. Please take care of yourself."
While being lectured by the two, I had my wet clothes removed and my body wiped down with warm, damp towels.
I ate the meal the attendants had prepared, and the Chief Priest taught me how to harvest the honey. I was told to scoop the honey pooled in the center of the flowers into bottles, always using the metal spoon they had brought.
"This spoon is designed to prevent being affected by Magic Power. Always use it to scoop the honey into the bottles. The Ruel flowers and fruits harvested during Scheria's night had completely different properties from those of other seasons. This time's Lirene honey may likewise possess different properties."
The Chief Priest's face had taken on the look of a mad scientist. I couldn't honestly say, "Good for you that you finally have time to indulge in your hobby," because it meant my own reading time would be cut into. Call me petty and unfair, but so be it.
"Distribute the honey among several bottles. I'd like to study the difference between the honey containing your Magic Power and the rest."
I didn't mind the Chief Priest researching the materials, but it felt like it was drifting a bit from my own goal of collecting them. Was I the only one who felt that way?
After that conversation, we turned in early for sleep.
I immediately reclined the seat in Lesseribus so I could stretch my legs. Seeing the attendants laying out some of the blankets I'd stored, the Chief Priest gave me an exasperated look.
"Your riding beast is utterly devoid of common sense."
"It's convenient, and that's what matters. I think I was being perfectly rational by not turning it into a 'camping car.'"
"Truly... There's this much space. Use this as the women's sleeping quarters.
At the Chief Priest's words, Lesseribus became the girls' sleeping area. Brigitte came in, and Fran went out with a slightly relieved expression.
That night, I awoke to a strange sensation of Lesseribus gently swaying. When I sat up, I could see the Goddess's Spring through the window.
...But we should have been at the campsite. How was this possible?
Thinking I might be dreaming, I peered outside. The spring at night looked completely different from the daytime.
Perhaps it was because it was Flutneranet Night. A moon that appeared reddish—almost pink—was reflected on the water's surface.
Lights brighter than fireflies, sparkling in strange round shapes, emerged from the spring one after another and drifted about the surroundings, creating a fantastical scene.
The spring itself was glowing. Not illuminated by the moon, but rather small, bubble-like orbs of varying sizes were popping out from within.
"Oh, how beautiful. They're all sparkly!"
Suddenly
The one who bolted upright at her voice was Brigitte. She immediately readied her Stab, squinting to survey the outside. Then she looked at me, troubled.
"...What is this? I can feel that it's brimming with Magic Power."
"I don't know. But it's very beautiful, and there doesn't seem to be any hostility."
Every time a light shot forth from the spring, a clear, crystalline chime rang out. When many of them overlapped, the sequence of notes formed a mysterious melody.
Rosina began humming scales in her sleep, then sprang awake.
"Where's the Fespspiel?!"
"Rosina, calm down."
By then,
"What's happening?"
"I don't know."
The music rising from the spring had Rosina's fingers twitching. I noticed her gaze drifting toward the Fespspiel that was naturally packed among our belongings.
"Everyone's awake now, and we won't be able to sleep like this. Would it be all right if I played a little?"
"I would be most grateful."
Rosina eagerly took out the Fespspiel and began playing, matching the music spilling from the spring. Her Fespspiel wove together with the high notes emanating from the water.
"Lady Rozemyne's musician truly has wonderful skill."
As I listened, enraptured by the duet between the spring and Rosina, the sparkling lights began arriving around Lesseribus one after another. As if each had its own will, they flew to the window and tried to come inside.
"These lights might really like Rosina's music."
"Why not go outside and play for them? It would be a shame to waste the opportunity."
Monica and Nicola whispered with smiles as they suggested this, and the lights flickered in apparent agreement.
"Then let us make a musical offering. The Goddesses of Spring love music, after all. If we offer it on Flutneranet Night, they may well be delighted."
"Lady Rozemyne, these Goddesses also love sweets. Why don't we bring the remaining cookies and offer them as well?"
At Nicola's suggestion, Ella smiled and agreed. Ella and Nicola carried a wooden box filled with sweets, Rosina brought her Fespspiel, Brigitte kept casual watch around us, and Monica followed along with a resigned air as we stepped out of Lesseribus.
I bounded outside in the mood for a midnight picnic.
In this strange space where I felt no cold whatsoever, the spring continued producing sparkling lights. The high, resonant sounds were beautiful, and my heart felt light.
Peering into the spring, I could see more strange lights emerging from deep within. I noticed several Tarkrosh eating them.
"Brigitte, the Tarkrosh are..."
When I pointed at the spring, Brigitte immediately drew her Stab and hunted them down.
The lights that had leaped from the spring gathered around Brigitte as if drawn to her, as though expressing gratitude for the defeat of the Tarkrosh.
When I looked around, I saw that the lights, which had been floating everywhere, had now gathered into three distinct groups.
They orbited around Rosina's Fespspiel, around the sweets near Ella, Nicola, and Monica, and around Brigitte—who had slain the Tarkrosh—flickering as they flew.
These lights seemed to love music, flickering repeatedly near Rosina's Fespspiel. Among her pieces, they particularly favored an arrangement of a song from my
"It seems they really like your song, Lady Rozemyne. Why don't you offer a song as well?"
"Then, since the opportunity presents itself, I'll offer a new song."
I hadn't brought my own Fespspiel, but a song alone would suffice. Since they seemed to enjoy hearing unfamiliar music, I decided to share a song from my days as Myne. It was a spring song I had already translated into this world's language for when I wanted to request something from the Chief Priest.
I stood before the spring and slowly drew in a breath.
"Spring water flows~..."
The moment I began singing, my ring spontaneously drew in Magic Power, and along with the song, Magic Power spread throughout the area. The sparkling from the spring multiplied even further, and everything grew increasingly bright.
Then, from within the water, Lirene flower buds grew smoothly upward. Countless buds stretched and intertwined. Like a gigantic tree growing at the center of the spring, the flowers began to bloom.
"Goddess, may I have some of the Lirene honey?"
When I finished singing and offered my request, a leaf at the center unfurled and extended toward me.
As though pushed along by the light, I stepped onto the leaf, and it grew even larger. Once I was fully standing on it, it began slowly rising higher and higher.
"Oh my."
It brought me right up to the blooming Lirene flowers. From the collection tools at my waist, I drew out the spoon as the Chief Priest had instructed and began harvesting the honey.
I filled every one of the multiple bottles I'd been given and sealed them.
"Perfect."
From high atop the leaf, I could see the sky beyond the forest brightening as dawn approached.
With the sunrise, the lights that had been dancing around the spring grew thinner and thinner, eventually fading away.
The tall flower shrank smoothly, sinking back toward the water's surface. At the same time, the enormous leaf I had been standing on grew smaller and smaller.
The stem, no longer able to support my weight, snapped with a crack.
It was a night of toad subjugation and strange wonders.
Rozemyne, you fall from great heights far too often, but the collection is complete, so I'll call it a win.
Next time, the Dedication Ritual concludes and we return to the