Chapter 6

This time, I really got up from my seat and left the store, walking with a huff. I turned many unnecessary corners to make sure I wasn’t being followed, almost getting lost, and finally returned to the inn Aula.

Suppressing my turbulent heart, I entered through the back door of the inn Aula and stood in the backyard. It was quiet here, and my heart calmed down.

The backyard was lush with flowers and plants, and there was a well, a drying area, and a small shrine. Unlike Japanese shrines, it was shaped like a miniature Roman temple. Inside, there was a stone statue of a goddess about the height of my knee. I clasped my hands and said, "I have returned safely," as a thank you.

"Hmm?"

On closer inspection, a tiny amount of golden powder was coming out from the back of the statue’s head. It was so slight that I had missed it before. The golden powder occasionally flowed out from the back of the head and fell to the ground. The golden powder disappeared after touching the ground.

Perhaps because of the powder, the flowers and plants around the shrine were thriving and blooming, clearly more vigorous than those in other areas. Out of curiosity, I cupped my hands and gently caught the golden powder overflowing from the statue.

It felt slightly warm. Although the powder disappeared, the warmth gradually spread from my palms to my body. What incredible magic. Why does this statue have magic? I’ll ask Modal next time.

"Haru, what are you doing?"

I jumped in surprise at the voice from behind. Recognizing the voice, I turned around and, sure enough, it was Victor.

"Did you follow me?"

"I just came to find you because I still have something to discuss."

That’s what you mean by following me.

Victor glanced up at my head. Following his gaze, I saw a tiny blue bird, about the size of a hornet, circling above my head.

"Wow. What is this? So cute!"

I extended my arm and gently offered my index finger. The tiny bird stopped flapping and perched on the tip of my finger, preening contentedly.

"Hey! What did you do to the servant bird?"

"I just thought it might land on my finger, and it did."

"Can you see it?"

"Of course I can. My eyesight is fine. It’s so cute. I want a bird like this too."

Victor was silent, and when I looked at his face, his mouth was opening and closing.

"There’s no way someone without magic can see a servant bird. And since it’s for surveillance, it shouldn’t be visible even to other mages."

"Hmm. Is that so? Even though I’ve been thoroughly examined and declared to have no magic, I can see the blue bird."

"Blue... really? I can’t believe it."

Victor made a gesture as if grabbing something in the air, and the bird disappeared.

"Oh... it’s gone. Was it not real?"

"So, what were you doing here, no, Haru?"

"What? I was catching the golden magic overflowing from the statue of the goddess with my palms."

"Huh?"

"Don’t be so noisy."

"Can you see it, Haru? Or rather, can you see the magic coming from the statue?"

"It’s coming, see? Golden powder is trickling from the back of the head, spreading around and making the plants lively."

Victor shook his head and approached the statue.

"Indeed, I can feel a faint flow of magic. This must be a point where earth magic emerges. Still, being able to see surveillance servant birds and magic without having any magic... There’s no human who can do that. Wait, is it because you’re from another world? Is this proof that the Seer’s prophecy was correct..."

"What are you mumbling about? Anyway, this is my workplace. Don’t interfere with my work."

"I, I didn’t mean to. Right, this is an inn. I’ll stay here for a while. Since I’m living in an inn anyway, I’ll stay here until the mystery of Haru’s power is solved."

Oh no. What a nuisance.

♦︎

"So, I’d like to stay here for a while."

"Please wait a moment."

Modal said this and pulled me into the room behind the counter.

"Haru, is it okay? That person, the one who summoned you. If you don’t like it, I can say we’re fully booked and turn him away."

"No, it’s fine. He’s a customer, so please make a good profit. It doesn’t matter to me what he says."

"Is that so? If he does or says anything unpleasant, let us know immediately, okay?"

"Understood. I’m sorry to worry you."

That’s how Victor became a guest at the inn Aula. And he specifically requested me as his room attendant. Sigh. I accepted because I didn’t want to inconvenience Connie and the others if I refused.

In the end, Victor was a gentlemanly guest. He only asked me questions when I had free time from my work. He even started talking to me like a friend.

I learned from talking to Victor that the golden magic powder is apparently invisible to everyone. Wow, that’s surprising.

If that’s the case, I want to know why the statue in the backyard shrine is emitting magic. Did someone who can see magic choose this place and place the statue there?

I should ask Modal.