Familiar Talks

"I need to buy more pills huh…" [Lou Yi]

"Buy?"

Lou Yi looked at me and patted my head.

"Right, these pills are bought. I am still trying to learn alchemy, so I could not make any for you." [Lou Yi]

Alchemy? That sounds awesome.

"If we can find a fourth-grade or a fifth-grade form changing pill, we don't have to worry about pills every week." [Lou Yi]

I gulped down the pill and after a moment, I felt my horn retracting again.

『 This is so weird. 』

<< I could make it as so you don't need to take these pills. >>

『 Oh, you can? 』

<< Yes. Either I will entirely remove it from you or create a mirage. The latter would lose effect if you exert your real power. >>

『 That's better than removing the only feature that makes me look cool. 』

Okay, maybe I am still sentimental about my roots.

<< … >>

"I will prepare your bath now. Wait here." [Lou Yi]

She finally left this time. I did as she said and patiently waited. Not long after, she comes in with two people. The two of them were carrying a tub which was then placed in the center of the room. Two other girls came in carrying a bucket full of water and filled it.

I watched them work until they all left after finishing their tasks.

"Do you need help?" [Lou Yi]

My eyes stared at Lou Yi and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I can do it. Thank you..."

Lou Yi nods.

"I will wait outside. Come out after and eat." [Lou Yi]

"Mmm!"

Lou Yi patted my head again and left the room so I could bathe peacefully.

『 She is such a nice person. All people should be like her. 』

<< Idealistic. >>

Heh~

I proceeded to wash and got dressed in record time. If I was still the same naive little kid back then, I would probably do something idiotic like drinking the water in the tub. Or slip, and die.

So here I am, donning the dress Lou Yi gave me. It was long and white-colored, made in silk. I can already figure that this was expensive.

Now that I think about it, this room is spacious and there are lots of expensive looking ornaments. Lou Yi must be from an influential family.

After making myself presentable, I walked out of the room. What greeted me was a wide courtyard. Guards were lining up at the entrance and the corners. At the center was a plum tree with a table made from a big slab of stone underneath. Lou Yi was sitting there, waiting for me.

There were also plates of dishes placed over it. Seeing the food made my stomach gurgled. I sauntered in her direction.

"Perfect timing, the food is still warm. Come and eat." [Lou Yi]

I look at Lou Yi with a bright expression on my face.

"Thank you~"

She smiled at me in response.

『 Uwaah. Look at these foods! Hey, Nine, this will be the first time that I get to eat proper human food, ain't I? 』

<< That is correct. >>

『 Can you set a reminder? I want to celebrate it every year by eating lots. 』

<< … Fine. >>

Heh, ~ Stingy Nine.

I tried one of the many dishes, and the exquisite taste burst on my tongue. I feel like crying already. So gooood…

I was aware that Lou Yi was watching me eat with gusto, she was looking very amused, but I ignored it. Good food is the only thing that mattered to me at that moment.

"After you eat, I will introduce you to my family. If not for a fact that they were waiting for you to open your eyes, they would've stormed your room. They all wanted to see you and had kept bugging me every day. " [Lou Yi]

*cough* Bugging *cough*

Was that a pun?

『 Family, huh. I cannot relate. 』

<< Do you want to meet your brothers? >>

『 Huh? Wait, you meant my other bug brothers? 』

<< Yes. >>

『 Ah, I have them? Can you also turn them into spirit beings? 』

<< … No. >>

You kind of paused right there, Nine. Why did you pause Nine?

"If you don't want to meet them, just tell me. They can get overwhelming sometimes..." [Lou Yi]

You say that, but you have a bittersweet expression on your face. You must really care for them.

"I want to meet them!"

Who are the people who brought Lou Yi up? I wanted to thank them for bringing her into an awesome person.

<< You really liked Lou Yi, huh. >>

『 Yep! She is like the same entity as your awesome person to me. 』

<< Hmmm… >>

Nine hummed in a way that I found suspicious. Nine, you're being suspicious again. What are you thinking?

『 W-why do you sound weird? 』

Nine did not speak at all after that. It made me quite nervous…

"Okay then, I will also tour you around the residence." [Lou Yi]

I stared at her face, thinking of something.

"Are you not worried that I will harm you or your family? You had only picked me up from the forest. I might be a dangerous person."

Right. I have been wondering why she's so trusting of me. Even after knowing I am not a human just like her and that I might be lying about myself, which is true in a way. Why did she bring me here?

Lou Yi blinked at me in surprise before letting out that warm smile.

"I know for a fact that you are not dangerous." [Lou Yi]

"How?"

"My fire said so…" [Lou Yi]

Wah-- Fire?

Lou Yi saw the confusion in my face and chuckled. She then glanced at the guards for a moment and spread her right palm. An orange glow appeared which morphed into a small fire.

"This is my familiar. It tells me if a person or being is hostile." [Lou Yi]

I gawked at the fire in her palms. I have the necessary knowledge about familiars but a fire at that? That is very unique to my ears. Usually, they are all spirits in the form of animals, how come hers is a fire?

<< It can morph into an animal. >>

Ah, is that so? That's kind of cool, isn't it? A fire familiar that can take forms, I kind of want that...

『 Can I have a familiar too, Nine? Coz you know, I'm a spirit... 』

<< There is no problem. You can contract a familiar if you want to. >>

Cool! Now, where can I find one?