Sōzoku Shita Sofu no Ie no Urayama ni Danjon ga Dekimashita - Chapter 148

Chapter : Spirit or Monster?

Following the direction the spirits pointed toward, I peered through the thick, unkempt forest. The trees grew so closely together that walking through them looked nearly impossible.

Beside me, Misuzu summoned Kuromitsu.

A glowing magic circle unfolded on the ground, and from within it, the familiar dark, syrupy form of Kuromitsu emerged. She moved forward slowly, stopping before Misuzu and bowing her head in quiet respect.

Misuzu smiled and stroked the creature’s silky head.
“Kuromitsu-chan, I’m counting on you!”

With a low, rumbling sound, Kuromitsu turned around and lowered her back.

We climbed on.

“I’ll summon the knights once we arrive at the site,” I said. “Until then, stay on standby.”

The knights dropped to one knee, heads bowed in acknowledgment.

Walking through this dense forest together would take ages, so summoning them once we reached the destination would be far more efficient.

Without a sound, Kuromitsu lifted off the ground. Her movements were smooth and graceful as she followed the faint glow of the guiding spirits.

After a while, the spirits suddenly started looking down, their translucent faces tense with agitation.

“What is it?” I frowned and leaned forward, following their gaze.

Below us, several small boulders formed a ring. Around them prowled a pack of wolves, their hackles raised, tails bristling.
Had their prey taken refuge between the rocks?

But then—why were the spirits so upset about it?

There had to be a reason.

I scanned the narrow clearing. It was far too cramped for Kuromitsu to land safely.
Well… she could force her way down, knocking over a few trees in the process. No one would probably complain—but still.

“Misuzu-san, I’m going down to take a look!”

“Be careful!” she called after me.

“Anemone, I’m counting on you!”

A swirl of wind gathered beneath me. The moment I jumped off Kuromitsu’s back, Anemone’s wind magic caught me, slowing my descent like invisible hands.

“Woof!” barked Snow, leaping after me.

“Whoa—hey!” I caught her mid-air and hugged her tight before landing softly on the forest floor. Her fur was as fluffy as ever.
“Good girl,” I murmured, burying my fingers in her thick coat.

The moment we touched down, Snow wriggled free from my arms, dropped to the ground, and released her Size Reduction skill. In an instant, she expanded to her massive, majestic form.

“Wraaaaoooon!”

Her howl shook the air.

At once, the surrounding wolves dropped to their bellies, tails tucked, pressing themselves flat against the dirt in submission.

A moment later, Bach descended beside me, his cloak rippling in the stirred air. Above us, Dvořák and Aria kept formation with Misuzu, scanning the area from the sky.

The spirits floated toward the cluster of boulders and pointed again, glowing faintly.
Yeah, there was definitely something there.

I carefully stepped past the prostrating wolves and peered between the rocks.

“Huh…?”

Nestled in the shadows was something that looked like… a small doll.
No—someone. A tiny being curled up tightly, motionless.

It reminded me of the doll my little sister used to play with when she was a child.
Translucent green hair shimmered faintly, and her eyes—also a pale, glassy green—were half-open, unfocused.

Bach crouched beside me.
“Oh! How rare. That would be a Dryad.”

“A Dryad?”

“Yes,” he said, stroking his beard. “Some call them plant spirits; others, monsters. They exist somewhere in between.”

A spirit?
Then maybe… I could form a contract.

After all, I am a Spirit Tamer. I’ve forged pacts with fairies before—it’s worth a try.

“Will you make a contract with me?” I asked softly.

The little Dryad blinked, then nodded.
Oh, she understands human speech! Perfect.

“Your name will be Yomogi,” I said with a smile.

At once, a mechanical voice echoed inside my head.

《Contract established with Dryad Yomogi.》

The Dryad’s small body began to glow, her green light growing brighter until it enveloped her completely. When the glow subsided, she had changed—grown—into a girl who looked about elementary-school age, her features distinctly human but still touched by otherworldly grace.

Bach called up to the others.
“Aria. Escort Lady Yomogi to the Sky Castle and see that her appearance is properly attended to.”

“Yes, sir,” Aria answered, bowing gracefully. She turned to the girl with a gentle smile. “This way, Lady Yomogi.”

A shimmering transfer gate opened before them.

Yomogi looked back at me, uncertain.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Go on.”

She nodded and followed Aria through the portal, her small form vanishing into the light.

Honestly, I couldn’t just take a naked little girl along with us. People would definitely get the wrong idea. Aria would find her something fitting to wear—she had excellent taste. And we still had plenty of gold left from selling magic stones, so expenses weren’t a concern.

Now then… the wolves.

We didn’t really need to hunt them. Money wasn’t an issue anymore, and there was no reason to kill creatures that weren’t causing harm.

“Let’s leave them be,” I said, patting Snow’s leg.

Snow yipped softly in agreement.

I picked up the now-miniaturized Snow in my arms again. A rush of Anemone’s wind magic lifted us gently into the air.
Bach rose beside us, using flight magic.

We landed on Kuromitsu’s back once more.

Misuzu’s eyes sparkled. “You formed a contract—with a new spirit, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Her name’s Yomogi.”

“That’s amazing!”

Kuromitsu gave a soft, contented hum, and then resumed flight, following the spirits’ trail deeper into the endless forest.

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