Volume 2 Chapter 52: Spirit’s Wind

“Fiona.”

“Yes!”

After successfully resolving Sophie’s Magis Gear issue, I borrowed a room in the mansion and asked to be alone with Fiona.

There was something I absolutely needed to tell her about this incident.

For once, I intended to be serious and even a bit angry, but Fiona, sitting upright before me, somehow looked radiant. Also, I never said she had to sit on the floor.

Even as my resolve began to waver, I reminded myself of what happened during her fight with Elle. If things had gone poorly, Fiona might not have been here at all.

I noticed she seemed a little worn out… but even then, her charm hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

As I silently gazed at Fiona, lost in thought, she suddenly covered her face with both hands, as if startled.

“Ah, p-please don’t look at me like that!”

“Huh?”

“I-it’s not that I don’t like it… I’m actually really happy. I always want you to look only at me… just at me…”

Fiona peeked at me timidly through the gaps in her fingers.

“My face looks terrible right now…”

“I don’t think so…”

“No! Senpai, I want you to always see me at my best! I want you to always think I’m beautiful! For you, and only you…”

“…”

I had planned to scold her. To lecture her for being reckless, something I usually don’t do.

But seeing Fiona desperately trying to hide her face, trembling, drained all the tension from my shoulders. Honestly, if anyone was at fault, it was me for not being more vigilant.

I crouched down in front of her and gently pulled her hands away from her face.

“Ah…”

Her anxious, shadowed eyes and slightly sunken cheeks did make her look a little different from usual. But those features reflected her concern for me, and I couldn’t see them as anything less than beautiful.

“Fiona, you’re always beautiful.”

It was an embarrassingly cheesy line, but I decided to tell her exactly how I felt, even though it made me squirm inside.

“A-at least… that’s how I see it.”

Her wide-eyed gaze was too much for me to handle, so I averted my face, hoping she’d forgive my awkwardness. I wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing. I could never be like Kreis-san. Not that I’d want to be.

Feeling the heat rise to my face, I hastily tried to distract myself by speaking faster.

“S-so anyway, more importantly, I want you to stop being so reckless. If you don’t take better care of yourself, I’ll just keep worrying—”

As I glanced back at her to emphasize my point, I froze mid-sentence.

Tears were streaming down her face.

“F-Fiona?”

Did I do something wrong? After mustering up the courage to say something so cringeworthy, something I’ll probably never say again, did I end up hurting her feelings? Was it so unbearable that it scarred her heart?

I knew it. I’m not suited for this kind of thing. I should’ve known better.

Panicking, I opened my mouth to apologize—

“G-go—”

“Sorry!?”

Suddenly, her lips sealed mine.

My mind went blank in an instant. Before I could process what was happening, Fiona wrapped her arms around my neck and pushed me down.

Panicking, I tried to push her away, but her legs locked my arms in place, pinning me completely.

“Mmnnn!”

Fiona’s tongue invaded my mouth, relentless and insistent, as if devouring me wasn’t enough.

My thoughts burned white-hot. The mix of overwhelming pleasure and sheer panic made my head spin.

It was too long. Way too long. How long did she plan to keep this up? I was starting to lose my breath, but Fiona showed no signs of stopping.

If it’s come to this, I’ll have to use body enhancement—

“Mmmpf!?”

That’s when I realized something horrifying—I couldn’t control my mana. My eyes widened. Damn it, this was the backlash from using Changer.

For the next two or three days, I likely wouldn’t be able to manipulate mana at all.

Even so, my base physical strength should have been greater than Fiona’s. But no—she hadn’t let her own enhancements lapse. With her boosted strength pinning me down, I couldn’t move.

Which meant, in this moment, I was utterly powerless. I was at Fiona’s mercy.

She remained entirely focused, her lips firmly pressed against mine. She didn’t let up, continuing for what felt like an eternity, so much so that I wondered if our lips would become waterlogged from sheer overuse.

“…!”

“Mmnn…”

When she finally released me, I was left gasping for air, trying to calm my ragged breathing and the thunderous beating of my heart.

Dazed, I stared at Fiona, who still sat astride me.

Her flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes radiated bliss. A thin strand of saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth—whether it was hers or mine, I had no idea anymore.

Without saying a word, Fiona leaned in again.

“H-hey!”

“…!”

Panicking, I resorted to my last-ditch tactic: adopting a commanding tone. Fiona flinched, her body briefly freezing in place.

“Stop it.”

Please, seriously, stop this madness. If we keep going, it’s over for me. I can already feel my iron will breaking under the strain. At this rate, Noil-kun is going to hit another growth spurt—emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

“Let go. Now.”

“……”

But this time, Fiona didn’t listen like she usually would. Instead, she stayed still, staring intently at my face, her expression unreadable.

“…No.”

“What?”

You’ve got to be kidding me. Why is she acting rational now, of all times?

Normally, this kind of over-the-top, stupidly commanding attitude works like a charm on her. What happened to that, Fiona?

As she stared at me from impossibly close range, she finally whispered.

“It’s your fault… It’s all your fault, Senpai… If you say things like that to me… I can’t help myself anymore…”

“HELP MEEEEE!! MANAGEEEEERRRR!!”

And thus, my ultimate move, Manager Summon: Air Breaker, exploded into action.

◇

“I told you this wasn’t going to work…”

“Well, it doesn’t matter, Noel. You can always fix it later.”

“I can’t… Besides, Milis is just going to overwrite it again, isn’t she?”

“Naturally, isn’t that obvious?”

As we walked down the mansion’s hallway, Noel and the Manager chatted away, flanking me on either side.

I half-listened, letting their conversation drift past me, my thoughts occupied solely with Mar-chan.

Trailing behind us, Fiona seemed utterly dazed, her fingers lightly brushing her lips as she followed, looking as if she were lost in her own world.

Apparently, my Manager Summon had evolved, now capable of bringing Noel into the fold as well. Rescued from Fiona’s rampage, I was left with nothing but thoughts of Mar-chan.

Would this count as cheating? More importantly, had she already grown tired of me? Considering my recent behavior, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had. Objectively speaking, I might very well be a total scumbag.

Round and round these thoughts went in my head, so I decided to stop thinking altogether.

I’m not the bad guy. Yeah, that’s right. I’ve always been a flawed person, so why not just embrace it fully?

So, I’ll say it: I’m not at fault here. I’ll say it as many times as I need to—I’m not to blame.

“I’m not at fault…”

“Yeah, Noil, you’re not at fault.”

“Uh… thanks.”

Noel squeezed my hand tightly, reassuring me. And yet, it only made me realize that I was the bad guy.

“It’s my fault for not being there for you properly, Noil. So, it’s not your fault, okay?”

“Uh… thanks.”

Her gentle, comforting tone made me feel like I had hit rock bottom. At this point, no amount of punishment—punches, kicks, or verbal lashing—would be unwarranted. Ah, my stomach hurts.

Before long, we arrived at a room in the mansion.

This was Sophie’s room. After transforming her Magis Gear using Changer, she had fallen into a deep sleep and been carried here. The members of Spirit’s Wind had been keeping watch over her, and it was about time for her to wake up.

We quietly opened the door and peeked inside.

In the plain, undecorated room, Sophie was sitting up in bed, surrounded by her companions.

Mina was holding her tightly, stroking her head. Rett-kun was bouncing around with excitement, while Kreis-san struck one of his signature poses, flashing his brilliant smile.

And watching it all with a soft smile of her own was Elle.

Not wanting to disturb the scene, we gently closed the door and turned back. Sophie, beaming as she was, would have nothing to worry about anymore.

“Manager.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

As we exited the mansion and began walking toward White Road, I thought of something and called out to the Manager.

“About the reward this time… Could I get a little share of it too?”

“Oh? That’s unusual for you. Is there something you want?”

“Yeah, actually… I want to lay down tatami mats in my room.”

Over the past month or so, I’d grown completely accustomed to sleeping on tatami. Now, my current room just felt off. So, I needed money to buy some.

Given how much work I’d done this time, I figured it wasn’t unreasonable to ask for something beyond my usual pay.

“Hmm… I’ve already received the reward, but… well, it’s not money. Still, that woman mentioned she’d pay you separately, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Huh? What did you get as the reward?”

“Some candles.”

“What?”

“Candles.”

…

“What?”

“Candles.”

I see. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

As far as I’m concerned, I heard nothing about candles. All I heard was that Elle would provide a reward directly to me. That’s it.

Yay, tatami mats here I come.

“Noil, should I get tatami mats for my room too?”

“Why?”

Noel suggested this with a bright smile, but I couldn’t make sense of it. I only needed tatami for my own room. It’s not like I’d be spending much time in hers. Am I the weird one here?

“Why, you ask… Oh, I get it. You’re right. It’s better if our rooms have different vibes so we don’t get bored of each other.”

“Uh… sure.”

For some reason, Noel seemed to come to her own conclusion and clapped her hands together in satisfaction. I nodded along, though I still didn’t quite understand.

Ever since we left the village, Noel’s behavior had seemed a little strange, but now it felt even more pronounced. Well, anyone who spends enough time with the Manager is bound to get a little weird. If Noel starts veering too far off course, I guess it’ll be up to me to steer her back.

“Oh, Senpai.”

“Hmm?”

Finally seeming to regain her senses, Fiona jogged up from behind to walk alongside me.

After what had happened earlier, I felt a little awkward, but since she didn’t seem bothered by it, I worked to maintain a calm façade.

“What’s Sophie-san’s new Magis Gear like?”

“Ah…”

“Indeed, I’ve been curious about that as well.”

“Me too, me too!”

Since Sophie had fallen asleep immediately after the transformation, neither the Manager nor the others knew what her new Magis Gear could do.

Its core function remained the same: enhancing physical abilities.

However, it no longer dulled pain or eliminated the need for sleep—those reckless aspects had been removed. Its ability enhancements weren’t as extreme as before, either.

In a sense, it was a downgraded version. But this trade-off eliminated the risk of death, making it a safer design.

That said, it also gained a new feature. A feature Sophie herself had wished for, perfectly aligned with her nature.

The more members of Spirit’s Wind were nearby, the more Sophie’s abilities would increase. In return, her power would generate a soothing wind that would heal her companions.

It was a Magis Gear born of deep bonds—a tool for mutual support with those she held dear.

Its name was—

“Spirit’s Wind Family. A Magis Gear built to support and protect the people she cares about.”

I explained this while picturing the smiles of the companions we had spent time with.