Chapter 24.1

I went down to the basement to check on Cronaea-san.

The basement was still dimly lit, but it was still in the same beautiful state as I left it when I had cleaned it.

The black room with rows of doors is a dungeon, according to Astaroth. Perhaps the doors change colour to red when someone is imprisoned, as was the case with me.

I wandered around, looking for Cronaea, wondering where she was. There was no red door. Cronaea-san said it was difficult to live without water, so I opened the door to the small waterhole I used to clean and bathe in.

In the overflowing pool of clear, clean water, I saw Clonea-san with the lower half fish tail dipped in the water.

“Good day to you, Cronaea-san. You’ve become a bit smaller.”

In the past, Cronaea-san was about the same size as me.

Now she’s about the size of a human infant or a little smaller than the Fire Spirits.

Her face and plump textured skin are the same, but her lower body is like a fish and her fingers have fins.

I greeted her, wondering if she could talk now.

She looked at me and her expression turns grim.

“It was your fault!”

“Yes, I am sorry that my presence has confused you, Cronea. However, I think that Cronaea-san’s original appearance is much more adorable.”

The fire spirits were cute and cat-like in appearance, but the water nymph looked like very petite mermaids from fairytales and I think she is adorable.

It’s not that there was anything wrong when she was a water slug, but I prefer the way she looks now because she wouldn’t pollute the castle.

Cronaea took a quick swim in the water and once again raised her face above the surface.

“What? didn’t you come here to laugh at me for not being able to get out of here except when I’m cleaning?”

“I’m not here to laugh at you for being confused by love. You work as a cleaning lady, don’t you, Cronaea-san?”

“Yes, I do. Once a day or so, when my magic builds up and I can swim around the castle. So I clean the castle a little bit at a time. Master Astaroth promised that I would be allowed to return to the lake in the forest when I had finished cleaning everything.”

“I see. Thank you for taking over my job as a cleaning lady.”

“I’m not doing it for you,” Cronaea pouts and says.

It looked like a pouting gesture of a young child, and it was cute, so I reached out and stroked it.

Cronaea-san was as plump and cold to the touch as she looked.

“Oh no, don’t do that, my body is smaller than yours, but I’m an older sister who has lived much longer than you.”

“No matter how old I am, I still find it pleasing to be praised and caressed by my  brother. Age has nothing to do with admiring and touching others, does it?”

“Oh, my God, what are you? I tried to kill you, didn’t I?”

“I’m alive. But that doesn’t matter, Cronaea-san, I brought you your breakfast.”

I offered her one of my paper bags.

She took it and checked the contents.

I thought it might get wet in the water, but the paper bag was covered by what used to be a protective film, probably something like Cronaea’s magic power, so it did not get wet.

“Did you make this?”

“I helped gather the ingredients, but I wasn’t the one who made the sandwich. The fire spirits have returned to the kitchen. So now, I am Lydith, the head chef, but I am also the hunter.”

“The fire spirits don’t like me.”

“The only thing that matters is compatibility, but just because you and the fire spirits are incompatible is no reason not to offer you a meal. Do you not eat meals either, Cronaea?”

“I don’t have any particular preference. I haven’t had anything like this in a really long time… Can I have some…?”

“Yes. I’ll bring you some more. I’ll get going.”

After delivering the sandwich to her, I bowed and tried to leave, but Cronaea-san spoke to me in a panicked voice.

“Didn’t you come to ask me about Gilbert-sama?”

“No, I don’t have any particular use for that…”

“Aren’t you trying to find out about Yule-sama and other things from me to help you get Gilbert-sama…?”

It’s funny that I will ask about things from  Cronaea-san so I can get Master Gilbert.

He was the one who kept running away from Cronaea-san, who knew a lot about him and chased him, so I don’t think I need much information.

And if there is something I really need to know about, I am sure that Gilbert-sama will tell me.

I wouldn’t bother with unnecessary prying.

“…I have to go to the forest to gather today’s ingredients. I want to ask you, can I catch fish in the lake where you came from, Cronaea-san?”

“Are you planning on fishing at my residence?”

“I’m not allowed to go beyond the lake. If I want to fish, that lake is the only place to go.”

“…Oh, it’s okay. I’m the only water spirit who used to live there, and no one complains about fishing there. The fishes are there.”

“That’s good to hear.”

I greeted Cronaea-san once more.

“Thanks for the… meal.”

I heard her thank me as I left, so I smiled and nodded.

I’m glad she gave me permission to fish in the lake. I knew I should have asked, as I didn’t feel comfortable dropping a fishing line into Cronaea-san’s house without permission. I am glad I came to see Cronaea-san, after all.

I pulled out a fishing rod and a tub with a handle from the back of the basement storage room, and went back to my room.

I put on the waist-length cloak I wore yesterday and put my belt and knife on my waist. I then slunged the cloth bag containing the paper bag with the sandwiches over my shoulder and held the fishing rod and tub in my hand.

Then I went to the backyard.

I followed the path that led to the lake that Gilbert-sama cleared for me yesterday, gathering mushrooms and wildflowers.

The lake is only a few minutes’ walk away. When I reached the lake, I could no longer see the backyard, but I could see the castle in the distance.

I fill the fishing pail with water, dip my hook in a small piece of dried narwhal rabbit meat from the kitchen, and cast my line into the lake.

Then I sat down on a handy rock by the lake and waited quietly for the fish to hook.

I was a little thirsty, so I ate some of the raspberries I had picked in between waiting. They were sweet and sour and very tasty.

While I was waiting for the fish to hook, I felt an unpleasant breeze rustling and shaking the trees.

Suddenly the air became warm and fresh.

I felt that something bad was about to happen, so I put down my fishing rod and check my surroundings with my hand on the handle of my knife.

The grass in the direction of the path I had walked was rustling and shaking.

…A Dokukamitsuki bear

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