Scouting


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Yuta scout’s orphans in the slums to raise as spirit magicians.
He is currently discussing this outside a dilapidated shack, and the silence has gone on for so long that he is starting to feel uneasy.

 

“How can you prove that it’s safe?” the orphan asks.

 

That’s a tough question, and one that he was expecting.

 

“Well, you’ll just have to trust me.
What would make you believe me? Power? Money? I don’t have a good reputation, so I don’t think a good reputation would be enough,” Yuta responds.

 

It’s a sad thing to say out loud.

 

“Show me your power and your money,” the orphan demands.

 

“Alright, I’ll show you the money first.
There are many valuable things besides money, so you don’t have to worry about funding,” Yuta says, pulling out a handful of coins and displaying the treasures they found in the labyrinth.
It’s embarrassing to show off money to a child, but money is power.

 

“Now, for my power,” Yuta continues.

 

I didn’t want to cause too much commotion, so I hesitated to display anything too flashy.
I could summon a fire dragon to prove my strength, but I´m afraid the orphan might get scared and run away.

 

(Sylphie, could you lift me up a bit?)

 

“Sure thing,” Sylphie responds.

 

“Can you see me? I’m floating a bit now.
I can fly,” Yuta says.

 

“Wow, can I fly too?” the orphan asks, excited.

 

I’ve captured the child’s imagination.

 

“I don’t know.
It depends on what kind of spirit you form a contract with.
If you want to fly, you need to borrow the power of the wind spirits.
But if you form a contract with a different spirit, you might only be able to float a little bit,” Yuta explains.

 

“That’s not very useful,” the orphan says, suddenly becoming cautious again.

 

He´s starting to realize that it’s not as simple as he thought.

 

“Well, even if you can’t fly, you can still attack.
As an adventurer, that’s enough to get by,” Yuta reassures them.

 

Another long silence follows.
Am I bad at persuading people?


 

“I have a sister, and I don’t want to be separated from her,” the orphan speaks up again.

 

“I know.
I’ll take care of both of you, so you can relax,” Yuta replies, hoping to make eye contact with the child.

 

“How do you know about my sister?” the orphan asks, becoming suspicious again.

 

Oops, did I make him even more cautious? This is getting more and more troublesome.
Why am I even doing this? Oh right, it’s because spirit magicians are looked down upon, and it’s all because of the guild master.
Thinking about the guild master makes me feel motivated for some reason.

 

“I told the spirits to investigate.
I know about your sister, and she can also become a spirit magician, so there’s no problem,” Yuta explains.

 

“Okay.
Give me some time to talk to my sister.
Don’t come near us,” the orphan says firmly.

 

“Got it.
Take your time,” Yuta agrees.

 

(Since Bell and the others are probably bored, why don’t you go play around? I’ll summon you when I need you.)

 

Yuta calls out to Bell and the others, who were playing around lazily.
They fly away, happy to have something to do.

 

“Yuta, it seems like that brother and sister are troubled.
They’re afraid to trust anyone, and they’re finding it difficult to stay here.
They’re worried that they might be sold somewhere.
But they’re saying that you’re not like the bad guys who sell kids for money and treasure,” Sylphy reports.

 

It would be nice if I could emit an aura that immediately gains children’s trust, but unfortunately, that’s not possible.
Even if I say that I’m not involved in human trafficking, it’s hard to gain their trust.

 

“That can’t be helped.
Even if I say something, they’ll still have doubts.
It’s up to them to make their choice,” Yuta sighs.

 

“Yeah, that’s right.
By the way, there are some people trying to come this way.
Should I stop them?” Sylphy asks.

 

“Oh, I didn’t know that.
I guess it’s okay to stop them.
It’s too troublesome to deal with them here,” Yuta agrees.

 

After waiting for a while, a question is thrown his way.

 

“Hey, bro.
If I come with you, will we be able to eat our fill? Both me and my sister.”

 

“I don’t plan on skimping on food, so I promise you’ll be able to eat your fill every day.”

 

“……Okay.
I’ll come with you.
But if you bully my sister, I won’t forgive you.”

 

“Don’t worry.
I don’t have a hobby of bullying children.”

 


The guild master really tried to bully me, but I was surprised to find out that I’m the type to hold grudges.
I didn’t realize it until I came here.

 

Whether he was convinced or just realized that there was no way to stay in the slums, the older brother timidly came out of the hut.
…He was a beastman.
Come to think of it, I didn’t ask about his race.

 

His attempt at intimidation was kind of cute, as he looked like he was trying his best.
His hair was gray, and he was small and thin.
Of course, he wasn’t in an environment where he could get proper nutrition.

 

“What should I do?”

 

“There’s one more person I’m going to invite, so gather your belongings.
We’ll leave right away.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The boy went back into the hut and came out holding a small, tattered bag, holding hands with his sister.
As expected of siblings, they looked alike.
The sister seemed more scared and intimidated.

 

“Do you have any other belongings? You can bring anything you need, no matter how big, since I can carry it.”

 

“We don’t have anything to bring, so it’s okay.”

 

“Okay.
And… My name is Morizono Yuta.
What are your names?”

 

“I’m Marco, and my sister’s name is Kika.”

 

“Got it.
Nice to meet you, Marco and Kika.
As for me… Call me ‘Master’.”

 

I don’t know why, but I want to be called “Master.” Since I’m taking them as my disciples, it shouldn’t be a mistake.

 

“Got it.”

 

“Okay, then, Sylphy.
Please guide us to the next location.”

 

“I know there’s something there.
Is it a spirit? I’ve felt it many times in the city, but besides me, Kika, and one other person, nobody else seems to be able to sense it.”

 

There’s some comfort in having someone to talk to, but I wish they would let their guard down a little more.
It seems unlikely for now, though.
The fact that I haven’t even heard Kika’s voice is depressing.

 

“Spirits are all around us.
Being able to sense them is a sign of being a spirit magic user.”

 

Probably.
I’m not sure myself, but Sylphy is nodding, so it must be true.
As we walk with Sylphy, we arrive in front of a dugout hut about five minutes away.

 

“Is this Sarah’s house? Is she the one you’re inviting?”

 


“Hmm? Do you know her?”

 

“Yeah.
She occasionally shares her food with us and helps us out.”

 

Oh, I see.
She lives in this kind of place but is still a good person.
It’s something I couldn’t possibly do.

 

“Is something wrong, Marco?”

 

As soon as she hears his voice, a girl comes out and flinches when she sees me.
It must be pretty tough.
She has blonde hair and is painfully thin.
She shouldn’t be sharing her food with others in this situation.

 

“Wh-who are you?”

 

“I’m Morizono Yuta.
I’ve come to recruit you to become a spirit magic user.
What do you think?”

 

“A-a spirit magic user? I don’t really understand.”

 

“Well, it’s probably the worst-rated job, you know.
I came to invite you because I want to raise you and prove everyone wrong.
I promise you’ll be able to eat your fill every day.
How about it?”

 

“I don’t really know what to say…”

 

It’s natural to hesitate when something like this is suddenly proposed.
Will there be another long explanation from here? Hm? Sarah is looking at Marco and Kika.

 

“Oh, um, are you taking Marco and Kika with you?”

 

“Yeah, Marco and Kika have become my apprentices.”

 

“Well, then, I’ll come too.”

 

“That was sudden.
But I guess I understand why.
You’re worried about Marco and Kika, so you want to come with us.”

 

“Have you heard the explanation and agreed to go?” She asked them.

 

“Yeah.” Marco replied.

 

“If Marco and Kika, who are usually very cautious, have decided to go with you, then I can trust you.
Marco, Kika, may I ask why you have decided to come along?”

 

“Sara, I don’t really trust him.
But he has money, and if I stay here, I’ll just die if I get sick.
So, I’ve decided to go with him.”

 

“I see.
It’s true that we’ll eventually reach our limits if it’s just the three of us.
Alright, I’ll come with you too.”


 

This girl seems to be more concerned about Marco and Kika than about herself.
It’s a bit dangerous.
Oh well, it’s fine.
It saves me the trouble of convincing her.

 

“Okay then.
Um, your name was Sara, right? Sara, you’re also my apprentice from today.
Call me ‘master’.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Alright, then pack your things.
I have a magic bag that’s big enough, and if there’s anything you want to bring, let me know and I’ll carry it for you.”

 

“That’s okay.”

 

“Sara, Marco and Kika, do have anyone you want to say goodbye to?”

 

Sara and Marco shake their heads, while Kika hides behind Marco and cannot be seen.
No need to say goodbye to anyone then.
When asked how they survived, they say they received food and shelter leftovers from soup kitchens and inns.
They were told that there was no reason to commit crimes when they could manage to survive somehow.
It’s painful to hear that, as if they were pointing out that I would have easily given in to the easier option.

 

Anyway, it seems like we need to buy many things since these kids don’t have much luggage.
We have something to talk about with Marie too, so let’s head to the general store first.

 

“Excuse me, is Marie here?”

 

The shop assistant who helped me with shopping earlier recognizes me and calls her right away.

 

“Yuta-san.
If it’s about that matter, everything is going well.”

 

Marie greets me with a big smile.
If it’s going well, that’s good news.
Now I can easily talk to her about the labyrinth.

 

“That’s good to hear.
But before that, I have a request.
I took in these three as my apprentices, but they need essential things for daily living.
Three sets of clothes and underwear each, their tableware, and anything else they may need.
Can you have someone accompany them and help them choose what they need while we talk?”

 

“Understood.
Leave it to me.”

 

She gives a signal with a swish of her hand, and a shop assistant appears out of nowhere.
This store’s employee training is weird.

 

“Sara, Marco, Kika, you’ll get everything you need here.
You’ll use these things, so be sure to voice your opinions on what you like.”

 

They nod in agreement, but I’m worried.
They seem hesitant.
I should also tell the shop assistant about their lack of shopping experience.

 

“Shop assistant, these kids aren’t used to shopping.
Please help them choose what they need for daily living.”

 

“Understood.
Leave it to me.”

 

Before I could thank her, Marie took me to the reception room.
She can’t wait, it seems.
I have a big topic to discuss, so I’m a little worried about how she’ll react.

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