- I heard a cicada.

That's a summer thing I don't even know how many years ago it was.

He came with his parents to say hello to my house.

It was a long story about when we were just going to say hello to each other about the move, and me, my sister and that guy were totally left out by each other's parents.

The first person I've talked to was him.

- Hey, what's your name?

I remember being oddly thrilled with that slightly uncomfortable intonation about whether it was an accent or something.

When I answered, he went on to ask his sister the same question.

My four-year-old sister was always hiding behind my back, so I tried to answer instead.

Amazingly, my sister let me name her by my mouth.

Perhaps - it was the only moment in my life when that sister, who later shows a fearful turn, opened her mind slightly to a human being other than me.

When we were just normal brothers and sisters everywhere.

First summer up to elementary school.

A seven-year-old summer day.

Memories of meeting a girl who becomes familiar with her childhood.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

"While..."

On a fuzzy bed, I woke up.

You kicked it while you were asleep, the futon is falling under the bed.

I'm so used to living without a cooler, but hot stuff is hot.

I get up with my face in a sleeping sweat.

Hasn't the maid who always comes to wake you come yet, the curtain stays closed?

But the murderous heat rays had penetrated the curtains and reached indoors.

There's just no cicada voice.

"... dreams..."

Still faint, still in the corner of my head.

Far dazzling now, warm memories.

I can't even remember her name right now.

Everything was cut off.

It's like a nightmare, in those five years.

"... let's not"

Enough about the old days.

Six years ago, it was settled.

Get out of bed and open the curtains.

Outside the window, the lush landscape of Dimkurd, Count of Lieber, extends everywhere.

I, Jack Lieber, was seven years old.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

"Mm-hmm... Mm-hmm...!

Focus your consciousness on the back of your feet.

Just a little further - just the air that touches the soles of your feet, with a pinpoint -

"Whew!?

The force that was floating his whole body accidentally interrupted him.

Boo-hoo! And I fall into a soft sandbox.

It doesn't hurt much. It's a sandbox for cushioning.

But it's sandy. I squirm into my mouth.

"Guuuuuuuuuu... Pei. Damn..."

Speaking ill, I thought about the cause of my current failure.

How do you separate the part that stays on from the part that stays off within you? - I knew it.

Behind the Reavers' mansion, there's a little training ground for me.

It was my routine to train in spirituality here.

By the way, that's a two-step jump exercise right now.

[Nesting Penetrating Wings] is not a 'flying' but a 'floating' force, so you can't move freely in the air like a bird.

However, if only the air touching the soles of the feet is outside the scope of the procedure, you can gain mobility equal to flight by kicking in the void.

Well, to reach that range, instead of two steps, I have to succeed successively with three steps, four steps, five steps... at the moment, my highest record was only three steps.

My goal now is admission to the Royal Academy of Spiritual Arts in Wangdu.

The College is a mother to the Spiritualist Guild, a dragon-going place where the eggs of spiritualists gather from all over the kingdom.

If you want to raise your name as a spiritual magician, you can never avoid it.

I will inherit this territory from my father in the future, but my reputation as a spiritualist will be a powerful foil in aristocratic society.

The College does not take entrance exams and cannot be admitted without a letter of recommendation from a Scout or Spiritualist Guild member.

When I gained enough strength, I was going to rely on my father's handover to win a letter of recommendation and enroll in college.

If you can at least enroll by the age of ten, then all you have to do is grow up in the college.

That's how I polish my technique.

"Don't get all worked up in the morning, Jack"

With the sand all over me. Yeah, roaring, I heard that voice coming from the mansion.

"Ah, Dad. Good morning."

"Um. Good morning."

My father, Column Lieber.

I thought you were young as a baby, but it's been seven years since I was born.

It seems to me that some of the originally stern faces, the masterly majesty of the aristocracy, have emerged together lately.

...... hmm. That's not how kids feel about their parents.

Dad loosens his cheek when he looks at me full of sand.

"Are you in a struggle?

"Yeah, well. It's a day of dark exploration because there's no one to tell me."

"Ha ha! My son made me sarcastic."

As he declared to me when Spirituality woke up, my father tried to develop my talents with all his might.

He used a handout to find a good teacher and gave it to me from one end to the other.

But unfortunately, there was only one thing I could learn from those teachers.

That is - apparently, the talent that lived in me is a more dramatic substitute than I thought.

The teachers were all together, unable to possess the unusual talents of their godchildren, sometimes mad with jealousy, throwing one spoon after another.

That's why I was still training for spirituality on my own.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to find a good teacher..."

"No. In the first place, it's difficult to guide others through a thousand different spiritual techniques, so it's not bad for fathers and teachers."

"Ha ha! You're a good guy!

Dad laughs happily.

Right now, I feel like I've said something pretty fucking busy, and you're about to laugh?

My father is a parent idiot, but on the other hand, he treats me equally as a person, not a child.

I truly admired my father's inseparable place as a human being, as a child.

"Dad, what can I do for you?

"Oh, yes, he did. He did"

Dad stopped laughing,

"I'm sorry I'm exploring in the dark, but come to the reception room as soon as I drop that sand. I want to introduce you to my guests."

"Customer......?

"Oh. He's a merchant that we've been gracious about for a long time. I need you to remember your face."

I am the next leader of the Lieber family. Face connection is also an important responsibility.

"If that's about it, shouldn't someone have sent a servant over?

"Hey. Soothing score earner. To keep kids from smoking in the future."

I know it's a joke, but if it's true, I cry too much...

I wonder if that's what I'll think when I'm a father too...

"Okay. I'll be right there."

"Oh. I'll be waiting."

I headed to the mansion to do something about my sandy body.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

When I got back to the mansion, the maids washed my body in total.

For some reason, I'm liked by the young maids at the mansion.

If I had come across such a weirdly grown up kid in my previous life, I would have just thought he was a fucking busy fucking kid, but let them tell me, he's 'cute'.

I'm not sure how 'cute' a girl is in any world.

When I got dressed and went to the reception room, there was another man, a good width, besides my father.

"Mr. Postford, I'd like to introduce you. This is my son Jack."

"I'm Jack Lieber. We hope you'll find out from now on."

When I correctly thanked him for the fold, Mr. Posford leaked a voice that impressed him.

"You're a courteous child. Your parents are so well educated."

"No. It's too much, and we're more helpful."

"Ho ho ho! That's good. I have a daughter the same age as you, Jack, but this is my out-of-the-hand wife... and I brought her here to introduce you today, but she's gone a little out of sight."

"Our people are watching, so you will never have left the mansion."

"I'm sorry. My daughter is in a state of disgrace..."

"So let me take care of you?

That's how I pinched my mouth for an adult conversation.

I didn't hate listening to my parents.

But it would be better for kids to get along with each other than to be figurines here.

Mr. Posford rocked his rich jaw and said, "Hooray!" I laughed.

"That's good! Jack, if you could be a little influenced, Philine would be a little calm."

"If that's what Mr. Postford says - Jack, can I ask you to excuse me?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Dad. I can't believe I'm playing with a girl, because I don't have such an honorable job."

Playing a prank and saying that, Mr. Posford said, "Ho ho ho!" He laughed in a good mood. Success.

I'll leave the reception room after a gratuity.

Walking down the hall, I figured it out.

When it comes to places where kids are interested, where is it?

For a kid, it's like a dungeon in someone else's house. If that were to be such a big mansion too, there would be plenty of places to explore.

It's going to be a little hide-and-seek before I meet your daughter.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

In the meantime, I asked the servant.

"Ah! Could you be referring to the kid who was hiding in the laundry?

"If it's a girl, I saw it! I'm laughing even though I'm being scolded because I look weird behind my senior..."

"Oh, is that the lady? They picked and ate bribes in the process.... No, you'll be worried. Originally, it's too much."

... Apparently, she's more of an old lady than I ever imagined.

I tried searching based on eyewitness testimony, but in the end I couldn't find it from inside the mansion.

You went outside? That's what I think, opening the entrance door.

Then people stood across the door.

It's a pair, at least one of them is a man.

From a child's point of view, all older people look big. So the guy, from my eyes, looked like he was in his late teens, and he looked like he was in his twenties.

On the other hand, he's wearing a hood deep in his eyes to cover his face.

There are people in the world who are injured, religious reasons, and for many reasons are unable to expose their faces.

So I remembered a second tutor saying it was manners not to touch abuse when I saw someone like that.

Suddenly, you're surprised the door opened, and the pair are staring at me. Well, one of them has a hidden eye.

That's kind of suspicious. Though the fact that the guard passed should not be suspicious.

"Um... are you a customer?

"Oh, oh...... I made a promise to your parents."

"My father would be responding to other customers right now... uh, you 're-"

Before asking his name, a soft voice broke in from behind.

"- Oh, that's okay, Jack. You're my guest."

My mother - Madeline Lieber.

He was only seventeen when he had me, so he's twenty-four now.

Unlike my father, who came out dignified, my mother is still young.

Her mother smiled softly and walked over to the pair standing at the front door.

"Welcome. And your wife, please, come inside."

"... Yes"

Another person in a hood speaks for the first time.

Voice, you're young. It's the voice of a teenage girl.

They called me your wife, but I guess it's normal to get married at that age? And so is my mother.

Will I get a teenager girl as my wife in the future, too?

"I heard that, Jack. You're going looking for a postford lady?

"Yes, because I couldn't find it in the mansion"

"Please go with care. Don't go too far."

"Yes."

My father and mother had me worried a lot six years ago - when I was a year old.

At a time like this, I had decided to snort clearly and honestly.

Out to be replaced by a pair.

To both of them, who are my mother's guests, I left them only for a mild interview.

What kind of relationship are you with?

I proceeded straight through the front door and for now asked if I had seen Miss Postford on the lookout at the main entrance, but I received an answer that I had not seen it.

So you're not out of the premises after all?

When it comes to places on the property that kids seem to prefer...... my training ground or something?

I just walked away to try and find something rare along the way.

The rabbit crossed over in front of him.

I see it a lot in the woods, but there's a fence here so you shouldn't be able to come in......

"What, you? Where did he come in from?

I'll catch him and ask him, but naturally, there's no way a wild rabbit can talk.

I'll look in the direction that the wild rabbit has been running from where the hell...

"... ah"

Hiding in the bushes is hard to understand... but there was a hole in some of the fences.

... I don't think so...

Miss Posford, you haven't even left there, have you?

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

I couldn't even find it at the training ground, so I had to get out of the fence through the example hole.

Outside the fence there is a forest.

Six years ago, that sister burned down nearly half the forest.

It's a forest where people often pass, and there are few dangerous animals such as wild dogs, but sometimes just in case. You can't just not look.

"Hey!... erm... Philinee. Hmm?

I do think that's what Mr Posford called it.

Philine. Philine Posford.

I've tried calling you many times, but all I came back with was the sound of leaf rubbing.

Even if I went into the woods, I don't think I went that far back...

After a while, why don't we go back to the mansion?

It was when I started thinking that way.

- Gassa!! and made a noise, and nearby trees swayed unexpectedly.

Immediately after.

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Out of the branches, like a zero drop.

From the top of the tree, a girl fell.

Huh?

...... Ha!?

I stop thinking, I dash reflexively.

Give every moment a girl close to the ground, stretch out her arms with all your might...

Its back is on the verge of crashing into the ground.

I could have had my fingertips plundered by my arms.

- [Nesting Penetrating Wings]!

The power of Spirit Sequence # 65, Andrealfus of Distinguished Separation, erases the weight from the girl.

The girl thereby floated fluffy on the spot, sparing her from clashes with the ground.

"... oh? Oh, oh?

The girl blinks with her eyes closed and looks at her body wondering.

Turning and hitting her back in the air, she laughed as if she was going to enjoy herself.

On the other hand, I sigh a lot more.

"... Oh, it was dangerous..."

It's not that stylish. I'm glad you happened to have me...

"Ah!" The girl raised her voice.

He finally realized I existed here.

She remained fluffy and floating,

"You did this!? Heh! Wow! Fun! Look, fluffy!

"Hey, if it moves too much -"

"- Aww? Awww!

The girl who lost her balance spins vertically.

Gotun!

I hit him hard in the head on the ground.

Ahhh, I did it......

You do it a lot while you're not used to it, this. I used to do it too.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh"

Girl holding her head and groaning all cloudy.

Anyway, if I did it again, it would be dangerous, so I cut the surgery and put her down to the ground.

"... you okay?

"Well..."

There's tears seeping through the edges of my eyes... well, you're just a big deal not to cry.

The girl with chestnut hair stretched to her shoulder, first of all, no doubt, would be about my age. I mean, are you six or seven?

If a kid about that age hits him in the head on the ground, I think it's normal to cry out loud already.

Probably used to the pain. She's such a grandmother and daughter.

That means......

"... you're Mr. Filine?

"Hmm? Right? How do you know that?

... I knew it.

"I'm a Lieber kid. I came looking for you because you weren't in the mansion."

"Huh? Looking for me? Out of the way?"

"Get out of the way... if you go into the woods alone, it's dangerous, right?

"Is that it? Out of the way?"

Philine leaning her neck properly, looking sincerely strange.

Apparently, this kid's dictionary doesn't have the three letters' Danger '.

I see... Mr. Posford burns his hands too...

"Hmm, well!

That's what I said, and Filine got up completely.

"Hey, let's play together! Earlier, I saw a wide raw material over there!

"What? No, once we get back to the mansion..."

"There you go!

With or without me, Filine takes my hand and pulls it.

I was feeling nostalgic, somewhere, being dragged off without any exchanging.

"Oh, yeah."

Flush chestnut hair.

I looked back here, the girl's face.

Sure...

I used to be familiar with young people.

- Overlap.

"- Hey! What's your name?

I can't hear a cicada, a seven-year-old summer day.

I met Philine Posford.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

"Jacques?

"Ku's missing."

"Kujakun?

"Jack! Jack Lieber!

"Jack...... yeah?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Okay! Uh... Ji-kun!

There's only one acronym left!

I sighed.

"Enough, Ji-kun..."

"Eh heh. Ji-kun ♪ Ji-kun ♪"

What's fun, Philine skips as she calls it that.

I'm the one whose captives are pulled by her like that.

... I knew I wanted to go home.

'Cause this kid Nori, he's going to get into some big deal.

"Uh... Mr. Filine"

"Oh, you can just Phil about me, okay? 'Cause that's what we all call it."

"Uh... Bye, Phil"

That's embarrassing. Because I never call a girl by her nickname.

"As far as I'm concerned, I still want to go home to the Mansion once. Look, I think your father's worried too."

"That's right. I'd love to go home for lunch!

"No, I didn't"

We're talking about wanting to go home now!

Before I said that, I went through the woods.

"Wow!" Phil raises his voice.

As she had just said, there was a big expanse of primitives.

Looking up, the area covered like a roof is broken and the blue sky stretches high and high.

You had a place like this... I didn't know.

"Wow! Wow! Hiroi!

The wind blows through, the grass ripples.

Phil ran out with my arm off so he could compete with it.

"Ah, hey!

What a restless guy!

I went after Phil.

Phil sometimes jumps off or says, "Over here!" He turns around and runs at quite a speed.

Uh, if I'd run like that already...

"- Aww!?

Poop.

Here, here we go.

When I catch up, Phil wakes up holding on to his forehead, "Open up..."

Did you go face-to-face? Take it.

"Are you all right?

"Yeah. Something hooked on my leg."

On your feet?

I turned my gaze around Phil's leg, and I just...

I had legs.

It's not Phil's. Another leg slipped out of the shadow of the stump.

Huh...? Corpses?

Impossible. Because this is also a forest, it is also fully conceivable that wild dogs or bears will attack you and expose you to corpses.

Or... at the tip of that leg, it might not have a torso on it.

I'm afraid, I peer into the shadow of the stump.

Fortunately, my leg had a proper torso.

Five satisfied humans are falling into depression.

I wonder if it was a woman, long hair with blue on it, scattered heavily.

"Are you okay...?

You were just surprised by this, Phil carefully-said.

Speaking of whether or not you're okay, well, if you're okay, you're not falling down here.

The question is, are you alive or not?

"Um..."

I'm softly, corpse (?) touched his shoulder.

...... warm. Alive?

No, sometimes it's not long after you die, and I don't know that you don't check your pulse.

I gently split my long hair wide open on the ground with my fingertips.

By doing so, I see things I've never seen before - I was surprised again.

My ears - long.

... it's an elf.

When it existed, I heard it in the story.

A subrace of the present deity, closer to the Spirit than man and much longer than man......

Is that what makes you drool wild in such a peaceful forest?

Anyway, trying to take a pulse, I touched my finger on the white neck muscle - the moment.

Pickle.

Elves moved.

I tried to pull my hand in surprise - but before that, I was caught in the elf's hand.

"Ha ha...!

I tried to shake it off reflexively, but not even freaking out with great force.

While doing so, the elf slowly looks up.

He looked like someone with long hair, and from that gap, he had a glimpse of blue eyes.

A pair of them are staring straight at me from across my hair.

Huh?

Could it be, like, suck?

"Ahhhhhhh!!

"Oh, hey, Phil! Don't just run away from one!

Thin Lovers! And why are you screaming like a little fun!

It was me trying to follow Phil,

"-Oh."

From the bottom of a deep hole, like it sounds.

Along with his horrible voice, he pulled his grabbed hand.

Huh... I can't get away with this.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh -"

Lost intelligence blue eyes shimmer.

And Sole, who looked like a woman elf, put me down by covering me up.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Oh, yeah, spirituality!

I tried to push the female elf with [nesting permeable wings], but it was too late.

Before that, a female elf opened her mouth in front of her...

"- - I'm hungry, I'm..."

... what?

Right after my eyes dotted.

Once again, the female elf fainted.

I was ambushed, naturally, and that's the underside.

Muggle.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I can't hear a cicada, a seven-year-old summer day.

Besides Phil, I met a fallen elf.