After sleeping over at Uli’s house I get awoken by some of her maids. For whatever reason, I feel uncomfortable.

  “Good morning young Master, did you sleep well?”

  “Hmm? Oh yeah, I did, thank you.”

  “The Mistress has asked for you to attend breakfast with her, would you like us to help you get dressed?”

  “Sure, but please be careful with my back, I don’t like when it’s touched.”

  “As you wish.”

  They then get me dressed and we go downstairs to a dining table decked with different fruits, vegetables as well as a few meats.

  Dressed in a more casual way than usual, Uli gives me a bright smile, “Good morning, Thoma Ahad. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yeah, I did. Good morning, auntie”

  “Did you have any trouble understanding people?”

  “Huh? No, why would I?”

  “Heh, yeah, why would you…Sorry it was a stupid question from me.”

  “That’s okay, I say stupid things all the time too.”

  “Hahaha. Is that so?”

  Biting into a shiny blue and orange fruit, I answer, “Yeah, the secret is to not be embarrassed about it and people won’t find it too weird.”

  “I see. Are you liking the fruits?”

  “Yeah, they’re good.”

  “Which one is your favorite?”

  “I don’t think my favorite is here.”

  Rasing her eyebrows, Uli asks, “Oh? What is your favorite then?”

  “Honeydew pears. They look like golden pears but they taste like really sweet watermelon.”

  Getting a smirk on her face, Uli answers, “You have quite the expensive taste.”

  “I do?”

  “Yes, they are quite hard to cultivate. A honeydew pear tree doesn’t bear fruit until it is three hundred years old. They also only grow in some southern countries and their smell attracts monsters, so they are hard to take care of. To import one fruit would cost around one big gold. They are of course cheaper in the south but they still cost a lot of money.”

  “Weird, I used to eat them every day when they were in season. Maybe I’m thinking of something different…”

  “It’s certainly possible…”

  A bit later, during my archery practice in Uli's garden, Rayla shows up. She looks horrible, there are huge bags under her eyes and her tails are barely brushed.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “What happened to you, Ane?”

  “I couldn’t sleep…”

  “Also what’s with your tails? They are going to get all matted if you brush them half haphazardly like that, did you bring a brush?”

  “I have one on me.”

  “Then give it to me, I’ll brush them for you.”

  “Thanks Thoma, you’re a lifesaver.”

  We then sit down and I begin brushing her tails properly.

  “Is there a reason why you couldn’t sleep yesterday? Are you sick?”

  “I just can’t sleep alone anymore, it feels weird. I need my emotional-support-oki.”

  “Pfft, you’re such a baby, Rayla.”

  “Yes I am, go pamper me.” She says while rubbing her cheeks against mine.

  “Sigh Fine.”

  “Yay! Also, can you see spirits now?”

  “Yeah, I can hear them too!”

  With her tails wagging widely, she asks, “Really!? What do they look like? How many are there? Are they everywhere?”

  “Uhm, it kinda depends. There are a lot in this garden but there were none inside the house. Here, there are a lot of spirits that look like fairies, so like little people with butterfly wings in different colors. But for example, in this pond over there, are spirits that look like frog people with lilypad hats.”

  “Woah…So there are a bunch, huh?”

  “Yeah, but I think that’s also because Uli’s garden is like a place made for spirits of all elements. I haven’t been outside the manor yet since I got the sight so I don’t really know how normal this is or not.”

  “Are there any spirits on me? Or talking about me?”

  “Nope, they don’t really seem that interested in either of us right now.”

  “Can you ask an earth, wind and fire spirit to watch my training? I need to convince them somehow to teach me spells.”

  “Sure, I can try.”

  I then look around and walk up to a little mole person lying on a rock, “Uhm, excuse me. Are you an earth spirit?”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you see my sister over there? The one with the many tails?”

  “Eyup.”

  “She’s trying to learn spirit spells of the earth element, can you help her with that?”

  “I can.”

  “Are you going to?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why not?”

  “Don’t wanna. She’s boring.”

  “Could you maybe ask some of your earth element friends if they’re interested?”

  “I could.”

  “Are you going to?

  “Nope. I’d rather watch your training, you’re more fun.”

  “I am?”

  “Yeah, you try to dance pretty but you suck a lot so it’s funny.”

  “Haha, I see. Well, feel free to watch. If you want, you could also accompany me on my travels.”

  “Nah, I’d rather stay here.”

  “By the way, what’s your name?”

  “Don’t have one but I’m a pebble.”

  “Alright, thanks Pebble I’m going to try and talk to some others.”

  “Sure.”

  I then walk up to a fire spirit that looks like a fairy flying around a lit torch. It looks to be wearing a dress made of fire but has quite manly features.

  “Hello, may I ask you a question?”

  It answers abrasively, “You can do whatever you want, doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”

  “Uhm okay, what do you think about my sister over there, the one with the many tails?”

  “Hmm…Unremarkable, I guess? Unlike you, she just blends in the background.”

  “And I don’t?”

  “Nope, you are quite dark so you’re easy to see. Also I like watching you dance. You really need to practice more though, you’re way too weak. If you want to dance with the King you need to have more power and passion!” He says while flexing his muscles.

  “Haha, I guess I do. But back to my sister, she’s trying to learn spirit spells of the fire element, could you help her out with that?”

  “I could but I don’t wanna. She has no strength, no passion. She’s so weak I can barely see her. I don’t like her. The only good thing about her is that she’s pretty.”

  “I see, haha…I’m going to ask around some more then, thank you for the conversation.”

  I then also try to talk to a windspirit but they all just zoom around the garden so it’s impossible to talk to any of them, leading me to return to Rayla empty handed.

  Wit her tails wagging and her ears perked up, she asks, “So? How’d it go? Am I popular?”

  “Eh, well…Not really. One of them said you’re pretty but the two I talked to both say you’re boring and that they can hardly see you. Basically, because you don’t absorb any natural mana you are almost invisible to them.”

  Slumping over disappointed, she groans, “Man…So I really can’t use you as a cheat to make it easier huh? Fine, I’m gonna work extra hard then!”