"Bitch?"
When Kurose Akira saw the entry, the corner of his mouth curled into a wicked grin—but he quickly reined it in.
If that tag were added to Loserine's attributes, the only truly normal member of the guild might very well walk out on him.
And given Loserine's personality, if she gained an extra label like "bitch," she'd probably run a sword straight through his kidneys to teach him exactly what kind of price one paid for decisions made with the lower half of the body.
"Supreme Sword Spirit?"
Akira shifted his gaze to the second tag. Loserine was a sword-wielding knight—this one seemed far more appropriate for her.
In xianxia novels, a "supreme sword spirit" was usually some adorable little girl dressed in ancient robes. He couldn't help but wonder: in a Western fantasy–themed game like this, would it still turn out that way?
After a moment's thought, he made his decision and added the [Supreme Sword Spirit] tag to Loserine.
[Your adventurer Loserine has obtained a new tag — Supreme Sword Spirit!]
[Supreme Sword Spirit: A companion spirit (water elemental) capable of enhancing sword intent. It inherits everything from Loserine (including emotions, senses, etc.). Sword skill damage +100%.Supreme: May not mean what you think it does—but you'll probably like it.]
"Huh?"
Reading the description of [Supreme Sword Spirit], Akira felt a flicker of confusion.
What exactly was that supposed to mean?
Before he could fully grasp the implication of "supreme," the water sprite bound to Loserine began to change.
"Hiss~"
The water sprite happily flicked its forked tongue, its tiny wings beating rapidly as it spiraled upward.
"What's it doing?" Akira asked, puzzled.
But Loserine didn't answer. She stood there stiff as a corpse, eyes unfocused, as if her soul had left her body. Even smacking her on the head with a shovel probably wouldn't get a reaction.
Akira slapped his own forehead, realization hitting him.
"Right—how did I forget? The water sprite and Loserine are essentially one and the same!"
Born from Loserine's soul, the water sprite was an elemental lifeform. Now, as it underwent its transformation into a sword spirit, the change was inevitably affecting Loserine's main body as well.
The sprite's body began to grow rapidly. What had once been barely half a meter long now stretched to nearly two meters.
Clear, well-defined snake scales covered its surface, arranged in neat rows and glowing faintly—like stars embedded in the night sky, shimmering with a mysterious light. The wings on its back grew fuller and more imposing, adding to its presence and allure.
And then Akira noticed something else.
Was it holding a sword in its mouth?
…Why did that look kind of cool?
Should he tell Loserine to let the little thing follow him instead?
After completing its dazzling transformation, the water sprite drifted down as lightly as a feather. Its long body coiled around Akira's waist in what felt unmistakably like an affectionate embrace. The sword in its mouth dissolved into a brilliant sigil that settled between its brows, glowing quietly with an enigmatic light.
The sprite flicked out its tongue again, gently licking Akira's cheek, as if conveying pure joy and closeness.
"Alright, alright~ That tickles," Akira laughed, gently stroking it to calm it down.
The little thing's enthusiasm was almost overwhelming—it had practically licked his face wet.
Amid their intimate interaction, Loserine finally snapped out of her daze. When she saw the water sprite clinging to Akira so closely, complex emotions flickered in her eyes. The starlight within her body shimmered faintly, as though reflecting something deep and unspoken.
"Come back."
Loserine gave a soft command, trying to recall the water sprite. But for the first time ever, it showed open defiance.
It flicked its tongue at her in clear dissatisfaction—then rubbed itself even more eagerly against Akira's face, smearing saliva all over him.
"!"
Loserine's expression tightened, her face turning grave. She strode over and grabbed the sprite by its snake tail, trying to yank it off Akira.
But the water sprite refused to let go—if anything, it coiled even tighter.
And so, an intense tug-of-war broke out between Loserine and the water sprite.
For Akira, this was pure torture.
"Stop, stop! It's wrapped way too tight!"
He shouted helplessly, grumbling inwardly: Loserine… doesn't seem very happy about it wrapping around me, huh?
After a hard-fought struggle, the water sprite finally—reluctantly—returned to Loserine's side. The starlight within her body faded, settling back into calm.
"I'm going to meditate for a while. Call me if there's a mission."
She left those words behind and turned away immediately.
As she departed, the water sprite still looked unwilling to part from Akira. But the moment the Oathbound Sword was placed against its snake-like head, it instantly behaved itself, not daring to move an inch.
Once Loserine was gone, Akira looked down at himself.
His face. His clothes. Everything was damp—completely soaked in the water sprite's saliva.
"Looks like I should take a shower first."
He chuckled softly and headed toward the guild's baths, silently lamenting: that water sprite really lives up to its name—there's so much water.
After cleaning up, Akira stepped into the guild hall—and froze.
A paper crane was darting through the air, being chased by a Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly. The fluttering crane and the blazing butterfly formed a strangely charming scene.
"?"
Akira frowned in confusion. Since when did the guild have an origami crane?
As he pondered this, the crane flew straight toward him and landed neatly in his hand. The Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly, upon seeing Akira, seemed to lose all interest in the chase. It flapped its wings and settled lightly atop his head, bobbing cheerfully.
"What's going on here?"
Akira unfolded the paper crane and discovered it was a letter—from Princess Elina of the elves.
[This afternoon, I'll be waiting for you by the Elven Lake, little man.]
Little man?
The way Elina addressed him was certainly unexpected. But considering she was a century-old elf, adding a "little" in front of "man" was… technically reasonable.
"This afternoon, huh?"
Akira committed the time to memory.
Right then, Ivsha and the others arrived at the guild.
"Let's start today's missions."
"Yes, Guildmaster~"
…
Elven Kingdom, within a secluded garden.
The Elven Queen stood beside a crystal-clear pool, gazing expressionlessly at her reflection in the water.
Yet what was reflected in the pool was startling—the Elven Queen there wore a radiant smile, as if savoring some profound joy.
"You've already told him?" the Elven Queen asked softly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible emotion.
[Yes. Though he is only human, his identity makes him perfectly suited to serve as a judge between us.]
"Is it really acceptable… to leave this to an outsider?" the Elven Queen questioned quietly.
[Only an outsider can make a truly impartial choice. And in his eyes, I saw kindness—and honesty.]
"…Then we'll do as you say. But in the end, only one of us may remain."
Her tone carried an indescribable finality.
[The other will bear corruption and be sealed forever in the depths of the World Tree.]
"No matter the outcome, there must be no resentment. This is all for the future of the Elven Kingdom."
[For the sake of those lovely children.]
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