Volume 3, Chapter 33 – Naming

“Ugh, what should I do…?”

Lu-chan was clutching her head in distress in the living room of our rented house.

“What’s wrong?”

“Onee-sama, I just can’t think of a good name!”

“A name?”

“Yes! I’m finally allowed to attempt a contract with a spirit at the village’s Spirit Tree tomorrow. I’ve been thinking non-stop about what to name the little one who becomes my spirit, but nothing is coming to me!”

As she spoke, she furrowed her brow, putting on a great display of being troubled.

Indeed, Lu-chan had been given permission to attempt a contract at this village’s Spirit Tree tomorrow.

After we returned from the Shiltsa Lake area, the villagers threw a welcome feast for us.

During the party, the topic of Lu-chan not having a Contract Spirit came up, and from there it naturally turned into, “Why don’t you just make a contract here in our village?”

Since Sigrisia-san readily agreed, they decided to strike while the iron was hot and let her try the very next day.

By the way, the Spirit Tree of the Silver Village is famously temperamental, and it’s well-known that contracts there rarely succeed.

In contrast, the one in Shiltsa Village is apparently quite easygoing; even small children usually succeed.

Furthermore, unlike in the Silver Village, even if you fail, you can approach the Spirit Tree again after a few years for a second attempt.

However, because the difficulty is so high, having a contract with a spirit born from the Silver Village’s Spirit Tree carries a certain “brand” prestige.

That said, there is no actual difference in the abilities of the spirits themselves; spirits from the Silver Village aren’t inherently superior in any way.

“Hmm… Onee-sama, between Sauté, Meunière, and Stew, which one do you think is best?”

“ Pffft! “

Rеαԁ оո КatRеaⅾіngCαfе

I accidentally spat out the tea I was sipping.

“Hey, you made me spray my tea! Lu-chan, do you intend to eat your spirit?”

I asked her while wiping away the tea I’d just sprayed.

“Eeeh? But I just can’t think of anything else!”

“Goodness… why don’t you just decide after you meet them? You might think of a good name once you see what they look like.”

“But… then, how about Mantou, Steak, or Jaga butter ¹ “Jaga butter”is a beloved Japanese street food and comfort dish that literally translates to “potato and butter”. It consists of a hot, fluffy steamed or boiled potato served with a large dollop of melting butter and a dash of soy sauce or salt. ?”

“No, those are also a bit…”

I listened to her for a while, but she could only come up with food names.

I suppose it’s very “Lu-chan,” but isn’t “Jaga butter” taking it a bit too far?

As we talked, I started feeling sleepy.

“It’s getting late, so I’m going to head to bed. Lu-chan, you should get some sleep too so you don’t oversleep.”

“Uuuugh…”

Leaving the groaning Lu-chan behind, I returned to my room and dove into bed.

I hope you think of a good name! Goodnight.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Good morning, Fiene-sama. And to everyone else. Oh? Lumia-sama, you look quite exhausted. Shall we postpone this until tomorrow?”

“I-I’m fine. Um, I was just thinking about what to name the spirit if I succeed, and I couldn’t sleep…”

Reaԁ оո ΚаtRеаdіոɡСаfе

When I went to the living room in the morning, I found Lu-chan still groaning. When I asked her about it, it turned out she had stayed up all night.

Hearing this, Sigrisia-san gave a small chuckle.

“Not long ago, Sierra over there said something similar and was sleep-deprived.”

“M-My Lady! That was fifteen years ago! It’s embarrassing just remembering it, so please stop!”

Sierra-san protested to Sigrisia-san, her face turning red all the way to the tips of her ears.

“Fifteen years is but a blink, Sierra.”

Completely brushing off Sierra-san’s protest, Sigrisia-san declared it with a straight face.

“A blink,” huh… the sense of time for long-lived Elves really is vastly different from ours.

“Now then, a bit of sleep deprivation is no problem. Let us proceed.”

And so, led by Sigrisia-san, we headed deep into the forest.

◇ ◇ ◇

“My name is Lumia. Based on the ancient covenant, I now seek my ally.”

Lu-chan knelt before the Spirit Tree and offered her prayer.

The Spirit Tree here was also a massive tree, but it was considerably smaller than the one in the Silver Village.

Apparently, it was a “young” Spirit Tree of about a thousand years, having grown alongside the history of this village.

Looking around, unlike when I attempted my contract in the Silver Village, there were hardly any spectators.

There were just a few people who had come to check the results, since quite a few Elves had been betting on what kind of spirit she would contract with during yesterday’s feast.

Rеаԁ оn KаtRеаdіոɡСаfе

Incidentally, the prize for the bet was a single barrel of mead, which would be shared among those who guessed correctly.

It seemed quite worldly, but for the Elves living in the forest, it was one of their few precious forms of entertainment.

The most popular bets were Wind at 50%, followed by Water at 30%, and Earth at the remaining 20%.

Since we might as well, Chris-san, Shizuku-san, and I each placed a vote on Fire, Light, and Darkness—the ones nobody had bet on.

As for Lu-chan, it seemed she was successfully recognized by the Spirit Tree. The tree emitted a faint light, and a fruit from the Spirit Tree fell right in front of her.

“My name is Lumia. I desire a contract with thee.”

I could tell that something was glowing white, but I couldn’t tell what kind of spirit it was.

“I bestow a name upon thee. Thy name shall be Mashiro.”

Suddenly, a refreshing breeze swirled around Lu-chan. For a while, the wind gently swayed her hair.

“It appears to be a Wind Spirit. Congratulations, Lumia-sama.”

Sigrisia-san spoke to Lu-chan.

“Ah! Thank you! I got to contract with a very cute little one!”

“Fufu. I think it would be lovely if you showed Fiene-sama as well.”

“That’s right! Thank you! Onee-samaaa!”

Lu-chan came running toward me.

“Onee-sama! Look! It’s so cute!”

She held out both hands. I felt as if something was there, but I still couldn’t see its form.

Reαԁ on ΚаtRеаԁіngCafе

“Lu-chan, please calm down. Neither I, nor Chris-san, nor Shizuku-san can see spirits.”

“Ah, that’s right. Um, maybe like this? Mashiro, summon! Come forth!”

Then, a small, snow-white fluff-ball about 10 centimeters long appeared in Lu-chan’s hands.

Wait… could it be that she named it Mashiro because it was pure white? ² “Pure White” in JP mean “真白” – Mashiro. Lumia used “マシロ” also spell Mashiro for Wind Spirit’s name.

No way… right?

“I couldn’t decide last night after all, so I did what Onee-sama said and decided after seeing it! It’s pure white, so it’s Mashiro. Don’t you think it’s a great name?”

“Eh? Um, yes. I do. I think it’s a perfect name for this little one.”

“Ehehe. Onee-sama praised it! Yay, Mashiro!”

As Mashiro-chan wiggled, it turned its face toward me. I could see long, upright ears and golden eyes. It seemed this little one was a rabbit-type spirit.

Looking at me, Mashiro-chan tilted its head slightly.

Ah, cute. It goes without saying that my Riche is the cutest, but in a different way, Mashiro-chan is quite something too.

Though, for a rabbit, she felt a bit too round and plump…

“Congratulations, Lumia.”

“Lumia-dono, this is most wonderful, indeed.”

“Thank you so much!”

Lu-chan beamed with a full smile.

Yeah, Lu-chan is definitely at her best when she’s energetic rather than worrying.