Various Conversations
After I got home, I tried all sorts of things.
The result was that I could hear the voices of every material in the house.
Apparently they could understand what I said too, and they would always answer whatever I asked.
Unlike people, they had no hidden motives, no ulterior intentions, no difference between what they thought and what they said.
A conversation where everyone was completely honest… it was wonderful.
Incredibly peaceful.
I moved one of the plants decorating my shelf over to a sunny spot by the window.
It gave a little tremble and let out an impressed sigh. (Fwaaah~)
"So? What do you think? The sunlight feels nice, doesn't it?"
(Very niceee~)
"Haha, glad to hear it."
(Water, pleeease.)
"Yeah, yeah."
I scooped some water from the water jar and poured it onto the soil.
It trembled again. Or at least, it looked like it did.
(Kuuuuuh... that's soaking in sooo nicely~)
"There, there. You're such a cute little thing."
Thanks to the Conversation skill, I immediately knew what every object wanted.
Because of that, all the plants in my house were full of life.
Heh heh heh.
Grow nice and big, okay~?
"You're seriously creepy."
"Why are you here?"
I turned toward the sudden voice and found Lufen standing there.
What a rude, exasperated look. I was just appreciating my plants.
Lufen shrugged and set the pot she was carrying onto the table.
"Mom told me to bring this over. It's your favorite stew, Dyrel."
"Seriously...!?"
Yes! Auntie’s stew was the best.
Leaving the plants to bask in the sunlight, I took a seat.
Lufen placed a plate in front of me and ladled out some stew.
… Now then.
"Thank you, stew. And thank you, all of you ingredients. I'll enjoy every bite."
(Enjoy~)
(Grow biiig~)
(Become flesh and blooood~)
(We're taaasty~)
Their voices drifted softly into my ears.
First, turn off the Conversation skill.
Now then… time to eat.
I soaked a piece of bread in the stew and took a huge bite.
Mm-hmm. Yep, just as delicious as ever.
Perhaps planning to wait until I finished eating, Lufen sat across from me with her elbows resting on the table.
"So you can even hear food talking. That's got to be rough. Doesn't it make eating difficult?"
"It makes eating incredibly difficult, so I turn it off. But it also makes me appreciate my food even more."
"I don't think I could handle that. It'd make me too sad."
Well, everyone was different.
As I gratefully enjoyed Auntie’s stew, Lufen suddenly started laughing.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just... you really do look like you're enjoying your food. It's nice to watch."
"Well, I don't usually get to eat proper meals. I can't cook either."
As long as you grilled it and sprinkled on some salt, it tasted good enough.
Anything beyond that was a luxury.
Lufen, however, let out a deep sigh with an exasperated look.
"Seriously, stop pretending you're fine. If you'd just work a little harder, you could afford much better meals."
Oh, come on. Give it a rest.
This was exactly why I hated talking to people.
There was always a lecture waiting for me.
Feeling uncomfortable, I turned my eyes toward the window.
… A bird was eating the new sprout on my plant.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?!?"
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU STUPID BIIIIIIRD!?!
Startled by my scream, the bird took off in a panic.
I hurried over to the flowerpot and turned the Conversation skill back on.
"Hey! Are you okay!?"
(Uugh... it hurts... it hurts...)
Damn it... you poor thing...! If only I hadn't taken my eyes off you...!
I carried the flowerpot inside, then glared at the bird perched on the roof of the house across the way.
"Hey! You stupid bird over there! What the hell did you do to my precious little leaves!?"
(Leaves tasty. Leaves tasty. Dummy. Idiot. Moron.)
"Oh, is that how you want it!? Fine! Tonight's menu is roast bird!"
You think I can stay quiet after being mocked like that!?
I'll show you what happens when you…
"All right, all right. Calm down."
"Hggh...!?"
M-My head… her fist...
As I crouched there in pain, Lufen, the culprit behind the violence, knelt down in front of me and gently patted my head.
"It can't be helped. It was hungry. If there's easy food right in front of it, eating it is simply the way of the world, isn't it?"
"But...!"
"If you say that, then you won't be able to eat your own meals anymore either."
Urgh… when she put it that way... she wasn't wrong...
"But... I'd been taking such good care of it..."
"... Honestly. Leave it to your big sister."
… Leave it to her? What does she mean…?
Lufen walked over to the window and slowly pointed at the bird.
The tip of her index finger began to glow with an eerie light.
Then...
"Piercing Light."
An arrow of light shot from her fingertip.
Spiraling through the air, it flew straight toward the bird.
The next instant, it narrowly missed and disappeared into the sky beyond.
The bird, startled by the near miss, frantically flew away.
"That should keep it from coming near this house again."
"... Was that your skill, Lufen?"
"Yes. It's one of the applications of the Light skill."
"Huh."
"I told you about it myself. Show a little more interest."
Applications… skills could do things like that?
"... What kind of applications could my Conversation skill have?"
"How should I know? Figure it out yourself."
Easy for her to say.
"Still, I didn't know you could do something like that, Lufen. Why not join the army? You'd probably make a lot more money."
"I hate pain, and I hate scary things. If I joined the army, I wouldn't be able to live the peaceful life I have now."
"That's a pretty self-centered way of thinking."
"I don't want to hear that from you."
… I had absolutely no comeback.
What do you think about this chapter?
