The Wind Spirit and the Unremarkable Boy ~A Convenient Romance Beginning in Another World~ - The Heroine with Ashen Wings and the Course of the Wind

Holding hands, the two of them approached Verna's outer walls. A stone gate came into view. Verna's East Gate—the checkpoint for passage toward the Luvain Forest region, managing the flow of travelers. Two gatekeepers stood there, deftly handling the steady stream of people. A merchant's cart passed through, followed by several travelers. A few figures who looked like mercenaries were mixed in among them. Takumi gently released Jin's hand. (Can't exactly hold hands while passing through a gate, right?) He didn't offer any particular reason. Jin didn't say anything either. Only the sensation of her hand lingered, slowly fading from his palm. The toll was five copper coins. As Takumi pulled coins from the bottom of his bag, he mentally converted it to "about two hundred yen." He couldn't tell if that was expensive or cheap. The gatekeeper glanced at Jin but didn't raise any objections, letting both of them through. The moment they passed through the gate, the air changed. The sound intensified. Human voices, the creaking of carts, the sound of forging, the smell of grilled meat drifting from somewhere, the clop of hooves on stone—it all rushed in at once. Takumi instinctively stopped walking. His field of vision filled with countless people. He understood intellectually that Verna, the Free City—a neutral trading metropolis belonging to no nation—was a fairly large city, but actually standing in the crowd overwhelmed him. Jin didn't stop. She continued forward slowly beside Takumi, examining the people passing through the street one by one, as if confirming something. Her gaze didn't flow continuously—it stopped, then moved to the next person. Children, merchants, elderly, mercenaries. Mercenaries, children, elderly, merchants. It looked like she was searching for something, or counting something. (What's she looking at?) Takumi couldn't ask. Jin's expression seemed slightly different from usual. Beneath her innocent demeanor, something faint was mixed in. Instead, Jin pinched the edge of Takumi's sleeve with her fingertips. The same wordless gesture as when she'd released his hand earlier. Takumi didn't let go. As he continued walking, he felt his face gradually warming. (Calm down, me.) When he moved his gaze to look for a street map, he spotted a signboard at the edge of the road. He could read: "Verna Request Office—Self-Governance Council Direct Management, Mediation for Monster Subjugation, Escort, and Exploration Requests." "There it is. We need to handle the paperwork for yesterday's reward first," Takumi said. "Yeah," Jin replied. Jin nodded briefly. She released her fingers from his sleeve. Takumi felt a small pang of disappointment. ◇ The request office was quite crowded for the time before noon. Wooden counters lined up in a row, with several receptionists handling the steady stream of clients. Request forms were posted on the walls, and mercenaries and adventurers gazed at them absently. "Monster subjugation, reward twenty silver coins," "Cargo escort, three days," "Search for missing person"—such text caught his eye here and there. Takumi and Jin joined the line. Three people ahead of them. When their turn came, they stood before the reception counter. "Yesterday, near the western edge of the Luvain Forest, we subjugated a monster. We're here to process the reward," Takumi said. The receptionist—a man in his thirties with exhaustion etched into his face—opened a ledger. "Your registration number?" he asked. "Ah, well... we haven't registered yet," Takumi replied. The man's eyebrows rose. "If you're unregistered, you'll need to go through the procedure. Show me your attribute mark," the receptionist said. For a moment, Takumi's thoughts stopped. An attribute mark—a physical mark possessed by residents of this continent, indicating magical aptitude. Those who had one were called "mark-bearers" and received preferential treatment in employment and marriage. Those without were called "unmarked," and faced corresponding treatment. The problem was that Takumi's attribute was "wind." The Wind Prohibition—a law forbidding research and use of wind attribute magic since the Calamity of Lamentation—meant that declaring a wind attribute would result in immediate reporting. But if he declared himself "unmarked," the reward would apparently be halved. Either choice was a dead end. (What do I do? What should I do?) "My mark is..." Takumi began, but the words wouldn't come. The receptionist waited silently. He could sense the line growing longer behind him. That's when Jin moved. She placed her small hand on the edge of the counter and leaned her face toward the receptionist. "Um, this person doesn't have a mark, but I smell wind on them—" Jin said. "Jin!" Takumi exclaimed. He reflexively reached out. But not knowing how to stop her or what to do, his hand ended up touching her cheek instead. There was a soft sound. Jin's eyes went wide and she froze. Takumi froze too. The warmth of Jin's cheek transmitted through his palm. It was softer than he expected, warmer than he expected. (Oh no.) Jin remained motionless for a while. With Takumi's hand still on her cheek, she had a bewildered expression. Then, gradually, the tips of her ears began turning red. Takumi quickly pulled his hand back. His face was burning. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "..." Jin said nothing. She simply brushed her light blue hair back gently, as if to hide her reddening ears. The receptionist looked between the two of them alternately. A crease was forming between his eyebrows. "What are you doing? Show me your attribute mark—" he began. "That won't be necessary." A calm voice cut in from behind. Takumi turned around. A woman stood beside the counter. She was tall—a full head taller than Takumi. Deep chestnut-colored long hair was tied back at the nape of her neck, and sharp green eyes regarded the receptionist with cool composure. A thin scar on her left cheek. Small silver earrings. She wore well-traveled leather armor, yet the overall aura she gave off was closer to that of a commander than a mercenary. "I'll take responsibility for registering these two. Process them as special contract members of the Ashwing Brigade," the woman said. The receptionist's attitude changed instantly. He started to say "...Captain Risetta," but immediately closed his mouth and opened the ledger to a different page. He asked nothing. He confirmed nothing. He simply nodded and said "Understood," abandoning any further inquiry. Takumi felt the weight of that single word in his very bones. A name alone was enough to make people back down. The realization slowly settled in his chest. ◇ The woman—Risetta—led the two of them out of the request office. They turned into an alley off the main street. The stone pavement narrowed, and laundry hung overhead. Few people were around. Only footsteps echoed. "I saw yesterday's battle," Risetta said. She stopped and turned to face Takumi and Jin, crossing her arms. Her eyes examined Takumi as if appraising him. "From a distance. I didn't see everything—but I recognized the wind attribute. First time on this continent in three hundred forty years," she said. "...You knew?" Takumi asked. "Anyone who saw would know. That movement wasn't fire or water," Risetta said flatly. She stated it matter-of-factly, without irony or surprise, simply laying out facts. "There's no reason to overlook it. If you become a special contract member of the Ashwing Brigade, we can exclude the details of your attribute from the registry. Wind attribute won't appear in the records," she said. "That's... very helpful, but what are the conditions?" Takumi asked. "Pass a practical examination," Risetta replied. "An examination? What kind?" Takumi asked. "Telling you would defeat the purpose," she said. It was an immediate response, cutting off anything Takumi might have said. Jin whispered softly, "That's a smart adult," with an impressed expression. Risetta glanced briefly at Jin but said nothing. ◇ The Ashwing Brigade's headquarters, "The Iron Feather Hall," was a three-story stone building in Verna's eastern district. The first floor served as a request reception area and tavern, and at this hour, it was nearly empty. Several tables were arranged about, and afternoon light slanted in through the dim windows. The air smelled of alcohol and wooden floors mixed together. Behind the counter, a stout man was polishing a barrel. Risetta chose a table in the back and sat down. Takumi and Jin sat across from her. There was a moment of silence. Risetta was watching Takumi. He wanted to look away from her gaze but didn't. "Can you control your wind attribute magic yourself?" Risetta asked. "...Probably, yes. I don't think I'm producing much power. Just gusts and air barriers," Takumi replied. "Does it activate unintentionally?" she asked. "Not so far. When my emotions run high, it leaks a little, but nothing uncontrolled," he said. "Are you afraid of that power?" she asked. Takumi paused to think. There was no reason to lie. "Yes, I'm afraid," he said. Risetta was quiet for a moment. "...More honest than I expected," she said, as if to herself. It was more of an observation than a comment directed at him. Then Jin looked up at Risetta's face intently. Despite being more than a head shorter, she fixed her blue-green eyes directly on her. "...You look scary on the outside, but inside you're lonely. I can tell by the smell," Jin said. Silence fell over the table. Risetta's expression wavered for just an instant—truly just an instant. Her sharp green eyes paused as if choosing her next words. That single beat of silence lasted longer than any denial. "Spirits have a crude sense of directness," Risetta said. "It's the truth," Jin replied. "..." Risetta said nothing. She looked away, toward the wall. An old single-edged sword hung beside the stairs to the second floor. Unadorned, worn from use. She stared at it for a single second, then turned her gaze back. To Takumi, that one second felt oddly long. "Will you take the examination, or not?" Risetta asked. She posed the question anew, as if erasing Jin's words from existence, returning the conversation to its original track. "I'll take it," Takumi said. "Why?" she asked. "...Because I want the strength to protect Jin. And also..." Takumi paused slightly. "Because honestly, hiding this power has been exhausting," he said. Even as he spoke, he was slightly surprised by his own words. He hadn't realized he felt that way until he put it into language. Risetta's eyes narrowed slightly. "Too honest. But that's fine," she said. Risetta pulled back her chair and stood. It was a gesture signaling the end of their conversation. She adjusted the hem of her coat and began walking toward the exit. But after a few steps, she stopped. Without turning around, she spoke. "One question. What do you think about why wind attribute is despised?" she asked. Takumi couldn't answer. He knew about the Calamity of Lamentation. Many lives had been lost when Jin went berserk. That was the reason. But to the question "what do you think," he didn't know what to say. Risetta didn't press further. As if to say "that's your answer for now," she walked quietly away. The door opened and closed. Risetta's presence faded. Takumi looked up at the dim ceiling of the tavern. (What was that?) Jin quietly said, "Let's go." Takumi nodded. ◇ They returned to the inn "Amber Lamp" before evening. Tanya, the innkeeper—a woman in her fifties with the hearty demeanor of a former adventurer—greeted them with a smile, saying "We're having boar stew tonight," and led them to a table in the dining area. On the sturdy wooden table sat warm soup, black bread, and boar stew. Jin took a sip of the soup. "...Delicious," she said simply but decisively. Takumi thought, "No complaints about the travel rations?" as Jin q

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Episode 4

Name: The Wind Spirit and the Unremarkable Boy ~A Convenient Romance Beginning in Another World~
Author: Novelia

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