#411 Students in their Prime

Hello, I am Ritheseus of the human race.

It has been quite some time since I moved to Lord Saint’s farm to train and study. 

Even after a new season and year has come, our mission remains the same.

During the winter, we helped with the expo and Orkubo’s Castle.

We even took part in suppressing the rebellion that happened in between.

I was one of those who were thrown inside the fortress city of Mercade by the human catapult.

I suggested they use us as bait and rescue the hostages.

I fought hard with my partner Eryngear, and before I knew it, we had won the battle after another team rescued the hostages.

After all that happened, our festivities ended in the spring, and we returned to the farm again.

Now, the farm feels safe and cozy, like home, but that doesn’t mean I can rest at ease.

There is not a single place where you can feel safe here, which surpasses all common sense.

We students, in particular, are terribly afraid of the coming of spring.

They wake up in spring.

We fear them the most.

And on the day they did wake up, it was a catastrophe.

***

“Long time no shee!”

“We have weturned!”

“We aw back!”

The earth spirits.

Intangible beings supposedly one with nature, but somehow materialize on the farm.

Not content with this, they come to clean the place.

Apparently, that’s the mission given to them by Lord Saint, including our dorms!

“Did evewyone behave?”

“Now that we aw back, we will make this pwace cwean and tidy again!”

“Not a speck of dust, yes!”

And they clean our rooms even when no one told them to!

Huh? What’s wrong with that? Well...

It’s actually a good thing if they keep things tidy for us, you say?

Naïve. 

“We shall begin cweaning wight away!”

“And wash all the dirty undies!”

“We’ll check what’s under the beds, yes!”

They invade our privacy without hesitation.

There is no escaping them! Everything is exposed to the light.

“Wait! Don’t touch anything there! I’ll clean it myself! I promise I will, so please don’t look there!!!” pleads one of my friends.

“We can’t do that!”

“We won’t exempt anyone!”

“No mewcy!”

“We will delibewately check what’s under these beds, yes!”

See?

They infringe on the secret territory of us teenage boys, who are much more delicate and sensitive than people may think.

“We will scwutinate each and evewy bed!!!”

These spirits had been absent for some time, as they were not active during the winter months.

This has caught us off guard, and since we had the opportunity to go to the Demon and Human Kingdoms to help with events, we brought back a lot of souvenirs.

It’s unbearable knowing that they’re here to trample on us!

The earth spirits are invaders!

“Ugh, you boys are so noisy.”

“The little spirits have come to play, yet you’re here screaming like hell.”

Girls?!

The farm’s dorms are divided into the two sexes, but we can visit each other as we please. 

“What’s so sad about meeting these cute little spirits?”

“Awww, they’re so cute! We missed you cuties all winter!”

And then, the girls cuddle them.

The earth spirits look like tiny girls when they materialize.

They are popular and adored wherever they go.

“Ahhh, so cute!”

“So cuteee!”

“Cucucucucuteeeeee!”

“Shoo kyutttt!!!”

Girls and their strange sounds.

Why do they lose their senses to cute things?

Meanwhile, the spirits wriggle their way out of the girls’ grasp.

They leap from their chests and do a double spin in the air before landing on their feet.

“No, thank you!”

“We have a mission to accompwish!”

“We can pway water, yes!”

The spirits do not let playtime get in their way of work.

That work, though, is to devastate our sanctuary under the pretense of “cleaning.”

“Ack, they’re such earnest little kids!”

“So cuteee!”

“See you later! You’ll come to clean our dorm later, right?”

“We’ll be waiting for you with some candy!”

And so, the girls return to their rooms to prepare to welcome the spirits.

...

Seriously, why are they extremely fond of cute things?

I decide to focus on that thought to escape the reality of being powerless before the earth spirits.

The girls are suckers for the earth spirits, but they have a soft spot for Pochi, too. 

Pochi and his pack are dogs that live with us. I think they’re some kind of wolf monster, but I don’t really know much about that.

Dogs = cute.

That’s all the girls know.

I often see them surrounding the dogs to pet them before and after class.

The animals look baffled, but something on their face says they’ve given up and accepted their fate.

By the way, Pochi’s group is also popular among boys, and when we call them, they happily come to us.

Is it because we know how and where to pat them in moderation? 

“Found it! I found something diwty!”

There’s Yoschamo, too.

Yoschamo, a bird monster kept on the farm to procure eggs, has a niche fan base that tries to pick it up at every opportunity.

The girls, I mean.

However, yoschamos are belligerent by nature and are ready to lunge at you if you approach them.

I often witnessed them kicking in response to being picked up, but lately, the girls have been more successful with them.

“It’s amazing how persistent girls can be when it comes to anything cute...” I think to myself as I look up at the blue sky. 

“I found a cospway costume!”

“It’s a girl costume!”

With the laments of the men who had their dark secrets exposed, I was starting to think it was time to report the matter to Lord Saint and ask him for help. 

I know, I know.

It’s not the spirits’ fault.

It’s Teacher Carp instructing these children to unravel our treasures.

I’m sure Lord Saint would be willing to intercede for us because he understands our feelings of helplessness.

He must be.

I’d like to believe that.

...Hm? 

Oh, it’s a cat.

I notice that a cat is rubbing up against my feet.

I agree little girls and dogs can be cute, but the same goes for cats.

When I stroked the cat’s slender body, my heart was healed.

I guess cute things do have the ability to heal people’s hearts.

Ah, this cat is so cute...

...Wait.

Did the farm always have a cat?

Eh, I guess that doesn’t matter. Cats are everywhere.

What a good kitty