3 - The Little Ghost

I reached a large tree, and raised my head. Blue fruits were dangling like bells from it. This whole tree radiated mana. I turned my head to the person behind me, the one who had been following me all along. 

"Yeah, they're mana fruits. Their taste is just like peach though." She confirmed my thoughts "want to try one? I noticed that you don't have a lot of mana"

"Alright, I will" not sure if she doesn't plan to poison me with it but I kinda want to try though. 

"Cool" she replied. One fruit floated from the tree to me "you seem to exhaust yourself a lot" 

I can't tell her it's because I experienced my Attack Magic many times while fighting monsters. I caught the fruit.

"Also" she looked at me suspiciously "you seem very expert in magic"

"Shouldn't I?" 

"I mean of course you can, but... it's too much for a beginner" she doesn't seem that confident about her assumptions. 

"I told you that I used to read a lot of magic books" all of them engraved in my memory. 

I took a bite from the blue fruit. True, its taste is just like a peach. At that same moment, a refreshing warmth filled my body. My mana is flowing back. 

"Why with this whole mana you have chosen to hide here?" 

"Because there's more fun here" she cheered, then continued "anyways, since you've got your mana back, I have another training for you, water all the irises in the forest"

"This is only because you don't want to water them, isn't it?"

"Teehee~ but it's an important training for your attack magic, to use the water element for a long time. It will increase your endurance." 

"Alright, I will" it's a good way to push my Attack Magic limits. 

"Okay and I'll go back the cottage, I’ll make the dinner for you."

I have bad feelings about that, but it's not like I'm any better. 

I looked at the blue shiny irises beneath me. 

Water, not too much nor too little, just enough for these flowers. I visualized it in my head. 

Then, water began to spray over irises from thin air. In every corner in the forest. The flowers’ shine became more radiant.

I kept walking, wandering around the forest. Is it my feelings? Or my Attack Magic endurance became stronger. I'm getting closer to my Vinerious research. 

All of sudden, I heard a young girl crying. I followed the sound source, it was close to the village. 

The young girl was a ghost. 

This is my first time seeing a ghost. Seeing one in real life is different from reading. She's transparent but her form is just like a child. I walked toward her. 

"Dad? Dad!" She screamed. 

Suddenly, the air grew violent. 

"Calm down, I'm not your dad" 

"You're not my dad...?" Her voice was shaking. 

"Yes, I'm not" I hope this will calm her down. 

"Dad... I want my dad!" She started crying. 

Suddenly, the wind whistled louder, howling through the trees. The flowers are about to be torn away. I used my arm to shield my face. Annoying, magic hardly works on those ghosts. 

"I will take you to your dad, just calm down" so annoying. 

"R- really?" Finally, the storm calmed down. 

"Yes, your dad is from the village, right? I will take you to him" ghosts are pretty violent, but they calm down if you do what they want. My books are always right. 

I walked into the village, leading her. 

"Wait! I want to take some of these shiny flowers. My dad loves them."

"I see" I bent over and plucked a handful of the irises "is this good?"

"Yes! Hehe" she cheered and started walking beside me. What I'm most interested in is what will happen to her when I fulfill her wish? Will she disappear? Rest? Interesting. 

"We reached the village. Now lead me to your house" I need to end this quickly, it's getting late. 

"Okay!" She started running, as if she has run these roads a lot. I followed her. 

"Here! Here!" she pointed to the cottage, laughing. 

"Yes yes, I'm knocking it"

I rapped my knuckles against the wooden door and waited. 

"Yes, I'm here" he opened the door, a tired old man stood before me. 

"Dad!" She screamed, running toward him. 

"What do you want, young girl?" he asked me. Yes, normal humans can't see ghosts. 

"Dad, why don't you reply to me? Dad!" She kept calling to him, desperate. 

"Young girl?" I almost forgot that he only sees me, I need to tell him something. 

"Here" I extended my hand, holding out the blue irises to him. 

"These... How did you know?" He reached out his thin, tremulous hand and caught the flowers. 

"Your daughter told me you love them"

His eyes widened. For a moment, he forgot how to speak. 

"M- Mai... " the name escaped like a prayer. 

"Onee-San, he can hear you right?" The kid looked at me, desperate "tell him that I'm sorry I didn't come back that day"

"Your daughter- Mai told me she's sorry she couldn't come back that day"

"She's here, right?" 

"Yes" I confirmed. 

"Mai, come here" he opened his arms "no need to apologize my sweetheart." 

"Dad!" She ran to him, sobbing. 

"She's hugging you."

"I see, thank you for telling me" a tear fell from his eyes. For him, he's only hugging the air. 

"I love you, Mai" he stood still for a long moment. I can't tell him that she disappeared a while ago. 

I walked away from him, going back to the forest. I satisfied my curiosity already.

"Wait" he called. I turned back. 

"Thank you, you're kind hearted" I don't get why he’s thanking me. 

"I'm not kind, I only did it for my research, so you don't have to thank me" after hearing my reply, he only smiled. 

"I hope the day you become honest with yourself will come soon" what does this supposed to mean? I'm already very honest. 

I kept walking to the forest.