Kotori awoke grasping her throat.
[Ow!]
Her hand grappled her throat feeling for a wound that should've been there but all she could feel was smooth unblemished skin.
Despite there being no wound, she was feeling some sort of phantom pain as if the damage from Gabriel had somehow transferred to this world.
She was suddenly aware of a soft surface under her. In the dream, she had there was no such feeling as if the body there wasn't hers.
Her back felt wet. Her muscle felt sluggish.
It appeared she was once again back in her normal body.
At the edge of her bed was Umi who was looking at her with a concerned expression.
"Kotori-sama are you alright? You collapsed out in the fields, did you hurt your neck?" she asked looking at Kotori's hand which was grasping her neck.
Kotori who was still rubbing her neck, stopped touching it. It seemed that the pain she was feeling had gone away.
[It's gone?] she thought, she was sure she felt it earlier, but it seemed like the feeling left as quickly as it came.
Kotori tried to stand up but quickly realized that she was still weak from overexerting her mana. Despite this, she still felt energized, as if she was filled with mana. Although she was physically exhausted, she still felt like she could cast much stronger songs if she tried.
Sato Kotori
Race: [Human] Age: 10
HP: 46
Mana: 211 (+184!)
Agility: 55
Strength: 32
Defense: 30
Karma: -100,008,204
Skills: [Magic Minstrel], [Gourmet], [Charm, ][Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed)
Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo], [＊＊いーか＊]
[Ehh?] Kotori thought'
She looked at her status again
[EHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!]
Her mana stat had gone up considerably.
In fact, it was already nearly half of what the mage lady she met in the forest dungeon had.
If she wasn't laying in Umi's waterbed. Kotori would've jumped in shock. The energized feeling must've been her mana increasing so much. She was so surprised at her mana raising she barely noticed how one characters on the mysterious trait she had became visible.
Kotori started to struggle to get up. She wanted to test out her new mana, but Umi held her down.
"Don't move so quickly after you just collapsed" Umi said firmly
"But my mana!" Kotori said trying to move her leaden limbs.
"Please… Don't" Umi said her face softening.
Kotori stopped. Umi looked like she was about to cry.
"Don't … hurt yourself anymore" Umi said her voice trembling.
[Ah, Umi don't be like that…] Kotori thought. She realized that she was being selfish. It must've worried Umi greatly to see her collapse like this. The last time something like this had happened, was when Kotori fought Yooma, and even then Yooma wasn't fighting them to kill. This must've been the first time Umi had seen Kotori at death's door.
Kotori diligently laid back down.
Kotori was currently being held down by Umi. In a way, it looks more like Umi was hugging Kotori.
"Okay…" Kotori said defeatedly.
Umi was surprisingly warm. For a water spirit, she felt very much like, a real human. She also smelled slightly sweet, like berries.
"Umm, Umi?" Kotori said
"Yes?" Umi responded
"You don't have to hold me down, I promise I won't move anymore," Kotori said
"Let me, stay like this for a while…" Umi whispered holding Kotori.
"You really don't have to hold me," Kotori said
"Just a little longer…" she said even more softly in such a small voice that Kotori didn't think Umi intended for her to hear.
[Well, I guess this is nice as well] Kotori thought, while letting Umi continue to embrace her.
** ** **
[How did it end up like this] Kotori thought as she stood in the fields.
It had been a day since Kotori had blessed the fields. According to the farmers, the plants hadn't grown much since her blessing. From her observation that was true and the sprouts hadn't changed that much.
She was disappointed over the fact that the fields didn't grow but it seemed like she was now facing a different problem.
She was surrounded by several piles of dirt…
Well, to call them piles of dirt would be disingenuous.
Kotori was currently being surround by several mouse-like dirt spirits.
They all seemed very happy to see her.
[Not again!] She thought
The spirits crowded around her legs apparently all clambering to get a better look at her.
Kotori left them to their dismay and went to get Shu who she thought could deal with this situation better.
Shu upon seeing the spirits nodded
"I will teach them." He had a very determined expression on his face.
Kotori had no clue what "I will teach them" meant but Shu was her most reliable spirit, so she let him do what he wanted.
Shu once again began his "how to treat Kotori lecture to the little mice who appeared enraptured by him"
Kotori remembered something her father said.
[Didn't he talk about dirt spirits meaning the soil is healthy or something?] she thought
Perhaps she had blessed the soil, but not in the way she had intended. In a way dirt spirits constantly shed mana which would likely help crops grow.
Kotori told Shu to order the little dirt spirits to burrow in the fields.
He gave a small salute and relayed the orders. The little spirits seemed confused as to why Kotori wanted them to stay in the fields but they didn't complain.
It wasn't like they could deny an order from their mother after all.