In the meantime, Curiosity moved quietly through the crystal flower field, her figure hovering just above the ground, taking care to remain hidden beneath the canopy of crystal flowers.

  Chara, her swirling uneasy and gaze flickering around anxiously, trailed behind her in silence.

  Once the curiosity spirit had opened up a distance where she wasn’t at risk of catching the ghost’s attention but could still keep an eye on its movements, she stopped.

  The little spirit, her mind clearly elsewhere, nearly ran into the other spirit before also belatedly coming to an abrupt halt.

  Curiosity, feeling her student’s inquisitive gaze, pondered momentarily and then spoke.

  “I’m sure you were listening to our discussion, so I’ll be brief. To subdue the evil ghost, the music spirit and I intended to cast something called the [Ghost Sealing Ritual].

  “Ideally, we should have prepared the ritual somewhere discrete and then lured the ghost there afterwards. But, although things have fallen apart, somewhat, with the ghost noticing us earlier than expected, executing the ritual is still currently the best option.

  “Now, with Music holding it off, she must be counting on us to get everything ready as quickly as possible,” Curiosity explained reassuringly.

  “Originally, I would’ve never wanted to involve you in such a dangerous conflict, but well… with the situation being what it is, I don’t think I can afford to escort you back home, at least, not while the music spirit is risking her life,” Curiosity said in a troubled voice.

  Chara, reminded of Music’s predicament, worriedly turned her gaze toward the sound of conflict, only for the curiosity spirit to swiftly float to the side—blocking her view. Realizing her mistake, her mana let out a little jolt before she hurriedly lowered her gaze.

  The curiosity spirit giggled. “Don’t worry. If that music spirit truly falls into danger, she’ll look out for her own safety and escape. In contrast, we live here. So if we don’t manage to deal with that ghost before she decides to flee, we might have to evacuate while I seek assistance from another spirit… especially given that I don’t think you’ll be of much help.”

  …Are you calling me useless?

  The little spirit bounced indignantly. Alas, she had no way to refute.

  Ignoring her pupil’s outburst, the greater spirit continued. “With this in mind, I’m giving you two options. Either sneak back to the cloister by yourself, or stay here and help me prepare the Ghost Sealing Ritual so we can seal it away faster.”

  Curiosity delivered her ultimatum.

  Feeling the urgency of the situation, Chara decided to graciously overlook the curiosity spirit’s breach of etiquette and seriously examined her two options.

  On one hand, considering the vast distance that had opened up between herself and the ghost, along with the music spirit’s active distraction, it was extremely unlikely to notice her departure, even if she were to leave openly. This would naturally absolve her of consequences and ensure her safety.

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  On the other hand, that ghost was really too evil and wicked! With how viciously it had threatened and scared her, how could she be alright with letting it be taken care of by someone else?

  When the malevolent ghost loomed over her like a ruthless predator, she could only run for her life and cry out pitifully. But now that it was no longer in front of her, and the curiosity spirit had offered her a clear way to get back at her aggressor; buried feelings of indignation and anger surged within her, giving rise to an unfounded sense of bravery and righteousness that made her want to punish the one who caused her so much sorrow.

  Hmph! Even if it doesn’t fall under my hand, I must contribute towards its demise!

  “I want to help,” Chara stated with determination. As if to affirm her commitment to staying, she floated forward slightly and stared resolutely at the greater spirit. Her swirling may have betrayed her inner anxiety, but her gaze was ready to declare independence.

  “Wow~! The little spirit is both smart and brave!” Curiosity chimed playfully. “Then, I’ll get straight to the point. To perform the Ghost Sealing Ritual, we need to gather three things. Firstly, any kind of plant seed. Secondly, purified water. And lastly, an empty patch of fertile soil.”

  What…? Miss Curiosity, are we preparing to seal an evil and vicious ghost, or to plant a beautiful garden? Surely, you’re not joking, right?

  The little spirit’s newly found resolve faltered, and her mana rippled dubiously. Nevertheless, she refrained from interrupting the explanation, just in case she was having a misunderstanding.

  “I can easily take care of the first two things, so you go and get started on the last one. Once you locate some fertile ground, dig a hole large enough for you to fit into and then standby,” instructed Curiosity.

  After waiting for a moment and still eliciting no response, she then asked, “Do you understand?”

  “…”

  I understand that you went crazy!

  Although the greater spirit had carefully laid out her plans, her little student was left with more questions than ever before. No matter how she thought about it, weren’t the preparations described by Curiosity obviously for planting plants? What did that have anything to do with their goal of vanquishing a ghost? Were they going to bury it into the ground and use the flower to mark its grave? Were they going to summon a giant venus flytrap to eat the ghost for them?

  Unable to resolve her doubts, Chara hesitated, her mind a whirlwind with questions and disbelief. Alas, as though denying her the time to think, the distant booming of clashing spells jolted her from her thoughts, pressing her to make a decision.

  Chara, once again reminded of the music spirit’s ongoing predicament, forcefully cast aside her doubts. She still had numerous questions—to be perfectly clear—but no matter how absurd the swirling teacher’s instructions seemed to her, she didn’t believe anyone would’ve endorsed a plan that didn’t offer any hope of success—let alone putting themselves in danger. The fact that Music had been willing to do both should have been all the reassurance she needed of the plan’s authenticity.

  Moreover, although it had not been stated explicitly, as the more knowledgeable and stronger spirit, the responsibility to execute the Ghost Sealing Ritual had naturally fallen onto Curiosity—not Chara. She had simply been allowed to help; most likely out of consideration for her feelings. And yet, by wavering and acting indecisively, she had inadvertently become a hindrance.

  “I understand!” Chara stated determinedly, more to convince herself than inform the one in front of her.

  “Great~! Once we gather those three things, I’ll show you how to do something cool~,” Curiosity said excitedly. “Oh—and while you’re looking, remember not to stand out too much or the ghost might notice you. You wouldn’t want that to happen again—now would you?”

  Remembering the malevolent ghost’s relentless pursuit, the little spirit’s mana contracted fearfully, her enthusiasm dampening noticeably.

  “Just remember to be careful,” Curiosity added gently, not wanting to discourage her too much.

  Once she had said all that needed to be said, she wasted no time and immediately left, presumably on her way to complete her two-thirds of the arrangements.