Chapter 34

"But you really surprised me. Lingmeng, you used to be a boy? No wonder you don't act like a girl at all."

"Hey, are you calling me a tomboy?"

Lingmeng shot Shido an annoyed look, and he hurried to explain.

"No, I wasn't making fun of you."

"I know." Lingmeng smiled, then asked, "Shido, now that you know I used to be a man, do you still want to help me no matter what?"

"What does gender have to do with it? I don't want you to spend your life thinking you're a walking disaster. I won't give up until you can live happily!"

Shido swung his arm emphatically as he spoke.

"Tsk. Why are you so stubborn? I told you I used to be a man. I only became a woman because there are no male Spirits. We're both guys, so how am I supposed to develop feelings for you?"

As soon as Lingmeng said that, she seemed to realize something. She gave him a disdainful look.

"Shido... you're not gay, are you?"

"Of course not! I just want to help you get out of this situation. Why would you even think that?"

Shido protested, flustered by the disgust in her eyes.

"Relax, I'm joking. I know you're probably impotent."

"I'm going to get angry if you keep saying things like that, Lingmeng." The corner of Shido's mouth twitched.

"Whatever. The point is, I'm not interested in men. You can keep dreaming about winning me over and sealing my powers. Anything's possible in a dream."

"But..." Shido tried to continue, but Lingmeng cut him off.

She patted his shoulder. "Shido, I understand how you feel, but I really don't see you that way. You're fine as a regular friend, but as a boyfriend? That's a bit much."

"I..."

"Ahem. You don't have to focus on me, you know. There are plenty of Spirits out there. One of them is bound to be right for you. So I'm sorry. You're a good guy."

Lingmeng gave Shido an apologetic look and dealt him the dreaded "good guy" rejection. It hit him hard.

"Urk—" Shido clutched his chest, his face twisted in pain. It felt as though an arrow had flown straight into his heart.

For the first time in his short sixteen years of life, Shido learned how much those words could hurt. He had only ever seen scenes like this on television. He had never imagined one would happen to him.

He was left speechless, frozen where he stood.

"Ah, another innocent boy's beautiful dream shattered by cruel reality." Lingmeng sighed as she looked at the dazed Shido.

"Honestly, Shido, you'd better stay away from me. Stick with someone who attracts trouble like Conan, and you might drop dead for no reason one day."

With that, Lingmeng picked up her drink from the bench and left...

A few seconds passed before Shido came back to his senses. By then, Lingmeng was gone.

"What did you and Lingmeng talk about, Shido? Did you make any progress?"

Shido had returned to Fraxinus. Looking at Kotori in the Command Seat, he hesitated, then scratched his cheek.

"I think this attempt failed."

"Why? Did you do something disgusting to put her off, you maggot?"

"No!" Shido protested. "Lingmeng... apparently doesn't like men..."

"Hah..." Everyone aboard Fraxinus, Kotori included, sucked in a breath.

Kotori frowned and muttered gravely.

"So Lingmeng likes girls? No wonder her affection for you hasn't changed. If that's true, this is going to be difficult."

"Yeah..."

Shido agreed. He had kept his promise to Lingmeng and said nothing about her being a transmigrator or having once been a man. Instead, he had offered a much more guarded explanation.

"Kotori... can you think of any way to get Lingmeng interested in me? I truly want to help her."

"You're asking me? I can't come up with anything on the spot. What am I supposed to do, send you to Thailand for surgery because she likes girls?"

Kotori sighed helplessly.

Even if Shido did become a girl and successfully won Lingmeng over, what would they do about the Spirits who came after her? They couldn't assume every other Spirit liked girls too.

Lingmeng might be the only one. If all the others were attracted to men, they would be completely stuck!

"Uh... let's forget about the surgery..." Cold sweat broke out on Shido's forehead.

"What a headache!" they said together.

Shido and Kotori, brother and sister, put their hands to their heads in perfect sync.

Just then, Kannazuki broke into a lecherous-looking grin. He leaned close to Kotori's ear and whispered.

"Commander, I have an idea..."

"Oh, not bad, Kannazuki. That might actually work."

Kotori looked impressed after hearing his suggestion.

"Thank you for the prai—oof!" Kannazuki bowed to her, but before he could finish speaking, Kotori punched him squarely on the bridge of his nose.

"It might work, but it's still perverted."

Kotori took out a handkerchief and wiped the hand she had hit him with, looking down on him.

"Th-thank you for the reward, Commander." Kannazuki held his nose and smiled in bliss.

"Shido, I think we have a way to deal with Lingmeng. Want to try it?"

Kotori turned to Shido.

"Wh-what is it?" he asked, sweating. Given how shifty Kannazuki had looked, it could not be anything respectable.

Kotori answered with an enigmatic smile. For some reason, the sight sent a chill down Shido's spine.

"It's ma~gic~ that can make Lingmeng interested in you without sending you to Thailand for surgery~"

At First, I Refused ### "Ahh, was turning Shido down so bluntly a little too cruel to him?"

Night had fallen, and Lingmeng had long since returned to her hotel. She sat on its roof with the drink she had recently gotten for free from a vending machine, gazing up at the sky with her head tilted at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Whatever. That's just how the world works. I can't go on a date with him just because he wants to help me."

Lingmeng sighed, weighed down by the thought. She understood Shido's feelings, but she simply could not bring herself to feel much for him.

"The wind sure is restless tonight..." Lingmeng said, feeling empty as she gazed into the distance.

Just as she decided to finish her drink and head back to play games, a text message arrived.

"Huh? Is it from Shido?" Lingmeng was surprised at first, but quickly regained her composure.

"He probably got my contact details from the message I sent him last time. But why is he texting me? Didn't I make it clear that I'd never fall for him?"

Curious, Lingmeng opened the message.

"Lingmeng, I know this is sudden, but I hope you'll go on one more date with me tomorrow morning."

That was what it said.

"Huh? He still hasn't given up?"

Lingmeng frowned and immediately typed a reply.

"Get lost. I'd have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to go on another date with you."

Shido replied a second after she sent it.

"I'm begging you. I promise this really will be the last time. If I fail again, I'll never bother you again."

Lingmeng promptly tapped out a response.

"Words are cheap. Anyone can make a promise like that. (‵□′)"

"...How about this? If you agree to a date tomorrow, Ratatoskr will send you a monthly living allowance, whether the date succeeds or not. What do you say?"

Lingmeng froze at the words "monthly living allowance."

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?"

After she sent that, Shido stopped replying.

"So he was just saying it. Good thing I'm clever, or I might have agreed."

Lingmeng smiled, pleased with herself.

"Alipay: five hundred thousand yen received."

"!!!"

Just as Lingmeng was congratulating herself, the electronic voice from her phone made her eyes go wide.

"That's your living allowance from Ratatoskr for this month."

Shido, who had suddenly gone silent, was back.

No way. That much all at once?

Lingmeng's hand trembled slightly as she stared at the number on her phone.

She gave a disdainful laugh. "Heh. Does he think a little money is enough to make Qian Lingmeng give in? No! Chance!"

With resolve in her eyes, Lingmeng replied to Shido on the screen—

"Eight thirty tomorrow morning. Meet me at the cafe in front of Tengu City Square..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, at DEM headquarters in the United Kingdom.

"Ellen, I received an interesting piece of intelligence today. Would you like to hear it?"

Isaac lounged on the sofa as casually as ever, his eyes half-lidded as he spoke to Ellen behind him.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Element Make seems to have been staying in a Japanese city called Tengu City lately."

At the mention of Element Make, Ellen's brow furrowed. Her expression sharpened with emotion, though she kept herself under control.

After all, in her more than fifty years as a Wizard, the Spirit called Element Make was the first opponent to defeat her.

Her unfamiliarity with Lingmeng's abilities had played a part, but Ellen had to admit she was strong.

"So? What are you planning, Isaac?"

"I want to capture her. A Spirit that powerful is bound to pique my interest. Besides, I've grown a little tired of Material A lately. Bringing her in as Material B sounds like a fine idea."

Isaac answered lightly. In his eyes, Lingmeng was nothing more than the perfect test subject.

"So you want me to capture her?" Ellen asked.

"No. I don't plan to send you. For a Spirit as intelligent as Element Make, I've already devised a very effective approach.

"I've sent DEM's Wizards to Tengu City. There are some formidable people among them. They're still nowhere near your level, of course, but they should be more than capable."

"...I see."

Ellen fell silent after that. If she could, she would have liked to fight Lingmeng again and avenge her defeat. But since Isaac had made his decision, she could only let it go.

"Now, don't look so disappointed. I have a job much more befitting your title as the strongest."

Isaac appeared to have noticed her expression.

"What job?"

"Here. Take care of those documents for me. That should be easy for someone as strong as you, shouldn't it?"

Isaac pointed with a smile to the stack of documents on the desk opposite him. It rose half a desk's height.

"Pfft—!"

At the sight of those documents, even Miss Ellen, the strongest Wizard, felt like admitting defeat.