Familiar vibrations. At this, Charlotte and Yulia's faces lit up.

"Dirt Dirt!"

He's back, Dirt Dirt! Charlotte and Yulia looked up at Aslan, seeking permission without saying a word. When Aslan nodded, they dashed out without hesitation.

Thud thud thud. What Charlotte saw as she burst outside was a clear sky with not a cloud in sight. Huh, that’s strange? The sound definitely came from around here.

But Yulia quickly found the source of the vibrations and smiled.

"Where did Dirt Dirt go?" "Right in front of Charlotte...!" "Ah! Dirt Dirt...!"

Swish! A huge brown body began to materialize from the empty air. As the still comically shaped Dirt Dirt appeared, Charlotte immediately ran over and hugged him tightly.

"Where have you been! We searched for you for ages!" [I was delayed because I had to properly deal with the monster's lair. It took longer than I expected.] "Really? Then there won't be any more monsters, right? Good job, Dirt Dirt!" [Ugh! I didn’t do it to earn your praise!]

Swish! In an instant, the massive body rippled and became transparent. Dirt Dirt completely vanished from sight, causing Charlotte’s eyes to widen.

Where did he go!?

"Dirt Dirt disappeared again...!" [Hahaha! I am once again a transcendent being! Moving freely between spiritual and physical forms is no problem at all!] "Want me to tell you where I am?" "No! I feel like I know!"

Charlotte, rejecting Yulia's help, tightly closed her eyes. Not with her eyes, but with her heart. If she could borrow the power of memories spent with Dirt Dirt...!

"I found you!" [What!? How on earth did you know my location!?]

In an instant! Charlotte jumped, leaping to where Dirt Dirt’s spiritual form was located. But that wasn’t all. Charlotte's hand firmly grasped what should have been untouchable—the spiritual form.

Dirt Dirt’s face showed a look of confusion. How on earth can this little girl see and touch a spirit? She’s not even a spirit mage...!

'Oho. Perhaps she's starting to awaken to the other qualities of a Swordmaster.'

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed as she watched. It’s not just the ability to handle aura that defines a Swordmaster. Aura is merely one of the representative characteristics of a Swordmaster.

One of the other traits known as the domain of demigods for a Swordmaster is, albeit limited, the ability to perceive spirits. Of course, it doesn’t mean she can see them in a clear form like a necromancer or spirit mage. However, just recognizing the presence and size of a spirit can allow one to avoid the mischief of great spirits or restless souls.

A Swordmaster reaches a level where they can evade calamities that humans cannot cope with.

'Perhaps I need to learn from Charlotte...'

First, the aura. Then, the ability to perceive spirits. Gradually, Charlotte is embodying the traits of a Swordmaster.

Should I learn how to progress to the level of Swordmaster from Charlotte? Sylvia found herself seriously contemplating this.

"Did you come back because you felt lonely being alone?" [Lonely!? You little brat! The great spirit of earth that has accumulated power for a thousand years wouldn’t be swayed by such feelings!] "Huh? Didn’t you come back because you wanted to play with me again?" [Absolutely not! I played with you for a moment, and now you’re being insufferable!] "Then why did you come back...?" [Did you forget our promise? Didn’t we agree that you would treat me to donuts? The ones generously coated with sugar cream! I came to eat those!] "Huh? Did I say that?" [Ugh! You little brat!!!]

Did I really make such a promise? Yulia tilted her head. Charlotte also pondered over that moment but quickly gave up. The day of the monster rampage, aside from getting caught up in swinging around the Strongest Sword, nothing else remained in her memory.

Ah, one more thing. I also remember leaning secretly against the uncle who had fainted. At that time, Yulia was asleep, so she wouldn’t know at all...

[Make the donuts! Make them right now! Otherwise, I’ll cause a ruckus!] "What should we do, Charlotte? I don’t know how to make donuts..." "Then why did you promise to make them?" "I don’t know. Maybe I just said something random at that time?"

Wow. That’s terrible. Charlotte’s mouth fell open. I made an unkeepable promise just to boss Dirt Dirt around. Yulia seems to be taking after the uncle more and more...

[What are you two whispering about!?] "Then there’s no choice. We’ll have to ask the maids!" "Maids chance...!"

Even if it started as an empty promise, as long as I keep it in some form, that’s what counts, right? Yulia and Charlotte nodded at each other. They strode toward the kitchen.

"Master, shall I bring the meal to your office?" "No. Today, I plan to eat in the dining room with the kids." "Charlotte and Yulia said they have no appetite and won’t eat..."

[The Evil God, 'Kali', feels heartbroken and distressed.]

Well, they did eat snacks earlier, so they must be full. Moreover, with Dirt Dirt back, they probably forgot about food while playing. If they get hungry after playing, they’ll look for snacks again.

"Alright. Deliver the meal to my office." "Yes. I will do as commanded."

There was something unnatural about the maid's demeanor. When I shot her a suspicious glance, she left, sweating profusely.

Ignoring Kali's cries for the kids to eat, I handled some tasks in the office. I quickly finished the delivered meal. As I began to feel a bit sluggish and restless...

'Should I go check on the kids?'

Just to see if they’re playing well. The moment I stepped out of the office, a maid who had been standing in the hallway jumped in surprise and suddenly pretended to clean the floor.

"Ah, Master! Where are you going?" "I'm going to see what the kids are doing." "Ah! Just a moment! There are some documents that you need to approve urgently." "Documents?"

That’s impossible. If there were documents that needed urgent attention, Sylvia would have already taken care of them all. Could there be something she missed? For now, I took the envelope the maid handed me and returned to the office.

"...This is a document that’s already been processed. If I approve this, it’ll be a duplicate approval." "Ah! Is that so? I’m sorry! It was my mistake...!" "Dispose of this document by shredding it." "Ah..."

The maid looked at me like a puppy desperate to relieve itself, fidgeting and unable to stay still. What is this? It feels like she’s trying to stall for time before I discover something. Leaving behind the suspicious circumstances, I exited the office.

I thought I’d head toward the garden, thinking they might be playing there.

"Excuse me, Master! This area is undergoing a water cleaning! It might be hard to pass through!" "...Who spills water like this for cleaning?" "Today is a cleaning day. Hehe. I’m sorry!" "..."

Suddenly, the whole hallway was filled with soapy water, making it impassable.

"Ah, Master! This staircase is under inspection. It’s dangerous, so please use another staircase." "..."

Out of the blue, they’re inspecting a perfectly good staircase.

"Hehe. Master, I’m sorry. This door seems to have a broken locking mechanism and won't open." "..."

Now even the doors are broken; everything's in disarray. How can so many big and small problems happen simultaneously in the mansion in just one day? I quickly realized. These guys caused some trouble.

'Did they cause an incident and are now trying to cover it up before I find out?'

It’s obvious that they are deliberately obstructing my path. They’re clearly trying their best to prevent me from getting from the office to the first floor. While there’s a way to force my way through, I would face significant resistance if I did. But there’s a better way.

"Sylvia." "You called for me, Master?" "Carry me and jump out of the window." "...Are you serious?" "I’ve always been serious." "Yes. Understood."

With a look that seemed to ask if I had finally lost my mind, she sighed and lifted me onto her back. Then, with a leap, she jumped out of the window and landed lightly on the first floor.

The maids were startled, their eyes widening. Seeing me reach the first floor in an instant, the maids hurriedly headed somewhere. Thanks to that, I figured out where they were trying to hide something.

The kitchen? What kind of trouble did they cause in the kitchen? Oh. Could it be a fire?

"Sylvia. To the kitchen. Hurry." "Please don’t pull my hair as if you’re handling a horse..."

I ground my teeth as I urged Sylvia. She quickly dashed ahead, overtaking the maids who had set off before us and reached the kitchen. I arrived, panting and breathless, behind Sylvia as she calmly entered the kitchen.

"Everyone, freeze." "Ah!?" "M-Master!?"

The startled maids froze in place. How strange. There are a lot of people in the kitchen, even though it's not meal prep time.

Without the chef, just the maids? Were they making snacks? Just as I was starting to feel something suspicious...

"All done...!" "It's completed, Charlotte!"

Cute voices rang out from the cooking area. Soon, the owners of the voices appeared, holding a tray filled with donuts coated in sugar cream. Their faces were covered in sugar powder and syrup. Upon making eye contact with me, Charlotte and Yulia's expressions froze as they stood still.

"Uh, Uncle...?" "Aslan...?" "Donuts? Oh, speaking of which, I promised to make donuts for Dirt Dirt. Did you make these yourself?" "Yes...!" "Can I have one?" "Oh, no! These are for Dirt Dirt."

"..." As I reached out, Yulia quickly swiped the tray aside. That’s harsh. Can’t you at least share one? I want to taste the donuts made with your love. I felt like tears were about to well up.

'This is strange. It doesn’t seem like there’s a major accident...'

But why on earth did the maids try so hard to keep me from entering the kitchen? Just as I was feeling ominous about it, Charlotte and Yulia, who had returned to the cooking area, quickly re-emerged, each holding a dish.

"We made some just for you!" "We decided to make Aslan's too! ...Yes!"

Charlotte cheerfully extended a plate toward me. The dish was filled with donuts topped with perplexing toppings. Chocolate syrup, pistachio powder, and even peanut butter...

And on Yulia’s plate, blushing as she presented it, the donuts were delicately drizzled with syrup, arranged like intricate floral decorations.

At a glance, it was clearly a different quality compared to the casually sugar-coated donuts. Considering the care put into it, it must have taken an immense amount of time.

"I wanted to make them quickly before you finished your work and bring them to your office!" "I was trying to surprise you, but I ruined it. Why did you come into the kitchen...?"

The kids looked disappointed. For a moment, my heart nearly stopped, clutching my chest. I never expected they were planning such a surprise...

Hiding my excited feelings, I forced a serious expression and took the plate from the kids, biting into a donut.

"It's really good." "Really!?" "That’s a lie." "Huh? No way it could taste bad!" "It’s the best donut I’ve ever had."

It was a genuine compliment. The best donut. Not just the taste, but including the joy on the kids' faces as they eagerly observed my reaction.

...

As the sun began to set, Dirt Dirt quietly mumbled to himself while sitting alone in the garden of the Vermont mansion.

[When will the donuts be ready...?]

It seemed like the little ones who went to make donuts had no intention of coming back.