"This is my wife, Nanaha Takai," Uncle Takai said, introducing the mature woman beside him.
Alistair shifted his gaze to her. She wasn't the kind of woman who struck you with blinding beauty at first glance; instead, her features were delicate and refined. However, her aura was extraordinary—a virtuous, elegant grace that made her stand next to the rugged Takai like a classic case of Beauty and the Beast.
It wasn't that Takai was ugly; his messy hair, stubble, and rogue-like charm actually suited him quite well. But contrasted with Nanaha, the disparity was stark—especially since she stood only about 5'5", making their height difference emphasize the comparison even more.
"Hello, Alistair-san," Nanaha Takai greeted him with a gentle nod.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aunt Nanaha," Alistair replied, offering a polite bow.
"Alright, let's eat. If there's anything else to discuss, we can do it over lunch," Takai interjected.
The meal was simple—grilled fish and miso soup—but no one complained, and the table was cleared quickly. Chitose seemed a bit constrained by the presence of two newcomers. Several times she looked like she wanted to say something, but after stealing a glance at Alistair, she would lower her head and continue eating in silence.
Alistair didn't pay it much mind. Immediately after lunch, a few more tourists arrived, and Takai and his wife went to attend to them. Uncle Nakamura headed out for his business meeting, leaving Alistair and Chitose alone in the dining area.
Since Alistair had no immediate plans to pursue her and they lacked common topics, he stood up, intending to head back to his room to research.
"Are you here to take that 'Ghost Fire'?" Chitose suddenly asked as he rose.
"Ghost Fire? Yeah, you could say that," Alistair replied, pausing. He realized she was referring to the Dragonflame Seed. The fact that she knew about it meant she was privy to the family secrets.
"If you can take it away, please do it quickly. Having it here has caused nothing but trouble," Chitose said.
"Because of the animals that gained mana?" Alistair guessed. The flame gathered mana, and due to its properties, that energy leaned toward the 'Fire' element. Animals exposed to it became 'Magic Beasts,' gaining heat-related abilities—rising temperatures, scorching winds, or the most common: breathing fire. In a forest, they were walking wildfire hazards, and as their mana grew, so did their intelligence.
"Yes. They've 'heated' up a lot of trouble," Chitose said, her expression souring.
"'Heated'?" Alistair wondered if he'd misheard the pun.
"Exactly. They are high-temperature creatures. My friend's father was hunting when he was attacked by a monkey wreathed in flames. It spat fireballs and radiated intense heat. He was badly burned and hospitalized for days. Even if he heals, he'll have scars. My friend was right behind him; she almost got hurt. Even though she wasn't burned, she was bedridden for a week. She thinks she was just in shock, but I know better—the mana in her body was almost completely drained."
Chitose spoke with a grit in her teeth, a sharp contrast to her previous quiet demeanor. It was clear she cared deeply for her friend.
"That dangerous? Wreathed in flames... wait, burning mana?" Alistair frowned. If the flames burned mana, his 'Mystery' abilities would be at a disadvantage. It would be a gamble: could he kill the beast before his 'fuel' ran out?
"My friend said that while the monkey was on fire, the flames on its fur felt low-temperature—maybe 100 or 110 degrees, like our hot spring water. The fireballs were the things that actually burned her father. But the aura on its body? That's what burns mana. She felt a profound weakness because her small internal reserve was scorched away."
Burning mana... it seemed these beasts had inherited a fraction of the Dragonflame's trait. This made things tricky.
"So," Chitose asked, looking him over, "is your mana capacity enough? If not, you should wait."
She was being diplomatic, but her warning was clear: if he wasn't significantly stronger than the beasts, going up there was a death sentence.
"I'm not sure. I need to see it for myself first," Alistair said. His grandfather's text didn't give an exact location, likely expecting him to find it by feel, but 'feeling' it wasn't the same as having a map.
"My friend and I can lead you there," Chitose offered. "But we'll only take you to the vicinity and then leave. We have no way to protect ourselves against that fire. After that, you're on your own."
"You don't have any powers?" Alistair asked, surprised by her knowledge despite her lack of combat ability.
"A little, but I can't protect myself. That flame is too domineering."