Chapter 52: Spirits (3)

Spirits.

A race that loves nature and enjoys playing tricks on humans and elves alike.

They cherish purity and are inherently kind toward others.

Though they have long been forgotten by mankind, spirits still exist.

They have merely left this world and now reside in another realm—the Spirit Realm.

“Why is that?”

At my question about spirits, Arin crossed her arms, as if pondering for a moment. She tapped her arm with her fingers before exhaling deeply.

“It’s because of the imperial family.”

“…What?”

What does the imperial family have to do with the spirits leaving this world? I turned to Arin, puzzled.

Noticing the doubt in my gaze, she placed a finger to her lips and shook her head.

It didn’t take long for me to realize what she meant.

The restriction…

A restriction that prevents anyone from speaking about the imperial family’s deepest secrets. Even if one were to utter them aloud, the words would be warped, unable to be properly conveyed to another.

I had felt it back in that village as well—it was an incredibly troublesome restriction.

“Back to the main point,” Arin continued. “A Spirit Master is someone who forms a contract with these spirits.”

By nature, spirits are benevolent toward other beings.

Whether human or elf, as long as they can communicate, spirits extend their goodwill.

However, it is exceedingly rare for a spirit to take a special liking to an individual.

If a spirit happens to find a human they favor, they will propose a contract first.

Only after accepting that offer can one become a Spirit Master.

Of course, rejecting the contract doesn’t result in any penalties—other than having to endure the spirit’s mischievous pranks.

The most crucial point, however, is that humans cannot initiate the contract.

Arin emphasized that part in particular.

“So, talent is key…”

“Exactly.”

She nodded in agreement with my words.

Magic could be learned as long as one could sense mana and study the different types of spells. While reaching a high level was difficult, the entry point wasn’t particularly high.

Aura was the same—as long as one trained their body properly, sensing its energy wasn’t too difficult.

But spirit magic was entirely different.

Without the spirit’s initiative, one couldn’t even begin learning.

That realization made me wonder—would a spirit ever approach me? The thought was somewhat concerning.

Perhaps sensing my unease, Arin spoke reassuringly.

“There’s no need to worry. We have this.”

With that, she pulled a wooden music box from her belongings.

It was the item Abel had given me. It looked like an ordinary music box, but was there something special about it?

Curious, I asked her about its true nature.

“It’s a token of a spirit’s promise,” she explained. “An object that grants one’s desires.”

“…Are you saying—”

“Yes. We’ll be using this to form a contract with a spirit.”

Even just hearing about it, I could tell this was a priceless item.

Was it really okay for me to use something so precious just to grow stronger? The thought weighed on me.

Sensing my hesitation, Arin reassured me with a gentle smile.

“There’s no need to feel pressured. The ducal house possesses many such items.”

Had my feelings been that obvious?

Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I gave a small nod.

“Then let’s begin.”

Arin immediately placed the music box on the table and slowly turned the handle.

A clear piano melody filled the air as the lid of the music box flipped open.

Inside was a small wooden figurine of a girl.

As the handle turned, the figurine began to rotate.

This is…

A green glow started to spread in all directions.

Even someone as ignorant about spirits as I was could tell that something unusual was happening.

Vines sprouted from the ground, coiling around the table legs and slowly creeping upward.

Now I understood why we had to conduct the spirit magic lesson in the garden.

Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, I focused on the music box.

The vines, having reached the tabletop, started to wrap around the music box itself.

At the same time, flowers of various colors bloomed along the vines—pink, blue, green, red. Vibrant hues filled my vision.

“This is…”

A tiny fissure appeared above the music box. From the air itself, small flames flickered into existence.

Three in total.

One was green.

One was red.

And the last was blue.

They looked similar to the flames that had appeared in Arin’s palm before.

[Louis? Could it be that Louis called us?]

[Really?! It’s been so long since I saw Louis!]

[Idiots. These guys aren’t Louis.]

A faint voice echoed in my ears.

It was so quiet that if I lost focus for even a moment, I might miss what was being said.

Was this… the voices of spirits?

[Sylphi’s, your words are too harsh!]

[Let her be. That’s just how she is.]

[Shut up. More importantly, who are these people?]

Their bickering sounded oddly cute.

Meanwhile, Arin lowered her head slightly and greeted them with a polite voice.

“Hello.”

The voice had noticeably risen in tone compared to before.

She had reacted the same way when we first met—she really must like spirits a lot.

It was a side of her that felt quite different from her usual composed demeanor, making it a little difficult to adjust.

[Who are you?]

[A half-elf?! What’s a half-elf doing here?]

[Are you the one who called us?]

“Yes. My name is Arin. I am a Spirit Master.”

I focused all my attention on listening, afraid that I might miss their words. Even the slightest lapse in concentration felt like it would cause me to lose the spirits’ voices entirely.

[A Spirit Master? There are still those around in this land?]

[Sylphi’s, watch your words.]

[Tch, fine. Whatever.]

The green spirit chided the other, who had been called Sylphi’s, prompting her to sulk and drift away in apparent annoyance.

With a soft sigh, the green spirit turned back to Arin.

[So, Louis gave you that item.]

At the mention of the name, Arin nodded, and for a moment, the spirit’s form flickered.

[Hmm… there shouldn’t be any issues with the contract, so it should be fine. What is it that you wish for?]

“I want the person next to me to be able to form a contract with a spirit.”

It was only then that the green spirit seemed to notice my presence, drifting toward me slowly.

A strange warmth surrounded me, making me feel slightly drowsy.

[Ah… you can hear my voice, I see.]

“…Really?!”

Before I could even react, Arin suddenly leaned in close, her face mere inches from mine.

I had no idea why she was so excited, but being this close was… a bit overwhelming.

Gently placing my hands on her shoulders, I pushed her back slightly. Realizing her mistake, Arin took a step back.

“My apologies. I got a little too excited.”

“It’s fine. But… why were you so surprised?”

Clearing her throat, she answered in a more composed tone.

“There are very few people who can hear a spirit’s voice from the very beginning. Even I could only understand vague meanings at first.”

So, I was an irregular for being able to understand them right away?

“Ah…”

“Most people don’t even realize the spirits are speaking.”

Hearing that, I understood why she had been so shocked.

Even I hadn’t expected to understand their words the moment I met them.

Did that mean I had a natural talent for spirit magic?

[Hehe, rare, but sometimes there are kids like that.]

[Wow, it’s true! He really understands us!]

[Stop buzzing around so much, Sally.]

Sylphi’s had somehow gotten closer without me noticing, while Sally, the red spirit, flitted around excitedly.

Instead of backing down, Sally began buzzing even more obnoxiously in apparent defiance.

[Go away, Sylphi’s! I haven’t seen a human in forever—I want to look at her!]

“How does the contract work?”

[Contract?! I want to form a contr—mmph!]

[Shut up and listen first.]

At Sylphi’s words, Sally seemed to calm down, keeping her mouth shut.

Despite all their bickering, they seemed to have a close bond.

The green spirit floated toward me and asked,

[What is your name?]

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t introduced myself yet, had I?

Realizing my mistake, I quickly lowered my head and greeted them.

“My name is Adele von Este. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[So, your name is Este?]

[Idiot, that’s her surname. Her name is Adelee.]

In the short span of time, the spirits had already begun bickering again.

Seemingly used to it, the green spirit ignored them and introduced herself.

[I am Silvana, a spirit of the forest.]

[I’m Sylphi, a spirit of the wind. Just call me Sylphi’s.]

[Ah, and I’m Salamander, a spirit of fire! You can call me Sally!]

Each of them introduced themselves in a way that highlighted their personalities.

A forest spirit, a wind spirit, and a fire spirit.

A Spirit Master could only form a contract with one spirit.

I needed to choose carefully.

Fire was out of the question.

It was certainly powerful, but I had no idea what kind of destruction it could cause if mishandled.

Besides, flashy abilities weren’t really my thing.

That left wind and forest.

“…I’ve made my decision.”

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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