Chapter 53: Spirit (4)

“I want to make a contract with Sylphi.”

[Huh?]

[What?]

Sally being surprised was one thing, but why did Sylphi herself look the most shocked? Maybe she was aware that she had a difficult personality.

But that wasn’t why I chose the Wind Spirit.

The biggest reason was that the Forest Spirit’s power was too limited in terms of usability. It was said that the Forest Spirit was the closest to nature and relied on it the most.

As the daughter of a noble family, I couldn’t imagine myself spending much time in the wilderness. It just wasn’t practical.

On the other hand, the Wind Spirit had a wide range of applications. Sure, having a cool breeze in the heat was a nice perk, but that wasn’t the main reason.

If nurtured properly, a Wind Spirit could grow strong enough to summon a full-blown storm. Compared to the Fire Spirit, it was also much easier to control.

[You’re really choosing me? Why?]

[Sylphi.]

[No, but seriously, this is weird.]

Silvana gently chided Sylphi, but she just raised her voice in protest.

[No one has ever picked me over Sally and Silvana before!]

[Maybe you should work on your personality first.]

[Ugh…]

Sylphi clamped her mouth shut, as if at a loss for words. So she was aware of her own personality issues, after all.

“How do we form the contract?”

[Uh… how do we do it, Silvana?]

I asked Sylphi, but she turned to Silvana instead, clearly just as clueless.

Silvana chuckled at her reaction.

[Hoohoo, are you embarrassed because it’s your first contract?]

[Shut up.]

She grumbled but didn’t deny it.

So this really was her first contract.

Come to think of it, she did say that, up until now, only Silvana and Sally had ever been chosen.

[The contract is simple. Just place your hands together.]

The flame-like form of Sylphi cautiously approached. She was slightly smaller than my hand—small enough that I only needed to bring my palm close to touch her.

As I reached out, a refreshing clarity washed over me.

A crisp sensation spread throughout my body.

It felt eerily similar to the time I caught a whiff of Louis’ cigarette smoke.

All the worries, anxieties, and fears that had been weighing on me faded away as if they had never existed.

Silvana, who had moved closer to observe, gave a small nod. Or at least, that’s what I assumed from the slight bobbing motion.

[Sylphi, prepare yourself.]

[...Okay.]

A breeze stirred.

A gentle current of wind swept across the vast green plains.

It was an odd way to describe it, but that was exactly how it felt.

Caught up in the moment, I closed my eyes.

A cool gust brushed against my fingertips, where my hand met Sylphi.

[Focus on that sensation, Contractor.]

Her voice, resonating clearly in my ears, was calm and serious—very different from her usual blunt tone.

A deep hum rumbled through the air.

[The wind is a being that brushes past all things.]

[And so, it is the freest of all beings.]

The wind wrapped around me.

It felt as though I could take flight at any moment, as if I had been liberated from all restraints.

Was this what Sylphi meant by freedom?

[But because of that, it is also the loneliest of all beings.]

A quiet loneliness seeped into my heart.

So this was how Sylphi saw the world.

Spirit contractors were said to forge deep bonds with spirits, growing together as partners. It was also said that, during their first contract, they would glimpse the world through the spirit’s eyes.

Endless freedom and solitude.

That was the essence of Sylphi’s world.

And somehow, it wasn’t so different from my own.

I, too, was a stranger in this world, possessing the body of a villainess from another reality.

I understood exactly what Sylphi felt.

[So this is… the world you see.]

“...Did you see mine?”

[...Yes. But I won’t talk about it.]

A connection between two beings meant sensing each other’s existence.

Sylphi must have seen my world as well.

For a moment, I thought I saw something in her deep blue flames—a glimmer of sympathy, perhaps even understanding.

[I, Sylphi, the Wind Spirit, hereby form a contract with Adele von Este.]

As Sylphi made her declaration, I felt something link us together—a deep, unseen connection.

So this was the “link” Arin had described.

A low hum filled the air.

The wind trembled, and then Sylphi flared up violently.

I flinched at the sudden change, but Arin simply shook her head, reassuring me.

“When a spirit forms a contract, they take on the form most familiar to their contractor.”

“Oh, I see.”

The form most familiar to me?

I was curious about what that meant, but for now, I stayed quiet and watched.

[Ohh! This is my first time seeing Sylphi transform!]

Sally gasped as the blue flames began shaping into a distinct form.

At first, it was no larger than a palm-sized doll.

Then, like a painting coming to life, more and more details emerged.

Arin’s lips curled into a small smile as she observed the transformation.

Meanwhile, I could feel my own face heating up.

[This form is…]

A small boy.

Soft gray hair.

Silver eyes.

A faint scar beneath one eye.

It was, without a doubt, a younger version of Abel.

“Oh my goodness, it’s the Duke!”

“Ugh…”

The form most familiar to the contractor turned out to be Abel.

I did think about him a lot, sure. But enough for even a spirit to take on his form? That seemed a bit much.

[Oh-ho, so this is the form the contractor likes best?]

“Wait, no one said that!”

I turned to Arin in protest, but she just smiled without a word.

My already flushed face now felt like it was about to erupt into molten lava.

[Oh wow, a tomato.]

“I am not a tomato!”

[Eek, humans are scary.]

Sally dragged out her words dramatically as she scampered over to Silvana, clearly enjoying herself.

I felt a twinge of irritation but forced myself to let it go.

“When I was little, I wanted a friend, so it took the form of a little girl. But Madam, you wanted the Duke, so—mmph!”

“Not another word!”

I clamped my hand over Arin’s mouth, finally shutting her up. But her beaming smile made the embarrassment surge back even stronger.

“Urgh…”

[This one’s fun.]

[Oh, come on! Sylphi’s first human contractor ever, and she’s already acting all high and mighty!]

[Shut it, Sally!]

Just great. Now I had a noisy spirit to deal with.

****

It was a bright, sunny day like any other.

A towering spire stood tall, with a monastery attached to its side. The church, starkly different from the surrounding buildings, exuded an air of sanctity.

Its pristine white walls reminded me of untouched snow.

This was Numen, the Holy State of the Goddess’ faith.

Those blessed by the Goddess were granted divine power and served as priests, dispatched to various nations—including, of course, the Arie Empire.

In essence, this place functioned as a hospital where priests from Numen provided healing.

The reason I was here was to visit Evan, who had been gravely injured.

After being struck down by the Emperor back in the village, he had remained unconscious for days. I had been worried.

And if I were being honest, he got hurt because of me.

“His condition isn’t great, so please keep it quiet,” a priest in a white robe informed us.

I nodded and entered the room with Arin.

Inside, Evan greeted us with a relaxed smile and a casual wave.

Seeing him looking lively enough to do that eased some of my concern.

“You’ve come, my lady. And…”

His gaze shifted, and his face paled slightly.

Just how badly had he been treated for him to react like this when I was here to visit?

“C-Captain…?”

“It’s been a while.”

“H-Haha… yeah, it has.”

His voice, thick with dialect, betrayed his nervousness.

Arin sighed and dropped into the chair by his bed, exasperated.

“You look like you’re about to be eaten alive.”

I also took a seat and studied Evan closely. Most of his wounds had healed thanks to divine power, but he still didn’t look great.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course.”

He scratched his head as he answered, but his pale complexion told a different story.

Arin frowned and spoke up first.

“You were taken down by him, weren’t you?”

“…Yeah. He was strong.”

Evan bit his lip, his expression troubled.

He was right.

The Emperor had been overwhelmingly powerful. Evan hadn’t even had a chance to react before being completely overpowered.

“For now, I’ll be serving as Madam’s personal guard.”

“I see…”

Evan hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if he had come to terms with it.

He looked strangely resigned.

[Who’s that?]

Sylphi whispered in my ear.

‘My bodyguard. He was seriously injured recently.’

[I see.]

He didn’t ask any further. Maybe he had nothing more to say—or maybe he sensed this wasn’t the right time.

“Take this experience and come back stronger,” Arin said abruptly.

With that, she rose to her feet and left the room.

Evan, watching her retreating figure, let out a small chuckle.

“She’s as blunt as ever.”

That was why she was so reliable.

Muttering to himself, he smiled faintly.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

[TL: The author originally used gender-neutral language with slight feminine nuances for Sylphi. However, since Sylphi has now taken the form of a boy, I will use “he.“

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