The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 27

Healing magic can cure minor external injuries.

The next level up, Cure, can also heal internal injuries, albeit slightly.

So, with this much power, healing a fractured leg should be easy.

The blue light emitted from Undain flowed like water, surrounding the injured leg before quickly seeping into it.

At the same time, the bruises that covered the injured leg vanished without a trace.

The noisy surroundings fell silent, and the injured person, who had been in a daze, began touching their leg.

Then, with a surprised expression, they stood up, stomped their foot on the ground, and even jumped in place.

“It worked! The pain is gone! What kind of magic is this? Is this the power of a spirit? This is amazing. Truly incredible!”

The injured woman spoke in a language I couldn’t understand, but the bright smile on her face made it clear that the magic had worked well.

In truth, I was a bit worried, as I hadn’t had many opportunities to use healing magic. Seeing that it worked, I smiled along with her.

“Does it not hurt anymore? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were related to Sister Anel.”

“Thank you! Truly!”

Even though I doubted she understood me, I apologized while extending my hand.

The woman, now healed, hugged me and left a light kiss on my cheek.

It must have been a gesture of gratitude.

She then approached Undain, but when she realized she couldn’t touch her, she looked puzzled.

I definitely preferred people over dragons.

The dragon I encountered before was just too intense.

Because I healed one of their own, I was welcomed warmly into Sister Anel’s village. They generously provided food, mostly fruit, all of which were juicy and sweet. I happily devoured the fruits.

[Master, anyone watching would think you haven’t eaten for a week.]

“Crunch, chomp, chomp.”

[What are you even saying, Master?]

[To me, skipping a day feels like a week! You don’t understand the pain of hunger.]

While busily eating the fruits, I conversed with Rai in my mind.

At the same time, I was planning my return to Dmitri.

If this place is Koran, I’ll need to head south to reach Dmitri.

The problem is, I’m not sure where exactly the Silver Wolf tribe’s village is within Koran.

Koran is a long, narrow land with part of it touching the sea and the other part bordering Elan.

Dmitri touches the western part, but to get there, I would have to cross a treacherous mountain range.

Should I pass through Elan to reach Dmitri?

Or should I take the direct route, crossing the mountains despite the difficulty?

Whichever city I reach first, I’ll need to find the Mage’s Tower.

I’ll use magic communication to inform everyone of my safety and tell them that I’ll return via land.

I’m sure both the palace and my family are worried sick.

I also wondered if Bright or anyone in my family might be recklessly chasing after dragons in an attempt to find me.

[Master, someone’s coming. It’s not Anel.]

I was eating at Sister Anel’s house, which was built sturdily from wood.

Sister Anel had advised me not to go outside, as the other villagers were very afraid of Rai, who was in his wolf form.

Normally, they wouldn’t even let outsiders into their homes, but because I was an acquaintance of Anel’s and had healed that woman, I was given an exception.

“Who is it?”

The villagers had greeted me when I first arrived, but they had kept their distance because of Rai.

Moreover, Anel had said no one else would come to her house.

But now someone other than Anel was here? Who could it be?

I stopped eating and stared at the open doorway.

Creak, creak.

I heard the sound of light footsteps on the wooden floor. Judging by the weight, it seemed to be a child.

Wait, could it be…?

[Ainie!]

[Kenta’s daughter, right?]

Since it was Sister Anel’s house, it was likely the child who entered was Ainie, her daughter.

Sure enough, my guess was right. A flash of silver hair peeked around the corner of the open doorway.

Then, a small white hand grasped the doorframe.

[Her hand… it’s so white.]

[Indeed, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a fair-skinned human.]

The people in this village all had healthy bronze skin, but the girl who now peeked her face through the door had pale, white skin.

“…Ainie?”

At my question, the girl gave a small nod.

Thank goodness, she wasn’t a muscle-bound child.

Ainie had shiny silver hair, fair skin, rosy cheeks, and soft, forest-green eyes—she was an adorable child.

The only thing she had in common with Kenta seemed to be her skin color.

I couldn’t quite recall what color Kenta’s eyes were.

[Tch, what’s this? She doesn’t look like him at all!]

Rai grumbled, sounding disappointed.

Hey, it’s a good thing she doesn’t look like him—she’d be in trouble if she did.

I glanced back at Ainie.

She was staring wide-eyed at Rai, looking utterly shocked.

“Why, Ainie?”

[Hehe! Maybe she’s amazed by my majestic form, Master?]

You cheeky mutt, what nonsense are you spouting now?

As I was considering giving Rai a swat, Ainie suddenly shrieked and ran off.

In the distance, I faintly heard her yell.

“Kyaaa! Mom! The wolf is talking!”

What? So that’s what she was freaking out about?

All this fuss because Rai was talking?

[Good grief! That girl can speak the common tongue! And Rai, it’s not the first day you’ve been talking…]

Huh?

[Huh?]

I paused, replaying the girl’s words in my head.

Did I hear her right? I glanced over at Rai, who seemed just as confused as I was.

Seriously, for a wolf, his facial expressions were quite vivid.

But wait…

“Did that girl… Did she really hear your voice, Rai?”

[It seems that way.]

Rai tilted his head, also looking puzzled.

I waved my hands dismissively.

“No way! You are not even her contracted spirit, so how could she hear you?”

[Maybe her affinity is exceptionally high.]

“Even so! You told me that it’s a connection of the mind, a mental exchange. Shouldn’t I be the only one who can hear you? We’re talking in my head, after all, so how could she hear it?”

[To be precise, it’s an exchange of thoughts and minds. So rather than thinking of it as a conversation in the mind, it’s more like sharing what we want to say. After all, when I, Chirri, and Undain have a conversation, you can hear it too, right? It’s like that.]

Despite Rai’s explanation, I shook my head.

It was too confusing to understand.

Talking through minds and hearts?

Was this possible because her spirit affinity was ridiculously high?

I suddenly realized I’d never really thought deeply about the fact that I could communicate with Rai in my mind.

I’d always taken it for granted, accepting it as just another strange part of this world.

“…But what about Magi? Magi couldn’t hear you, even though she’s a dragon. Back then, I was the only one who could hear you. Does that mean this girl has a higher affinity than a dragon?”

[Oh, Master, not all dragons have high affinity for spirits. In fact, dragons tend to avoid spirits. Technically, we spirits are also part of the natural world, aren’t we? Think about it—red, black, silver, blue, each dragon has a specific element. Their magic is stronger depending on their element, just like how we use elemental spirit magic. It’s the same concept. They wield their own elemental magic, similar to how we use ours.]

“So, dragons have low affinity for spirits?”

[Exactly. Their affinity develops as they age and slowly harmonize with nature. That’s why young dragons usually can’t summon spirits. And even when they do, it’s often because an older dragon helped them make the connection.]

The idea that dragons were, in a way, spirits themselves was bizarre to me.

Rai’s claim that he had stopped counting his age after ten thousand years might not have been a lie after all. Occasionally, he’d tell me things I’d never heard of before, like now.

“So, are you saying that girl has a higher spirit affinity than I do?”

[Yes, if she can hear my voice, her affinity must be higher than yours at the moment. With that level of affinity, she could even become a spirit summoner.]

I was astonished to think that this tiny girl had a higher affinity than I did. But at the same time, I became curious about the unfamiliar term Rai had used.

“A spirit… summoner? How is that different from a spirit mage?”

[They’re similar, but also distinct. A thousand years ago, spirit summoners were as common as spirit mages. But nowadays, with human affinity for spirits being so low, there are probably none left. Back then, magic and spirit magic were equals… Ah, those were the days.]

“Stop going off on tangents! What is a spirit summoner? Are they more powerful than a spirit mage?”

[Not exactly more powerful… Each has its own strengths, so they’re about equal. A spirit mage forms a contract with a spirit and commands them, whereas a spirit summoner doesn’t need a contract to control spirits. For example, a spirit mage uses their affinity, mental strength, and mana to contract with a Sylph and summon them from the spirit realm. A spirit summoner, on the other hand, only needs affinity and mental strength. They ask the Sylphs in the natural world around them for help without the need for a contract.]

Compared to the five years of lessons I’d had from Instructor Iel, Rai’s explanations about spirits felt far more valuable.

A spirit summoner? So they existed in ancient times?

“Wait, so they don’t need mana? Doesn’t that make them much better?”

[Not quite. In exchange for not using mana, they consume ten times more mental strength than a spirit mage would for the same spell. Moreover, since they don’t have a contract, spirit summoners have to rely on nearby spirits, and if there are none around, or if the spirits refuse, they’re out of luck.]

“So… if I increase my affinity, could I become a spirit summoner too?”

[Well, technically, yes. But it’s better to stick with being a spirit mage. You’re already a high-level spirit mage, after all. Spirit summoners, also called elementalists, are divided into categories like water summoners or wind summoners. They also have different levels of mastery, from asking spirits for help to commanding them so they can’t refuse. At a certain level, they become one with nature and can control water, wind, or fire as they wish. They truly become ‘summoners.’ You could even say they become spirits themselves. But their range of control is far less than that of a spirit mage, so I don’t see much point in pursuing it. You’re already an excellent spirit mage, Master.]

Rai continued, [Most importantly, spirit summoners can only control one element. While spirit mages like you can contract with multiple spirits and borrow the powers of different elements, spirit summoners can only control a single element. In short, they’re more specialized, but also more limited.]

It was all so complicated that I couldn’t help but frown.

As I thought it over, it seemed I had made the right choice to become a spirit mage, but I couldn’t deny I was intrigued by the concept of a spirit summoner.

Becoming one with the spirits and controlling nature itself?

But only being able to control one element?

How strange.

“That’s… intriguing, but also a bit disappointing.”

[If you were to contract with a top-tier water spirit, you could gain some of a summoner’s abilities. But only for water.]

“What? How?”

[Well, the top-tier water spirits are just below the water spirit king, and there are fewer than a hundred of them even in the spirit realm. If a spirit mage contracts with one of them, lower-ranking water spirits would have no choice but to obey the mage’s commands, even without a direct contract. That’s because the orders of a top-tier spirit’s contractor are treated as equivalent to the orders of the top-tier spirit itself.]

I see!

My desire to contract with a top-tier spirit grew even stronger.

Then, Ainie’s face came to mind—she had such incredible affinity. Wouldn’t she make a great spirit mage if trained properly?

Maybe she could even surpass me someday…

“Hmm, should I take that little girl and train her to become a spirit mage?”

[It won’t be easy.]

“Why not? If her affinity is high, she could contract with spirits even with a bit of mana.”

[What good is affinity without mental strength?]

Ah, that’s right. I nodded in understanding.

I had contracted with Rai when I was around Ainie’s age, but I had the benefit of my previous life’s experience. That had made it possible.

“Too bad. I guess I could train her mana first, and then…”

“Mommy! That lady is talking to a wolf! It’s true!”

Huh? When did she come back?

It seemed I was destined to be labeled as a crazy woman again, just like before.

Now, in this village, I had earned the reputation of being the strange lady who talks to wolves.

All thanks to Ainie running around the village, telling everyone about it.

She probably thought she was doing something good by telling her mother, but now the entire village knew that I spoke to wolves.

“G-Geenie?”

“Yes?”

Sister Anel called my name awkwardly, looking apologetic.

“It wasn’t on purpose… you know that, right?”

“Ha… ha… ha…”

[Ah, Master, that laugh is wrong. You’re supposed to go ‘Hohoho’ here.]

[Shut up!]

Thanks to Rai, I had been shot by arrows earlier, and now I was being marked as a strange person who talks to wolves.

It was clear that the village folk were starting to look at me with more suspicion.

Anel, carefully gauging my reaction, spoke cautiously.

“Uh… Geenie? I don’t know if this is okay to ask, but… since you’re a spirit mage…”

“You want to ask me a favor?”

“Yes. There’s something I want you to see.”

“Me?”

Anel nodded slowly.

If it had been anyone else, I would have turned them down out of annoyance, but since it was Anel, I agreed.

Whatever it was, I didn’t think she’d ask me to do something dangerous.

I followed Anel as we left the village and entered the jungle.

Naturally, Rai came with us.

The villagers whispered among themselves, but I ignored them with my usual confidence.

Of course, I teased Rai along the way.

“Just a bit farther, Geenie.”

The jungle was full of thick, damp vines, large and small ponds, and strange plants I’d never seen before.

The thick vines obstructed our path, but Anel, with her skilled swordsmanship, cut them down as we moved forward.

Come to think of it, Ainie is from the Silver Wolf tribe, so she probably knows how to wield dual swords too.

“Uh, Sister? Does Ainie know how to use dual swords?”

“Hmm? Of course. But she’s not particularly skilled for her age. The dual sword master refused to teach her, so I had to teach her myself. That’s why she’s a bit awkward with it.”

Satisfied that Ainie had indeed learned dual swords, I nodded.

Even in a remote tribe like this, they had a dual sword instructor.

“Really? Why? Did Ainie cause trouble?”

“No, Ainie is a sweet child. The problem was with the dual sword master. He refused to teach her because of her skin color. Said he was afraid she’d bring bad luck or something. Can you believe it? All because of her skin color. It’s absurd, isn’t it, Geenie?”

[Ah, I was also discriminated against for being a white spirit. Isn’t that right, Master?]

I ignored Rai’s comment—it wasn’t worth responding to.

“Yes… It’s awful to discriminate against someone because of their skin color.”

“It’s common in our tribe. Anyone with lighter skin is considered unlucky or cursed. I’ve faced discrimination myself because my skin is lighter than most. That’s why I feel so sorry for Ainie… Oh! We’re here, Geenie.”

We had arrived at a cave.

The entrance wasn’t particularly large or small, but it was dark inside, suggesting it was quite deep.

Animal bones and the colorful feathers of large birds hung around the entrance, giving the place an eerie atmosphere.

It seemed like a site where some kind of tribal ritual was performed.

As we approached the cave, I felt an unfamiliar sensation wash over me, causing me to tense up.

What is this feeling?

[Master! It’s a spirit stone!]

Again? How many of these things are there? It’s starting to feel too common.

[So this strange sensation… It’s from the spirit stone?]

[Yes, if it feels both unfamiliar and familiar, that’s the sign. Since you’ve contracted with a high-level spirit, your senses have become more acute, Master.]

Rather than feeling pleased by Rai’s words, I felt confused.

Why would there be a spirit stone in a place like this?

Could this be what Anel wanted to show me?

I looked at Anel just as she began to speak.