Ch. 114
“Yeah.”
“How does it sound? Can you hear it clearly? Or just bits and pieces?”
“I don’t know what it’s saying exactly… but I can definitely hear a really faint murmuring. That much is clear. Sometimes, ‘Master!’ is the part I hear most clearly.”
“Hm.”
So she really *could* hear it.
Should I tell Big Sis Anel that Annie has talent in this area?
But even if she knew, there’s nothing she could do for her—so what would be the point?
Being a Spirit Mage was a profession that, just like a mage, required a lot of support.
“And Mom told me to bring you!”
“That’s right. She said she had something she wanted to show me.”
“To the north gate.”
As I got up and took one step forward, Annie darted back a step.
Does she hate me or something?
I didn’t do anything to her except trap her in the water earlier.
“Annie, do you not like me?”
If I’m curious, I’ll just ask.
“…Not really.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just… strangers are… scary. But Mom talks about you sometimes… and also…”
“And also?”
“…You looked cool by the river.”
She mumbled it so softly while staring at the ground that I could barely make it out. Then, as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer, she bolted into the forest like she was spring-loaded.
She was just like a wild animal!
“Hey! Aren’t you gonna tell me where the north gate *is* before you run off?”
—
I figured the north gate would naturally be to the north, so I took my time—but I didn’t find Big Sis Anel until nearly thirty minutes later.
Because once I exited through the northern side, there was a large field, another tall fence, and *two* gates.
I picked one at random and of course got it wrong, so I had to go all the way back and take the other.
“Big Sis Anel!”
I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I almost never pick the right way.
She was standing in front of the stables.
“There you are, Geenie.”
“Sorry I’m late. Annie came to get me and then just ran off.”
“Oh dear, she did? I’m sorry.”
“She’s way too skittish! Now I get why you worry about her so much.”
“She is a bit shy around strangers. But she’s the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet.”
Despite my grumbling, Big Sis Anel only smiled and brought out a horse from the stable.
It was a stocky gray horse with long white mane and thick ankles—a farming type, sturdy and often used for hauling.
“Try riding her. She’s the horse I’m lending you. She’s a little stubborn, so it’d be good to bond with her in advance.”
“Really? What’s her name?”
“Nora.”
As I took the reins and looked her in the eye, I couldn’t help but think of Blondie, the horse I left behind at the academy.
Hope he’s doing alright. I’m sure Bright is taking good care of him, just like always.
I slowly reached toward Nora’s neck.
Despite being called stubborn, Nora accepted my touch without resistance—and even stepped closer on her own.
She was a sweet one. I smiled and stroked her forehead gently.
“Hello, Nora. I’m Geenie.”
[This body is Rai!]
“Nice to meet you.”
[I’m the one and only main partner! Master, stop fooling around with—ack!]
I shoved Rai aside with my foot before he could go on and looked back at Big Sis Anel.
“Do you have a brush, by chance?”
“Of course.”
To grow closer with her, I hand-fed Nora some treats Big Sis Anel gave me and let her take in my scent. Then I gave her a thorough brushing.
Before long, Nora let me ride her with no resistance.
She even ignored Rai growling and prowling nearby in jealousy—seemed like she could sense he wasn’t a real wolf.
“How is she? Comfortable?”
“Yeah, I think I can ride her right away. She’s smart. And very obedient.”
“I’m glad. Looks like Nora likes you. Now that I think about it, you’ve always been good with animals, Geenie.”
I wonder if that includes dragons too.
“Hahaha.”
“What’s with that awkward laugh?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thought of something scary.”
We took a gentle lap around the village on horseback. As expected, horses were the most comfortable mode of travel.
Riding another horse behind me, Big Sis Anel raised her lantern and pointed toward the mountain.
“Once you’re used to her, how about we go a bit farther out? There’s something I want to show you.”
“The mountain? At this hour?”
“Yes.”
Darkness fell fast on the mountain.
And this time of day, it was more dangerous than during the day—monsters and wild beasts were more active.
“Isn’t it dangerous? It’s already pretty dark…”
“It’s fine. Who cares.”
The Big Sis Anel I knew was a very cautious person, but right now she seemed completely unconcerned.
“With you here, what’s there to be afraid of?”
“…Oh, come on, Big Sis.”
“Seeing you today, I finally understood why you travel alone. I’m so proud of you. You’re stronger than I imagined.”
“That’s true! Let’s go right now!”
Even if ten ogres popped up, it wouldn’t be a problem. I was someone who came back alive from a dragon’s lair!
…Though I was technically captured first.
—
I summoned Ador to light our way and climbed the mountain.
The path was overgrown, like no one had walked it in a while, and the farther we went, the more secluded it became.
After ducking under some annoying vines and tying up my hair, we had long since left the village behind.
“Big Sis, what is it you wanted to show me?”
Just how deep were we going? We were way too far from the village now.
If it weren’t Big Sis Anel leading me, I’d be suspicious of an ambush.
“It’s something we call ‘Galata’ in our tongue… Normally, we’re not supposed to show it to outsiders.”
“Galata?”
“That’s the rule, but no one really cares about it. And it’s related to spirits.”
That was unexpected. Something related to spirits in the village of twin swordsmen? That came out of nowhere.
“This village has something like that?”
“Even you find it surprising, huh? So do the others in the tribe. They say it’s pointless, really… But I thought *you* might be interested, so I decided to show it to you.”
“Galata, Galata… Never heard of it. And I’ve studied spirits my whole life. Is that a tribal term? What’s it called in the common tongue?”
“I think it might have been someone’s name originally. It’s an item that some Spirit Mage gave to our ancestors as a token of gratitude, saying it would protect the village. This was thousands of years ago, back in the era we now call the ancient times.”
“Pfft, protect the village? There’s no such spirit-related item that could do that. What kind of item is it?”
I couldn’t help but scoff.
An ancient heirloom? It sounded like trash, honestly.
To be honest, I figured someone must have been running a scam.
Someone had probably taken advantage of these innocent tribespeople.
At least, that’s what I thought—until Big Sis Anel parted the brush with her sword and kept talking.
“According to legend, that Spirit Mage could command the forest and control animals like extensions of their own limbs.”
“…”
“They said as long as we had that jewel, we could protect the forest too. But our ancestors prayed to it, held rituals, tried everything—and we were never able to use its power.”
Hmm. So the scammer, huh…
“It’s been passed down, but now it’s basically just symbolic.”
“Is it maybe the size of a child’s palm? With rich color and a pattern inside like a picture?”
“Yes! One is green and the other is brown.”
Wait—*there are two*?
As I mulled over the words Big Sis Anel had just used, I felt a powerful sense of déjà vu.
An ancient Spirit Mage.
Jewels that grant the power of spirits.
And two of them at once.
[Rai.]
[Yes, Master!]
[Are there spirits of the forest and spirits of animals too?]
[There are. There are even spirits of metal.]
That was surprisingly convincing.
—
In the distance, I saw a cave.
The entrance was small but looked deep—the inside was dark, and the mouth of the cave was lined with animal bones and large, colorful feathers, giving off a strange aura.
There were signs that rituals or shamanic ceremonies had been performed here at the tribe level.
As I approached the cave, a familiar sensation grew stronger, and I shook my head.
No way. No freaking way.
[Master! It’s real! Those are Spirit Stones!]
Even with Rai getting all worked up, I could only scowl.
No wonder we couldn’t find even the slightest clue about their whereabouts—who would’ve guessed they were buried in a place like this?
What were the people of the past thinking?
Did they think praying to a Spirit Stone would make a spirit appear?
If they were going to leave it behind, they should’ve at least explained how to use it! Or given it to someone who could!
No wonder modern Spirit Mages have been getting weaker if this is how the ancestors handled things!
“Galata is inside that cave.”
“Can I go in?”
“That’s why I brought you. Go ahead. I’ll watch the horses.”
I ordered Ador to lower his output to the bare minimum and sent him in first.
I carefully pulled aside the strings of feathers and bones hanging over the entrance and followed behind.
The ceiling was low, so I had to duck as I walked. The interior was narrow and damp.
The deeper I went, the stronger the scent of spirits hit my nose—something only a Spirit Mage could detect.
The life force writhing all around was enough to make my skin crawl.
I almost felt intoxicated by the dense spiritual energy that filled the cave.
This wasn’t normal.
“This is insane. How much did they cram in here?”
[Must’ve been a few hundred years, at least.]
“Why is the smell so intense?”
[The spirits must’ve been struggling. They could feel the summoning, but the conditions weren’t right—so they could never manifest. Their unstable energy must’ve kept leaking out, and now it’s all just built up.]
Listening to Rai, I finally reached the end of the cave and faced a small altar.
And what I saw there made me gasp and cover my mouth in shock.