Ch. 205

[…]

Damn.

“…Khhk…”

Damn it, was that confidence completely baseless?

Still crouched in the same pose I’d used to strike the branch, I clenched my hand and sank to the ground.

It felt like I’d struck a rock. Despite its appearance, the thing was ridiculously hard—my hand felt like an egg smashed against a stone.

Shaking with pain and humiliation, I lifted my head to glare—and saw Rai stumbling backward in a panic.

He looked terrified I’d take my anger out on him.

[I-It’s not… my… F-Fine! Master’s enemy! I won’t forgive them!]

He dramatically crunched the branch into powder, then—with trembling pupils—wagged his tail awkwardly at me.

[H-Heheh! I have avenged Master’s enemy! You may rest easy now!]

“…Who was it again? The one who brought me that branch and told me to break it?”

[Th-The most beloved spirit Rai, whom Master wishes to take to your grave…]

My hand throbbed painfully, but since I’d been the idiot who got swept up in baseless courage, I couldn’t even properly get angry. I simply reconfirmed how pathetically fragile my human body was.

Even after that, I tried various things with the ring, but its true nature only grew more mysterious.

I wondered if it boosted mental fortitude, but according to Rai—who could sense my mental state—it didn’t.

I wondered if it enabled magic, so I poured mana into it at a level that wouldn’t stress my injured body. Still no reaction.

It didn’t absorb mana at all. The only thing I learned was that its mechanism had nothing to do with mana.

After so many futile attempts, I was on the verge of throwing the ring away.

This impatient temperament of mine was so useless. If I’m going to be lazy, I should at least be patient about it!

“Damn it! How can ‘nothing’ work?! If they were going to hide the ring, they should’ve included instructions! Am I supposed to use it or not?!”

[Recognizing value is also a skill, you know? Countless items go unused because their value isn’t understood.]

“…Well, if it were Lox, he probably would’ve figured it out instantly. But why are you suddenly saying something that sounds deep? It doesn’t suit you.”

It was rare for Rai to act serious. In the last ten years, I could count the times on one hand.

He was like me—an extremely free spirit.

[I once had a former master like that. After contracting me, he left me locked inside a metal ball. Then he yelled at me, saying a metal spirit was useless!]

“What? Someone like that existed? Only ‘I’ get to yell at you!”

[That’s what I’m saying! That master had several spirits, so he didn’t care about me and had no idea what to do with me. I’m incredibly versatile! At least Master takes me everywhere…]

This brat was seriously holding a grudge against his previous master.

He never talked about it, so I never thought to ask. But it wasn’t because it was a good memory—it was because it ‘wasn’t.’

[He must’ve forgotten about me completely. Left me for over twenty years! Then he must’ve died somewhere because I suddenly got reverse-summoned. Total waste of time in the middle realm.]

“Oof.”

[I know I’m a special type, so forgetting me entirely is possible… but still, if you contract a spirit, treat them with a little sincerity. Humans always forget we have emotions too. Elves and dwarves don’t forget that.]

Listening to him complain reminded me of something earlier.

“Hey—about that spirit sealed in a ring you mentioned. The one who went insane. Was that… you?”

[No. It was another spirit who got abandoned with me. That one is probably still trapped in that ring. Sealing a spirit’s soul is unspeakably cruel. They go insane inside forever.]

“Well, your old master must’ve been some genius. No one nowadays even knows how to seal spirits anymore. Actually, it’s good that method died out.”

[I don’t like talking about him. He wasn’t a good master despite his talent. Too much of a genius—he wasn’t mentally stable. Treated spirits like trophies. Collected them but didn’t care for any.]

“Yeah, I can picture the type.”

Someone like Rovenin, maybe?

Blinded by their own talent, unable to see anything else.

Someone who dove deep into one field but remained an absolute child in all others.

[We spirits want to repay affection when we’re loved. But humans only see us as tools. Remember when Undine asked you for something? It wasn’t a big request, but that alone means everything. It means Undine trusts you deeply.]

“…I don’t get it. What benefit do ‘I’ get from having her ask me for favors?”

[The benefit is closeness. Spirits are supposed to obey, but Undine asked a ‘favor’ because she trusts you—not fears you. If Master told her to, Undine would run into fire.]

“What? Why would that translate into that?!”

Whoever thought spirit arts were simple?
Oh, right—me, before choosing my major.

Nothing could be this deep.

Of course controlling another world’s living, emotional power wouldn’t be easy.

[Ahh, you’re still clueless! A spirit only dares ask a favor if they’re certain their master loves them. Otherwise, they’d never dare.]

“Ah.”

[And that certainty is what pushes them past their limits. You’ll see things you’ve never seen before…]

“Rai, ‘you’ ask favors all the time. I want this, I want that, can I do this, can I do that? So what—does that mean you’re sure I love you and you’re trying to push my limits? Hm?”

[…Heheh?]

I had heard of cases.

Cases where spirits disobeyed their masters. Surprisingly common—usually when a spirit feared for its own safety. They’d prioritize themselves over the master.

It sounded trivial, but repeated disobedience was fatal to a spirit mage.

The solution was simple:

Build affinity and trust with the spirit.

But most spirit mages were too busy gathering mana and practicing techniques to worry about emotional bonds.

Which was why many talented ones chose to become mages instead—spirit arts were too risky.

Having your own power betray you was a horrifying experience.

My spirits, on the other hand? Far from rebelling—they went out on their own to get torn up by Aura Blades and block dragon breath.

So I assumed all spirits were like that.

Maybe I saved a nation in my past life?

I didn’t remember, though…

[Undine loves Master because Master gave her affection. Same with me. We don’t follow our master blindly just because they’re our master!]

“Hmph.”

[Master, our worth never changes. This ring is the same. Its value depends entirely on the one who uses it. Don’t make the same mistake as my old master. Of course, Master is a very good—]

“…Sorry, but. You ‘are’ hard to use.”

[…Unbelievable! This is where you’re supposed to comfort me! It was a touching moment! Master really has no sense of mood!]

I picked at my ear.

“And you whine a lot, make tons of demands, never get tired, love teasing your master, cling to me all day, and disappear the moment I ‘need’ you. Remember? When I was ten and fell off that cliff, you weren’t there. When I got kidnapped, you weren’t there…”

[Let’s stop, shall we? So what experiment are we doing next?]

“What, I wasn’t done yet.”

[No! That’s plenty!]

He was a master at changing the topic. Rai noisily insisted we try something else, but there wasn’t anything left to try.

…Actually, there was one thing.

“Should we try it? If this doesn’t work, the ring’s a dud.”

[What is it?]

I stared down at the ring on my right index finger, then quietly clenched my fist.

Then I thrust it into the air.

“Transform!”

[…]

Sometimes silence hits harder than any sound.

Like now.

“Knew it. Doesn’t work.”

[What… was that?]

“I thought it might work since I’m a magical-girl warrior.”

This wasn’t the first time Rai had seen me being an idiot, so it didn’t faze him.

We were like family—no amount of stupidity surprised either of us anymore.

[Master does things I can’t comprehend sometimes…]

“Fell for me?”

[You have… idiot-charm? But that makes you even better! I’ve never met a human who never gets boring!]

“That’s not a compliment!”

[Ahh! Genius!]

While we were messing around, the surroundings had grown dark.

A small disappointment crept in.

I’d wanted to uncover the ring’s identity before reaching the capital, but it looked unlikely.

What if I couldn’t figure it out even in the capital?

Should I find an expert?

But I wanted to keep this ring a secret. If it took longer, that was fine—I preferred discovering its secrets myself.

One of my philosophies was: Hide your power.

It reduced the chances of getting dragged into annoying trouble. People always called on you if you could do too much.

And besides—
there was such exquisite satisfaction in crushing someone who underestimated me.

[Master?]

“I know.”

I felt it too.

Someone coming this way… and there was only one person who could appear without a sound like that.

“Ash, dinner—”

“Gah! Make some noise when you walk!”

He walked in through the doorway, and I shouted so loud ‘he’ ended up looking more startled.

I glared.

“I’m not joking. I’m serious. Make noise when you approach!”

What if I’m doing something suspicious?!

I slid my ringed hand behind my back and tried to pull the ring off—
but for some reason, it wasn’t coming off. Maybe it was my awkward angle.

“Sorry. I’ll make sure to announce myself next time. I didn’t expect to startle you this much.”

“Good. What’s that you’re holding?”

“I went far to find some herbs good for internal injuries.”

“You didn’t go far ‘because’ you wanted herbs, right?”

“…These should be taken before dinner. Drink it before you eat, Geenie.”

Few men looked gentle when they smiled like drifting dandelion fluff.

And this guy always brought medicine.

I lowered my hand so the ring was out of sight and accepted the bowl. It looked… extremely thick.

It was still bubbling a little, and as with most medicine good for internal injuries, it was an appetite-killing bright yellow.

“You… run an herbal shop as a hobby?”

“Not exactly, but I am interested. Nothing treats everyone equally regardless of status like herbs do.”

Was this the third? Fourth time he’d brought me medicine? I’d lost count. I ‘did’ get injured often…

“Waugh—ugh, the smell alone is intense! Ash, this is on the level of testing my love for you.”

Even though my face twisted in disgust, he still smiled gently and urged me softly.

I was too weak against him. When did this happen?

“Just… please don’t throw it away.”

How could he say that—with those impossibly affectionate eyes fixed solely on me?

I had no choice.

I used my ultimate skill: ‘Drink without breathing!’
…except I almost spat it back out immediately.

Even without breathing, the taste was so foul I nearly died. A flavor so vile it made my vision dim.

The only miracle was not spraying it onto Ash’s face.

“Ughh—kkkhh…”

As I barely resisted the urge to vomit, doubt flooded my mind.

What was the point of medicine being more painful than the injury?
I hadn’t even finished half the bowl and already my stomach heaved. I had to clamp a hand over my mouth.

This was a taste that made internal injuries feel ‘pleasant’ by comparison.

I was never one to exaggerate, so this medicine was truly that awful.

“Geenie? What is—!”

As I desperately held my lips shut, Ash suddenly grabbed my hand—
the hand wearing the ring.