Ch. 288
‘Should I go back to that Dungeon…?’ The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a place of immense value it had been. I was suddenly starting to regret it.
If it hadn’t collapsed by chance, scholars from all over the continent would have flocked to it, shedding tears of emotion at its mere existence. It would have been a place of great significance not only for Spirit Mages, but also for other mages and historians.
[What’s the point? It collapsed because of you, Master.]
“Because of me? It was because of the ring.”
[Even if you want to put it that way. It’s buried deep in the lake, so you can’t go there anymore, right? The books have probably disintegrated into pieces by now, don’t you think?]
“Couldn’t we rebuild the Dungeon with a high-ranking earth Spirit? As for the books, we could gather the pieces and have a mage restore them.”
How about it? A good idea, right?
When I winked brightly, Rai glared at me with clouded eyes.
[Master, you only say that because you’re not the one who has to do it… How long would it take to gather all those pieces! You must be the only one who treats mages like simple office workers!]
“Ahem.”
[And a high-ranking earth Spirit won’t be nearly enough! You’d probably need a high-ranking Water Spirit, too. I’d say you need to gather two high-ranking Spirits, or the earth Spirit king would have to come.]
“You always have to state the facts in a way that ruins the listener’s mood, don’t you?”
Just when someone is trying to hold on to a little hope, you go and shatter it to pieces.
Perhaps sensing he’d provoked me with my displeased gaze, Rai smoothly changed the subject.
[Come to think of it, Zekarda is an earth Spirit Mage, isn’t he? And you have Endairon, Master, so if you two combine your powers, it might be doable! But it’s not my fault if it doesn’t work!]
“Is that so? Right, there’s Zekarda. But he’s an intermediate-level Spirit Mage.”
[He has a higher chance of contracting a high-ranking Spirit than a human does. If you wait, you might be able to make use of him someday, don’t you think?]
“That sounds plausible. Good. When he comes back, I’ll have to tame him well and turn him into a slave who doesn’t know he’s a slave.”
As a token of gratitude for saving him, Zekarda had invited me to the Dark Elf village—though, of course, Zekarda’s thoughts on this matter were probably a little different from mine.
Anyway, when I was invited to the Dark Elf village, I had incredibly high hopes that I might find all the non-elemental Spirit formations I had been searching for.
But after actually talking to them, I immediately realized it was a lost cause.
The Dark Elves’ circumstances were different from ours, and they seemed to be largely unaware of the existence of things like non-elemental Spirit formations.
Zekarda’s attitude was one of not understanding why anyone would bother to create such a half-baked thing, and he was of the mind that if you wanted to summon a Spirit other than the four major ones, you could just use an Ancient Spirit Formation.
‘It’s because I can’t, you damn lucky Elves. How is that any different from telling someone to eat cake instead of bread.’
I learned that the Dark Elves, in accordance with the will of the Spirit kings, primarily handled the four major, stabilized Spirits, and that while they hadn’t destroyed the Ancient Spirit Formations, they rarely used them.
In the end, it meant I had to search for the non-elemental Spirit formations among humans.
If so, where were the remaining Spirit formations that I hadn’t found?
In the beginning, humans had created a total of nine non-elemental Spirit formations, but I only knew the whereabouts of four.
The lightning Spirit formation was broken the day I found it… I have to admit it. I am the god of destruction in this area.
The ice Spirit formation, I hid away with the intention of being the only one to use it.
The two half-destroyed Spirit formations I found in the jungle were stored in Rai’s belly, so they were as good as in my hands.
I was guessing they might be for the animal Spirit and the plant Spirit, but I couldn’t be sure until I tried summoning them. I would know for certain once the restoration was complete and I summoned the Spirits.
“Rai, how much of the Spirit Stone have you fixed? The one Anellia unnie gave me.”
[That one? It’s all done.]
“…What. Why are you only telling me now?”
[I finished it yesterday. But you told me not to say anything when you’re having one of your lovey-dovey moments with Ash… so I forgot.]
“Argh, is your head just for decoration?”
[It is for decoration.]
“You’re right.”
It was only shaped like a metal head; it didn’t actually contain a brain. It was a decoration.
[It was done when you were nagging Ash about his arm pillow being uncomfortable. I was bored just sitting there, so I worked on it.]
“Then I can summon a Spirit right now?”
[Well, I did my best to fix it, so the Spirit Stone itself is perfect. If it doesn’t work, that’s purely your fault, Master.]
“You’ve been hitting where it hurts lately. Where did you learn to talk like that?”
[Who do you think?]
“Me, I guess?”
Normally, I would have gotten angry right away, but today, I made a special exception and stroked his head.
[Huh…?]
“Good job.”
It was true he was annoying, but restoring the Spirit Stone was certainly something worthy of praise.
As I raised my hand, Rai, who had flinched and closed his eyes in preparation for a blow, looked utterly bewildered by my gentle touch.
His suspicious eyes, which remained on guard, unable to let go of the possibility that I might strike at any moment while pretending to praise him, were so crafty it was as if a person were inside.
“Relax. I’m really praising you.”
[Really…? Master, what’s gotten into you…?]
“What do you mean, what’s gotten into me? What a hurtful thing to say. Rai, you’re my precious…”
[Precious!]
“Money pouch.”
Can you feel it, my sincerity?
I opened the doors to my heart wide so that Rai could feel my feelings. Far deeper than the place I allowed Ash into.
[…I was about to be moved! Give it back. My emotion!]
“Whatever.”
[Still, it’s not bad! I like it.]
“That’s a relief.”
[Undine can’t be a money pouch, can she? And to humans, a money pouch is sometimes more precious than life itself. Ah, you seeing me as a money pouch is a compliment, right?]
Let’s just go with that. I gave a vague nod.
Anyway, his simplicity was his greatest asset. Though there were times I wanted to throw him away—aside from the fact that he was an infinite money pouch.
I was chatting idly with Rai when I decided it was time to get up and started packing my things. Just then, the people in the square began to stir all at once.
“What is it?”
[I think it’s because of that carriage.]
I put on the hood I had been using as a mat and looked in the direction Rai was pointing with the tip of his nose.
A carriage was entering the square, and despite signals to clear the way, people were flocking closer to it instead.
It seemed a celebrity had made an appearance.
It wasn’t very interesting to me, who was troubled by having people like Rovenin tripping over my feet. For one, I myself was the most famous person on the continent.
“Let’s go, Rai.”
I hated crowds, so I pulled the hood over my head and tried to leave.
[That carriage looks tasty….]
“No. Though I admit it does look appetizing.”
[My mouth is bored because I haven’t been eating properly lately! That carriage is perfect for a snack.]
“Perfect for getting caught, you mean. And you can stand to eat a little less.”
The large, imposing carriage, even from a distance, boasted a luxury that would make you believe it belonged to royalty.
My eyes weren’t deceiving me; the things glittering all over the carriage door were real jewels.
Moreover, with three flags bearing a family crest flying above the carriage roof, it would have been stranger if it didn’t stand out.
Only royalty or imperial family members could fly four flags on their carriages.
To so ostentatiously fly three meant that a Duke or a Marquess was inside, or at the very least, someone with that level of influence—even if their title fell short.
“Make way!”
Seeing even the coachman act so imperiously, a person of considerable power must be inside.
“Look over there! Looks like today’s my lucky day.”
“Isn’t that Theatrazen-nim’s carriage?”
“I heard he was abroad during the festival, but it seems he’s back.”
“He’s someone who dislikes commotion.”
I was dragging Rai by the hair, who was whining like a child begging for a snack, when I heard a familiar name from the crowd.
Theatrazen.
He was the most renowned Spirit Mage on the continent, known as the only high-ranking Spirit Mage among humans.
I was publicly known as nothing more than an intermediate-level Spirit Mage, and I was more famous as a symbol of sacrifice than as a SpiritvMage.
When people thought of the ‘most famous Spirit Mage,’ the first person that came to mind was not me, but Theatrazen.
In Heidrike, he was a figure who, along with Count Trenpe, commanded the respect of the people, and it was said that since Count Trenpe’s recent defeat by Rovenin, Theatrazen’s stock had risen even further.
I let go of Rai’s hair and turned my gaze back to the carriage.
[Right? It looks tasty, right?]
Spirit Mages were peculiar in many ways, making them a class whose strength was difficult to discern.
Unlike swordsmen or mages who drew their power from within themselves, the source of a Spirit Mage’s power lay in another world.
Even among fellow Spirit Mages, it wasn’t easy to gauge how strong an opponent was.
One could tell what kind of Spirit they handled by their scent, but the rest depended entirely on how sharply one had honed their senses.
Standing firmly on my two feet, I focused all my senses on the carriage passing in the distance. Then, I caught the faint scent of wind.
The scent seemed to grow stronger, and then at a certain moment, it suddenly and intensely dug into my senses, revealing a colossal shadow.
I felt myself standing in a wind that raged so violently it felt like an attack.
This was Theatrazen, the high-ranking wind Spirit Mage. The one uniquely called the Great Spirit Master.
“Why did it suddenly stop?”
“What is it? Is he getting out?”
“Theatrazen-nim!”
It was then that the carriage, which had been crossing the square, came to a sudden halt.
Just as I was staring intently with interest, licking my lips.
The curtain on the window was slightly drawn, and I felt a gaze looking in my direction.
[Master.]
[I felt it. It feels like he’s looking at me, right?]
[It’s not ‘like’ he is, he’s looking straight at us. He’s staring precisely this way.]
[Hmm, this old man is quite something, isn’t he? I guess he’s not called a Great Spirit Master for nothing.]
To notice my presence while passing by in a carriage.
And from this distance… it wasn’t just ‘quite something,’ I’d have to say it was amazing.
I let a smile show—just barely visible from under the shadow of my hood.