The Golden-Haired Summoner - Ch. 7
Fine, I’ll do it myself!
Why had I forgotten that I could manage without being taught?
It was because I lacked resolve. But now, with the realization that all I needed to do was act, I feigned a look of eagerness.
“That lesson was difficult, wasn’t it? I want to review it again!”
“…It wasn’t particularly difficult, though?”
If I didn’t remember it, then it must have been difficult! Or maybe I just dozed off a bit.
“Still, I’d like to hear it again! Theory lessons are important, after all.”
Master Yael, looking slightly awkward, opened the thick Spirit Studies textbook he was so proud of.
“If it’s the lesson from that time, let’s see… Ah, here it is. Contract circles are divided into four main shapes. First, the Wind Spirit summoning circle, which includes these characters on this side. These are Spirit Runes. For Fire Spirits, the rune for fire is placed on the right, left, and the center… Miss Geenie, are you following so far?”
Ignoring Master Yael, who was writing simple Spirit Runes on the chalkboard, I stole a glance at his thick textbook.
I wanted to see what the contract circles looked like, but they turned out to be simpler than I expected.
Compared to the contract circle I’d seen in the academy library three years ago, this one was far more basic.
I began to wonder if what I saw back then wasn’t a contract circle after all. The more Master Yael explained, the more I realized how unique that circle had been.
“Using the four words representing fire, water, wind, and earth, the summoning circle determines the attribute of the spirit being called. From there, they are further categorized into lower, intermediate, advanced, superior, and Spirit King levels.
Among these, the contract circles for Spirit Kings and superior spirits are almost completely lost, making contracts with them practically impossible… Yes, Miss Geenie, you have a question?”
When I, who was usually too busy trying to nap during class to even think of asking questions, raised my hand high, Master Yael looked at me with a surprised expression.
“So, there are sixteen total summoning circles, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct. However, among them, seven contract circles for Spirit Kings and superior spirits are so damaged that some believe they’re irretrievable.”
“Then what does it mean when there’s only one contract circle drawn?”
The book I saw back then had only a single contract circle depicted.
Aside from that, there were just illustrations of lower spirits.
“Just one? Hmm, well, this summoning circle system has been developed over 8,000 years to be systematic and safe… Ah, in ancient times, there was only one universal contract circle. From that, the current circles were derived. Where did you hear about this?”
“So it really was just one! Then why did they split it into sixteen? Wouldn’t one have been more convenient?”
“That’s an excellent question. The ancient summoning circle couldn’t specify the spirit to be summoned. You had no way of knowing which spirit would respond to the call.”
“A random system?”
“Hmm, not exactly random. It depended on which spirit resonated with the summoner and felt inclined to respond.
But it wasn’t very efficient. Many attempts failed, and sometimes dangerous spirits were summoned into the world. If someone with evil intent performed the summoning, a malevolent spirit could appear.”
That was actually fascinating.
Why hadn’t he taught me something this interesting earlier? What had Master Yael been doing all this time? This is why everything on exams is useless.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Master Yael, perhaps delighted by my rare attentiveness, enthusiastically shared everything he knew.
“In those ancient days, a wicked individual attempted to summon a spirit with malicious intent. The spirit that responded was known as the ‘Curse Spirit,’ a being so unique that it was the first of its kind among the countless spirits of the era. The Spirit Summoner who formed a contract with the Curse Spirit went on a rampage, committing unspeakable atrocities. It was a catastrophe akin to summoning a demon lord.”
“There’s such a thing as a Curse Spirit? I thought there were only the four elemental spirits.”
“There are. Beyond the elemental spirits, there exist spirits that human mental fortitude cannot possibly control.
Only beings with immense strength, like dragons, can handle spirits such as the Spirit of Death. Spirit Kings are similar—they’re almost like gods.”
“…The Spirit of Death sounds practically invincible.”
“Invincible? Well, you could say that. But the summoner who contracted the Curse Spirit died within a year. The Curse Spirit was an entity of the dark attribute rather than light. They don’t consume the summoner’s mana but instead feed on their life force. They’re exceedingly dangerous beings, similar to demons. As for the Spirit of Death, we don’t even possess the lifespan necessary to summon it.”
I had always imagined spirits as fluttering, fairy-like creatures, adorable and harmless. But apparently, some could be quite sinister.
It made sense, though. Just as there are good people, there are also bad ones.
“When the existence of dark spirits became known to the Spirit Society, the leaders conducted extensive research to create the sixteen contract circles we use today.
This was an effort to ensure stability. There’s even mention of nine additional contract circles being developed, but their whereabouts remain unknown. Many have been lost, largely because the number of Spirit Summoners has drastically decreased compared to the past.”
“Oh, I know this! It’s because the golden age of humanity came to an end, and the number of people born with affinity dropped sharply. This led to the rise of mages who didn’t require affinity, which in turn diminished the status of Spirit Summoners. On top of that, spirits started avoiding contracts with humans, making things worse, right?”
“Well, it seems you haven’t been completely inattentive in class.”
“Spirits avoid humans because we die too quickly compared to other races and overwork them. That’s what we call ‘passion pay.’”
“…Passion, what?”
“Passion pay.”
“I’ve never heard of such nonsense.”
It means working them extremely hard for very little compensation!
I shrugged instead of giving a detailed explanation and asked what I was curious about.
“By the way, about that ancient spirit contract circle—can it still be used? Is it completely out of use these days?”
“Well, yes. While it might be possible to find a sample for academic purposes, it’s practically useless. It’s a summoning circle that can’t actually summon spirits. Ironic, isn’t it?”
“A summoning circle that doesn’t summon spirits?”
“The Curse Spirit had such a profound negative impact on the human world that spirits now avoid forming contracts through that route. Some say the Spirit Kings themselves regulate it.”
“Regulate? Not ban?”
“The Spirit Realm operates differently from our world. It doesn’t have laws but rather guidelines. Think of nature—it’s the same. It’s free, and everything flows naturally.
Does nature have laws? No. Of course, since spirits are intelligent beings, they likely have their own ‘taboos,’ but we can’t claim to understand all the workings of the Spirit Realm.”
“So, if someone used that ancient summoning circle now, could another Curse Spirit appear?”
Master Yael shook his head lightly as if amused by the idea.
“That’s impossible nowadays. There aren’t any evil or powerful humans strong enough to summon a Curse Spirit in the modern age. Back then, it was possible because the world was teeming with demonic energy. What we call the ‘ancient era’ marks the end of that time when the Demon World, Celestial World, and Human World were all intertwined.”
“Oh, I see.”
“After the Demonic War, where the demons suffered a resounding defeat, they’ve barely been able to infiltrate the human world.
The numerous temples built to block their paths and suppress demonic energy serve this purpose.”
So it’s something that could only have happened in the ancient times—a world that might as well be a myth.
Back then, half-bloods between humans and demons were common, and human strength was said to be incomparable to what it is today.
It was said that even 8th-class mages, who are now nearly nonexistent, were once a fixture in every city. That alone shows how vast the difference was.
There were even humans who could wield magic, swordsmanship, and spirit summoning simultaneously and rival dragons.
Perhaps the harsh environment of what celestial and demonic beings called the “Intermediate World” forced humans to evolve to such strength to survive.
But as the war ended and peace prolonged, humans ironically became weaker. Like herbivores that no longer needed to run fast without predators, humans grew complacent.
With fewer strong humans, countless summoners and practitioners fell into obscurity or extinction. Spirit Summoners barely managed to survive, hanging on by a thread.
I became confident that what I had seen in the library was indeed an ancient spirit contract circle.
An outdated summoning circle, one that could summon who-knows-what. Most likely, nothing would appear at all.
“Oh, look at the time. Let’s continue with the lesson… Miss Geenie? Miss Geenie! Where are you going?”
I ignored Master Yael’s desperate voice calling out to me as I ran toward the library.
The fact that the lesson had just started was of no interest to me.
“Miss Geenie!”
—
“Where are you, Mia?”
I peeked my head into the Alchemy Class and called for Mia.
Mia, seated at a lab bench near the door, turned her head toward me. Her face lit up with joy as she hurried over.
It was rare for me to seek her out first.
It wasn’t because I disliked Mia—it was just pure laziness.
“Oh! Geenie? What brings you here?”
“I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
Mia removed her gloves, which were soaked in some unidentifiable liquid, and looked at me with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes.
“So, uh, do you have any mana concentrate? Just a little bit?”
“Mana concentrate?”
“Yeah. You’re in the Alchemy Class, so you always have some, right?”
“Well, I do… but I need it for my experiments. It’s a basic and essential ingredient used in nearly every experiment.
It’s expensive, too, and the school only provides a fixed amount each month…”
Ugh, so no freebies, huh?