53 Episode 52: Those who wait ahead (2/2)

(... I hope we find him soon)

My consciousness falls to the edge of my dreams as I stroke the spiritual stone, which still has no response.

... For a while, wandering along the edge of my sleep, I woke up with an odd voice.

It opens its eyes when it hears a voice as if it is laughing and whispering, as if it has not uttered a word.

Then I hear voices apart from whispers. That's Yufi's voice. Quiet, singing a song to mumble something.

”... Ufi?

I thought, ”Why the song?” I looked at it and I opened my eyes.

Yufi is singing. That's good. However, Uffi's eyes were out of focus and vain as if he were a sleepwalker.

It's unusual to be singing a song at that rate, and a muttering song is an unfamiliar song. I accidentally shake Yufi's shoulder.

”Ufi!?”

When I grab my shoulder and shake it, I focus my eyes properly like Uffi was hacked.

”Huh...? Oh, yeah? Um, Master Anis...?

”What's wrong!? Conscious!?”

”... sorry, it's a little blurry”

Hold your face with one hand and Uffi will shake your neck to the left and right. Until just now, Uffi's condition was unusual. I get worried unexpectedly and measure my pulse, and I keep my forehead together to see if I have a fever.

Still, there were no particular anomalies, and the consciousness seemed clear.... I wonder what that was.

”Me, I'm blurry and I have memories along the way... sorry”

”No, I didn't feel just tired... okay?

”Yes. I don't feel any particular anomaly.... What was it?

”... even demons that cause mental interference lurk? If we can move, shall we leave here immediately? Can you move?”

”Yes, I'm fine”

Then I started traveling to rush Uffi, but oddly enough, if Uffi's consciousness went to the back, it grew to the point of going.

At first I also wondered if I was tired or if there were demons that use strange magic. But there's no sign of that. I feel constant signs of demons, but no sign of them coming this way.

... That's a funny story too. How can you not encounter demons in the depths like this? It's been a long time since I've been in the back so far, and even more so, I find it strange to say that it's after the stampede.

”... Yufi, where did you hear that song?

”... song, is it?

”Is that unconscious, too? It's the first song I mumbled when I was blurry...”

”No, I have no idea...”

”... you have no idea?

I mentioned strange things up to Uffi, so even if I try to imitate the melodies I have learned to hear, Uffi just shakes his neck left and right as confused.

”... what is it?

”Speaking of anomalies... Dear Anis, this is a swarm of spirits, isn't it?

”Right. The black forest is rich in spiritual stones, which paradoxically means there are plenty of spirits.”

”... the voice of the Spirit is loud here. At first I thought it was my fault, but my voice grew louder and louder.”

”... the voice of the Spirit?

”It's the first time I've heard it so clearly. It's not a word that makes sense, but it's got a laughing voice in my ear...”

Is that the voice I heard too? So, was that the voice of the Spirit? I don't really know the signs of the Spirit or the voice... but can Uffi feel it?

”Do you know which way I go makes the Spirit's voice louder or something?

”... Yes, I think you'll see”

”Let's go a little further into the back. So if it's going to have a negative impact on Uffi, let's turn back.”

”Turn back... you haven't met with the Spirit Contractor yet, have you?

”I'm more afraid that Uffi will be unwell. Then I figured I'd go back in alone...”

Though Yuffi frowned at her dissatisfaction, she probably feels that her condition is not normal. I have nothing to complain about.

And it was when I tried to get back on my mind and move on to the Oz.

”Oh, you've got some funny kids here if you think it's a little noisy.”

My chest is glowing. If you think of it, that's because the spiritual stones you kept from your father were emitting light.

The voice that has echoed at the same time belongs to the girl. The girl, who showed herself out of the darkness of the woods, is smiling lightly.

She has strange eyes with mixed colors and shaking eyes with long platinum hair that seems to cling to her heels. The skin is white by the time it is pathological and doesn't feel humane overall.

”... what about you?

”Oh, you're here to see me, aren't you? You're Orphans' daughter, aren't you?“ A rare child. ”

”Then you are the Spirit Contractor's...”

”Will you not call me by such a long title? LUMI... Yes, LUMI is good.”

The girl named Rhumi as a pain in the ass shrugs her shoulders. I do not feel that careless attitude is the temperament to try to get in touch with people in preference.

”...... I'll catch your eye first. My name is Ufilia Magenta. She is the daughter of the Duke of Magenta family. This is His Majesty Orphans, daughter, Princess Anisphere Wynn Palettia.”

Uffi takes a step forward, as he regained his mind, and goes forward and names him. Lhumi then blinks his eyes several times.

”Ah. You're that Grants' daughter. Hmm?”

”... you know my father?

”To the extent that we know each other's faces. Yes... I don't have that girl's daughter. I can't argue with blood. Hey. It would have been hard to come here, too. This place is special. It's full of spirits.”

Llumi laughs strangely when she dulls.... but young. It can only be seen as much or as little as we do. However, my skin gets poppy. I feel that it's not what it looks like.

I don't know if this is more about human beings than human beings...... is it my fault that I feel close to demons?

”... Though I tell you to go home if you're going to argue?

”... I'm sorry. Are all spiritual contractors as inexperienced as you? It bothers me if I think so. I apologize if I offended you.”

”Hmm?... So? He wanted to see me in a letter from Orphans, but what the hell can I do for you?

”I want to hear about spiritual covenants”

Then the signs of Rhumi, who was careless, turn into even more careless, then rejecting. He has an obvious frown and a look on his face that just says it's unpleasant.

”... did you come all this way to ask me that? I was wondering if you could come home.”

”Become!? Please wait!

”There's nothing to talk about.”

”- Is that because the Spirit covenant makes you lose everything?

I ask as I step forward to control the panicking Uffi and turn my gaze to the Rhumi to be challenged.

To my inquiry Lhumi made a decent face that was distorted uncomfortably, and distorted his expression and laughed out.

”Oh! Oh! Who the hell wrote that down? In this country? That's what's left of it? Oh, forbidden book, could it have been forbidden? There was still something like that left! Look at that, Sang, you came looking for me? Would you be foolish?

”We didn't know anything about the spiritual covenant because we just told them what the book was about. I don't know anything, so I'm here to make sure.”

”Make sure. What are you going to do?

”Nothing.”

”... nothing?

Llumi stares at me in surprise. Its colour captures strange eyes as they try to see me.

”Certainly I came to listen to you because I wanted to know the Spirit covenant. But if spiritual covenants are harmful to people... I don't want anything”

”…………… Are you the son of a” rare man ”? Don't you want it?”

”... what is that rare person?

Speaking of which, when you call me, Lyumi calls me a rare child, but I wonder what the hell that shows. If asked on top of each other, Rhumi answers with a stare at me without distracting himself from his gaze.

”Answer me if you want me to. You really don't want a spiritual contract? Because... you can't use magic, can you? Yet a royal child? Then you don't want it? Because magic is the symbol of authority in this country.”

”You know I can't use magic because I'm a spiritual contractor?

”If you want me to answer that, answer my question.”

”... I wish I could use magic. But even if you can't use it, you can be king, and you can create something to replace it. That's why I'm here to find out. Whether spiritual covenants are what I need.”

”... be king in this country of habits that can't use magic? Produce a substitute? Are you serious?

”This is one of those things.”

I will pull out the celestial and show it to the Rhumi. With magic, the fullness of light is formed.

Llumi, who sees it, turns her eyes round and reveals her surprise. And stare at me again.

”... it's, what?

”A tool that only magic can substitute for magic. This is my“ magic, ”the magic of using the Spirit Stone without going through the Spirit to mediate. It's a magic technique. This is only a sword, but with this magic, I also made magic props that fly in the sky.”

”Let the sky... fly? People don't have wings?

”Fly. That's magic.”

Tighten your chest and tell them. So Spirit Contract is good if you can use it. You can drop me off if you're in danger. I stare straight at Rhumi to convey such thoughts.

He was a rhumi who kept his mouth shut with a strange face for a while, but he softened his expression all the time.

”... as good as it gets. You're even more unusual in” rare people. ”Interesting.”

”I answered, too. What's that rare guy?

”A rare man is one who does not have a spirit in his” soul ”and does not need it. That's why the Spirit doesn't speak to you. I don't give you magic.”

”... have no spirit in your soul...?

Unexpectedly my throat rings. I can't use magic because I'm a rare person with no spirit in my soul?

My heart starts pounding when I blurt. Does she know the truth that she's never been able to unravel? I don't mind if I think so.

”I mean, does that mean that people who can use magic have spirits in their souls?

”That's right. And magical skill varies dramatically in the width you can use and the upper limit of your power depending on how close you get to the Spirit. This is the identity of the miracle left by the first king of the Kingdom of Palletia. It is not the Spirit who helps royalty and nobility to use magic. Only those who can resonate with spirits all around them can follow them.”

Rhumi holds his index finger and waves it through the universe. That way the light will be created to follow, and that will be one form.

That's the light that pictured a small person, and the contour of his face is annoying, but he looks like he's laughing. That will disappear with dew if the Rhumi waves his finger again.

”... what's that now, Spirit?

”That's right. Small grain spirits have no will. But if I resonate with myself, gather it and bind it, I can make you conscious. If you subdivide your soul, you can do it like your own, right?

”That's not like magic...?

”That's the limit of human beings.”

Llumi smiles thinly. As if to mock, she mouthed “sole”.

”This is the privilege of the” Spirit Contractor ”. And the authority of the Great Spirit. The Spirit Contractor and the Great Spirit are not separate. 'Cause those two are the same thing.”