56 Episode 55: Contracts and Promises (1/2)

”Oh, you're back? It's not like we've been having a fancy fight.”

That's what Llumiel told me when I went back to Llumiel's residence with Yufi, who laid down his hips on the floor. The teasing attitude hasn't changed and he looks at us curiously.

We sit back in front of Llumiel so we can face back. It was from Uffi who cut the mouth fire.

”Rhumiel, I'd like to ask you to teach me about spiritual contractors. Will you not give me that wisdom?

”Hmm? Stop being so human. But you want to be king?

”Yes, otherwise the throne is far from me, and the dream I want to accomplish will not come true unless I become king”

”Dreams, hey. What the hell do you want to achieve?

”Have a new era. … I want to put an end to the lessons of the old days correctly in order to take over from Ennis to a new era.”

Llumiel stares at Ji and Yufi. Its mixed colored eyes reflect Uffi. Uffi takes that gaze head-on without being frightened.

Then the colour of Llumiel's eyes shows a change. It returns to one color so that the mixed colors blend together. Its colour is deep blue, reminiscent of the sea.

”I once destroyed my father, who became king of madness as the people wished. I can't say that you're not going to be one of those two dances. Yes, I've been bound to the end of a spiritual covenant“ a wish that would otherwise not be fulfilled ”. Face the Spirit who dwelled in you, pursuing only its essence, and shredding away everything”

”Yes.... that's why I want to be the last one. We may not be able to shed light on all the facts and truths, but people still need to know.”

”Know what? Knowingly the people may seek a new sacrifice. Who can tell you not to ask God for a convenient king? There are truths you shouldn't know.”

Close your eyes and Rhumiel tells Uffi. I feel signs similar to quiet anger. The light behind my eyes is shaking as if the pale flame were shaking.

”... Llumiel. You may be surprised now, but please ask.”

”Hmm?”

”That's not what I knew.”

”What?”

Llumiel looks like he's been taken aback. I accidentally opened my mouth and watched Uffi too.

Uffi stays flat and keeps spinning his words pale.

”If you want to seek God, you can do so. That's not what I found out. Because I haven't said a word about becoming a god. I will be king, but that consists of me wanting to be. It's not like I want to be someone's god, and I don't need to hear what you have to say. If you don't like it, you can set up a new god.”

”... Ufi?

That? Yufi was such a freaking kid to say!? Oh, but I might say...? Was this what I looked like when I was a student...?

”I just don't recommend it as a national teaching. If you want endorsement on that, you just have to prove it by your own deeds. If that is to be the voice of the people, if you want it from me, then it is time for me to leave the kingdom without having to take over. So if you want to be a god, let's give it back.“ Did you know that? ”

”... did you find out?”

”This country has already been saved. I can't figure out how things were in the past, either, but I certainly don't have a chopped crisis. The people live healthy and the nobles are filled with wealth. It is also all due to the reign of a man who is not God. At the earliest opportunity, we don't need God in this country. Yet seeking God, etc., and that seems to me to be the extreme of decadence. Why should we reach out even if we shelter such a people?

”... does that mean trumpeting a people who want God?

”No. It's not worth dealing with, that's all. You can ask for it if you want. So if you call the country a disaster, it is a rebel. If I had seen the tragedy and yet sought the danger of inadvertently seeking God, I would never have seen the deed done.”

Yufi ran out of words to be nothing and moved her gaze to me.

”People can pursue happiness without having to rely on God. I have learned from Anis that it is possible to build a new era that is impossible. It is then that I will be the representative of the former king to guide the people. The old days will end with a king named me.”

”... some people think you've been betrayed?

”Betray? What? Expectations? Then you just have to accomplish it yourself. The Spirit will respond if you pray. If that wish is sincere, let the path of the Spirit's covenant be paved by itself.”

”So what if a spiritual contractor was born that didn't do it for the people?

”I will defend my country with all my might.”

Llumiel has silenced himself in Yufi's response. And distorted my lips. There was a loud laugh from his lips.

Rhumiel is laughing down to the point where his breathing becomes painful as he holds his belly. After laughing out to the point where she was a little worried, Llumiel corrects her posture as she wipes her fingers with the tears that floated.

”Oh, I'm sorry. It's crazy...”

”Did I say something so strange?

”No, I don't think so.... Oh well. If you want to be happy, be yourself. That's the new era you want.”

”Yes.”

”... if that's the“ essence, ”your daughter will be fine. You will never step off the path like my father, nor will you ever be like me. You should stick your chest out and go back as a spiritual contractor.”

”Thank you. Now I'd like you to teach me how to do that spiritual covenant...”

”Hmm? Aren't we done already?

”Huh?”

”To?”

”... Huh?

... silence falls. The three of us looked at each other and we became silent.

”... are you done?

”Huh. I've already finished my contract with the Spirit, young lady”

”Huh!?”

”You didn't notice?

”... Specifically, how do you exchange contracts?

”It's an exchange of magic. At the price of his magic, he receives his magic by manifesting the manifestation of the Spirit, a mirror that goes hand in hand with the Spirit within him. So a great spirit is already born in your daughter's soul. I think I can feel the signs if I'm conscious. Besides, we've been talking for a long time, haven't we? You look better than you did when you got here, don't you?

”What!? If you think Yufi is alive enough just now, it's the effect of a spiritual covenant!?”

I'm circling my eyes like Uffi surprised me. He wasn't conscious at all. Speaking of which, it's like he said the magic was restless and fluffy or something.

Was that when the Great Spirit was born within him and the magic was replaced with the usual magic, he didn't calm down?

”... I don't have any particular sense of change.”

”That's why I told you. Originally, he said he was spiritual. It's not that different.”

”... but it changes, doesn't it?

”Originally, spirits don't have flesh. That's why I tend to be greedy about what I want. That's more than you can handle. Of course, my father, many spiritual contractors hide in some distress where their temperament is not understood by the people around them. The longer you spend, the more uneven you'll feel with people.”

”... become greedy”

Hey, I think Uffi saw me all the time. I had a bad feeling that I couldn't help but look at that instant and shook my body for the first time.

”If it's your daughter's case, that seems to have meshed well. How hard did your parents hurt you? I don't think I feel the same way about my weakness as a human being as a spirit.”

”... is this a place to rejoice?

”Well. It's up to you to decide that, from me.”

Llumiel laughs as she flaunts her shoulders. Yufi doesn't seem to be an interpreter, but he's convinced for now.

... so I was listening to Lumiel's explanation and could be a little concerned.

”Lumiel, I'd like to ask you one thing...”

”Hmm?”

”... can a spiritual covenant do something similar to a demon?

”Hmm? I'll ask you a strange question. I think a demon with a demon stone in his body can theoretically do it. I just don't think that's possible.”

”Why?”

”The Spirit becomes a match mirror for a man's wishes, but the demon is what lives by instinct, isn't it? If you're not a demon like that, you can't get to the point where you can make a deal.”

”... like a dragon or something?

”Right. Anyway, if it's a young dragon, if it's more dragons than Cheng Long, isn't it possible?

”What if? If something similar happened to the Spirit Contract, would we stop being human after all...?

”I've never heard of such an example.”

I don't know what that means, Rhumiel tilts his neck as he says. Then Yufi's jittery gaze pierced him from next door.

”... what if I told you that the real example was me?

”............ what?

I decided to give an overview of the engraving to Llumiel with my eyes rounded.

Llumiel, who was half-hearted at first, also tested me in surprise when he actually saw my engraving. And I said this as if I were frightened.

”Are you crazy?

”I'm going to be sane myself!?”

”Then a rare fool, I wonder if he's a genius... Oh, don't worry. While it is true that your engraving, it is also grossly similar to a spiritual covenant to exchange demon stone magic for your own magic, it is only temporary. You can't stop being human if you don't accept it completely. Just...”

”... just?

”You're so fond of me. In the meantime, if I accidentally become a dragon, I'll point it at you and laugh at you.”

”... I mean, there's a lot of potential for you not to be human.”

”It's less likely than a spiritual covenant, but you can't say you don't. You're the only one I know.”

I think I've been told far away that I'm an idiot with no precedent. I thought it might be something like that, but could it be a dragon...

Something is itching on my back. It's like being laughed at by an engraving. What, even if it's will, it's still there, this... let's go over it properly, let's do that.

”Oh, you're really delightful kids.... Yeah, I made up my mind.”