Chapter 17
THE NECKLACE’S EFFECT definitely worked; Mira could feel her mana recovering faster. Suddenly, a question came to mind.
“By the way, this…Monster-Ruling God, was it? I’d like to ask some more questions about it, if that’s okay.”
The Monster-Ruling God had come up casually during their talk of Rieslein. It had led monsters that were stronger than any known at the time and had ruled over monsters none had ever seen before. Mira found it even more unusual than the Defense of the Three Kingdoms.
The Spirit King and Martel recalled those times to help answer Mira’s questions. They muttered to themselves—seemingly mystified—before revealing everything they knew.
“Looking back, what was the deal with that?”
“Right? There are many strange aspects to it, now that I think about it.”
First off, the Monster-Ruling God was a being whose identity remained unknown. They were a mass of darkness with a humanoid figure. It was as if a shadow had split off from a person and taken form. The god led powerful monsters and used their own special powers to create natural disasters.
After defeating countless monsters, the Spirit King and humanity’s champions had reached the god. But a single blow from one champion was all it took to slay the Monster-Ruling God…a real anticlimax. Once the monsters had lost their leader, they’d fallen into disorder and had been swiftly dealt with.
“In a way, I think the Monster-Ruling God was already near death,” the Spirit King said. “The mana I’d sensed from it was feeble. But those mana pulsations were like nothing I’d ever felt before. Looking back, I wonder… Humans and monsters should have similar mana, but that god and the monsters it led were all different than the usual.”
“I felt that too,” Martel agreed. “It was as if they’d come from a different world…”
That was the long and short of it. The main takeaway seemed to be that the Monster-Ruling God was an unusual being with an unclear goal.
“So many questions, yet no answers…” Mira mused.
Just who was the Monster-Ruling God? And what were the strange monsters they led? Martel’s claim that it seemed like they’d come from a different world hit especially hard for Mira, who had come from another world herself. However, there was no way to explain it, for the time being. The mystery only grew murkier.
Thinking about it on her own would help nothing, though, so she quickly gave up and switched her focus to the ease of use of her new ring.
“That’s one of Martel’s myriad treasures for you!” Mira was amazed by its features—the deployment speed and effective range of its ultimate defense, how it reacted when there were obstacles in its deployment range, and the like. It activated instantly. If there was anything in the way, the barrier itself would change shape. It had the power to push weapons away, too, perhaps as a result of Rieslein’s intense feelings.
While Mira experimented with the ring, her companions conversed.
“This isn’t all, is it, Martel?”
“Well, well. I can’t deceive you, Sym.”
What was the Spirit King referring to? What did Martel mean by “deceiving” him? Mira looked at them curiously.
Martel gazed back at Mira. She thought for a moment, then murmured, “I suppose you can’t be left out of this now that you have Sym’s blessing.” Then, she resolved herself and told Mira the truth.
The treasures here were but a decoy; she was protecting something much more important.
“I assumed as much,” the Spirit King said. “The items here aren’t valuable enough to appoint a progenitor spirit to guard them. So what is your real duty?”
It seemed he’d always known that these treasures were a sham; this wasn’t enough of a treasury to be worth her guardianship. Mira was obviously impressed with the treasures guarded by the progenitor spirit, but when the Spirit King said that, she put on a smug face to act as if she’d been suspicious as well. Unfortunately, her bluff didn’t work; they just rolled their eyes at her.
Dejected, Mira confessed that this was an effective ruse. She remembered how she’d heard of a similar scheme not long ago. Specifically, the treasure trove found beneath Nebrapolis. If one deviated from the normal route and went through several hidden doors, they would eventually reach the treasure trove. However, there was a mysterious chamber further beyond it. According to Solomon, the treasure was a ruse; they’d hidden what really mattered in the chamber.
This place seemed to work much the same way. Deep in a dungeon, beyond an intricate, hidden path, one of the highest-ranking spirits protected a treasure trove. Any other adventurer would be fooled into thinking this was the real treasure. But this time, there was someone present who truly knew Martel. He would not be deceived.
However, if this mountain of treasure wasn’t worthy of being protected by a progenitor spirit, what was? Could it be a divine item?! An artifact?! Could divine weapons or artifacts be sealed here?! What could be worth more than legendary treasure? It would have to be either a divine item with a god’s power within it, or an artifact with the power to achieve humanity’s dreams. Mira’s heart was full of excitement as she thought about merely seeing such an object, even for just a moment.
“I’m protecting the vessels of gods. The vessels of ‘the three,’ actually.”
Mira’s excitement swelled even more. Immediately after, she felt that something was wrong. She’d understood “vessels of gods” as “divine items,” but the way Martel said it bothered her. Would one say “the three” when referring to divine items? While questions came to mind, the truth was revealed.
“The vessels of gods? You don’t mean…” The Spirit King must have had an idea of what Martel meant, as he was clearly shocked. That was enough to make it clear to Mira that she’d misunderstood.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. The three gods most closely tied to this continent have entrusted me to protect their vessels. These vessels are necessary for the gods to reappear in this world.”
The Spirit King paused, then nodded in understanding. “I see. That’s important enough.”
Mira was stunned by the sudden grandiosity of it all, but she managed to grasp some meaning from the exchange. Vessels necessary for the descent of gods were common enough in fantasy stories. In fact, she had heard of them so often that the gravity of the situation didn’t hit her right away.
When it came to three gods who were closely related to this continent, they must have been referring to the Trinity. The Trinity were the most divine of all gods. Their vessels were indeed far more important than any other divine item or artifact. Indeed, they were truly worthy of being protected by a progenitor spirit.
According to Martel, they were hidden in the trunk of a large tree outside of her home. If humanity were ever brought to the brink of extinction, the Trinity would descend to become a pillar of support, to rescue them from their dilemma, and to prevent humankind’s end.
The Spirit King added that, like spirits, the Trinity were especially fond of humanity.
“Oh, I’m sure you know this already…but don’t tell anyone what I’ve just told you,” Martel said, putting a finger to her lips with a playful smile, despite the gravity of it. This was more than a national secret—it was an existential secret. Perhaps because of the Spirit King’s trust in her, she was aware that Mira was trustworthy.
Mira knew just how serious it was, so she immediately responded, “Of course. I’m well aware.”
The existence of godly vessels meant that there was a possibility that the Trinity worshipped by humanity could descend. If the Church of the Trinity knew about this, it could become an uproar that would envelop the entire continent. Depending on how events unfolded, they might even move to recover the vessels. That would be the worst idea, regardless of their intent.
If the locations of the vessels were known, they would become the perfect target for hostile forces when a war for humanity’s survival began. Foes would naturally try to stop humankind from using their trump card, and those efforts might not be preventable. If they lost the vessels of the gods, they would lose their final hope. Humanity would have no future.
The vessels would be safest here, in a tightly secured place under Martel’s guardianship, with humanity ignorant of its existence.
“That is an important mission…and you must carry it out alone, all the way down here…” Martel had spent so many long years protecting these vessels. “Don’t you get lonely?” Mira asked, genuinely concerned.
“Hmm, not really. We old spirits have lived so long that we’ve stopped counting, so it’s kind of like time isn’t real to us,” Martel replied with a smile. She wasn’t just trying to assuage Mira’s worries; she honestly didn’t seem to care.
“You get distracted, and then hundreds of years have suddenly passed,” the Spirit King added. “It’s more common than you think.”
It seemed spirits, especially those like the Spirit King, who’d lived since ancient times, had a weak grasp of time. Martel nodded in agreement. Apparently, it was just part of being nearly immortal.
Mira was exasperated at their boundless patience. Suddenly, the Spirit King looked to Mira with a joyful smile.
“But now that I’ve met Mira, I can feel the world through her, making every second of every day more exciting. Much has changed since the age I knew, but at the same time, so many things remain the same. This world is full of so many new, fun things that I’ve never experienced before.”
The Spirit King spoke to Martel with both childish pride and fatherly tenderness. He felt the world through the blessing he’d given to Mira and heard stories from his kin through her contracted bonds. The stories were especially helpful in understanding the current situation of spirits. The Spirit King laughed and added, again, that much had changed.
“Is that so? Well, that’s wonderful.” Martel smiled. Then, with just a hint of envy on her face, she confessed one thing: though she didn’t feel distinct loneliness, she had enjoyed meeting Mira, being reunited with the Spirit King, and chatting with them.
“Martel, make a contract with Mira. I will permit it.”
“What?!” Mira gasped, shocked at the Spirit King’s sudden proposal. Neither spirit seemed to notice her surprise.
His offer was too sudden for Martel, leaving her perplexed. “A contract? Is it right for me to be part of such an important bond?”
But the Spirit King laughed that off. “Yes, of course. Mira cares about us spirits. I haven’t known her for long, but I know that much. And that means that she wouldn’t dare abandon you!”
He enticed her mercilessly. Perhaps due to insight cultivated from living for eons, he had already intuited Mira’s feelings for Martel, just from her words and attitude. And he was right; though Martel had said that she felt no real loneliness, Mira understood that meant she felt just a little lonely. She’d definitely feel lonely if left all alone here, perhaps without even realizing it. Knowing this, Mira had wondered if there was any way to keep her from being all alone.
That was when the Spirit King suggested a contract—perhaps his words were directed at Mira, too, and not just at Martel.
“Mira has my blessing. You know what that means, right? If you contract with Mira, you can use that new link to learn about the modern world. You said it yourself: chatting with us has been fun, right? I feel the same way. We’re finally reunited, so let’s continue our idle chats.”
The Spirit King’s blessing had the power to link spirits in many ways. If Martel formed a contract with Mira, this new link would let her speak with the Spirit King, as well as communicate with all the other spirits Mira had contracts with.
Martel’s duty to protect the vessels meant she could not leave this place. But if she made a contract with Mira, she’d be able to see the world through Mira’s eyes.
It’s like a spirit Internet… Mira joked to herself, as she waited with bated breath for an answer to the Spirit King’s offer. She had no reason to object; if Martel agreed and made a contract with her, she’d be able to fix Martel’s loneliness issue and learn a new summoning technique. While her excitement for the latter was starting to overcome the former, this was still a win-win for Mira.
“I’ve never seen you be so forward, Sym,” Martel said teasingly.
“Was that forward?” he replied, remembering his remark. After a moment, he finally said, “Hmm. I guess so. That must be thanks to Mira expanding my horizons. I’m getting nostalgic for the old days, when I could feel my kin by my side.”
Before, when he could leave the Spirit Temple, the Spirit King had existed in this world and felt unified just through links to other spirits. No matter how far they were, he could feel the safety of his beloved family. There was nothing more reassuring than that.
He had been hopelessly far from it all in the Spirit Palace. But now, he could feel their presence through Mira, though only partly. That was the Spirit King’s greatest joy. He also added, with an awkward smile, that he’d feel more comfortable with Martel at his side—even if only through the link.
A summoning contract was often proof of a strong trust and relationship, but a strong bond could also be tied by force. Was it right to form such a bond with someone she’d just met? Martel worried. But if that was no problem, then she would be glad to make a contract.
“I understand. Mira, if you’re willing to have me, I would like to make a contract with you.”
The Spirit King turned toward Mira expectantly and waited for her response.
Of course, there was no problem with it. Though they’d just met, Mira already felt a strong affinity for Martel. And most of all, she had a profound trust for all spirits.
Mira accepted her modest proposal, beaming. “Please. I should be the one to ask you! Let’s get started!” she said, partly because she was excited to form a contract with a progenitor spirit, but also because she was glad that Martel hadn’t chosen solitude.
Quick, before Martel changes her mind, Mira thought to herself, rushing over. Then, she gently took Martel’s outstretched hand and activated the summoner skill of Contract Forging. The faint light of the contract abruptly turned into a blinding glow that surrounded Mira and Martel, sending rays of light running through the room.
“Nnh…! Progenitors are unusually flashy, I see!”
This reaction was even stronger than when Mira had contracted with the Spirit King’s own daughter, Sanctia. Her expectations grew even greater.
Enormous spiritual power burst and flowed from their hands. The power—so thick that it was visible—gradually melted into the light of the contract and overlapped with the current. Once the light and power had become one, flowers of all colors bloomed around them, filling the room. It was like a geyser of blossoms. Mira was drowning in floral arrangements. Immediately after, the flowers changed into particles of light, swirled around in a whirlpool, and were absorbed into Mira’s hand.
Ooh, it worked! The information for summoning her is flowing into my mind!
When summoning contracts were completed, information necessary to use it appeared in the summoner’s mind through unknown means. It was a strange sensation, as if it were information once seen in a dream but then forgotten. Then, it became a memory so vivid that it seemed to have been in one’s mind from the start, never to leave it again.
Mira expectantly recalled the memory. The first thing that came to her was astonishment. Her newly acquired technique, [Evocation: Plant Mother], was even more difficult to summon than Eizenfald, and that required four summoning circles. It was classified into a new category: Transcendent Evocation.
Transcendent Evocation… What could that be?
That was a technique unknown to even the greatest of all summoners. All that she could glean from the name that had popped into her mind was that this power was unprecedented. She was also instructed that she needed Astra’s Ten Rings, the sublimation of ten Marks of the Rosary.
How am I meant to learn that?!
Mira had thought she already knew the highest level of summoning, so of course, she didn’t know of any summoning circles that might go beyond that point. She tried asking the Spirit King and Martel, but it seemed they didn’t know the details themselves.
I’ll just have to figure it out myself, Mira resolved as she read the incantation. It was longer than that of any summon she’d used so far—as one should expect for a progenitor spirit. However, what really astonished her was the mana cost. This is just absurd… The necessary mana to summon Martel was, shockingly, over one million. That was two hundred times Mira’s maximum mana value, even with all of her specialization. It was staggering.
Progenitor spirits were second only to the Spirit King, whose power rivaled gods. That was too much power for humankind. Even the strongest mages, the Nine Wise Men, were beneath Mira; they could not wield her magic to the fullest.
But what if I could pay the fee? Think of what would be possible!
Despite her surprise, Mira was delighted by the immense mana cost. As with most spells, higher mana costs typically equaled stronger spells. Even Eizenfald only cost about 2,000 mana, making Martel five hundred times more expensive. Who wouldn’t expect great things from that?
What mattered most was that Mira had a way to generate enough mana to suit the cost. If she used her Hermit’s Cursed Eye, the technique necessary for her to be the One-Man Army she was, she could drag more than a million mana out of nature. However, the mana alone wasn’t everything. While Hermit’s Cursed Eye effectively meant that the user did not consume mana during its duration, it meant the user utilized the mana around them as their own. Would there be enough mana around her to pay that cost?
I may not be able to summon her yet, but this is one more trump card added to my collection. I’ll gladly take that.
This wasn’t a game; it was a world where death was real. Having another last resort in a life-or-death situation was always a good thing. To this point, Mira’s last resort was overwhelming power in numbers, but this new ability was the exact opposite: a single, overpowering presence in the form of a progenitor spirit. She couldn’t use it yet, but once she learned Astra’s Ten Rings, her adaptability would see an explosive rise. This made her both happy and grateful.
Excited by the vastness of the natural world, Mira focused on the connection being made between them.
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