Chapter 15
A brisk but clear wind swept across her face.
Though it hadn’t been long since they had taken to the skies, the world below already looked distant.
Everything in the North that had tormented her now seemed small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.
The realization that she was truly leaving stirred a rush of heat in her body.
[Asila! You’re really with us now, right?!]
[I’m so happy we met again!]
[Kyaaah!]
[Asila is a contractor now!]
[Nyx is scary, but Asila is nice!]
The nymphs, once wary at the sight of the butterflies, now clustered around her like before, giggling as they nuzzled against her. Perhaps it was because Ledin was beside her that they felt safe again.
Still, the moment the butterflies stirred their wings threateningly, the nymphs squealed and scattered, hiding in her hair.
[You haven’t changed at all, nymphs.]
[Don’t cling so shamelessly to our contractor.]
[Asila, can we get rid of them?]
[Let’s go with a simple reverse summoning.]
Reverse summoning.
A forced return of spirits to the natural realm, triggered either when the contractor was too weakened to maintain the connection or the spirits were struck hard enough to destabilize their form.
That wasn’t something one did lightly.
Asila went pale and moved to stop the butterflies but before she could, the nymphs vanished on their own.
“I knew they wouldn’t just stand by and let that happen.”
Ledin shrugged, his gaze fixed on the butterflies perched on her shoulder.
[Tch.]
[Those pests had a contractor too, didn’t they.]
He cast a disapproving glance toward Nyx, who lightly fluttered his wings as if in irritation, then turned back to Asila, locking eyes with her.
His blue gaze gleamed with quiet seriousness.
“We’ll discuss it more thoroughly once we reach the Tower, but… Nyx is known to be a highly aggressive spirit. Until you’ve learned proper control, it’s best not to use his power. In most cases, contractors lose control right after forming the bond. But… you seem to be doing fine.”
…Lose control?
BOOM!
A thunderous crash, one that shouldn’t have been possible from this height, rang in her ears.
She wasn’t the only one who heard it. Ledin glanced down, then let out a deep sigh.
Asila followed his gaze, eyes widening.
She’d been focused on the spirits, and Jin’s movements had been so smooth she hadn’t noticed they’d slowed down.
Now, below them, she could see a massive tower standing amidst a snowy plain.
Surrounding it were several other buildings, all encircled by a dense forest of snow-laden fir trees.
It was immense. Now bathed in the red hues of sunset, the place looked even more mysterious and imposing.
The Spirit Tower, an independent institution unaffiliated with any kingdom or empire.
As she gazed down, spellbound, something unusual caught her eye.
“…What is that?”
From one side of the tower, a plume of ashen smoke was rising.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM!!
The explosion that followed was far louder than before. She swallowed dryly.
Was that what she’d heard earlier?
“…A lunatic has stormed the Tower.”
Asila blinked in shock at the uncharacteristically crude language from Ledin.
“Two days ago, he barged in, demanding we hand over the spirit contractor of darkness. Back then, we had no idea what he meant, so we focused on driving him out. But now… I think I understand. Contracting with Nyx is very different from any other elemental spirit. I’ll explain in more detail once we’re on the ground.”
“Kreee!”
Almost in answer, Jin let out a loud cry and immediately went into a steep dive.
There was no time to ask what was happening. All Asila could do was cling to Ledin’s waist, her knuckles turning white.
Dropping from such a terrifying height at such speed, straight down toward the Tower, was not something she would call a pleasant experience.
***
“Asila.”
By the time she came to her senses, Jin had already landed atop the tower.
Ledin, unbothered as if it were a routine affair, landed lightly and reached a hand out to her.
She took it and stepped down onto the rooftop.
His silver hair gleamed in the sunset light.
Before her, the door to the tower swung open.
“Welcome to the Northern Tower, Asila.”
“And I’m afraid I’ll need your help calming that lunatic down.”
The last part was a bit concerning, but she pushed the thought aside and took a deep breath.
Seeing the tower up close was entirely different from viewing it from afar.
This was a place she’d never once imagined she’d set foot in.
As she became aware of how tense she was, even though there was nothing to be afraid of now a faint, self-mocking laugh escaped her.
She had resolved to move forward without looking back. But the trembling in her hands reminded her she was still human.
“Asila?”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Only when Ledin called her name did she realize she’d stopped walking.
This tower was the place where her new beginning would take root. In a way, it marked her first step toward a life she had chosen for herself.
A strange, ticklish feeling she hadn’t known for years began to bloom in her chest…
BOOM! BOOM!!
…but it vanished the moment she saw firsthand the source of the thunderous explosions echoing all around.
“…Why is he looking for me?”
She asked the question in a trembling voice.
Ever since she’d contracted with Nyx, she had felt a power welling inside her.
She knew well just how overwhelming spirit magic could be in the hands of a skilled contractor.
Yes, she knew.
But this…
“He must have sensed the energy released when you formed the contract with Nyx. He believes we’re hiding a rogue spirit contractor and is acting on that assumption. We tried reasoning with him, but he wouldn’t listen.”
BOOM!
“We couldn’t even contact the Western Tower until now, as we were still trying to make sense of the situation ourselves. But now that you’re here, we’ll be fine.”
Asila stared at Ledin, stunned. His calm, smiling face belied the gravity of what he’d just said.
She turned her gaze to the scene unfolding before her, expression stricken.
Several buildings had been reduced to unrecognizable rubble. Black smoke billowed from what looked like multiple blast sites.
And at the center of it all, the destructive force of a single man was being held back by a thin silver barrier.
“…That’s…”
“The Tower Master’s power.”
Ledin pointed.
Not far from the barrier stood an elderly man with an outstretched arm.
Beside him floated Jin in a much smaller form.
“What about the other spirit contractors…?”
“They’re the sort who don’t care if the Tower collapses as long as their personal research isn’t disturbed. Useless.”
Ledin’s face remained disturbingly blank as he delivered this scathing critique of his colleagues.
Even from a distance, Asila could see the elder’s arm trembling violently.
The silver barrier trembled with a sharp crackle.
…It wouldn’t last much longer.
CRASH!
Just as she feared, the barrier shattered with a deafening sound like breaking glass.
The spirits that had been floating beside the old man were instantly sucked away, vanishing into thin air.
Asila’s eyes widened.
Reverse summoning.
It didn’t take much energy to maintain a spirit’s form.
Even she, newly contracted, could let her butterflies roam freely without noticing any significant drain.
But if a contractor suffered damage severe enough to lose even that small measure of strength, the spirits would be forcibly returned to the natural realm.
If the Tower Master’s spirits were reverse summoned, that meant the situation was critical.
Either the elder was exceptionally weak.. or the enemy was exceptionally strong.
There was no way the Tower Master was weak. That only left one explanation.
If she had figured that much out, then Ledin certainly had as well.
“…Nymphs.”
As expected, his voice rang out to the spirits.
[Yes!]
[Let’s gooo!]
The number of nymphs around him suddenly increased. Soon, a solid green barrier formed before them, far sturdier than the one the Tower Master had conjured.
Perhaps sensing Ledin’s action, the man hovering midair, his hair dark as night, grew visibly more agitated.
A shadowy mist began to pour from his body, eventually gathering in his hand to form a dark orb.
The danger was palpable.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM!
The dark sphere in the man’s hand struck Ledin’s barrier with a thunderous crash.
A choking, acrid smoke spread outward.
[He’s one of us.]
[Ugh, I really don’t like this.]
[He’s something that can hurt Asila.]
Suddenly, Asila felt a powerful surge of energy drain from her body.
She whipped around.
The crimson-sheened butterflies behind her had multiplied at astonishing speed.
Within seconds, a swarm of butterflies, countless, in a geometric pattern, rose behind her.
Before she could even speak, they launched forward, charging toward the man without hesitation.
“…So you finally appear.”
She could have sworn the corner of the man’s mouth curled into a smile.
