Chapter 7 Part 3
‘Is the duke still not in good health?’
Even if Aksion was acknowledged as the heir, he could only seize power once the current duke stepped down. Forcibly removing the present duke was an absurd idea.
“The meeting is over.”
Tartan rose from his seat. The elder and Aksion had to follow suit.
The gazes of the duke and his heir met. It was Aksion who spoke first.
“It’s spring, yet you are wearing gloves.”
Aksion’s eyes lingered on the black-gloved hand. In Mahart, it was common to wear lighter clothes to soak up the sun.
After a moment of silence, Tartan spoke.
“I have scars from the monster hunt.”
The fingers wrapped in black leather clenched into a fist.
“Scars are common, aren’t they? It’s nothing important.”
Markus rebuked the heir. The elder wasn’t wrong. Those who wielded swords often had scars, and covering them with gloves was a usual occurrence. Accepting this fact, the elder’s gaze shifted away from the duke’s hand.
“Are you returning to the capital?”
The duke and the heir faced each other.
“My wife is there. I will return to Mahart.”
Today, the word “return” felt strangely poignant.
“Stay healthy until then.”
Aksion, displaying proper etiquette, left the room.
Tartan’s gaze lingered on the spot where the heir had disappeared.
* * *
Before leaving the capital, Elia accepted an invitation from Fioni and arrived at Sevrance.
‘I hope the children are doing well.’
Though she trusted Rena and Rein to take care of them, she worried about their adjustment.
In the garden of Sevrance, dozens of spring flowers were swarming with nameless butterflies. The beautiful scenery was like paradise.
“Welcome, Miss Elia.”
Fioni greeted Elia from the garden. A ring adorned Fioni’s right middle finger, a green sapphian reminiscent of her.
“Do you like the ring?”
“Of course. The craftsmanship is beautiful. It’s amazing how my magic is embedded in it.”
Nothing was more gratifying than a customer appreciating the item.
Elia, with a pleased expression, was guided through the garden. Outside, tables and chairs were set up to enjoy tea time among the blooming spring flowers.
As soon as Elia sat down, the children’s voices echoed.
“Miss Elia!”
“Wow, it’s Miss Elia!”
Rena and Rein ran up and hugged Elia.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes! Our teacher takes good care of us!”
“She plays with us a lot!”
The children were all bright and cheerful.
Seeing Fioni happy as well, Elia felt relieved.
While Elia and Fioni enjoyed their tea time, the twins excitedly ran around the garden. Eventually, exhausted, the children napped on a mat laid out by a maid.
“They sleep well.”
“They’re at a lively age. Watching them, time just flies. They’re very focused during lessons despite playing so much. It’s admirable.”
Contrary to Elia’s worries, Fioni only had praise.
“They are very talented children. In the distant future… No, please forget I said anything.”
She likely meant they might summon a top-tier spirit. The children were indeed exceptional.
“Thank you for taking care of them, Miss Fioni.”
“You’re very deserving of the trust, Miss Elia.”
A butterfly flew to Elia’s side. Sasha, who had emerged from the bracelet, mingled with the butterflies.
Purple magic flickered. Fioni’s gaze lingered on the butterfly.
“You’ve contracted a mental spirit.”
Surprised, Elia blinked.
“…Can you see it?”
“No. You haven’t summoned it yet, have you?”
Fioni smiled and took a bite of her cookie. This meant she couldn’t see it but could sense it.
“If it was a secret, I apologize. I’m more sensitive to spirit energy than other spiritists.”
It made sense. Fioni was a prodigy, even within her renowned spirit family.
‘Sasha appears as a mental spirit.’
Sasha was a spirit sealed in a shamanic book. Because of this, Elia hadn’t given much thought to Sasha’s origins.
“The energy seems quite strong. Sensitive individuals like me might find it strange, so be cautious.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
Spirits capable of direct communication were mid-tier or higher.
Elia nodded, expressing her gratitude.
‘This is useful information.’
Mental spirits were rarer than natural spirits. While natural spirits were summoned based on affinity with nature, mental spirits required both affinity and strong magic.
Eventually, Sasha, who had been flying in formation, landed on Elia’s shoulder.
「The spirit world and shamanism are connected. Although I’m sealed in a book, I can traverse between realms if the contract is terminated.」
Sasha’s whisper tickled Elia’s ear like a petal.
「All powers are merely branches of the same tree. You know this well.」
‘Yes, that’s true.’
Realizing something known in a new light turns it into special knowledge. If shamanism could be disguised as mental spirit magic…
‘I could freely use shamanism in front of others.’
Additionally, there was the possibility of summoning beings similar to Sasha.
‘Should I try?’
Having another power besides shamanism was special. But the abilities she already possessed were important too.
‘But… how do I break the limits?’
Sasha had warned her about the limitations of her shamanism and advised her to proceed step by step. However, how to increase power without affecting lifespan remained a mystery.
「There are various restrictions on me.」
Sasha spoke as if reading Elia’s mind.
「Higher-tier spirits like me wouldn’t have such restrictions. But summoning them would rely entirely on your strength.」
As a spirit bound to a book, Sasha was closer to being unsealed than summoned.
‘Do I need to increase my magic?’
Given that Sasha was already a mid-tier spirit, summoning something higher required a different method.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Have a safe trip back.”
Even after boarding the carriage, leaving the spirit family behind, her thoughts ran deep. Inside the swaying carriage, she found herself dozing off. It seemed she had fallen asleep.
‘Where is this…’
When she opened her eyes again, Elia stood in the middle of a vast desert.
Under the purple sky, the sunlight was scorching.
As Elia raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she heard a familiar voice.
「Hello, child.」
It was a voice she remembered well.
Elia lifted her hand. Strangely, her bare eyes could face the sun without discomfort.
〈…Are you the goddess?〉
A breeze, warm and comforting, brushed past her.
「Didn’t I tell you? You need to tame it.」
〈I don’t understand.〉
It was something she heard on her first visit to the goddess’s shrine. But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t grasp the meaning.
Laughter echoed in the air. The goddess spoke soothingly.
「The sun casts shadows. Always watch the darkness.」
Light and darkness were inseparable, like conjoined twins.
Though Elia knew this well, interpreting the goddess’s words would take time.
Instead of seeking an answer, she decided to ask something else.
〈Are you the one who turned back my time?〉
「Yes.」
As expected.
The answer was already known.
〈Why?〉
A new opportunity was precious. Yet, she always wondered why she was brought back to this moment.
「Child, there is something only you can do.」
〈I don’t know what it is, but I need more power.〉
Power that didn’t consume her lifespan was crucial. Her strong magic and freedom in shamanism were due to her lineage. But to advance further, she needed a stepping stone.
‘Shamanism supposedly sheds restrictions as one grows.’
Those without time needed quicker methods.
‘Using excessive shamanism shortens lifespan.’
That meant the time granted to Elia would disappear.
