Ch.158158. A Procession in Succession (5)

“I lost it.”

“Ha… Elisa, what did you say?”

Friel’s brow furrowed, something that hadn’t happened even when Elisa had interrupted their conversation to scold her for her remarks.

Glare!

“…I didn’t say anything.”

Receiving Friel’s sharp gaze, Elisa eventually averted her eyes and looked away.

And seeing Friel like this, Piel, who had been sitting on my palm watching, jumped up in surprise.

─Ah, Riel is bullying Elisa again! Friend, you shouldn’t bully!

Flap flap.

Fluttering her small wings, she instantly flew to Friel and headbutted her cheek.

Friel, whose cheek was now squished by Piel’s form, looked at the spirit that had attached itself to her with tired eyes.

“Piel, can’t you stay still for a bit?”

Swish!

Only after snatching the spirit from her cheek and placing it back on her palm did the commotion with the mischievous spirit Piel somewhat subside.

This tiny friend climbed onto my hand, firmly grasped my index finger, and shook it in greeting.

Piel waved her arms vigorously at me from her hand, then suddenly turned her head to look at Friel.

─Friel, are you upset? Are you upset? But Piel is most comfortable on our Friel’s palm?

“You’re noisy, Piel.”

─I knew you were upset! Cheer up─

Ignoring the conversation between Friel and her spirit Piel.

I pondered what Piel had casually mentioned.

‘These thoughts just keep leading to more and more.’

That mischievous spirit had said it.

That she definitely felt a more pure and refreshing feeling from me than from Friel Arielt.

Since I was also a top-tier Hunter, I roughly gauged my spirit affinity.

‘Above normal elves, below high elves.’

I could easily surpass normal elves, but I couldn’t break through the racial limit possessed by high elves, who were their kings and racial representatives.

Before my head was cut off by that demon who didn’t seem like an S-rank dungeon monster, I had handled top-tier spirits as my subordinates.

If we’re just talking about affinity, I might be equal to or slightly below the famous Friel Arielt, who had received the blessing of the World Tree.

Unfortunately, I thought I might be slightly inferior due to the limitations of being human.

‘I can’t help but think that way.’

The blessing of the World Tree holds a very significant meaning for elves.

For elves, it’s an opportunity to break the boundary between high elves and elves depending on innate talent and effort, and it grants qualification for promotion.

Especially since that elf is the eldest daughter of an elite family among them.

With innate talent and the blessing of the World Tree, her affinity should be at the boundary between elves and high elves by now.

‘Then why on earth?’

Why did Friel’s spirit express that she felt a definitely more pure and refreshing feeling from me than from her?

Of course, when it comes to controlling, manipulating, and utilizing spirits, I can confidently say that if my body had enough energy, I could easily toy with Friel.

But I didn’t know my affinity, which determines the initial intimacy spirits feel toward me, would be this high.

‘If possible, it would be good to look into this later.’

Even though I don’t know the reason, this might be an opportunity to make my spirit engine closer to that of a high elf.

I should write this down somewhere later so I don’t forget it.

“Then… Piel, can you help that human form a contract with a spirit now?”

─Hmm, it should be simple if nothing’s wrong. I feel very comfortable with Ray. If I call, my friends will come out right away?

Flap flap!

The spirit that flew up into the sky spread her arms and legs wide and shouted.

─Now I’ll check if Ray can form a contract with us!

Confirming whether one can form a contract with spirits.

This is my area of expertise, so I know it well.

Spirits tend to be reluctant or firmly refuse to contract with those whose souls have accepted impurities, specifically Magia, or those whose minds have collapsed.

In other words, she’s checking if I’ve been contaminated by Magia or if I’m a madman whose mind has gone haywire.

─Then stay still for a moment!

I gently nodded at Piel’s words and waited for her examination to finish.

The spirit placed her small hand on my forehead, closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on feeling something, and then.

Flap flap!

After removing her hand and moving away from me, she began to look at me with very puzzled eyes.

“…?”

There’s absolutely no Magia, and my mind is properly intact, so why is she looking at me with such a mysterious expression…?

As I also began to question Piel’s behavior, and Friel and Elisa also started to become strangely fixated on this situation.

Piel opened her mouth.

─Hmm… this is my first time seeing this.

“…Is there something wrong with me?”

─Well… Ray, you already have contracts with two spirits. But the door they would open to come to you is too small and tightly closed, so they can’t reach you, Ray.

“Ah─”

There’s something that catches me.

A contract with a spirit is an oath sworn to each other’s souls.

When the physical body containing the soul disappears, the soul doesn’t last long and naturally dissipates.

Originally, when I lost my life to that damn demon in the dungeon, the contract with the spirits should have dissipated not long after my soul.

But it seems that since my soul has taken over the original owner’s body and settled in.

Since my soul didn’t die and disappear, it seems my original contracts with the spirits haven’t been broken yet.

‘The door being too small means.’

It probably means that the power my body possesses is too weak to call them.

But there’s also a somewhat puzzling phrase.

“What do you mean by tightly closed…?”

─It means exactly that, the door is tightly locked. Even if Ray tries hard to enlarge the door, I don’t think they can cross over from the other side?

Piel, who giggled saying it was strange and interesting, told me.

At her words, my thoughts deepened, and the two elves’ interest intensified.

What is the reason for the door being locked? And what is the method to unlock that locked door?

Questions form a procession, one leading to another.

However, my contemplation didn’t last long, and my mind, which had been sinking into a deep mire of self-questioning, was pulled to the surface by Piel’s clear voice.

─But even if you already have two, you should be able to contract with one more! Now I’ll call my friend!

After Piel said she would call her friend.

With a slight smile on her lips, she began to dominate the surrounding wind.

As expected of a mid-tier spirit, despite speaking like a child.

She was a being who knew how to handle the condensed natural energy that bends the atmosphere.

According to her will, the trees and bushes make rustling sounds in the agitating wind.

Whoosh─!

Fresh leaves ride the wind’s path and gather beside Piel.

Gathering and gathering, compressed into a small spherical form, the condensed essence of wind bursts forth from that single point.

Bang─!

The shockwave of the gale sweeps around, and the being born is.

─Here! My friend!

“……”

Not in human form, no, a seemingly insignificant young spirit that looks like it would be pulverized if it got caught by a cat.

‘It’s the lowest tier.’

A small, cotton-like creature.

Speaking human language normally is the domain of mid-tier spirits and above.

Up to low-tier, they can only properly ask and express intentions with their contractor, so.

The spirit that appeared in this world looks around, making animal-like sounds such as “kyuing.”

─No, no. Friel is my contractor… and Elisa already has a friend.

─Yang!

─What’s good about Friel being pretty! Our Friel is ugly! No, I said no!

─Woing…

─You go over there, over there!

However, it seems to be quite an excellent spirit among the lowest tier, with a clear sense of self.

Its expressions seemed clear.

Thanks to that, the only one sighing and grimacing at their conversation was the noble person from the Arielt family over there, Friel Arielt.

Honestly, I’ve been a bit annoyed by her always smiling maliciously while talking with me and Sione.

Thanks to Piel, it feels like some of that pent-up frustration is subsiding a bit.

─Kung?

The drooping cotton-like spirit tilts its head as soon as it sees me.

Flutter flutter!

The cotton ball, tilting its head flutter flutter, floats to me and climbs onto my right hand, blinking its small eyes.

Sniff sniff!

After arbitrarily sniffing my scent on my hand, it immediately starts rubbing its face against me like a cat.

It seems that thanks to my affinity being higher than I knew, I’ve easily charmed the low-tier spirit.

─Kung kung!

Piel, who has approached by now, interprets for the spirit that is looking up at me and barking fiercely.

─Ray, it says it likes you? If you want, it says it will specially deign to contract with you!

“Uh… is that so?”

─Yes! Want to?

“Then… yes, I will.”

─Then to form a contract, the spirit mage will now…

“I know that.”

─Hmm, you even know how to contract… Ray is smarter than I thought. Well, Ray is cleaner than our Friel, so… is it natural?

Grind.

Someone was grinding their molars, but.

I easily stepped over that sound and entered into the contract.

In rhythm with my heartbeat, I send mana throughout my body.

Elevated spirit.

My will to contract with you will dwell in my mana from today, from now on.

And that mana, contained in my thick blood, will continue until this body wears away and disappears.

You just need to witness and accept my will.

I moved the cotton ball from my right hand to my left, and then brought my index finger to my mouth.

…I need to prick my finger now.

I placed my index finger over my canine tooth.

It can’t be helped. To form a contract with a spirit, I need a drop of my blood.

Haah…. I’ll bite on the count of three.

One. Two…. Three…!

“Ssup……”

I bit my index finger with my canine to draw blood.

The sensation was more painful than I expected, making me grimace, but to not startle the spirit.

I tried to hide my expression as much as possible and extended my index finger.

─Kung!

The spirit finally sucked my blood.

The process of forming a contract is nothing special.

A gentle breeze blows, enveloping me and the spirit. The cotton ball and my hair flutter. Then, as a unique sense of bond and intimacy begins to be felt between us, the contract reaches its conclusion.

It was at that moment.

─Ah, it’s changing!

Right after the contract was completed, the cotton ball’s appearance began to change.

Pop! Pop!

Short front and hind legs, like those of a small animal, sprout from the cotton ball.

And additionally.

Pop!

Small wings even grow on its back.

─Ah, congratulations!

The contracted spirit achieved the most insignificant evolution in the world.

And Friel, who had been quietly observing the spirit, approached me.

“You’ve completed the contract. Congratulations. It’s still low-tier, but… someone like Ray should be able to raise the spirit quickly, just like now. For now… if possible, it would be good to raise it to mid-tier before entering the Great Forest.”

The wall between low-tier and mid-tier is very large.

As much as it’s the stage of finding a human form like Piel now, from this cotton fluff.

Since it’s difficult to raise it to mid-tier in one go without considerable bond and ability.

I just nod my head vaguely, as if agreeing with her words.

“…I’ll try.”

Friel hears that answer and gives a small smile, then starts looking at my index finger.

“By the way, is your index finger okay?”

“Ah… yes, it should heal soon.”

“Hmm… there was no need to bite it with your teeth, you know.”

“Pardon?”

No need to bite it with my teeth?

“Actually, I prepared a small knife for the contract preparation. You just needed to prick the tip a little, but you suddenly bit your finger, which surprised me.”

“You had a knife?”

“That’s right, isn’t it, Elisa?”

At her words, Elisa came out beside Friel and showed a short ceremonial sword.

It wasn’t particularly sharpened, but it had enough edge to pierce a finger.

“…Wouldn’t it have been better if you had told me earlier?”

“Well. If you knew the contract method, how could we have known you would just bite your hand like that?”

Friel starts giggling as if finding it amusing.

Behind her master, Elisa quietly extended her handkerchief to me.

“A handkerchief…”

“Ah… thank you.”

As I wiped the blood from my index finger with the handkerchief Elisa had given me, I thought.

─Friel, your smile is unpleasant!

“What does it matter? I saw something amusing.”

I heard that male nobles in this world throw their handkerchiefs in someone’s face when challenging them to a duel.

I wanted to throw a handkerchief at that elf who couldn’t hide her endless smile, finding this all too amusing.