Ch.194194. Naming (2)

Finally, the long-awaited naming ceremony for the cotton ball began.

Everyone from the Count’s household sat in a circle around Tania and the cotton ball. Including myself, we were all deep in thought with our heads bowed.

“I keep telling you, just use the name I came up with and be done with it.”

“You be quiet.”

“Tch…”

Elvis seemed to have taken such a liking to the nickname “Changshik” that I gave him. Now he was trying to give our cotton ball a similar name. The cotton ball would wrinkle its face in disgust whenever Tania spoke.

We were having this conversation on the premise that all of Tania’s suggestions would be rejected.

After we each took some time to think, Diolia was the first to break the silence.

“…How about Cotton?”

“Cotton, you say?”

“Yes. Given how it looks and how fluffy it feels when you pet it, I think it would suit it well.”

“……”

Cotton, huh. It does have a similar feel to its current nickname, “cotton ball.” Diolia seemed quite serious about her suggestion, which made me feel a bit sorry as I had to shake my head.

“That might be difficult.”

“…?”

“The reason my spirit looks like a cotton ball is likely because it’s still a low-rank spirit, giving it that small animal-like appearance.”

“Then—”

“Once it reaches intermediate rank, that cotton-like appearance will completely disappear. It will transform into a child-like form similar to Tania here.”

The cotton ball’s appearance is quite cute, but our spirit isn’t destined to remain at the low rank forever. Someday, it must rise to intermediate rank or beyond to face demons.

The current cotton ball is like a tadpole—destined to grow limbs and become a frog someday.

It wouldn’t be fitting to give it a name like “Cotton” based on its current appearance.

Moreover, spirits gain stronger conviction in their existence when their names carry meanings related to their attributes. So thinking of a word related to wind would be better than cotton.

After I explained this briefly, Diolia and Sione nodded.

“I see. Then yes, something other than cotton would be better. So, wind—”

“Wind… Wiiiind…”

As Sione and Diolia fell into deeper contemplation.

Suddenly, Sione looked down at the cotton ball and spoke.

“…How about Delphin or Orna?”

“Delphin and Orna, you say?”

“Yes, in the Empire, the flower called larkspur is known as Delphinium ornatum. One of its flower meanings is ‘freedom,’ so I thought it might suit the wind.”

Sione began explaining about the larkspur flower she knew about.

I have no idea when she memorized all this. To summarize her flawless explanation:

The larkspur’s flower meaning changes depending on its color. The flower meaning of Delphinium includes freedom, along with clear skies, self-confidence, and pride.

The meaning was quite nice.

—Hieee.

The cotton ball seemed to like Sione’s suggestion. Or perhaps it was surprised that she was thinking so seriously about its name after usually calling it something like “moth.”

It made another strange cry.

“Ah.”

Buzz.

The cotton ball, which had been in Tania’s arms, flew up and approached Sione. For a moment, it floated in front of her, meeting her gaze. Then, as if to say “well done,” it patted Sione’s bangs with its short front legs.

—Myaa.

“Mirum, name? It says it likes it?”

Hearing Tania’s interpretation of the cotton ball’s words in her broken common language, Sione nodded toward Tania in bewilderment, then quickly snatched the cotton ball that was messing up her bangs.

Normally, the spirit would have struggled to escape the moment it was caught, but today it seemed to be making an exception. It remained still in her hand, folding its fluttering wings and lying on its belly.

Looking down at the cotton ball, I asked:

“So… Delphin?”

—……

“Orna?”

—Myung!

Apparently, the cotton ball quite liked the name Orna.

With a satisfied cry, I officially named her.

“Then, from now on… I’ll call you Orna, not cotton ball.”

—Hieh.

Thanks to Sione, who had locked herself in her room memorizing flower dictionaries, we were able to find a name that the cotton ball liked. I didn’t have to rack my brain much.

Honestly, I had several names in mind, but I’m not particularly talented at naming things… My ideas were only slightly better than Tania’s, so I hesitated to suggest them first.

I began to draw on the energy pooled in my heart to stimulate the bond formed by my contract with the cotton ball. As the spirit’s contractor and master, I issued a command.

The cotton ball in Sione’s arms started to approach me, drawn by this connection. Soon, with the small spirit in my hand, I whispered while transferring my mana:

“Orna.”

The imprinting of the name. From now on, the cotton ball would no longer be a nameless low-rank spirit, but a spirit with its own name—Orna.

As the bond grew stronger, I could feel my small spirit’s energy becoming more pronounced, even though it still had the appearance of a tiny animal.

“Ah, it’s growing!”

Just as Tania said, the cotton ball suddenly absorbed my mana and began to expand its size.

‘Is it going to rise to intermediate rank now?’

Unlike Diolia and Sione, whose eyes were growing round with surprise, I observed Orna’s transformation rather calmly.

After all, I had already witnessed such transformations twice before with Tania and Changshik.

In Tania’s case, I had summoned a lowest-rank spirit and contracted with it, naming it immediately. Due to my lack of experience and Tania’s inexperience at the time, the change wasn’t very significant.

But with Changshik, when I gave him a name, he grew like this and immediately rose to intermediate rank.

‘At this rate…’

An intermediate-rank spirit might be possible.

The cotton ball’s size was increasing significantly. It had long outgrown my one hand and now required both hands to hold it.

Just as my expectations were genuinely beginning to rise—

—Huah.

Orna sighed, and its expanding body finally stopped changing.

“……”

Come on, why stop right when I was getting my hopes up?

Orna, who had just dumped a bucket of cold water on my excitement, sat on my two hands and looked up at me.

—Myung!

As if to say it had done its job and now wanted to be petted.

I let out a hollow laugh, placed Orna on the ground, and patted its head. As I stroked its fluffy fur, I tried to brush away my lingering disappointment.

Meanwhile, Tania nudged me with a subtle expression and sent me a message.

—Park Shinwoo, you’re in big trouble?

‘Me?’

—Appeasing Changshik.

‘Ah.’

—You contracted with a new spirit, a wind one at that. You haven’t summoned him, and now you’ve even named this one… This little one will probably rise to intermediate rank soon.

‘……’

—You know well how jealous our Changshik can be. Once he gets upset, he holds a grudge. It’ll be troublesome if he’s sulking when you summon him.

The High Elf, Edelin, said she would help me meet with Changshik again, so we’ll see each other soon…

‘Can’t you talk to him for me?’

Honestly, Changshik is a bit scary when he’s upset.

He completely controls the wind around him to create a barrier that prevents anyone from approaching. The swirling wind can be quite dangerous.

That’s why I pleaded with Tania, even putting on a pitiful expression.

—Hmph.

Tania smiled as if pleased.

—I don’t want to?

Unfortunately, my first spirit was a terrible prankster.

* * *

Several days passed.

I joined the forest keepers from each family as they gathered to discuss and practice coordinating. I helped Sione and the cotton ball work together, and researched how to draw out Tania’s power with minimal mana burden.

Not only that, but I also needed some rehabilitation with my bow, which I hadn’t handled much recently. Recalling my experience with both Western and Korean archery before becoming a Hunter, and my time wielding a bow after becoming one, I regained the tautness of the bowstring that had somewhat loosened.

Today, I was finally in full gear for the first time since the battle on the city walls.

My bow and sword were still familiar in my hands. However, for the arrows, I had filled my quiver with specially processed wood from the great forest, which would allow the spirit’s energy to permeate more easily.

“Park Shinwoo, here.”

Tania brought me leather finger gloves.

I put the glove on my right hand with practiced ease. These were also provided by the Arielt family. With these, I could draw a powerful bow multiple times without much strain.

As I handled the bow, sharpening my senses, Tania stared at me.

“Now you look more like yourself.”

Well.

The me that Tania knew wasn’t a servant in butler’s attire speaking politely, but a man who would shout profanities in a rough voice while shooting arrows.

“So, are you confident? They say the eastern forest is quite complex.”

“I wouldn’t call it confidence.”

No need for such grand words.

“I’ll just do what needs to be done. Like before.”

I just need to do what I’ve always done.

“I’ve dealt with jungles to the point of boredom.”

And dense, chaotic forests are my favorite environment.

“I only need to worry about the team members.”

I’m more concerned about others than myself.

I took one last look at my neatly organized quarters, double-checked my gear, and opened the door.

The curtain was rising on the demon extermination mission in the eastern forest.