Ch.389Sorcery (3)

I should mention that Sorcery is not omnipotent. Objectively speaking, its success rate is very low, and the process is opaque.

With Magic, if calculations go wrong or there’s insufficient Mana, you can make corrections through visible means, but Sorcery has no such thing.

Let’s think again about why humans chose Magic over Sorcery. That’s how much Sorcery is considered a fringe ability among fringe abilities.

The fortunate thing is that humans once borrowed the power of Sorcery, so while they may not prefer it, they don’t reject it either.

Occasionally, some families still maintain weak remnants of Sorcery culture and perform ancestral rites.

Even in the Church, there are ceremonies offering tributes to gods, which, when you think about it, are forms of Sorcery deeply embedded in society.

It may have survived only as folk belief now, but it hasn’t completely disappeared.

“It’s better for descendants to call upon ancestral spirits through Sorcery than hiring a sorcerer. The way to do it is…”

Before preparing the Sorcery, Leona taught me how to perform it. However, she warned not to expect too much since she wasn’t professionally trained in Sorcery.

Of course, neither I nor Father had high expectations. In fact, what we were doing now was more like setting an example.

If it failed, we’d consider it a worthwhile experience, and if it succeeded, we’d be amazed.

We didn’t even prepare offerings in advance…

“Should we use this as an offering? It’s a sprout from the World Tree.”

“Will that really work?”

“Or should we make a salad out of it? It might taste good.”

“No thanks.”

…Actually, we did prepare something on the spot. It was the sprout that had fallen from Ariel’s head.

I’m not sure if this sprout will really be effective, but according to Leona, since it came from Ariel, it has sufficient value.

She said that in Alfheim, even a single leaf from the World Tree holds tremendous value, so this should be similar.

Moreover, since we have several sprouts, it should significantly increase our chances. However, the most important thing remains.

“What’s left is something related to the target…”

That would be the deceased’s body or related items. Having the body would greatly increase the chances of summoning the spirit.

If there’s no body, even a cherished possession would suffice. And the person we’re trying to summon now is my grandfather.

After hearing Leona’s words, Father stroked his chin and spoke with a somewhat ambiguous tone.

“Cherished possessions… Well. I have my mother’s belongings, but there’s hardly anything related to that man, which is troublesome.”

“Is there really nothing?”

“There might be something stored away in the mansion’s warehouse. We’ll have to look for it.”

He doesn’t seem to have any affection for Grandfather. Even when referring to him, he says “that man,” suggesting their father-son relationship wasn’t very good.

That makes me curious. What kind of person was my grandfather? From what I’ve heard, he was a warrior to the bone, but I don’t know much else.

This sentiment isn’t just mine; others feel similarly. Marie cautiously asked Father about it.

“What kind of person was Great-grandfather?”

“To put it simply, he was respectable as a warrior but not particularly good as a father. It felt more like he was training a disciple rather than raising a son.”

“I think I understand what kind of person he was.”

That’s a typical father figure in this era. Especially in a world where individual combat prowess is important, such traits would be more pronounced.

But looking at Father now, he’s a gentle person and a reliable head of the family.

When teaching me, Dave, and Nicole, he may be strict, but in everyday life, he’s an ideal father.

Seeing this, it’s highly likely that Grandfather also loved Father, just didn’t know how to express it.

“Then what about Great-grandmother?”

“She passed away when I was about five. Assailants suddenly attacked our home.”

“…What?”

Despite his calm narration, it’s quite a tragic past. Marie, who had asked the question, was greatly taken aback.

She looked concerned, as if worried she had stepped on a landmine. I would have reacted the same way.

Father saw her reaction, smiled slightly, and comforted her with a reassuring and gentle tone.

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s a distant past now. Thinking back, that might be why Father trained me so harshly.”

“Still… I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. Anyway, is there no means to summon that man? Even just confirming if he’s alive would be enough.”

As the mood started to dampen, Father quickly changed the subject. It was a moment that highlighted his characteristic thoughtfulness.

Hearing his words, Leona was startled and scratched her head with a somewhat ambiguous expression. She clearly looked troubled.

“Well… if you summon a spirit without a specific medium, no one knows who will come. You might end up disturbing someone who’s resting peacefully.”

“What happens then? Does the spirit possess someone or something?”

“No. You just get cursed out thoroughly and that’s it. Think about it—if someone forcibly woke you up while you were sleeping at home, wouldn’t you be annoyed? It’s like that.”

The comparison was so straightforward that I found myself nodding. Still, having come this far, it seemed a bit disappointing to give up.

“Normal spirits usually achieve enlightenment, right? Unless they’re evil spirits, it’s extremely rare for them to remain in this world.”

“That’s right.”

“Then shouldn’t we try? If they’re still in this world, there must be some reason, right?”

“Hmm… you have a point. But we still need a suitable medium…”

Leona paused mid-sentence and stared intently at my face. It was clearly an observational gaze.

Not knowing what she was thinking, I tilted my head but waited patiently. It seemed like she had come up with some brilliant idea.

Eventually, Leona clapped her hands and spoke with a slightly excited voice.

“That’s it! Hair will do.”

“My hair?”

“Yes. Red hair is extremely rare in this world, and the bloodline is clear. I was initially thinking of drawing blood, but hair might be more effective.”

In terms of DNA, hair or blood wouldn’t make a difference, but this is a fantasy world. It’s a world that easily demolishes my common sense, so it sounds convincing.

However, there’s one thing to consider: whether Grandfather also had red hair like Father and me.

In fact, Nicole takes after our mother with dark navy hair, so confirmation is necessary.

“Father, did Grandfather also have red hair?”

“He looked exactly like Dave.”

“Ah… I see.”

With that one statement, I could picture Grandfather’s overall appearance in my mind. Anyway, it was confirmed that Grandfather also had red hair, so all that remained was the hair.

Naturally, we decided to use my hair. Father still maintained short hair due to his military habits.

Moreover, thanks to Mora’s blessing (or curse), my hair is long enough to reach my waist.

Not only that, but even if I cut it, it grows back instantly by the next morning. Because of this, I’ve completely given up on managing it.

“How much should I cut?”

“Just cut it roughly. It’ll grow back tomorrow anyway.”

Snip-

Adelia, who was watching the situation with us, cleanly cut it with a knife.

The weight of my hair must have been considerable because as soon as it was cut, my head felt much lighter.

I felt the back of my neck, which was refreshingly cool—something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It would grow back tomorrow anyway, but it felt fresh.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like that.”

“Which do you think looks better?”

“I like Issac. Nom.”

What a peculiar answer. Marie said that and then gently bit my cheek as a show of affection.

Meanwhile, Leona and the others began preparations for the Sorcery ritual.

The dormitory was spacious, and there was even a room suitable for personal research, so there was no problem with preparations.

Above all, this was more of a test, so there wasn’t much to prepare.

“I keep mentioning this, but know that there’s a possibility of failure. I’m not a professional sorcerer.”

“I understand. I’ll just use it for reference.”

“Then I’ll begin.”

The Sorcery was really simple. Just place the hair to be offered and Ariel’s sprout side by side, and with incense to entice the spirit, that’s it.

Moreover, the procedure was very similar to the ancestral rites I often performed in my previous life. It involves prostrating and occasionally giving a slight bow.

The difference here is that there’s no elaborate food offering, and the incense burns quickly. Hence, the incense needs to be replaced frequently.

Finally, Leona, in a supporting role, murmurs incantations beside me to ensure the Sorcery proceeds normally.

Although she claims not to be a professional sorcerer, seeing how easily she plucked Ariel’s sprout, her “faith” is certain, so it should be fine to entrust this to her.

About 10 minutes passed like that.

Whoosh-

Despite being in an enclosed space, a sudden wind blew. The wind caused the incense smoke to flutter violently before quickly dispersing.

This is definitely the “precursor” Leona mentioned before starting the Sorcery. The rapid dispersal of incense smoke indicates that a spirit has responded.

At the same time… it connects to the meaning that the subject is deceased. Father confirmed this and wore a bitter expression.

“I didn’t think he was the type to die somewhere…”

“It might not be Grandfather.”

“Still, there’s a feeling, you know. If he comes here, I should first ask where his body is.”

Despite not having a good father-son relationship, there seems to have been some affection. Father said that and began to perform the ritual more solemnly.

I too became solemn and offered my bows more sincerely. Respect for the deceased was the same whether in my previous life or in this world.

Was it our faith that worked? Or did Ariel’s sprout strengthen our “faith”?

Tick!

The incense that was burning well suddenly broke in the middle. The sound was so loud that Father, Leona, and I stopped all actions.

This phenomenon doesn’t align with the “signs” Leona had told us about. Looking at Leona, she also had a surprised expression.

Worried that something bad might happen, I was about to get up when an anomaly occurred from the offerings we had made.

Float-

My hair began to float in the air. Along with it, the sprout plucked from Ariel.

I was dumbfounded by this phenomenon that couldn’t be explained in any words, when a change occurred from my long hair.

A strand of my hair slipped out and fell to the floor. And it wasn’t just once; it continued to fall.

“…Has someone come?”

“W-well, Leona?”

“Usually, you can communicate with the spirit… but I don’t know about that.”

If even Leona doesn’t know, it’s definitely not a normal phenomenon. Father instructed us to step back just in case.

Including me, the others also cautiously retreated. Just as we almost reached the door, I suddenly thought of Ariel and looked at her.

Ariel was staring blankly at the floating hair and sprout. As you know, she has the ability to see spirits.

So if we could confirm who came…

Thud-

Before I could even finish that thought, the hair and sprout fell to the ground. The wind that had been blowing faintly also stopped immediately.

Although it was a quiet phenomenon, it felt like a storm had passed through.

“…Is it over?”

“I-I think so?”

“What was all this trouble for…”

Father walked forward and stopped abruptly after checking the floor. I could only see his back, but judging by how he stopped mid-sentence, it must be something unusual.

So I carefully walked to Father’s side. And as soon as I checked the floor, I too was speechless.

Because there…

[Coming soon.]

There was a sentence made from my hair. The others also saw it and couldn’t say a word.

Except for one person, Ariel.

“Daddy. Daddy. Who was that person just now?”

“…Did you see?”

“Yes. He patted my head and left.”

“…”

At least, seeing that he didn’t eat Ariel, he must be a good person.

******

There is an underground temple currently being investigated by the Empire of Minerva. It’s a place secretly built by demon worshippers to summon demons from another dimension.

The investigation is being conducted by the Empire of Minerva, and other countries have not sent support for various reasons.

After all, it’s a temple that has served its purpose, and it’s so far removed from human hands that moss has grown in various places.

Above all, the Empire of Minerva has imposed restrictions to somehow hide the truth that the summoning was successful. If this fact were to spread widely, the Empire would be in big trouble for various reasons.

In other words, the personnel currently investigating the temple are archaeologists and other personnel supported by the Empire of Minerva.

“Look at this skull.”

“Hmm? Ugh. The head is completely smashed. It must have been a clean break. It’ll be difficult to restore.”

“Judging by the marks, it seems to have been struck with that large axe…”

Since the discovery of the temple, various interesting facts have begun to emerge as a result of the investigation.

First, evidence that a summoning was attempted and that the summoning was half successful has been discovered long ago. Now they’re checking the surroundings step by step.

Who interfered with this summoning, and how they discovered the existence of this temple, and so on.

For archaeologists, there was a mountain of things to research, and they were so passionate that they even arranged for accommodation and meals.

“To discover the temple, they must have known about the existence of demon worshippers… Why didn’t they tell the world?”

“You know how meticulous demon worshippers are. Hiding history would have been easy for them. Only the hero would have known of their existence.”

“To think that even a hero couldn’t stand against demon worshippers… That’s chilling. And this hero wasn’t even known to exist.”

“That’s the fate of a defeated hero.”

Tap-

While they were enthusiastically researching, a strange sound suddenly reached their ears.

One of the archaeologists raised his head with a puzzled expression, pausing his research.

“Huh? I think I just heard something.”

“What sound?”

“I heard a tapping sound.”

“A stone must have fallen somewhere.”

“Is that so?”

Brush- Brush-

The archaeologist answered and carefully dusted off the skull using a brush.

The corpse they are currently managing is relatively intact compared to the bones scattered around.

At the very least, the bones are still attached, and even the attire worn in life, though worn out, is perfectly preserved.

The archaeologists also speculate that the corpse they are managing is the person who prevented this summoning.

After all, other corpses either had a part smashed or were completely separated.

“First, the height is over 190cm. Judging by the skeleton, it’s estimated to be a man.”

“That’s huge. Is that axe his weapon?”

“I think so. If only we knew who it was…”

Tap- Tap-

This time it was clearly audible. The archaeologists stopped their investigation simultaneously.

It’s too unnatural to be the sound of falling stones. It’s more like bones hitting bones…

Flash!

At that moment, a light was engraved in the eyes of the skull the archaeologists were investigating. A brilliant golden light shining as if to show what color the eyes were in life.

Of course, it was a terrifying phenomenon for the archaeologists.

“Aaaaah!”

“S-skeleton! It’s a skeleton! Someone used necromancy!!”

The archaeologists screamed and hurriedly moved away, and personnel investigating other areas shifted their gaze in that direction.

Meanwhile, the skeleton began to slowly rise from its place like a living person. Grasping a large double-bladed axe in one hand.

Eventually, as if waking from a long sleep, the skeleton, after rubbing its face, stared blankly ahead.

[Damn it.]

Surprisingly, a talking skeleton. It’s a bit concerning that the first thing it says upon waking is a curse, but it definitely spoke.

Among beings revived through necromancy, very few can speak. Speaking implies intelligence.

Regardless, the skeleton sighed deeply and muttered softly.

[Having too good a grandson is also a problem.]