Chapter Index





    The Great Sword is not the Main Body!






    Chapter 103 – Spirit Summoner, Serr (2)

    Serr loved magic.

    Born to parents who were mages of the Tower, Serr grew up mesmerized by the miracles that magic could create, falling deeply in love with it.

    Perhaps it was this earnest affection that bore fruit.

    From a young age, Serr exhibited extraordinary talent in magic.

    By the time she could speak, she sensed the flow of mana. When her intellect blossomed, she manipulated mana freely. By the time her age reached double digits, her mana reserves surpassed the limits of humanity.

    Her parents, seeing glimpses of her potential, dreamed she would accomplish what they could not.

    Thus, they became her teachers, instilling her with the depths of their magical knowledge.

    While other children learned words, Serr learned incantations. When they read fairy tales, Serr read intermediate magic tomes. When they ate their favorite meals, Serr drank potions.

    When others fell sick with colds, Serr teetered on the edge of death from mana depletion.

    In spring, she used magic to make flowers wilt. In summer, she produced ice while tied under the blazing sun. In autumn, she reversed the fall of leaves back to their branches. In winter, she lit fires while trapped in freezing chambers.

    The meals she ate with bare hands evolved into those consumed with alchemically crafted utensils. The scars left by wild dog bites vanished with healing magic. The filthy water she drank to survive became sweetened with artifacts she created. The insects she ate for protein were replaced by freshly slaughtered beasts.

    Though she endured conditions worse than those of an animal, Serr did not see these as misfortunes.

    She viewed her talents and her parents’ expectations as blessings.

    When spring returned once again, Serr’s name was adorned with countless epithets:

    The youngest mage of the Tower. An unparalleled genius. The child born of magic. The guide to the end of the arcane. The reincarnation of the great sage Virrus.

    These heavy titles drove her, propelling her ever higher.

    She invented new spells based on formulas in magical tomes. She devised more efficient mana techniques than those commonly known. She created grand spells that only her boundless mana could sustain. She pioneered Mana Linguistics, embedding mana into words—a feat thought to be the exclusive domain of dragons.

    By the end of her teenage years, Serr had abandoned the conventional practice of storing mana within the body. Instead, she created her own method: directly converting the mana in the atmosphere into magic.

    When she reached adulthood, Serr was no longer known by her epithets.

    She was called the Miracle Archmage.

    Her eyes were set on the end of the arcane. Her legs carried her steadily toward its final destination.

    Magic loved Serr.

    And Serr loved magic.

    But the world did not love Serr.

    It envied her overwhelming talent. It coveted her extraordinary achievements. It lusted after her boundless mana.

    Even the Tower Master succumbed to such human flaws.

    Blinded by these feelings, the Tower Master crossed a line.

    They sought to open the Spirit Realm, something impossible with human mana, by using Serr’s body as a medium.

    They spread false rumors. Destroyed those around her. Sowed discord, envy, and jealousy.

    Through it all, Serr’s parents remained steadfastly on her side.

    Whether it was their love as parents or the ambition of mages yearning to witness the pinnacle of magic was unclear.

    To Serr, it didn’t matter. She was simply grateful.

    Thus, when her parents were taken hostage, Serr didn’t hesitate to offer herself.

    Even if it meant exhausting her mana. Even if her mana reserves diminished.

    Her knowledge, talent, accomplishments, and her love for magic—along with her parents’ love for her—convinced her she could still reach the end of the arcane.

    So, when she willingly walked to the Tower Master and gave up her mana…

    Everything fell apart.

    The Tower Master’s lifelong magical formula was fundamentally flawed.

    Their attempt to dominate spirits rather than summon them enraged the spirits. And their vile intentions provoked the Spirit King.

    The spirits went berserk.

    Using Serr’s mana as a medium, the spirits manifested and began massacring every mage in the Tower.

    Among the dead were Serr’s parents.

    Wind severed limbs. Water suffocated breath. Fire scorched wounds. Earth impaled bodies. Darkness rendered flesh grotesque. Light healed the mutilations, only for the torment to repeat.

    Again and again. Wind. Water. Fire. Earth. Darkness. Light.

    Even in this chaos, Serr remained a genius.

    She retained her composure and understood exactly what she needed to do.

    She evaporated all her mana spread across the area. She altered the flow of mana within her body—twisting, blocking, severing it.

    Finally, she changed the nature of her mana and restructured her body so she could never use magic again.

    She completed these steps just as the light finished healing her parents’ torn flesh.

    As her mana disappeared, the spirits dispersed.

    Her parents, whole in body, were left behind.

    That alone was enough.

    Even though she had given up her beloved magic, Serr didn’t mind.

    She believed that as long as her loving parents remained, she could rise again and again.

    But.

    The “world” did not love Serr.

    It showed no pity. No sympathy. No mercy.

    Her parents, after experiencing death countless times, lost their humanity.

    They tore out their own tongues. Ripped apart their skin for sustenance. Unable even to beg for death, they became living, mindless husks.

    And within Serr’s powerless body now resided the mana of the spirits who had destroyed everything she loved. The gate to the Spirit Realm remained tethered to her.

    Yet still.

    Serr remained a genius.

    She knew exactly what needed to be done.

    Dragging herself forward, she severed her father’s neck with a shard of broken glass.

    Without strength, she repeated the act again and again.

    She tore the flesh. Broke the bones. Ended his breath.

    With her exposed hands, she stabbed her mother’s heart.

    She ripped through skin with broken glass. Smashed bones with stones. Pierced the heart.

    She did not borrow the spirits’ power.

    Silently, she finished it with her own hands.

    When spring returned again,

    Her name was adorned with new titles:

    The mage who wrought miracles without mana. The mage who tamed beautiful spirits. The mage who conjured fantastical landscapes.

    They called her…

    Serr, the Spirit Summoner.

    ***

    “Why is everyone acting like this?”

    A voice disrupted the tense atmosphere, accompanied by a sound so intense it felt as though the cozy cabin was collapsing.

    “L-Lady Sirin…!”

    I immediately dashed to Sirin, grabbing onto her arm.

    “Hmm? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden…”

    Sirin tilted her head at my strange behavior but then let out a bitter chuckle.

    “Didn’t I tell you to use an ignition stone?”

    “This was faster,” Serr replied.

    “You’re a troublesome one.”

    Shaking her head, Sirin patted my back before strolling over to the sofa and sinking into it.

    “I hope you can try to understand, but… it won’t be easy, I’m sure. Still, she’s not a bad child, so please don’t push her away.”

    “Ah… no. I don’t believe she’s necessarily bad,” Rubia said hesitantly.

    [That’s true. She’s not bad—just crazy,] Cartia’s voice echoed in my mind.

    ‘Quiet!’ I thought, smacking the bracelet on my wrist.

    “By the way, have you examined Serr’s condition?” Sirin asked.

    “…Not yet…” Rubia let out a trembling sigh, her head hanging low.

    I stepped closer to her and grasped her cold, damp, and trembling hand tightly.

    “Don’t worry too much, Rubia. If it’s you, I’m sure you’ll be able to heal her,” Sirin reassured.

    “…That’s reassuring to hear.”

    “Indeed. And since I’d feel bad asking without offering something in return, I’ll ensure you’re properly compensated.”

    As Sirin sipped my strawberry milk with an air of nonchalance, she turned her gaze toward Serr.

    Serr, holding a steaming teacup, responded in kind.

    “I’ll also offer what I can. For a start… Miss Noah, should I take a look at the Fragment of the End you carry? I have a bit of expertise in alchemy, after all. Hehe.”

    “…Pardon?” I stammered.

    “Oh, I wasn’t prying. I’ve encountered the Demonic Beast of the End before, so I recognized the same aura emanating from you.”

    [Wow… so she’s not just crazy, but highly competent too,] Cartia muttered.

    Serr offered an elegant smile, while Cartia muttered her usual crude remarks.

    “And Miss Rubia, is there anything I can assist you with?” Serr asked.

    “Ah, I… hmm…” Rubia tapped her lips in thought before cautiously speaking. “If you’re skilled in alchemy, could you possibly craft artifacts?”

    “Of course.”

    “Ah… great. Then, hmm… I’ll discuss it with you separately. Hehe.”

    Rubia tightened her grip on my hand, smiling softly. Her hand was no longer cold or trembling.

    “Good. Then shall we begin?” Sirin suggested.

    “Yes, let’s. Serr, may I have your hand?” Rubia asked.

    “Of course.” Serr nodded, took another sip of her coffee, and extended her hand to Rubia.

    “Now, you should train as well!” Sirin said, turning to me.

    Sirin nodded approvingly as she rose from her seat.

    “Huh? Train…?” I asked, confused.

    “Hmm, it’ll take at least three days to address her condition. You can’t just sit idle the whole time, can you?”

    “Th-three days…?”

    “That’s quick, honestly. Three days if Rubia works without pause—it might take even longer.”

    As Rubia infused divine energy into Serr’s body, she spoke laboriously.

    “Hmm… yes, it’ll probably take that long. But… how did her body end up like this…”

    “Hehe, let’s just say it happened somehow,” Serr replied cryptically.

    “In that case, let’s get moving ourselves!” Sirin declared.

    Sirin, satisfied, grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.

    As usual, she raised her arm and snapped her fingers.

    “Miss Rubia, your skin is remarkably smooth,” Serr suddenly said.

    “Pardon? What did you just say?” Rubia asked, startled.

    Just before the scenery shifted—

    “Your fragrance, texture, and aura… they’re quite similar to mine.”

    “Wha—Lady Serr?!” Rubia exclaimed.

    Strange, incomprehensible words whispered through the air.

    [Hey… this might be bad,] Cartia warned.


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