38 – Wind of Change – 3
***
Returning from doing laundry, there was indeed a truly amusing sight.
The scene unfolded with two young girls sitting awkwardly apart, exchanging furtive glances as if they were friends meeting for the first time in a new school term. Despite the apparent mutual interest, they seemed too preoccupied with stealing glances to engage in conversation.
“It’s quite a skill to summon the same spirit,” she thought to herself.
Upon seeing Lena desperately emit a look that screamed, “Teacher, help!” there was no doubt that keeping an eye on her was necessary. The awkward atmosphere seemed contagious, spreading even to this distance.
“You’ve managed to summon a spirit. Well done,” he acknowledged.
“Uh, hehe. Th-thank you… But, um, Teacher. I, I…”
Lena, hesitating, hurriedly approached me.
What was she trying to say with such hesitation, right down to the stammering?
“Are all spirits like that?”
“What do you mean by ‘like that’?”
“Oh, um… No, it’s nothing. It’s just…”
“Do spirits normally act so cold? It varies from individual to individual.”
“Really? Teacher, have you not made a contract?”
“Me?”
I raised my hand and, using magic, summoned the spirit I had contracted.
– Hahaha! You called me?! Wow~! Where is this place again? Hmm~! It smells like the essence of nature here. But seriously, aren’t you going a bit overboard? After entering into a contract with me, you’ve left me alone in the spirit realm for too long, don’t you think? If this continues, it’ll be troub. le. some! Hahaha~! How was it? I did something like this when I played the lead in a play before! Oh? But who is this? Oh my~! What tremendous magical power! If I hadn’t already contracted with you, I’d want to make a contract right away with the overflowing magical power you possess. Hello? Miss? Are you happy? I’m a water spirit! Wanna guess my name? Hahaha! Why that expression~! Lee Hyun. Lee Hyun! This. Is. Cute~. Do you want to grab and eat it? But from now on…
I sent the summoned spirit away. It was almost deafening.
Lena, who had been silent for a moment, now had a somewhat disgusted expression.
“Are spirits extremes, like, good and bad?”
“It’s not like that… There are differences between individuals.”
When I first made a contract with a spirit, I never expected such a chatterbox to appear. The incessant chatter made me contemplate summoning a different spirit.
However, considering that this spirit had abilities and growth stats double that of other spirits and was a rare water spirit, choosing it seemed like a wise decision in hindsight.
“Well, that’s how it is…”
“If you don’t like the spirit now, you can summon another one. Whether it’s a talkative one like the one I have or a silent one, it’s all the same kind of hassle.”
Especially with Lena’s personality, approaching a silent spirit in such a situation would likely be challenging, and intimacy issues with the spirit might arise later.
“I guess… I should do that…”
Nodding slightly, Lena approached the spirit.
Releasing the summoning of the spirit involves retrieving the magical power infused into the ring. Now that she knew the method, she could do it right away…
Why isn’t she doing it?
***
She couldn’t bring herself to utter a word.
Sending the spirit, who had come so far, back without a second thought seemed questionable.
Lena stole glances at the awkwardly seated Wind Spirit beside her.
The Wind Spirit, too, was in a similar state—seeming anxious, appearing somewhat hunched over.
It observed the surroundings as if gauging the other’s reactions, much like Lena had done before.
“Um, um… Excuse me.”
A quiver. As she spoke, Lena felt a shiver down her shoulders.
The graceful green girl’s body was tensing.
“…Uhm. Uh, I wanted to, um, say something… Is there… nothing?”
She spoke and then sealed her lips.
How much time passed? During that time, which Lena would have found suffocating if it were anyone else, she waited.
Just as her mentor, Lee Hyun, had done for her.
– I… I…
After a considerable wait, the green girl finally opened her mouth.
How much courage did it take? How much strength did she muster?
– How to… s-say things. I, I don’t know. I’m not good at talking, and…
“……”
– I, I’ve always been alone. Th-that’s why… a c-contract-like thing. Make a contract. I’ve never done it before… so… so…
“Um, yeah. I, I gathered the courage.”
Lena, too, stumbled in her words.
But the green girl didn’t point it out.
Because they were alike.
Perhaps they didn’t feel discomfort in each other’s presence precisely because they were alike.
– Oh. Um. Uh. This. Th-this may be frustrating for you. Making a contract. You might not… want to do it. Um, I, I get that. Yeah.
Lena silently stared at the green girl.
This spirit was herself.
A girl who, like herself, awkwardly perceived social interactions and had always been alone.
Rena knew all too well how agonizing and frightening it was.
“If it weren’t for my mentor…”
She turned her head discreetly.
If it hadn’t been for Lee Hyun, standing there clenching his fists, she would have lived her life like this, alone, like a girl.
She would have lived, always envying others.
To someone like her, Lee Hyun had extended a helping hand.
Then, shouldn’t she, too, reach out to someone?
“But someone like me…”
A sense of inadequacy pierced her heart.
Is it really right for her, who still hasn’t fulfilled any role properly, to extend a helping hand to someone in need?
Unconsciously, Rena turned her head to look at Lee Hyun.
“What matters is how you choose to act.”
Lee Hyun’s words echoed in her mind. Whether to reach out or not was her decision to make.
The girl in front of her is looking at herself.
Not Lee Hyun.
So, she has to decide. Rena closed her eyes tightly.
As Lee Hyun said, she could choose a different spirit, a more sociable one.
No, maybe that would be better.
For someone like her, lacking confidence and finding it difficult to interact with others, such a spirit might be more suitable.
But then, what would happen to this girl?
Would she have to live her whole life in the spirit realm without ever receiving salvation from anyone?
Like her past self, before meeting Lee Hyun.
Living a lifetime filled with resentment towards oneself?
“No, that’s not right.”
Rena extended her hand. A green girl looked at the white hand reaching out before her. The spirit of the wind, Sylph, gently lifted her head.
“Um, uh, can we make a, um, contract…?”
“…I-Is it okay?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Th-thank…you! My, my name is Sylph. You, you can call me anytime!”
The green spirit, enveloped in fear, Sylph, smiled brightly and held Rena’s hand.
At the same time, the wind’s energy began to swirl around Lena’s magic.
Sensing it, Lena closed her eyes.
Is this it? Have I done well?
“Ren. Did you just make a contract?”
“Yes, yes.”
As Sylphide, who had revealed her name, disappeared, Ihyeon approached.
Worried that Ihyeon might be disappointed, Lena hesitated. With closed eyes, she waited, and when his hand touched her head, she tilted her head in response.
“Huh?”
“Well, that too is your decision. Let’s get along well from now on.”
No scolding. Satisfied with just that, Lena smiled widely.
…
A month had passed since making a contract with the Wind Spirit, Sylphide.
After forming a contract with the spirit, it seemed like she could absorb the mana of nature more quickly.
Thanks to that, her magical abilities improved rapidly, and now she could completely master basic spells.
“The No-Shadow Spear and Multi-Shadow Spear feel more familiar.”
“Yes, yes…”
Memorizing spells in her mind, interpreting them into multiples, and implementing the magic.
It wasn’t an easy task, but somehow, she managed to do it.
“Oh, um, well. Uhh. Is this. Is this level. Enough?”
“It’s more than enough. Even with the No-Shadow Spear, let alone the Multi-Shadow Spear, you’re better than me.”
He was sincere.
Lena’s Multi-Shadow Spear, which reminded him of the terrifying dark magic barrage in the game, was truly a monstrous magic.
“What, she memorized a spell once, and hundreds of magic arrows come out?”
Even though she had contracted with the spirit and absorbed the mana of the natural world more efficiently, this was something that couldn’t be done without high talent.
If it continued like this, Ihyeon could judge that it would take about a year to achieve her goal.
“Shall we finish today’s lesson here and go visit the village?”
“Wow, really?”
Smiling at Lena’s joy, Ihyeon chuckled.
“I’m going to the bathhouse.”
“Ugh…”
“Soak in hot water to relieve fatigue… Let’s eat dinner in the village afterward. You can order whatever you want.”
“R-Really?!”
“Yeah. Since I’ve mastered basic magic spells, consider it a gift. Get whatever you’d like to eat.”
“Ah! I-I’m thrilled!”
With Lena, who was so delighted, Hyun headed towards the village. As they passed through the serene village, arriving near the market, something different caught their eyes.
“Hmm?”
A group of adventurers.
Adventurers here? Are they the same troublemakers as last time?
Hyun discreetly reached for the hilt of his knife, observing them as one of them approached Luceia.
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“Surely… Those adventurers were eyeing Luceia’s necklace back then.”
Are these guys of the same sort?
If so, they’ll have to deal with me. That was what he thought as he approached.
“Hyun! Come over here!”
“What’s the matter, madam?”
“These people…”
“Hello. I’m Valten, a senior member of the Adventurers Guild. I’m here because the necklace this lady possesses is the key to the ruins we’ve been seeking, and we’d like to purchase it.”
Was it because of Hyun’s stern aura?
Valten, the adventurer who was about to converse with Luceia, spoke politely, and Hyun, puzzled, inspected Luceia’s necklace.
“Hmm…”
“This is my husband’s heirloom. I can’t give it to you.”
“Could you lend it to us for a moment?”
“Why should I trust you to lend it?”
Luceia seemed incredibly guarded.
Lorian, who stood beside her, seemed to recall something from the past and started to falter.
“Well… Luceia, entrust me with that necklace. I’ll wear it and return it without fail.”
“Huh? Well, if it’s Hyun, I suppose I can trust…”
Nodding, Luceia handed the necklace to Hyun.
Taking it, Hyun lifted the necklace and spoke to Valten.
“Ruins exploration. We would like to participate as well.”
Lee Hyun glanced at Lena discreetly.
Unaware of Lee Hyun’s thoughts about smoothly navigating through the ruins, Lena could only awkwardly manage a forced smile.
‘I can’t miss this opportunity to train Lena.’