Chapter 13 : Contract – 2

“You’re ready, right?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Luen wasn’t particularly nervous about his first spirit contract.

It was, quite literally, his first spirit contract.

Given the severe lack of information about spirit summoners in this situation, executing a proper contract seemed nearly impossible, and since it was his first time communicating with a spirit, he didn’t expect much.

At best, he thought he might be able to summon a low-grade spirit.

“Are you really ready?”

“I am ready. Besides, it’s not like I have much to prepare in the first place.”

The one who was actually nervous was Ophelia.

If things went well, she believed that Luen might even be able to form a contract with a mid-grade spirit.

That was just how exceptional his talent was.

As Ophelia repeatedly sought confirmation, Luen let out a small sigh and answered her.

Only then did Ophelia take a deep breath herself and step back.

“Begin.”

Standing atop a magic circle inscribed with constellations, Luen gave a small nod in response to Ophelia’s words.

“Spirits that dwell within this world, spirits that reside in all facets of nature—I call upon you in the name of the successor to the first spirit summoner, Gigarious. Appear before me now.”

The fundamental ritual of spirit summoning—the spirit contract.

The moment those words were spoken, the magic circle glowed brightly.

As Ophelia watched the dazzling light, a passage from Gigarious’s writings came to mind.

“The stronger the light, the higher the probability of a superior entity appearing.”

The brightness signified a summoner’s spirit sensitivity.

A stronger light meant that the summoner’s ability to resonate with spirits was exceptional.

Realizing this, Ophelia unconsciously swallowed dryly.

“Mid-grade? No… this is clearly…”

Something even higher.

When I was young.

Very young.

I used to feel a little lonely.

My father and mother were both very kind and loved me dearly.

Yet still, I felt lonely.

Just a little.

My father was always busy managing the affairs of our family, and my mother was deeply immersed in her magical research.

Of course, I never thought of that as a bad thing.

To sustain the family, such responsibilities were necessary, and without them, not just me, but everyone in the family would be in danger.

Even so, I spent a lot of time alone and sometimes thought to myself that I was a little lonely.

And then, one day, something approached me.

Meow.

It was a cat.

One day, in the garden of the Kalbrandt estate, I encountered a cat that was sick, weak, and utterly exhausted.

When I found it, I decided to take care of it.

I wasn’t sure why.

Perhaps it was because of my father’s teachings—that we must protect the weak.

Or maybe I was simply drawn to that adorable little cat.

Either way, I managed to sneak it into my room without anyone noticing.

Surprisingly, I was able to keep it hidden from everyone.

Despite placing a box for it in the corner of my room and secretly sneaking in milk and other food every day, no one seemed to notice.

Thinking back now, it was unrealistic to believe that none of the maids, who frequently came in and out of my room, had noticed.

They must have all pretended not to see.

Well, even if they had known, it wouldn’t have changed anything.

It wasn’t as if my parents would have refused if I had simply asked to keep a pet.

I had just never bothered to ask.

Anyway, I named the cat Elenia.

I took care of it with all the devotion I could muster.

Looking back, I think the maids were the ones who actually bathed and groomed it, but still.

Elenia—who I often called Nia—grew up healthy by my side.

Now that I think about it, it probably wasn’t an ordinary cat.

But at the time, I never questioned it.

I must have lived my life in blissful ignorance, convinced that it was just a cat.

Still, Nia’s small body never left my room.

Then, about a year later, Nia disappeared.

That day, I was terribly sick.

My fever had spiked so high that my mind was barely conscious.

It was also a day when the rain poured endlessly.

That night, Nia stayed by my side.

And by the next morning, she was gone without a trace.

I cried so much back then.

Spending a year with Nia had been a long time for me.

So when she disappeared, I remember crying endlessly.

Of course, I had always known that Nia, being a stray, would leave one day.

But when it actually happened, I was devastated.

And now—

“It was you.”

I was standing face-to-face with Nia.

Meow.

She rubbed against my legs just as she always had, her affectionate behavior unchanged.

I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

I had already suspected she wasn’t an ordinary cat.

How could a normal cat have slipped past the heavy security of a prestigious magical household?

It wasn’t ordinary guards protecting the estate.

Layers of magic surrounded the mansion, making it impossible for even a single mouse to set foot inside.

Yet, Nia had broken through it all and reached me.

“Nia.”

Just like before, I gently stroked her head as she rubbed against my leg, deep in thought.

Nia was a spirit.

I clicked my tongue, realizing once again that the spirit residing within me was Nia all along.

If that was the case, I couldn’t even bring myself to curse the spirit inside me anymore.

Because no matter what—

I could never speak ill of Nia.

And beyond that—

“You saved me back then.”

That night.

The night when I was so sick as a child.

I must have been on the brink of death.

My fever had been so severe that I could barely remain conscious—if things had gotten just a little worse, I might have died.

And the one who stayed by my side, the one who saved me—

It was Nia.

How could I ever resent her for that?

Meow.

As I gently ran my fingers through Nia’s soft, snowy-white fur, her bright green eyes shimmered, and she pressed herself even closer to me.

Nia had always been affectionate.

So I thought nothing of it and simply continued stroking her fur, cherishing our reunion.

For some reason, as I stroked Nia’s fur, my mind felt calm and at ease.

If Nia is a spirit, does that mean I’ve already formed a contract with a spirit?

Then what happens to my first spirit contract?

Now that I think about it, I had been in the middle of making a spirit contract… so where exactly was this place?

I glanced around at the pure white space surrounding me and absentmindedly spoke.

“Nia, where is this place?”

To be honest, I hadn’t expected an answer when I asked.

After all, even if Nia was a spirit, she had never spoken to me before.

Even now, since we had met again in this place, she had only let out meows, never uttering a single word.

So when I heard her voice—

[This is one of the passages that connect the Spirit Realm and the Human Realm. To be precise, you could say we are somewhere within the Spirit King’s mental domain.]

—I was utterly shocked.

“…Did you just speak?”

[That’s right.]

I let out a small breath and blinked in disbelief.

The mature woman’s voice coming from Nia felt oddly unfamiliar.

“…Who are you?”

[I am Elenia.]

“…But that’s the name I gave you.”

Nia let out a leisurely yawn and introduced herself as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

But since I had named her Elenia, I couldn’t help but stare at her, dumbfounded.

[You gave me this name. Elenia. That’s why I am Elenia. Is there a problem with that?]

I could almost see her smirking as if amused, even though she was still in her cat form.

Dismissing it as my imagination, I met her gaze and asked,

“So, what happens to my spirit contract now?”

[You and I formed a contract a long time ago.]

If she says “a long time ago,” then… she must be referring to that time.

The day I was sick.

If I had made a contract with Nia back then…

“Then is the contract already complete?”

If so, why did she bring me here?

As I silently questioned her with my gaze, Elenia, still pressed against my leg, swayed her head side to side.

[That’s not the case. While the first contract has been completed, there’s still the second contract to consider.]

“Oh, a second contract.”

I still didn’t know what rank Elenia was, but judging by how casually we were conversing, she was clearly a high-ranking spirit.

[Well, they can’t compare to me, but I’ve selected some spirits who might be good companions for you.]

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

But then—

[Ah! Greetings!! It is an honor to meet you!]

[Ack! Spirit #179! Saluting our senior spirit!]

[Hellooooo!! I-I look forward to working with youuuu!!]

[Hey, hey! Keep it down! The senior spirit doesn’t like loud noises!!]

For some reason…

They all seemed a bit off.

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of unease.