Viscount Bjor
He was one of the causes of the Evergarden estate’s fall into debt, and one of the forces that swallowed up the Evergarden estate and harmed the other families.
He secretly ran up debts on the Evergarden estate, and in return, he approached them to do illegal things on their land.
Freya, realizing this, had sent an investigative team to capture Viscount Bjor.
“According to their reports, Viscount Bjor’s men seem to be spending a lot of time in the north.”
“The north… surely you said that their activities are spread out in the north?”
“Yes, my lady, and I suspect they are trying to capture the young of the beasts, especially since their breeding season will begin soon.”
“Masu… I’ve heard that their capture and distribution is an offense punishable by death, and you have a large liver.”
“No matter how much I think about it, Viscount Bjor, I think it’s too big a job for one man to organize.”
“Then he must have a backer.”
“That’s what I’m thinking, too.”
Freya was almost certain that Viscount Bjor had a backstory.
He was far too small a man to do something like this on his own.
It was hard to believe that a man who was only a viscount could be in control of something as felonious as treason.
“At the very least, I’m sure the man with the lands up north had a hand in the plan, didn’t he?”
“I suppose so.”
There was no way he could have handled the capture, transportation, and distribution of the beasts all by himself.
“Perhaps there’s been an organized trade in beasts going on in the north for a long time, under the radar of the government.”
“That’s what I’m thinking, too. I don’t think Viscount Björ started it, but I think it’s more likely that he’s just adding to what was already going on in the north without his knowledge.”
“…You were given only fragmentary information, and yet you immediately deduced Viscount Bjor’s actions… You’re amazing, but so is that elf.
Fenrir, who had been listening to Rosaria and Estelle’s story with keen ears as they made deductions based on the information they were given, muttered in admiration.
“By the way, the lady and the elf. I have a feeling you’ve known each other for a long time, but something about you smells familiar…’
“I wonder when Viscount Björ will pay us another visit with his horses?”
“Ah, yes! Hmmm-basically, the trade in beasts is most active when they are still in their infancy, because if we miss that time and they grow up, they become unmanageable.”
There was a time when masu were sold as pets because they were still weak and small when they were newborn.
But as they grow, they become stronger and bigger, and their ferocious instincts are awakened, so they often harm their owners without even recognizing them, which is why they were banned from circulation.
“Nowadays, they’re used in places like underground illegal fighting arenas and coliseums.”
“Have you ever seen Lord Fenrir?”
“Yes, I’ve seen him on one occasion. He had a very fierce and ferocious temper, and his iron weapons were nothing more than bells.
He would crush them like gum.”
At Freya’s question, Fenrir recalled the beasts he had seen in the illegal coliseums he had encountered during his time in the Underworld.
Compared to goblins and other demons, most of those born in the North were more beastly than humanoid, resembling wolves or canids.
But even compared to mere beasts, they were many times larger, and their ferocious teeth and claws were a sight to behold as they slaughtered gladiators.
“Our best bet would be to overwhelm the scene with some force, but if we make contact with them in a big way, they’ll get the hint and go into hiding.”
“Yeah, I’m sure there’s a chain of command higher up if they’re pulling this kind of stunt.”
“Hmm…Lord Fenrir. How long do you think it would take Viscount Bjor’s men to capture the mare and bring her here?”
“Hmm…The breeding season will begin in a month or so, and if they manage to capture it then and sneak it all the way here…”
“Half a year, I’d estimate.”
Fenrir pondered Freya’s question for a moment, but then made his opinion clear.
“Hmm, that’s quite a long time?”
“Well, we’ll have to get in under the radar as much as possible, so if we’re concerned about safety, it should take about that long.”
“I see, so there’s still time, I’ll have to think about this a bit.”
“I’ll ask you to tell the investigators not to push too hard, but to keep me posted on their progress as much as possible.”
“Understood.”
Deciding that there was no immediate way to do anything, and that there was still time, Freya turned to Pen
Lil said to her.
“So, next, let’s move on to the elven specialty, the leaves of the World Tree.”
“Very well. Let’s get started.”
There was still a lot of work to be done at Evergarden Manor, aside from the matter of the beast.
The manor’s executive office was busy again today.
“The contract with the spirits is pretty simple.”
After asking Rosaria if she would like to become an Elementalist, Shalle began to explain to her in earnest about the contract with the spirits.
“You meet a spirit that is on your wavelength, and if you are willing to make a contract, the spirit reciprocates that willingness, and a contract is made.
“Hmmm…that’s it?”
-Heehee, tickle me!
Rosaria was playing with the sylph, tickling its cheeks with her fingers as it rode in my hand, listening to the chalet’s explanation.
“I thought there must be some sort of powerful ritual or something…”
In fantasy and manga, the pacts with the spirits were very sacred, very powerful. There had to be some kind of ritual, so he thought he’d be able to do the same.
Rosaria muttered, a bit steaming, as if she thought she’d be going through the motions.
“Basically, an elementalist is someone who helps the elementals contracted by the spirits, so the spirits’ feelings are the most important thing.”
Shalle, who had been snorting at Rosaria’s mumbling, retorted.
“The spirits may be cute, but they’re powerful beings, and we don’t call on them, we ask them for favors!
We’re more like asking them!”
“Is that so… you’re a big deal?”
-Great! Great!
Rosaria’s words caused the sylph in her hand to look at her again, and the sylph exclaimed as she raised her hand.
It was a cute little girl, and to be honest, Rosaria couldn’t quite believe her eyes.
“So, how does the contract work?”
“Well, you and the sylph seem to be on the same wavelength now, so we’re pretty much on the verge of a deal.”
In response to Rosaria’s question, Shalle looked at Rosaria’s relationship with the sylph and said, “Basically, they are very rarely seen by humans.
Basically, a sylph that rarely shows itself to humans is actively reaching out to Rosaria, so once a connection is established, a contract will naturally follow.
and a contract would naturally follow.
“Ms. Rosaria, please give the sylph a name.”
“A name?”
“Spirits don’t have names, they just have individual names depending on what kind of spirit they are, and sylphs are also called sylphs because wind spirits are called sylphs.”
“Isn’t Sylph your name?”
-No! I don’t have a name!
“I thought sylph was your name all this time…”
“So, when you give your spirit a name, it’s a way of confirming that you’re going to be special to each other.”
“Hmmm…names, names…”
At Charle’s suggestion, Rosaria closed her eyes and racked her brain for a name that would be fitting for the sylph.
“Flying, since she’s a wind elemental, no, that’s too cheesy… Tempest, since she’s a typhoon, that’s too far out there.
I knew it was a very special thing to give them a name.
Even more so than when she was naming her traveling companion in the electronic world, Rosaria struggled to come up with a name that would work.
“Oh, this one.”
-?
Rosaria’s eyes lit up as she raised the sylph in her hand.
“Ariel. Your name is Ariel.”
-Ariel?
It was the name of the air nymph in Shakespeare’s play, so it was a perfect match for the sylph, the spirit of the wind.
Rosaria said confidently.
“Yes, that’s your name.”
-…..Ariel!!! My name!!!
Flash-!
“Whoa!”
Rosaria turned her head involuntarily as the sylph muttering the name Rosaria had given her began to glow with a tremendous amount of light.
“Ari…El?”
Rosaria’s pupils dilated as she gingerly rearranged her head to look at Ariel as the glow faded.
Ariel’s slightly translucent body was now clearly defined, and she was staring back at her.
-I’m Ariel, I’m Ariel!
“…Yes, please be good to me. Ariel.”
And just like that, Rosaria signed a contract with Ariel.