93. The Story of Sylphid

“Thank you for your help today. Thanks to you, I was able to see more patients than usual.”

Though Inkheart expressed gratitude, his expression remained rigid. But now I could understand his unwelcoming expression. He couldn’t be happy after helping the villagers only to be treated poorly.

He was writing something with a quill pen, and beside him, Sylphid floated around, looking at me as if uninterested.

It felt a bit strange. The Sylphid I knew not only showed great interest in me but also paid attention to every little thing that happened to me.

The ancestor who looked exactly like Darius and a young Sylphid from a thousand years ago.

“Whatever rumors you’ve heard about me, I’m not the person you expect me to be.”

He said.

“Of course, I know what kind of rumors circulate about me. That I’m the youngest ever contractor of a Spirit King, or that I barely became a contractor after Sylphid’s tremendous courtship.”

「I didn’t court you that eagerly. Someone might think I passionately loved you. I just wanted to observe humans, and you happened to be a suitable candidate for summoning me.」

“Even now, if you would cancel our additional contract and give me a chance to meet other spirits, I would be truly delighted, Sylphid.”

「Come to think of it, you can boast all you want about being my only contractor in the world. No, boast more. Look how much I favor you.」

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, it’s true. It’s true that I mediated a fight between lords who occupied two ravines without yielding an inch, and it’s also true that I won against an evil spirit mage who used spirits for selfish purposes.”

“So…”

“I can’t believe you know even that. And this is really recent…… It’s also true that the temple tried to arrange a marriage with a saintess, but I refused. I don’t particularly want to explain why I refused.”

「I told you to marry her then. The saintess was an excellent woman.」

“You actively encouraged it because you wanted to add the story of getting a saintess as a wife to my reputation. I don’t marry for such reasons.”

At this point, isn’t he just bragging? Just like Sylphid’s friend would.

He’s not giving me a chance to speak!

“Yes, I was just about to tell you about how you cleaned 100-year-old stable manure by diverting the river’s flow. It was truly a great achievement.”

“I didn’t do that. Another false rumor about something I never did.”

Inkheart sighed deeply. Sylphid, on the contrary, showed interest.

「Cleaned stable manure? It might be a bit dirty, but that could be a good challenge next time? You’ve killed enough monsters, Inkheart.」

I see. That’s a story from Greek and Roman mythology.

‘When I get back, I need to revise the storybooks in Inkheart territory.’

Our ancestor is indeed the youngest Spirit King contractor, mediated fights between lords, and received proposals from ladies of noble birth, but he didn’t clean stable manure.

The stories he just told were actually legends passed down in Inkheart territory.

“I will never go to clean 100-year-old stable manure. Have you forgotten that you are a wind spirit? I can clearly see you getting all excited about going, but as soon as you smell the stable manure, you’ll run away saying this air is an insult to the pure wind spirit. Sylphid.”

「A youngster like you lecturing me. I still vividly remember the image of you crying when you made a contract with me.」

“Who beat that child well and brought him this far…… Our guest seems bored. Would you like me to show you spirit magic? That seems to be why you came during my free time.”

Perhaps the reason Inkheart sometimes looks tired is not because of the villagers’ hatred but because of that noisy Spirit King only he can see.

Though that wasn’t why I came, I had no reason to refuse when the greatest spirit mage offered to evaluate my skills.

“Then may I ask for your guidance?”

「Good, good. I found her quite interesting from the first time I saw her.」

“Sylph, Wind.”

Sharalak.

The playful puppy-like Sylph was gently summoned. After seeing me give Sylph a few commands, Inkheart finally spoke with some interest.

“Are you hiding your skills? This doesn’t seem to be the extent of your ability.”

「Just a Sylph? This child clearly looks like an advanced spirit mage.」

Tsk tsk tsk, Sylphid clicked his tongue like a human. Floating in the air, lying sideways and jeering, Sylphid looked twice as annoying.

“Actually, I’ve never summoned anything above the intermediate spirit Sylraphe. Even Sylraphe was quite difficult for me.”

“A talent like you? You’re more timid than you look.”

「That’s laziness. How little must she have trained.」

Different era, same words from Sylphid! I almost cried at the all-too-familiar repertoire.

〈Train! Train! Do you think I’m telling you to train for my own benefit!〉

If there’s one thing I want to tell the future Sylphid, it’s that I’m not someone who lacks effort compared to my talent.

The day I first met Sylphid, he told me something was strange.

Based on what he sensed, I should have had overwhelming spirit power, but my body was like a large vessel with no water in it. So the spirit power that should have been filled up was lacking.

Only after coming here did I truly feel it. The tremendous spirit power flowing through my body.

〈Oh, you were vomiting blood earlier, but now you’re completely fine?〉

Arshama had said that to me at the temple altar.

Just before crossing from the present to the past, I had summoned three wind spirits at once and vomited blood, but as soon as I crossed to the past, I felt the limitation on my spirit power disappear.

Like a blocked dam suddenly bursting, this now felt like my normal body state. I could only assume that the past time period had affected even my transmigrator status.

‘At the same time, I felt how much Sylphid had been accommodating me.’

While my spirit power expanded endlessly, strangely, spirit summoning became more difficult.

In the past, when Sylphid first made me contract with Sylph, what did he say?

〈As you are now, you’ll struggle to handle even the Sylph I’ve generously given you. Though you don’t meet my standards, I can’t say you have no talent, so don’t neglect your training.〉

The foolish disciple only realized after being forced into this situation that his nagging about studying was truly for my benefit.

Without a contract with Sylphid, I found it difficult to handle even Sylph and Sylraphe, which I used to control well.

‘I didn’t realize Sylph and Sylraphe would be so obedient to the title of Spirit King’s contractor.’

“Then let’s try it.”

“What?”

“Summon the advanced spirit Sylraion.”

“What?”

“If not now, then when? The opportunity to have me in front of you won’t be that common.”

“Uh, uh, but…!”

“You followed me here because you were too lazy to train your spirit power, right?”

No, I didn’t! There are more complicated circumstances that are difficult to explain! That’s not a fair assessment!

Despite my confusion, Inkheart’s attitude remained unchanged. He really is Sylphid’s old friend. Just saying I should do it.

Like someone who believes you can learn to swim by being thrown into water with a beer bottle, he tells me to try it right now.

“This isn’t like swimming.”

“In terms of swimming, I’m much better than you, so trust me and do it.”

「The founder of swimming is here too. Just do it.」

Under silent pressure, I awkwardly waved my arms.

‘This is wrong. If I make a mistake and cause reverse summoning or some damage, you, Inkheart, would be doing something terrible to your distant granddaughter-in-law, causing emotional wounds to your grandson!’

If something happens to me, Inkheart’s future a thousand years later would…! Well, Evangeline would probably take responsibility! But since Evangeline isn’t a spirit mage, Sylphid, you’d be losing a granddaughter who would entertain you with cute performances a thousand years later!

“Obey my command and come forth…… come forth, uh, how do I do this again?”

“Just do it.”

「No need for fancy modifiers. Just call the name.」

“Syl, Sylraion!”

Encouraged by one person and one spirit, when I called for Sylraion, a refreshing wind wrapped around me from my feet up.

What was the price for reverse summoning again?

I was prepared to have my insides turned out and vomit blood like when I forcibly summoned three spirits at the temple…

Blinking open my eyes cautiously, I saw a human-like spirit looking at me within a white light.

The advanced spirit looked much more human-like than the puppy-like Sylph or the large bird-like Sylraphe.

“Did I summon it? An advanced spirit? Really?”

「Hello, summoner.」

“Waaaaaah!”

“Congratulations, you’ve grown another level.”

「What’s the big deal? Someone might think she summoned me.」

“Whoa, waaaah, aaah! How in the world! I did it in one try! A wind advanced spirit! Sylphid should be seeing this!”

「I am seeing it.」

“If Sylphid saw this, he would have praised me so much, saying ‘that’s my child,’ ‘see, you can do it!'”

「My child is…… if I must put it in human terms, Inkheart?」

“Uuugh, I miss Sylphid. I miss you Sylphid! I love you Sylphid! It’s all my fault, this is all because I didn’t listen to your precious nagging!”

「Inkheart, this is the first human to scare me. There seems to be something wrong with that one.」

「Spirit King, words, bad. I, summon, human, happy. Human happy, I, mind, sometimes.」

「Look at you talking back to your Spirit King in front of a contractor without fear. At least speak properly. Your speech structure isn’t even formed.」

「Spirit King, mistreat. Own family. No, loyalty.」

While Sylphid and Sylraion bickered, Inkheart opened his arms to congratulate me. My arms, about to share a joyful embrace, hesitated.

Darius, my husband with black hair and black eyes. If he were here now, he would surely have embraced me with that face, with that exact smile he makes. He would have shared in my joy.