Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Spirit Arts (3)
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"Is this His Highness's spirit?"
"Whoa, it's so cute!"
"Look at that tiny thing!"
"Hey, watch your mouth!"
"Eep!"
The servants all reacted in their own ways as they stared at the little pig spirit on the magic circle.
"The spirit summoned by our lord... It might possess extraordinary power that belies its small size!"
"But it really is cute, isn't it?"
"Amelin, what do you think?"
"Y-Yes!? Uh, um, well..."
Amelin was sweating bullets.
"It seems like a very weak spirit."
"Really, Amelin?"
"I-I'll check again!"
"No need."
If Amelin was sweating like that just to say it, then it must be true.
But... even with Supreme Physique, was this the best I could do when it came to spirit affinity?
No, maybe this is actually the best thing for me?
Just like Kirigumo said, this spirit might actually hold tremendous potential.
Just as I, who had been utterly powerless until now, gained strength through my perk.
What if this little guy blooms with incredible possibilities once we contract?
Moreover, its tiny, insignificant appearance felt oddly familiar, like looking at my own talents up until now. There was a strange sense of kinship.
"Y-Your Highness. What should we do? Since we haven't contracted yet, should we send it back and try summoning again?"
"No."
I approached the magic circle and crouched down in front of it.
"It kept flickering until this one appeared. That must mean this is the best spirit for me."
If it had popped out right away, I might have tried switching, but the fact that it took a full five minutes felt significant.
"To contract, I just need to touch it and infuse my mana, right?"
"Y-Yes! That's correct!"
As I reached out toward it, the little guy—not even as long as my palm—waddled over and rubbed its cheek against my hand.
[Kul~]
If it weren't semi-transparent, it would just look like an adorable animal that loved people.
When I infused my mana into it, I felt a connection form between us.
At the same time, I vaguely sensed its emotions.
No complex thoughts or feelings—just pure joy.
"What's your name?"
[Kul?]
It tilted its head.
"No name?"
[Kul]
"Y-Your Highness. Weak spirits sometimes don't have names. In those cases, the contractor often gives them one."
"I see."
In Savior of World, they all had cool-sounding names, so I assumed they came with them from the start.
Guess sometimes you have to name them yourself.
In that case...
I pondered a name for it.
It looked like a tiny pig, but I hoped it would grow into a lucky charm pig that brought me great fortune one day.
I picked it up with both hands and said,
"Alright, from now on, your name is Honey Pig."
No point in giving it a fancy name that didn't match, so I went with something endearing.
[Kul!]
Honey Pig seemed delighted with its new name, letting out a happy sound.
And at that moment.
You have saved the fate of the nameless spirit 'Honey Pig'.
As a salvation reward, Honey Pig's new potential has blossomed.
Go forth and save the world to your heart's content alongside your spirit.
Saved Honey Pig's fate?
Just by contracting with me? What kind of doomed fate did it have for a message like this?
But right now, the important part was...
Honey Pig's new potential?
I checked my perk window just in case, but there was no additional info on Honey Pig.
Which meant its new potential was something I'd discover by living alongside it.
At any rate...
It's not just going to be a cute little thing.
"Let's get along, Honey Pig."
[Kul!]
I wondered what kind of help this small, cute spirit would provide in the future.
My lips curved into a smile of anticipation.
While Aren contracted with Honey Pig and looked forward to the future...
In the spirit realm, countless spirits couldn't hide their disappointment.
The first contract between a spirit and a spirit arts user held great significance.
A spirit arts user wasn't limited to summoning just one spirit.
Even after contracting one, they could summon others to borrow their power.
But that was merely borrowing power—it wasn't a true contract bond.
The first contractor and the first contracted spirit.
That bond persisted continuously, allowing the spirit to remain manifested in reality as long as the user had enough mana. The more mana flowed through that bond, the more it elevated the spirit's rank.
Later spirits couldn't receive those benefits.
That was why, when Aren's magic circle appeared, all the spirits had gone into a frenzy, fighting to be the first contracted spirit.
But despite their regret, they hadn't given up hope yet.
[Hmph, there's no way he'll keep a contract with a weak little spirit that just happened to stumble in.]
[Anyone who wants a spirit wants power. Who would keep a spirit that can only barely maintain form by sucking up the contractor's mana?]
[It'll last a week at most.]
[Heh heh heh heh heh heh!]
[Guess we'll prepare until that little pig comes back.]
[Next time, I'll contract with him and seize even greater power!]
[I won't let a contractor who can sustain me slip away!]
A week had passed since summoning Honey Pig.
As usual, sparring with the knights and training my magic, I observed what changes Honey Pig might bring.
For starters, Honey Pig had an appetite that belied its size.
As a spirit, it required mana to stay summoned.
Being small, it consumed little mana, so with my recovery rate, I could keep it summoned 24/7 without issue.
Wondering if feeding it more mana might spur growth, I poured extra through our bond.
[Kul!]
Honey Pig happily gobbled it up.
It loved it even when I gave it three times the usual amount at once.
Also, Honey Pig was smarter than expected.
"Honey Pig, roll over."
[Kul.]
"Honey Pig, turn left."
[Kul.]
"Honey Pig, go to Amelin."
[Kul!]
"It, it really came."
It could only say "kul," but it understood and obeyed every command.
But Honey Pig's surprises didn't end there.
Every single day, it showed astonishing changes.
Honey Pig was a pig-shaped spirit.
Visually adorable, and if real, it looked like it would be incredibly soft to the touch.
But as a powerless spirit, my hand passed right through whenever I tried to pet it.
I could make contact by coating my hand in mana, but there was no tactile sensation.
That's why it had rubbed its cheek on my mana-coated hand at first.
In Savior of World, spirits had solid forms, drew aggro, and could even tank.
I couldn't ask this version of Honey Pig to do that.
It'd probably feel amazing if it could materialize, though.
So while feeding it mana, I told it,
"Honey Pig, I wish you could materialize."
[Kul? Kul!]
Honey Pig replied to me while absorbing even more mana.
It felt like it was saying it would try hard, so I smiled warmly.
The next day.
[Kul!]
"Hm?"
When I woke up, a fully opaque, pale pink Honey Pig—not semi-transparent—was perched on my chest.
"Honey Pig?"
[Kul!]
Honey Pig had actually materialized.
And when I touched it with my bare hand, it felt solid, with a real tactile sensation.
[Kul~.]
Honey Pig's texture was plushy and squishy—endlessly pettable without tiring.
Unlike a real pig, though...
"You're super light."
I picked it up, but despite its size, it weighed next to nothing—unnaturally so.
I asked Amelin about it at breakfast.
"It materialized already? A weak spirit like Honey Pig? How on earth...?"
Even Amelin thought it didn't make sense.
"Yesterday, I told it I wished it would materialize, and it absorbed more mana than usual."
"Ah! It could be because Your Highness's mana is special!"
"Really?"
"No other explanation."
Amelin wore that expression again, like she'd given up thinking.
Then Tenka, standing nearby, asked me,
"L-Lord! May... may this humble one touch Honey Pig?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thank you... Ah, aah~ It's so soft."
Seeing Tenka's face, Ridel, Amelin, and the other maids lined up to pet it too.
"So soft."
"Wow, my fingers are in bliss."
"Eek, so cute!"
"I want to line it up next to Butterfly!"
"We'll ask His Highness later!"
Honey Pig was a huge hit with the women.
But its true value was discovered a few days later.
[Kul~!]
"...Did you just... eat the magic?"
Honey Pig was an unbelievable omnivore.