Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 296
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon Uses Magic (5)
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[Is that you? The one who called me?]
The bird that approached with quick little steps shook its head.
"So cute."
Maronie muttered to herself from behind my back.
A tiny baby bird hiding its white belly under brown feathers.
Smaller than my fist, making me doubt if it really was a spirit, but its cuteness was undeniable.
I wondered if it could even fulfill a spirit's role, but since the Azalea Bird that had contracted with Azalea was also a spirit, it wasn't that strange.
Tap tap.
The tree woodpecker hopped over bouncily, looked at the three of us, and chirped lowly.
[What? First time seeing a spirit? Wanna get your eyeballs popped out?]
Brutal curses that clashed wildly with its cute appearance and voice.
No ordinary gap.
The air around us grew chilly.
"......"
[Anyway, pretty ones always catch the eye.]
The thing, barely a mouthful in size, was full of itself.
Maronie's face stiffened as she backed away, looking to the Sage as well.
The Sage's smiling face seemed to ask what I planned to do.
[So why'd you call me? Don't you know I'm busy? You there, black hair.]
"What. Me?"
A hollow laugh escaped me.
[Rub my feet a bit. If you summoned me, you can handle that much, right?]
"What the hell are you?"
[Hmph! Don't talk back. Oh yeah~ You with the blue hair?]
"Yes!?"
[You look like you can sing well. Chirp for me once.]
The tree woodpecker flapped its snow-white feathers, stuck out its butt, and extended its rear feet.
This bird was no ordinary one.
Even Mary, one of the most arrogant people I'd met, hadn't caused this much trouble right from the start.
It was clearly used to being pampered.
"Si-heon?"
"Yes, Sage?"
[Hurry and rub~]
I ignored the shrewish little mouse-sized thing whining and secretly conversed with the Sage.
"To make a contract, there needs to be mutual consent. You have to prove your superiority somehow or establish a dominance relationship."
"...Aha."
"Usually, it's done by transferring some mana, life force, or food through the contract bond. But this one's got a strong ego. You know what to do, right?"
Even if it was drawn here by my mana, to contract it so I could summon it anytime, we needed to set conditions and swear an oath.
So, I had to show this tree woodpecker my worth.
[Black tree! Hurry!]
I muttered blankly at the horrific bird spouting tree-species discrimination without hesitation.
"Looks like it won't listen worth shit."
"Of course. Tree woodpeckers... Heh."
"Why? Famous?"
"You'll find out soon enough if the contract succeeds. Looks like you'll have to spend the day here."
As I chatted with the Sage, I looked back at the tree woodpecker.
Maronie was already singing, but I wished that fluffy butt would get out of my face.
"Maronie."
"Yes, Sage?"
"We should head back. Seems like Si-heon's contract will take some time."
"...Ah. Got it."
Maronie looked at me with pity-filled eyes.
Her face said it was just my luck to get stuck with this one.
The back of my head twinged; I had no clue how to handle it either.
This was the one supposed to adjust my magic?
It didn't seem reliable, had a rotten personality, and zero sense of duty.
"Si-heon."
The Sage gave me a subtle hint.
"If the spirit tries to flee, just cut off the mana to the magic circle briefly."
"Meaning."
"I trust you'll handle it well."
I nodded lightly at that.
The Sage was the Sage. She always provided the key to resolution right away.
Her plan probably included leaving with Maronie too.
I didn't want to show an innocent girl something cruel either.
"I'll come by tomorrow morning."
"Th-that long? You okay, Si-heon?"
I winked back at the Sage's wink.
The tree woodpecker, oblivious to its fate, wiggled its feet in front of me.
I waved reassuringly at Maronie not to worry.
Camping out? I'd done it dozens of times in the Peach Blossom Paradise.
Even with my limbs severed.
-Flash.
[Ack! Scared me. Nearly gave me a heart attack! Don't use mana recklessly in front of me!]
The tree woodpecker jumped up in surprise at the sudden mana surge.
Spirits were sensitive to mana flow, it seemed.
It chirped noisily on the magic circle. Pathetic sight.
After hearing about spirit contracts, I was reminded of that famous Japanese game where you catch and raise monsters.
Stuff cute little critters into monster balls, make them fight, and raise them.
From another angle, it's beating wild monsters senseless, trapping them in a ball, and calling them friends.
I knelt slightly and looked at the tree woodpecker.
[Argh, dirt on my one-of-a-kind cute pretty feathers? Hey, black tree. Groom my feathers.]
"I'm not a tree."
[What?]
The little bird snapped back immediately.
As if to show its irritation, it spread both wings wide and hopped around.
[Where'd the others go?]
"It's just you and me. For the contract."
[Contract?]
At the word "contract," it finally stopped and looked at my face.
Soon, a sound burst from its beak.
-Chirp.
A short, limp chirp.
Obviously mocking me.
The tree woodpecker spread its wings over its belly.
Couldn't cover the pure white entirely due to wing structure, but laughter followed immediately.
[Puhahaha! Contract? You wanna contract with me? Do you know who I am? You with your pathetic spirit affinity? Me, the pretty one?]
Kept calling itself pretty, but it just made me feel gross.
Even the prettiest girl loses points with terminal princess syndrome.
The praise impulse faded quick.
[Ah... If you were trying to make me laugh, good joke, darky. I'll ask our treasurer to give you some money.]
Treasurer. Spirits had ranks and economy too?
Oblivious, it wiped tears with its wingtip.
[Now send me back. Laughed enough.]
"Nah."
Sending you back is up to me.
A tiny index-finger-sized bird mocking a human.
Time to teach this princess-baby-bird without manners or respect the world's harshness.
I reached out and stroked the magic circle.
Black mana rippled at my fingertips into a long blade.
[What're you doing?]
Split the magic circle in half.
-Crack!
A grotesque sound as the mana severed, and the tree woodpecker yelped in shock.
[Wh-what the hell!?]
"What the hell is right."
To deal with trash, become trash.
It asked for a foot massage earlier.
I could do that.
Might snap it clean if I can't control my strength.
But even without that, need to instill manners physically.
For bratty kids who cause trouble with bad tempers, a 30cm switch or branch is miracle cure.
I grabbed the bird's scruff with both hands.
It flapped wildly to escape. I lifted it slowly.
[D-don't touch my body!]
My face drew closer.
My reflection appeared in the tiny bird's beady eyes.
[...Wh-what are you gonna do?]
"What d'you think."
[Do you know who I am? Third princess of Arcadia, Tree Woodpecker-]
I loosened my fingers briefly.
Seizing the chance, it beat its wings powerfully and soared up.
-Flutter!
[...Hya!]
Decent struggle for freedom.
I wrapped my body in mana and floated up slowly.
Wind magic aptitude was world-class, I was confident.
Flying was no big deal.
Even for a bird that spent most of its life airborne.
-Boom!
A massive dust storm erupted from the ground like a jet blast-off.
Short wings flapping wouldn't get far.
Spirits use contractor's mana.
No contract yet, so just a bird.
Physical threats to the avatar don't affect the true body.
True body in another worldline; this was a mere clone.
But pain didn't vanish.
Not scream-worthy agony, but unpleasant sensation lingered.
I knew that much.
Whether this princess could endure even that tiny pain? Unknown.
Subduing with pain wasn't my goal anyway.
Prove my power first.
And supply high-quality mana too.
[Kyaaah!]
Tag, you're it.
*****
"Princess?"
The princess had vanished.
Spirits vanishing from the spirit kingdom was common, if you thought about it.
But a kingdom princess with royal blood disappearing? Not ordinary.
Probably summoned by an extraordinary person, or the magic stone used was top-quality.
Spirit forms aren't fixed.
Often mimic natural objects, or small humanoid even if humanoid.
Easier to move that way.
"...The princess is calling me."
The princess's knight.
Spirits had hierarchies too; where there's a princess, there's a guardian knight.
She swept back her bright yellow hair and pursed her lips.
Spirits respond to summons from humans, wood folk, trees.
Spirit world and human world: light and shadow. Invisible to each other, but magic sometimes links worldlines.
That's why spirits answer calls.
Might seem unlucky, but usually not.
They gain resources or mana for life sustenance.
But some contractors are nasty.
Clone death isn't that painful.
Like a hangnail ripped off.
'But... the princess can't even handle that.'
Overprotection.
The knight bit her nail.
Emergency signal blaring since last night, suddenly quieted.
Worried what happened, but no return.
Couldn't sit idle as a knight.
Reluctantly, she took form too.
-Flash!
Spread wing-arms wide. Head held high.
Going to human world directly burdensome, but for princess.
Princess calling her.
'...Wait, princess. I'm coming!'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
[Contract... just contract and it's done... Ahahn!]
The knight's eyes widened.
The delicate, eye-won't-sting princess captured and violated by a human male.
Tree woodpecker's neck arched like a bow, white belly exposed under male's touch.
[...Mana....... This mana... first time.... Can't think of anything else....]
"Where'd that screamer from earlier go? Hey."
Tap tap.
Male's finger touched beak; it parted meekly. Princess yielded to mana.
Casual grooming attitude.
Normal princess would've exploded, cursed up a storm, sulked for days fasting.
Male's finger gathered mana.
Even to knight, exceptionally high-quality mana.
Lived centuries in spirit world, never seen such superior mana.
-Gulp.
Male tapped tree woodpecker's butt.
To strengthen spirit presence and power, inject mana.
-Smack.
[Hiiiing....]
Wailing tree woodpecker.
Some pain involved.
This princess, who complained at slightest foot touch, getting spanked.
"Told you to quit messing around. Surprised me when you attacked with magic."
[Sorry, sorry.... Won't climb again-]
-Smack!
[Keup....]
Looked like light taps to others.
But to princess, pride-shattering humiliation.
So insulting, tree woodpecker squeezed eyes shut, mouth agape, drooling.
Knight's heart wavered.
[You bastard!!!!!]
Couldn't hold back, yelled at male.
Daring to defile princess with that mana.
Shoulders tensed, wings spread, gathered mana for spell.
"...And who're you?"
[Let her go now! Do you know how noble she is, in your filthy hands!!!!]
Screeched in fury.
[W-wait....]
[Princess, hold on just a bit!]
Tree woodpecker belatedly noticed knight, tried to intervene.
Too late; knight's justice sense overflowed, princess's voice drowned out.
Head full of how to punish the male.
Knight formed mana sword, lunged at male.
"You two know each other?"
[No need for you to know. Return the princess now!]
Male frowned briefly, then shrugged.
Casual remark.
Over his shoulders, black mana rose: spirit king's, tinged with Heavenly Demon traits.
Others couldn't tell, but knight instantly knew its rarity.
"Yellow-bellied sapsucker... Better than one, two's good."
Finger tapped tree woodpecker's butt once more.
[Keut. Hup. Sob sob, what do I do... how to face Father....]
One bird per hand. Perfect.
Found the one to fill the last spot.