Wind Spirit Ariel
Wind Spirit Ariel.
Viscount Bjorn.
He was one of the people who had driven the Evergarden Territory into a mountain of debt, and one of those who sought to swallow the Evergarden lands while bringing harm to the other families.
He had secretly manufactured debts against the Evergarden Territory and approached them so that, in return, he could carry out illegal activities on their land.
Having anticipated this in advance, Freya had instead dispatched an investigation team to catch Viscount Bjorn.
"According to the investigation team's report, Viscount Bjorn's subordinates appear to be lingering in the north for quite some time."
"The north… I believe the activity zones for magical beasts are heavily concentrated there, correct?"
"Yes, my lady. Especially since the breeding season for the magical beasts will begin soon, it seems they intend to capture the young."
"Magical beasts… I distinctly recall hearing that capturing and trafficking them is a capital offense, yet they have quite the nerve."
"No matter how I look at it, this is far too large an operation for a man like Viscount Bjorn to have orchestrated alone."
"In that case, he must have a backer."
"I think so as well."
Freya was nearly certain that Viscount Bjorn had someone backing him.
A mere viscount was far too small a figure to pull off something of this scale by himself. She simply could not believe that a single man of his rank would be capable of directing a crime severe enough to border on treason.
"At the very least, someone who holds territory in the north must also have a hand in this plan, wouldn't you say?"
"That would make sense."
It was simply impossible for one man to handle every aspect of capturing, transporting, and distributing magical beasts on his own.
"Perhaps systematic trafficking of magical beasts has been going on in the north for some time now, right under the government's nose."
"I think so too. Rather than Viscount Bjorn starting the trade himself, it's far more reasonable to assume that the trafficking was already happening quietly in the north, and he simply joined in."
…They only received the most fragmentary information, yet they immediately saw straight through Viscount Bjorn's movements… My lady is impressive, but that elf is incredible too.
The report from the investigation team had been simple to the point of barrenness, yet Rosaria and Estel were steadily building deductions from it. Fenril listened with her ears perked, murmuring her admiration inwardly.
Come to think of it, my lady and the elf… have they known each other for a long time? It's just a feeling, but they somehow smell similar…
"When do you suppose Viscount Bjorn will return leading those magical beasts?"
"Ah, yes yes! Ahem— Fundamentally, magical beast trading is most active while the beasts are still in their juvenile stage. Once they grow past that point, management becomes difficult."
When first born, magical beasts were still weak and small, and there had once been a period when they were commonly sold as pets. But as they grew, their strength and bulk increased, and their savage instincts awakened; they often failed to recognize their owners and attacked them instead. That was why the trade had been banned.
"At present, magical beasts are mostly used in underground illegal fighting arenas or colosseums."
"Have you seen them as well, Sir Fenril?"
"Yes. Only once or twice, but I have witnessed the spectacle. They possess an extremely ferocious and savage nature. Iron weapons are crushed like mere paper in their jaws."
At Freya's question, Fenril recalled the magical beasts she had seen in the illegal colosseums during her days in the underworld.
Compared to goblins or other common beasts, most of those born in the north were beast-type rather than humanoid—closer to wolves or canines. Yet even against ordinary animals they were several times larger, and the sight of them tearing through gladiators with savage fangs and claws had been nothing short of overwhelming.
"The best method would be to raid the site with some measure of official authority, but if we make large-scale contact with the authorities, they will sense something amiss and go into hiding."
"Indeed. For an operation of this scale, they must have connections in higher places as well."
"Hmm… Sir Fenril. If Viscount Bjorn's subordinates capture the magical beasts and bring them here, how long do you estimate it would take?"
"Mmm… The breeding season starts in about a month, and then capturing them and smuggling them all the way here…"
"Half a year. I estimate about half a year."
After a brief moment of thought, Fenril delivered her opinion with firm certainty.
"Hmm, that is quite a long time."
"They will have to sneak in while avoiding as many eyes as possible, so if they prioritize safety, that is the timeframe I would expect."
"I see. Then we still have time. We should deliberate carefully on this matter."
"Please instruct the investigation teams not to overdo it, but to continue reporting on their movements as thoroughly as possible."
"Understood."
There was no suitable method for immediate action, and time still remained, so Freya judged it best to think calmly for now and spoke to Fenril.
"Well then, next shall we proceed to discuss the leaves of the World Tree, the specialty product of the elves?"
"Good. Let us begin."
Besides the matter of the magical beasts, a mountain of work still awaited the Evergarden Territory. Today, too, the office of the mansion was running busily.
"Contracting with a spirit is actually quite simple."
Having proposed that Rosaria become a spirit mage, Shalle began explaining the process of contracting with a spirit in earnest.
"You encounter a spirit whose wavelength matches yours, and if you have the will to form a contract, the spirit responds to that will and the contract is formed."
"Hmm… Is that all it takes?"
"Heehee! That tickles!"
Rosaria was listening to Shalle's explanation while playfully tickling the cheeks of the Sylph who had climbed onto her hand and was frolicking about.
"I thought there would be some grand ritual or something…"
In fantasy stories and manga, contracts with spirits were always sacred and powerful, accompanied by some special ceremony, so Rosaria had expected to go through something similar. She muttered a little deflatedly.
"Basically, a spirit mage is someone the contracted spirit helps. The spirits' moods are the most important thing."
Snorting "Hmph!" at Rosaria's muttering as if to say what nonsense that was, Shalle retorted.
"Their appearances may be cute, but spirits are incredible beings, you know? It's not that we command the spirits—it's closer to asking favors of them!"
"Is that so…? You're a pretty amazing little thing, huh?"
"Amazing! Amazing!"
As Rosaria took another look at the Sylph in her hand after Shalle's words, the Sylph raised both hands high and shouted. That appearance was nothing short of a cute little girl, so honestly Rosaria could not quite feel the reality of it.
"Then how do we proceed with the contract?"
"Looking at you and the Sylph right now, your wavelengths seem to match to a certain degree, so you're practically at the stage just before contracting."
Judging from how the Sylph—who rarely revealed itself to people—was actively approaching Rosaria, Shalle figured that once a solid connection was made, the contract would form naturally.
"Miss Rosaria, please give that Sylph a name."
"A name?"
"Spirits don't have names. Depending on the type of spirit, they have a species name, that's all. The Sylph is just called Sylph because that's what wind spirits are called."
"Sylph wasn't your name?"
"Nope! I don't have a name!"
"I thought Sylph was your name all this time…"
"So giving a spirit a name is a procedure that confirms you will become special to each other."
"Hmm… A name, a name…"
At Shalle's suggestion, Rosaria closed her eyes and rolled her head around, trying to come up with a name that suited the Sylph.
Since it's a wind spirit, how about Speedy? No, that's too hokey… Tempest, meaning typhoon? Isn't that going too far?
She knew that bestowing a name was a very special thing. Rosaria pondered a fitting name even more carefully than when naming a Pokémon she would travel with in the electronic world.
"Ah, this is it."
"?"
After fretting for quite a while, Rosaria's eyes lit up as she lifted the Sylph high in her hand.
"Ariel. Your name is Ariel."
"Ariel?"
Having taken the name from the air spirit appearing in Shakespeare's play, Rosaria confidently declared it a perfect match for the wind spirit Sylph.
"Yes, that's your name."
"....Ariel!! That's my name!!!"
Flash—
"Whoaaa?!"
At that moment, as the Sylph muttered the name Rosaria had given her, her body began to shine with an enormous light, and Rosaria instinctively turned her head away.
"Ari…el?"
Once the light had subsided somewhat, Rosaria carefully turned her head back and looked at Ariel, her pupils dilating.
Ariel's body, which had been slightly translucent, had become distinctly clear as she gazed back at Rosaria.
"I am Ariel! I'm Ariel!!"
"...Alright. Looking forward to working with you, Ariel."
And so Rosaria formed a contract with Ariel.