The Spirit King's Contractor (2)
Aqua puffed out her cheeks like steamed buns, fuming.
[Why wouldst thou say such things!]
She clearly didn't like that I'd brought up parting or death. Aqua pounded my chest lightly with both her tiny fists.
[We shall never part!]
"Haha, of course not."
I pulled her into a tight embrace. Aqua squirmed as if sulking, trying to wriggle free, but I only hugged her closer. She spoke in a still-angry tone.
[I cannot fathom what humans think! But thou shalt never think of parting from me!]
"Got it. I won't ever say it again."
As I hugged her earnestly, Aqua's anger seemed to melt away; she stopped trying to escape my arms. Maybe Niagara was right. Someday, the voids we left in each other might bring greater loneliness and pain.
But that's a problem for the future.
No matter what trials came from our bond, they didn't matter. Right now, we were together. To a spirit and its contractor, that was everything.
A smile gradually spread across Aqua's lips.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua hugged me back tightly. Mwah! She planted a kiss on my cheek. Beaming radiantly, she declared,
[We won!]
I grinned along with her.
"Yeah. Now we can be together forever."
Aqua's smile shone like starlight—that sparkling joy was the most precious gem in my life.
[Sisit!]
Mandu wormed his way between us.
[What an oblivious little guy!]
Aqua shot him a fond glare and hugged me even tighter. I embraced them both firmly.
The area grew lively; turning, I saw undines and sylphs crossing the sea toward us.
[Lady Aqua!]
The lead undine bounced around us excitedly.
[Eee hee hee! Congratulations! You don't have to go back now!]
[Thank you!]
[So now you're Lady Niagara?]
[......Huh?]
As Aqua puzzled over the words, a trailing undine corrected the first.
[Not Lady Niagara—Water Spirit King!]
[But that's Lady Niagara, right?]
[Lady Niagara is Lady Niagara, and Lady Aqua is Lady Aqua!]
The undines swarmed us, chattering congratulations.
[Lady Niagara was awesome too!]
[Congrats on reuniting with your contractor!]
They shared their pure kindness equally with Niagara.
[A majestic generational shift!]
[Rebellion of the new generation!]
[The Spirit Realm is now devoured by Gen X!]
The sylphs, as always, buzzed with incomprehensible nonsense, darting noisily through the sky. Pahng! A familiar trio scattered flower pollen overhead—Jeong Ri-on's sylphs.
[Congratulations, Lady Aqua!]
[As expected from our rival!]
[Losing like that wouldn't be fun!]
Probably their fanfare substitute. I gazed at the pollen-dusted sky, then looked down. The undines stared at Aqua with sparkling eyes—the gaze of subjects beholding their new queen.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua waved happily at them, grinning ear to ear.
[Waaaaah!]
The undines cheered fervently for their new king's birth.
Aqua nuzzled against my neck, rubbing her cheek. The taut, squishy texture unique to water spirits clawed at my heart. I chuckled softly, turned, and kissed her cheek.
[Eh?]
Aqua blinked in surprise, then smiled even brighter than before and kissed my cheek back.
[Hee hee hee!]
She leaped from my arms like fleeing, then burst into song.
[Ning-ppa nang-ppa morgai~!]
The song water spirits sang only in true bliss and happiness. Aqua glided across the sea, dancing gracefully to her spirit melody. Her grand motions evoked figure skating or a fan dance—and soon, her dance and song infected every undine.
A watery world of water spirits singing and dancing. If water paradise existed, this was it.
[Ning-ppa nang-ppa morgai~!]
The undines' chorus echoed across the sea. Amid it all, a notification chimed.
'Overthrow Niagara' quest completed.
Reward granted.
Acquired Multi-Attribute trait.
Mandu perched on my shoulder, tongue flicking as he watched Aqua dance.
"Mandu."
[Sis?]
"Wanna contract with me?"
Mandu tilted his head. As a baby spirit, he didn't grasp the concept. I gently cupped him in both hands. His plump belly tickled my fingers. I held him to my chest in a cozy embrace. Mandu flicked his tongue, smiling with crinkled eyes as if delighted.
A ticklish sensation bloomed where our chests touched, like a thread connecting us.
[Sisit?]
Mandu's eyes widened in surprise, then his face melted into bliss as he went limp. The contract thread thickened. A bright, warm fullness swelled in my chest.
The sensation of contracting.
I'd felt it with Aqua, but it was pure happiness. The feeling faded gently—contract complete.
[Sis! Sisit!]
Mandu buzzed excitedly, scampering across my chest and shoulders.
"Hahaha!"
I burst out laughing at the tickles. After circling my body several times, Mandu climbed my shoulder and licked my cheek—a sign of joy, clear through our contract bond. I stroked his back.
"Sorry I couldn't pay much attention before. Now that Aqua's settled, I'll focus on you too."
[Sisit!]
Mandu chirped happily, licking my cheek nonstop.
As everyone reveled in the festive mood, Sia Clearwater cradled Niagara tenderly. Spirit king titles meant nothing before family reunion.
* * *
We boarded Jang Gilsan's rented fishing boat. With undines, sylphs, Sia Clearwater, and Niagara aboard, it was packed tight.
"Hyungnim! Congratu—Whoa?!"
Han Deuri approached but accidentally stepped on an undine.
[Ow!]
[Don't step on undines!]
[Bad giant! Hmph!]
The undines swarmed him, pummeling with tiny fists.
"Gah? What's going on?"
Unable to see spirits, Han Deuri looked around in confusion.
"Careful. Tons of spirits around you."
Only then did he creep toward us in slow motion. Han Areum was the same.
"Sunbae!"
"Hyungnim!"
"Congratulations!"
"I knew you'd win!"
The siblings tackled me in a hug. Two-meter Han Deuri and teary-eyed Han Areum were equally overwhelming.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks—but can you let go first?"
"No way!"
"We're sharing this joy!"
I shot Jang Gilsan a pleading look. He pretended to fuss over Sia Clearwater, avoiding my eyes. She cradled the fainted Niagara preciously.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua seemed thrilled. She reached out to the nearby undines.
[You come too!]
Only then did I notice the undines staring. Hugs were one of their favorite things.
[Waaah!]
At Aqua's permission, they swarmed us. Double-digit undines clung to me, Aqua, and the giant siblings like hugs.
We became rice balls in seconds.
"Eek! Something jelly-like on my leg! Jellyfish?!"
Han Deuri yelped.
"Undines."
"Undines? They feel like this?"
He'd never petted Aqua before—she hadn't allowed it.
"Huaa, huwaaa...."
Han Deuri melted. I quickly covered his face. It was the kind of expression that'd make undines scream in horror.
Aqua and the undines beamed. Mandu in her arms did too.
[Sisit!]
After a long group hug, the undines returned to their land contractors.
"Good work."
Jang Gilsan, who'd hidden in a corner to avoid the cringe, patted my shoulder.
"Thanks to you."
His contribution to this victory was undeniable—my suit and Sia Clearwater were both his deliveries.
"You did great!"
"Aqua worked hard too!"
[Mm! Thanks for the cheers!]
As we praised each other,
"Um...."
Sia Clearwater approached, cradling Niagara. Her tiny frame—hard to believe she was an adult this year—was due to five malnourished years in the Amazon. Ragged clothes, wild tangled hair.
"Thank you so much."
But her teary eyes shone clearer than any I'd seen.
Sia repeated thanks, hugging Niagara—who was barely taller than her head.
Hearing her awkward Korean, I replied,
"I'm grateful too. You arrived just in time—their fight didn't go too far."
"Really... thank you so much."
Tears streamed endlessly. To a contractor, spirits are family. I couldn't fully grasp her pain of five abandoned years in the Amazon, nor her reunion joy.
But she looks truly happy.
Sia's tears were pure, spotless bliss that tugged at the heart.
[......Sorry.]
Niagara, in her arms, murmured weakly, face haggard as if on the verge of fainting.
[......Hmph!]
Aqua turned away, sulking. She was mad for two reasons: trying to separate us, and recklessly burning his life force for vitality.
Niagara hung his head, ashamed.
"Sniff... I have something to give."
Sia wiped her tears and reached into the air. Shwaa! A long object shot out into her hand—a trident. Pure white, symbolizing the sea itself.
The Spirit King's Trident.
One of the four divine treasures representing the Spirit Realm, emblem of the Water Spirit King.
Sia set Niagara down briefly and offered it to me with both hands. Realizing its meaning, I gasped.
"You're giving me this?"
It wasn't ordinary. Not just an S-rank artifact for contractors. To spirit users, it was priceless—a symbol beyond measure, proof of the Spirit King.
Sia smiled radiantly through tears.
"It was a duel for the throne, right?"
Reunited with Niagara, she wanted nothing more. Niagara nodded too.
[Yes. I lost. The Spirit King is now you, Aqua.]
As all eyes turned, pride swelled in Aqua's chest and shoulders.