The Fire Spirit King (2)
The Fire Spirit King, Pompeii, stood proudly on the yacht, his muffler fluttering in the sea breeze.
Pompeii's human form was a bit larger than Aqua's, around 70 centimeters tall.
'So the Fire Spirit King can shift between a dragon's form and that of a human child.'
Hardly any information was known about Pompeii. He rarely formed contracts with humans or even appeared in the human world.
Pompeii swept his stern gaze over us.
[From this moment, you shall answer my questions truthfully.]
His childish voice was forced into a low tone. Trying to sound so grave with a voice like that. Why did all the young Spirit Kings want so badly to seem mature?
A smile tugged at my lips without me realizing it.
Pompeii continued in that same serious, dignified tone.
[Why is that young one, who should be in the Spirit Realm, here?]
He seemed to think we'd kidnapped Mandu or something.
[We saved Mandu from the bottom of the sea!]
Aqua placed her hands on her hips, her face a little angry.
[How could a Spirit King allow a child like that to nearly die at the bottom of the ocean?!]
[……The bottom of the sea?]
Pompeii furrowed his brow in disbelief.
[You're spouting nonsense. The ocean, the ultimate water, is the antithesis to us beings of fire. No salamander would walk into that hell of its own accord.]
[If you don't believe us, ask him yourself!]
Pompeii's eyes turned to Mandu.
[Sisit!]
Mandu wagged his tail furiously and chirped loudly, as if thrilled to see Pompeii.
I knew Mandu had lost his memories from before coming to the human world. But baby spirits were said to be born near their Spirit Kings, so maybe he vaguely remembered Pompeii's face.
'Or perhaps he instinctively recognizes a Spirit King.'
[Sisit! Sisit!]
Even without a contract link, no one could miss the joy and affection in that voice.
[Hmph.]
Pompeii approached Mandu with lofty, elegant steps. When he extended his hand, Mandu scampered up his arm and onto his shoulder.
[Sisit!]
Mandu rubbed his forehead affectionately against Pompeii's cheek.
Before we knew it, Jang Gilsan, Han Areum, Han Deuri, and I were sipping drinks and chuckling at the spirits' conversation.
The tension from the dragon's sudden appearance melted away at the sight of a five-year-old kid with heterochromatic eyes, a mint muffler, bat wings, chatting with a lizard.
Pompeii, oblivious to our stifled laughter, asked Mandu gravely.
[My little one. Were you truly in the human world's ocean?]
[Sisit!]
[Why? How did it happen?]
[Sisit, sit.]
Mandu shook his head, as if he didn't know either.
Pompeii's face grew serious, then he turned to Aqua.
[It seems it's true. As the father of all fire spirits, I must express my gratitude.]
That tiny guy was calling himself "father" out of his own mouth.
[……Kkhk!]
Han Deuri couldn't hold back his laughter. Luckily, Pompeii didn't seem to hear.
Aqua stared at Pompeii. He had buried his mouth in his muffler and was silently petting Mandu.
Aqua asked.
[Well? When are you going to show your gratitude?]
[I already did. Just now.]
[When? You didn't even say thank you!]
[Words aren't everything, young successor. Read between the lines.]
Aqua's eyebrows sharpened into a fierce angle. She hated being treated like a kid.
[Why have you been talking so strangely since earlier? And what's with your eyes? Is one of them dead?]
Pompeii gave her a look that was equal parts offended and amused, then shook his head.
[You wouldn't understand yet. The weight of the name 'king' pressing down on your shoulders and tongue…….]
Aqua's cheeks puffed out at the continued babying. If I left her like this, a fight would break out, so I gently pulled her into my arms.
[Hmph! I hate Pompeii!]
Aqua shouted that and buried her face in my chest.
Pompeii shook his head at the sight.
[Even the purest water has been tainted by poison…….]
He glared at us.
[Humans are truly so poisonous to spirits…… Ow!]
Pompeii yanked his hand back from petting Mandu.
[Sisit!]
Mandu had bitten Pompeii's finger and was growling angrily. He clearly didn't like Pompeii badmouthing me.
[This guy!]
Mandu scurried down Pompeii's arm and onto my shoulder.
Pompeii pouted like he was hurt, then quickly covered his face with his right hand when our eyes met.
[……Kkhk! Look at that. Even the little one is already smitten with a human. Humans paralyze our spirits' reason and intellect……!]
[Quiet! We've already had that argument plenty with Niagara!]
Aqua shot back from my arms.
Pompeii looked surprised.
[……With Niagara?]
[Didn't you know? We even dueled him! Niagara doesn't think that way anymore!]
Pompeii fell silent. I could tell it was stunned silence.
[……Kkhk!]
He laughed belatedly.
[Well, Niagara was the weakest among us four great Spirit Kings anyway…….]
[Weakest my foot! You lost to Niagara too!]
[…….]
Pompeii went quiet again. I was struggling to hold back my laughter.
This Spirit King was awfully clumsy.
Pompeii pretended not to hear Aqua and turned to me.
[I won't say it twice. Don't set foot in the Spirit Realm, human.]
[You've already said it twice.]
Pompeii desperately ignored Aqua again.
[Besides, Uluru permitted it. Who are you to object?]
[……That was Uluru's unilateral decision!]
Pompeii snapped, forgetting to ignore Aqua in his anger.
Contempt flashed across his face.
[Uluru was just another spirit in the end. So easily swayed by humans!]
[Don't insult Uluru!]
[You're the ones dragging humans into the Spirit Realm and insulting the spirits and the realm itself!]
Pompeii bellowed. It was the first time his voice carried real, heartfelt fury.
Aqua—and the rest of us—were a bit startled.
[……Kkhk!]
Pompeii rubbed his forehead and shook his head.
[Tsk tsk…… I almost got serious without meaning to…….]
With a flap of his small wings, Pompeii floated into the sky.
He looked down at us with cold eyes.
[Consider this your final warning, out of mercy. Ignore it, and you'll taste the wrath of the Fire Spirit King.]
As we stood frozen in shock, Pompeii let out a sinister chuckle.
[Kkhk…… You might even die?]
With that laugh, he vanished in a roar, leaving only a red rift leading to the Spirit Realm as his trace.
We cut our trip short and headed home. It didn't feel like a time for fun anymore.
After rinsing off the salt from our bodies, I sat in my room and asked Aqua.
"Why does Pompeii hate humans so much?"
[I don't really know. It's been years since I properly talked with him.]
Aqua petted Mandu with a downcast face.
Mandu licked her finger encouragingly.
"He told Niagara humans are poison, right?"
[Yeah. He did.]
I didn't know how much it influenced Niagara, but Pompeii was the source.
I let out a small sigh. Pompeii's warning didn't scare me. It just felt regrettable.
'That little guy harboring such intense anger.'
Like all spirits, Pompeii was small and cute. A guy barely taller than Aqua, making such a grave face—it was just adorable.
But that raw fury at the end was unpolished, genuine rage.
'What happened to him?'
Pompeii had threatened to kill us. But it wasn't a sincere threat—just a warning.
[More than anything, what's with that weird appearance?]
Aqua said.
[Not quite a lizard or a bird, and pitch black to boot—what kind of monster is that?]
"It's a dragon."
[A dragon?]
Aqua and Mandu looked at me.
[What's that?]
[Sit?]
"Wasn't that the Fire Spirit King's original form?"
[No. That was the first time I'd seen it too.]
Pompeii must have undergone some massive change in the past few years.
Aqua crossed her arms and pouted. She was clearly thinking about Pompeii.
I asked, looking at those cute pursed lips.
"Were you close with Pompeii?"
[Not at all! He's always picked fights with me and Terra since way back!]
The fact that sweet Aqua was trash-talking so freely meant they were pretty close.
[He'd interrupt when we were hanging out with Terra! Acted all high and mighty just because he became a Spirit King first!]
They must have known each other for ages, to the point of annoyance.
[I never liked him from the start!]
Aqua didn't seem to realize her face showed the exact opposite of her words.
I chuckled softly and pulled her into my arms.
"You're still worried about him, though?"
Aqua pouted silently before burying her face in my chest.
[……Maybe I've been too indifferent.]
Her voice was glum and dejected.
I gently stroked her back.
[I have no idea why he turned out like this…….]
Pompeii had changed so much it shocked even Aqua. She was frustrated not knowing the reason.
She was blaming herself first for her friend's sudden change, which showed how precious Pompeii was to her.
[Sisit…….]
Mandu climbed onto Aqua's shoulder and looked up at me sadly.
He'd met Pompeii for the first time today, but Spirit Kings were always dear to spirits.
There was only one answer.
"Let's go ask him ourselves."
[Ourselves?]
Aqua peeked up.
[But Pompeii told us not to come.]
"We can't just keep worrying like this."
[True, but…….]
Aqua wavered between worry for Pompeii and consideration for his feelings.
I smiled softly.
"This is the spirits' business, so I'll leave it to you two. Should we go?"
Aqua and Mandu looked at each other.
Then they nodded in unison.
[Let's go!]
[Sisit!]
"Knew you'd say that."
I laughed and hugged them tight.
'Plenty to do in the Spirit Realm.'
First, Aqua's Spirit King qualification ceremony.
We had to resolve things with Pompeii too.
And there was the 'Spirit Realm Tour' quest.
'Exploring the Spirit Realm with my spirits.'
If this was vacation homework, I'd welcome it anytime.
Two days later, we prepared to head to the Spirit Realm.
My heart thumped excitedly.
A sanctuary no human had ever trod.
The beautiful homeland all spirits sang of in unison.
An eternal Neverland of pure innocence that never aged.
And the first human to set foot there would be me.