Chapter 330
Chapter 330
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 330
Chapter Title: I'll Fight For You
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Inside the Wind Palace.
Whoosh!
Amid the cool mountain breeze blowing gently.
"So, he just up and left, abandoning our plan to go together?"
Su-ah trembled with indignation, her face twisted in injustice as she clenched her teeth.
"Even though I said I'd go despite being scared, he shoved this blood-red club in my face...! How can someone be that ridiculous?"
So furious and wronged, she had come all the way to the sylphs in the Wind Palace to vent.
Something unimaginable in normal times.
"Heh heh, is that so?"
Sylphid wasn't exactly in her right mind either.
The Wind Spirit King, her mind utterly elsewhere, let Su-ah's rant go in one ear and out the other.
"Well, that could happen. Must be your fault, then."
"Spirit King?!"
"Hmm... I wonder how it turned out. Ah, how intriguing."
Stamping her feet, Sylphid turned her gaze to the central zone.
For the first time in ages, she felt her heart flutter.
Her first contractor, the one she loved.
The man who carried the scent of Yui-sa Stormtree.
'That man, truly.'
Could he summon the Yui-sa of her dreams once more?
'Yui-sa...'
Sylphid let out a faint, pained groan.
She thought she had grown accustomed, yet those memories still tormented her.
- Sorry, Sylphid...
The final words left by the one who gazed at her with tender eyes.
Sylphid still couldn't understand.
Why.
Had Yui-sa let go of her before that monster?
What had she seen in the Earth Dragon's eyes?
"......"
Whoosh!
The winds in the Wind Palace began to intensify.
"Uh, Spirit King? What's wrong all of a sudden?"
"Ah."
Sylphid snapped back to reality at Su-ah's call.
"My apologies."
Unknowingly, she had nearly let her power run wild.
Yui-sa.
The regret even Sylphid didn't know.
Could that man resolve it?
Could he slay the Earth Dragon without her power?
If.
What if that man died to the Earth Dragon's fangs as well?
Would she lose her chance to see Yui-sa forever?
No.
She didn't want that...
Sylphid's emotions were on the verge of boiling over.
Whoosh!
It was then that a new wind blew before her.
"Hm?"
Sylphid's eyes widened.
What was this?
A wind blowing inside the Wind Palace without her permission...
"Eh?"
Her mouth fell open slightly.
Thump thump!
Her heart raced.
"Th-this is...?"
Her voice trembled.
Ah.
Aah.
This familiar energy, that nostalgic scent tickling her senses.
"No way...!"
Rumble...
Fierce winds began to swirl across the entire Wind Palace.
This was.
The phenomenon that appeared when her contractor desperately called for her.
Soon.
The winds would compress and form a single summoning circle.
"Y-Yui-sa? Is it really you?!"
And.
As far as Sylphid knew, only one being could evoke this scent, this summoning circle.
Yui-sa Stormtree.
Really.
Had the dead one returned to life?
"Yui-saaaa!"
Sylphid wailed, searching for Yui-sa.
Then, without thinking, whoosh! She leaped toward the summoning circle.
"...Uh, Spirit King?"
Su-ah, who had been desperately calling for Sylphid moments ago.
Could only stare blankly at the summoning circle with a [What the hell?] expression.
* * *
Deep in the Spirit Realm.
Kaboombaba boom...
From the four gates Yui-sa had summoned, beings radiating immense power began to emerge.
"What is this?"
Fwoosh!
A muscular flame-wreathed man stepped out with a baffled look.
The Fire Spirit King, Sellion, wore an incredulous expression.
"You really brought Yui-sa back? For real?"
Plop!
Elraim emerged from her gate, flaunting her mermaid figure.
"It's really Yui-sa. How is this possible! Amazing!"
Rumble...
A golem rose from the earth, matching the Earth Dragon's size.
- Graaaargh!
The Earth Spirit King, Noas, let out an excited roar.
And finally.
"...Yui-sa."
Whoosh!
Sylphid emerged from the gale summoning circle, gazing at her with a trembling voice.
"Sylphid."
Yui-sa met her eyes with a tender expression.
"...Is it real? Really Yui-sa...?"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
It couldn't be.
How could a dead being return in such form?
Even for a constellation-level or higher stellar entity.
She couldn't believe it.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry, Sylphid."
Protecting the Earth Dragon's maternal love had been her sole choice.
The price: death.
Of course, back then, she hadn't died wanting to.
Simply.
In that dire moment, to survive, she had to kill the Earth Dragon.
And she had chosen to avoid it.
"......"
If her death was the result of that choice, she could accept it.
But Sylphid?
What pain had the one left behind endured?
"......"
Sylphid steadied her heart, then looked around.
A living Earth Dragon.
The traces of the gale reclaimed.
And.
Atop that Earth Dragon, two hatchlings.
'Ah.'
Only then did Sylphid realize.
What Yui-sa had seen in that final moment.
"So that's what happened?"
Indeed, was that it?
Sylphid nodded.
Setting aside Yui-sa's kind heart, she had heard that in life, she was an unwed mother.
One who had lost her child.
- Bweee bwee!
- Hi, Yui-sa!
- Kyarr, kyarr!
She had doted on lower sylphs for that reason.
Could such a woman kill the Earth Dragon and leave its two hatchlings?
Even if she had.
Even if she gained power from it.
She would have lived in torment forever.
Her innately kind nature would have ensured it.
'Anyway.'
It had turned out well.
Everything had resolved.
As a result, her spirit affinity had fully matured.
And.
Slyly.
Sylphid glanced at the corner of Yui-sa's left side.
The man wielding an unknown power.
'Seems she's found a good master too.'
"I understand, Yui-sa."
Sylphid didn't cry.
She smiled brightly, purely joyful at her return.
"Now you're contracting with the other Spirit Kings too?"
The moment she asked.
"......!"
The spiritists.
Ista, Kerin, Ling-ling, and Jea gaped in shock.
A historic moment of contracting with all four Spirit Kings right before their eyes—how could they not be stunned?
'Contracting with four crazy Spirit Kings? No way.'
'I had a hunch, but.'
'It's real?'
They had no choice but to believe.
The one who said it was a Spirit King herself.
"Kahaha! Does this mean my chance has finally come?"
"Does that mean I get Yui-sa's love like Sylphid?"
Sellion and Elraim grinned brightly.
- Graaawr!
Boom boom boom!
Noas excitedly pounded the ground with his spinning arms.
Proof of his excitement.
"Yes."
Yui-sa, watching them, smiled and nodded.
"Spirit Kings, could you all contract with me, Yui-sa?"
* * *
Contracting with the four Spirit Kings.
It was simple.
Yui-sa had already summoned them.
After that, confirming the contract intent based on her affinity was all it took.
And her awakened self had ample affinity.
[The Great Spiritist, 'Yui-sa Stormtree,' contracts with the Fire Spirit King 'Sellion.']
[The Great Spiritist, 'Yui-sa Stormtree,' contracts with the Water Spirit King 'Elraim.']
[The Great Spiritist, 'Yui-sa Stormtree,' contracts with the Earth Spirit King 'Noas.']
Sylphid was already contracted, so skipped.
Accordingly.
[Congratulations!]
[You have contracted with all four Spirit Kings!]
['Yui-sa Stormtree's' spirit power increases by 400!]
['Yui-sa Stormtree's' grade rises to SSS Grade!]
['Yui-sa Stormtree's' all stats increase by 20!]
'Crazy.'
I inwardly stuck out my tongue.
Contracting with all four Spirit Kings and ascending to constellation grade.
My summon would outrank me?
'And.'
Yui-sa could summon skeletons below her grade.
If those skeletons commanded spirits?
'This is straight-up broken, right?'
Just this would let her claim global ranking 1 upon return.
Even if not for some reason, she'd be untouchable by anyone.
'However.'
One worry remained.
Yui-sa's personality.
She was too kind.
With countless tasks and battles ahead.
If she hesitated or harbored resentment each time... it would be a problem.
So.
This needed addressing now.
"Yui-sa."
I called her.
She turned to me, then bowed politely.
"Yes. Did you call for me, Master?"
A Spiritist contracted with four Spirit Kings treating me so deferentially... truly novel.
Seeing the courteous Yui-sa, Sellion chuckled.
"What's this? What's the hierarchy here?"
"Hmm, what do you think, you idiot Sellion."
Elraim hummed a tune.
"If she's our contractor's master, doesn't that make you our master?"
Splash!
Elraim, rippling like waves, clung not to Yui-sa but to me.
"Hee hee, a smart Spirit King knows exactly who to impress."
She caressed my cheek with watery tendrils.
Right.
I had told the Spirit Kings before.
- To revive Yui-sa, we must subjugate the Earth Dragon. But you know it's no pushover, right? So, find spiritists to fight with us. Each one you bring earns you points with me.
Earn my favor.
The path to seeing more worlds.
Fall out of my sight?
Rot in the Spirit Realm.
I smiled.
"Elraim's certainly sharp, unlike some."
"Hehe, right?"
Splash! Splash!
Elraim gleefully sprayed water streams.
[The Essence of Water furrows its brow.]
[Who are you calling unlike? Me?]
Oh.
Water really was the smart one.
- Graaaargh!
Boom!
Noas knelt toward me, bowing his head.
And finally.
"Joo Dong-hoon."
The Wind Spirit King, Sylphid, called my name for the first time.
"I'm grateful to you."
Whoosh!
She approached me with a serious expression.
"This has nothing to do with you being Yui-sa's master. You turned my despair to hope, my sorrow to joy."
Whoosh!
The wind from her pleasantly tousled my hair.
"Thus, I, Spirit King Sylphid, will follow your command and fight for you even without a contract. This is my true heart."
The Spirit King's resolute declaration.
"Meaning...?"
I probed the intent behind it.
Sylphid smiled softly.
"As I said before, contractor and Spirit King are equals. So, me following you means... I'll prioritize your word over Yui-sa's. Of course, since you're her master, it's moot."
Wow.
I gaped slightly, stunned.
This was.
A massive win beyond expectations?
Better than contracting a Spirit King?
A voluntary subordinate.
Sure, summoning them required Yui-sa.
But I could do that anytime, so irrelevant.
"......"
Having heard the Spirit Kings' reactions, I looked back at Yui-sa.
- Yes. Did you call for me, Master?
After saying that.
She stood with head bowed, silently awaiting my words, no reaction otherwise.
No discontent or doubt in her.
I spoke.
"Living with me, there may come days when you must use your power against your beliefs."
"Yes, Master."
"Would that be alright?"
In short.
Moments like with the Earth Dragon, stirring maternal instincts.
Could she follow my orders without complaint?
"Of course, Master."
Yui-sa smiled gently.
"My life has already ended once. From the moment you resolved the regret that tormented my final instants... my new life has been yours. Thus."
She raised her bowed head, meeting my eyes.
"Don't worry, Master. I am forever your unwavering blade and tool."
Aah.
The Spirit Kings, Yui-sa too.
Could there be a more reliable moment?
As my chest swelled.
Sparkle!
The 'Crystal of the Heart' guarded by the Earth Dragon.
A small fragment beside it began to glow.