Prodigy of the Blade and the Spirit's Call
The first lesson ended far sooner than I had expected. It was because Julia's talent surpassed even my highest estimates. My original plan had been to teach her a few basic sword forms. Yet barely thirty minutes after we began, she was already executing the foundational movements with flawless mastery. The phrase "like a sponge absorbing water" felt almost insulting in the face of such terrifying speed.
Even as goosebumps rose across my skin at that monstrous talent, I chose to end the lesson there. Teaching her any further would be unwise. Julia would likely absorb every technique I showed her, but regardless of her gifts, her body was still that of an ordinary ten-year-old girl. Even if her mind could process the lessons, whether her body could endure them was an entirely different matter.
Of course, Julia's talent wouldn't be confined merely to learning and comprehension. Her physique surely contained immense potential as well. As time passed and training accumulated, that body would strengthen at an astonishing rate. But not yet. Julia was still only a ten-year-old girl. No matter that her body already touched the Boundary of Transcendence, for now I needed to nurture her without pushing too hard.
With those thoughts in mind, I brought the first lesson to an early close.
And shortly afterward, it was time for the second lesson.
“U-um… I’ll be in your care… please…”
The second student was Lana. In her large, rabbit-like eyes swam an anxiety and tension she couldn't possibly hide. Her wariness toward me had faded considerably, yet she still found me difficult to approach. It was likely just her personality. After all, she showed that same timid side even when speaking with Alice or Julia. It wasn't that she feared me or distrusted me.
…Probably.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. This isn’t anything too serious.”
I smiled as gently as I could, trying to put her at ease.
“Y-yes…”
Even so, Lana still looked tense, but there was little I could do about that. Smiling bitterly to myself, I decided to begin. Actually, calling this a lesson felt somewhat inaccurate. After all, I wouldn’t truly be teaching her anything.
“Wait here a moment.”
I left Lana standing at the edge of the clearing and picked up a stick. It wasn’t for swinging. Unlike Julia, Lana’s aptitude had nothing to do with physical combat. I began drawing on the ground with the stick in one hand while holding a book in the other. My eyes flicked between the pages and the dirt as I continued sketching.
After some time, a single large diagram took shape in the clearing—a circle filled with various symbols and characters. Anyone with even basic knowledge would recognize it immediately.
It was a magic circle.
When I glanced at Lana, I found curiosity now sparkling in those wide eyes. I smiled faintly and resumed my work. The circle itself was finished, but the preparations were not. I retrieved the pouch I had set aside earlier and placed its contents at key points across the diagram.
Only then did I turn to face her.
“From now on, Lana, you’re going to form a contract with a spirit.”
A spirit. That was the power she was meant to wield.
This world—closer in atmosphere to the medieval or early modern era than to modern times—was one where magic had flourished. Instead of scientific devices powered by electricity, magitech creations ran on mana. Magic was intimately familiar to its people, and while skill levels varied wildly, it was no exaggeration to say that mages were commonplace.
Spirit masters, however, were another story entirely. Compared to the easily found mages and warriors, spirit masters were genuinely rare. It was only natural. Anyone could begin martial arts or magic with enough time, but spirit arts required spirit affinity. Without it, one couldn’t even take the first step.
Humans possessing spirit affinity were few, and even among them, the level was usually insignificant. Thus, while spirit masters were rare, they weren’t particularly revered. With few exceptions, human spirit masters simply didn’t reach a meaningful threshold of power.
Lana, however, was one of those exceptions—an irregular among irregulars. Born human, yet possessing an affinity so overwhelming it could eclipse even the elves blessed by nature itself. That was Lana Flor of Elion.
In the game, she had commanded an entire legion of spirits using that impossible affinity. I knew exactly what she was capable of: a force that surpassed human armies, able to summon natural disasters at will. That was why I believed the only thing worth teaching her was spirit arts.
And today, I intended to initiate her into that path.
Through this magic circle.
“S-spirit…?”
Lana’s already enormous eyes grew even wider.
“That’s right.”
I met her gaze directly and smiled.
“Could you step onto it for me?”
When I pointed to the circle, Lana looked at me with anxious eyes.
“It’s safe. Nothing dangerous will happen.”
I smiled softly to reassure her. After a brief hesitation, she stepped onto the magic circle as I asked.
“Then let’s begin.”
Confirming she was in position, I started pouring mana into the circle.
The circle awakens.
The veil between worlds thins.
⟨ SPIRIT GATE ⟩
Swoosh— The magic circle drawn upon the ground began emitting a faint glow.
“Wow…!”
Lana let out a small gasp of wonder. She quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed by her own reaction. Holding back a chuckle, I continued channeling mana. There was no need for incantations or complex rituals. The runes inscribed in the circle were already expressing my will, and the natural crystals placed upon it would carry out my intent.
Before long—
Flash!
The circle’s light intensified dramatically. The ritual had succeeded.
I watched with rising anticipation. The circle’s purpose was simple: to open a temporary path to the spirit realm. While connecting two worlds might sound grandiose, the truth was far simpler. This world and the spirit realm were only nominally separate; their connection was incredibly intimate. Passages sometimes opened naturally without any artificial aid.
In any case, this circle would open a gate and transmit the presence of whoever stood upon it into the spirit realm. At that point, the subject’s qualities became crucial. The greater the affinity, the higher the rank of spirit that would take interest.
‘Let’s see how far it reaches.’
With expectation in my chest, I waited for the omen—the phenomenon that accompanied a spirit’s descent into this world. A fire spirit would raise the temperature, a water spirit would increase humidity. Such effects were natural, yet the omen that occurred when crossing the world’s threshold was always more intense.
The strength of the omen scaled with the spirit’s rank. A high-ranking fire spirit might not only heat the air but wither all surrounding vegetation. A high-ranking water spirit could even summon rain.
I waited, though I wasn’t expecting anything overwhelming. I knew Lana’s potential was extraordinary, but right now she was still just a child. While I had spoken as if spirit affinity was everything, in reality one also needed personal strength. Spirits required mana as fuel to act in this world. Without the ability to wield mana, even the greatest affinity was useless.
In that sense, the current Lana wasn’t yet an especially attractive prospect for high-ranking spirits. Her affinity was peerless, but her capacity was lacking. With no foundation in mana and such a fragile body, she couldn’t possibly handle a superior spirit. Even if a contract somehow formed, she wouldn’t be able to summon it.
Spirits could only maintain a single contractor. The exact reason eluded me, but that was the rule. Outstanding affinity did not guarantee an equally outstanding vessel. A spirit might find itself bound to someone who could never fully utilize it.
That was why high-ranking spirits chose their contracts with great care.
I knew Lana’s future was assured, but from their perspective, she probably didn’t look like much yet. So I held no grand expectations. My goal for today was a low-grade spirit—one that would help expand her vessel before we aimed higher. Most spirit masters would never make such a choice, limited as they were in the number of contracts they could hold. But Lana was different.
‘Advanced might be too much… No, even an intermediate spirit would be a blessing.’
With that modest hope, I waited for the omen.
And soon enough—
Whoooosh—
The wind began to blow.
‘Wind, is it?’
A wind-attribute spirit. Not a bad choice. I nodded to myself.
‘This should at least clear the lowest rank.’
Probably low-grade. At best, it wouldn’t exceed intermediate. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t a little disappointed, but it was still acceptable.
That was what I thought—right before the wind suddenly intensified.
Whoooong!
It grew violent at a speed that defied imagination. In the span of a few blinks, the breeze had become a storm. A ferocious gale strong enough to uproot the entire forest.
“…What the.”
For once, I was rendered utterly speechless.