Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: 063. Spirit Summoner Leo - (3)
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Void was an enemy that appeared in a sub-event of Act 5.
In Act 5, the identity of the person finally moving the Shadows—the black curtain leading the world to ruin—is revealed, and the act unfolds as those black curtain's minions are eliminated one by one.
Void was one of them.
"Void, what can you do?"
Even if it was a decayed spirit, it could understand my words despite its puppy form.
[Kiiing...]
The gray fluffball wriggled. It opened its mouth and spat out a small air bubble-like thing with a pew.
Pop. When the bubble hit the floor and burst, a tiny scratch appeared on the table.
That was it.
Void's only ability was a skill that dealt neutral attribute damage ignoring defense. Even that seemed limited to an attack range the size of a fingernail.
"...Tch."
Compared to other low-grade spirits, its performance was close to trash-tier.
However, Void had excellent growth potential.
In the original story, Void took the form of a massive beast, and the breath it shot from its mouth was powerful enough to erase everything in its path.
'It grows the more mana it consumes.'
Thus, Void was inevitably greatly influenced by its master's disposition.
The one supplying mana to Void right now was none other than Isolde.
Since she possessed the strongest and most steadfast mana in this world, all I could hope for was that this little guy would grow into a good spirit.
"Grow big and strong in the meantime and show off some prowess, okay?"
[Kihiing.]
I stroked Void's gray fur.
In truth, it didn't matter if Void wasn't that strong. This guy was ultimately one of Act 5's formidable foes—one of those massive mid-bosses. If I could eliminate it in advance, that alone was reason enough to take it in.
I was petting Void's head like that for a while.
"... "
My nape prickled.
When I turned my head, there was a woman with deep crimson hair peeking out from behind a pillar.
It was Sophia.
"Master... "
Ever since I'd brought Void to the chapel yesterday, Sophia had been in that state. Her wariness was at an extreme; the hairs on top of her head stood up like antennae.
"I sense an ominous aura."
"Ominous aura?"
"That monster has no scent at all... "
Well, it was a spirit of nothingness, so that couldn't be helped. But to Sophia, the presence or absence of a scent seemed extremely important.
Sophia glared at Void like that, and Void didn't particularly hold back against the sharp gaze directed at it either.
[Arrr!]
"Grrrrr... "
When Void bared its teeth at Sophia, she growled right back without backing down. It was a scene where you couldn't tell who was human and who was the spirit. A clear territorial dispute.
'Why on earth are they like this... '
I wouldn't ask her to become a Sword Saint, but I hoped she wouldn't throw away her human dignity entirely.
"Get along, you two. Aren't you family now?"
"B-but that thing... is mocking me... "
"Mocking you?"
I turned my head.
Void was rubbing its body against my leg with sparkling eyes.
"How can you say that when it's this sweet and cute? Bear with it, Miss Sophia. Besides, it's just a puppy."
Well, a spirit, but still.
"Ugh... "
Sophia looked utterly aggrieved but nodded since it was my word, unable to retort.
Void wagged its tail right at the back of her head.
Definitely, this guy was no ordinary rascal.
A new daily life with the spirit began.
Well, there weren't any dramatic changes. Void didn't eat or poop. It was satisfied with just a tiny amount of mana supplied through the mana link on my body from Isolde.
"My, Priest, you have a talent for spirit arts after all."
Two days later in the morning, Elise visited and greeted Void warmly as it nestled in my arms. She seemed to like animals, petting Void vigorously.
[Kiiing...]
Void itself didn't seem pleased, letting out a whining sound, but Elise ignored it and pried it off me to sit it on her lap.
"So you were absent yesterday to contract a spirit."
"Yes. Something like that... "
I was about to brush it off casually but frowned.
I'd caught onto something odd.
"But how did you know that, Miss Elise?"
"Pardon?"
At my question, Elise blinked a few times, then fanned herself as if the chapel air was hot.
"Ah, haha. Well, the thing is... um... "
"... "
"Ah, you know my maid Helena, right?"
"Of course. We fought together at the cathedral last time."
"Yes. Well, Helena has a bit of a stalker streak. So she has this cheeky hobby of collecting all sorts of academy gossip. It seems she spied on your private life, Priest, and told me. I'll give her a stern talking-to this time."
"...Hmm. Yeah, well... that... "
A maid who was just a thief-class extra in the original story.
She had such backstory?
This was news to me.
As I inwardly accepted it, Sophia shuffled out of the room.
"Master, I'm heading out."
Her hollow-eyed gaze suggested she was off to swordsmanship lessons.
Were the sessions with Beatrice that grueling? All I could do was cheer Sophia on.
"Have a good one."
Sophia, looking weary with the Ink Sword slung on her back, was about to leave the chapel.
But after a moment, she cautiously turned her head.
"Um, Master... Could you... spare a moment for some counseling?"
"Counseling?"
"Yes. I... don't know how to put it... but something's blocking me... "
Sophia glanced subtly at Elise. Elise just smiled alternately at me and Sophia.
"Hmm... Should I step out?"
"Yes. That's exactly it."
"...Haha. You sure have a way with words."
The usual WWE was underway.
Of course, I had no intention of letting it slide, so I clapped to draw everyone's attention.
"Yes, Miss Sophia, let's go somewhere quiet first."
"Okay!"
"Miss Elise, could you wait a bit?"
"Sure, I don't mind. I'm a free woman now anyway."
Sophia beamed, wagging her tail—no, her Ink Sword—as she followed, and I led her to the confessional. It was the perfect spot for counseling.
"So, what's troubling you?"
"Well... "
A hesitant voice came from the other side of the partition.
"I'm learning swordsmanship from that blonde woman... but it's not going well... "
"Not going well?"
"Yes. I'm learning sword aura... but no matter how I imitate it, it doesn't work."
Sophia's voice grew quieter.
Her self-esteem wasn't high to begin with, so it was almost a whisper; I had to lean in.
"Could you elaborate?"
"She said... I'm like a horny mutt."
"... "
Hearing that out of context was incredibly bewildering.
Sophia realized how weird it sounded and frantically added an explanation.
"I-I mean my swordsmanship... "
From there, Sophia explained the whole story. After hearing it all, I nodded.
I got the gist.
So...
"It means your sword carries too many emotions, Miss Sophia. Knight Beatrice called it a terribly messy sword."
"Yes... "
Sophia nodded from the other side.
"I just don't want to lose anymore. I just want to get stronger... but they say my sword is full of nothing but killing intent. At this rate, I'll be stuck in place."
"Hmm."
'I see what Beatrice meant.'
In the original story, Sophia Aquilova only becomes a Sword Saint in the latter half of Act 5.
The trigger was none other than the Heart Sword. A state where the mind is emptied like a mirror, becoming one with the blade. Beatrice was probably trying to teach her that.
In fact, thanks to Beatrice's training—whether intentional or not—by the original ending, Sophia becomes the epitome of a righteous knight. Post-story tales say her sword always protected the weak, upheld justice, and was noble.
Beatrice seemed to be teaching her to match the original Sophia.
The reason was simple. It was the curriculum crafted by Ciris, who had internalized the previous loop's experiences.
'Clear Mirror Still Water or Sword-Mind Unity, something like that.'
It was the skill Sophia absolutely had to acquire to become a Sword Saint.
In any case, for Sophia to become a Sword Saint the proper way, she had to empty all emotions from her sword.
However...
'It's already too late for that.'
Of course, it was all my fault.
I'd turned the Sword Saint who should be righteous into a brawler who growled even at puppies.
From Beatrice's perspective, Sophia's sword must be brimming with murderous intent.
'...This is tricky.'
Either way, Sophia had to become a Sword Saint. To overcome the crises ahead.
Especially the final black curtain in the finale, which was powerful enough to trigger Ciris's regression.
So I had to somehow get Sophia back on track.
"Miss Sophia."
"Yes."
After pondering, I spoke up.
"It seems you're overcomplicating what it means to empty your mind."
"Overcomplicating... it?"
"Yes. Emptying the mind doesn't mean having no thoughts at all."
I tapped the partition.
"It means eliminating stray thoughts."
"Stray thoughts... "
"When you swing your sword, aren't too many thoughts mixed in? I must win, I must get stronger. Or, I want recognition from someone, things like that."
Sophia flinched on the other side.
Hit the nail on the head.
"Those countless desires are dulling your sword. That's what Knight Beatrice pointed out."
"Then... should I discard them all? Want nothing? Swing the sword with a blank mind... Is that even possible?"
I didn't know.
It's not like I'd ever held a sword.
But there was one thing I could say here.
"You don't have to go that far."
I shook my head.
"How many people can swing a sword with a completely blank mind? The most important thing, no matter what. Think of that one reason you hold the sword, the one you absolutely can't give up."
"One... reason?"
"Yes. Don't you have something most important to you, Miss Sophia?"
"...Yes. I do."
"Then keep only that and burn the rest away."
I carefully chose my words.
It was actual dialogue from Sophia in the original.
I didn't remember exactly when, but around the finale's final battle. Against a knight whose spirit was broken.
"Focusing on that one mind. That is the emptiness and fulfillment needed by those who protect."
It was a line that had good direction and came up often in the community.
"...One mind. The most important thing."
Sophia mulled over my words repeatedly.
How much time passed like that?
"Yes. I get it now, Master. I think I've finally realized what I need to do."
Sophia's voice had changed completely.
Unlike before, it brimmed with confidence.
I smiled warmly and nodded.
"Good. I'll always cheer you on."
"Yes. I'll prove it for sure."
That afternoon.
"Hmm... "
Beatrice couldn't comprehend with her head what her eyes were seeing.
'How on earth... '
No matter how she rubbed her eyes, what rose from Sophia Aquilova's sword was a red sword aura.
Eerie, hot, domineering—yet a perfect sword aura nonetheless.
In just one day, Sophia's sword had undergone tremendous change. Was that even possible?
Of course, it was still messy.
But unlike before, it didn't wander. Messy, but not without order. It was an excellent sword that advanced steadfastly along one path.
'...Not the color Her Highness mentioned... '
The color of a knight's sword aura reflected their inner image.
From what her lord had told her, Sophia's sword aura should be blue like the sky.
The crimson sword aura before her now was the complete opposite...
"Hmm... "
Whatever the case, she had no choice but to acknowledge that Sophia's sword had reached the threshold of Swordmaster.
"What sort of change of heart brought this on?"
Thus, Beatrice asked.
Sophia grinned and flicked her Ink Sword.
"Figure it out yourself. I'll just keep showing you."
It was exactly what she'd said just yesterday.
"... "
Beatrice gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
Did this woman really need a good whipping after all?