The Wind Spirit's Counterattack
Anemoi stammered, clearly caught off guard by my response. “W-what do you mean…!”
“That’s what I’d like to know. Why would I ever contract with you, Lady Anemoi?”
“Didn’t you just say it yourself? Stop being alone and come together with someone.”
“I was talking about someone other than me.”
“I have taken a liking to you.”
“Absolutely not.”
This conversation was going nowhere. If I let it continue like this, we’d never reach an end.
“In that case, I’ll call for Lady Ophelia.”
“Wait just a moment…!”
“It was a pleasure speaking with you!”
I needed to escape immediately. I had better things to do—like looking after Serian. I kicked open the firmly shut door and bolted out.
I almost got roped into a contract with that weird spirit.
The room Lumian had fled in such a hurry fell into an awkward silence. The only sound was the faint creak of the door as Ophelia poked her head inside.
“Um… did the conversation go well?”
“Haa…”
“Lady Anemoi?”
Anemoi was lost in thought. A faint memory, blurred by the passage of too many years, surfaced in her mind.
‘Were you happy in life, Lady Anemoi?’
It had happened on the front lines of the Elf Kingdom’s war, back when she was still leading battles.
“General!”
“What is it?”
“It’s about your father…!”
That day, Anemoi had packed her things in a rush and hurried back to her hometown. Many had tried to stop her, but her steps never faltered. When she finally arrived, her father was locked in a fierce struggle on the border between life and death.
“Anemoi…”
“Father…”
“It’s alright. I’ve lived long enough.”
It wasn’t enough. Elves were a long-lived race—five hundred years at the shortest, a thousand at the longest. Yet her father had suffered from a rare illness that had tormented him for most of his life. While others leisurely enjoyed their days, he had poured every moment into raising her.
“Are you happy now?”
“There you go again…”
That damned word—happiness. He never cared that his own body was failing. And then he passed away.
After that, Anemoi threw herself even deeper into the battlefield, as if to forget him. Every time she cut down an enemy, the sorrow in her heart seemed to fade just a little.
Skyblade. That was the name they gave her as she swept across the battlefield in a frenzy.
She had spent her entire life on the front lines. When death finally claimed her—
‘This is…’
Her body felt as though it had pierced through the world itself. She was clearly alive, yet she could feel nothing. In that state, she wandered the world and observed countless people. Some feigned emotions to covet her power. Others wept openly, pouring out their hearts.
After meeting so many, her lingering attachments to the world began to fade.
“Please help me.”
“Why?”
It was a young mage. By human standards, she wasn’t that young, but to Anemoi she was little more than a green girl. The child had asked for help with her magic research.
Normally, Anemoi would have refused. But perhaps it was a momentary whim. Or maybe the girl reminded her of the adjutant who had died on the battlefield. Either way, she ended up staying by Ophelia’s side.
Once word spread that the legendary Skyblade’s spirit was with Ophelia, people began swarming her like bees to honey.
“Our deal is off.”
“What? So soon?!”
She hadn’t left Ophelia’s side immediately out of a sense of obligation, but she refused to assist with the research. Everything had simply become tiresome. The boredom she had briefly escaped upon meeting the girl came rushing back.
Ophelia, believing something was wrong with her, brought all sorts of people to speak with Anemoi. But the more they came, the further Anemoi withdrew. The so-called counselors repeated the same stories. Others urged her to form a contract.
Just as apathy consumed her and she prepared to bid the world farewell—
A pair of deep blue eyes, like the ocean itself. A gentle-looking boy with a delicate air about him.
“Were you happy in life, Lady Anemoi?”
Those words pierced straight through her heart. It was the first time in her long existence that anyone had ever asked her that.
“Of course I was.”
She had answered as if making an excuse. But Anemoi knew the truth. She was lying.
A soldier’s life? It had been meaningful enough. Swordsmanship? She had enjoyed it in her own way. But if asked whether she had been happy, she couldn’t say for certain.
“When you discover a side of yourself you’ve never considered before, a whole new life might unfold.”
A new life. It was the first time she had ever heard someone speak of her future.
Everyone else had only ever looked at her past—the Skyblade, the great general. Even Ophelia had seen nothing but Anemoi’s history. But the boy before her, Lumian, was different.
It was the first time anyone had spoken of her future. A future she herself had never imagined or looked toward.
Unlike the others who had knelt and bowed their heads, Lumian’s attitude was playful. He asked why she needed power. He pointed out her arrogance. It was clearly insolent, yet she didn’t find it unpleasant. She could tell his teasing came from the heart.
Just like her father.
He was the second man to appear in a life where no one had ever offered advice—only reverence. That was why she had offered him a contract. With him, perhaps a new life wouldn’t be so bad.
“No thanks.”
But she had been cleanly rejected.
“I’ve been rejected.”
“Pardon? What are you saying…?”
“I proposed a contract to Lumian.”
“What?! Just like that?”
Ophelia’s eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out of her head.
“Yes. I rather like the boy.”
“But Lady Anemoi, even so, Lumian’s feelings…”
“If I contract with Lumian, I will assist with your research.”
“Huh…? Ugh… even so…”
“I will share some of my life memories with you—memories from the Great War. They should prove immensely helpful for your research…”
“I’ll go catch him right away.”
The moment she heard those words, Ophelia turned on her heel without a backward glance, slamming the door behind her as she rushed out.
He seemed to feel extreme anxiety toward anything special. As if he believed he wasn’t allowed to have it. From what Anemoi had heard, he was a No Talent. A child who showed no aptitude for swordsmanship, magic, or anything else. Perhaps Lumian had fled from that life and chosen mediocrity instead.
She had also heard that Ophelia felt a pang of regret about it. That would explain his reaction.
After listening to him, Anemoi had decided to learn about mediocrity in this new life. And in return, she would give the boy who had taught her about ordinary life a taste of something special.
Lumian. Just as you taught me about an ordinary life, I will teach you about a special one.
I had almost been screwed over. I nearly ended up in a contract for real. I absolutely hated getting tangled up in annoying things like this.
I slammed the door shut and hurried down the hallway. I needed to put as much distance between us as possible. Where could I hide?
If Anemoi didn’t simply accept my refusal with a “I see. Understood,” I might end up forced into a contract with her whether I liked it or not.
Ophelia and Serian would be leaving for the academy soon anyway. If I wasted more time here, she’d probably give up on me. She wouldn’t abandon Serian’s enrollment just because of me.
“Oppa!”
“Serian!”
I had only walked a short way down the corridor when Serian appeared, as if she had been waiting. Her cheeks were puffed out in clear displeasure at my brief disappearance.
“Where did you go?!”
“Lady Ophelia called for me for a moment.”
“We have to go to the academy now! How could you leave my side like that!”
Serian threw herself into my arms again. I felt bad, but right now I couldn’t hug her back.
When I gently pushed her away, she stared at me with her mouth agape, looking utterly shocked.
“Serian…”
“Oppa… why…”
“The truth is, my life is in danger right now.”
“Gasp!”
I grabbed her shoulders with a serious expression, and she tilted her head in confusion.
“What are you talking about! If someone’s bothering you, I’ll protect you. You don’t have to worry at all.”
I’ll chase them all away! She spun her fists in circles, looking quite adorable. My little sister really was reliable. All the effort I’d put into raising her had paid off. My eyes grew misty, so I tilted my head upward. Of course, I didn’t forget to pat her head.
“Oppa?”
“Serian… I need to hide for a little while. There’s someone after me…”
“That’s…”
There was a sinister spirit targeting my life. I didn’t explain it in detail, but Serian seemed to understand. She looked at me with a grave expression.
“I probably won’t be able to see you off…”
“…”
“Will you forgive me?”
Just this once, Serian. If I can get through this, I’ll be able to live the rest of my life in peace. I’ve made so many concessions already.
“Okay, Oppa.”
She nodded firmly, as if making a vow.
“No matter who comes looking for you, I’ll hide you without fail.”
“Thank you!”
“Maybe an obfuscation spell would work… gasp!”
Overjoyed, I pulled Serian into a tight hug.
“Hehe… Oppa. Do you like me that much?”
“Of course. You’re the only one for me!”
Leaving Serian behind, I hurried off to hide near the lake. I never imagined my sister would be this dependable in a situation like this. No matter how persistent Anemoi was, finding me while Serian was running interference wouldn’t be easy. Ophelia also had the duty of enrolling Serian in the academy. She wouldn’t have time to search for me.
Of course, if all of this was just me overthinking, that was fine too. Better safe than sorry.
I tucked myself into a corner by the lake and stared blankly at the water to pass the time. There was no picnic blanket today, but I could still lie down comfortably. This must be how a housewife feels after dropping her kid off at school and finally getting some rest. So peaceful.
The cool breeze. The warm sunlight. This was it.
If I just waited like this for about two hours, Serian and Ophelia would leave for the academy and everything would quiet down.
“Ah… that feels nice. The wind today feels especially pleasant.”
“Does my wind feel that good to you?”
“Aaaagh! Fuck!”
A voice I absolutely should not have heard rang out. The shock snapped me back to my senses. When I turned my head, the green crystal orb that had been floating in front of me earlier was now hovering there.
“Lumian, isn’t that reaction a bit much?”
Beside it, not only Anemoi but also Ophelia were looking down at me with their heads tilted.
“How did you…?”
“Oppa!”
Behind Ophelia, Serian came running toward me in a hurry.
“I heard from Lady Ophelia! She said if you contract with Lady Anemoi, you can come to the academy with me! Let’s go together!”
You little traitor. The shield I thought would protect me had just stabbed me in the back.