Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Chapter 8 First Spirit
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That place was a massive cavern filled with stalactites.
Stalactites that shone brilliantly on their own, no less.
-Welcome, human.
At the center were dozens of enormous boulders. Meredes narrowed her eyes and muttered toward them.
“The rocks are moving….”
-I am Lukkar.
The boulders bound together by some invisible force rose into the shape of a person. More precisely, an ogre’s shape, but it was all the same.
-I am the essence of the Jairut Mountains and the guardian of the ogres who have made their home here.
“Did you hear something just now?”
I asked Meredes just in case. She nodded warily.
“I hear the rocks scraping. That spirit must be enormous.”
As expected, she couldn’t hear it. Well, it had been the same before, so no surprise this time either.
-Can you hear my voice?
The rock spirit extended a finger toward me. I took a slow deep breath and replied in my mind.
‘I can hear you. Can you hear me?’
-I can. You’re a human with extremely low affinity for us. Yet you’ve skillfully figured out how to communicate despite that.
That’s because I’d done it before.
My spirit magic potential was so abysmal that communicating like this had been a huge ordeal at first.
‘I’m just speaking as I hear it. But why bother talking in my head?’
-You’re a human with low affinity for spirits.
-So if I speak out loud, you wouldn’t understand me right now.
-Speaking directly so a human like you can hear it is actually harder for me. That’s why I’m shoving my intent straight into your head like this.
Shoving it in? The phrasing seemed a bit more aggressive than last time I saw it. Was it excited about something?
-First, I have something to tell you. The one I called here was just you, little human.
‘Why?’
-Because you were the only one who helped the ogres.
-But this was merely a failure on the part of my limbs to relay my opinion properly.
-So I won’t blame you. Instead, I’ll discipline them later.
‘Go easy on them. It wasn’t their fault.’
-Not their fault? Then you knew and did this on purpose?
‘Exactly.’
-Exactly? Why?
‘I had a favor to ask. Oh, before that, I saw records about you in the elf-managed library.’
Of course, not from this regression cycle.
But I had seen them, and that was a fact. The rock spirit shook its body several times as if intrigued.
-You know about me? Then do you know why I called you here?
‘More or less. Since I helped the ogres, you’re going to lend me your power, right?’
Spirit Magic: Lukkar.
This was the fundamental key to resolving the ogre rebellion route nonviolently.
I’d first obtained it during the 7th cycle.
Back then, I couldn’t mobilize priests separately for sea serpent transport like this time. I gritted my teeth and poured out divine magic alone, but by the time I arrived, the meat was already half spoiled.
Even so, it had willingly contracted with me, saying I’d achieved a tremendous feat for the ogres!
But what if I’d kept the meat perfectly fresh on top of that? With this level of achievement, it should grant spirit magic plus one extra favor, right?
-That’s right. But first, state your name.
‘Claude.’
-Claude. What you did today was splendid. You created a major turning point for the ogres I protect.
‘What turning point?’
-The sea creature you brought will bring great changes to the ogres’ bodies.
-Those who eat it will grow stronger, and bear even stronger offspring.
‘Really? That’s great?’
-It’s truly wonderful. You’ve achieved a great deed in ogre history.
-So as it should be, I will lend you my power. From now on, I permit you to summon me here in the form of spirit magic at your will.
Whoosh!
In that instant, a transparent rock fragment flew and pierced the center of my forehead.
Not that my head was actually pierced. The fragment had no physical substance.
Most spirit contracts were like this. I’d been terrified, thinking I was dying, the first time it happened to me.
-My name is Lukkar.
-Call my name while thinking of me, and I will appear before you and crush your enemies to dust.
‘Whoa, really? That’s amazing. Thank you so much. I’ll make good use of you.’
Oh, wait.
Was that reaction too soulless? From my perspective, it was something I’d repeated several times….
-You won’t consume any of your power when summoning me, so don’t worry.
-But because your aptitude for spirit magic is so low, the time I can be summoned will be short.
Phew. From its tone, it didn’t seem to mind.
-However, your low aptitude should have risen to a decent level through this contract with me.
-If you can obtain the power of other spirits besides me, you might acquire even stronger aptitude through them.
-Then, until we meet again someday….
‘Wait! Stop! Hold on! I have a favor to ask first!’
I hurriedly stopped it as it tried to return to rock form.
‘We can’t end it like this. Do you know how hard I worked!’
-What are you talking about?
It raised its crumbling body again. Phew, that was close. I sighed inwardly and got straight to the point.
‘I told you earlier. I have a favor to ask.’
-A favor? What favor?
‘So, from now on….’
I explained the simple con I’d planned in advance. After hearing it all, it asked back in a voice full of incomprehension.
-Why would you need to do such a thing? Can’t you just explain it directly to the humans beside you?
‘It’s tricky to explain with words. Anyway, it’s not hard for you from your side, right? I really suffered transporting that sea serpent meat fresh all the way here. So, can’t you grant this one favor?’
-As you say… it’s not a great burden.
Lukkar nodded as if convinced. Then it continued in a more solemn tone.
-Indeed, the fresher the meat you brought, the greater its effect on the ogres’ bodies.
-I was so pleased with that fact that I got a bit excited. I nearly overlooked giving sufficient recompense because of it.
-So once more, I convey my thanks. Truly, thank you for going to such lengths.
-And considering that, I will gladly grant the favor you just requested.
‘Really? Then I’m the grateful one!’
Good. Seems my appeal worked.
-No need to thank me.
-This is only natural, and even after this, it still feels insufficient.
-So as an additional small gift, I’ll give you one more thing.
‘A gift? Besides granting the favor?’
-First, let’s start with the favor you requested.
In that moment, a long horizontal crack formed on its blunt face, and a real voice exploded out.
“Grrr rumble! Humans, can you hear my voice?”
“We can hear it!”
“We can hear it!”
Meredes and Didi, who had been quiet, answered in surprise. Come to think of it, I should respond too.
“I can hear it. Very clearly.”
“Gooood. I am the rock spirit Lukkar, and from this moment, I shall pass my power to Claude.”
Then it deliberately strode toward me and placed a finger on the center of my forehead for the performance.
Press….
“Your Highness! Are you all right? Your Highness?”
Meredes stamped her feet in panic. I waved my palm to calm her.
“I’m fine. No problem. But something just entered me.”
“Thaaat is my power. Claude. As recompense for aiding the ogres, I have awakened the magical potential within you.”
“Magic? Not divine magic, just regular magic?”
I asked back with the most surprised expression I could muster. Lukkar nodded and recited my scripted lines perfectly.
“The potential for the very magic you humans call elemental magic. From now on, by the blessing of the spirits, you can use magic. Very pooowerful magic.”
“Your Highness….”
Meredes hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the stone dust from my face. Perfect. Now even if I suddenly use Arch Wizard-level magic later, it won’t seem strange.
“Use thaaat power well. The potential I awakened in you holds the strength of what you call an Arch Wizard.”
“Then does that mean Your Highness has become an Arch Wizard?”
Meredes asked with wide eyes. I shook my head with an incredulous expression.
“Does that make sense? How could someone become an Arch Wizard in one go?”
“But Your Highness already gained the ability to wield Arch Priest-level divine magic in an instant through the gods’ blessing….”
Even Meredes seemed unable to believe her own words. Meanwhile, having finished the requested acting, Lukkar suddenly twisted its body and swung a finger toward the opposite cave wall.
Rumble!
A small pile of stones there formed into a human shape and rose.
-From now on, this is not your requested acting, but my other recompense.
Lukkar’s voice suddenly rang in my head. Instead, it looked at Meredes and asked.
“Other huuuman. What is your name?”
“I am Meredes.”
“Good, Meredes. Among all beings I have met, you possess the highest affinity for spirits.”
“…….”
Meredes fell silent in shock. Come to think of it, Appraisal Eye had shown her spirit magic potential as A+.
“To you, I specially grant the power to summon ‘Pebble Spirit Kval,’ my faithful subordinate. Kval?”
Thud!
A newly appeared small rock spirit stomped vigorously in response.
Of course, “small” was relative to Lukkar; this one was still big enough to crush an average ogre.
“You shall contract with that human called Meredes from nooow on. Obey her commands.”
Nod.
The pebble spirit called Kval nodded.
Then it pointed a finger and shot a very small, transparent stone fragment toward Meredes’s forehead.
“……!”
But Meredes dodged it.
Seriously, you could dodge that?
“Don’t dodge it, human. By receiving thaaat, you will be able to summon Kval with spirit magic.”
“Your Highness? What should I do?”
Meredes looked to me for permission. I forcibly closed my gaping mouth and nodded.
“Better to take whatever you can get, right? Do it.”
“Understood. Then I shall follow Your Highness’s will.”
Meredes nodded. This time, she didn’t dodge the incoming stone fragment and took it to her forehead.
Whoosh!
“…….”
She flinched right before it hit again. Her reaction speed was truly innate. With proper training, she’d become an incredible knight.
“Nooow finally, tell my subordinate outside to give you the ‘Connection Stone.’ I’ve already informed it, so it will hand it over immediately.”
Connection Stone? What’s that?
There hadn’t been anything like this before. I was about to ask out of genuine ignorance when Lukkar instantly turned back into a pile of rocks and collapsed.
Rumble!
And silence fell. I mulled over what had just happened, then suddenly thought of Didi.
“Didi? Did you feel anything watching that rock spirit just now?”
“It was scary, sir. It seems the world is full of truly frightening beings.”
Her expression didn’t look scared at all…. Anyway, her special talent ‘Beast Affinity’ had no connection to spirits.
I’d brought her along to check, like with the last sea serpent, but it was a bust this time too.
In any case, I’d perfectly—no, beyond perfectly—achieved my original goal.
I obtained Spirit Magic: Lukkar, secured justification to openly use Arch Wizard-level magic in the future, and on top of that, Meredes even got an unscheduled pebble spirit!
But what’s a Connection Stone? I’d never even heard the word in nine regression cycles?