Chapter 23

Enria, feeling uneasy under Blizzan’s persistent gaze, turned her eyes elsewhere. But curiosity soon pressed against her chest, and she looked at Caldeon.

“Then… do you share your mana with your spirits, Caldeon?”

At her question, Caldeon shook his head once.

“It’s not exactly sharing. Once they’ve formed a contract with me, they can draw upon a certain amount of the mana within my body.”

“Oh…”

“Would you like to test it out?”

Before she could answer, Blizzan leaned forward, closing the distance between their faces once again.

At that instant, both Caldeon and Hayden—held in Roseanne’s arms—reached out and pushed at Blizzan’s forehead at the same time.

Of course, Hayden’s arms were too short, so instead of his hand, the long piece of bread he was holding pressed against Blizzan’s brow.

“You said you weren’t interested in humans, you damn flirt.”

“B-bya, bya. A-bya-bya!”

As Caldeon and Hayden both threw jabs at Blizzan, the fire spirit rubbed his forehead and burst into laughter.

“What’s this? You two really do resemble each other.”

His red eyes shimmered as he murmured that last part under his breath, amusement gleaming within them.

While Blizzan looked at Caldeon and Hayden with growing interest, Rahar and his spirits were discussing what kind of gift they should prepare for Hayden’s first steps celebration.

“You mean… give him our power?”

“Yes. Just like we shared it with Enria, we’ll share some of our strength with Hayden, too.”

“Oh…”

Undy blinked, clearly caught off guard by Silri’s suggestion. Seeing his hesitation, Silri continued, “Hayden’s practically my nephew. I’ve cared for him since the day he was born, and I even gave him his name myself.”

Silri added that since spirits calling a human’s name and a human calling a spirit’s name were acts equivalent to a contract, Hayden was, in a sense, already bound to her.

Then she turned to Lonn, knowing he was far more skeptical about sharing their power with the child.

Lonn, a spirit who walked the path of divine order, believed that anything outside predetermined will went against the will of God.

“Then, Silri, you may give your strength alone.”

“What are you talking about? Are you two not going to celebrate Hayden’s first steps?”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t,” Undy protested quickly. “I already shared some of my power with Enria without forming a contract, remember?”

At that, Lonn frowned, clearly displeased.

“It is unwise to bestow spirit power upon a human who cannot wield magic.”

Silri’s brow furrowed deeply.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Hayden might become a magician when he grows up.”

“Not every human can become one. Magic is a divine gift given only to those among mankind who possess exceptional strength, agility, stamina, and intellect.”

Silri crossed her arms and smirked.

“Exactly. All the more reason to share our power with him. Hayden’s the one chosen by the Oracle.”

“That too is uncertain. I’ve taken your word for it until now, but there remains a chance that he is not.”

“My intuition is never wrong. Hayden is the Oracle’s heir.”

Silri lifted her chin, speaking with the firm conviction she only showed when she was absolutely certain of something.

“Silri, you who have only one contract partner—you do not understand humans. They are by nature—”

“Oh, shut that mouth of yours if you’re going to start preaching again, Lonn.”

She spun around sharply, warning that if he ruined this rare festive mood with another dreary sermon, she’d kill him herself.

Then she walked straight toward Hayden, still in Roseanne’s arms.

“Whether you give your power or not doesn’t matter. But as one most loyal to God, if you refuse to grant your strength to the Oracle’s heir—how do you think your god will look upon that?”

Lonn’s face stiffened immediately.

“Well now… that’s something to wonder about,” Silri said teasingly as she walked away.

Undy glanced at Lonn, startled by his expression.

Lonn remained frozen, staring intently at Silri’s back.

If Hayden truly was the Oracle’s heir, then as one of God’s creations, he believed it was his sacred duty to assist and strengthen that heir.

Silri’s words had driven him into deep contemplation.

‘She planned this,’ Undy thought, sighing inwardly. Watching Lonn stand there in grim silence, he couldn’t help but think that Silri had him perfectly figured out.

It seemed inevitable now that Lonn would yield and grant Hayden some of his power.

As Undy looked over at Enria—who stood beside Hayden, talking to Caldeon’s spirits—he pondered something else.

Until now, he had believed, because of Silri, that Hayden was the true heir of the Oracle.

But Enria herself carried an inexplicable energy—a blend of divine and magical force—enhanced by her mastery of spellcraft.

The aura flowing from her was unlike anything Undy had ever seen in a human.

And faint traces of that same power flowed within Hayden, too.

Perhaps he could sense it because he had once given Enria his own strength.

Water spirits could perceive all things they had ever touched—every reflection, every ripple of truth.

And so, Undy decided: no matter which of the two proved to be the Oracle’s heir, he would protect both Enria and Hayden.

***

“What’s with that creepy look you’re giving Hayden, you red-feathered stray?”

Silri crossed her arms and glared at Blizzan, who had been watching Hayden and Caldeon with an intrigued smile.

Blizzan, catching sight of her, grinned slyly.

“How gracious of the Queen of the Spirit Village. Visiting the castle of my contractor, no less.”

“I didn’t come to visit your contractor. I came to see mine.”

“Since when does the Queen of Spirits make pacts with more than one human?”

Still smiling, still teasing, Blizzan’s words made Silri’s brow twitch in irritation.

“When are you going to fix that smirking, drooling habit of yours? It’s been ages since I last saw you, yet you’re just as infuriating as ever.”

“Oh dear. I must be careful not to anger the Queen—what a disaster that would be.”

“That attitude right there pisses me off.”

“Please, don’t frown too much. Wrinkles wouldn’t suit your already—not-so-pretty—face—”

Thwack!

Silri swung her hand toward him, but Blizzan caught her wrist with a swift motion, smiling brightly.

“You’ll never be popular if you keep that temper of yours, Silri.”

“You never change. Still the most aggravating bastard alive.”

Clicking her tongue, Silri twisted her wrist free and turned toward Enria.

“Enria.”

“Yes?”

“For Hayden’s first-steps celebration gift…”

That was when it happened.

The air in front of Enria suddenly twisted—and split apart.

Instinctively, Enria’s eyes darted to Roseanne, who was still holding Hayden.

In the same instant, Caldeon yanked Enria behind him.

“Hayden!”

Enria’s gaze locked on Roseanne, who clutched Hayden tightly as Rahar stepped protectively in front of them.

Undy and Lonn darted to Rahar’s side just as the rift widened—and a massive snake-headed monster burst through it.

Lonn immediately raised a barrier of earth to protect Rahar, Enria, and the others, while Undy summoned a colossal whirlpool above the serpent’s head.

Silri and Blizzan each gathered their power—wind and fire—into their palms, ready to strike.

The snake paused briefly—then suddenly lunged, jaws wide, directly at Hayden.

Silri and Undy attacked at once, while Lonn created a new barrier before Hayden.

Blizzan conjured a flaming ring and hurled it, wrapping it tightly around the snake’s neck.

Then, another serpent’s head shot out from the air between them.

Rahar, Roseanne, and Enria all reacted as one—each conjuring a defensive shield—while Caldeon’s dark mana lashed out like a whip, seizing the monster’s neck.

His movements were faster than anyone’s spells.

While the spirits and Caldeon swiftly subdued the two serpents, the space to Hayden’s left warped again and split open.

Enria hurriedly drew blood from her thumb and traced a summoning circle in the air with the wind’s help.

Rahar and Roseanne likewise drew their sigils of defense and offense, bracing for the next assault.

“Enri! Take Hayden!”

Roseanne shouted, thrusting Hayden into Enria’s arms so she could ready her attack.

The moment Enria caught the child, the air behind her twisted violently—and another serpent’s head lunged forth.

“Damn it!”

The spirits, Rahar, and Roseanne—all still battling the monsters—widened their eyes in alarm.

Just as Enria turned to look back, a long black sword sliced past her side and impaled the snake’s head clean through.

Caldeon’s blade.

He had bound the monster before him with dark energy while simultaneously striking down the one that targeted Enria.

Meanwhile, Enria dashed aside, finishing the summoning circle she’d been drawing.

From it burst a small creature—a birdlike monster with a head four times the size of its body and two stubby wings.

It looked far too top-heavy to fly, but to her surprise, it soared with ease—and fought fiercely.

When it slashed at the serpent with its tiny talons, they grew to match the size of its head, gleaming like sharpened blades.

The bird tore into the serpent’s neck, then struck its body again and again.

Seeing that, Enria pricked her thumb once more, ready to draw another summoning circle.

At that moment, Roseanne and Silri shouted together—

“Enri!”

“Behind you!”