Chapter 028. Spirit Sword (5)

"Warm."

The feeling that Arwen, who held the light in her hands, experienced was simple. Warmth.

The pale mass of light now filled Arwen's entire field of vision. She could no longer see the man in black right in front of her, nor Veris, who was watching the duel from afar, nor the backyard of the mansion, nor the blue sky.

It was true that she was startled by the sudden turn of events. However, thanks to that warmth, which was beyond words, Arwen found herself recalling a sense of coziness.

[ What a pretty child. ]

[ Really! Moreover, her spirit sensitivity is incredibly high! ]

[ But it looks dangerous. ]

[ Let's protect her! ]

"...Huh?"

A small voice was heard.

There were only four people in this space, from Veris to Arwen, yet the voices that could be heard were far more numerous. What could that mean?

[ Get away! ]

─ Flash!

The light quickly changed direction and flew toward the Inquisitor wielding a scythe right in front of her. And then an astonishing scene unfolded.

─ Bang!

"What, what did you say?"

The Inquisitor, who had been charging forward with a sneer, was sent flying far away.

He seemed to be in a daze, unable to comprehend what had just happened to him.

[ Child. ]

"Yeah?"

[ We will help you. ]

"...How?"

[ It seems you can hear us? ]

[ Your sensitivity is so high! ]

[ Is that so? ]

"Who are you?"

[ We are spirits. We are beings that support the world, from the seas and lands to the lofty skies. ]

Spirits, they said.

Arwen stared blankly at the lights, surprised by their voices, which were more astonishing than she had expected. In fact, she had never even considered that they were living beings. She had thought of them merely as magical phenomena flying in the air, but spirits, indeed.

'Spirits…'

It is said that the ancient elves commanded spirits and fought by infusing their power into their swords. However, due to the ever-growing desires of the elves, which led to the destruction of the ecosystem, the spirits had hidden away for over a thousand years. How could they have appeared before her now?

[ Your heart that longs for someone you love. I really liked it. ]

It was an elegant voice. Yet, the spirits, with voices that did not match their grace, gradually approached Arwen.

[ Cute child. Would you like to make a contract with us? ]

"A contract?"

[ Yes! This is not an opportunity that just anyone can get! ]

A contract with spirits. Arwen, who understood well what that meant, soon thought of one person.

Yes, it was the best way to stand by his side. Being with spirits would surely grant her a power different from before.

"...I will. A contract."

[ Hehe. Good thinking! ]

[ Aren't you a bit reckless? What if we are the minions of a wicked demon…? ]

[ Shut up! ]

─ Rustle.

With the bickering voices of the spirits, Arwen's vision brightened.

In her eyes, the Inquisitor, who was still staring blankly at her, appeared, but he seemed to have no intention of charging again.

"What the… what is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did the level of power I suddenly feel rise so much?"

With a suspicious glare, the officer was astonished, and Arwen raised her hand and clenched her tiny fist.

'Ah.'

It was a distinctly different power. She had merely made a contract with the spirits through a verbal incantation, yet the power she felt in her grasp was clearly different from just a moment ago.

She couldn't comprehend what was happening. She had only responded to the voice of the light that had suddenly appeared…

"The sword…"

The sword she held contained a strange sensation.

It was as hot as fire. As cold as ice. As solid as the earth. As sharp as the wind. Countless complex sensations were emanating from her sword.

"Spirit sword."

Seeing Arwen like that, Veris nodded.

In fact, he hadn't made her train or duel to obtain a spirit sword. But that genius elf had awakened her abilities anew in this situation.

The spirit sword was, as the name suggested, a mysterious power exclusive to the elven race, often mentioned in legends. It was indeed a matter for celebration that Arwen had obtained it.

"Wow…"

A radiant, multicolored light swirled around Arwen.

That unstable form gradually became more stable as time passed. Moreover, as the sense of stability grew, the power of the spirits emanating from the sword became even stronger, so it was only natural that the face of the Inquisitor facing her began to sour.

"Damn it."

Perhaps he realized that he had awakened an elf with his own hands?

The Inquisitor furrowed his brow deeply.

After all, he was not feeling good about being reduced to a mere training tool. But now, witnessing an elf easily gaining new power before him, his heart felt empty.

"Come."

With a confident demeanor, Arwen glared at the Inquisitor while raising her sword.

There was an undeniable difference in power in this battle. However, even if she had awakened to a new realm, he thought it would not be easy for an elf to defeat him.

Crack.

With her sword raised, Arwen looked directly at her opponent.

A sense of ecstasy surged within her, overflowing with power. At this rate, she could easily cut through that large scythe.

"Ha!"

With a short shout, Arwen began to charge at the Inquisitor.

This was the first time in this duel. The sight of Arwen moving forward, shedding a spectrum of brilliant colors, was as beautiful as a painting.

─ Kwooo!

"I am the Inquisitor of the Holy Kingdom! I will not fall without the absolute permission of the divine!"

On the other hand, the Inquisitor was not someone to be easily intimidated by Arwen's appearance. The holy mana, which the priests of the Holy Kingdom prided themselves on, continuously poured out, enveloping him like armor.

It was solid and sturdy. The Inquisitor, who fully understood the characteristics of holy mana, stood before Arwen like a mountain.

─ Scrape!

"Eh?"

"Uh?"

But… things unfolded in a way that was more absurd than he had expected.

His massive scythe, imbued with golden mana, was split in half by a single swing of Arwen's sword.

"T-This is the scythe of judgment bestowed by His Holiness the Pope…"

"Tsk tsk. It must have been defective."

Thud.

It was an absurdly simple outcome. Yet, as he gazed at his beloved weapon, now in two pieces, the Inquisitor knelt and wept.

* * *

"Are these the children?"

"Yes. They are still sitting on Veris's shoulder."

"I can see a faint light, but I can't quite make out their shapes."

After her astonishing experience, Arwen's eyes began to accurately see the forms of the spirits.

A small fire lizard, a bird resembling a droplet of water, a squirrel with a swaying tail, and so on…

After the duel settled down, they introduced themselves as "lower spirits." Their duty was to handle the most basic tasks in the spirit realm, which exists behind the world.

However, what surprised Arwen was that Veris, who had declared he had no spirit sensitivity, was immensely popular among them. Just look at them now. Those small, cute creatures were rubbing their heads against Veris.

[ It smells good. ]

[ It's new and thrilling. ]

Arwen couldn't help but smile. Although she was the contractor, it seemed the spirits liked Veris more.

"Ugh. I want to see the spirits too."

"They say only good children can see them."

"That's a lie! That's a lie, right?"

Of course, not everyone could feel the presence of spirits. Even Cecilia, right now, couldn't even perceive the forms of the spirits.

No, perhaps it was more appropriate to say that Veris was the odd one out. The spirits themselves had declared that Veris had no spirit sensitivity, yet he had already sensed their presence and heard their voices.

"Then, is it no longer Arwen the Elf Swordmaster, but Arwen the Spirit Swordmaster?"

"...That's a bit embarrassing."

"Why be embarrassed? It's something to be proud of and confident about." At Veris's firm voice, Arwen nodded.

She had reached a limit. In a dire situation where she was merely thinking of standing near Veris, the spirits had come forward to help her first, which was nothing short of a stroke of luck.

The only fortunate thing was that the spirits seemed to like both Arwen and Veris quite a bit.

"What's amazing is that I can barely hear what they're saying. Just a moment ago, I think I heard something like 'new and thrilling.'"

"...That is truly astonishing."

Arwen was genuinely impressed.

After all, there are only a few beings in the entire world who can be called spirit masters. Therefore, it is common knowledge that seeing, touching, or even making a contract with spirits is impossible without spirit sensitivity, yet Veris was displaying behavior that shattered that common sense.

[ Hey, he's a handsome one. Isn't he? I see that our contractor thinks about you every time he sees you… ]

"Ahhh!"

"...?"

"What's wrong, Arwen?"

"...It's really hot today."

"Hot? It's still clearly spring."

Despite Veris's words, Arwen shook her head. Eventually, she mercilessly removed the squirrel that was clinging to Veris's shoulder.

[ Nooo! Being honest isn't a crime! ]

And Arwen hurriedly moved toward the kitchen.

Could it be that the spirits could read their contractor's thoughts even a little? The thought of the squirrel, which was about to blurt out a bombshell, made her heart sink.

'What should I do?'

The spirits were said to be capable of living without sleep or food. If she asked them, they wouldn't say anything unnecessary, but spirits each have their own personalities, and among them, there might be mischievous ones like that little squirrel.

As she thought that far, Arwen felt a headache coming on.

For now, she had hurriedly taken the squirrel away, but she couldn't shake the feeling that other spirits were still saying strange things.

"Why on earth…?"

Arwen pouted.

The Veris she knew was an exceptionally outstanding man. Think about it logically. Is it reasonable for someone who has no spirit sensitivity to be aware of the existence of spirits and hear their voices?

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