◈ Episode 87. Blooming in the Swamp (4)
A lower forest spirit, Nymph.
The expression on Nymph’s face, as she fluttered her butterfly wings, was grave.
“It’s gone strange.”
Because an unfamiliar landscape had been overlaid atop the Predator’s Swamp.
“But it still looks like a forest……”
Nymph furrowed her brow and strained with all her might.
Even if she was only a lower spirit, she was still a proper spirit of the forest.
Even if it looked unfamiliar.
That forest, too, must be a forest that existed on the Arcana Continent.
If she communed with the forest, she would be able to understand what was happening.
“……
Huh?”
But no matter how hard she listened, no sound reached her.
Forget communion—she couldn’t even converse with it.
Bewilderment rose on Nymph’s face.
“I don’t understand any of this.”
Droop—her fluttering wings sagged.
A sigh escaped her on its own.
How had things ended up like this?
Yes, it was all because of demons. ‘By now, the forest where I was born…….’ Nymph believed without a doubt.
That forests were stronger than anything else.
Even if animals snapped their branches, even if humans cut down their trees.
The forest did not groan.
Even while suffering natural disasters far worse than that.
Because the forests of the Arcana Continent had endured in silence.
However.
“I’m sorry, everyone.”
The forest being burned by demons had screamed.
A terrible scream, as if it truly were being consumed by hellfire.
Nymph had fled from that forest to the Predator’s Swamp to escape the demons.
If she had remained in the forest, she, too, would have become corrupted and ended up no different from a demon.
Even knowing it couldn’t be helped, her heart could not feel light.
“If it’s the Predator’s Swamp, I won’t need to worry about demons, but……”
Forests, wind, water, fire……
Nature existed everywhere on the Arcana Continent.
The spirits dwelling in that nature were well aware of the news across the Arcana Continent.
They even knew in which direction the demons were expanding their power.
Demons were cunning.
Demons only invaded places they could bring down.
In that sense, the predator zone.
This Predator’s Swamp was not an easy place even for demons.
“……
No matter how much I try to get attached to it, I just can’t get used to it.”
And no wonder!
Nymph’s lips jutted out in a pout.
Because in the swamp, truly, fighting never ceased, day or night.
If she had known it would be a place like this……
She should have tried flying just a little farther.
“Even if flying all the way to the Zero Mountains would have been impossible.”
Why, she might have found somewhere better than this.
Somewhere even a little quieter.
But now, she didn’t have the confidence to fly to another region.
“Because I don’t know what’s going on outside.”
The demons must have expanded their power even further.
In the process, they would have grown even stronger.
There was a high chance that places which had once been safe had now fallen into the demons’ grasp.
“And the swamp has gone strange, too.”
That alone was enough to give her a headache.
A forest mingled with the swamp.
A landscape of unknown identity.
What on earth had happened now?
Nymph gently shook her head.
“I don’t know. I’m going to rest for now.”
I should close my eyes beneath the four-colored mistletoe.
The mana she had exhausted while straining to commune with the forest.
She could replenish it with the energy of the four-colored mistletoe.
However.
“……?”
Nymph’s sweet sleep did not last long.
Click-clack—a stranger’s footsteps, which she should not have been able to hear, reached her ears.
Woken from her nap, Nymph thought drowsily. ‘I’ve never heard footsteps like that in the swamp before…….’ No, wait.
Before that, how could the footsteps be this loud? ‘I’m at the top of a tree!’ That question did not last long.
Because soon, the owner of the footsteps revealed himself.
It was a man with silver hair.
It was the sound the man made as he climbed a staircase floating in midair.
She had no idea what was going on.
But he was a human she had seen for the first time in a long while. ‘What, I got scared for nothing.’ But ordinary humans could neither see spirits.
Nor hear a spirit’s voice.
Well, back when she had been a spirit with neither name nor rank.
Not knowing that fact, she had often spoken to humans who visited the forest.
But never once had an answer come back. ‘I’m going to sleep more. I’m tired.’ That was common sense for spirits.
That man would not be able to see her.
Yes, it absolutely had to be that way.
And yet, for some reason.
She felt a gaze.
When she slowly opened her eyes, it was not her imagination……!
The man was clearly looking at her.
For some reason, with an extremely cold gaze at that.
Nymph opened her mouth, wondering if it could be.
“Can you, by any chance, see me……?”
*
Spiritology.
One of the schools that existed in the Magic Tower.
Its senior mage was Feiyan Lot.
I remembered her. ‘I don’t know much else, but she had quite the appetite.’ After the Bangrit Tom incident.
The breakfast I had shared with all twenty senior mages.
Among the senior mages who only picked at their food, Feiyan had been the one silently focused on eating.
Naturally, the School of Spiritology had also presented its research at the regular conference. Which meant I, too, knew at least the bare surface of spiritology.
In other words. ‘……
Why is this visible to my eyes?’ I could not help but flinch at the sight of the spirit.
Because spirits were rare “beings” that only an extremely small number of mages could see.
I tried to think it through.
Had I read so many different magic books.
That I had confused some knowledge?
No, perhaps if it were Lee Hoyeol’s head.
But such confusion did not exist in Grandfell’s brain.
If so, the matter was simple.
Grandfell could see spirits……!
Once I acknowledged that fact, my mind grew distant.
Yes, because I recalled the conditions for witnessing a spirit.
It was in an introductory spiritology text.
The first page.
The second paragraph. 『Only an exceedingly small number of humans can witness a spirit in an uncontracted state.
This is because outstanding mana sensitivity and an incomparably clear mind are required.
That is precisely why most spirit contractors form contracts with spirits at a relatively young age.』 An incomparably clear mind.
And a relatively young age.
To put that bluntly.
It meant one had to be immature to see spirits of nature.
I realized it once again.
That Grandfell was the dark history of my school days.
Yes, whether it was a Demon King or a great evil.
He regarded them all as insignificant demons.
It would not be wrong to say that Grandfell’s mental state was practically a flower garden.
In any case. ‘It means I’m not seeing things.’ A spirit tossing and turning beneath the four-colored mistletoe.
Naturally, since my shallow knowledge was only surface-level at best.
I could not guess its identity merely by staring at it.
However.
“Can you, by any chance, see me……?”
That did not mean Grandfell was someone who would quietly tolerate informal speech.
On top of that. ‘It’s an elixir herb I found after all that effort, and four-colored mistletoe at that.’ I, Lee Hoyeol, had no intention of yielding it to a spirit.
And so I said in a chilly voice.
“I am the Chief Joint Researcher of the Magic Tower, Lee Hoyeol.”
“……
Magic Tower?”
“State your affiliation and status. Nameless spirit.”
It was still half-asleep.
The spirit seemed unable to grasp the situation.
But that could not be a reason to remain silent.
The knowledge from the introductory spiritology text surfaced once more.
The second table of contents.
The first paragraph.
The first sentence.
—Spirits have ranks.
Lower, middle, upper.
And Spirit King.
There existed a strict hierarchy among spirits.
Because I knew that fact.
I had something to say.
“I shall ask once more.”
Just like spirits.
The Magic Tower also had ranks. ‘Feiyan Lot.’ The reason she had taken the position of senior mage?
It was because the spirit she had contracted was an upper spirit.
Its exact name was the upper fire spirit, Fire Drake.
And so I stated the unvarnished truth.
“I am the contractor of the upper fire spirit, Fire Drake.”
“……!”
As expected, a class society really is convenient.
The moment I brought up the name of someone high-ranking, its eyes widened.
Of course, in Korean, one must listen to the end.
“Senior Mage, Feiyan Lot.”
“You are Lady Feiyan Lot……!”
“The Chief Joint Researcher, one rank higher than her.”
“……
Y-yes?!”
“State your affiliation and status. Small spirit.”
Between me and Nymph.
Strictly speaking, there was no relationship whatsoever.
But class societies understand one another. ‘There’s a reason people bring up your police chief in movies.’ I was this well-versed in class society.
At the very moment I was admiring my own social skills.
An answer came back from the spirit.
“I am Nymph, a lower forest spirit.”
The effect was tremendous.
To think it would even lower its head politely in greeting.
But somehow, Nymph’s expression was far from ordinary.
With her head lowered, Nymph continued speaking.
“To Lord Lee Hoyeol, Chief Joint Researcher of the Magic Tower, who is one rank higher than Lady Feiyan Lot, contractor of the upper fire spirit, Lord Fire Drake. May I, despite my rudeness, ask one favor of you?”
……
Wait, why in the world is the modifier longer than the main point?
So this is the弊害 of a class society.
But even if I felt pleased.
I could not reveal my embarrassment.
I answered shamelessly.
“I shall hear it.”
Why was a forest spirit in the Predator’s Swamp?
That fundamental curiosity was resolved as we conversed.
In truth, I could have guessed to some extent even without hearing it. Considering the current state of the Arcana Continent, the root of most incidents was demons.
“And amid all that, just like now.”
“?”
“The scenery of the swamp suddenly changed. A forest appeared overlapped with the swamp, so I tried communing with the forest, but…… Perhaps because I am incompetent, it was in vain. I, Nymph, could not hear any voice.”
So it was a story about the rift.
Nymph blamed her own incompetence, but it couldn’t be helped.
Even if she asked a forest in Scandinavia, Europe, about the circumstances of the Arcana Continent, no answer would come back.
“I was so disheartened that……. I had been resting.”
Even while we conversed.
The four-colored mistletoe was emitting a faint mana. It must be that the area near such a four-colored mistletoe was a suitable place for a spirit to rest.
“By any chance. Lord Lee Hoyeol, Chief Joint Researcher of the Magic Tower, who is one rank higher than Lady Feiyan Lot, contractor of the upper fire spirit, Lord Fire Drake……. Do you know anything about this forest? No, about this situation?”
Of course I did.
But. ‘Before that, can we do something about that damn title?’ But as expected, I could not reveal my true thoughts.
I replied with a brazen face.
Well, the explanation about rifts ended simply enough.
Nymph must have known about them to some extent as well.
“Villages and forests that vanished. Even the Magic Tower, all in this way……?”
“That is correct.”
“T-then does that mean I, too, will go to the same world as you, Chief Joint Researcher?!”
“No, that will not happen.”
That was when a region was added.
Or when a rift collapsed.
The Predator’s Swamp.
No matter how powerful the monsters appearing here were, considering the potential of the players gathered in this place, the probability of the rift not being cleared was low.
But wait a moment……
A possibility suddenly came to mind.
If the Predator’s Swamp was cleared.
The space of [『Strangeness』], the rift, would disappear.
And the Predator’s Swamp would return to the Arcana Continent.
Suddenly, I shifted my gaze and looked at Nymph, who was relieved.
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
I harbored a thought that would make that relief seem pointless. ‘Information about the Arcana Continent.’ The information I knew about the Arcana Continent was extremely limited.
The miserable scene I had witnessed in the [Quirnberg Machine Tower].
And the fact that I could interfere with the Arcana Continent through the space of [『Strangeness』], the rifts.
It amounted to no more than that.
Even so, I was among the better-off.
Other players had no choice but to rely entirely on new update notes.
But. ‘If there are beings on the Arcana Continent that I can communicate with like this…….’ Then that meant I could obtain concrete information.
Information about the Arcana Continent, didn’t it?
Depending on what that information was.
I might be able to devise various plans.
Depending on the situation, I might be able to make thorough preparations.
However, a realistic problem existed.
Even if there were beings on the Arcana Continent who could speak.
‘I had to consider the odds of meeting them again.’
The Arcana Continent.
How could I promise a next meeting when I had no idea what place might be swept into a rift?
The odds would be lower than winning the lottery if I relied on coincidence.
‘But if that being is a spirit, the story changes.’
I might be able to overcome those odds.
Yes, if I formed a 『Contract』 with a spirit.
I remembered the Spirit School’s foremost objective.
『Overcoming Severed Relationships』
Reality and the Arcana Continent.
Two worlds utterly cut off from each other because they were completely different.
Even if one formed a contract with a spirit,
it had been impossible to summon a spirit from the Arcana Continent in reality.
But I knew.
Because I had seen the possibility.
I had even spoken arrogantly about it at the regular conference.
—“It will require verification, but it seems worth researching.”
That was right.
[『Anomaly』]
If it was in that space, in a rift,
it might be possible to summon a spirit.
Grandfell’s mind was telling me so.
‘There is ample possibility.’
That meant if I formed a contract with the nymph,
I would be able to summon the nymph inside a rift.
In other words, I would be able to obtain information about the Arcana Continent.
And so, I spoke proudly.
“Lower forest spirit, Nymph.”
“Ah, I am listening.”
“I wish to form a contract with you.”
I realized it all over again.
I really had become shameless.
In this contract, Party A
was the nymph, and Party B
was naturally me.
As I said, spirits were beings not just anyone could see.
The fact that there was no spirit summoner class in Arcana, despite its thousands of classes, was proof of that.
The abilities of spirits belonged to the realm of {Nature}, something distinct from [Skills]
or 『Magic』.
‘Considering my level.’
It wouldn’t be strange if the nymph refused me.
After all, spirits had nothing to regret.
And yet.
“R-Really? How could you say such a thing… to me……?”
Somehow, the nymph’s reaction was unexpected.
The nymph was teary-eyed, looking deeply moved.
With the words that followed, I realized the reason.
“You, Lord Lee Hoyeol, are the senior co-researcher of the Magic Tower, a rank higher even than Lord Peiyan Lot, contractor of the upper fire spirit, Lord Fire Drake……! Why would you form a contract with a lower spirit like me……? Of course, for me, Nymph, it is an immense honor!!”
A contract with a spirit.
I should have been happy.
But why?
I truly could not be more embarrassed……....
Stairs floating in midair.
Even while hunting the monsters charging at them,
the players’ attention was focused on Hoyeol.
“What the hell is he doing up there?”
They couldn’t even begin to guess.
Not that they could follow Hoyeol’s trail, either.
But their anxious wait did not last long.
“!!!”
Because something appeared in their vision.
It was the Predator’s Swamp rift.
A message appeared before every player who had entered.
[Someone has formed a contract with a spirit.]
[The forest spirit king, Dryad, blesses the contract.]
[The blessing of the forest spirit king, Dryad, descends upon the Predator’s Swamp…….]
Messages continued to appear without end.
But the players’ focus remained unchanged.
“L-Lee Hoyeol did it again!!”