“There are no spirits here.”
“Indeed, there are not.”
“You two, you won’t find spirits so easily near the entrance of a forest like this.”
When the leader, Jiro Tanaka, is absent, Kitamiya often takes charge of the party. While Kaido, being the eldest, should theoretically lead, his tendency to be on the front lines and his lack of skill in managing people made him less efficient. Thus, Kitamiya, who excels in that area, took charge. Of course, in battles, Minami often gives instructions as the tactician, but Kitamiya manages the general course of action. It is for this reason that she is the one currently consulting with the Dark Elf guide, spreading out a map. Furthermore, Kitamiya herself is quite enthusiastic about contracting spirits this time, so her motivation is high. Therefore, when Jiro entrusted her with the role of leader, she readily accepted it.
She then admonishes the two, who are holding their hands to their foreheads and trying to look into the distance with a look of exasperation, but quickly turns her attention to the advice of the Dark Elf guide.
“So, the places where spirits reside do have characteristics based on their elements?”
Spirits, being beings that live in harmony with nature, are often influenced by their natural environment. Therefore, their habitats tend to have a pattern.
“Yes, much like Water Spirits prefer environments with springs and lakes, Fire Spirits are often found near volcano craters, Earth Spirits in caves, and Wind Spirits on plateaus where the wind blows frequently. Of course, some spirits have peculiar personalities, and you might wonder why they are in such places.”
“I see, but if we go to those places, the probability of meeting that spirit is high, right?”
“Yes, that is undeniable.”
Kitamiya decides that wandering around aimlessly is not a wise course of action. While other Testers passively let their guides lead them to places where their target spirits might be, she felt that was inefficient. That’s why she was prepared to be left behind and is currently coordinating with the young Dark Elf guide beforehand.
“Then it seems best to decide on our destinations first before taking action. Otherwise, we won’t be able to visit them all within the planned number of days… Also, just to confirm, is meeting mid-level or higher spirits a matter of luck?”
“Yes, they have strong egos and even we Dark Elves cannot find them easily. There’s nothing I can do to advise you on that. Well, it’s not that they are never seen, but perhaps you might meet one today.”
The young Dark Elf guiding them explains carefully about which spirits can be found in which locations, one by one. Receiving these explanations, Kitamiya further engages her mind. She doesn’t believe this plan will proceed exactly as laid out, but she judges that a framework should still be established. If they act without thinking, they might be able to move freely, but when they get lost, they will have no point of reference to return to. She wanted to avoid that.
“I want everyone to be able to contract a spirit if possible… but it might not turn out as hoped.”
“Unless there’s a significant issue, spirits will respond, but is there a particular reason?”
“Haa, the wishes of those two innocently frolicking over there are troublesome. Perhaps we should start with the more accessible ones? Amelia’s Wind Spirit seems to be nearby, so let’s head there first.”
In the direction she pointed, there were two people, past their youthful years, searching the tops of trees, behind rocks, and in bushes, as if looking for someone playing hide-and-seek. After showing them their figures, Kitamiya declares that those two can wait and brings up the next topic. The Dark Elf guide shows understanding.
“Presumably, the other guides will lead them to their respective locations, so although it’s a bit far, this way would be better.”
Kaido wishes to contract a Fire Spirit. As a spirit of the “royal road,” it exists in large numbers, but fire, unfortunately, is difficult to find in nature. Therefore, the environments where its existence can be easily confirmed are limited, and on the map Kitamiya is looking at, the most likely location is near the crater of a volcano on the mountain summit, which is almost the opposite direction from the forest entrance. It is the farthest location, and frankly, it will take time. As he himself is skilled in fire magic, he has the goal of strengthening it. Therefore, even though he grumbled about it being troublesome, Kitamiya had no intention of denying it or telling him to give up for the future. She understood and accepted that it was necessary.
The main reason he calls it troublesome and a “headache” should probably be attributed to Minami’s wishes. Her role in the party is support. She is in what is called the “unsung hero” position. She contributes to battles indirectly through various means such as scouting the surroundings, increasing allies’ defense, or decreasing opponents’ attack power. Her role is multifaceted and requires attentiveness, and Kitamiya, though she doesn’t say it aloud, acknowledges Minami’s skill, wondering how she manages with her personality.
The spirit that should support her, that should be her aid, must be somewhat special. Or rather, it could be said that she doesn’t know what kind of spirit to contract with. Her role is too varied, and she doesn’t know where to focus her enhancement. It is difficult for someone else to choose. When asked what kind of power she needs, she simply replies that any rare spirit would do. She claims that any spirit, even a quirky one, can be used effectively, and in fact, a quirky one would be more interesting, stemming from her confidence that she could master it. Kitamiya feels that the request is too vague and wants her to be more specific. In fact, she did say so, but Minami only talks about “feeling” and “vibe,” like hitting a stone wall or jamming a needle into a soft surface. It’s natural that Kitamiya decided this would be the last resort.
Therefore, she decides to handle the easier tasks first. Those easier tasks are Amelia and Katsu. Amelia, who serves as a scout, desires a Wind Spirit to enhance her speed and stealth capabilities, as well as her ability to pick up distant sounds. Katsu, the healer, aims to increase the effectiveness of healing and reduce expenses by self-producing potions, a thrifty housewife’s technique, and wishes to contract a Water Spirit. These two wishes were relatively simple, and the young Dark Elf responded immediately.
“Wow! Mike! What kind of spirit do you think there is?”
“Hmm, I think there are various low-level spirits, and given your personality, wouldn’t a spirited one be good?”
“After Amelia, is Katsu’s Water Spirit okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Boo boo, am I being left behind?”
“Then you should make a more reasonable request. Honestly, consider my position when I’m trying to plan. Now, use Body Reinforcement.”
“Understood~”
Although Minami’s statement displeased her slightly, Kitamiya, thinking it was typical, numbered the locations on the map while cautioning her, and decided on the order of visits. Kitamiya’s own wish is somewhat unusual, so it seemed likely to be postponed. She sighed while looking at the map. She too was looking forward to contracting a spirit and was eager to do so quickly. Despite her strong will, her naturally serious personality led her to carry out her work without voicing her feelings. There wasn’t much leeway in the schedule, so they wanted to act as quickly as possible. To expedite their movement, she cast reinforcement magic on the entire party, and then, led by the Dark Elf, they began to run through the forest.
“Whoa! I didn’t see any around the entrance, but there sure are a lot!”
“Indeed. Once we get away from inhabited areas, it really makes you realize the difference in living spaces.”
Accustomed to moving as a group from their usual actions, they had accumulated know-how in guarding their surroundings and could thus move while conversing. Kaido and the others are capable of jumping through trees, a sight that would make ordinary Japanese people exclaim “Ninjas?!” but it’s a technique only possible because they are in a Dungeon and have used all sorts of places as footing. Along the way, they see various lower-level spirits. Whether they are moving to other locations or are simply a natural part of the forest, they frequently catch their eyes.
“…Mike—”
“What is it?”
“I feel like the spirits are avoiding me.”
“Yes, you’re not just feeling it. They are avoiding you.”
A slight problem arose on their journey. Amelia, on the verge of tears, desperately spoke to Mike, who was inside her. Despite moving at high speed, Amelia continued to advance without hesitation, using thick branches as footing. Although she moved with a certain rigidity, she couldn’t always use the same footing and had to resort to momentarily using different ones. It was then that a butterfly-like low-level spirit suddenly flitted in front of Amelia. Amelia smiled with joy at the sight, but in response to her joyous reaction, the butterfly visibly trembled and fled from the spot with a speed that seemed utterly impossible for a butterfly. They didn’t chase after it because they were moving, but Amelia couldn’t help but feel something when she saw such a gesture. At first, she thought she might have startled it and, regaining her composure, tried to speak to other spirits, but as this repeated, even her usual cheerful spirit began to falter.
“Uwaaaan.”
“There, there. There must be a reason. Keep your spirits up.”
As if to deliver the final blow, when they reached their destination, the spirits, in a sudden reaction, all fled from Amelia, pushing her psychological endurance to its limit. The Dark Elf guide, experiencing this for the first time, looked troubled. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over, and she hugged Kitamiya. Kitamiya, being hugged by Amelia, was also perplexed, as she hadn’t expected something like this to happen from the beginning. Though she sternly told Amelia to stay strong, her gesture of stroking Amelia’s hair was gentle.
“Why is this happening?”
“No, it’s clearly Mike’s fault.”
Mike, the cause of this phenomenon, asked with a visible, though unseen, tilt of his head, as if in confusion. In response, Minami, who had accurately deduced the cause from Mike’s true nature, glared at him and said, “You’re one to talk.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mike is, by his own admission, the soul of a Demon Lord. It’s only natural that the spirits would be afraid of his soul.”
“Ah—”
“……”
Although it’s commonplace within the party, the being residing within Amelia is technically a secret. The conversation between Amelia and Mike on the way was also hushed. So, while hugging Amelia and being mindful of the Dark Elf guide, Minami whispered her answer when Kitamiya leaned in to ask. In other words, they were terrified of the Demon Lord’s soul. It wasn’t Amelia’s fault, but because she contained Mike’s soul, it was revealed that she couldn’t contract with spirits. Kitamiya was at a loss, her plan suddenly halted. She regretted not having the party’s leader present to consult with, as she had made such a basic mistake and hadn’t expected this.
“What shall we do?”
“For now, I think we should withdraw for today. Muil-san might know a way to deal with this.”
“…Right. I guess that’s the only way.”
“S-sorry.”
“You idiot, you don’t need to apologize. The one at fault is the idiot who’s squatting with you.”
“Hahaha, I can’t make excuses for this, but that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”
“Shut up, squatter.”
While it might have been more efficient to go contract spirits for the other members, Kitamiya judged that it would disrupt the party’s atmosphere and decided it was best to avoid it. She apologized to the Dark Elf guide and was about to return to their base when—
“Huh? The weather’s getting strange.”
“You’re right. The moon was so beautiful just a moment ago.”
Suddenly, the weather turned bad. The moonlight was obscured, further reducing visibility and making their return difficult.
“No, this is—”
“Kitamiya!! Enemy attack!”
Kitamiya, who had assumed it was just bad weather, found her reaction different from two of her companions. Mike, due to his soul’s nature, and Minami, through her detection magic, sensed a strange atmosphere. In the forest, shrouded in darkness, spirits vanished for reasons other than Amelia’s, and sparsely, reddish-black eyes began to appear from within the forest. Before they could see them, the party members, reacting to Minami’s voice, quickly assumed combat positions and faced the glowing eyes. The ripple of trouble had now appeared before them.
This concludes this installment. If you found it interesting, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc. We appreciate your continued support of this work.
