Episode 3
The blood activated the magic circle and stimulated the spirit.
Whoosh whoosh!
The flames grew bigger.
The flame took the shape of a lizard.
It was a low-level fire spirit, Salamander.
The guy looked up at me with a disgruntled face and stuck out his tongue.
“I’m glad to see you too, but I need to meet your brother today.”
Gulp!
This time, a lot of blood was lost.
It was between the second and third circles.
It was a magic circle that the kingdom’s most renowned magicians had researched and created for generations.
I even upped the ante on it.
Quagwaquagwaqua!
A pillar of fire rose up.
Although it appeared as if it would burn down the low ceiling, the spirit fire had no physical effect.
Because I didn’t make a contract with the sorcerer.
Since it was just a reflection of the spirit world in a magic circle, I couldn’t even feel the heat.
‘It’s an illusion shown by a magic circle.’
Knowledge was power.
I walked into the red pillar of fire without a moment’s hesitation.
Although I would have liked to make a contract with a higher level spirit, in the dire situation where I didn’t even have a spirit stone, a mid-level spirit was my limit.
‘I hope Ruby is doing well.’
The youngest sister, Ruby, was born with the talent to summon low-level water spirits, and made a contract with a high-level water spirit when she was thirteen.
It was thanks to the support of the Duke of Breyo.
Even after I was locked in the basement, Ruby came to visit me often. Four-year-old Ruby was the only blood relative who showed no hostility toward me.
‘If that child could use this magic circle, he could make a contract with even the highest level spirit… … Well, it’s none of my business anymore.’
Inside the pillar of fire was another world.
As if I had traveled through dimensions, I encountered a mid-level fire spirit in a completely different dimension.
“I am Louis de Hebron. I would like to sign a contract with you.”
-You are qualified… … .
It was a resonance of the heart, not words.
It felt like a spirit had entered inside me.
‘Yes, that was the space inside the magic circle of the contract.’
It was a space where I learned only through speech and writing.
My whole body trembled at the thought of being there in person.
The spirit was speechless.
Although I had learned that spirits don’t show their emotions, that spirit looked visibly flustered.
“Are you really not qualified?”
-Oh, how did you… …come in here?
“I ask again. Am I not qualified?”
-now.
That was a pretty good answer.
In my previous life, I never even had the chance to encounter spirits.
It was clear that the spirit saw potential in me.
So he seemed to be troubled.
Should I sign now since I see potential, or should I sign when my talents have fully blossomed?
I tried to put an end to that obvious worry.
“Then I propose. Will you see my potential and sign a contract with me?”
– Come back when you have your bowl ready.
The spirit’s tone of voice changed.
His attitude toward me became more polite.
In the space of the contract, the spirits and the aspiring spiritists were bound by a tentative contract.
Very few spiritists had a theoretical understanding of this space.
Since ancient times, spirit magic has been an ability that can only be awakened through innate talent.
‘It’s not just feelings that I share with you. Here, your heat and restraint are transmitted to me as well.’
I took a dagger from my waist.
The blade was aimed at my neck, not the flame.
“Do you want to live with me, or do you want to perish with me?”
A firework appeared before my eyes.
It rippled as if it would go off at any moment. The bastard’s absurd feelings were completely conveyed to me.
‘After all, we are connected.’
I wasn’t sure until I saw it with my own eyes.
It was because I had never actually experienced what I had learned at the desk.
“I am more than you think. I can help you grow. I know the vision of the Duke of Braio. You can verify the truth if you want.”
Hwaaaaak!
The spirit’s flames engulfed me.
In this way, I entered into a deeper state of synchronicity, and in it the spirit confirmed that I was telling the truth.
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-… … Good. I will follow you. The day the fire of your soul dies out, my flame will also die out.
I once heard that when a spirit’s contract ends, it becomes a part of the spirit world.
The spirits did not call it extinction.
It was called return.
This was because their existence was not completely erased, and some of it remained and was passed down through generations.
“Your name is Inferno.”
Inferno.
It was the name of an incarnation that once shook this world.
A spirit’s status is determined from birth.
From the lowest level to the spirit king, they lived their lives fully utilizing the talents given to them in the spirit world.
Inferno, the Avatar, broke that natural order.
Born as a mid-level spirit, he became a top-level spirit, and eventually returned after challenging the Spirit King.
-I, Inferno, will live on as the flame of Luis de Hebron.
That’s all I know about the contract process.
And then the real contract began, unknown to outsiders.
Whoosh whoosh!
The flames that filled the space poured into me in an instant.
I felt heat from every orifice: eyes, nose, mouth, ears.
Soon, the excruciating pain of all my internal organs burning away began.
‘This kind of thing wasn’t recorded… …! These damned spirit mages!’
The contracts of the shaman were kept strictly secret.
I also heard a rumor that if you are not chosen by the spirit, you will die, but that was not a common occurrence.
Hwaaaaak!
Suddenly my vision became brighter.
As the red flames died down, the pain faded away like a dream from last night.
I returned to my room.
It was a shabby room where the eldest son of Baron Louis de Hebron lived.
The memory was vivid, but there was no trace left on my body.
‘Did you have a dream?’
“Inferno.”
Hurrah!
A small flame appeared in front of me.
It soon took the shape of a human being.
Inferno had a muscular and rugged appearance.
It was no more than 10 centimeters long, had a stocky upper body, but no lower body to support it.
The guy was trembling as if he was going to turn off at any moment.
‘It wasn’t a dream. I have a spirit too… … and talent.’
“Why are you so fat?”
-You can’t handle me. If I use all my power, you’ll die.
It was a given.
One of the reasons why spiritism is included in magic is because of ‘mana’.
Wizards used mana, elementals used elemental power, and divine wizards used divine power, but in fact, the fundamentals were the same.
The only thing that changed was how they used mana, as they tried to use each ability efficiently.
‘Aura is less efficient than mana.’
Even I had no talent for mana.
I summoned Inferno using Aura as fuel instead of Mana in a hurry, but the guy looked like he had eaten something tasteless.
It seemed like he was upset because he couldn’t even eat that much.
“I’ve just gotten used to this body. I’ll make up for the missing spiritual power soon.”
As a spirit mage, you should have awakened your spirit powers.
It was a type of energy similar to mana, but used only as food for spirits.
I had no psychic powers.
No, it was there, but it was absorbed into my danjeon.
The tiny Danjeon consumed all the other energy.
It was a side effect of learning the Aura training method first.
Perhaps that is why Inferno burned fiercely, fueled by Danjeon’s aura.
It was an inefficient fuel.
“Now that we’ve confirmed the spirit magic, it’s time to check the mana aptitude.”
-Can you use magic?
Just because Inferno sympathized with me in the space of the contract, it didn’t mean he knew every single detail of my past.
It was just a matter of figuring out my true feelings and trusting each other.
I was planning to raise the guy.
Just like the incarnation Inferno who challenged the Spirit King in the past.
‘The saying that spirits cannot grow is all nonsense.’
If my danjeon had enough magical power, I could elevate Inferno to a higher level spirit.
“Actually, I don’t know either. So I’m going to check from now on.”
There were two main ways to determine magical talent.
The first method was to use a magic stone to find out mana affinity, and the second method was to ask a magician to confirm.
But there was no magician in the Baron of Hebron.
‘There isn’t even one of those common magic stones.’
The situation in which magic stones were common was that of the Duke’s household.
Louis de Hebron had never seen a magic stone in his 19 years of life.
“Is it because I lost a lot of blood? I feel a little dizzy.”
My current body is not up to standard.
I only had a little bit of aura built up, but my stamina was in shambles.
It was because I wasted my time memorizing things like royal and high-ranking noble genealogies in hopes of becoming the next lord.
“Inferno.”
-Why are you calling?
“You trusted me. I won’t make you regret that decision. I can promise you that.”
-joy.
Two streams of flame shot out from Inferno’s nostrils.
* * *
“What a mess.”
This body and the spirit world were a mess.
No matter how poor the estate was, its people had long since lost their vitality.
Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape from the hardships of life.
The population of the Barony of Hebron was small, about 400 people, and they were practically confined to their fiefdom.
Most of them died without ever seeing other regions in their entire lives.
The only time the passage to the outside was opened was once a year, when taxes were sent to the crown.
At that time, the Baron’s forces were mobilized in full force and mercenaries were also hired.
‘It may be because of the incompetence of the rulers of Hebron for generations, but that alone does not explain the current situation. Who on earth isolated Hebron and for what reason? Are they waiting for Hebron to fall and then devour it? If not… … .’
There was no evidence to support the conjecture.
In such cases, it is better to focus on gathering information rather than making hasty judgments.
“I guess I’ll have to start from there first.”
To get to the nearest Nurha Baronial Territory, you had to pass through the eastern forest.
There are cliffs to the west and a wasteland to the south.
The wasteland was the southern border of the Baronies of Hebron, Nurha, and Delgain.
Because the area was a barren, desert-like wasteland, the adults made up fairy tales to keep children in check about scary wild dogs living in the wasteland.
The wild dog was said to be a monster from Antaria, a country destroyed by civil war and plague, and was said to spread a terrible disease.
After passing through the wasteland for a while, you will come across the ruins of the kingdom of Antaria, which was destroyed a century ago, and it was full of monsters.
To the north, a forest spread out, and the vast forest was connected to the forest to the east.
For convenience, the north and east were collectively called the East Forest.
“It’s nonsense to say that it was not managed. Hebron is said to be a barren region, but even though it pays taxes to the royal family every year, they don’t even give the surrounding nobles the grace to subdue monsters. Hebron must be unpopular with the royal family. If that’s not the case… … .”
When I think of Hebron, the only word that comes to mind is ‘Hebron, the city where people graze.’
It was something my father used to say habitually.
Why did he mention Hebron among so many families?
Why am I so attached to this insignificant baron?
The forest was Hebron’s domain, but it was not maintained.
Not only wild beasts but also monsters were swarming.
They reproduced indiscriminately and invaded the territory at every opportunity.
Like today.
Deeng! Deeng! Deng! Deng!
The bell rang loudly.
The private and the young people seemed accustomed to this situation and hurriedly ran to their respective seats.
‘Defend by leaning against the wall… … .’
For now, that was the best we could do.
The problem was that the walls could not be built wide enough to protect only the lord’s mansion and other houses.
The fields beyond gave up their defense.
‘That’s why the harvest isn’t much.’
Farmers working in the fields came running naked to the city gate.
After that, wild beasts chased after them.
It was an ashen wolf that lived in the eastern forest.
