Chapter 80: Those Who Are Connected

Before taking off at dawn, I swung the brown bear that had been squatting outside the dome around a few times, finished it off, and casually tossed it into my magic bag.

I sent [Hole Balloon!] upward, rose above the forest, and continued gaining altitude.

With the sun already a little higher on my right, I kept ascending—but I couldn’t see any grasslands.

No matter how much I scanned in every direction, all that stretched endlessly below me was a sea of trees rather than clouds, with no sign of the grasslands I was looking for.

Since I’d flown slowly at night, I shouldn’t have passed it already… so I lowered my altitude a bit and continued flying north.

After what felt like more than an hour, I spotted something jutting up slightly above the forest canopy ahead and a little to the left.

It gradually grew larger, and soon grasslands began to come into view, confirming that I hadn’t gone off course.

Once I cleared the forest, the trees became sparse, revealing an endless grassland and a towering rocky mountain.

The mountain looked like a misshapen rice ball made by a child—somehow still retaining its original form—but it was simply enormous.

Three days northeast from that mountain… From Roxanne it would mean heading north-northeast without any landmarks, so the mountain really was a useful marker.

As I gained altitude and headed northeast, I spotted a settlement surrounded by tall walls in a slightly open area.

It too was an irregularly circular settlement. I’d imagined an elven village of a few hundred people, but judging by the number of houses, it looked more like several thousand.

Now that I’d confirmed the location, I turned back to the great plains and decided to descend near the village after nightfall.

＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

I landed west of the village of Faranka, spent time relaxing until the morning sun rose high, then set off toward the settlement.

Using [Hover!], I advanced at a height of about three meters, moving forward cautiously while relying on both sight and detection.

If I went too fast, trees would get in the way and control would be difficult—but it was still far faster than walking.

Something tripped my detection, so I immediately canceled hover and proceeded carefully. It seemed the other side had noticed me as well, so I formed a cylindrical shield around my face and continued forward openly.

Since I wasn’t hiding as I approached, one of them waited directly in my path.

“Stop. You’re not someone I recognize. What business do you have?”

“Are you from the village of Faranka?”

“That’s right. And you are?”

“I’ve brought a letter from Claudins of Korche to Elder Vilasenka. May I pass?”

“Before that, there’s something I want to ask. What was that swift movement just now?”

Ah—damn it. I’d forgotten there are people with better detection abilities than mine.

I’d heard elves often have exceptional scouting skills, so he must have noticed my hovering flight earlier.

“I think you mean this.”

Saying that, I created a [Whirlwind!] in front of me and sent it over beside the man.

“Wha—?!”

The surrounding presence shifted, killing intent swelling, so I cut off my mana and dispelled the whirlwind to show it wasn’t an attack.

“I’m a wind mage. That whirlwind you just saw—I send it ahead of me for safety.”

“A wind mage… that’s rare. If you’re Claudins’ messenger, I’ll guide you to the village.”

He turned his back and began walking, but the unseen killing intent around us didn’t fade. Maybe elves are just naturally cautious.

Just as I’d seen from above, once we passed through the forest, the trees thinned and we emerged into a more open area, arriving at the walled village of Faranka.

The man informed the gate guards about me, but they demanded proof of identity.

I silently handed over my guild card. After examining both sides carefully, they returned it and arrogantly told the man who’d guided me to take me to the elder.

Even among elves, gate guards seem pretty much the same everywhere—I nearly chuckled.

For a settlement tucked away in the forest, it was a large village, and perhaps because visitors were rare, the stares were intense.

It felt like the first time I’d walked into an adventurers’ guild dining hall.

Most buildings were detached houses, with a few three-story structures, all of them looking solidly built.

We entered a slightly larger building without knocking—it seemed to be an assembly hall, spacious and open.

“Elder Vilasenka, I’ve brought a guest bearing a letter from Claudins of Korche.”

He shouted toward the back, and after a short pause, an elderly man appeared.

“A letter from Claudins, you say? That’s unusual. I wonder what news he’s sent.”

The man handed over the twisted-letter respectfully, despite his earlier shout.

The elder slowly opened it and read it two or three times. After nodding to the guide, he carefully folded it again.

“Ranveil, we’ll speak privately for a while. Wait here.”

After saying that, he beckoned to me and headed deeper inside.

When I glanced at the man called Ranveil, he gestured for me to go.

Following Elder Vilasenka, I was led to a comfortable-looking room.

“Sir Leon, please have a seat.”

I bowed and sat on the bench across from him. He then said quietly.

“According to Claudins’ message, it seems spirits are attached to you as well,”
and fell silent.

As I struggled with how to respond, he continued.

“You wish to know what it is that clings to Claudins, do you?”

“Yes. I know several people similar to him, but… he shouldn’t be able to use presence detection, should he?”

“Indeed. And yet, those who concern themselves with spirits—let alone try to learn what they are—are exceedingly rare. Those who do are almost always accompanied by spirits. Almost always… yet I cannot sense any spirit presence from you. Which leaves only one answer: you are what we call one who is connected to spirits. Show me… could you call them forth?”

Information in exchange for information, huh…

[Come forth.]

At my call, presences surged forth all at once, and Elder Vilasenka’s face stiffened.

“…Extraordinary. To have this many spirits attached, yet not let even a fragment of their presence be felt… You truly are connected to spirits.”

“What does ‘connected’ mean? I can sense them, but I can’t see them. They’re annoying, so I just ask them to hide their presence.”

“If they can hide their presence, then ask them to show themselves.”

“Show themselves?! Spirits have forms?”

“Not in the shape of humans or beasts. Just ask your spirits.”

He told me to ask, but no matter how hard I’d strained my eyes before, I’d never seen them. Could they really appear just because I asked?

Still, this was an elder knowledgeable about spirits. When I’d called them earlier, their presences had surrounded me all at once—so I tried asking silently:

[Could you show yourselves?]

Incredible.

Countless faintly glowing lights, about the size of large marbles, floated around me.

Before, when they were only presences, they never came before my eyes even when I called—so why now?

Just like their presences appearing and vanishing, the spirits before me flickered in and out, making my eyes ache.

When I asked, [Please move back a little], they did so, just as obediently—just like before.

It really did seem that they understood my words.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of it, so I was about to ask the elder—but he was leaning back in his chair, staring off into space in a daze.

After a while he came back to himself and said, “Wait here a moment,” then left the room. He returned almost immediately.

“Sir Leon, I have never seen nor even heard of someone connected to as many spirits as you. How did you manage to have so many spirits attach themselves to you?”

“You said ‘many spirits,’ but how many would normally be considered as having spirits attached?”

“As far as I know, two at most. I’ll call someone more knowledgeable, so please wait.”

After saying that, he fell silent, watching the spirits that floated around me or flitted about freely.

They were a bit of an eyesore and I wished they’d disappear, but with the elder watching them so intently, I couldn’t very well ask them to.

After a while, the presence of people approaching could be felt, and a middle-aged man and two elderly people entered the room. They were visibly startled when they saw the spirits floating around me.

“Kristinka, this is Sir Leon, the guest sent by Claudins of Korche. As you can see, he is connected to a great number of spirits. Laurenska and Serfanka, why don’t you have a seat as well.”

“I’m astonished. I never thought I’d see someone connected to so many spirits. Tell me—do you have elven blood in you?”

“About a quarter. If you don’t have elven blood, can you not connect with spirits?”

“That’s not quite it. There are occasionally people called ‘spirit-attached,’ but we don’t say they are ‘connected.’ In their case, the spirits are merely attached on a whim. Whether that’s because the person has ability, or simply due to the spirits’ caprice, we cannot say—but there are those who truly connect.”

“Is there some problem with being connected to spirits?”

“Have you been granted magic or skills?”

“I have wind magic, and as for skills… I was told that any skill I desire can be learned with enough practice.”

“There’s only one of you?”

“It seems he came to this land alone from Rosenne.”

“With wind magic alone?”

“Yes. I haven’t been granted any other magic.”

“What do you think spirits are?”

“That’s what I came here to find out.”

“Then let me put it another way. They are said to be beings that help you—enhancing the power of your magic and skills…”

“But you’ve never actually seen that happen?”

“No. Even now there is one here, and in the past there were also users of earth magic and fire magic.”

“But the number of spirits attached to you is simply too great, and that leaves us perplexed.”

“If you truly came here using only wind magic, then surely your magic must have improved dramatically with the spirits’ help.”

“Um… what do you mean by ‘help’?”

So being spirit-attached actually comes with benefits?

“To say you are connected to spirits is no exaggeration when we say that spirits assist your magic and skills.”

“‘No exaggeration’ meaning…?”

“Meaning that not all spirits do so. It is often called the spirits’ caprice.”

“Either way, we should have you step into the circle once.”

“Indeed. I’m quite looking forward to seeing what kind of changes will occur.”

“Sir Leon, it is customary that those who have been granted magic or skills must enter it.”

“And you must also meet with Hardivinka.”