Chapter 31
In front of Ruid’s mansion.
Amelia was standing at the front door looking nervous.
She took a few deep breaths and entered the mansion with proper posture.
“You’re late, Leah.”
As soon as I entered, Irene Windsor was standing with her back to me.
As always, his eyes are cold and his mouth is smiling gently.
Amelia was startled and nodded.
“Uh, sister. long time no see.”
“You don’t look very happy.”
“Oh, no.”
Amelia answered stiffly.
“…sorry. “I should have come earlier and waited.”
“I have to go to class. “Let’s go.”
Amelia walked carefully so as not to get ahead of Irene.
As I entered the reception room, Sherry, who was preparing, greeted me.
There were two cups of tea on the table. Amelia sat a little farther away.
…The tea was cold.
“I’m glad you seem to be doing well.”
“yes. “How have you been, sister?”
“The North is always the same.”
Irene smiled and drank her tea.
He put down the teacup without a sound and glanced at Sherry, who was standing in a stiff posture.
“Sherry, how are you?”
“I’m doing well.”
“The northern mansion is a mess without you. “The state of cleaning and discipline.”
“So, I’m sorry.”
Irene said, looking at Amelia.
“But I can’t send a clumsy maid to my dear younger sisters.”
“thank you.”
Sherry, who was behind her, took out a handkerchief and wiped away her cold sweat.
The only thing that was different from usual was that Irene came, but the atmosphere in the mansion was special. In addition to a strange sense of tension, I felt as if the average temperature had dropped below zero.
Amelia drank her tea without letting go of her nerves.
Irene just smiled and waited for Amelia to pass the tea, and only after putting down the glass did she ask.
“I’m glad you’re all doing well. Are you taking proper care of Ruid?”
“…I’m trying my best.”
Irene said, lying down deeply on the backrest.
“I asked because it didn’t seem like it.”
Amelia’s pupils shook violently.
“Your Majesty said so. Recently, there has been some unscrupulous movement in the system. So he called me aside and asked. Was it Windsor’s responsibility? “How should I have responded there?”
The Windsor family’s heir test is given something called a ‘trial’. The method differed depending on the inclination of the successor.
What they had in common was that they caused some ‘problem’. To test whether you can lead Windsor when problems arise.
It was an opportunity to test the qualifications of the Duke of Windsor’s successor. There was a high possibility that the problem was not simple.
However, the test for Amelia’s suitability as successor is being conducted nominally.
Since Amelia had already declared that she would pursue the path of a knight, the ‘problem’ intended by the Windsor family could not arise in this generation’s successor examination.
But that fact could not be an excuse.
In any case, the problem was not created artificially, but if a problem really occurred, Windsor would have had to deal with it.
Irene rested her chin and made clear eye contact with Amelia.
“Are you just doing it half-heartedly, saying it’s a test for a successor with no possibility of a successor? Or are you neglecting your daily life with your cute younger sibling?”
Amelia, who had been timid the whole time, raised her head firmly this time. It was a very unfair expression.
“I never forgot for a moment that I was on an exam.”
Irene listened to the story and slowly nodded her head.
And he gave an answer that was completely different from what Amelia said.
“I guess they didn’t notice that they were moving.”
“…!”
Amelia’s body stiffened.
Irene asked interrogatively.
“Really, you didn’t notice?”
Amelia pursed her lips.
“…I know that there has been an increase in the number of missing children in the system.”
“Anything more than that?”
Amelia looked at the floor and spoke in an ant-sized voice.
“…Nothing yet.”
“Are you willing to solve the problem?”
“…yes.”
Irene reached out and stroked Amelia’s hair.
A drop of sweat ran down Amelia’s forehead as she lowered her head.
“I’ll believe that. therefore.”
Irene lifted Amelia’s chin, placed her index finger on her lips, and whispered.
“You’d better not make mistakes.”
Irene smiled brightly.
“I don’t know about anything else, but Ruid isn’t old enough to see things like that yet. right?”
Don’t worry.
Irene stood up with those words left behind.
Amelia was frozen in place and couldn’t move for a while.
**
Lake of Delrin.
Hersy asked after calming down her startled heart.
“So… the fox ate Lark’s bead and became possessed by an evil spirit?”
“It’s not an evil spirit, it’s Lark.”
“Is this the Rich Lark I know?”
Ruid looked at the fox.
“He is claiming that he is a Great Spirit.”
[It really is a great spirit! Otherwise, how could you be trapped in a bead for 500 years?]
‘I guess there’s a point.’
I didn’t realize it earlier because it was so absurd, but when I thought about it calmly, it made sense.
The reason why nothing was discovered even though several wizards studied for 90 years.
Also, the reason why he, who prides himself on being the world’s best wizard, could not find even a trace amount of mana even when he searched for it.
If the reason is all hidden using ‘spirit power’ rather than magic power, it is theoretically possible.
“Wow, that’s ridiculous. “Spirits only appear in fairy tales.”
It was common knowledge in this world. But Ruid, who had read the original novel, knew. Spirits exist in this world.
However, there are only a few spirits that have egos. All such spirits disappeared 500 years ago. However, it remained in the form of a very small micro-spirit. In the original novel, the world where spirits live is called the ‘microworld’.
‘…and the timing is just right.’
Since the spirit with the ego disappeared 500 years ago, it seems likely that it was trapped in the bead for a long time.
“…Can you prove it?”
[Uh, of course.]
The fox gasped and opened his mouth. A red fireball was created between the sharp teeth.
“It’s a surprise!”
Hersy was surprised and hid behind Ruid’s shoulder.
[It’s fire summoned with elemental power! You won’t feel any magical power.]
Ruid smoothed his chin.
“Definitely… I can’t feel any magical power.”
“I really am.”
Of course, there is no function to summon fire from the arctic fox’s mouth. In other words, transcendental power was used, but if it wasn’t magical power…
there was a possibility that it was really elemental power. It was the first time Ruid had seen this power, so it was impossible to find out more than that. However, it was clear that it was not magical power.
“…Is it true?”
The fox closed his mouth. The lights went out.
[You saw it, right? Did you see it?]
The fox was wandering around and wagging its tail. Ruid looked at Hercy.
“What do you think Hersi is like?”
“Okay, I think there’s a possibility. “Honestly, it’s hard to believe.”
Ruid nodded his head slowly.
“good. I’ll trust you. But, so what?”
Ruid aimed his cane. The fox trembled.
“It doesn’t change the fact that you tried to attack someone.”
According to the depiction in the story, there are actually dead people and a lot of injured people.
Even if it is true that it is a spirit, the fact that it is a being that causes damage does not disappear.
[It’s a misunderstanding! I just didn’t want to be trapped in the marble again.]
“You don’t want to be trapped?”
[My owner, Lark, died, and for 500 years I was trapped in the world of beads. You have to have a contract to get out.]
“What does saying ‘insignificant people’ have to do with a contract?”
[That… I’m really sorry. I was in the beads for so long that my mind was a little dangerous. Ha, but thanks to the wizard’s purification magic, I’m fine now!]
Ruid recalled the scene where the purple bead turned white.
Ruid looked at the fox with a sullen expression.
“okay. Okay, so just get out of my foxhole.”
“I… can you sign a contract with me…?”
Ruid glared fearfully.
“I told you not to speak with your fox mouth, right?”
“S-sorry.”
The fox whined and fell face down. I just sighed.
I don’t know how, but it merged with the fox’s soul.
Ruid knew how to destroy souls, but he didn’t know how to separate them. If you hastily try to get rid of this spirit, the fox’s soul will also be erased.
So, I had to somehow appease him and get him out… but it didn’t seem easy.
“Um, Ruid…?”
“huh?”
“It might be presumptuous to meddle, but… wouldn’t it be okay? “He doesn’t seem like a bad kid.”
“You’re talking about the spirit of Lark, Hersi. “You can’t judge hastily.”
“I heard that according to legend, the spirit is so pure that it changes depending on the will of the summoner. Could it be that he was just taken advantage of? “What can I say, it feels very harmless.”
To be honest, Ruid was thinking the same thing. No matter how you look at this spirit, it is a slouch.
‘You shouldn’t be fooled by appearances.’
‘Lazy Ruid’ wasn’t outside the standard for nothing. In the catastrophe that occurred in the novel, a professor was also involved, but he was unable to suppress it.
That means he is at least stronger than the academy’s actual professor, ‘Leppen Chaser’.
It was said that unless you were an archmage or a knight commander, you could not defeat this spirit.
It was quite a dangerous entity.
“As expected, I feel uncomfortable.”
Ruid muttered that and looked at the fox.
“If you are a really good spirit, prove your innocence.”
[How do you prove your innocence…]
The neutral voice in my head seemed very sad.
Plus, she looked like a lovely fox, so my heart ached a little.
Nevertheless, Ruid spoke firmly. In the original, he killed several innocent students, but I didn’t want to go with such a being.
“Anything is fine. Think of a way to convince yourself. Otherwise…”
Ruid said a little creepy.
“I’m going to remove the soul. “It might be a little difficult, but I’m a wizard who can do it.”
It was half a bluff. But it was enough to make the spirit tremble in fear.
[Well, then… shall I show you my appearance?]
“Your appearance?”
[yes. All previous owners liked the look of my images. Wow, I’m not sure, but I think the wizard will like it when he sees it.]
Ruid said with a disapproving look on his face.
“try.”
[Yes.]
Pong!
There was a cloud of smoke that obscured vision. Hersy chuckled and waved his hand. The wind blew the smoke away.
What appeared inside was…
“Soo, does it look pure?”
It was a blue-haired girl with her hair stylishly.