Chapter 296 – Heavenly Demon Casts Magic (5)

A sardonic laugh escaped my lips.

[Please massage my feet. If you’re the one who summoned me, you can do at least that much, right?]
“What are you?”
[Hmph! Don’t talk back. Oh right, you with the blue hair?]
“Yes!?”
[You look like you’d be good at singing. Give me a little song.]

The wooden sparrow flutters its pure white feathers, sticks out its rear, and extends its hind legs. This creature is far from ordinary. Even Mary, among the most arrogant people I’ve ever met, didn’t create this level of chaos from the get-go. It seems used to being treated well.

“Siheon?”
“Yes, sage.”

[Hurry up and massage~]

I left the bothersome, mouse-sized creature to its own devices and engaged in a secret conversation with the sage.

“To form a contract, there must be mutual consent. Either demonstrate your superiority in some way, or establish a relationship of dominance.”
“…Ah, I see.”
“Typically, contracts involve the exchange of magical power, life force, or sustenance. You appear to have a strong sense of pride. Do you know how to proceed?”

Even if I am summoned by my magic, we must mutually swear to certain terms in order to establish a contract that allows me to call upon them at any time.
Thus, I must now demonstrate my usefulness to this wooden creature.

[Black tree! Quickly!]

I muttered in confusion as I watched the dreadful bird that wouldn’t hesitate to make discriminatory remarks towards its own kind.

“It looks like it won’t listen.”
“Naturally. This wooden creature… Hehe.”
“Why? Is it well-known?”
“Once the contract is successful, you’ll find out soon enough. We might have to spend the day here.”

While conversing with the sage, I gazed at the wooden creature once more.

At some point, Marronnier began singing, and I couldn’t help but wish she would remove her fluffy behind from my line of sight.

“Marronnier.”
“Yes, Wise One?”
“We should head back now. It seems the contract will take some time for Siheon.”
“…Ah, understood.”

Marronnier gazes at me with a face filled with sympathy, as if to say, “Of all people, you had to get entangled with someone like him.”

I feel a slight tug in the pit of my stomach, unable to grasp how I should deal with this situation. Is that the one who’s supposed to control my magic? Unreliable, with a foul temperament, and seemingly devoid of any sense of duty.

“Siheon.”

The sage offers an inconspicuous hint.

“If the spirit attempts to flee, discreetly block the magic within the circle.”
“You mean…”
“I trust you’ll figure it out.”

Upon hearing this, I give a slight nod. A sage is truly a sage, providing immediate clues to resolve the situation. Returning with Marronnier is likely part of her plan as well.

I hesitate to expose the innocent Marronnier to such a brutal scene.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
“Is it that long? Si-heon, are you alright?”

As the sage winked, I responded with a wink of my own.
Unaware of the predicament it would soon face, a wooden footbar playfully wiggled its new foot before me. I waved a reassuring hand to Marronnier, urging her not to worry.

I had experienced homelessness dozens of times in Do-won, even with my limbs severed.

– Flash.

[Oh, you startled me! You almost fell! Don’t use magic so recklessly in front of me!]

Startled by the sudden surge of magic, the wooden footbar leapt up. Spirits, it seemed, were quite sensitive to the movements of magic. It chirped atop the magic circle, appearing almost comical.

After listening to the explanation about the spirit contract, I was reminded of a popular game in Japan that involved capturing and raising monsters. It was a game where players placed endearing and delightful creatures inside monster balls, nurturing and battling them.

From another perspective, it’s akin to striking a normal wild monster, confining it in a sphere, and calling it a friend. I slightly bent my knees and gazed at the Timber Sparrow.

[Oh no, the world’s one and only charming and beautiful feather has dirt on it! Hey, you black tree, please groom my feathers.]
“I’m not a tree.”
[What?]

The little bird instantly retorts at my reaction. As if to demonstrate its annoyance, it spreads its wings and hops around energetically.

[Where did the others go?]
“It’s just you and me, to form a contract.”
[A contract?]

Upon hearing the word “contract,” the Timber Sparrow finally stops and looks at my face. It doesn’t take long for a sound to resonate from its beak.

– Chirp.

A brief, feeble chirp echoes through the air, its mocking intent evident.

The Timber Sparrow spreads its wings, bringing them to its belly. Its wing structure doesn’t fully cover the pristine white belly, but laughter can be heard immediately.

[Puhahahahaha. A contract, you say? A contract! You know who I am, and you dare to make a deal? With your meager spirit sensitivity, you think you can handle someone as exquisite as me?]

The more it praises its own beauty, the more it grates on my nerves.
No matter how beautiful a woman is, if she suffers from a severe case of narcissism, her charm diminishes.
My desire to compliment her is fleeting.

[Ah… If you were trying to amuse me, then it was a fine joke, indeed. Little imp. I’ll speak to our treasurer and ask for some funds.]

Treasurer. I wonder if spirits have a hierarchy or an economy among themselves.
The creature, wiping tears from the tips of its wings, remains blissfully ignorant.

[I’ve had my fill of laughter now. Release me.]
“Why should I?”

Setting you free is at my discretion.

A mere bird, no larger than an index finger, dares to mock a human.
I am prepared to teach this insolent, narcissistic hatchling the terrors of this world, for it knows nothing of respect or decorum.

I reach out and gently touch the magical circle.
The dark power wavering at my fingertips transforms into a long, ominous blade.

[What are you doing?]

I sliced the magic circle in half.

– Swoosh!

As the magical power was severed with an eerie noise, the Woodland Sprite let out a startled cry.

[What, what are you doing!?]
“What does it look like?”

To deal with filth, one must become filth.
Hadn’t she asked for a foot massage earlier?
I could oblige her.
Though, I might not be able to control my strength and accidentally snap something.

Even without going that far, it was time to teach her some manners.
For a bratty youngster with a foul temperament prone to causing trouble, a 30cm ruler or a wooden club can be quite effective.

I grabbed the bird by the nape of its neck with both hands.
The Woodland Sprite, flapping its wings, tried to escape. I slowly hoisted her up.

[Don’t touch my body!]

My face drew closer.
My reflection began to appear in the panicked eyes of the bird.

[…What are you going to do?]
“What do you think?”
[You… Do you know who I am? The third princess of Arcadia, the Woodland Sprite-]

I momentarily released my finger.
Seizing the opportunity, the tree spaniel immediately took a powerful flap and soared into the sky.

-Pwuddeuk!

[Ah!]

The struggle for freedom was quite impressive.
With magical energy enveloping my entire body, I slowly ascended into the air.

I pride myself on having an aptitude for wind magic that is worth recognition in this world.
Flying through the air is nothing extraordinary.
Even if it concerns a bird that spends most of its life airborne.

-Kooung!

A massive dust storm erupted from the ground, as if a jet had taken off.
Fluttering with short wings would not get it far.
When a spirit uses magical power, it typically draws from the power of its contractor.
Since a contract has not been established yet, it is merely a bird.

Even if I physically threaten the tree spaniel, it won’t affect its true form.
The spirit’s main body resides in another plane of existence, and this bird is nothing more than an avatar.
However, that does not mean the pain will vanish.

Even if it doesn’t hurt enough to scream, an unpleasant sensation lingers.
I’ve learned as much, in brief.

Of course, whether that princess can endure such minor pain remains to be seen.

I don’t desire for her to succumb to pain.
Before that, I intend to prove my strength first,
To supply her with my high-quality magical power.

[Kyaaaaaagh!]

The chase begins.

* * * * * * * *

“Princess?”

The princess has vanished.
In the kingdom of spirits, it was common for spirits to disappear.

However, it was unusual for the kingdom’s princess, who inherited even a trace of the spirit king’s blood, to vanish.
Perhaps the summoner was an extraordinary individual, or the quality of the magic stone used was simply too exceptional.

The appearance of a spirit is not clearly defined.

Often taking the shape of natural objects, or even a small humanoid form,
it’s easier to move around.

“…The princess is calling me.”

The princess’s knight.
Spirits too have a hierarchy, and if there is a princess, there are also knights to protect her.

Brushing her bright yellow hair back, she pursed her lips.

A spirit that responds when summoned by humans, wood folk, or trees.
The realm of spirits and the human world are like light and shadow. They cannot see each other, but occasionally, their worlds intertwine through magic.
This is why spirits answer the call.
One might think it’s a disadvantage, but it’s not.

Typically, they can obtain valuable goods or the magical power needed to sustain life.
However, there are also those who engage in mischievous acts.

Of course, even if their alter ego perishes, the pain isn’t unbearable.
At most, it feels like the tearing of a broken nail.

‘But… The princess might struggle to endure even that.’

Overprotectiveness.

The woman here tore at her nails.

The emergency signal had been ringing since earlier. It had persisted since last night but suddenly subsided. She should have returned, but she didn’t.

As a knight, she could never just stand idly by. Left with no choice, she decided to assume her true form as well.

– Flash!

With her arms wide open, revealing her wings, she raised her head. Going directly to the human realm was a heavy burden, but for the princess’s sake, she would do it. The princess was calling for her.

‘…Please wait, Princess. I’m coming!’

…

[Contract… We can make a contract… Ahh!]

The knight’s eyes widened.

A scene unfolded before her: the delicate and adorable princess, who wouldn’t be hurt even if she were held in one’s gaze, was captured and violated by a human male.

Under the man’s touch, the wooden collar around her neck bent like a bow, exposing the pure white belly that had been hidden beneath.

[…Magic power… This… It’s my first time experiencing such power… I can’t think of anything anymore…]

“Where did the one who was screaming just now go? Huh?”

*Tap, tap.*

As the man’s hand touches her beak, her mouth gently opens. This is the image of a princess succumbing to magic power.
His nonchalant, almost careless attitude.
If she were a true princess, she would have become furious, cursing and going on a fast for days due to the appalling nature of the act.

The man’s fingers become imbued with magic power.
It’s a remarkably high-quality magic even to the eyes of a female knight.

She has lived in the realm of spirits for hundreds of years, yet she has never seen magic of such an exceptional quality.

*Gulp.*

Saliva is swallowed.

The man’s fingers tap the wooden sprite’s buttocks.
To strengthen the spirit’s presence and power, to infuse it with magic.

*Swish.*

[Heeheein…]

The wooden sprite howls.
There is some pain.

It was the princess. The same princess who would cry out in pain from the slightest touch at her feet was now being spanked on her buttocks.

“You really should stop. I was surprised when you attacked me using magic.”
[I’m sorry, so sorry… I won’t try to climb up again-]

-Slap!

[Ugh…]

To others, it merely appeared as a light knock. However, even that was a pride-shattering act for the princess. The humiliation was so intense that she clenched her eyes shut and let saliva dribble from her open mouth. A surge of emotion welled up in the female knight’s chest.

[You wretch!!!!!]

Unable to restrain herself any longer, she yelled at the man. How dare he disgrace the princess with such lowly magical power? Her shoulders tensed, and her wings spread wide, gathering magical energy to unleash a spell at any moment.

“…And who might you be?”
[Release her at once! Do you have any idea how noble the person in your grasp is?!!!!]

She was seething with anger.

[Wait, just a moment…]

[Princess, please wait!]

The woodpecker belatedly identified the bird and began to intervene.
However, the female knight, already filled with a sense of justice, couldn’t hear the princess’s plea.
Her mind was solely focused on how to deal with that man right away.

The female knight conjured a sword with her magic and approached the man as if to stab him.

“Do you know each other?”
[You don’t need to know. Return the princess at once!]

The man frowned for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.
A thoughtless remark.
Above that shoulder, a black magical power containing traits of King Mokryeong and Heavenly Demon began to rise, bit by bit.

To others, it was indistinguishable, but she could discern how rare the presence of that magic was in an instant.

“Yellow sap-sucking woodpecker… Two would surely be better than one.”

He tapped the woodpecker’s rump once more with his finger.

[…I don’t know… How should I face my father…]

A bird in each hand. Just perfect.
I discovered someone to occupy the remaining space.