Chapter 550 – Crusade Scheme (4)

The habitat of spirits, beings of magical essence, shared the same plane as humans.

The deviation was in the dimensions. Isn’t it effortless to juxtapose a 2D and 3D space? Shadows inevitably form where light infiltrates. The fourth dimension was a resplendent world, brimming with spirits.

[Arcadia, the Spirit Kingdom.]

An ancient realm that staunchly retained its position, even after thousands of years.

Eleanor was the third princess of Arcadia.

‘…Chirp.’

The utterance had now become a reflex for her. The princess, mimicking the cry of a creature, rose from her place with a languid expression.

Sweat beaded on her unkempt hair and face.

“Today… Master was impressive.”

A muttered phrase with half-closed eyes.

Eleanor left the bed, far too vast for her small, frail body, and heaved a breath while patting her chest.

A slightly translucent nightgown, woven from the highest quality silk. Her breasts felt damp again today.

‘It was wise to wear clothes that absorb sweat well.’

Lee Si-heon’s magic was too overwhelming for the princess to handle. No matter how it was communicated through the body of a bird, she was a spirit of considerable rank. She wasn’t quite supreme. However, upon receiving Lee Si-heon’s magic, she would inevitably perspire and become aroused.

“Since you said you’d summon me again today….”

With a jolt, Eleanor rose from her seat and strolled to the dressing table. No matter that she was a spirit, her demeanor was utterly meticulous. Eleanor was a princess who had always maintained a pristine and immaculate body.

“Hmm~”

She prepared to wash, running her fingers through her hair in front of the mirror. Naturally, the Eleanor reflected in the mirror was a tomboyish princess in her teens.

Of course, she wasn’t a wooden stick. Not all spirits, but those with weaker spiritual qualities often appeared before their contractors in the form of natural entities.

Lee Si-heon certainly had the potential to become a spirit sage, although not of the first class. It was inconceivable for him to consort with Eleanor, a spirit princess. If anyone knew that his spiritual qualities had amplified by consuming Azalea flowers and honey, they would undoubtedly be taken aback, even if they were in the dark about it.

With a sudden leap, Eleanor, having left her room, made a beeline for the bathroom. The knights stationed at her door, tasked with guarding the princess’s chambers, trailed after her.

“Good morning?”

Of late, a variety of rumors had been circulating in the kingdom.

Namely, the temperament of the third princess, Eleanor, had softened. The chatter of adolescence among the wives had finally subsided.

“But this time don’t accompany me. I’m heading to the bathroom.”
“…Princess, this is our duty-“
“Didn’t I say not to follow? If you do, will you report to my mother that you had a glimpse of me in my bare form?”

Of course… it’s certainly improved, but the insolence remains unchanged.
Knights floundering around Eleonor.
Among them, a neatly attired female knight emerged.
Lucy. Eleonor’s personal guard captain and a subject sharing her contractor.

‘…Ugh.’

Simultaneously adored and despised. She’s a vixen.

Lucy is far more skilled in the art of war than Eleonor, and Lee Si-heon frequently summons her whenever he gets a chance.

He knows full well it’s not a good thing, but from Eleonor’s perspective, who thoroughly enjoys the master’s magical power, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Eleonor shot Lucy a stare, her eyes wide and alert like a startled sparrow.

“Then I shall accompany you, Princess.”
“…Do as you will. Yes. You should also cleanse yourself, should you not?”
“…Is that permissible?”

As a high-level spirit, Lucy too must have perspired considerably, having absorbed Lee Si-heon’s vast magical power. Lucy promptly accepted Eleonor’s suggestion.

The two of them immediately headed for the bathroom and immersed themselves in the bath.

-Splash!

Following a brief shower, the pair settled into the expansive bath, soothing their tense bodies. Eleonor cast a sidelong glance at Lucy.

‘…What does he see in her that he keeps summoning her?’

The primary reason would surely be her prowess in battle, but how could a man’s heart be drawn solely in that direction? Eleonor scanned Lucy’s body.

“…What is it, Princess?”

Lucy, her sword precisely placed behind her, shoulders shaking with apparent pleasure. Lucy, with her light blonde hair akin to a lemon, was incredibly feminine with her narrow waist and ample breasts.

Prominently defined hips… A body that appeared far too delicate for a knight. Even when she had transformed into a woodpecker to sense the touch. She distinctly remembered how much Lucy liked it when her breasts were fondled.

‘Perverted woman.’

Above all… how aroused she became when firmly gripped by the hand.
Eleonor, her eyes narrowed like an axe’s edge, subtly explored her own naked body.

‘…….’

Feminine, yet her body lacked in various ways.
From the scant breasts to the slightly protruding lower abdomen. Her slender waist was enough to ignite a spark in Eleonor’s heart.

‘…When I mature, I’ll undoubtedly be just like that. My mother was, after all.’

I, the most beautiful and adorable being in the world. Naturally, when I’m fully grown, I’ll be more beautiful than anyone else. That’s a given.

Eleonor, aware that the Queen’s body was ideally shaped for childbirth, harbored a faint hope. However, for Eleonor to possess such a body, centuries would be required.

The growth of a spirit’s body was incredibly slow.
An adult, but not yet fully grown.

And she was the princess of this kingdom.

“Sigh.”
“…Princess?”
“Oh, forget it. Forget it, what are your thoughts on that?”

That.

That was Lee Si-heon’s proposition to the pair.

To maintain and enhance the spirit’s posture, a higher-grade spirit is needed.

Among them all, the most exceptional is, undoubtedly, the mother of Eleonor, a spirit of remarkable distinction.

She is the Virgin and Queen, Erinies (Ἐρινύες).

Among the numerous spirit rulers of Arcadia, she is the one responsible for one axis. She is the mother of three sisters, including Eleonor, and in the realm of humans, she is venerated as a deity.

In the past, she was a legendary spirit sorcerer. ‘The Journey of the Wind,’ a tale recounting her pact with ‘Abi’ and their subsequent battles, has long been essential reading for young spirits.

“… To form a pact with Mother. Is it genuinely possible?”
“It could prove difficult, don’t you think?”

Lucy’s observation was astute. Since her journey, Erinies has shown reluctance to meddle in the affairs of the human world.

Regardless of personal preference, this is often the case. Spirits build memories with the spirit sorcerer during their youth, and when they mature, they arrange their existence in this world.

Erinies, who has already borne three daughters, would not likely seek to establish a new contract.

“… Perhaps she might agree if I implore her?”
“So, you visited the bedroom yesterday, didn’t you?”

Indeed.

Upon hearing Lee Si-heon’s request, Eleonor immediately sought an audience with the queen to convey the appeal.

– Mother… is it truly, absolutely impossible?
– Eleonor, my princess, memories with the spirit sorcerer are meant to be made by the two of you alone. You should not rely on your mother just because you feel you lack strength.
– But without Mother, the human world… the human world…
– Eleonor.

A face that appeared to smile but held no mirth. Even Eleonor, well-versed in pleading her case, had no choice but to retreat a step.

“The master will undoubtedly be disappointed….”
“There’s nothing we can do. Perhaps we should seek someone else….”
“But it must be Mother.”
“Why? Why must it be….”
“Because, I believe Mother will not interfere.”

Interfere with what? Naturally, she was referring to her relationship with the master.

Eleonor did not respond to Lucy’s query, who failed to grasp the implication.

“And besides, wouldn’t Mother reconsider if she were to taste the master’s magical power?”

If the spirits were coerced into corruption, would there not be any issue?

Lucy responded,

“The master’s magical power is indeed extraordinary… and vast. But I wonder if it could compare to that of the Spirit’s Father….”

The Father of Spirits. Not a living entity, but an ancient world tree devoid of consciousness.

Both the King and Queen of Arcadia receive their magical power from this world tree and bear their offspring. To Eleonor, it is akin to a father figure.

“Father? Hmph. I wouldn’t know.”

The magical power of the father belongs solely to the queen. Having never tasted it, how could she know?

In the past, Eleonor was eager to receive the father’s magical power, vowing to grow stronger. However, now she finds herself entirely at the mercy of the master.

How am I to face Father….

A single utterance from Eleonor as she was being corrupted by Lee Si-heon. It bore the remnants of her longing for the father, a longing that now no longer existed.

“Our master’s magic is unparalleled, you know? Even a titan would be helpless against it.”
“…”

Were such words to be uttered elsewhere, they would certainly court disaster.
Lucy hastily wiped her cold sweat.

“If the princess is truly willing to go to such lengths for our master… There is not an absolute absence of a solution.”
“What is it?”

Exhaling a sigh, Lucy divulged the answer.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In the past, the grand spirit mage…

He sought his father’s remains and pulled together the energy of the spirits to perform a reverse summoning.

And if one could forcibly bind a contract, then success was assured.

“Is that what you’re suggesting?”
[Tweet, Master. Did I do well? Did I do well?]
“Is that even permissible? To force it?”
[If the master’s magic is generously bestowed… They will soon be smitten, hehe. Therefore, stroke me!]

Soft feathers rub against my hand, the wooden parrot kisses me with its beak.

“I grasp the meaning… but how am I to find the remains of a legendary spirit mage?”
[Tweet, the remains, while they are termed as such… If it’s a hero from the past, you should be able to find them in the dungeon.]
“A dungeon?”
[Yes. Perhaps… If there’s someone well-versed in dungeons, wouldn’t they also know about dungeons associated with spirit mages?]

A dungeon linked to spirit mages.
The first person who came to mind was Azalea, but it has been a long time since she switched her primary occupation to a business of solace.

‘It’s the power I desire.’

The Spirit King, it truly lives up to its name.
Not only does my strength amplify, but even the power of the primary form rivals the Five Great World Trees and Flower Officers.
If it can be seized, it is an opportunity that must not be missed.

‘It will require some time…’

But it is just as alluring.

I rapidly gauged the surrounding conditions in my head.
Should I visit Alba? No, this was a matter I could resolve myself.

“Good job, Eleanor.”
[Kyaaak, Master… !]
“I will bestow upon you magical power.”
[What? Wait… You’re inserting it so suddenly!?]

Zap!

Eleanor, on the verge of ecstasy, trembled.

[Oh ho-ok… Oh oh… !?]

Eleanor, ensnared by the dark magic, let out a cry of ecstasy.
As I gently stroked her lower belly, her tongue slithered out.

[Master’s magic… It’s extraordinary…]

Let’s devise a plan.

* * * * * * * * * *

Spirits and dungeons.

Seek someone who might be knowledgeable about these two keywords.

‘There were a few in the vicinity.’

The spirits… There were many among those I knew about.
Azalea or Lee Se-young.

In the case of Dal-rae, she was always a spirit sorcerer, and when I encountered Lee Se-Young previously, I had sensed a magical energy akin to that of a spirit.

Certainly, the feeling that the world was slowing down must have been an illusion cast by the spirit’s power.

‘There’s also an option to inquire directly from those two…’

Most likely, they wouldn’t know.

The whereabouts of the dungeon, where the remains of the legendary spirit sorcerer are concealed. Such information typically circulates covertly among magical towers, certain governmental bodies, and guilds.

‘This isn’t the kind of knowledge you can obtain by querying an individual.’

I have been pondering this for quite some time.

We are deficient in skills, and there’s a scarcity of mages for instruction and transmission. I gradually felt the imperative to assimilate a portion of the two factions, extracting their technologies.

-Knock, knock.

And thus, one person was chosen.

We’re not well-acquainted, and I’ve merely happened to grant her a favor once.

“…Why have you come? You seem unfamiliar.”
“Lee Ji-ah.”
“…What? Why our Tower Master?”
“Tell her I’ve come to repay a favor, from the Tower of Time.”

The favor I granted her when she was on the brink of death in the Tower of Time. I arrived at the mauve Mage Tower to reclaim a debt from Lee Ji-ah, the Mage Tower’s Master.

Embracing an abundance of desires.