Chapter 585 – Sovereign of the Spirits

Eirinies had finally reunited with her dearest confidant, whom she had yearned for over a millennium. However, the circumstances were far from what she had envisaged.

Her soulmate, deeper than blood, the hero and spirit mage of bygone times, her father, had been devastated by a man. And that man was a descendent of the king who had wielded the crown.

‘I now comprehend why Father was so cautious of the crown.’

Even if something were to go awry, it was decidedly going astray.

Through the chasm of thousands of years, Father’s reserves of magic and his spiritual strength had dwindled. If this man was a descendent of the king, he could have easily coveted him.

‘Father. If only I had shielded you from the start…’

Eirinies bowed her head, savouring the bitter taste of regret.

‘No. Such presumptions are futile. There is but one thing within my power.’

The maiden before her was no longer the innocent damsel she remembered. Abby was nothing more than a pitiful village girl violated and assimilated by a man.

Eirinies girded herself with determination and resolve. She was prepared to wield even the power of the crown if needed.

‘It’s a relief. I can grant you peace with my own hands. And… I’m sorry, Father.’

As the besieged dungeon crumbles, Father descends into eternal slumber. My dear friend, whom I cherished with all my heart. She stretches her hand, targeting the man. It was the moment when magic surged from Eirinies’ body.

[Chirp? Master?]

A magical array emerged from the man’s body, and a small bird appeared, chirping atop his wicked hand.

‘This voice is…’

Caught in the firm grip, a tiny cute wood sparrow twitters. Eirinies’ pupils quivered at the familiar voice that had reached her ears decades ago.

‘Could it be…?’

A wood sparrow, its wings fully spread, is held by the man, cooing adorably at him. Eirinies watched the spectacle wordlessly. A surge of ineffable emotions boiled within her, and her loathing for the man surged to the tip of her consciousness.

[Ah~ Master!! Did you just summon me?]
“Yes, because I need you.”
[Huhu, where are we?]

Not hostile, not even seeming to dislike it… No, rather, the wood sparrow’s gestures were affectionate. Eirinies’ icy smile twisted.

“Eleanor…! Why…”
[Eek!]

Startled by Eirinies’ voice, the wood sparrow swiveled its head from the man’s arms.

[Oh, Mama!? Then, Master… You’ve succeeded?]
“Yes.”

Eirinies couldn’t decipher the conversation between the two, but she had already conceived a suspicion in her mind.

Ah.
I’ve been ensnared in that man’s game.

It only took a few seconds to realize that she couldn’t extricate herself from that voracious mouth. What the man was aiming for, as he had claimed, was her from the start.

“…In order to draw me in, he ventured as far as my daughter, my confidant…extended his grasp.”

A quality of magic so twisted it seemed ill-suited for such an elegant spirit.

Her aura, speckled with rage, pierced the heavens.

“Eleanor.”

[Oh, oh dear… Please, please don’t be furious and hear me out! I, I was with…my master…Oh dear!]

At the honorific title of master, Eleanor, caught off guard, snapped her beak shut.
A princess serving someone else, and referring to them as master?

Memories of Eleanor from a few days prior surfaced in Erinies’ mind.

-Oh dear. There’s a major predicament in the human realm… My contractee seems to be plagued with distress. Could you possibly assist…

Eleanor, who had posed her question as if to coax her into coming to the human realm.
During the lengthy adventure, she had dismissed it as the endearing tantrum of her daughter, worn out from the trials she had faced.

-Hehe… hehe.
-What’s so amusing? Our little princess?
-Oh, no, not at all!! Teehee. I had such a splendid time with the contractee today!

Upon reflection, even prior to that.

-Lucy!! Where on earth is Lucy!!!
-One should use polite language, Eleanor?
-But, but!! Lucy has stolen something precious of mine!

And even before that.

‘…Three years.’

Slowly, it had stolen my flesh and blood.

-Drip.

Veins vividly etched, swelled, and a wave of heat surged to her head.
Eleanor’s innocent tantrums passed in a flash before Erinies’ eyes.

-Oh Mama! I want to inherit Papa’s magic when I grow up!
-Oh Mama~~! Can I have some pudding?
-Teehee Mama~ I love you~!

A spirit self-conceived and nurtured through her father’s magic.
An existence precious above all to her, the castle’s darling.
Although sometimes her mischief earned her the ire of others, she was always the little angel that warmed up the atmosphere at the dining table.

My daughter, my precious child, was now attempting to obstruct her.

[…Oh, dear Mama. Please, withdraw your magic.]
“Eleanor. Step aside.”
[Master, Master!! Run, run! I’ll hold her off here.]
“Eleanor!!!”

Erinies’ roar shook the ground.
From Erinies’ touch, who had already lost her reason, erupted a magic powerful enough to crush the man, and above her head, a crown materialized.

[Cheep, chee-eek!]

In that very moment – a flash!

Light erupted, and a bird soaring through the air began to transform into the shape of a girl.

An occurrence enabled by the combination of sufficiently amplified spirit sensitivity, talent, and an environment rich in magic.

A girl with long, coiled hair, robed in her nightgown, stood before the man, flapping her arms.

“Cheep, cheep!”

Eleanor, unaware of her transformation, waved her arms and chirped.
The man stirred from behind. Erinies began to muster her magic.

A chilling atmosphere climbed up to the throat, and both Abiy and Venice took a step back.

He was shouting something, but his voice didn’t reach Erinies.

“Master!”

The man’s arm snaked around Eleanor’s neck, clasping her soft abdomen, and pulling her close.

“…Huh, master?”

Erinies’ magic halted abruptly. For the man’s lips had parted, whispering something to her in a fleeting moment.

-Stop.

She knew all too well.
The implication of using her own daughter as a hostage.

But Erinies was not naive enough to negotiate with the enemy.
She intended to handle the man rationally, but her heart wouldn’t cooperate.
A deep maternal instinct tore at her chest, and with a pained expression, Erinies exhaled a fraught breath.

“With Eleanor, we are only bound by a contract.”

The man cautioned, his breath hushed.

“However, it’s uncertain when it might turn into a dependency.”

His detestable fingers found their way into innocent Eleanor’s mouth.

“Master has held me…! Uh?! Churup!”
“…Eleanor! Damn it, please stop!”

The prospect of a dependency meant Eleanor would no longer be free to wander the world.

If it were a contractual relationship, there was a chance to escape.
But if it became a dependency, Eleanor would be helpless, even if the man maliciously subjugated her.

The man bellowed, as if to assert himself.

“Eleanor.”
“Churup… Yes, yes, master?”

Eleanor responded, her voice melting like sugar, as if she were a matchstick in front of a flame.
The innocent girl nestled into the man, rubbing her head against him.

There was no explicit sexual contact, but her expression was inexplicably radiant.
There was no proof that the man hadn’t violated Eleanor. Perhaps Eleanor was already…

“What about entering a new contract?”
“What, churup… a contract?”
“You’ll belong to me, and you might even receive stronger magical power. Perhaps even more.”
“…More?!”

Erinies couldn’t hold back and cried out at the naive tone, teetering on the edge of capitulation.
Her icy face bore witness to her emotions outpacing her rationality.

“Enough!”

* * * * * * * * * *

“What do you desire? I won’t tolerate any further violation of my daughter.”

Erinies, her momentum diminished, spoke with a trembling voice.

Her face was imbued with such dignity that it seemed it would tarnish if touched.
Eleanor was no different.
Her silk nightgown was soft, the skin beneath it tender and supple.
You could sense beyond the fabric that she was handled with the utmost care.

‘…But this boy, he was a human after all.’

Unveiling Eleanor was no longer a task at my present juncture.
The consequence of maturation through carnal congress in the Spirit Mountain.

“Heave… Heave…”

Please, remain motionless.

Threatening you becomes pointless if you derive pleasure from it. Eleanor’s petite tongue persistently licked my fingers, an act both tickling and slick, highly irksome.

I can hear Venice’s tittering from behind me. Abby was guilt-ridden, casting sidelong glances at Erinies.

“I require assistance. I am to face a behemoth, and I need a sorcerer of your caliber.”
“… Merely for that reason, you involve my daughter and her friend.”
“If it becomes a long-term association, it would be ideal.”

The crown atop Erinies’ head shimmered resplendently. The emanating magic from that crown was formidable.

If we were to clash head-on at this point, victory would be far from certain. I would no doubt triumph eventually, but even harnessing the power from shards of the crown would prove challenging. I’ve heard that a spirit engaged in combat outside its dominion can only muster about half its strength. Given the magnitude of her power here… I understood why she was hailed as the Queen of Spirits.

– Squelch.

I firmly grasped Eleanor’s shoulders, causing a faint whimper of pain to escape her lips.

“Ah! Master!”

Eleanor relished being subdued by my touch, but from a maternal perspective, it would sound like a cry of agony.

“…Hmph.”

One shouldn’t be overly demanding. She was a spirit who could easily forsake her own daughter. I released my hold on Eleanor’s shoulders and held up three fingers.

“Three times. Allow me to harness your power when I need it.”
“In that case, heed my rightful request.”
“On what grounds do I trust you? Forge the contract first, encapsulating all that I’ve spoken earlier.”
“……”

Erinies nodded cautiously.
Regret, desolation, rage, anxiety, abhorrence… Her eyes, a maelstrom of emotions, glared at me before she expanded her magic, creating a distinct pulsation.

– Fwoosh!

A golden magic erupted brilliantly from Erinies’ arms, and two statues materialized. Something resembling a colossal tree surged at the center. Erinies, hands clasped as if in prayer, vociferated.

“I pledge to Methuselah, the father of all spirits. That there is no falsehood in me or his words…”

Erinies clenched her teeth in humiliation and closed her eyes.
She didn’t shed a tear. Her face, still retaining a glimmer of resolve, was intensely formidable.

“I pronounce here…”

Erinies’ eyelids lifted, and she made her demand.

“Please absolve my daughter entirely from the contract. And never again… forge any enforced relations.”
“Deal.”

No sooner had I finished speaking, Eleanor responded.

“Eh? Master…? You mean to free me from the contract?”
“Yes, that’s how it is.”
“Wai-wait a moment… I don’t want it! I want to stay with my Master for all time!”

Trading Eleanor for the power of the Queen yields no advantage. Eleanor cried, tears spilling over her cheeks, her voice trembling with absurdity as she addressed her mother.

“No!! Mama!! I, I…! I just wanted more love from my master… I didn’t want this!”

“Eleanor. I’ll explain everything. But first, I must leave.”

I’m unsure when we will meet again, but there is a way. We can always form another pact. So, she shouldn’t succumb to panic now.

However, I had no chance to impart these words. Eleanor, drowning in her sobs, completely disappeared from my embrace.

– Thud.

A single severed connection. Yet, a more vivid, potent, and deeply colored line formed between Erinies and me.

“…Three times. It’s been three times.”

Erinies, after confirming Eleanor’s disappearance, let out a low sigh of relief.

“I won’t aid you beyond this.”
“It appears the mother-daughter bond has already been severed.”
“Silence your tongue.”

Her energy is remarkably potent. Moreover… she’s utilizing an enigmatic crown.

A spirit beyond my control. It’s not just impossible to seize her body forcefully; even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to dominate her with pleasure. Erinies’ mental strength and willpower are beyond what I can break.

‘A little time will need to be invested in disciplinary measures.’

But as long as there’s a connection, there’s always an opportunity.

If the first attempt fails, then the second. The third… If I knock persistently, dozens of times, there’s nothing that cannot be unlocked.

For now… it was enough to be content with acquiring a colleague on par with me.