Hello, I'm writing a novel called The Modern Spirit (1 chapter/2 days or 2 chapters/3 days) Synopsis: Welcome to the Spirit Academy, a place where young spirits are given training in the basics of how to properly utilize their spiritual powers, as well as a bunch of various other things. Every year, the best spirit in each batch is sent on a learning trip to another world, where they must learn to survive by themselves, and also make a contract with their first summoner. As the top student of the year 2017, Et is given the honour to go to another world, much to the envy of his fellows. Join the modern-era Fire Spirit as he is sent to a world that resembles a futuristic version of the modern era...Not! Also, who the hell is doing the narrating? "Hey, why are there dragons here?!" Table of Content Spoiler: Chapter 1: Going The Spirit Academy. A place where spirits are nurtured, then sent to make our first contract. A place that exists away from the material plane. [Number 5729! Report to the Sending Room immediately!] The peaceful afternoon was interrupted by the blaring of the P.A. system. "Et, you lucky little prick. You get to go already." That was what a yellow coloured spirit said as he struck the shoulder of the red spirit next to him, repeatedly. As you probably can tell by now, said Number 5729 was the red spirit. And as of today, he would be sent to another world as part of his education trip. "I'm jealous! Why can't I go as well?" "You haven't caught up to Et's level yet, so you should stop complaining." That was Nadia, another one of his friends, complaining. The one who had spoken first was Fel, and the one that had told Nadia off was Moge. "Eh...That's not true. Nadia beats me at water magic, you are better than me at Earth Magic, and Fel is almost two of me when it comes to Wind Magic." "...That's because Nadia is a Water Spirit, Fel is a Wind Spirit, and I'm an Earth Spirit. It would be an embarrassment if we lost out in our respective elements to you, Fire Spirit." "Jeez, Et is clueless as usual, huh. He still doesn't know how strong he is." The blue spirit, Nadia, gestured at the red one. "Pardon me, Nadia, what did you say just now?" "Oh, nothing! Have fun in your new world, you little troublemaker! Now, off you go!" *Swoosh* A combination of waves and gale blew Et into the direction of the Sending Room. "Waaaaaaaait! You guys know I hate speeeeeeeed!" ... Et arrived at the Sending Room with time to spare, and a crab in his left pocket. "Nadia put it there as usual, didn't she? Oh well. |Dry|." A bonus that comes with being a Fire Spirit. Et's clothes dried immediately, which saved him the trouble of entering with drenched clothing. *Knock Knock* "Come in!" What awaited him on the other side of the door was the principal, Mr Morton, as well as his teacher, Miss Rita. Both of them were drinking coffee as they stared intently at their mobile phone screens...huh? Come again? What were spirits doing with mobile phones? Dude! Look at the year! It's already 2017! If humans are already using mobile phones, why shouldn't spirits? Or are you claiming that mobile phones are for humans only? "You're here, Et! I had a feeling you were going to be here sooner or later, given the speed at which you were learning! I'm so proud of you!" Miss Rita. She was a Superior Fire Spirit, two grades higher than Et. And here in the Academy, a single grade means a difference of almost 100. Which means, Miss Rita could defeat 10000 Ets. "It's all thanks to your teaching, sensei!" "Hahaha. The best Fire Spirit in this batch, and not a hint of arrogance. Good. Now, Et, are you ready to be sent on your educational trip?" "Yes, Principal!" "Very well then. I have a present prepared for you when you reach the other side. If you have any queries, ask the Fire Spirit present before he returns. Good luck, boy, and remember to watch out for the hounds. Now, off you go! Bon voyage!" The principal fiddled with an app on his mobile phone, and pressed a button. The circle at Et's feet lit up, and Et was transported into the unknown. ... The three other spirits, one yellow, one green, and one blue, stared at the Sending Room display, which abruptly darkened, before turning to stare at one another. "Well, Et's gone." "Indeed. And without him here, the next spot can only go to either of the three of us here." "I won't lose." "That's only to be expected. You're quite scheming as opposed to your appearance, Gnome." "I'll say the same to you, Sylph. Acting all carefree, but secretly one of the biggest tryhards I've seen." "Now now, don't bring up that topic again, children." "Can it, Undine." "Well, we should all do our best. Can't let Ifrit overtake us for too long, after all." "Mhm." Spoiler: Chapter 2: Accidents Happen Right after Et left, the female fire spirit, Rita, raised a query. "Headmaster...that teleport circle didn't seem right." "Huh? I'm pretty sure that was the circle that led to Landoria...wait a minute..." The headmaster bent over, and took a closer look at the spell circle he drew. "Oh, crap. That was the wrong magic formation." "You mean---you sent him there?!" "Dammit! I made a mistake while drawing the runes!" "Get Serafia here, she should be able to create a return circle!" The headmaster was anxious too, but he didn't panic. He tried hitting buttons on his phone, and then he tried casting a spell to open a portal. Neither worked. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Rita. Once the gates shut, not even an Emperor-class can break past the seal. Et will have to get through this period by himself, now." "But...the survivability of spirits in that world..." "I'll file a report to the upper echelons and get Merlus here...Hopefully, he'll be able to decipher a return gate. Meanwhile, Rita, please keep this a secret from the students. We can't afford to have the students panic now." "Understood. Goodness knows that Et's luck might not fail him yet." ... "Hmm? There's nobody here?" Et stepped out of the transfer circle, which abruptly fizzed out and disappeared. "Guess I won't be returning that way. Well, no matter how I look, this place doesn't seem like the typical spiritual plane I've been told about. There's no building here except for ruins, and I reckon those ruins won't be too habitable." Wait a minute. This is disastrous. There's no Wi-fi here! What am I supposed to do during my spare time? "Ugh...first, I guess I'll have to make this place more liveable...Never expected that my lessons would see usage so soon, though." |Create Pocket Dimension: World of Fire| What are pocket dimensions? Well, think of it as portable...houses. Spirits like Et live inside them when they are not summoned. According to their ranking, the size of the pocket dimension differs. For instance, Et's pocket dimension is limited to 60 square metres---roughly the size of a 2 storey house. The layout inside is relatively modernistic. Also, since he was more rattled by the unfamiliarity of the surroundings more than he had let on, Et forgot the most important step of creating a pocket dimension; he completely failed to remember to set the gravity up properly. "Finally. The Wi-Fi signal connected. I can't send any messages, though. The boundary between worlds prevent anything slower than light speed from getting through." Et settled down on a couch, and took out his own mobile phone. "I guess I'll play some games while waiting for someone to summon me, then?" ... *Rumble* Amid the drenched, unrelenting rain, a girl stumbled across the weather-beaten dirt path. Her clothing were in tatters. *Ruff! Ruff!* The sounds of pursuit could be heard clearly from behind her. The ones that were hunting her weren't that far off. Even worse, the dripping blood flowing from her side gave her pursuers a very obvious trail to follow. "Hah~ hah~" There was a derelict temple off the left side of the path. Gritting her teeth, the girl staggered into the ruins of the temple. Pausing to catch her breath, the girl swung the doors shut, and barricaded it with a wedge of wood. It gave her a temporary sense of false security. She looked around, fatigued and uneasy. If she had walked right into a trap, she didn't feel like she had the energy to escape again. There was no one else in the small temple. At least, no one that was visible. There was also an obvious lack of back doors. "It looks like this is it." The girl crumpled to her knees. "Hahaha...with all that effort to stay alive, in the end, I ran myself into a dead end. To make things worse, my last destination is a ruined temple." It was hard to believe that this girl had been a princess. "To think, after all that effort to wipe out religion, an abandoned temple would be where I make my last stand...It's funny, isn't it?" The barking sounds were gradually getting louder. *Bam!* The locked wooden doors shuddered. Someone---or something---had battered the door with considerable might. *Bam!* The doors held on, but only barely. Cracks could be seen forming on the ancient wood. The girl retrieved the item that was still on the altar. A small dagger forged out of meteoric iron, inlaid with a considerably large ruby. "Again...to think that I would be trusting my life with a ceremonial weapon...hahaha. Is this retribution?" *Crash!* The opposing force shattered the barricade, and the doors were knocked wide open. A group of animals entered the room. Cats, dogs, birds...even mice. They all looked like perfectly harmless furry critters, but the girl was well aware that they were all familiars. Subservient demons under the contract of sorcerers, taking on a bestial form. "This is it. The order was to bring me back...dead. They won't spare me even if I surrendered. In that case, I'll take out as many as I can!" Determination burned brightly in the girl's eyes. "Whoever's not scared of death, come at me! I'll send you to meet your maker!" ... The floor was littered with the corpses of dead animals. The dagger fell to the ground with a resounding clang. The final stand had paid off. Many familiars had been killed by the dagger-wielding princess. But it hadn't been enough. In exchange for those kills, claw marks now decorated her limbs. The dagger had tumbled out of her grip, and two familiars which had taken the form of bloodhounds were very much alive. Both pounced, canines bared, aiming for her throat. The girl shut her eyes, and cried out, unwillingly. That was when a ring of fire grew around her, expanding outwards, and burning everything else to ashes. "Goddammit! I was at the freaking boss stage! Stop it with the random shaking and turning! If you want to make a contract with me, all you had to do was start the Ritual of Contract, dammit!" Spoiler: Chapter 3: Chunnibyou is an Illness, Cure it "Jeez. I was almost finished with the Endgame Boss, and the next thing I know, the freaking house got overturned." Its true that Et controlled the pocket dimension, but his reflexes weren't fast enough to respond to a one-eighty change in orientation. He could deal with the previous shaking and tilting of the pocket dimension, but as a result, he got distracted and the Boss Monster nearly wiped out his player. The complete overturn was waaaay more than he could have handled. That, and also the fact that during the shaking, he had been nailed on the head by one of the dumbbells that were strewn around the living room which he currently was in. The (hopefully) top of the class Fire Spirit...if it ever got out that he fell due to him forgetting to establish the gravity direction beforehand, resulting in his vessel flipping over, he'll never stop being the butt of jokes back at the academy. Et admitted that the sudden fall and loss of his game provoked him more than he had accounted for. And that ire manifested on the physical plane, in the form of a searing ring of blaze. "I didn't kill anyone with that surge, did I?" ... "Oh no. I burnt up all the animals here. Animal Protection Services is going to be so pissed off." Wait. There's a girl here, Et. Badly wounded, but still alive. She must have been the one wielding your vessel. Technically, that makes her your summoner, then? Not bad, considering the fact that she's a human, and...there's not a single drop of mana in her. Well, Et brought her soul into his pocket dimension, then. Couldn't have his summoner lying on the ground injured, could he? ... The girl awoke, lying on a sofa, her injuries treated and bandaged. She was in a room that was completely red in colour. There were many objects which she found unfamiliar to her. The room was warm, but not like a raging inferno. More like the flickering of a hearth. "Is this Hell? I've always expected to come here one day, but it's surprisingly more comforting than I expected. Maybe I'm in Heaven? But there's so much red colour everywhere...or it could be that I'm now in a dream or illusion..." "Oh hey! You're awake!" A really cheerful voice interrupted the girl's train of thought. She frowned, turning to see the origin. A boy with vermillion red hair and eyes was grinning back at her. His hair was shaped into a flame, as well. Black markings covered his forearms and muscular upper torso. ...Somehow, she felt like slapping him in the face. "A demon. So I am in Hell, after all." "Wait, what? This place is---" "Silence, foul demon! Even if I'm in Hell, I'm not going to give you my soul so easily! Eat this!" The girl charged at the 'demon', ignoring the pain of her injuries. "Wait a moment, your wounds are going to open again! Ah, jeez! Hold still!" The 'demon' caught the charging girl and stopped her firmly, locking her arms into a rigid position. Unfortunately, he also slipped due to the momentum of the charge, and promptly fell over. The result was...a somewhat questionable position as the two of them were sprawled out on the floor. "Ouch...what the heck?" *Squish* "Hmm? What's this?" *Squish* *Squish* "Gaaaaaaaah! Pervert! Die!" *Wham!* "OWW! G-Gah...Calm down there, Miss." ... It took a while, but the two finally got their issues sorted out. "So, this place is your house? And you brought me here?" "Well, technically, your soul body is here. Your physical body is still in the real world, healing. I've left a ring of fire around your real body, so it'll be safe for the time being." "Next question. Why did you save me? To make me agree to certain conditions?" The girl, while being thankful that she was still alive, was filled with wariness towards the boy that she did not know. "Huh?" The boy had a clueless expression on his face. It was an expression that made people want to smack it. "Well, you had to have a reason for rescuing me, obviously. What is the reason?" The girl, already having a short fuse to begin with, blew it almost immediately. "Uh...You're my summoner, Miss. That's pretty much why I rescued you." "That's not possible." If one were to look closely, there were black lines streaking across the boy's forehead. "And why exactly is that not possible, Miss?" "I don't have a mana pool." "Yeah, I noticed that already." "Then it should be obvious! You can't possibly be my familiar if I have no mana! Also, familiars don't take human form!" "But, Miss, I'm a spirit, not a familiar." Silence reigned the pocket dimension. "What's a spirit?" The girl could not help asking, inquisitiveness hidden in her voice. ... This girl doesn't know what a spirit is?! Has she been living under a rock her whole life? For now, Et tried to explain it carefully. "A spirit is a collection of astral energy which has gained it's own consciousness, therefore allowing it to manipulate a specific law of nature. By improving their abilities to manipulate elements, spirits are capable of supernatural acts such as---" "Manipulate elements?" She doesn't know about that either?! "You do know the 4 original elements, right?" "Yeah! Fire, water, air, and earth!" "...Basically, a spirit borrows the power of an element it is most familiar with in order to perform acts of magic---" "What's magic?" No, hold it one moment! You did not just ask that question! Can't you see that Et's already been petrified? "Oi, hurry up and answer me already. What's magic?" Do they not have magic in this world?! "Just to check, but...do you not have magic here?" "Nope. First time hearing of it." What! "But...you know about summoning. And familiars. Most importantly, you know about mana. How do you not know magic then?" Exactly! How can you possibly not know about mana if you knew about that? "Well, summoning and familiars are of sorcery arts. Mana is needed for sorcery." She rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious to her. Dammit. No magic here, huh? "Do I have to explain what magic is, all the way beginning with it's origins, to this idiot over here? Ugh..." "Hey! I can hear you talking, you know? Who are you calling an idiot?" "Whoever just responded, obviously." "Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a princess, okay? I'll have you executed if you continue being this rude!" "What princess? The only thing I see is a girl wearing ragged clothing. Also, you can hardly execute what doesn't physically exist, just saying." She stood up, pushing her chest out with pride, as she did a curtsy. "My name is Aisha Von Ledifre, 4th Princess of the Empire! Grovel before me, fool!" Pffffffff... "Are you kidding me...I finally get a summoner, and she has 8th grader chunnibyou disease. What did I do to deserve this kind of suffering?" "H-hey! I already told you I'm a princess! Why are you not bowing to me?" I could feel a massive headache developing, and by his facial expression, Et could feel the same. "You should go to the doctor and get your brains checked. Chunnibyou is a serious illness, you know. Cure it." Spoiler: Chapter 4: Magic Lesson for Dummies The whole sermon regarding magic took the best of 6 hours. That was not inclusive of the detailed stuff, of course. Et merely went through the origin of magic, it's usage, the type of magic that exists, how elements affect magic, and such. "So basically, to cast magic, you need to chant an incantation, and at the same time, you need to be in possession of an object that will transport your mana and direct it towards your target. For example, that ruby on the dagger you got serves as a mana storage, you can utilize the mana stored in there to cast magic...Stop sleeping, dammit!" Et had to wake up the self-proclaimed princess a total of 18 times. "And so, since you are now my summoner, you have access to my magic, and you can use them, too." Aisha rapped the table, obviously dissatisfied. "I thought I already told you, but I have no mana. There's no way I can cast magic." Et was currently experiencing a headache like no other. "I'm pretty sure I said this just now, but as my summoner, you have access to my mana reserves. If you want a spell casted, you just have to command me to do it." "Isn't that still the same as me not casting it..." Aisha grumbled, but soon, her eyes lit up. "Wait, you haven't introduced yourself yet. It's been quite a long time since we met, and I know you're a spirit, but I hardly know anything else. Therefore, tell me." "You could have at least asked politely, damnable 8th-grader..." Et ignored the glare Aisha was giving him. "Fine...the name's Et. Second year student of the Spirit University. Atheist. Rank 1 Novice. Favourite hobbies include gaming and sparring. Also, as I've said earlier, I'm a Spirit that governs Flames, an Ifrit. My ancient name is Ignis." Aisha had a curious expression on her face. "What's an Ancient Name?" "I'm pretty sure I've also explained this earlier...in case the two of us are separated, invoking my ancient name creates a telepathic connection between us." |Ignis! Hey, is this working?| Et ran out of patience. "Owwwww! That hurts!" "Don't screw around with my Ancient Name! There's only a limited number of uses per day!" "Hmph, stingy." "Ugh...I'm waking you up now. After you get back to the physical realm, if you want to summon me, just call for me using any name EXCEPT for my Ancient Name. Got it?" "Okay..." ... Aisha woke up in the temple where she previously lost consciousness. Glancing around and seeing the scorched land, Aisha was convinced that it wasn't a dream. She grabbed the dagger which was lying a few steps away from her. The ruby sparkled under the sunlight, as if it was winking. |When you're done staring at that ruby, it's time we got started.| "Hey! I can't help but stare at it, okay? Have you ever seen a girl who doesn't like jewels?" |Fine...'Princess' Aisha, perhaps you'll care to start moving before it gets even darker out. The sun's light is weak enough out there as it is.| Aisha evidently remembered the other terrors that existed in the forest after dusk, and gulped, setting off at a quick pace. Unfortunately, night fell quickly enough. "Stupid Fire Spirit...I can't even see the proper way in this darkness..." The ruby gleamed, and begun shining brightly, providing a source of light. |Next time, 'Fire Spirit' will do. The 'Stupid' affix was unnecessary. By the way, that was the most basic "Illuminate" Magic. Even baby spirits could do it.| "Hmph!" "Arwoooo!" A unmistakable howl of a wolf pierced through the stillness of the night. Aisha gripped the dagger, feeling the cold air brush past her. |Well, if you're going to have a bright source of light appear in a dark forest suddenly, something is definitely going to come investigate it, no?| As if proving Et's point correct, 3 wolves appeared, prowling out of the gloom. "Shut up and do something already! I can't fight off a wolf by myself, baka!" |I am doing something.| Et sounded as if he was preparing for something of utmost significance, briefly raising Aisha's hopes. |Alright, with one more turn, this meat should be perfectly grilled...| Aisha felt like beating up her spirit. "You're COOKING DINNER?!" |My dear princess, dinner is extremely important for any living entity. Without food, we won't be able to move, you know. The proteins, nutrients and such in food also play an important part on our mana supply, our psyche, for that matter, so it's important to constantly stay fed.| "If this goes on, I'll certainly not be able to move! Those wolves are going to have me for dinner!" |What, you mean that wasn't your purpose when you entered this forest?| "Haha, yes, I definitely came here to get eaten and not run for my life, baka." Everything went quiet. Aisha could feel Et stop whatever he was doing, giving her his undivided attention. |Almighty, this girl actually understands sarcasm...Finally.| One of the wolves rushed forward. "Hurry up and manifest, stupid Ifrit!" |Fine...Just stay still, and try not to get burnt. Oh wait, you are my summoner, so you'll inherit part of my fire resistance skills...Probably.| "Probably?!" The dagger flew out on it's own, impaling the wolf straight through the throat, before returning to Aisha's hands, completely devoid of any blood traces. Meanwhile, the dead wolf caught fire and was burnt to ashes, scattering in the wind. |You should be able to take out both of the remaining wolves on your own, right? In that case, I'm going back to cooking dinner.| "Oi! Ifrit!" |Just kidding, shish. So uptight.| The other two wolves, frightened by the death of the third, backed off, but still remained within charging distance. |Lift up your right hand, girl, and repeat my words exactly as I say them. You only have one chance to get this right. I'm going to teach you the most essential spell, the one to summon me.| Influenced by his serious tone, Aisha stopped joking around too, getting back into a defensive pose. |Manifest, Spirit of Wrathful Flames. Ancient Flame King, Ignis, answer my call, and descend with all of your splendour.| The wind picked up, causing Aisha's long hair to flutter in the breeze. Amid the shimmering blaze, she also resembled a supernatural being, one that had stepped out of a dimension of flames. A phoenix in all of her glory. Except... "It didn't work." |Oh. I forgot to switch on the mana connection between us. Due to that, you don't have mana, so you couldn't cast it. Oops.| "You idiooooooooooot!" Chapter 5 The Modern Spirit Chapter 6 The Modern Spirit Chapter 7 The Modern Spirit Chapter 8 The Modern Spirit Chapter 9 The Modern Spirit Chapter 10 The Modern Spirit Chapter 11 The Modern Spirit Chapter 12 The Modern Spirit Chapter 13 The Modern Spirit Chapter 14 The Modern Spirit Author's Note: Because my other series is not suitable for comedy, I have decided to write one up for comedic purposes. Don't worry. Both will be updated on a regular basis. Again, this is still in testing phase, so feel free to give any feedback.
Hmm. I'm impressed by the ambition behind the world-building, but you've got two or three apparently very different settings clashing, and aren't giving any except maybe the sorcerer one enough explanation. Maybe you intend to avoid an introductory info-dump by doing exposition over time, but it's all empty and confusing for now. Any way you could spend some more time in the Spirit Academy, and go beyond the character introduction? Try to do something fun, something interesting! A couple small points: -Be careful about how you're separating magic from sorcery. You even use the term "mages" with the familiars, and for there to be "mages" but no "magic"? -_- -Unless the pocket dimension isn't affected when its shell is wielded, it should have been thrown around a lot during the fight, not only when she dropped it.
Chapter 5: Testing out Magic So yeah. The two of them got rid of the wolves, and had a nice dinner. "Et! You know perfectly well that I can't possibly wear these!" Aisha was protesting loudly at her treatment. |It's either these or those rags you have on your back, idiot princess.| Et had roughly fashioned a set of clothing from the wolves they had slain. Technically, the material from the 3 wolves should have been more than enough to make a full set of clothing. However... "Because a certain idiotic spirit burnt up the first corpse and then charred the second, there's barely enough to even make a set of hunting gear...Also, what kind of messed up fashion sense do you have?! It's winter here!" Yep. Using his modern knowledge, Et had created a set of fashionable wear for ladies. The only problems? They weren't on Earth, and as Aisha had pointed out, those clothes were entirely unfit for winter wear. Scratch that; forget winter wear, it wasn't even fit to be worn while on a hunt, or even moving about for that matter. |Just stop complaining and put them on. I'm no artisan when it comes to leatherworking and armour making.| Oh, dear lord...The pelts of those wolves were originally white...how did Et even turn them grey... Grumbling, Aisha puts on the clothes, since her original ones were torn and stained red with blood, anyway. It was only after she was done changing, that she started panicking. "Y-Y-You weren't peeking, were you?!" Oh dear. He was peeking. In the Spiritual Plane, Et was panicking too. He had given Aisha the clothes, and he had naturally watched as she started changing, replacing all of her old clothes with the ones he made. It was only after Aisha screamed that he realised the severity of what he had done. "Crap. If I act nervous here, she's going to treat me like a pervert." And so, Et cleared his throat, and said what was possibly the worst choice of words possible. |What's there to peek at? I have no interest in washing boards.| ... Aisha walked out of the forest. An almost-tangible aura of rage could be seen around her. Behind her laid the corpses of several wild animals who had crossed her path...not really. All that was there were a few snapped off tree branches. Meanwhile, Et was busy reflecting upon his own words in his pocket dimension. 'That was really stupid of me...Why the hell did I say that? Did I have a stroke?' There were words that one shouldn't speak of casually, then there were words that one shouldn't speak of at all. And his words just then...That would rank on top of any "Things Not to Say to a Girl" Board. 'At the rate things are going, she's probably going to cancel our contract and then leave...What will I do, then...Is it too late to apologise?' Et begun panicking as he thought of all the consequences...At that moment... "Ifrit." Aisha's voice came through. She still sounded angry, but also resigned, somehow. |Yes?| Et fought to keep his voice calm. "Didn't you say you'll teach me magic combat? Why are you still silent, if that's the case? Hurry and teach me already." At that moment, inside the Spiritual Plane, a red-haired spirit pumped his fists. 'Aw-yeeeeeeah! She isn't going to break the contract!' Forcefully calming himself down, Et begins teaching Aisha how to fight with magic. ... |And so, when you focus on one particular target, not only will the spell be more accurate, but you'll also waste less mana. Flinging around spells randomly is the easiest way to run out of mana, and the chances of you hitting anything is practically zero.| "Okay, but..." Aisha looked extremely unsatisfied, rubbing the inlaid ruby on the dagger. "Is there a way for me to cast spells without depending on this mana storage? I don't know if I'll be able to bring this blade everywhere I go to." Et gave the issue a serious once-over. He's heard this conversation sometime before, back when he was still having lessons in the Spirit Academy. ... "So, class, today we will be discussing about the various ways of mana transfer. As we have gone through the last lesson, mana transfer involves carving your own insignia onto your summoner to open up the mana connection between the two of you. In the long term, besides serving as a way for spirits to give their contractors mana and vice versa, it also brings about benefits such as..Et? Are you paying attention?" He totally wasn't. The fire spirit was busy sleeping...I mean, trying to fight off his sleepiness. From the trickle of drool on his cheeks, he had failed. The teacher was slowly approaching him, her mouth poised to shout. But what came out of the teacher's mouth wasn't the teacher's voice. "Oi! Wake up already, Baka Ifrit!" Et was forcefully yanked back to the present. |What happened?| Aisha had been waiting for Et's response. For the first few seconds, she thought he was thinking, but after a minute or so, she realised that he had fallen asleep. For the hot tempered princess, that had set her temper off like a flare. "You fell asleep, dummy! I couldn't get a peep outta you for almost 2 minutes! What were you doing?!" She woke him up because he was unresponsive for two minutes? Et felt a massive headache building up. He had a bad premonition that from then on, he wasn't going to be able to get a proper nap. |I was trying to remember if there was any solutions to that problem...stupid 'princess'.| The last part was spoken extremely softly, so Aisha couldn't hear him. Despite that, the princess immediately apologised after hearing the first part. "Sorry for interrupting you! I truly am!" Et felt quite touched. It was the first time Aisha had apologised for doing something wrong, after all. In the midst of being touched, he accidentally let slip one important fact. |It's fine. After all, despite having the opportunity to cancel out our contract by simply declaring so, you didn't do so, and instead put up with me. That was already extreme kindness on your part...| The touching atmosphere was gone immediately with Aisha's response. "Huh? I can remove the contract if I declare it? Okay! I, Aisha van Ledifre, declare that from today henceforth---" |Waitwaitwaitwait! What are you doing?!| Et panicked due to the sudden cancelling attempt by Aisha. "What else could I be doing? I'm removing the contract!" Aisha was grinning as she said so, triumphantly. |But, you didn't do it earlier...Wait.| Et had an extremely bad feeling in his gut. |You...didn't know that the contract could be cancelled previously?| "Yep! Thanks for telling me!" |Oh my god...| Amidst a boy's groans and a girl's laughter, time passed by really quickly, dragging the day onwards.
Chapter 6: Melee Weaponry Convincing Aisha not to break the contract, succeeded. Et was currently sprawled out on his couch, utterly drained of energy. 'That damnable 8th-grader princess...' To convince Aisha not to break the contract, he had accidentally said this one line. |I do anything you ask for!| Talk about falling into a pit he had dug for himself. Aisha had immediately replied in the affirmative. "Very well! You can begin by respectfully calling me Princess Aisha!" He had died a little inside because of that. But what was done was done. "Oi, Et! Teach me how to fight already!" Aisha wasn't satisfied with merely summoning him. She wanted to learn melee fighting. 'What's with this combat maniac...also, Most summoners would be busy finding a way to increase their pool of mana so that they can call out a summon for longer periods of time...why is she so obsessed with learning to fight at close quarters...' Et forgot one thing. Aisha previously had no mana, so the sorcery arts that were common in this world were unable to be utilized by her. As such, her idea of strength was largely associated with melee fighting. "Baka Et! Teach me close combat already!" |Fine...Princess Aisha.| Et utilized a particular skill. He could change the shape that the vessel took on in the physical realm. The dagger melted into a molten core, and then morphed into a long, sharp polearm that was taller than Aisha. A spear. "Nope. Another one. I don't like spears." The shaft shortened and the tip condensed into one bigger cluster of metal. Spikes grew on the surface. A mace. "No! I hate impact based weapons!" Et gritted his teeth. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to take the mace and whack Aisha with it. The mace melted and split into two parts, solidifying into a diamond shaped piece of flat metal, and a cross shaped blade. A classic sword-shield equipment set. "Do I look like some kind of knight, you moron?!" There were no changes to the sword and shield. "Oi, I said I don't like swords or shields! Change them!" Et's ever fraying patience snapped like a thread. |I ran out of mana, idiot! Did you think modifying the vessel was an easy thing? Something has to account for all those missing materials to convert a knife to a spear, and that something is my mana!| Aisha froze for a moment under his rebuke, but she soon counterattacked. "Well, increase your mana reserves then, idiot! What happened to being a genius in the Spirit Academy, huh?!" |You little...!| Dying from high-blood pressure would have been a horrible way to go, so Et calmed down for the nth time since morning. Dammit! Why was the girl such a hassle?! If not for the fact that there were no other potential contractors nearby, putting him at her mercy, he would have long since abandoned that damnable girl! 'It's fine. Once we reach a city, a town, or even a village, I can ditch her and run. So for now, I'll put up with her demands.' Yeah, not happening. That was quite the flag, you know. ... "Hey! What weapon is this? It looks quite fun!" *Swish! Swish!* A delighted Aisha was throwing two discs around. Two red discs with sharpened golden edges, and hollowed out in the centre. In their weaponized forms, both discs had widths longer than Aisha's forearm. When she was not using them, both shrunk to the size of dinner plates, and acted as some sort of arm guards. Aisha wanted a weapon that could be used for both melee and ranged fighting. Et was considering a pair of revolvers initially, but thinking of how trigger-happy Aisha was capable of being, he vetoed his own idea. His meagre mana as a beginner-ranking spirit wasn't going to last the ammunition costs. Bullets, despite being consumable, also required material, and therefore mana, to form. Since his vessel was only a knife initially, changing them to a pair of revolvers would already have consumed a lot of his mana. If he factored in the cost of each individual bullet, as well as the fact that Aisha would need to be taught to shoot accurately...Nope, it was much better giving her a pair of glaives. At least those had no maintenance costs. Which brought them to the current situation. |Throw it properly! The purpose of the glaive is to hit a lot of enemies AND come back to you! In a bloody melee, you aren't gonna have enough time to pick them off the floor!| "I'm trying, moron!" Unlike what he had expected...or should he say it was just as he expected? Being a 'princess', Aisha had no experience in combat. None whatsoever. |This is why I would rather have a commoner make a contract with me. They aren't prideful, and they actually try their best. Nobility would be next, since most of them actually know how to fight on a fundalmental level, although most of them also have a lot of excess pride...still, unlike royalty, nobles can actually do something practical...| "I'm sorry for being useless then! Hmph!" Aisha turned aside in a huff, puffing her cheeks up as she blushed red. After all, Et was correct. To that, Et's response was: |Stop trying to act cute. I'm getting goosebumps.| "You-You meanie! I can tolerate you not addressing me as 'Princess', but that was just too mean!" |I've already given you both a spirit weapon and combat training...and on top of that, I've signed a contract with you, promising to defend you...and I'm a meanie? Ungrateful kid.| That was fair enough. I mean, Et already did his best for Aisha. Still, he probably won't abandon her, unlike what he says. Because the Flame Spirit is a bigger softy than he appears to be. Looking at Aisha, who was already on the verge of tears, Et decided to go easier on her. |Never mind...As your contracted spirit, I am obliged to take care of you as long as this contract lasts. Therefore...| Of his owm accord, Et manifested in the physical plane, appearing beside Aisha. He stretched out his left arm, offering Aisha a hand to grab onto. "C'mon, 'Princess'. We have a lot more roads to travel. Can't afford to keep taking breaks, or your food supply will run out, very soon."
Chapter 7: Problem 4 hours later... A single girl staggered out of the forest. "Et...you told me that it would take at most 40 minutes of walking to get out of this forest...you liar." Inside the pocket dimension, the fire spirit was trying very hard not to incinerate his summoner. |I told you to take a right at that branch path! But no, you took a left instead! What were you even doing, anyways? How did you manage to go in the wrong direction every time I gave you a direction to follow?| Et didn't have enough mana after that mess earlier, so he was forced to watch helplessly as Aisha ignored his instructions and happily went around in random paths. 'I know she was escaping from something...but shouldn't that encourage her to hurry up instead of wasting time inside this forest, then?' Et's train of thought made him voice out his doubts. |Aisha. Aren't you worried about pursuit?| They were still in the same region as when Aisha fought off her attackers the other day. To make things worst, it's been more than a day since that had happened. The possibility of more pursuers was very high. "Hmm...not really." Aisha didn't sound worried in the least. |Why not? Are sorcerers not efficient when it comes to tracking their targets? Or is it because those familiars you killed the other day were your only pursuers?| Since he wasn't from this world, Et could only guess at Aisha's reasons. After all, as much as he hated to admit it, when it came to sorcery, Aisha knew more than he did. "Well, if you would call me 'Princess Aisha' respectfully, maybe I'll tell you." Again with this nonsense. Et felt a gigantic headache approaching. |Stop screwing around...Princess Aisha. What exactly do you know about sorcerers?| Aisha got shut down. "Hmph, high-tension spirit...Listen up! Sorcerers usually send out their own familiars to do the dirty work for them. None of them would actually chase their targets themselves; on the rare occasion that they do, they'll send out their familiars to scout out the path first, anyways. Therefore, between killing a familiar and waiting for the sorcerer to show up, there's usually a time lag of two days. So, I'm fine." These sorcery arts sound really inconvenient...was not what Et was thinking. Despite how laid-back and fluffy he appeared to be usually, the Fire Spirit Et was actually a big schemer. Even more so than his friend, the Earth Spirit Moge. The two of them acted like they were honest and open-minded, but both were secretly among the biggest schemers that existed in the Spirit Academy. 'For this world's spell users to have depended on sorcery for as long as they did...there must be something special to it. Otherwise, they won't have utilized them for so long.' Et knew enough of Aisha's character to know that what she said was the truth. What unsettled him was what she didn't say. After all, even if Aisha knew quite a bit about sorcerers, she was ultimately a princess. Royalty don't usually make it a point to learn too much about things that do not concern them; therefore, it's highly likely that Aisha did not know the perfect story behind sorcery. 'And the unknown is often more dangerous than the known. You can account for any known factors and plan out countermeasures beforehand, but any factors unaccounted for can easily smash even the most well-thought out plans into dust.' With that in mind, Et decided to first hide his presence. He learnt enough from his lessons back at the Academy to know how to keep himself hidden effectively. In fact, he was confident that as long as it wasn't an Emperor-class spirit, he would be able to hide himself effectively. ... "Alright, class, today you'll be learning how to conceal your presence in the physical plane. Yes, what is it, Et?" "Rita-sensei...how does this skill help us in our contract with our summoners?" The fair-haired fire spirit shook her head, allowing her hair to fall loosely around her shoulders. "Well, Et, sometimes, your summoner might need to infiltrate somewhere stealthily, but also with your help. Without learning to conceal your presence, you might as well be sending up a flare announcing your presence." "I see...thanks for telling me, sensei." "No problem. Now, as to how one should hide their presence, first, you have to cast the spel---Et! A little help here!" Et got jolted out of his memory in a rush. |What happened, idiot princess?| "What happened? I'm dying here, nothing much!" While Et was busy reminiscing, Aisha had indeed gotten into a bit of a sticky situation. As it happens, she was surrounded by slimes, dozens of them. Huge, green slimes. 'Crap! I got careless!' If Nadia was here, he would already have gotten a fist on the face. Unfortunately, she wasn't, so Et wasted a few more moments trying to respond to the sudden change in situation. |Okay, Idiot, they don't seem so dangerous, so you can just use the glaives to fight your way out of ther---What the heck?!| Unfortunately, fate was not so kind to leave that kind of flag untouched. One of the 'not so dangerous' slimes rolled over a sturdy-looking rock, and the rock promptly melted. |To be able to do that...an Acidic Slime. Judging from the rate that the rock dissolved, these slimes must possess some exceptionally tough acid to be able to melt through stone. If that touches human flesh...| If one had to name some of Et's inadequacies, it was that he tended to easily get flustered whenever his carefully crafted plans fail. During his time at the Spirit Academy, he got much better, but he would still be occasionally caught off guard when something unexpected happened. When that occurred, he tended to start thinking like a researcher rather than make contingency plans. "Oi, stop analysing it so calmly! I don't want to melt like that rock!" Sadly, he couldn't argue, because 1) It was totally all his fault, and 2) what Aisha said was true. 'Dammit...I have to think of something here...I don't have enough mana to manifest, and the glaives won't last against that acid...If I mess up, that idiot Aisha will die, and I'll be left without a contractor...' The slimes were gradually inching closer, as if mocking their predicament. 'Damn! What can I do here?!'
Chapter 8: Signing the True Contract If there was ever a bad situation, it would be now. Getting surrounded by a ring of acidic slimes without any measures prepared. No mana to cast stronger spells, no reliable method of physical combat, and no reinforcements. |Two glaives. That's all you have.| "And one unreliable fire spirit." Aisha could not help making a wisecrack, despite the severity of the situation. |I said I was sorry already...jeez.| The insignia painted onto Aisha's right shoulder was glowing red, weakly. It was the mark of Ignis, in the tongue of spirits. Et had personally drawn it earlier, in order to ensure that Aisha had access to his mana. |I have about just enough mana for two bursts of fire. Nothing fancy, nothing too overpowered, but just enough to kill a few slimes.| Et had placed all of his effort into quickly regenerating his mana, hoping to have as much of it recovered as possible. Unfortunately... 'The mana in the air here is different. It'll take some time before I'm able to get used to it.' That problem wasn't limited to him alone. Any spirit that visited another world for the first time experienced the same issue that arose from the different concentrations of mana in different worlds. As a result, spirits tended to regain mana at a rate slower than usual when they first step into a different world. Back in the Spirit Academy, there were optional classes that taught spirits how to adapt to the mana concentration in another world quickly. As the top spirit of the year, Et naturally attended those lessons. Therefore, when it came to getting used to the different mana purity in another world, he should technically be among the fastest adapters. Notice how I said 'technically'? Et was very good at applying theory to practical abilities. Unfortunately, those lessons were tailored extensively and exclusively for spirits sent to the world of Landoria, a futuristic world. Since he wasn't in Landoria, those lessons were completely useless. The only thing Et could work with was his above-average intelligence among spirits. 'This world is strange...I consume more mana by casting spells compared to back in the Academy, but at the same time, the power of these spells are boosted by a more than proportionate amount.' The earlier "Illuminate" had already fed his suspicions. The beginner ranked magic, which was the most well known among spirits, had cost him more mana to cast than usual. He had laughed it off then, but the brightness of the resulting light was also much more than he had expected. Undoubtedly, he would be able to control his mana output for more precise spells in future...however, he didn't have the time or luxury to do so now. He had already casted a wall of flames to keep the slimes at bay for a while longer, but even those flames were dying down. "Two bursts, huh? Okay..." Aisha had stopped fooling around long ago; her eyes already regained the look of grimness that she had previously. "Say, Et. If I end up dying here, sorry for all the times I called you an idiot." What the---! |Oi! Don't go around raising flags! You're gonna get out of this safely...dammit, I've raised a flag myself!| Aisha laughed. A hollow laugh, filled with self-depreciation. There was none of the vigour she had earlier. "I appreciated that attempt to cheer me up, Ignis. Still, I'm not stupid enough to believe that. You say that you have enough for two bursts, but you aren't actually sure about that, are you?" Brief silence. |How did you...find out?| Indeed, he had enough for two bursts. As to whether he would be able to hit anything with those two bursts, that was another thing entirely. The slime-ring that surrounded Aisha was roughly evened out at all sides. There were no sides that had too many slimes in particular, but at the same time, there wasn't any sides that were exceptionally vulnerable to being broken through. If either of his fire magic bursts happened to miss, Aisha would be unable to escape the circle. As for what would happen afterwards...it's pretty obvious. "Well, since you didn't know about sorcery, I reckoned that you were probably new to this world. And I was right, too, especially when you mentioned magic." Aisha was smiling bitterly, as a tear traced down her cheek. "I was lying when I pretended not to know magic. After all, even if I've been stripped of my title, I'm still a former princess of one of the largest empires in this world. I do know a few things that most people don't." Well, I sure didn't see that one coming. |You mean, you have prior knowledge about magic? Then, when I asked you about that...| "Yep. I lied about that, too. I wanted to learn more about it, about magic, which has not existed for the last few hundred years in this world; for that, I lied to you in order to obtain companionship...I'm the worst, aren't I?" Et went silent. He wasn't sure what he should say at this point in time. The Aisha he had gotten used to in the past few hours had been putting on a complete act...Even though he had considered that possibility, it was a bigger blow than he thought. Still, he experienced a foreign feeling. One that encouraged, no, pressured him to forgive Aisha for her deception. The flames were weakening. A few slimes hopped past the wall of fire, which was barely holding on. 'I mean, she did it just because she wanted to know more about magic...I can understand that...but...Tsk! First, we have to get out of this situation!' The situation had changed. Before, Et was resigned to changing his contractor, but now, he was motivated to get Aisha out of this issue, alive. |Aisha. We're getting out of this together.| "Eh?" |Don't 'eh' me, idiot princess! Whatever it is you're guilty about, save it for later! Right now, there's only one important question you have to answer! Are you willing to accept Ignis, the Spirit of Fire, as your contracted spirit?| Et was betting everything on a 'True Contract'. Unlike most contracts, a True Contract lasts for life, and bounds a spirit with it's summoner forever. While it might be more restrictive, especially for free-willed spirits, a True Contract also provided more benefits than a normal contract. "But...I lied to you...for so long..." |I know that, idiot! But right now, I'm willing to accept you as my summoner! So tell me, are you willing to accept me as your exclusive spirit?| Tears were running down Aisha's cheeks, as she wept. "I...I agree! Please be my exclusive spirit, Et!"
Chapter 9: Some Things Come To Light So, as we were talking about before we left off, Et had bet everything on a True Contract. True contracts were considered the apex of spirit contracts, since they occurred rarely. After all, a True Contract was first imbued with copious amounts of magic, and then forged in the fires of Mount Do---Sorry, that was the wrong story! Ahem! Anyways, true contracts were equal to a gamble. They paid off epicly if they succeeded, but they also had extremely painful consequences if they failed. The circumstances currently present definitely did not encourage True Contracts to be made. I mean, getting surrounded by slimes in a death trap really won't help in reducing anxiety, right? But again, if one is about to die, might as well bet at a chance of survival, right? |Oi! Baka Princess! Concentrate, dammit!| It's not looking so hot for the duo. "I-I'm trying! But this...!" |I know! Just...Just roll with it! I didn't invent the method to fulfil a True Contract, you know?!| The current scene would be perfectly at home in any romance movie. Dear lord, my eyes are bleeding... A True Contract demanded a spirit and it's contractor to...um...be perfectly synced to each other...physically. Which explained why Et had to...well, do what he was doing. Sigh...If I knew what kind of disaster would occur from a True Contract, I would have never created it in the first place. This is what humans call lifting a brick and smashing one's foot with it, isn't it? Aisha's face was completely red. And it definitely wasn't because of the heat. |O-Okay. Now, just try not to, uh, lose concentration...| Et was equally red, and it also wasn't due to the fact that he was a fire spirit. Though, they are doing quite well. Not many pairs would have reached this stage in a True Contract, you know? The reddish flames that was circling the pair turned golden. Oh, they might actually pull this off. *Boom!* Oh, not bad! They actually forced the True Contract to finish perfectly despite the chaos! Although, Et might be experiencing some unexpected pain sometime soon... "You pervert!" *Bam!* |OUCH! What was THAT for?!| Yep. Saw that coming a mile away. If she hadn't slapped him, it would have been a real miracle, though. Well, the flames that had originated from the successful True Contract already burnt up all of the slimes around, so they have the time to spare to mess around, I guess. "What did you do that for?! How am I supposed to get married now?!" |I had no choice, idiot! It's either we did that or die!| "Couldn't you have saved us without having to do...that...? You indecent spirit!" *Bam!* |Ouch! Stop slapping me! I didn't want to do that either, you know! If you want someone to blame, just blame it on the idiot that first invented the True Contract!| Achoo! "Th-That doesn't excuse what you did! You're going to take responsibility for this, okay?!" |I already told you, it's not my fault! Why do I have to---| *Bam!* |Okay, I get it! Stop hitting me already!| Somehow, I feel really guilty...ahem! Never mind! The result was a success, and Et seems to have ranked up to Intermediate Spirit, so...Let's pretend nothing happened, yes? Anyways! Let's see what benefits came out from the True Contract, shall we? Et got up, and dusted his clothes, before pulling Aisha up as well. "Well? What happened just now?" The Fire Spirit closed his eyes, and frowned. |Apparently, the True Contract succeeded, which explains why those slimes are now dead. I've never seen it personally before, but according to the principal, when a True Contract succeeds, the consciousness of the creator of the True Contract, which was also the First Spirit, will personally change the surroundings to the corresponding element. In my case, I'm a flame spirit, so the surroundings were covered in fire, which also saved us at the same time. Therefore, I suppose I'll thank him.| Wait. What? Come again? Which idiot taught you that? That's not how the True Contract works! First up, what's with the consciousness thing? I'm not dead, dammit! Also, I'm not powerful enough to personally change the surroundings to a specific element! Do you even know how much energy that takes out of me? Lastly, did you just assume my gender? Who does that? "Wait! What's a True Contract? You haven't told me anything about that yet!" Oh, no...Et better not tell the poor girl the exact same lie he was told. Well, it's more like 'not completely true', but you get what I mean. |A True Contract is essentially a lifelong, permanent version of a regular spirit Contract. Once it's set in stone, the spirit and it's summoner are bound by fate to each othe---| *Bam!* |---Ouch! Stop slapping me! What is it this time?| Oh lord, this Fire Spirit is exceptionally dense, isn't he...If you tell that to a girl, with such a straight face no less, it'll be weird if she didn't slap you. Especially one that's former royalty. But again, I've spent too long in this world, so I suppose my way of thinking has started to be affected by this world's logic... Perhaps I'll remaining observing, unseen, for now. It's not too late to reveal myself later if they run into any trouble. After all... "W-W-Who would want to be bound to you for eternity?! You didn't even ask for my consent before you forced that Contract on me! And you even did something so indecent while you were at it!" Sorry, little lady. If both parties aren't willing, there's no way the True Contract would have worked. The fact that it worked more than proves something. Well, I'll be watching this duo with interest. It's been a long time since a spirit has arrived in this world...Has it been almost 20 thousand years since I first came here? First Spirit...so that's what the younger generations are calling me nowadays? The Spirit Academy...I wonder if the former Headmaster is still doing well?
Chapter 10: Who's the Narrator?! The time quickly skipped to the next day, early afternoon. One girl was trudging along a weather beaten path, followed by her invisible companion. Both were bantering telepathically, as usual. |Idiot, why did you have to pick this path? There's hardly been any signs of civilization for nearly the past 3 hours!| "Shut up! I know my geography enough to manoeuvre through these lands! If we go through the Death Plains, no one will pursuit us!" The main question here is...Why would you feel that it's a good idea to enter a place called the Death Plains? |And what manner of fell beings walk these lands? Forget pursuers, I don't think you can even find any living beings here in these barren lands.| My thoughts exactly... "Well, they say there's been reports of Death Walkers appearing in these Plains." |Death Walkers?| Where have I heard that name before...Aha. If my memory hasn't failed me yet, this is going to be really fun. Death Walkers have one extremely nasty skill, which could prove very troublesome if the people targeted are not aware of it. Hue hue hue...oh my, I better keep my old habit in check. They tend to surface when I think about disaster falling on others. What? Don't look at me with those judgemental eyes. When you've lived long as I do, it's hard to find anyone with a shred of normalcy around. In fact, most of the others that have existed as long as I do are usually all insane in one way or another. Allow this ancient spirit to have it's own fun sometimes, okay? I'll jump in if things get too serious. Now, let's see if the girl, Aisha knows anything about the Death Walkers. "According to reports, they live near villages, and prey on the livestock there. They are also highly intelligent, capable of making rational decisions, unlike most beasts that are driven by feral instinct alone. That makes them particularly dangerous." Hmm. That was a 10/10 explanation even if I say so myself. Everything she said was completely correct. But she also did not explain everything there is to be said about Death Walkers. There's also the most crucial fact. They can shapeshift. The Death Plains...I remember my younger days. These plains are filled with treachery; travellers enter, and most of them don't come out. The human weren't privy to the existence of Death Walkers early on, because the intelligence of the Death Walkers allowed them to mimic humans perfectly. As a result, even when entire villages were ransacked overnight, the Kingdom that once existed here didn't realise. The Death Walkers took on the form of villagers they slew, and continued pretending to be human. It was only after a resourceful hunter found out about the situation, that allowed humans to curb the threat of the Death Walkers...Tch. I've talked too much about this. Let's see if the princess' resourcefulness and the spirit's magic can get them out of this. ... "Welcome to Farrul Village! What brings you here, girl?" "Um...I got lost while wandering and ended up here accidentally." |Hmm, considering the fact that this village is in the middle of nowhere, they sure are hospitable to strangers.| Mhm. One point for Et, zero for Aisha. "In that case, you are free to stay here as long as you like, girl! We'll be glad to have you here, before you leave for your next destination." "Okay...By the way, what's that strange white patch in your hair?" |What the---Aisha, you can't just go around asking people that!| That was a very bad choice indeed. "This?" The pleasant looking elderly man pointed at his scalp. "This is a birthmark! Most of the people in the village have this. It signifies our identity as villagers here." "Oh, I see! Sorry if I offended you!" "Haha, no worries. You must be really hungry, so do join us for dinner later. We'll feed you nicely." "Thanks!" Tch. If Et wasn't with her, Aisha would have died tonight. Birthmark? That's a load of bull. One of the most obvious features of a Death Walker is the white patch on their heads, directly where the cranium would be. To ask what that spot is...this princess is really an idiot. Oh well, it just so happens that Death Walkers particularly fear fire, to the point where they melt easily. Since Et is a Fire Spirit, he should be fine. ... |See? They weren't so hostile!| |Ugh...| |Why are you groaning? I told you that these villages were accepting of strangers!| Dear lord...the naivety... |Something about this doesn't feel right to me. I'm going to investigate this village using the fact that others can't see me.| |You just want to peek on ladies changing while being unseen, right?| Pfffffft! |Pfffffft! I'm not a pervert! Anyway, just keep in mind to invoke my Ancient Name if you need help.| |Mkay.| Zero points for both. No one splits a team in the middle of hostile territory, idiots. ... "It's delicious!" Aisha was currently tearing into a huge piece of meat in gusto. Tch! "It tastes gamey, but it's good! What meat is this? Chicken?" No chicken meat would be that large, you imbecile...Where the hell did Et go? Did they teach him nothing at the Spirit Academy? Spirits aren't supposed to stray away from their summoners by more than 50 metres! Where the heck is he even going? "We're glad you're enjoying the food, girl." Ugh, here it comes. "Now, it's our turn to feed." The kindly elder spasmed, and begun growing in a hideous way. He became horribly bloated, and his skin turned into a transparent pink layer of goo. The remains of several creatures could still be seen inside them. "E-eeeeeeeek?!" Aisha backed up, and tripped over the log she was sitting on. Beside her, the other villagers were doing the same thing, changing into ugly flesh-coloured blobs. "Ignis!" Too late, idiot! Even for a Spirit, there's a limit to how fast they can move! |What's wrong, idiot princess?| |Get back here immediately! Those people are man-eating monsters!| A pinkish limb reached out and gripped Aisha by her ankle. "Eeeeeeeeeek! Get off me!" Aisha kicked at the limb, only for her other foot to be caught as well. Et isn't going to make it in time. The Death Walker would have digested Aisha 15 times over before he can get back to use his fire magic. Guess I have no choice but to interfere slightly, huh?
Chapter 11: Heartfelt Apology I said I'll help, but I'm not planning on finishing off the Death Walkers. Else, that'll be too easy, and neither of them will be able to truly learn from this. |Tangle, roots, and restrict the movements of thine enemy. Earthbind.| A Rank 1 Beginner Earth Magic Spell. Not flashy, not damaging, but it gets the job done. With this. Et should be able to return to Aisha on time, so I can return to doing nothing---I mean, observing. Sure enough, Et got back to where Aisha was quickly, while the Death Walkers were still struggling to get out of their earthly prison. |Pyroblast!| Et had shot a bolt of explosive flames at...Where the heck is he shooting at? Why are you aiming at that?! Aisha is still in contact with that Death Walker, you idiot! "Argh!" Sigh...When someone sets a Death Walker alight, everything in contact will be burnt too...what have the teachers in the Spirit Academy been teaching? I'm beginning to have doubts as to whether they are the destined pair...Forget it, I'll continue observing. ... Et was currently trying to cure Aisha. More specifically, the patch of deep red on her ankle. "It huuuuuurts!" "I know! Just hold still for a moment while I bind this---" *Crack* "OUCH!" *Bam!* "Gah!" Both of them ended up groaning in pain. "Why did you punch me in the gut?" "It was painful and I had to vent my pain, idiot!" "Then, why didn't you aim for something else?!" "That's your fault that your gut happened to be conveniently there!" "What kind of flawed reasoning is that?!" Having the adrenaline from the sudden danger disappear, both collapsed onto the ground. Aisha was, of course, the first to point her finger at Et. "What kind of idiotic spirit are you? Who leaves their master behind to face danger while they go around and slack off? What were you even doing just now?" "..." Again with the bitten lips and clenched fists. "Well?" "...Sorry about that." Aisha's anger lost the force it originally had. The former princess bit her own lip, keeping her dissent under control. "What were you looking for? What did you find?" As if in response, Et produced a crystal from his hand. A gleaming crystal the size of baby's fist, coloured vermillion. What the, that's a---! "You said magic disappeared from this world for quite a long period of time, didn't you?" Aisha nodded in affirmation. "Well, that's a problem. Because I found this just conveniently tossed aside, at the side of the road. A Fire Magic Crystal." Speaking thus, Et handed the lump of crystal to Aisha. "You hold on to it. This can act as a medium for casting spells too. You should be able to get a good Intermediate Pyroblast charge out of it." I don't think you should tell her that...not when her limbs are still trembling from that earlier Pyroblast...but never mind. She does need a method of self protection when they move independently, after all. "But that's not the issue. To have a Fire Magic Crystal just lying around in plain sight...This is not good for both us and this world." Tilted head. "Why not? Won't having a supply of Fire Magic Crystals allow you more reserves in times of emergency?" The appearance of Magic Crystals can only mean one thing. Magic is starting to return to this continent. And if that happens...then what happened thousands of years ago might happen again. No, with the state of this world as of right now, it will definitely happen again, and on a larger scale this time. The casualties are going to escalate even more. For this to happen right when Et was summoned here...Is he the Spirit that will trigger the long dormant war? I must return to my old abode again, and research more about this. For the sake of surveillance, I'll just leave a Fire Magic Catalyst nearby, where Et can detect it. In that way, they'll have more chances of survival if I'm wrong in my assumption, and if I was right...I'll be able to keep an eye on them. ... "And so, that's why I said that it was bad news......She fell asleep." Aisha had dozed off sometime during the lengthy explanation, her head resting against a log. "Haaah..." Et covered the sleeping Aisha with a makeshift blanket fashioned out of the scattered clothes from the Death Walkers. As he did so, he noticed Aisha's arms and legs. They were pale white, which accounted for the fact that she had spent the majority of her life as a sheltered princess. However, in the span of the few days they met, she had slowly but surely accumulated more and more scars, causing the once fair and soft limbs to become rough and callused. That fact pricked his conscience, and made him feel incredibly guilty. 'Gah...Why am I feeling responsible? She's just my contractor and nothing more. She fulfils the contract which allows me to manifest, and in return I protect her...that's all there is to it, isn't there?' Et raised one of his arms and stared at his palm, watching crimson flames dance across his fingertips. Out of habit, he fired off a shot at a nearby rock, vaporizing it. 'Damnable First Spirit...Why did he set up the True Contract to make such an act necessary? That was my first kiss, for goodness sake...Forget it, I need some rest too, for tonight.' Rather than returning to his pocket dimension, Et remained on the material plane, as he gently shifted Aisha to a more comfortable sleeping position, and then sat down next to her, both as a guard and as the one keeping the bonfire going. "Mm...Warm...Like Et..." Sleep talking. Hearing that, Et could not help but to run his hands through Aisha's uncombed locks of hair, watching the sleeping former royalty with indecision playing out across his face. "Sorry about today. I totally left you behind, and caused you to get hurt." There was no one in the vicinity to hear his mumbling, and Aisha was also sleeping soundly. It was unclear why Et apologised when no one could hear him, but perhaps it was to help him feel better about himself. As the fire crackled, and slowly died away, Et wandered off into Dreamland as well, his head slumping down as drowsiness overcame him.
Chapter 12: 'Sneaking' into A City When a Spirit first enters the Academy, they are given a stern lecture by the Headmaster, including their very first lesson: Don't ever go to sleep when the Summoner is sleeping. It's one of the most important things to note, when one is a spirit. |ZZZzzzz...| And of course, there a times in life when one just forgets. Put it down to fate, laziness, or exhaustion, but people will definitely experience glitches in their life in some form or another. The Fire Spirit, who was happily dozing off, was a prime example. *Bam!* A slap to the face was, surely, one of the most efficient ways to wake somebody up. "Ouch!" Having a physical body was advantageous in a few ways. One could interact with the physical world, and also engage in actual melee combat. It's good for practicing and inculcating a sense of combat, especially for Spirits which have a disposable physical form. One of the few disadvantages was the fact that a physical form could be attacked, and could most certainly experience pain. For spirits that have been used to being immune to pain, the sudden exposure to it, however minimal, can be quite discomfiting. "Ouch...what...!" The surrounding thatched houses were on fire. "Put it out, idiot! I'm getting cooked here!" Even if one had heat resistance, it did not mean that one would survive a conflagration. Smoke inhalation and actual flames bypassed that easily. It's obvious. The same logic applies even in daily life. Even if one was a champion swimmer, it does not mean one would be unable to drown. Highly unlikely, but still possible. Having enough experience and skill can make on nigh-invincible, but not omnipotent. "I can't put out the fires." *Bam!* "Ouch!" "What rubbish are you spewing now?! What do you mean, you can't? Do you want to see me get baked to cinders before you put out the fire?" The Fire Spirit rubbed his swollen cheek, feeling wronged. "I physically can't. I know how to set things on fire, but I can't put fires out." You know, Fire Spirits used to be able to put out fires, but the Author decided to downsize their abilities, which resulted in---Wait, this is the wrong script. Oops. "What kind of idiotic logic is that? Why would a Fire Spirit not be able to put out fires?" "That would undermine my own existence, stupid princess! Have you ever seen a lumberjack planting trees, or a doctor killing people?" "I don't even know what a lumberjack or a doctor is! Why would I know if there is something weird in what you said?" "Ugh......" Et couldn't argue against that, because Aisha was right. "Even if you can't put out the flames, you could at least shift them to the side, couldn't you?" "Ugh......" They say the most unintentional face-slaps hurt the most. The princess with no mana pool corrected the genius spirit with regards to magic. Ouch...that slap must have hit pretty hard. ... A duo walked out of the Death Plains. "Hey, we got out of that damned place! The borders of the next country should be just up ahead! If I remembered correctly, there's a city up ahead, too!" Et, realising something, immediately smacked Aisha on the head. "Ouch! What was that for, idiot?!" Aisha cradled her head, sulking. "You aren't planning to cross borders into another city from another country looking like that, are you? Dressed up in rags and with a hit order on you? Are you trying to get caught immediately?" "Oh..." Aisha, having just realised, looked as if she was in deep thought. *Bam!* "Ouch! Why did you hit me again?!" "Because you struck me earlier, stupid Spirit! It's called getting even!" Et gritted his teeth. 'This damnable girl...so bloody competitive. What kind of hell did she grow up in?" The grumbling Ifrit would find out, much later, that his casual thought was closer to the mark than he had initially expected. "Hmph! Don't you have some kind of appearance changing item that allows me to look different?" "Those things are worth a lot! Why would a fledging like me be in possession of one? But changing appearances...hmm." Et looked around, seeking out any solutions. "I know. Idiot princess, go carefully grab 3 handfuls of mud. I need it for an important process." Puzzled, Aisha did as he instructed. "Good. Now, close your eyes." Aisha shut her eyes, still confused. "Alright, now just let me smear this mud on your fac---" *Bam!* "Ouch! That was a joke! And stop aiming for my gut!" "That was your idea?! I'm better off sneaking into the city!" Aisha stalked off in rage. "Wait up! Argh...short tempered idiot..." Et reverted to his spirit form, and sped up, chasing up to Aisha. |How are you planning to sneak into the city? There's guards at every gate, and the walls are too high for you to scale. I don't think there are any tunnels for you to exploit, either.| Aisha had a triumphant grin on her face, as she turned to face Et. |I have a very good idea, trust me.| The Fire Spirit begun backing away, only for Aisha to somehow grip him even though he was in his ethereal spirit form. |You'll be distraction. I'll enter.| |What kind of twisted plan is that? Why do I have to run decoy?| Aisha's face was practically glowing. |You said I was your contractor, the anchor that binds you to this world. Therefore, you have to do as I say~| |What's with the sudden carefree tone?!...Never mind, I'll do it...Haah.| Aisha got into position, contacting Et using telepathy. |Do it now! I'm ready!| *BOOM!* Et set off a Pyroblast right into the air. The heat from the explosion melted the surroundings, as well as causing a spectacular firework. Needless to say, that blast drew the attention of every living being in the vicinity. "Demon attack?! Hurry and shut the gates! You guys, hurry and get in before the gates close!" Amid the chaos, Aisha managed to slip into the city unnoticed. 'She got in safely...Good. My turn.' Et simply turned and walked right through the wall, appearing next to Aisha inside the city. |That was easy. We got in without a hitch.| Et decided to ignore the commotion behind him. |Like hell it was easy. We might have just caused a mass panic.|
Chapter 13: Adventurer Registration "Alright, now we shall proceed to the Adventurer's Guild!" "Haaah?!" *Bam!* "Stop hitting me! Why do you want to go to the Adventurer's Guild? To begin with, there are Adventurer Guilds here?!" "Of course! Who do you think hunts all the monsters and the like?" 'Tch. All the storybook troupes are showing themselves one after the other. Next thing you know, we'll have the Tarot deck cards showing themselves.' That reminded Et of something very important. 'Crap! I haven't used my phone since the last 4 days! All the notifications are going to pile up like a mountain...Tch!' Yeah, sometimes the phone is more important than the summoner, huh? 'We're in the city anyways...There shouldn't be a problem if I return to my pocket dimension for a while. I'm not leaving her side, anyway." So he says... |Hey, idiot princess. You know the way to the Adventurer's Guild, right?| |Hm? I think I do. It's usually one of the largest buildings, even in cities, so I can just ask other people if I don't know the way. Why?| |That's good. I have some business to take care of in the pocket dimension, so I'll have to return to it for a while. If you need me, just tap on one of your glaives.| |Mhm. Okay.| And off he went. Such a responsible Spirit. ... Aisha did find her way to the Adventurer's Guild. It just happened to take a slight while. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild! How can I help you?" "I'll like to register as an adventurer..." "Okay, one moment~" The receptionist went off to get something, leaving Aisha alone at the counter. "Oi, oi, some newbie is trying to join us?" A template. "Quit it, Francis. Don't scare the lady, now." Okay, that template was averted. No idiotic veteran adventurer flags were set off. Aisha was approached by two adventurers. One in armour, and the other in a set of robes. "Hey there, young lady. Don't mind Francis here, he's just grumpy because he doesn't have a girlfriend." "O-Oi! Serge, don't go around telling newcomers that! How am I going to protect my dignity if you keep doing that?" "Oh, you had dignity to begin with? That's news! I've known you for, say, 6 years, and this is the first time I've heard it!" "You..." The younger man in robes bantered with the armoured guy, constantly needling him despite their difference in stature. "I give up...Young Lady, I apologise if I have offended you. We do dangerous things here like hunting monsters, so seeing children register is uncommon. We do so impoverished children sign up to become adventurers for earning money, but seeing your getup, you don't seem to be in need of money." A certain princess...no, ex-princess popped a vein. "Who are you calling a child? Also, who told you I don't need money?! Hmph!" *Crunch* "OUCH!" Lesson of the day, don't tease girls that are much shorter than you. Especially when you are a guy, and your important part is unprotected. You might lose a lot more than just friendship, such as perhaps a sudden and excruciating pain in the crouch area, and the inability to sire kids. "Ouch..." The robed guy winced, sympathizing with his partner. "Hey, young lady, he might become infertile at this rate, you know?" "Hmph. I keep track of the power I put into my kicks. He'll experience much pain, but he won't become impotent. Don't worry." "Why does that sound as if you have a lot of practice in kicking guys?! Also, Why do you sound so proud?!" That's not the main issue! The issue here is why someone around 12 years of age already knows enough about being 'infertile' or not! Why is this princess so mentally mature? "Um, excuse me..." The receptionist had returned, carrying a stack of papers. "Please fill up your name and personal details in here. After that, please put your hand on this crystal here." "Umu...Okay..." Aisha did as she was told, putting her hand on the crystal. Wait. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Why would you put your hand there so casually? That's an Identification Crystal, you know? |Oioioi! You idiot!| The crystal glowed green. "Let me see...Miss Aria, correct?" "Huh---" |Idiot, say yes!| "Yes." Phew...That could have ended in a disaster. "Okay, Miss Aria, this is your Adventurer's Card. Please take care of it, because it costs a lot to get another one, should you lose it. Also, the request board is over there." The receptionist gestured at a nearby board. "Also, since you just registered, your Guild Rank is at G. By taking on quests and completing them, you can raise your ranks. There's no limit for quest taking, but the higher-ranked quests are often more dangerous, and in case you fail, you'll have to pay a penalty, so they are advised to be kept until you gain more experience. Finally..." She bowed. "I'm pleased to welcome you to the Adventurer's Guild. I hope to see you around frequently." Well, that's new. No initiation test, no newbie bullying, none of those old templates. |Okay, moronic spirit, what was that for? Who's Aria?| Aisha, while pretending to look through the requests board, mentally questioned Et. |What, you just escaped from your own country, and you are going to reveal your real name inside an Adventurer's Guild in a nearby country? Are you worried about pursuers not catching wind of your whereabouts?| |...Tch.| My point exactly. If one went to the trouble of going all the way to another country to escape pursuit, then one ought to have prepared a fake identity that could withstand close scrutiny. An adventurer's guild card is good smokescreen, but there's no point to putting true information on it if one wanted to disguise themselves. |Anyway, I managed to trick the crystal and create an entire set of false information. From now on, you are Aria, an adventurer that was formerly an orphan.| That's a good cover. In this way, the lack of background information on Aisha won't become too suspicious, and at the same time... |You look perfectly like an orphan, so no problems there, either.| |Hmph!|
Chapter 14: This Isn't How A Beginner Mission Starts |That was really merciless, you know. Just watching it made me wince in sympathy.| "What, so I should have just stood there, waited for them to catch me, sold me off as a slave, and probably do all kinds of improper things with me? You didn't even help, idiot Spirit!" |No, but...You could have gone for the back of the blade...Not 'that' area...Just thinking about it gave me the shivers.| "Hmph. Scum like those deserve to be taught a permanent lesson. So what if I used a bit more force in my kicks?" |...Are you trying to go for the title 'Nutcracker'?| Et face-palmed for what was the seventh time since that morning, as he pondered on the whole issue of Aisha and her tendency to go for the nuts. In the end, he could only arrive at one conclusion. |Do you happen, perchance, to be a sadist?| "What does that even mean?!" *Crunch* |Ouch! You definitely are a sadist! What kind of bad karma did I generate in my previous life, to get contracted to such a horrible master...| "Hmmmph!" ...... |And here we are. The Elwar Plains...Tsk, which idiot named these places, they make no sense at all.| "Better than the idiot who got us in the wrong direction 6 times on the 50 minute walk here." |Oi, that was entirely coincidental, I tell you. It's not every day a Spirit finds a Mana Catalyst. And a Fire Catalyst at that.| Et was, for the lack of a more dignified word, licking the lump of Fire Catalyst. It was currently stuffed into his mouth, like some oversized piece of candy left in the freezer for a few months. "Is that thing edible?" It certainly wasn't. But Fire Magic Catalysts work most effectively when they are in contact with the body part the user wishes to attune. Therefore, it was obvious which part of his spiritual body Et wanted to enhance. |Eat ish naut.| And neither are your words coherent. Either spit that out and talk, or hurry and absorb the magic inside it. "What in blazes are you talking about..." *Gulp* |Okay, done. That was one hell of a difficult thing to absorb, but I got significantly stronger.| I don't know about that, but you sure looked like one hell of a clown just now, and my impression of you has dropped significantly. "So...what did that do? I hope it did more than just glow in your throat." |Huh? It shouldn't be still glowing...Wait a minute, there's a conveniently located pond just nearby.| Borrowing the conveniently-placed pond, Et stared at his own reflection, or more accurately, at the glowing patch of red where a human gullet should be located. |Uh...I think something went wrong. It's not supposed to be still glowing.| Well done, Mr. Obvious. Do you want a cookie for figuring that out? Was there an actual need to state the obvious? What did you think was going to happen if you ate that Fire Magic Catalyst? |Oh...It went down the wrong pipe.| "What do you mean, it went down the wrong pipe? You're going to suffocate if we don't do something! Come here!" *Bam Bam* |OUCH! What was that for?!| Et glared daggers at Aisha. "I was helping you to cough up that weird rock! What if you suffocated?" This scene reminds me of a married couple, for some reason. It's really irritating...Especially since neither of them know that they are being watched. At any rate, Aisha managed to get the Fire Spirit to blush. So innocent. "Hey, you're all red for some reason. Don't tell me, you're sick?" *Cough* *Cough* |I'm alright...thank you.| Et was currently extremely confused. He wasn't sure how he should feel, but, let's be honest, how many people, human or non-human included, can keep their calm at that display of concern and affection? Remember, for a True Contract to work, the affection values the Spirit and the Summoner holds for each other aren't low, either. But again, most of you probably already know this, since that damnable First Spirit just had to be nosy and explain everything about True Contracts. Tch. "So, what just happened? You glowed...and how are you not choking?" |Spirits can't choke, since our bodies aren't physical...The Fire Magic Catalyst functions like some kind of ability enhancer, but according to what my teacher taught me, the best way is to ingest it, so I was planning to have my stomach digest it, and let the stored mana flow through my spiritual body, improving my abilities...However, since it ended up being dissolved at my throat, I've a feeling that I may have unintentionally given myself some weird power.| Tell me about it. I hope you like mimicking a dragon, kid, or that new ability you got is going to end up being quite a bothersome one. "New power? What is it? Show me! I want to see!" |I'm not sure what it is, either, but it seems to be associated with the lungs and the breath...Achoo!| *Fwoosh* Reminder, kids, when you sneeze, look away from other people. If not, beside being at risk of being viewed upon in a negative light, you might also end up blowtorching the person you sneezed at. Especially when your lungs can produce a fiery breath. |*Cough* *Cough* Dammit! So that was the new power I got! Aisha, are you okay---?!| ...Cover your eyes, pervert! The summoner may have inherited your fire resistance, but that doesn't mean her clothes did! Stop staring!...Ah, too late. The hammer of retribution is being brought down. *Bam!* *Crunch* I don't think bones were supposed to make that sound...my condolences. Now you'll never be able to sire children...Just kidding. Spirits don't sire offspring the same way humans do, so those things aren't actually needed. It still hurts like hell when it gets struck, though. |OUCH! Stop hitting me, dammit! Cover yourself with this!| In fear of further physical disagreements, Et decided to turn his head away immediately, his experience prompting him to dig out a set of clothes from his dimension, and hand them to Aisha---all the while NOT looking at her. "Et." |Hurry and cover yourself! A lady shouldn't be standing around like that outside!| You've got a bigger problem to worry about, kiddo. The clothes issue is currently the least of your worries. Turn around; that sneeze didn't go unnoticed. "...E-Et...Behind you..." The Fire Spirit paused, having felt something amiss. The feeling that there was more than one pair of eyes staring at him. Therefore, he slowly tilted his head to take a closer look... |...| ...Right into the reptilian eyes of a gigantic winged behemoth. |Why is there a dragon here?!|