048
“Selecting children with the potential to be spiritists?”
What was just fun for me didn’t seem to amuse the adults.
Still, it seemed like I wasn’t going to be scolded for breaking the trees, so that was a relief. I had been a little nervous.
“A group of spiritists raised under Pashayen’s sponsorship! What a wonderful idea. When Shupetty grows up, she could even lead them.”
Anyway, the family head looked very pleased.
He even gave me roasted marshmallows as a snack, which made me happy.
[The Air Spirit King ‘Shaparsi’ laughs heartily.]
[To form a contract with a Spirit King, one must have an affinity for spirits that is unmatched even in this world. And even then, that doesn’t guarantee I’ll agree to a contract.]
Oh, it’s lord Shaparsi!
[The Air Spirit King ‘Shaparsi’ looks at you fondly.]
[We Spirit Kings choose our contractors carefully. Since we must stay with them until their death, I chose you because I liked your heart.]
Yes, I like lord Shaparsi too.
As sticky marshmallow clung to my fingers, I secretly made a little heart shape with them.
“What are you doing?”
I got caught immediately.
“A heart for you, Admiral.”
“A heart?”
The Admiral, who was looking down at me as I sat on his lap, raised an eyebrow.
“Is that a new insult kids use these days?”
Boom!
It’s not an insult!
A heart is… a heart!
How do I explain this?
“I’m kidding, kid.”
The Admiral, seeing my expression, chuckled softly and patted my head.
Only then did I realize I was being teased, and I let out an exasperated puff of air.
“You keep surprising me. As your guardian, I’ll have to support you well as you continue to grow.”
The Admiral is a good man, except for when he teases me like this.
“The fact that you’re a Spirit King contractor will remain a secret for now. At least until your ability fully blossoms.”
“Why?”
“There will be those who envy you, those who fear you, and those who will try to take you for themselves. And if they can’t, they’ll resort to attacking you. There’s no need for you to face unnecessary threats.”
Will it really become that dangerous?
Honestly, I wasn’t afraid of experiencing scary things myself. It didn’t seem all that frightening.
‘But I don’t like it when the people around me get hurt.’
Because of what happened this time, Lina had scraped her knees badly.
Naiad fell sick.
The other children had sustained many minor injuries and were being treated.
Most of all, brother Elzen and Joy were hurt too.
Thankfully, when lord Shaparsi stepped in, Naiad had already reinforced the protective shield, so they were okay, but still…
“Crab.”
“Huh?”
“I’m thinking of taking you to the training grounds soon. Since you’ve gained power, you should learn how to fight properly.”
Hearing the Admiral’s words, I lit up with a bright smile.
“Okay!”
“With great power comes responsibility. Those who can launch large-scale attacks must be extra careful to avoid harming civilians. I’ll teach you those things.”
“Yes!”
Seeing Shupetty’s bright, cheerful face, Diegon swallowed the worries he was about to voice.
‘You can’t raise a lion cub as if it’s a herbivore.’
Just as a raptor can’t pretend to be a sparrow, and a shark can’t act like a stingray, a predator is a predator—even when it’s just a cub.
The sharper their teeth, the more dangerous they become. Trying to suppress them under the guise of protection will only cause them to grow in the wrong direction.
If he truly cared, the only thing he could do was clear the pebbles from the path ahead of her.
After all, it was the child’s role to walk that path, and no one could stop her.
‘Who in the world are this child’s real parents?’
Shupetty’s cheeks were puffed full of marshmallow, making her look incredibly round and cute.
Every moment, his heart skipped a beat.
If she were his and Aurora’s daughter—if she were Luarel—wouldn’t she look like this?
Wouldn’t she have this kind of personality?
These thoughts lingered in his mind constantly.
And now, she had even formed a contract with the Air Spirit King!
Since he hadn’t been there to witness it, Diegon couldn’t believe it even after hearing about it. He asked Elzen several times for confirmation.
‘Aurora also had exceptional spirit affinity. The only reason she didn’t form a contract with a higher-level spirit was that she had no desire for it.’
Neither Mikard nor Elzen had any affinity for spirits.
But could Luarel have inherited the qualities of a spiritist?
How many times had they talked about that possibility while rubbing Aurora’s swollen belly?
‘If you were Luarel…’
It would be wonderful.
Honestly, he wished it were true.
Even though it was something he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud.
“Brother Elzen said he’ll play with me, can I go now?”
“Yes. Wipe your mouth first.”
Suppressing the lump in his throat, Diegon used a handkerchief to gently wipe Shupetty’s sticky face.
After Shupetty ran off, Diegon turned to Carmen and spoke heavily.
“What about the investigation into Shupetty’s real parents?”
“There are no clues at all. I’m sorry, Your Excellency.”
“She didn’t just appear out of thin air. How can there be so little information?”
“It’s truly as if she appeared suddenly. We’ve searched land routes, sea routes, and even underground pathways, but we found no traces of her. And with her unique appearance, she isn’t someone who could blend in unnoticed.”
Though Carmen seemed frustrated, Diegon actually felt a bit relieved.
At the same time, his suspicions deepened.
Was it possible that Shupetty really fell from the sky?
“This is remarkable. Carmen and Cedric—no one in Pashayen is better at tracking down information than you two. And yet, you’ve both come up empty-handed?”
Galizard stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. Then he suddenly slapped the table and burst into hearty laughter.
“It seems the heavens have given us a gift! Didn’t the ancient whale already mark her as a chosen one? We can trust her.”
“I’m not doubting Shupetty. It’s just… doesn’t the situation seem a little too peculiar?”
“Do you think Shupetty is Luarel?”
The age didn’t match.
That was the biggest obstacle.
But what if, by some chance, she was cursed to become younger?
And what if she had lost all her memories?
If that were the case, it would make sense why she was chosen as a potential empath and explain everything she’s done so far.
“We should investigate whether there are spells or curses that make someone younger.”
The family head’s words were absolute law.
Cedric and Carmen bowed their heads in unison to accept the order.
“In any case, Shupetty is a blessing to Pashayen. We should cherish her while helping her fully explore and develop her abilities.”
As much as he wanted to keep his beloved youngest daughter safe in his arms forever, he couldn’t. And he shouldn’t.
Diegon let out a quiet sigh as he thought of Luarel and Shupetty in turn.
If only Aurora were here so he could discuss this with her—it would have been so much better, he thought.
***
“Chubby!”
“Brother Mikard!”
As soon as I left the office, I spotted the two brothers waiting for me and waved my hands enthusiastically.
“I love seeing your face! Why are you here?”
“From now on, I’ll be with you whenever I have time. You’ve been through some big events again.”
“Ah, I see.”
“It seems like you’re quite the troublemaker, so this brother has to protect you.”
Being called a troublemaker felt a bit unfair.
All the incidents that happened to me so far were just carriages crashing into me while I was quietly minding my own business!
Still, I didn’t dislike it when brother Mikard boasted about protecting me.
“Anyway, forming a contract with the Air Spirit King is amazing. I regret not seeing it myself, but from the way it was described, it sounds like a wide-area attack ability.”
“Wide… what?”
“It’s a skill that attacks a large area all at once.”
Holding brother Mikard’s hand with my right and brother Elzen’s hand with my left, I toddled along, taking small steps.
Before long, we strolled under warm sunlight that reminded me of freshly baked croissants. As we walked, brother Mikard explained in more detail.
“You’ve already learned that tankers are skilled in close combat, while dealers have long-range combat abilities or support skills, right?”
“Yep.”
“Both brother Leviwood and I are tankers. But I have wide-area skills, while brother Leviwood doesn’t.”
Brother Mikard plucked a bunch of roses from the garden and lifted a red rose high.
“Tankers include me, brother Leviwood, Ilyad, Joy, as well as the family head and Father.”
“Got it.”
When I nodded, brother Mikard lifted a white rose this time.
“Dealers include Elzen, Naiad, and Aunt Cecilia.”
“Okay!”
“Now, here’s a question: among these, who can use wide-area skills?”
