061
The Earth Spirit King had skin the color of wet soil and long, glossy dark brown hair.
Their full lips and prominent cheekbones stood out. Above a well-defined nose, a pair of gentle eyes, filled with love for all things in the world, rested gracefully.
By nature, spirits were genderless. The very concept of being male or female simply did not exist for them.
And that was only natural. Spirits were beings born from nature itself. After all, the earth, rivers, vast mountains, and flowing lava had no gender.
Still, personal preferences did exist.
If one were to classify them, Shaparsi would be considered masculine, while the Earth Spirit King would be seen as feminine.
“So, when is the Water Spirit King planning to reveal the truth?”
“Hmm… who knows…”
Among the eight Spirit Kings, the Water Spirit King had the strongest sense of gender identity.
It was partly because they had not been born as a spirit for very long.
But more than that…
It was attachment.
Yes, attachment was the real reason.
“The living are always scarier than ghosts. And more than the living, it’s one’s own emotions that are the most terrifying.”
The Earth Spirit King muttered these words.
Shaparsi shrugged as if in disagreement and blew gently on the grape he held in his hand.
Flutter!
What was once a grape transformed into a bird with purple feathers and took flight.
This was Eden.
A place where miracles were brought to life by the power of the Spirit Kings.
And right now, they all had only one thing on their minds.
On the holographic screens set up throughout Eden, a young girl appeared.
With a bright, carefree smile, Shupetty Pashayen was the one and only niece of the Spirit Kings.
“I thought I’d finally fade away from sheer boredom… but thanks to her, I get to exist a little longer.”
Shaparsi reached out and gently brushed the hologram. In response, the Earth Spirit King lazily waved a hand, conjuring a vine chair out of thin air.
“We all feel the same way.”
There was an unspoken truth.
Becoming a spirit was the end of reincarnation.
A tiny caterpillar that once nibbled on leaves dies and is reborn as a puppy.
A cute little puppy dies and returns as a bird with wings.
And then, when that bird perishes, it becomes a human.
A soul, once created, goes through countless lives.
But when a soul, having finally become human, dies with the wish to never be reborn again—
That is when they become a spirit.
As a spirit, there was no sadness, despair, or sorrow.
Only happiness and joy.
Free from everything that once bound them, they could blend into nature itself.
And when a spirit finally faded away, their soul truly reached its end.
There would be no more reincarnation.
Of course, not all Spirit Kings had been born from reincarnation.
Some had existed since the very birth of this world—beings of pure, flawless nature.
But aside from those few, the rest, including Shaparsi and the Earth Spirit King, had all undergone the cycle of reincarnation.
“Just when I thought I could finally find peace… she came into our lives.”
A child’s bright, innocent smile was always endearing.
But when that child was their niece?
She was bound to captivate with her beauty.
Even though they were mindful of the laws of causality, they couldn’t help but want to secretly slip her something extra.
Especially for Shaparsi, Shupetty was even more special.
After all, she would be his final contractor in this long, endless life.
For someone who had lost all purpose and was merely drifting through existence, Shupetty appeared like a comet.
“I want to give her everything I can… but with great destiny comes great trials.”
Shaparsi sighed, causing a flurry of ashen feathers to scatter around him.
The Earth Spirit King brushed away the tickling feathers, turning them into sand as she responded.
“Overcoming those trials is also the burden of those who wear the crown.”
A shadow loomed over the brilliant path ahead of Shupetty.
By forming a contract with the Spirit King of Air, she had gained immense power at such a young age.
Now, it was time for the trials that came with it.
And it was up to Shupetty herself to overcome them.
***
While Pashayen was in turmoil with war preparations, the Admiral’s birthday banquet was scheduled to take place.
Two weeks ago, a total of 3,859 invitations had been sent out, and 2,899 RSVPs had been received.
Among them was a response from the head of the neighboring territory, Velarion.
It was customary to send an invitation as a mere formality, only to receive a polite refusal in return.
Yet this time, they had accepted.
And they were even bringing their daughter along.
“It’s obvious what they’re planning.”
As he finished preparations, Diegon muttered under his breath.
Carmen, who was adjusting the folds of his jacket, let out a long sigh.
“After all the disputes we’ve had, it’s only natural they’d want to strike back in some way. And coming here personally would be the most effective approach.”
The upper reaches of the Alexandrite River remained dry.
Not a single drop of water was allowed to flow in that direction.
The head of Velarion was undoubtedly coming to resolve that issue, while his daughter would be there to spy—and perhaps seek revenge.
“Warn the children. Make sure they keep their mouths shut.”
“Understood.”
“And ensure that Shupetty is always guarded. If anything happens, I want to be informed immediately.”
“I’ll assign the fastest ones to keep watch.”
Though there were concerns, they couldn’t afford to keep Shupetty from attending the banquet.
This was her official introduction to society.
The branch families and vassal houses were surely curious about the child who had caused such a stir.
This was the perfect opportunity for formal introductions.
‘If I get drafted into the war, there won’t be another chance to introduce her properly.’
Her debutante ball was still far in the future.
“But what is the Velarion lady thinking? To go so far as to oppose her own brother?”
“The reason is simple—she has ambition.”
The day Shupetty formed a contract with the Spirit King of Air, the Velarion lady was there.
That much had already been reported.
The real question was—how did she know the children of Pashayen would be there?
“This might be a good chance to find out who’s been leaking information to Velarion.”
“I hope so. Though, to be fair, both sides are planting spies.”
Uniforms were comfortable, but why did formal attire always feel so restrictive?
Diegon glanced at his reflection in the mirror, then casually turned away.
Just then—
Knock, knock, knock!
A series of light, small knocks tapped against the door.
The sound was faint, barely noticeable, but Diegon caught it instantly.
Without hesitation, he swung the door wide open.
“Shupetty.”
“Admiral!”
A tiny figure stood before him.
Shupetty, with her pink hair and chubby cheeks, stretched out her arms and beamed at him.
“Pick me up!”
“Alright.”
She was dressed in a gown that matched his ceremonial uniform in both color and embellishments.
The deep blue fabric was adorned with white lace and silver embroidery, making it both elegant and adorable.
A white ribbon tied near her neck added a finishing touch, drawing the eye.
After all, only at her age could one wear such a large ribbon without it looking out of place.
“Look! I have a name tag too!”
“Good job. Now the whole world will know you’re my daughter.”
“Hehe, yeah!”
Pinned to her chest was a crab-shaped name tag.
On it, in neat and bold letters, were the words, ‘My Daughter.’
It was such an endearing sight that a smile naturally spread across Diegon’s face.
“Oh? You seem chubbier today. What did you eat last night?”
“Ah! You caught me!”
After final preparations, they met Mikard in the hallway.
“Father.”
“Go and show them you are strong.”
“Yes.”
“This is also a formal introduction for your partner, so be mindful of your actions. Always be considerate.”
Later, they met with Elzen and Joy.
Together, they stood as five.
Once, Diegon had lost a precious person. He had failed to protect his daughter. He had nearly lost his second son.
But now, his family was whole again.
As the Pashayen Admiral’s family stepped into the banquet hall, the golden afternoon sun shone brightly.
For Diegon, it was the first birthday in a long time that wasn’t marked by sorrow.
🍓; Since the Spirit King of Air is referred to as masculine, I’ll use he/him/his for his pronouns, and since the Spirit King of Earth is feminine, I’ll use she/her for her pronouns. For the rest, I’ll use they/them since there’s no information about them.
