The small bird that approached us first was the start, followed by spirits who had noticed Lindy and me, gradually coming over one by one.
“Elf! Elf! Our friend!”
“Is that one over there an elf too?”
“Idiot, their ears aren’t pointy. Just because someone is pretty doesn’t mean they’re an elf! That’s a human!”
“Ingan?”
Well… it’s been a few years since I became a woman, and by now, I’ve grown accustomed to receiving compliments about my appearance.
A puppy-like spirit approached me, sniffed around before recoiling in surprise and fleeing upon seeing my hand reaching out to pet it. Meanwhile, a hamster-like spirit climbed up my leg and perched on my shoulder.
“Be careful. Spirits are playful by nature. Making them upset can be a headache, but that doesn’t mean you have to endure everything. If they bother you, feel free to shoo them away.”
True to her words, Lindy lightly kicked a spirit that had gotten too close, knocking it aside. When I worried the spirit might get offended, instead, it laughed and seemed to enjoy the interaction—these spirits were truly pure-hearted.
“Who are they?”
Pointing at the group of spirits sitting a bit further away while holding a child-like spirit on my back, I asked. Unlike the spirits crowding around, they simply observed from a distance.
“That’s the group of Highest Level Spirits. As their rank increases, they do tend to act a little more serious, but at their core, they’re still troublemakers, so be cautious. And since they’re powerful, when they cause trouble, it’s even more of a problem.”
Indeed, it was clear that these Highest Level Spirits exuded an overwhelmingly powerful aura.
“Anyway, where should we go now? There isn’t one Spirit King but several, you know.”
“Hmm… To be precise, this decision was made unanimously by all the Spirit Kings, so we’ll probably need the majority of their approval. However, since the Elder has already relayed the message, I think heading to the Central Palace should work… except, I don’t know the way either.”
All I know is that each element —fire, water, wind, and earth— has its own Spirit King. Beyond that, I have no idea. Naturally, neither do I know where Lindy’s mentioned Central Palace is located.
“Palace?”
“Yes. The Palace. Do you happen to know where it is?”
In the midst of the conversation, the child on my back responded to the word “Palace,” so I inquired if they knew the way.
“I know! Over there! Just head straight!”
The child pointed far off in the distance from over my shoulder. However, it was impossible to approach that direction because a large lake blocked the path. While a spirit who could assume various forms wouldn’t be hindered by such an obstacle, neither Lindy nor I had a way to cross the lake.
“Is there another way?”
“Another way? Just head straight!”
When I asked again, hoping there might be another option, I received the same response. Instead, the child, acting as if to question what the problem was, bumped their head lightly against mine, then burst into a fit of giggles. Finding the whole situation amusing, I, too, lightly bumped heads with the little one, causing them to wiggle with delight.
It seemed relying on the child wasn’t going to get us far, so as I contemplated asking someone else, a voice called out to us.
“Lindy.”
“Ah… Long time no see, Silfi.”
A beautiful woman with long flowing hair greeted Lindy in a familiar manner. Lindy, in turn, clearly recognized her and called her by name, indicating they were quite close.
“When I heard Lindy had come to the Spirit Realm, I volunteered to fetch you. Despite the King forbidding summoning due to our old ties, you remain my contracted partner, after all.”
“…I appreciate your words.”
“Who is this?”
Silfi turned her head and asked about me, who stood beside Lindy. However, before either Lindy or I could introduce myself, another voice chimed in.
“What did the King say when they spoke? Frankly, your mannerisms fit your appearance—rather reckless.”
In contrast to Silfi’s graceful appearance, an imposing, sweaty uncle-type figure reprimanded her. His voice matched his rugged exterior—deep, gravelly, and full of perspiration.
“Hero. Thank you for coming. The King awaits, so we must proceed.”
“A, Yes….”
The man promptly moved ahead while broaching the subject. Following him, I noticed the numerous spirits surrounding us started tagging along as well. Some maintained their distance while others hopped onto my back, like the child clinging to me earlier.
“Ah! So you’re the Hero of this generation! Your name was… El… El… Elis, right?”
In the midst of all this, Silfi addressed me.
“Ahaha, it’s Alicia. Nice to meet you, Silfi.”
“Different from Lindy, you certainly know manners. Nice to meet you too.”
Extending a hand in greeting, Silfi, evidently familiar with human customs, shook it lightly in reply.
“Humans seem to prefer this form!”
“On the contrary, some dislike it!”
At this point, the spirits hovering nearby began whispering audibly about Silfi and the man leading us.
Honestly, I admit my attitude toward the two differed slightly. After all, while my outward appearance is that of a woman, my core remains a man. Isn’t it only natural to be a bit softer with a lovely young lady than a sweaty, burly uncle? Besides, the man initially approached me with a brusque demeanor, so I responded in kind, whereas Silfi greeted me warmly, resulting in a warm response from me. While this isn’t entirely devoid of bias, I believe it was a natural reaction.
Without anyone to voice my grievances, I silently reasoned as the spirits trailing behind us began, one by one, making popping sounds as they transformed.
Some failed to properly change and remained as small children, but others transformed into beautiful adult women like Silfi. Even the spirit on my back, previously in the form of a child, had become an adult woman. The sensation on my back softened slightly.
“Children seem to be following Alicia closely. Perhaps because humans haven’t been here for a while, it’s intriguing to them.”
“Be gone! This is a guest invited by the King, so retreat immediately!”
While Silfi interacted with the spirits with grace, the man’s demeanor was entirely different.
Alarmed by his shout, the spirits, appearing as young girls and women, shrieked and scattered, only to quietly return after a while.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by beautiful women. Though it felt like being put on display, their outward beauty was undeniable, and I didn’t feel any annoyance. Instead, I thought about how seldom I’d encounter a situation like this.
Furthermore, as we approached the palace, the number of spirits following us increased exponentially, forming a long procession behind us. Honestly, even with the allure of what felt like an entourage of beauties, it started to feel slightly intimidating. The warning Lindy’s mother once gave her sprang to mind.
“Unbelievable… I didn’t think this would happen. Or, rather, is it that the spirits’ purity is misguidedly working against us in this case?”
Even Lindy, seemingly surprised by the unexpected entourage, glanced back and voiced her concern.
“I’m worried this will lead to misunderstandings with the Spirit King, making the situation worse.”
“Nah, don’t worry too much. With the Hero like me vouching for you, I’m sure it will work out.”
“Frankly, I’m worried that the misunderstanding stems from Alicia… Or maybe because it’s Alicia, the Spirit King might… Nah, it’s too unlikely.”
Lindy inhaled sharply as she looked at me. I wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying, but it seemed there was something I could do.
Finally, Silfi halted.
“Here we are. The King should be waiting inside.”
“Hmm? Aren’t you coming in, Silfi?”
“My guidance ends here. I’ll hope for a favorable outcome. See you later! Now, now! Don’t follow any further, all of you, and come this way instead.”
With that, she left, carrying off even the spirit clinging stubbornly to my back. Left behind with Lindy, I followed the man into the palace.
We soon reached a grand palace door, where the man knocked loudly.
“I’ve brought the guest you requested.”
Without a word in reply, the firmly shut doors creaked open with a groan. Even standing outside, I could feel an immense presence emanating from beyond the doors—most likely the Spirit King.
With a slight tension, we stepped inside, where we saw various figures sitting in their respective chairs, watching us. They appeared in different forms similar to the spirits we’d previously encountered, but the overwhelming aura they exuded was leagues beyond that of ordinary spirits.
There were four, matching the number of Spirit Kings I was aware of.
And these were the ones Lindy and I had to persuade.
