“Really… who would have thought that the seal would be allowed to be undone in just two days….”
Lindy muttered in disbelief. Of course, there were still a few tasks needed to fully解除 Lindy’s seal, but at this point, waiting was no longer an issue. Initially, we hadn’t expected persuading to be this easy, and greed at this point would only be laughable.
“This is all thanks to Lady Clarice and Lady Flora. I’m truly grateful.”
Had it not been for Clarice, who defended us from the start, or Flora, who came to our aid when things seemed to be heading in different directions, the issue wouldn’t have been so simply and quickly resolved.
“Thank Silfi. She persuaded me and called me.”
“Certainly, I will thank Miss Silfi too, but the fact that Lady Flora helped us remains unchanged. I sincerely appreciate it.”
Even bowing deeply to Flora and expressing gratitude with a full bow would be insufficient, but I simply stood with a composed demeanor and expressed my gratitude in words alone.
And for good reason — Flora was still perched above my head in the form of a large bird.
However, in response to my gratitude, Flora simply flapped one of her wings widely, making no further comment.
And soon, a single feather drifted gently down in front of my eyes.
I wasn’t so clumsy that I couldn’t catch such a falling feather, so I reached out and carefully caught it as it descended slowly. Strangely enough, the color of the feather wasn’t fixed; it gradually changed hues at a leisurely pace.
I stared in wonder at the beautiful transformation when Flora’s voice, seated above my head, finally spoke.
“This is a gift. Hopefully, you will never need it, but you should carry it with you, just in case. It might help someday.”
“Ah…?”
Given the lack of detailed explanation, I was unsure what exactly this item could be used for when Lindy intervened as if she already knew something about the feather.
“Following Lady Flora’s advice, it would be wise to keep it carefully. This feather, imbued with Flora’s power, could serve as a medium for her to directly descend into the material plane, albeit only once.”
Such a seemingly lightweight feather containing such a tremendous power. Though there may be limits to what a Spirit King can achieve on the material plane, it was still sufficient by far. Whenever I decided to use this feather, it would almost certainly be during a pressing situation, and it would no doubt help me overcome it.
I glanced at Clarice upon reflection. It wasn’t because I anticipated Clarice might offer me something similar to Flora’s feather, but because she had been uncharacteristically silent, I was beginning to feel concerned. That said, I would certainly accept it graciously if she offered anything.
“This shouldn’t happen….”
“Um, Lady Clarice?”
Clearly, the matters at hand had been resolved, yet for some strange reason, Clarice seemed to be lost in deep despair. It appeared as though she was on the verge of tears.
When I called her name, however, Clarice merely remained seated silently.
“Clarice. With the issue resolved, we should definitely celebrate with a drink later?”
“Huh? Oh, well, yes….”
As soon as the mention of alcohol came up, her answer came immediately. Indeed, there wasn’t anyone quite as fond of drinking as her. It seemed that using alcohol to persuade Clarice in the future was an effective strategy.
“Would you care to join as well, Lady Flora? We plan to gather later for a drink – would you like to join us?”
Of course, I didn’t just thank Clarice; I also extended an invitation to Flora for the evening’s drink.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Hmm? Is something wrong? You who enjoy drinking are refusing – this is rare.”
“I feel like drinking might mess up my flight plans. Although I returned because of Silfi’s request, I still need to complete my rounds.”
Flora unfolded her wings fully and finally descended from atop my head. Though she wasn’t particularly heavy, there was still an unspoken tension about such proximity.
“Then, we will catch up later….”
Without any further pleasantries, Flora uttered this single sentence and immediately took flight into the sky.
“That’s really freedom for you – no wonder she’s the Spirit King of Wind… Hmm? Oh.”
When her gaze shifted from Flora to me, it focused more precisely on the feather I was holding and seemed to know something.
I was holding it not to show it to Clarice but because I didn’t want to carelessly stuff such a precious item inside my pocket.
“What is this? When did she give you something like that?”
Lindy already knowing something didn’t mean Clarice wouldn’t. She quickly realized the nature of the feather in my hand.
“Hmm… Hmm….”
And with that, Clarice appeared deep in thought.
“So, we’ll have a drink tonight later, as planned? I’ll be waiting in my room like yesterday. Is that okay, Lindy?”
“Ah, I might also be unavailable. We need various ceremonies to undo the seal, and others may be waiting. It would be better to finish as soon as possible, though staying longer is nice since I am with Alicia, I’m not so shameless as to deliberately prolong it.”
“Understood. Although it’s a little disappointing, we can always meet another time. We can always share a drink any day.”
“Sorry. I’ll take my leave now. Silfi is already preparing the ritual and waiting.”
With that, Lindy also departed, leaving Clarice and me in the room.
It seemed that yet again, it would just be the two of us sharing a drink. But that appointment was still hours away.
“I need to retrieve something as well, so I’ll come by your room later this evening. Is the same wine from yesterday fine?”
“Ah, yes. Do as you please. The wine from yesterday was quite good too.”
Though from my perspective, drunk as I was, I barely remember the taste, but I didn’t want to appear weak. Taking up a little bravado, I replied to her. A man by nature is full of bravado, after all, even if it may seem immature.
“Yes. Then, see you later.”
Ultimately, Clarice also departed. Left alone, I was left pondering what to do next. Though going back to the room and simply waiting was one option, wasting time that way seemed a waste of visiting the Spirit Realm.
So, let’s go and meet some cute, awesome, and beautiful spirits since we’re already here. Plus, who knows, maybe I’ll find one who is willing to form a contract with me.
To cut a long story short, it was a complete bust. My sensitivity to spirits was absolutely abysmal. Despite the swarm of multitudes of spirits surrounding me as they did yesterday, not even the weakest spirit would form a contract with me.
I ended up chatting idly with the spirits that approached me, playing with them and forming some casual friendships.
It’s difficult to say why, but it appears rumors spread, and for some reason, all the spirits took on feminine forms, which made it a little awkward.
The spirits were so pure they took physical contact lightly, but it was less about physical boundaries and more about the friendship-like camaraderie they were comfortable with.
Given how I regularly hang out with a group of beautiful friends without any men around, I was already quite accustomed to this kind of atmosphere and found no significant cause for discomfort.
On the contrary, I’m now more familiar with conversing with women than men. Conversations with men usually shift to seeing me as a person of interest, which often makes me withdraw from such interactions.
As the agreed-upon time approached, my new spirit friends, despite forming no contracts, waved me off with sad expressions as I returned to the palace, wishing our friendship could go further.
Back in my room, I prepared in advance for Clarice’s arrival. Last time, I got drunk quickly since she had arrived unexpectedly, so tonight, I was determined to stay sober.
I first prepared a bottle of water. Drinking water between sips of alcohol slows down its effects, according to popular belief. Also, I fetched some fruit. Though it might sound silly to pair fruit wine with actual fruit, it’s certainly better than drinking on an empty stomach.
Tonight, I was absolutely determined not to lose myself in drink.
As I awaited, the knock came.
“Yes, come in!”
As expected, Clarice stood on the other side of the door.
“Alright, come on in!”
With the assurance of having prepared well, I confidently ushered her into the room. Recognizing her way around from yesterday, Clarice stepped in confidently and placed a bottle on the table.
“The wine is the same as what I mentioned from yesterday, and…”
Next, she rummaged in her pocket and brought out something, placing it next to the bottle.
A tiny vial the size of a finger, containing a transparent liquid akin to water.
“It’s my tears. Will you accept them?”
Though storing shed tears is something I could stretch to understand, why would she give them to me as a gift?
“Please don’t think it’s strange just because they’re tears. Like other Spirit Kings’ items—Flora’s feather, Truel’s gem, Ignis’ flames—my tears have a special power. Think of it as a potion. Drinking it will enhance your spirit sensitivity.”
Remembering the feather in my pocket, Flora’s feather that could summon her into the material plane once, this was equally, if not more valuable.
Spirit sensitivity enhancing objects, indeed something comparable to Flora’s feather in value. If this were on the material plane, surely there would be a queue of people willing to pay astronomical sums for it.
Of course, I would never sell Clarice’s tears.
“Though heartfelt tears are essential for the effect and only this tiny bottle is all I have, I sincerely hope it helps.”
“Help, it will. Can I drink it right away?”
At the nod from Clarice, I immediately opened the cap and gulped it down in front of her. Though it was just a sip, I instantly felt energy fill my body.
“Is this spirit sensitivity…?”
“Indeed… it seems it’s still not enough…”
“Could I possibly form a contract with spirits at this level of sensitivity?”
Though this was the first time I’d experienced it, my grasp was unclear, so I asked her instead. Though it might be difficult for others to gauge the sensitivity in me, for a Spirit King like Clarice, judging spirit sensitivity should be an easy task.
“Probably only basic-level spirits. They’re weak, hard to manifest on the material plane, and only capable of expressing limited powers.”
“Disappointing.”
Though my aim in contracting with spirits wasn’t to leverage their powers; simply being able to spend time with cute, majestic, and beautiful spirits was enough a reason to form contracts.
However, my gained spirit sensitivity could only reach basic-level spirits, who were too limited in their ability to display the charm and magnificence of spirits. It was truly regrettable.
“Well, if only you had a mid-level sensitivity, maybe I could…”
“What can’t be helped, right? My ability is just at this level after all. Nonetheless, receiving such a valuable item makes me deeply grateful, Lady Clarice.”
“No, I gave it because I wished to.”
Along with expressing my gratitude, I pulled out a chair and offered it to her. Watching her follow my cue to sit, I also took my seat opposite her.
I had nothing material to offer in return, but that doesn’t mean I can’t express gratitude. Material things aren’t all there is.
“Though it’s just the two of us once again, it’s a bit regrettable, but let’s enjoy our drink like we did yesterday.”
By working to create a more delightful drinking session than last time, I aimed to show her how appreciative I truly am.
“Uhh, yeah… just like yesterday…”
Already, the expectation of drinking brightened her expression in evident anticipation.
