Contract (2)
Chapter 57
Other swordsmen say that the sensation of cutting through a spirit often feels worse than slicing cake.
Slicing through the illusions projected outward, the spirits quickly recover their strength and reveal themselves once again.
Even if you exhaust yourself killing a spirit’s master, the spirit simply finds a new one to continue wreaking havoc upon the world.
The battle against spirits, thought to be immortal and undying, was so utterly unreasonable.
However, Ray was different.
His Spatial Blade bypassed the spirit’s illusion, reaching its true form existing beyond dimensions.
The feeling of cutting through flesh and splitting internal organs traveled up his blade, no different from cutting down a human.
The sword pierced through the belly of the wind spirit and exited out its back.
A delayed shriek of the spirit echoed through space.
[KKIIIEEEEEK!!]
“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
In resonance with the spirit, Florya let out a scream.
Ray took a step toward Florya while keeping his sword embedded in the spirit.
Victor and Hamus ran toward Ray, their faces hardened.
It was a hopeless charge, but Ray watched them approach with some satisfaction.
‘Squires should have that much presence.’
CHIANG!!
After Victor and Hamus were sent flying by Ray’s single strike,
Florya, her eyes half-rolled back, leapt up scratching at the ground with both hands and lunged toward Ray’s neck with her teeth bared.
Ray clicked his tongue.
“There seems to be a problem.”
Some emotional feedback from the spirit was possible.
However, her behavior—acting as if she had become one with the spirit and showing hostility toward Ray—was certainly not normal.
“I don’t know if communication will work.”
CHIEK!
Ray swung his fist and struck Florya across the cheek.
Even though he hit her lightly, Florya rolled on the ground, her head snapping around.
At that moment, the wind spirit lunged toward Ray with its gaping mouth wide open.
Florya also rose and charged at Ray again.
Without hesitation, Ray grabbed the spirit’s jaw and twisted the knife embedded in its abdomen.
Once more, the cries of the spirit and Florya echoed loudly through the space.
“Jenkins, we might need to tie her up for now.”
Ray pointed at Florya and spoke.
Since she kept attacking due to resonance with the spirit, subduing her with punches each time would likely leave her paralyzed.
While the spirit was distracted with the knife lodged in its gut, they needed to immobilize her by binding her.
“Tie her up tightly so she can’t even move a finger.”
“Ugh…”
Jenkins groaned and pulled out the rope he had prepared.
To bind Florya whose eyes were half-rolled back, Jenkins started fumbling with the ropes but soon furrowed his brow.
To become a knight, one must learn various weapons, martial arts, and grappling techniques, which include binding skills.
However, it had been too long since Jenkins last practiced these techniques, and binding someone to completely seal their movements was surprisingly difficult.
Such tasks were usually handled by squires, but unfortunately, Jenkins’ squire wasn’t up to the task.
‘Did I tie it like this…?’
Groaning, Jenkins repeatedly tried tying it one way and then another.
At that moment, Alesya, who had quietly approached Florya, reprimanded Jenkins.
“If you tie the wrists like that, it’ll be loose and come undone.”
“…?”
“The direction and order of the knots are wrong as well. Tie the knot like this and thread it between the legs… The dress is getting in the way…”
Alesya tore her dress in half and skillfully wrapped Florya’s body with the rope.
“Now, pull it down and tie the ankles to finish…”
“…?”
Jenkins blinked as Alesya quickly completed the binding.
While Ray, who had been repeatedly stabbing and withdrawing his sword from the wolf spirit’s gut, watched with a wry face.
“Do they teach binding techniques to noble young ladies these days?”
“Hardly.”
“Then where did she learn it?”
“Hmm…?”
Ray furrowed his brow.
“Are you properly managing your young miss?”
“It’s hard to answer confidently…”
As Ray and Jenkins whispered to each other, Alesya raised both hands triumphantly after completing the binding.
“It’s done! This is my first time doing it on someone else, but it seems to have worked well!”
On someone else?
Pushing aside the troubling questions bubbling in his mind, Ray examined Florya.
Bound in such a way that any struggle would only tighten the ropes further, it seemed difficult for her to exert force anywhere.
With a troubled expression, Ray tied the end of the rope connected to Florya’s ankle to a large rock before throwing her into the gaping underground pit.
“GHURK!”
Before Florya hit the ground, the rope tightened, stopping her descent.
As Ray landed beside Florya in the underground area, he twisted the sword embedded in the spirit once more.
As the spirit rolled its eyes in agony, Florya began screaming and shaking uncontrollably.
However, thanks to Alesya’s excellent binding, Florya couldn’t move a finger, only gasping for breath.
‘Preparations are complete…’
With a sigh, Ray roughly cut away Florya’s flipped-up dress.
Her face, previously hidden by the dress, was now fully exposed.
Ray paused briefly to gather his thoughts.
The spirit was pinned like a skewer, and Florya was restrained from causing trouble.
Now, it was time to proceed with the re-contracting process, which required Florya to regain her senses.
GACK!
Without hesitation, Ray slapped Florya’s swollen cheek.
“Hey, if you don’t want to die, snap out of it.”
“GRRRRRK…!”
Florya convulsed with half-rolled eyes.
Ray continued to slap Florya’s cheek.
GACK! GACK!
“Hey, aren’t you going to wake up? If you don’t, you’ll die by my hand, you hear me?”
Ray was considering killing the spirit if Florya didn’t regain consciousness.
There was a low probability, but according to the terms of the contract with the spirit, Florya could lose her life as well.
Ray hoped Florya would regain her senses so they could go through the re-contracting process.
GACK!
Florya’s head snapped repeatedly to the side.
Jenkins, who had caught Alesya trying to peek into the underground area, seriously considered whether they should flee from this situation.
*
All Florya could feel in her mind were pain, fear, and murderous intent.
The tumultuous surge of emotions clouded her vision and swept away all rational thought.
The sensations spreading throughout her body faded, leaving only an unbearable, searing pain coursing through her abdomen.
Florya writhed in agony, unaware of her current state.
GACK!
A crack appeared in the darkened world amidst the ringing in her ears.
Florya instinctively realized: this was her sense, something she needed to grasp onto and use as a beacon.
And she had to succeed.
Separating her emotions from her reason, pushing all impulses and pain to the back, she focused solely on rationality to look ahead.
Despite the sticky waves of pain, fear, and murderous intent crashing over her,
Florya gritted her invisible teeth and straightened her will.
“GGGRK, GGGK…!”
Gradually, focus returned to Florya’s wandering eyes.
Her vision cleared, and her ears began accepting and interpreting human voices.
Ray met Florya’s gaze, gripping her chin.
“Snap out of it, Florya. Can we proceed with the re-contract with the spirit?”
“Re-contract…”
Florya mulled over the word with a hazy mind.
How many regrets had she accumulated since forming her initial contract with the spirit?
Even though her emotions had been diluted by those of the spirit, the feeling of regret remained vividly etched in her consciousness, awakening her awareness.
ZzzzZT!
The contract inscription engraved on Florya’s Selomia spread outward.
Mana radiating from Florya’s circle surged forth, then formed the shape of runes as they began to rotate above the contract inscription.
Ray inspected the newly emerged runes using his authority.
“…Perfect.”
Florya’s determination to completely bind the spirit was fully encapsulated in the runes she had created.
This was ten years of Florya’s pent-up frustration and hopes combined.
If the spirit consented, Florya’s self-created runes would overwrite the previous contract inscription.
Ray glanced at the spirit.
Without needing to speak, Ray was questioning with his eyes.
Will you re-contract? Or won’t you?
The spirit’s gaze wavered. Ray chuckled and raised the opposite sword.
“Ah, this kid still hasn’t come to their senses. Shall I stab?”
The final remark was directed not at the spirit but at Florya.
Without waiting for a response, Ray plunged the sword into the spirit below its chest.
[KIIIIEEEEEEEK!!]
“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
Both the spirit and Florya screamed simultaneously.
Despite the overwhelming pain, Florya maintained the newly emerged runes without losing consciousness.
Crossing both swords, Ray pulled the spirit closer and stretched his lips into a wide grin.
“Do you want to die here? Or would you rather serve as a slave for decades as compensation?”
Ray was certain.
With this level of intimidation, the spirit would undoubtedly follow his commands.
Eventually, runes flowed out of the screaming spirit’s body.
Above them, Florya’s created runes overlapped, beginning to rewrite the contract.
ZzzzzZT!
The content of the contract that had so constrained Florya reversed.
Florya could feel it.
The impulses and desires of the spirit that had arbitrarily invaded her mind were gradually fading away.
Her own emotions, pushed to the corner, were slowly finding their place again.
Feeling the joy flowing out, Florya was filled with gratitude.
Finally, she could truly feel her own emotions.
Not belonging to anyone else, purely originating from within herself.
“Finally… finally…”
Her full awareness returned.
Florya smiled broadly but then slightly furrowed her brows at the intense pain coursing through her entire body.
Due to thrashing around while bound by ropes, her whole body was covered in bright red bruises.
Most of all, her cheek hurt terribly, swollen to the point where closing her mouth risked biting her teeth.
Nevertheless, Florya, perceptive of the situation, expressed her gratitude first.
“Thank you. Ugh, you saved me…”
Her speech slurred due to the swollen cheek.
Through trial and error adjusting her pronunciation, Florya continued speaking.
“I owe you a debt. Since I’ve regained my senses, could you let me down?”
She knew she was flushed without needing to check.
Her dress was torn, and the knots binding her body revealed her curves quite explicitly.
Moreover, hanging upside down caused blood to rush to her head, making her dizzy. The throbbing in her cheek worsened as an additional effect.
Ray shrugged.
“Please wait just a moment. Let’s engrave one more contract mark.”
“I’m not ungrateful.”
“What words cannot do? Given the favor you received, wouldn’t it be generous to allow one more contract mark?”
“…”
Florya began rotating mana on her circle to engrave another contract mark, behaving obediently.
Ray’s request was reasonable, and most importantly, there was no way to resist anyway.
Alesya, assisted by Jenkins descending into the underground area, muttered upon seeing Florya’s condition.
“My knight has more aggressive tastes than I imagined…”
“Hey!”
BONG!
Ultimately, Alesya, having received a smack on the head from Ray, rubbed her scalp as she stood before Florya.
A new contract mark was engraved on both Florya’s and Alesya’s Selomia.
The approximate content of the new restrictions placed on Florya included:
Keeping today’s events confidential.
Prohibiting harmful actions against individuals related to Count Philips.
In return, Alesya gained the obligation to assist Florya when coordinating her contract with the spirit.
After engraving the contract mark, Florya, who had finally managed to stand on the ground again, took a deep breath.
How long had she waited for this moment?
Though her entire body ached, preventing her from fully appreciating the significance, she still found it hard to control the spreading joy.
Florya approached the wind spirit, which was crouching in a corner examining its wounds.
“Looks like the roles have reversed, huh?”
The wind spirit flinched.
Just as Florya’s lips stretched into a wide grin, Ray stepped in front of her.
“I have one more favor to ask.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Now that you can give direct orders to the spirit, could you ask this guy to bring a friend?”
“Friend…? Why?”
Ray turned his head and gestured to Alesya.
“Alesya, you said you wanted a spirit, right?”
“That’s correct! I also want a cute and obedient spirit.”
Realizing Ray’s intention, Florya unconsciously shook her head.
“Alesya has a monocle, so spirits tend to hesitate to form contracts…”
Before Florya could finish her sentence, Ray drew his sword from his waist again.
Florya understood.
“Ah…”
To form a good contract with a spirit requires innate talent, considerable time, and luck.
Each spirit had distinct preferences, so even the best spirit masters weren’t universally accepted by all spirits.
However, Ray paid no attention to the spirit’s preferences.
“Miss, please hurry…”
The spirit’s preferences could be corrected with just one sword.
“Ask that guy to bring a friend.”
Ray’s lips stretched into a wide grin.
