Daphne had been in communication with spirits since she was young. It was a talent she was born with.
She communicated with spirits and wanted to get closer to them so much that she offered her body to a spirit. Ultimately, she desperately wished to become the spirit itself.
After coming of age, she became a mage affiliated with the Mage Tower, but other mages could not easily understand her radical thoughts. As a result, she left the Mage Tower and became a Rishe.
Since becoming a Rishe, Daphne conducted all sorts of experiments on her own body. However, the spirits she sought to unite with actually left her.
Could it be that the approach she pursued was wrong?
She wandered for a long time across the continent, thinking only about spirits and communicating with them. Yet, she ultimately failed to achieve what she desired.
Sometimes she met other spirit mediums, but they were all far from reaching the level she aspired to.
In the midst of this, Daphne heard a rumor from a Rishe she accidentally met.
“- They returned the unicorn’s horn.”
The unicorn was a legendary spirit that Daphne had never even met. It was more than enough to capture her interest, which was already consumed by spirits.
While investigating the details of the rumor, she discovered a name mentioned several times by the Rishe before.
Mage Yuric.
A superior mage whom the Rishe closely observed.
Ultimately, Daphne could not resist her curiosity and went to find Yuric.
At first, it was because of the unicorn, but after seeing him from afar, her thoughts changed. Perhaps this man could fulfill her long-held wish…
And when she faced him directly, her thought turned into conviction.
He held the key to the solution she had been seeking all along.
…But he seemed unaware of his own value.
Yuric watched Daphne approach him step by step. She was clearly dressed like a typical mage and was as tall as he was. He wondered if she might even be taller than Cecilia.
The woman with golden hair pressed her head against the counter, looking intently at Yuric, much like a history expert examining an amazing archaeological site.
“What brings you here?”
Yuric asked with a kind smile.
The woman pursed her lips and blinked twice before turning her head back and placing her hands on the counter, tapping it lightly with her fingers.
“This is truly amazing. How can this be? Having no spirit at all, yet receiving such attention from spirits…”
It couldn’t be explained simply by her innate ability. Spirits slowly approached and built a bond through effort; they weren’t supposed to come to humans first. At least, that’s how the spirits she had seen until now behaved.
“Are you a spirit medium? Who are you?”
“Daphne. You’re right, I am a spirit medium.”
“Pleased to meet you, I’m Yuric.”
This was Yuric’s first encounter with a spirit medium as well. After all, humans who could communicate with spirits were very rare, and the field of spirit studies in the magic world had almost become obsolete, relying almost entirely on one-on-one transmission.
“But I wonder if a spirit medium like you has any business with me…”
Daphne stared at Yuric intensely and said,
“I heard your rumors. How did you meet the unicorn? And how did you establish such a deep relationship with the spirits? Tell me about it. Can you?”
Just as Yuric was about to answer, the shop door opened. The butterfly spirits fluttering around Daphne’s shoulders vanished instantly.
The person who entered the shop was an old woman from the neighborhood alley.
“Grandmother.”
“Your thoughts came to mind, Yuric.”
Yuric approached the old woman and took the basket she offered. Inside were potatoes.
“Eat them boiled with Lynnet. They’re delicious.”
“Oh, you even prepared these…”
“You help a lot with household chores. You talk to me. That’s why, out of gratitude.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”
“Alright… Miss, I apologize for interrupting.”
The old woman soon left the shop. Yuric looked at Daphne again with the basket in hand.
“May I ask you to wait for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Yuric went inside and soon came out with Lynnet.
“Don’t worry about the shop. Go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
Yuric left the shop with the spirit medium Daphne.
It was a sunny early summer day. He led her to a spot where the square’s scenery was visible.
“Our story might be a bit long. Is that okay?”
“Even if it’s long, please tell me in detail.”
Yuric began telling his story about himself and the spirits.
Although Daphne also lived a life communicating with spirits, Yuric’s story was very intriguing. Even at that moment, butterfly spirits from Daphne’s body were clinging to Yuric’s body, gently flapping their wings.
Yuric finished his long story. Now, he wanted to hear Daphne’s story.
Oddly enough, she couldn’t refuse his request. So, she told him everything she had never shared with anyone else.
From her childhood, when she communicated with spirits and wished to become a spirit herself, to entering the Mage Tower, eventually leaving it and becoming a Rishe, constantly researching and experimenting.
When Daphne finished her story, she grabbed Yuric’s arm.
“You are undoubtedly favored by the spirits. With you, the new horizon of the spirit world might open up.”
Daphne said this with great excitement, but Yuric looked at her calmly.
“Daphne-san… May I say something from my perspective?”
“Yes.”
Yuric placed his finger on the butterfly spirit sitting on his shoulder. The spirit gently perched on his finger. His gaze was filled with kindness as he watched.
“Did the spirits want something from Daphne-san?”
Just one sentence, but it carried many meanings.
But at that moment, Daphne felt as though something hit the back of her head, and her words were blocked.
Yuric smiled faintly as he looked at Daphne.
“We gave the unicorn’s horn back because we thought it was going to the right place. That’s all.”
Daphne, who had been sitting quietly for a while, suddenly stood up silently and walked away somewhere. Her slow pace somehow felt melancholic. She gradually moved away from his sight until she disappeared.
Yuric watched Daphne’s retreating figure in the distance. He fully understood how she must have felt.
It felt as if her entire life had been negated. She must have felt embarrassed and confused.
…But he thought he should not ignore it.
The spirits Yuric observed were never expecting anything in return.
But Daphne, who wanted to become a spirit, unconsciously expected something in return.
She wanted to receive as much as she had given.
But if she truly wanted to become a spirit, she shouldn’t have.
No one had ever told her this before, and she herself hadn’t realized it.
That’s why the spirits all left her.
Except for the butterfly spirits.
In her childhood, Daphne genuinely loved and communicated with the butterfly spirits. They stayed by her side, even when she offered her body, except for the butterfly spirits.
Yuric noticed one butterfly spirit remaining on his shoulder. He placed the spirit on his fingertip and gently kissed it.
“Please let the spirits take care of her.”
The butterfly spirit flew away towards her.
Three days later, the spirit medium reappeared at the shop.
Fortunately, Daphne seemed much calmer than before.
“Thank you. It was an important advice. Thanks to it, I know what the problem was.”
“I was worried I overstepped my bounds, but I’m glad it helped.”
Daphne approached the counter and handed Yuric a book.
“It’s a book on spirit studies. It might be helpful to you.”
“Thank you.”
Daphne kissed Yuric’s cheek and whispered,
“Now I understand why people are always watching you. But don’t worry. I’ll be on your side. Yes… You might fulfill my wish.”
To Daphne, Yuric was a special person.
As someone who communicated with spirits, she couldn’t help but feel intense affection towards him. It was an irresistible instinct.
Instead of a goodbye, the spirit medium sent a butterfly spirit flying towards Yuric. It circled around him a few times before returning to her.
Then she left the shop. Where she was going, even he didn’t know.
They would meet again someday.
Yuric prayed that Daphne would be safe until then.
Though it was a brief encounter, it left a strong impression on him.
