The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 314: Companion (3)
Day 3 adrift in the Spirit Realm.
“.......”
The sky spread overhead today was pink.
Staring blankly at that utterly ridiculous sky, Fran rubbed his eyes and started walking.
There really wasn’t much he had done over the past two days here.
He took walks, trained his magic, and when mealtime came, lesser spirits brought him fruit.
“Thank you.”
Just like that.
Fran watched the lesser spirits scamper off busily.
Was it just his imagination?
They seemed clearer than when he had first arrived...
At the moment he took a big bite of fruit and juice filled his mouth—
—You’re sensing it correctly.
“Whoa—!”
—The lesser spirits that first looked faint, like ghosts, are gradually becoming clearer, right?
“How did you know?”
—You can tell just by looking. Don’t forget who I am.
Her voice brimmed with pride.
“Then why can I suddenly see them better?”
—Your affinity with spirits has increased.
“......In just two days?”
—This is the Spirit Realm, after all.
At that, Fran looked amazed.
Just by breathing here, his spirit affinity was increasing.
To anyone who dreamed of becoming a spirit contractor, this place would be paradise on earth.
“Then are there any side effects?”
—Side effects?
“Problems that come with increased spirit affinity, I mean.”
—Oh, that’s a very interesting question.
If Fran had been able to see her right now, he would have shuddered without fail.
Her gaze was exactly like that of a professor eyeing a graduate student.
—Of course, you probably know this already, but let me ask one thing first. Do you know the difference between a mage and a spirit contractor?
“The difference between a mage and a spirit contractor...”
Fran gave a very textbook answer—the kind you’d give on an entrance exam.
“A mage consumes mana to manifest magic, and a spirit contractor consumes mental energy to summon spirits.”
—Oh, good. Then do you also know what that difference means?
“The difference between mana and mental energy? Of course.”
He nodded and was about to answer casually, when Fran frowned.
‘Ah... how am I supposed to explain this?’
He had always felt mana as a mage, and he had felt the sensation of mental energy being consumed when using Wind Lord.
But trying to put it into words made his throat feel clogged.
He definitely understood it—but not well enough to explain it clearly to someone else.
—You’ve internalized it through experience, so you feel it, but it’s hard to explain, right?
“Yes. Exactly.”
—No need to overthink it. Mana is the power to interfere with the world, and mental energy is the power to perceive the world and maintain a connection to it.
“.......”
That sounded complicated.
Fran’s expression turned subtle.
He had never thought the forces he used were such complex concepts.
“Uh, so if I understand correctly, mana is the power to imprint my own mark on the world, and mental energy is more like taking something that already exists and using it? Something like that?”
—......!
Silaphrion asked in an energized voice.
—That’s exactly it! Can you hear this sound?
“What sound?”
—I’m clapping right now! Can you hear it! Right now!
But no matter how hard he listened, there was no sound of applause.
It seemed he could only hear her voice.
“No. But that means what I said was right, then?”
—Correct. If the keywords that define a mage are calculation and circuits, output and control... then for a spirit contractor, they’d be focus and connection, resonance and maintenance.
Fran felt like he roughly understood the idea.
“Ah—so that’s why communion with spirits is important? To use a spirit’s power longer, you need to be more aware of its existence... to keep the connection tighter?”
—Gasp!
She inhaled sharply, then suddenly said something incomprehensible.
—Why are you all staring with sparkling eyes? Step back. Right now.
“Pardon?”
—It’s nothing. Just some flies gathering for a moment.
Silaphrion replied in a gentle, calm voice, then continued.
—What you said is exactly why communion with spirits is important. That’s why compatibility with the spirit you contract with matters as well, doesn’t it?
“That’s harder than I thought. It’s like finding a spouse or something—having to match personalities.”
—You can’t take this lightly.
Her voice grew more serious.
—Contracting with a spirit means finding a lifelong companion of the soul. In some ways, it requires even more careful consideration than human marriage.
“What happens if your personalities don’t match?”
—You can dissolve the contract by mutual agreement. Though among spirits, divorcees tend not to be very popular either, so forming a new contract can be difficult.
The more he heard, the more it sounded just like human society.
“......By the way, where did you hear the word ‘divorcee,’ Spirit King?”
—Ah, that.
Silaphrion, who usually never hesitated, paused briefly before speaking.
—Spirits are very curious. Regardless of rank, they take great interest in the Middle Realm.
“Really?”
—Yes. I receive new information every day from spirits contracted to humans or elves.
That was something Fran hadn’t known.
Spirits were usually portrayed as mysterious beings, and thus often depicted as aloof.
—That’s why spirits are always striving to find better contractors.
“What makes a ‘good’ contractor?”
—There are two conditions spirits value most.
Fran swallowed without realizing it.
It felt like he was at a matchmaking agency.
—First, personality. Second, mental energy.
“Those are pretty orthodox criteria. The same things you mentioned earlier.”
—Exactly. What those two have in common is that they allow spirits to remain in the Middle Realm longer.
“Ah, now that you say it, that makes sense.”
It seemed the spirits’ goal was very simple.
They just wanted to stay summoned in the Middle Realm for as long as possible.
—In that sense, many envy the spirits implanted in you.
“......The spirits implanted in my body?”
—Yes. They get to observe the human world twenty-four hours a day without any restrictions.
Fran hadn’t imagined spirits would think that way.
On top of that, they didn’t even consume their own mental energy.
The only time he consumed mental energy was when he used Wind Lord.
‘Wait... then whose mental energy are the spirits implanted in me using?’
He had never questioned this even once.
Oscar had summoned them and implanted them, so he had just accepted it.
When he asked about it, Silaphrion gave a faint smile.
—Mine.
“......What?”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
—I was supplying the power for that part. That’s why I couldn’t attach higher-ranked ones; lesser spirits were the limit.
Fran was taken aback by the confession he had never even imagined.
“Ah—no, I really didn’t know. Thank you.”
—It’s fine. I merely had a promise with a certain person named White... no, Oscar.
He was curious what that promise was, but Fran didn’t press further.
If it were something he needed to know, one of them would surely tell him.
—Just remember one thing.
Silaphrion spoke softly.
—Fran Sirius, you are extremely special.
“......Me?”
Fran’s pupils trembled slightly.
Special.
That word—and the weight it carried—hit him hard.
Perhaps because he had lived his whole life surrounded by special people.
—Yes. Believe me. You are more special than anyone—an irreplaceable existence.
“It’s hard to believe. Why?”
—How should I explain this...
After thinking for a moment, Silaphrion said:
—It’s easier to write it than to explain it. Look at your feet.
When he looked down, words in the Imperial language were written on the dirt.
Spirit Realm ↔ Human ↔ Middle Realm
Seeing this, Fran asked:
“This is... the stages when a human summons a spirit?”
—Correct. A spirit that resides in the Spirit Realm responds when a human expends mental energy to call it, and by using that human’s body as a medium, it gains the qualification to manifest in the Middle Realm.
Hearing it laid out like this, the process was more complex than he had thought.
“I understand. But... how does this relate to me being special?”
—Normally, when a spirit uses a human body as a medium, there’s a loss of power.
“Ah, because their natures are too different, right? Spirits are closer to concepts or phenomena, while humans are material beings.”
—Exactly. In short, humans use mental energy to forcibly anchor spirits to the channel called their own bodies.
As he listened, curiosity grew.
Then what made him different?
Seeing the question fill Fran’s eyes, Silaphrion continued.
—You haven’t forgotten, have you? That when you use Wind Lord, you become half spirit yourself.
“Uh... what?”
A sensation that was almost understanding tickled his heart.
“So... does that mean I can act as a kind of buffer?”
—Correct! When spirits are summoned to the Middle Realm through your half-spiritized body, the amount of power lost is drastically reduced. Naturally, spirits can be summoned in a stronger state and for a longer time.
He suddenly recalled that spirits liked the Middle Realm.
If what she said was true, that meant he was the best possible contractor candidate in history.
Realizing that, a hollow laugh escaped him.
“Ha... haha.”
Since childhood, he had wanted to become special like his older brothers and sisters.
Knowing he lacked that kind of talent, he had entered the White Tower.
He thought that place might make him special.
‘It was literally a futile dream.’
Oscar, Veronica, Killian—
Every one of them were monsters who would be special no matter which magic tower they joined.
He had probably realized that reality around that time.
What was special wasn’t him, but the ability called Wind Lord.
Recently, his self-loathing had only grown, as he couldn’t even fully control that ability anymore.
While his companions were already running far ahead, even chasing after them felt exhausting.
“.......”
He hadn’t become the special mage he had dreamed of.
And perhaps he never would.
Accepting that fact made his heart feel strangely light.
“Whew.”
Fran slowly steadied his breathing.
He might not become someone who leaves a special mark on the world.
But he could become the one person who provides a place for others to dwell.
‘That’s not such a bad thing, either.’
Fran lifted his head and looked at the pink sky.
‘Still a ridiculous sky, no matter how many times I see it.’
With a gentle smile on his lips, Fran spoke in a serious tone.
“Lady Silaphrion, please teach me so that I can become an excellent spirit contractor.”
—Hmm. Somehow it sounds like you’ll just suffer and end up doing good for others... ah, no, never mind. As if I’d do that to myself.
After a brief pause, she replied brightly.
—Alright. But you should be prepared. The days ahead won’t be easy.
“I’m ready.”
Fran clenched his fist tightly.
With about 387 days left, if he treated himself as already dead, what couldn’t he accomplish?
And a few hours later—
Fran deeply regretted ever saying those words.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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