Chapter 65

Having promised to become Cubero's strength, a few hours passed.

Since dawn, I couldn't even think about sleeping, and I wandered by the lakeside, lost in thought.

There were plenty of things to think about.

You know, there are just too many "To Dos."

The promise with Prince Mein the Second, the promise with Yuki, the brainwashing magic entrusted by Duchess Lucia Ayashon, and now the promise with Cubero. All of them give me a headache.

Everything is so political and complicated; I don't even know where to start.

Before, I used to think, "If I can just tame Anko, everything will be fine," but it's not that simple at all. No matter how much my combat power increases, I can't fight a country. Why? Because the enemy doesn't have a clear form. If I knew exactly who to kill, it would be much easier, but I don't even know who to kill, and even if I did, it wouldn't solve everything.

"What to do with Anko...?"

Suddenly, I remembered yesterday evening. I need to do something about her lack of common sense eventually. If it can be fixed, that is.

After all, she's a trump card I worked so hard to get; I want to use her in good condition for a long time.

"Ugh..."

I stretched towards the morning sun. It had been a long time since I saw the sunrise. How many months has it been since I last saw it?

The lake surface sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, the slightly cold morning air felt refreshing and gradually cleared my head.

"Oh."

Then, I had an idea.

If I don't know, I can just ask someone.

After breakfast, I addressed the three of them.

"Does anyone know someone who's well-versed in politics?"

I was looking for a political advisor, a "consultant." This was my idea.

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Sylvia and Yuki tilted their heads in confusion, and Echo shook her head from side to side.

"There are a few people I can think of... but I can't trust them. Unfortunately, I can't introduce you to any of them."

"Okay. How about you, Sylvia? What about Mr. Noire?"

"Hmm. Father is a knight to the core, having earned his title through military achievements, so I don't think he'll be much help."

"Okay."

That didn't work. Hmm, other than these three...

"Master, please wait a moment. I'll ask the servants if they know anyone."

"No, let's ask this one first."

I stopped Yuki, who was about to stand up, and summoned Angolmoa with the *Spirit Summoning* spell. I thought maybe she might know a spirit who is well-versed in politics. After all, she's the Great Spirit King.

"..."

Angolmoa was completely sulking. She crossed her arms, turned away, and pouted like a comic character. What's with her? She's really showing that she's sulking.

Come to think of it, I had sent her back during the fight with Anko and left her alone ever since. This is bad; I need to cheer her up.

"Anko is currently on probation."

"Hmph. She tried to kill a member of my Second's team, so it's only natural."

Oh no, her mood got even worse. She must have gotten the information from the "oneness" with me. Angolmoa would probably want to say, "I told you so!" loudly. After all, the person she thought wasn't trustworthy betrayed her, even if unintentionally.

But... if she read my thoughts through the "oneness," she should also understand my perspective.

"She's my strongest asset, so please be lenient. In fact, I need your help in her rehabilitation."

"...Of course. I know my Second is in trouble, so I will try my best. But I won't be lenient or trust her. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

"And, my Second. Use me more than that wolf. I can be useful in ways other than possession."

"No, possession is enough."

"Hey! That was supposed to be a nod!"

"Sorry, sorry."

She's angry but willing to help. She's a good person, no matter what.

"By the way, Angolmoa, do you know anyone well-versed in politics?"

"...Hmph, who do you think I am? I am Angolmoa, the Great Spirit King who rules the spirit world."

"Oh, you do know someone!"

"Hahaha! Indeed!"

Of course, she knew. She's Angolmoa, after all.

"Who is this person?"

"His name is Winfield. He is my steward and a strategist."

"Steward? Strategist?"

"He manages all my political affairs, a mixed spirit of water and earth."

"Wait, wait, wait. There's politics in the spirit world? And a mixed spirit, you said?"

"Yes. Of course, there is politics. Ruling over fire, water, earth, and wind is what it means. Ah, a mixed spirit means a half. He is a half of a water spirit and an earth spirit."

I see. I thought the title of Great Spirit King was just a name, but she really does her job.

But, a spirit... huh.

"Can you summon him?"

"I cannot summon him directly here. But I can summon him indirectly."

"Indirectly?"

"If someone makes a contract with Winfield, as my Second did with me, I can ensure his summoning if I am present."

"...Huh?"

What? What did she just say?

"Hey, can you specify the target of a spirit summoning!?"

"Of course. It's a simple task for a Great Spirit King."

"No way!"

What's that, man! It's like a jackpot of rare summons!

"Well... assuming I ask and he doesn't refuse."

"...Ah, I see."

That's no good. She has a terrible personality, so he'll definitely refuse. I'll be happy to lose.

"Winfield shouldn't be a problem. He is my steward."

"Really?"

"Um... probably."

"..."

An awkward silence fell.

But, I should trust Angolmoa and give it a try.

The question is, who should summon him?

"Is this Winfield strong?"

"Weak. Very weak. A half-baked failure in both water and earth."

"Really? He's weak?"

"But in terms of strategy, there is no one better. After all, he handles all the political affairs related to the Great Spirit King. In the spirit world, 'strategist' means him. He practically governs the spirit world. Hahaha!"

"Ha, I can't laugh at that."

Poor Winfield. I can already tell he's a hard worker even before meeting him.

But, he's weak. So, the person to summon him is decided.

"Alright... Yuki, let's do a spirit summoning."

If the spirit is weak, it's better for a non-combatant to summon it. I need Sylvia and Echo to summon more powerful spirits eventually.

"Me?"

Yuki stepped forward, a bit hesitant. Her expression didn't change much, but she seemed a bit excited. On the other hand, Sylvia and Echo had very clear, envious faces.

"Do you remember how to do a spirit summoning?"

"Yes, I learned it at level 16."

The requirement for *Spirit Summoning* is very simple: "Learn one or more magic skills." After unlocking it, you can allocate experience points to learn the skill. However, just learning it isn't enough to summon a spirit. You need a *Spirit Ticket* for that.

"Now, what about the ticket..."

There are two ways to get one. One is from monster drops, and the other is as a reward for dungeon clear. Both have very low probabilities. Even from C and B rank monsters, they drop very rarely. Given that I haven't seen one drop since coming to this world, you can guess how low the probability is.

The quickest way is to buy one at an auction. I don't know how many billion CL it costs, but I have more than enough money, so no worries. The only problem is whether one is listed on the auction...

"---Hehehe, ha-ha-ha!"

Suddenly, Sylvia started laughing. It was a very confident, annoying laugh.

"What's with you? Ah... finally, huh?"

"Finally, huh! No, it's not that! Look at this!"

"What? Oh, wow!"

Sylvia held up a *Spirit Ticket*. Seriously! This is like a gift from the heavens.

"I got it from a Rock Turtle while training with Echo in the Rimpfort Dungeon!"

"Great job, Sylvia!"

"Yes! Isn't it? ...Anyway, I have a favor to ask, Second."

Sylvia held the *Spirit Ticket* between two fingers and extended her right hand as if in prayer. I heard a "tsk" sound from Yuki, but it was probably just my imagination.

"You can use this for Yuki's spirit summoning. But in return, how about we go shopping on a day off?"

In return for shopping, huh. I see, it's a "bribe." Alright, this is my chance to show some manliness.

"That's very kind of you. Of course, that's fine. I'll buy you anything you want, whether it's a weapon or armor."

"Um? No, that's not what I meant..."

"Does Echo want to come too? Even though Sylvia dropped it, Echo was there, so it belongs to both of you. It wouldn't be fair not to give the reward to both of you."

"Sure! I'll go! I'm going!"

"Alright, it's settled then."

I pinched the *Spirit Ticket* between Sylvia's fingers and took it. Sylvia looked a bit dissatisfied and muttered, "Well, I guess it's a pass." Is she upset that the reward went to Echo too? Sylvia is quite greedy, isn't she?

"So, that's how it is. Yuki will summon Winfield with this ticket."

"Understood. I've already informed him. You can summon him anytime."

"Alright, Yuki. Give it a try."

"...This is surprisingly smooth. But don't worry, I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just how things usually go. I'm actually relieved that nothing has changed after four months."

I think Yuki is as sarcastic as ever, but I'll keep quiet if I don't want to get a double dose.

"Alright."

With a simple command, Yuki activated *Spirit Summoning*.

A gentle breeze brushed against our cheeks.

Instantly, a tall, beautiful woman appeared before us.

Her gray short hair was cut in a two-block style, with the sides and back shaved, giving her a slightly masculine look, but otherwise, she appeared very feminine. Her long, slanted eyes looked a bit sleepy and lacked energy.

"...Hi, I'm Winfield. Nice to meet you."

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, but her introduction was surprisingly brief. Then, she closed her mouth and fell silent again.

Sylvia, losing her patience, asked, "Is that it?" Winfield nodded and remained silent. It seemed that was all she was going to say.

"He's not good with words, but his political skills are unmatched."

Even Angolmoa, who rarely compliments anyone, is praising her. So, her abilities are undoubtedly real.

"Winfield, I want you to be my political advisor. Is that okay?"

"Master's permission is needed. But I'm okay with it."

"Master? Ah, that's me. Of course, I give permission. Serve my master with all your heart."

"Got it, Master. Nice to meet you, Second."

"Nice to meet you."

We shook hands. Her grip was gentle. She seemed to be a well-mannered person despite her poor communication skills. I think we can work well together.

"Alright, let's start sharing information with Winfield—"

"Wait! Second, didn't you say you wanted to check on Echo and me last night?"

...Oh, right. I was a bit tipsy, so I wasn't sure, but now that you mention it, I think I did say that.

"Okay. Let's go to the dungeon with the two of you."

"Wait, Master. If you're going to the dungeon, shouldn't you check my 'that' first?"

...Ah, you're right. If the "that" I asked Yuki to make four months ago is ready, I should check it first.

"Right. Let's check with Yuki first."

"Wait. What about the wolf? We can't just leave her like this."

...You're right. We should discuss it while everyone is here...

"Second! Mizu-iko!"

...Yeah, let's go to the lake.

"Alright, to the lake."

"---Wait. Second, you look tired. Maybe you should rest first?"

Just as I was about to head to Vanilla Lake with Echo, the butler Cubero, who had just entered the living room, stopped me. As always, he's a mind reader. It's a great suggestion. I was getting sleepy and my stomach was full. I should take a nap to refresh myself.

"Alright, I'll do that. Good night."

Turning my back to the others, who looked like they wanted to say something, I followed Cubero to my room. I thanked Cubero at the door and collapsed onto the bed, closing my eyes.

As I closed my eyes, Winfield's profile lingered in my mind. Her eyes were cold and observant, as if she was watching every move of everyone present, giving off a sense of detachment.

How much will she be able to help? With a slight sense of anticipation, I drifted off to sleep.

At that moment, I didn't know just how exceptionally talented Winfield was.

Thank you for reading.