Chapter 44

Rikuto Morinaga stands at the classroom door, takes a deep breath, and firmly grips the secret letter given to him by his mother.

"Can we make the contract here?"

"Hmm? There's no problem. As long as there's a contractor and wind, it can be done immediately."

Is that how it works... It seems easy, but I'm getting nervous now that I'm about to achieve my goal. Shylfi said the contract with a Great Spirit would be flashy, so I'm a bit anxious, but there's no choice but to go through with it.

"Alright. Then, Shylfi, will you make a contract with me?"

"Hehe. Alright. Let's go then."

Eh? Where to? Eh? My body suddenly lifts off the ground, piercing through the clouds, and all I see around me is a vast blue sky. Below me is a carpet of clouds and the sea. I can even see the reddish-brown land of death.

Despite being at such a high altitude, where I would normally faint from fear, I feel no terror. I'm just captivated by the incredibly beautiful scenery.

"Rikuto, Rikuto, Rikuto, are you listening?"

"Huh? Ah, the scenery is amazing. I was so captivated that I didn't hear what you said. Sorry."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped. How about it, isn't this world quite beautiful?"

Shylfi proudly boasts about this world, and indeed, it is very beautiful. The sky and the sea are crystal clear, and the only thing I find a bit disappointing is the lack of green on the land of death.

The scenery I saw from an airplane when I was in Japan was also beautiful, but because there's nothing around here, it feels like I'm directly experiencing all of nature. Without exhaust fumes, this place is probably cleaner.

"Yeah, it's beautiful. I can't think of any other words to describe it, which is a bit embarrassing."

"Hehe. If Rikuto were a poet, how would you express this world?"

Poet... Hmm. A clear blue sky. A sparkling clear blue sea. A reddish-brown land... I don't have the talent of a poet.

"Well, no matter what words you use, you can't recreate this scene."

I said something good.

"That's true. Seeing it with your own eyes is the best. Alright, Rikuto, let's start the contract."

"Alright. I'm counting on you."

Wind starts to swirl around Shylfi and me. The wind grows faster and stronger, forming a tornado. Various creatures... they must be spirits, in human and animal forms, are riding the wind and looking at us. I think I saw Bell and the others, but maybe it was just a mistake?

"I am Shylfi, the Great Spirit of Wind. If you wish to make a contract, take this wind orb."

Shylfi's aura changes to something mystical, and she speaks in a voice so clear it inspires awe. In her hands, which she has raised as if scooping water, floats a sphere that seems to be condensed wind. It looks powerful, but is it okay to touch? No, I have to take it to make the contract. I have no choice.

Trying not to tremble, I carefully wrap my hands around the sphere and pull it towards me. Nothing happens. What do I do next?

"Rikuto, it's okay, just relax."

Did she notice I was nervous? Shylfi returns to her usual demeanor and speaks to me. I trust Shylfi. I need to stay calm.

"Press the wind orb against your heart."

Following Shylfi's mystical voice, I press the wind orb against my heart, and it dissolves, blowing a gentle wind as it is absorbed into me.

"The contract is complete."

With Shylfi's words, the tornado-like wind dissipates, and a calm world spreads around us.

"It's over. How was it? It was quite flashy, as you wished, right?"

"Ah, yeah. It was even more flashy than I thought. But I don't understand what happened, can you explain?"

"Sure. Let's start with the wind orb, shall we?"

"Please."

"That's the vessel that connects me and Rikuto. The power of a Great Spirit is too great, so you can't accept my wind directly. In other words, you're making a contract with me through the wind orb. It's purely magical, so it won't burden your body. Don't worry."

Hmm. I don't fully understand, but is it correct to think that the wind orb allows me to connect with Shylfi? Well, if the contract was made without burdening my body, that's good.

"I kind of get it. There were a lot of spirits in the tornado, why was that?"

"They were just spectators. Wind spirits are very curious. They came to see something unusual happening in the sky."

Oh... I thought they might have come to bless us or something. I'm glad I didn't thank them. That would have been embarrassing.

"Is that so? But is the contract with a Great Spirit always like this? It's impressive, but it's quite a hassle."

Shylfi turns her face away for some reason. ...This pattern suggests she has something to hide.

"Shylfi, is there something you should tell me? You'll be found out when you make contracts with Dine and the others, anyway."

"...I just added a bit of flair. I told you the contract with a Great Spirit would be flashy, and I thought the usual method might seem weak."

It turns out the Great Spirit of Wind is a bit of a show-off.

"Um, what kind of flair did you add?"

"Flying in the sky. I could have just surrounded us with wind on the ground and passed the wind orb, but I thought it would be more flashy in the sky."

"Ah, I see. Then there's no problem. The sky was beautiful and moving. I'm grateful to be able to make the contract here."

"That's true. On the ground, the wind would have picked up dirt. I think this way was better."

A dirt-filled tornado. The clean wind tornado feels better.

"Yeah, that's true. It's good to have some flair. Thank you for showing me such a beautiful view."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Yeah, can I come back to see this view anytime? And why isn't it cold at all?"

Is it possible to be warm at this altitude in this world? The horizon is curved, so it seems to be a round planet like Earth.

"Since you've made a contract with me, you can come anytime if you ask me. But sometimes I might be called by the Spirit King, so it won't always be possible. And you don't feel cold because you're surrounded by warm wind, even though you can't see it."

The Spirit King... So there are times when spirits are not around. It feels a bit risky depending on the timing.

"Can't you come if I summon you in an emergency when you're not around?"

"I can't come if it's the Spirit King. But summoning only happens once in a few hundred years, if at all. If it happens when you're in a crisis, Rikuto, you have really bad luck."

It's a rare event. It feels as rare as being hit by a meteor. Indeed, that would be bad luck.

"My luck is B-rank, so it should be fine. I'm relieved. I'm worried about Bell and the others, so let's head back soon."

"We can fly directly to the base and summon Bell and the others there, too."

That would be more efficient, but it feels a bit unsatisfying.

"Since we've come this far, let's fly back to the base with Bell and the others. By the way, how do we fly?"

"Alright. I'll explain the flying method down there."

It feels like we're descending in an elevator. If the warm air were in a box, it would be a real elevator.

Enjoying the changing scenery as we descend, we land, and Bell and the others rush over, mobbing me. They seem to be celebrating the successful contract.

"Look, it's Bell."

"Kyu."

"It was amazing."

"Thanks. I thought I saw Bell and the others in the tornado. You really came to watch, didn't you?"

"Yeah. We saw you connect with Shylfi, too."

"Kyu kyu kyu kyu."

"The wind was being sucked in."

They excitedly tell me about the contract scene they saw. I listen to them slowly while petting them to calm them down. It seems to have been a rather fantastical scene from their perspective. I should have recorded it on my smartphone, even if it would have drained the battery. ...Would spirits show up on a smartphone? I'll check if I get the chance.

Playing with Bell and the others, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Making a contract with Shylfi was one of my goals, and I've achieved it.

"Since I've made a contract with Shylfi, let's all fly back to the spring's house."

"Are you flying too, Rikuto?"

"Yeah, we're all flying back together, smoothly."

"Wow, that sounds fun."

"Rikuto, about that, if we fly slowly while practicing, I think it will be night by the time we get back. Do you want to leave now?"

...It would be a shame to rush my first flight or start night flying. Night flying sounds fun, but it would be better after enjoying the bright world.

"Let's stay here tonight and leave early tomorrow morning."

I want to enjoy flying in the sky. Flying in the morning sun will be like fulfilling a human dream. I'm getting excited.

"Alright. We've had a lot today, so let's have an early dinner and go to bed early. Bell, Rain, Tulu, thanks for your hard work today. Thanks to Shylfi for making the contract with me."

I thank each of them properly and prepare dinner. It's just seafood, but I eat while asking Shylfi about flying.

The easiest method is to let Shylfi do everything. She can apparently take me to the destination at the fastest speed. I'll probably ask Shylfi for most of my daily travel.

But since I've come this far, I want to fly somewhat freely. It seems a bit difficult, but it's not impossible.

Shylfi will wrap me in a wind cocoon and lift me up. From there, I need to use my magic to influence the wind cocoon to control direction and speed.

Since I can only use daily magic, influencing the wind cocoon with magic seems difficult, but it will also be good practice for magic control because I can directly feel the movement of magic.

And if I fall, Shylfi will help me, she says with a smile. When I ask if I might fall, she says that normally I won't, but there's a possibility of crashing into the ground if I make a mistake with magic control. I'm getting nervous.

Thank you for reading.