CH 114

The Beginning – i novels

()x11-13 minutes

Last night, I considered countermeasures based on the information Silphy gathered. I’ll go to Mel’s workshop to observe the contract with Meral, and then I’ll take a rest until evening.

From there, it’s off to the Adventurers Guild! It’s not good to show Bell and the others an ugly fight, so I’ll have them stay behind. Should I leave Sara and the others as well?

Hmm, Sara and the others have probably seen the ugly side of the world, so they should be fine, but there’s no need to show it willingly. They can stay behind. I walked while thinking about today’s schedule and arrived at Mel’s workshop.

“Good morning.”

I opened the workshop door and found Mel sitting alone at the counter. She’s still as small as ever.

“Good morning. Master, Sara-chan, Marco-kun, Kikka-chan, and everyone from the spirits.”

I think to myself as Mel greets us. I’m actually moving around with quite a group.

“Good morning, Yuta. I’ve been looking forward to this!” Melal seems a little restless, just like Mel. Even if I wasn’t here, they could still make the contract, so they might have done it if I overslept. Mel is patient, unlike Meral. First, I should ask something important.

“What about Yunis?”

“Yunis-chan? Yunis-chan said she had a meeting with the party members, so I don’t think she’ll come today. Do you have something you need?”

So Yunis is also a proper adventurer.

“No, I just wanted to make sure because it can be a hassle when she’s nearby during the contract or when we talk about the spirits. Be careful not to let things slip with your childhood friend, Mel.”

“Ah, yes. I understand. I’ll be careful.”

She nods seriously, so it should be fine.

“Well then, Meral seems impatient, so shall we make the contract?”

“Yes!” “Let’s do it!”

“In that case, I’ll just watch, so do your best.”

It seems like they’ve tried the contract many times, so the procedure shouldn’t be a problem. Mel and Meral move in front of the furnace. It seems fitting to make the contract in the presence of the furnace where Meral is enshrined.

I’m a little excited because it’s my first time witnessing the contract of an intermediate spirit. With great interest, I watch as Bell pokes her head out from my pocket and hops onto my shoulder.

“Yuta, Mel and Meral, contract?”

She asks with sparkling eyes filled with curiosity.

“Yeah, we’re making the contract. It should be fun.”

“Fun!”

Influenced by the joyful Bell, I start to feel a warm sensation. Huh? Rain, Turu, and Tamamo also cling to me. Ah… somehow, I feel happy.

As I unexpectedly feel happiness, Mel and Meral begin their contract.

“Oh, Fire Spirit capable of melting even iron. O Guardian Spirit dwelling in our lineage. I humbly request your fiery blessings upon this new beginning of mine!”

Mel recites something like a ceremonial chant with enthusiasm… Is that necessary? I glance at Silphy, who silently shakes her head from side to side. It seems it’s not necessary. Well, formalities are important, right?

Even Silphy added some flair to the contract. If it’s a contract that can be a milestone in life, it’s only natural for it to have a sense of specialness.

Meral conjures a fiery orb-like mass in front of Mel. Is it something like a fireball? I remember that for spirits who already have a name, there are methods other than giving them a name. That must be one of those methods.

Mel envelops the fire with both hands and draws it closer to her chest. The fire melts, transforming into magical energy and absorbed into Mel’s chest. Compared to Silphy’s wind sphere, it’s weaker, but perhaps that’s the difference between a Greater Spirit and an Intermediate Spirit.

“Phew… C-contract… it’s done!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Mel starts crying as the contract is completed. “Phew”… Well, even if she’s small, is it alright for an adult woman to cry like that? No, maybe she’s just so happy that such a voice comes out. It’s because she struggled with not being able to make the contract that she has this “phew” moment.

“Yeah, now I can rest easy! Don’t cry, Mel. I’ll protect you.”

Meral, too, is filled with excitement now that the contract is complete. Bell and the others take off and jump on Meral, offering their congratulations.

“Master, has Mel-san and Meral-san’s contract finished safely?”

“Yeah, the contract was completed without any issues.”

“I see. That’s a relief. I’ll go congratulate them.”

Seemingly relieved, Sara smiles and hurries over to Mel. Marco and Kikka follow suit.

“Mel-san, congratulations!” “Mel-nee, congrats! That’s great.” “Mel-chan, congratulations! Well done.”

As Sara, Marco, and Kikka congratulate Mel, who is on the verge of tears, she sheds even more tears of joy.

Up above, the spirits rejoice, and down below, the children are overjoyed. Oh, right, Mel isn’t a child. But well, it’s truly a joyful occasion.

“Hey, Silphy. How strong are intermediate spirits?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t ask about the power of intermediate spirits. They said the country would bow down to welcome him, but I can’t imagine how powerful he actually is.

“How strong? Hmm, let me think. Well, if Meral were to get angry, I suppose this whole city would turn into a sea of fire in a day.”

…Eh? No, no, no, no. Can that overly protective fire spirit have such power? That’s not good. That’s really not good.

“Hey, Silphy. If something happens to Mel, Meral would get angry, right?”

“Yes, because Meral holds Mel in high regard, I think he would get really angry.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Today, in this moment, a dangerous entity has emerged in the Labyrinth City. Could it be that it’s actually a good thing for the world that Spirit Artificers are underappreciated?

I think that spirits would avoid dealing with truly despicable individuals, so it should be fine. But since there are various types of spirits, there’s always the possibility that one day, their anger could erupt and cause serious trouble.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. With Meral around, nothing bad will happen to Mel. But if you’re concerned, make sure Yuta thoroughly educates Mel about being a Spirit Artificer.”

“Y-yeah, I’ll do that.”

I dislike the Adventurers Guild in the Labyrinth City, but there are people who have helped me and favorite food stalls there. But a sea of fire? No thanks. There may not be much I can teach, but I don’t know what will happen after the discussion. I don’t know when I’ll have the time, so I need to make sure to teach Mel properly today.

“Mel!”

“Oh, Master. Thanks to you, I was able to make the contract. Thank you so much.”

There are still traces of tears, but Mel expresses gratitude with a heartwarming small-animal-like atmosphere. I feel my determination waver.

“Yeah, congratulations. But listen, Mel. Meral, the one you made the contract with, possesses very strong power. You have to learn to control that power and prevent it from going out of control. Depending on the outcome of today’s discussion, we might leave the Labyrinth City soon. So, from now on, it’s intensive training.”

Startled by my determination, Mel trembles, but I need her to give it her all. It’s time for me to assert my authority as her master.

From then until it’s time to go to the Adventurers Guild, with the help of Silphy and Dolly, we conducted rigorous training for Mel. There were some concerns, but we managed somehow. It was good that Bell and the others had various experiences during our explorations in the labyrinth.

———————–

“Alright, Mel. I’ll come to pick you up tonight, so sorry, but I’ll leave Sara and Bell with you.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

Hmm, she seems down. Most likely, it’s because I almost completely invalidated the knowledge about spirits that has been passed down in Mel’s family for generations. But she became my disciple, so she’ll have to accept it.

As communication between Mel and Meral became more active, and as a result of my slight intervention, the furnace dedicated to Meral couldn’t withstand the tremendous heat generated. Mel was delighted to gain precise control over the heat and the ability to work with new types of metals. In the end, it should have been a good outcome.

“Yuta, will Bell and the others be on guard duty?”

“Yeah, from now on, we’re going to have a discussion, which might be boring. So, please help with Mel and Sara’s training here.”

After thinking for a moment, she agrees to help! I can now face the confrontation with peace of mind. I wave goodbye to everyone and head towards the Adventurers Guild.

“Yuta, you haven’t forgotten about the plans for the Adventurers Guild, right? Don’t agree to anything carelessly.”

(No worries, I’ll be fine. I know what the opponent’s move will be, so I won’t lose.)

That’s right. This apology from the Guildmaster will become the perfect stage to strike a blow to the Guildmaster’s nerves… probably. Maybe… I’m starting to feel nervous.

“Yuta-san, if you stay calm, everything will be fine. Silphy and I are here with you. You have nothing to worry about.”

(You’re right. Thanks, Dolly.)

Encouraged by the Greater Spirits, I arrive at the Adventurers Guild and enter… Oh, wow. The Guildmaster is fired up.

A large crowd of adventurers has gathered around the counter, and in the center, there is a table and chairs arranged. I knew that the Guildmaster was strategizing by gathering adventurers to create a favorable atmosphere for himself, knowing that I requested a public discussion. But seeing it in person, I’m surprised by the Guildmaster’s determination.

If it’s going to be public, it’s better to gather more people and create an atmosphere in their favor. If I didn’t know anything, I might have been overwhelmed by the atmosphere and stumbled in my words. I’m grateful to Silphy for that.

“Yuta-san, we’ve been waiting for you. Please come this way.”

Eltina-san approaches and bows deeply before guiding me to the table in the center of the crowd. It feels like I’ve become a star… Well, I’m not being fawned over, so maybe it’s different. Most of the people here are rough men. It would be scary if they started fawning over me.

As I sit on the chair, the muscular Guildmaster emerges from the back. Fully prepared, it feels like they’ve been waiting for this moment. The adventurers part to make way for the Guildmaster, who comes before me and begins to speak calmly.

“Yuta-sama, thank you for coming all this way. We have arranged this gathering to apologize for the various rudeness that I and the Adventurers Guild have exhibited. I sincerely apologize for what happened this time.”

The Guildmaster suddenly bows deeply before everyone. It’s the same method as Eltina-san. Is there some kind of template for this? Well, whatever. Everything is going as Silphy explained. I need to focus on the real thing.

First, the Guildmaster bows deeply in front of everyone. At this time, several individuals around express their agreement with the Guildmaster’s sentiments, leading others to sympathize with the Guildmaster. This is the Guildmaster’s first strategy.

Other than being called “sama,” everything is going according to plan. It feels like watching a rerun of a drama. But from here on, I’ll be the one writing the script! Heh, I might look pretty cool.