Chapter 30

As night deepened and the lights of people's homes had gone out, a wolf stood on the roof of the Turkis family's house, gazing up at the starry sky.

The fur, illuminated by the streetlights spaced at regular intervals, shimmered green.

"Here you are..."

The wolf, reading the flow of magical elements in the air, muttered quietly at the change.

A beautiful spirit appeared, riding on a particularly dense flow of magical elements.

The spirit, spotting the fragment of wind, silently descended before it.

"I'm surprised. Just as the children were making a fuss... there really is a powerful幻獣 here."

The female spirit, with her long hair flowing, scrutinized the fragment of wind.

She narrowed her mature eyes slightly and smiled.

"Is it true that the 幻獣 the children were talking about, searching for a female-type upper spirit of wind, is you?"

"Aye, it is."

The fragment of wind nodded in response to the spirit's question.

The children she referred to were the wind spirits who had gathered to Will.

The wind spirits had been worried about Will's collapse, but upon learning that it was not serious, they heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the sky as they had come.

At that time, the fragment of wind had entrusted a request to the children of the spirits.

It was to find and bring a mature female-type upper spirit of wind.

The spirits, after exchanging glances, readily accepted the fragment of wind's proposal.

"...Was the magic during the day cast by you, or your contractor?"

The spirit, scratching her head, asked.

The fragment of wind shook its head.

"It was the young contractor, bound by a provisional contract, who activated it with the help of the spirits. I lent the magic power, but it was not me."

The wind spirit sighed deeply after hearing the fragment of wind's story.

She had already known that the children's story was not a lie when she saw the wind wolf waiting here, but she was still amazed that a human child had actually summoned a spirit.

"...So? What is your business?"

The spirit, who asked bluntly, paused for a moment before the fragment of wind spoke.

"I want you to bear a child with me."

"..."

Silence. The spirit and the fragment of wind exchanged glances.

A human might be taken aback by such a sudden request, but for them—幻獣 and spirits—the content is a bit different.

幻獣 and spirits exist and are born from the natural magical elements.

In other words, they do not need to mate and nurture like living creatures.

幻獣 can create their own kind or subordinates with their own magical elements, and spirits can create new spirits by combining their magical elements.

As a natural phenomenon.

However, the fragment of wind, whose main body is a magic sword, does not have the ability to create new 幻獣 on its own.

To create a subordinate, it would have to combine magical elements like the spirits.

"May I ask why?"

The spirit, with a serious gaze, asked.

The fragment of wind sighed softly.

"...I want to grant a part of my power to the contractor's children."

The spirit's expression wavered slightly.

This meant that the 幻獣 in front of her had acknowledged the contractor's children.

Each had different criteria for recognition, but the children must have had something that convinced the 幻獣.

"...Today, the contractor's children were in danger. Bound by restrictions, I had no choice but to lend great power to a child in the house. That child managed to use the overwhelming power I lent, even if only temporarily..."

Normally, one cannot control great magical power without knowing how to wield it.

It takes repeated training to finally learn how to use great magical power.

However, Will had demonstrated the ability to use the fragment of wind's magical power, to the extent of being able to use spirit magic on his own.

"The other children of the contractor are also full of talent. They might face such dangers again in the future. I want to help them face such dangers with power suited to them, rather than overwhelming power."

"So, you want to have a child?"

The wind spirit, who had been listening silently, asked, and the fragment of wind nodded.

"Aye... a newly born 幻獣 would not have great power, and could grow with its master, eventually becoming a source of strength for the children..."

Newly born 幻獣 or spirits do not have a clear sense of who they are.

As they grow and learn about themselves, they develop the ability to manipulate magical elements and use magic.

When they mature, they take on an adult form.

After the fragment of wind finished speaking, the wind spirit remained silent, deep in thought.

Naturally.

She had not acknowledged Will and the others.

But by creating a child with her power, she would no longer be uninvolved.

"One last question?"

"Hmm...?"

The wind spirit, after some hesitation, asked the fragment of wind.

"What would you do if I refused?"

"In that case—"

The fragment of wind had no hesitation.

"I would wait for the next spirit."

The resolve was firm within the wind wolf.

"Especially Will... the child to whom I lent power, is already favored by the spirits. Sooner or later, Will will form a contract with a spirit."

"Someone other than you who is acknowledged..."

As she spoke, the wind spirit remembered.

The children of the spirits who had invited her here. They were also part of the plan.

"I have promised those spirit children that they can visit the house at any time by tracing my power, if they bring a female-type upper spirit of wind to me. Your coming here is proof that the spirit children like Will."

"I see..."

In other words, a female-type upper spirit of wind would visit him until the wind wolf's wish was fulfilled.

It was like endless matchmaking in human terms.

A powerful 幻獣 enduring the shame.

The wind spirit remained silent in contemplation, then sighed deeply.

"Alright... I will fulfill your wish."

"Ah... you will hear me?"

"Just don't misunderstand. I don't know the children you acknowledge. I can't acknowledge them. So, I believe in you."

The wind spirit's words took the fragment of wind by surprise, but its expression turned into a confident smile.

"Very well... let us see together how reliable my eyes are."

The magical elements emitted by the fragment of wind formed into a sphere and remained.

"Hehe... quite the confidence."

Before the wind spirit, who smiled, a similar sphere of magical elements swelled.

"My name is Aurora. May I know yours? I have no intention of mingling with a man whose name I don't know."

The wind spirit, spreading her arms as if to embrace, smiled mischievously.

The fragment of wind sighed softly, as if in resignation.

"My name is the fragment of wind. I am the wind wolf who was feared as the 'Wind Devourer of Hayama Forest' and the unique wind magic sword in this world."

"You...?"

The wind spirit's eyes widened in surprise.

The wind spirit, who loved to travel on the wind and share stories, knew many rumors and information from various places.

She knew about Shiro and the famous magic swords that had left their mark in history.

"A thousand years ago, you were the blade of the demon who, with just one human and one sword, pursued the demon to the brink of destruction in a distant island nation in the East... I wondered what terrifying 幻獣 possessed you..."

"Forget it. It's an old story..."

The fragment of wind, perhaps embarrassed by the memory of its youthful recklessness, turned away, and the spirit's smile deepened.

The spirit's hand, reaching out, touched the fragment of wind's fur.

"Come on..."

"Aye..."

Guided, the fragment of wind nodded, and the magical elements of the one and the one became one.

Will will appear from the next chapter.