BSS 04

chapter 04

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“Jini!”

Ugh… it’s “Jini,” I tell you.

“What?”

I was deep in sleep, barely opening my eyes, and responded in a drawn-out, sleepy voice.

“Let’s go put the books away!”

Next time, I decided, I would definitely slip away and come alone. It was unbearably bothersome.

Still, muttering complaints under my breath, I got up with my small body at Mia’s sparkling eyes and followed her.

I yawned and stretched as I walked.

This library was enormous—so big that even two children couldn’t make a full round in half a day.

I heard that some people even get lost here, which gives you an idea of just how large it was. Either way, it was too big to navigate alone, and there were some scary corners.

After walking for a while…

We arrived at a somewhat secluded corner, and Mia ran off to fetch a ladder.

“Haaah.”

This section was mostly filled with books in their original language, so unusually old volumes were stacked densely.

Even though two kids could wander here, this was the pride of the Royal Drike Academy—the treasury of knowledge—and thanks to active support from the royal family, there were quite a few high-quality books.

Regardless, I was sleepy.

Standing idly bored, I thought I might as well sit down and rest, so I plopped down on the floor.

In this academy, I was known as the kid who could fall asleep anywhere, just by resting my head.

As I leaned against the bookshelf to sleep, something suddenly fell on my head. Almost as if it had been waiting.

Plop.

“Ouch!”

It was truly one of those days where nothing goes right.

Something hit my face and dropped to the floor, and my already short temper had reached its limit.

“AAAH! I’ll kill you!”

Rubbing my nose, I jerked my head up and searched for the source of my pain.

I grabbed the culprit… it was a book.

It had fallen from above? The culprit wasn’t alive.

So there was no one to punish.

I simply gritted my teeth and picked up the thin book, about as thick as a finger. Why had it fallen on my head out of nowhere?

I hadn’t even leaned against the shelf that heavily.

Looking up at the top of the bookshelf, I checked the book’s title.

As with most of the books in this section, it was written in an ancient language, but it wasn’t particularly hard to read.

“Super Simple 〇〇 Contract Law”

It sounded like a “three-minute recipe” kind of title.

Still… what is 〇〇?

It was a word I had never seen before. Even as an intermediate ancient language student, I couldn’t read it.

I opened the book without much thought.

If it had been thicker, I might not have opened it, but the thinness made it somewhat tempting.

Flipping to somewhere in the middle, I found a few strange illustrations.

A bird-like creature, a lizard-like creature, a fairy, and some old man.

“Is this a fairy tale? No… it said Contract Law.”

Under the drawings, it said: “The creatures above are low-level 〇〇, and their forms are inconsistent from intermediate level onward.”

What does that even mean?

Curiosity got the better of me, and I flipped to the first page of the book.

It had diagrams resembling magical circles used in magic, though…

Though I hadn’t majored in magic, I’d taken basic courses and understood the theory roughly, but this was structurally very different from a magic circle.

For one, the main circle wasn’t made of runes. Nor was it in ancient script—just strange symbols.

No, it looked closer to pictures than writing.

“A contract means becoming one soul. When the contractor supplies mana, the 〇〇 uses its own magic. This is more effective, superior, and refined than a human mage’s magic, and therefore a skilled technique. However, 〇〇 can only be handled by the chosen one…”

As I flipped through the book, Mia returned.

She was followed by a man who seemed to be a librarian, carrying a ladder.

“You’ve waited long, Jini!”

“Mia, what does this mean?”

I pointed to the unfamiliar word in the title, and Mia shook her head, unfamiliar with it too.

“I’m not sure, I’ve never seen it either.”

“You don’t know either?”

“Maybe the librarian does.”

I wasn’t desperate to know either way, so I handed the book to the librarian, intending just to put it back.

But he seemed to interpret it differently. He frowned briefly, then his face lit up as he said:

“This means ‘spirit.’ It seems to be a book on how to contract with spirits. Not very advanced, though.”

“Spirit?”

“You must have heard of them. The most basic life forms that make up the world. Water spirits, earth spirits… Although, in our Drimtri, spirit masters are almost nonexistent, so it may be unfamiliar. Do you know about spirit masters?”

I was born in the Kingdom of Drimtri, called the Land of Knights. Powerful knights were stationed there, but the number of mages was pitifully small.

Because of this, I was always pressured to study magic, which I consistently refused. But even that was reaching its limit.

The time to choose my path was approaching, and if I continued, I might be forced to become a mage.

The job I hated most, inseparable from math!

“A spirit master is someone who controls spirits. It’s a rare occupation even across the continent. I’ve heard there’s no academy department for spirits—they’re just too precious and uncommon.”

“I know. Spirit magic… I’ve heard of it!”

“Oh, as expected of a Drike Academy student, you’re clever.”

“That’s when the spirit casts the magic instead, right? That’s what a spirit master does, isn’t it?”

Magic was a complex, headache-inducing discipline. Humans had to memorize countless spells, understand mana systems, and be proficient in runes and ancient languages—a lifelong study.

But if a spirit casts the magic… if the spirit naturally has magic and I contract with it…

“I just need to gather mana. The spirit will handle the magic! Then I don’t need to study!”

I felt a great revelation and accepted the old book I had accidentally picked up.

The librarian asked if I intended to borrow it.

I seized the chance to be lazy with all my diligence.

Drimtri was one of the continent’s strongest kingdoms.

Not as strong as the Central Empire, but its military was formidable, earning it the nickname “Land of Knights.”

True to its reputation, knights were stationed everywhere in the royal palace. The king spent most of his time in the Star Palace, always surrounded by layers of guards.

Two knights guarding the king’s office were the king’s personal guards, a position of high honor in the kingdom. They rarely bowed.

But outside the office, they respectfully bowed to an elderly man.

“Your Majesty, Marquis Lyle has arrived.”

It was a scheduled audience.

Even if it weren’t, Marquis Lyle and King Dikel III of Drimtri were close enough that the audience would not have been difficult.

Soon, the king’s voice granting entry came from inside:

“Let him in.”

His deep, stern voice conveyed the magnitude of Dikel III.

The knights opened the doors on either side, bowed again, and as Marquis Lyle entered, the doors silently closed behind him.

Marquis Lyle bowed to Dikel III.

“I am Lyle Dert, paying my respects, Your Majesty. I hope you have been well.”

Dikel III had a very solemn aura. His dark blue hair swept back and gray eyes made him appear even colder and more rigid.

Marquis Lyle was over seventy, Dikel III in his mid-thirties.

They weren’t friends by age, yet the king welcomed the elder with a friendly gesture.

“Let us put formalities aside and speak comfortably, Dert.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I still have much to learn from you.”

Their relationship was simple: Marquis Lyle had been Dikel III’s tutor during his crown prince days, and he was now the head of the Royal Drike Academy.

Though trusted by the king, Lyle focused solely on scholarship, making him a remarkable figure. The king valued him greatly because in Drimtri, knowledge was scarce.

“You are already an excellent ruler. What could I possibly teach you?”

While Lyle bowed, Dikel III pulled a document from a drawer—an Academy report, always one of his priorities. The Royal Academy trained future leaders of Drimtri.

“You said we need a Department of Spirits in Drike.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Creating a new department is no easy matter. And a Department of Spirits? Unprecedented. Spirit masters are so rare I have no idea how to proceed.”

The king rapped his fingers firmly on the desk, exuding the discipline of Drimtri’s ruler.

“We’ve included the relevant documents.”

“I’ve seen them. Spirit masters follow a different path than mages. Couldn’t this child simply be sent to the magic department? Is it so important that you come in person?”

“Yes.”

“This child seems to be of noble birth?”

“Yes, but from a provincial baronial family, far from central power.”

Dikel III lightly nodded and handed the document to Lyle.

“So this is not a request based on family influence. I see that Jini Crowell is no ordinary child.”

“I believe she is exceptional. Her eyes show maturity beyond her years, fearless and daring. She will be great. Though previously lacking clear ambition, now she seeks her own path. A genius, when determined, achieves great things.”