Chapter 22
The glowing mass avoided her gaze.
It had no eyes, nose, or mouth, yet Sienna could clearly feel it.
—Uh……
“Huh?”
—Um……
“Um?”
—It’s… a bit complicated.
“Complicated?”
—Should I say I’m the gaseous layer surrounding this world?
Not water, not fire, not earth, not wind. Not light, not darkness.
“So you’re saying you’re the atmosphere? An atmospheric spirit?”
—Yes. That’s the closest explanation.
“If it’s right, it’s right, and if it’s wrong, it’s wrong. What do you mean ‘closest’?”
—You really don’t understand. Spirits can’t be summed up in a single word.
For some reason, the spirit launched into an explanation no one had asked for.
—Humans don’t truly understand us to begin with. You name us however it suits you, and think of us however it’s convenient.
“So basically, you’re not a water or fire spirit like the ones I know.”
—I’m far more complex and magnificent than those guys!
The spirit snapped defensively, though its voice remained emotionless.
Sienna soothed it calmly.
“Wow, really? Sorry I didn’t realize.”
—Well… it’s fine.
“By the way, do you have a name? I’m Sienna.”
—I don’t have one yet.
“Really? Then I’ll just call you Bell for convenience.”
Well, it did come out of Stern’s Bell.
She named it on the spot.
—What?! That’s way too rustic! It doesn’t suit my greatness at all!
How picky.
“It’s just for convenience. You don’t like it?”
—If it’s Master’s request… I suppose.
The glowing mass—no, Bell—sparkled magnanimously.
“I was curious what spirits look like. Do they all look like this?”
—Spirits have no fixed form. We are this world—nature itself. We simply appear differently depending on the thoughts and desires of the one looking at us.
‘This form really looks like…’
Soft. Fluffy. Round.
“Dandelion?”
—Oh? Do you like dandelions?
For the first time, Sienna’s voice brightened.
“Yeah. I like them.”
What filled her mind now was a large, precious dandelion.
‘I miss him.’
It had only been a day since they parted.
‘Ah!’
She’d forgotten something she asked Anna to do.
Meeting a spirit was fascinating, but Sienna decided to hurry things along.
She picked up Stern’s Bell from the floor, then paused.
“By the way… you came out of this jewel, right?”
—Yes.
“How—or rather, why—were you inside it?”
Everyone believed Stern’s Bell contained the blessing of the god who protected Stern.
To think it housed a spirit instead of a guardian deity.
She felt betrayed in several ways at once.
Bell perked up and began explaining excitedly again.
It clearly liked to talk.
—Think of Stern’s Bell itself as a magic circle. It’s also a passage connecting to the spirit realm. Of course, not just anyone can use it. Only someone at my level.
Naturally, it all ended in self-praise.
Sienna didn’t fully understand how everything worked, but one thing was clear.
“Then back then—twelve years ago—you were the one who made the bell ring?”
—Yes. I played a little prank. I was excited to meet a human whose wavelength matched mine after so long.
“My wavelength matched yours?”
—Perfectly.
“That’s impossible.”
Bell misunderstood her tone and tried to console her.
—That’s why the world is unfair. Some are born with talent. You can be confident, Master.
“Are you saying I have talent as a spirit contractor or something?”
—Hm. You have quite a sharp tongue.
“I can hear you.”
Bell hastily changed the subject.
—Ahem! Anyway, your affinity is extraordinary. Someone as great as me could tell at a glance. With me, you’ll definitely become a magnificent spirit contractor. Though your mana is terrible right now, so you’ll need dawn training—dawn is ideal because—
This one talks way too much.
Bell was already planning Sienna’s life for her.
Seeing no end in sight, she cut in.
“I read this in a book once—spirit contractors need pure souls, right?”
Wasn’t she a bit too corrupted for that?
Scratching her neck, she continued,
“It’s awkward to say this myself, but I like money. My dream is to live lazily. What kind of spirit contractor is that?”
—Yes. I know that very well.
“…And?”
—You’re incredibly, extraordinarily transparent. Your desires are completely visible. I was deeply moved that such a human exists.
“You can interpret it that way, huh.”
Interpretation really is everything.
She decided to ask what she was really curious about.
“So… are you male or female?”
—Spirits don’t have genders. Well, it depends on the spirit, but in any case, we’re different from humans.
“Sorry. That was narrow-minded of me.”
Bell circled her once in admiration.
—You admit mistakes quickly. Truly worthy of being my chosen Master.
“It’s not that big a deal.”
Ha ha ha.
They laughed together.
The atmosphere seemed friendly, lighthearted, pleasant.
But suddenly, Sienna stopped smiling.
The density of the air between them thickened.
“Bell, there’s something that’s been bothering me.”
—What is it, Master?
“Why am I your Master?”
—Huh?
“No—why do I even have to contract with you?”
—W-Well, that’s because—
She smiled gently at the speechless spirit.
“I don’t want to make a contract with you.”
—…What?
Bell thought it had misheard.
Though it had never contracted before, it had seen others do so.
Usually, spirits were the ones choosing.
Too little mana.
Too evil.
Too kind.
Too boring.
Each spirit had its preferences.
Finding a human whose wavelength matched perfectly was nearly impossible.
Bell had waited a very long time.
Uncontracted spirits were restricted.
They couldn’t stay long in the human world, nor use their true power.
Very few humans knew this.
So naturally, Bell assumed this young human would be thrilled.
Being chosen by a spirit—what an honor!
It had praised her, even offered the contract outright.
Yet Sienna showed hostility.
“Bell, I don’t know if this applies to spirits, but having tact is a form of intelligence.”
—What does that—
“Twelve years ago, why did it glow right when I touched it?”
—That was just a prank—
“You said our wavelengths matched. That I impressed you. If you were going to appear so beautifully, you should’ve taken responsibility.”
She didn’t blame Bell entirely for her childhood misery.
Pierre had always been rotten.
But she knew things might’ve been better if the bell hadn’t rung that day.
“You abandoned me. Left me alone.”
A spirit should be stronger than a human child.
“Why did you only show up now?”
If it had appeared just a little earlier—would things have changed?
She couldn’t shake the regret.
But Sienna quickly regained composure.
What was the point?
“Hoo…”
She exhaled deeply.
“Bell, I’m sorry.”
—Huh?
“The person I should be angry at is someone else. I took it out on you because you were easy.”
—…Easy?!
Bell barely reacted—until that word.
“But it’s true you played a part in my misfortune.”
—Uh… I mean—
Bell searched for words.
Maybe “sorry” didn’t exist in a spirit’s dictionary.
But it didn’t matter anymore.
“You remember my request from earlier, right?”
—Not to react to Pierre?
“Our Bell is smart, huh? That’ll settle it. That’s enough for me.”
She alone would know the truth of the so-called guardian god.
That was sufficient.
The start of a small revenge.
“Well then, I’m leaving. Take care.”
—Master!
Sienna turned away without hesitation.
It wasn’t a complete loss.
She’d gained a way to regularly raise Pierre’s blood pressure—and besides—
‘How often do you meet a spirit?’
Worth experiencing once.
Suppressing a belated yawn, she reached for the door.
But Bell was far clingier than expected.
“What are you doing?”
Bell clung tightly to her ankle.
—Once a Master, always a Master!
“When did I ever become your Master? Let go. Let’s part beautifully.”
—I don’t want to! I can’t! Please contract with me!
It was surprisingly strong.
No matter how she struggled, her foot wouldn’t budge.
Exhausted, Sienna finally collapsed to the floor.
“Haa… Fine. I’ll hear you out.”
—Yes! Ask me anything!
Bell’s voice turned gentle instantly.
It was truly desperate.
“If I contract with you, what do I get?”
Sienna’s lips curved upward.
There has to be give and take, right?
A human negotiating with a spirit.
After living thousands of years, the world was still full of surprises.
Bell looked flustered, but quickly recovered and began persuading her.
—Ha! You clearly don’t understand.
“Then explain.”
—Contracting with a spirit is something only a chosen few can do! A tremendous honor! You need innate talent and years of training to become a spirit contractor! Train hard and become great! With me, even world domination is possible!
World domination.
A word no human could resist.
Bell spoke confidently.
But to Sienna, it backfired.
“Wow. That sounds like a huge pain.”
—A-A pain?!
“World domination? Isn’t that ambition a bit much? Are spirits even allowed to want that?”
Weren’t spirits supposed to be pure beings of harmony and balance?
Sienna grew increasingly suspicious.
Bell scolded her instead.
—Spirits have preferences too. Please respect that.
“Nope. This won’t work. Our values are too different.”
She only wanted a peaceful princess life.
‘World domination? Why bother?’
She had less ambition than the dirt under a baby’s toenail.
Getting on Bell’s boat would only send it straight into the mountains.
Still, she was curious.
“Then what’s good about being a spirit contractor?”
—……
“I’m genuinely asking.”
Magic had already replaced the role of spirit contractors.
Spirits were difficult and slow, while magic was convenient.
Even without talent, magic tools let anyone wield fire or power.
And a spirit with no clear affiliation?
Extremely suspicious.
“So what can you do?”
She narrowed her eyes at the now-smaller Bell.
“Don’t tell me—nothing?”
—There’s too much. I’m deciding what to say first.
“Really?”
—Can’t we just make the contract first?
“No.”
—I don’t have much time left!
“Find another human.”
—This time I’ll protect you! Please trust me!
“Hmmm…”
In desperation, Bell tried turning off the lights in the sealed chamber.
Why that would help was unclear, but soon a faint breeze brushed her cheek.
“…Did it work?”
The flames flickered—just slightly.
Silence followed.
—T-That’s not my true power!
“Are you sure you’re a real spirit?”
—You’re quite suspicious.
“It’s a dangerous world.”
—That is true.
‘This kid switches attitudes fast.’
The light shrank until it fit in one hand.
Bell’s anxiety was palpable.
‘It’s kind of pitiful.’
It clearly didn’t want to return to the spirit realm.
Was it bullied there? Or did it have a reason to stay?
‘What should I do…?’
After a moment’s thought, Sienna extended her hand.
‘Well… better two than one.’
It might not be reliable, but she wanted to believe its promise to protect her.
“Haa… Fine. Let’s do it. The contract.”
Bell, still attempting to extinguish candles, froze.
—What?!
“Don’t want to?”
—Of course I do!
“Just to be clear—this won’t harm me, right?”
—Of course not. Spirits are obligated to protect their contractors.
“Really? Can you manage that?”
So weak.
Bell grumbled immediately.
—Once we contract, my true power will awaken!
There it was again.
It sounded more scammy the more she heard it—but it was so weak it hardly seemed dangerous.
“So how do we contract? Do I chant something?”
—Give me a name.
“A name? That’s it?”
—I’m special.
Its self-esteem was astounding.
‘Still better than being pathetic.’
—Now! Hurry!
Sienna hesitated again.
‘A name, huh…’
Naming was surprisingly difficult.
After about fifteen seconds, she spoke.
“Shushu.”
No deep meaning. It just came to her.
And as expected, Bell—no, Shushu—complained.
—Isn’t that too random?
“You said you were in a hurry. Don’t like it?”
—Hm. It’s not bad.
She placed her hand on Stern’s Bell as instructed.
A magic circle rose from the jewel, expanding until it covered the entire floor.
Blue light poured from intricate patterns.
Sienna stared, captivated.
—Master! Hurry!
“Oh—sorry. First contract.”
She focused and called the name.
“Shushu.”
A gentle wind wrapped around her.
—Yes!
“Welcome, Shushu.”
In an instant—
When she opened her eyes, the light and wind were gone.
Instead, a cheerful voice rang out.
—Master!
“Haaam.”
Yawning, Sienna clapped.
She’d known from the start—Shushu was the clingy type.
It tried extinguishing candles again, finally succeeding on the fifth try.
—Did you see? Did you see?!
“Yeah. Impressive. What else can you do?”
—Shushu can do this too!
‘Shushu can…’
It clearly liked its name.
Proudly, it relit the extinguished flame.
“Oh. One try this time.”
Sienna’s eyes sparkled.
“What else?”
—We can communicate silently with our contractor.
She focused and tried connecting.
—Can you hear me?
—Of course!
—Oh! It works. That’s convenient.
—Right?
—Yeah. Perfect for sore throats.
And less risk of looking crazy.
Smiling at the pleased Shushu, Sienna said warmly,
“Let’s get along, Shushu.”
When she left the sealed chamber, it was full morning.
Bright light poured through the large windows.
Sienna paused, eyes closed.
Maybe it was the contract—but something felt different.
Was this… nature?
‘Hm? I hear something…’
Click.
The door opened.
“Why are you here?”
Pierre asked calmly, not surprised at all.
‘He probably knew already.’
Rumors spread fast in the palace.
And Pierre stood at the center of them all.
Sienna opened her eyes slowly—not at him, but at the open doorway.
Arthur stood waiting.
He watched her until the door closed.
She smiled gently at him.
‘Don’t worry, Arthur.’
Too many eyes were watching.
And the king would arrive soon.
Even Pierre couldn’t cause a scene like last time.
Once the door shut completely, Sienna looked straight at Pierre.
—Shushu, keep your eyes open. Priority threat number one reopening.
—He’s nothing special.
—Really? Music to my ears. Think you can do something now?
—Like what?
—Messing up that perfectly styled hair would be fun. He’d lose it.
Pierre tolerated not a single strand out of place.
—Shushu, can you?
—Not with your current mana.
—You said you were amazing!
—Shushu is amazing, but your vessel is too small. Try harder.
That cursed effort again.
—So it’s my fault.
—Exactly.
—Tch. I’m feeling really tired, by the way.
It wasn’t just lack of sleep.
More like something draining out.
—Mana consumption is rapid without a body.
So that was the culprit.
—You should’ve said that sooner!
—You didn’t ask.
—Right. My fault again.
—Ha ha. Correct.
‘So this is what losing mana feels like. I need to get you a body fast.’
At this rate, she’d die before schedule.
“I asked why you’re here.”
“Oh.”
She’d forgotten Pierre was standing there.
He seemed offended that she’d ignored him.
He restrained his anger, mindful of the place.
Looking up, she met his gaze.
In full uniform, he looked even larger.
Pierre knew how to intimidate.
He stood close on purpose.
Seeing her tiny reflection in his blue eyes made her hands shake.
He smirked.
She clenched her fists.
Last night, alone in her room, she’d unconsciously touched her neck.
Every time she closed her eyes, suffocation returned.
She thought she was better.
Fear, once engraved, didn’t fade easily.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Anna’s tears.
Arthur’s sword.
Dan’s gentle hands.
‘I miss him… What’s Dan doing now?’
Lately, every thought ended in dandelions.
She didn’t want to waste time here.
‘I have so much to do.’
She needed to see Dan.
She was going boating today.
Her debut dress awaited her.
‘I won’t die. Not by your hands.’
Pierre’s downfall was coming—no rush.
‘Your ending will be unbearably lonely.’
Forgiveness. Reconciliation.
Those possibilities ended yesterday.
He would pay.
—Master! Time!
—I know.
Her mana was nearly gone.
No reason to stay.
She stepped back, meeting Pierre’s eyes.
“Brother.”
“….”
“Curious? Why I came here? What happened inside?”
She drew out her words, edging toward the door.
Pierre frowned.
It clearly bothered him.
‘Pathetic.’
Too bad—I won’t tell you.
“Keep wondering.”
She laughed lightly and opened the door.
“Well then, I’m off!”
And she didn’t forget to wave cheerfully at Pierre.
