Chapter 58
Because it was winter, there were no insect sounds in the rear garden. Dry grass crunched under the two people’s feet as they drew closer to the mansion.
“So you can’t become a spiritist?”
“Yeah. Sir Leti poured some of his mana into my body and slowly circulated it earlier, remember? That’s what he did. They say it’s a way of gently stimulating the mana a person naturally has. Some people’s mana starts flowing in response to that stimulus, and some people’s doesn’t.”
Royl listened with interest to Ellen’s words.
“For those whose mana does start flowing, they say they can feel it—like a tingling, or something creeping and sprouting inside their body. That’s what they call ‘sensing mana.’ From then on, they learn how to operate mana, accumulate it, and eventually— with the help of senior spiritists—form contracts with spirits.”
Their cheeks stung as they entered the mansion, perhaps because they had been numbed by the cold outside. Rubbing their itchy cheeks, the two naturally headed upstairs.
“Anyway, Sir Leti put in so much effort trying to help me sense mana, but nothing happened. They say some late-bloomers manage it on the third try, but me? I felt nothing. By the third attempt, it just hurt. Sir Leti thinks I just don’t have the constitution to feel mana at all.”
Ellen’s voice was full of regret. Yet when Royl looked at her face, she didn’t actually look all that disappointed.
“Are you very disappointed?”
“Well, it’d be a lie to say I’m not. I was hopeful. But honestly? Not that much. Somehow it feels like it was never mine to begin with.”
Since her expression was calm, Royl felt relieved.
“Then that’s good. Just being able to see spirits at all is rare enough.”
“Mm. I think so too.”
They stopped in front of Ellen’s room.
“Get some more sleep.”
“You too. And don’t start overthinking things.”
Nodding, Royl opened the door for her.
Ellen stepped inside, then turned back to look at him. Her eyes clearly said, Really, don’t overthink it and just rest. Royl smiled, nodded back, and closed the door.
✿ ✿ ✿
The next day, Ellen returned to the Quinter estate.
Looking out the carriage window, she realized there were far more spirits in the world than she had thought.
So it’s true—Karzel estate had fewer spirits than most places.
On the way back to Quinter, she saw not only little fairy-like sylphs with wings, but also gnome-like figures that looked like tiny old men.
The carriage slowed as it passed through a narrow alley.
Oh, a sylph and a gnome. Hm, is that an undine? Probably? Casa was supposed to be a bird-shaped flame, so…
Resting her chin on her hand against the window frame, Ellen gazed at the spirits outside. The path she had traveled countless times suddenly looked brand new with spirits in view.
Just then, she locked eyes with what seemed to be an undine. Silence hung between them.
“…Hello?”
She greeted awkwardly. The spirit widened its eyes in surprise, then quickly darted away, hiding atop the carriage roof.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Nesh, doesn’t it look like I startled it?”
Ellen scratched her cheek. Nesh, sprawled indifferently beside her, clearly couldn’t see the spirit.
Moments later, the spirit peeked down from the roof, blue hair tumbling upside down. It looked so cute that Ellen couldn’t help but grin.
“Hello again?”
The spirit blinked its wide eyes before speaking:
[You can see me?]
“Of course. Why else would I greet you? You’re an undine, right?”
The undine, still hanging upside down, nodded a couple of times. After staring at her curiously, it flitted away.
“Do undines just tend to be shy? Or is every spirit’s personality different?”
As Ellen pondered, a swarm-like mass suddenly shot toward the carriage.
Wh-what the—?
Startled, she fumbled to close the window, but her panicked hands only made her clumsier.
The swarm reached the carriage. Just as Ellen froze—
“Spirits…?”
Up close, they weren’t insects at all. They were sylphs and undines. There weren’t actually that many—perhaps ten in total—but since they were much larger than insects, they had looked like a buzzing swarm.
“Good grief, scared me for nothing.”
Ellen lowered her hands and watched them instead. The spirits slowed and hovered by the window, peering at her with curiosity.
“Casa?”
Amidst them was a small flame shaped like a bird. Half-convinced it was Casa, Ellen whispered the name. The little flame perched gently on the window sill.
[So it’s true?]
Ellen had imagined Casa’s voice might sound squawky, but instead it was the voice of a young boy.
A few sylphs and undines perched nearby. One undine even sat atop Casa’s head—water and fire together in one strange but amusing scene.
[You can see all of us?]
[How many spirits are around here right now?]
[You really can see us even though you don’t have mana?]
[I told you before—sometimes, once in a blue moon, there’s a human who can talk to us without being a spiritist.]
[Well, once in a blue moon, but I’ve never seen one in my life!]
[Hey, hey. Quiet. You can argue later. Let’s talk to the human first.]
[Right. Human, if you can hear us, answer.]
“Lady Elenoa, we’ve arrived.”
Just as Ellen was about to reply, the carriage stopped. The coachman knocked and opened the door. This was the carriage Royl had lent her for comfort. As soon as she stepped out, the carriage departed back toward Karzel.
Albert, the butler, greeted her as she entered the mansion—followed by a small crowd of spirits trailing after her.
So our estate actually has quite a few spirits.
Even just in the lobby, she saw three sylphs. Compared to Karzel’s spiritless lobby, it felt plentiful.
Heading toward the study to greet Gloria, Ellen glanced back—the spirits that had followed her were now mingling with the sylphs already in the lobby.
“Mother, I’m back.”
“Welcome home.”
Gloria took off her glasses as Ellen entered. Studying her mother’s eyes, Ellen asked,
“Are you feeling alright?”
Gloria blinked, then smiled as she realized Ellen’s meaning, rising from her seat.
“I’m fine. And how is Royl?”
“He’s holding up better than I expected. Though maybe he’s just putting on a brave face in front of me.”
They sat across from each other on the sofa.
“Most likely. Make sure you take good care of him.”
“I will. And Mother…”
“What is it?”
Should she say it? It seemed better to. After a brief hesitation, Ellen spoke.
“I can see spirits.”
Gloria froze in shock. Before she could respond, Ellen added,
“But I don’t have spiritist talent. I can’t sense mana.”
“What do you mean? Tell me everything.”
So Ellen explained—how she’d first learned Erica was a spiritist, how Erica had attached sylphs to her, how she began to see gnomes while reading ‘Memories of a Place’ with Royl and Erica, and how Sir Leti had tried to help her sense mana.
“I felt nothing but pain. They said I don’t have the constitution to be a spiritist.”
“You must have been disappointed.”
Gloria gently stroked her daughter’s cheek.
“Not too badly. It’s alright. Just being able to see spirits feels like a gift. Though Sir Leti warned me it might not always be good.”
Gloria paused, then asked carefully,
“Have you spoken to the spirits since then?”
“Yes. While reading ‘Memories of a Place’ with the gnome and sylph, and again on the way home in the carriage…”
Ellen trailed off, suddenly worried she’d done something wrong, and glanced at her mother.
Is there some law against non-spiritists interacting with spirits…?
But Gloria didn’t seem angry.
“Hm. It may be troublesome. But it’s something you’ll have to handle. You’ll adapt soon enough. For now, go rest. From tomorrow you’ll need to resume training and duties. Quinter has decided to join the war against the Nomad tribes—there will be much to do.”
“Father agreed, then. Alright. I’ll rest only for today.”
Puzzled by her mother’s “troublesome” comment, Ellen held back her questions, bowed, and left.
In the study’s fireplace, two Casas were fussing at each other as if grooming nonexistent fur.
They don’t even have fur…
Amused, Ellen stepped out of the study.
As Ellen carried Nesh back to her room, she realized a crowd of spirits was trailing behind her like pets.
Feels like I suddenly have a bunch of new pets.
She acknowledged a maid’s greeting in the corridor and carefully observed her—just as she thought, no one else could see the spirits.
Trying to ignore them, Ellen entered her room. Immediately, voices burst forth:
[Human, why didn’t you answer us?]
[We waited politely while you talked to the other human.]
[Right, now you have to reply to us!]
[You can hear us, can’t you?]
[Since when? Just a few days ago you couldn’t see us.]
[Have you been pretending not to notice us all this time?]
There were even more spirits than she’d seen in the carriage. From their chatter, it seemed the resident Quinter spirits had joined in too.
“Yes, I can hear you all. And no, I’ve only been able to see you for a few days. I wasn’t pretending.”
[She can hear us, she can!]
[Amazing!]
[This is incredible.]
[I’ve never met a human like you!]
[Me neither!]
They were like excitable children, each repeating similar remarks just to have their say.
So noisy…
Now she understood why both Sir Leti and her mother had warned her it wouldn’t always be good—that it would be tiring.
Am I really going to have to listen to this noise for the rest of my life?
Ellen’s face went pale.
