Chapter 35
Vivian, unaware of anything unusual, flipped to the next page of the book.
There are six kinds of spirits: water, fire, earth, wind, light, and darkness.
Among them, spirits of light and darkness are relatively rare compared to the others.
Especially the spirits of darkness, which only respond to those of mixed demon blood. Since humans have recently turned hostile toward demons, sightings of dark spirits have become even rarer.
Perhaps it only seems rarer because half-demons, conscious of the negative perception, have begun hiding the fact that they can summon dark spirits… (and so on)…
It was said that up until about 200 years ago, humans and demons, while not exactly friendly, at least had some exchanges.
But the mixed offspring from those unions had their demon blood diluted over generations, and as a result, it became difficult in this era to encounter spirits of darkness.
“Forget all this! Just tell me how one becomes a spirit master!”
Eyes shining with curiosity, Vivian flipped eagerly to the next page.
There is only one condition to becoming a spirit master.
To be chosen by a spirit.
There is no specific method for being chosen. If one possesses mana that appeals to a spirit, then the spirit may appear.
In other words, it’s not something you can achieve just because you want to.
Some people encounter a spirit in life-threatening situations, others simply wake up one morning to find a spirit by their side.
And then there are those who, no matter how much effort they put in, never meet one in their entire lives.
So don’t go doing stupid things, risking your life, just to force an encounter.
…That last line sounded a little too much like it was directed at her.
Feeling oddly guilty, Vivian checked the extra tip written at the bottom of the page.
As a piece of advice, it is said that spirits often appear in places related to their element.
“Oh-ho.”
Just then, Vivian’s eyes fell on a lamp in front of her. It wasn’t lit since it was daytime.
“Shall I give it a try?”
She struck a flame and lit the lamp.
Before Rachel could even ask what she was doing, Vivian stretched out her hand toward the lamp.
“Appear, spirit of fire! Hiyaaaah!”
She shouted a strange incantation.
Vivian gazed at the lamp with anticipation, while Rachel watched with an uneasy look.
“…No reaction?”
The lamp stayed completely silent.
No matter how many times Vivian tried again, the result was the same.
“Tch, so it’s not the fire spirit.”
At that moment, as Vivian slumped in disappointment after repeated failures, a warm breeze brushed past her silky hair.
“Wind…?”
She turned toward it and saw the estate’s garden through the open window.
The fountain, the trees, the gently swaying breeze—
Vivian’s face instantly brightened.
She leapt to her feet as though she’d never been sulking at all.
“Rachel, let’s go out to the garden!”
“The garden? …Ah.”
Rachel pressed her lips together as she watched Vivian run off with enthusiasm.
If Vivian truly became a spirit master, she would no longer need to hold Rachel’s hand.
Just by sharing her mana with a spirit, her illness could be eased.
Of course, Rachel knew that even if Vivian gained control over her overflowing mana, she wouldn’t abandon him.
Even before he had realized that his condition helped ease her symptoms, she had already declared she would stand by his side.
But still…
“Wouldn’t there be fewer chances for us to naturally hold hands, like we do now?”
If Vivian’s sickness improved without his help, it would certainly be something to celebrate.
Yet, Rachel’s hand twitched faintly, missing the gentle warmth that usually rested within it.
His hand suddenly felt strangely empty.
By the time evening rolled around, the sun was already sinking low.
As night fell and the blazing heat of the day waned, a refreshing breeze swept through the air.
While waiting for Rachel out in front of the mansion, Vivian noticed the nearby fountain and reached her hand toward it.
“Hiyaaaah!”
Since that day, she had been trying every chance she got to summon a spirit—
In the shady garden, by breezy windows, in the bath while soaking, even before bedtime in front of the lamp.
But…
“…Tch.”
She hadn’t seen the slightest trace of a spirit.
Not even up to the day the festival began.
“Hmm, maybe I really do need to be in danger?”
But she didn’t have the guts to deliberately put herself in such a situation.
After all, she was living her second life—she valued it too much.
Instead, she decided she would ask her father’s permission to go with Rachel into the western forest once he returned.
If she only felt the calling from that forest, it probably meant she could only encounter a spirit there.
“I hope Daddy comes back soon.”
As she soothed her disappointment with that thought, Rachel came outside.
“Vivian.”
He had just finished his magic training, dressed in plain clothes like her so as not to attract attention, ready to head to the festival.
And alongside him…
“His Grace asked me to take good care of you and Rachel while he’s away,” said the nanny.
“So, I’ll be accompanying you to the festival tonight. That’s all right, isn’t it, Vivian?”
Vivian eyed her with a reluctant look.
Since the memorial of Rachel’s mother, the nanny no longer displayed open hostility toward her.
“Though Sally still glares at me like she wants to eat me alive.”
Even Sally no longer bullied her outright or schemed against her as she once had.
Still, that didn’t mean Vivian had forgotten the open animosity they had once shown. She still felt uncomfortable around the nanny and Sally both.
“But I don’t have any excuse to stop her from coming. She is Rachel’s nanny, after all. And the more guardians, the safer it is.”
So Vivian swallowed her discomfort.
She deliberately forced a bright smile.
“Of course. But isn’t Sally coming with us? It would be nice if she joined too.”
“Sally isn’t feeling well. She said she wanted to rest at home.”
Vivian tilted her head.
“Strange. I just saw her glaring daggers at me earlier.”
But it wasn’t unusual for Sally, out of pride, to keep away from her and Rachel.
And Vivian had only asked out of politeness anyway, so she didn’t press the lie.
“Ah, I see.”
“Shall we go then, Young Miss?”
So, with the nanny in tow, they climbed into the carriage and headed toward the village.
By the time they arrived, the sun had completely set and night had taken over.
But since the summer festival was meant for hot days, the main festivities always began at night, when it was cooler.
As such, the crowds were even denser than during the day.
The village was overflowing with merchants, locals, and even travelers who had come from afar to enjoy the festival.
“It does seem more crowded than last year…”
But who was Vivian?
She might not have been born here, but she’d spent half her life as the ringleader of the back alleys in this town!
Of course she knew the festival routes by heart.
“All right then, shall we start enjoying the festival in earnest?”
Confidently, Vivian pulled Rachel along by the hand.
They wandered through the streets, watching street performers, vendors, and people in costumes of demons and ghosts.
At first, Rachel seemed tense, overwhelmed by the bustling crowds, but little by little he relaxed, swept up by the lively atmosphere.
Before long, something caught both of their eyes—a dart game stand.
If you scored above a certain threshold by throwing darts, you could win a prize.
Among the prizes were stuffed dolls.
The cuteness of them lit a competitive fire in Vivian’s heart.
“Rachel, let’s try that one!”
But despite her bold enthusiasm, her darts missed the target one after another… sniff sniff.
“I did better when I played with Dad!”
In the end, she wasted all her darts without reaching the required score, retreating in dejection.
Next, it was Rachel’s turn.
After lightly testing his wrist with a flicking motion, he picked up a dart and threw.
It landed squarely in the dead center of the dartboard.
Not only Vivian, but even the vendor running the game widened his eyes in shock.
“That wasn’t the wrist of a ten-year-old…”
Yet Rachel, who had just nailed a perfect score, threw the next dart with the same calm expression.
This one landed directly beside the first.
“Could Rachel be a dart genius?”
Vivian gaped in astonishment, speechless, while Rachel picked up the next dart and asked,
“Vivian, isn’t that doll the one you wanted?”
