With my arms crossed, I stood there, wearing a sly grin, and mocked Victor. What do you think you’ll say?”
“I’ll pay you back, really. When I join the Mercenary Guild, they’ll make me an S-rank. I’ll be making tens of millions of marks a month, so I’ll pay you regularly.”
“A former imperial knight joining the Mercenary Guild? Are you out of your mind? Stop being stubborn and get up. Go home. Promise me to stay there peacefully.”
“No, I won’t.”
“Since when did my big brother turn into a three-year-old? Why are you like this?”
“You’re really patient, you know that? You’ve endured living under the same roof as Father and Brother and being used by the crown prince.”
As Victor’s expression darkened, I continued without holding back the words I had prepared, “Let me make it clear; he’s never used me. I started helping because I wanted to, and I’ve been kept safe all this time without any risks.”
“…”
“Remember the time I almost got kidnapped in Lubon? It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t fallen for the 2nd Prince’s tricks and brought them to me.”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry, but…” Victor didn’t back down. “My concern is that the crown prince, who knows your secret, will continue to seek your assistance, not just this time.” He whispered, “You’ve studied hard, right? Do you know how our ancestor, who also had the same spirit as you, survived?”“Brother…”
“From the beginning, they made complicated distinctions among the spirits in the altar because of the power of your spirit.” Victor, who had stepped away from me, added firmly, “Don’t get involved with the imperial family. If they come looking for you and beg for your help, I’ll chase them away, even if they’re persistent. Understand that it’s all for your sake.”
He turned his head as if he didn’t want to say more.
Victor’s stubbornness was frustrating, but I wasn’t angry. I just sighed. It was all because he was worried about me…
‘And he doesn’t seem to hesitate to mention Wishit anymore, does he?’
I wondered what guesses he had made and what price he had paid to conclude that my spirit was Wishit, considering he had only seen my diary.
In the end, I rose to my feet with a sigh.
“Get up. Let’s go home.”
But then Victor silently gripped my arm, his strength so overwhelming that I couldn’t take a step.
With a sigh, I chuckled and said, “Not Dad’s house, my place.”
“What?”
“I’ll let you, a pitiful runaway teenager, stay at my place. You just have to pay a rent.”
I grabbed Victor’s hand, which seemed to ask what I was saying, and dragged him out. Then, I spoke to the servant waiting outside, “Take us to 1007 Thorson Street.”
***
Outskirts of the capital.
1007 Thorson Street.
“…” Victor’s mouth hung open as he gazed up at the opulent three-story mansion I had purchased.
The butler, who had been clearing the snow in the front yard, hastily greeted me, “Princess? You didn’t give us any notice of your arrival. I let the servants go early today, thinking you wouldn’t be coming…”
I gently closed Victor’s gaping mouth and said, “It’s okay. Today we just need to get some rest.”
The butler nodded, greeted Victor, took charge of our belongings, and led us inside. “Well then, please come in. We always clean the rooms, so you shouldn’t find it too uncomfortable.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s a bit early for dinner. Would you like us to prepare some light snacks?”
“Yes, please do that. And you can see that my brother is quite big, right? He needs a hearty meal, so please let the kitchen know to focus on meat for dinner.”
“Of course, certainly.”
As I chatted with the butler while entering the house, I suddenly noticed Victor trailing behind me slowly. He had initially come out with determination, but now he wore an expression of awe, realizing he was in his younger sister’s modest room.
“What are you doing? Don’t dawdle.”
“Uh… right.”
Victor, who was scratching his nose, averted his gaze and walked hesitantly.
In the room the butler had shown him, I sat on the bed and began to inquire, “How did you find out that I’m a summoner?”
“Do you think I’m a fool? Believing that absurd lie about seeing the future in a dream?”
“Okay, I get it. Let’s say you didn’t believe it. But the way you talk and the fact that you say my spirit is Wishit…” I stood up, approached the tense Victor, and added, “You seem not just to suspect but be convinced that I’m Wishit’s summoner. Can you tell me why you’re so sure? I’d like to hear the reason behind your confidence.”
I urged the silent Victor for an answer, “You’re not going to pay your rent?”
“Uh…”
I raised my hand above Victor’s injured side, where he had flinched, with his eyes tightly closed.
“It’s not that you didn’t summon your spirit. You just couldn’t.”
“…”
“Did you force the secret out of your spirit?”
“…”
“Pay up!”
“…Alright. I asked.”
“Wow, you’re really out of your mind. Haven’t you thought about the consequences? Did you not have a plan? What were you trying to achieve by prying into my secret?” Having my suspicions confirmed made my anger surge. “If you had doubts, you should have just doubted, why did you do that!?”
Victor had almost died. Fortunately, he had taken the path of living at the crossroads of life and death, but it was a wound that could have gone wrong with a small mistake.
Without the protection of the spirit, there would be a greater risk of danger in the future…
“You didn’t plan to say it with your own mouth, right? But I had suspicions, and I needed to be sure why you’ve become so close to the crown prince and why the 2nd Prince keeps targeting you.”
“What if you know?”
“I’m relieved that I know. You would never willingly escape from the crown prince’s clutches. If that guy talks about the empire’s future and justice, you’ll keep helping him like a fool. I can’t stand to see that.”
“Ha.”
“Don’t be fooled just because he looks kind. You hid the fact that you’re a summoner so stubbornly. You didn’t even confide in me, your own brother. What does that mean?”
“…”
“You wanted to keep it all to yourself.”
“Oh, I see.” What mattered most to Victor was my safety and freedom. That may be why, in a situation where we couldn’t communicate at all, I had come to a realization and nodded. “I have to admit, I made a mistake. I deliberately hid everything from you because of your personality, thinking it was just for you. But I was wrong. Even if nobody else knew, you should have known.”
Revealing everything might have been the key to stopping Victor’s outburst.
“Listen well.” I readily admitted my mistake and continued, “Why do you think I would hide the fact that I’m a summoner; even if it were painful for me to be treated like an incapable person with no spirit my whole life?”
“Why?”
“Because at the altar, they classify some spirits as dangerous beings. They strongly advise against making contracts.” I turned around and sat back on the bed as I spoke, “All of them have incredible abilities, but none ever make contracts. No one in the empire has contracted with a dangerous spirit.”
“But why did you?”
“Listen carefully. Doesn’t it seem a bit strange? Human greed isn’t that light. Does the altar’s control work that well?”
For a moment, Victor’s forehead furrowed. It was a look that detected something ominous.
“It’s not that no summoners contracted with dangerous spirits.”
“…”
“Even if they did, they all died.”
“What?”
“Brother, you must have heard stories like that during your history studies, right? People who were entranced by the beauty of the Fountain of Spirits and chose to stay there, never returning to reality and living trapped there. You’ve heard stories like that, right?” I laughed at the shocked Victor, adding, “It’s all lies. In reality, they’re all people who made contracts with dangerous spirits and ended up trapped in the sealing stones at the altar.”
“Wh-what?”
“Surprising, isn’t it? You couldn’t have known. It seems like there are only three people who know.”
I held up three fingers. “The Head Altar, the emperor, and the crown prince.”
“…”
“Do you think I’d be so kind, helping the crown prince for the sake of justice? What a joke.”
“…”
“Brother, I just went to the crown prince to guarantee my own survival. It was all for negotiating to ensure my own life.” I stood up again and approached Victor. “Why do you think the crown prince, just like you, stubbornly kept my secret? Was it to use me selfishly like a greedy person?”
“Ha…” Victor couldn’t respond.
“No, that person is desperately trying to protect my safety and ensure that the secret doesn’t leak anywhere.”
“Hey.” Victor, with a fearful expression, held onto my shoulders. “Don’t you know about your incredible spirit abilities? No one can touch you. With your abilities, you don’t need to sit quietly and be sealed-“
“Yeah, you might think that way. But why do you think I went to such lengths to hide everything and grab the crown prince’s lifeline, Brother?” I said with a regretful expression, “That power isn’t free. It can’t guarantee my life in any situation. I’ve left at least the minimum chance to ensure my survival, but nothing more.” Victor’s grip on my shoulders loosened. “There are limitations to wishes, so in the first place, the crown prince doesn’t even have a chance to use me. I’m pretty powerless—a plum tree that bears no fruit!”
“…”
“But even so, he’s willing to go against the imperial rules to protect me. I hope you’ll apologize when you meet him next time. Understand?”
Victor, who had been silent with a confused expression, suddenly turned pale. “Damn it. Dad and Brother—”
“Wait.” I grabbed Victor’s arm as he seemed ready to rush out of the room. “They know?”
“I…”
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s okay. His Highness must have skillfully handled it, and they’re not the type to make a fuss for no reason. What worries me the most is…” I smiled mischievously and poked Victor’s chest. “You, Brother.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“Sure, I guess that’s how it is.”
Now that Victor knew that his sister’s life was at stake, he wouldn’t reveal my secret even if a knife were at his throat.
‘I should have done it this way from the beginning. Tsk.’
I sighed and continued, “I’ve said everything I can. Now, let’s try to deal with your current state, unable to summon your spirit. What did you hear when you forcefully opened the spirit’s mouth? Can you tell me exactly?” I added, hoping it wouldn’t be the case, “You didn’t happen to hear that my spirit is Wishit, did you?”
Victor stared at me intently. The weight of taboos varies from person to person, so I wasn’t sure. However…
‘If he made the spirit reveal Wishit’s name, then…’
It would be irreversible. If he had broken that level of taboo, Victor would likely never be a summoner again in his lifetime.
I anxiously waited for Victor’s mouth to open.
***
The realm of the spirits, the Fountain of Spirits.
This kingdom of spirits, which could easily be called paradise, had an ominous atmosphere these days, despite its beautiful appearance.
“Boulder had an accident.”
“An accident, an accident.”
Two rabbit-like spirits hopped around, chattering.
“…”
Boulder, who had returned to the Fountain of Spirits with his connection to his contractee severed, was in a frantic search for someone.
Thud, thud. With each heavy step, the ground trembled. The small and young lesser spirits were worried about him.
Then, Boulder’s steps came to a halt as a robust tree at the heart of the Fountain of Spirits shook with a booming voice: “You brat!!!”
“Wilkin.”
The seemingly ordinary tree trunk contorted, and then the face of a furious woman emerged.
The spirit living with roots that would never be pulled from the Fountain of Spirits was named “Wilkin”. She used to be a spirit that heard the sounds of the entire world in the beginning, but when Diollus I established rules for the spirit world, she became the “Guardian of Order” in this place.
“Eek! You wretched scoundrel!” Wilkin expressed her frustration.
The lesser spirits around her chattered and pointed at the inscribed letters on Wilkin’s tree trunk.
<Troublemaker>
Pose
Boulder
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