Chapter 124 : Chapter 124
Chapter 124. The Lost One (2)
Make a contract?
Radel frowned.
Was there anyone else here who would ask for a contract besides a demon?
‘I will absolutely ignore it.’
Radel pretended not to hear and continued to focus on sensing mana.
There was nothing felt yet, but he couldn't give up.
Then the unfamiliar voice spoke again.
- It would be better to make a contract with me. Otherwise, you won't be able to get out of here.
Just then, the sound of the demons searching for Radel approaching was heard.
“It is nearby. It is around here.”
“How come a fresh human soul is here?”
“Probably some stupid demon missed it.”
But Radel was not shaken at all.
He had just seen what happens when contracting with a demon, would he be crazy to make a contract?
‘I feel it.’
Although very faint, he felt the flow of mana.
It seemed possible to sense mana even in a state of consciousness.
Radel, grabbing the end of the mana that wavered like a very frail thread, drew a magic circle on the floor.
“What will you do when you catch the guy?”
“Kukuk, I want to make soul wine.”
“Since it happens to be a soul not bound by a contract, it must be very fresh!”
The presence of the demons came closer.
Then the unfamiliar voice spoke to Radel once more.
- What are you doing now? There is a sound of those guys approaching.
Whether it was just a feeling or not, the voice ringing in Radel’s ears sounded increasingly anxious.
Whether it did or not, Radel didn't budge.
Because he was focusing all his mind on drawing the magic circle.
Paaa!
Although it was a very small amount of mana, the form of the magic circle was taking shape.
- I said let's make a contract with me? I can help you get out of here!
The voice urged Radel again.
However, Radel only found it annoying.
“I'm not buying, not buying.”
Radel waved his hand as if shooing away a gnat buzzing in his ear.
- How dare, how dare you, do you know who I am!
It was a moment when anger mixed in the voice, perhaps hurt by that appearance.
“It is here! It is a human!”
“You finally found it. Hehe!”
The demons eventually discovered Radel.
They tore their mouths wide open and rushed at Radel.
Paaat!
And at the same time, the magic circle was completed.
As soon as the magic circle was completed, Radel quickly stepped onto it.
The rushing demons and the unfamiliar voice swirled around and disappeared into the distance.
- What kind of guy is this……!
* * *
When Radel regained consciousness again, the blue sky was welcoming him.
“……I lived.”
Moving his hands, it seemed he was still in a soul state.
Anyway, transparent beings that looked like wind spirits were flying in the sky.
It was unmistakably the spirit world.
Radel lay down for a moment and enjoyed the peace.
And he looked back on the reason he went to the Demon World.
“Why did I fall into the Demon World instead of the spirit world?”
There was no problem with the magic circle.
The fact that the magic circle drawn hurriedly in the Demon World worked normally was proof of that.
Then there was only one answer.
There must have been some kind of interference.
‘Probably because of the black key.’
The black key that Radel’s body possessed.
Since he went up on the magic circle with the key sealing the demon, it seemed he was affected somehow.
Then that unfamiliar voice asking to contract with him must have been a demon too.
The words written in Hayden’s diary came to mind.
“Did he say not to believe the words of a demon.”
As expected, it seemed demons appeared in desperate moments and tempted people.
The ancestor's words were not wrong.
Ignoring was the correct answer.
Thinking he handled it well, Radel slowly looked around the spirit world.
Wind spirits flew in the transparently blue sky, and earth spirits looking like clumps of soil rolled on the ground.
Water spirits were floating by the lakeside.
- It is humans!
- It is Academy students. They are still young humans!
He could also hear the voices of spirits that couldn't be heard in reality.
Academy students who crossed over as souls were also seen one by one.
- Look at that human!
- Looks stupid, kyaa!
The spirits pointed at Academy students and laughed.
When Radel looked there, he saw a friend dancing a courtship dance following a spirit.
The spirit chosen by him was doing its best to avoid him.
- It is coming this way, run away!
- Run away!
As he approached while dancing, the water spirits became waves and disappeared into the lake.
“You were here, Prince. This is embarrassing.”
Radel recognized the friend who was dancing.
He was one of the big friends taking mana training with him.
“I am trying hard, but the spirits won't open their hearts. My skills must be lacking. Keuk!”
If this friend had a problem, it was that he lacked confidence a bit.
Radel patted the friend's large back.
“You are good at magic too, what is the worry. If you try hard, they will recognize your heart. Let’s have confidence.”
“Keup, thank you for the encouragement.”
Actually, he wondered if it would be better to stop the courtship dance, but since there might be a spirit who liked that kind of dance, hasty judgment was forbidden.
The big friend who received Radel’s encouragement left while dancing again.
Radel also set out to look for a spirit worth contracting with.
However, the spirits only observed Radel from afar and did not try to come close.
“The spirits must be a bit shy.”
Radel guessed the spirits' personalities and moved his steps.
Like that friend earlier, spirits seemed not to approach people easily.
However, that was Radel’s misunderstanding.
“Don't come! Stop following me!”
A familiar voice was heard from somewhere.
When Radel turned his gaze there, hot heat was felt.
At first, he thought a ball of fire was walking, but it was Inette surrounded by fire spirits.
- Why? You don't like us?
- We feel a familiar energy from you!
- Let’s make a contract with us!
Fire spirits appearing from nowhere kept hovering around Inette.
Inette couldn't bear it and screamed.
“I want to contract with a different spirit!”
There are people whom not a single spirit approaches, but what kind of spoiled talk is that.
Radel ended up clicking his tongue.
- We like you!
- Let’s set fire to the human world together!
Inette shuddered and ran forward.
“What are you saying? You guys are somewhat strange!”
Seeing the fire spirits chasing after her, suddenly the image of Inette avoiding followers overlapped.
Do the beings following Inette all have that kind of personality.
Radel had doubts and headed to another place.
Walking a little further, this time Gusto appeared.
It was so bright there as if a bright lamp was turned on that he couldn't miss it.
- Good energy is felt from you!
- Let’s make a contract with us!
Near Gusto, light spirits were gathered.
Even though Gusto didn't do anything particularly, the light spirits hovered around Gusto and spoke to him.
- Why is there no answer!
- We said let's make a contract with us!
Even when Gusto delayed answering, they urged him to make a contract with them.
Gusto seemed troubled as if he hadn't expected this situation.
Is this spirit affinity…… something like that?
At this point, Radel had to admit reality.
The fact that probably only demons asked him to contract first.
Still, he couldn't give up.
Contracting with a spirit was essential to successfully complete the final exam.
If the spirits don't approach, he can just go and talk to them directly!
Fortunately, the spirit world was very vast.
It was vast enough for Radel to harbor hope.
“Somewhere there must be at least one spirit showing interest in me.”
Radel didn't let go of the string of hope and moved his steps toward another place.
And he discovered Leon sitting arrogantly in the forest.
“……What is that?”
Is this really the spirit world?
Radel doubted his eyes.
Earth spirits, wind spirits, water spirits, fire spirits, and even unknown spirits.
Numerous spirits were lined up in a row in front of Leon.
- I am a fire spirit, I set fires really well!
- I am a water spirit. If you contract with me, I will really do my best to handle water!
It’s not like holding an interview or anything, what on earth is this……?
As Radel watched, Leon nodded his head in a very arrogant posture and said this.
“Next.”
Something that couldn't happen to Radel was happening here.
It was truly an absurd world.
* * *
Time was up.
Professor Marianne checked the position of the shadow and looked around the students.
Now it was time to wake them up.
Staying in the spirit world too long wasn't good either.
Because the connection between the soul and the body could become blurred.
“I wonder how many contracted with spirits this year.”
Professor Marianne wrapped mana around her hands and clapped.
Clap!
Mana bloomed from her hands and spread around the students.
The first-year students felt the refreshing wave of mana and regained consciousness.
The bodies that had been away from the souls for a moment blinked slowly.
“If your consciousness has returned, raise your right hand.”
At Professor Marianne’s words, the students raised their right hands.
Marianne approached the students who hadn't returned yet directly and called their consciousness from the spirit world.
“Those who succeeded in contracting, please try summoning the spirit.”
This year's first-year students had relatively high spirit affinity.
Professor Marianne expected that quite a lot of students succeeded in contracting with spirits.
Inette summoned a spirit with a tearful face.
“Spirit Summon!”
Then a fire spirit appeared burning vigorously from Inette’s hand.
She tried to contract with a different spirit until the end, but eventually had to contract with a fire spirit.
Because the only spirits approaching her were fire spirits.
“Why do only fire spirits approach…….”
Other students were the same.
Gusto summoned a light spirit, and Tunia summoned a dark spirit.
It was as Professor Marianne expected.
Since most were students with excellent spirit affinity, they found spirits matching them and completed the contract safely.
Of course, there was an exceptional student among them.
Leon summoned all four element spirits.
“As expected of Prince Leon! You contracted with all spirits!”
“It is truly touching!”
Leon's followers made a fuss next to Leon who summoned the spirits.
“All spirits? It is only the four elements. It is not amazing.”
Leon spoke coldly, but Professor Marianne could see clearly how he was in the spirit world.
Since spirits were beings born from mana, they were bound to be attracted to people with high magic power.
Leon’s spirit affinity was on the high side too, but above all, the spirits must have requested a contract on their own because of his magic power.
Now there was only one person who didn't summon a spirit.
The 1st-year representative, Radel, who opened his eyes belatedly.
As soon as Radel opened his eyes, he clenched and opened his hand to check if his body moved properly.
And he sighed in relief.
He was anxious that he might have flown to the Demon World again.
But when he came to his senses, everyone was looking at him, and they all had summoned one spirit each by their side.
“Don't tell me…… everyone contracted with a spirit?”
Radel’s expression turned to bewilderment.
It was true.
Radel still hadn't contracted with any spirit.