It was, of course, Luck!
‘Or maybe Fate.’
I scanned the letters, my face etched with uncertainty.
**Spirit of Luck**
Human Affinity: ★★★★★
Contract Difficulty: ★★★
Average Attack Power: ★
The Spirit of Luck is the most human-friendly of all spirits. Although invisible to our eyes, they drift alongside us, bestowing blessings upon those they take a liking to. Contracting with one, however, is notoriously difficult; being cautious and shy, they rarely respond to summons. Yet, it is said that once a contract is formed, small ripples of good fortune will follow you for the rest of your life. For instance, you might find a gold coin at least once a month… (omitted)… However, the Spirit of Luck’s attack power is negligible. They avoid combat and despise conflict. But in the rare event that their contractor is in mortal danger, the Spirit of Luck will shift its nature, manifesting as a Spirit of Misfortune.
Having finished reading, I let out a long sigh, my chin resting heavily in my hands.
‘I think that’s likely it… but I only have one chance, so I have to be careful.’
What do these spirits actually look like? Since I’ve never seen a Spirit King in person, my curiosity was piqued.
“Yuppi.”
Checking that Lina wasn’t nearby, I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“You heard all my thoughts, right?”
[Of course. Once you earn the title ‘Beloved of the Kings,’ you will be able to awaken your Spirit Eyes! (o´∀`o)]
The explanation for Spirit Eyes was on the very first page of *The Complete Spirit Encyclopedia*. They were described as eyes capable of seeing the spirits that melt into every corner of the world—things invisible to ordinary people.
[Now, are you going to give me the answer?!]
“No, not yet.”
I wanted to read the rest of the descriptions carefully.
**Spirit of Fate**
Human Affinity: Immeasurable
Contract Difficulty: Immeasurable
Average Attack Power: Immeasurable
The Spirit of Fate is a unique lineage that has never contracted with anyone to date. Whether a Spirit King even exists remains a matter of debate, and their form has never been recorded in history. Unless you look back into lost ancient history, there are no reported cases of any living Spirit Master having contracted with a Spirit of Fate. Therefore, their abilities and personality remain a complete mystery. It is unknown if they are divided into ranks like other spirits. Their existence is confirmed only through oral tradition and myth. If you do happen to contract with a Spirit of Fate, please contact the author. If you contribute to the advancement of academics, I will certainly provide a reward.
– Author, Rotia Lovemerry.
Room of Life-Tenured Professor B-17, National Clavier Academy of General Studies, Clavier City, Mondal.
But it does exist, the Spirit King of Fate. Though I haven’t met them either.
‘I’ll have to send a letter when I eventually become the Beloved of the Kings.’
They helped me, so I want to help them, too!
Anyway, next was the Spirit of Emotion.
**Spirit of Emotion**
Human Affinity: ★★★
Contract Difficulty: ★★★
Average Attack Power: ★★★★★
The Spirit of Emotion is moderate in every aspect. They are fickle and picky, and their abilities fluctuate wildly depending on the emotional state of the Spirit Master—or the spirit themselves. However, if handled correctly, they bring decisive victory. Because they attack by tampering with a person’s emotions, their methods are unpredictable, making them invaluable for clandestine work. The higher the rank, the greater the number of opponents they can influence at once.
As I read, my eyes sparkled at the word ‘victory.’
“So cool.”
Immediately, glittering letters popped up in the air.
[The Spirit King of Emotion ‘■■■’ shrugs their shoulders and looks smug.]
[That’s right, I’m pretty cool. You know, even if there’s an army of one hundred thousand, I can make them go beep—. By making their emotions beep— and forcing them to beep—, the amplified beep-beep- eventually makes them beep— themselves.]
Huh?
[Inappropriate language for a child has been detected. Automatically redacted.]
I was dying to know what they said, but Yuppi blocked it out. Still, I understood perfectly well that they were formidable.
‘So, I’ve read all about the Elemental Spirits now.’
Next was the elemental system. Fire creates flames, while Water handles water and ice with ease. The Earth is in charge of abundance and famine, simultaneously manipulating minerals and plants—which is why the colors of earth spirits differ between mineral and plant types. And then there is Air. Air is translucent, bouncy, and apparently laughs a lot.
“Ugh, it’s confusing.”
Clutching my hair, I turned my eyes to the description of the Elemental Spirits. The crucial one was the Spirit of Air. Maybe the Spirit King whose lineage hasn’t been revealed is Air!
**Spirit of Air**
Human Affinity: ★
Contract Difficulty: ★★★★
Average Attack Power: ★★★★★
The Spirit of Air has the lowest human affinity among the Elemental Spirits. This isn’t because they dislike humans, but because they have no interest in worldly matters. They are free and take immense pride in that freedom. Since air fills every corner of this world, they can go anywhere and exist anywhere. Because that freedom is so precious, they rarely attempt to contract with humans. While the contract difficulty is extreme, a unique feature is that once a contract is formed, they stay with you until the contractor dies. There are few living things in this world that do not need to breathe. Unless one is a Homunculus, a stone or steel golem, or a zombie, one must breathe. Therefore, the Spirit of Air’s attack is terrifying to any living being. Because they can just stop you from breathing.
‘Wow, Air is cool too!’
So, the Spirit King of ◇◇ narrowed down to two possibilities: Luck or Air.
Pouting, I thought deeply before making a decision. I’d guess the answer before Lina came back!
“Yuppi, the Spirit King of ◇◇ is…”
[Ooh, is it finally time for the answer?!]
“Yes. The Spirit King of ◇◇ is… Luck!”
My heart hammered against my ribs. What if I was wrong?
That was when:
[The Spirit King of Luck ‘■■■■■■’ shyly says hello.]
[Nice to meet you. Since you guessed it was me, I’ll give you a gift.]
*Plop!*
A ‘Great Job Stamp’ was engraved on the floating grape board.
I stared at the board with a proud grin, then reminded myself that I had one more chance.
‘Hmm, three possibilities left.’
I spread my small fingers wide and counted: Chaos, Air, Fate.
“Hey, Yuppi. It’s okay if I get it wrong now, right?”
[Yes! You’ve already achieved the quest. You won’t get a reward for guessing correctly, but it’s fine if you get it wrong, too. ₍₍ ◝(・ω・)◟ ⁾⁾]
“Then… then the Spirit King of ○○ is Fate!”
[Wrong!]
*Thud!*
I felt a sting of disappointment as Yuppi’s answer came back in less than a second.
*Waaaah*, I guess it’s Air!
[Come now, let’s aim for the next chance.]
Still, it was good that the Spirit King of Luck was no longer a mystery. We felt much closer now!
[Anyway, the important thing is that you already have three Great Job Stamps. From now on, you can trade them for items from Eden. (*˘︶˘*)]
“But wait, Yuppi. What is Eden?”
That wasn’t in *The Complete Spirit Encyclopedia*, either. I was always curious whenever they mentioned it. I always forgot to ask, but not today! Hehe.
[Oh, I haven’t explained that yet. Eden is… to put it simply, the Spirit Realm. It is the place where spirits are born.]
“Aha.”
[Even if things are common in Eden, many have a huge impact on the human world. Please think carefully and be responsible when trading and using them!]
“Un. I will.”
I nodded, feeling very serious.
The cheering butter and the orca sugar—they all had amazing effects. I knew I couldn’t use them carelessly.
[Then, shall we put our palms to our lips, make a *chu* sound, and shout ‘Eden Store’ energetically? *Ppu-ppu!* ٩( ᐛ )و]
Fortunately, kissing was something we did often at the daycare.
I confidently pursed my lips and planted a loud *muah* kiss on my palm.
“Eden, gimey!”