Parke, Sha.
Sha, Parke.
The teacher’s ancient words washed over me, and I mumbled along, mimicking the cadence of a student refusing to admit defeat.
“’Hwi’ for ‘winding,’ ‘Naiad’ for ‘lingering,’ ‘Malaka’ for ‘dance,’ ‘Sii’ for ‘existence,’ and ‘Yur’ for ‘history’!”
After deep contemplation, I managed to recall that the Spirit King of Emotion’s name had three syllables.
‘My name means the North Star that guides the voyage and the Goddess of War.’
Then, what is the meaning behind the Spirit King of Air’s name?
Thinking furiously, I retraced the passages of a book I had studied until I knew it by heart. Air fills every corner of this world; it exists everywhere, and it can go anywhere. Because that freedom is so precious, they rarely seek to form contracts with humans. The difficulty of a contract is immense, but it carries the unique trait of remaining with the contractor until the very moment of their death.
‘Elzen older brother said there were no hints about the Spirit King of Air’s name in the country.’
Perhaps because they are free, they aren’t anchored anywhere. If hints had been left behind, someone would have guessed it, and if they had guessed it, they would have secured a contract.
‘But air really is everywhere.’
Hmm, so—
“Freedom that exists everywhere…?”
*Boom!*
Golems exploded in a rhythmic chain, and glowing letters flooded my vision.
[The Spirit King of Emotion ‘■■■’ applauds enthusiastically.]
[The Spirit King of Fire ‘■■■■■’ clears his throat, clearly delighted.]
[The Spirit King of Water ‘■■■■’ boasts that my precious little baby is quite skilled at their native tongue.]
That has to be it!
My face brightened as I rapidly rearranged the words.
Freedom is Sha.
Existing is Sii.
Everywhere is Parke.
[The Spirit King of Luck ‘■■■■■■’ offers advice on the word order of ancient languages.]
Freedom that exists everywhere.
If I were to adjust that just a little bit…….
‘Freedom exists everywhere.’
*Thump, thump.*
My heart raced, hammering against my ribs until it felt as though it might burst. I took a sharp breath and shouted.
“Spirit King of Air, Shapashi! Please make a contract with me!”
A wind stirred from nowhere.
What began as a faint sound—like a whispered laugh—swelled into a menacing, howling roar.
“Ack, what is this!”
“The wind… it’s a typhoon!”
“I’m going to be blown away!”
People screamed as the gale tore through the area. Lina hugged me tightly, trying to shield me with her body, but I shook my head, pushing her away. For some reason, I didn’t feel a flicker of danger.
“Are you here?”
I stepped forward and tilted my head back.
Translucent birds with long, elegant wings soared through the wind. Colorful feathers drifted down, brushing against the tip of my nose. As they touched me, a white light shimmered, coalescing into a pure white figure.
[Indeed, I am Shapashi. One of the oldest Spirit Kings, having existed since the world was first breathed into being.]
“……!”
The Spirit King of Air had hair that spilled down to his toes. Wings sprouted from his arms like a bird, and his chest and stomach were bare, save for intricate tattoos. His eyes, devoid of pupils, were a sky-blue so cold it felt frightening; I couldn’t read a single emotion in them. It was daunting.
[Young contractor, I can lend you my power for three minutes. Say what you wish.]
His voice was deep, serious, and resonant. I had finally met one in the flesh, not just on a page!
“Please defeat all the golems outside.”
[Very well. Shall we go together?]
Can I really do that?
I nodded quickly. There wasn’t a single reason to refuse!
“Hey, where are you going!”
Neiad, struggling to maintain the barrier, shouted after me. Lina chased me, horrified, but Teacher Cedric and Crescent older sister simply stood and watched.
“Young Lady, it’s dangerous! You mustn’t go out. If you’re leaving, you’ll have to step over me!”
“I don’t want to step on you… but I don’t have much time. I’ll be back in three minutes.”
I gently pushed Lina aside. The Spirit King of Air moved behind me, his feathers tickling my nose and cheeks.
[Let’s go, young contractor.]
A gust of wind caught me, and my hair whipped upward. It was so comical I burst into laughter, but Lina remained on the ground, trembling. Everyone else stared, their eyes wide with shock.
[Oh, right. My form is visible only to you. To them, it will look like you suddenly floated into the air.]
“Ooh. That’s cool!”
[Haha! Perhaps because you are young, your reaction is quite refreshing.]
The Spirit King of Air, having seated me on his left shoulder, reached out his right hand. A sharp whirlwind erupted, instantly shattering one of the golems—the giant unit that Elzen older brother and Joey had been struggling against.
“What the… youngest?!”
“Older brother, look behind you!”
“How did you get up there… ugh!”
Elzen older brother looked like he might faint. It was funny, but this was a battle, not a game, so I forced myself to stop laughing.
[Watch. This is the power of the wind.]
As the Spirit King of Air clenched his fist, the single whirlwind split into dozens, tearing toward the ground.
Terrified, Neiad reinforced his vine barrier to seal the entrance, and I saw Elzen and Joey scrambling to evacuate inside.
Iliad and Lewiwood… where were they?
‘I hope they aren’t going to get hurt.’
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
*Ka-ka-ka-ka-boom!!*
The whirlwinds struck the earth, swallowing the surroundings with terrifying force.
[The Spirit King of Earth ‘■’ is somewhat annoyed.]
[Take it easy, Shapashi. Don’t break everything. Do you know how much time it takes for a single tree to grow?]
The Spirit King of Earth seemed angry, but the roaring wind made it impossible to catch the rest of his words. Squinting, I grabbed at my hair and looked down.
“Oh….”
What have I done?
[The Spirit King of Fire ‘■■■■■’ clicks his tongue.]
[It’s been thoroughly scorched, hasn’t it.]
Trees were uprooted and scattered. The golems were reduced to piles of rubble, the ground was churned to earth, and the river overflowed its banks. It was a relief that Neiad’s barrier held firm, but… was I going to get in trouble?
[The power I used today was only about 3%. Even that must have put a great strain on your body, so make sure to rest well for a few days.]
As I stared blankly at the destruction, the Spirit King of Air chuckled and set me back on the ground.
[It was easy to lend you power since today was the day of the contract, but you will need several years before you can summon me again. Eat well and grow up big and strong.]
The Spirit King patted my head—a touch as light as a breeze—and straightened. He was so massive I only reached his shins.
With a final smile, he vanished, and my strength abandoned me. I collapsed onto the ground.
“Shuperti!”
“Elzen older brother.”
“How on earth did you… Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? What were you looking at?”
Neiad’s vine barrier opened, and people spilled out. Held tightly in Elzen older brother’s arms, I offered a faint, tired smile. Every ounce of energy had been drained from my body, and my hunger was overwhelming.
“I don’t know what you did, but you did well, Vice President.”
That was when he said it.