Chapter 132
***
“My older brother was very different from me in many ways, except for his appearance.
He always buttoned his shirt all the way to the top, never loosening it no matter what.
He only wore white clothes and never once forgot his morning prayers.”
“[Release!]”
“He let his wavy hair fall naturally, and he always wore the least amount of accessories possible.
He often said that a ruler should be a role model for other nobles. In fact, do you know that in the North Empire, no nobles wear accessories in front of him?
It’s like this — no matter how finely cut a ruby or topaz is, they are meaningless when compared to a raw diamond.
But my brother believes they do it because they’ve learned from his frugality.”
“[Re! Lease!]”
“He enjoyed dancing, but after his last fiancée was murdered, he never danced at social events again.
Instead, when he feels like dancing, he only dances with Madam Anyache — the woman who taught him ballroom dancing since he was young. Madam Anyache is almost sixty years old now.”
“[Re! Leeeease!]”
After my first success, I still had to spend many loops perfecting my accuracy.
The key was to send exactly the same amount of magic — but also enough to prove that I had an overwhelming level of magical power.
I had already succeeded in sending a small, steady amount of magic. Now I had to train to send a huge, powerful flow while still keeping it perfectly even.
Compared to my past training, this wasn’t as torturous.
The hope that this hell would soon end kept my mind sharp in each loop.
Finally, I held up the Wind Elemental Stone and said:
“I want to try. I think I can do it.”
***
In the next loop, we first knocked out Agrisen.
I didn’t even try counting how many loops I’d been through — thinking about it would only make me lose my mind.
While drawing a magic circle on the prison floor, Winter said:
“If we succeed in summoning the spirit, we must first move the entire tower to the coast.”
“The whole tower? Not just Agrisen?”
I asked in shock, and Winter nodded while drawing the final curve of the circle.
“This place is sealed underground. We’ll move the tower to the eastern edge of the continent, to the Kasley Red Cliffs.
Then I’ll break down the prison wall, and the spirit will drop Agrisen into the ocean.
Once that’s done, I’ll bring the tower back here. The whole process will take no more than five minutes.
If the spirit remains for longer than that, your untrained magic circle won’t be able to withstand it.”
Only five minutes to move the whole tower there and back?
“I didn’t know a wind spirit could do that.”
“If it’s an ancient wind spirit, it can.
Ancient spirits directly under the Spirit King were once so revered that entire religions and myths were built around them.”
Winter finished the magic circle and placed the elemental stone in its center.
I placed my hand on the glowing red circle and took a deep breath.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded, and Winter began speaking in a solemn voice:
“My brother loves flowers. In the magically protected indoor garden, he grows them all himself — from preparing the soil to caring for each plant.
The garden is so large that butterflies and bees are kept inside for pollination. But sometimes, they mistake my brother for a flower and land on his shoulder.”
My throat tightened.
How dazzling must someone be for butterflies and bees to mistake them for flowers?
“One time, he was stung by a bee — and that was probably the most life-threatening moment in his life.
He’s never once been the target of an assassination. He’s strict with nobles, but there isn’t a single person in the North Empire who wishes him gone.
From head to toe, he is considered the pride of the empire.”
Oh my god.
This is it — now!
“[Release!]”
My raw magic slid smoothly across the intricate lines of the magic circle.
It was like tracing the shape of an umbrella in dalgona candy with perfect precision.
Actually, it was even harder — just a few seconds of focus was enough to make cold sweat drip down my back.
The moment I spoke the word “Release,” I knew I had succeeded.
Carefully, I called out the name of the spirit Winter had taught me:
“[Idrecia.]”
The magic circle began to glow blue.
A powerful gust of wind burst out from it.
If Winter hadn’t been holding me in place, I would have been blown to the end of the hallway.
Through the roaring wind, a fresh, cool scent reached me.
Lowering my sleeve from my face, I saw a beautiful, blue, soul-like figure floating in the air.
The spirit leaned close, studying me with deep, captivating eyes.
“…Cough.”
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
Like a body straining unused muscles, my magic circle — which had only ever made strawberry jam before — was hurt from summoning an ancient spirit.
Five minutes — that’s all I had.
“Make a contract with me.”
The spirit tilted its head, then spoke:
[Why do you smell like a snake?]
Maybe because the “snake” was standing right behind me.
The spirit seemed to notice Winter, and its eyes narrowed.
It also glanced coldly at the bracelet on my wrist.
[So the snake I thought was dead is here. Contract refused, human. Your magic tastes nice, but it’s not once-in-a-century level.]
What?
When the spirit even tried to wipe away the magic circle with its foot, I lost my patience.
Normally, I would have tried to persuade it — but I had no calm left in me.
“If you don’t make a contract with me right now, I’ll throw that elemental stone into the ocean.”
[…What?]
Do you know how much I went through to summon you, and now you want to ruin it because of your pride?
Winter tried to calm me.
“Please, Izana, spirits sometimes just—”
“No. I won’t forgive this. Who are you calling names?”
Pointing at Winter, I said:
“Do you really not know why that snake is here? You think it’s unrelated to you?
Never mind. I don’t have time to explain. If you don’t make a contract with me right now, I’ll throw this stone into the sea and erase every record of your summoning from the world.
Then you’ll never appear in the human world again.”
I spoke so fast it was like rapping, then stopped to catch my breath.
The spirit just stared at me, dumbfounded.
“I’m stuck in a time loop — I die and go back each time. I can keep doing this until we get the outcome I want. But I’m tired of it. I won’t stay trapped in this loop because of a spirit’s pride.”
Time was running out. I reached for the stone.
“Time’s up. Goodbye. Forever. You’ll never set foot in the human world again.”
[Wait! Fine! I’ll make the contract!]
The spirit rushed toward me.
[Your name?]
“Izana Monica Rohia. Now hurry up. Don’t waste time — contract first, talk later.”
The spirit’s already semi-transparent body faded even more, until only its outline remained.
Then, like a ghost, it passed through me.
[Unbelievable. What kind of human is this?]
“Contract done? If so, move this whole tower to the Kasley Cliffs at the eastern edge of the continent.
You’re supposed to be a great spirit — of course you can do that, right?”
Its eyes flashed.
[Master, I’m impressed by your mouth, but you’d better—]
“If you can’t, say so now. I’ll rewind time and find another way.”
The spirit rolled its eyes and muttered:
[…Damn it.]
Its body became almost fully transparent — and then the floor beneath me began to shake with an ear-splitting noise.
