SOKM 22

Chapter : 22

Seeing how startled I was, Gwen puffed out his chest.

“Heh, looks like I guessed right, huh? Since you’re a spirit mage, young lady, I figured I should think on that level. Well, if we’re talking about tool-making methods, I know plenty besides that—like engraving illusion magic.”

As Gwen quickly grew smug, Nodel glanced at him before shaking his head with a serious expression.

“No. Gwen is only half right.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“It’s not that there are many methods. That one is the only method. At present, the only magic capable of engraving illusion spells into divine tools is spirit magic.”

“That’s right,” Derin added, building on Nodel’s explanation as she looked at me with a bright smile.
“Mental-type magic is the specialty of the demonic priests, isn’t it? Most of it is sealed away and kept under the temple’s supervision.”

“So that’s why you were so confident about deciphering it within an hour,” Derin continued excitedly.
“It was Father Kalsiren’s specialty from the very beginning!”

“But Derin,” Nodel said, “the illusion spirits don’t have a proper summoning method, do they?”

He even knew that?

Maybe not purification, but he certainly had deep knowledge when it came to spirit arts.

When I finally checked the materials Nodel had brought, I realized that—despite my not explaining in detail—he’d gathered exactly what I needed.

“You must be a spirit mage as well.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m good enough to boast about it.”

Smiling gently, Nodel glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

“Father Kalsiren, this area becomes dangerous after sunset. Time-wise, perhaps—”

“Don’t worry. I have a trick I use often. Normally, you’d form a contract carefully in a good place at a good time, using water spirits and dream-type magic tools.”

Reaching out, I sifted through the items I’d chosen earlier, picking out plants that illusion spirits were particularly fond of.

“But when circumstances aren’t ideal like this, you can make up for what’s lacking with divine power and spirit arts.”

“With this many materials, it’s still considered ‘not ideal’?” Gwen muttered.

“It’s absurdly insufficient. If you could command spirits with nothing but roadside weeds, wouldn’t everyone try to become a spirit mage? Amon, that’s enough.”

Amon—who had been working so intently that cold sweat beaded on his small forehead—looked at the pile of crushed ingredients with new eyes.

“Master… are illusion spirits greedy?”

“No. They simply like interesting things.”

Smiling faintly, I placed my palm over Amon’s mortar. As I pictured the magic circle in my mind, the exact same circle appeared beneath my hand.

When the finished ingredients were placed into the infuser, black liquid slowly filled the teapot.

“Ugh. Young master, what is that?”

“Sorry, Gwen… but I really don’t know either.”

“It looks like stagnant swamp water. For mana purification, you need stagnant swamp water, you see. Supplementing missing summoning materials with spirit magic—how fascinating.”

As Nodel and Derin marveled in admiration, Amon poured the murky liquid into an empty teacup.

“But Father Kalsiren,” Nodel asked, “is it really okay to show us such know-how?”

There was no benefit to it.

Still, I put on a cheerfully innocent smile.

“Of course. It’s better if convenient methods become widely known. Now, from here on out is the important part…”

When I brought my finger over the teacup, a magic circle far larger and more complex than before appeared in the air.

“What’s that now?” Gwen asked.

Before he could say more, a blue leaf that emerged through the magic circle was sucked into the teacup and vanished.

Then small flowers, birds, droplets of water—countless shapes appeared and disappeared in a steady stream.

“Oh! Are those all spirits? Wow—this is my first time seeing spirits that look like this.”

This one, that one.

Gwen pointed at them excitedly, sounding like a child.

Spirits scattered throughout nature were usually invisible to ordinary people, so it was rare for anyone without talent to see them.

I watched the line of spirits—like a procession of ants—with ease.

“As Nodel said earlier, unlike other spirits, there is no magic circle that summons illusion spirits. Still, there are a few reliable ways to draw them out. I’m going to gather every spirit I can from this area.”

Nodel parted his lips slightly.

“You mean… all the spirits around here?”

“Yes. Until the illusion spirit grows interested and comes on its own.”

“Master… is that very difficult?”

“Of course. But rather than difficult…”

It was extremely crude.

Nodel swallowed his words carefully.

Just then, Derin—who hadn’t blinked once while staring at the teacup—let out a clear whistle.

“Everyone, look at the cup!”

An illusion spirit had appeared out of nowhere, one foot resting on the teacup as it looked my way.

“Isn’t that a unicorn?”

It showed up sooner than I expected.

Until it revealed itself, it could have refused my call at will—but from this moment on, it was within the domain of my divine power.

At my command, the thumb-sized purple unicorn completely disappeared into the pitch-black teacup.

“Now the illusion spirit will undo the spell placed on the magic tool. Amon?”

“Yes.”

Holding the amber ring wrapped in a handkerchief, Amon carefully dropped it into the teacup.

The contract was complete, so there was no need to use more divine power.

“Purify.”

At the simple command, the muddy black liquid—so dark you couldn’t see the bottom—instantly turned clear like holy water.

A few seconds later, a bright yellow ring floated up on the transparent surface.

“Hah!”

Nodel finally released the breath he’d been holding.

Amon wiped the ring with the handkerchief and placed it back into the ring case. All three pairs of eyes were fixed on his hand.

“Shall we test it?”

Amon offered the ring to Nodel, but he only blinked blankly, tilting his head in disbelief.

In the end, Derin—her eyes sparkling—was the first to reach for it.

After her index finger, the amber ring ended up hanging from the tip of Gwen’s pinky.

“Wow!”

He raised his large hand high and looked around.

“I can’t see anything. I don’t feel anything either! Does purification really work this easily?”

“That can’t be—”

Frowning deeply, Nodel flipped the teacup used for purification upside down.

Splash!

Naturally, everything inside spilled out onto the table.

“Were the spirits in here…? Where did they all go…?”

Derin flicked him on the forehead.

“Nodel! What are you doing? That’s rude!”

“Ow!”

Watching the three of them make a fuss, I clasped my hands over my knees.

“So? Was it worth watching?”

“Hah. Looks like the rumors weren’t just rumors—ack!”

Apparently Derin struck again, because Gwen dropped beneath the table clutching his shin.

“Ugh…”

“Gwen. Behave yourself.”

“Alright, alright. Derin, I’ll apologize properly. Sorry for being rude when we first met. And I apologize for looking down on Priest Hayden as well.”

I accepted Gwen’s bow with a smile.

“I came with a young disciple, so there’s no need to make things more awkward. I’ll let it slide this once.”

“….”

Faced with that refined warning—there won’t be a second time—Gwen smacked his lips, seemingly at a loss for words.

If they’d picked a fight just because I was a Kyan Knight employee, I might’ve ignored them.

But bringing up Hayden’s name changed things. It meant that everything I did would reach the ears of the Holy Knight Order’s executives and high-ranking nobles.

“Take my card before you go.”

“A card?”

Of course I’d take it. Toolmakers’ business cards weren’t easy to come by.

And a weapon craftsman’s card? There was no reason to refuse.

The moment I nodded, Nodel hurriedly rummaged through his pocket.