*Eeeek.*
“Are you finally coming out?”
As Eugene opened the front gate of his family home and stepped out, the eldest Aster Bedia, who was standing right next to the door, looked at Eugene and smiled gently.
“Have you been waiting for me?”
“Of course. If not, why else would I be standing here?”
“For what reason…?”
Swish.
In response to Eugene’s question, Aster took out a round object with a gem embedded in the center from his pocket and showed it to Eugene.
“It’s an artifact for you.”
The artifact that Aster showed Eugene contained the power of a spirit. Moreover, it held the power of a mid-level spirit, Sylph.
Spiritual artifacts, unlike magical ones, are not easy to come by, and their prices vary greatly depending on the power contained within them.
Even artifacts containing the power of low-level spirits are worth enough to easily buy three to four horses. For instance, an artifact with the power of the Fire Spirit King, Phoenix, was once sold for the price of a whole estate.
Although it was a small estate, it was still an estate, making the artifact very valuable.
Yet, the artifact Aster intended to give to Eugene contained the power of a mid-level spirit.
“Why would you give me something so precious…?”
Eugene looked at Aster with confusion. He knew how valuable artifacts were, thanks to his physical memory, making it quite puzzling that Aster would just hand over an artifact with the power of a mid-level spirit.
“I got it because I thought you might be lonely in that desolate hut.”
What does he mean? Why give an artifact for loneliness?
Eugene tilted his head in confusion and looked at the artifact in Aster’s hand.
‘Is it an Ego…?’
Ego. It refers to an object with self-awareness capable of communication like a person.
However, there was no mention in his memory of any artifact being an Ego.
“Could it be an Ego…?”
“It’s not an Ego. Or maybe… it could be?”
Whoosh.
Thud.
With some cryptic words, Aster threw the artifact towards Eugene.
“Are you really going to enroll in Landbard Academy?”
“Yes.”
“Although it’s been quite some time since I graduated, it must have changed a bit… still, it will be tough there.”
At Landbard Academy, the students advance each time they pass a test given by the academy. And graduation comes after passing all the tests.
“I’ll be fine.”
“…Alright. Endure it well.”
Aster, with a stern expression, told Eugene to endure it well. While he was proud of his younger brother Eugene for becoming confident and forming a circle, he couldn’t help but worry since Eugene decided to enroll in Landbard Academy.
Having graduated from Landbard himself, Aster knew how challenging it could be.
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
Eugene smiled softly at Aster, who was looking back at him. Although he was deeply grateful that Aster, who had shown no concern for him when he was neglected by the family, gave him an artifact and worried about him, Eugene was now a Heavenly Demon. He could endure without Aster’s worries.
“Alright, see you later.”
Eventually, Aster disappeared using teleportation.
—
Eeeek.
Eugene returned to his hut from his family home and took off his coat.
“Goodness… what a life.”
Seeing Taeje, who was sprawled out on the bed snoring, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
How could someone sleep so soundly and sprawled out like that?
Moreover, he continued to sleep soundly, oblivious to Eugene’s presence.
“I feel like splashing cold water on him.”
Of course, doing that would soak his bed completely.
Eugene put his coat in the closet and took out the artifact from the inner pocket.
“Hmm…”
Sitting on the chair in front of the bed, Eugene stared intently at the artifact. He knew it contained the power of a mid-level Wind Spirit, but what exactly did it do?
Typically, artifacts with the power of spirits are divided into three types:
– Offensive type, which attacks the opponent with the spirit’s power.
– Defensive type, which protects the user’s body with the spirit’s power.
– Support type, which enhances physical abilities or alters the terrain to aid the user.
Of these, offensive artifacts are the most expensive, but Eugene did not particularly need one.
Holding the artifact in one hand, Eugene began to chant the incantation to use it.
First, he needed to understand the power contained within the artifact.
“Operate.”
If anyone saw him, they might think he was out of his mind. Using an artifact inside the house was a crazy move. If it contained the power of a fire spirit, the entire house could turn into a sea of flames. Additionally, if the wind spirit artifact he had was of the offensive type, one side of the hut could be torn off.
However, Eugene wasn’t foolish and had considered this.
‘Judging by what my eldest brother said… it definitely wasn’t an offensive type.’
Who would give an offensive artifact to someone who seems to live alone in a hut? If the intent was to have him destroy things to avoid loneliness, then it might make sense, but Aster wasn’t that crazy. Even if it was an offensive type against expectations, Eugene could simply counter its power with his own.
Whirr.
As Eugene uttered the activation word, the round artifact began to emit a sky-blue light.
‘The light is sky-blue, so it really is a wind spirit’s power.’
At the moment he saw the light emanating from the artifact,
Boom!
A tremendous wind burst forth from the artifact, and a large, round light shot out from the gem embedded in its center.
“What… what’s going on?!”
Taeje, who had been sleeping on the bed, tumbled off due to the wind and frantically got up with one side of his hair pressed down.
“What is that?”
“No way…”
Eugene’s eyes shook slightly as he saw the round light. If his guess was correct, that light was…
Pop!
“Ah, finally, I’m out!”
As expected, it was a spirit, just as Eugene had predicted.
“Hmm? Aah! Who… who are you?”
“Oh…”
The mid-level spirit Sylph stretched and, seeing Eugene in front of him, was startled, while Eugene was so bewildered that he couldn’t even speak.
‘Not just an artifact with the spirit’s power, but an artifact containing the spirit itself?’
If his other siblings saw this, they would undoubtedly call Aster crazy. In fact, everyone in the family, including the head of the family, would probably think the same.
As mentioned earlier, artifacts containing a spirit’s power are considered precious. An artifact containing the power of a spirit king is valued as much as a small estate.
However, there is a special kind of artifact that is beyond pricing. It is an artifact containing an actual spirit, making it extremely easy to form a contract with the spirit. That is precisely what Eugene was holding.
Such artifacts have never been traded before. Forming a contract with a spirit is as difficult as plucking a star from the sky, so those who possess artifacts containing spirits use them rather than sell them.
Of course, it’s possible that spirit-containing artifacts are traded in the underground world, which he was unaware of, but to his knowledge, such artifacts have never been publicly traded.
‘And it’s a mid-level spirit…’
This was an overwhelmingly burdensome gift.
‘Receiving a small castle would be less burdensome than this…’
Why did his eldest brother give him such a rare artifact? Was it because they shared the same parent, Sasha Ariel? Or was it to encourage him, as he was being oppressed by the children of concubines within the family?
The reason was unclear.
The eldest, Aster Bedia, shared the same mother, Sasha Ariel, with Eugene but had no significant connection with him. Yet, after three years, he appeared and gave Eugene an artifact containing a spirit.
‘Of course, Brother Aster has already contracted with a high-level spirit…’
Eugene, feeling not entirely pleased, watched the Sylph looking around curiously.
“Sylph?”
“Yes?”
“Um… I’m the owner of this artifact.”
“Oh!”
Sylph’s face brightened, and he flew swiftly towards Eugene.
“You must be Eugene, whom Lord Aster mentioned.”
Sylph flew gracefully in front of Eugene, clearly familiar with him. This was because Aster had talked about Eugene to Sylph after obtaining him but before contracting with him.
“My brother talked about me?”
“Yes. He said the one to contract with me would be his younger brother, not himself…”
Hearing Sylph’s words, Eugene felt a surge of guilt.
‘The owner of this body died without knowing Aster’s love…’
The memories from just before this body died were filled with the belief that there was no one in the family who loved or cared for him. That was deeply painful. The soul that had once occupied this body had died thinking he was completely alone.
“Um… Contractor?”
“Just call me Eugene.”
“Oh, yes, Eugene. So, will you contract with me?”
“Yes.”
Eugene nodded at Sylph’s words, and Sylph closed his eyes and began chanting an incomprehensible incantation.
‘To contract with a mid-level spirit so easily…’
Now, Eugene understood why Aster had given him the artifact, fearing he might be lonely.
Eventually,
Whirr.
The light emanating from Sylph’s body began to merge into Eugene’s body.
‘It’s refreshing…’
Was it because it was a wind spirit? The light entering his body felt like a cool and pleasant breeze.
Whirr.
After all the light from Sylph had merged into Eugene, Sylph gently opened his eyes.
“With this, the contract between Eugene and me is complete. Once again, I introduce myself. I am Sylph, the mid-level wind spirit.”
“Nice to meet you! And…”
“What is this unknown energy inside you, Eugene? It feels close to pure magic…”
“Oh…?”
Eugene uttered an exclamation at Sylph’s words.
‘You can sense the internal energy but don’t know what it is…?’
Of course. A spirit that had felt only magic all its life wouldn’t know what internal energy was.
“Can this energy be used to summon you?”
Contracting with a spirit doesn’t just end with the contract.
Summoning a spirit and using it for attack and defense was entirely the responsibility of the contractor, the human. Therefore, sufficient magical energy was necessary to command the spirit.
“Yes. That unknown energy is also compatible with me as a spirit. That’s why it’s even more puzzling. Spirits normally only respond to magical energy or spiritual power… Oh, but Eugene, your energy is very similar to the energy that flows from the spirit realm. It’s very comfortable for me, almost like home!”
Sylph twirled around Eugene’s body, showing curiosity.
“I’ll explain later. For now, you can go back.”
“Yes. Then please call me again when you need me!”
“Sure.”
With that, Sylph promptly disappeared at Eugene’s words. Taeje, who had been watching the whole scene, continued to stare in a daze.
Cliche Novel 