''Speaking of which, now that you mention it, what's going on with spirit magic now?''

　In the sparkling milky white spirit world, I gathered the great spirits and asked them what they were curious about.
　Right now, the chairs and tables that were in [Storage] are floating in the space, and we're in the middle of a tea party, serving tea and sweets.
　It's a strange feeling, but since there's no ground in the spirit world, I have no choice but to do this. But the storm spirit that I blew up earlier was bouncing around. I don't understand.

''If I recall, there was an ancient spirit magic, right?''

　Charlotte-san, a court wizard in Belfast, must have studied it....... I haven't seen him for a long time, but I hope he's well.

''Even now, if a contract is made, we'll lend our power to the contractor. But there seems to be very little left on earth today to enforce it the right way. And our language seems to be lost, too.'
''I heard that sometimes my family members are called out on a whim, but I heard that they just rattle off incomprehensible things one way or the other and there's no one to talk to. It's just a matter of saying 'lend me your strength, lend me your strength'.

　The Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Fire answered my question.
　The contract with the spirits is an equal one. The spirits are only lending me their power.
　What's different from the summoned beasts is that the spirits can break the contract as well. Even if they have a contract, they won't respond to wishes they don't like.
　If a summoned beast is an employed employee who works for a salary, then the genie is only a friend. If you impose unreasonable demands on your friends and treat them like your retainers, it's only natural that they will be patronized.
　Well, if you do that to your employees, they will definitely hate you.

''I suppose we should focus on spreading the word there. Spirits are equals, friends of man.
'From our point of view, it's also problematic to be made too dependent or too familiar.'

　The spirit of the earth puts his hand on his cheek and tilts his head slightly.
　Spirits are nature, so to speak. Since long ago, humans have worshipped the mountains, prayed to the sea, feared storms, and thanked the earth for its blessings. That's why they are the hands and feet of God, creating this world and watching over the earth.

''Well, even if you can't be a great spirit, at least you can use spirit magic if you can make a contract with your subordinates, right?
Yeah. I'd use a salamander or something. If you make a contract, you'll be able to use fire spirit magic.

　The fire spirit says so with a tea cake cookie in one hand. It seems that whether the power of the magic increases or not depends on the talent of the person.
　The difference between spirit magic and ordinary magic is that it is still not bound by aptitude.
　Magic can only be used if you have any one of the aptitudes for fire, water, earth, wind, light, dark, or no attribute.
　However, spirit magic could, in theory, be used by anyone. As long as you can sign a contract, that is. On the other hand, that's the part that requires talent, so it's hard to say which is easier.
　Naturally, those who have an aptitude for water are more likely to be favored by the water subordinate spirits as well. When you think about it, it's not hard to see why spirit magic has fallen into disuse.
　Water magic that has the attribute of water and is at one's disposal, and spirit magic that can only be exercised with the help of a water spirit spirit. It's usually the water magic that you learn.
　But spirit magic also has its advantages, and the most important one is that it doesn't consume much magic power no matter what powerful techniques you use.
　That's right. Because it is the spirits themselves that use the magic. The magician who calls up the magic power doesn't use it.
　In other words, even a child with little magical power can use powerful spirit magic if he or she can make friends with powerful spirits and borrow their power.
　This shows how important it is to have a relationship with spirits.
　It's a good idea to make sure that you have the right kind of information. Of course, the contract itself is free for the spirits to do as they please. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to, it's fine. That's natural. Because the contractor and the spirits should be equal.
　However, some of the rebels said, 'We won't sign a contract with a wife-beater or a girlfriend, even if it kills us! He declared. ........well, you're free to do that too.
　........what is that mask they are making with the word "sh-t" on it?　I'm not sure, so I'll go through with it.

'I guess the problem is that not many of us get to see the spirits.
I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do. I'm sure the fairy tribe will be able to see right away. Occasionally, there are people who have special eyes called spirit eyes.

　As the wind spirit says, if the fairy race is skilled in magic, they might be able to handle it right away. However, the fairy race is naturally able to use magic to the max.
　Anyway, I'll have to talk to Charlotte-san first. I'm sure she understands spirit magic the best.




You'll need to have a lot of time to think about it.

　Charlotte-san, who had been holed up in a magic laboratory in Belfast, studying ancient spirit magic, removes the bundle of paper from her hands in pieces.

''So you're not going to learn spirit magic,''
'What?　Huh?　Wait a minute. Spirit magic?　Winter Night........Your Majesty, is it possible to use it, Your Majesty?
You can use it. Here.

　I call up the Sylph, the spirit of the wind, who is a subordinate of the spirit of the wind. Since I'm visualizing it, Charlotte-san should be able to see the spirit in the form of a cute girl, like a miniature character of about three heads.

"Why.........?　How can it be used?　I've studied so much and I still can't use it, it's not fair!
Um, you know, I'm sorry...

　I couldn't help but apologize to the brilliant woman who wore glasses in an intellectual manner and was half-frightened like a child.
　The women around her, who could be her assistants, held her down and began to soothe her. Incidentally, those assistants were also wearing the translation glasses I had given to Ms. Charlotte.
　Charlotte-san, who finally regained her composure after several minutes, asked me for more information, and now she began to look at the spirits beside her, as if she was excited.

''Huh........a genie..... I've only seen them once when I was a child. Then I wanted to meet him again, so I've been studying him for a long time. It's not my own strength, but I'm happy to see him again...

　I see. Charlotte-san was studying ancient spirit magic for that reason?

''I made a promise to these spirits' higher beings, the Great Spirits, to spread spirit magic. So as a start, I wanted Charlotte-san to help me...
I'll help!　Let me help you!　Let me help you!

　Mr. Charlotte comes at you with his hands up in a biting manner. Dude, calm down. The language is getting funny.
　Fortunately, the other researchers seem to have agreed, so I talk about spirits while writing on the blackboard in the lab. I feel like a school teacher.

''First of all, there are great spirits, then there are spirits underneath them, and then their relatives. Basically, it's unlikely that a great spirit will ever contract with a human, so normally, in order to use spirit magic, you have to contract with a spirit, or its consort... or even a small spirit, with them.

　Hmmm, Charlotte and the others wrote down what they heard crisply in their notebooks.

'The most important thing I want you to remember about our contract with the spirits is that we are equal with them. They are not messengers, nor are they summoned beasts. You must be able to treat them as friends. This will be an important turning point in whether you can become a spirit user or not.

　Other than that, the only person who can make spirits obey me is the being called the Spirit King, or me.
　To put it bluntly, they can't harm me with spirit magic. It's not possible for the spirits to lend their strength to harm me, the Spirit King.
　 People in weird masks. Well, I don't care about those guys.

''Spirits are basically invisible. In order to form a friendship with them, you must speak their language. By speaking to them in their language, the spirits will reveal themselves to you.
'Yes!　Is that an ancient spirit language?
'It's similar, but different. That's an abbreviation, if you will, made up during the ancient kingdom. That's just speaking a similar language, and the meaning won't be properly conveyed to the spirits.

　If it's a great spirit or some of the higher spirits, I can usually understand the language.
　I take out a book from 【Storage】. The title is "True Spirit Language". It's a spirit language instructional book that I created in the 'workshop' of Babylon with the help of the spirits in the book.

You will be able to converse to some extent by reading this. I'll give it to you.
Oh, you sure you want to do this?
''It's fine. In return, as I said before, we want more people to help form a friendship with the spirits. In order for the spirits to remain in this world as human friends.

　When the world is united, if the power of the spirits is weakened, all sorts of problems will arise. Not to mention natural disasters, the ecosystem could change as well.
　In order to strengthen the spirits, I can simply give them temporary power as the Spirit King. But that won't be enough to keep it going for years, tens of years, or even hundreds of years to come. After all, the people of the earth and the spirits must be able to communicate with each other and strengthen their power together.
　And that's what sister Hanakoi says. It's a long-winded story.
　But if you want to manage this world from now on, this kind of thing is probably necessary.
　At any rate, since magic has hardly developed in the underworld, there is a possibility that very little is known about spirit magic.
　There may be spirits in the natural world, but they have little contact with people. For that reason, we have no choice but to raise them in the surface world 《here》.

''Well then, I don't know if we can contract them or not, but let's call them up. How many magic attributes did you have, Charlotte-san?
'Well, five. Except for the non-attribute and the dark attribute.

　You have five of them, that's amazing. My master, Lean, has six other than darkness, and as expected of a Belfast court magician.

''It's the first one, so I guess it's either the Wind Minor Spirit or the Water Minor Spirit. Because the wind family is curious and the water little spirit has a quiet and gentle temperament.''
So ... the little water genie.

　Move outside to the fountain in the courtyard of Belfast Castle.
　In order for someone who has not signed any contract to call the spirit, they will need a lot of catalysts. If you want to call the water spirit's family, water is the obvious choice.
　Charlotte-san, with the book of "True Spirit Language" in hand, speaks the words of the summoning to the water.
　Soon, the water in the fountain began to stay in the air and began to form a small spirit. It's Undine, the small spirit of water. She is a three-headed, miniature, cute little girl with the lower half of her body looking like a mermaid.
　Looking at Charlotte-san in amazement, Undine also tilted her head in wonder.

''See, we have to make a deal.
'Oh, ah, yes!　Let's see....

　As she turned the page, Charlotte spoke to me in spirit language, though she was poorly.
　The words are: "I want to be friends with you. Please be my friend. Please be my friend.
　........well, a contract with a spirit is a feeling. Even if you only have proper words, if that heart doesn't reach the spirit, it's meaningless. It would be the same between humans.
　Undine stared at Charlotte-san for a while, and when she softly floated in the air, he touched her hand and smiled at her.
　Then he happily circled around her and stopped on her hand and disappeared with the light.
　And on Charlotte-san's hand, a blue crystalline body the size of a slingshot ball remained.

''This, Your Majesty, this is........''
Congratulations. The deal is done. It's a spirit stone. It's a sign of your covenant with the spirits. Take it in your hand and speak to Undine again in your mind.
'Ha, yes!'

　Grasping the spirit stone, Charlotte-san meditates on it as she prays. Then the Undine from earlier jumped out of the fountain in front and began to fly around Charlotte-san again in a circle.

''It might be hard to call it out at first without a lot of things to catalyze it, but I think you'll be able to call it out with as little as a glass of water. Now it's just a matter of how well you can get along with the spirits.
'Yes!　I'll do my best!

　Charlotte-san replied happily as she played with the whirling Undine. The assistants then summoned the other Undine and the sylphs to make a deal.

''The spirit stone will be easier to wear if you attach it to a ring or pendant. Just be careful not to damage the stone and break it when doing so.

　Are you listening to me?　I'm a little taken aback by people who are so enamored with the spirits. Well, it's a dream come true, so it can't be helped.

'What the hell is this all about?'

　Then the King of Belfast arrived with the Queen. In the Queen-sama's arms, Prince Yamato was being held in her arms.
　I told Charlotte-san that I was teaching her spirit magic, and as usual, she was taken aback, but I reopened it as nothing to worry about now.
　And I'm not just going to give the book on the True Spirit Language to Belfast, but to other countries as well.
　Charlotte-san and the others took the spirits and resigned from the king's presence. You're going to play with the spirits over there, aren't you?　It's never hurts to get along, though.

But Prince Yamato has grown up, hasn't he?

　When I looked at the prince frolicking in Queen Euell's arms and said that, His Majesty the King next to me smiled a sloppy smile and nodded several times.

'Yes, of course. I'm sure he's growing up fast and healthy. I have a picture of her when she started crawling. Here they are.

　His Majesty pulls out a mass-produced white phone and shows me a picture he's taken. That's a hoot!
　I don't know why you're so excited because he was the boy you've been waiting for, but.... I'm sure he'll show you a thick growth album sooner or later....
　Will I be like that too? No, this should be a lesson to me.
　..............hmm?
　Now.........I have a strange feeling....... Queen Euell?　No, from Prince Yamato?
　The queen-sama let me hold the prince in my arms and examine him a bit. The amount of magic power is normal........ But what is it.........
　Sneeze, sneeze, sneeze, the prince is so happy and excited that I activated the "God's Eye" to confirm it, and I understood the discomfort. I understood.
　With a trembling hand, I return the prince to Queen Euell.

''What's the matter, Fuyu-dono? You look pale?''
'What?　Oh, no, that's right, I'm nervous about carrying a child. You don't want to drop them.
I don't like it, then. What if you and Yumina have a baby? You'll have a hard time getting used to it if you don't start getting used to it now.

　I couldn't decide right now whether I should tell His Majesty the King's laughter or not.
　The thing hidden in Prince Yamato's heart that I could see with my "divine eye".
　This is the nucleus of the king - the nucleus of the king - that Frase crosses over to other worlds and pursues, even to the point of destroying other species.