CH 10

I’m not sure who the target is, but If I recall correctly, I’m the only person staying in this annex that could be the target of an assassination… 

I scrambled out of bed. 

I had to see how far the fire had spread. 

[The fire has spread to the point you can’t get past through the door. Do not move hastily.] 

But the Ilipia stopped me. 

I looked back at him, biting my convulsing lips. 

[I’ll introduce myself properly. I am Ilipia, the spirit of life– the spirit that has blessed you. Unlike ordinary humans, people who are blessed by spirits are called ‘Spiritualists’. In both human language and ours.] 

Spiritualists. It was a title I already knew of.  

Most about it was just added as an element to show off the charm of the male lead, but the original work did advocate spirits.  

In the original world-building, which only came to mind after pressing desperately for answers, spiritualists had a total of three attributes. 

A main property and two adjuncts.  

And the humans who’d made correspondence with spirits used the term “blessed by spirits” to explain their three gifted attributes. 

Usually, it was normal to be blessed by minor or middle-level spirits, but I clearly remember that all three of Roberick’s attributes were personally blessed by the spirit kings.  

Light, wind…and what was that last one?  

Anyway, Roberick was one great talent. 

……what, then, did I inherit the Spiritual talent just because I’m Roberick’s daughter?  

I had a subtle feeling, neither good nor bad. 

I frowned. 

[You are a spiritualist who has received my blessing. Let me help you, we must get you out of here quickly.]  

But that’s not important during this crisis, is it? 

I might not know who is behind the assassination, but I had to get out and survive regardless. 

‘Edith, this grandfather’s only wish is for you to grow up well; meet a good person, get married, have children… I want to see you live a happy and normal life with my own eyes.’  

I haven’t had a proper conversation with my grandfather yet. 

I held back my emotions and grabbed Ilipia’s hand. 

Spirits, assassinations…they didn’t matter.  

I don’t mean to die in vain, ever. 

[Hahaha! It’s so funny to see them run away.]  

Outside the blazing room, a complete stranger’s voice rang out. 

A person? No, not a person.…. 

I stared at the door with questionable eyes. 

[The fire’s lieutenant spirit, Ifrit. His temper is very violent and belligerent. Now, follow me.] 

Ilipia said, raising himself from the bed he was sitting on. 

Ah, the flames on the floor…  

“What?” 

Surprisingly, however, the flames that had been burning at every touch of Ilipia’s fluttering hem cooled and disappeared. 

As if they’d touched something unreachable and perished. 

[Edith?] 

I stared blankly at Ilipia. 

……let’s not care about useless things. Surviving is the most important task at hand. 

I stopped hesitating and got out of bed. 

My feet that touched the floor was fine.  

As if everything being engulfed in flames was but a dream. 

[All the ladies-in-waiting have died. Now I just have to check on the target – I’m sure that it’s already been burned to death.] 

“……!” 

My heart trembled. 

I put my hands together, covered my mouth, and glanced at the muttering Spirit of Fire, Ifrit as I strolled down the burning corridor. 

The red-colored spirit raised his burning hand and grazed his head impatiently. 

By the looks of where he’s headed – damn it. That’s the room I came out of. 

He must be trying to make sure I’m dead. 

Then it is clear that the target he is identifying is me. The purpose of this fire is to assassinate me. 

[…What? Where did it go?] 

Soon after, Ifrit’s cry broke out. 

[You little rat!] 

…he’s noticed I’m gone. 

Now you’re going to look for me. 

I anxiously looked up at Ilipia who still had a serene expression. 

Will running away like this be able to solve the problem? 

“Erm…Mr. Ilipia.” 

[Just call me by my name.] 

Ilipia said affectionately. 

“Oh, yes, of course…but, can’t you defeat him?” 

It’ll only be a matter of time until Ifrit finds us. 

“Coo-gu-gu-gu-gung” 

Above all, how long this building will hold is still questionable. 

We might first die under the rubble of the collapse.  

[I apologize, but I do not possess the ability to attack at the moment. Mine and Ifrit’s affinities do not match all that well in a fight either.] 

“Yes……?” 

Oh, my god. I almost collapsed on the floor in despair. 

Are we really going to die like this….? 

But since Ilipia is the spirit of life, the king, wouldn’t there be a way to come back to life? 

…who the hell sets a fire in the middle of the night! 

Whenever the assassination attempt came to mind, I gritted my teeth. 

Who was the spiritualist that was blessed by Ifrit in the original? 

Of course, I can’t remember the whole setting properly if I’m unsure of even what Roberick’s attributes were. 

By my side as I shed imaginary tears of regret, Ilipia – in a seemingly wistful mood – opened his mouth. 

[However, there is a thing called attribute inheritance in spiritualists. I am the spirit that blessed your father, Roberick, but I also do not know for sure all the spirit who’ve blessed your mother.}  

Mother? Mariette? 

……and, Roberick? 

I raised my head, doubting my ears. 

The Ilipia blessed Roberick? 

No way. The spirit king that gave Roberick the remaining attribute I couldn’t remember was Ilipia? 

[Nyad, the king of water, was definitely one of the people who gave her one of her attributes.] 

At that moment, I stared at Ilipia with my eyes wide open, fascinated by the whirlwind of information. 

Water and fire. 

It was clear what affinity would dominate a fight. 

[So maybe he’s one of the people who blessed your attributes. I’ll teach you the summoning order, would you like to try?] 

Ilipia said with a smile. 

“I’ll do it right now.” 

I answered. 

[Good. A person blessed by a spirit who is not in a high rank has a low probability of successful summoning. But one, you are Roberick’s daughter, and two, you’ve been blessed by me. So if you just recite the spell correctly, you will succeed without failure.] 

Whoo! 

When I finally found a hope of being able to survive, a pillar supporting the ceiling collapsed with a loud roar. 

Oh my god! 

I barely swallowed a scream. 

I don’t know if there is a god or not, but I prayed earnestly to pressure him into letting me avoid being crushed in this chaos.  

[We do not have much time. If you die, I can bring you back to life, but your mind will not be able to bear the pain. Try not to make a mistake and follow along at once – “Ye, the children of life that do not perish”.] 

Ilipia’s brilliant black eyes looked down at me. 

[“Answer to the call of the one whom you blessed with your immortal heart.” and recite the name of the spirit you wish to call. In this situation,  

“Nyad, the spirit of water”.] 

I closed my eyes tightly to escape the fear that enveloped me. 

Yes, I can do this. 

“Ye, the children of life that do not perish.” 

I clenched my teeth and moved my lips. 

I’d recited only one sentence. 

And yet. 

Whoo! 

I felt something overflowing my heart. 

Like I was overwhelmed by feelings I did not know the cause of. 

But at the same time, I was flooded with fear. 

[You’re here! I’ll kill you!] 

Perhaps the summoning order made a show and ended up outing me, as Ifrit’s cry rang out in the distance. 

The heat was running over my head. 

I cried eagerly, clasping my hands. 

“Answer to the call of the one whom you blessed with your immortal heart!” 

Hot flames poured right overhead. 

“[King of Water, Nyad]!” 

Whoosh!  

the moment I shouted that name out loud. 

[You finally called me.] 

The warm water enveloped me.  

A voice reminiscent to that of a benevolent mother I did not even remember echoed in my ears. 

I opened my closed eyes. 

The fierce spirit of fire that was trying to kill me had disappeared before I knew it. 

Everything was calm as if it were sinking into the sea. 

No, wait, it was indeed the ocean I was in. 

I was submerged in blue seawater. 

“Ah…” 

I stood with my feet on the ground hidden under the sea. 

But strangely enough, it wasn’t hard to breathe at all. 

The moment I looked around in wonder. 

“……!” 

I exclaimed as I looked at the Spirit King of Water staring at me. 

The woman’s face, which smiled softly, was bluish, resembling the color of the deep blue sea. Silver eyes surrounded by deep blue eyelashes shone like pearls. 

Her eyes and cheeks glistened beautifully as if pieces of jewelry were scattered on them, and colorful corals adorned her gill-like ears. 

Giant corals; blue, vermillion, and white hung over Nyad’s head in place of the crown of the spirit king.  

blue hair gracefully waved behind her back. It was the fins of a fish, not legs, that were exposed under the fluttering hem of her goddess-like clothes.  

No one could deny her beauty, though unlike human in every way. 

Nyad smiled at me.  

She reached out her flippers and caressed my face. 

The white corals wrapped around her wrist trinkled brilliantly with bead-woven bracelet.  

[This is my lovely Mariette’s child.] 

I didn’t have time to be surprised at the way Nyad referred to me.  

“!” 

She scooped me up in her arms. 

The body I touched was neither warm nor cold. 

Just right, it was lukewarm. 

Nyad’s behavior, which was completely unexpected, made my eyes widen. 

Why…? 

You act as if you’ve met the person you’ve been longing for. 

Besides, she said, “Lovely Mariette.” Definitely so. 

What does that mean…. 

[Stop now. How long are you going to cage the child in your arms?]  

Ilipia’s voice came. 

The dreamy scenery of the sea that surrounded me and Nyad died down like a dream. 

After blinking a couple of times, I found myself standing in the same place as earlier. 

Boom, Kwagwang! 

The hallway of the burning mansion. 

“AAA!”  

Only after realizing the seriousness of the situation did Nyad let go of the arms she’d wrapped around me. 

I turned quickly, recalling the arrow of fire that was rushing in my direction overhead.  

But. 

[Scree-] 

As soon as Nyad appeared, Ifrit, who’d been trudging around as if waiting to swallow me whole, ran away in surprise. 

“……?” 

I was dumbfounded by the sudden attitude change.  

[The small child is pretty, it’s like a little Mariette.] 

Nyad, who was floating behind me, leaned down and whispered to me. 

[You’re destined to be hated by someone, just like your mother] 

I turned my head with my eyes wide open. 

Nyad, whose eyes met mine, smiled quietly. 

Gurgle- 

And behind her was a huge column of water. 

What? 

[So let’s sweep everything away.]  

Nyad said with a smile. 

No, wait, how could you say such violent words so easily…? 

A huge shadow of water hung over my face. 

[Hold your breath, Edith.]  

Ilipia, who was looking at the situation, said. 

I opened my mouth trembling, but Ilipia quickly embraced me. 

Whoosh! 

The interior of the antique mansion quickly turned into the middle of the sea.