CH 118

It was two days after Perante attacked the mansion that Mishan returned. 

As Perante exerted his strength, the suppressed aura of Avlam, which he had been evading, leaked out little by little, and Mishan, who sensed that aura from a great distance, hurriedly returned. 

It took quite some time because he was far away.

“When I was away, I didn’t expect Perante to come looking for you…”

“It’s okay. Although things got complicated, Perante didn’t come to attack. He had similar thoughts as mine.”

Riett conveyed to Mishan the situation and conversation she had with Perante when they met. After finishing the conversation, Mishan nodded.

“Hmm… I see. So he had the same thoughts as the Master.”

It was quite surprising to Mishan that Perante had the same thoughts as her.

“Didn’t he say anything else?”

“Not really…”

Riett’s voice trailed off as she recalled the day she met Perante. If there was something that still bothered her, it was Perante’s response to the question of what he would do once he obtained the Spirit Stone.

“It’s a secret.”

Evan suggested that Perante might want to establish a kingdom. Riett also wondered if Perante would have such ambitions.

‘If he wants to establish a kingdom, would it matter if the Spirit Stone falls into Perante’s hands?’

If he established a kingdom with the desire that others wouldn’t experience the lack he had gone through, and if he took care of the people, then…

At that moment, she noticed Mishan’s serious expression.

“Why, Mishan?”

“While I was far away searching for Avlam, I encountered another spirit.”

Another spirit?

Riett found it strange to think that there were spirits other than Mishan and Avlam.

“Yes, and?”

“He talked about Avlam. He said Avlam has been going through a lot recently.”

Mishan sat by the window, folding his legs like a desk.

“I had a vague feeling before… Perante seems to be planning something unpleasant.”

“Something unpleasant…”

“I’m not sure either. But if the spirits show such reluctance, it might involve taking many lives or stealing from others… something like that.”

Mishan’s face seemed shadowed and dark.

“It’s a painful task as a spirit that lends power. It’s difficult to refuse the master’s orders.”

Since all the spirits were siblings, Mishan wouldn’t feel good when thinking about Avlam’s suffering. 

In an instant, Riett’s thoughts about Perante potentially obtaining the Spirit Stone vanished. She realized she had to prevent it from falling into Perante’s hands.

While Riett was firmly determined, she heard Mishan’s voice.

“I also heard some information about the Spirit Stone.”

Riett was relieved that she hadn’t led Mishan astray.

Mishan had heard several unexpected stories.

Riett perked up her ears and asked, 

“What kind of information is it?”

Mishan touched his chin and spoke with a serious expression.

“Hmm… it seems that ordinary people can’t obtain the power of the Spirit Stone at all.”

Riett’s eyes widened. 

“Is that true?”

“Yes, ordinary people find it difficult to even approach the Spirit Stone, let alone activate it. They can’t do so.”

“What happens if the Spirit Stone falls into the hands of an ordinary person?”

“It would be no different from an ordinary stone. It’s information I heard directly from an ancient spirit, so it’s not incorrect.”

Oh… In that case, Lucas had been going through all that trouble for nothing. He spent a lot of money to have the Spirit Stone compass. Although there might still be some attachment to the Spirit Stone now, if Riett had known while he was diligently searching, it would have been a demoralizing revelation.

On the other hand, Riett was also worried. 

“Then how exactly should the Spirit Stone be activated?” 

Even if you’re a Spirit Mage, if you’re not good enough, you can’t utilize it…

“For now, it can be activated in the hands of someone with the same power of the spirit stone, in other words, a Spirit Mage.”

Phew, that’s a relief. Riett felt a sense of relief and was about to brush it off, but Mishan suddenly raised his index finger and spoke in a loud voice.

“But! It is said that one must undergo a test to obtain the Spirit Stone.”

“A test…?”

“Yes, I don’t know the specifics.”

Riett had a question at this point. 

“Didn’t you say that the Spirit Stone is the concentration of a deceased spirit’s power? It’s not even alive, so how can it be tested?”

“Dying refers to the spirit’s physical form. Their consciousness doesn’t perish.”

It’s complicated, difficult to understand. If it’s dead, it’s dead, but saying that the consciousness is still alive…

Riett gave up on trying to understand. Spirits are different from humans, after all. But she had another question.

“Mishan, which spirit provided this information?”

Riett thought there were only Mishan and Avlam as spirits, so she was curious to know if there were others. And Mishan seemed to gain information that he didn’t know. 

Even though they were all supposed to be siblings, each seemed to have their own knowledge and ignorance.

“Who was it…?”

“Just knowing their name would be nice. If we happen to meet them next time, it would be polite to thank them.”

Mishan had a bewildered expression as if he had heard something unexpected.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just… asking for a spirit’s name feels unfamiliar to me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. We usually only use names when informing the contractors.”

For a moment, Riett thought Mishan might be jealous, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Mishan was simply taken aback.

“Even among spirits, don’t you have some form of address for each other?”

“No, since spirits can distinguish each other by their aura, there is no need to use names.”

“But… you knew Avlam’s name.”

“I knew it because Avlam had a contract with a human and used the name frequently.”

So unless they’re involved with humans, they don’t use names. It was a culture shock. Not using names. Names are like identities, aren’t they? 

‘Or maybe I’m looking at it too much from a human perspective.’

Riett gathered her confused thoughts and asked again.

“So, you don’t know the name of the spirit you met?”

“No. I’ve never heard the name of that spirit.”

No wonder it felt frustrating. 

‘Oh well.’

Riett set aside her concerns about names and turned her thoughts back to Perante. 

‘So… Perante is secretly preparing something grave enough to make Avlam suffer, and he plans to obtain the Spirit Stone to make it a reality, right?’

What kind of test could it be… 

Riett pondered various guesses about the test in her mind, but Mishan interrupted her thoughts.

“Master, when do you plan to depart for Parman?”

“Well, maybe tomorrow…?”

Since she had informed His Majesty in advance, it would be fine to leave immediately. 

The conservative faction had naturally quieted down after the arrest of Count Terrator, and it had been quite some time since she started going to the palace, where everything seemed unusually peaceful. 

So, even though it might be troublesome for His Majesty… No, as long as he didn’t summon her, there wouldn’t be any problems. 

Lately, unless it was something important, he wouldn’t call for her.

She had refused the offers of assistance in preparation for her trip to Parman. It would only complicate matters if more people were involved. It didn’t require any special equipment, and she didn’t have to stay for a long time searching for the Spirit Stone. 

As long as she released the power of the spirit in the snowy region, the Spirit Stone would react immediately.

However, there was one concern… 

‘Should Evan come with me?’

In fact, on the day Perante came, Evan had firmly expressed his opinion that he would accompany her to Parman. 

“We’ll go together. I can’t let Riett go alone.”

If Evan will accompany her, she would feel more at ease. 

Although he could be a bit reckless, having a 2-to-1 advantage would be advantageous if they had to fight Perante. However, on the other hand, she felt uncomfortable dragging Evan into danger for no reason.

This sense of guilt had deepened recently. When the roof collapsed in Parman, he injured his hand while trying to save her from being buried under the dirt. 

When assassins attacked, he had become a target because of her actions. She indirectly blamed herself for almost falling to her death while trying to save Lucas.

Thinking about it, she felt incredibly sorry. Lately, as she reestablished her feelings for Evan, she naturally found herself reconsidering the past.

‘If I hadn’t been involved with him, he wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble…’

Evan was skilled at hiding his emotions and excelled at manipulating people to be on his side. If she hadn’t known him, he would have been able to walk a smooth path without getting caught up in various troubles due to her actions. 

It felt like he had needlessly endured all sorts of hardships, like walking on a gravel road and a thorny path.

Although Evan could sometimes be irritating, he wasn’t the type to put on a facade. 

Until now, she hadn’t been fully aware of it.

After contemplating various thoughts, Riett made up her mind. 

‘Alright.’

This time, she’ll go to Parman alone.

Riett declared firmly. Although she would undoubtedly feel more secure with Evan by her side, she wanted to prove that she could handle it completely on her own.

* * *

The next morning, as dawn broke, Riett prepared to leave by loading her packed belongings onto the carriage. However, she noticed something strange. 

‘What……?’

Why were there already other belongings loaded?

With a puzzled expression, Riett opened the carriage door. Inside, she found Evan sitting elegantly with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper.

Riett’s eyes widened. 

“Why… Why are you here?”

Evan folded the newspaper and looked up. 

“I’m going with you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! How do you even know where I’m going?”

“You’re going to Parman to find the Spirit Stone.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Yes, you are. Where else would you be carrying this much luggage?”

Caught precisely by Evan’s remark, Riett was flustered and stumbled over her words. In response, Evan raised an eyebrow and asked, 

“Were you planning to leave me behind?”

“I wasn’t planning to leave you!” 

Evan’s black eyes stared at Riett reproachfully. 

“We agreed to go together.”

“I never made such a promise! Get out, and we’ll talk.”

Riett grabbed Evan’s wrist and tried to pull him out, but instead, she ended up being pulled towards him. Her head landed on Evan’s chest, and when she raised her head, their faces were inches apart.

“I’ll come with you, Riett.”

“…”

“Please.”

His voice sounded somewhat pitiful. Had Evan ever pleaded so desperately with her before? It felt strange. Even his request was for her own sake.

The strange symptoms began again. Her heart raced, and she felt a surge of adrenaline.

Ignoring the heat rising in her ears, Riett spoke in a low voice. 

“It might be dangerous.”

“I can’t just let you go alone.”

Evan’s voice left no room for hesitation. After staring at each other for a moment, Riett moved away from his embrace and closed the carriage door.

As the door closed, the voice of the coachman came through the window connected to the carriage compartment. 

“Shall we depart?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

As soon as Riett gave her permission, Evan chuckled softly. 

“You won’t regret going with me.”

His confident voice gave Riett a sense of strength as well. Indeed, she felt more secure having someone with her rather than being alone.

Riett was able to temporarily let go of her tension. 

And so, the carriage set off for Parman.