NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 - A Sparkling World
A Sparkling World
The moment I felt that warm, gentle breeze, it was as if it enveloped my entire being. Like being immersed in a hot spring, it was incredibly comforting. I felt like drifting off to sleep. I have no idea how long it lasted. It felt like an instant, yet also like an eternity. A voice calling out to me from afar, urging me to return. Upon hearing it, I thought, “Ah, I have to go back.”
And so, pushing aside my reluctance, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Welcome back, Meg. Has the scenery before you changed?”
“Eh? Ah, w-whoa…!”
Schlie-san’s gentle smile. My mind, still hazy as if I had just woken up, snapped into focus the moment I saw what surrounded me.
A kaleidoscope of lights. Some flickering, others glowing steadily. Like gazing upon an illumination display. Even though it was daytime. But the lights didn’t hurt my eyes or obscure the scenery. It was a strange sensation. It was just a guess, but it was probably similar to a world that had been black and white suddenly gaining color. Anyway, my world was now sparkling and vivid, a completely new experience.
“It seems… it was a success.”
As I was looking around in wonder, Schlie-san murmured this, visibly relieved. I, still overwhelmed by excitement, hugged him. Due to the difference in our heights, I ended up clinging to his knees. He was surprisingly tall!
“Thank you vewwy much! They’re so pwetty!”
“You’re welcome. Rather, I should be thanking you.”
Schlie-san stroked my head, a heartwarming smile gracing his lips. Guh! That smile is unfair!
According to Schlie-san, each and every point of light was a spirit. Wow, I had no idea there were so many… I never knew. I wonder if I could accidentally inhale and swallow them? Such a strange thing to worry.
I asked what we were going to do next, and he said I could just live as usual for a while. The first step was getting used to seeing this scenery. Apparently, most people would get light-headed or motion sick at first. However, perhaps because it resembled the familiar sight of illumination displays, something I’d often seen in my past life in modern-day Japan, I was able to adjust without much trouble. These lights were much softer than those used in illuminations, after all!
Schlie-san commented that I was strong after seeing me show no signs of discomfort. It was just that I was used to it, but I couldn’t help but puff out my chest proudly. Ehen!
“As you go about your daily life, some spirits might approach you or try to get your attention. If you see one you’d like to talk to, follow your heart and call out to them.”
“Follow my… heart…?”
“Yes. It’s difficult to explain. You’ll understand when the time comes. It’s something every elf knows, so you don’t have to worry.”
His words, “something every elf knows,” made me flinch. It was true that my body was that of an elf, but… inside, I was just a human. A tiny human with no magic power. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Would I really understand when the time came?
However, I wouldn’t know, and there was no way to confirm it, until that time came. I didn’t have much faith in myself, but Schlie-san said it would be fine. I decided to trust him.
“That’s all for today’s lesson,” he announced. He told me to ask if I had any questions, so I thought I’d ask about a few things that had been on my mind.
“Yes! I have a question! What kind of spiwwit-shan is Schlie-shan’s contracted spiwwit-shan?”
“Well, I have contracts with all kinds of spirits, so I can’t introduce them all… but let me introduce you to the spirit I first formed a contract with. Nephry, the wind spirit.”
“Nephwy-chan!”
As Schlie-san called out her name, a pale green light appeared beside his face, gradually taking the shape of a creature. It happened in an instant, and a pale green bird materialized before my eyes. Its tail feathers were long, swaying as if in the breeze. It was a little on the large side, about the size of Schlie-san’s arm. It was incredibly beautiful.
“Nephry is a nickname. Her true name is different, and it mustn’t be revealed to anyone but the spirit themselves. The true name is only used on special occasions. So, Meg, when you form a contract with your first spirit and build a trusting relationship with them… it would be good to think of a nickname, separate from their true name.”
As soon as Schlie-san said, “That’s enough,” Nephry, the pale green bird, vanished as if melting into the air. She wasn’t constantly by his side, but it seemed she could appear instantly when summoned.
But a name, huh? There was no point in thinking about it before even meeting my spirit. I’d let my naming sense take over when the time came. I didn’t have much faith in it, though.
He asked if I had any other questions. I raised my hand, and Schlie-san chuckled, “Meg-san, you have the floor,” indulging me. You’re so kind, Schlie-san!
“Earlier, Gil-shan was taking things in and out of nowhere. And Schlie-shan, you did that too. Is that diffewent from nature magic?”
“Oh my, you’re observant. However, I’m not using magic, just a magic tool.”
Saying that, he showed me a rather chunky silver ring he was wearing on his right middle finger. It had a purple stone set in it.
“Spatial magic is incredibly rare. Like Gil, being able to store an unlimited amount of items, and control the flow of time within that space… there might be only one or two other people in the world who can do that. So, most people use magic tools. In my case, it’s this ring. It’s enchanted with magic that allows it to store items. It’s a bit expensive, but it’s more convenient to wear than to carry around a bag.”
Apparently, the most common type was a bag, and its maximum capacity was about the size of a warehouse. I thought that was pretty convenient, but it was far from enough to carry all the monsters you’d hunt. Come to think of it, that dungeon boss was huge… Even a warehouse would be filled up quickly.
And even the cheapest magic bag cost as much as two full-course meals at a fancy restaurant. S-So expensive…! However, it was still within reach if I worked hard, which was a bit dangerous.
…So, Schlie-san’s ring, which was even more high-performance… must be way, way, waaay more expensive, right? Curious, I subtly asked about it, being careful not to mention money.
“…How much can you stowe in your ring, Schlie-shan? Does time pass normally inside?”
“Fufu, mine has excellent specs. Carter, our blacksmith, and Maille, our artisan, worked their magic in the workshop. Even so, time still passes, albeit slowly, and its capacity is about the size of a house.”
Whoooaaa! That must be an unimaginable amount of money…! Probably on par with buying land.
Yeah, some things are better left unknown. Magic storage tools are expensive. Got it!