Chapter 229: Spirit Crystal
After waiting for Pope-sama to stop crying, I asked her about the Spirit Crystal.
“What is the Spirit Crystal exactly?”
” … It is something like a place for a Spirit to live in. From the time Spirits are born, they have the nature of looking for a place to settle down. Once they spend a long time at that place, it solidifies and becomes something like a rock, forming a Spirit Stone.”
Looks like it was not as simple as a Spirit simply dwelling inside a rock.
If that forms a Spirit Stone, then for a Spirit Crystal … in other words, “Does that mean a Spirit Crystal forms after an even longer duration?”
“Exactly. However, this Spirit Crystal was created by my father when he infused magical power into a Spirit Stone.”
I apparently voiced out my thoughts midway through.
I have to be careful … nevertheless, Rainstar-dono really is capable of doing anything.
” … Then how is that Spirit Crystal different from a Spirit Stone?”
There’s no way it would be the same.
“The spirit will grow along with the Spirit Stone. And once it becomes a Spirit Crystal, the spirit will become a highest rank Spirit.”
“Does that mean the Spirits we’ve met possess the same thing as well?”
“Umu. There are exceptions but they probably have a Spirit Crystal. If not, highest rank Spirits would not have a place to rest their bodies. And it would be difficult for them to recover their magical power.”
So it is great that the Spirit Stone was not used to gain an advantage.
Incidentally, the exceptions most likely refer to the Darkness and Wind Spirits.
“Those exceptions are for when the spirits dwell inside a person right? A host who has obtained the divine protection of a Spirit can supply the magical power it needs right?”
“Great job deducing that.”
It looks like it was the correct answer.
I could touch the Spirit Crystal probably because I had obtained the blessings of Spirits.
“If that is all true then isn’t the Spirit that the Spirit Crystal belongs to in grave danger?”
” … That’s right. Spirits expend magical power just by manifesting. Immature/young Spirits would vanish once that happens while highest rank Spirits would have their spirit form dispelled, allowing people who can’t see Spirits normally to see them. That would expose them to danger.”
… Then that is without a doubt Fornoir’s Spirit Crystal.
Pope-sama must have regretted losing her Spirit Crystal.
That’s probably why she bawled in front of everyone just now.
But thinking further, even though her spirit form has dissolved, Fornoir still could grant me her blessing.
Then was that action of repeatedly biting my head to grant me her blessing? The mystery deepens.
More importantly, I must first confirm with Pope-sama the words she said just now about the Spirit Crystal being something meant to seal the power of a Spirit.
“Pope-sama, just now you said that it seals the power of a Spirit but is that a seal placed by the Spirit itself? Or was it forcibly sealed by another party?”
Pope-sama shook her head side to side as she replied.
“What I meant when I said it seals the power of a Spirit is that the Spirit accumulates its own magical power in the Spirit Crystal in preparation for when the need arises. It is not something sealed by another party.”
“I see. Actually, when I first held it, I sensed that there were two magical powers so I was curious and thought that it was another party who applied the seal.”
It’s no problem if the two magical powers I felt belongs to the Spirit and Rainstar-dono but there’s always the off-chance that it is not.
“Two magical powers? … I only realize it now after you mention it. Mu, this chain doesn’t look like it was originally there. I’m confident that it was because of this seal that I couldn’t find it. We should break it now. I leave it to Luciel.”
Is Pope-sama not capable of using Dispel? I thought as I activated my spell.
“Eh!? Ah, yes. Dispel.”
When I did that, the chains around the Spirit Crystal melted away and disappeared and the Spirit Crystal shone even brighter.
“Luciel, Fornoir please.”
Pope-sama asked me to call out Fornoir with a nervous countenance.
“Yes.”
I immediately opened the stable using my Hermit’s key and Fornoir slowly walked out.
And as if the Spirit Crystal was matching the pace, it floated up and was absorbed into Fornoir.
While feeling dumbfounded by that scene, Fornoir, with her pitch black horse body, suddenly gave off such dazzling light that I couldn’t open my eyes.
The light quickly subsided and when I opened my eyes once again, there was a pure white horse with wings, a Pegasus.
That is Fornoir? While I saw still in shock, Pope-sama already ran over to hug Fornoir before I could say a word.
But Fornoir is supposed to be black forest? If she’s white then don’t we have to change her name?
While I was thinking about that, I was waiting for Pope-sama to say Fornoir’s name but for some reason it was still Fornoir.
She’s white so I thought her name might contain ‘White’ or ‘Blanc’ or maybe ‘Shine’ since she was shining but … I decided to leave it be for now.
I approached Fornoir and spoke.
“Fornoir? It’s great that you’ve returned to being a Spirit.”
With Pope-sama still hugging her, Fornoir turned towards and I heard a voice inside my head.
『Luciel, I am sincerely grateful.』
That voice was as I had imagined, a female voice.
I once pondered about Fornoir’s voice and imagined an androgynous voice since she was a Spirit but I was wrong.
“I was just lucky. Furthermore, Fornoir has always helped me so we’re even, partner.”
『I see. Then, best regards hereafter as well, partner.』
I could somehow catch glimpses of delight in Fornoir’s voice.
“I’ll be going to the Empire from here but what do you wish to do?”
『I have not been able to run for a long time. Fufu, I’m looking forward to it.』
… Would it be alright for her to come along with me? Nevertheless, I somehow have the feeling that I’ve met such a high spirited person recently …
I stopped thinking deeper about it and asked about the Spirit Crystal.
“What happened to the Spirit Crystal?”
『It is now inside me. Once I have finished optimizing the Spirit Crystal, I will once again remove it from my body.』
“I see. Then will you be staying with Pope-sama today?”
『… I guess. I have a promise with Fluna so I will stay here today.』
I still had more questions for Pope-sama about how the Spirit Crystal was lost and about Spirits but I decided to postpone it to another day.
“Okay. Pope-sama, I will come over again tomorrow.”
After talking to Fornoir, I spoke to Pope-sama but her back was trembling so I judged that she was still crying and decided to leave by the door when Pope-sama addressed me.
“Luciel, thank you for finding the Spirit Crystal.”
When I turned back, Pope-sama was still in the same posture as before.
“Don’t mention it, I am glad it turned out well. Please excuse me.”
I once again spoke to her back and left.
“Ah, Luciel-kun, I’m coming too.”
“Pope-sama, I will take my leave too.”
Garba-san and Catherine-san also decided to leave together with me.
What I have to do from now should be something quite simple but for some reason, I had a feeling that it would be extremely troublesome.
Author’s note:
Thank you for reading.