Chapter 5: Side Story
“Good day, everyone.”
“My name is Iris Camellia.”
I somehow managed to make it to the age of fifteen.
The frequency of coughing up blood has improved significantly, from once every three to four days to about once every three weeks.
Professor Lark, my specialist, and Granard-sensei both said I should be able to attend the academy… not quite a full guarantee, but they said it should be alright, so I believe I will be fine.
At last, the thought that I may finally be able to learn magic fills me with deep emotion.
…Hm? You think it is far too late to start learning?
W-Well… when one possesses one hundred times the magical power of a normal person, the resulting force is immense, and even simple magic could alter the terrain.
Furthermore, if I were to release it improperly, the recoil from the magic could completely destroy my body.
In other words, without proper control of my magical power, both I and those around me would be in danger.
Normally, children learn magical control in about a month, but I have spent all this time practicing it.
Magical control means measuring the amount of magical power within one’s blood and maintaining a stable flow of magical elements…
…To put it simply, it is as difficult as suddenly being told to drive a truck in real conditions.
If an ordinary person is like riding a bicycle, then a patient with Angel Disease is like handling a ten-ton truck.
It requires years of training and experience.
I have somehow managed to overcome that as well, and now, for some reason, I find myself in a temple.
This is the Great Aroun Temple within my territory.
In this world, there are both churches and temples.
They may seem similar, but they are entirely different.
Churches are responsible for training clergy and spreading the teachings of the gods.
Temples are places where divine oracles, rituals, and spirit contracts are conducted.
Incidentally, the head of a church is called an Archbishop, while the head of a temple is called a High Priest.
Even among clergy, their roles differ.
“Father, why are we here?”
“To receive the protection of a spirit.”
…Even if you say that so simply, there are many things I do not understand…
“…Iris, you became motion sick just from coming here by carriage, did you not? It will take three months by carriage to reach the imperial capital. Your condition would worsen… in the worst case, your illness could deteriorate further.
If you form a contract with a spirit, it will consume your excess magical power and grant you protection. Your magical power will stabilize, and you will be able to travel to the capital using a teleportation circle.”
It is true that spirits consume magical elements and magical power, converting them into spiritual energy, making them very helpful for someone like me with Angel Disease.
The protection of a spirit… is a technique unique to spirits, using spiritual energy rather than magical power.
Even I, who am incompatible with teleportation magic, would be protected by a spirit’s blessing from the magical formula and magical power involved, preventing my condition from worsening.
As I mentioned before, teleportation magic and I are extremely incompatible.
Teleportation magic gathers magical elements from the atmosphere, making it highly likely to be absorbed, which clashes with my condition of excessively producing magical power.
In the worst case, I could die just from traveling.
Since it takes three months by carriage to reach the capital, it would indeed be better to form a contract with a spirit.
However…
“…Mother, I am still a minor, you know?”
Yes, according to both the laws of this country and the laws set by the Spirit King, one must be at least sixteen years old to form a contract with a spirit.
If a child whose body has not fully developed forms a contract with a spirit that consumes magical power, it can severely impair the function of the organ that produces magical power, and in the worst case, lead to death.
Therefore, it is required by law to wait until the age of sixteen, when the organs have sufficiently matured.
“…It is alright. We have already received permission from the Spirit King and the Ministry of Law.”
“…Eh?”
“It is a special exception. You will turn sixteen in four months anyway, so it should not matter if it is slightly earlier. Both the spirits and the nation have granted special permission in consideration of your condition.”
…Father must have worked incredibly hard to obtain that permission…
He likely used his connections within the Ministry and made frequent visits to the temple that mediates with spirits, pleading for the contract to be allowed four months early.
Without thinking, I hugged both Father and Mother.
No matter how much I thank them, it will never be enough…
For ten years since I developed this illness, I have caused them, my brothers, and all the servants so much trouble.
Yet they never abandoned me.
They stayed by my side and fought this illness together with me, saving me time and time again.
I will surely repay their kindness… even if I cannot fully recover, as long as I live, I will repay those who have saved me.
As I renewed my resolve to fight this illness, a priest emerged from the depths of the temple.
“Thank you for waiting. We have established a connection with the spirit world. Please follow me to the summoning chamber.”
“Y-Yes.”
“And only the family may proceed beyond this point.”
The priest cast a glance at Nelke, who looked as though he might follow, and firmly stopped him.
Then, he led the three of us toward the summoning chamber.
After walking for about five minutes, we entered a room within the great temple, where a small elderly woman stood within a massive magic circle.
She held a staff taller than herself, her back bent with age… she must be the High Priest.
“High Priest Nir, thank you for granting our request today.”
“Hmm, there is no need to be so formal. The Spirit King did not take offense this time and granted permission, and we are also pleased to repay the kindness of our lord. And that must be your daughter?”
“Nice to meet you, I am Iris Camellia. I apologize for my late greeting, High Priest.”
I stepped down from my wheelchair, braced my legs, and grasped my skirt to perform a proper noble lady’s bow.
Though I trembled terribly and lacked elegance, I still wished to greet her properly.
The High Priest tilted her head slightly.
“…The star she bears…”
“Eh?”
“…It is nothing. I am Nir Shtina, the High Priest of the Great Aroun Temple. Though you do not remember, it was I who performed your Star Blessing when you were an infant. How nostalgic.”
“My! It was you, High Priest!?”
The Star Blessing is a ritual performed on newborns, said to grant them a destiny star through the blessing of the Star God.
Just how old must the High Priest be to have performed that for me as a baby…?
“Now then, let us begin the spirit summoning.”
“…Please take care of me.”
“Beeep!!”
“…That is a chick.”
“It is a chick…”
“Um, for a chick… its gaze seems rather sharp…”
The High Priest had summoned a chick the size of my palm.
With fluffy yellow feathers and a sharp beak… yet its eyes were fierce, making it seem more dignified than cute.
“…A light-attribute possession-type spirit. A bird form is rare.”
“Yes, most that respond to summons are dogs or cats.”
“…Are spirits only animal types?”
“There are also fish. Humanoid spirits are limited to high-ranking ones of each attribute and the Spirit King.”
…If I recall correctly, the heroine in the Crown Prince route contracted a humanoid spirit…
Just how overpowered is the heroine!
“Now then, give that little one a name. That will complete the contract.”
The High Priest casually picked up the chick and placed it in my palm.
The chick, having responded to my magical power, fidgeted shyly.
“Then… how about Blitz?”
It was simply the German word for lightning, but when I smiled awkwardly at my lack of creativity, the chick stared at me and suddenly hopped onto my head.
“Pi!”
“Huh?”
At its adorable cry, it suddenly began to shine brightly.
W-What is happening!?
“My dear…”
“…This is…”
“Ho.”
Seeing my parents’ astonished expressions and the High Priest’s intrigued gaze, I cautiously reached up to my head.
What if I have gone bald…?
What if the shock killed my hair roots…?
“Huh? The chick is gone…!”
“It has possessed your body. The contract is complete.”
“Possessed…?”
“There are two types of spirits: companion-type and possession-type.
Companion-types stay by the contractor’s side, while possession-types reside within the contractor’s body to protect them.
Blitz seems to have taken a liking to you. Look at your hair.”
At Father’s words, I looked at my hair and gasped.
“Ah…”
…My hair, once golden… had returned to that same nostalgic golden color.
“Blitz…?”
“Pi.”
Hearing a voice echo from within my body, I widened my eyes.
It was truly there… within me.
Placing my hand on my chest, I felt the heavy, stagnant magical power begin to flow gently, and my body felt slightly lighter.
“…My magic…”
“As expected, your magical power is extraordinary… even after the spirit consumes so much, it still overflows. How do you feel?”
“…I feel a little lighter… but…”
My body still felt heavy, like unmelting eternal ice, and I would still need to rely on a wheelchair.
Lowering my gaze, I reflected.
Blitz is likely protecting me by reducing my absorption of magical elements, like a mask filtering pollen…
But it cannot block everything completely.
…It is not Blitz’s fault.
It is my body that abnormally absorbs magical elements.
Realizing this once more, I looked up at the ceiling.
…There is still much I must do.
“Oh, Iris!”
Mother embraced me tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Father gently stroked my hair, as if reminiscing.
…I later learned that my hair returning to gold was due to the blessing of Blitz, a light spirit.
Of course, if Blitz leaves my body, it will return to white… but seeing my parents so happy makes me glad.
Later on, my brothers, who could not come due to work, complained loudly, saying, “We should have come too!”