By Zephyria 
Finding traces of Black Magic was five times more troublesome than finding a cave.
It was said that the Contaminated Mana originating from the Magic Territory and Dunmel Canyon had a lighter and faster flow, while the Contaminated Mana from Black Magic had a more persistent and sticky nature.
However, those two types of Mana shared the same category of murky components, possessing only a minute difference, even less than the gap between aura and internal energy. After all, even Wizards themselves collectively referred to both as ‘Contaminated Mana.’
Among us, only Marianne, who had studied and learned about Black Magic, could distinguish and classify the two.
But magic for digging up the ground was not Marianne’s specialty. Wizards became exhausted after using a lot of Mana, so we couldn’t place the burden solely on her.
Therefore, whenever Marianne tilted her head in uncertainty, we dug through the bare earth so she could more readily identify any suspicious energy.
But there were no shovels, of course.
Only the two seniors and I were skilled enough to use Sword Energy proficiently without damaging our swords. Among them, Hugh Benson’s sword was too short to be suitable for digging the ground.
So, Benjamin and I took turns slicing and digging into the ground.
In my past life, I cherished my sword dearly. I didn’t possess an extraordinary treasure sword, but a blacksmith, a descendant of Namgung, had forged a sword befitting the Changcheon Muae Sword for me, so it was only natural to treasure it.
I had cut wood or rocks to show off my skills, but I had never dared to strike the ground with my sword. On days when my sword was stained with blood, I would carefully wipe it with a cloth dipped in clear oil, treating it with utmost care. From the day I first received it until the day I died thirty years later, I held the same sword.
I never in my life imagined I would have to use my sword as a shovel. The time when I considered a treasured weapon as precious as one’s life felt like a past life.
…It was indeed a past life. A hollow laugh tickled the corners of my lips.
Even though I knew well that in this land, a person could own multiple swords, and there was no need to cherish a single one so dearly, a part of my heart still felt uneasy.
So, while I hesitated slightly with every scoop of earth, Elvin managed his share quite well. Elvin’s face, as he sliced through the ground with his wide and thick sword, showed not the slightest hint of displeasure.
Marianne, who had been hunched beside Elvin, her hands pressed against the bare earth and her brow furrowed, let out a deep sigh. This had happened several times now. Elvin stopped what he was doing without a word and brushed off the dirt clinging to his sword.
“Ah, this isn’t it either. I’m sorry, Elwin Seonbae.”
“…It’s alright.”
It was thanks to Marianne that we could even track down traces like this. Everyone offered words of encouragement, saying it was okay and that they did well.
Despite that, Marianne looked visibly upset, pouting like a goldfish and stacking the magic firewood with a tak tak sound. It was a signal that this place was safe and we could rest now.
We set up our resting spot next to the deep pit.
Although our travel speed had slowed, there were benefits to only searching around the Dunmel Canyon. Our party had become accustomed to the high Mana Concentration. Thanks to the Mana permeating our bodies, Ruben and Benjamin’s Dantians were ripening day by day, and Marianne and I had also greatly improved our skills.
In essence, the initial purpose of the subjugation had been largely achieved. Since searching for Black Magicians wasn’t our original mission, we tried not to rush.
Hugh Benson, as always, placed a pot over the fire and began boiling stew. The rest of us simply sat and waited. I kept Ruben, who was peering into the pit, by my side, telling him not to do that as it was dangerous. I looked up towards the canyon beyond. Something white seemed to appear in the distance before vanishing.
Seeing that reminded me of another story.
“They say spirits do not fear death.”
“…Uh, well… right? Why is that?”
“Didn’t we see a Sylph from afar last time? The one… who rushed into Black Magic like a moth to a flame.”
“Ah.”
“I heard before that they could communicate, but it didn’t seem like it at all.”
Before Ruben could answer, Marianne, who had been picking a pointless quarrel with Hugh Benson about whether the stew was seasoned correctly, quickly chimed in.
“They understand everything. It’s just that there was something alluring in front of them.”
“Something alluring?”
“Spirits, like Magical Creatures, feed on Mana. When such a large mass of Mana is placed before them, how can they not be drawn to it?”
“Hmm.”
Indeed. If you held a piece of meat right in front of a beast and let its aroma waft towards it, could it resist the urge to bite into it?
Ruben, listening to our conversation, leaned his head against my shoulder with a tuk. Thinking he was tired, I gently massaged the firm line running from the back of his neck up to my shoulder.
Even after seeing it for many days, I couldn’t quite get used to the scenery visible beyond the vast canyon.
The Yuil Mountains, layered like ink wash paintings, rose impossibly high and immense even from this distance. The land here abruptly ended, and the endless mountain ridges, stretching so far that even my sharp eyes couldn’t see their end, undulated endlessly. The sight, no matter how many times I saw it, didn’t seem like it belonged to the mortal realm.
If this land hadn’t been divided by such deep canyons, how much more would we have had to fear the unknown beyond? The gaps, as if deliberately carved, became cliffs. The other side of the canyon gleamed darkly, even in the bright daylight and the dark night.
I could fully understand the hearts of those who sought God in the face of this overwhelming grandeur. As I lost myself in thought for a long time, Hugh Benson banged the side of the pot with a large ladle, calling the children together.
“It’s ready, let’s eat.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m going to charge you for this, you know.”
We all laughed, knowing he was just teasing.
As we sat in a circle, the topic of spirits came up again. Seeing my curiosity, Marianne chided me for not attending her lessons at the time, though it wasn’t very funny. When I told her to just explain, she spent the time until her portion of stew cooled appropriately, telling me various things.
I had heard that spirits and Magical Creatures were beings that did not fear death. Their birth also seemed to have similar aspects.
“Magical Creatures are born from a suitable Mana Concentration with a certain Medium, right? Like how a Ranunculus forms an egg from a Ranunculus seed in a 30 MP zone, and then hatches after continuously absorbing appropriate Mana.”
“Hmm.”
“Spirits are similar. They are born by encountering a certain seed at the right timing in a slightly higher Mana Concentration than Magical Creatures. The reason there are more Sylphs around here is probably because it’s windy. There were also periodic Mana explosions.”
Looking around to see if I was the only one who didn’t know these things, I saw Benjamin, sitting opposite me, shrug his shoulders. Did he not know either? I felt a sense of relief. After pondering for a moment, Benjamin asked,
“Do spirits also speak human languages?”
“Ah, language is learned. They can speak if taught, but conversing with wild Sylphs requires more effort. Generally, spirits are sensitive to the emotions of other beings, so they communicate by changing the pitch of their voice or using body language.”
“Ah…”
“What do they communicate for?”
Ruben, sitting next to me, answered in a gentle voice, as Marianne was busy eating her stew.
“They ask for various favors. Just like using Ranunculus as a messenger, we ask favors from spirits and give them well-refined Mana in return. Spirits are more… closer to nature than Magical Creatures, so they can live alone, but they tend to like people and readily grant benevolent requests.”
“Have you seen spirits before, Ruben?”
“Hmm, there are Spirit Masters in the Imperial Palace, so…”
Meanwhile, Hugh Benson also chimed in, adding his voice.
“This was an unusual case, but… Mercenaries could be fooled.”
“…Fooled?”
“Most spirits like humans and dislike monsters. So, there’s a saying that places where many spirits gather are generally safe. Spirits like people, they like flowers, and also…”
“They like songs.”
Elvin Brooks chimed in.
Songs. …It seemed they often sang in the desert?
He casually adjusted the artifact he wore like a collar around his neck, allowing air to pass through. The artifact, perfectly fitted to Elvin’s thick Adam’s apple, was something Hugh had put on him.
Elvin didn’t complain that the collar was uncomfortable. He would just stretch the leather with his hands whenever he had the chance, adjusting it to fit his body. I thought to myself that I should buy him a more comfortable one next time.
Hugh Benson nodded, looking at Elvin for a moment, and continued,
“…Right. That’s how they are. As long as they aren’t attacked first, they are generally safe. The Yuil Mountains have a high Mana Concentration, so you can often encounter wild spirits… Experienced mercenaries don’t fear spirits.”
Monsters were creatures that had absorbed contaminated Mana into their bodies. I wondered if it was strange for them to distinguish between the two if spirits absorbed and used both refined and contaminated Mana without differentiation. The fact that they liked people, which was rare in the mountains, was also interesting. Without holding back, I asked,
“Why do spirits dislike monsters?”
“Because they’re ugly.”
“Excuse me?”
I thought it was a silly joke. However, Marianne said again, wagging her index finger with a serious expression.
“You said spirits like flowers and songs. There are no creatures as sensitive to beauty and ugliness as spirits. They like beautiful people, and they dislike monsters because they’re ugly. Michael, you’ll understand what the Spirit Masters are saying too. They’re all incredibly beautiful.”
“…Is that so.”
“Michael, you have enough potential to be a Spirit Master, so if you’re interested, try talking to a spirit next time you meet one. It would be fun.”
I wondered why spirits’ standards of beauty were similar to humans’. I thought it was a ridiculous story.
Being captivated by beautiful appearances…
Spirits shimmered like fireflies even from afar. Suddenly, I had an urge to see Rubel, surrounded by such spirits. I casually replied,
“It would suit Ruben better than me.”
“Kek, cough! Ah, damn it. Don’t do that kind of thing while eating. Ah, sht. I spilled it all.”
“Hahahaha! Hahaha! Ah, Seonbae, you’re really crazy. Aren’t you too surprised? I thought a bug got on your clothes!”
“A bug would be better. Ah, I can’t get used to that.”
“…”
Ruben, who had been silently lowering his head for a moment, brought his lips close to my ear. He whispered, barely moving his lips, his voice smaller than a breath,
“Am I… that beautiful?”
“Yes.”
Although I was shy, fearing the others might hear, his attitude of wanting to ask one more time to hear my compliment again was so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh. I immediately answered and patted Ruben’s hand a couple of times. He then coughed a few times and averted his gaze.
Seeing that, Hugh Benson started grumbling again, picking a pointless quarrel.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. We can all hear you.”
“What? What did Rubel Seonbae say?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Ah, what is it! What did he say? ‘You’re prettier’? ‘Love me more’? ‘Am I handsome’? What is it!”
Unable to bear Marianne’s chatter, Ruben covered his face with both hands. The tips of his ears, flushed bright red, were so cute I wanted to bite them.
I was the only one who couldn’t laugh, afraid Ruben would get upset. Everyone else laughed out loud without restraint. I let out the laughter that kept escaping between my teeth as if it were a cough.