「I saw you using my daughter’s power when fighting earlier.」
「Hm..? Who’s your daughter?」
He spoke like it was a well known fact, but Mira was only confused and asked for details. Apparently he had a daughter, and Mira had relied on her when fighting.
But for Mira, this was the first time she even heard the Spirit King had a daughter.
「Sanctia. I’m sure you’ve met her.」
「Ah… I met her just a while ago! I’m pretty sure she was a spirit sword though…」
Mira remembered Sanctia as the spirit living inside a holy sword. As far as Mira knew, spirit arms like that, started with a peculiar item, which eventually developed sentience. If that was the case with Sanctia as well, then it was impossible for her to have any connection to the Spirit King.
Then came another idea, maybe the Spirit King referred to all spirits as his children? But Mira was quickly proven wrong.
「I’m sure you saw her sword itself. That was a weapon made by carving a bone from one of my fingers. Sanctia was also born when that happened.」
As he spoke, he raised his left hand so Mira could see it. His pinky looked unnaturally short, proving that that was where the holy sword came from.
「I never imagined she was a sword that belonged to the Spirit King…」
That was also a far better reason to call her his daughter, compared to the vague reasoning Mira had thought up. There was a very deep connection between Sanctia and the Spirit King, which made her an even rarer holy sword.
A sword made by the Spirit King, an almost godly being that stood above all spirits. Even amongst all the tall tales Mira had heard related to holy and demonic swords, that sounded even more incredible.
That was more than just a holy sword, godly sword was a more fitting name for it. All that obviously made Mira surprised.
「Usually humans have no way to use my spiritual power, but as you found my daughter, who is connected to me, it’s possible for you to channel a portion of my power through her.」
After explaining that, the Spirit King raised his right hand and gestured towards Mira, which made her clothes slip off her shoulders.
「Huh?!」
Even her underwear had slid off and lay at her feet, the unexpected feeling of being naked taking her by surprise.
「I’ll grant you my divine protection. Stay still for a moment.」
After saying that, the Spirit King brought his fingertips to the pit of Mira’s stomach, a warm sensation filling Mira afterwards.
「Thank you! I really appreciate your blessing!」
Mira quickly got over the shock, staying completely still and happily accepting it.
A spirit’s divine protection always had a specific shape, imprinted with an invisible ink to the receiver’s body.
The Spirit King’s was the same, a pattern being carved onto Mira’s body. But the only difference was that while they usually only occupied a small space, this time she felt it run throughout her entire body, like the roots of a tree spreading in the earth.
「This is on a whole different level!」
Mira exclaimed happily as she looked at the shapes extending all the way to the tips of her extremities.
「You should be able to channel a considerable amount of my power through Sanctia with my divine protection. It might take a toll on you at first, but once you master it you’ll do fine.」
He removed his hand, speaking as if entrusting her with something very important. Then he raised his left hand and slightly flung it, making her clothes move as if their time was in reverse, floating and reattaching to her body.
「By the way… how was my daughter? Is she doing fine?」
He stood upright, and seemed to fidget a bit before glancing at Mira and asking that. There was still a dignified and solemn air to his presence, but his face was that of a worrying parent at that moment.
「Don’t worry about her. She’s surrounded by friends and living happily.」
She had been in danger before, spending a long time locked up and threatened by the black mist, but that situation had been resolved already, so Mira decided there was no need to mention it. She only related how she was afterwards, freed and back with her friends.
「I see, that sounds good indeed.」
The Spirit King smiled gently, like a good natured old man. 「Thank you,」 he said in a low voice.
「Anyway, I also have something I’d like to ask. Can I?」
「Sure, I don’t mind. Ask ahead.」
Remembering the last few days, Mira remembered something she had been curious about, and the Spirit King seemed earnest in answering her question.
「…the man I fought earlier, his sword and golem. They had a strange property that erased spirits. Do you know what exactly that black mist is?」
Mira omitted the encounter in the shrine under the lake, assuming it was the same thing that Chimera used.
「Yes, I do. Those are the remains of the demon’s consciousness, lingering even after death. A very despicable curse.」
He closed his eyes as he replied, speaking as if reminiscing memories from a past long gone.
「Demons? You mean this kind?」
As she asked, Mira gestured by lifting both her index fingers and holding them next to her ears, recreating a well known pantomime of a demon.
「Yes, those demons with two horns.」
The Spirit King smiled amused at Mira’s funny expression, then he told her about the demons.
Thousands of years ago, maybe even hundreds of thousands of years ago, there existed a race opposite of spirits, known as demons.
By destroying and ravaging nature willfully, they thrived and increased their numbers, which led to even more destruction. That obviously put them in direct opposition to spirits, who lived in and protected nature, leading to constant bickering between the races.
At first they found a solution to their issues by letting spirits live far away in segregation, where demons would not attack. But once the demons ran out of nature to ravage in their allocated location, they marched into spirit territory.
Things escalated quickly after that, a full out war between the races starting.
The present world showed perfectly well who won that war, but it was still a very gruesome and painful victory.
Much greenery had been lost, the spirit population slashed down considerably. Faced with that crisis, the Spirit King decided to risk altering the order of the world, casting a forbidden spell which made the demons unable to survive anywhere.
Demons no longer had a way to sustain themselves, eventually going extinct. But before they vanished, all demons held a strong hatred and loathing for spirits.
That conviction remained in the world in the shape of a curse.
Such was the tale told by the Spirit King.
「Demons, huh. I didn’t know spirits had such a story…」
For Mira, that was an exceedingly ancient story, and one she could hardly imagine. She was simply shocked by how strenuous the stakes were.
「Well, it’s been a long time since then. In any case, you asked about the curse. My spiritual power, and Sanctia’s true power together should be able to destroy it. I’d be very thankful if you could destroy any remains of that curse you find, in a way it’ll finally bring closure to my past.」
「She can actually do that? Alright then, I vow to destroy all of it!」
Hearing Sanctia held the secret to destroying the dangerous curse that disabled all spirits, Mira went into a happy mood and eagerly promised to take care of it.
「Well, I’ll leave my daughter in your hands then.」
The Spirit King said in a serious tone, looking straight into Mira’s eyes.
「With all my might!」
Mira also straightened her back and looked back at his eyes, replying energetically.
「Also, before I forget. Come back once you’ve mastered my divine protection.」
‘I can see why my daughter chose her’, thought the satisfied Spirit King, seeing how much she loved spirits. Then he seemed to recall something adding that last sentence, which made Mira jump as soon as she heard it.
「Seriously?! I swear I’ll come back then!」
Mastering his divine protection meant when Mira got used to channeling the Spirit King’s power. It was easy to conclude he was telling her that once the day came, he would grant her even more abilities. Mira understood as much, almost making her jump in happiness as she happily agreed to it.
「Hmm? Why do I feel like you sound more excited and happy about that?」
The Spirit King spoke in a playful tone, watching how Mira’s attitude had changed.
「You’re imagining things. I love spirits more than anyone.」
Mira played it off, posing confidently for the Spirit King to see. The Spirit King laughed a bit, satisfied with his interview with Mira. 「Well, see you later then」 he softly touched her head.
The world around Mira changed instantly, just like before, and she returned to the Ancient Circular Gate.
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