Chapter 47.2

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Chapter 47 – I’m Giving You Orders

He continued speaking calmly, but she could tell that Luke’s changed voice was filled with anger.

“I don’t understand why the barrier was maintained in this state.”

[They cheated with the Fairy’s Heart, but the magic power was forcibly injected where communication wasn’t even done properly…]

“…”

[It would never have been able to use its full strength.]

“That’s awful…” Ashia carefully raised her hand over the gray Elemental Cube that had lost its light.

[Be careful. It might not like touch as I do.]

“That’s why I’m asking for help.”

[Yes?]

“It’s the same as you. It’s just a slightly larger mana stone. Do you want this to be your brother?”

[Ey, I’m gonna be sad if you compare me to that stone.]

“Is that so? Then prove to me that you’re not just a stone.”

[Yes?]

“Why else did I bring you?”

Startled, Luke muttered that he would rather live as a mere pebble lying on the side of the road. However, Ashia didn’t listen to his cries and loosened the necklace.

[Wh-what am I supposed to do?]

“It’s hard to find now, but there were many spirits in the past.”

[I know.]

“One of the reasons they were called Nature Spirits was because of their influence with the spirits.” Ashia carefully placed the twinkling Luke in the palm of her hand. “Let’s see, what was the spell used by Nature Spirits? My memory is hazy as I don’t specialize in that.”

[‘Affinity’.]

“Ah right. You’re indeed smart, Luke.”

[Hihi.]

Ashia immediately took the necklace and uttered a small spell. “[Affinity], the miracle of Vehil.”

Luke responded to the spell and slightly vibrated, then a rainbow of mana flowed out and wrapped Ashia’s body. Recognizing that the magic Ashia used was the magic used by the Nature Spirits, Luke spoke in surprise.

[Uh? …No way. ]

“Yeah, that’s not it maybe. I studied elemental art before I changed my trait to alchemy.”

[Hah!]

“So, let’s do it together Luke.” Ashia focused on Luke. She slowly closed her eyes and opened them to catch her breath. “Look, mana stones are no different. Like you, Elemental Cubes aren’t just simple stones.”

Ashia wrinkled her nose as she gently stroked the cube. She felt sorry and heartbroken for it. Fairies weren’t the only ones being victimized by human greed.

The Elemental Cube was a huge mana stone. Was it because of the chatty Luke who lived in a mana stone? Every time Ashia looked at it, it wasn’t just a piece of stone to her. Even for strangers, the energy you could feel from the Elemental Cube was clearly different from a mana stone with a little mana.

It was like another being with life. You could touch it if you wanted, it would respond and interact like a living creature if you talked to it. The method of communicating with spirits wasn’t that much different from communicating with mana stones.

“Now I promise that no one will be rude to you.” Ashia continued to speak as if she was talking to the Elemental Cube. “Take my magic and use it to your heart’s content. This is not cheating this time, I am lending you my real magic.”

[Miss Ashia, that’s…] Luke knew that if she used a lot of magical power, it would put a strain on her body.

“It’s not magic that goes through my body, so I’ll be fine. Why? Do you remember that time? That demon who absorbed my magic from me at the Kroken Forest.”

[Ah yes! I remember.]

“A lot of my magic was drawn out at that time, but nothing was wrong with my body.”

At least one arm should have been paralyzed at that time considering the amount of magic taken. But no symptoms occurred, so Ashia could guess that mana that escaped intentionally and was not directly used might not have any effect on one’s body.

“It may not be, but we should give it a try first.”

[…]

Ashia once again absorbed Luke and her mana into the Elemental Cube. It was the first preparation for communication. However, the Elemental Cube didn’t respond to the mana it was given. The mana stone had lost its light and turned gray with the melting barrier outside the window.

’Maybe it was already too late… Everything was the same as the moment I entered the room.’

“…Did it not like it?”

[…Then what should we do? The wizards won’t stand still.]

’Hmm’

Swallowing her saliva, Ashia turned and walked to the window. “Among the potions, there was a potion that increased the power of influence…”

[Oh, did you bring it?]

“No way.”

[…]

“They would think I was running away if I left the Magic Tower to bring it, right?”

[Absolutely!]

“We don’t have any ingredients so we can’t make it.” Ashia put her hands on the windowsill and looked down from the Magic Tower. She saw around a hundred wizards and quickly turned around.

“Wow… it’s impossible to walk out,” she said with a playful laugh.

[Ah… Then what?]

“I’ll go to the store and grab the things I need, then go straight to the Fairy Forest to get the ingredients…”

Another voice came out of nowhere. [Did you say Fairy Forest just now?]

A deep, low voice that seemed to resonate in a large cave filled the room. And there was silence right away.

“…”

[…]

Ashia slowly stood up and looked at the Elemental Cube. “What was that? You knew how to talk?”

[…]

The Elemental Cube went silent again as if it had never talked.

’I thought it was too late.’

Gently raising one eyebrow, Ashia also slowly smiled. She unhurriedly approached the Elemental Cube and spoke in a friendly voice, “I think we can have a conversation, right?”

[…]

Ashia, who had entered the Elemental Cube’s room, only came out after three to four hours had passed. The barrier naturally was restored like new before it completely melted away, and the Elemental Cube also regained stability.

None of the wizards praised her for doing a better job than the current Magic Tower’s Master, Lisa, but they saw and confirmed with their own eyes who was really necessary for the future of this Magic Tower.

Meeting all the conditions of the contract, Ashia proudly took the gold and the power of the Magic Tower’s Master as promised. And of course, she decided to keep it a secret that she got a helper who didn’t talk much.

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