BDML 10

Chapter  10

I didn’t know who the target was, but if I considered that I was the only person in this annex who could plausibly be the target of an assassination attempt…

I quickly pushed myself up from the bed.

I needed to see how far the fire had spread.

[The fire has spread too far for you to leave the doorway. Don’t move recklessly.]

But Illipia stopped me.

I bit my trembling lips and turned to look at him.

[Let me properly introduce myself. I am Illipia, the Spirit King of Life. I am the spirit who has blessed you. Those who, unlike ordinary humans, receive blessings from spirits are called “spirit users.”]

Spirit users. I was already familiar with the term.

Most of it had been cut for the sake of emphasizing the male lead’s charm, but the original story was fundamentally a spirit-themed world.

After desperately racking my brain, I finally recalled the setting of the original world.

Spirit users possessed three attributes in total.

One main attribute and two sub-attributes.

And humans classified as spirit users were said to have received “blessings” from spirits of those three attributes.

Normally, it was common to receive blessings from lower or mid-tier spirits, but Roberic was someone who had been blessed by all three Spirit Kings.

If I remembered correctly, those attributes were light, wind… and one more.

Anyway, Roberic had been an absurd genius.

…Wait. Then does that mean I inherited the talent of a spirit user because I’m Roberic’s daughter?

I felt a strange emotion—not good, not bad.

I frowned.

[You are a spirit user blessed by me. I will help you. You must leave this place at once.]

But in a crisis like this, nothing else mattered.

I didn’t care whose assassination attempt this was.

I had to survive.

—

“Idis. My one and only wish is… that you grow up well, meet a good person, marry, have children… and live a simple, happy life, so I can see it with my own eyes.”

—

I hadn’t even had a proper conversation with my grandfather yet.

Suppressing the surge of emotion, I took Illipia’s hand.

Spirit user or assassination attempt—it didn’t matter.

I had no intention of dying here. Absolutely not.

[Hahaha! How amusing, running away like a rat!]

A man’s voice roared from beyond the burning room.

It was not human… or at least, it didn’t sound fully human.

I looked toward the doorway with suspicion.

[He is an intermediate fire spirit named Ifrit. He is extremely violent and warlike. Now, follow me.]

Illipia stood up from the bed.

Ah— the floor was on fire…

“Ah?”

And yet, astonishingly, wherever Illipia’s flowing sleeves brushed, the raging flames turned white and vanished.

As if they were being erased upon contact with something beyond comprehension.

[Idis?]

I stared blankly at Illipia.

…Forget unnecessary things. Survival came first.

I hesitated no longer and stepped down from the bed.

The floor beneath my feet was intact.

As if the flames had never been there at all.

—

—

[The servants are all dead. Now I just need to confirm the target. It should already be burned to death by now.]

“…!”

My heart jolted.

I covered my mouth with both hands and looked at Ifrit, who was walking through the blazing corridor.

The crimson spirit scratched his flaming head in irritation.

Judging from where he was heading, it was—oh no—the room I had just come out of.

He was probably trying to confirm whether I was dead.

And since he mentioned confirming the target, it was now clear this fire had been set to assassinate me.

[…What? Where did it go?!]

Soon, Ifrit’s voice exploded.

[You damn rat!]

He had noticed I was gone.

Now he would search for me in earnest.

I looked up at Illipia, still strangely calm.

Would running like this really solve anything?

“Um… Lord Illipia.”

[Just call me by my name.]

Illipia said gently.

“Ah, yes. But… do you perhaps have the ability to defeat that thing?”

It was only a matter of time before I was found.

KRRRUMBLE—

More importantly, how long would this building even hold?

Wasn’t it more likely I’d be crushed by collapsing debris before anything else?

[Unfortunately, I don’t have any offensive power. And I don’t have good compatibility against Ifrit either.]

“…Pardon?”

My hope shattered, and I collapsed onto the floor.

So I really was going to die like this…

At least, since Illipia was the Spirit King of Life, wasn’t there some way I could be revived even if I died?

…Who the hell set this place on fire in the middle of the night?!

I ground my teeth, thinking of the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.

Who was Ifrit’s contracted spirit user in the original story again?

…I couldn’t even remember Roberic’s attributes properly, so how was I supposed to remember that?

While I teared up in frustration, Illipia, who had been thinking quietly, spoke again.

[But spirit users inherit attributes. I am the spirit who blessed your father, Roberic, and while I do not know all the spirits who blessed your mother…]

Mother? Mariette?

…And Roberic?

I looked up sharply.

Illipia had blessed Roberic?

Then was the last remaining spirit king among Roberic’s attributes… Illipia?

[There was also the Water Spirit King, Naiad, among her attributes.]

My mind was thrown into chaos.

Water and fire.

Which one held the upper hand in compatibility was obvious.

[So one of your sub-attributes may be him. I will teach you the summoning chant. Shall we try?]

Illipia smiled faintly.

“I’ll do it. Right now.”

I answered immediately.

[Good. Those with lower-ranked spirit blessings have lower success rates, but since you are Roberic’s daughter and have my blessing, you should succeed if you recite it correctly.]

BOOM—!

Just as hope finally began to bloom, one of the supporting beams collapsed with a deafening crash.

Ughhh!

I barely held back a scream.

I didn’t know whether God existed, but I desperately prayed not to be burned or crushed to death.

[We don’t have much time. If you die, I can revive you, but your mind may not withstand the pain. Do not make mistakes. Repeat after me. “O children of life that do not perish.”]

Illipia’s dark, radiant eyes looked down at me.

[“Answer the call of the one blessed by the undying heart.” And then speak the name of the spirit you are calling. In this situation… ‘Water Spirit King, Naiad.’]

I closed my eyes tightly.

Yes. I can do this.

“O children of life that do not perish.”

I gritted my teeth and spoke.

But then—

WOOOONG—

Something welled up in my chest, overflowing.

An unknown surge of emotion.

And at the same time, fear rushed in like a tide.

[There you are! I’ll kill you!]

Ifrit’s roar echoed right nearby.

Heat surged above my head.

I clenched my fists and shouted desperately.

“Answer the call of the one blessed by the undying heart!”

The blazing fire descended directly above me.

“[Water Spirit King, Naiad!]”

WOOOONG—

The moment I called his name aloud—

[So you are the one who summoned me.]

Warm water enveloped my entire body.

A gentle, almost maternal voice echoed softly, so tender it reminded me of a mother I could not even remember.

I opened my eyes.

The raging fire spirit that had tried to kill me was gone.

It was silent, as if I had sunk beneath the sea.

No—this was the sea.

I was submerged underwater.

“…Ah.”

Yet I stood on solid ground beneath the ocean.

Strangely, breathing was not difficult at all.

When I looked around in astonishment—

“…!”

I gasped as I saw the Water Spirit King looking back at me.

Her serene smile resembled the deep blue ocean itself.

Silver eyes, framed by deep-blue lashes, shimmered like pearls.

Her cheeks and eyes sparkled like scattered gemstones, and coral shaped like gills grew near her ears.

Massive corals of red, blue, and white cascaded like a crown over her head, replacing a royal diadem.

Her long blue hair flowed like waves behind her, and beneath her flowing garments like a goddess’s robe was not a human body—but a fish’s tail.

Nothing about her was human, yet no one could deny her beauty.

Naiad smiled at me.

She extended a hand, touching my face.

A coral bracelet around her wrist rang softly with a clear chime.

[Child of Mariette, so dear…]

I didn’t even have time to be surprised.

“!”

She pulled me into an embrace.

Her body was neither warm nor cold.

Just… perfectly mild.

I had no idea what was happening and could only blink helplessly.

Why…?

It felt as though she had finally reunited with someone she had long, painfully missed.

And she said “Mariette’s child.” She definitely said that.

What did that mean…?

[You should stop now. How long are you going to keep the child confined?]

Illipia’s voice echoed.

The dreamlike underwater world around Naiad and me faded like mist.

When I blinked again, I was back in the burning corridor.

CRASH—!

Another beam collapsed.

“Eek!”

Realizing the severity of the situation, Naiad released me.

I turned just in time as a spear of fire descended toward my head.

But—

[…Kyaaahhh!!]

Now that Naiad had appeared, Ifrit—who had been circling to kill me—screamed and fled in panic.

“…?”

The sudden reversal left me speechless.

[Child of beautiful little Mariette.]

Naiad floated behind me and leaned closer.

[You too… seem to be fated to be hated by others, just like your mother.]

I widened my eyes and turned.

Naiad met my gaze and smiled quietly.

KUUUUM—

A massive column of water formed behind her.

Wait, what?

[So let us sweep everything away.]

Naiad said gently.

No—don’t say something that terrifying so calmly…

A huge shadow of water fell over my face.

[Hold your breath, Idis.]

Illipia said calmly.

Before I could respond, he pulled me into his arms.

KWA-BOOOOM—!

The noble mansion was instantly transformed into the middle of an endless sea.