Proofreader: Gort
*****
Rubia hesitated for a moment before chasing after Lee Sungmin, who was massaging his shoulder and thinking back to the fight earlier.
Even if the title of Spirit King of the Wind was fancy, he was weaker than Lee Sungmin thought. He did not feel anything that threatened him during the entire fight.
The Spirit King’s winds could not pierce his coating of internal energy, and Lee Sungmin did not even have a scratch on him.
“Are all the Spirit Kings this weak?”
“If only.”
Rubia, following Lee Sungmin, because she had nowhere else to go, said.
“Sylphid-nim wasn’t at his full power earlier. He wasn’t in a situation to bring out all of his power. After all, his strength increases with the strength of the spirits under his control; he uses even the lowest spirits to bring the wind.”
If they fought in the Spirit Realm, the Spirit King of the Wind would be able to display his full power. Even if Sylphid could descend from the Spirit Realm due to the sudden spatial rift, he could not bring any other wind spirits with him.
“As time passes, Sylphid-nim would have gotten stronger. The existence of a Spirit King would create spirits, especially in places like here where there are a lot of spirits.”
Rubia spread her hands out into the wind.
“…Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. He was reverse-summoned before he regained his power.”
“So it was due to all of us.”
“It was all Lee Sungmin-nim!”
Rubia narrowed her eyes. Lee Sungmin smirked, opening his mouth to ask again.
“Since it’s like this, why don’t you tell us a bit more? I’m sure Rubia-nim doesn’t want to die unfairly.”
“Why does this always happen to me….”
“I told you; some bastard twisted the fate of this world and is playing with it. The things that we don’t understand, the things that shouldn’t make sense, are happening because of that son of a bitch. It was because of that that your master died.”
Rubia scrunched her face, listening to Lee Sungmin.
“Didn’t you hear Sylphid? All the spirits will now know that you are a traitor. Are you going to return even after that?”
“I don’t want to betray the Queen.”
“And you want to help me?”
“…It’s because the Queen is trying to destroy this world.”
Rubia’s figure sunk even lower.
“…I don’t want that to happen….”
Rubia’s thoughts and feelings were all jumbled. As she was an artificial spirit created by the Spirit Queen, she could not betray the Queen.
After she was created, she spent the entirety of her life roaming the world with Envirus. Even if he died by Abel, even if due to that, the Spirit Queen ran rampant, Envirus genuinely wanted to save the world and stop the Apocalypse.
“Even that Crazy Heavenly Demon grandpa died…wishing that I live well….”
Rubia stopped walking. Lee Sungmin, walking in the front, looked back at her.
“Either way, I’m gonna die in the end.”
Rubia muttered.
“The Spirit Queen can call me anytime she wants; if she dies, I die as well.”
“I can take care of that for you.”
Scarlett, who was listening to their conversation, spoke up.
“I don’t know your story that well, but I can tell you are closer to a familiar than a spirit. If so, you can just find a new master. If you want, I can make a new contract and take you in as my familiar.”
Rubia’s eyes opened wide due to the sudden suggestion.
“That’s betraying the Queen…!”
“What did that Queen do for you?”
Rubia became quiet from Lee Sungmin’s question.
“It seems like Rubia-nim isn’t that loyal to the Queen. Isn’t it that you are following the Queen not because you want to but because you have to?”
Rubia lowered her head.
To her, the Queen wasn’t like an understanding mother.
From the beginning, Rubia was created so she would have to die instead of Envirus if he were threatened; her existence didn’t have any other purpose to the Queen.
“We don’t have time. We must go.”
Lee Sungmin said hurriedly.
“The Queen didn’t descend fully yet, but when she does, Rubia-nim will lose her free will.”
“…I understand.”
Rubia said with a powerless voice.
“However, know this; if I become a familiar, my connection with the Queen will be severed. I won’t know when and where she will be.”
“Do you know where she is right now?”
“She didn’t descend yet. She is traveling between the gaps of space right now.”
“Then isn’t it possible for her not to descend?”
“That’s impossible. She just can’t descend because the spatial rift is too small (lol). Her spiritual body (靈體) is massive.”
Lee Sungmin thought of the Spirit Queen struggling to fit into a hole.
[Foolish kid.]
He ignored Heoju’s comment.
After Rubia decided to turn into a familiar, Scarlett started to work. They had to work quickly because Rubia’s connection with the Spirit Queen was at its weakest now.
The operation finished quickly. Since Rubia was closer to a familiar than an artificial spirit, all Scarlett had to do was sever the connection between Rubia and the Spirit Queen and make a contract between her and Rubia.
“Including the Yuzukia Mountains, the other spots in Eria represent the 4 elements. Water spirits in the Cheneron Great Lake, earth spirits in the Ancient Dahar Site, and fire spirits in Permud Volcanic Mountain.”
“Do you think other Spirit Kings descended there as well?”
“That… I don’t know.”
“How about the Queen of the Fairies?”
“She would probably descend from the Sleeping Forest. Not now, though.”
Rubia opened her mouth again.
“Also… although it’s late, thank you… for saving me.”
Lee Sungmin smiled happily.
“I’m glad I don’t have to fight Rubia-nim.”
“I wouldn’t have been your match.”
*****
Lee Sungmin called Neville and requested information on the 3 spots, and while waiting, called the Pegasus.
“It has been quite a while since I saw Lloyd-nim.”
The group got on the pegasus. Because there was barely any space, Rubia turned into a sphere of light and went inside Lee Sungmin. Scarlett glared at Lee Sungmin.
“I’m the master, but why does she go to you?”
“Ah…that… It’s a habit. It happened before I realized what I was doing.”
Rubia said, surprised by Scarlett’s observation. Scarlett looked away, puffing up her cheeks.
She glanced at the silent Baek Sogo. Because she knew that Yana was there for Heoju, she didn’t look at her.
“Are you ok with that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Whatever, whatever. If you look at it, normal women are all alone. Is this a new trend?”
“I’m not sure what you are trying to say.”
“It’s nothing. This is just a rant from a frustrated woman.”
Scarlett finished, crossing her arms.
*****
The Golden Tower was located in Rubes, where Lee Sungmin promised to meet Wijihoyeon before.
As soon as the group arrived in Rubes, Lee Sungmin felt Rubia shudder slightly. He remembered when he, Rubia, and the Crazy Heavenly Demon came here; Rubia had proudly explained everything about the train.
When Lee Sungmin came to Rubes for the first time, he felt elated; he thought his reunion with Wijihoyeon would go smoothly.
That was the past. Rubia had come back to Rubes, but she did not have the Crazy Heavenly Demon with her.
“I can’t help but pity Lloyd-nim.”
While walking to the Golden Tower, Scarlett muttered.
“Ten years ago, after the guild leader of the Magician’s Guild died, his will was released. In that will, Lloyd-nim got everything the Guild Master had and would be appointed as the next guild leader.”
“…But isn’t Lloyd-nim still in the Golden Tower?”
“That’s why I pity him.”
Scarlett sighed.
“The old asses in the Senate strongly opposed Lloyd-nim’s promotion. He didn’t have much support because he wasn’t seen fit for the guild leader role. In the Senate’s eyes, his age, experience, magical skills, and research skills weren’t good enough to be the guild leader. They aren’t that wrong. Unlike other magicians, Lloyd-nim didn’t have a clear goal that he wanted to pursue, and didn’t research into the related topics.”
So something like that happened…
Lloyd-nim didn’t make a commotion or anything. He just said, “if you guys don’t want it, then it won’t happen,” and went back to the Golden Tower.
“So, who’s the guild leader now?”
“The elders in the Senate tried to make the Green Tower Master, who had the most support, the new guild leader; he refused, though. Contrary to his looks, the old coot still is pretty normal. The seat of the guild leader has been empty for 10 years.”
Scarlett complained, furrowing her eyebrows.
“As of now, the Senate is sharing the role of the guild leader. However, what good would come out of those greedy bastards? When I got to that point, I left the Magician’s Guild; it seems like Lloyd-nim is still with the Magician’s Guild. By the way, why are you trying to meet Lloyd-nim?”
Scarlett tilted her head.
“I need to confirm something.”
Abel was dead.
Even if Abel brought Lloyd with him, he did not bring him during the fight with Kim Jonghyun.
Abel said he left Lloyd because he was useless, but Lee Sungmin didn’t believe his words.
Also, according to Scarlett, Abel had left everything in his possession to Lloyd.
The Weiss as well…
*****
Lee Sungmin stood in front of the Golden Tower. He tried knocking on the door, but it opened before he touched it. Startled, Lee Sungmin looked inside.
“Just on time.”
Lloyd stood beyond the door. He gazed at Lee Sungmin with a slightly older face than what Lee Sungmin had remembered.
“Did you know that we were coming?”
“I didn’t use the Weiss. I just checked the security measures on the tower.”
This meant that the Weiss that Abel had was now in Lloyd’s possession.
“I was wondering when you would come to find me.”
Lee Sungmin realized that apart from Lloyd, there were no other people in the Golden Tower.
“Where are the….”
“I sent them all away. Soon, this place won’t be the Golden Tower. They complained a lot, but in the end, they all left. I plan to take them in if I come back alive.”
If I come back alive.
“It has been a long 10 years.”
Lloyd said with a sad expression.
“I didn’t know much, and the things I didn’t know were written in Abel-nim’s will. I used the Weiss to understand them all; I lost much of my lifespan for that….”
Lloyd looked at Lee Sungmin. He smiled bitterly at Rubia, who was hidden inside Lee Sungmin.
“The Weiss can take a peek at nearly everything. Except for the future, everything in the past and present are in the hands of the Weiss.”
“What did…you see?”
“What I didn’t know. How my teacher died, how Abel-nim died, what you are, and what happened.”
For that, Lloyd sacrificed many years of his life. However, he did not seem to regret it.
“What do you want to ask me?”
“…I need to know what is happening around the world now.”
“It seems like the Weiss can tell you that.”
Lloyd smiled faintly.
*****
TL Notes: I made a poll on Discord about my release schedule; go check it out (.gg/uYmcV2TE)
Also, this pretty short (1.9k words compared to 2.4k or something in a couple of other chapters)