She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“NOW… ZERO NINE ZERO FIVE, was it?” Mira faced the communicator once more, picked up the receiver, and prepared to dial the number for Mariana’s tower. She stopped herself, ­however. Wh-what do I say? Where do I begin…? I’m getting nervous.

Perhaps because of the “wife” chatter prior, Mira felt like she was calling a friend she had a crush on. She’d have had an easier time if she instead put herself in the shoes of a husband calling his wife at home, but that was too hard for her to muster.

Still, she couldn’t wait until she had her feelings straight. Martel was watching, and the spirit’s eyes were too keen for Mira to let her uncertainty slip. If she hesitated, Martel might realize and say something like “Aww. You’re awfully nervous just to talk to your aide… My, my… Hee hee!”

Sighing, Mira forced herself to press the buttons. She heard the dial tone from the receiver. Listening with bated breath, she racked her brain over what to say.

“Hello. Tower of Evocation. Acting Elder Cleos speaking.”

“Oh, it’s just you…” She heaved another sigh as if disappointed.

Now that Mira thought about it, it didn’t surprise her that Cleos had answered, but she’d fully expected Mariana. A betrayed feeling filled her with indescribable emptiness.

“Um, okay. That’s rather harsh…” Her words hadn’t put Cleos off. Instead, he added expectantly, “Anyway, from your voice, I’m guessing this must be Lady Mira.”

“Right, yes. It’s me. Erm, Solomon told me Mariana’s worried about me, so I decided to call.”

Her emotions had cooled for a moment when Cleos answered, but when she explained her call, her nervousness flared up again. Struggling to feign calm, she finally asked, “So…is Mariana there?”

“I knew it! Oh, thank goodness! Mariana must be cleaning the tower right now, but I’ll get her right away. Wait just a minute, please!” It seemed Mariana’s mood lately had been a struggle for Cleos too. His voice, coming from the receiver, sounded as if he’d just recognized the arrival of his savior.

Mira heard footsteps rushing and the sound of a door being flung open. Cleos was apparently in a real hurry to get Mariana.

Okay. Now’s my chance. She used the unexpected moment of calm to collect herself and figure out what she’d say to Mariana. She’d first have to tell the fairy that she was perfectly safe, naturally, and that she’d even found Soul Howl. Mariana will be happy to hear that, she thought with a grin.

The problem would come when it was time to tell Mariana about her next mission. The mysterious orphanage, the phantom thief who likely knew about it, the rumors that he’d appear in Haxthausen… If Mira returned to the tower first, she wouldn’t make it in time—she had to press on. So she’d grumble about…or, rather, explain…that to Mariana.

Making Mariana feel lonely had wounded Mira, but she was loyal to both her country and her friends. This wasn’t her plan just because Solomon requested it. It might’ve looked like Mira was simply going with the flow, but she was doing her best for her homeland.

Mariana will surely understand, she hoped as she waited.

There was no hold tone on the communicator, and some quiet noises came through the receiver. Suddenly, another sound interrupted: Thunk. Thunk. Mira couldn’t tell what it was, but after she heard it, she also heard a door slowly open. Mariana had finally arrived. 

Mira braced herself, straightened her posture despite being jammed in the closet, and awaited Mariana’s voice with a determined expression. Immediately, however, she was startled by the sound of something falling on the other end of the call.

Unsure what it was, she composed herself and called through the communicator, “What was that? Hey, Mariana, are you okay?” 

When she spoke, there was a small rustling sound. That wasn’t Mariana. What was it, then? Mira became anxious, but she quickly realized that her worry wasn’t necessary.

A needy cry came through the receiver: “Squeak! Squeak!”

“Ooh! Is that you, Luna? Look how smart you are, using the phone!” Mira cooed.

“Squeeeak!” Luna cried happily from the other side. So that commotion on the other end of the line had been her doing.

The whole top floor of the tower could hear communicator conversations, so Luna had picked up Mira’s voice even from elsewhere in the tower. The little bunny had learned to use the communicator from watching Mariana and Cleos, and she’d rushed in, opened the door, and knocked the communicator to the floor—just to speak with Mira. Since Luna was smart enough to do all that, Mira had praised her accordingly. 

“Lovely! How have you been doing, dear?”

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

“Oh, really? Full of energy all day, every day? That’s wonderful,” Mira continued to coo.

“Squeak!” Luna replied excitedly.

Mira didn’t know whether the bunny actually understood what she said, but it sure felt like they were conversing. Sometimes a pet owner didn’t need to understand their pet to truly understand them.

“Squeak!”

“Same here. I’ve missed you too, dear.”

As they chatted, Cleos’s voice came through the receiver. “Luna, you should let Mariana have the phone.” 

Holding the receiver, Mira suddenly froze up. When Cleos’s words sank in, they naturally led her to assume that he and Mariana were waiting by the phone; that meant they’d heard her entire conversation with Luna.

If you were already there, you should’ve said something, damn it! Mira cringed at the thought of them hearing her dote on the bunny.

“Miss Mira, is it really you…?” Mariana asked, voice weaker than usual. 

That made Mira realize fully how worried Mariana had been. “Yes, the one and only. I heard that I worried you, Mariana. I’m sorry. As you can hear, I’m alive and well. There’s no need to worry anymore,” she said slowly and carefully. Though guilty that she’d made Mariana anxious, she smiled at the feeling that they really were like a married couple.

“It certainly seems that way. You did sound happy and healthy just now,” Mariana said mischievously, no doubt teasing Mira about her exchange with Luna. Without question, though, her joy was abundantly clear.

“Ugh…” Mira cradled her head in renewed shame. She didn’t care when people saw her naked…but being caught playfully cooing to a pet was mortifying, maybe because it was so off brand compared to her carefully maintained image.

While she writhed, Martel and the Spirit King piped up in her brain.

“Lots of pet owners are like Mira, right?”

“For sure. Forsetia was the same.”

Realizing that the spirits had witnessed it all as well, Mira cringed harder. Wasranvel watched quietly, empathizing with her pain.

***

“Anyway, there you have it. I conquered the Ancient Underground City and even found Soul Howl!” Mira announced her greatest accomplishments, obviously trying to change the subject.

Cleos replied first. “Ah! So Soul Howl’s finally been found!”

“Well done. You’ve always been so impressive, Miss Mira,” Mariana said sweetly. 

Luna’s squeaking came through the communicator too; she was evidently celebrating alongside them.

Mira had successfully moved on with the conversation. She smirked to herself, then quickly explained what’d happened with Soul Howl—that he wouldn’t return until he finished his Holy Grail, but that his work was near its end already.

“So, well, that finishes this mission. But, um…” Mira hesitated, then managed to convey that—despite being gone so long that she’d worried Mariana—she still had things to do before she could come home.

Perhaps to justify that, she began giving detailed reasons for her absence.

There was an orphanage seemingly related to Artesia in northeastern Grimdart, not too far from where she was now. She still didn’t know the exact location, so she meant to go after the phantom thief Fuzzy Dice, who donated to a number of orphanages. Fuzzy Dice had issued a calling card to a company in Haxthausen, announcing that he’d appear in four days. If Mira wanted to apprehend him, there simply wasn’t enough time to come home first. She had to go straight there.

Having explained the circumstances, she asked permission. “As you can see… Well… I have to go right to Haxthausen. Um, is that…okay?” She sounded like a husband making excuses for coming home late.

Mariana had listened intently without interruption. After a short pause, the fairy answered weakly, “Yes, of course.” Mustering her courage, she added, “If I said I wasn’t lonely, it’d be a lie, but I love…that you work your hardest for this country and its people. Please prioritize your work, Miss Mira. That’s what I care most about.” 

Mariana’s voice overflowed with kindness and strength, and her words came from the heart. It was true that she missed Mira, but more than that, she treasured Mira’s exploits and lively adventures.

“But, um…I’d be happy if you called me once in a while. Just whenever you remember,” Mariana added in a murmur. Those words were heartfelt too, though tinged with embarrassment.

Mira squirmed in sheer joy. Who wouldn’t be happy to hear that—to be so loved? “Of course! I solemnly vow to call often. It’s a deal!” she answered impulsively, delight evident in her voice. 

Mariana was happy too. They hadn’t been talking long, but her loneliness was clearly gone.

After that, the pair enjoyed a casual conversation—or rather, Mira talked at her aide the whole time, telling her all about the adventures in the Ancient Underground City. Mira’s stories began in crowded Grandrings and continued chronologically until, outside the Ancient Underground City, she parted with Soul Howl.

She also told Mariana about the nameless fruit she’d eaten. “It was too sweet and too sour. What a ridiculous flavor!” 

“Really?” Mariana replied with surprise and joy. “I can hardly imagine this Queen of Hearts you speak of.”

Mira spoke at length, and Mariana reacted; the stories continued in that manner until Mira briefly—with permission—mentioned Martel. She left out what the spirit actually protected but did proudly mention the many treasures she’d seen and the fact that she’d acquired a summoning contract. Her stories didn’t end there. She rattled on about how she’d also met the divine beast Fenrir and obtained a summoning contract with him as well. 

Cleos reacted more strongly to that than Mariana did. As the girls started chatting casually, Cleos had withdrawn, but talk via communicator was audible throughout the top floor. When Mira mentioned the mansion spirit’s contract, Cleos had charged back in to demand details.

She’d explained that the spirit resided in an old mansion and was somewhat similar to a weapon spirit. After enough growth, she’d be able to summon a big mansion for herself. This proved that spirits could reside in things other than weapons and that those spirits could enter contracts. That was a major breakthrough on its own.

Furthermore, the Spirit King easily explained why they hadn’t been able to make such a contract before: To control an artificial spirit, you had to prove you were its master. You simply had to win a battle against a weapon spirit, but what victory criteria existed for mansions or furniture? Apparently, their lack of an answer to that had been due to a simple lack of contractors until now.

Mira had managed to make the contract on exceedingly simple grounds: she had the Spirit King’s blessing. The fact that the Spirit King accepted her was more than enough reason to obey her.

Once she explained that, Cleos left, satisfied. Immediately after, though, progenitor spirits and divine beasts had come up. At that point, he barged back in, even more excited. “Goodness—a progenitor spirit! And the divine beast Fenrir to boot! How wonderful. Incredible work, Lady Mira! To summon a progenitor spirit, what kind of ritual is necessary?! And how do you construct the circle that summons a divine beast?!”

Mira had gotten flustered about the whole “wife” thing, but as one might expect of a mage who’d clawed her way to the very top, she got especially passionate when it came to summoning. The impromptu discussion of that subject lit a fire under her, and before long, there was no stopping the conversation.

What would be the most efficient way to procure the mana to summon Martel, outside Mira’s own special abilities? Did other Transcendent Evocations exist? Could she make contracts with other progenitor spirits? Most importantly, how in the world could one learn the new Astra’s Ten Rings skill and harness Transcendent Evocation?

Furthermore, what would happen when the weakened Fenrir regained his true power? Would he continue as an advanced summon or change into a Transcendent one?

Mira and Cleos drew on their knowledge to the fullest as they exchanged their thoughts on these matters. This was a new frontier for summoning. Every mage in the tower would spend days and sleepless nights investigating this, had they known about it.

In terms of its conditions, Transcendent Evocation didn’t seem very practical. For mages, its charm lay elsewhere—call it the appeal of “cool” magic, perhaps. Mira and Cleos knew that better than anyone else in the tower, and there was no end to their ever-growing excitement.