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---
Chapter 56
Two days after lighting up the sky brightly enough to wake half the village, Link announced that he was going to start training seriously.
The manor's response was immediate.
A chain dropped around his ankles.
Another wrapped around his torso.
Two more trapped his wrists behind his back.
A metal block descended over his head.
—What the fuck?
His voice came out muffled by the box.
The object had several narrow slits that allowed him to breathe and see fragments of the dining room. It was thick, heavy, and secured around his neck by three magical locks.
Link tried to turn his head.
The box turned with him.
—This seems excessive.
—Ram believes that you are still capable of speaking —said a voice from the other side—. Therefore, it is not enough.
Link made out a pink silhouette through the slits.
—Ram.
—Gardener.
—Take this off me.
—No.
He tried moving his arms.
The chains binding his wrists were unlike any ordinary metal. Each link was two fingers thick and covered in engravings that glowed whenever he applied force.
His legs were secured with another similar chain, wrapped several times around his ankles and fixed to the floor with a stone anchor.
—What are these things?
—Chains used to restrain ground dragons —Roswaal answered from the head of the table—. Quite expensive.
—Why do you own chains for dragons?
—Why do you ask questions when the answers may disturb you?
Link stopped struggling.
Through another slit, he managed to see Subaru sitting beside Emilia.
Subaru avoided looking directly at him.
—You helped with this.
—I suggested rope.
—Traitor.
—The chains were Ram's idea.
—Correct —she confirmed.
Emilia had her hands clasped together on the table.
She looked guilty.
Not guilty enough to free him.
Beatrice was standing on a chair so she could reach the lock at the back of the box. She gave it one final tug, then climbed down.
—Now he won't be able to use his horns without cracking his own skull, I suppose.
—That sounds dangerous!
—The intention is for you not to try.
Puck floated near Emilia, openly amused by the box.
—It suits you. Really brings out your shoulders.
—Puck, I'm going to turn you into a pillow.
—Threats like that justify the box.
Link tried moving his arms again.
Something softer brushed against his fingers.
Rem was behind him.
She was the one holding the end of the final chain.
—Rem.
—Yes.
—Love of my life.
—Yes.
—Partner chosen beneath the stars.
—Yes.
—Could you stop tightening that?
Rem checked the restraint around his wrists.
—There is still enough room for blood to circulate.
—That wasn't my question.
—Rem heard the question.
—And decided to ignore it.
—Yes.
Link rested his forehead against the inside of the box.
The metallic sound echoed around his head.
—Our relationship got weird way too quickly.
Ram sat down.
—Ram hopes the two of you do not discover any new tastes in front of everyone.
—That's not what this is!
Rem finished securing the chain and walked around him.
Link could only see pieces of her uniform whenever she passed the slits.
—You agree with this? —he asked.
—Link announced during breakfast that he was going to train his body and his magic.
—That's what responsible people do.
—Then he added that nobody would be able to stop him.
—That was a technical observation.
—He also said he would finally be able to test several previously rejected ideas.
—Ideas deserve a second chance.
Beatrice struck the box with a book.
The impact made his teeth vibrate.
—The forty crossed-out ideas do not, I suppose.
—Four of them were approved!
—And none of those involved launching mountains into the sky, I suppose.
Emilia leaned forward.
—Link, we don't want to stop you from training.
—The box is communicating something else.
—We want to stop you from starting without a plan.
—I have one.
The entire room fell silent.
Link waited.
—Is nobody going to ask what it is?
—No —Ram and Beatrice answered.
Subaru raised a hand.
—I'm experiencing self-destructive curiosity.
—Thank you.
—I didn't say you should tell me.
Link shifted the chains until he found a slightly less uncomfortable position.
—I'm going to train my body, improve my control over my kagunes, practice fire magic, learn spirit arts, and sharpen my senses.
Roswaal raised one painted eyebrow.
—An ambitious program.
—I have time.
Ram let out a humorless laugh.
—The gardener has work.
—I handle the garden. Not the entire manor.
—Ram thanks the world for small mercies.
—Ram and Rem spend most of the day inside. Subaru is also learning household duties. Emilia has to study for the Royal Selection. Puck can only remain manifested during certain hours. Roswaal has matters involving the domain. Beatrice...
Link turned the box toward the little spirit.
—Beatrice is Beatrice.
—Betty finds that explanation offensive and accurate.
—Nobody can supervise me all day.
Rem folded her hands in front of her apron.
—Then he will not train all day.
—I need to.
—He does not need to do everything at once.
—I didn't say I would do everything at once.
The red light on the chains intensified.
One of the links creaked.
Everyone looked down.
Link stopped pulling.
—That was involuntary.
—Naturally —Ram said.
—I was just getting comfortable.
Roswaal studied the warped metal.
His smile lost a fraction of its amusement.
—Those chains can restrain an adult ground dragon.
—An adult ground dragon doesn't have my shoulders.
—The gardener has discovered a new way to sound ridiculous while imprisoned inside a box —Ram said.
Link ignored the comment.
—I won't train near the manor. I'll find somewhere far enough away. Luci will be with me. She can get help if anything happens.
The little sphere emerged from behind Emilia.
She had remained hidden ever since they started chaining him up.
Link saw her through one of the slits.
—There's my supervisor.
Luci approached the box.
She flickered.
—Tell them I'm responsible.
Her light turned red.
—That wasn't what I asked for.
Another flash.
—The fireworks got out of control for artistic reasons.
Luci remained red.
—Spiritual betrayal.
Emilia raised a hand.
—Luci is still very young.
—But she knows how to get help.
—She also encourages you whenever you produce flames.
—Supervision doesn't have to be impartial.
—Yes, it does —Rem said.
Link tilted the box toward her.
—I can come back at fixed times.
Rem didn't answer.
—Before lunch —he continued—. Then again before dinner. If I don't come back, Luci comes to find you.
Luci blinked.
—No training at night.
—That eliminates a really good time slot.
—Link.
—Fine.
—No Explosion.
Link went silent.
Rem waited.
—No Explosion —he agreed.
Beatrice struck the box again.
—And no variants whose names conveniently omit the word Explosion while producing the same result, I suppose.
—That's semantic discrimination.
—Agree.
—I agree.
Emilia intervened.
—And first you'll learn from someone. You can't just try spirit arts by yourself because you saw me use them once.
Link turned toward her.
—I was actually planning to ask you for help.
Emilia blinked.
—Me?
—You're the only available spirit arts user who doesn't begin every sentence by insulting me.
Beatrice lifted her book.
—Take that back.
—I can ask Puck for help too.
—My rates are high —the spirit said.
—Ice cream.
Puck touched his chin.
—Continue.
—Sweet cream, fruit, and nuts.
—We have the beginnings of an agreement.
Emilia looked at him.
—Puck.
—Lia, education deserves fair compensation.
Link searched for Beatrice through the slits.
—Four flavors.
—Five.
—Yesterday it was four.
—Educational inflation, I suppose.
—You don't know what inflation means.
—Betty knows she wants five now.
Link breathed inside the box.
—Five.
Beatrice crossed her arms.
—Betty will supervise only to prevent you from doing anything terminally stupid.
—That's practically affection.
—No.
Link turned back toward Emilia.
—And you?
—I don't need food in exchange for helping you.
—I'll do something anyway.
—You don't have to.
—What do you like?
Emilia thought for a moment.
—You could help me study afterward.
Link went still.
Subaru raised a hand.
—As someone familiar with my brother's reading abilities, I recommend Emilia-tan reconsider.
—I can listen —Link said.
—You can also fall asleep.
—Not during an educational date with Emilia.
Rem turned her head.
Link felt the shift in pressure even from inside the box.
—A lesson —he corrected—. A completely impersonal educational lesson.
—Rem understood.
Her voice was far too calm.
Link leaned closer as much as the chains allowed.
—My beloved partner would be more than welcome.
—Rem works.
—Then it isn't a date.
—Link is making it worse.
Ram rested her cheek on one hand.
—Ram did not expect the first romantic conflict to begin inside a dragon restraint box.
Emilia turned red.
—I only meant that he could help me review questions!
—I accept —Link said quickly—. No ambiguous terminology.
Roswaal laced his fingers together.
—Then we have an agreement.
Link straightened his back.
—Can I train?
—Under the conditions we established —Emilia said.
—With a schedule —Rem added.
—No unauthorized destructive magic —Beatrice said.
—Far from the residence —Roswaal added.
—And with the understanding that you come back if Luci believes you've lost control —Puck finished.
Link looked at the little light.
—She thinks I've lost control every time I smile.
Luci flashed.
—Fine.
Rem approached the lock on the box.
—Then Rem will release him.
—No need.
Everyone froze.
Link brought his feet together.
The muscles in his legs tightened.
The first chain stretched.
The red engravings flared brightly.
Metal groaned.
Then came a dry snap.
The links broke apart and went flying around his boots.
Subaru hid behind Emilia.
Emilia hid behind one of Puck's barriers.
Ram didn't move.
Rem stared at the broken metal.
Link flexed his shoulders.
The chains restraining his arms tightened.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
They snapped.
Fragments fell to the floor.
Beatrice's eyes widened.
Link brought his hands to the box.
He wedged his fingers beneath the edge.
The magical locks lasted less than a second.
The structure split down the middle with a crack and separated into two halves.
Link pulled the remains off his head.
He shook out his hair.
Then looked around the dining room.
Nobody spoke.
—Thanks for approving it.
Roswaal stared at the pieces of chain.
—You could have freed yourself from the beginning.
—Yes.
—Then why didn't you? —Emilia asked.
Link looked at Rem.
—Because breaking them before listening would have proven you were right.
Her expression softened.
Ram studied the chains.
—They are still right.
—But now we have an agreement.
—And a bill —Roswaal added.
Link looked down at the destroyed metal.
—You can deduct it from my salary.
—It would take several years.
—Then deduct it from Subaru's.
—Why me?!
—Emotional support.
Roswaal sighed.
—We will discuss the debt later.
Link crouched down, picked up the split box, and placed it on the table.
—Use something stronger next time.
Everyone stared at him.
—That was a joke.
Nobody laughed.
—I need to rebuild my comedic reputation.
Rem picked up one of the broken chain links.
—First he will rebuild the money this cost.
—Our relationship has become financial.
—Rem believes building a stable future is important.
Ram spoke without raising her voice.
—Ram hopes you build that future without increasing the oni population just yet.
Link picked up his jacket.
—I'm going to train.
The lesson began that very morning.
Not beside the manor.
Not beside Arlam.
Not near the Wolgarm enclosure.
Roswaal chose a clearing far enough away that a moderate explosion would not reach any important structure.
Link found it offensive how quickly everyone agreed with that particular criterion.
They walked there.
Emilia carried a small basket with water and fruit.
Puck floated over her shoulder.
Beatrice had allowed Link to carry her for part of the journey only because the ground was wet and she did not want to dirty her shoes.
Halfway there, she demanded to be put down.
Five minutes later, she climbed back on because she found mud.
Link said nothing.
Beatrice's weight was minimal.
The threat of her book against his head was not.
Rem accompanied them as far as the edge of the manor grounds.
She couldn't remain all morning. There was work waiting at the manor, and Ram was still restricted from certain forms of exertion.
Link carried a bag containing lunch, a canteen, and several strips of Wolgarm meat.
Rem checked every item for the second time.
—Water.
—Yes.
—Food.
—Yes.
—Special meat.
—Yes.
—Bandages.
—I regenerate.
Rem looked up.
Link opened the bag.
—Bandages.
—Good.
—I don't know what I'd use them for.
—To remind you that not every wound should be treated by tearing off the damaged part.
Puck watched the exchange.
—A healthy and completely non-concerning relationship.
Link closed the bag.
—I'll be back before lunch.
—The lesson will end before that —Emilia said—. You shouldn't force spirit arts practice for hours when you're just starting.
—I'll do physical training afterward.
Rem adjusted the collar of his shirt.
—Without destroying the forest.
—Only dead trees.
—Without destroying trees.
—Rocks.
—Those either.
—What am I supposed to hit?
Rem pointed toward an open stretch of ground.
—The air.
—Air doesn't offer resistance.
—Then practice control.
Link leaned closer.
—I'm beginning to suspect you don't support my growth.
Rem finished adjusting his collar.
—Rem wants Link to grow without reducing the amount of landscape.
—That sounds irritatingly reasonable.
She smiled.
Link glanced toward Emilia, Puck, and Beatrice.
The three of them were standing far enough away.
Or pretending to.
—Can I say goodbye properly?
Rem followed his gaze.
—They are watching.
—Subaru would've brought a chair.
—Nee-sama too.
—That doesn't answer me.
Rem raised a hand and cupped his cheek.
The kiss was brief.
Long enough for Link to forget for several seconds exactly what he intended to train.
When they separated, Rem touched his forehead.
—No horns until Emilia-sama says so.
—Yes.
—No fire.
—During the lesson.
—No fire after the lesson without supervision.
Link looked at Luci.
The sphere floated beside Emilia.
—I have supervision.
Luci turned red.
Rem kept her hand against his cheek.
—Come back for lunch.
—Yes.
—An actual number of hours.
—Before twelve.
—Good.
Rem walked away.
Link watched her head back toward the manor.
Puck floated over to his ear.
—She's about to disappear behind the trees.
—I know.
—She already disappeared.
—I know that too.
—You're still looking.
Link turned around.
—Let's begin.
Beatrice closed her eyes.
—How easy it is to manipulate him now, I suppose.
The clearing was surrounded by tall trees.
Sunlight slipped through the canopy in narrow columns, while the ground was covered in grass, dry leaves, and tiny wildflowers. A stream ran some distance away, close enough that the sound of water could be heard without interfering with their voices.
Emilia chose a place where the ambient mana flowed calmly.
Link had no idea how she sensed that.
To him, the entire air felt full.
Ever since his horns had appeared, mana had stopped feeling like some distant force. It was pressure, temperature, movement. Something that brushed against his skin even when he tried to ignore it.
Luci settled on his shoulder.
Emilia sat down on the grass.
—First, you have to forget what you do when you use magic.
Link remained standing.
—That sounds counterproductive.
—When you use a spell, you take mana, give it a shape, and produce a result.
—Source, route, command, and output.
Beatrice looked at him.
—At least you remember four words.
—My handwriting has nothing to do with my memory.
Emilia pointed toward the ground in front of her.
Link sat.
—With spirit arts, you don't begin by giving an order —she continued—. First you need to notice who is nearby.
—I can feel Luci.
—Because she's already bonded with you.
Luci rubbed herself against his cheek.
Link smiled.
—Microspirits are everywhere —Emilia said—. Most of them are so weak that an ordinary person wouldn't be able to see or sense them. Some barely have any will at all. Others can respond a little.
Puck sat on Emilia's shoulder.
—And none of them are obligated to come to you. That part is important.
—I'm not going to force them.
Beatrice pointed at the horns that had yet to appear.
—Your usual way of interacting with mana is absorbing it as though the world owes you food, I suppose.
—I don't do that consciously.
—Precisely.
Emilia extended a hand.
—Watch.
She closed her eyes.
Her breathing slowed.
She didn't recite a spell.
She didn't pull at the mana with force.
She simply left her palm open.
At first, nothing happened.
Link waited.
A blue light appeared near her fingers.
Tiny.
No larger than a spark.
Then another.
Green.
White.
A yellow light descended from the leaves. Another violet one emerged near the stream. Several tiny figures floated around Emilia, moving like curious fireflies.
She opened her eyes.
—Good morning.
The lights answered.
Not with words.
With tiny movements.
One circled her wrist.
Another rested on her hair.
Link watched, fascinated.
Emilia smiled.
—This is part of what I do in the mornings. I talk to them. I check how they're doing. Sometimes they tell me things about the forest.
—They talk?
—Not like we do. It's more like feelings. Little images. Changes in mood.
—A conversation requires you to listen more than you speak —Puck added.
Link looked at him.
—That sounded targeted.
—It was.
Emilia allowed the lights to drift away.
—I didn't give them an order. I just let them feel my presence and offered them a small amount of mana.
—You feed them?
—A little. But it isn't payment. It's more like saying hello.
Link looked down at his own hand.
—And then I can ask them to do things?
—After there's trust.
—How long does that take?
—Depends on the spirit.
—Minutes?
Beatrice gave a dry laugh.
—Years, sometimes.
Link lowered his hand.
—That's too long.
—Spirits don't exist to fit your schedule —Emilia said.
There was no harshness in her voice.
Only certainty.
Link nodded.
—Fine. What do I do?
—Close your eyes.
He did.
—Breathe.
—I was already breathing.
—Without talking.
Link closed his mouth.
Emilia waited.
—Find the mana outside of you. Don't absorb it. Don't shape it. Just feel how it moves.
Link tried.
At first, he felt too much.
The flow around Emilia.
Puck's immense reserve compressed inside his tiny form.
Beatrice's strange, closed-off presence.
The mana Luci exchanged with the environment.
The forest.
The ground.
The water.
It was like trying to listen to one conversation in the middle of a crowd.
—Don't chase everything —Emilia said—. Let them come closer.
Link relaxed his shoulders.
A current brushed his face.
Another passed beneath his hands.
There were tiny points inside all the noise.
Weak presences.
Almost like thoughts.
Some moved away.
Others stopped.
One seemed to approach his knee.
Link opened one eye.
He saw nothing.
—I felt it.
—Good —Emilia said—. Now offer a very small amount of mana.
—How much?
—Less than you think.
—That isn't a measurement.
Beatrice opened her book.
—Imagine a drop.
—My reserve isn't liquid.
—Imagine a spark.
Link smiled.
—I can do that.
—Without fire —Emilia, Puck, and Beatrice warned together.
—I get it.
He closed his eyes again.
He found his Gate.
Opened it slightly.
Mana began to flow outward.
The nearby leaves moved.
Emilia raised a hand.
—Less.
Link reduced it.
—Less.
He reduced it again.
—Less.
—I'm barely doing anything now.
—For you.
Link pressed his lips together.
He lowered the flow until only a thread remained.
Something approached.
A red light appeared in front of his hand.
Link opened his eyes.
The microspirit floated above his palm.
Small.
Unstable.
Its color shifted between red and orange.
—Hello —he said.
The light trembled.
Link smiled.
—It worked.
His excitement broke through his control.
The flow of mana increased.
The red light shot backward.
Emilia caught Link's wrist.
—Slowly.
—I scared it.
—Yes.
—Sorry.
He didn't know if the microspirit could understand him.
The light stayed several meters away.
Luci descended onto Link's empty hand.
—I'm not replacing you.
The sphere shone more brightly.
—She came over by herself.
Luci turned orange.
—I don't even know if it's a she.
Puck laughed.
—Your spirit seems territorial.
—She learned it from Rem.
A cold current swept through the clearing.
Link looked in the direction of the manor, far too distant to see.
—That was a joke.
—Tell her later —Beatrice said.
Emilia released his wrist.
—Let's try again.
Link closed his eyes once more.
This time it took longer.
He released a minuscule amount.
The red spirit returned.
Then a yellow one appeared.
Another blue.
Link held his breath.
He didn't smile.
Didn't speak.
Five microspirits floated around his hands.
A pleasant sensation passed through his chest.
He could feel them.
Not the way he felt Luci.
They were much more distant.
Tiny impulses.
Curiosity.
Warmth.
The vague impression of leaves beneath the sun.
Emilia spoke softly.
—Now you can use your horns.
Link opened his eyes.
—Are you sure?
Beatrice raised her book.
—Don't open them all the way.
—They don't open. They appear.
—You know what Betty means.
Emilia positioned herself in front of him.
—Your horns naturally absorb mana. You need to reverse the process enough for the spirits to sense you without getting pulled in.
—Reverse them?
—Not exactly —Puck said—. Think of it as leaving the windows open without turning the house into a vacuum cleaner.
Link looked at the spirit.
—That explanation was surprisingly good.
—I have centuries of experience teaching Lia.
—And zero teaching me.
—Which is why I'm using simple words.
Link ignored the jab.
He closed his eyes.
He allowed the horns to emerge.
Pressure rose beneath his skin.
First one.
Then the other.
The dark curves appeared, crossed by dim red lines.
The direction of the surrounding mana shifted.
The five microspirits immediately moved closer.
—Don't absorb it —Emilia said.
—I'm trying.
—Your horns are taking too much.
Link concentrated.
He tried to stop the intake.
The horns responded by reducing their absorption.
—Good —Puck said—. Now release a little of your own mana through them.
Link frowned.
—I've never done that.
—That's why you're learning.
He searched for the connection.
His horns didn't work like his Gate.
They were more direct.
Hungrier.
They transformed the ambient flow and pushed it into his body, his cells, his kagunes.
Link tried to make it flow backward.
Nothing.
He increased the pressure.
A small amount of mana changed direction.
—That's it —Emilia said—. Very little.
Link pushed a little more.
His horns glowed.
A red wave swept through the clearing.
The nearby lights reacted.
Not only the five.
Dozens of points appeared among the trees.
Link felt them approaching.
—Emilia.
—Reduce it.
—I am reducing it.
More lights emerged from the ground.
Blue ones near the stream.
Green among the plants.
White drifting through the air.
Yellow descending from the canopy.
The clearing began to fill.
Puck left Emilia's shoulder.
—That is no longer a drop.
—For me it is.
—Your drop could drown a village —Beatrice said.
Link tried to close the flow.
His horns responded too slowly.
A second wave of mana spread outward.
This one was larger.
The forest answered.
The entire air lit up.
Microspirits emerged from everywhere.
Hundreds.
Maybe thousands.
Some had no shape beyond a point of light. Others left little trails behind them. There were colors Link didn't know how to name, mixtures of violet, pale green, deep blue, gold, and white.
Every single one headed toward him.
—Don't move —Emilia ordered.
—I wasn't planning to.
The first cloud reached him.
The lights surrounded his arms.
His head.
His horns.
His torso.
Link lost sight of the clearing.
A sphere of colors formed around his body.
Luci shot away from his shoulder.
The little spirit dove among the lights, pushing some aside, chasing others, shining brighter and brighter.
—Luci, calm down!
Link's voice came from the center of the glowing sphere.
Puck hovered outside, watching.
—Impressive.
—Help!
—It doesn't look dangerous.
—I have one inside my shirt!
A green light slipped out through his collar.
Another yellow one buried itself in his hair.
The glow intensified.
From the outside, Link no longer looked human.
He was a living sphere of light hovering above the grass, pierced by two reddish points.
Emilia raised a hand to shield her eyes.
—Link, reduce the mana.
—I can't tell how much I'm releasing!
—Because they're all responding.
—That doesn't help!
Beatrice stepped forward.
The skirt of her dress fluttered in the current.
—Close your Gate.
—It's closed!
—Then the horns.
—They don't have a button!
—Imagine it.
—That isn't a technical instruction!
—And you aren't a technical student, I suppose.
The microspirits kept arriving.
Some circled the clearing before joining the mass.
Others drifted toward Emilia and Puck, only to become drawn toward the vast amount of mana pouring off Link.
Beatrice raised a barrier around the group to prevent the flow from spreading any farther.
—You're functioning like a beacon.
—I noticed!
—They could probably see you from the manor.
—Rem is going to kill me.
The sphere of lights pulsed.
His anxiety made the output increase again.
—Don't think about Rem —Emilia said.
—That's impossible now!
—Think about something peaceful.
—Fire.
—No!
—Cooking.
—Something else.
—Sleeping with Rem.
The sphere turned slightly reddish.
Puck covered his face.
—Definitely something else.
Beatrice struck the ball of light with her book.
It didn't reach Link.
The book bounced off several microspirits, which seemed to find the experience entertaining.
—Empty your head, I suppose.
—I've never been able to do that!
—We believe you —Puck and Beatrice answered together.
Emilia stepped closer.
She pushed both hands into the glowing sphere.
The microspirits parted to let her through.
She found Link's shoulders.
—Listen to me.
He stopped struggling.
—Don't try to drive them away. You'll scare them.
—Then what do I do?
—Stop offering mana.
—I'm trying.
—Don't force your horns closed. Relax them.
Link breathed.
The idea sounded ridiculous.
His horns weren't ordinary muscles.
But they responded to his state.
When he was hungry, they absorbed.
When he was injured, they absorbed.
When he became agitated, they absorbed even more.
He had been trying to force them to stop.
That only added tension.
He relaxed his shoulders.
Let his hands fall.
He thought about Rem's breathing beside him.
Not kissing her.
Not the blue dress.
Only the quiet rhythm of that night.
In.
Out.
Mana.
In.
Out.
The glow of his horns dimmed.
The current weakened.
The lights stopped arriving from the forest.
Some separated from the mass.
Then others.
The sphere began to thin.
Link could make out Emilia's silhouette again.
Then the trees.
Puck.
Beatrice.
The sky.
The microspirits drifted away in groups, dispersing among the flowers, branches, and stream.
Many lingered for a few seconds longer.
They circled Link.
Then departed.
Luci returned to his shoulder.
Her light was so red she resembled a tiny flame.
—It wasn't intentional.
Luci rammed his cheek.
—You're still the first.
The sphere hit him again.
—And the brightest.
Another hit.
—The prettiest.
Luci stopped.
Puck laughed.
—He learns the right words quickly.
Link looked around the clearing.
Four presences remained.
They weren't microspirits.
He knew that before anyone explained it.
The first resembled a red flame the size of his hand, long and soft, like a ribbon moving in a wind that didn't exist.
The second had a bluish-white center surrounded by an orange corona.
The third looked like a tiny bird made of embers. Its wings didn't flap; they constantly broke apart and rebuilt themselves.
The last was golden, almost round, encircled by a ring of sparks spinning in the opposite direction.
All four floated in front of Link.
They didn't leave.
Beatrice examined them.
—Lesser spirits.
Link didn't look away.
—Fire?
—Obviously.
—Could be light.
—Fire —Puck confirmed—. All four.
Emilia smiled.
—They must have sensed your affinity from quite far away.
—Are they stronger than Luci?
The little red sphere planted herself directly in front of his nose.
—Academic question.
Luci slammed into him.
—Stop hitting me!
The four lesser spirits moved.
The red flame imitated Luci and struck his other cheek.
The blue sphere touched his forehead.
The ember bird perched on one of his horns.
The golden light began circling his head.
Link froze.
—Are they attacking me?
—It looks like they're playing —Emilia said.
—One of them is sitting on my horn.
—Don't shake it off.
—I wasn't planning to.
The ember bird tilted its head.
Link could feel something.
Not words.
A curiosity far clearer than that of the microspirits.
Warmth.
Excitement.
A vague memory of the enormous flow of mana.
—Do they want a contract? —he asked.
Beatrice actually struck him this time.
The book hit his shoulder.
—You don't offer a contract to every spirit that approaches you, I suppose.
—I was just asking.
—A contract needs conditions —Emilia said—. And trust. You don't know them yet.
Link looked at the four figures.
—They can stay.
Puck crossed his arms in midair.
—They don't need your permission to remain in the forest either.
—I meant with me.
—That's their decision.
Link extended one hand.
The red flame settled on his palm.
It didn't burn.
The blue sphere descended beside it.
The bird remained on his horn.
The golden light approached Luci.
Luci pushed it away.
The light came back.
Luci pushed it again.
—Share.
Luci turned red.
—I didn't tell you to share the contract. Just the space.
The golden light circled Luci.
The two began spinning around one another.
—I think they're getting along —Emilia said.
—Luci is contemplating murder.
—That's social progress.
Beatrice studied Link.
—Do not give them names.
—Why?
—Names can create bonds.
—They need some way to distinguish them.
—Red, Blue, Bird, and Round —Puck suggested.
Link stared at him with contempt.
—Those names are horrible.
—They're descriptions.
—I can do better.
Everyone spoke at once.
—No.
Link closed his mouth.
—I only had four options.
—Keep them to yourself —Beatrice said.
Emilia stood.
—That's enough for today.
—I still haven't done anything.
Four spirits floated around his body.
The clearing was covered in little traces of light that were taking their time to fade.
An entire section of the forest had come to him.
—Exactly —Puck replied.
Link hid his horns.
The ember bird lost its perch.
Before falling, it transformed into a red streak and settled atop his head instead.
—Are they going to follow me?
—Looks that way —Emilia said.
—All the way to the manor?
Beatrice frowned.
—Don't even think about bringing four unknown spirits into the Library.
—They aren't interested in your books.
All four turned toward Beatrice.
She hugged hers against her chest.
—No.
The red flame moved closer.
Beatrice backed away.
—No.
The bird flew toward her.
—Control your spirits, I suppose!
—They aren't mine.
—Then convince them!
Link held out both hands.
—Come here.
All four returned.
Beatrice stood frozen.
—That was far too fast.
—I have natural charm.
—You have obscene quantities of mana.
—Both.
Puck looked toward the sky.
—It's almost time to head back.
—I'm staying —Link said.
Emilia looked at him.
—The first lesson is over.
—I have physical training to do.
—You promised to return before lunch.
Link calculated the time.
—There's still a while.
—Don't practice spirit arts without us.
—Understood.
—And no fire.
—Understood.
Beatrice raised one finger.
—No magic circuits either.
—I didn't bring charcoal.
—And don't try using branches.
Link put aside the branch he had discreetly picked up.
—Understood.
Puck pointed toward the four spirits.
—Don't ask them to attack anything either.
—I'll only practice movement and kagune control.
Emilia hesitated.
Link noticed.
—Luci will get help.
The sphere floated in front of Emilia and flashed.
Emilia looked at Puck.
Then Beatrice.
—Come back before twelve.
—Yes.
—Seriously.
—I promised Rem.
That reassured her more than any of the other conditions had.
—All right.
Emilia started walking.
Puck followed.
Beatrice took two steps and stopped in front of Link.
—Five flavors.
—I remember.
—The light show does not reduce your debt.
—I didn't expect it to.
—And Betty decides what flavors.
—Within reasonable limits.
—Betty decides the limits.
—That's not how this works.
Beatrice continued walking.
—Six flavors to be discussed, I suppose.
—Five!
She didn't turn around.
Emilia laughed.
Link watched them disappear among the trees.
Then he looked at Luci.
Then at the other four.
—All right.
The red flame hovered near his hand.
The blue sphere rested over his shoulder.
The ember bird had settled in his hair again.
The golden light circled his waist.
—My only supervisor was Luci.
The four spirits flashed.
—You don't count.
The red flame struck his nose.
The bird tugged his hair.
The blue sphere came far too close to his eye.
The golden one began spinning faster.
—Perfect.
Link stood.
He stretched his arms.
Manifested a single kagune.
The four lesser spirits moved back just enough to watch.
Luci remained in front of him.
—Physical training —he said—. No fire.
All five lights stared at him.
Link took a stance.
—And absolutely no explosions.
The red flame grew larger.
The ember bird spread its wings.
The blue sphere began spinning.
The golden one released several sparks.
Luci turned completely red.
Link looked at his new audience.
—I am definitely not going to let you learn my bad habits.
All five lights launched themselves at him.
The clearing filled with colors again.
Far away, Emilia stopped on the trail.
She turned her head.
A glowing sphere had formed among the trees for the second time.
Beatrice closed her eyes.
—It hasn't even been thirty seconds, I suppose.
Puck studied the glow.
—Technically, it doesn't look like an explosion.
Emilia sighed.
—Rem is going to ask how the lesson went.
The three of them stared at the beacon of colors.
Beatrice hugged her book.
—We'll say he attracted four fire spirits, destroyed nothing, and is still alive.
A small boom came from the clearing.
Then Link's voice:
—THAT WAS FIRE! I SAID NO FIRE!
Puck smiled.
—And that he's already learning how difficult it is to supervise him.