But there was one thing neither he nor anyone else gathered at the shrine that day realized.
The mural portrayed an imaginary spirit with divine wings that was a revered symbol of the shrine—and it had been present in the human world for eleven long years, dwelling in the body of a young girl.
“Open your mouth, miss.”
“Say ‘aaah,’ miss.”
Two days after the column of light appeared, Brigitte was still spending most of her time in bed. She had a low fever and felt sluggish. Sienna and Carson were even more attentive than usual, but to Brigitte, their attention was slightly suffocating.
Right now, for example, both of them were holding spoons full of porridge up to her mouth…which only exhausted their overly pampered patient.
Sienna and Carson had both been depressed and guilty since she collapsed. It probably made them feel better to constantly tend to her needs, but she wished they would take a nice long break. To that end, she had a plan.
“Um, Carson?”
“Oh, would you like another spoonful of porridge?” he answered excitedly, while Sienna pouted.
Brigitte smiled and shook her head. “I’d simply love to see lots of those delicious sweets you make, Carson.”
“What?”
“And I’d like to see Sienna stuffing her mouth with them.”
“What…?”
They both froze at the same moment. To make sure they got the point, Brigitte followed up with “I’m sure if I did, I would be better in no time!”
“…!”
Carson and Sienna exchanged glances. Their decision was nearly instantaneous.
“Then I’ll go down to the kitchen with Carson right now.”
“Just you wait, miss. I’ll bake you a mountain of sweets!”
“I can’t wait,” Brigitte answered.
Oblivious to her expression of relief, they pushed past each other out of her room. Brigitte watched them go, then wolfed down the tasty porridge and piled the plates neatly. She still felt a bit dizzy. She wasn’t sleepy yet, but she thought she had better rest.
I wonder if it’s because of this little fellow…
She gently poked the chick, toddling around her pillow. It answered with a lively “cheep!”
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary chick. However, its yellow wings transitioned to a beautiful red at its chest. Ever since it suddenly appeared two days earlier, the spirit had been by her side. She wondered if it thought she was its mother; she’d heard that newborn chicks imprinted on the first thing they saw.
Although, this isn’t a chick; it’s a spirit…
Ordinarily, contracted spirits didn’t spend all their time in the human world because as long as they were there, they consumed their contracted human’s magical power. Although an incredible amount of magic was bestowed on people contracted with first-class spirits, at the same time, powerful spirits required an unimaginable quantity of magical power to manifest.
In that sense, Yuri really was extraordinary. Hardly anyone could keep their cool like him with their spirit present for such long stretches. And if Brigitte wasn’t mistaken, the little chick beside her was also close to a first-class spirit.
“Perhaps your spirit is simply lazy.”
That’s what Marjory Naha had said to her in the infirmary after her spirit showed signs of awakening.
It won’t come out because you’re afraid of fire.
That’s what Blue had said two days earlier.
Putting those two things together, Brigitte felt like the answer was obvious.
So…this little fluff ball was keeping most of its power subdued for my sake, planning to emerge at the right time…but my fear of fire kept it dormant?
She guessed that instead of returning to the spirit world, it was staying with her so she could get used to the sensation of burning through magical power—a sensation she normally would have been familiar with since the age of five.
…But I shouldn’t be making wild guesses like this.
She turned her thoughts to something else.
The chick’s identity wasn’t clear yet. She wanted to try out some magic, but everyone had warned her to wait until she was completely recovered. Most of all, though, she was overjoyed to have finally met her contracted spirit.
I’ve been wanting to meet you forever!
“You sweet thing,” she cooed, stroking the red chick’s head, and it squinted with pleasure. Brigitte couldn’t help smiling at how adorable it was.
I wonder if it’s the kind of spirit that doesn’t talk?
That would be a tiny bit disappointing, but in time she could learn to deduce its thoughts from its behavior and expressions. Perhaps sensing her feelings, it opened and closed its pink beak endearingly.
The truth was, there was something Brigitte had always wanted to do. Although it wasn’t common practice, if she ever did meet her contracted spirit, she had dreamed of calling it by a name other than its species name. She had spent the past two days trying to come up with a good idea, and now, for the first time, she tested out her options.
“Red!”
“…”
“Scarlet!”
“…”
“Sunshine…!”
“…”
The chick displayed a surprising lack of reaction.
I guess I don’t have a gift for names…
Suddenly, she sensed someone watching her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a child peering through the slightly opened door, and when their eyes met, the little spy shrugged.
“Hello, Blue. Did you come to play? Come on in!” she said cheerfully.
Blue stepped timidly into her room. She hadn’t seen the child since the incident with the column of light.
“…Sorry,” Blue said, stopping next to the door with face downturned. Apparently, they shared some of the servants’ guilt for her collapse.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“But I was the one who came up with the idea, not you.”
“I went along with it because I thought your idea was good,” she answered decisively.
Blue wasn’t responsible for what had happened. If anything, she was grateful the child had followed her home out of concern for her spirit.
“Peep!”
The chick spirit chirped softly.
The corners of Blue’s mouth turned up a little. “Glad you could finally come out.”
“Peep!”
“…Yeah, I guess.”
“Can you understand it, Blue?” Brigitte asked in surprise.
Blue looked away. “Not a word!”
Not a word!
But somehow…Brigitte could hear the gratitude in the chick’s voice, too.
“Also, I finally figured it out,” Brigitte said.
“Figured what out?”
She smiled proudly. “You’re Yuri’s contracted spirit, a fenrir, aren’t you?”
As Blue stared back in shock, Brigitte’s smile turned a little impish.
Fenrirs were first-class ice spirits who took the form of wolves born from the ice. The fierce beasts roamed the frozen earth in packs, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Brigitte had read about them in the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Spirits, which made no mention of them taking on human forms. But individual spirits varied in ability, and not all species were fully described.
In hindsight, she realized Blue had probably tracked her scent the day they followed her home from the Aurealis residence. No wonder Sienna hadn’t spotted them.
Meanwhile, Blue seemed quite shaken to be discovered. The spirit must have been confident in their disguise.
“H-how did you know?”
“Because your big fluffy tail is sticking out!”
Blue glanced over their shoulder, and their eyebrows shot up. “It is not!”
“Gotcha!”
In truth, she’d caught a glimpse of a blue tail through the door of her room the day before.
“You tricked me! Ugly girl!”
“Ugly?!” she shrieked. The word was taboo to girls her age.
I know I’m not the prettiest, but…!
She jumped out of bed in protest.