Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Nina's question silenced both Spirits at once. Nina waved her hand, wondering if she had phrased the question wrong.
"I'm not trying to flirt, I'm just genuinely a little used to it. Um... is this how it usually is when you meet a Spirit?"
The Spirit in armor replied.
-This is the first time for this one.
"This time?"
'So there was a last time?' she was about to ask, but the horned Spirit spoke up cheerfully first.
-To offer body and soul, we feel like we've become corrupted Spirits.
Nina felt awkward.
"Is that not okay?"
The armored Spirit nodded.
-It is enough for us if you trust us. Do not demand corrupted Spirits or anything else.
"The simplest is also the hardest."
Nina chuckled, then pointed to herself with an "Ah."
"So, I'm not dead? I'm alright?"
Nina looked back and forth between the two Spirits with a strange expression.
"Don't tell me I can't go back now that I've seen you both..."
-The living cannot see or feel Spirits.
The horned Spirit playfully added.
-But since you offered your soul, we wanted to see your face. It was a bit of a cheat.
-Knowing us will make it much easier to borrow our power.
Nina nodded.
If trust is needed to borrow the power of a Spirit, then confirming the other party with your own eyes is the most certain way.
Nina tilted her head.
"But I'm curious. What kind of Spirits are you two?"
The atmosphere became subtle.
There was a strangely bitter air, and Nina said in a fluster.
"This one... I understand. You're the one I called on last, right?"
When she pointed at the woman, she nodded.
An eternally burning, enormous flame.
"Tae Yang."
Even through the veil, Nina could tell she was smiling elegantly.
A golden aura swirled around her like a corona.
"But this one... isn't North Wind or Frost."
It was a being even greater than them. At Nina's words, the armor seemed to deflate and become sullen. Tae Yang quickly said,
"The master of North Wind and Frost. The one who would gladly come when you called them your old ally, the one who uses North Wind and Frost as a shield."
Nina thought for a moment, then carefully opened her mouth.
"Winter...?"
Her voice rose slightly at the end, but Winter straightened their shoulders at Nina's words.
-That is correct.
"Oh my god."
Nina groaned.
The more concepts a Spirit implies, the higher the Spirit.
Tae Yang and Winter.
It was the same as saying they were top-tier Spirits. Beings treated as 'divine' in common mythology.
-Your body was not sufficient to fully receive my power, so many parts were damaged.
Tae Yang reached out and gently brushed Nina's hair.
-I prevented your soul from being damaged, but the body must be reconstructed.
Nina nodded at Winter's words. Winter was also used to mean defense and shield.
"Then it's a good thing Winter came first..."
Otherwise, she would have been burned to the bone. Tae Yang nodded.
-Because Winter was there first, your body was preserved even when I descended. Still, it will take quite some time to restore it to its original state.
"How long will it take?"
-Quite a while.
Tae Yang made a gesture of flicking something, and a golden whip appeared in her hand.
-So, in the meantime, I was thinking of teaching you swordsmanship.
"Pardon?"
Nina's mouth dropped open at the truly sudden words.
-Your swordsmanship skills, it doesn't seem like you learned from a proper master.
"Well... I'm a farmer's daughter. All I learned was what I learned after joining the Knights."
Even so, my skills are among the best in the Knights.
I have talent, she puffed up her nose proudly, but Tae Yang said mercilessly.
-I cannot tolerate my contractor having such terrible swordsmanship skills. Winter, isn't that right?
Terrible!
Nina's mouth dropped open at Tae Yang's criticism, but Winter nodded.
-Indeed.
Tae Yang flicked the whip around.
-Since we have time to spare, let's learn properly.
Winter said slyly.
-I will reconstruct your body in the meantime. I will increase the durability a bit. Since your body is being reconstructed under our influence, it may be a little different from the past.
"Different?"
-The color of your eyes or hair. And there may be other slight differences.
Nina became uneasy.
"Will it be to the point where other people won't recognize me?"
-Not that much.
Winter said, adding.
-Your hair will become the same silver-white as me, and your eye color will become the same gold as Tae Yang.
"I can't check either of those."
Tae Yang burst out laughing.
-Do you dislike it?
"I can't help that much."
Tae Yang stroked their horn and said.
-Then shall I give you a little more favor? We're reconstructing you, after all? I'll increase the density of your bones and muscles to make them stronger. How about it?
"I'd like that."
Nina nodded nonchalantly. Tae Yang giggled and flicked the whip, and the background changed again.
It was a training ground lined with various tools.
-Then shall we begin?
Tae Yang's teachings were merciless. You roll until you're about to die, but you don't die.
Even when her body was exhausted, Tae Yang would snap her fingers once and restore it to its original state.
'Not only swordsmanship, but also spear techniques, magic defense, archery, and even horseback riding...'
Just when she thought that even a fool would become a master of the sword with this much training.
-It is complete.
Winter appeared.
-It's a shame. There's still so much to teach.
Tae Yang sighed deeply. Nina threw down her sword with a sense of relief.
Winter said in a low voice.
-As I said before, quite a bit of time will have passed when you open your eyes.
Nina became slightly uneasy.
"I feel like I've been training for at least a hundred years, but surely that much time hasn't passed, right?"
Tae Yang tilted their head.
-Well, in human time, about 2 years?
"Ah..."
She didn't know if that was less or more than she expected...
"Everyone must be worried. But if it's 2 years in human time, how much time did I spend here?"
Tae Yang and Winter were silent for a moment. At the silence, Nina exclaimed in shock, "You didn't really train me for a hundred years, did you?!"
Winter quickly said.
-Everyone is worried, so it would be good to go back quickly.
-Now, open your eyes.
Nina was flustered by the sudden urging.
"Huh? Um? How do I open them?? They're already open?"
Nina blinked and said. Tae Yang reached out and covered Nina's eyes. It was still dazzling even with her eyes covered.
-Take a deep breath, exhale. But aren't you curious?
"About what?"
-Why you have these memories, things like that.
Nina chuckled.
"No. I already know the answer."
-Is that so?
"It's to meet Adrian, of course."
She heard a chuckle at her confident answer. With that, Tae Yang's hand moved away.
"Can I open my eyes now?"
Nina asked, but there was no reply. She opened her eyes slightly and found herself standing in a purple forest.
