Chapter 80
The Red Flower Falls (7)
The vehicle carrying us had been traveling along a long, straight road for several dozen minutes. The Cradle was a facility built in a reclaimed area far west of the capital, in the opposite direction of our destination.
The luxurious feel of the vehicle, something I was experiencing for the first time, kept the journey from being boring.
It felt completely different from the hard and cold off-road vehicles used to travel to the northeastern or southern regions. It felt like a vehicle from another world.
Even the vehicle prepared for our departure from the hotel to the Cradle couldn’t compare to this.
There was almost no shaking, and the seat was so soft it felt like a moving bed.
There was even a table between the facing seats to place drinks and snacks on.
As I used my mask as a shield to discreetly observe my surroundings, I heard a voice from the seat opposite mine.
“…You seem to like it quite a bit?”
Yeon Minha was still sitting neatly with her hands clasped, maintaining her composure.
The glossy navy dress clung to her like a second skin. The luxurious sweet scent filled the enclosed space.
Though I had seen her in many unbecoming situations, she truly seemed like the daughter of a prestigious family at moments like these.
“It’s nice. Honestly, I’m a little surprised. If I had a vehicle like this, I could live in it forever.”
“F-forever…”
Feeling a bit embarrassed by my honest remark, Yeon Minha suddenly cleared her throat as if she had heard something inappropriate.
“Ahem, ahem. You really say such things without hesitation. Be careful. I’m fine with it, but others might misunderstand.”
“…? Yes. Thank you.”
There was no sense of disdain or condescension, so I assumed it was her way of advising me not to sound too provincial.
“Anyway. Don’t you have any questions for me? It feels like I’ve been the only one asking. If there’s anything you want to know, feel free to ask. I’ll answer sincerely.”
The journey hadn’t been boring thanks to the constant exchange of questions with Yeon Minha. Although it felt more like an interrogation on her part.
Thanks to that, I learned various facts. For instance, we both disliked dishes made with eggplant.
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“Well, I can’t think of anything specific…”
“…”
Yeon Minha’s face showed disappointment, as if she had been waiting for me to ask something. I quickly withdrew my previous statement and racked my brain for a question.
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I recalled something I had been curious about for a long time.
“Can spirits only be seen by Spiritmages?”
“That’s your question for me? Well, it’s nothing…”
Still somewhat disappointed, Yeon Minha pouted slightly but then nodded.
“…Wild spirits can only be seen by Spiritmages who have opened their conduits. Even we can only see spirits that match our unique wavelengths. But it’s different for domesticated spirits.”
Yeon Minha slightly spread her right hand and muttered something. A small circular magical formula briefly appeared in her palm before disappearing.
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“Although it’s rarely done due to its lack of practicality, it is possible to manifest tamed spirits into the material world for a short time. Like this.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the air above her shoulder began to flicker strangely.
A bluish light began to coalesce and gradually formed into a translucent caterpillar, about the size of a palm, covered in fuzz and spikes.
When Yeon Minha extended her finger, the caterpillar nuzzled against it like a puppy.
But it looked somewhat different from the description in the materials Mok Jinwoo had sent me.
“Aren’t spirits supposed to look like shining clusters of light?”
“You’re right. Normally, they do. The ones around us now are like that too. They only mimic local species’ appearances when manifesting in the material world.”
Yeon Minha said as she gently petted the spirit caterpillar’s head.
“Even within the same species, they mimic the first creature they see, so their appearances vary greatly. That’s why spirits are classified by their attributes, not their looks.”
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When Yeon Minha drew the magical formula a few more times, small translucent creatures resembling butterflies or birds appeared and disappeared repeatedly.
It was quite peculiar that her relationship with them seemed good.
Weren’t spirits supposed to be parasitic creatures causing mental contamination?
“That’s surprising. You seem to have a better relationship with spirits than I thought.”
“I’ve half given up… It’s not something I can control… They’re not doing it on purpose either… Plus, thanks to you, I don’t have any mental issues now.”
“That’s good to hear.”
I nodded and looked at the caterpillar spirit still in view.
It was cuter than I had imagined. I unconsciously reached out, wanting to pet it.
-Swish!!
But the once-docile caterpillar immediately turned aggressive.
As soon as I reached out, it raised its spikes and hissed threateningly, puffing up its body.
Then it became translucent again and vanished with a small flash of light.
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“Ah…”
As I withdrew my hand in disappointment, Yeon Minha spoke in a hurried tone, almost as if making excuses.
“That’s strange… They’ve never done that before…”
Then she muttered something as if recalling a memory.
“Come to think of it, that time too…”
“That time?”
“Um…”
Yeon Minha sighed softly, as if she had misspoken.
She then recounted an incident from a few weeks ago.
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She told me that the spirits had shown her a vision of me fighting black mages in the south, and when she woke up, they were terrified.
At the time, she had thought it was just a meaningless dream and didn’t realize the figure in the dream was me.
It was all quite fascinating.
“I think it might be related to your ability…”
Yeon Minha whispered softly, making sure the driver couldn’t hear.
That made sense. If they entered my suppression range, they couldn’t feed on their master’s particles through the conduit, essentially starving.
Were they now going hungry every night?
Yeon Minha’s eyes were full of curiosity as she looked at me. She was probably curious about the suppression ability.
I was just as curious.
The commander had said he’d tell me after graduation, but could I wait three years? Maybe I should just go to the East during the break and demand answers…
“I see…”
“But it seems they’re okay when they’re not manifesting. Don’t be too disappointed. I’ll show them to you often. Maybe they’ll get used to it.”
Yeon Minha’s tone was like that of a parent comforting a child, which felt somewhat embarrassing.
“It’s fine. There’s no need to force them if they’re scared. Thank you, though, senior.”
“…But how long will you keep calling me ‘senior’? We’ve been friends for quite some time now…”
Then Yeon Minha said something strange.
“Calling me ‘senior’ sounds too stiff and formal. People might think we’re enemies.”
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“Then what should I call you?”
Yeon Minha paused before replying calmly.
“Ordinarily, this would be unthinkable, but for someone like you, I might allow you to drop the honorifics and just call me ‘senior’. Why not practice? You’ll get used to it.”
The sudden suggestion caught me off guard, but there was no reason to refuse. Besides, it was nice that she was trying to get closer.
“…Yeon Minha senior?”
I lightly changed the title as she suggested. She didn’t show much reaction, only nodding slightly with her usual dignified expression.
“…Not bad. But it might sound better without the surname. It feels a bit awkward and not harmonious.”
“Then, Minha senior?”
This time Yeon Minha nodded slightly deeper.
“…Quite good. It certainly feels more intimate and friendly than before.”
“I think it’s good too. So from now on…”
“But if you have any objections, you can call me something else. Like, um, ‘sister’… If anyone else tried that, I’d tear them apart, but if you command it, I’d have no choice but to follow…”
“…”
I fell silent for a moment.
Sister, huh?
I remembered the details of Yeon Minha’s academic record that the principal had shown me. She was definitely 17 years old.
As the commander had said, not all mages awaken at the same age. The time can vary from one to three years, making biological age irrelevant when considering seniority in Cradle.
However, I was 18, and my awakening was definitely earlier than hers.
Being biologically older and having awakened earlier, calling her ‘senior’ for familiarity was fine, but calling her ‘sister’ was out of the question.
“Senior, you’re 17, right?”
I made my decision and spoke to Yeon Minha.
“I’m 18. It would be hard for me to call you ‘sister’. In fact, shouldn’t you call me ‘brother’?”
“B-brother…”
Yeon Minha repeated my words, her eyes wide with surprise. Then she suddenly lowered her head, clenching her fists.
I didn’t mean it seriously. Titles didn’t matter that much. But did I hurt her pride?
After a moment, Yeon Minha regained her composure and looked back at me with a cold expression.
“…You insolent junior.”
Her glare was somewhat resentful, but it didn’t bother me as much as before.
“…Forget ‘sister’. Just call me ‘senior’.”
“Understood.”
I replied without much thought.
A moment later, the partition between the driver’s seat and the backseat slid open, and the driver’s voice came through.
“Miss, we’ll arrive in about ten minutes.”
“Okay. Got it.”
Yeon Minha nodded, and the partition closed again.
She adjusted her appearance a few times before reaching out to me with her white, thin fingers.
“What are you doing?”
“…Hold still. Let me take care of it delicately.”
Yeon Minha’s hands brushed my hair, then patted my shoulders, and even adjusted my tie.
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Her faint warmth and sweet breath tickled my nose.
“…This should be good. Not bad.”
Wearing a mask, it all seemed pointless, but there was no need to ruin her satisfaction.
“…And our contract is a secret from my parents… Got it…?”
She added hastily, as if remembering something.
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End of Chapter
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