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697. Master
It had been a long time since Edithe had seen any of her Spirits. Years since Hana died— since she broke her contract as a [Summoner] with Mistshard. And because of that, she had also annulled her vow with the Spirit Lord, and she could no longer work with any Spirit as a [Summoner].
That was why Edithe had reverted to being an ordinary [Mage]— although that proved to be a difficult transition. But now, she was stronger than ever, able to rely on herself, while empowering her allies. That was how she thrived thus far. Even if she did miss her Spirits.
Even if she wished she could have remained with them.
But that was not a possibility. For their sake, she broke her vow, and she had to pay the consequences. And when she decided to return to the Spirit Plane, she never thought she would see either Mistshard or Druma.
For a variety of reasons, of course.
First of all, if the Mortal Realm was anything to go by, the Spirit Plane was likely a massive place. So the chances of running into either of them were already infinitesimal.
But more than that, she had assumed that as contracted Spirits, they would have already found new masters. They would have already returned to working alongside another [Summoner] in the Mortal Realm. After all, even if the redhead thought she had an unbreakable bond with them, they were very likely centuries-old Spirits who have cycled through a dozen different [Summoners].
To her, the short time they spent together would have been invaluable. But to them, it was just another day at the job.
At least, that was what Edithe thought.
And yet, her expectations were betrayed when she saw Druma for the first time in years. When she stared at the lumbering figure who offered her a warm smile and proffered an open hand that was the size of her body.
[Ancient Yaksha - Lvl. 102]
“Be not afraid, master. My kin shall not harm you.”
Edithe blinked when she heard Druma speak. He could speak! He hadn’t been able to vocalize his thoughts before, beyond hand-signs to communicate.
And yet, not only had he evolved since then, he could now speak!
A small smile crossed through the redhead’s lips as she stepped forward. Willy and Centina looked at her in alarm, but she didn’t care.
“It has really been a while, huh? I didn’t expect you to grow so much while we’ve been away from each other…”
“You’ve grown too, master. I am glad to see you have been able to pave your own path after what transpired that night.”
Druma spoke in a deep voice. And yet, it was gentle and soft— reassuring. Edithe shifted as she recalled the night she had broken her contract with Mistshard. The night the company war between the Valiant Dreamers and the Iron Champions fully broke out, and so many of her friends perished.
It was a long time ago now. But the memory was still fresh in Edithe’s mind.
“Thank you, Druma.”
The redhead smiled gratefully at him. And as the two of them chatted, the rest of the gathered [Yakshas] just looked on in confusion. They exchanged hesitant glances, unsure of what to do.
Willy had also been watching from the side, utterly confused. Until, finally, he flitted forward and exclaimed.
“What doing?!”
He flew up to Druma who just looked back at the [Will O’ Wisp] curiously. Edithe raised a hand, calling out to Willy.
“Don’t attack Druma— he’s a friend! He was… one of my summons. My last summon. Before I forfeited my Class as a [Summoner].”
“I’m not stupid. Stupid.”
Willy scoffed as he glanced back at the redhead briefly. Then he looked back up towards the [Ancient Yaksha].
“But he should be attacking us! Otherwise, he’s disobeying the Spirit Lord! He’s committing treason!”
The [Will O’ Wisp] exclaimed, and the nearby [Yakshas] all nodded in agreement. In response, Druma considered this.
“That is true. I am directly disobeying the Spirit Lord’s directives by refusing to apprehend you. However, is that not what you are doing too, [Will O’ Wisp?]?”
“That’s…”
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Willy hesitated, and Centina snorted from behind.
“The [Ancient Yaksha] has got a point, you know?”
“Even still, I understand the [Will O’ Wisp]’s concerns. However, there will be no issue as long as nobody else observes what is occurring at this moment.”
The [Ancient Yaksha] looked over the rest of the [Yakshas] with a smile.
“And I trust these children with my life. So I am certain they will remain silent.”
They hesitated, before they bowed their head deferring towards him. He chuckled for a moment, then a serious look crossed his face.
“But you should not be here, master.”
Druma spoke as he faced the former [Summoner]. She blinked a few times as he questioned her.
“Why have you crossed into the Spirit Plane? And why are you accompanied by a Centinel and a Grand Spirit in this endeavor?”
“I—”
Edithe hesitated as his gaze bore into her. She looked towards Centina and Willy, wondering whether she should answer the question honestly. They both looked as uncertain as her. After all, they did not know how Druma would react to know of their objective. Especially with the Archangel involved.
But then the redhead saw the [Ancient Yaksha]’s kind and familiar face, and she heard his soothing words, so she knew she could trust him like she had done so before.
“This is Centina and this is Willy. And they’ve joined me to find the Archangel.”
“The Archangel?”
Druma blinked a few times as the other [Yakshas] rustled behind him. His smile vanished and turned into a frown.
“But why?”
“To save Mavos Academy— the Matriarch Centinel of the Bloodied Gulf has launched an attack intending to destroy the school. And we can’t let that happen.”
Edithe spoke resolutely as Willy and Centina tensed from behind. How would Druma react? The redhead didn’t know. But she believed he would aid them.
“Mavos Academy… the Human magical institution, huh? And if I recall correctly, it is quite important too. So it makes sense why you are desperate.”
Druma nodded understandingly, but then he looked at Edithe seriously.
“However, why seek the aid of the Archangel? Do you not know of its reputation? What it is capable of doing?”
“I have heard… a little bit, from Willy.”
Edithe glanced towards the [Will O’ Wisp], before raising her head.
“However, even if it is a risk, it is one we are willing to take.”
“I feel like you do not fully understand the risks, master.”
Druma shook his head, and Edithe raised a brow.
“What do you mean by that?”
She paused for a moment, before she opened her mouth. Something had been niggling at the back of her mind since she reunited with the [Yaksha], and she finally voiced her confusion.
“Also, why do you keep calling me master? I’m not your master anymore, Druma. While I appreciate the sentiment, don’t you think it’s disrespectful to your current master?”
In response to that, Druma just chuckled.
“I could never tell you this, because I was never able to speak. But you were my first master. And you have been my only master. That is why I shall always call you master.”
“...what?”
Edithe’s eyes went wide when she heard that. Willy also seemed to perk up, although Centina did not seem to care.
“But you were over Level 30 when we met!”
The redhead protested. She pointed at him, and the [Yakshas] behind him just tilted their heads curiously.
“Shouldn’t you have already been alive for decades at the very least? I mean, I thought it took forever for Spirits to level up!”
Edithe gaped at Druma, and he laughed.
“That is true. Most Spirits grow at a glacial pace, taking their time to level and evolve. But I have been faster than the others. Perhaps not as fast as you, nor as fast as your Demon friend. But I was only ten years old when I was summoned to be your Spirit. That is why I had no prior experience with [Summoners] or the Mortal Realm.”
“Seriously? Wait, is that how you reached Level 100 so quickly since then?”
The redhead asked with bulging eyes. Druma nodded, almost proudly. An action that reminded her of Salvos.
“Indeed.”
“Taking a decade to reach level 30 is not that fast.”
Willy scoffed from behind. It sounded like he was jealous. He was even literally green in envy as his flames burned green.
And Edithe just grinned his way.
“And how long did it take you to reach Level 100 again, Willy?”
The [Will O’ Wisp] hesitated.
“…a few centuries…”
He admitted after a few seconds.
Druma continued as he faced Edithe.
“And after my experience as your Spirit, I decided that I do not wish to call any other Human a master. Not when I believe that you are my rightful master— that you should not have been punished for breaking your contract with Mistshard. After all, you did it to save her life. You thought you were sacrificing your own.”
“But what’s done is done, and there is nothing that can be done about it.”
Edithe shook her head. She looked down at herself as she closed her eyes. Then she sighed.
“Anyway, what’s wrong with seeking out the Archangel? Willy told us that the Archangel has made contracts with Humans before. So why do you think this is a terrible idea?”
Druma eyed Willy with almost a playful smile.
“Your [Will O’ Wisp] friend seems old, so it is understandable that he does not know this. Perhaps when he was around in the Spirit Plane, the Archangel was more of a force that could be bargained with. But right now, it has become completely unstable. It has gone insane.”
The [Will O’ Wisp] flitted forward as he stared at Druma.
“How so?”
And both Edithe and Centina leaned forward, wanting to know the answer to that too. Druma just explained as he raised his head towards the green sky.
“The Archangel has become the first Spirit in ten thousand years to wage war against the Spirit Lord. And it does not have an army, nor does it have an ally. It is alone in its war against us.”
Edithe blinked a few times when she heard that.
“...what?”