MTMT 31

Chapter 31

 Unexpected Talent

“Nice to meet you, Princess.”

“Nice to meet you as well.”

When Shasha made a point of saying “nice to meet you,” Diana bent her knees gracefully and greeted her. Was it fortunate that Shasha emphasized it was their first meeting? Diana smiled wryly.

“I apologize for showing up so suddenly. I am Alexandra Caliari, first daughter of the Kingdom of Caliari. Please call me Shasha.”

“……”

“Why, is the nickname ‘Shasha’ too cute for you? But there’s nothing I can do. ‘Alexandra’ is just too formal a name.”

Even though she was from a small country, telling Diana to use the princess’s nickname felt almost childish. Diana couldn’t hide her displeasure. She was a young girl, yes, but she also held the title of ‘Princess’ of a kingdom. Surely, she must have known why Diana had left so quickly.

No, Philip must have roughly explained the situation beforehand. But still…

Diana gripped the hem of her dress tightly. Seeing this, Shasha smiled gently.

“Princess Brienne, there’s no need to worry so much.”

“……”

“I have seen you before.”

“You’ve… seen me?”

“Today’s visit was scheduled long ago. I’ve already spoken with your king.”

That was a relief. Diana visibly relaxed, and Shasha smiled warmly. Only then did Diana take a proper look at the girl.

Her black hair was braided into twin tails, but her bangs curled slightly, giving her a youthful impression. The freckles on the tip of her nose were quite cute, and her slightly upturned eyes gave her a cat-like appearance. Her golden eyes enhanced that effect.

Though small in stature, the princess exuded a mature aura. Diana had assumed they were the same age—but perhaps that wasn’t the case?

“And it’s a bit unfair. I didn’t know that the girl I saw yesterday was Princess Brienne.”

She had seen her before but didn’t realize she was Princess Brienne? Diana frowned at the confusing statement but decided to ask directly.

“But Your Highness, why have you come here? This is just the home of an ordinary princess…”

“My spirit.”

“Spirit?”

“The spirit I’ve contracted follows you.”

What did she mean by that? When Shasha pointed her finger, a tiny noisy creature waved its hand. Diana frowned at the sight. So this was the spirit. Indeed, yesterday had been so urgent that there had been no time to be surprised. Seeing this, Shasha exclaimed:

“You can see it!”

“……”

“To be able to see a spirit that hasn’t been contracted is remarkable, Princess Brienne!”

“R-Really?”

“Even in the royal palace, my sylph followed you!”

“Uh… uh…”

Shasha’s calm expression was now flushed with excitement. Her cheeks pink, she continued speaking.

“Do you know how I recognized you?! My spirits told me that you seemed like a spirit yourself!”

“Me, a spirit?”

“Isn’t it fascinating?! So I investigated and discovered that you are Princess Brienne. I immediately requested to meet you with my king! Oh, don’t worry! The king knows nothing about spirits. I simply told him I wanted to have you wear Caliari clothing!”

Shasha spoke more than Diana had expected. So, she wanted to meet her because she thought the clothes would suit her? Would the king believe that…? Well, if not… so be it.

Diana forced a smile. Shasha looked into her eyes. Those clear, pure eyes seemed as though they could peer into her very soul.

“This is fate. As someone who works with spirits, your talent is too valuable to waste.”

I… have talent as a spirit master? Really? In my previous life, I had no idea about this ability.

“So I thought I’d give you this little one.”

Shasha placed the spirit on her palm and winked. The spirit imitated her wink. What… was this?

“This is my spirit, Sylph.”

Shasha spoke softly, looking at the spirit with a slightly wistful smile. She pulled out a necklace with a blue orb from her pocket. As Shasha waved it, the spirit reluctantly entered the orb.

“This was the first spirit I ever contracted. Not strong enough to defend itself, but still useful.”

“……”

“You saved my life. Even this small gift is but a token of my gratitude.”

Shasha extended the necklace. Diana hesitated, but seeing Shasha’s sincere eyes, she accepted it. Holding the blue orb, it felt like the wind itself was blowing. Noticing Diana’s bangs flutter slightly, Shasha said:

“Just having this with you will grant the protection of wind. This is a wind spirit. No foul air can harm you. When it’s hot, it can even summon a breeze for you.”

“……”

“With your aptitude, your affinity with spirits will grow. Someday, you may even summon a higher wind spirit, Nevera, capable of more than this little one.”

“……”

“In truth, I came to see you to show you your potential, but since you saved my life, I must repay you with my spirit. I never forget a favor.”

Diana looked at the necklace with the spirit inside. In the past, she had seen Giskar from the Lordbrock Kingdom speaking with the people of Caliari. The King of Caliari was said to be a descendant of a famous spirit master, and occasionally, royal family members also became spirit masters.

Humans, unlike elves, abandoned spirits, and the lineage of spirit masters was almost extinct… yet only the people of Caliari seemed to have preserved it.

“Ah… could this woman be the one?”

In her previous life, a female member of the Caliari royal family had once summoned a high-level spirit, causing quite a stir. Could this girl be that same woman? It was impossible to know.

“How do I summon Nevera?”

Diana asked cautiously. Shasha laughed and rummaged in her pocket. As if expecting it, she produced a colorful book.

“The Easiest Way to Become a Spirit Master”

What was this book…? Diana looked at her, and Shasha fidgeted with her feet.

“Sorry, I wish I could teach you, but I’m the one learning. If you come to Caliari, you can learn properly… though, as the eldest daughter of a noble house, it wouldn’t be easy for you to go somewhere like that.”

“……”

“But the important thing is something else. Summoning isn’t just theory.”

“……”

“You will come to understand it well.”

Diana sighed. She had wanted to wield immense power over spirits since childhood, but it seemed impossible. At least she now possessed a spirit-filled necklace she couldn’t have bought with money. Shasha watched her closely.

“By the way, Princess.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever encountered a dragon?”

A dragon? Out of nowhere? Why would she ask that? Shasha narrowed her eyes, listening intently.

“Loo, a wind intermediary spirit, says it senses the aura of a dragon in you.”

“A dragon?”

“Two, in fact.”

Two dragons? Diana had never even approached a dragon. Seeing her confused, Shasha tilted her head.

“Forgive me, I can’t communicate with every spirit. Sometimes I say strange things.”

“Yes…”

“Oh dear, we’ve been here far too long. This is too long a visit just to give a clothing gift.”

With her purpose complete, Shasha stood. Walking down the corridor, she thought about Diana. Even though she was a novice, she could see spirits contracted to others. Such affinity was extraordinary. Why would a princess possess this talent? And why had Sylph called her a spirit? She was human, not a soul.

“Truly mysterious.”

As she walked with her accompanying guards, Shasha encountered a boy at the end of the corridor. His skin was slightly tanned, hair black as night, and his face strikingly handsome. Shasha’s yellow eyes met his dark ones. The boy had a collar—he appeared to be a slave.

“Even this house has slaves… interesting.”

The princess didn’t seem to need a slave. At that moment, Loo inside her earring stirred, but Shasha ignored it. Her own spirit sometimes made mistakes—often.

“Loo, dragons aren’t so common in this world. Quiet yourself, I’ll block your voice.”

Shasha frowned, fiddling with her earring, watching the boy.

‘Still, quite handsome.’

He had a sturdy build and a clean face, appearing well-raised despite being a slave. His beast-like gaze was sharp, but his body looked his age.

Yet why did the princess’s gaze seem so adult? Worn and jaded, without a trace of childlike innocence—it was unsettling.

Seeing the boy pass by Diana’s room, with a spirit-affine, mature girl and a sharp-eyed slave, Shasha thought:

“That’s not a good combination at all.”

She shook her head.