Chapter 106

["Who are you?"]

Having stepped beyond the stone wall, Woojin gazed warily at the spirit that appeared before him. Flowing hair. Deep eyes. A body that exuded dignity and strength. And a face so beautiful he could have been mistaken for a woman.

It was strange. No one had told Woojin his name, yet the instant he saw him, he knew instinctively.

Kala, the first king of the Kingdom of Tekan. The only human in the continent's history said to have commanded Fenrir.

'I'd wondered who could have forged a bond with Fenrir... If it was him, that makes sense.'

Never expecting to find his spirit lingering here, Woojin hastily bowed in respect.

"I am honored to meet you, founding king."

["This should be a place no human can reach... How did you come here?"]

"After receiving reports that Fenrir had been sighted in the mountains, servants of the Kingdom of Tekan came to investigate."

["Yet you do not appear to be a servant of the kingdom."]

"No. I accompanied Aswell Balan here. I was studying swordsmanship under him."

["House Balan... So it still stands."]

Kala repeated House Balan's name several times, as though lost in nostalgia.

"We came to seek Fenrir's aid."

["Fenrir's aid? The power of a Primordial Sacred Spirit is not something humans can wield."]

"As I understand it, the Kingdom of Tekan is preparing to go to war with the other two kingdoms soon. With Fenrir's help, those two kingdoms would readily surrender."

Despite Kala's rejection, Woojin continued without hesitation.

["You intend to use Fenrir's power for war?"]

"It would save more lives."

Kala stared silently at him.

THUNK.

Then he brought something over and set it before Woojin: a large glass vessel. Inside, white smoke flickered like a flame.

"What is this...?"

["The soul of the Fenrir who was my companion. The one you have encountered is his offspring."]

'So the Fenrir Kala commanded was a different one.'

["Fenrir is a mystical beast that can live forever. Yet look what happened. After his time with me, all that remains of him is this tiny fragment of a soul."]

WHOOSH!

He approached Woojin.

["I will open a path above. Take your companions and leave."]

As he raised his hand, a patch of space along the stone wall warped.

BOOM! CRASH!

The clamor of battle came from beyond the distorted space.

'They're still fighting.'

That was a relief. They were undoubtedly struggling, but an ongoing battle meant they were still alive.

["Return and tell your companions to abandon their desire for Fenrir. Tell them he must no longer be sacrificed to human wars."]

"Forgive me, but I cannot do that."

["... Why?"]

"Fenrir was the first to reveal herself. She was searching the mountains as though looking for something."

Woojin picked up the Fenrir cub standing beside him.

"Do you see? I don't know the cause, but this young Fenrir is unwell."

GRRR...

The cub growled, failing to recognize Kala. Stroking its head, Woojin continued.

"Something will go terribly wrong if we leave things as they are. Could you instead tell Fenrir not to misunderstand us, Kala? Tell her I will cure this little one, no matter what."

BOOM!

But at that moment, a bolt of pure white lightning struck in front of Woojin.

["What a transparent lie. Cure Fenrir? How could you? No human, however extraordinary, can cure a Sacred Spirit's illness."]

"What if it isn't a human?"

["... What?"]

"The fairies might know a way."

All the way here, Woojin had kept wondering why Fenrir had revealed herself. The answer had come to him the moment he saw the sick cub. It wasn't because of the Black Dragon, or because of him.

'It was because the fairies appeared.'

After the battle with the Black Dragon ended, the Fairy Queen had restored his severed arm. Fenrir must have sensed her power then.

'The Fairy Queen... might be able to heal Fenrir, too.'

And right now, he was the only person who could meet the fairies.

["Do you intend to use the cub's treatment as leverage to exploit Fenrir?"]

Woojin shook his head.

"I'm not even from the Kingdom of Tekan. Securing Fenrir's aid is their business. I only want to heal this ailing cub."

YAP! YAP!

The Fenrir cub circled Woojin.

"I suppose it's because her scent rubbed off on me while we were fighting."

["No. It is not behaving that way because of its mother's scent."]

"What? Then..."

["I see... You are the master of a Phantasmal Spirit."]

Kala nodded in understanding.

["Yes, this is Camilla's scent."]

Camilla's fur had indeed been among the materials needed to hatch Setsuna. It was only natural that Setsuna would carry Camilla's scent, but detecting it even on Woojin, who had merely been in her company, required a truly remarkable sense of smell.

"That's right. I used Camilla's fur to hatch the Egg of the Phantasmal Spirit."

["Indeed..."]

Kala examined Woojin again.

["The master of a Phantasmal Spirit may be somewhat different. Very well. I permit you to take the cub to them."]

"Thank you."

Woojin stepped into the distorted space Kala had created.

FLASH!

As the portal vanished, darkness fell once more within the stone chamber.

["Yet how strange..."]

Kala murmured as he ran his hand over the glass vessel containing the fragment of Fenrir's soul.

["How was that man able to enter this place? The key to its door should surely be... inside Fenrir's belly."]

Fenrir's soul quivered, as though answering his musings.

["Normally, this should be given to whoever reaches this place..."]

He looked down at the chest at his feet.

Name: Sacred Spirit Slayer's Chest

Description: A reward bestowed upon the one who slays Fenrir, one of the Primordial Sacred Spirits.

["Perhaps I should give him a different reward."]

WHOOSH...!

With those final words, Kala vanished.

* * *

BOOM! CRASH!

As his distorted vision returned to normal, an earsplitting roar of crashing impacts reached him.

"Stop!!!! Stop!!"

Woojin hurried toward the noise, shouting.

GRRRRR...!

Fenrir was growling, enormous fangs bared, while Aswell stood before her with his sword leveled.

"A Sacred Spirit indeed. With your power, we could unite the three kingdoms without bloodshed..."

Something about Aswell as he settled into his stance looked different from before.

"But if you insist on blind hostility, I have no choice."

A chill ran through Woojin. For the first time, he sensed killing intent from Aswell Balan.

'This is dangerous.'

Until moments ago, Aswell had remained on the defensive, hoping to win Fenrir over. The instant he abandoned that hope, however, he saw her as nothing more than prey.

"Wait!! Everyone, stop!!!"

Woojin hurled himself between Fenrir and Aswell.

YELP!

The cub in his arms fell to the ground with him, crying out.

ROOOAAR!!!!

At the sight, Fenrir unleashed a tremendous roar.

"Hah... hah..."

The pressure was enough to make Woojin's knees buckle. Nor was he alone; the others stood motionless, seemingly pinned beneath its force.

WHOOSH!

Except for Aswell.

'That monster...!!!'

[Trait: Valor activates.]

▶ You are protected from fear.

"Hah!!"

As his rigid body loosened, Woojin shouted.

"Stop your sword! Fenrir has only been so wary because her cub is sick!!"

Just before Fenrir's claws and Aswell's sword could collide, the two stopped a hair's breadth apart.

"Look. Fenrir's cub seems to be ill."

He showed them the cub's teeth and patchy fur.

"I think that's why Fenrir has been so sensitive. She probably appeared in the human world to find treatment for her cub!"

Woojin kept casting meaningful looks at Fenrir, as though asking her to agree.

"Then isn't that all the more reason to lend us her strength?"

Aswell, however, questioned him as though unconvinced.

"I'll summon all the kingdom's priests and mages, even its alchemists if necessary, to ensure this cub receives proper treatment."

GRR...

Despite Aswell's offer, Fenrir shook her head.

"With respect, healing Fenrir is beyond human ability."

"... Then?"

"I'll ask the fairies for help."

Woojin looked at Fenrir.

"That's why you came out of the mountains, isn't it? Am I right?"

GRRRR...

But Fenrir remained wary despite his question.

"Entrust your cub to me. I'll take it to the fairies' forest and ask them to heal it."

Silence lingered for a while. Gazing into Woojin's eyes, Fenrir slowly brought her nose to his cheek.

SNIFF. SNIFF.

She was sniffing him. Perhaps it was Camilla's scent, the one Kala had mentioned. Was it because he smelled of a fellow Sacred Spirit?

GRRR...

Fenrir slowly bent her legs and lowered herself.

'I-it worked...'

Woojin slowly stroked her fur.

"I will never use your child as a hostage to exploit you."

Fenrir nodded as though she understood.

"Setsuna. Stay here for me."

-What? Me?

"Yes. So Fenrir can trust us. She'll be anxious if I take her cub away."

At his words, she nodded.

"No. I will stay."

Aswell stepped forward.

"Sir!! You mustn't! Let me stay instead...!!"

But he patted Ider's shoulder.

"Go back and rest. This was my undertaking to begin with. If we are to prove we bear no hostility, I am the one who should remain."

He laid the sword he had leveled at Fenrir down before her.

"Fenrir. I hope you will put what happened just now behind us. We were each protecting our own."

GRRRR...

Fenrir looked at Aswell.

"I entrust my sword to you. My life is now yours."

Then he extended his hand to Woojin.

"Khan, I'm counting on you."

"Understood. I'll return as quickly as I can."