Spirits and Magic Tools

After looting all the corpses of the assassins, Rosalia ended up with a number of useful items.

Though she didn’t find exactly what she’d been hoping for, El’s earlier words helped her not dwell on it too much.

“I can’t carry all of this.”

Looking down at the pile of goods she had gathered, she realized there was just too much. She’d also found some dried and canned food, along with several intact bottles of water.

Items like coins and small weapons would be easy to carry, but other large thing will be difficult to carry

“You should also take any cloth you can find. Considering our journey ahead, you’ll likely be outdoors often and need protection from the cold.”

El’s suggestion earned a nod from Rosalia.

“I was thinking the same. But their clothes are soaked in blood.”

Rosalia hadn’t stripped the clothing worn directly by the assassins. She’d only taken the cloaks  their wear. While not as stained as their clothing, the cloaks were still splattered with blood.

“Luckily, one of these assassins had a fairly large bag.”

Rosalia began packing and organizing the items she chose to bring. El floated beside her, observing and occasionally offering advice and instructions.

“It’s already getting late. Do you have any idea where you’ll spend the night?”

Rosalia shook her head at El’s question. She had no idea where they were, so naturally, she had no plan.

“What do you think? Can you check the area around?”

El was a spirit. Even if he was now contracted to her, that didn’t mean he was bound to her side at all times. He could still move freely, and since he could fly, it was obvious he’d be perfect for scouting.

“Well, before you regained consciousness, I actually already scouted a bit. There’s a place within our range that we can use for shelter tonight.”

“Really? That’s amazing!”

Rosalia beamed, once again cheered by good news. She sped up her movements, not wanting to linger in the area too long.

Once she had packed everything she had chosen to bring, she lifted the bag and slung it over her shoulders. It was a bit heavy, but manageable and comfortable enough.

“What should we do with the rest of the leftover items?”

She looked back down. There were still several items left behind that she couldn’t carry.

“Leave them. Since they’ve already been looted, there’s no point in trying to disguise them.”

She paused for a moment, momentarily forgetting that detail. As someone on the run, she knew better than to leave traces. But she often found herself in unavoidable situations, like this one.

“Alright. I’m ready. Where’s the place you found earlier?”

El turned to his side, facing east according to Rosalia’s orientation.

“That way, there’s a shallow cave. There aren’t many wild animals or monsters in the area. It should be safe enough for you to sleep in tonight.”

Rosalia turned to look in the direction El pointed.

“Are we going through that forest?”

She was wary of forests, though not entirely opposed to entering them.

She remembered clearly how her first time choosing a forest path during her escape had led to several unpleasant incidents. It had left a strong enough mark that she didn’t like to recall them.

“The forest isn’t too dense. You brought that long spear, right? I’ll lead and pick the path. Use it to clear the way.”

She swallowed hard. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and made her decision.

Stepping into the forest, she followed El, who had already been floating ahead for a while.

She used the spear to part the grass and branches in her path.

Just as El had said, the forest wasn’t particularly thick. The underbrush wasn’t too high and didn’t obscure her vision.

From time to time, she had to change direction, carefully trailing behind El’s guidance.

She walked cautiously, trying not to step on anything dangerous or lose her footing.

“Hey, El. How do you remember all these routes?”

El had said he’d scouted the area while she was unconscious and found a good place for them to rest.

At first, she’d assumed their path would be a straight shot. But now, she realized they were taking quite a few turns.

She wondered why, at times, it seemed they could have gone straight and reached their destination faster.

“The explanation would be long. But in short, this is the best route.”

That didn’t answer anything.

Rosalia looked slightly grim, El seemed to be hiding something from her. But she didn’t press him. It was something she could tolerate for now.

“Can you fight, El?”

She finally decided to change the topic. There were many things she wanted to ask El, but she wasn’t quite bold enough to ask them all just yet.
However, El’s combat capabilities were important, something She felt needed to know sooner rather than later.

“I can’t fight directly. But I can fight through you.”

“Through me? What do you mean?”

El was a strange and unusual spirit, she had to admit that once again.

Typically, a Spirit Contractor and their contracted Spirit would fight together. That was common knowledge regarding spirit contracts.

“You could say I can enhance your abilities. And not just basic enhancements.”

Rosalia tried to parse what El was saying.

“Enhance my power? Like… my punches becoming stronger, or I can run faster if you enhance me?”

She wasn’t especially skilled in enhancement magic, but she had read many books on the subject. She understood it somewhat, similar to buffs in game-themed novels from Earth.

“More than that. Do you know how magic is used, Rosalia?”

“Yes… by controlling the magic power in your body and manifesting it, right? There are also chants and stuff. I understand, but it’s hard for me to explain it in words.”

Rosalia herself was a magic user, though not an expert. So she knew a bit about how magic worked.

“Exactly right.”

El bobbed up and down as if nodding, pleased with her answer.

Then he continued, elaborating further.

“As you said, using magic is all about control. There are many methods, the most common being direct manifestation through your body. The others…”

“Using magic tools?”

El bobbed again in agreement.

“You’ve used them before, haven’t you?”

“Of course. During my escape, I’ve used several magic tools I brought from home. They’re easy to use… but fragile.”

Magic tools were items capable of casting spells. Simply by channeling mana into them, they would activate and release pre-embedded magic. But they weren’t permanent. Depending on their materials, they would wear out and break after a few uses.

“Spirits themselves are another medium for magic use. The difference is, spirits are more useful as mana reservoirs rather than as magic outputs.”

El then explained how magic tools were crafted and how they differed from spirits.

What El shared matched what Rosalia had read before. But some of the information was easier to grasp when explained aloud rather than through books.

“So spirits are better than magic tools, right? They don’t wear out and don’t cost much to maintain or create.”

Rosalia tried to summarize, but El quickly rejected her conclusion.

“You can’t compare them like that. Spirits and magic tools serve different basic functions from the start.”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but in this world, there’s a long-standing debate about which is better, spirits or magic tools.”

El spun his round body around to face her, the white dot resembling an eye turning in her direction.

“They’re actually debating that? This era is more fascinating than I thought.”

Rosalia was again intrigued by El’s unusual awareness of “eras.”.

She knew she probably shouldn’t ask, so she didn’t.

They continued on, discussing various things along the way. As El had promised, their journey went smoothly without a single threat.

Though tall grass and trees occasionally blocked their way, it was all manageable.

Eventually, after putting enough distance from the place she had fallen, Rosalia saw something. As they emerged from the forest, the golden light of the setting sun filtered through the treetops, improving visibility.

She looked up, and there it was: a gently sloping dirt path leading up toward a large hole in a rock wall. It was most likely the cave El had mentioned.

“That’s the place you meant?”

“Yes. Night will fall soon. I suggest you rest, eat, and sleep early. Leave the watch to me.”

Hearing that, it was as if the last threads of tension left her body. She realized just how exhausted she really was.

She looked at the cave entrance once more, feeling the urge to run and throw herself onto the ground inside, but she was too tired for that.

All she could do was walk slowly, trailing behind El with heavy, dragging steps.