BHDV 10

Chapter 10

I don’t know who the target is, but considering that among those staying in this annex, I’m the only one who could possibly be the target of an assassination attempt…

I hurriedly pushed myself up from the bed.

I had to see how far the fire had spread.

[The flames have spread too far for you to escape through the doorway. Don’t move carelessly.]

But Illypia stopped me.

I bit down on my trembling lips and turned to look at him.

[Let me properly introduce myself. I am Illypia, the Spirit King of Life. The spirit who has blessed you. Humans who receive the blessing of spirits, unlike ordinary people, are called ‘spiritists’ in both your language and ours.]

Spiritist. It was a title I already knew.

Though most of it had been wasted just to highlight the male lead’s charm, the original story did present itself as a spirit-based work.

After desperately racking my memory, I barely recalled the setting: spiritists possessed a total of three attributes.

One main attribute and two sub-attributes.

And for humans classified as spiritists, the expression used was that they had received ‘blessings’ from spirits of those three attributes.

Normally, it was common to be blessed by lower or mid-tier spirits, but as far as I remembered, Roberick had been blessed by Spirit Kings for all three attributes.

Roughly light, wind… and what was the last one again?

Anyway, Roberick was an absurdly talented genius.

…Wait. Then, does that mean I inherited the talent of a spiritist because I’m Roberick’s daughter?

The feeling was oddly ambiguous—neither good nor bad.

I frowned.

[You are a spiritist blessed by me. I will help you. You must leave this place at once.]

But in this crisis, what did anything else matter?

I didn’t know whose doing this assassination attempt was, but I had to survive.

‘Edith. This old man’s one and only wish… is to see you grow up well, meet a good person, get married, have children… and live a normal, happy life before my very eyes.’

I hadn’t even had a proper conversation with my grandfather yet.

Suppressing the emotions rising in my chest, I grabbed Illypia’s hand.

Spiritist or assassination—I didn’t care.

I refused to die like this, not like this.

[Kahahaha! Watching you run away is quite amusing!]

A booming voice of an unfamiliar man echoed from outside the blazing room.

A person? No, for a person…

I stared toward the doorway with suspicion.

[That is Ifrit, a mid-tier fire spirit. He is extremely violent and combative. Now, follow me.]

Illypia said as he rose from the bed.

Ah, the floor was covered in flames…

“Huh?”

But surprisingly, wherever the hem of Illypia’s flowing garment touched, the blazing flames cooled to white and disappeared.

As if they were extinguished upon touching something untouchable.

[Edith?]

I stared at Illypia blankly.

…Don’t think about useless things. Surviving is what matters most.

I stopped hesitating and stepped down from the bed.

The floor beneath my feet was fine.

As if it had never been consumed by flames at all.

[All the maids are dead. Now I just need to confirm the target. By now, they’ve probably burned to death.]

“…!”

My heart trembled.

I covered my mouth with both hands and stared at the fire spirit Ifrit, who was strolling through the burning corridor while muttering.

The crimson spirit raised his flaming hand and ran it irritably through his hair.

Judging by where he was heading—damn it. It was the room I had just come from.

He was probably checking if I was dead.

…And since he mentioned confirming the target, it was clear that this fire had been set to assassinate me.

[…What? Where did she go?!]

Not long after, Ifrit’s shout rang out.

[You rat-like little thing!]

…He realized I was gone.

Now he’d start searching for me in earnest.

I looked up at Illypia, who still appeared calm, with anxious eyes.

Would running away like this really solve anything?

“Um… Illypia.”

[Just call me by my name.]

Illypia said gently.

“Ah, okay. But… is there any chance you can defeat that guy?”

It was only a matter of time before Ifrit found me.

Rumble—

More than that, I wasn’t even sure how long this building would hold.

Would I end up dying from being crushed by the collapsing structure first?

[I’m sorry, but I don’t possess any authority for attack. Nor am I compatible with Ifrit.]

“What…?”

Good grief. Overwhelmed with despair, I collapsed to the floor.

Was I really going to die like this…?

Still, since Illypia was the Spirit King of Life, maybe there was a way to be revived after death?

…Which bastard started a fire in the middle of the night!

Grinding my teeth, I seethed at the thought of whoever was behind this assassination attempt.

Who was the spiritist that had received Ifrit’s blessing in the original story?

…There’s no way I’d remember that when I can’t even recall Roberick’s attributes properly.

As I swallowed my regretful tears, Illypia, who seemed deep in thought, spoke.

[However, spiritists inherit attributes. I blessed your father, Roberick, and while I do not know all the spirits who blessed your mother…]

Mother? Mariette?

…And Roberick?

I doubted my ears and looked up.

Illypia had blessed Roberick?

Then, was Illypia the missing Spirit King of Roberick’s last attribute that I couldn’t remember?

[One of her attributes was the Spirit King of Water, Naiad.]

Caught in a storm of information, I blankly stared before suddenly widening my eyes at Illypia.

Water and fire.

Which held the advantage was obvious.

[So it’s possible that he is among your sub-attributes. I’ll teach you the summoning incantation—will you try?]

Illypia smiled.

“I’ll do it. Right now.”

I answered.

[Good. Those blessed by lower-ranked spirits have a lower success rate with summoning incantations. But you are Roberick’s daughter and have received my blessing, so if you recite it properly, you will succeed.]

Crash!

Just as hope of survival appeared, one of the pillars supporting the ceiling collapsed with a loud roar.

Aaaah!

I barely managed to swallow my scream.

Whether God existed or not, I desperately prayed to avoid burning to death or being crushed.

[There is little time. If you die, I can revive you, but your mind may not endure the pain. Do not make a mistake. Repeat after me: ‘O children of life that does not perish.’]

Illypia’s dark, radiant eyes looked down at me.

[‘Answer the call of the one you have blessed with an immortal heart.’ And then speak the name of the spirit you will summon. In this situation… ‘Spirit King of Water, Naiad.’]

I tightly shut my eyes to escape this overwhelming fear.

Right. I can do this.

“O children of life that does not perish.”

Clenching my teeth, I spoke.

Just one sentence.

But then—

Woooong—

Something swelled and surged near my heart.

An inexplicable emotion rising within me.

But at the same time, fear flooded in like a tidal wave.

[So you were here! I’ll kill you!]

Had the summoning revealed my presence? Ifrit’s roar sounded right nearby.

Heat surged above my head.

Clenching my hands tightly, I cried out desperately.

“Answer the call of the one you have blessed with an immortal heart!”

The blazing flames rushed down toward me.

“[Spirit King of Water, Naiad]!”

Wooooong—

The moment I called that name aloud—

[At last, you have summoned me.]

Warm water wrapped around my entire body.

A gentle voice, reminiscent of a mother I couldn’t even remember, echoed softly.

I opened my eyes.

The savage fire spirit that had tried to kill me was gone.

Everything was quiet, as if submerged beneath the sea.

No—it really was the sea.

I was submerged in deep blue water.

“Ah…”

I stood with both feet on land hidden beneath the sea.

Strangely, breathing wasn’t difficult at all.

As I looked around wide-eyed—

“…!”

I gasped as I saw the Spirit King of Water gazing at me.

The faintly smiling woman’s face resembled the deep blue of the ocean.

Her silver eyes, framed by dark blue lashes, shone like pearls.

Her cheeks and the corners of her eyes sparkled as if scattered with jewels, and coral in various colors grew around her gill-like ears.

Large corals of red, blue, and white extended above her head like a crown.

Her long blue hair flowed gracefully behind her, and beneath her flowing attire was not legs, but a fish’s tail.

There was nothing human about her form, yet no one could deny her beauty.

Naiad smiled at me.

She reached out and gently caressed my face.

The white coral bracelet wrapped around her wrist chimed softly.

[Child of the lovely Mariette.]

I didn’t even have time to be surprised by how she addressed me.

“!”

She pulled me into her arms.

Her body was neither warm nor cold.

Just… perfectly lukewarm.

Caught completely off guard, I could only roll my eyes in confusion.

Why…?

As if she had finally reunited with someone she had long yearned for.

And she said ‘lovely Mariette.’ Clearly.

What did that mean—

[That’s enough. How long will you keep the child trapped?]

Illypia’s voice rang out.

The dreamy underwater scenery surrounding us faded like a dream.

After blinking a few times, I found myself back where I was before.

Crash, boom!

The burning corridor of the mansion.

Another pillar collapsed!

“Aaah!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Naiad released me.

I quickly turned, recalling the spear of fire that had been about to strike me.

But—

[Aaaaargh!!]

The moment Naiad appeared, Ifrit, who had been lurking to devour me, instead screamed in terror and fled in panic.

“…?”

His sudden change in attitude left me dumbfounded.

[Small and beautiful child of Mariette.]

Naiad floated behind me and leaned close, whispering.

[You too are destined to be hated, just like your mother.]

I widened my eyes and turned.

Naiad smiled quietly as our gazes met.

Rumble—

Behind her, a massive pillar of water formed.

Huh?

[So let us wash everything away.]

Naiad said with a gentle smile.

No—saying something that extreme so calmly…?

A massive shadow of water loomed over me.

[Hold your breath, Edith.]

Illypia said.

My body trembled as I tried to speak, but Illypia pulled me into his arms first.

Kwaaaang—

In an instant, the elegant mansion was transformed into the middle of the ocean.