ALL NOVEL Chapter 237: Secret Pipelines (1)
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(Somehow that worked out…)
Thinking back to what she said, Mira realized it had been a rather forceful excuse. Though it was true that bonds were important for summoners, especially for her.
But claiming that someone aiding in meeting a spirit would impede a bond from forming was taking things too far. After all, even arranged marriages could lead to happy families, even if there was no destined love story between the bride and groom.
That was something Mira tried to gloss over by being overbearing in her explanation. So she also gifted the man a Spirit Crystal, which would lessen his need to find the water spirit and would stop him from thinking too hard about everything Mira said.
(Alright then, now where is she hiding…)
Having overcome that ordeal, she headed back to the Baron Hotel, since she had to check something first. There she went to the parking area and checked her wagon. The Ashen Knight she left as guard was still there, but Anlutine was gone.
Mira had ordered the Ashen Knight to keep Anlutine safe, so it was safe to assume she had left of her own accord, considering nothing had triggered the order.
Meanwhile the note she had left on the table was on the floor next to the Ashen Knight. Somehow it had fallen off, so it was unlikely Anlutine had even seen it.
Considering all of that, it was basically confirmed that the water spirit all those adventurers were searching for was Anlutine.At first Mira grumbled that Anlutine should have just stayed put, only to realize that it was largely her own fault for leaving the spirit alone while she went to have fun sightseeing.
(I should’ve left the note in her hand.)
Such thoughts circled Mira’s mind as she summoned Undine, who she asked to point in the direction of Anlutine, which was very easily done.
The Spirit King’s sensing ability did not have much reach, so the directional information from Undine made things much easier. Mira could simply head off in that direction and eventually Anlutine would enter within range.
Mira thanked Undine and sent her away, and then ran off in the direction she had pointed at.
Mira walked along one of the main streets for a while until she made a turn to the side, entering a quiet residential area. There were short apartment buildings made of stone there, and the way was illuminated by street lamps placed in equal intervals, giving the area a more comfy ambiance, while also making the children playing around more visible.
There was a stark contrast between the big streets of Haxthausen that were bustling with activity, and the more mellow and calm residential areas.
From time to time Mira would still spot the odd adventurer or two, which told Mira that the search for Anlutine had reached even those areas.
(I guess some of them have pretty good instincts.)
The Divine Protection told Mira that Anlutine was hiding somewhere near there, so she was trying to get closer to the spot without rousing suspicion from anyone.
But as she got closer, she began to notice something odd. She had not noticed earlier because of the large distance, but the closer she got, the more it felt like the response was coming from somewhere below her.
Eventually she reached an empty lot, surrounded by purely residential buildings, and the feeling she had earlier was proved correct. She was sensing Anlutine as being directly below her.
(That’s certainly a good hiding place where no one will find her. How do I get to her though…)
She did not remember seeing any entrance leading underground on her way there, so she was lost as to how to meet up with Anlutine. But then Anlutine began to move, also realizing that Mira was directly above now.
Even if Anlutine wanted to come out herself, the same issue applied. There was no entrance or exit for her.
Mira began to worry about that again, but then water began to overflow out of a nearby drain. Then the liquid began to bunch up and form a human figure, and before long Anlutine was standing there.
「Ohh..! As expected of a water spirit.」
Turning one’s body to water and passing through narrow gaps was a very fantasy-esque concept, and seeing it in action made Mira excited. Meanwhile Anlutine looked around to make sure no one was watching before running up to Mira.
「It’s been a while, Mira. Now, as promised, let’s form a contract!」
Anlutine hardly took any time to greet Mira, going straight to the main reason she was there. Her hastiness was understandable though, considering the hordes of adventurers combing through the city looking for her to form a contract themselves.
「Ah, right, it’s been some time.」
Mira raised a hand to signal her to calm down while summoning Worthramble.
「Ohh, I see you’ve managed to find each other. I’m relieved to see that.」
Worthramble smiled with relief at seeing Anlutine there, after emerging from an unassuming and nearly invisible magic circle, traits which were shared with him.
「Well, yes. Though it’s been rather crowded around here today…」 Mira started saying that, wanting to request Worthramble’s optical camouflage ability.
「Mhm, let’s hide from the public eye for a bit.」 But then he replied like that, almost like he knew what Mira was about to ask, and concealed the trio.
「…That was fast.」
Worthramble had known what Mira wanted before she could finish her request, which was surprising since they were in a calm residential neighborhood, and not infiltrating some dangerous base where camouflage would be necessary. But she grimaced a little, having a pretty good idea of what had happened.
「The Spirit King and Martel sounded really entertained with the whole situation.」
「Well, I expected as much.」
Mira had noticed that the voices of the Spirit King and Martel had been silent in her mind for a while, but that was only because they moved their conversation to the spirit network.
It was almost comical how much fun those two were having, but she did not need to explain anything to Worthramble thanks to that, so it was useful too. If she was ever in a future fight where every second counted, knowing her summon spirits were aware of the whole situation from the beginning would make things easier.
「Let’s form that contract then, shall we?」
They no longer had to worry about someone seeing them thanks to Worthramble. It was still possible for someone to find them with some sort of detection ability, they were adventurers after all. Especially if there was a sage amongst them who could use Life Sensing and would notice a discrepancy between the readings and what they saw.
That would not be an issue as long as they completed the process quickly though. So they moved to a corner of the empty lot where Anlutine got ready and Mira placed her hand on the spirit’s forehead.
‘Is everything ready over there?’
This contract was a bit special, as it would be Mira’s second contract with the same type of spirit. That was only possible with the help of the Spirit King’s power, so Mira wanted to make sure he was ready too.
‘Yes, I’m ready. Just start it like you normally would.’
The Spirit King’s confident voice echoed in Mira’s mind, almost like he wanted a challenge. Then again, he could see everything Mira did, so it was no surprise that he was ready.
Summoning Skill: Carved Seal of the Contract
Mira’s palm began to glow, and then the mark of the Spirit King’s Divine Protection lit up all over Mira’s body. That was the sign showing this was no regular contract, but one empowered by the Spirit King.
A strange and indescribable feeling took hold of Mira’s body too, almost like she suddenly had a second body, while also becoming much more aware of her own body.
A bond was formed between Mira and Anlutine, which then coursed through the mark of the Spirit King and permeated into Mira’s body.
「Ohh… It workeddd!」
Mira was still trying to process that new feeling when she realized the contract with Anlutine had been a success. In the past when she tried to summon a water spirit it would happen instantly, since she only had one available, but now when she tried it, both Undine and Anlutine appeared in her mind, and she could choose between them freely.
Just like the Spirit King had promised, her contract with Undine had remained intact as the one with Anlutine was added.
Knowing she was the first summoner ever to form overlapping contracts with two spirits of the same type filled Mira with delight, almost making her want to shout and dance happily.
「Ahh, Mira, your voice..!」
But then Worthramble jumped forward and covered her mouth. Barely a moment later a face peeked from over a nearby roof. It was probably an adventurer who had heard Mira’s loud voice.
He surveyed the empty lot, but could not see Mira and the spirits. He continued squinting his eyes for a while, seemingly realizing something was amiss.
Meanwhile the trio in the corner held their breath, knowing how badly things would turn out if they were found. The water spirit everyone was looking for was there, and Mira had just formed a contract with her in secret. She could hardly imagine what would happen if all the female adventurers caught wind of that.
Shuddering at that thought, Mira asked Worthramble to activate Complete Suppression. That would make them completely invisible to all detection abilities, making it extremely powerful, with the only downside being that it could only be active for a short time.
No one could tell they were there that way, and surely enough, it did not take long before the adventurer turned around and left.
「Phew… My apologies, I was just too overtaken with joy…」
Mira apologized in a low voice before scanning their surroundings with Life Sensing. Once she verified that there were no adventurers nearby, she told Worhtramble to switch from Complete Suppression back to just optical camouflage.
「Yes, Spirit King, Martel!」
While all of that happened, Anlutine’s connection to the spirit network was also complete. She was overcome with emotion and smiling happily as she heard Martel and the Spirit King’s voices. Worthramble was also smiling as he watched her.
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