Everyone just… stared.
Willow, perched so smugly on the blooming flower that had sprouted from the tree, looked like a queen on a throne of petals.
Her legs kicked lazily in the air, and she waved at everyone with a tiny, self-satisfied grin.
I laughed.
It was the kind of laugh you let out when everyone else is completely lost, but you know exactly what's going on. "Relax, I'll explain everything while we eat."
They all nodded, albeit hesitantly, and began climbing the wooden stairs Willow had shaped from the roots and branches. Then, once they all got up here, the roots retracted and returned to their original position.
Zek, Orin, and Araki took up one branch and left only one open spot, and it just so happened to be right next to me.
Ark hesitated for half a second before shuffling closer to me. His tail flicked nervously, and he blushed slightly as he handed me my burger.
I smiled and took a bite.
"Thanks," I said with a soft nod. He shyly looked away but gave the tiniest smile.
Swallowing, I glanced around. Everyone was still casting the occasional side-eye at Willow, who was now stretching her arms out dramatically like she was sunbathing while lying on the flower petals.
Seeing their curiosity, I began an introduction. "That is Willow. She's a nature fairy and one of my contracted spirits. During the entrance exam, when I used those vines, it wasn't from some artifact or even my own magic—it was her."
Willow fluttered up and landed right on Araki's snout right as I took another bite.
"You better be happy I'm so kind and generous, helping him fight such fearsome creatures," she said, puffing out her tiny chest with smug pride.
Araki raised a brow, and without a word, tried to swat her off.
Willow smiled.
A branch snapped over and caught his wrist mid-swing.
"Nice try," she said with a laugh, "but it'll take a lot more than that to—"
"Willow," I said, swallowing. "I order you to stay still and do nothing until he lets you go."
She froze instantly.
Just like that. Completely still, like someone hit pause on her entire existence.
Araki blinked, pulled his hand out from the now relaxed branch, and closed his hand around her gently and lifted her off his snout. Her tiny eyes darted around, but her body didn't move an inch.
"…Did you kill her?" he asked, genuinely confused.
Orin snorted, failing to hold back his laughter.
I chuckled, leaning back on one arm. "Nah. Because of the contract between us, she has to follow any command I give her. I told her to freeze until you let her go."
Araki looked at his still-closed fist, eyes widening slightly. "Oh."
He opened his palm, and the moment she was free, Willow darted up into the air, hovering near me with an outraged expression.
"Why would you do that to me?!"
I gave her a blank look and said, "It's funny." Then smiled.
She sputtered, crossed her arms, and muttered something under her breath before floating down toward the base of the tree where flowers had started blooming.
Zek and Orin were already laughing again, while Ark watched Willow with curious eyes.
"So," Zek said after catching his breath, "how do those spirit contracts work, exactly?"
"Usually," I began, brushing a crumb off my lap, "both sides propose what they want. Then the spirit gives the cost. Like, you could ask for fire magic, and they would ask for mana as payment.
Another example is my contract with Volt. I give him a home and food, and in exchange, I get assistance in combat and help with my lightning magic."
Zek nodded slowly, clearly intrigued. Then he looked toward where Willow had gone. "So… do all spirits have to follow your orders like that?"
I chuckled. "No, Willow's case is a little… abnormal. That control clause? Not common, or rather almost impossible to come across. She has to follow any order I give her, but I rarely use it. It's more of a failsafe in case she goes too far."
Orin tilted his head. "So how'd you get that kind of contract? She isn't a..." He turned to Willow with a somewhat concerned look.
I took a moment before I caught his meaning. "No, she isn't... well, not that I know of anyway… but the reason it's so different from normal ones is that we didn't make it. A druid did."
Dead silence.
"You met a druid?" Orin asked, or rather shouted, making me happy I put up a soundproof barrier earlier.
Before I could answer, Araki spoke, more quietly. "Was it Spring?"
I nodded.
Everyone turned to Araki.
He raised his hands. "What? My father met a druid named Spring near Jack's hometown before it got destroyed. They became friends, and one day he brought me along. Now that I know of Jack's whole spirit thing, I figured they knew each other too."
I laughed. The look of absolute shock on everyone else's faces was so worth it.
"I'm not the only one with crazy stories," I said. "We all have them. It's just that, after living with them for so long, they stop feeling so crazy."
Zek opened his mouth like he was going to argue, paused, and then shut it again.
Couldn't exactly disagree with that logic. He did live in the same cave as a dragon for most of his early years of life.
Ark quietly piped up. "So… how was Willow's contract made, then?"
I smiled at him. "It was a couple of years after I became a summoner and made my contract with Volt.
After Thornbranch, my hometown, was destroyed, Spring began watching over the remains as it returned to nature. I visited the village remains every year to pay respects to everyone and remember my family.
I met Spring during the search for survivors, and we became friends after that.
One year, when going to visit Spring, I found her treating a nature fairy that'd been injured. That was Willow—but back then, she didn't even have a name."
Ark tilted his head. "She didn't?"
"Nope. Most spirits don't until they reach a certain level of power or are named by someone. Though she also weirdly had no memories. Which… shouldn't be possible for a spirit.
Spring was concerned, so she ran a ritual to try to restore them."
I shook my head, remembering.
"Once the ritual was complete, she got most of her memories and personality back, but the stuff about her past was still blurry. But that wasn't the concerning thing at the time.
When she got her memories back, she went from this quiet little flower to a whole storm of chaos. Her personality was a lot bigger than anyone expected. So much that Spring trapped her in a jar and basically helped me force a contract onto her and assigned me as the one to keep her in check.
Orin whistled.
Everyone looked between me and the flowers below, where Willow was probably grumbling to herself.
Then they all just… nodded. Like they were finally getting used to the weird stuff that came out of my mouth.
Zek leaned back with a grin. "Okay. That's honestly kind of impressive."
I smiled. The chaos was starting to feel normal, and that comforted me.
Beside me, I felt Ark shuffle a little closer. His shoulder brushed against mine.
He was getting bolder and more comfortable. I was happy.
"So I was wondering," Araki asked, "aren't fairies fae, not spirits?"
I nodded. "A common misconception, but not fully wrong either. Some are spirits and some are fae. It's hard to tell the difference, and there is a lot more to it, but aside from Willow, I have never met another spirit fairy.
Certain rules prevent me from going further currently, but you will learn it with time," I said, smiling.
"Rules? What rules?" Araki asked.
"Since when do you follow the rules?" Willow joked.
I laughed and explained, "Certain knowledge can only be known by people who have climbed a certain height up the Mountain of Stars. I can't say much more than that."
Araki and Ark looked at me in confusion, but Orin and Zek clearly knew what I meant.
"Another time," I said to Araki and Ark.
They both stared at me in curiosity but didn't press it.
I looked at Orin, and I could see Orin did have one question, so I turned to him and nodded.
He hesitated before asking, "How high up the mountain are we?"
I paused and looked at everyone, sighed, and said, "You haven't even left the ground."
Orin nodded slowly, while Ark and Araki just looked around, trying to figure out what that meant.
I clapped my hands together. "Anyway. Who is everyone looking forward to spell casting?"
Zek and Araki smiled, and Zek said, "I'm looking forward to this. I can finally beat you at something."
I laughed and didn't say anything.
Orin looked around and said, "I'm not a mage, so what can this do for me?"
"You can use this to learn how to use magic items and self-enhancement spells."
"Self-enhancement spells? What are those?" he asked.
I smiled and explained, "They're like spells you can cast on yourself to enhance certain parts of your body, similar to ki, but the spells can be stacked on top of ki.
Earth magic, which you have an affinity for, specializes in strength enhancement, and Air Magic, like Ark, for speed and movement spells. There are others, but those are the most relevant."
Ark and Orin were wide-eyed. Orin was excited, but Ark seemed a little nervous.
I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Ark. I doubt they will have us do any actual combat today. It's likely just to figure out what we all can do."
Ark turned to me and smiled.
"Plus, you have all of us to help you, so you will be fine," I said and gestured to the others, and Ark looked at them and nodded, happy to have friends willing to help him.