Chapter 152 - 2-34 Louis's Perspective
"It’s been a while, Van."
I spoke to the hawk on my arm, and he tilted his head. Then, as if realizing something, he spread his large wings and hopped onto Theodore’s shoulder.
"Haha! Long time no see. Did you have a good nap?"
I watched Van contentedly accept Theodore’s scratches and gave a small shrug. "It’s been years since we last met, yet you’re still more attached to Theodore than to me."
"Screee!"
"He seems to be in a good mood. He says he slept well," Theodore translated.
"I’m glad to hear it."
"How many years has it been since Van and I met? We only met once before, so it must be about eight years. I’m surprised you remembered me."
Van responded to Theodore’s gentle question with a regal cry. I couldn't understand spirit language, but he looked quite proud of himself. "Haha! He said, 'Of course I do!'"
"Only a handful of people in this kingdom have ever met my contract spirit."
"I suppose so. Even royal siblings often don't know each other's spirits. In your case, only the King, the Queen, the Knight Commander, the High Priest... and Cyril, I think?"
Theodore left the rest unsaid—that I didn't trust anyone else. I gave a wry smile. "The Louis of this world might be that way, but I am not. My youngest brother knows about Van as well."
"Oh? And here I thought you two were on terrible terms. Was that Lady Rachel’s influence?"
"Most likely."
In an environment where family bonds were far from warm, my relationship with my brothers had been cold. As the Crown Prince, I had been raised apart from them, tutored by Cyril’s mother and various instructors. My brothers, however, grew up receiving our mother’s full affection. I didn't feel unfortunate because of it, but I was always aware of the distance between us. I never tried to bridge that gap, and the rift only deepened over the years until I thought it irreparable.
"I’m surprised you managed to repair the relationship enough to reveal your contract spirit."
"Well, after that run-in with His Majesty, I realized I needed to build a stronger foundation than his. Winning my brother over was a necessary part of that."
Theodore sighed when I revealed my true motives. "I thought it might be something like that."
"Don't worry. That was my initial reason for approaching him, but he actually has a rather charming side. We even practice swordsmanship together now."
"That... is genuinely surprising. You really have changed."
I gave a noncommittal smile. "The reason the royalty of this kingdom keeps their contract spirits secret is that they can become seeds of conflict."
"I heard there was a major incident in the past. An older brother with weak magic lost the succession struggle and left the country, right?"
"Exactly. Since then, royal Spirit Summoning Ceremonies are conducted in secret, witnessed only by the High Priest and the Knight Commander."
Royal spirit contracts differ from standard ceremonies, and the results are never made public. Not every royal possesses strong light mana, nor do they all contract with light spirits. In fact, many royals fail to contract with spirits at all. The secrecy prevents mana capacity and spirit contracts from influencing the line of succession.
However, when we were young, Theodore had looked at me and asked point-blank, "Are you hiding a contract spirit in that pendant under your shirt?" I remember being shocked that he had bypassed the taboo so casually.
"Theodore, you’re the only one who would touch that taboo so directly."
"Haha! That’s only because it was you, Louis. Besides, I could hear Van’s voice coming from the magic stone."
"Screee!"
"My bad, my bad. That was a secret, wasn't it?"
There is another difference between royal spirits and normal ones: this pendant. The magic stone is a special artifact directly linked to the contract spirit. A royal can summon their spirit by channeling mana into the pendant. It acts as a door between the Spirit Land and the contractor.
"So, what now? You want me to act as Van’s interpreter, right?"
"Yes. I want you to ask Van if he knows this place."
I nodded and turned my gaze back to the painting. "The Room of Space-Time. What do you think, Van?"
Theodore posed the question to the hawk on his shoulder. Van shook his head a few times as if thinking, then let out a cry toward Theodore, sounding somewhat reluctant. "He says, 'I know it. But it is not a place where humans can go.'"
"I see. Is it located in the forest where the light spirits live?"
I looked Van straight in the eye. He stared back with a piercing gaze, as if trying to see through my true intentions.