The Secrets of Spirit and the First Resonance

“So, what then? What exactly is that most precious treasure?”

Unable to contain her burgeoning curiosity, South Creek pressed Elise for the continuation of the story the moment it abruptly ceased.

“Hmm… that’s the end of this story.”

Elise’s eyes shimmered with a subtle light. She gazed directly at South Creek, yet her stare seemed to pierce through her, as if observing something distant and ethereal. With a gentle smile, she stroked South Creek’s head and replied:

“No one truly knows what that legendary treasure is; perhaps only the Hero of Dawn herself understands it…”

“However, I did promise to tell you a secret, and now is the time for that answer to be revealed—”

“A secret, the legendary treasure… sniff… I’ll listen.”

Still somewhat dejected, South Creek lowered her head, preoccupied with that fabled, most precious treasure. Yet, in the very next second, her thoughts completely shifted.

“Ta-da! This is the spell instruction book I have treasured, available only to those within the Church!”

“A… a magic book!”

South Creek gasped, her head snapping up as her gaze was immediately captivated by the ancient, weighty tome.

“Could it be, Sister Elise, that you’re going to—”

“Although I didn’t agree to it before, I’ve since reconsidered. You will eventually come into contact with these things anyway, so it’s better for me to teach you the proper knowledge directly.”

Elise explained with a smile, gently swatting away South Creek’s restless little hands while holding the book and elucidating its contents.

“However, before you can learn these spells, you must first grasp the most fundamental knowledge.”

“Fundamental knowledge…”

For some reason, South Creek’s mind drifted to the dreadful subjects of math and English she had endured in school. If this spellcraft proved similarly tedious, she feared her burgeoning enthusiasm would be swiftly halved.

“Watch carefully.”

Unaware of South Creek’s private musings, Elise slightly raised her hand, and in the next moment, a faint shimmer of light blossomed within her palm.

“All the spells we use have a source, and we call this driving force of spellcraft ‘Spirit’.”

“According to the research of past scholars, Spirit can exist independently or coexist with other substances. This existence neither repels nor is particularly drawn to anything, but when Spirit combines with matter, different powers are generated.”

Effortlessly shifting her intent, the faint glow circling in Elise’s hand transformed into a small, flickering flame.

“All living beings must contain Spirit to have life; otherwise, all matter would remain inert. Yet, not all matter containing Spirit attains life, and the profound mysteries of this are still being explored by scholars.”

“And spellcraft, under the manipulation of our will, is the manifestation of the energy contained within Spirit.”

“We can either directly resonate with Spirit through our will, or combine Spirit with other substances to achieve truly astonishing effects.”

South Creek’s mouth hung open as she watched, dumbfounded, as the flame in Elise’s hand suddenly transformed into a sphere of water, constantly altering its shape, before finally dissolving into a gentle breeze that softly caressed her cheek.

“Through spellcraft, we can achieve many things once thought unimaginable. Indeed, most of humanity’s astounding accomplishments bear the imprint of magic… even the legendary Hero of Dawn skillfully wielded the power of spells to defeat the Demon King.”

“So… so cool…”

It was simply too wondrous. As she listened to Elise’s explanation, South Creek couldn’t help but break into a silly grin, envisioning her future self using spells to save the world.

“Ah… learning spellcraft is meant to help others. It’s difficult to become truly powerful when driven by selfish thoughts, you know.”

“N-no, I wasn’t! I was just thinking… about how to use magic to better help others in the future!”

Elise smiled helplessly at the thought. ‘She might be a dreamer, but she’s a kind child.’ She said nothing more, simply pinching South Creek’s little cheek before continuing:

“To use spellcraft, the first step is resonance.”

“To sense the presence of Spirit with your will, allowing your mind to resonate with it, and then guiding it… This is not a simple process, and it’s precisely why most people find it difficult to practice spellcraft.”

[It’s here!]

Sure enough, just as South Creek expected, this kind of talent-gated premise clearly spelled out the answer for her. The whole ‘no talent, underdog rising to power’ trope was all too familiar to South Creek. If this were a novel, she would most likely be some kind of ‘unsuitable’ person, seemingly incapable of using spellcraft, only to encounter various fortuitous events later and ultimately achieve a dramatic comeback.

And then, Sister Elise’s next sentence would definitely be!

“No amount of words can compare to experiencing it yourself. If you’re willing, close your eyes now, and I will guide you on how to resonate with Spirit.”

South Creek nervously closed her eyes. Although she had seen this trope countless times, when it was actually happening to her, she still felt a tiny bit of fear. After all, the protagonists in those novels endured all sorts of hardships in the early stages, and she, being afraid of pain and exhaustion, simply couldn’t stomach such suffering. Thinking about it that way, this kind of script was nothing short of a nightmare.

Elise gently held South Creek’s hands, and under her guidance, the surrounding Spirits gathered around South Creek, rising and falling like a tide beside her.

With her eyes closed, South Creek felt waves of warmth emanating from Elise’s hands. Though she could see nothing, she could sense something enveloping her, ebbing and flowing with each breath, a sensation that grew increasingly distinct.

“Try to guide them, with your own will.”

As the soft voice reached her, South Creek concentrated with all her might, but beyond that warm sensation, she felt nothing else.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes… Time ticked by, yet the Spirits converging around South Creek remained unchanged.

Elise watched South Creek, silent and focused with her eyes closed, seemingly lost in some distant memory. However, at a certain moment, the flow of Spirit shifted.

“Ah…”

South Creek’s eyes snapped open, and simultaneously, the Spirits that had been gathered around her rapidly dispersed.

“I… I felt… something?”

She murmured, bewildered, feeling as if she were drunk, the whole world having dissolved into endless chaos.

“So that’s how it is…”

Elise muttered softly to herself, patting South Creek’s head to help her regain her composure. Moments later, South Creek’s eyes gradually cleared, and she scratched her head, looking somewhat lost.

“Huh? What just happened? Did I… succeed, or fail? My head feels so dizzy.”

“It’s normal to feel this way your first time sensing Spirit. A short nap will fix it. Well, since it’s getting late, it’s a good time to go to bed.”

“Wait, wait, go to bed? But I haven’t learned spellcraft yet.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you slowly in the future.”

Coaxed into bed by Elise, an utterly exhausted South Creek quickly drifted into slumber.

Beside her, Elise sat by the bed, watching her sleep, silent and seemingly lost in thoughts of distant things.