As I entered my Soul Scape, I could tell instantly that something had changed. The power of the Nature Spirit that had suddenly emerged from Yggdra and formed a contract with me had transformed the dark void into a vivid, peaceful grassland.
The tall grass was cool and fresh, and the soil beneath felt soft and moist. The sky above glowed bright blue, with a sun that warmed the entire space in golden light.
It felt almost exactly like being outside—but this was all inside my soul? That's insane.
The System pointed me toward the Spirit, who was currently fluttering around with a group of butterflies. I don't know where the butterflies came from—probably just a manifestation of the Spirit's energy—but it made the entire dreamscape feel alive.
And yeah, having bugs in my soul feels kinda weird to think about…
Anyway, I approached the Nature Spirit quietly. To my surprise, he instantly noticed me and turned to face me, his golden eyes blinking curiously.
"…"
"…"
Okay, awkward silence.
Was he scared of me?
"Maaa!"
Without warning, the little spirit flew straight into me and bumped against my side—hard.
BUMP!
I fell over into the grass, and the little guy immediately began rubbing his soft body against my cheek.
Heh. Guess he did like me.
"Maaa~"
"Oh, you're such a little cutie… I thought you were afraid of me." I chuckled softly.
He looked a bit confused after that, as if unsure of what I meant.
"Never mind. Anyway… how did you come into existence?"
"Maahh?"
Yeah… figures. He doesn't know either. He's still like a baby, after all.
"Guess I'll have to ask my parents… Want to come outside with me?"
"Muh!"
He bumped into my extended hand as I prepared to exit the Soul Scape. When I opened my eyes, the little spirit had manifested into the physical world—floating in front of me like a glowing, seed-sized companion.
"Oh, it's here!" mother said, her voice full of awe.
"Wow. What a small spirit," father added.
"He's small but cute," I grinned.
"Fooo…"
The little Nature Spirit floated onto my palm and rested on it like he owned the place.
"I wonder how he was born… and is his small size a problem?" I asked.
"Well, no, not at all," mother answered. "It seems like a young spirit. That's natural. Your father's fire spirit was just big from the beginning because he got it in his twenties…"
"Right. For someone your age, a baby spirit is totally fine. He'll grow with you," father said.
"Oh! What's your spirit, dad? Can I see it?" I asked eagerly.
"Hmmm… not inside the house. It's a bit… much."
My parents each had three familiars—one of them being their main elemental Spirit. And I was dying to see what they were like.
"Spirits are beings born from elemental mana and the world itself," father explained as we stepped outside. "They often take shapes similar to beasts, but their nature is pure elemental energy."
FLAAAAASH!
A wave of flames exploded from a magic circle as father summoned his Spirit outside the house.
Now I saw why he warned me earlier.
"My spirit is a bit… volatile," he said with a sigh.
A towering six-meter-tall fox made of pure fire emerged before us. Its blazing tails—six of them—whipped around behind it, creating bursts of heat with each sway.
"You woke me up for this?" the fox groaned, its voice strange—neither clearly male nor female, youthful yet sharp.
"You said you wanted to nap since the war ended," father replied, laughing awkwardly. "But I just wanted to introduce you to my son."
"Son? Wait, you actually married the elf girl?! How long was I asleep?! What happened to the green-haired one? I liked her better."
"The green-haired girl loved someone else," father replied calmly. "And I wasn't in love with her anyway. She was just kind."
"…A-Ahem. My bad," the fox said quickly—because mom had started smiling. You know, that kind of smile that isn't really a smile. Her eyes glowed faintly red, and there was a lot of murderous intent coming from her direction.
"Ohoho! Don't worry, it's nothing," mother said sweetly.
Yikes.
"You're huge…" I muttered, awestruck.
"Ah, to think I'd be seeing my master's child so soon. Maybe I slept too long…" the fox sighed and glanced at me. "Hello, young one. What's your name?"
"He's Leon," mother replied, stepping in before I could answer.
"Ah… hello, Faylen. It's… nice to see you again. Please stop staring at me like that."
"Like what?"
"…Never mind."
This relationship is so awkward. What did my mom and this fox go through, anyway?
"This is exactly why I don't summon Nikko often…" father muttered.
The fox sniffed the little green spirit on my hand, then sniffed Yggdra, who stood nearby.
"I see… you raised that Eden Apple tree from seed, right?" it asked.
"Yeah. I used magic on it daily," I nodded.
"Then this isn't just a contract. You created a Spiritual Child through Soul Bonding. That's how the spirit was born."
Wait… child?!
I'm a parent?! At one year old?!
"I see… so that's how it is," father said, nodding knowingly.
"We elves often do this," mother added. "We raise trees from birth and form bonds with them that go beyond magic. This is quite natural."
So… this is normal?
No, wait a second—this is actually normal?!
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