Long ears and a slender build.
And the unmistakably palpable aura of an elf.
It was Zeke, who had clearly transformed into an elf.
Yellin looked at Zeke with an expression of utter disbelief.
"H-How?"
Zeke, polymorphed into an elf, replied with a calm expression.
"It's the power of the Fairy King."
Whenever it was hard to explain, the excuse of the Fairy King's power never failed to appear, just as always.
No matter how much she thought about it, Yellin tilted her head with a stiff expression, unable to understand how a human could become an elf, even with the Fairy King's power.
But no matter how much she pondered, Zeke was already transformed into an elf, so further worry wouldn't change anything.
Zeke turned the conversation toward Yellin, who was still puzzled.
"Now that I'm an elf, I should be able to learn elementalism, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I suppose so."
This was a first for her, so Yellin figured she'd have to try it out to know for sure.
Seeing Yellin's uncertain face, Zeke thought about the system. The reason he had asked Yellin to teach him elementalism was none other than to properly utilize the newly acquired Dragon Race Skill, "elementalism."
At first, he had tried executing elementalism just as he usually did with his Dragon Race Skills. But then, a message window appeared.
[Contract with an elemental has not been established.]
[To execute elementalism, you must first complete the contract procedure with an elemental.]
According to the message, it seemed he needed to form a contract with an elemental before he could use the skill.
So, he had searched the Akashic Code for information on elementalism and tried to make a contract on his own, but all attempts failed.
Separate from reaching the grandmaster realm, it seemed that communing with elementals required something else entirely.
That's why he had asked Yellin, a High Elf who handled elementals.
Yellin slowly opened her mouth as she looked at Zeke.
"Sir Zeke, how much do you know about elementals?"
"I only know what's commonly known. That the energies dwelling in natural objects take on form over long periods of time to become spirits, and that the Fairy King bestowed names upon them, creating the elementals as they are now." Yellin nodded at Zeke's answer.
"That's correct. Elementals are beings made of nature's power, existing by our side. Therefore, to form a contract with them, one must sense the power dwelling in nature and feel their presence."
Zeke tilted his head at Yellin's words.
"Is the power you're referring to different from mana?"
Yellin nodded.
"Mana is the origin of all things, so it's somewhat different. Sir Zeke, come over here." Zeke followed Yellin and stood before a large tree in the garden.
"Extend your hand."
As instructed, Zeke placed his hand on the tree.
Yellin took Zeke's hand on the tree and said,
"How is it? Can you feel the tree's breath?"
"...I can feel your breath, Lady Yellin."
At Zeke's words, Yellin jumped back in surprise.
"N-No, not mine—the tree's breath and its life force. Trees are beings that connect nature and life. They're one of the easiest ways for us to sense life force."
Zeke nodded at Yellin's words and focused on feeling the life force from the tree.
Perhaps because he was polymorphed into an elf, the sensations he felt were definitely different from when he was human.
But the range in which he could sense energies was much wider, making it confusing to pinpoint what Yellin meant by life force.
As he fumbled a bit, something suddenly caught Zeke's senses.
He could feel the tree breathing.
'Is this what life force is?'
Zeke tried to breathe in sync with the tree, sensing the life force within it.
The more he breathed, the more he felt himself merging with the tree.
It was as if he had become the tree itself.
Zeke grew wary of the sensation that his consciousness was drifting far away and slowly opened his eyes.
But when he did, Yellin was looking at him with bewildered eyes.
"Why is that, Lady Yellin?"
Yellin slowly raised her finger and pointed above the tree.
'Hm?'
Looking up at the tree, countless tiny beings were perched on the branches, staring at Zeke.
Yellin said in bewilderment,
"I-It's the first time I've seen so many tree elementals gathered like this."
"These are the tree elementals?"
Yellin nodded and said,
"Yes, that's right. It's hard to see tree elementals this vibrant outside of a forest brimming with natural energy... Sir Zeke, you truly are remarkable."
The tree elementals perched on the branches soon scurried down and began circling around Zeke.
The elementals, feeling affinity toward Zeke, danced around him joyfully, shaking their bodies.
'Come to think of it, I have titles like Grace of the Divine Beast, Companion of the Forest, and Guardian of the Earth.'
Having saved the Divine Beast, the Forest God, and the Earth God, and received their blessings, it was only natural that Zeke would be loved by the elementals.
Zeke, watching the tree elementals circling him, asked Yellin,
"Then, should I contract with these tree elementals?"
Yellin shook her head.
"Tree elementals are primal elementals that maintain their natural form. Since they haven't been given names by the Fairy King, contracts with them are impossible."
"So, that means I can only contract with elementals named by the Fairy King."
"That's correct. The Fairy King bestowed names only upon the four great elementals of water, fire, wind, and earth."
"The four great elementals, then. I'll summon them and make contracts."
"Summoning the four great elementals isn't easy, but... given that the tree elementals have appeared, your spirit affinity seems extraordinary, so it should be possible."
"That's fortunate. Can I summon and contract with all four great elementals?" At that, Yellin shook her head firmly.
"It's actually impossible to encompass elementals of differing attributes. Normally, one can only contract with elementals of a single attribute, and even those with exceptional talent contract with only two compatible attributes." With that, Yellin extended her hand toward the ground.
Crunch!
Soon after, a small earth golem emerged from the soil.
"This is a Gnome, one of the earth elementals I've contracted with. And..." She then extended her hand toward the sky.
A strong wind arose, and the form of a translucent young girl appeared.
The wind elemental circled around Yellin's body.
"This is a Sylph, the wind elemental. I was able to contract with elementals of earth and wind, two attributes."
Zeke looked at the Gnome and Sylph summoned by Yellin with curiosity.
"I've seen water elementals before, but earth and wind are new to me."
Zeke recalled the water elemental that Nerisa, the leader of the deep-sea tribe, had summoned using ancient elementalism.
After observing them briefly, Zeke turned to Yellin and asked,
"Which elemental should I summon first?"
"It depends on one's spirit affinity, but... conventionally, the easiest to sense is the fire elemental."
Zeke looked surprised.
"Elves and fire don't seem to go together, so that's unexpected."
"Fire is an important element for elves as well. It hardens the earth's soil and allows us to obtain necessities by burning wood. However, fire elementals are powerful but difficult to handle."
Zeke nodded at Yellin's explanation.
"I see. Then, please tell me the method, and I'll give it a try."
Following Yellin's instructions, he decided to light a fire in a corner of the garden and perform the summoning ritual for the fire elemental.
'Light a fire, huh.'
Without much thought, Zeke created a pure flame using elemental power.
As the white flame ignited in the air, Yellin asked in surprise,
"Sir Zeke, do you know magic as well?"
"No. This is also thanks to the power of the Fairy King..."
Yellin now looked at him with suspicion, as he kept using the Fairy King as an excuse.
Zeke averted Yellin's gaze and extended his hand toward the pure flame.
Just as he had with the tree elemental, he tried to breathe in sync with the flame and sense its presence.
Woooong!
At some point, the white flame floating in the air began to flicker intensely.
Zeke, with his eyes closed and focused on breathing with the flame, didn't notice the change.
But Yellin beside him was flustered by the unusual energy waves emanating from Zeke. 'This isn't normal?'
Usually, it would just make the flames rise a bit, but now an intense energy was coming from Zeke. It was completely different from what she knew.
Then it happened.
Roooar!
The white flame flickered wildly, and something surged up from within it.
Boom boom boom!
Yellin gaped as the flames blazed large enough to engulf the entire garden.
Soon, the flames gathered to form a single shape.
[Who is the one who called me?]
The elemental's will directly pierced into her mind.
'M-My goodness.'
Yellin couldn't help but be shocked.
Ordinary elementals couldn't convey their will so directly.
Yet the massive ape-like figure in flame-armored form before Zeke and Yellin was clearly transmitting its thoughts.
Yellin recognized its identity immediately.
'A high fire elemental. Ignis?'
Among all elementals, the most belligerent and powerful Ignis was a superior elemental that almost never manifested in the phenomenal world.
Zeke, who had now opened his eyes, tilted his head as he looked at the summoned Ignis.
"Lady Yellin, is this correct?"
At Zeke's words, Yellin stammered in confusion,
"I-It is correct, but..."
She hadn't expected a superior elemental to be summoned right away, so she was too flustered to continue.
While Yellin hesitated, Zeke looked at the summoned Ignis and said bluntly,
"Fire elemental. I want to contract with you."
Ignis, wreathed in flames, looked down at Zeke and said,
[It's been since Kaisir that someone has wanted to contract with me upon seeing me.] Hero King Kaisir.
It seemed he too had once contracted with Ignis.
Zeke said to Ignis,
"Then that's good. I am the one who inherited Hero King Kaisir's legacy. Contract with me, fire elemental."
[...Kaisir's disciple, are you? Teacher and student act alike.]
Ignis looked down at Zeke with a slightly amused expression, then turned to Yellin beside him and said,
[It's been a while since I've seen a High Elf. Did you help call me?]
At Ignis's words directed at her, Yellin replied in panic,
"N-Noble elemental, no, that's not it. Summoning you, Lord Ignis, was solely Sir Zeke's power."
Hearing Yellin's words, Ignis looked at Zeke with interest.
[For an elf, you're belligerent like a human, and I can sense the mysterious power of a dragon within you. You're a truly peculiar being.]
Only after slowly examining Zeke did Ignis show genuine interest.
He soon nodded.
[It's the first such unique being since Kaisir. I like you. I'll contract with you. State your name.]
At Ignis's words, Zeke immediately gave his name.
"Zeke Draker."
[Zeke Draker, through the long covenant with the Fairy King, I form a contract with you. We shall be soul-bound allies, lending each other strength.] Woooong!
The flames pouring from Ignis's body enveloped Zeke and seeped into his arm.
Sizzle—
A flame-pattern emblem etched onto Zeke's arm, then faded in color and vanished.
With that, Ignis's form gradually dispersed.
[Zeke Draker, I await your call.]
As soon as the words ended, Ignis became a massive flame and vanished.
Once Ignis disappeared, Yellin finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.
"My goodness... a superior elemental appearing like that. Even seeing it myself, it's hard to believe, Sir Zeke."
"It's all thanks to you, Lady Yellin."
Even after summoning and contracting with the superior elemental Ignis, Zeke showed no particular excitement.
Yellin, drained from the encounter with Ignis, plopped down on the garden floor.
Then Zeke said to her,
"Shall we move on to the next one?"
"Next? What do you mean?"
When Yellin heard Zeke's next words, she nearly fainted.
"I've summoned fire, so I should try the others too. How about wind next?" Yellin's gaping mouth refused to close.