The Queen Bee Among the Kingless Swarm
Just as dwarves ruled the world in the Age of Dwarves, and fairies ruled the world in the Age of Fairies, the same holds true for the Age of Humans.
The noun placed before each age referred to its rulers, so people today hastily assume that the Age of the Gods must have been the same. They believe the gods ruled the world as a worldly monarch governs their domain.
That belief is mistaken.
Among the gods, there were indeed those who descended to the land, performed miracles, and built great deeds—but compared to the whole, they were but a fraction, a fleeting moment. The gods resided in the heavens, merely observing the world, and only rarely ever reached down to intervene.
Even so, the people of that era never doubted the existence of their creators. Even if the gods did not readily reveal themselves, no one worried about the connection between heaven and earth.
'Even if we cannot see them, they watch over us from the heavens—what is there to fear?'
But the Age of the Gods came to an end.
The creators departed for another world, and their creations could not possibly follow. Though people wished to believe that the gods still watched over them unseen, they felt more distant than ever before.
People began to think that something must exist between the creators and their creations. That there must be a bridge connecting the two.
Humans believed that bridge to be Hestio.
They believed that the adopted child of a god who descended from heaven and remained by humanity's side reconnected mankind with the distant creator.
Other races also sought beings like Hestio. However, they walked different paths and were forgotten. And as time passed, a common role appeared among all races, including humans.
That role was the Spirit Contractor.
"Think about it for a moment."
After taking a short breath, Ulrich continued.
"Do you know when the Pantheon—no, the Ecumenical Church—was established?"
"It was founded along with the Jokuster Empire in this current age."
As Ella hesitated, Fritz answered in her place.
"Then what about before the Church was established?"
"I've heard that before that, there were countless sects. Then the Kormilius clan convened a council and united them into the Ecumenical Church."
"That's right. The Church we call the Pantheon is a union of many sects. But how did each sect begin? And going even further back—who do you think was the very first priest?"
At that point, even Fritz fell silent, unable to answer. Ulrich, as if not expecting a reply, continued without pause.
"I can't say exactly when it began. It was an unimaginably distant past. No single great figure led it, nor did it appear all at once."
He added that it emerged naturally and gradually.
"What is certain is that after the gods left, people began to appear everywhere who made it their profession to serve them."
"Were those people the first priests?"
"They wished to be—but they were a failed lot."
Failed?
Questions rose on both Ella's and Fritz's faces.
"Imagine a world where there is no such thing as a 'clergy.' Then suddenly, someone appears saying, 'I am one who believes in the gods,' or 'I can connect you to the creator.' What would happen?"
Ella imagined it. In a world where no such role existed, if someone suddenly claimed to be clergy—
'No one would believe them. They'd be deeply suspicious. Who are you to connect us to the heavens? They'd demand proof… and unless you could show a link to the heavens…'
As her thoughts reached that point, she understood what Ulrich meant.
"What if it were a Spirit Contractor instead?"
Ulrich gestured for her to continue.
"Spirit Contractors receive power from the King of Spirits. And the King of Spirits was created directly by the gods. If you think about it that way, doesn't that mean Spirit Contractors have some kind of connection to the heavens?"
"Exactly."
Moreover, the Kings of Spirits—the four great spirits—endured even into the Age of Fairies, and it was widely known that they had been shaped by the gods themselves.
If someone inherited authority and duty from a being directly created by the gods, would that not be enough to grant them legitimacy?
The example of the Kormilius clan made it clear.
Where did their authority come from? From having the first emperor as their progenitor—and from the belief that the emperor had received Hestio's divinity.
"When what we call the Age of the Gods ended, the world fell into chaos."
It was because the absence of the creators felt overwhelmingly vast. Though they had not ruled like earthly monarchs, their mere existence had maintained order.
"When a being that seemed to embody omniscience and omnipotence vanished, I saw the people of the world cry out for them and begin to form faith."
Ulrich glanced at Ella's expression and smiled faintly.
"To those crying out in faith, Spirit Contractors were the perfect alternative. At the time, the flow of mana was pure, so no sacraments were needed—and with the existence of the four great spirits, they possessed immense power and authority."
"But… why has it become like this now?"
"You ask why, but it's a natural outcome. Spirit Contractors are not clergy by nature—their purpose is to maintain the purity of mana's flow."
Above all, the problem was that their sensitivity to the flow of mana was even greater than that of priests or mages.
In the present day, there were few places where the flow was pure enough for Spirit Contractors to take root—and this trend had continued with each passing era. The four great spirits themselves disappeared at the end of the Age of Fairies.
What use is a bridge between creator and creation if it is not nearby?
"In regions without Spirit Contractors, others stepped forward to act as that bridge. The temples they built replaced the old shrines. And so time passed, bringing us to today."
Ella quietly mulled over Ulrich's words.
The role of Spirit Contractors, the flow of mana—these were difficult topics for a young girl.
It wasn't that she lacked interest, but it all felt distant from her own life. What struck her more was the claim that Anders was a Spirit Contractor.
That he had inherited the role not from her father, but from someone else—and that, having failed to fulfill his duty, he had returned to his hometown while hiding his identity.
The village was in turmoil, going through all kinds of upheaval to fill the absence of a Spirit Contractor—yet there was already one within the village. He had merely been hiding himself.
The fact that spirits followed Anders' commands unusually well, or that the girl's elder brother Valdemar had been outmatched by Anders—once one knew the truth, it was only natural.
Because he was a Spirit Contractor.
"If that man really is a Spirit Contractor…"
As she was about to ask what should be done, Ulrich spoke first.
"There's no need to overthink it. What I was asked to do is determine whether someone is suitable or not. All I have to do is find out if there's anyone here—including Anders—who is worthy of being a Spirit Contractor."
With that, Ulrich began walking around the village. What he observed was the relationship between people and spirits—how people treated spirits, and how spirits treated people.
He saw Valdemar clearing away a landslide caused by heavy rain by handling spirits. He saw a woman making a spirit run small errands. He saw a young boy playing together with a spirit.
Ella followed beside Ulrich, explaining one by one who each person was and what kind of relationship they had with spirits. Each time, Ulrich simply gave a quiet nod or two, showing little reaction.
"Do you think there's someone suitable?"
"It's too early to decide after just a quick look. I plan to stay a few days and observe."
Ulrich stayed in the village for several more days, examining things throughout. On the first day, he moved around with Ella as his guide, but from the second day onward, he traveled with a priest and an attendant, going here and there.
He observed Ella as she helped with work alongside Valdemar, and it seemed he also asked Anders various questions.
After the first day, Ella barely spoke with Ulrich's group. Since they were staying at the siblings' residence, they exchanged a few words during meals, but even those were trivial matters unrelated to Spirit Contractors.
Ella wanted to ask questions, but each time, Ulrich would shake his head as if he had read her thoughts, so she held herself back. All she could do was wait, keeping a secret she could not share even with her brother or the villagers.
And so, time passed, and it became the fifth day.
Around the time the summer sun began to set, Ella was at the old shrine halfway up the mountain. She had finally found time to tidy it up after several days of not visiting.
She let out a sigh, complaining that the number of spirits staying at the old shrine had decreased compared to four days ago—when she heard footsteps.
They were loud enough—heavy steps on the stairs—that even Ella, who was sweeping inside the shrine, could hear them clearly. At this late hour, in a place like this?
Wondering what was going on, she stepped outside—and came face to face with someone she didn't want to see.
'Anders?'
With a stiff expression, Anders stood in the shrine courtyard. Ella looked at him in confusion, and upon seeing her, he widened his eyes slightly as if surprised.
"You were called here too?"
"Called? What do you mean?"
Not understanding, she asked, and he quietly looked her over, noting the broom in her hand. Then, perhaps realizing she truly didn't know, he clicked his tongue.
"If you don't know, then fine. It's not your business anyway. If you're done, go back down."
His voice was laced with irritation.
"I was about to do that anyway."
Ella replied in an exasperated tone. She wondered what could possibly be bothering someone who was always so composed, but having no other choice, she set down the broom and left the shrine.
However, as she was descending the stairs, she encountered another group of visitors—Roberta, Fritz, and Ulrich. The three of them were climbing up.
"So you were here."
Ulrich asked the moment he saw her.
"Were you looking for me?"
The words like Anders did caught in her throat.
"This works out well. Let's go up together."
She didn't ask why. She instinctively knew that they were the ones who had called Anders. And the reason for the irritation in his voice was obvious.
His secret had been discovered. Having been tipped off about the Spirit Contractor, he must have lost his usual composure and come to the shrine.
When Ella returned to the shrine, Anders frowned—but as the other three followed behind her, he quickly changed his expression. A faint smile formed, giving him a friendly appearance.
"That was quite a strange letter you sent, Priest."
"In what way was it strange?"
Though Anders directed the question at the priest, it was Ulrich who answered.
"Anders, we know that you are a Spirit Contractor."
There was none of the polite tone he had shown on the first day. His expression was calm.
"Who here doesn't know that?"
"Everyone except this Ella here seems not to know. That you are not merely a friend of spirits, but that you stand here as a Spirit Contractor who has inherited duty and authority."
As if he had just heard a joke, Anders did not wipe the smile from his face. But Ella noticed the slight tremble at the corner of his lips.
"Don't try to deny it. It's easy enough to determine whether you are a Spirit Contractor or not. If I recall correctly, there are only a few Spirit Contractor domains left now. And among them, there isn't a single one that has failed to be maintained within the last twenty years."
At that, Anders locked eyes with Ulrich for a long moment. Then, at last, he let out a long breath.
"How… no—what is it that you want from me?"
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