-----
Spirits! I can't get spirits!
Well, I can, but only of Dark and Death Element.
The thing is, Spirits of such elements are extremely rare. And no, you won't find them just laying over a corpse you just killed, or at night all of a sudden.
Spirits are very special. Emeraldine said that Life and Nature Spirits are the most common as such elements cover the entire world. So, where there is a forest, there will be spirits wandering around.
After that, in areas with tons of earthy resources and ores, such as mountains, earth spirits can be found. Also, there are the volcanic lands where fire spirits might emerge or in forests that were suddenly engulfed in fire.
In the skies where strong winds come forth, or tornadoes and storms fall asunder, wind and thunder spirits might emerge here and there.
Meanwhile, light spirits can be found where the light bathes life, dancing around the sunlight.
Lastly, water spirits can be found in any old enough river, lake, or even ocean.
Meanwhile, it is rumored that space and time spirits also exist, and even other elements, such as mind spirits, but such phenomena are not so natural, and it is hard to find them anywhere.
And then…Dark and death spirits… which are pretty hard to find.
"I would guess that in a very ancient graveyard at night, there could be chances for Death and Dark Element Spirits to emerge… But even then, it might not be as likely," Said Emeraldine.
"So I can just sit here and bathe in the moonlight and wait for one to come?" I asked.
"W-Well, you have a lot of Skills regarding them and even a Spirit Queen Title Skill… So perhaps they might actively come to you, o-only if they're compatible, though. My own spirits fear your presence too much because you encompass the complete opposite of their elements, Maria-sama," Said Emeraldine.
"I see…" I sighed.
"Perhaps your titles make it so you're more liked by those compatible and more disliked by those incompatible… quite troublesome," Muttered Lucifer.
"Ugh… yeah…" I sighed once more.
"Cheer up, nee-sama! You're still pretty strong, and aren't you a spirit yourself? You can be your own spirit," Said Takeshi.
"Aw, Takeshi, you're such a sweetheart…." I pet Takeshi's little horn.
"Anyways, what are spirits for?" Asked Laura.
"They're very important. They can help you conjure magic you can't use normally, act as an expansion of your own senses, bring you mana from the environment that they can absorb naturally, tell you things you can't see, such as the health of plants, and even conjure spells for you!" Exclaimed Emeraldine.
"Ooh… They're pretty useful then," Said Laura.
"Indeed they are! They evolve into stronger versions of themselves at higher levels and can materialize to aid you in battle as Spirit Familiars. This is how you use your Spirit Summon Skill. Mine cannot fight properly yet in their true forms, but their assistance is enough… They have been with me since I was a child… Even in my harshest and most traumatic moments, they were there to help me recover. Without them… I don't know how much many pieces mind would've been shattered into…." Sighed Emeraldine.
She perhaps recalled the things she went through as a slave… I guess spirits can also be friends.
"I see! So they're pretty special. Those two little things on your shoulders…." I said as I poked one with my finger, and it cried a bit in panic.
"Hehe, indeed! They helped me hunt monsters and forage in the forest until I gained enough EXP to evolve and grow stronger so I could be of more use to Maria-sama…." She said.
"Hmm, your words only make me want to have my own spirit even more now! Ugh, well, maybe we can give it a shot at the graveyard in this town, but tonight night we are striking, so we better not do this for now and prepare for what's to come," I said.
"Wise words coming from you. You're absolutely right, the night is already almost here, and most folks are walking back home. Only some might remain within the pubs and bars… so this is an excellent opportunity to wait a bit more and then strike!" Said Lucifer.
"By the way, where's the laboratory?" Asked Emeraldine.
"Oh, the kids told me. It is near the house of one of the pigs I have come to kill. Come to think about it, it seems that all three of them are colluding with Vampires incidentally! How funny it is as it seems like this entire conspiracy of my family's death was made by the Vampires because every human involved in it is also colluding with those bloodsuckers," I said.
"Y-Yeah, I guess it is all connected in the end… To think that it would come down to such a thing. I suppose it is even more justified to just kill them," Sighed Emeraldine.
"Kill! Let's kill them to avenge your family, master! We'll make them suffer! Suffer!" Chanted Partner, her crimson-red eyes shining brightly as she began to drool over what their flavor of blood might be.
"I am always up for killing some disgraceful humans," Said Lucifer, his nails growing sharper.
"I am also up to it! Though our level is too low to do anything significant," Muttered Laura.
"Maybe we can cheer from the sidelines?" Takeshi suggested.
"Your help is enough; you've told us everything, which has also helped us figure out a lot of things… you guys will grow stronger in due time, but for now, you'll stay inside of my Shadow Storage for security, alright?" I said.
"Inside your shadows?! T-That's a bit spooky…." Said Laura.
"Well, it is also the safest place… Right, nee-sama?" Asked Takeshi.
"Takeshi, you're a very smart and precious little boy! Of course, nee-sama's shadow is the most secure! Even if it's dark, cold, and a bit scary, there are a lot of Undead friends inside, and they will all personally greet you and keep you company!" I said.
"Yaaay!" Takeshi exclaimed with delight.
"Uhhh…" Laura groaned.
-----