Amy has continued to read about spirits and while there are some interesting facts and information about spirits.
A spirit is a remnant of a soul that reflects the being like they're alive again. But they cannot interact in the physical world at all, let alone cross it.
To do that, a physical being needs to make a contract so that the spirit will be tied to them and have the ability to materialize thus interact with the physical world. The downside is that the link is shared, and the spirit can die a second time but unfortunately, the death will be permanent, and they cannot be summoned again.
Amy tapped her pencil as she wrote it down. She already knew this, but she needs to write it down for the next club meeting.
On the other hand, if the owner dies then the spirit will have to return to the spiritual world.
To summon spirits, a summoning ritual is necessary however, the law only applies to animals as summoning a spirit with intelligence or power as equal or greater than a human will pose an even greater risk. The spirit might attempt to take over the body of the living contractor without actually breaking the contract nor harming the body.
"So, it seems that summoning a human spirit is forbidden." Rufus murmured as he read along with her.
It isn't the case. The Ripper is clearly a spirit, but it is not using a human body because a spirit cannot use their power when possessing one.
Distance between the spirit and the human contractor is also limited and the spirit cannot separate from the human for too long depending on the animal.
Again, it is not just an ordinary spirit. All the spirits are regulated by the state. Any unauthorized summoning is spotted by the state but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
But there are ways in which a spirit can remain in the physical world without a contract despite a summoning ritual being the norm.
The first one would only work if the person were alive. They can put a small remnant of their soul into an object of importance so if they die, they can still exist in the world but if destroyed then they will cease to exist. The method is unknown. On the other hand, they do not follow the limits held back by a contract, so they usually are free though it won't last for long because their existence is only maintained to a constant stream of magic, so the item has to be magically induced.
The second is through black magic or a curse although it hasn't been proven and is currently up to debate. It is spoken in legends and folktales but there are no spirits that currently have such an origin. However, magic that usually involves manipulating the soul is usually unsuccessful.
That could be it. she thought. Black magic or curse is more logical. She felt a bit uneasy reading the soul manipulation part because the person capable of doing that is sitting right next to her.
After writing it all, she gave it to Rufus who looked through them with a thoughtful expression. "Well, this is gonna be interesting."
"Don't worry about it and please don't approach me so casually."
Rufus didn't reply and left the room, leaving her unsatisfied and now relieved. He makes the very air she breathes feel stuffy.
She continues reading the book. Catching it is more important right now. She flipped through the pages, reading it word for word until she found one.
In the event that a spirit goes rogue without an anchor, its existence last depending on how powerful the spirit was like in life.
Catching a rogue spirit is impossible without the right method and tools. However, due to not having a physical body, they are unable to use magic and its time is limited. But the Dead man's net and its variants are currently the only method to capturing them.
Dead man's net is a spell that captures spirits. Mages that specialize in the study of the dead or the spirit world are called spiritualists but not everyone is impressed nor interested. But Dead man's net is still used to capture rogue spirits who break any rules of magic involving necromancy or even body switching. It is not a heavily studied topic and a text that even she is unfamiliar with. It is extremely advanced and even casting it once has lasting effects, giving the user temporary abilities. Even in the manga, it is implied that the spiritual world or the concept of the afterlife exists, but it has never actually been discussed. Knowing what to do next, she pulled her stationery and began writing a straightforward letter before using her magic to materialize a bird and tie the letter before sending it away.
Then, a knock on the door surprised her. "Come in!"
The door opened to Selim. He must've snuck in.
"I just want to check up on you." he said.
"How did you get in?"
"The front door is open." he answered.
She laughed a bit knowing he is just kidding before inviting him inside.
"I am a bit curious about the Rising Sun Ball. It looks nice. But is the Blue Rose Ball really that important?" He said and sat by the balcony chair across from hers.
Amy nodded, "Back then women debut when they are fifteen years old but as more noblewomen begin to prioritize their education, they debut into the marriage mart when they graduate. The Blue Rose Ball is the first ball of the social season and for us, it is like a coming of age and our first experience as debutantes. Of course, there are rules that we can't marry while we're students, but we can get still find a partner and get engaged." She then curiously looked at Selim, "How is your family holding up?"
"They're all right. Everyone from Damat is spooked about our country but luckily none of our families are actually affected by it."
"That's good to hear. To hear that news must be nerve wrecking. Now, how was the Founder's Festival? Did you have fun?"
Selim had a guilty look on his face as he said, "It was fun." he admitted. "Too bad that you weren't able to attend."
"Tell me about it then." She said, partly because she wants to cheer him up.