The conversation with Hysteria was successful.
In the end, he had no choice but to accept my proposal.
After all, even I wouldn't have refused. Opportunities to capture Gunter are rare.
Siegfried picked his nose and asked, "You're quite something. How did you not back down even once against someone like him? He seemed like he would behead you at any moment."
I walked slowly through the rose garden in the center of the courtyard as I answered, "He wouldn't have done that. My brother never kills anyone without a solid reason."
"Really? He just seemed like a murderer to me, especially when he licked the blood off his blade. Wow, I never thought such a guy would be one of my descendants!"
Hysteria is indeed a killer.
But he only exhibits his madness towards those clearly marked as 'enemies' by the family. He doesn't randomly go berserk and swing his sword without cause.
'Of course.'
He ruthlessly kills anyone who isn't family.
"Really? I heard that the Sword God was called a demon on the battlefield."
"That's different! I was called a demon because of my skill. That guy back there is genuinely deranged."
"Yes, yes, whatever you say."
From the victim's perspective, it all feels the same.
"By the way, when are you planning to get your second spirit guardian?"
"My second spirit guardian?"
"Yes, it seems like the castle is empty today. Why not sneak into the warehouse and break another jar? There should be some useful ones in there."
A second spirit guardian, huh? It wouldn't hurt to move before someone else snatches them up.
I waved my hand through the air to push Siegfried aside and continued walking through the garden.
"I won't be finding one in the castle."
"Why not?"
"Because there's no one suitable here."
"Then? Where are you going to find one?"
Since bringing Siegfried, I've been thinking about who would be the best fit for my next spirit guardian.
It didn't take long to find the answer. In my previous life, I couldn't even get a glimpse of the spirit guardian because its master disappeared when I was young.
A spirit guardian comparable to the Sword God Siegfried.
"Sword God, do you know who the strongest wizard in history is?"
"The strongest wizard?"
"Yes, the one who waged war against the Strange family for a hundred years."
"The Hundred Years' War."
"The half-human, half-demon known as the greatest monster in history."
"Half-human, half-demon. Half-human, half-demon?!"
Siegfried's eyes widened as he pointed at me.
"Surely."
"Brunhilde von Glazer."
"?!"
"The founder of the renowned magical family. How about bringing her as my second spirit guardian?"
* * *
The night I resolved to obtain my second spirit guardian.
I sneaked out of the castle.
It wasn't difficult to evade the eyes of the guardian knights. I know all the paths in and around the castle, including secret passages unknown to regular guards.
"By the way, do you even know who Brunhilde is?"
Of course, I do.
She's known as the greatest enemy of the Strange family.
"Yes, my nanny told me about her endlessly when I was young. She appeared in every storybook she read to me."
"Storybook?"
"Yes, the great ancestor of the Strange family finally defeated the demon Brunhilde! And peace returned to the continent!"
Siegfried shook his head.
"That's nonsense. Defeating Brunhilde didn't bring peace."
"Why not?"
"She was a demon with a terrible temper, but she wasn't a villain."
"You're speaking as if you met her."
"Of course! Not only did I meet her, but I also fought her."
"That's a lie, right? Brunhilde died before you were born."
Siegfried responded with an angry expression, his body growing larger.
Woosh!
"Lie? She was my spirit guardian, you fool!"
I was shocked.
So shocked I couldn't close my mouth. It was a story I had never heard before.
Not a secret, I guess, since he's saying it so easily now.
'Well.'
In my previous life, I never asked about his spirit guardian.
I wasn't even curious about who Siegfried's spirit guardian was. We rarely talked, and he considered teaching me a disgrace, always angry.
Of course, after I entered the academy, he recognized my talent and actively taught me, but before that, his usual words were, "You idiot!"
"So, did you learn swordsmanship from Brunhilde?"
"Do you think that makes sense? She's a wizard, not a swordsman. She didn't know how to use a sword."
"Then why did you choose her as your spirit guardian?"
"...I had my reasons."
Siegfried looked into the distance, lost in thought, then clenched his fists tightly.
Creak.
A clear sign that something bad had happened.
"Hey, forget it. Can't you just find another spirit guardian?"
"Why?"
"She doesn't match me. If we put us together, I might run away."
I shook my head firmly.
"Don't be ridiculous. A spirit guardian can't leave without the contractor's permission."
"..."
"And, whatever happened between you two, I've already decided to bring Brunhilde."
Siegfried let out a long sigh and nodded slightly.
Seeing that he didn't strongly oppose it, there must not have been any major issues between them.
"By the way, do you know where Brunhilde is? She's not a spirit guardian that stays in one place like me."
"No, I don't."
"What? You don't know?"
"Yes."
Of course, I can't know.
No one knows Brunhilde's whereabouts. Not the Strange family, nor the Glazer family.
"Are you saying you're trying to bring her without knowing where she is?"
"Yes, but I can find her."
"What do you mean?"
"There are Brunhilde's descendants in this forest. With their abilities, we can find her quickly."
"Brunhilde's descendants... Are you talking about the Glazers?"
I lightly shook my head.
"Do you think I would come here at this hour to meet a wizard? Besides, this is Strange family territory, not Glazer."
"Then…."
Siegfried seemed to have remembered something as he let out a sigh, "Ah!"
"You're really out of your mind, aren't you?"
His reaction was perfectly understandable.
The one I'm about to meet isn't human but the ruler of this forest.
"Yes, if I were in my right mind, I wouldn't have come this far."
* * *
The forest at night is very dangerous.
Not only are there wild beasts, but also monsters abound.
Yet, even at this hour, there were those who moved about.
A group of people in white cloaks prowled through the forest like hungry hunting dogs during the hours when everyone else was asleep.
Roughly counting, there seemed to be about a dozen of them, moving stealthily and silently.
"Have you found it?"
A young man with a crescent moon emblem on his forehead asked. An old man with a thick beard nodded slightly.
"Yes, Master Edward."
Edward von Glazer.
The heir to the Glazer family, known as the masters of magic in the eastern part of the continent.
He graduated from the academy at the age of fifteen, known as a genius, and was recognized as a rising star so powerful that only the head of the family, Hagen, was said to surpass him.
"The location?"
"About 500 meters northwest. It seems to be searching for prey, likely hungry."
"How many?"
"Just one, moving alone."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, we've been waiting a long time for this."
"…Finally, the opportunity has come."
"We should move quickly before it rejoins its group."
"Then let's not delay. This is Strange family territory."
"Yes, Master."
With a single gesture from Edward, the wizards began to move in perfect unison.
They changed their formation according to the terrain, moving like migratory birds seeking a resting place.
Before long, they arrived at a spot where the 'Giant Ogre,' known as the ruler of this forest, was present.
Unlike a regular ogre, a Giant Ogre is a mutant with three heads and is incredibly powerful, able to crush ordinary ogres with a single punch and take on a battalion of 3-star knights alone.
Yet, the wizards gathered here showed no fear.
On the contrary, as soon as they spotted their target, they spread out in a circle and prepared for battle.
As if they had been waiting for this very moment.
"Don't kill it, capture it alive."
Ta-da-da-da.
Without hesitation, Edward charged towards the Giant Ogre.
"First squad, restrain it. Second squad, cast confusion spells."
At the command, the group in white robes began chanting spells towards the Giant Ogre.
"Impact Chain!"
"Chaos Smoke!"
Clang!
Chains made of mana quickly bound the Giant Ogre's arms and legs, rendering it immobile. A grey mist followed, enveloping its face and blinding it.
- Roar!
The Giant Ogre struggled violently, but the chains thickened, and the mist grew denser.
The more it resisted, the stronger the magical restraints became. The spells binding the Ogre were from the 'curse' category, different from regular magic.
The wizards here had all unlocked at least 5 circles of mana.
"Frozen Arrow."
Blue smoke rose from Edward's hands, soon forming a massive longbow made of ice with a crackling sound.
He took a deep breath and aimed at the Giant Ogre's chest without hesitation.
Bang!
The ice arrow, swimming like a fish, pierced the Ogre's chest.
Crack!
"Roar!"
The hunt was over in an instant.
No matter how strong the Giant Ogre was, it was powerless against magic.
The Giant Ogre wasn't weak; the wizards were just too strong.
The wizards quickly checked the Giant Ogre's condition.
A middle-aged wizard confirmed its pulse and breathing, then spoke with a meaningful expression.
"Master Edward, we've succeeded."
Edward clenched his fist and smiled brightly.
"Good job. I made you stay in this forest for a month because of me."
"Not at all! We just did what we had to do."
The middle-aged man stepped back and bowed deeply with both hands together.
While they conversed, the lower-ranking wizards bound the Giant Ogre with mana chains.
They were overjoyed by the successful capture, having spent a month in the forest for this moment.
As the wizards finished their work and forced the Giant Ogre to stand.
Thud.
Edward raised his voice as he watched the scene.
"Let's all return and celebrate!"
The wizards who had joined the hunt clapped their hands in congratulations.
But Edward's joy was fleeting.
As the wizards cheered, a purple pillar of light descended from the sky.
Bang!
A blond boy appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Edward's back and pressing a blade to his neck.
Swish.
"That's enough. If anyone so much as twitches a finger, I'll cut his throat right here."