Leave a comment

The Spirit King’s voice sounded somewhat forlorn as he said that, and then Martel added, 「In a way, that ring is also a remnant of his emotions…」

The Originator Spirit of Dimensions was called Reedsline. Martel and the Spirit King mentioned how Reedsline fell in love with a human woman after some events. But that woman was one of the principal maidens serving the Three Gods, love was forbidden for her. So he just went to meet her from time to time as a friend, talking about mundane topics. That was enough for him to be happy.

But those days of trivial happiness would not last forever. One day when he went to see her, a female knight that always guarded the maiden stopped him. She said the maiden no longer wished to see Reedsline again.

When he asked why that was, the knights answered: 「Because she’s fallen in love with you.」

Hearing that made him happy, but romance was forbidden for maidens like her, everyone was fully aware of that. That was something the humans had decided amongst themselves, but Reedsline was a spirit. Still, there were rules in the Spirit Realm as well, including one that told them to not go against human traditions unnecessarily.

Ultimately, the instant their feelings became mutual their love also ended.

Reedsline decided to distance himself from there, spending years trying to leave those emotions past him. It was only after that point someone claiming to be the God of Monsters appeared.

This was a war from before Forsythia’s time. Human countries were thrown into disarray, and that even started affecting the spirits.

Monsters back then were essentially the same as the current ones, but for some reason those following the God of Monsters looked completely different and were far stronger, according to the Spirit King’s account. Martel also mentioned that many new species appeared out of nowhere back then, almost like they had been brought there from somewhere else.

The situation got so dire that humans and spirits had to join hands and fight off the God of Monsters. All spirits spread throughout the word, protecting as many cities as they could. That left the Spirit Realm without many defenses, so the Originator Spirits stayed there to protect it. That included Martel and Reedsline.

Martel remembered Reedsline being really unsettled, constantly worrying about the city where his beloved lived. He had distanced himself as far as he could, trying to get over those feelings, but they came flooding back the moment he was reminded of her. Anyone could tell just how strong those feelings were, and how much he was suffering from his passion.

But bad luck would always strike at times like that, and an unprecedented cataclysm shattered the world. It was a special attack from the God of Monsters, and no matter how hard the spirits worked it was not enough to stop it.

When the war was finally over, news of everything that happened reached the Spirit Realm and Reedsline there, including the fact that the city where the maiden lived had been destroyed.

Reedsline rushed there to aid with the rescue efforts, going inside the ruins of the temple first, only to find the remains of his beloved and her guardian in the rubble.

Maybe if he had just ignored their traditions and confessed his feelings, or if he took her by force maybe they would have gotten together, become a couple.

Or if at least he could have stayed next to her.

Maybe then her passing would have been less painful.

In an attempt to tear those emotions off, his heart had been torn irreparably.

Not long after he fell into a deep slumber, a ring being all he left behind. The ring had been crafted from a special stone that only existed in the Spirit Realm, as a symbol of that lost future with her if he had confessed. A conglomerate of his dreams, regrets, and attachments.

The ring absorbed Reedsline’s never ending sorrow, and as if trying to fulfill that lost dream, it gained the power to protect its wearer from any danger, no matter how disastrous.

「He’s still sleeping to this day. The ring is still connected to him, so some days its presence becomes so faint I almost forget it’s there. But you found it right away, Mira. I guess life works in mysterious ways.」

Martel finished her story and gently touched Mira’s finger, where the ring was equipped. She smiled, though it was clear she was filled with deep emotion.

「Why don’t you take the ring then? It would be no exaggeration to say it contains Reedsline’s full power, and you seem to be highly compatible with it. I’m sure you’d be able to use it to its fullest, so I’d suggest you pick it.」

The Spirit King looked straight into Mira’s eyes, telling her to take the Dimension Tearing Ring.

「Yes, I concur. So what do you think?」

Martel also agreed with the Spirit King, looking at Mira full of expectation.

「Alright alright, don’t put so much pressure on me now.」

For some reason the two joined forces suggesting the ring. Mira could not really see where that enthusiasm came from, but she found it hard to take the ring now that she had heard all the events that led to its creation. Feeling conflicted, she slowly took the ring off.

「Oh, it wasn’t to your liking then?」
「I know it requires a lot of mana, but it could easily save your life in a tricky situation if you use it correctly. I really think it’d be a good option.」

They continued trying to get her to take it, so Mira had to reveal the reason why she was hesitating.

「I know that much, but this ring has all of Reedsline’s emotions, right? I really don’t feel comfortable taking such an item when I don’t even know him, or have any sort of connection to him.」

Reedsline had made that ring as a gift for the maiden he loved. Taking that and using it without regard for those emotions did not sit right with Mira.

But the Spirit King and Martel thought otherwise.

「The emotion and wish he had was to protect something important. That wish will never be fulfilled if the ring remains here.」
「This ring’s affinity is decided by his wish, and seeing how well it worked for you, I’d say he desires to protect you now, Mira. Could you grant him that wish?」

Reedsline regretted not being able to protect someone dear to him, so he had created that ring to stop that from happening again. He wished others well, even after everything he had to endure.

The pain of separation had led to the ring’s creation, and served as a strong symbol of how much he never wanted to experience that again.

「If I can be frank, I’m also hoping that if you use the ring for long enough, Reedsline might wake up again. Are you sure you don’t want to take it?」
「Yes, that could very well happen. So what do you say, Mira? Think of it as helping a friend out?」

Rather than suggesting she take it, they were imploring her now. Mira’s response came soon after.

「Okay, I get it. If that’s what you think, then I’ll take the ring.」

Mira decided to think of it as doing the Spirit King and Martel a favor, not to mention that she understood Reedsline’s wish now, so she put the ring back on. In a way, that ring was even more powerful than all the other legendary items in Martel’s basement, not to mention that she had a high affinity for it, the only downside being the tremendous mana requirement. But Mira had trained her mana capacity over the years, and the speed at which she recovered mana also offered a nice cushion for the hit when the ring was activated. As long as she knew when and where to use it, it would become her best defense. Many of the requirements were exactly the things she excelled at.

But that was not all. Martel was filled with joy seeing that Mira agreed, so she quickly grew a few new species of plant and arranged it into a necklace for Mira.

「Here. Thank you very much for accepting.」

Martel said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Mira’s neck and fastening the necklace. It was made of thin vines, with an almost translucent green color, which had an almost calming aura to it. Martel explained that the necklace used heat to absorb mana from the surroundings. Mira’s body heat was enough to power it, and it would transfer the gathered mana directly back to her through her skin. In other words, it would greatly aid Mira’s mana recovery speed.

「This should make using the ring easier, so use it as much as you can.」
「Ohh, thank you! I promise I’ll take good care of it!」

Faster mana regeneration was a very desirable trait, not only to use the ring, but as a spellcaster. Mira was happy seeing that unexpected freebie, while Martel smiled full of hope.