To Summon a Spirit

"..."

Sebastian groaned as he looked up at the towering fortress in front of him. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the sky looked darker than usual as well.

"Move it!"

Suddenly, he was shoved from behind. While it hadn't hurt him, it certainly did make him take a few steps forward.

Sebastian turned his eyes back, snorted, and moved forward. His hands were bound and his legs were chained together, there wasn't much else he could do.

The man who pushed Sebastian had a rugged face and a whip in his hand. Though, it was more of a decoration than anything else. The guard knew better than anyone who was sent here would have long since been used to pain and the strike of a whip wouldn't be able to do anything.

After all, this was the prison where irredeemable souls were taken to, Volcania's unnamed prison hidden deep within the country's borders. Commonly called by its inmates and the ones who know of its existence as The Grim Reaper's Death List.

To date, the number of prisoners who managed to escape the hellhole was zero. It didn't matter if they were the highest of nobles or the strongest of Inheritors, none of their lives were spared.

As for why Sebastian was currently in such a vile place, his thoughts drifted back to a couple of weeks ago.

…

"Summoning… If it's something as simple as that, I doubt you'd phrase it that way."

As far as the summoning that Sebastian knew, they summoned creatures from a different space and created a pseudo-contract with them to fulfill their needs. If it was just that, then Sebastian could easily find a user, though, learning it was a different matter. It wasn't simple to imagine where the creatures were held, the wrong image, or even a little bit of doubt would cause the ability to break apart.

Balanos snapped her fingers and a few small flickering green lights gathered around her.

"Spirits—that's what these little existences are called. They exist everywhere there is magic, and they make the world function from behind the curtains."

Sebastian frowned as he tried to look at the spirit, even going as far as to look with his ability, but all he could see was a green light. The memories that Balanos gave him made her words dawn on him.

"These are spirits of nature, they help greenery thrive and spread. They also help bear fruits and vegetables. Without them, while the forests wouldn't necessarily die, it would certainly be thinner from the number of beasts in them."

True, looking at it another way, beasts who held abilities that could burn down dozens of trees in an instant would definitely damage the forest greatly if left alone for long periods of time.

"Spirits are whimsical existences but they mostly stay in one area unless something happens to their home. You may even find a spirit near a farm, it would help crops grow faster and healthier, the taste would also be without equal."

"And, these spirits will be able to help me find Merlin?"

"If they aren't able to, then nobody is. Spirits are particularly sensitive to supernatural existences and while normally, we won't be able to talk to them or see their true forms, there are abilities that allow you to do so."

"...I see. I need a power that can help me summon spirits that can find someone like Merlin who can travel instantaneously."

Balanos slowly nodded as the spirits began leaving her side.

"Though, it won't be easy to get to the person with the powers we seek. That's why I want you to recreate it instead."

Sebastian knit his brows. It had been a while since Balanos had told him that it would be hard to find a person.

"Do you not know who holds the bloodline? Why do we have to go through the trouble of recreating something this complicated?"

"I do know… But, the location isn't somewhere even you can easily access."

"Is it deep within a Sage's territory? I'll manage somehow. At the very least, it'll be faster than the several months I'll take to make this."

"..."

Balanos sighed and manipulated the green light in her hands again. It showed the map of the continent and slowly closed in on a certain country—Volcania. Much like the name implied. It was a country with many volcanoes surrounding it.

It was such a volatile location that diplomats didn't want to stay longer than they should, even going as far as to forsake their vacations just to flee the country.

But, just that wouldn't hinder Sebastian. With his abilities, even raining ash and lava can easily be avoided.

Balanos pointed her finger at a certain location on the country and it slowly began moving there. Sebastian's frown became deeper and deeper as he realized where it was headed.

"Volcania's hidden prison for criminals sentenced to death—ones whose crimes are heinous enough to last them several lifetimes."

If Aurora had a place like that, then Sebastian would've been sent there no question.

"While I'm sure you can find a way inside, how will you be able to escape?"

Balanos was worried, it was only natural. For even a hamadryad like her to know of its reputation and fear it to that extent, it had to be on a different level compared to what he has faced before.

"Sebastian, the moment you enter there, nobody can help you, not even yourself."

Mile spoke out from the side. As she was formerly part of Typhonia's upper echelons, she was privy to information that many others were not.

"I heard about it, they seal abilities there and do constant surveillance, right?"

"Torture and death are also commonplace. As those who are sent there are destined to die, guards don't even bat an eye when a battle or a killing occurs. While it may not be permitted by the law itself, nobody knows what happens inside that prison, there isn't any chance of help."

"..."

Mile groaned.

"There's nothing I can do to stop you, is there?"

"You know me well, Master."

"Then, do you already have a plan?"

"So far, I haven't encountered anything that has managed to seal my abilities."

Being from a different source, enchanted items and abilities seldom worked on Sebastian's powers. If Volcania's prison used the same type of items as the rest of the country, then there wouldn't be a problem.

"...And if they have something?"

"I'll figure out something else by then."

…

Though he said that, Sebastian had no intention of entering the prison just yet. There were still the missions he had to do soon and if he were trapped somewhere, he wouldn't be able to do anything in such a short time frame.

Even if he had access to all his abilities, he was still an Adept. While his powers may very well be a cut above the rest, it doesn't change the fact that there were thousands of others who could suppress him.

It wasn't paranoid of him to think that someone in the prison could do such a thing to him, however, he was used to risking his life. If he was afraid of doing so, then he wouldn't be able to get anywhere. Just entering a town without his face covered was enough to send armies after him.

In the meantime, he needed to find out who was responsible for giving so many people powers and how they were doing so.

Sebastian walked around. While the best place to gather information would be where the drunk, whose lips were loose would be efficient, he couldn't account for their reliability. And, assuming that the enemy wouldn't enter a city so willingly and risk being exposed, it was useless to rely on rumors.

If Blue Rose couldn't get much information on them, then the other assassin guilds wouldn't have any good information either.

That left Sebastian with only one option.

"I hope he's still there…"

Sebastian walked into a shop on the main street. Although a shop on main street would be very populated because of the number of people going through, there wasn't a single one inside.

"Welcome."

The man behind the counter, he looked young but there were bags under his eyes. It wasn't just one or two either, it looked like he hadn't slept for a week.

And, although he welcomed Sebastian, there wasn't anything in the shop other than a table and two chairs. There didn't seem to be a kitchen in the back for food and neither were there products on display.

It looked like an abandoned shop.

Sebastian approached the counter and spoke to the man.

"I want a pork steak cooked from Volcania's volcanoes."

"We don't serve food here."

"Then give me some information."

"..."

The man sighed and held out his hand.

"What's the fee for today?"

"Three coins."

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"The information we hold today is just that valuable."

"Hmmm…"

After some slight hesitation, Sebastian took out three coins from a pouch. It wasn't Aur, it was a currency used in the underworld and you couldn't buy it with Aur. You could only earn the coins from the higher-ups of the various official underground organizations. And in Sebastian's case, Blue Rose.

The man with bags under his eyes took the coins and after giving them a look, he pointed at the open door at the side. It was dark, there wasn't a single source of light in the hall.

"Go through the hall, furthest room on the right."

Sebastian nodded. Although he had been here many times, he wore different disguises each time. If Wisteria were to find out that he came here… he didn't even want to think about what she'd do.

After passing through the doors in complete silence, Sebastian knocked on the farthest door on the left.

"Come in!"

Once Sebastian entered the room, he spotted a man with a full beard. He was chugging down a bottle of what Sebastian presumed to be alcohol—and a pretty strong one at that.

The bearded man slammed the bottle onto the table, but it didn't break.

"To come here instead of the other door, you've been here several times before. What do you want?"

"Information on the Inheritors randomly conducting sieges on Aurora."