The Final Task of the Forsaken Saint: A Command to Marry the Barbarian Count - Chapter 20

Teaching the soldiers was a challenge.

While they were all extremely physically capable, with quick reflexes and a good sense of balance, I’d never encountered people with so much enthusiasm and boldness before. But the moment they floated and were tossed to the ground only to laugh and get back up again, I couldn’t help but join in the laughter.
It had been a long time since I had talked to anyone so much, and as I rubbed my throat, I walked back with Dirk to the main hall.

“Dirk,” I asked, trying to break the awkwardness, “Was asking me to demonstrate my magic really just about improving the soldiers’ impression of me?”

Despite the request to show my magic, Dirk had been very guiding in his approach. He gave a small, almost apologetic smile and nodded.

“That’s part of it. But the way the soldiers opened up so much—was because of your actions. I never imagined they’d say something like, ‘If we could use magic here in Rostock…'”
Dirk’s expression darkened as he said this.

Even though I could use magic, long-distance movement still required wind magic, which, at my current level, was barely more than a breeze. And as I was doing the demonstration, one of the soldiers had muttered quietly:

“If we could ask the spirits for help… maybe we could protect this place better.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond, but Dirk immediately corrected me.

“No, no. You’ve shown them that you can call the spirits here. What you did today was a huge step forward. Thank you.”

I didn’t have any particular intention behind it—I just did what I could. If it wasn’t for Dirk, I’m sure I would have ended up scaring the soldiers instead, and wouldn’t have had the chance to roll around laughing in the dirt with them.

The thank-yous felt strange, so instead of responding, I thought back to how I had felt watching him during the training.

“By the way, Dirk,” I asked, trying to shift the topic, “Do you know much about magic?”

Dirk paused, his eyes narrowed in thought.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, you seemed to know quite a bit about it. When I slept in that day, you immediately figured it was due to magic depletion. And when I called the spirits, you seemed to recognize it wasn’t something forced,” I explained.

Soldiers, like those earlier, would typically be in awe of seeing spirits, but Dirk had acted almost as if he was expecting it.

“Ah,” Dirk began, “I’ve spent some time in the capital and attended the royal academy before I became the head of the family. I do have some general knowledge of magic.”

The royal academy—of course. A place where noble children could learn various subjects like magic and economics, though mostly a networking tool for the elite. I had been invited a few times to demonstrate my magic there, though I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it.

It made sense now that Dirk knew about magic, having studied in the capital. But I had a feeling there was more to it.

Before I could think more on it, Dirk asked, “You didn’t use any incantations except when summoning the spirits. But even without them, you were able to create a golem that’s beyond what’s possible here. There must be another reason for that.”

I hesitated. Incantations were standard for casting magic. They weren’t just ceremonial—they were an essential part of invoking the magic. But I had never really used them in the traditional way.

Dirk’s question reminded me of the times I had explained to court mages why I could cast spells without the usual incantations, only to be met with disbelief and ridicule.

“Well… when you call on the spirits, you ask, praise, and give thanks. They assist us when we do so,” I replied.

“That’s true,” Dirk agreed.

“See,” I continued, “But if you’re just going through the motions of the invocation, the spirits don’t get excited, and they won’t be enthusiastic about helping. It’s like—just asking for something without truly meaning it. It tires them out instead of lifting their spirits.”

Dirk’s eyes widened as he took in my words. The usual purple in his eyes deepened as he looked at me with surprise.

“Ah, now I see! I understand now!” he murmured.

His excitement was palpable, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed as his gaze lingered on me.

“Traditional incantations are long and often unnecessary in modern magic. However, in the past, they were said to have immense power because they resonated with the spirits. In your case, perhaps the long form of the incantations spoke to the spirits’ nature, drawing them in,” he explained with genuine enthusiasm.

“Uh, yeah… I guess spirits do have their own wills,” I said, scratching my head.

Dirk nodded, his expression growing more serious.

“Exactly. If the spirits didn’t have preferences, Rostock wouldn’t be known as a land abandoned by the spirits, and Calbruncs wouldn’t be overflowing with them.”

I began to understand why Dirk had been so open to my words. He had witnessed the irrational nature of spirits firsthand and understood their true nature.

“If this land was truly forsaken by the spirits, then even a saint like you wouldn’t have been able to summon them,” he said softly, as if mulling over the implications.

There was a certain weight in his words that made my chest tighten. As I opened my mouth to say something, a figure appeared running toward us from the castle. It was one of the officers, likely with important news.

Seeing Dirk, he immediately began speaking in a rush.

Dirk, looking a bit apologetic, turned to me. “I’m sorry, but I must return to my duties now. We’ll talk more over dinner.”

“Ah, yes,” I replied, watching as Dirk and the officer walked off, gathering a small crowd of people behind them.

As they disappeared, I stood there, watching their backs. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange, unsettling warmth in my chest.

What was this feeling? Was I starting to fall for him?

Feeling a bit lost, I took a deep breath, then leapt into the air with my staff.

Time to clear my head with a flight around the castle.