Volume 4 Chapter 58 Spirit Magic
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Even if we summon her, her soul finds its home in an Androgynos body.”
”Of course…”
Henrietta-san’s summoning felt real enough, but there was a problem. Her body was already buried. The vessel she’d be summoned into would be an androgynous one. If that degenerate became Androgynos… that could be a problem.
My hesitation made my reply vague.
”We cut off all relations with the Central Continent nations nearly a century ago. Androgynos are rare enough that most people have never even seen one. Even if summoned, returning home would be difficult. Living in this body wouldn’t be easy either.”
Oh. That’s what she meant. Here I was worrying about what new awful things that pervert Henrietta would try.
”You loved her, didn’t you? I can tell.”
Ms. Rao seemed to take it positively. And she was right—I did love her.
”Exactly. With love, this body isn’t an obstacle. Don’t worry—you’ll still be able to connect properly.”
Connect? …Wait, hold on. That’s not the issue here.
”But well, it’s a shame. This body doesn’t produce sexual desire, so nighttime activities can’t be one-sided demands. You have to accommodate properly.”
No sexual desire? With that thing—as thick as a child’s arm—how?
”Well, it’s conditioned through repetition.”
I didn’t understand what Ms. Rao meant.
”Here’s the thing.”
She leaned in and whispered so Tatyana and the others wouldn’t hear. Until the body finishes its second growth period—not puberty, apparently—an erection that large drains so much blood from the head it causes anemia. So getting aroused triggers anemia and kills the excitement. Repeated through the teenage years, they naturally develop an aversion to sexual urges.
During military training, when we camped out, Bours-san had first told me about Androgynos. I remembered joking about how morning wood would make you anemic and unable to get up. Turns out I wasn’t far off.
I wanted to ask more specifics—when and how the summoning worked.
But I realized Henrietta-san’s summoning was a personal matter. We’d gotten carried away talking, but that wasn’t right.
”Let’s continue this later.”
I straightened my posture.
”That’s fine. I’ve heard you lost one of your wives in the Haritz Rebellion.”
Tatyana-san, formerly of the 101st Golems Battalion, must have heard about Henrietta-san. She said it kindly, but personal matters should still come second.
”Um, I have a request…”
”If it’s within my power.”
Ms. Rao smiled.
”Could you supply us with food and fuel?”
”Not here.”
Yeah, I figured.
”You saw from the porch, didn’t you? My colony has narrow farmland. And fuel—the only ones mining coal on this planet besides you are the Dwarves. The resources exist, but no one’s extracting them.”
That’s bleak.
”Well, it’s good fishing grounds here. Catch plenty of fish and make preserved food—that should help.”
She made it sound like it was someone else’s problem.
”Earlier, you said ‘not here.’ Does that mean it might be possible elsewhere?”
Fredys, the squad leader who’d been silent, spoke up.
”Possibly. But there’d be conditions. And nothing’s guaranteed.”
If there’s even a chance, we have to cling to it.
”What conditions?”
Ms. Rao looked up at the ceiling, then turned to me.
”I’ll need to borrow you for a while.”
”By all means.”
Fredys answered without missing a beat.
Wait, hold on—you’re answering that? Sure, if lending me out gets us food supplies, that’s great. But that’s my call to make.
”Um, what does borrowing me mean exactly?”
I asked as the person in question.
”You’re fascinating in many ways. I think a lot of people would want to see you.”
”Make a spectacle of him?”
Tatyana asked with surprise.
”A spectacle… maybe. Not like stripping him naked or anything. It’s not because he’s small or anything.”
Obviously. I’d cry if they did that.
”The purpose is about Larry’s reincarnation. If you could talk to our experts here, we might expect some preserved food donations.”
Reincarnation, huh. I thought it’d be about mana usage or something.
”Right. I mentioned summoning earlier—there are specific regions where it’s possible. Within a thousand kilometers of the Land of the Fire Ring’s capital, you can do it frequently; half that distance, routinely; half again, constantly. But there are fluctuations—once every few decades, reincarnation occurs in incredibly distant places.”
”Does that… mean the acting captain?”
Both of them spoke at once, and Ms. Rao nodded.
”I see. So the acting captain is the same kind of reincarnation as the Sage. I always thought it was odd. Looks like a brat but handles women like a pro, and that middle-aged man vibe. Come to think of it, I heard you were a Sage candidate.”
Fredys seemed oddly convinced.
”Well, that’s how it is. But summoning still holds many mysteries. For our species, it could be a matter of life or death, so we have a national research institute.”
”So the acting captain will speak there?”
”More or less.”
Ms. Rao’s answer was a little evasive.
”Then if the acting captain’s talk helps their research, we get aid?”
Fredys’s face brightened.
”If you’re evaluated well. Also—Androgynos may live quietly now, but a hundred years ago, we traveled to every corner of this planet. You might be able to share knowledge about the journey home too.”
She was building up expectations, but nothing Ms. Rao had said so far was ever certain. It was all still only possible.
Still, Tatyana and the others were getting excited about returning home.
”So what exactly should we do? Wait here for a few months?”
Fredys asked, and Ms. Rao looked up at the ceiling again before turning to me.
”Let me have tonight to think about it. Come back tomorrow before noon. We can discuss details over a meal.”
That should have been the end of it, but Fredys spoke up.
”Could we let our people come ashore?”
”Our people” meant the deck crew and other crew members.
”Hmm… as I said, there’s not much farmland here, and no place to host many people. If we reach an agreement tomorrow, I can tell you where you can land.”
Fair enough. The crew had been tossed at sea for over a month and wanted to go ashore, but that was their call.
”Um, I have a question too.”
Tatyana raised her hand slightly.
”If I can answer it.”
”Then… what is that giant mushroom? And I’ve heard of grimoires in fairy tales, but…”
”Of course. I’ll tell you.”
She agreed surprisingly easily.
But the explanation was hard to accept.
”That mushroom contains a large space inside. The floor has honeycomb-like holes. We lay our eggs there.”
Each hexagonal cell of the honeycomb was filled with purified water. The eggs laid there underwent cell division, became larvae, and were nursed the same way Amazonesses nursed. Eventually, they became pupae, and on the night they emerged, a summoning ritual was performed.
Summoned creatures were limited to mammals, but the chance of a sentient person was low—rats, pigs, cows, dogs, and cats made up the majority. Ms. Rao had performed over three hundred summonings but had only summoned humans twice.
”Then, what happens if you summon a non-human animal? Do they become like the person who guided us—unable to speak?”
”Well, dogs and pigs are intelligent enough, but they can’t speak. And as they are, they can’t wipe their feet or pour tea either.”
I suppose not.
”Those summoned who are not human are called ‘hikitai’—servants. Before summoning, they’re called ‘hitai’—servant bodies. We teach them their work through grimoires.”
”Wait—if a dog is summoned, that servant can read?”
Both Tatyana and I were shocked.
”That’s impossible. They can’t even speak.”
Then how?
”Our magic is spirit magic. It’s fundamentally different from the mana-based magic you use. We can do mind-reading and telepathy, though.”
”…?”
”We use spirits to write the grimoire’s contents directly into the servant’s mind.”
”So you teach them how to make tea through a grimoire?”
”In simple terms, yes.”
Ms. Rao replied to Tatyana’s question.
”Maybe this analogy will help the acting captain understand.”
Grimoires are programs, spirits are the operating system, and servants are devices.
”Grimoires keep evolving—they’re more modular now. Which means to teach one thing, you have to load multiple grimoires, and ensuring compatibility is a nightmare. The writing alone is exhausting.”
She was starting to sound like she was complaining.
Ms. Rao’s job was writing grimoires—she was basically a programmer, except she had deadlines pressing on her. Weird bugs cropped up out of nowhere, interrupt work piled in, and she lost sleep. And when they asked her to fix some orphaned app? It was a patchwork mess. A disaster. I nodded along, understanding her frustration.
”Since it’s getting dark, the boats will disappear soon…”
Fredys had apparently run out of patience watching me listen to her complaints, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out.
* * *
Back on the Izumo, an emergency meeting was held in the dining hall.
But nothing had been settled in the conversation with Ms. Rao, so we couldn’t decide anything concrete either.
”We need to clarify the acting captain’s lending period.”
Maria, heavily pregnant, said something perfectly reasonable. Wait—was my being lent out already assumed? Did nobody care about my opinion?
”If an attendant is allowed for that lending period, I’d like to go.”
Pamela made a suggestion. With Henrietta-san’s summoning happening too, I thought it was worth hearing—and then Katarina raised her hand too. That one’s going to be a handful.
And Gida, the maintenance department chief, also wanted to go ashore if there were supply matters to discuss.
Result: tomorrow’s landing party would be me, Pamela, Gida, Fredys, and Katarina. Tatyana, who’d already landed today, stepped aside for Katarina considering future relationships. Negotiations with Ms. Rao would depend on the situation. If my return took more than three months, many wanted to discuss it again on the ship—but realistically, we’d run out of water and food before that, and we wouldn’t have the luxury of debating lending periods.
The meeting ended, and I went to see Kenze. She was in the women’s quarters.
When I arrived, she was nursing, holding a jug.
”You’ve gotten so thin.”
Her cheeks had hollowed out, and her hips had become thin.
”Yeah… But now that the rocking’s stopped, I can actually eat.”
She smiled, but her eyes were hollow too. Compared to Kenze, the Children were growing steadily—she laughed and said they nursed better than Zaboo did.
I told her I’d be leaving the Izumo for a while to visit the Androgynos.
”How long?”
I said I didn’t know yet. She was quiet for a moment, then looked at me. Probably wanted to come along. But she knew her body couldn’t handle it.
”I see. Well… when you get back, we’ll have some fun, yeah?”
”Yeah. Definitely.”
Then I told her we might be able to summon Henrietta-san’s soul. She’d been at the Academy with her for a while, and had seen her get killed too.
”I see. So the big-boobed one becomes Androgynos and comes back. That’s tough.”
I wasn’t sure what exactly she meant by “tough,” but from her expression, she seemed happy for me. I wanted to talk with Kenze for the first time in a while, but after nursing, she said she was tired and fell asleep.
The next day, I took Pamela and the others onto the boat. When we landed at the stone wall, the two beauties who used to be dogs came and guided us the same way as before.
—
Summary:
Earnest learns that summoning Henrietta’s soul would place it in an Androgynos body, leading to discussions about the Androgynos species’ biology, isolation, and their spirit magic system which treats grimoires as programs. After Ms. Rao offers potential aid in exchange for Earnest speaking at their research institute, the crew holds a meeting where Earnest is volunteered for the trip. The chapter closes with Earnest visiting the declining Kenze, who learns of Henrietta’s potential return before falling asleep, leaving Earnest uncertain about what lies ahead.
—
Trivia:
Earnest’s official position is “acting captain” of the Izumo.
The Androgynos severed relations with the Central Continent nations nearly a century ago.
Androgynos bodies have a biological mechanism where erections cause anemia, suppressing sexual desire through conditioning.
Rao has personally performed over three hundred summonings but only summoned humans twice.
Summoning is limited to mammals and has defined range zones based on distance from the Land of the Fire Ring’s capital.
The grimoire-spirit-servant analogy uses programming terms: grimoires = programs, spirits = operating system, servants = devices.
Kenze is the mother of Children who are growing well, and she nursed Zaboo previously.
Henrietta died during the Haritz Rebellion and was one of Earnest’s wives.
Bours-san first told Earnest about Androgynos during military training.
The Androgynos colony has narrow farmland and limited resources.
The giant mushroom contains honeycomb-like cells where Androgynos lay eggs.
The summoning ritual occurs on the night summoned creatures emerge from pupae.
Summoned non-human animals like dogs become servants called “hikitai” and are taught through grimoires via spirits.
Spirit magic is fundamentally different from mana-based magic.
The Androgynos used to travel everywhere a century ago but now live quietly.
The Izumo is the ship Earnest and his crew are on.
The crew has been at sea for over a month.
Pamela, Gida, Fredys, and Katarina are joining Earnest on the landing party.
Tatyana stepped aside for Katarina considering future relationships.
The two guides who met them at the stone wall used to be dogs.
Notes:
• Henrietta – Earnest (Larry)’s perverted fourth wife is a muscular, massive-busted orphan, mage, and Royal Magic Academy researcher. A Bizan graduate, she guarded the protagonist at East Palace until her assassination by the former Principal in the Haritz Rebellion. Now parasitizing Larry’s daughter—recognized by slave Pamela by scent—her telepathic bond has Earnest considering her summoning.
• Rao – The Androgynos colony leader, calling herself “the Red of Mount Yue, Fifth Generation,” is a direct, confident woman with an elegant bearing and weary undertones. Unfazed by nudity, this Amazoness-like figure is casual yet refined, often teasing but polite. As a spirit magic programmer, she writes grimoires under tight deadlines. She manages colony operations, coal negotiations, reproduction, and her two reincarnated successors.
• Tatyana – A 31-year-old divorced mother and Magic Academy Assistant Professor, this former 101st Golems Battalion mage is the inquisitive Torpedo Department Head aboard the Izumo. She maintains formal politeness and military decorum, showing blunt pragmatism and concern for others. Loyal to her Captain, she is Larry’s superior and is intimately bonded with her roommate, Katarina.
• Bours – Tall, scarred 46-year-old human yeoman, Western Front captain, Council member, and Vod Fortress mentor who heads the 303rd Militia. He is married to Sheeta-san, has two sons, and wears a faded uniform. A former military trainer remembered for first telling Earnest about Androgynos, he manages orchards, saved Larry and Rudy, and shared intel on Royal Army research with acquaintance Debritz.
• Haritz – A fortified town famed for iron-clad guard Golems and a past rebellion whose lingering forces targeted the Cain estate. Nearby, a Marquis hid his grandson—a figure who participated in a duel trial against the protagonist before being surrendered to authorities.
• Fredys – Izumo’s section chief has a formal military bearing, carrying a clipboard and speaking in clipped tones. A reliable coastal sailor with a past in slavery and social awkwardness, she acts as Earnest’s subordinate but is asked to be acting captain due to her sharp command. This indispensable advisor is related to the Ullmans via Uncle Torge and lives with Roland and a maintenance assistant.
• Larry – A dark-haired, weary 16-year-old reincarnated Second Lieutenant, this cynical, analytical youth is the Schweilitz Navy cruiser Izumo’s Acting Captain, chief engineer, and Associate Professor. A Mana user and Fee Grand Principality founder, he carries Saba’s letter and Philip IV’s sword. He distrusts superiors and protects Rosa while dealing with trauma from Henrietta’s death and past wives.
• Sage – An elderly instructor and mentor who acts as a schemer behind the scenes. He is responsible for recommending Larry for various academic and safety-related positions.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• Maria – A heavily pregnant woman serving on the crew. She speaks with practical directness and raises logical concerns about the acting captain’s lending period. A pregnant woman in Earnest’s group. She will give birth before the loan period ends.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Katarina – A voluptuous 30-year-old Izumo flight squad leader, Section Chief, and volatile telepathic Mage with mission authority. This complex, handful of a woman volunteers for the landing party, handles night watch, and playfully partners with the protagonist, though she often speaks at inopportune moments—even embarrassing Earnest by listing his exes. She pressures subordinates but advocates for Gida.
• Pamela – An elderly dwarf woman with a youthful, flat-chested appearance, this Engine Department leader balances blunt authority with old-fashioned warmth. Earnest’s companion, she uses archaic, ceremonial speech, moving with total confidence and scholarly curiosity. A drowsy mage skilled in telepathy, she is a warm mentor to the protagonist and assists Earnest with colony summoning rituals.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Gida – The Izumo’s Maintenance Department Chief is an older, disheveled former finance bureaucrat and captain. Pragmatic, formal, and polite yet outwardly insolent, she controls crew logistics, seeks shore supply trips, and negotiates coal mining with Rao. Known for using sesame oil for skincare (once buying out Schweilitz), she clashes with Daran and initially resisted hiring Raphael.
• Kenze – A muscular, brown-skinned Amazoness, former Takshurgan operative, and one of the women in Earnest’s history. This lethal crew member and dragon-tattooed guardian is deeply bonded with the protagonist, now quietly wasting away while nursing her newly laid egg and larva. Despite declining health and a rural background, she shows acceptance and strength, speaking warmly as she worries about the sea.
• Zaboo – Kenze’s missing seven-year-old daughter was delivered from a jar during the Haritz Rebellion and named after his homeland’s strongest figure. Before vanishing, she constantly accompanied Kenze and was cared for at a Capital fabric shop by his former superior officer and a companion, who shared a close bond with her.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Earnest – Reincarnated as a young militia soldier with massive Mana, a 40-year-old professor hides a compassionate core behind a dry, cynical guise. A magic-tech expert with lethal combat skills, this protagonist ruthlessly leads a unit of slaves and war orphans. His pragmatic outlook shapes complex relationships, now tested during a tense diplomatic incident at a Viscount’s Palace.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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