Witch. Upon hearing that word, Aldo felt a momentary shiver. A faint fragment of memory lingered, and whenever it tried to connect Iris to the word โwitch,โ a sense of aversion washed over him.
โWell, that girl over there has an incredible talent for magic, even if we set aside the whole โevil spirit magicโ thing. After all, her faith in spirits is quite strong.โ
โFaith in spirits?โ
Aldo tilted his head in confusion. Faith was a concept he had never heard of before.
โHuh? You donโt know about faith, mister? Well, you do seem like someone with low faith. If your faith is strong, it boosts the power of your magic. But the stronger your faith, the more vulnerable you become to the curses of evil spirits. In short, your magic becomes stronger, but you also become more fragile.โ
Aldo and Clara nodded in understanding at the spiritโs explanation. Irisโs abnormally powerful magic could now be explained by her high level of faith.
โAmazing! Thatโs incredible, Iris!โ
โUmโฆ should I be happy about this?โ
Iris looked puzzled. Aldo had a habit of praising her for everything, but this time, there was a clear downside to her strong faith.
โMister, itโs fine to praise her, but I did say that having too much faith makes her more susceptible to damage from evil spirits, right?โ
โWell, thatโs not a problem. Iโll protect Iris with my life. I wonโt let any evil spirit lay a finger on her.โ
Aldo declared this as if it were the most natural thing in the world. No matter what happened, he was determined to protect Iris.
โHmm. Well, I guess that makes sense. You do have low faith, so youโre pretty tough. You might be well-suited to protecting someone.โ
โUm, Spirit-san, how much faith do I have?โ
Clara seemed curious as well. After all, faith was related to both magical power and defense. Knowing her level of faith could affect her survival rate in dungeons.
โWell, if the little girl over there is at 100, youโre around 40. Not too high, not too low. If you train your magic properly, you can reach a level where you can hold your own in battle. Faith only serves to boost your magic power, so if you train your internal mana, you can compensate for having slightly lower faith.โ
โI see. Iโll work hard on my magic training too.โ
Clara pumped her fist in determination.
โWell, that aside, as thanks for helping me, Iโll share some of my power with you.โ
The spirit first transferred a portion of its power to Claraโs mana vessel.
โWhoa! I feel stronger already!โ
โNext up is this girl.โ
โUmโฆ I use evil spirit magic. Is that okay?โ
Iris clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked up at the spirit with a worried expression.
โHmm. Like I said earlier, evil spirit magic doesnโt mean you have the power of evil spirits within you. Both spirits and evil spirits share the same source of power. So, as a spirit, I can draw out your power without any issues.โ
The spirit bestowed its power upon Iris. Though she initially looked uneasy, her expression brightened as she felt herself grow stronger.
โWow, I can feel the power surging through me!โ
โNow, as for you, mister, you donโt have a mana vessel, so I canโt draw out your power.โ
โYeahโฆโ
Last time, only Clara had received power from the spirit. Aldo felt a bit disappointed that, even after clearing the dungeon, he couldnโt strengthen himself.
โBut that weapon of yours, the one made from evil spiritsโI can draw out its power.โ
โEh? Really?โ
โYep. Like I said, spirits and evil spirits share the same root. That weapon of yours hasnโt been overly processed, so it can still accept my mana.โ
Normally, equipment made from evil spirit materials has its power weakened, making it unable to accept a spiritโs mana. However, Aldoโs weapon was capable of receiving it.
The spirit placed its hand over Aldoโs weapon, and its power began to flow into it.
โThis is as much as I can give you. If you want to strengthen it further, youโll need to ask other spirits.โ
Each spirit can only share a limited amount of mana with one person, and thereโs a limit to how much power can be drawn from an evil spirit weapon.
โAh, thank you.โ
โWell, my business here is done, so Iโll be leaving this dungeon. Itโs been a while since Iโve enjoyed the outside air.โ
With that, the spirit vanished.
โAlright, Iris, Clara. Letโs go report to the Diggerโs Guild.โ
โOkay!โ
Iris and Clara replied in unison. After clearing the dungeon, Aldo and his companions reported to the Diggerโs Guild and received their reward.
โBy the way, Iris, donโt you think you should get some proper dungeon gear?โ
โGear?โ
Iris seemed intrigued by Claraโs suggestion.
โYeah, gear. The clothes Iโm wearing are reinforced with evil spirit materials. Of course, theyโve been treated so they donโt damage my mana vessel.โ
โReally?โ
โBut it uses up materials from the dungeon, and it costs money too.โ
Upon hearing this, Iris turned to Aldo with pleading eyes.
โHey, Dad. Itโs okay, right? Pleeease?โ
Irisโs pleading was always effective on Aldo.
โYeah, you worked hard this time, Iris.โ
โYay!โ
And just like that, Aldoโs allowance was deducted from the family budget.
When they arrived at the Diggerโs Guildโs crafting department, a kind-looking woman stood at the reception desk.
โWelcome! How can I help you?โ
โIโd like to have some gear made for my daughter. Sheโs a skilled mage, so I want mage-specific equipment. Here are the materials I have.โ
Aldo showed the materials they had obtained from the dungeon to the receptionist. She looked at them and then showed Iris two pieces of paper.
โWith these materials, we can make either this robe or this wand. Which would you like?โ
One piece of paper showed a cute full-length robe, while the other showed a wand, the kind used by mages.
โIris, which one do you want?โ
โHmmโฆ I think the robe is cuter. Letโs go with that one!โ
โUnderstood. What color would you like? You can choose from these.โ
The receptionist showed Iris several color samples. Iris looked them over carefully.
โHmmโฆ I think this pale pink is cute. Letโs go with this one!โ
โGot it. Itโll take a few days to craft, so please come back when itโs ready.โ
โOkay!โ
The three of them left the Diggerโs Guild. Iris was in high spirits, knowing she would soon have her own adorable dungeon gear.
โRobe, robe, I canโt wait to get it!โ
โHaha, youโre so cute, Iris.โ
Iris, holding Aldoโs hand, swung it back and forth excitedly, her joy evident.
โI totally get how you feel, Iris. I was super excited too when I got my first set of dungeon gear.โ
โRight, right!โ
Iris nodded enthusiastically at Clara, who smiled back at her. In that moment, they looked almost like sisters.
โWhat do you think, Aldo? What if Iris becomes the strongest among us?โ
โWell, that would make me really happy. Seeing my daughter grow is the most rewarding thing for me.โ
โHaha, youโre such a doting father.โ
โOf course, Iโll keep getting stronger to protect Iris. No matter how strong she becomes, sheโll always be fragile and vulnerable.โ
Aldo hadnโt abandoned his pride as a father, but seeing Iris grow was even more fulfilling than his own growth. That was just who Aldo was.