“They say water spirits have an emotional nature but are helpful for healing.”

‘Healing… Come to think of it, how’s the medical level here? They’d probably kill even a healthy person.’

Thinking about what happened when Rose collapsed made my head feel stuffy again. I should at least correct the trend of bloodletting in the North.

No, I’m not the protagonist, just an extra. Do I have to get involved in this too? If I meddle everywhere, when will I get to pave my own path of flowers?

…is what I’d like to say, but if someone tries bloodletting in front of me again claiming it’s a way to save patients, I’ll be the one grabbing their neck. So for the sake of my mental health, let’s reform medicine. Yes, this is all for my mental health.

It’s absolutely not because my K-possessor instincts that can’t stand idle are making my hands itch. No, certainly not. I like freeloading.

‘If only they’d wash their hands thoroughly and drink boiled water, they could avoid most of the dangerous epidemics of this era. Knowing that, of course I want to spread the knowledge!’

Besides, am I just a commoner? I’m the Grand Duchess – everyone will listen if I order them. Makes me want to flex my power a bit. See how well they obey me.

So that’s why.

The reason I’m getting involved in medicine, developing IV fluids in the future, banning bloodletting, and fighting tooth and nail with doctors is… really for my mental health, I tell you?

‘The population increases. More people to pay taxes. More tax payers means what? More assets for me to take in case of divorce!’

Satisfying my lust for power, saving lives, and increasing my future assets all at once.

‘A rational decision from every angle.’

As I nodded in satisfaction, Sylph shook its head as if it had seen something it shouldn’t have.

What? How dare it look at me like that?

“Sylph, Wind.”

A gentle breeze blew into the room like an air purifier running.

A great elemental master could probably overturn this room and shred the bookshelves with just a basic command like Wind, but for a novice elementalist like me who had just taken her first steps, a gentle breeze was the limit.

Sylph looked at me with a bored expression, as if to say, “Did you call me for just this?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Who gets full from the first spoonful? I need to practice. With practice, I’ll be able to use Wind Cutter after Wind, and even summon Silaphe.”

I smiled brightly.

Wind Cutter.

According to this book, Wind Cutter was a technique of the intermediate spirit Silaphe, a skill I shouldn’t be able to use.

But I clearly used it when fighting against Madam Egritte.

An intermediate skill with the wrong target and command.

Even though I had just obtained Sylph and didn’t know how to properly handle spirits, Sylph faithfully followed my order at that time.

No, it even fought more skillfully than I had instructed.

“Hey, Sylph?”

The fluffy-furred Sylph, though not a dog, rolled its eyes to look at me.

“I’ve been wondering, when I asked how to use the Grand Duke Inkhart’s gold coins, how did you bring back an answer so quickly?”

Is the spirit realm where spirits supposedly reside actually just the backyard of the Grand Duke’s castle or something?

A powerful spirit attack beyond my ability range.

Instant communication with the spirit realm.

So if the Sylph I have isn’t an ordinary Sylph.

If… the Spirit King I met in the ash forest that day became interested in my existence and has been watching me all this time, pretending to be an ordinary Sylph?

“How long are you going to keep playing dumb, Lord Sylphid?”

Slowly, the fluffy-furred beast form of Sylph melted away.

A lump of wind formed where Sylph had been, then suddenly grew taller, revealing a mysterious handsome man with water-colored hair.

It was the third human form I’d seen, after Lucian and Darius.

‘Ah, as I thought.’

“You’re slow. Don’t look so proud just because you finally noticed.”

“Is that the first thing you say after secretly following someone like a stalker?”

“Stalker? How unfortunate. Without that stalker, you would have died when you met the witch.”

This snobbish Spirit King!

Seemingly embarrassed at being caught, Sylphid snapped back.

“You followed me because I was interesting!”

“It’s true that I’m interested in the generation that will fulfill Inkhart’s prophecy. It’s also true that I was extremely anxious when the treasure I had guarded for ages fell into the hands of someone who couldn’t even properly control a Sylph.”

“H-hey, it’s not a crime for an extra to be weak!”

The reason I’m conserving my strength is because I’m worried about becoming stronger than the protagonist! Really!

“Extra? Come to think of it, the word ‘extra’ is always floating around in your head.”

Pointing out the use of terms inconsistent with the world setting. Unnecessarily sharp, aren’t you?

“So, the person who’s supposed to fulfill the prophecy is Darius anyway, and the one who really needs to become strong should be Darius, so it doesn’t matter whether I’m strong or weak… No, wait, why do you keep rudely peeking into my mind?”

Feeling like my thoughts were being read, I reflexively raised my hands to cover my head.

“Fool. Mental barriers can’t be blocked like that.”

“Eek, that’s normal for ordinary humans!”

“Ordinary human? Do you believe yourself to be an ordinary human?”

Sylphid’s water-colored eyes looked at me indifferently.

“But you said I have unusually low spirit power compared to my capacity… And all I can use now is just Sylph…”

“There’s something called a ‘book’ in your head.”

Book?

A chill ran down my spine. Sylphid’s words touched on my very identity. It wasn’t just a matter of peeking at my inner thoughts.

In the original possession story, wasn’t that something you shouldn’t touch?

Hey, what happens if you break the general rules of this genre? Is this the fourth wall or whatever it’s called?

“Unlike other memories, the ‘book’ only appeared briefly in your mind when you recalled it, then disappeared again. So even I couldn’t read that ‘book’ accurately. But if I had to guess, are you something like a prophet who received revelations?”

A prophet? Am I a prophet?

“It’s hard to believe, but you believe that you lived in another world and were reborn here. And according to what you read in a book in that other world, the Demon King will soon be resurrected. Darius is the hero who will defeat the Demon King.”

Sylphid said.

“You’re doing your best to make Darius a hero, believing in your revelation. Am I right?”

It might be easier to understand if I explain it as receiving divine revelations rather than reading about future events in a book from another world.

Or maybe I really did receive divine revelations, but found it hard to accept so I convinced myself that I had read a web novel?

I was the one who needed to persuade, but I was being swayed by Sylphid’s words.

This wasn’t good.

“That’s right. Following the ‘revelation’ I received, I went to the ash forest and opened Grand Duke Inkhart’s storehouse. If the Demon King really resurrects soon, that storehouse must have been prepared for the hero.”

“Anette.”

I am Anette. A possessor who possessed Anette’s body. An extra in this novel.

My flimsy identity felt like it was being completely exposed.

My hands and feet trembled at the feeling that my shallow existence was about to crumble before this great being called the Spirit King.

‘I shouldn’t have meddled.’

For the first time since coming to this world, I was afraid.

“Don’t be sad. You must have had a hard time holding the fate of the world.”

A gentle breeze, the kind and warm air that blows when the long winter ends and spring begins to bloom, wrapped around my shoulders.

“You bear a heavy burden. I will share your load. As I once shared my friend’s burden. They say heroes are lonely and solitary, but that’s not true. If you choose not to be alone, I can gladly share with you.”

“I’m not a hero.”

“Are you not also striving to keep this world running according to its principles?”

Sylphid looked at me kindly.

The heroes Sylphid loved never boasted of their achievements.

Those who stood at the very front and moved forward, yet humbly credited others for their accomplishments. Though Sylphid found such personalities frustrating at times, it always ended up loving only such people.

Ancestor Inkhart said that, then devoted his lifetime to preparing for the descendant who would face the Demon King.

The immature contractor before Sylphid’s eyes was the same.

‘The protagonist is Darius.’

‘I should step back for the protagonist when it really matters.’

‘But I’ll do everything I can for the protagonist.’

An unremarkable soul, invited to this world one day by the whim of fate, living to the best of its ability.

How could Sylphid not love this girl who reminded it of old memories?

“I will help you.”

“How?”

“For starters, I can help with your spirit affinity.”

“You said I couldn’t properly utilize my large capacity as a spirit user.”

“I will guide you slowly over time. You can look forward to it. It’s rare for a spirit user to be directly instructed by the Spirit King.”

Sylphid, who had lived for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, gently comforted its newly contracted partner.

“For that, we must first train. If you want to stand beside the hero as a spirit user, you must be thoroughly prepared.”

“…Pardon?”

“We must train your spirit affinity daily, and we can’t skip communing with spirits either. For now, I’ve connected you with Sylph, but with your ability, we should actively consider contracting with spirits of other attributes.”

Wait.

“First, let’s progress to the advanced wind spirit Silaphe. Which spirits of other attributes are you considering?”

Wait, wait, wait!

The student doesn’t want to study! Why me? Why now? Why add another schedule to these already difficult days?

Is possession a joke? Do I look easy because I suddenly possessed this body?