This particular Fairy Grimoire was a bound artifact of his own creation. A supreme rune-enchanted item with seven primary functions. Each one pushing the boundaries of known Soulcraft practice. They were for:
First... Storing fairies in a two-dimensional Fairy World. A pocket dimension accessible by the fairies only through the Grimoire.
Second... Identifying detailed data of the stored fairies. Revealing type, stage, growth, loyalty, personality, growth items, talents, and evolution paths.
Third... Customizing the visual appearance of the fairies. A purely aesthetic function, but one showing deep connection and control.
Next... Constantly recovering the fairies to peak condition. Healing injuries, restoring energy, preventing illness or decline.
Fifth... Gradually increasing the fairies' loyalty. A slow, passive process, but valuable for any fairy not yet reaching 100% loyalty.
Sixth... Granting the ability for the fairies to evolve through fusions. Allowing stored fairies to merge with magical objects under the Grimoire's guidance. Potentially creating a more powerful or specialized fairy.
Finally... Predicting the result of fusion evolution. Showing the likely outcome of a potential fusion before attempting it. Significantly mitigating risk.
...
Spark placed the heavy Grimoire on the desk. He carefully took out the eggs. The three luminous eggs rested in his left palm. Warm and pulsing.
And then, he moved his right index finger. Touching the cool silver fairy logo. On the Grimoire's black cover.
A connection formed. Silent and instantaneous. The eggs in his hand flared with the intensity of their internal light. Purple, blue, and silver. And vanished from his palm.
As they disappeared, the air shimmered for an instant. They were all drawn into the Grimoire's internal dimension.
The Grimoire itself responded. The silver logo glowed bright white for three slow beats. Before the light receded. Leaving the cover dark and inert once more.
He opened the Grimoire. The initial pages were blank parchment. Waiting. But several pages in, three new entries had materialized. Each was filled with luminous script. Detailing the life contained within the now-hatched eggs.
He flipped to the first of the new pages.
The script materialized:
[Name: ???]
[Type: Arcane Fairy]
[Stage: Baby]
[Growth: 002%]
[Loyalty: 100%]
[Personalities: Affectionate, Loyal]
[Growth Item: Pure Honey]
[Shared Talent: Instant Casting]
[Ability: Soulcraft Crest - Arcane Coating]
[Evolution Paths: ...]
Spark's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. A hundred percent loyalty straight out of the egg. Exactly the advantage he'd paid through the nose for.
And 'Instant Casting'? That was a rare and incredibly valuable talent. Allowing a fused magic spell to be cast without the normal incantation or focusing time. It meant rapid magic activation.
The magic itself, [Arcane Coating], was perfect for him. Its function was to cover a targeted body part – his fist, his arm, his leg – with raw arcane energy.
With his monstrous physical strength and Grim Lion Framepath form, an Arcane Coating was a great fit. It would change his physical strikes into devastating magical attacks. Bypassing certain physical defenses. Dealing extra damage.
It was a straightforward, blunt enhancement for melee combat. He liked it. Powerful, direct tools. This fit perfectly.
As for the growth item... Pure honey wasn't too hard to get. It was not cheap. But it was still manageable. It was not that rare after all.
It would be trivial to get this fairy to 100% growth. Making it ready for potential evolution.
"Let's see... Let's call her Honey," Spark stated.
The name felt natural given her required sustenance. As he spoke the name aloud, the Grimoire's connection responded. The script on the page shimmered and changed.
[Name: ???] dissolved, replaced instantly by [Name: Honey].
Spark closed his eyes for a moment. Picturing the tiny being now connected to him. Then, he focused his intent. Sending a silent command through the Grimoire link. "Come."
A pinprick of purple light appeared in the air above the Grimoire. It expanded rapidly into a hovering form. It was a tiny, glowing baby girl. No bigger than his thumb.
Her skin was like pale moonlight. And instead of physical wings, she had translucent butterfly-shaped energy wings. They pulsed with a soft purple light. Her eyes, wide and curious, settled on Spark.
With a movement too fast to follow, the tiny fairy shot forward. She didn't land on the desk. Or anywhere else. She flew straight to Spark. Landing light as a feather on his shoulder.
And then, she immediately scrambled up. To nestle against his neck. Letting out a sound like tiny bells. She hugged his skin. Radiating warmth and an overwhelming sense of simple, pure affection.
An affectionate one indeed. Just as the Grimoire had stated. It was a stark contrast to the calculating, wary nature Spark inhabited.
But this was a fairy. A creature of magic and emotion. Not a human capable of deceit and betrayal. He felt no threat from her boundless, uncomplicated loyalty. It was, in its own way, comforting.
He reached up a massive finger. And gently stroked the space near where the tiny form clung to him. Honey giggled. A sound like wind chimes.
"Let's make a contract, Li'l Honey!" Spark said in uncharacteristic soft voice.
He focused his intention. And then, he channeled his Soulcraft Energy into his finger. Causing a point on its tip to glow white. Pulsating in comforting heartbeat.
Honey quickly reached the light. Without any fear. Or hesitation. Her purple glow and Spark's white light intertwined in a beautiful light show.
Spark felt his connection toward Honey strengthened gradually. Until it became an unbreakable bond. They were now Soulcraft partners.
Spark felt his Soul Power seem to explode in magnitude. He also had a feeling that his soul-related talent changed significantly.
He quickly took and accessed his Ego Appraisal Grimoire once more. What he suspected was proven correct.
His Soul Power had became: [Soul Power: Enhanced Level]
His talent also changed to: [Talent: Primal Soul]
Nice! Another one hit Tier-2 Power.
...
Spark turned back to his Fairy Grimoire, eyes already scanning the next page. He had two more other hatched fairies.
[Name: ???]
[Type: Mirage Fairy]
[Stage: Baby]
[Growth: 001%]
[Loyalty: 86%]
[Personalities: Mischievous]
[Growth Item: Aster Flowers]
[Shared Talent: Illusion Mastery]
[Ability: Soulcraft Crest - Silent Mischief]
[Evolution Paths: ...]
A different type of fairy. Mirage Fairy. Her 'Illusion Mastery' talent meant her illusion magic would require less mana and would be more potent.
[Silent Mischief] was a simple visual illusion spell. It wouldn't be that practical for him right now. But later, at higher level, when he could do simultaneous Soulcraft Fusions, that would be a different case.
And the growth item? Aster Flowers. He had extensive orchards and gardens surrounding the mansion. They were filled with all sorts of cultivated and magically enhanced flora.
Aster was pretty common. He had several entire bushes of the stuff.
"Well, let's call her... Aster." Again, Spark casually named the fairy based on her growth item preference.
Again, the name changed on the page. Her loyalty was 86%. Not too bad. He would summon her later. When it was time for the fairies to consume their growth item.
He turned the page again. The third entry.
[Name: ???]
[Type: Light Fairy]
[Stage: Baby]
[Growth: 001%]
[Loyalty: 97%]
[Personalities: Calm]
[Growth Item: Holy Water]
[Shared Talent: Mana Regeneration Boost]
[Ability: Soulcraft Crest - Healing Light]
[Evolution Paths: ...]
Interesting. Light Fairy. One of the greatest types of supporting fairies. And 97% loyalty. Pretty close to the max.
The shared talent, 'Mana Regeneration Boost', was excellent. It helped in recovering mana several fold faster without potions.
Her skill [Healing Light] was a basic skill for healing light injuries. It was a cool skill to have. A readily available [Healing Light] could save his life in crisis.
Holy water was the trickiest growth item to get. He could get it from the church obviously. But, he didn't like dealing wih the church.
He sighed and decided to find the holy water in the Black Market first. If that didn't work... well, he would just have to find a proxy to purchase them from the only orthodox church in Gutlark, the Ocean Church.
He truly didn't want to have anything to do with that church. At least, not here, in Gutlark.
Actually, he didn't mind the religious teaching and rituals. The problems were the people in charge. Bishops, priests, monks...
Almost everyone of them, well the ones that he had encountered, were corrupt hypocrites. The kind of people he found hard to talk to.
Anyway... It was time to name the last fairy.
Should he call her Holy? He considered. It sounded fine. "Alright. Holy!"
Again, the name on the page changed.
Spark grinned. He had taken another major step toward acquiring what he wanted. Power and Safety.
...
-- A different mansion in Gutlark Town, Olwinter 30, 1565 NC. --
The room looked cold. Despite the crackling fire. Two men stood near the hearth. Long shadows stretching behind them.
They were tall and thin. Just like starved wolves. The father and son duo. Their faces held the same sharp, unpleasant angles.
"The boy is still a problem." The father said. His voice was like dry leaves scraping bone.
The son snorted. "That fat idiot? Useless, just like the rest of them."
"He became a Jackmaster." His father said dryly.
The son gestured vaguely. "Just lucky. He was just another one trick pony. Good for one thing only. Rune study. That's it. He couldn't manage a coin purse. Let alone the family wealth."
The father's lips pressed into a thin line. "Indeed. He had sold shares previously. The core businesses that should be ours. Poured the money into those ridiculous little ventures. Said it diversified." He spat the word. "Diversified into poverty, more likely."
He took a deep breath. "The point is... he was now a Jackmaster. He would need a large amount of resources. Money. Our money. It was very likely that he would sell more shares."
"So?" The son asked. Impatience was sharp in his tone. "The plan? Do we wait for him to bankrupt himself?"
The father didn't answer immediately. He simply raised a hand and clapped. A single, sharp sound that echoed in the quiet room.
A moment later, the heavy door opened. A woman entered. She moved like smoke, silent and graceful.
She was beautiful, strikingly so. With eyes that held too much amusement and a smile that promised pain. Her clothing hinted at efficiency and ease of movement. Clinging just enough to be distracting.
The son shifted his seat. Uncomfortable. He recognized her. A top tier assassin. From the notorious Blood Circles.
She stopped before them. A predatory stillness about her. "Gentlemen?" She purred. Her voice was like honey on glass. "Something sharp needed?"
The father held out a small wooden box. It was plain, unadorned. "This contains a core gear. Highly unstable if mishandled. Your task is simple. Ensure the target dies. Make it look like an accident involving this."
The woman took the box. Turning it in her hands. She smiled. A slow, wide smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Consider it done. And messy." Her voice was light, playful. The look in her eyes was pure, cold delight.