The next morning, the caravan resumed its journey across the plains.
Regulus looked back at the gradually receding outline of the colossal tree, sighing inwardly at his initial misjudgment. He had assumed that beneath such a dense, suffocating canopy, the night sky would be shrouded in pitch-black, eerie silence. The reality had been the exact opposite.
It had been extraordinarily breathtaking—a mesmerizing spectacle under the stars. If he hadn't lacked a modern camera or smartphone, he would have definitely recorded the scene for posterity.
As night had fallen, a vast, glowing swarm of lesser spirits had manifested throughout the branches, whether by coincidence or by some hidden mechanism. Their multi-elemental mana had painted the dark forest with brilliant, shimmering colors.
'If I get the chance, I'm definitely coming back here,' Regulus resolved. 'Or rather, once this honeymoon tour is over, I'll climb it again to see if that spirit gathering was truly an anomaly.'
After all, native girls like Theresia and Carol had admitted they had never heard of such a phenomenon occurring at Flugel's Tree. Even Beatrice and Sphinx had been genuinely puzzled by the spectacle. Logically, lesser spirits would never gather in such absurd numbers without a massive catalyst.
Learning this had left Regulus deeply intrigued. Could the giant tree actually be a hidden treasure after all? The problem was that when he had climbed all the way up the trunk last night, his cheat book hadn't produced a single reaction or trigger prompt.
Still, the concept of spirits held a very strong appeal for him.
From what he understood of this world's magic system, spirits evolved over time through the accumulation of mana and age: starting as mindess lesser spirits, maturing into quasi-spirits, ascending to full spirits, and ultimately reaching the rank of Great Spirits.
The transition from a lesser spirit to a quasi-spirit involved gaining baseline intelligence and distinct gender identity. The leap from quasi-spirit to full spirit granted them a physical, anthropomorphic form. Once they became full spirits, they could be hugged, kissed, keep the bed warm, and fight alongside you in battle—virtually no different from Beatrice or Anileni.
As for Great Spirits, they possessed immense mana and the unique ability to manifest through magical stones.
Regulus also recalled that in the future canon, a noble knight named Julius would contract with six quasi-spirits of different elemental affinities. The most notable detail was that all six of those quasi-spirits were female. If they eventually evolved into full spirits, wouldn't that mean six beautiful spirit maidens?
Of course, spirit evolution was anything but simple. Leaving aside full spirits, even quasi-spirits were relatively rare in the world, and natural Great Spirits like Anileni were practically legendary. Julius likely wouldn't live long enough to see his quasi-spirits achieve physical form.
'Should I intercept those six little ones in the future?' Regulus mused silently. 'Julius might not have the lifespan to wait for their evolution, but with my Authority, time is the one thing I have in infinite supply.'
Though without Julius's Divine Protection of the Spirit Gatherer, finding six specific quasi-spirits in the wild would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.
"Dear, what are you thinking about so seriously?"
Julia's soft, curious voice pulled Regulus from his internal monologue. He swept the distant thought aside; after all, Julius wouldn't even be born for another twenty years.
"Nothing important," Regulus smiled smoothly. "By the way, where are we heading next?"
Julia didn't press him on his secret, tactfully shifting the conversation to their travel itinerary. "Our next destination is the Water Gate City of Priestella. I heard it's a stunning, canal-filled city and a very famous tourist attraction."
"Priestella... it is indeed a remarkable place," Regulus nodded. "Though it might take us quite a few days to reach the western border."
"The travel time doesn't matter at all," Julia smiled warmly, leaning against his shoulder. "This trip won't end until all of us have had our fill."
Regulus caught the slight, subtle pause in Julia's voice when she mentioned Priestella. She had likely hesitated because she knew the city's historical connection as the sealing place linked to Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory, and guessed his underlying motive. Yet she had quickly smoothed over her words to remain tactful.
'She really is perceptive,' Regulus thought appreciatively.
There was no need for her to be so cautious around him. He wasn't the kind of petty man who would grow angry just because his wives guessed his hidden intentions. In fact, having sharp, intelligent maidens by his side was a source of genuine comfort. Relying on trustworthy, clever companions was the best defense against being schemed against by outsiders.
Of course, the absolute prerequisite was that the person was completely loyal to him.
In that regard, a candidate like Echidna was a double-edged sword. The Witch of Greed was undeniably brilliant, cunning, and possessed unmatched foresight, but her advice was constantly laced with her own obsessive curiosity and personal agendas. Her proposals always appeared to be the 'optimal solution' on the surface while secretly serving her own entertainment.
'Echidna's words can only ever be used as a reference,' Regulus reminded himself with a smirk.
While the Witch of Greed would never directly harm him due to her bound state, she certainly wouldn't hesitate to manipulate anyone else—even those he cared about. Fortunately, with his absolute, untouchable physical power, he possessed more than enough leverage to keep her brilliant mind firmly in check.