Chapter 25: Vanessa's Farewell

After Vanessa got better, Elysia stopped stroking and asking about what she was thinking right now.

'Vanessa, can I ask?'

'En.' Vanessa answered through their spiritual connection.

'Isn't what you do to me a spirit bonding ritual by tying your spirit to me? Why does your uncle hate that so much?'

'Every beast race on Beast Continent can be of their own accord or because of the compulsion to submit to creatures with human form whether they are intelligent or not. Most of the beasts who choose to submit voluntarily because they decide someone deserves to be served for life as their master, just like me...' Vanessa explained and paused afterward which made Elysia confused.

'But that doesn't explain anything...'

'Let me finish it... Unlike other races who choose to submit as well because they want their potential to be assisted by their masters with their spiritual connection to appropriate individuals, the winged tiger race does not need it...' Vanessa then explained to her master regarding her race and other beast traits.

In the Beast Continent, there are so many intelligent beasts and non-intelligent animals called ordinary animals. Unlike the intelligent beasts and their descendants who will also have intelligence even though they are not yet Spirit Beasts, non-intelligent beasts can build their intelligence if they manage to enter the Spirit level and become a Spirit Beast.

Vanessa is a descendant of an intelligent beast, and now she has become a Spirit Beast easily because of her bloodline. So, she really doesn't really need to bind her spirit to someone who has great potential and talent.

Some non-intelligent beasts only do spirit bonding rituals because they want to have the opportunity to become Spirit Beasts in their lives and leave their offspring as intelligent beasts. Even though they don't have intelligence, their instincts pull themselves to not become weak.

Beast races have the smallest average life span compared to other races and their potential is usually limited despite their very high birth rate. So, the only way to boost their potential is to become servants of creatures that have a human form.

Beast Continent's relationship with other continents is not too tense like Human Continent and Devil Continent which is like an eternal enemy.

Therefore, it would not be strange to meet many beasts on other continents, whether they were intelligent or not because not all of them managed to advance to Spirit level and become Spirit Beasts.

'If so, why did you do that? You don't need it... You have an uncle and aunt... Can we cancel this ritual?' Elysia did not have the heart to find out more.

'Please don't ever say that again. I bind my spirit to you of my own volition... If you feel that I am not worthy of being by your side, kill me. You will be able to break the bond of the ritual.'

Vanessa looked at her master very seriously. Unlike the similar questions Elysia asked when the ritual was used, Vanessa explained slowly and carefully. Now she seems to give a choice to her master between take me or kill me.

'Sorry.'

'That's good you understand my position. Uncle Theo and Aunt Leila are not my biological family... Jimmy is gone and I can't keep bothering them.' Vanessa said happily but the latter's words got smaller until they sounded like a whisper through their spiritual connection.

Elysia only paused and did not respond to that, she knew very well the background that Vanessa had was quite complex, but she could not dig into someone's past like that. She can only allow time to answer their story.

A few moments passed for them, while Theo and Leila had calmed down. Elysia took Jimmy's body out of her [Space Storage] for her promised burial, the appearance of a familiar black tiger body made Theo and Leila surprised to wonder where it came from.

After that, Elysia allowed Theo to dig the grave close to their nest with his large claws. Now the burial procession was finished and Elysia prayed for the black tiger's soul to be calm in the afterlife.

"Now what will you do?" Aunt Leila asked Vanessa after everything was over.

"I will follow wherever my master goes." Vanessa said it firmly as if the decision she had made was unanimous and inviolable.

"What about us? You want to leave us?" Aunt Leila asked sadly once again, Jimmy had been gone forever and now Vanessa also wanted to leave there.

"Auntie... I really appreciate you and Uncle Theo like my own parents... But I know your position... My adoptive father is gone and Jimmy is gone... I cannot bother you all the time." Vanessa began to say her decision.

"No... No, you don't bother us." Aunt Leila immediately hugged Vanessa and did not wait for the continuation of Vanessa's words as if her heart ached if continued. The experiences experienced by Vanessa and Jimmy were quite strenuous, Theo and Leila took care of them for a reason.

"No, don't convince me anymore. I've already made up my mind." Vanessa immediately broke away from her aunt's hug carefully, she was afraid that if she was hugged like that, she would cry again.

"So you've made up your mind, Little Vanessa..." Theo finally spoke after he had just been quiet after Jimmy's funeral procession.

"Human who has now become Little Vanessa's master! You must take good care of her! Otherwise, I will kill you even if you hide at the end of the world!"

Theo did not forget to issue a hard threat after Vanessa made a decision that could not be changed anymore, he did not care that Elysia could defeat him easily but he would really hunt her down if Vanessa suffered at her hands.

"Err... I have a name, you know..." Elysia was helpless because she was only called human by them, but ignored the threat because she would take good care of Vanessa. Theo didn't seem to give her a chance to introduce herself from beginning to end.

"Human, please take good care of our Little Vanessa. She is a good girl, don't let her be sad..." Leila asked nicely but sounded like she was begging. There is a purpose in it but she cannot say it.

"I'll take good care of Vanessa, you don't need to worry. I'm the one who takes my words seriously."

"But you are a human though? Humans like to lie about their promises." Theo reproaches.

"Uncle Theo..." Vanessa wanted to say something but was stopped by Elysia's hand movements.

"I'm not the human you've ever known. You've lived a long time and you know I'm not lying. So don't compare me to them." Elysia said it firmly without giving much information. She knows Theo and Leila can detect her honesty with their instincts, similar to Vanessa's abilities.

Theo and Leila knew this little human had never lied since their meeting. Her body is small but her strength and guts are big, now Theo can't say anything else and just stay quiet.

"Then thank you." Leila expresses her gratitude for many things. At least their Little Vanessa can explore the world with a strong master.

"Uncle Theo, Aunt Leila. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. Now Vanessa has grown up and will go on her own path. Please bless me with your permission."

"Yeah, you can go. The world is vast, your master is strong enough to protect you."

"We have blessed you since you made your decision. You can stop by here occasionally with your master. At that time, we will welcome you at any time."

Theo and Leila expressed their blessings and Vanessa was very grateful for that. Going with a blessing and going without a blessing will feel different for her.

"Uncle Theo, Aunt Leila. I'm leaving." Vanessa went ahead of Elysia who was waiting for her, she could not stand the parting. While Elysia just smiled helplessly at that.

"May you always be healthy and happy, farewell." She then said her goodbye before following Vanessa from behind.

After Vanessa and Elysia disappeared from view, Theo began to cry like a little cat. Unfortunately, that distance is still within Elysia's perception distance, she smiled with amusement seeing the big and rough tiger could cry too.

"Are you ready to go?" Elysia asked Vanessa who was waiting for her. 𝒷𝓮𝒹𝓃ℴ𝓿𝓮𝓁.𝓬𝓸𝓂

"En."

Then Elysia climbed onto Vanessa's back and they flew out of Tiger Paw Forest. Their current destination is to return to the Human Continent, Elysia still has to find out more about magic and the background of the world in the magic academy told by Harold.