Chapter 20: Spirits
In the neatly arranged room, the presence of the three people made the tools I held for removal feel oddly out of place.
Rishu dashed over and nestled against my leg. Good, good, he’s acting like a guard dog.
“I’m sorry to bother you so suddenly, but I have a favor to ask.”
“Huh?”
I glanced at Rudil and gently set the tools down, though it might have seemed awkward since I was consciously trying to be natural.
“I’m sorry for the trouble, but could you give names to the spirits that have taken refuge here?” Pal said, looking a bit troubled.
“Your sister uses a lot of magic. But her way of using it is quite rough. It might be unavoidable since she can’t see the spirits,” Mishto added, speaking about my sister.
“She’s both obsessive and easily bored. I think she’ll be reckless for at least a year.”
I recalled the hobbies my sister had thrown herself into—television shows, actors, aquariums—spending money and time, and ultimately abandoning them.
This time, since it was her own ability, she probably wouldn’t abandon it, but she was likely exhausting her new toy.
“A lot of the smaller ones have used up their power and disappeared. It seems Namina has been trying to advise her, but she’s a bit of a jokester herself, and since she gains power from it…”
I wondered who Namina was, but from the context, it must be that Ball of Light.
So, she doesn’t actively stop it because she gains power from it? I really don’t like that ball.
“If Namina regains her power, your sister will be able to see the spirits. I took a little peek, and if that happens, I’m worried she’ll try to dominate all the spirits one by one,” Mishto said, his big eyes glistening.
“I know you don’t want to get involved with that, but the spirits are making quite a racket,” Rudil said, clearly not fond of noise. He presides over things that require silence.
“We check on this garden from time to time to maintain it. But if this situation continues, it will definitely start to have an impact,” Pal said, looking outside.
“I think you should take a look at the spirits here, Jin,” Mishto suggested, prompting me to observe the spirits.
—Observe.
“Whoa! Scary!!”
There are countless spirits crammed against every piece of glass!
“You didn’t notice…?” Rudil muttered, looking away.
Sorry, I completely missed that. I’ve been living in this? Even if it’s not Rudil, I wouldn’t want to deal with this. Yeah, it’s definitely better not to see.
The domination my sister has over the spirits affects those nearby even without her using it. The spirits know this, so they’ve fled to me, who possesses Liberation.
Liberation, like Domination, has effects just by being nearby.
Unless they were specifically named and subjected to Domination, if they’re not recognized, they can still escape. They’re trying to get away before they’re exhausted and disappear, seeking refuge near someone who possesses Liberation to erase the traces of Domination.
It seems they’re trying to stay close to me since I only allow them into the house when I use magic.
“If you give them names, they won’t be subjected to other Domination. They’ll be free to scatter as they once did,” Pal explained, nodding deeply at my puzzled expression.
“That is, if your magic power is stronger than theirs or if you have a strong connection with the spirits.”
“If you establish a connection first, I think the spirits will choose you. Rudil is with you, so your magic power is covered,” Rudil pointed out the issues while Mishto remained optimistic.
“It’ll depend on how many names can be given before they notice,” Pal reiterated what needed to be done.
While it could be said that things have returned to normal, understanding the process behind it would motivate me more. Besides, naming them seems to be crucial for my comfortable life. With this many spirits, it would be strange if plants and other things weren’t affected.
“I have no sense for naming things at all.”
Am I really supposed to name all of these? That seems impossible.
“Numbers or anything will do. The ones that have come here are also after Liberation,” Rudil said.
“I think if both sides like each other, they can rename them later. It’s easy to overwrite if you’re the one who named them,” Mishto said with a smile.
“That would be more convenient for the spirits too. If there’s no attachment to the name, when a spirit likes someone, if their feelings are strong, they can receive a name from the one they like,” Pal added.
It feels a bit contradictory, but it means that as long as I’m liked, it can go me, then my sister, right?
“A spirit that has been named will lend you their power. If you find a good spirit, you should give it a name,” Rudil supplemented.
Alright, I’ll decide on numbers.
“Okay, okay. Jin will give you names, so line up in a row!”
“If you don’t line up, you won’t get named,” Mishto called out to the spirits that seemed ready to swarm, but only about half of them lined up. The rest remained free, and Rudil helped get them in line.
While they were lining up, I jotted down numbers on a piece of paper. I set up a table and chair with tea in the area leading to the grape arbor, and I was ready. I opened the window and began naming.
“Red One.”
“Green One.”
“Yellow One.”
“Red Two.”
“Blue One.”
Just using numbers alone might lead to some really high counts, so I added the color of the spirits plus the number. As I named them, some stayed in the garden, while others flew off as if they had gained their freedom. It felt like I was giving them vaccinations.
After several hours of the same task, Rishu, who had been diligently watching over my feet, was now tired and sprawled out asleep.
Before I knew it, Kadal and Ish had joined us.
“Ugh, time for a break. I’ll go check on Ash.”
The pressure from the spirits here to hurry up and name them was intense, so I decided to escape. It was for my comfortable life, but it was still tough.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
With Kadal’s voice fading behind me, I teleported to the rented house.
“Ash, you say?”
“I’ve liberated a spirit and am keeping the one that collapsed.”
Mishto, who seemed to be bored, followed me.
Ash was still lying there, completely still, like a log. Doesn’t he get tired? A little bird that noticed me flew over, and I felt soothed by its fluffiness.
“Oh dear, a maiden in distress.”
“I have no intention of getting involved.”
Mishto seemed to see her as a woman. How does he judge that?
“No, no~. Hmm, this will be fine until I wake up for the bathroom.”
That kind of distress!
“Sorry, I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you.”
That was close, really close.