Chapter 336: Keeping My Distance, But Confirming
“To summarize, you’re the younger brother of one of the Heroes? And you’re the model for the doll. But your appearance has been altered to fit this world, right?”
“That’s right. But since I’ve severed ties, it has nothing to do with me.” I really hate being referred to as that guy’s brother.
“You understand well that you’re the model for the doll.”
“I know that the appearances of the three Heroes can change when they’re summoned. It’s just the flow of the conversation.” Haulon waved his hand dismissively as he replied to the butler.
“So, what about the doll consuming the original?”
Retze brought the conversation back on track.
“First of all, the stronger the doll becomes, the more insane it gets. When a Spirit is consumed, there are those who turn dark with resentment and anger in that moment. A weak doll can maintain itself by gaining consent from the surrounding Spirits and sharing their power, which keeps things peaceful. But a doll that desires power is a different story.”
“It’s the same reason why Adventurers go mad when they defeat too many Demon Beasts,” the butler chimed in, nodding along with Haulon’s explanation.
The Black Spirits, in addition to their normal attributes or characteristics, also carry negative emotions—anger, sadness, fear, and hatred that arise when they’re on the verge of being erased. The Demon Beasts are those Black Spirits that have possessed animals, scattering tiny bits of darkness each time they’re defeated, unknowingly accumulating in those nearby—the ones who defeated them, in this case.
If you have a Spirit Dropping performed at the Temple, or refresh yourself like Dean and Chris do with their playful antics, those negative feelings can disappear. Well, like the finer aspects of Spirits, they’re easy to disperse, but when they gather, they stick together and grow.
“You say it’s fine because the face and form are different, but the doll corrects the discrepancies with the original. It’s more likely to be seen as an unbearable deviation rather than something fine. And if the doll is possessed by madness, it can solve that by killing the original.”
Haulon looked at me.
“So, if the original doesn’t exist, there’s no discrepancy?”
Retze said, his expression slightly grim.
“To consume means there’s a desire for assimilation, doesn’t it?”
The butler maintained a calm smile, showing no change in expression.
“Exactly. Well, if the master is killed, the other two Heroes will surely do something about the doll. Until then, it’s crucial that the model doesn’t realize it’s you.”
“By the way, I heard that the Heroes’ dolls are protected by the Heroes themselves?”
“Oh, they’re the vessels of those who have dedicated their abilities to their beloved ones, right? Moreover, the doll itself continuously absorbs Black Spirits, shaking and amplifying the negative emotions of those nearby. The owner’s obsession is quite intense!” Ah, so it’s the Heroes protecting the dolls, not the other way around.
I can’t even imagine my sister protecting me. There was a time I thought she might have made a doll, but according to the gods, what she desired was a follower sister. I still don’t understand why that follower sister would make a doll of me.
“Umm…”
Ash fidgeted.
“Gene, you’re quite popular, aren’t you? But Tina’s only rival is Ash, so that’s enough.”
Shiva leaned on her elbows, holding her cup with both hands, letting out a somewhat exaggerated sigh.
“Popular?”
“That doll you made was by a girl, right?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
What?
“You…”
“You’re so dense.”
“I feel a bit sorry for the doll-making Hero.”
The men looked at me in disbelief.
Shiva stared at me in silence.
“Uh, no. That Hero is a follower of my sister who confessed to me and later laughed, saying it was a prank. That can’t be right.”
I panicked under Shiva’s cold gaze. That icy stare!
“…That’s definitely not the case. And if she’s the first, does that mean there are more of those bad tastes out there?”
There are, Haulon-sensei. My sister, that wicked one, orchestrated it all. Haulon, being the Great Sage he is, can read between the lines without needing everything spelled out. Though he tends to shout for some reason.
“Not a chance.”
Thank goodness, Shiva’s gaze softened towards me.
“Without sincerely apologizing, you want Gene’s doll to… ? I don’t want someone like that to say they love Gene.”
Ash’s face turned frightening for the first time in a while. Haulon looked taken aback!
“Well, I think it’ll be fine, but just be careful not to get caught being here. If you get caught, it means Haulon’s watching over there, right?”
Retze said lightly, checking with Haulon.
“Eh! …Oh, it’s fine. I’ve sent in several Spirits that share senses, and I’m projecting from the ones I’ve kept close onto the crystal. I haven’t made any blunders that would reveal the contracted Spirits.”
Haulon may freeze up often, but he thaws out quickly. Especially when asked for a response.
“Because the doll is gathering Spirits to consume, it seems to have free access. They’re likely information-gathering agents from other countries, but there were clearly many Spirits that could be identified as contracted Spirits.”
It seems that well-off countries take measures to prevent any Spirits other than the permitted contracted ones from entering their castles. It’s an application of keeping the Black Spirits at bay, and since it consumes a tremendous amount of Magic Stones and Magic Power, it’s limited to countries with financial and human resources. Shulm has both, plus branches.
Since I’ve severed ties, I think it’ll be fine, but I can’t help but wonder what’s happening with my house, Kanum’s House, and the Island.
First, my house doesn’t allow any Spirits contracted with others to enter, so it’s safe. Kanum’s House (here) has requested the Spirits not to let others approach, so the only ones coming and going are those possessed by welcomed guests or Spirits born in Kanum’s House. That’s safe too.
As for the Island, I feel like Auro and Kiel are handling it somehow, but I’ll check later.
“By the way, this is the model of that suspiciously smiling doll, huh? That thing that seemed to be holed up in the bedroom half the time when I peeked in… When summoned, is there some sort of memory alteration going on?”
Haulon leaned back slightly, looking at me with a suspicious gaze.
The suspicion of alteration isn’t about me, it’s about the Ball of Light. —I feel like I shouldn’t say that, so I’ll keep quiet.
Also, why do I feel like I’m the one being pitied!