Chapter 385: The Two Whirlpools
“The Moon Mountain Range, huh?” Karn said.
Before us lay two lakes: a long, narrow one that resembled a river swollen with color, and a large, round one. Behind them stood a desolate expanse of stone and dry earth, devoid of greenery.
“Moon?” It was hard to believe these mountains could be likened to the moon. Wait, does the moon’s surface look like that?
“When the moon rises at night, the entire white mountain glows white,” he explained.
“Oh?” So, the true beauty of those mountains reveals itself at night. I’ll have to come back and see.
The large lake was black. This must be the water that brings fertile land to Es; the blackness indicates nutrient-rich soil.
The long, narrow lake was milky white. This is it—milk, abundant in volume.
From the large lake, water cascaded down like a piece of a round plate that had been chipped away, and similarly, a waterfall poured from the long lake.
In the pool where the two waterfalls converged, two large whirlpools appeared and vanished. Sprites born from the splashes of the waterfalls—spirits of water currents, spirits of wind pressure—swirled within the whirlpools, only to dissolve back into the water.
By the way, it seems there’s no Cinnamon around.
“Rejoice! This is the land where the goddess Es is born!” Wanwan proclaimed proudly.
At that moment, as if the two whirlpools had gathered together, a great column of water erupted, and from within it, Es appeared.
“Wanwan, what’s all this commotion? —Oh, a human who can hear our words. What brings you here?” Es’s gaze shifted from Wanwan to me.
“Wanwan…”
“Goddess Es…”
A whispering murmur echoed, almost like a groan.
“Well, I just came to sightsee at the birthplace of Es. No, I had some business too.”
“What kind of business?”
“An announcement? The current Hero has begun capturing spirits, and he possesses the ability of Domination. He’s still moving on another continent, but there’s a chance he might come this way, so it’s best to stay alert.”
If I told Es, it would likely reach most of the spirits in this land.
“A Hero is no match for this Wanwan…!”
“Not only have you connected the realms, but you’ve also invited an outsider. Humans and spirits are as reckless as ever. If you skew the Spirit’s Power, it may be fine for a time, but it will become a harsh place for living beings.”
Ignoring Wanwan’s words, Es frowned slightly.
Tilting towards fire, leaning towards wind, and now light. What kind of environment will it turn into? A hell of scorching sunlight, perhaps?
“I’m also an outsider who got caught up with the Hero and ended up here.”
“What!?”
“Yet I don’t feel any skewing…”
Es tilted her head at Wanwan, who was brimming with emotion.
“The god who provides my protection isn’t the one who summoned me. I asked all the gathered gods to cancel each other out, so my protection isn’t just from one. Plus, I haven’t been picky about the contracted spirits.”
In terms of governing attributes, I’ve chosen to ignore the suspicious ones based on personality.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
Wanwan and Es echoed each other, perfectly in sync.
“That being said, I also possess a power, and it’s Liberation against the Hero’s Domination. If a Hero comes this way and spirits are fleeing in panic, just call for me, and I’ll come to provide Liberation.”
“Could it be that my foolish brother’s stubbornness has improved thanks to that!?”
“Is this Wanwan’s excitement also due to Liberation…?”
He was excited!?
“Asas is to be enshrined in the Underground Temple, and once a town is established, a temple will be built above ground. There’s no town or village nearby, so I think it’ll be fine, but it would help if you could meander gently to avoid any impact.”
“You needn’t worry about that.”
Oh, that’s a relief.
“Thank you, I feel reassured. Can I eat while I gaze at this place?”
“Go ahead, strange human.”
With that, Es vanished.
The moment she disappeared, the water column lost its form and returned to the pool.
“Well then, that’s the end of the discussion. Let’s eat.”
When I turned around, everyone except Wanwan and Retze was holding their heads in disbelief.
“You…”
Karn was at a loss for words.
“You really can use the spirit language as fluently as your native tongue…”
“I’m just surprised that Es actually appeared.”
Haulon and Dinoss chimed in.
“I feel like I’ve seen a lifetime’s worth of spirits today,” Retze sighed.
But wait, isn’t this only the second one? Huh? Do I count the bagged Asas too? Well, whatever.
“Alright, lunch, lunch!”
I spread a sheet in the shade of the rocks, where the waterfall’s spray was pleasantly cool. Perfect, this spot is nice and refreshing.
“Stop ignoring the three’s plight and start setting up the place!”
“Even so, I’m getting hungry—”
“Indeed, human. I too have longed to taste human food once more.”
“—Es is saying the same thing.”
Before I knew it, Es, who had just vanished, was sitting on the sheet I had spread.
“Dining with the beautiful Es…! It’s been ages since our last feast!”
Wanwan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Es just pulled a fast one on us.