Chapter 398: Don’t Mix In
So, what should I do about the ebony in Wanwan’s hut? I think ebony is from warmer places, so it might not be found near the Northern Lake. But then again, since there were also kaede and shitan, maybe it does exist here.
Could it be that this area used to be warm too? There was the Era of Fire, after all, so it’s possible. That lake might be a storage box for all the trees managed by the Dogu.
I prepared some soil for the Dogu and used 【転移】 to head to the Northern Lands. Suddenly, it was cool.
—Ebony is supposed to be jet black with some striped patterns. It’s definitely the jet black type, right? Wanwan is jet black too. For me, it gives off an impression of piano keys, chess pieces, and Buddhist altars.
While thinking this, I began naming the nearby Spirits. I needed them to create an air layer so I could dive into the lake. As I was naming them, the Spirits I had named before gathered around. I shared a bit of my magic power and asked about the situation in the area.
The little Spirits chattered excitedly, and I picked out words that seemed significant. Some couldn’t speak, but the Spirits communicated among themselves.
“The evenings are getting longer~”
“There are lots of days when the sun is out all the time!”
“It’s bright even after the sun sets!”
“The Light Spirits have increased~”
Aside from the Light Spirits, I figured the others were talking about the white nights. Do Spirits really change the tilt of the earth’s axis?
“Are there days when it’s night all day?”
Is there also the polar night?
“I don’t know~”
“I’ve never seen it~”
“The big rock uncle said it used to be dark back then~”
Oh? It seems there was a time when the Dark Spirits were dominant.
“Next time, take me to the big rock uncle.”
It seems the big rock uncle is an old Spirit, so I want to ask him a lot of things.
“Okay!”
“I’ll meet the uncle~”
“Let’s go~”
The little Spirits began to move in unison, performing flips and gliding through the air.
“Wait, not now, not now!”
I panicked, but it was already too late. Well, I can always go to the lake later.
I chased after the Spirits.
No, wait, this is impossible. My abilities should be quite high, but they’re so fast! The Cold Wind Spirit and the Gale Spirit were carrying the other Spirits on the wind.
“Please move at the same speed as them.”
I asked the Atmosphere Spirit and the Wind Spirit, who were surrounding me, to carry me along as well.
“Wait a minute! I’ve ended up at the sea! Kokuzan!? The big rock uncle is at Kokuzan?”
I’ve heard there are enemies that don’t follow the laws of physics!
“Sorry, please provide some defense too.”
I asked the Spirits following me and increased the number of surrounding Spirits.
Taking advantage of being carried, I hurriedly named the surrounding Spirits. Since there were un-named Spirits following me, those that approached must have some interest in me, making the contracts go smoothly.
Kokuzan, as its name suggests, has a dark and imposing presence. Its misty peaks, sharp like swords, gathered together, trying to slice through the sky.
From the Northern Lands, Kokuzan is unwelcoming, giving off an aura as if it harbors something otherworldly. Now that I’ve crossed the sea and reached the foothills, it’s too close to see clearly.
The Demon Beasts wandering along the coast were kept at bay by the wind surrounding me, while the Light Spirits and Twinkling Light Spirits obliterated them. There are so many Light Spirits, and I have quite a number of contracted Spirits myself.
There weren’t many large trees in the Northern Lands, but here, there are trees with black trunks resembling cedar. Wasn’t there a limit to the tree species in the north, or is this black cedar something special?
—Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be pine. Yeah, the 【鑑定】 result confirmed it was pine. “Said to be the beloved child of the Black Ink Spirit.” What does that even mean? Who decided that only humans could be the beloved children of Spirits? I wonder if plants count too?
As I plunged into the pine forest, I continued naming the Spirits. Pinecone Spirit, Leaf Rubbing Spirit, Pine Wind Spirit, Fallen Leaf Spirit, Pebble Spirit—there were many of the same Spirits.
To my eyes, it seemed like a rather unusual place, but judging by the Spirits’ behavior, it appeared to be a rich land. Humans would likely find it hard to live here.
I had imagined there would be a swarm of Black Spirits, but so far, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“……”
Huh? Something’s off…
“Wait, you can’t be here!? This is bad, isn’t it!? If you could contract so easily, that would be a problem, wouldn’t it!?”
A Kokuzan Spirit had casually mixed in.
Wait, wait, the main body has arrived!! And why is it so small!? Oh, so the Kokuzan itself is the main body? Yeah, that little one must have adjusted to the size of the most common Spirits when exploring the forest.
Surprisingly friendly, but is this okay? According to what I heard from the Northern people, wasn’t Kokuzan a place you couldn’t return from? Isn’t that strange?
“We’ve arrived~”
“Big rock uncle~”
“Here we are~”
The big rock uncle, known as “Makivi.” A large, rounded rock protruding from the ground, swaying gently as I looked up at it.
Should I listen to stories from both Kokuzan and the big rock uncle?