Chapter 403: Disturbing the Neighbors
“…Such things do happen,” the butler smoothly brushed aside the exaggerated—no, perhaps it was just straightforward?—tale told by Dinoss and Haulon about their experiences in Es.
“How can you say that?!” Dinoss shouted, springing to his feet.
“Please stop causing a disturbance! One side belongs to Dinoss’s family, but the other is a stranger’s house,” I thought.
“Haralfa and Mishto,” the butler said to Dinoss, his voice calm and steady.
“…Huh?” Dinoss paused, leaning slightly forward over the table, his movements halted as he focused on the butler.
“In the Fortress City, two gods appeared at once. The first I laid eyes upon was Green God Kadal…” The butler spoke with a hint of resignation in his smile.
“Ugh…” Dinoss faltered.
“I was somewhat surprised by the change in the river’s course, but at this point, being told that a foreign god has appeared lacks impact,” the butler continued, looking somewhat forlorn. Is he tired?
Dinoss, who had been frozen in place, slumped back down into his chair, resting his forehead on his hands, elbows on the table, and fell silent.
“Come on, don’t let him win the argument! Green God Kadal has lost a lot of power since the Era of Wind. With the ongoing chaos in Nakahara, the order is in shambles, too! Haralfa and Mishto are gods whose names only started appearing during the Era of Fire, right? Don’t compare them to the ancient gods!” Haulon interjected.
“Eh? Aren’t the gods of Es weakened by desertification?” Didn’t someone mention that before?
“Well, yes, the God of Fertility Asas and the Spirit Skos that adorn the Es River are, but what kind of influence has the goddess Es experienced?” Haulon shot a glare in my direction.
“Um, maybe the river’s course has changed?” I suggested, feeling like I might have restored it this time, but it had indeed changed before.
“To some extent, yes. But it doesn’t change the fact that it has always been there since ancient times,” he replied.
“Isn’t Kadal unchanged, too?” I pointed out. Sure, he had lost some of his power in the eastern regions, but the forest has always remained.
“The Green God can expand his range of influence, but he cannot wield such overwhelming power. The green is cyclical, after all. I don’t know how long Green God Kadal has existed,” Haulon explained.
Ah, I see. It seems a new category has formed in my understanding of spirits: “increasing” and “inheriting.”
“Even if the gods of Es were to come here, it would be difficult for them to exert their full power,” the butler remarked, glancing at the sand-filled pendant hanging around Karn’s neck. It was the resting place of the Desert God Baylis.
Karn, indifferent, continued sipping his wine.
“Regardless, Es is outside the range of influence,” the butler said, returning his gaze with a cheerful smile.
“I’m within the range…” Haulon replied, sounding somewhat disheartened.
“So, what’s the strongest spirit like?” I asked Haulon.
“It depends on the type of strength, but it would be the Primordial Gods,” he answered.
“Primordial?”
“They are said to be the spirits of the sea, earth, light, and darkness. Next come fire, wind, and clouds. If we’re talking about spirits that have a strong influence on living beings, then there are the spirits of joy and anger that govern emotions, as well as the spirits of breath and sleep that are directly connected to life,” Haulon explained, counting off on his fingers.
I’ve met the Spirit of Sleep before. But now that I think about it, the jungle spirits were small yet mysterious, and they scared me quite a bit. As Haulon said, there must be different types of strength.
Moreover, most spirits referred to as gods are beyond the reach of humans. Well, it’s not like we challenge them to battle. The spirits nearby are more like helpful presences in our daily lives.
“In terms of age, Es is probably just after the Primordial Spirits?” I ventured.
“That’s right. Spirits that are embodiments of nature, like mountains and rivers, have existed since before humans appeared and are often referred to as ancient spirits. Here, that would include the goddess of the Ranau River or the spirits of the Glaiye Mountain Range—Kokuzan’s spirits are particularly active and almost always influence any humans that enter their territory,” Haulon elaborated.
“That’s rare for mountain spirits. I have some painful memories from that place,” Dinoss chimed in.
“That area is quite special,” the butler noted.
“They said it’s a place like the Spirit Path, a ‘Awa’i’ zone,” I added. Kokuzan’s territory, or rather, the entire mountain, has become a mixed ‘Awa’i’ zone where the Spirit Realm and Material Realm intertwine, making it quite challenging to reach anywhere in the Material Realm.
“…Who said that?” Retze, who had been quietly drinking, suddenly asked.
“Kokuzan-chan. She doesn’t like humans much and, to avoid trouble, she just tosses them into the ‘Awa’i’ zone,” I replied.
“Hmm? Sounds just like the rumors. Even if she’s a spirit contracted with Jean, I wouldn’t want to get too close,” he said, taking a bite of a cheese-filled fish cake.
“—Contract.”
“Contract…” both Haulon and Dinoss echoed.
“Retze-sama…?” The butler called Retze’s name in a smaller voice than usual.
“Based on your previous actions and the flow of the conversation, it’s highly likely you have a contract, right? What is this?”
“Fish paste stuffed with cheese,” I replied, realizing I had mixed in some cheese fish cakes as snacks.
“Retze, I understand why you’re calm since you can’t see spirits, but what’s with your lack of surprise compared to Note? Normally, someone who can’t see would be shocked by even a little spirit assistance, right?!”
Dinoss and Haulon pressed Retze, half in tears.
Watching them, I sipped my post-meal tea. Go ahead, cry and shout! It’s fine; I had the Spirit of Sound ensure that our voices wouldn’t carry to the neighbors. The disturbance has already been avoided!