Chapter 414: Grandfather Paorul
I can’t help but wonder if Orlando can hear the whispers of the Spirits. I’m saying it all in one breath, but since it’s in my head, it doesn’t feel suffocating.
“This is an order from Marina, the homeland of Naruadeid. We have a reservation for twelve Spirit Lamps, but only one can be made each month, so we’re booked for three years in advance,” Grandfather chuckles wryly.
“As Lord Kiel suggested, it was wise to proceed as such,” Orlando adds with a subtle smile.
The Magic Circle used for the Spirit Lamps is said to require a thirty-day prayer to the Island’s Spirit before it can be activated.
When we started selling the Spirit Lamps, Kiel warned, “They’ll try to take advantage of you.” Even with the limit of one per month, there are plenty of people who will insist on bending the rules, and if it turns out we can make them faster, they’ll swarm us just as Kiel predicted.
By the way, there’s no truth to the rumor that we’re praying to Haniwa. If we did, I feel like we’d end up with a disco ball instead.
“I never thought they would actually believe it was some kind of secret technique,” Grandfather says, looking a bit embarrassed.
“No one can confirm when or how the prayers to the Spirit are being made,” Orlando adds with a slightly exasperated smile.
According to the rumors, the strange sounds heard from midnight to dawn—no, not strange cries, but the murmurs of the Spirits—are supposedly proof that secret techniques are being performed. I can’t stress this enough: that’s not true. If we did something like that, we’d definitely end up with laser lights instead.
Grandfather has done nothing for twenty-nine of those thirty days. People around us are mistakenly thinking something incredible is happening.
“Impressive, Kiel’s wild intuition,” I say, twirling a coin that resembles a slightly larger 500-yen piece, which serves as a sample of the Magic Circle that gathers the Light Spirits.
“Nii-sama, Lord Kiel is indeed exceptional… though he does have quite the appetite,” Orlando remarks.
“Quite the appetite?”
“More like a huge one.”
When I questioned Grandfather, he corrected himself.
The coin has a small wolf in the center of a pattern that looks like a Magic Circle on one side, while the other side features a circuit that draws Magic Power from a Magic Stone. The crucial Magic Circle for gathering the Light Spirits is hidden between the two coins.
Once the coins are perfectly combined, separating them will always damage the Magic Circle, making it unrecognizable. It’s designed to break upon opening. Once combined, it can never be opened again.
As for me, I want the Spirit Lamps, which embody both Spirits and material, to spread, so I wouldn’t mind if others tried to replicate them.
According to Auro, “The more you hide something, the more people want to know.” Soleil says, “If the real thing isn’t circulating, they won’t know the difference from the inferior products.”
Thus, we’ve decided to keep it a secret for a few years. Soleil is eager to profit during that time. The price of the Spirit Lamps is astonishing.
“Once they gain a bit more experience, those three should be able to draw a Magic Circle that absorbs Magic Power from a Magic Stone,” Grandfather shares his vision for the future.
“It’s good to see that talent is steadily developing. How are things going for the two of you? Is Hani… the Spirit causing any trouble?” I think the black and white mistletoe is calm, but that one in the middle…
“The Island’s Spirit has quite the presence, I believe,” Grandfather says with a smile, while Orlando looks a bit pale beside him.
Yeah, having just a presence can be troublesome.
“Even in this invisible form, I feel closer to the Spirits than ever before,” Grandfather says, looking genuinely happy. It was worth bringing him here.
“Lord Haynes… the Spirit here is definitely something physical…” I catch Orlando’s quiet murmur, but I choose to ignore it for now.
“Life here is more than satisfactory. Even when I was in Anoma, thanks to the proximity to the Demon Forest, I thought our diet was quite good. That’s true even in Naruadeid, where goods gather from all over. But this Island is exceptional,” Grandfather states.
It sounds like the talk of a gluttonous old man, but I know these two usually eat simple meals. However, they tend to eat well in front of others. Perhaps it’s a promotional effort for the Island’s vegetables.
When important people eat, others will want to try things they’ve never seen before. When I first guided them around the Island, they ate so deliciously that it’s clear they’re not stubbornly sticking to simple meals.
In this world, there are only a few regions where food is plentiful, let alone delicious. Nakahara has been ravaged by war, and just a slightly early winter can lead to mass starvation. Outside of Es, there are hardly any people.
“Potatoes that grow in cold regions and can be stored. Tomatoes that survived this drought. I hope the crops here spread quickly,” Grandfather quietly bows his head to me, and Orlando follows suit.
“No, I just want to be able to enjoy delicious food everywhere,” I say, hoping he doesn’t suddenly get serious.
It’s hard to steer the conversation back to the Spirits.