Chapter 446: Dinoss
“Actually, a little while ago…”
“Wait a second!”
Just as I was about to start my story, Dinoss interrupted me.
“Yeah?”
“…”
With his right hand raised toward me, he turned his head away and closed his eyes.
“…Alright, go ahead.”
After a deep breath, he crossed his arms, ready to listen.
Where should I begin? I’ve already reported about helping everyone in the Forest, and I’ve mentioned that I was hiding in another town with Haulon afterward. So, I guess I should start with what directly caused the situation.
“When I helped everyone in the Forest, I accidentally broke the contract with the lord’s daughter while getting rid of the Guild’s contract—”
“Wait. You already broke it?”
Dinoss cut me off.
“…”
I quietly waited.
“Yeah. The Guild’s contract is on a special paper, and a skilled practitioner has to inscribe a specific spell on it… Yeah, it’s pretty specialized, that’s right. —Alright, continue.”
He nodded to himself and urged me to go on.
“Note said the Guild’s contract was just blackened, but it seems the one with the lord was different and ended up exploding.”
“Well, if you unilaterally break it, that’s what happens. Especially with contracts that bind one party.”
Yeah, the Spirit mentioned something similar.
‘Contracts that are balanced, either equal or with compensation, don’t drain our power too much.’
Baylis said with a smile.
“…”
Karn glanced at Baylis and then back at me, remaining silent.
Karn usually travels around Nakahara and other countries using Haulon’s Teleportation. While he was trapped in the Temple, he’s been learning about the changes in the world.
So far, while some advancements have been made in food and clothing, it seems that in some countries, the cultural level is lower than that of Karn’s Country.
Since I borrowed Haulon, he’s currently on break. When I suggested I could move in his place, he refused, saying, “You should stay away from conflict.” Karn is half-Spirit and has a strong connection to me, so he probably knows that the Spirits are influenced by my emotions.
Actually, it seems like Karn himself is a bit affected too. Sorry about that!
“So, I was pretty angry too, so I went to the Fortress City and asked the Spirits to cause some trouble.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s surprising that a little trouble calmed you down.”
Dinoss seemed somewhat relieved.
“As a result, when the contract exploded at the lord’s house, it seems the Spirits didn’t help with the firefighting at all, and the lord and his family were carried off to the Temple.”
Except for the hostage sister, the whole family seems to have been taken.
“Hmph. Even if you repel Spirits with traces of magic or humans, you can’t repel the ones that are naturally present.”
Dinoss muttered.
Ah, so the lord’s mansion has some measures against Spirits. I just realized that.
“I should mention, you need to be aware of the influence you have on Spirits, alright? —So?”
“That’s all.”
There shouldn’t be any progress for now.
I’ve already told the Spirits in the Temple to act freely since what I asked for is done. However, there are no Zabuton cushions around, and preparing for recovery will likely take time and money.
And I realized something. Dinoss was quietly angry about the situation everyone faced, right? That’s why he’s being lenient about what I did in my anger.
“Haah… If you’re going to break someone’s contract, you should investigate the background first and do it carefully so it doesn’t get noticed, alright? Unilaterally breaking it based on one side’s situation isn’t smart. If they find out what you can do, you could end up being tricked into committing a crime or forced to help break a contract between countries. It’s nothing but trouble.”
I let out a long sigh and picked up the wine glass that I had set aside.
I felt like they were expecting something much worse!
“Isn’t it scary that the Spirits around you are influenced by your emotions?”
“Is it scary that I’m holding a sword?”
“No?”
It’s a Spirit Sword I made. I’ve changed the scabbard to be much more understated since then.
“Is it scary when a madman holds a knife? —But you’re strong, so…”
“That’s scary.”
I wouldn’t feel nervous if Dinoss had children around him with a sword, but I’d panic if there were kids near a madman.
“I’m more scared of a madman having a Spirit.”
Dinoss ruffled my hair with one hand.
“I know that the Spirits take your thoughts into account from your training in magic and what happened in the Labyrinth. Generally, I also don’t let Spirits approach me. By the way, if they were to face death and you didn’t get angry, that would be even scarier.”
He patted my head, signaling the end of that topic.
“The people around you have a broad mindset. They get along with me just fine.”
Karn said.
“Yeah! I’d love to say that with pride, but it’s hard on my heart, and I can’t help but feel half in tears or shout. Besides, it’s just a matter of personal preference. I actually like you and this guy quite a bit.”
I laughed, placing an oyster on the baguette and taking a bite.
“Thanks.”
I felt a mix of happiness and embarrassment.
Dinoss chuckled softly, while Karn smiled silently. Baylis was grinning widely.