Chapter 496: Seikai
So, I’ve entered into a contract, and now an unfamiliar Spirit has appeared. Is this a first for me? Maybe it’s because Soleil added a bunch of stuff to the contract.
This is the Sea God, worshipped alongside the God of Commerce in Naruadeid, right? A muscular man with a beard, riding a dolphin, and wearing nothing but a loincloth. He looks like the sculpture of Poseidon in the center of the Trevi Fountain. Now that I think about it, that was Poseidon too.
It smells like trouble, so can we just switch this to a butler-style contract? But since he’s already here, I guess that’s a no-go.
“At last, we meet, Central Spirit King.”
And he doesn’t disappear!
And the dolphin is talking!
And the Spirit King is here!
“Captain, you were the Spirit King!?”
He’s not just some brown creature.
Since he’s called Central, does that mean there are others above, below, right, left, and in all directions? Are there several of them?
“That’s impossible! I’m just an ordinary guy. I know a couple of Spirits, but that’s it! They might be a bit unusual, but they’re still fine sea folk!”
“Aren’t you the type who doesn’t realize it!?”
Captain Cat has a lot of points to poke at, and with the way he looks, I always thought he was something special, even if he is a cat.
And it seems Seikai can hear me after all.
“Generally, a Spirit King is one who produces multiple God-class Spirits and has them as retainers—”
Captain Cat continues to explain.
“Hm?”
Something from the Poseidon part is poking at me.
When I look up, it lightly taps my shoulder twice and nods.
“Central Spirit King, at last, we meet?”
Then the dolphin part speaks to me.
“Me!?”
“You’re the type who doesn’t realize it!”
I get the same response back from Captain Cat.
“Wait, I’m human…”
At least, I think I am!
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re human or Spirit. What matters is whether you command powerful Spirits and retainers.”
The dolphin says.
“Ugh…”
I might have some idea about that. Es, Kokuzan-chan, and, well, recently it’s been a lot.
“Central Spirit King, I have a request.”
“What is it? If it’s about a contract, I’m all set.”
If I were to enter a contract with a Sea God, I feel like it would drain my magic power significantly, so let’s wait until I’m a bit stronger.
“…”
Captain Cat’s silent gaze is piercing.
“A Spirit from the Era of Fire has awakened within me and is producing retainers. I need you to soothe that Spirit and bring it out. It’s making my stomach feel uneasy.”
Am I asking the wrong person for this? Isn’t this the Hero’s job? Oh wait, I’m the one asking to keep it from coming here.
Inside my body… and in my stomach, which feels like it’s underwater, right? Can we stop assuming I can just waltz in there? I could manage it with the steps I took to dive into the northern lake, but…
Also, I’m not too keen on the idea of going into a stomach that’s feeling uneasy.
“The Spirits of the land are starting to have trouble as well. The Water Spirits that should be embracing that land every year are falling to the west of here.”
The dolphin glances at Captain Cat and the others.
The woman is still lying on the bed, and the big man is still kneeling on the floor.
“I see, that’s why Marina and Talia, and the western part of the inland sea are drying up.”
Captain Cat says, furrowing his brow.
“Ah, I get it.”
And the outer sea is getting rain, huh?
“My stomach seems to be displeased, and it’s actively expelling my retainers. If you bring them to land, they’ll settle down a bit. It’ll be a temporary inconvenience for me, but some of them won’t last that long.”
“I’ll give it a shot, but since I don’t know what I’m dealing with, I can’t promise what I’ll do. Is that okay?”
The Poseidon part places a hand on my shoulder again and nods slowly. What kind of Spirit is Seikai? Is the dolphin part in charge of talking while the Poseidon part handles gestures?
“That’s fine.”
“Oh, can you protect me on the way back until we reach the inland sea?”
“I’ll take it on.”
It’s a loose agreement, but at least we’ve come to terms.
“I’ll send the Spirits to inform you about the location once we return to the inland sea. So, I’m counting on you.”
With that, Seikai vanished.
“…I’ve gotten caught up in a heavy contract with the Spirit King and Sea God Seikai.”
After a moment of silence, Captain Cat taps the contract with his paw.
“For now, let’s keep it simple: transporting Mail Wheat and keeping my business to ourselves, so please keep it casual.”
“What makes you think I can keep it casual?”
Captain Cat gives me a half-lidded stare.
I think the big man could get up from the floor by now, but is he still sleeping? He seems to be trembling a bit, but that’s just my imagination, right?
“Well, whatever. I’ll just do my job. How much Mail Wheat do we have?”
“About ten shiploads.”
That’s just an estimate.
“…”
Captain Cat sits in silence, forming a cat’s cradle.
“How many trips are you planning to make?”
“Just one should be fine. If I have proof that I transported it, I can probably fudge the amount a little.”
“You think you can fudge it!!! It’s not just double, it’s way more than that!!!!”
I’ve been scolded by Captain Cat.
He says he’ll reach out to other trustworthy ships. Since Seikai might show up, the contract will be settled between Captain Cat and the captain, while I’ll stay out of sight.