Chapter 526: The Land of Uma
Yesterday, I finished checking the island and the fields, and today, I’m resuming my adventure eastward. I’ve informed Haulon that the Mail Wheat has arrived, and I’ve packed my lunch, so I’m all set!
After some encounters in Mail and getting tangled up with Seikai, I was on my way along the coastline heading east.
For now, Chris’s statue is safely tucked away in my “Storage.” It’s made from crushed gold armor (I assume), so it’s not life-sized, but more like a quarter-scale version of Chris. Naturally, the gold armor is hollow, so it can’t be worn by anyone. Still, it feels like it weighs over 40 kilograms. Soleil is surprisingly strong, huh?
Lost in thought, I used Teleportation to reach the Land of Mail. From here, I Teleported as close as I could to the location marked on the map given to me by the Gods. The human-made map of Naruadeid is incomplete, but it seems like there are a few more destinations ahead.
Comparing it to my map, the shapes of the land are already quite different. Since this is based on the area I’ve been able to explore, there might be more detailed maps out there.
I follow the coastline while traversing the land. It wouldn’t do for the map to be filled with water, so I want to display as much land as possible. Naming the Spirits and watching the land appear on the map is enjoyable. Sometimes I mess up and the coastline doesn’t show up, forcing me to backtrack, but that’s fine too!
The place I’m in now is covered in rocks, with a thin layer of finely crumbled stone on top, and a lot of shallow-rooted grass growing among them.
Due to the dryness and the mix of withered grass, it doesn’t have that vibrant green look, but it reminds me of the paths in Japan during autumn transitioning to winter. It’s hot, though.
There’s no sign of people around, but instead, there are rock Spirits and horses. Yes, there’s quite a herd of horses here. They’re not like thoroughbreds; they’re a bit stockier. They look somewhat muscular, but they’re strong and fast.
“Why are there so many horses here?” I ask the named Spirits. Or is it just that I don’t know what wild horses are like?
“Horses are good creatures. That’s why Spirits help them,” one replies.
“Humans once offered branches to the Horse King to wish for prosperity. Humans have perished, and the branches have decayed, but a little of the pact with the rock Spirits remains,” another adds.
“Even without the pact, horses are still good creatures,” says another.
Alright, I think I’ll have Himalaya Curry for lunch today. Should I go with cheese naan… or maybe just regular? I’ll save the cheese naan for a snack later.
But wait, that’s not what I meant.
“Humans offered branches to the horses?”
“Yes! They loved horses so much, despite being humans,” one Spirit explains.
“That’s what I heard,” another chimes in.
“There used to be many humans here,” adds another.
“If you want to know more, you should ask the Spirit of the house where there are no humans,” they all say in unison.
The smooth communication might be because this land was once populated by many people. It must have flourished during the era of the rock or boulder civilization, right?
The Spirits, clad in olive-colored garments, sway gently in the wind. They’re probably the Spirits of this grassland. The grass is being nibbled by the horses, but they seem happy. The horses roam freely, enjoying their time.
Should I bring Ruta along? Nah, he might start a fight.
“Thank you! Can you tell me where your house is?” I ask.
“We can’t get close. It’s over there,” the Spirits point inland.
“Um, is it a scary Spirit that you can’t approach?”
“Yes! It’s pitch black!”
“It might eat you!”
…
Could you not recommend meeting the Black Spirit!?
Spirits can be so unpredictable.
“Is that the only Spirit you know about?”
“The one who knows more is the Spirit of the house where there are no humans.”
“It has seen everything.”
A house with no humans… a ruin? I get the feeling that a powerful Spirit has turned into a Black Spirit over time. Could it be the ruins of a city where humans once lived, or perhaps the ruins of a castle?
If it’s just an ordinary house, it wouldn’t be able to maintain its power as it decays. It might be a strong Black Spirit that has taken residence in the ruins. But if it has seen everything, does that mean it was originally there?
I want bamboo, but I’m not in a hurry, so I’ll stop by for a bit. The story of the humans who wished for the horses’ prosperity piques my interest.
But first, I need to find a safe spot for my curry!