Chapter 166 - Interlude: A Look Back at the World (Part 2)
This is the last of the summary chapters. I wanted to get through it quickly, but it ended up being too long. The new arc begins next time.
"I'd like to hear what the other transferrers have to say, too."
"Though I'd rather not get attacked again," Mizuki added with a nod.
The transferrers summoned by the Fifty Gods attack those summoned by the Five Goddesses to have their wishes granted. Ito, whom we met in Richelle, was one of them. She probably won't be coming after us anymore. She should be with Riley, but I have no idea where they are now.
Then there were Mii and Kei in Nielen. They should have been tried and executed by now. And Isaac, who stole Uta's mirror. He's a clear enemy. He likely has more information than we do, and we're currently trying to track him down. It was Takemura and Komachi, the pirates we fought, who told us Isaac has a partner named Barbaros, who was the captain of a privateer ship hired by the Demon Kingdom.
We fought those two, but it was purely due to a conflict of interest. They didn't seem to have the kind of desperate wish that would make them kill us. For now, they're being held as pirates in a Heilong prison. The plan is to have them released when we head for Migul, and they're supposed to accompany our caravan.
And finally, Joe and Becky. We fought alongside them to take down the pirates, but the whole ordeal ended up breeding distrust between us. They probably don't have the best impression of us after the dispute over the reward distribution. Still, we haven't become open enemies. We parted ways in this city, and I don't know where they went.
All transferrers, whether summoned by the Fifty Gods or the Five Goddesses, are given the same three special skills. I have to believe that unless someone has a wish they're willing to die for, they won't go out of their way to attack us.
"And then there's Yuuki," Maira said. He killed Ito's partner and some of Hyakka's companions. He's undefeated in fights between transferrers. It's safe to assume he's incredibly strong. If we ever meet him, a fight is highly likely.
If he's attacking other transferrers for a specific reason, I admit I want to meet him for the information he might have. But if he's some battle-crazed sadist who can't be reasoned with, I'd rather we never cross paths.
He's a man in his twenties. And he has the same name as the guy Mizuki was on a date with and texting back in our world.
Fam's gaze and mine both turned to Mizuki. She just looked back, puzzled. She has no idea that Fam and I accidentally saw her messages.
"Wh-what?" Mizuki asked. I wonder how she would act if that Yuuki turned out to be the same guy.
"Master," Fam said, seemingly trying to change the subject. "A while ago, Maira told us about the legend of Okita Soji."
Okita Soji is probably an alias. He seems to have lived in the same time period as Mizuki and me. He was transferred here around the time the current empire was founded. The story of his journey, especially his final moments, sounds less like Okita Soji and more like one of the great heroes of antiquity.
Legend says he used the Three Sacred Treasures, which means he was a transferrer summoned by Racshell.
After leading the dog-eared race to Migul, he fought a monster in the mountains where Fam's people lived, was wounded, and lost his life.
The monster was likely the guardian deity of Fam's village, the same one that placed the curse on her, causing her illness. The church's miraculous power is keeping her symptoms at bay for now, but it's only a temporary solution. To break this curse, we need to go to the Imperial Capital, which possesses a great miraculous power, or to the church in Migul.
Normally, this curse isn't fatal and should heal within a few years. It only worsened because her village was attacked and she was taken away from it. The attackers, the Crimson Brigade, are a group of mercenaries and thieves. They've been driven out of the empire and are said to be hiding somewhere in the mountains where she used to live. I can't let them live. But I can't ask her people to help me fight the Crimson Brigade.
"Master, please, think of me second."
As if reading my mind. Her intuition is as sharp as ever.
Reluctantly, I decided to put the matter of the Crimson Brigade on hold for now. The guardian deity seems to be a separate entity from the gods worshipped by the church—something like a local guardian spirit.
The dog-eared race's legends say Okita Soji fought the God of the End on their behalf. If you piece it all together, it means Fam's village guardian is the God of the End. And yet, the guardian appeared in Fam's dream and told her to "Slay the God of the End."
Is it telling her to slay itself, or are we missing a piece of information that would resolve this contradiction?
"Could the sword Okita Soji left in Migul and the one Uta was holding be one and the same?"
"...Now that you mention it." It's possible the sword made its way from Migul into her hands.
I took the sword Uta had been clutching out of my storage. In the myths of my world, it would be called a Totsuka Sword.
When I first got it, I thought it was the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi—the Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven. But since the Three Sacred Treasures are special skills, I've since ruled that out.
None of us can read the inscription carved into the blade. If we could decipher it, we might learn something.
"I guess I'll have to ask someone in one of the ruling houses when we get to Migul…" If it's a noble from one of the city's four great families, they might know something about Okita Soji's sword. We might even get a lead on the Three Sacred Treasures.
"In the end, what does Racshell even want?" Mizuki asked.
"During the war of the gods, she tried to stop the Fifty Gods and the God of the End. But now, the Fifty Gods are trying to stop what Racshell and the Five Goddesses are making the transferrers do. Besides, the Demon Kingdom didn't even exist in Okita Soji's time. What was he supposed to do?"
Her thoughts mirrored my own.
"Speaking of which, last night, didn't you say something to Racshell about her, me, and Uta being similar?"
"That's right, I remember now! I saw Racshell's boobs and everything else just slipped my mind."
"...Mash?" Mizuki's stare turned icy. I wanted to argue that it was the effect of Racshell's charm, but I held my tongue so we could move on.
"At that moment, I figured Racshell was planning to use a transferrer as a vessel to descend into this world. She replied, but I couldn't hear her. Fam, did you catch it?"
She shook her head. However, she recorded a video of it, so we should be able to check. I took out my smartphone.
I hit play. The part where Racshell replies was cut out, as if it had been neatly sliced away from the video.
"Cute," Lini muttered under her breath. I had no idea what she was talking about. If she meant me, I wanted to explain to her that it wasn't my fault, but Mizuki's. I'll just assume she meant Racshell. In ten years, she'll learn just how magnificent my... thing... is.
"Mash..."
And the one peering most intently at the video was Shizuka. Her expression was unusually serious.
"Did you notice something?"
She gave a deep nod in response to my question.
"Your way of leading into fellatio is terrible. You didn't even get it in the end. Even if you were going to force it, there are ways to make her accept it more naturally. I'll teach you."
"..." It was my mistake for asking her. Still, I'll have her teach me the proper way to lead into it later.
"But doesn't this mean you've hit on something vital?" Mizuki said, cutting off Shizuka's lecture. She was right. Racshell is under a constraint from the Fifty Gods that prevents her from telling us the truth. The only reason we couldn't hear her words was because I'd hit the nail on the head.
But when I accused her, she looked so pained. And she begged me to believe her. She's my girlfriend. I want to trust Racshell.
"Racshell is imprisoned, yet she never asks us to free her. That's strange, too," Mizuki said, her suspicion of Racshell growing deeper. Unlike me, she's still furious about being transferred to this world in the first place. I guess I can't blame her.
"Maybe we should look for a way to break the constraints on her."
"That would be best, but I hope it doesn't mean we have to fight all Fifty Gods."
"Including Racshell, the Fifty Gods can't directly interfere with this world. If we eliminated every last transferrer except for those of the Five Goddesses, completely cutting off their influence here, we might be able to talk to her using Goddess Summon."
"That's assuming the constraint isn't on her directly, right? Besides, can you even do that, Mash?"
Mizuki sighed. There's a big difference between fighting those who attack you and initiating the attack yourself. I don't have the stomach for it, and there's no way I could bring myself to fight Takemura or Joe's group again.
This thought must be shared by most of the transferrers summoned by the Fifty Gods, with a few exceptions. None of us have a strong enough motive to fight, so we have no desire to cross swords.
As I thought that, I recalled something I'd considered before. What if the Fifty Gods' only goal is to send transferrers to this world? What if transferrers possess some kind of power that sustains this world, or perhaps is meant to create something? The most likely explanation is that this power comes from being descendants of the prophet who built the Ark.
If that's the case, then the situation is that the Fifty Gods are trying to achieve something, and the Five Goddesses are trying to stop them. The gods are just making up convenient reasons to send transferrers here, which means all our struggles are ultimately meaningless.
Since we're on the topic, I decided to ask about something I've never quite understood.
"About magic... what exactly is it?"
"That's a difficult question, but magic is a new principle manifested by harnessing the power of mana that fills this world," Cecily began, saying something that sounded incredibly cool.
"You say it's the power of mana that fills the world, but when I use magic, it feels like I'm losing something from inside my own body."
"Some elves and monsters are said to be able to use the mana in the atmosphere directly, but in practice, you use the magic power that's been taken into your body, converted, and stored."
"Is that so..."
The maximum amount of stored magic power varies from person to person, and few are able to take on jobs like mage that allow them to use magic. When you use it all up, you have to wait for the mana from the atmosphere to replenish your internal magic power. I thought magic power was mental strength, but it seems that's not the case. However, a decrease in magic power does affect your physical condition. That intoxication I feel from the massive magic consumption when I summon Racshell is a prime example. And if you run out completely, you pass out.
I don't really get the concept of magic power. Using water magic, I fill an empty cup with water.
"The water magic you just used, and the sword attacks you use, Mash—they both use magic power."
"I hear that sometimes, but I'm not really conscious of it."
"You need an incantation to activate magic. I think the movements you make when you swing your sword are acting as that incantation."
"And here I thought it was just pure swordsmanship."
"Here's proof that your magic power is being consumed: look at your sword. Even after all your battles, clashing blade against blade, there isn't a single nick on it, is there?"
When Cecily pointed it out, I drew my katana, but I already knew it was flawless. I wanted to believe it was the result of correctly applying what I learned in kendo. I wanted to believe I had at least one talent that Mizuki and Fam didn't.
I wanted to believe it was unchipped because Aidan had forged it using magic seeds.
I think of the magic incantations Cecily mentioned as being like computer programs. There's the interpreter type, which executes commands sequentially, and the compiler type, which executes them all at once. My kendo forms would be the former. The water sphere I just made would be the latter. Both Cecily and I can use magic generated all at once. You can learn these spells by taking a magic-user job and leveling up. With those, you can use broad commands to make the spell bigger or more powerful, but you can't control the fine details. To get user-friendly magic that suits your needs, you have to learn to write your own incantations and build the spells yourself.
Cecily has hit that very wall, which is why she decided to go to a magic academy.
"Is the healing Maira and Aira use the same thing?"
"Our power, and the power of the church, is activated by receiving an incantation from God through prayer," Maira answered.
"...I see."
I said it, but I didn't understand a thing. For starters, she worships Racshell as the one true god. Let's say Maira prays, "I wish to heal this person. Please grant me the power to do so." And Racshell hears her and says, "Then please use this incantation." If that's really how it works, Racshell would be frantically busy. She wouldn't be living the leisurely life she appears to lead. I thought about saying that to Maira but decided against it, figuring it would make her incredibly sad.
Come to think of it, jobs are a strange concept too. My job is Adventurer, and I get certain buffs associated with it. As my level increases, I can use storage or magic. And the buffs get stronger, too. Is this also the power of mana?
"Jobs are also something granted by the gods," Maira added. That's right, Fam gained the Mibu-Rō job by praying in the room with the fresco of the Fifty Gods. Mizuki and I had ours granted by Racshell, but the residents of this world acquire their jobs the way Fam did.
"Speaking of which, crystal cores and magic seeds are sources of magic power too, right?"
Crystal cores are the power source for dungeons. No one knows why dungeons are created. They create alternate spaces called labyrinths and the monsters that inhabit them. Monsters on the surface can be either dungeon-derived or specific insects and animals that are simply called monsters. Goblins, for example, can be either. The ones that vanish when defeated are from dungeons. They sometimes leave items, and you can even get rare items from them. The ones that leave a corpse are creatures classified as monsters. I feel a slight twinge of guilt after killing the biological ones.
Dungeons have multiple floors, each protected by a monster called an Area Guardian. If you destroy the crystal core in the deepest part, the dungeon disappears.
It's said that monsters don't speak, but I believe the monsters in the deepest parts can. And I think the Area Guardians are often something with a connection to that specific land.
Actually, the very idea that monsters don't speak seems strange to me. For instance, goblins clearly communicate to launch organized attacks. They must have some means of conveying intent.
Crystal cores are also the source of the church's miraculous power and seem to be used for city and castle defense. During the pirate subjugation, Marmie and Cecily used the power of a crystal core to create a powerful defensive barrier. Mii, another transferrer, also had a special skill that utilized the power of a crystal core. They're like reservoirs of magic power.
Magic seeds seem to have a similar function. They don't have as much magic power as a crystal core, but if a person absorbs them, their abilities increase slightly. I had a dream of feeding a huge amount to Fam to turn her into an invincible dog-eared girl, but she refused. They're also highly rare and can be used as currency. Additionally, they can be used when crafting weapons and armor to create magic-infused gear. Although it's called magic-infused, it seems it actually consumes the user's magic power.
"Also, you can't use magic when you're thrown in jail, right?"
"Incantations can be created externally, not just within the body... though I can't do it myself."
Like a magic circle, maybe? And the power source would be a crystal core or magic seed.
"While we're at it, what's the difference between a freeman and a citizen?" Mizuki asked. Among us, Maira and Claire are citizens of Richelle. Me, Mizuki, and Shizuka, the transferrers, are freemen. Fam, Cecily, and Aira, who were freed from slavery, are also freemen. Lini is a citizen of Heilong.
"There are many differences, but citizens must abide by the city's laws. They can own land and buildings as assets. And they pay taxes. Freemen do not pay taxes. Although, there is a way to pay with blood by serving in the military."
"...Doesn't being a freeman sound better?" Maira replied.
"Freemen are charged a toll when entering a city. Citizens can generally pass through any city within the empire for free."
"I don't think I've ever paid that..." Mizuki said, looking worried.
"If you're registered as an adventurer, the Guild pays it for you in a lump sum."
"Oh, is that how it works?"
"Also, I mentioned obeying the law, but conversely, while freemen must follow the laws of the city they are staying in, they are not protected by them. If a dispute arises between a citizen and a freeman, the citizen is the one who will be protected. A freeman's claim might be heard in exceptional cases. The Guild may also offer protection in some instances."
I've been taking the Guild for granted, but it's a vital organization for freemen.
"Isn't that... scary?"
"It is. Unless you're an adventurer who travels between cities or a slave, most ordinary people become citizens."
Slaves are treated as property. They are the assets of their owner.
"How do you become one?"
It felt a bit like Maira was trying to recruit Mizuki.
"It is simple. You just have to pay taxes," Maira said with a gentle smile.
"So if I want to buy a house, I have to become a citizen?"
"That is correct. In my case, I can buy a house in the city of Richelle. If I wanted to build a house in Migul, I would need to change my affiliation to the city of Migul," Maira answered.
"Are you thinking of buying a house?" Mizuki asked me.
"Our numbers have grown. I was thinking it might be strange to keep staying in inns forever."
At my reply, Mizuki's eyes began to sparkle.
"Mash, I have a request."
"What is it?"
"I want to live in a house with a bath!"
Hearing her words, Claire put a finger to her chin, her wings fluttering.
"Got an idea?"
"Ah, well, I believe I could arrange a rental property for you, but since you mentioned wanting a bath..." Claire replied.
"How did you know Claire was thinking about something?" Mizuki asked.
"Lesser Winged People can express their emotions and even talk by flapping their wings."
"Really?"
Mizuki looked surprised.
"I can talk with my hands, too," I said, forming a dove with shadow puppets.
"...Is that a crab?"
"No, it's a dove!" I pressed my thumbs together and folded my other fingers, creating a more dove-like silhouette.
Mizuki gave me a skeptical, pitying look. The nerve of her. I'll show her just how amazing I am.
"Alright, Claire. I'm going to flap. Try to read it."
"Understood," Claire said with a serious expression, unlike Mizuki.
I flapped the wings of my shadow puppet.
"Y-o-u a-r-e..."
She missed the last letter, but it was a good start. I continued flapping.
"...an i-d-i-o-t... Mash, you did not have to go to the trouble of flapping that out..." Claire's shoulders slumped.
"N-no, that's not it. You're completely wrong. After the first word, only the first letter was right. I flapped five letters!"
"...Well, Mash does do childish things all the time..." Mizuki said, offering Claire some strange form of consolation.
"But, couldn't we use this as a secret code?"
"That's impossible."
"Why not?"
"Anyone who knows about Lesser Winged People can read it. Using wing-flapping as a secret code under the assumption it can't be read by a third party is the most dangerous thing you could do."
Codes have strengths. It's better to use them with the assumption that they will eventually be deciphered. In that sense, wing-flapping could be used as a code, but the time it takes to crack it is the issue. The time it takes a third party to decipher it is the code's effective lifespan. Depending on the content, you need to make it more advanced and complex. If you're using it for signals in combat, a minute is probably enough. For a confidential political document, you'd need a strength of several years, or even decades. In any case, something that could potentially be read instantly is out of the question.
"I guess you're right..." Mizuki nodded.
Sunlight was streaming through the window.
It seemed the rain had stopped.
I looked out the window and saw a rainbow hanging over the city wall.
I stretched as I gazed at it.
Soon, we'll head to Migul. We'll break Fam's curse. And we'll destroy the Crimson Brigade.
We'll solve the mystery of the Ark and search for the transferrers summoned by the Five Goddesses. We'll also need to investigate the Demon Lord.
I don't know where this path will lead.
But we have to break the ten-year yoke placed upon us.
"First, we must break Fam's curse. Then, to break the ten-year lifespan constraint on you and Mizuki, we need to find the otherworld heroes of the Five Goddesses to find hints and solve the mysteries surrounding the Ark. And finally, we must understand what Lady Racshell meant by 'Slay the Demon Lord,'" Maira said, summarizing everything.
"Yeah, that's about it."
I nodded, but I had no idea if the ten-year constraint, the search for the otherworld heroes, and the Ark's mystery were even connected. I'd love to summon Racshell and get confirmation, but even if she appeared, it would be the same as always. We have no choice but to follow the mysteries and move forward.
"By the way, Mash, what do you plan to do after the ten-year constraint is lifted?" Maira asked.
"Help rebuild Fam's village." I'd always thought she was the daughter of a good family because of her calm demeanor and good upbringing, but she was also her village's Arbiter, a judge of sorts, and a candidate for the next elder. Such a cheeky brat for a kid.
"Hmph."
As I thought that, Fam's expression soured. Her intuition is as sharp as ever.
We'd met a man named Chichi in this city who was from her village. He was searching for the whereabouts of those who were sold by the bandits. And he wanted Fam to become the symbol for the village's revival.
It seems she shares that desire. She has stood by me all this time, and I want to help her.
"It's always, always, always, Fam, Fam, Fam...! It's not fair, only thinking about Fam! You have to grant my wish too!"
Maira puffed out her cheeks and glared at me. And it wasn't just her—Mizuki, Cecily, Aira, Claire, and even Shizuka and Lini were all staring at me.
"...Alright, I get it. One wish each. And Shizuka, your wish is to find Ko-kun. No sex!"
"Hey! Isn't that a little harsh? And one wish each? Aren't you being stingy?" Shizuka protested.
"I gave you everything, and..." Mizuki chimed in, agreeing with the 'stingy' comment.
"Mizuki, I'll grant your wish for a house with a bath!"
"That's what's stingy! If that's how it is, I'm going to make a much more proper wish!" Mizuki shouted.
"...Me too," Maira added, looking at me resentfully.
Come to think of it, the occasional glimpses of innocence she had when we first met seem to have disappeared. I need to treat her more kindly.
"Ugh, fine, we'll discuss it thoroughly and decide on those things later. But I'm starving. The weather's cleared up, so let's go shopping. I'll cook for everyone today."
"Master, I actually asked Chichi how to make tamago fuwa fuwa. I will prepare a feast as well."
"Then I guess I'll make something, too..."
Fam and Mizuki joined in.
"Alright, let's all drink the sparkling wine we got from the Mole-kin!"
I'd postponed the problem. And with that, we headed out into the city of Heilong. Tonight was our last night in this city. Let's have a party and live it up.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, or rated this story, your support is a great encouragement. I'm also grateful for the typo corrections. Thank you so much.