Chapter 240 - Eighth Story: The Purification Orb
The target fortress is on the west coast of Finis, located on the shore of a large bay where several islands and inlets are intertwined. Since it's impossible to cross the mountains, we head west once and go by boat on the sea. With the King's consideration, one interpreter and one priest were assigned to us.
The sea route was entirely within the inlets, so we didn't get seasick and it was comfortable. It was like going through a giant waterway, and if we went deep, we even encountered scenes that seemed to come out of a fairy tale, where the boat slid over a mirror-like sea surface without a single wave in the middle of the way.
On the third day of the journey, the target fortress came into view.
"It's a remarkably beautiful fortress, isn't it?"
Gladys-sama is letting out a sigh.
In the end, Harris-sama, who took on the role of coordination, was left in the Royal Capital, and everyone ended up coming along.
In the clear air, the green forest extending from the ridge continues near the shore, and from there, a brown stone bridge extends over the sea. Beyond the bridge, a fortress of the same color was built on a small island covered in green.
It must be high tide. The bridge and the fortress look like they are floating on the sea; perhaps because the wind is calm, there are almost no waves. The bridge and the fortress are reflected on the water surface, standing out against the beautiful green mountains in the background, and one might fall into the illusion that they have come to the land of fairies.
"In Finis—no, on this island, I believe it is the most beautiful fortress."
The captain boasts. There might be some local bias, but I feel he's not entirely wrong.
On the way, there was a checkpoint, and the captain and crew changed there. From the checkpoint, it becomes 'that land' as the King calls it.
Beatrix immediately decided on the composition for a painting. It's Gladys-sama standing at the bow of the boat with the fortress in the background. It will surely sell like hotcakes.
There is a beach on the other side of the fortress, and we land there.
The crew who went down first announced that heroes who defeated the Demon Lord had come along with the King's messenger, so the local Lord came out to meet us.
There are quite a lot of people. He might have gathered all the people from the village. Both adults and children are painted in blue. It seems even more people will gather tomorrow.
"Welcome, indeed. Ah, I never thought the heroes would set foot in this land. Moreover, you are wearing Finis clothes. They suit you very well."
"I am James of Medioland. I heard from the King of Finis that several people from this land also participated in the Demon Lord's subjugation. I would very much like to meet them."
They reunite with the brave warriors and praise each other's efforts. Mary was also receiving greetings.
Since the banquet is at night, it became a martial arts demonstration on the beach as it was.
After it was lively for a while, we were guided to the Lord's mansion. It's that impregnable fortress. It seems it's also our place of lodging.
Looking out from the watchtower of the fortress, it's a superb view. In the Lord's story, everything within the range visible from the watchtower is apparently his territory.
From the large island on the opposite shore, many boats are heading this way. They must have come to see the heroes.
We were shown to a room with a large table, and we held a meeting with the Lord, his wife, the priest of this land, and the Priestess serving the temple. Since we talked about the Purification Orb and said that politics were completely excluded, it seems they narrowed down the number of people.
Since no one but the Lord could speak our language, I asked Flora to interpret.
When Obaba-sama first explained, they said that since the circumstances were what they were, they wanted to cooperate if it was something they could do.
"As far as I hear your story, if you have the Purification Orb, the purification of the lake should be possible. However, to make the Purification Orb, there are two indispensable materials and procedures. An ordinary person cannot do it. First, one user who can manipulate powerful water magic and holy magic will be needed. However, it cannot be two people. It is only one person. Normally, it is for something the size of a small pond. If it comes to purifying a giant lake in a relatively short period... even if the heroes are gathered, it is not such an easy thing."
The priest said. Even heroes are human. There are no users of both water attribute and holy magic of the ultra-high rank class. He must have been concerned about that.
However, that part is easy. Dune is here.
I asked the Lord and the others for permission and summoned her.
Today she is wearing the custom-made clothes gifted by Eleanor-sama. It's her showdown outfit for when it counts. (T/N: 'Shoubufuku' refers to one's 'best clothes' or a 'showdown outfit' worn for a critical or special occasion.) It's made of silk, a deep blue color imagining deep water, with sleeves and hem fluttering like a Priestess's. She has a white string wrapped around her waist and tied in a ribbon at the back. She's wearing a silver hair ornament embedded with a water-drop-shaped blue gem, and deep blue lace-up sandals on her bare feet. She's full of the atmosphere of a spirit.
Simultaneously with her appearance, she held up her index finger and made the water from the pitcher fly into the air, then dispersed it to create water droplets all over the room.
The other party all stood up at once, and the Lord fell on his backside as soon as he stood up.
"Did I overdo it?"
"Well, it can't be helped, I guess. It seems Dune is like a god to the people here."
"I'm just a spirit."
I feel the meaning of the words is too heavy.
Since the other party was so surprised they were all dazed, James-sama took command urgently, gathered the servants, and had everyone drink some wine to steady their nerves.
Of course, Dune's true identity became a story only for those participating in the meeting.
I had Dune return for a moment, and the meeting resumed.
It's after they saw Dune. Thinking I might as well, I also spoke of Flora's true identity, placed the basket on the table, and had her participate with only her face out from the flower. If I don't do that, Flora will fall asleep.
Again, there was a commotion, but they recovered relatively quickly.
"Uh... how far did we talk?"
The Lord has a strangely bright face, as if he's seeing a dream. His eyes are hollow.
"It's the materials for the Purification Orb. First, the water magic, but as you have already seen, Priest Jeanne is in contact with the water spirit, so it should be possible. Could you tell us the other material and the procedure?"
"A-Ah. That's right. Er, come to think of it, it was the Purification Orb."
He's being vague.
"Let's take a break for a while."
For people who enshrine spirits, the shock seems to have been too great. It might be better for James-sama to lead the meeting.
We all drank the wine to steady our nerves, and while we were catching the breeze outside the room, they finally settled down, so we resumed once more.
"The other material is a human soul. In other words, one person must die. And in Finis, human sacrifice is prohibited by law."
Died... to be precise, there is apparently a method to guide the soul of a person who was killed and put it into a crystal ball. Of course, the soul is released once its role is finished, but it doesn't return to its original body as it is. It seems they have them ascend and be reincarnated, to be reborn as a new life.
The flighty atmosphere tightened up at once.
That one person must die is not peaceful. There might be no other way but to ask Dune to make frequent business trips.
The one who puts the soul into the ball and calls it back seems to be a Priestess close to the person who dies, or someone with ability equivalent to a Priestess.
"May I?"
Fiona asks for permission to speak.
"That soul, for example, could it be the soul of a ghost?"
"Wait, Fiona!"
She intends to become it herself. I have to stop her.
"Jeanne, once the role is finished, I'll be released. In other words, I can live with Jeanne and the others just like before. I don't know how long it will take, but if it's something only I can do, I want to be of use to everyone."
"But..."
When Fiona restrained me with her hand, she stood up and took off her ring. She should have become invisible to most people.
Next, she appeared directly behind the priest.
The Lord's wife fainted, so she was carried out.
"The priest and the Priestess must have already noticed. As you can see, I am already dead. For certain reasons, I am living with Jeanne and the others here. How about it? Can I be of use?"
"I thought you would say so from the moment you participated in this place. A fine resolution. You will surely be released once your role is finished, so please be at ease."
It's far from being at ease.
The talk is getting decided. I have to stop it.
As I was about to call out, my arm was grabbed by Mary.
"Jeanne. You mustn't let Fiona's resolution go to waste. Besides, she'll be released, right? The place is that lake, so Obaba-sama is there, and it's close to the Royal Capital where Aira is. It'll be okay."
She's unusually serious. Pushed by her momentum, I ended up sitting down.
"Assuming you become the soul put into the crystal, is there a close Priestess? I'll tell you in advance, it's not a priest."
"I'll do it."
Mary stood up.
"My mother was an excellent Priestess. I have inherited my mother's power to some extent. I can surely do it. Please let me do it."
She spoke out resolutely. It's not her usual soft atmosphere. There is power in her eyes. Everyone, perhaps overwhelmed, fell silent.
Without a sound, Fiona slipped through the table and went to Mary.
"Mary. I'm counting on you."
"Fiona. I will definitely make it succeed. And once the role is finished, I'll release you. When that happens, we'll live together again."
Fiona pressed her forehead against Mary's chest, and Mary embraced Fiona.
"Lord. I guarantee that this girl has the power of an excellent Priestess. Moreover, an upper-rank water magic user. She will surely accomplish it."
As a result of Obaba-sama's backing, it was decided.
According to the priest, Fiona won't be stuck inside the crystal ball the whole time. If the ball is just thrown into the lake, it won't be possible to retrieve it, and she won't be able to be released after finishing her role; if it gets buried in mud or swallowed by a large fish, the effect will also be lost. Normally, it's wrapped in cloth so it won't chip or break, put in a basket, and submerged at a certain point, and once a day, a Priestess checks whether there are problems or not.
"If we Priestesses check once a day and you don't leave the ball, you can come out of the ball for about one or two hours and we can talk, Fiona-dono."
If that's the case, it's a bit of a relief.
"However, Fiona cannot use magic, so what does she do inside the ball?"
When she's attached to the crystal I have, she seems to get sleepy immediately and is asleep in most cases. If it's something like offering prayers continuously, even a priest would find it difficult.
"She doesn't have to do anything in particular. The soul put into the ball is, so to speak, a medium for continuously exerting the power of water magic. According to those with experience with the Purification Orb in the past, they get sleepy immediately, so they apparently sleep inside. The Priestess's voice will reach her, so it's okay."
The priest answered.
I see. It might be a characteristic of ghosts.
"I have heard that for a ghost to attach to a crystal, that crystal must be something deeply related to the ghost. Is a new one okay? Won't she feel pain when she enters?"
"As expected, you are well-informed. Your anxiety is natural. However, please be at ease. Making that association is the secret art."
"And, Dune... the water spirit didn't know about the Purification Orb. Is it okay?"
"If it's the water spirit-sama, water purification is her specialty. You just have to have her put her power into the ball, just as you put magic into a magic circle. Originally, it was a technique devised to use the spirit-sama's power like a magic circle. Please, leave it to us. However, for that, we have to go to the altar."
Uh, does that altar have a barrier and a dwarf acting as a gatekeeper?
"A dwarf? No, there is no such thing. It's inside the temple, so it's safe."
By Mary and Fiona's intention, it was decided to carry it out tomorrow.
The night of the banquet was quite lively, centered around the heroes.
Dune, along with Fiona, turned the lined-up old men into corpses (T/N: meaning they drank them under the table), and Roberts-sama turned his back so as not to make eye contact with Dune, chatting with the Lord and local nobles along with James-sama and Gladys-sama. The three Bishops are talking with the priest. Evans-sama is sleeping on a couch in the corner, and Hughes-sama is standing next to him. Beatrix was by my side as I was doing nothing but sighing, and she just held my hand without saying anything.
"Priest Jeanne. Do not be so worried. Please trust our art."
Obaba-sama and the Priestess comforted me.
"Priest Jeanne. We are those who serve the five ancient Priestesses. Those who inherit the ancient secret arts. Of course, it is not as much as the three Black Stones you have, but even so, we can at least put a soul into a crystal ball and release it safely."
"Thank you very much. It's not that I doubt the Priestess's power, but still, a friend is, well... how should I say..."
"A human sacrifice?"
As I was hesitating, the Priestess answered instead.
"Yes..."
Even though she's a ghost, she's a friend. Entering the ball is fine. I see her entering the crystal normally. However, there's something I can't reconcile with her becoming one of the tools for a ritual.
"Priest. How do you think of human 'thoughts'?"
"Thoughts?"
"Yes."
I couldn't answer immediately.
"For example, you use magic. And you heal people's injuries. That is, in other words, a technique imbued with the thought of wanting to help people. Entering the ball and purifying the water of the lake, which is the source of life. That is also a technique imbued with thought. What difference is there? We value the Goddess, value the gods who follow, value the spirits, and value the life dwelling in this land. It is by no means a human sacrifice. To make use of thoughts, it is difficult for an ordinary ghost. Because most ghosts have lost themselves. And the existence of a Priestess who interacts closely with a ghost who maintains their ego is also extremely rare. So, we had no choice but to sacrifice one life. This time, everything is aligned in a good way."
Mary said that Priestesses with high sensitivity are easily taken over by ghosts' consciousness. In other words, normally, Priestesses avoid ghosts. That's why the soul of a living person was necessary.
I don't think throwing away one's life for others is immediately noble. I think one should live.
But that courage is, after all, a noble thing.
Fortunately, this time no one will die. That we can manage without producing a casualty is also because of Fiona's resolution. At the very least, I have no right to criticize that thought. There is no alternative plan.
"I understand. Since the people themselves are satisfied and saying they will do their best for the lake. I'll stop grumbling any more than this."
Obaba-sama and the Priestess hugged me alternately.
"Finally satisfied? Don't worry us so much."
I was lightly tapped on the head by Beatrix.
The next day dawned.
When we went to the temple, we were guided to the altar.
Entry to the room is restricted, and basically, only Priestesses can enter. Other than the parties involved, only I and Flora, the interpreter, were specially allowed to enter the room as witnesses.
Mary, who had entered the temple from the night before without participating in the banquet to learn the procedure and continued to focus her thoughts without sleeping for a night, appeared from another room with the crystal ball in hand. Flora, the interpreter, is also with her. Both are painted in blue, and their hair has several blue strings twisted together.
When I summoned Dune, she was wearing the same blue showdown outfit as yesterday.
Fiona was also painted in blue and her hair was the same as Mary and the others, but her clothes were Green Marble. Since she said she wanted to fulfill her duty as a member of the Class of 175 anyway, I unintentionally hugged her.
Flora, having finished her role, came over here.
"Good work."
"Mary was amazing. Her concentration is incredible. I couldn't even call out to her."
That she can put out extraordinary power for someone's sake was proven when she released Glacio at the bear. This time, the purpose is for Fiona to be able to spend time safely inside the ball, and to clear the cursed water and save the surrounding living things. She will surely accomplish it.
Perhaps influenced by Mary, who was staring fixedly at the crystal ball she held with both hands, the expression disappeared from Fiona's face and she turned white. It was just like when she faced the Cait Sith.
"She seems to have quite strong thoughts. It is the water spirit-sama who will imbue the purification magic, so it will surely go well."
Obaba-sama whispered in my ear. The five apprentice priestesses who were assisting seemed to have changed their expressions, thinking they must learn from this.
"First, we will put the soul into this crystal ball. Once it is put in, we will have the water spirit-sama imbue the purification magic."
"Understood."
"The Priestess who puts in the soul, the one who becomes the soul, and the water spirit-sama. The thoughts of the three must be aligned. Please imagine the lake to be purified, imagine the island where the Ancient Priestess-sama used to live, and imagine the Water Dragon."
Prompted by the apprentice priestesses, Mary and Fiona stand at the edge of the magic circle. Obaba-sama placed her hands on their shoulders.
As Mary offered a prayer and the Priestess and apprentice priestesses chanted in unison, the characters of the magic circle glowed.
Mary, holding the crystal ball, advanced to the center, and next, Fiona advanced to the position facing her.
As the voice of the prayer grew louder, as if lightly pushed by Obaba-sama, the two knelt, and the moment Fiona touched the crystal ball with her hand, she entered inside as if being sucked in.
First, the success of the first stage. We succeeded in creating an association between Fiona and the crystal.
The sweat running down the side of Mary's face drips from her chin.
Dune, signaled by eyes, entered the magic circle and after raising her right hand high, held it over the crystal ball, and blue light burst forth. As the light was absorbed into the crystal ball, the crystal ball gradually turned blue.
"It is a success. As expected of the spirit-sama, it is magnificent. And Mary-dono was also magnificent."
The Priestess confirmed the crystal ball in her hand, and the apprentice priestesses raised their voices.
Mary, who let out a breath with a 'hou', was about to collapse on the floor when Dune, who instantaneously turned her form into water, gently wrapped around Mary. Mary, who leaned back softly, was held in the arms of Dune, who had returned to human form, and just like that, she began to breathe peacefully in her sleep with a happy sleeping face.