Chapter 534 - The Wetlands of Primordia ④
Sianya's proposal received the enthusiastic approval of Theresia-sama and Bishop Anri.
Since the East Liber side will likely start ceasefire negotiations after launching a fierce attack on the fortress they are currently besieging and taking it, to be honest, I feel sorry for West Liber.
Regarding that point, a debate broke out between Theresia-sama and Bishop Anri. Of course, Bishop Anri claimed that they should work toward a ceasefire as soon as possible, and Theresia-sama claimed that a ceasefire is impossible unless one side suffers damage. And she said that East Liber, which is invading and currently superior, won't accept a ceasefire unless they achieve some kind of result. Both are probably right. Apparently, both sides acknowledge the other's argument, and they are discussing things like when would be an effective time to start.
I don't really understand politics, and I have no authority. Fortunately, the Henry Party will be back in three days, and Harris-sama is also here. Along with Bishop Phillips, I decided not to get involved at all.
In the end, I missed the chance to tell Bishop Anri that the source of the plague can be seen with Anti-Sepsis.
Bishop Anri, along with Theresia-sama, is getting excited about the ceasefire negotiations, involving Sianya, the one who brought it up. It's no longer a situation where I can bring it up. However, it's also true that I was trying not to say it in front of people from the mainland like Theresia-sama. Theresia-sama and the others are heathens and don't use magic on a daily basis. Unlike the people of the White Island, they won't easily believe it even if I say a spirit taught me.
That said, there's no point in someone who has no intention of participating in the discussion quietly listening to political talk. Just as I was consulting with Bishop Phillips about whether we should go to another ward...
"Well then, Bishop Jeanne. Let's leave the political talk at that and head to the other wards."
Bishop Anri himself said it.
"Is it okay already?"
"What, politics is for the rulers. A priest just states their personal opinion."
He laughed heartily and stood up. The assistant priest went to his side and offered an arm. Sianya stood on the opposite side to match.
"Then, Bishop Anri. Please be my conversation partner again."
"If someone like me is fine, call me anytime."
"Bishop Jeanne, Sianya-sama, Bishop Phillips. Thank you for your trouble. I look forward to working with you in the future."
Theresia-sama, the order of calling names is wrong.
After leaving Theresia-sama's hospital room, we made the rounds of the wards as usual, cast magic on several patients, and completed several scrolls. Bishop Anri also made the rounds with us and taught us about the main symptoms of patients... especially plague patients.
Finally, I had a chance to talk with Bishop Anri in the break room.
"By the way, Bishop Jeanne, I heard you came for evil spirit extermination?"
"Yes. You knew about it."
When I asked, he said that far from just knowing, Cadogan-sama had informed him. It's confidential, of course. Theresia-sama doesn't know.
"Speaking of evil spirits, I too have encountered them several times. I heard from Archbishop Cadogan about the evil spirits of the cursed wetlands, but how was the situation?"
Encountering evil spirits several times means he must have experience in evil spirit extermination. After all, he's the kind of person who used to walk around towns and villages where plagues were spreading. He must have had quite a harrowing experience. Cadogan-sama probably knew that and told him everything about this case.
When I looked at Sianya, she met my eyes and nodded. Apparently, it's okay to talk.
"There was no response, or rather, no emotion felt."
I had Bishop Phillips participate too, and explained that it was like this and like that.
"Fumu. Not ordinary evil spirits, then. I suppose you could say they are like excellent gatekeeper soldiers."
Excellent gatekeepers apparently don't show emotion and just fulfill their roles indifferently. In some cases, they might be provoked. If they react to each and every such thing and act on emotion, it reportedly causes problems later.
Wait a minute. Extremely excellent gatekeepers... In other words, gate guards. I've heard that somewhere.
"Um, is there a possibility of Forbidden Magic?"
Bishop Anri knew holy magic. He might know Forbidden Magic too. Besides, this is Primordia, which is considering the restoration of Forbidden Magic.
"Forbidden Magic? You mean the taboo spells?"
"Yes."
"I only know the basics. After all, I've never seen it."
He laughed heartily and pointed to his own blind eyes.
Even so, I asked and he taught me within the range he could remember, but it was no more than what was written in the secret books.
"Is there something about Forbidden Magic?"
Bishop Phillips asked me.
"I've heard before that Revenants become extremely effective forces for defending positions. If, by combining several Forbidden Magics, a ghost or a Revenant is manipulating ghosts..."
Psycho destroys the mind. That's not all. If Necromancy is also effective on ghosts, and if the caster is a Revenant or a ghost, then unless they are made to ascend or destroyed, both the caster and the ghosts of the wetlands are eternal. It's an event from nearly two thousand five hundred years ago. Forbidden Magic was used freely, and it was an era when magic like golems was used. Mana was denser than now, and there's a possibility the caster was using advanced magic. Besides that, they might be using lost arts.
"Fumu. I'll ask Archbishop Cadogan to investigate what can be known about Forbidden Magic. And, Bishop Phillips, could you convey what Jeanne just said to Henry-dono and Eleanor-dono?"
"Bishop Harris should have a magic circle for sending letters."
"Then, shall we ask Bishop Harris? We are getting advice from a powerful ghost, after all. It's better to have more information to provide."
"Then, shall Jeanne and I head to the Western Church right away?"
"Umu. I shall go too. Bishop Anri, you have told us very meaningful stories. I thank you."
"No, no, it's Bishop Jeanne, then."
"That's true. Jeanne, as expected of a veteran monster exterminator. Truly wonderful. I thank you."
He took my hand and thanked me.
It's just a random thought, though...
And I don't even know if it's right yet.
Well, in that case, I'll pray to the Goddess that it's right.
I found out if my thought was right five days later. It was later than planned, but the Henry Party returned.
After receiving the contact and returning to the palace from the isolation facility by carriage, I was shown into the waiting room of the Audience Chamber. The record investigation team of Cadogan-sama, Harrison-san, and Bishop Harris was also there.
Eleanor-sama took out something wrapped in cloth from a leather bag she held in her hand onto the table. I wondered what it was, and it was a crystal ornament.
The size was about a fist. One shaped like a thistle flower, one like a dagger, one like a shield, and for some reason, Fiona's crystal was placed.
"Good work. We have arrived."
When Eleanor-sama spoke to the ornaments, ghosts came out of them. The flower was the Queen of the border, the sword was the lord of the border, and the shield was the butler in training. Previously, they must have moved by possessing parts of gravestones or ornaments in old fortress ruins, but they must have made new ones. I was happy that Fiona was the same as always.
"Long time no see, Jeanne. I thought you might have forgotten about us since we haven't seen you lately."
The Queen of the border, hanging off her husband the border lord's left shoulder, said something like a bar hostess. According to Fiona's story, they've had many visitors lately and frequently participate in private dinner parties hosted by Aira and Saxburg. Perhaps because of that, she's become quite worldly. Her outfit is also elaborate; she's wearing a white tunic with sleeve cuffs and hem decorated with abundant gold, silver, red, and yellow ring embroidery, and wearing a crown set with blue gems. She looks like a splendid Queen. The border lord is in Finis check pattern. From the pattern, he's in warrior's attire, and his face is painted blue. Since he's a lord, not a king, he has no crown.
"It seems there's someone manipulating a large number of ghosts. We're going to crush them."
She seems to have become aggressive too.
Does going to crush them mean they have a chance of winning?
"That's right. The opponent is likely using sorcery that uses spiritual power. You can't counter it with magic. But leave it to us. We'll liberate the ghosts bound by sorcery and turn the cursed wetlands into healthy wetlands."
She's showing unusual motivation; I wonder if Eleanor-sama whispered something to her?
"I heard, Jeanne. The King here is going to build a dedicated isolation facility near the wetlands for the treatment of plague patients, right? Wonderful. As the lord of the border and his consort, we'll cooperate across borders."
The couple is fired up.
I see. They are feeling motivated by their original roles.
After that, we all had an audience with the King of Primordia and received a formal request. To be precise, it was to the border lord and Queen.
The King of Primordia didn't sit on the throne even after entering the Audience Chamber and greeted the border lord and Queen. He showed that they were of equal rank as fellow lords. For example, in the case of Henry-sama or Eleanor-sama, who are the former King and former Queen, he sits on the throne. It's the same even if the opponent is a Queen or Crown Prince acting as a proxy. This measure seems to have greatly moved the two ghosts, and the Queen was teary-eyed.
The King of Primordia informed us that there is a plan to start ceasefire negotiations for plague countermeasures between East and West Liber through the mediation of Northern Gram, and that preparations are already underway behind the scenes.
"Nowadays, for the countries of the White Island, trade with the mainland has become indispensable. Accordingly, various things are brought to the White Island. However, among them are naturally things we do not desire. The plague is one such thing. This construction plan for the isolation ward facility led by the Western Church will not only aim to stop the war and prevent the spread to the White Island accompanying the return of expeditionary soldiers, but will also be a step forward in plague prevention measures on the White Island in the future. Each country seems to understand that, and starting from this construction plan to the conquest of the wetlands and what follows, the number of nationalities of those involved already amounts to eleven countries and one region at this point. We will not spare our support, so we want you to succeed by all means."
Eleven countries!
That's incredible. Since the White Island currently has eight countries, three other countries are participating besides those. Since Theresia-sama is East Liber and Bishop Anri is likely Sertogne, the rest is West Liber. I see, negotiations have already begun. The 'one region' must be the border lord and Queen without a doubt.
"The means for conquering the wetlands have reportedly already been planned by the Henry Party, the border lord-dono, and the Queen-dono. I do not understand it, so I ask for an explanation."
Being in the royal presence, the Queen of the border, who had been quiet, stepped forward.
"The four of us will each merge with one priest and challenge the wetlands."
The four must be the butler in training from Finis and Fiona. The butler in training is wearing chain mail, apparently being a former magic soldier. He's painted blue, of course. Fiona is in her usual white one-piece dress.
"By merging, we will be able to fully use Jeanne's light magic and the priests' holy magic, and on top of that, we will be able to use arts using our spiritual power. And we can similarly use silver weapons."
That's incredible. They might be the strongest in anti-evil spirit battles.
The priests the ghosts will merge with are Bishop Phillips, Harrison-san, Sianya, and me. Harris-sama was left out, but the reason is simply that the Queen wanted a female priest. Since Fiona will merge with me, the choice became Sianya. Apparently, there's no hindrance to merging even if the genders are different, but it's a matter of feeling. Incidentally, Harrison-san will merge with the border lord, and Bishop Phillips will merge with the butler in training.
The border lord is a warrior. Harrison-san's staff techniques will surely be useful. Bishop Phillips is a master of support magic, so it will be a combination with the ghost's spiritual arts. The butler was originally a high-level magic user. Thanks to his daily training, he also knows status-change types, so it's just right. The merger of Fiona and me is already experienced. It will surely go well.
"I am sorry, but what exactly is merging? I would like you to teach us."
It was Bishop Phillips. All the participating priests nodded at once.
Fiona and I have experience fighting monsters while merged. Normally, there aren't many opportunities to merge with a ghost. It's no wonder they don't understand merging itself.
We all decided to move to the palace's training ground and practice.
"Merging itself is not that difficult."
The Queen said that while merging with Sianya.
"Like this."
The Queen's voice is heard, but the appearance is Sianya.
Suddenly, the Queen's head came out from Sianya's right shoulder.
"W-what! Sianya, are you okay?"
The King of Primordia tottered toward Sianya.
He must have thought his own daughter had been taken over by a ghost.
"Yes. I am fine. I had a sensation like something cold touched me for a moment, but it's not like that now."
BOU!
Suddenly, Sianya's body was enveloped in pale blue flames. This should protect against attacks from ordinary ghosts. If a Queen-class ghost gets serious, they might be unfazed by not only elemental magic but even high-level holy magic.
On the other hand, the King of Primordia has turned pale.
"Then, Eleanor-dono, please."
They seem to be actually testing the magic defense. As if they had talked about it, Eleanor-sama stepped forward.
"Is Medium-level Lightning okay?"
"Medium-level? High-level is fine too."
The pale blue flames enveloping Sianya became about twice her height. The King of Primordia is covering his face with both hands, yet peering through the gaps in his fingers.
"Then, High-level."
When Eleanor-sama unleashed the magic, lightning fell on Sianya with a roar. It's Thunder Bolt. It's High-level magic unleashed by an Ultra-High level magic user. An ordinary human would be charred black.
"S-Sianya!"
It might be better to calm the King of Primordia down before the practice.