430 - Leonardo's Perspective 1LDK
"Is the reason you lent us a hand also to make use of Tina?"
"Make use of... that's not right. I feel like I said this earlier, but it seems we were the ones who got her involved, so I just want to make up for that."
Camille seems troubled about what he could say to make me believe him, but the truth of his words can be discerned by looking at the spirits. The spirits who had been covering their ears and mouths when it came to research on spirit magic and such were nodding with great confidence regarding this topic. It seems Camille's words are trustworthy as far as the spirits are concerned.
"Oh, right. Would this convince you? About that young lady, I don't have the slightest intention of using her. Because I have no need for that."
Rather, he says he'd actually prefer she didn't stay here, and wishes she'd recover quickly and leave. This makes me wonder why Camille would invite someone here if he's going to say "I want you to leave" so soon after arrival.
"If you're going to tell us to leave, why did you invite us here?"
"That young lady is here because of Jasper. I think I bear some responsibility too. The responsibility of showing Jasper a dream and getting the young lady involved."
As compensation for what Jasper did, hiding her with him for a while and taking care of her until she regains her health is no trouble at all. He finds it inconvenient that there's someone who can read Japanese, but he simply won't show things he doesn't want shown. Incidentally, since Camille is basically holed up in this cave, it seems he also wanted to hear some news from outside.
"...Wasn't Jasper's kidnapping of Tina for the purpose of having her read Japanese?"
"That's not wrong, but it's not correct either. Having her read Japanese is just one of the means."
When he continued by saying he himself could read Japanese if that's all it was, I couldn't believe my ears. If Camille's words are true, then before Tina was born in the Ivizia Kingdom, there was already a reincarnator in the Zugall Empire who could read both the Japanese and German that the Sedovara Church sought. Camille said he was already kept in the Zugall Empire by the time of the emperor before last, so he would have been around twenty years ago, when the reincarnator born in Mey Village nearly thirty years ago was sold to the Zugall Empire. It seems such a person was holed up in a cave with almost no one knowing about him. The nation of Zugall Empire is truly sinful. If only Camille hadn't been kept by the Zugall Empire and had instead knocked on the doors of the Sedovara Church, many lives would have been saved. At the very least, the number of victims of Wards Disease who died, including Tina's parents, could have been reduced to less than half.
"...I can roughly tell what you're thinking, but I'd prefer you not expect too much from me. I'm different from Saint Yuuta Hiraga, you know. I'm not a Japanese reincarnator. I can barely manage to read the Japanese left behind by the reincarnator Camilo, but when it comes to things written by actual Japanese people, I'm completely out of my depth."
Camille tells me that even Japanese people themselves find the difficulty of Japanese language a headache, giving me several examples, and indeed, I can't quite grasp it. I could probably remember that "hometown" can be read as both 'kokyou' and 'furusato', but I doubt I could figure out that "battle comrade" is read as 'raibaru'. To make matters worse, apparently this reading of 'raibaru' is the same for "sworn enemy" and "romantic rival" as well.
...Was Tina able to distinguish these differences too?
It seems Tina would occasionally take notes while reading Saint Yuuta Hiraga's research materials with a composed expression. I heard that while she complained about the poor handwriting, she almost never got stuck because she couldn't read something. That must be because Tina, like Saint Yuuta Hiraga, was a Japanese reincarnator.
"Then what was Jasper seeking when he kidnapped Tina?"
"Can't you tell by looking at this cave?"
Well, it seems he thought she'd be helpful for his research, Camille says, prompting me. My shoulder treatment is finished, so he probably intends to show me to a room. When I pick up Tina lying on the lounge chair and look back at the door, the number of imps who seem to want to guide me has increased to five. Before coming here, the light called spirit light would run along the passage to indicate the direction, but with five spirits here, the spirit light keeps shining brightly and can't convey the direction properly.
...You said I could tell by looking at the cave, didn't you?
While walking through the passage guided by Camille, I recall what I've seen since coming to the cave. If looking at the cave tells me, then what Jasper was aiming for must be along the way to the room where I received treatment.
...A ship with an engine attached, iron doors that move on their own, light that isn't a lantern, spirit lights, a gun that borrows the power of spirits... and maybe a mitten with metal plates?
The answer must be among these. The fact that he thought she'd be helpful for research might mean it's about borrowing the power of spirits itself, something Camille hasn't succeeded at. If that's the case, Tina would be useful beyond just being able to read Japanese. I haven't heard that she's ever wished for anything from the spirits herself, but Tina has been helped by spirits many times. Tina is someone spirits voluntarily assist. Perhaps he thought that if he could get Tina's cooperation, the research on spirit magic would get on track.
"Oh, the spirit light is reacting quite interestingly, isn't it?"
Camille stops ahead on the path, saying we should use this room, but the passage continues further into the back. Yet the green light of the spirit light only reaches up to the room where Camille stopped, saying it's for us. The imps at Camille's feet don't seem interested in going further either, entering through the opened door into the room.
"This wall switch is for the room light... but if the spirit light shines this steadily, I suppose we don't need the room light?"
Clicking sounds come as Camille presses what he calls the 'switch' installed on the wall. There's a slight protrusion on the wall, and it seems the mechanism is such that pushing it in turns on the room light, and returning it turns off the light. When the room light comes on, the entire room is brightly illuminated, but the soft light of the spirit light alone is enough to brighten the room. It's bright enough to forget that this is inside a cave.
"As I've said many times, I have no intention of keeping you captive. So I'll give you the key to the room. Feel free to come and go from the room as you please, and it's fine to go anywhere. Let's think about a way to return around the time the young lady has recovered enough."
While I'm checking the key I was handed, saying he'll teach me how to use the room's facilities, Camille moves around inside the room. The room I follow him into is a compact one. There's a bunk bed against the wall edge, with drawers beneath the bottom bunk. Next to it are a small closet and desk, and at the back of the room there's a door and a kitchen area.
"This door leads to a toilet and shower room. There's a large communal bath available, but the young lady should probably use this shower."
If you turn the blue handle, water comes out, and if you turn the red handle, hot water comes out. You can adjust the temperature by turning each handle, Camille explains while actually demonstrating the parts he calls 'handles'. After a high-pitched squeaking sound of metal rubbing, steam rises as hot water comes out of the shower head.
"That's quite easy for producing hot water."
"I set up the toilet and plumbing first, you see."
It seems he spared no effort in creating a comfortable living environment. The cave was given to him so he could freely pursue his research, but apparently he spent the first five or six years setting up the living conditions. Since large-scale construction required manpower, he said he opened the baths and toilets to the guards, winning them over with comfort.
It's not just the plumbing that's comfortable. As I realized from traveling up the river, this place is near the Erath mountain range. Unless you climb the mountain, it's not cold enough for snow to remain, but still, inside a cave without sunlight, it should be cold. Yet, since passing through the iron door, I haven't felt any chill. It's not hot enough to sweat, but the temperature is pleasantly warm. This must be part of the living environment Camille set up.
...So this is the wealth brought by reincarnators.
After the explanation of how to use the shower, he moves to the small kitchen area. Apparently there's a communal dining hall like the baths, but it's better to eat here until Tina settles down, he says, explaining how to use the kitchen. The kitchen also has red and blue handles, and like the shower, water and hot water come out freely. I'm surprised by a stove that can cook without fire, and a shelf called a 'refrigerator' for preserving food. The refrigerator is empty now, but apparently they'll bring ingredients later. There's also a tea set prepared in a small cupboard, and unfamiliar powder is packed in a jar.
"What's this?"
"Instant coffee and milk, cocoa, lemon tea... well, it's like coffee (ihooku) that you can easily drink just by adding hot water."
Saying it's been a while since he got a reaction and it's fun, Camille makes instant coffee to show me. The soldiers guarding this cave are apparently already too used to life here to be surprised by things that come out one after another.
"...It really is coffee. It tastes and smells like coffee. It's strange. Even though everything except the color is completely different."
"It's just slightly different in appearance. This is liquid coffee made into powder."
"Liquid... into powder...?"
Every time I voice a question, Camille gives me a detailed explanation, but I'm sorry to say I don't think I understood even half of it. I thought I had acquired various kinds of knowledge as a Black Knight and as a Silver-White Knight, but what Camille possesses is too far removed from conventional wisdom. Maybe Tina could understand it, but even if she did, she probably wouldn't try to make the same things. The only thing Tina has made using knowledge from her previous life is Reversi.
"You can freely use the clothes in the closet. As for the young lady's clothes..."
My own change of clothes can be managed with what's issued to the soldiers. Since luggage would be a hindrance when infiltrating the imperial capital, I came with minimal equipment, carrying some emergency rations and medicine, but I have no change of clothes. If I stayed in my room, I could wash and reuse a single shirt, but I can't do that with Tina here. Having clothes provided is honestly a relief.
"I'll bring some cloth and a sewing machine later. I could have her wear a soldier's shirt, but the size definitely won't fit."
Buying a girl's clothes from outside would certainly draw attention, so it's better to avoid that. Even if this is a place where unrelated people can't easily enter, there's no need to deliberately draw attention.
...Sewing, huh. I hope Tina can make them herself.
She's sewn my shirt a few times, but I don't recall Tina ever making her own clothes. According to Carlotta, she can communicate to some degree, but it's doubtful whether Tina can sew in her current state. That means I'll either have Tina wear the same soldier's shirts that won't fit her, or I'll have to make them myself.
...I can sew on buttons, but I've never made clothes from scratch!?
After the explanations are finished, Camille leaves the room. Only Tina and I should be left in the room, but the reality is a bit different.
"Do you know if the things in this room are truly safe?"
Not sure whether to take Camille's words at face value, I try talking to the spirits hiding in various corners of the room. Besides the imp who guided us to the room, spirits are hidden everywhere -- beside the spirit light, in the corners of the room, at the edge of the bed, inside the cupboard.
--Bed, safe! Fluffy! Sleeps great!
--Shower, temperature adjustment important! Be careful not to slip?
--Stove. Magic stove that uses no fire. Fire won't come out, but careful of burns!
--Instant coffee, bitter. Cocoa, sweet. Recommended.
The spirits teach me precautions, but it seems things are generally safe. They start bustling about, flipping the bed blanket to tell me to put Tina to sleep, opening the cocoa jar lid saying it's more recommended than coffee, and the room suddenly gets noisy.
...Safety is important, but I should also learn about this place.
For instance, first I'd like to know why there are so many spirits here. Why I can suddenly see spirits, and that I can hear their voices, is a secondary concern. I should find out whether the excessive number of spirits here is normal, or unique to this place.
"I'd like to investigate this place, but I also don't want to leave Tina's side. So, could you tell me when Tina wakes up, and protect her if anything happens..."
When I ask if they can help, the spirits that were chattering fall completely silent. They seem to be whispering among themselves in a corner of the room, and as if chosen as a representative, a small boy with an eggshell on his head comes before me.
"...If I help, what will you give me as a reward?"
"What do you want?"
"A name! I want a name!"
At the boy whose face lit up, I recall the Divine King's warning. He taught me various things about dealing with spirits, but that was probably in anticipation of 'this'.
"...Does that mean you want me to give you a name?"
Before making a hasty promise, I clarify the meaning of 'want a name' to be sure. If it's just giving them a name, there's no problem. The Divine King explained that 'giving a name to a spirit is the same as forming a contract' and various other things, but I understood that as being like increasing the number of dependents.
But if this doesn't mean giving a name to a spirit, but asking for my name, I can't accept. The Divine King also just told me not to reveal my true name. I can't give away the name 'Leonardo' that I currently use to a spirit.
"No, that's not it. I want the name you currently go by."
Saying he'll treasure it, the boy smiles innocently, asking for my name, and I'm grateful for the Divine King's warning. As I thought, the spirits wanted to take away my current name from me.
...They're surprisingly cunning and not to be underestimated.
I mustn't be fooled by their cute appearance. Spirits are beings different from humans, they think differently from humans, and they find value in different things than humans. If I deal with them based on human standards, I could be severely harmed someday. The Divine King told me that just because they're adorable and kind, I shouldn't believe everything spirits say. Even if the spirit intends kindness, it could bring terrible disaster, he said.
...I mustn't ask spirits for favors, huh.
Spirits sometimes grant trivial wishes of humans who can hear their voices, but they also occasionally demand compensation on a whim. Since the other party isn't human, the content of compensation is also up to luck. There's no such thing as mercy. In the age of myths when the distance between spirits and humans was close, there's a story of a man who was eaten entirely, his eyesight and very existence consumed, as compensation to a spirit. Just because they look cute doesn't mean their demands are also cute.
...They need to be moved voluntarily, huh.
This is one of the ways of dealing with spirits that the Divine King taught me. If I make a request, compensation might be demanded, but if the spirit does something voluntarily, there's no need to pay compensation. That's because the spirit did it of its own free will.
...It feels a bit sneaky, though.
Spirits apparently love having fun. So if we humans seem to be enjoying ourselves, the spirits will approach of their own accord and help out, intending to have fun themselves. Since they did it for their own enjoyment, no compensation is demanded.
...That said, having fun protecting Tina while exploring the cave is impossible with just one body of mine.
It seems for tonight, I'll have to quietly stay by Tina's side. I want to confirm the safety of this place, but I also don't want to leave Tina's side, so I'll just think of this as reason losing to personal desire. I simply don't want to leave Tina's side.
I couldn't write as much as planned. Time is up. Spirits are surprisingly hard to let your guard down against.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.