497 - Ketsu-Bou-Sen
At Remihio's words saying that Leonardo might be the Divine King, my head filled with question marks. I had thought there was something about Leonardo, but I never imagined he would be the Divine King.
"...Wait, that can't be right! Both of Leo's eyes are black, aren't they?"
Since the age of myth, both eyes of the Divine King have been the same azure. While blue eyes can be found anywhere, the azure held by the Divine King's kin is slightly different. Because I have seen both by meeting Remihio, I could tell the difference. Truly, if speaking only of color, blue and azure are just the same family, but the azure of the Divine King's kin felt different in nature. Perhaps it's because it hides the sparkle of a glittering jewel, but the grade is truly different.
--It's true both eyes were black... but he was able to enter the Divine King's Temple and come out alive. He must be the Divine King.
The temple the gods built for the Divine King in the age of myth is usually inaccessible to humans and spirits alike, so that the Divine King could spend his time in relaxation. Basically, the only ones who can enter the Divine King's Temple are the Divine King and the next generation's Divine King, the Gods' Favored Child. Attempting to intrude intentionally would invite the wrath of the gods.
It seems the only ones who can leave the Divine King's Temple alive are the Divine King or those invited by the Divine King. In this case, the invited person is me, who was with Leonardo when he came out of the Divine King's Temple. When I heard the story from Leonardo, he was exasperated, saying, "You were sleeping before you knew it, how carefree," but that's not it. Because I entered the Divine King's territory, Quebia, via a place where ordinary humans cannot enter, I had simply been made to lose consciousness. I wasn't sleeping carefreely.
--Hearing the story that a reincarnator named Camille had carved up and utilized the Divine King's remains, something comes to mind.
Regardless of whether he is aware of it or not, Remihio says that Leonardo may have obtained the Divine King's remains and is using them unconsciously. He suggests that because he possesses the Divine King's remains, he was recognized as the Divine King by the Divine King's Temple and was thus able to enter.
"Using them unconsciously... can the Divine King's remains be used in such a way?"
--Normally it's impossible, and they have been hidden until now so they wouldn't be utilized. However, it has now been decided that the remains will be destroyed by the Divine King's will.
Since they cannot be destroyed if they aren't found, the Spirit's Seats, which had been hidden until now, are beginning to reveal themselves. The fact that Spirit's Seats are being found one after another since people started intentionally searching for them is not a coincidence. To Remihio, it seems more natural to think that the time for them to be found has come, and the Spirit's Seats themselves have been drawing people toward them.
--If one tried to utilize the Divine King's remains with malice, the spirits would not remain silent. However, Lord Leonardo is alive even now, without a single piece of his body missing.
Because it is unconscious, the power of the remains is likely being used to a minimum, and the spirits have not moved to punish him. The power of the Divine King is so potent it could sink half the continent into the sea. He says there is no way an ordinary human could obtain such power and remain a correct living being without becoming distorted.
"...Could it be that Lord Leonardo's abnormal monstrous strength is also a part of the Divine King's power?"
I had always felt it was strange, but Leonardo's monstrous strength lately is truly abnormal. The arm strength that allowed him to carry me, who was still a child, all day during the Spring Flower Festival was abnormal, but he is now cutting through iron shields effortlessly as if they were tofu or something. The reason Alf's arm wasn't cut during the tournament was that Leonardo was surprised the sword cut further than expected and stopped swinging the sword midway. If his reaction had been a little slower, Alf would have lost an arm by now.
...Could the suspect be Leonardo-san!?
Setting aside the fact that Leonardo is the Divine King, if I think of Leonardo's abnormal monstrous strength as power derived from the Divine King, it makes strange sense. That is how nonsensical Leonardo's arm strength was.
"...I feel like I should hear the story from Lord Leonardo once."
When I spoke aloud, wondering if I should ask the wind spirits to deliver my voice again, Remihio's puzzled voice echoed. He said it would be faster to go meet him directly than to ask the wind spirits.
"How many days do you think it takes by carriage to reach Mey Fortress?"
--If the location is known, the earth spirits will carry you.
Since earth is everywhere, spirits are truly everywhere. If you ask those spirits, it seems you can go anywhere there is earth.
--The Divine King and his kin are almost all magic users!
In this case, since they use spirits, they might be spirit users. If you ask the spirits, they can carry your voice, and depending on the type of spirit, you can converse with people in distant locations like a telephone. Since they say you can go anywhere there is earth if you ask the earth spirits, it's as good as having a dream teleport.
...Lord Alfred! If you're going to secure someone, it's not me, it's the Divine King's kin!
Anything I can do, the Divine King's kin should be able to reproduce without problem. Even if not, they should be able to do more than I can, as they likely have a fair amount of knowledge and technique remaining from the start.
...Since Lord Carlotta's grandchild can also hear the voices of spirits, if we look carefully, there might still be people in the Kingdom of Ivizia who can hear the voices of spirits.
As possibilities emerge, the reason for me to be secured by Alfred seems to be disappearing. Even if there is one, it would likely be for a short period until a sufficient number of people who can hear them are confirmed.
"Speaking of which, the nursery spirit in my house can do something similar?"
--A nursery spirit?
Speaking of carrying me to a distant place, it's the nursery spirit. Since I have the chance to talk to a spirit expert, I decided to consult about the nursery spirit.
When I grew the bulb I received from Camille, a small girl was inside the flower. That girl seems to have inherited the nature of my nursemaid, and as a nursery spirit, she sometimes moves me when Leonardo is absent.
--Perhaps a flower spirit of the Enomena? Since flowers are plants that root in the earth, they should be able to go anywhere there is earth.
"Eh? Can they go anywhere? She has only ever moved me to Lord Leonardo's house or the detached palace where my room is..."
--That's probably because those around her recognize her role as limited to a nursery spirit, and because she's being grown in a pot.
The words that followed, saying that if the Enomena flower, the main body, were planted in the ground, she should be able to go anywhere just like the earth spirits, were a revelation. Indeed, the potted Enomena has roots in the ground, but that ground does not extend indefinitely. Since the roots can only extend into the pot, it wouldn't be strange if there were limits to the range she could move. The fact that she can only go to my or Leonardo's house might be because a dollhouse was decorated on the potted plant. If the perception of those around her affects the fairy, there would probably have been fewer places she could move if the dollhouse hadn't been decorated.
"Huh? But then... why did Carissa prepare a potted plant and follow me to the royal capital?"
If they can go anywhere by being planted in the ground, then if she had been transplanted into the flowerbed of the Grenore mansion, there would have been no need to follow me to the royal capital while being shaken in a carriage. Since she could appear anywhere there is ground, there wouldn't have even been a need to prepare a new potted plant.
--That's probably because she's a flower spirit.
It seems that if planted outside, they inevitably go into dormancy during winter. Unless it's a flower that blooms in winter, Enomena is a flower that blooms in spring. To keep her surroundings as warm as possible and avoid the need for dormancy, the nursery spirit likely chose to place her main body indoors.
Is that so? When I looked down at the nursery spirit on my shoulder to confirm Remihio's words, the nursery spirit looked away with a blank face. It seems what Remihio said was correct. The nursery spirit chose to be by my side all year round rather than expanding her range of activity.
...How loveable, how loveable.
The nursery spirit, who seemed to be blushing, was cute, so I instinctively stroked her head with my finger. Previously, I couldn't touch her, but since spirits began to overflow in the world, I have become able to touch her. I think this is a good change.
The interaction with Remihio using spirits ended after I told Rebecca and the others who were around to keep it a secret. If I honestly reported to Alfred that Leonardo seems to have some connection to the Divine King, I felt like Alfred's stomach would finally develop a hole, so I also told Felicia to keep it a secret. By doing this, I don't think they'll keep everything quiet, but Felicia will likely choose words that are gentle on Alfred's stomach when she tells him.
...Probably.
First, I decided to try the method Remihio taught me. Since it was said that plant spirits from divided clumps are connected to each other, I intend to return to the Grenore mansion, make another Enomena pot, and deliver it to Leonardo. If this method succeeds, I can communicate with Leonardo at Mey Fortress more easily than with letters. More accurately, it's a plan to see Leonardo's face when I go to deliver it.
When I asked to be taken to the town of Grenore, the nursery spirit glanced at Salisa's face. Since the destination this time was the Grenore mansion, Salisa didn't say no. The only time she showed reluctance was when Felicia said that Salisa, who can converse with spirits, should stay at the detached palace for the time being. Since I would be away from my temporary guard, Salisa had warned the nursery spirit never to take her eyes off me.
"Truly, it's over in the blink of an eye."
The surrounding scenery changed instantly, and I was standing in my room in Grenore. After checking the Enomena pot by the window in the familiar room, I looked for Bart to prepare a small pot. At the end of the stairs, Mirsche was cleaning the hallway and looked surprised to see my face. While it happened sometimes that I disappeared, it seems that my sudden return when I wasn't supposed to be there is still surprising.
After briefly explaining the circumstances and asking for Bart's location, she told me about the anomalies occurring in the town of Grenore. It seems spirits are overflowing in Grenore as well, and everyone in the mansion can see spirits. Unfortunately, it seems there is no one in the mansion who can hear their voices, but since the fortress should also be investigating the town's anomalies, I might be able to hear more there.
Just like when I went to the town of Mondays, I prepared by making a small Enomena pot. Now, if I deliver this pot to Leonardo, I should be able to talk using the power of spirits through the method Remihio taught me.
"Since I've come all the way to Grenore."
After the preparations were finished, with the mental leeway I had gained, I peeked into the guest room Giselle was using. My goal was to see the child Giselle gave birth to, but since it would be cruel to wake the baby if they were sleeping, I knocked softly.
"Wow... the hands are plump and round. The fingers are so small. Like a doll's fingers. Does something like this really move? No, it should really move, but..."
This was the first impression that came to mind upon seeing Giselle's baby. Even knowing it, they are so small it makes me anxious. I must have been a baby once, and I've had opportunities to see babies in the royal capital, but of the babies I've seen recently, Giselle's child is the smallest. Giselle casually offered the baby, asking if I wanted to hold them, but I couldn't accept because I was afraid of dropping them. I think I have enough arm strength to hold a baby, but it would be a problem if something happened by any chance.
...Also, for some reason, I'm being glared at intensely by a spirit with a mean look in its eyes.
The world overflowing with spirits is no exception for the Grenore mansion. For some reason, there was a bird that was clearly not an ordinary bird on the edge of the baby's cradle in the guest room, and when Giselle laid the baby in the cradle, it covered them with a blanket with attentive gestures.
...Um, is this also a kind of nursery spirit?
It seems Giselle only noticed this spirit's presence after she became able to see spirits. At first, she was surprised, but even if words didn't communicate, she could somehow understand what the other wanted to convey. When the baby wanted milk or wanted their diaper changed, this bird would let her know immediately, making baby care a little easier.
...I'll go back and brag to Jean-Jacques.
While I was in Mondays, I was considerate and let Jean-Jacques visit Grenore, but after that, it was more than slightly annoying. Mainly, the bragging about how his daughter is the cutest in the world. Recently, he's been a bit quieter thanks to the lack of updated daughter information, so I think I'll tell him about today, even if just to cheer him up. It's not revenge for being bragged to about his daughter until my ears grew calluses.
...Now, since I've seen Giselle's baby?
Most of the purpose for coming to Grenore has been settled. All that's left is to experiment and see if the telephone-like interaction using spirits taught by Remihio really works. Rather, it's as if I came to Grenore just for this experiment and to increase the number of potted plants. Giselle's baby was just a side note. It is absolutely not harassment toward Jean-Jacques.
...Though I'm aware I got a bit too excited.
Returning to my room, I placed the newly made potted plant on the desk and tried talking to the sprout that grew immediately after the nursery spirit's mysterious dance, just like last time. That said, I thought about what I should say first, and in the end, I just said something unremarkable. I don't have the kind of sense that allows for improvisation in these situations.
"Ah, ah, test, test. Currently testing the microphone. ...This is Christina from Grenore. Salisa, can you hear me?"
--I can hear you, Lady Christina. What are 'test' and 'microphone'?
"...Those are just like a convention, so please don't worry about it."
She shouldn't understand the meaning, but Salisa, who returns a retort to my joke, is impressive. Even if she seriously asked for the meaning, I would be troubled to explain, so I could only reply that it's a 'convention'.
Even though I was taught by Remihio, it's deeply moving to be in a state where we can actually converse like a telephone. Until now, it took weeks using letters, and since the other day, it took several hours with the cooperation of the wind spirits, but now interactions with distant places have become instantaneous. It's so revolutionary that it's almost scary. Once I get used to this convenience, I feel like I won't be able to let it go.
"The potted plant is ready, so I think I'll deliver it to Mey Fortress now."
--I thought you would say that, Lady Christina.
"I heard that if we get the cooperation of the earth spirits, there are no limits to movement."
When I said Remihio told me so, Salisa's voice replied, "I am aware." Since Salisa was naturally present when the interaction with Remihio took place, she is aware of the content of the conversation.
--I will not stop you if you are going to Grenore, but I am opposed to Lady Christina going to Mey Fortress, where it is unknown if it is safe and where it has been confirmed that unforeseen circumstances are occurring at this moment.
Told with unusual strength to return and bring a guard, I tilted my head but decided to return to the detached palace once. I am aware that I'm someone who causes worry on a daily basis, so if it makes Salisa feel relieved, returning to bring a guard would be fine.
"...I understand. I'll return there now."
"I'm back—"
"Welcome back, Christina."
"...Uwah."
When I returned to the annex of the detached palace holding the potted plant, Alfred was standing tall before me, with Salisa waiting behind him. I instinctively wanted to close the door, but doing so would be meaningless. The nursery spirit carries me at the timing of opening the door and crossing the boundary, but once the door is open, that is already the destination. Even if I closed the door, what's behind me is not my room in Grenore, but the hallway of the annex in the detached palace. Even if Alfred, who is clearly in anger mode, is at the place I returned to, I cannot retreat.
"Um, why is Lord Alfred so angry...?"
"I believe I told you to limit yourself to gathering information, didn't I?"
"You did. ...Um, I believe a report has been made by Lady Felicia..."
I tried to line up a makeshift excuse, saying it was preparation to gather more information more quickly. Salisa let it slide as long as it was just going to Grenore, but for Alfred, leaving the detached palace itself seemed to be forbidden.
"...Contact me first before taking any action, one by one!"
"Yes! 'Hou-Ren-Sou', right!"
"What is that?"
"A maxim from my previous life? Something like that."
When I explained that it's something made by connecting the first letters of Report, Contact, and Consult, he flicked my forehead with his finger. He said that if I understand that those three are important, I should not neglect them.
"...I understand. Then, a report. In order to maintain close contact with Lord Leonardo, I will go deliver the Enomena pot."
"That is not 'Hou-Ren-Sou', but a 'Conclusion' and a 'Declaration' of the 'Rampage' you are about to do, Christina."
"In other words, 'Ketsu-Bou-Sen'. The phrasing is a bit bad and I don't understand the meaning, but... Ouch!"
This time, my forehead was flicked a bit more strongly with his finger. Perhaps because my cheeks have become harder to pinch, forehead flicks will now be added to the list of punishments.
...Forehead flicks are subtly painful.
While I was hiding my forehead with both hands, determined not to be flicked any further, Alfred let out a deep sigh. He began to rub his temples, saying his head hurt, but the one whose head actually hurts right now is me. However, I felt like I'd just get another forehead flick if I pointed that out, so I decided to show concern for Alfred.
"Um, I sympathize with your mental strain."
"...Look who's talking, the source of that mental strain."
"Ihyairesuyo!"
The pinchability has disappeared from my cheeks, which are in the process of growing, but that doesn't mean they can't be pinched at all. My cheek, pinched somewhat forcibly in a fit of irritation, slipped away from Alfred's fingers.