505 - A New Promise
When I placed my hand atop the Divine King's, the surroundings were momentarily enveloped in a white light. When that white light subsided, the scenery had completely changed. I should have been inside a stone building, but before I knew it, I was standing in a forest surrounded by trees. Looking back, a giant tree towered behind me, so I had likely just emerged from the Dawn Tower hidden within the great tree. I had passed through the wall, but I had not moved very far in terms of distance. Most likely, I was still near the summit of the Erath Mountain Range.
"I had heard that the Erath Mountain Range was a land covered in snow all year round..."
"This great tree serves as the wedge connecting the world of spirits and this side. It is a special place where worlds mingle. It is no longer a normal 'high-altitude mountain range'."
Simply put, since it had ceased to be a normal place, it would not return to its original state. The conditions were always optimal for the great tree, and the tree itself was no ordinary plant. The Erath Mountain Range had been revered as a sacred peak from the start, but it seemed it had become a special land that was, in a true sense, no longer just a mountain range.
-- King, I brought it.
-- King, praise me.
Look, look, the tree spirit asserted itself, shaking its hair of leaves. What several of them were holding in their hands was a potted plant I remembered seeing somewhere.
"...Wait a moment. Why is my pot, which should be at the Grunoll Mansion, here?"
"If you ask why... it is because I had them bring it."
Was there a problem? The Divine King tilted his head slightly. Irrefutable evidence of illegal trespassing was right before my eyes, but to the Divine King, who had traveled the world as he pleased since the age of myth, silently entering another's residence seemed to be nothing. Or rather, thinking calmly, it was doubtful whether spirits even correctly understood the residential circumstances of humans. It might be difficult to preach the common sense of the human world now to the Divine King, who had lived almost like a spirit since the age of myth.
"You will be waiting here until Teo comes to fetch you, right? We promised to protect you until Teo arrives. In that case, this land is the most convenient."
And the Divine King said that preparations would be necessary for me to spend my time here until Leonardo--whose real name was apparently Teo--came to fetch me. To put it simply, it would be painful to stand around waiting for Leonardo, not knowing when he might arrive. At the very least, I wanted a chair. Furthermore, since there was no telling when the rescue would actually come, I would need many things to wait for Leonardo here, such as a long chair to rest my body, books and embroidery tools to kill time, water to moisten my throat, food to satisfy my hunger, walls to block the wind, and a roof to shelter from the night dew.
"...Eh? Am I seriously going to hole up here?"
"I told you that if you returned to the royal capital, you would be locked away. I will not let that happen."
Ah, that is right, the Divine King paused and cast some words toward the forest. I could not hear what he said, but thirteen owls flew south from between the trees.
"Just in case, may I ask what you requested?"
"It was a problem that there are still few people in the Ivizia Kingdom who can hear the voices of spirits, was it not?"
It seemed the owls had gone to quickly increase the number of humans who could hear the voices of spirits. When I asked why I could hear the voices of spirits, I received the answer that it was probably because I had been kidnapped by spirits too many times, and thus spirits had become a natural part of existence for me. The reason Salisa and Leonardo could hear the voices of spirits was because they were in the position of my guardians. Because I had been kidnapped by spirits too many times, the existence of spirits was undoubtedly real for Leonardo and the others.
As for the aptitude for hearing the voices of spirits, it seemed that innocence and flexibility to accept the existence of spirits were necessary. The Divine King's assessment was that even if adults became able to see spirits now, it would be difficult, or take time, for them to start hearing their voices.
"...Which means those owls went to the children."
"I sent one to the royal princess. If he is going to try and surround his best friend's younger sister, he will surely hand over his own daughter with pleasure."
"Umm...?"
Could it be that the owl flew to Alfred's daughter? Although it did not show on his face, the Divine King seemed angry at Alfred for trying to lock me away. I tried to offer a modicum of defense, saying it was an unavoidable decision for a ruler, but the Divine King would not listen, arguing that it was precisely because he was a ruler. Additionally, he seemed irritated that Alfred had tried to politically exploit a reincarnated person, as I had mentioned once.
"I was the one who suggested gathering information with the help of the wind spirits. I am not being exploited by Lord Alfred."
"...Well, the fact that those who can hear the voices of spirits are precious will only last for a few years. Soon, that will become the norm."
It seemed the Divine King did not truly wish to retaliate against Alfred. Depending on how one looked at it, the fact that his own daughter would be among the first to hear the voices of spirits would be a greater benefit for him as a ruler.
...Good luck, Alf-san. Your next problem child is your own daughter!
It seemed Alfred's mental anguish would not decrease in the future. The rest would depend on the compatibility between Alfred's daughter and the spirits.
"However, holing up, huh. You put it well."
If I am to shut myself in while waiting for a rescue, he would prepare a place suitable for holing up, the Divine King said, and picked up the dollhouse in the potted plant. At first, the potted plant was too large and lonely, so I had decorated it with dolls and such using picks, but it became a dollhouse I enjoyed as I got into it. It was unnecessarily elaborate, and had now turned into my ideal single-family home where I would want to live in my old age. There was also a servants' annex added at Salisa's request, but it was a single-family home.
"It is a well-made miniature garden."
"It became interesting halfway through, so I made it into my ideal house."
I boasted about the dollhouse, saying it was cozy and calming. It was a dollhouse where Rannvald created the floor plan, Salisa obsessed over the kitchen, and I meticulously made the curtains and futons. The black dog plush toy decorating the bed was also a favorite of the nursery fairy.
"Rather than the detached palace in the royal capital or the Grunoll Mansion, a small house like this is my ideal."
When I continued, saying that in the future I wanted to live leisurely in a small, hideaway-like house like Aurelia's, the Divine King nodded with satisfaction. He said then that this would be just right.
"...What do you intend to do?"
"You want a hideaway suited for holing up, right?"
Leave it to me, the Divine King said, and tossed the dollhouse into the air. The dollhouse, falling in a parabola, expanded rapidly. By the time it hit the ground, it had expanded to the size of a magnificent single-family home, creating a slight tremor in the earth.
"Hoaaah!?"
I was so surprised that a strange sound escaped my mouth. I knew it had been made thoroughly, but still, something that was just a dollhouse had transformed into a real house before my eyes. Few humans could remain unsurprised by this.
Urged to check the inside, I entered the newly created house. The walls, which had been made of thin single boards, had become real walls made of many boards lined up, and the stone walls made of plaster had also changed into real ones. I wondered about the furniture and touched it, and it too had changed into real furniture. The bookshelves should have been lined with miniature books made of paper, but these too had changed into real ones. As for the collection, it was the same as at the Grunoll Mansion.
"It is amazing, Divine King-sama. It feels like I could start living here right away!"
"That is how I am preparing it."
When I returned outside and conveyed my excitement to the Divine King, the Divine King, with an exasperated look, changed the dollhouse livestock shed into a real one. While I was looking inside the house, the miniatures of the well and the servants' annex had changed into real ones.
"...Do you have any requests for the garden?"
"A flowerbed and... I request a home vegetable garden."
"I shall also provide a shaded area under a tree where you can nap."
No sooner had he spoken than the undergrowth retreated into the ground on its own, and the trees pulled their roots from the earth and began to walk. In an instant, the flowerbed, the field, and a garden for sunbathing were completed, and thin trees grew at the boundary between the forest and the house, connecting with the neighboring trees by extending their branches to complete a fence.
"...It feels somewhat strange that the boundary between the garden and the outside is a door."
Normally, I would expect a simple wooden gate with a structure similar to the fence, but for some reason, only that part was a normal door. One could peek behind it, but the other side was not visible from the front.
"This door is special."
My nursery fairy moves using the opening and closing of doors as a trigger. As the explanation continued, I understood what this door was for. This door was likely a special door connecting this place and the outside. When the Divine King knocked on the door, the nursery fairy, who had slipped in at some point, emerged from the keyhole, returning to its usual size.
"Ara?"
I caught the nursery fairy with both hands as it fell vertically the moment it emerged from the keyhole. Then, the door opened from the outside, and Salisa was standing beyond the door.
"Finally connected. Christina-sama, you said you were delivering the pot to Leonardo-sama, how many hours has it taken? To deceive Lord Alfred any further..."
While saying it was difficult to deceive Alfred, Salisa seemed to notice belatedly. The unnaturalness of me, whom she thought should be in the Mail Fortress, being outdoors.
"...Christina-sama, could you please explain?"
"Umm... a lot happened, and it seems Leonardo-sama is coming to fetch me, so I will be waiting here until then."
I tried saying only the conclusion, skipping the circumstances and key points. It should have been an overly unreasonable explanation, but Salisa was convinced by this alone. Saying "I see," she closed the door once, and when the door opened next, she had prepared my luggage and her own. Surprisingly, Aaron was with them.
The wind spirits had told me that Jean-Jacques had been safely thrown outside the border. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he had been thrown near the town of Grunoll, so even if he was caught by Black Knights, they were the Black Knights of the Grunoll Fortress. Since they were old acquaintances, he was not captured and was able to borrow clothes immediately. After returning to the town of Grunoll once to reassure Giselle, he had found a earth spirit by watching what I did and had made his way to this hideaway on his own. The spirits also knew that Jean-Jacques was my guard, so they had obediently transported Jean-Jacques.
The area around this hideaway protected by the spirits and the Divine King was set up so that guests I invited, people who took care of me, and people meant to protect me could enter normally. Exceptions were Alfred and Alf. Since I am weak against those two, the Divine King had ordered the spirits from the start to prevent them from approaching, so that I would not be carelessly persuaded to return to the detached palace.
This made it seem as if I were being locked up by the Divine King, but it was slightly different. Leonardo had wished for the spirits to protect me from everything until he came to fetch me. Therefore, it also served to prevent spirits, whose judgment criteria differ from humans, from mistakenly perceiving that someone had 'hurt me' and taking retaliatory action against other humans.
In a word, it was a separation for the sake of both parties. Especially since Alfred, being a prince, might have to consider utilizing me depending on the situation, it was better that I was not before his eyes.
Since Camille had created 'magic', I decided to use the excess time while waiting for Leonardo to learn 'magic' from the Divine King.
When I think of 'magic', I remember things from games I played in my previous life that activate by chanting spells, but 'magic' in this case is asking a favor of a spirit and borrowing its mysterious power.
In terms of image, I suppose it would be something like 'spirit magic'.
There seemed to be no restriction to attributes, such as 'healing magic' being the water attribute. It seemed that whether it was a fire spirit or a water spirit, so-called 'healing magic' could be performed.
However, there were still differences in strengths and weaknesses.
Under the Divine King's guidance, I tried to acquire 'healing magic'. The first test subject was the black Shiba (Kokumaro), whose legs would tangle when running. Since the detoxification had already been completed, the water, fire, and earth spirits lent their help.
Although it was called 'healing magic', in terms of effect, the earth spirit created nutritious things in the field, and the fire and water spirits improved blood circulation, so it was closer to rehabilitation than what one hears as 'magic'.
It did not heal just by chanting a spell like 'Heal' as in stories. It was possible to heal small scratches, but this too was a joint effort by the fire and water spirits, improving blood circulation and activating cells, and as a result, the wound just closed slightly faster.
The Divine King taught me that it was possible to heal dramatically faster, but I had no intention of trying it because I was afraid of the side effects. 'Healing magic', which does not close wounds with mysterious power but merely accelerates recovery, apparently causes intense itching when recovery is accelerated. Indeed, thinking about it, since only that part is activating cells, such a thing might happen. Also, simply put, wounds that are almost healed are itchy.
Camille seemed happy calling these 'magic', but for now, it was only to this extent.
Nevertheless, even if the effect was small, the black Shiba no longer tangled its legs when running, and Aaron's vision began to return little by little. This small 'magic' was enough for me.
...How should I put it, do I feel like I am enjoying this to the point of wondering if this is paradise?
The hideaway the Divine King prepared for me is terrifyingly carefree and easy to live in. There is not much change in climate, but since there are spirits, I can properly know the changing of the seasons.
Since I started living in the hideaway, more than half a year had already passed.
I spent that half-year of time very freely. Since there were no eyes of others, there was no need to force myself to behave as a lady, and if I asked, Salisa let me help with the housework. Tinkering with the field is also fun. If I want to go out, I can go anywhere from the garden door, and conversely, if I want to shut myself in, I can refuse visitors. On days when I am tired from doing housework, the spirits take over, and in the first place, the livestock that produce milk and eggs took care of themselves.
A life with labor to the extent of pleasant fatigue, and time that can be used freely otherwise.
Really, the more I think about it, the more comfortable life in the hideaway is. I even feel it is more wholesome and healthy than spending all my time on hobbies while being cared for as a young lady.
When I unintentionally murmured that I wanted to live here without waiting for my old age, two trees grew in the garden. Vines grew in the blink of an eye, and now they have become the Divine King's favorite hammock. I also borrow it occasionally to nap, but it seems he is seriously intending to make me a useless person in this hideaway. It is too comfortable, and I am becoming a bit reluctant to return to human society.
"...Come to think of it, I heard from Leonardo-san that the Divine King-sama seems to have a request for me."
To convey that, he would surely appear one day. That is what I had heard from Leonardo. Rather than one day, is it a laughing matter that I have been with him for more than half a year already as a substitute guardian until Leonardo comes to fetch me? During this ample time of half a year, I had heard various stories from the Divine King. I had been hearing little by little about how to get along with spirits and the truth of the myths, but I had never heard words that sounded like a request from the Divine King's mouth. Wondering if he had forgotten, I asked him since I remembered, and as expected, the Divine King himself had forgotten. It took a little time before the words came out.
"That is right. I had one wish that I wanted you to grant."
"What is it? If it is something I can do, please tell me anything."
I have already been taken care of extensively, and even without that, I want to grant his wish within the scope of what I can do. I have no power to manipulate mysteries like the Divine King, being just a human, but I can perform some mysteries by borrowing the power of spirits. Even if it is an impossible wish, it is enough if I can get close to it within the possible range.
Now, I braced myself for what kind of wish would come out, and the Divine King gave a wry smile. He said it is a simple thing, so there is no need to tense up so much.
If all the 'Spirit Seats' are destroyed, the Divine King will finally die officially. Once Leonardo comes to fetch me, the Divine King plans to proceed to his next life without reservation. He will apparently be born somewhere and start a new life.
"My wish is a truly simple thing. ...If we happen to meet somewhere, please invite me to a meal again. On that day when I first met you, I was happy to be invited to a meal."
The Divine King, gazing into the distance with eyes that looked somewhat nostalgic, was probably remembering something even further back than the day he first met me. I remember him saying that I was the second person to be invited to a meal together. The person the Divine King wants to have a meal with is surely the partner from that time. And that is not me.
"...Is that all?"
"There is nothing else. ...That is right. At that time, I want to eat egg sandwiches again."
Since the Divine King said those were quite delicious, I joked that I would prepare juice together. When I asked if there was anything else he wanted to eat, the things that came out of the Divine King's mouth were only things I had eaten. Perhaps he had asked the wind spirits or something and grasped my favorite foods. Since the name of the chunky vegetable soup Leonardo made came out, there is no mistake.
"Pudding, Tatsuta-age, cheesecake with dried grapes (nuzeel), stew made by Tabitha, chunky soup with plenty of vegetables... Divine King-sama, you are quite a glutton, aren't you?"
"It is because I lived a long life without eating anything."
In his next life, he wants to be born into a normal family and gather around the dining table with his family, the Divine King smiled a bit lonely. The existence known as the Divine King might have rarely sat at the same table as others.
"Then, someday. If I can meet the Divine King-sama born somewhere, let us have a meal together."
As a token of the promise, I somehow held out my pinky finger. The Divine King, who should not have understood the meaning, looked puzzled, so I briefly explained about 'pinky swearing'. That it is something like a game children did in my previous life when making a promise.
Saying it was a game might have been a good thing. The Divine King, who said he wanted to gather around the dining table with family, might have never played with anyone. While making a very complex, grim face, he entwined his finger with mine, saying "Since we have certainly made a promise."