kscans

Chapter 114 - The Spirit

The Spirit

"So, you want me to communicate with this spirit, but... for starters, should I just try talking to it?"

"Well, that’s the basics. But can you do it? It may be inhuman, but it has taken the form of a young girl, has it not?"

"I’m going to deck you, you pathetic excuse for a college student."

If I'm in work mode, I can talk to strangers. If I'm in work mode.

After a small cough, I met the spirit's gaze.

"Guess I’ll record this on video. Erina-kun, if you would."

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Erina-san, holding up her phone, gave me a thumbs-up. She had apparently started recording.

"H-hello there..."

"..."

"My name is Yagawa. There are a few things I’d like to ask you, if that’s alright?"

For a moment, I worried if telling her my real name might lead to me being cursed, but it was too late for that now.

More importantly, I had already researched that this kind of being doesn't possess such powers. Even if I was wrong, I should be able to resist it.

That is, unless it uses some completely unknown power.

"..."

"Do you understand what I'm saying? If you do, please answer."

I asked, a thin layer of cold sweat on my brow.

This spirit had been under investigation at a government office for several days, birdcage and all, so I had only been face-to-face with it yesterday and today.

During that time, the spirit hadn't responded to any of Aira-san or Erina-san’s questions, but...

—Nod.

There was a small nod.

"Whoa!?"

"What is it, Kyouta-kun!?"

"Well, it nodded... It seems to understand my words."

"I see...! Excellent. That makes a Q&A session much easier."

I shifted my gaze from the grinning Aira-san back to the spirit.

"Then, could you please tell me about yourself?"

"..."

"...Are you able to speak?"

Her head shook from side to side. It seemed she couldn't talk.

"Excuse me, a pen and paper, please."

"Here you go."

I took the ballpoint pen and notepad Mia-san immediately offered and showed them to the spirit.

"This is a tool for writing. You use it like this."

Saying that, I lightly drew a circle on the paper with the pen, then inserted it through the bars of the birdcage.

"Please take this. You can write on it, and we can communicate that way... I’m sorry. Can you, um, write?"

If she couldn't speak, I thought we could communicate through writing... but I had no idea if she could even read or write.

Worried about that, I asked, and the spirit shook its head from side to side.

"I see. My apologies."

Maintaining my customer-service smile, I put down the pen and notepad.

...Right.

"What should I do now?"

I gently covered my face with my hand. I didn't want to see anything right now.

"It’s too early to give up, Kyouta-kun!?"

"I'm sorry, my social skills are trash..."

"You suddenly got so mentally weak..."

She can't speak, and she can't write. How am I supposed to communicate with someone like that?

This is it. This is the domain of a speech therapist or someone like that. At the very least, it's not a skill you should expect from a normal high school student who's only good at fighting.

"Hey, don't give up, Kyouta-kun! You got a nod in response, right? In that case, just keep asking questions. Nothing will start if you don't take action!"

"Yessir..."

"You can do it, Kyouta-chan!"

"G-good luck!"

"...Um, I get it, so. Being cheered on like this... it brings back the emotional damage from elementary school when I was the only one who couldn't do a back hip circle..."

"You’re such a pain."

Shut up.

But it was also true that nothing would get done if I just sulked. Steeling myself, I met the spirit's eyes again.

Those eyes, still staring at me.

...Ah, I knew it felt familiar. It’s that.

This girl's eyes are like an insect's. Not physically. The way she looks at me.

Mechanical, yet organic eyes from which no emotion can be read. A lifeless glint that instinctively stirs up anxiety.

I unconsciously swallowed before resuming my questions.



‘Do you have a name?’

‘No.’

‘You're in a cage, but are you dissatisfied with your current situation in any way?’

‘No.’

‘Do you know the reason why you were inside the dragon?’

‘No.’

‘Do you know where you are from?’

‘No.’

‘Do you have any memories from before you came out of the dragon?’

‘No.’

‘You are a spirit, correct?’

‘Yes.’

‘What kind of spirit are you?’

—After more questioning, it seems she doesn't have a specific element.

‘Are you friendly towards humans?’

—After more questioning, it seems she's not interested in them at all.

‘Do you need to eat?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is your food things like bread or nuts?’

‘No.’

‘Do you mean you need a supply of mana?’

‘Yes.’

‘Without a supply, do you know how much longer you can maintain your existence?’

—After more questioning, it's predicted she will disappear due to mana depletion in about three days.

‘For the mana supply, is my mana acceptable?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you always watching me because you need my mana?’

‘No.’

‘Are you always watching me because you can see me?’

‘No.’

‘Is it because I was the one who finished off that dragon?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you hold a grudge against me for killing the dragon?’

‘No.’

‘Then do you have friendly feelings towards me?’

‘No.’



"Hmm..."

Aira-san hummed quietly as she looked over the notes.

"Kyouta-kun, your handwriting is a little messy."

"Ah, sorry."

"No, it's readable, so it's fine. This Q&A is quite fascinating."

"You think so? All we've really learned is that we ‘don't know much’..."

"And isn't that what's important?"

Whip. Aira-san's face turned sharply towards me.

Oh my, her pupils are completely dilated.

"Have you not heard of Socratic irony? First, you must know what you ‘don't know.’ That is the very first step, my dear boy. To begin with—"

"Ah, no. That's fine."

"Hmph... You're no fun, Kyouta-kun."

"I'm not a scholar, nor do I aspire to be one."

But I sort of understood what she was getting at. She did have a point.

"However, why does this spirit understand our language? She supposedly has no memories, but could she have learned it in such a short time?"

"No. I think she's probably seeing the kotodama."

"Kotodama... Come to think of it, that was in the public documents from the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club."

"Yes. The voices of living beings carry at least some mana. Some forms of magic are just that with directionality added. I believe this spirit is seeing the mana carried on the words and understanding their meaning."

"I see. Then, can you do the same, Kyouta-kun, since you can visualize mana?"

"No. A spirit's entire body, including its brain, is composed of mana, so it can understand it directly. But I'm human, so I can barely grasp the intent of unconsciously emitted mana."

If I had to say, I can only faintly discern whether the emotions directed at me are positive or negative.

Thanks to that, I was constantly breaking out in a cold sweat from all the negative emotions directed at me in the classroom.

"So, if Kyouta-kun stops being human, he could understand any language...?"

"That's ridiculous."

"Senpai, make me a stone mask!!"

"Huh? Huh?"

"Mia-san, please ignore her. It's just a joke."

My cheeks twitched at the remarks of the two残念 (zannen) beauties. Why are you trying to make me graduate from humanity on your own accord?

Besides, vampires are just monsters, aren't they? Are you planning to hunt me?

"Um... what's the meaning of a stone mask?"

"Senpai, you don't know Jojo...?!"

"What, did you say...?!"

"Don't assume your common knowledge is the world's common knowledge. Seriously."

That aside, there are people who don't know Jojo...

Well, I guess most of my knowledge comes from internet memes and MAD videos, too. Jojo.

"Getting back on topic, Kyouta-kun. This spirit seems to be interested in you because you finished off the dragon. Do you have any idea why?"

"...This is just a possibility, but."

"Ah, if it's just a possibility, I have an idea too!"

"Me too."

"Oh, the magic users as well? Then, let me hear each of your opinions."

At Aira-san's words, I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"...It might be recognizing me as its ‘contractor’ or ‘owner.’"

"The ‘land this spirit must protect’ is Kyouta-chan!"

"I agree with both of them."

"Hm? Hmm?"

Aira-san tilted her head and pressed a finger to her brow.

"Wait a minute. From Mia's statement, does that mean a spirit's contractor and the land it must protect are the same thing?"

"Basically, yes. A spirit protects a land because that land is its energy source... like a gas station for a car. And a contract with a spirit is nothing more than the land being replaced by a person."

"Also, a natural spirit is basically like an amazing version of a ‘pseudo-homunculus’ that appears in nature. I wrote in the manual that Renge will disappear if you don't give her mana periodically, right?"

"Ah. I give her mana every day and dress her in Mia's old clothes, but... is that how it works?"

"B-big sis...!"

Aira-san nodded in understanding at mine and Mia-san’s words.

As for the perverted act that was suddenly revealed, the victim is just blushing and embarrassed, so I'll ignore it.

More importantly, the problem is.

"Why is there a system where it contracts with the one who delivered the final blow to the Rey Cuelebre...?"

I asked the spirit, but its head didn't move either vertically or horizontally.

From our previous exchange, this kind of reaction usually means the answer is ‘I don't know.’ Is that the case this time as well?

"Hrmm. So dungeons were made with some kind of intent... The purpose is... in the first place, drop items are... excavation... but..."

Aira-san began muttering to herself. The serious expression on her face as she pondered was as beautiful as if her usual demeanor were a lie.

However, I managed to catch some of her muttering, and it's certainly a strange thing that ‘something drops when you defeat a monster.’

If this were a game world, it would be settled with ‘that's just how it is,’ but even though there are levels and stats, this is reality.

To begin with, it's strange that there's a high probability that monsters are made from salt. No matter how much mana swirls inside a dungeon, such a thing shouldn't happen naturally.

In that case... it's reasonable to assume that dungeons were created with intent by someone, or something.

Who that is and what their purpose is remains unknown, which is why people like Aira-san are racking their brains with sparkling eyes.

"For now, Kyouta-chan, why don't you give this girl some mana? I don't think it would be good for her to disappear."

"You're right... There's probably no danger, so let's do that. Is that alright with you, Aira-san?"

"Yes. I'd prefer to maintain the current state for observation a little longer, but our only observation equipment is your eyeballs. I wonder if we could extract and mass-produce them."

"I will seriously cut ties with you, you idiot."

"My bad."

I wish she wouldn't say such scary things. I occasionally see rumors online about Awakened Persons who went overseas becoming subjects of illegal human experiments.

Being kidnapped and put on an operating table is a definite no-thank-you.

Anyway, I inserted my index finger through the bars of the birdcage and brought it close to the spirit. I then gathered mana at my fingertip and released a small amount.

"Um... here you go."

I'm still a little nervous.

This isn't a proper living being. As I said before, it's something like an advanced version of a ‘pseudo-homunculus.’

It has no human rights, no emotions. And yet, just because it has the appearance of a lovely fairy, I feel like I'm starting to get attached.

If that happens... will I still be able to use a golem like Byakuren until it's destroyed?

That's a little scary.

Oblivious to my worries, the spirit floated over, approached my fingertip, and pressed its lips against it.

It absorbed the mana as if sipping nectar from a flower. This is taking quite a bit. An Awakened Person would need a relatively large amount of mana, and even then, someone without a decent level might pass out from mana depletion.

After a few seconds, seemingly satisfied, the spirit released my fingertip and sat back down on the swing.

"...By the way, Kyouta-chan. Can this girl only live inside this birdcage?"

"Not necessarily. As long as there's ‘another container,’ it should be fine, right? As long as she doesn't unnecessarily come into contact with the ambient mana, she won't disappear."

The books said that spirits generally don't leave the land where they were born.

That's because the quality of the mana flowing through that land is identical to the one that constitutes them, so it's harmless even if it collides with their bodies.

That's why they dislike having the land altered.

...Or so that book says. I haven't actually tested it, so I can't say for sure.

"In that case!"

Erina-san's eyes sparkled as she looked up at me.

"What would happen if we put her inside a golem!?"

"Even if we just put her in, she wouldn't disappear, but she wouldn't be able to move it either. For a human, it would be like a state where the nerves aren't connected."

That's the one point where a ‘pseudo-homunculus’ is superior to a spirit.

Because its form is unstable, it has more freedom. With a little modification to the flask or exterior, it's possible to control a golem.

"Then! Can she merge with Byak-chan!"

"Rejected."

"Ehh? It's not about whether she can or can't, it's just rejected?"

"It's possible. But I won't do it."

At Erina-san's words, I pressed my lips into a firm line.

"...A spirit and a ‘pseudo-homunculus’ have high compatibility, and it's possible that the golem's performance would improve by having it absorb the pseudo-homunculus. But, if we mess up, we could end up with a ‘two brains’ situation and it would self-destruct."

This was also from the club's public documents, but they apparently tried to merge an AI with a golem before.

But the result was a failure. A discrepancy occurred between the AI's behavior and the internal ‘pseudo-homunculus,’ and the joints twisted in unnatural directions and broke.

They are apparently researching a system to switch control between them, but that's also proving difficult. I hear that there's either a significant lag when switching, or they overlap and break.

"Oh, I see. But merging with a spirit sounds so cool! Like a hermit sage!"

"Where did this hermit sage come from?"

"Like, with a frog on the shoulder."

"OK, I get it, so be quiet."

"Whimper."

Byakuren has her own dedicated body. It was just badly damaged, and I need to repair it. Fortunately, I have spare parts at home, but this is the last of them. I'll have to either patiently gather materials again or, in the worst case, buy them.

Frankly, it's a hassle and costs money, so I don't want to break it recklessly. Besides, treating your work tools carelessly is just wrong.

"Alright! Then let's have Kyouta-chan or me merge with this spirit-chan!"

"Rejected."

"Ehh."

"Don't ‘ehh’ me."

Fusing a spirit with a human body could, at worst, cause a mana rampage from the inside and make you explode.

Well, it's true that doing so would probably increase the ‘amount of mana you can release,’ and there might be even greater effects, but... the risk is too high.

It's a gamble you'd only take in a do-or-die situation. In that case, putting it in a golem would still be a better option.

"No, you two. First of all, I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring such a valuable research subject into a dungeon."

"Yessir."

"Okaaay!"

Well, Aira-san has a point.

"Hmm... I know! Let's give this girl a name!"

"What do you mean, ‘I know’..."

"Because it's sad to keep calling her ‘this girl’ or ‘spirit’!"

"Hah..."

Honestly, I don't want to get strangely attached, so I don't want to name her.

But not having a name is also inconvenient.

"Very well. Then let's name her ‘Sana’!"

"...? Big sis, why that name?"

"Well, the legendary Cuelebre was said to have captured a fairy race called the Sana and kept them with its treasure. Since we have the chance, I thought I'd take it from there."

"Ohh. Sana-chan, huh."

"If that's the case, I have no problem with it."

"I have no particular reason to object either."

"Hmph. A nice idea, if I do say so myself."

I shifted my gaze from the smug-faced Aira-san back to the spirit.

As always, she was still just staring at me.

"Um... then, from now on, I will call you Sana. Is that alright?"

—Nod.

The spirit in the form of a fairy, Sana, gave a small nod.