Chapter 336: Just Checking, Won’t Approach

 

「So let me get this straight, you’re the younger brother of one of the heroes, right? You’re also the model for that Doll. Ah, but your appearance was changed so you can fit in this world. 」

「Yup. I already cut ties with them so we’re absolutely unrelated now. 」
I loathe being called the brother of that hag.

「Pardon, how did you arrive at the conclusion that he was the model for that Doll? 」
「Well, I already knew that the three heroes’ appearance changed when they were summoned. The rest is just putting two and two together based on the context clues as we talk. 」
Hauron waved his hand at Butler’s question.

「So, the Doll eating the genuine one, what is that about? 」
Retze went back to that topic.

「Weaker dolls can exist relatively peacefully because the power they get with permission from the spirits is enough to sustain them. However, that’s absolutely insufficient for the dolls who were created out of the desire of its master to become more powerful. Now, let’s say Dolls devour more spirits the stronger they get — those spirits generally turn black out of hatred and resentment the moment they’re devoured. You get the gist. 」
「It must be similar to that of an adventurer going mad from slaying too many monsters. 」
Butler replied to Hauron’s explanation.

When spirits turn black, negative emotions such as fury at the time of being consumed, grief, horror and hatred are added to their attributes, or should I say nature. Monsters are born when ordinary animals are possessed by such black spirits. When they are slain, tiny black spirit particles scatter, which would then accumulate inside the closest being to them — in this case, the people who slew them.

These black particles are easy to remove, much like those from ordinary spirits, but they would grow and fester if left to accumulate. Folks could go to the temple to get rid of them. Another method is to play around and be refreshed, just like what Chris and Dean do.

「His face and appearance are completely different so I don’t think it’s something to worry about. Ah, no, I guess it’s better to be wary rather than be complacent and think everything’s alright. Dolls are improved versions of the original, meant to simulate without any sort of deviation, after all. There’s a higher chance that the Doll would view the original person as intolerably different from itself because of the glaring discrepancies. If the Doll is insane then it might even try to kill the original. 」
Hauron stared at me.

「Since there will be no ‘discrepancy’ if the original didn’t exist, huh. 」
Retze’s expression was a bit awful.

「The urge to devour the genuine one must stem from the desire for assimilation. 」
Butler was still calmly smiling as usual.

「That’s right. Well, I guess the other two heroes will deal with the Doll somehow if its master gets killed. Until then, there’s absolutely no way anyone will notice that you’re the model for that Doll. 」

「Oh, come to think of it, I heard that the Doll is protected by the hero, isn’t he? 」
「Oh my, didn’t you know, the hero devoted the abilities she’s supposed to receive to that Doll, and it’s a representation of her love, you know? Not only that, the doll itself absorbs more and more dark spirits, stirring and amplifying the negative emotions of the person nearby. The owner’s attachment is quite remarkable, you know ~ 」
Oh, so the heroes protect him, ah no, I mean, the hero-master, huh.

Well, can’t imagine Sis protecting me, after all. The thought that Sis might’ve made that doll did cross my mind, but according to the deities, it was created by the younger sister of Sis’s minion. I don’t have the slightest idea why on earth she’d make my doll, though.

「Mm… 」
Ash was brooding.

「Jean is very popular. Oh well, Ash is enough as Tina’s rival. 」
Shiva’s elbows rested on the table as she held her cup. She heaved a forced sigh.

「Popular? 」
「The person who created Jean’s doll is a girl, isn’t she? 」
「That’s right, but what about it? 」
What’s up?

「You… 」
「What a dense guy. 」
「I can help but feel a bit of sympathy for the doll maker hero-dono. 」
The mens’ group seemed exasperated for some reason.

Shiva stared at me wordlessly.

「Eh, no, I mean, that hero is Sis’s minion, and she’s also the first one who made fun of me after confessing saying it’s a prank and all. No way, right? 」
I was flustered by Shiva’s piercing gaze. T-that col-d-d-d s-s-s-tare!!

「… Well, I guess it’s nothing, then. By first, you mean to say that that bad taste of a joke happened again after that? 」
Yes, it really happened, Master Hauron, although it’s a grand play orchestrated by my malicious sister. Hauron is truly a Grand Sage, he can see right through it even if you don’t say everything. It’s just that he frequently shrieks for some reason.

「So it’s nothing. 」
Shiva’s gaze became softer, thank goodness.

「She didn’t even sincerely apologize, yet she has the nerve to make Jean’s doll….? That girl doesn’t have the right to say she likes Jean. 」
It’s been a while since I saw this very scary expression of Ash. Hauron is inching away!!

「Well, I guess it’ll be fine as long as you take care that they don’t discover you’re here in this world. Speaking of discovery, won’t they get wind that you’re spying on them, Hauron? 」
Retze lightly said, before turning to Hauron to confirm whether it’s alright.

「Eh!… Oh, ahh, yes, it’s fine. I sent a few spirits that transmit senses while amplifying them, and the ones left with me reflect the scene on the crystals. I would never do anything that would harm and expose my contract spirits, after all. 」
Hauron frequently freezes, but he also comes to his senses pretty quickly, moreso if he’s being asked about something.

「The spirits just kept on coming, so maybe the heroes are gathering them for the Doll to devour. Many spirits that were obviously contracted also came. They’re probably sent by other kingdoms and countries to gather intel. 」

Countries that had ample resources coped with the issue by restricting the entry of spirits to those who were contracted. It’s their way of preventing the black spirits from entering, but that method consumes a staggering amount of manastones and mana, so it could only be useful for those with abundant resources. Shrum possessed its own Bough on top of having both resources.

【Cut Ties】is in effect so I think I’ll be fine, but I have to consider my mountain home, the Canum house and the island too.

The mountain home should be alright since uncontracted spirits can’t enter there. As for the Canum house, I already requested the spirits to prevent other spirits from approaching, so the only ones who can enter are either those who possess the humans invited in, and those born within here. It should be fine, then.

The island… Auro and Kiel will probably deal with it somehow, but I’ll just check it later to be sure.

「I still can’t believe that this guy here is the model for that Doll with a fake smile plastered on his face. Whenever I check, half the time he is holed up in the bedroom doing that, you know…Did some sort of memory tampering happen during the summoning? 」
Hauron drew his upper body back a bit and stared at me with doubt-filled eyes.

I’m not the one with the tampered memory, it’s Lightball’s doing — I got the feeling that I shouldn’t say this aloud, so I won’t.

And why the heck are you staring at me as if I’m disappointing!?

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Comment (1)

  1. Hikikomori

    Thanks for the treat.

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