Chapter 389: Protection
「Wait. Has a spirit just been born? 」
Hauron seemed stupefied about something.
「A spirit doppelganger of Noth appeared just now — are you saying that’s a newly born spirit? 」
Retze asked.
「They usually come in smaller sizes, but yup, that one’s quite huge alright. 」
I already accumulated several notebooks for Es, but I haven’t finished binding them into books yet.
Hmm, does that prove that the ancient deities’ names are really heavyweight? But I overrode Stekar’s — Es is not counted, alright.
「…So this is also a usual part of your daily life, huh… 」
Hauron dejectedly hung his head.
「…You, I’m your King’s Bough. 」
Khan’s voice sounded like it was crawling from the ground.
「Huh? 」
Khan, who had been sitting like a demon lord pondering his next step for world wide domination in the shadows, was apparently ready to step into the light now.
「If you allow it, I can use whichever spirit you’re contracted with. 」
「Really? 」
「Your ‘Really?’ doesn’t cut it! The contract with Asas is still understandable, but what about Es and her retainer deities, huh… What the heck are you planning to do, entering a contract with them!? 」
「I’ll give you my permission. 」
Building a kingdom will be a lot easier if there’s folks to help, right.
「Stop it! I’m scared about the consequences!! 」
Oh, it’s rare for Khan to get so worked up like this.
「You’re ruthless, huh. 」
Dinosso weakly mumbled.
「Hey, take it easy, okay — stop looking so dumbfounded like that. It’s said that the older and more famous a spirit deity is, the more influence it has on the people living in its territory. My ability to sense spirits is practically nonexistent, but I can still tell that the more the spirit makes themselves visible, the more formidable and terrifying they are. 」
Retze commented.
「 A long time ago when humans were way more connected to spirits compared to how we are nowadays, some spirits exerted a huge influence on the land. The humans living in their territories were known as their retainers, and the stronger one’s ability to sense spirits is, the more it’s considered remarkable, even to this day. That’s because those folks are literally ingesting the teeny tiny spirits born from the bigger ones. So, it’s not a bluff to say that everything that can be eaten in this land is actually touched by Es’s influence. 」
Hauron explained.
「Really? Does that mean the more you can See or borrow the spirits’ power, the greater their influence is? 」
So people fear spirits because they are essentially the humans’ boss? Ah, but some folks also believe and revere spirits simply because of the faith they gain from what had been bestowed on the land.
「That’s right. I’ve been traveling to different places ever since I was young, so I don’t dread and revere Goddess Es as much as King Tirdonai does. Regardless, I also have several deities I bow down to. 」
「Hmmm.」
I initially thought that humans would arbitrarily capture spirits for their use, but I also learned that spirits could also control the hearts of humans.
「What about you? Receiving their protection is the most essential thing to become a spirit’s retainer. 」
「Huh? 」
Khan’s query made me reply with a question too. What did he mean?
「The current heroes are called 『Apostles of Light』, 『Light Goddess Namina’s Retainers』 and『Namina’s Heroes』. Based on what you’ve told us so far, I’m pretty sure you have multiple guardian deities — but I can’t sense any dread of fire, water, or light from you. How did you get rid of the influence on yourself? 」
Oh, so they’re talking about how the spirits’ traits rub on you the longer you hang out with them!
「Dinosso is also sensitive to cold because of his fire spirit. Is that why you’re also cold intolerant? 」
It doesn’t really show on Dinosso’s face, but there are times when he is warm and toasty after giving his dragon spirit some mana.
「I just don’t like the cold. I can also move when it’s extremely cold. 」
「The desert’s temperature can change drastically, after all. 」
Hauron also chimed in.
So he’s simply sensitive to cold, huh. On second thought, Bayliss’s influence is probably greater than Es since she directly possesses Khan.
「My guardian spirits’ power is probably canceling each other out? They did say that incompatible attributes cancel each other out. 」
It’s just a faint memory, but I’m pretty sure they did say something along those lines.
Come to think of it, I’ve never tried directly using the power of the gods directly. Ah, wait, I didn’t summon them, but they did help me with the manufacturing and tending to the fields, so does that count?
Oh well, I don’t think my inclinations won’t lean towards anyone among them, though.
「I see… 」
Hauron muttered before falling deep in thought.
「Are you telling me that you disregarded me, Doggy, and received protection from other deities!? How many were they!? 」
Doggy lifted his head with the bone still in his jaws.
「Yup. Eight deities bestowed their protection on me when I came to this world. 」
「8…!? 」
Dinosso spluttered. Hauron choked.
「That’s… It’s amazing that you weren’t crushed. I, this Doggy, am also astounded! 」
Doggy’s eyes went as round as saucers.
「Crushed? What does that mean? 」
「You don’t know? Unlike contracts, the deities’ power would flow into the person they decided to bestow their protection to. A human body won’t last and will get obliterated when such powerful influence flows into it! There’s only two outcomes after being obliterated — either you die, or you turn into a spirit! 」
Doggy seemed to brag for some reason.
「Ehh, I don’t want that. 」
Nobody told me anything about that.
「Somebody said that heroes will ultimately turn into spirits. It’s just that it has to be their choice. 」
「Oh, right, there were rumors about that. 」
Hauron replied to Retze.
「You can choose? 」
「I’ll check the source of those stories first — anyway, why don’t we eat first? 」
Retze suggested before everyone became immersed in their respective mullings.
「Monsters and flies like horsefly will get attracted if we stay too long in one place. 」
「I don’t want that. 」
I immediately bit into my food.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
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Thanks for the treat.