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Chapter 438: Possessed By Black Spirits (Author Warning: Dark Theme)

The snow crunched under my feet as I made my way outside the sanctuary. Snow has started to cover the messed up garden and the spots where everyone had collapsed earlier.

Half of the spirits in this place are normal while the other half are made up of black spirits ー I already finished naming all the black ones, so they would never attack the normal ones. Even so, it’s not like they all are getting along well, though.

『Can you change how I look? 』

I requested the spirits as I strode forward. The spirits and black spirits started to transform my appearance according to how I wished it to be. I didn’t want to be in ‘Jean’s’ appearance right now.

The sound of footsteps on the snow ceased.

It was a white and black world. Damp black branches and leaves were hidden, and even the sound of the wind seemed to be swallowed in the white snow.

After walking for a while, the black spirits signaled towards a certain place, and the sight of a guy pinned on a tree came into view. His hood and scarf were in disarray, revealing a black-mottled face.

The black bruises were manifestations of when the black spirits merged with the flesh. Those who have the Sight can See how the black spirits writh deeper into the area around those bruises.

「Hello… Oh, right, you can’t hear me, huh. 」
I waved my hand at the black spirits, and requested that they return his hearing, sight and speech. The black bruises seem to fade a bit from the man’s face.

「H-Hero…!? 」
The man’s eyes, which had been half-closed, suddenly snapped open as he let out a raspy voice.

「You see me as the Hero? 」
My lips curled in a smirk as I asked him.

My current appearance was that of me in the past, with black eyes and two moles underneath one of them. I was wearing a white shirt and black pants ー it’s the school uniform sans the jacket. The black spirits coil around me, making me float in the air.

「Hick!! 」
A tiny shriek escaped from the man.

I wasn’t purposely intimidating him, but the mist of black spirits was too dense to ignore, I guess.

Hmm, do they have a concept of demon lord in this world?

「Ahh, I see. 」
I peered at the eyes of the quivering man.

I didn’t have to ask him anything, the information about what I wanted to know flowed on its own into my mind. Is this how the spirits around me read my mind?

Shrum’s spy breaking the vessel that bound the spirit ーthe large, cream-colored bird glowed with light spirit being liberated and feeling confused about it ーfreedom, only to be caught by the hero doll who bit it down at the base of its wings ー the bird struggling, its power seeping out from its wound ーthe 『Bird of Light』gradually turning black.

The fief lord’s 『Bird of Light』 ー the temple’s 『Supreme Cushion』 ー a fake 『Bough』that, after many, many years beside a powerful spirit, managed to get infused with its own spirit ー 『Divine Statue』.

「Two of the four guardians have fallen and the Goddess who imbues the Divine Statue with power is also missing, and the 『Bird of Light』is now tainted black. 」

The fortress city, who continued to exist beside the Magical Woods despite failing to obtain a genuine spirit bough ー no wonder they’re scared out of their wits about the black spirits, huh. Their defenses are too weak, so it’s only natural that the more powerful black spirits are targeting them.

「The 『Bird of Light』may have been defeated, but too bad, I’m really pissed right now. 」
This guy is way past being human at this point.

Their first goal was to make sure the 『Bird of Light』was completely defeated. The second was to use the girl’s blood to trap the black remnants of the spirit in the Magical Woods. This guy’s job was to report all that, and to deal with anything unexpected that might come up.

There were also two types of adventurers who embarked on this journeyーthose who accepted the quest but were ignorant of what’s going on, and those who were directly hired by the fief lord and were proactively gunning for the kill. The adventurer guild of the fortress city seemed suspicious about the fief lord, so they sent someone to accompany this guy. It seems the Canum team was there to back them up.

「T-That girl’s younger sister will die if I-I don’t return! 」
The man yelled while stumbling on his words.

「… What does that have to do with me? 」
I tilted my head and asked.

「W-What? A-Are you planning to g-gobble that s-spirit’s remains too!? 」
I grinned while watching the frightened guy stammer.

「The 『Bird of Light』 might’ve been defeated, but no worries, I’m gonna send a different black spirit to you guys. Ahh, but I can See that you still have some remnants of the 『Bird of Light』in you, huh? ー Why don’t I give it some mana instead? 」
A different black spirit is fine, but it’d be a waste if I don’t do anything with the『Bird of Light』so let’s revive it.

Seems like the 『Bird of Light』 was unable to leave the fortress city for a very long time. I can sense a mixture of anger at being stripped of its freedom, and a curse-like obsession and compulsion to favor a particular bloodline. It’s similar to the curse that bound Zabuton before.

「Alright, forget everything about what you saw and heard here, and rest well. You should return to the fief lord when you wake up. 」
The man’s eyelids gradually became heavy with my words until it finally closed.

The black spirits restraining the man withdrew and only the black remnants of the 『Bird of Light』hidden within his body remained. I bound it with a contract and infused it with some mana, so it’s unlikely to vanish even if the guy is in good health.

Even if the spirit were to disappear, it would only do so after a certain level of kindness, honesty, lack of envy and hatred are met ーtraits that would be beyond this man’s grasp, much less be available in his surroundings.

Given the spirit’s current state, the guy would probably forget all about what happened when he wakes up, but there’s a possibility for the 『Bird of Light』to recall me, its contractor, once it grows bigger. Well, at that point, the spirit would’ve completely assimilated to the guy to the point that it would be impossible to separate the two. And even if he remembered me, he would only recall the hero’s face.

The black spirits absorb the nature of what they possess. I don’t know what this man is like, but it’s likely to become a pain. Yeah, I know I’m being mean and I have a bad character, but he better be grateful that I didn’t make it worse. If Ash and the other’s quest was given out of malice, I might have slipped and ended up doing something extremely drastic.

I turned around and traversed the white and black woods, heading towards the house.

Yeah, I understand well enough that it’s all up to me whether this ーmyーbody will become a human or a spirit, but I prefer to seal my spirit form and wicked personality together with ‘Jin’. Confirming it once is enough.

I felt a chill in the pit of my stomach when I sensed my blood connection to my sister*.

Let’s return back to being Jean and continue starting over. I transformed back to Jean’s appearance, then continued striding through the snow. The black spirits left me as I drew closer to the sanctuary.

Anyway, when should I call Hauron? Should we rescue the girl’s sister first, or should we do that after consulting him?