V2 Chapter 2:
"Well, I get it. I'll believe you for now. So, what do you want?"
"What do I want? Isn't it you who has something to say, Zero?"
"Huh? No way a pervert like you has anything important to say."
"Are you really sure about that?"
...This guy isn't making much sense. He seems to know something. It's just a gut feeling, but I can't shake it. Maybe I should listen to what he has to say, even though I really don't want to.
"Will you answer my question?"
"I'll answer what I can."
"Alright. So, what exactly are spirits?"
"Oh, that's a good question. Spirits are essential for maintaining this world."
I see, I still don't understand. Are they like oxygen or something? I have no idea. The Earth Spirit, with an air of importance, crossed his arms as if he knew everything.
"Spirits generate the magic power of this world. Does that make sense?"
"Huh? Wait a minute. Spirits can't use magic, can they?"
"Magic can't be used without magic power. So, if there are no spirits, magic won't work."
"I see."
Oh no, I'm getting even more confused. If there are no spirits, magic won't work? But Gus used magic without contracting any spirits. So, can't you still use magic without them?
"Well, for now, it's enough to vaguely understand. Spirits are responsible for the magic power in this world. If spirits disappear, magic won't work. Got it?"
"Yeah, got it."
Uh-oh, he's onto me. The Earth Spirit is grinning smugly. But as soon as I grip the iron pipe, he quickly stops laughing. He should've behaved himself from the beginning.
"So, the world's magic power is currently in chaos. At this rate, magic will disappear from the world."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Didn't the conversation just take a huge leap? Why is the world's magic power in chaos?"
"You'll have to find out for yourself."
"You just don't know, do you!"
Hey, why the sigh? Does this guy really intend to tell me anything? I'm getting irritated... Wait, why? I suddenly feel calm again, and I find myself curious to hear what he has to say. I might even consider believing him... despite how shady this all seems. I have no idea what's going on.
"Zero, okay? You'll meet the remaining three Great Spirits. Then, you'll investigate what the black stones are and why the Spirit Liberation Army is doing what they're doing. And finally, I'll tell you the most important thing."
"Wait, wait, wait, hold on. You're bombarding me with all this suddenly... Huh? The most important thing?"
"To know who you really are."
...Know who I really am? I'm just me, right? What is this guy talking about? Or is there something about me that I don't know?
"Think about it. There must have been times when you felt different from others. Why is that? Who are you really? When you figure that out... then you'll decide."
"Decide? Hey, what are you talking about? I have no idea what you're getting at!"
"To the east, the Earth Great Spirit, that's me. And to the south, the Fire Great Spirit. To the west, the Wind Great Spirit. And to the north, the Water Great Spirit. Remember that?"
"Well, what does that have to do with anything... Wait? Some of the little guys are wearing things like trees or flowers on their heads, and there's also magic like ice and lightning, right? What are those?"
"Those are all derivatives from the four basic elements. The Great Spirits of the four basic elements oversee them."
Huh? So does that mean ice belongs to the Water Great Spirit? What about lightning? I don't get it. While I'm pondering this, the Earth Great Spirit suddenly appears in front of me. And then, he gently touches the iron pipe. Hey, what are you touching without permission! As I try to shake him off, a faint light emits from the Earth Great Spirit's fingertip, and four holes appear at the end of the iron pipe. As I tilt my head to look, the Earth Great Spirit touches the holes, and brown stones fit into them. What's this?
"To save the spirits, you'll need the power of the Great Spirits. Obtain the power of all the Great Spirits and offer it to the altar."
"Altar? No, that's not it. What do you mean by saving the little guys!?"
Ignoring my question, the Earth Great Spirit smiles warmly. Well, I don't feel any happier being smiled at by an old man... Since I don't understand what's going on, I glare at the Earth Great Spirit. But his figure gradually fades away before my eyes.
"Hey, hey! Are you getting fainter!? The conversation isn't over yet! Forget about everything else, tell me about saving the little guys!"
"I understand? You'll meet the Great Spirits! And then, you'll learn who you really are! Look forward to the day we meet again."
"Wait, I said wait!"
...Gone. Yeah, disappeared. Just like that, it faded away gradually until there was nothing there, as if nothing had been there in the first place. The little guys were staring at the spot where it vanished.
"I decide?" What does that mean? Does it mean coming to this world wasn't just a coincidence? What about those glasses? Is he hiding something? I understand nothing, and the list of things I don't understand keeps growing. I could only stand there dumbfounded.
Episode Three: "What Are You Doing Here!"
...No, standing around won't do any good. There were plenty of things I didn't understand, but there should've been many that I did. I should jot down what I've understood for now.
The notepad and pen were in the bag Lilri had prepared for me. She's really handy. I decided to stay in the cave that day and sorted out what to do next.
- I need to investigate the black stones. But there's still no information.
- I must understand the purpose of the Spirit Liberation Army. There must be a reason for liberating spirits.
- Spirits are something important. Without them, magic won't work.
- The world's magic power is in chaos. I don't understand it well.
- I need to meet the Great Spirits. There's one each to the east, west, south, and north. Meeting them might shed some light.
- I don't know what's going on with the little guys, but it seems serious. To help them, I need to meet the Great Spirits.
- There seems to be something about me. I need to know about myself. There have been hints so far. And I need to decide something.
...That should be it. I glanced at the iron pipe with the brown stones attached, but of course, it didn't offer any answers. Since I finished summarizing, I decided to determine the next destination. I should be able to manage if I move.
According to the map, the Spirit Forest lies southeast of the continent. So, the Earth Great Spirit, that weirdo, is the eastern Great Spirit. Then the closest one would be to the south.
"All right. Heading south."
With that decision made, I decided to sleep. It's already late at night. It would be foolish to move now. There seems to be a town to the south too, and judging by the map, there are many mountains? Well, I'll manage somehow.
- Morning, I woke up and got ready. The little guys seemed eager too. They seemed happy that I had a purpose. They're carrying baggage just like me, but could it be that they're just imitating me?
Gradually, I feel like I'm starting to understand what they're thinking... I thought it was because we've been together for a long time, but maybe there's some other reason for this too. Well, for now, it's south. I left the forest and started walking back along the path I took yesterday.
There's a fork in the road ahead, so I should return there and head south. So, I was walking to the fork in the road. Somehow, a familiar voice was coming towards me. This situation feels familiar.
"H-Help me, please! Someone!"
Red hair, red eyes. Hair that seems to be semi-long and slightly shorter stature. I don't even need to confirm. Running towards me, breathing heavily, with a face as red as a beet, was undoubtedly Gus.
"Hey! Stop! What are you doing here!"
"Zero-san!? Ah! P-Please don't look at me! I'm not used to it since it's been a while! A-And please help me!"
Despite being out of breath, Gus quickly hid behind me. This guy... I reluctantly glanced in the direction Gus came from. About five goblins were eagerly chasing after him.
"Yeah! Weren't you supposed to get stronger by contracting with spirits! Why are you running away! Just burn them already!"
"I burned them! I really did! I defeated more than ten of them! But my magic power is almost gone now. Hehe."
"Hehe, yeah, right! Come on, use your brain a bit more!"
What's up with this guy...? I suppressed the urge to hold my head in my hands and thought about what to do with the goblins. Five of them. Well, I should be able to handle them somehow. It's crucial to knock them out. Now then...
"Zero-san! What are you doing!? They're coming closer! Are we running away!? Yes, let's run away!"
"Shut up!"
I smacked Gus's head. Even this feels nostalgic. With teary eyes, Gus looked at me, clearly dissatisfied. Tough luck.
And what's this? Am I running away? Don't make me laugh.
"I'm not running away! I'm going to crush them! You use whatever magic power you have left to shoot weak fire for support! Don't hit me with it!"
"As expected, you're all brawn! Understood!"
I don't need to be told by him! I didn't even spare a moment to return those words. I dashed towards the goblins. There are five of them, all wielding axes or swords. But they shouldn't be that fast. I've fought them a few times, so I know their moves.
First... I throw the stone axe!
"Ugh!?"
Good, the guy in the front lost his balance. They're all running together because they're cocky. When the guy in front fell from getting hit by the stone axe, it caused the others to stop too.
Next... I throw the iron pipe!
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
Great, the iron pipe spinning around hit two of them hard. In the meantime, I closed the distance and punched the idiotic face of the one who noticed me in a hurry.
And then, I kicked the other one who noticed me and was panicking.
All that's left is to pick up their stone axes, throw one, and then beat the other one who's fallen with the remaining one!
"Hey hey! What's with the hesitation?! Ha ha ha! I'm gonna kill you all! ...Gus! Where's the support?"
"Uh! I'll do it now, sorry!"
Tch. There are always people who get overwhelmed by the fighting atmosphere and freeze up. Just as I suspected when I called out to him.
Alright, two down, three to go.
I picked up the iron pipe that had fallen at my feet. It was a good move to position myself where I could pick it up while beating them up.
With the iron pipe on my shoulder, I stood up swaying slightly and looked at the three bastards.
They seemed eager too, looking at me. But I deliberately averted my gaze.
Did they think I was scared? The three idiots charged straight at me like fools. Just as I calculated.
As they closed in, getting closer, right in front of me... and then, I looked straight at the three. Putting all my strength into my gaze, I froze them in their tracks. Now!
"Gus!"
"Leave it to me!"
I leaped sideways to avoid Gus's magical beam.
At that moment, a fireball flew from behind. It hit one of the goblins squarely in the face, sending it flying.
Now, there were two left. I approached while tapping my hand with the iron pipe.
Hey hey, what are you so afraid of? Stop making that funny face! First, I'll beat down the one closest to me!!
...Well, the rest was like a walk in the park. I threw the one I knocked down at the other, then pounded them both while they were hugging each other. That was it.
But the real problem wasn't these guys.
"Hehe, nice job, Zero! Teamwork prevails!"
Without saying anything, I lifted Gus's cheek. What teamwork? This guy!
"Hahaha! We did it, Zero! It's a victory for teamwork!"
"Shut up! Why are you even here?"
"I'm here to help you, of course! Let go of me for now, please!"
Tch, I have no choice. If he won't listen, there's nothing I can do. I released Gus.
He rubbed his reddened cheek with tears in his eyes. He's puffing his cheeks and clearly dissatisfied.
"So, let me ask again. What are you doing here?"
"I followed you, Zero-san!"
"Fine, go back."
"Isn't that harsh!?"
What's this guy thinking? Wasn't he supposed to be busy at the castle?
First of all, why does he think I left him and came here alone?
Am I causing a commotion, and isn't Lil'ri turning pale? ...No, Lil'ri might not even bat an eyelid.
"By the way, Zero-san. Why are you alone in a place like this?"
"Huh?"
"Are you lost again? Well, it's okay now because I'm here!"
"What are you talking about? I have my own things to think about..."
"Right, I understand. So, what should we do next?"
"No, I told you to go back to the castle."
"Okay, understood. I'll leave it up to you where to go next, Zero-san. But from now on, please let me know before you go out, okay? It would be troublesome if you got lost like this again!"
Wait, isn't something off? Gus is smiling, but his eyes aren't. And, did our conversation even get through?
I felt a chill down my spine. Uh oh, something's wrong. What do I do? Run away? From Gus? Why? But this is bad.
"Hey, calm down, Gus. We need to have a discussion at least, don't you think?"
"Yeah, we need to have a discussion about our future plans! Like from now on... Oh, I'm done with you, Zero-san!"
"Uh, hey. I'm asking you something... What's our plan for the future?"
"Gus, let's head south. We're looking for the Fire Great Spirit."
"The Great Spirit? I've never heard of it..."
"Yeah, as far as I know, it's a freak. But a pretty capable one."
"Isn't it a spirit!?"
"Well, anyway, we're going south. Would it be better to go back to Karat's town and take a shared carriage?"
"If you weren't here, I might have done that."
"Uh... I'll endure it!"
"You won't be able to."
Gus gets really seasick. Anything other than the royal carriage is a no-go. So naturally, we ended up walking. There's an option of making motion sickness medicine from the Chibis, but I don't mind walking leisurely. Besides, it's easier to talk to Gus about our future plans when there's no one else around. Some of the topics might sound weird if overheard by others.
"Gus, let's talk about our plans for the future..."
"I'm going with Zero-san!"
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about where we're going next..."
"I'm going with Zero-san!"
I hit him again. Is this guy losing it? He's getting too close to me for comfort. Honestly, he's suffocating.
He'll go back to normal if I hit him, but I feel like the time for that is getting shorter and shorter. Is he really okay?
"Anyway, we're heading south. We're looking for the Fire Great Spirit."
"The Great Spirit? I've never heard of it..."
"Yeah, as far as I know, it's a freak. But a pretty capable one."
"Isn't it a spirit!?"
Wait, was there a strange pause just now... or is it just my imagination? Well, if he got permission, that's fine. ...Is it?
It feels a bit off, and I feel like we wasted some time. But well, there's no use overthinking it.
I ended up traveling with Gus again.
Are you listening to episode 4?
I was planning to head south with Gus and the Chibis, but we came to a halt when Gus suggested something.
"Wouldn't it be better to go back to Karat's town and take a shared carriage?"
"If you weren't here, I might have done that."
"Uh... I'll endure it!"
"You won't be able to."
Gus gets really motion sick. Anything other than the royal carriage is a no-go for him. So naturally, we ended up walking. There's an option of making motion sickness medicine from the Chibis, but I don't mind walking leisurely. Besides, it's easier to talk to Gus about our future plans when there's no one else around. Some of the topics might sound weird if overheard by others.
"Gus, let's talk about our plans for the future..."
"I'm going with Zero-san!"
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about where we're going next..."
"I'm going with Zero-san!"
I hit him again. Is this guy losing it? He's getting too close to me for comfort. Honestly, he's suffocating.
He'll go back to normal if I hit him, but I feel like the time for that is getting shorter and shorter. Is he really okay?
"Well, anyway, we're heading south. We're looking for the Fire Great Spirit."
"The Great Spirit? I've never heard of it..."
"Yeah, as far as I know, it's a freak. But a pretty capable one."
"Isn't it a spirit!?"
Well, you'd definitely think that if you saw it. It was undoubtedly the Earth Great Spirit. Honestly, I'm getting worried about meeting the next Great Spirit.
Gus was chuckling away, seemingly without any doubts about our destination. He's a quick-witted guy, which is helpful.
"So, do you know why the Spirit Liberation Army is doing what they're doing, or anything about the black stones? Have you found out anything?"
"Huh? I left the castle immediately, so how would I know about that?"
"You're useless..."
"But it's okay! With me and Zero-san, we'll manage somehow!"
"Just go back."
"Isn't that harsh!?"
It's a familiar exchange. Well, not that familiar since we haven't been apart for that long.
Anyway, it's clear that Gus doesn't have any information. So, it looks like we'll head to the southern town to gather information while also investigating the black stones and the Spirit Liberation Army.
As I was thinking about our future plans, Gus abruptly pulled at my sleeve. He's being overly clingy and annoying.
"We're heading south, but where exactly is this Great Spirit located?"
"Huh? Well... Where is it?"
Come to think of it, where is it? I was only told it's to the south. That weirdo really didn't tell me anything important.
While I was pondering, Gus was giving me a suspicious look. Uh-oh, I feel like my credibility is dropping unfairly.
Is there any other clue? Ah, right!
I showed the Chibis the map.
"Hey, do you guys know anywhere that looks like this?"
Oh? The Chibis are huddled together discussing it. They're adorable.
But looking at them now, there are a lot more Chibis than before. Honestly, I can't count them all. Hundreds? Thousands? ...Well, the more the merrier, I suppose.
...Come to think of it, how did they all end up following us? They just seem to appear out of nowhere.
While I was pondering that, the Chibis pointed to a spot on the map. Ah, here it is.
"Gus, our destination is here."
"Huh? Whaaat!? It's Mt. Fue! That's a restricted area where entry is prohibited!"
"Yeah, that's where we're going."
"No, it's a dangerous area!"
"It's fine, just trust me."
Gus is on the verge of tears.
Just trust me, Gus, and follow along. I trust the Chibis, so we'll be fine! There's no room for error.
So, our destination is set: Mt. Fue.
We started walking towards our destination, but Gus was still whimpering.
How long is he going to cry? Right now, preparing for the journey is more important than crying.
"Um, Zero-san?"
"What, we're not changing our destination."
"Uh, no... it's not that. Shouldn't we consider our mode of transportation?"
"Like equipment for the volcano? Yeah, I was thinking about that. We might need special shoes or something."
"That's not what I meant! I'm talking about our mode of transportation until we get to the volcano! Are we really going to walk!?"
"Huh? That's the plan."
"That's impossible!"
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