Chapter 121: Even Curses Are Living Beings
At noon, under the warm sunlight, I was enjoying a sunbath on the rooftop of Odilon’s mansion.
It was a sort of act of reverence dedicated to Solmiran, but unlike the pledge I had made in [Battlefield of Sun and Moon], I could not lie around in only my underwear, so I merely took off my top. If a half-elf’s wretched skin stayed under the sun too long, it would suffer all kinds of sunlight-related side effects, including sunburn.
“The weather’s really nice, isn’t it?”
Pendrick, lying on the chair beside me, smiled brightly. He had followed me up to the rooftop for the sunbath, but he looked even more pleased than I did, even though I was the one born as a Sun Elf.
“You look extremely happy.”
“In the Eastern Continent, faith in Lord Solmiran is woven into daily life, so humans and elves often enjoy sunbathing. Beastmen are weak against the heat, though, so they don’t really like it.”
Wearing only swimwear-like bottoms that came down to his thighs, Pendrick wiggled his feet and hummed to himself.
That put me in a good mood too, so I stretched out comfortably.
Crackle, bzzzt!
Perhaps the Exalted One was pleased by the sight of two half-naked men lying side by side. Again and again, through the lightning tattoo near my collarbone, the lofty being sent me intentions filled with all kinds of lewd demands.
The lightning was flaring too much, so I had to suppress it with [Black Thunder Transformation — Bloom].
“…Something’s noisy.”
Astrimia, who had come out of the artifact sheath to bask in the sun, let out a scoff.
Bzzzt!
“No. Please be satisfied with just the upper body.”
While fully enjoying the sun’s grace, I observed the “Fertilizer Sprout” growing from my chest. It had been steadily growing all this time, and now a small shoot had poked its head out.
“It’s grown quite a lot, hasn’t it?”
Pendrick, who had been stroking Astrimia’s blade, turned toward me.
“Is it really fine to just leave it like that?”
“Even if it grows more, there won’t be any particular additional side effects.”
“Just looking at it makes me feel bad for some reason. How about pulling the sprout out? The curse wouldn’t disappear even if you did, but at least it would feel satisfying.”
“Good heavens.”
I covered my mouth.
“How could you do something so cruel to such a little baby? You are truly vicious.”
“…It’s a curse, though?”
“Cancer cells are life, and curses are living beings too.”
“Well, Fertilizer Sprout is a kind of plant too, so that really does make sense!”
The positivity-monster swordsman nodded vigorously.
…Sigh.
Astrimia let out the mental sigh of someone already used to this.
“Since we’re on the subject, why does Metherd hate half-elves so much? Honestly, isn’t that too much?”
“You misunderstand.”
I slowly shook my head.
“What Metherd hates is only elves who serve Evil Gods. You may not believe it, but half-elves are actually the ones he pities instead.”
“…That really is hard to believe. If he pities them, then why place a curse on them?”
“The Ever-Green One would surely not wish it spoken of, so I will simply keep my mouth shut.”
A mere intelligent being could not go around flapping its lips in defiance of the will of a great divinity. So I decided there was no need to make any effort to restore Metherd’s honor.
“Since that’s the case, grow into a pretty flower.”
I was carefully stroking the tiny leaf of the Fertilizer Sprout when—
Flap flap!
With the sound of rough wings beating, a flying golem shaped like a pigeon beastman flew toward me.
《A delivery golem made by the Devourer Mage Tower. It was needlessly made in the exact form of a pigeon beastman, so the joints connecting the torso and wings are fragile.》
“The Devourer Mage Tower is always with the citizens of Pletika! Greetings! Are you Kar, Cultist of the Twisted Truth?”
“That’s right.”
“Here is your delivery!”
The golem held out a long parcel box.
A box with a wineglass full of jewels drawn on the outside.
It seemed the work I had entrusted to Tabirek, the Guild Master of the Jewel Wine Guild, had been completed.
“Is this your package, Sir Kar?”
“It is.”
Pendrick accepted the parcel on my behalf, since I only had my right arm.
“Then please pay the delivery fee of 5 silver!”
“Cash on delivery…?”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
I gave a slight nod, took five silver coins out of subspace, and handed them over.
This kind of sudden, unplanned expense was a valuable experience that added a little pleasure to daily life, which might otherwise have become dull. I should do business with Tabirek more often from now on.
《At this point, I’m too tired to even say anything….》
“Have a good day!”
After the flying golem left, Pendrick set the box on his thigh.
“Shall I open it?”
“Please.”
“Thank you for entrusting me with the most fun part.”
Pendrick slowly opened the locked box.
There were two things inside.
A prosthetic arm and handcuffs.
“Could you attach the prosthetic arm first?”
“Yes. Please hold out your arm.”
The prosthetic arm, now just slightly larger than before, was connected to the rounded stump of my left arm.
Thunk.
Along with the same thorn-pricking pain as before, sensation expanded through my left arm. For now, there was no great difference from before in either comfort or movement.
“There’s a letter and manual here too. Shall I read it?”
“If possible, I would like Lady Astrimia to read it out in a cool voice.”
“Sure. Pendrick, spread it open where I can see it clearly.”
After clearing her throat for a moment, Astrimia began reciting the contents of the small note.
“First, I’ll have to praise myself a little. The work is already done. For some reason, whenever I take on one of your requests, inspiration pours forth brilliantly, so the work gets finished in no time.”
Like an Eastern Continent dwarf, Tabirek did not fill his letter with trivial chatter.
What followed was the manual.
“With a thought, it can switch between two forms. The first form handles the flames of [Spark of Glory] just like before. The method of use is the same as before.”
“And the second?”
“In the other form, the palm opens the same way. At that point, it can absorb energy, amplify it, and send it back.”
A fraudulent effect that directly transferred the function of the Centaur-Type Elite Combat Golem.
After hearing the additional details written in the manual, it was regrettable that its capacity was not very large, but the fact that it could now perform rainbow reflection alone was enough to satisfy me.
Clack!
As an experiment, I sent my will into it, and elegant lines rose across the arm that had previously been nothing but smooth.
“So in the end, you turned me into this!”
Then a cheerful voice flowed from the hole in the opened palm.
“But it’s so comfortable that I like it!”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Please let me go out once in a while!”
“I will try.”
The tone was still regrettable, but I liked how it felt, as though the prosthetic arm had gained a sense of self. The especially pleasing point was that it might cause me trouble with unexpected behavior now and then.
While I was returning the prosthetic arm to its original form, Pendrick picked up the other item in the box, the handcuffs.
《Masterpiece — Demon Suppressor》
《When worn, it absorbs a certain amount each time demonic energy accumulates in the body. The chain portion has been lengthened considerably and has also become much harder to break.》
“But what are you planning to use these handcuffs for?”
To Pendrick, who was turning [Demon Suppressor] over and over in his hands, I held out both hands.
“Please put them on me first.”
Click.
The short cylindrical handcuffs closed around both wrists. The chain linking them together had been lengthened to more than five times its original size, giving a fair amount of slack.
“Now I just need to get hit by an enemy’s attack while in this state.”
“…I see?”
Pendrick could not readily continue speaking and merely stared silently at the handcuffs, so Astrimia spoke up.
“Doesn’t that look a little… strange?”
“Strange? There have historically been countless half-elves who were thoroughly beaten while wearing handcuffs. There are many precedents, so it is not strange at all. Is that not so?”
“…Yes. That really, truly must be the case!!”
Since wise Astrimia acknowledged it, there was no problem at all.
《No, but that bearded craftsman’s skill has improved far more than before. The sun god is clearly watching you with a gloomy gaze like Leria’s!》
That was not something to be surprised or flustered by at all. Rather, it was something to welcome. After all, it was not every day one could enjoy the unpleasant feeling that someone might secretly be watching them.
“Pendrick, could you undo them again? It looks like the key came with them too.”
“Yes, just a moment.”
After putting the handcuffs into subspace, I stood up.
Sunbathing time was over.
“O Solmiran, from now on I will regularly bask in sunlight like this. Am I not admirable?”
Without failing to offer my greeting to the sun deity, I draped [Sky Invader] over myself.
At the pace of a sloth.
Bzzzt, crackle!
Lord Sue’je’s will surged explosively, then subsided.
It was a thoroughly fulfilling morning in the life of a cultist of the Polluted Sky.
《Please also pay attention to your life of faith for Lord Lidni. :I》
“I was already planning to stop by the library after the next expedition.”
In truth, for the wise one who desired intellectual amusement, uncovering Hidden Pieces alone was enough of a devotional life, but the greed of an Evil God was endless.
“Pendrick.”
I spoke to Pendrick, who had changed back into ordinary clothes.
“I’m thinking of going to see the young master. Will you come with me?”
“I’d be glad to!”
So the two of us went down to Odilon’s room.
“……”
When I opened the door and went in without knocking, Rosalia rose out of the shadows and blocked my way.
Then she casually pointed toward the ultra-luxurious bed, where the sleepy young master was sound asleep despite it being broad daylight.
“You’re saying not to wake him?”
Nod.
“But shouldn’t he be getting up about now?”
“…Chronic illness.”
“Well, of course, since he’s frail, he might sleep late. But making his older sister live under strict rules where she can’t even freely consume poison while he himself sleeps in as much as he wants is, honestly, not desirable.”
“……”
Rosalia glanced at the young master and began seriously pondering the matter.
《Odilon has not actually done anything wrong….》
In the end, Rosalia shook the young master awake.
“…What is it.”
Odilon, his long hair disheveled, spoke with half-lidded eyes. His gaze was still dazed, as though he had not yet grasped the situation.
“Did you sleep well, Young Master?”
“Good morning!”
Odilon looked back and forth between Pendrick and me, then crumpled his face.
“The two I hate most have come together at the same time….”
“There you go again, Young Master!”
Pendrick sat on the edge of the bed.
“Every time you see me, you tell me to stop talking or shut my mouth, but I know the truth. Deep down, you consider me an indispensable and important member of the Moon Expedition, don’t you? Right?”
“……”
Odilon dragged a hand down his face, so I sat beside Pendrick and spoke too.
“You shy thing. Please open the door to your heart wide now. I will go in quietly without causing a disturbance.”
“Oh, Captain. That’s much too aggressive. At times like this, you have to approach as carefully as possible.”
“Is that so? I have no talent in this sort of thing.”
“I’m rather talented at it, so leave it to me!”
When the two of us sent him sparkling looks side by side, Odilon finally squeezed his eyes shut.
“…Rosalia.”
Rosalia grabbed Pendrick and me by the waist, lifted us up with ease, and set us down on the sofa a few steps away.
“So, what did you come here for?”
“As it happens, I came bearing good news.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Looking at Odilon’s still half-lidded eyes, I spoke.
“We’re entering the labyrinth tomorrow morning. At that time, my friend plans to lead some outlaws over to ambush us.”
“……”
Odilon stared at me in silence.
Then suddenly, a faint laugh touched his lips.
“You lunatic.”
Hoo.
Standing by the window, Odilon inhaled deeply from [Comforter] and exhaled.
Only after borrowing the power of the healing artifact did the frail young master barely manage to speak.
“Cultist Kar.”
“Yes, did you call for me?”
“You’re an exploration maniac, but you are not the type to commit inefficient acts like throwing your companions into danger for no reason.”
“That is an accurate assessment.”
If I was not confident, I would not place my team members in dangerous situations. And that would remain true even after we became explorers far stronger than we were now.
“But it is not because it is inefficient. It is because one simply should not do that. How did you come to possess such an inhuman disposition?”
“…I don’t want to hear words like that from you.”
Lowering the hand that held [Comforter], Odilon met my eyes.
“If the ‘friend’ leading the outlaws is that man you mentioned before, the one who entered a cooperative relationship with you to deal with the Silent Alliance, correct?”
“That’s right. He belongs to a guild under the Silent Alliance, but he despises some of his fellow outlaw comrades, so he decided to eliminate them together with me.”
Pierre gets to dispose of what you might call “trash outlaws,” which pleases him.
And I get to obtain a large number of free sacrificial offerings, which pleases me.
The Copy Alliance was a relationship that benefited both sides.
“…I don’t like it.”
The young master gestured to Rosalia to bring wine and glasses.
“Cultist Kar, tell me this. What possible benefit is there in meddling with the Silent Alliance in such an unnecessary matter?”
“There are several gains to be had, but for you, Young Master, it should be enough if I say only this.”
I walked over to Odilon as he drank his wine and whispered to him.
“You can land a blow against your elder brother and elder sister.”
“……”
After staring into my eyes for quite a while, Odilon finally pulled up one corner of his mouth.