Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Thunder Spirit's Request
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Each time the deer-shaped spirit stomped its hoof or swung its antlers, the surrounding trees shuddered in unison.
Giant leaves and twigs rained down at our feet, and a sudden peal of thunder from the moonlit sky filled the air with a deafening roar.
Yet, despite the constant strikes, the lightning summoned by the spirit never set the nearby trees ablaze. I watched the scene with a look of wonder, but Rireu beside me missed the spectacle, her hat pulled down tight as she curled up like a pill bug.
...Crouching when lightning strikes is common sense, but I couldn't help but find the sight a little pathetic.
“...Oh, great spirit. If you would tell us why you are so enraged...”
I cautiously approached the spirit, which was venting its fury with thunder and lightning, and calmly attempted to start a conversation.
“Demons! Those demon bastards defiled my home and snatched away all my neighbors! They even had the audacity to settle in my forest, tainting my home with their filthy flesh! Where the hell are those damned pieces of trash now?”
“Uh... how about you calm down and listen to what I have to say first.”
“Calm down, my ass! Fuck, if all your neighbors were kidnapped, and the kidnappers were living in your house, shitting all over the place, could you stay calm?”
Hmm... I thought being a spirit meant it would be some formal, noble entity, but judging by that colorful mouth, I guess not.
“I suppose that would be hard to bear... but in any case, would you please calm down and listen to us? We have driven the demons from this forest...”
“Lead me to where the demons are! I must burn them to death this instant!”
Just listen to me, you crazy bastard.
I repeated myself over and over, trying to calm the spirit as it stomped its hooves, its furious voice echoing throughout the area.
After about the tenth time I told it to calm down?
The spirit finally composed itself and began to listen.
“We, we... sir, I mean! We drove all those demons out! Yes? Do you understand?”
Somehow, my tone had become like that of a public servant dealing with a stubborn, malicious complaint.
Judging by its words and actions, this spirit didn't seem to be the type to care much for etiquette.
“Hoo... Haa, hoo...”
Having vented its anger, the deer-like spirit finally began to take deep breaths, trying to find some inner peace.
I did wonder why a spirit needed to breathe at all... but I had no time to waste on pointless questions.
It was time to find a place to camp.
The sun had already set.
Even with a skilled elven ranger, I had no desire to wander through a treacherous forest, where traps could be anywhere, relying only on the light of a lantern.
It wasn't so noticeable while talking to this flashy lightning deer, but the night in a medieval world without a single streetlight was darker and gloomier than one might imagine.
This was humanity's Dark Age, in a literal sense.
“Right, right... It's a relief to hear they've been dealt with. It was a fine thing you did, driving out and killing all that trash. Dammit, though I'm a bit pissed I couldn't handle it myself...”
The lightning deer, now somewhat calmer, slowly walked toward me, offering its praise.
“The demon bastards may all be burned to a crisp... but damn it, the stench of decay still lingers throughout this forest. Erase all the filthy, stinking magic of the demons that pollutes every corner of this forest.”
“...Excuse me?”
I couldn't help but frown at the lightning deer, which stood majestically, holding its massive antlers high.
“The mines! Dammit, either take that reeking trash somewhere else or burn it all away!”
If you're going to ask for a favor... shouldn't you use a more polite tone?
First that elven archer, and now this. Why are there so many bastards with no manners?
...Is it because this is the medieval era?
“If you grant my request, I will reward you with my blessing.”
“Excuse me?”
...Is this a quest?
“Why? Are the terms not to your liking? I don't think it's such a bad offer. A mortal who has received my blessing is a rare sight in any age.”
Ah. It's a quest.
Feeling dizzy from a situation I'd never once experienced beyond a screen, I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my fingers.
In 4000 hours of playing the game, not once had a thunder spirit ever given out a quest.
You just placed your palm on the runestone, a few lines of text appeared, and it ended with something like [You have obtained the 'Spirit's Protection'!].
“...I've really gotten myself into it this time.”
Right, it would be strange if anything in my life went smoothly.
I had reached a point where I could accept all this with a sense of detachment. I was the one who only put 1 point into Luck... who was I to blame?
...Besides, it wasn't like I could refuse. The blessing this spirit offered was too crucial for my build.
“Well... yes, I'll do it.”
“Without leaving a single one! Erase the demonic magic that fills this forest! If you do, I shall allow you to approach the core of lightning!”
In stark contrast to my weak reply, the thunder spirit's booming voice echoed through the forest.
I wondered if it was okay to be shouting like this in the middle of the night, but since we were the only living things around, it probably didn't matter.
“...Yes, I got it. Now, why don't you go back into your stone and get some sleep? We'll start work as soon as the sun rises.”
“I am pleased! This is how my champion should be!”
Heh, angry one moment, thrilled the next. A classic case of bipolar disorder.
If psychiatry ever becomes a thing, you can be patient zero.
“...Then we'll be on our way. We need to start work early tomorrow morning.”
I bowed my head to the deer-shaped thunder spirit in a final farewell. The spirit nodded its massive, antlered head, seemingly pleased.
“I was too furious to see clearly before, but you're burdened with some rather troublesome restrictions.”
“...Pardon?”
“You were born with great talent, but also with immense limitations. It's a wonder you've survived this long with such a body! What kind of life have you lived?”
...Why is this bastard stopping someone who's trying to leave and spouting nonsense all of a sudden?
“Just, you know, an eventful one...”
It was already getting dark, and I didn't want to waste time on pointless banter. I summed up my life here as concisely as possible.
If you could even call that an explanation.
“Hmm.”
The thunder spirit stared intently at my face without another word. As I met the gaze of its brightly glowing face, I felt as if my entire body was being seen through.
It was a strange, bizarre sensation. As if those two burning eyes were scanning every nook and cranny deep within my soul... that sort of eerie feeling.
“Ha! That crazy bitch Astella...!”
After staring intently at my face, the thunder spirit uttered the name of the goddess worshipped by ninety percent of the continent's population.
It was a dangerous statement that might have drawn a strong protest if there had been a cleric or a devout believer among us.
“Interesting. I'll give you a special gift when you return.”
A 'special gift'?
The offer was tempting, and I opened my mouth to ask what this special gift might be.
But in that instant, the brightly shining lightning deer vanished without a trace.
“...Well, he just says what he wants and disappears.”
Simultaneously, the light that had illuminated the area vanished, and pitch-black darkness descended.
We stood still for a moment, waiting for our eyes to adjust to the dark. Moving carelessly in a situation like this and getting scratched by a poisonous plant would be disastrous.
'...What's the special gift? It sounds like he's adding something on top of the Spirit's Protection.'
I mulled over the spirit's cryptic words until my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness. It seemed the reward had increased along with the added quest... but the problem was whether the reward would be worth the quest's difficulty.
The forest zone was vast and the terrain rugged; it was clearly not a job that could be finished in a day or two.
...Looks like I'll have to get moving bright and early tomorrow.
***
We didn't set a watch. Since all living creatures had been wiped out by the demons, there was no need.
With a lantern and the sergeant leading the way, we soon arrived at a spot with a flat rock large enough for the three of us to lie down.
“My goodness, to think I met a thunder spirit. I must tell my master at once. This is a discovery that will shake our entire school of thought...”
Rireu seemed overwhelmed with emotion at having seen a thunder spirit with her own eyes. It was something an ordinary human mage would never experience in a lifetime, and even long-lived elves often died without ever seeing one, so her reaction was understandable.
“How did you know? I really didn't sense anything until the last moment...”
“Go to sleep.”
Rireu's excited voice suggested she had a lot to ask, but I answered curtly with my eyes closed.
I had a mountain of labor to do starting tomorrow, and I couldn't understand why she was so excited.
Even if I worked from sunrise to sunset without even a sip of water, I had no idea how many days it would take.
To scour a massive forest zone of nearly fifty square kilometers and remove all the magic mines...
It's just a shame that labor laws don't exist in this goddamn medieval era.
“To remove all the magic mines planted by the demons throughout this entire forest zone, we elves will have our work cut out for us. The same goes for the mages...”
The sergeant, who had lain down straight on the flat rock as if ready to fall asleep instantly, added his two cents.
“Why don't you delegate some of your command authority to me? I will take charge of the elven archers and mages and dispatch them to various areas.”
“...The archery corps has its own platoon leader. Why would I hand over command authority to you?”
“I have some familiarity with the terrain of this uncharted territory, thanks to my observations from the cliff today.”
“That's not the issue. Entrusting command to you would be an act of disrespect toward the platoon leader. You should consider his position.”
“The platoon leader of the archery corps is an elf like me; he won't be bothered by such trivial matters. What's important to us is efficiently protecting the future of intelligent races like elves and humans, not some petty rank or momentary pride that might vanish and become meaningless in 100 or 200 years, is it not?”
...Wait, rank isn't important in the military? What is he talking about?
“Besides, that fellow is 400 years younger than me.”
Aha, so that's what's been bothering you.
Our 1200-year-old geezer of an elf was annoyed at having to take orders from a platoon leader 400 years his junior.
...If this isn't a joke of an army, what is?
What a fine state this military is in. Just fantastic.