Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Bondeleth's Famous Specialty (3)
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“!!!”
“...”
A sand dune spirit overflowing with so much energy it looked furious.
A purple girl spirit so lacking in energy she looked half-asleep.
The two spirits stared at each other in silence for a while, locked in a standoff.
Naturally, it was the sand dune spirit that spoke first.
“You! That's not allowed! Playmates can't play freely!”
“...”
It was just like an older sister sternly scolding her little sister.
The purple girl spirit simply gazed at the dune spirit with a blank expression, saying nothing.
“!!!”
The dune spirit's eyebrows angled even more sharply.
'Oh no, is it actually mad!?'
Rishir, who had been watching the situation, jumped in surprise and moved to intervene.
“I get it now!”
But then, the dune spirit suddenly nodded vigorously.
“Okay! I'll forgive you!”
“...”
“But next time, be careful, okay!? Only playmates get to play with Guinnini!!!”
“...”
“What!? Daze wants to be a playmate too!?”
“...”
“Hmm!!!”
The dune spirit crossed its arms forcefully, let out a mighty hum, and began pondering vigorously.
What was this?
This profound conversational system.
Did they actually understand each other?
Rishir could only step back and observe it all.
“Guinnini!”
“Yeah, sure, Ber.”
“What do we do!?”
“Yeah, sure, Ber. What's on your mind?”
“Daze wants to be a playmate too!”
“Daze?”
“It goes daze~ so it's Daze!”
Berbansdes raised both arms high in declaration.
“Ah. Quite fitting.”
“Daze wants to be a playmate like us, to play with Guinnini!”
“Hmm.”
Rishir crossed his arms like the dune spirit and began pondering as well.
“Hmm!!!”
Seeing that, the dune spirit pondered even harder.
Of course.
Rishir's deliberations stemmed from a very different reason than the dune spirit's.
'What even is a playmate.'
The conversation between the two spirits held far too many mysteries for a mere human to comprehend.
He could only make vague guesses.
Rishir tried to piece the situation together.
'For now, that Daze? seems to be the spiritized cursed left hand... and the cursed left hand is telling Berbansdes it wants to be our comrade...'
Having grasped the rough context, Rishir asked the dune spirit.
“Ber, what do you want to do?”
“Hmm!!!!!”
“Hmm!”
“Such a tough dilemma, huh!?”
“Ah, yeah. Tough, very tough.”
“But it's great! More playmates is a great thing!”
“Ah, great, great.”
“Daze!”
At last, the dune spirit fixed Daze(?) with a stern expression.
Its hands on its hips symbolized authority.
“You want to be a playmate that badly?”
“...”
“!!!”
The dune spirit's eyes flew wide open!
“That badly!?”
“Ber. What did Daze say? I'm dying of curiosity here.”
“Mm!!!”
The dune spirit raised its adorable little hand and shook it wildly as it spoke.
“Daze wants to be a playmate as much as playing!!!”
“...I see.”
Rishir wished the dune spirit would explain it more from a human perspective, but regardless, he clearly understood what it meant.
Unlike its appearance, Daze(?) had clearly and strongly expressed its desire to become their comrade.
“So, how about it. Shall we let Daze join the playmates?”
At Rishir's words, Ber glared at Daze once more.
-Aaaah, how terrifying...!
“?”
At that moment.
Dangaleon's voice, filled with terror, rang out unexpectedly.
“What is it, Dangaleon. Suddenly.”
-Right now, Berbansdes...nim is sizing up that monstrous being! What fearsomeness...! Just watching from the side overwhelms my soul!!! That monster's no ordinary aura!!! To face her presence head-on!
“...”
Rishir looked at the two again at Dangaleon's words.
The dune spirit, glaring at its opponent with its cute eyebrows sharply raised.
The girl spirit next to it, wearing a dazed expression like it would topple if poked.
'That's supposed to be that impressive?'
A moment later.
The dune spirit, which had been staring down the monster, shook its head vigorously.
“No way! Only Guinnini can choose playmates!”
“Me?”
“Daze insists on becoming a playmate!”
“Yeah? What do you think, Ber?”
“Daze isn't playmate-ready enough yet!”
“You're strict.”
“But with effort, it can surely become a fine playmate!”
“Let's see... Dangaleon. This counts as Ber acknowledging her, right?”
-Indeed!!! It seems you've confirmed the monster's complete submission to you, Guinnini.
“Then... well...”
Rishir shrugged.
“Should be fine. One more spirit won't hike the food bill or anything.”
“!!!”
The dune spirit threw both hands up high.
It was a proclamation of joy.
“Daze, did you hear!? You're a playmate now!”
“...”
Daze raised its arm in a limp, wobbly motion.
“Wow! So playful!?”
“...”
“Calm down! Get too playful and you'll collapse from exhaustion!!!”
“...”
Rishir watched the two young spirits' antics with a warm smile.
-Aaa...! Such a clash of mighty wills!!! I might get swept up in it too!!!
“No, is that really it?”
Rishir was confused about which rhythm to clap along to.
And so, the great playmate commotion came to a temporary close.
Rishir headed to the restaurant for a simple meal before night fully fell.
“Hm?”
Along the way, he encountered a crowd gathered in the hall.
Faces filled with anxiety and worry.
That was their common trait.
And Rishir knew one more thing that encompassed them all.
'Mages staying at Gus's mansion...?'
Rishir realized the group consisted of mages upon recognizing some familiar faces.
“Hm? Ah! Rishir! So you felt it too!”
The central figure spotted Rishir and immediately approached.
“Lord Palrag?”
If it had just been other mages gathered with serious faces, Rishir might have noted it but not dwelled on it.
But for a grand mage to be there sharing their anxiety and worry...
'Bondeleth's peaceful as ever.'
Rishir's expression turned serious as well, and he joined the group.
“What's going on? All gathered so late. And you say I felt it too?”
At Rishir's words, Palrag's thick eyebrows twitched once.
“You... no, did your spirits feel nothing?”
“Spirits? Ah.”
Rishir recalled what had happened earlier.
Something the spirits could sense had apparently occurred, but the playmates(?) had been too busy laughing and frolicking to notice.
“Seems that way. Or maybe because my kids aren't your average ones.”
“I see...”
“If it's all right, could you explain? It might be something I can help with.”
Palrag gave a wry smile at Rishir's words.
“Such helpful words. This time, even you might be powerless.”
“Most things are like that. What power do I have anyway? I just do my humble best.”
“?”
“?”
“Anyway. Here's what happened.”
Spirits.
Palrag emphasized the word as he began his tale.
“Problems have arisen with the spirits contracted to us.”
“The spirits?”
“Yes. Some are injured, some trembling in terror, and others sent us strong warnings. My own spirit sent me a strong warning too.”
“...!”
“Spirits are generally reticent beings. Especially my ice spirits. For them to send me such direct warnings is extremely rare.”
Making mental preparations after seeing the mages' faces proved pointless— the severity Palrag described far exceeded Rishir's expectations.
“What did they say...?”
“Something is happening here in Bondeleth.”
“Something we humans can't detect?”
“Exactly.”
“...Perhaps a natural disaster? Like an earthquake or flood.”
“No. Something even more serious.”
“Even more serious?”
“Imagine an earthquake and flood happening simultaneously. That might just be what's coming to Bondeleth.”
“...”
Huh.
Rishir let out a dazed chuckle.
“Bondeleth will be fine, right?”
“I'd love to say so... but regrettably, no one can guarantee it in this situation.”
“Not even you, Lord Palrag.”
“Of course not. What power do I have?”
“?”
“?”
“Anyway, you're all we have to rely on now.”
“No... what power do I have...”
“?”
“?”
It was then.
“Lord Palrag.”
Palrag's attendant approached and spoke to him.
After finishing the conversation with the attendant, Palrag looked at the surrounding mages and exchanged glances with them.
Then at Rishir.
“Rishir. Will you come with?”
Rishir nodded without hesitation.
He had only just evolved from bastard to city noble; if the city fell and he reverted to bastard status, nothing could be more unjust.
No matter what, he had to stop the calamity befalling the city.
“Thank you all for gathering on such short notice.”
Palrag said, surveying the interior of the room.
Gus the merchant lord's office, spacious even for an office.
It was packed with people.
Among those staying at Gus's mansion, everyone qualified to discuss Bondeleth's dire crisis had gathered in one place.
Drey of Mastien.
Tuah and Mangnus, captain and vice-captain of the special forces.
And key figures from various high noble houses.
It was an unimaginably sudden summons for their stations.
Who could call them together so abruptly, this late at night, without prior notice?
Of course.
Yet not a hint of dissatisfaction showed on their faces.
Not just because a grand mage had called them.
The grand mage himself viewed the matter with grave seriousness.
“Lord Palrag. Good grief. I hoped the mood here would be lighter. Bondeleth in danger—and to this extent?”
A rare anxiety showed on the face of the talent collector, who had been observing the situation and attendees with his usual composure.
“It's the consensus of the mages that Bondeleth faces an unprecedented crisis...”
Tuah, barely maintaining his usual calm.
He looked at Rishir.
Following her gaze, all eyes in the room focused on Rishir.
“...”
-Bondeleth faces a serious crisis.
-We may not be able to handle it.
-This is the shared view of high mages staying here, including Lord Palrag.
The warning that had brought them here.
The first question that arose when they heard it was:
'Does this consensus of the mages include Rishir's opinion?'
'In other words, does Rishir agree Bondeleth might not withstand this crisis?'
Rishir's expression resolved their doubts.
Rishir's face was dark.
The room's mood darkened further.
The atmosphere grew so heavy no one could easily speak.
“Lord Palrag.”
In the midst of it, Drey cautiously addressed Palrag.
A nod.
Palrag spoke carefully as well.
“Straight to the point. War may break out in Bondeleth soon.”
“Wh-what do you mean, Lord Palrag...! War!?”
Merchant lord Gus nearly had a fit.
War was another opportunity for merchants—but only when watching from afar across the river.
Bondeleth was his company's base.
War here would bring immense hardship to his firm.
“War...”
“Who exactly...”
Drey and the special forces were outsiders.
In truth, most in the room were.
War in Bondeleth was like a tale from another world to them.
Yet they weren't immune to the shock of the word "war."
Coming from a grand mage's mouth, no less.
Not some trivial factional skirmish.
Palrag's "war" was surely a grave matter that could affect the entire continent.
They braced themselves anxiously for his next words and the shock they would bring.
What kind of war?
What beings would ignite it?
“Tonight, the spirits detected a massive clash of energies in Bondeleth. A clash so immense it left spirits trembling in anxiety, gripped by terror, and even injured some. We mages conferred and concluded the clashing entities each possess power equivalent to an upper spirit—or greater.”
“...!”
They immediately understood.
Why all the mages, even grand mages, were so worried.
“Two upper spirits...”
A fire pillar rising amid a raging typhoon.
Floods as if the sky collapsed, ground surging as if the earth crumbled.
Unreal scenes from a clash of two mighty powers filled their minds.
Thus.
While everyone was lost in shock.
“...”
Rishir.
He raised his hand with an enigmatic expression.
“Ooh, Rishir...!”
A few exclaimed as if they'd been waiting.
As expected!
He must know something!
Maybe even the solution!
“Rishir! Yes! Tell us!”
Palrag brightened too, urging him on.
Rishir's mouth opened slowly.
“Don't tell me the time of that massive energy clash was...”
“Yes, exactly! Right around then! So you have an idea too!”
Ooooh!!!
The light in the eyes on Rishir intensified.
“That... it seems...”
“Yes! It seems! Something! What do we do!”
“...I think it was our kids.”
“?”
Entities with power equivalent to upper spirits.
Our kids.
They failed to connect those two words, plunging into extreme confusion.