Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Abomination Expert
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"...Huh?"
Habitual behavior.
Upon waking, Rishir sat up in bed without a second thought and stretched to loosen his body.
But the moment he swung his legs off the bed...
Something bumped against his leg with a soft thud.
It felt just like nudging a rod balanced with perfect precision.
Rishir looked down to check what it was.
"Mungi?"
The purple girl spirit sat on the floor with her characteristically blank expression.
She had apparently been standing there and had fallen on her butt from the collision.
"Oof, sorry about that. You okay?"
Rishir slipped his hands under her armpits and helped her to her feet.
"..."
She stared at him with her usual dazed look and bowed her head slightly.
Then she lifted it again and gazed at him silently.
'Why was she just standing here like this? And does she have something to say?'
As Rishir pondered her intentions...
"Long before? If she had business with me, you should've woken me."
"..."
"Aigoo, why are all my little ones so thoughtful?"
Rishir chuckled warmly and patted the girl spirit's head.
"So, Mungi. You have something to tell me?"
Rishir crouched down to meet her eye level.
"..."
The spirit stared blankly at Rishir for a moment.
Then she moved her 'right hand' to cover her face.
"..."
As her answer, the girl thrust her hazy, blank face toward him.
Rishir responded in kind by placing his palm over her face.
Like watering a potted plant, a mundane moment passed in the calm atmosphere—
"..."
Bow.
Now satisfied, the abomination spirit backed away and bowed to Rishir.
She then returned to her spot on the desk, curling up on the spread-out purple cloth atop it.
Watching her, Rishir gave a wry smile.
"Isn't that uncomfortable?"
No matter how small her body, a desk wasn't suited for resting.
Just looking at her huddled posture, like she was crammed into storage, made it obvious.
If she were human, she wouldn't last 30 minutes in that position.
"Why cling to that spot? Is it because of that purple cloth?"
"Oh? Do you know why, Dangaleon?"
"That purple cloth is it?"
"Huh? Then what about the Asking Left Hand?"
"..."
"Destroyed it? Why?"
"..."
"Uh... was it because of me?"
"..."
"Feels like giving someone poison, then the cure, and getting thanks... doesn't sit right with me."
"..."
"Really? That tiny, squishy face said something so mature?"
Feeling proud, Rishir approached the abomination spirit and patted her head.
"..."
The spirit rubbed her head against his hand, savoring the touch.
"No, you're fire."
Dangaleon thrashed, trying to form a human shape from flames.
Ignoring the fiery lump, Rishir looked at the abomination spirit and the purple cloth beneath her.
It was no ordinary rag meant for storing abominations, but neither was it special enough to be her core.
"Mungi, do you like that cloth?"
"..."
Dangaleon faithfully translated even amid his tantrum.
"A stopgap, then..."
After a brief moment of thought, Rishir said,
"Mungi. What if I get you a new object?"
"..."
The abomination spirit looked up at him from her huddled position.
Nod.
She nodded vigorously (by her standards).
"..."
"Yeah? Then, what kind of object would you like?"
"..."
"Come on, tell me one."
"..."
Meeee.
The abomination spirit stared into space for a while, then her gaze shifted to the blue lotus in the room's corner.
"Not wanting to move in with the blue lotus and Clana... a new sword?"
"..."
The moment the abomination spirit started to nod...
No more swords!!! Please reconsider!!!
Someone cried out desperately.
No more swords!!! Please reconsider!!!
It was the holy sword Wellak.
'Oof, too bright.'
Twinkling desperately to catch Rishir's eye, it looked so pitiful it hardly evoked the image of a holy sword.
Separately, Rishir nodded in agreement.
"Wellak's got a point. Carrying two swords is awkward enough."
"...Right, three."
Faced with the holy sword shamelessly volunteering as a calculator, discarding all pride, Rishir could only concede.
"How about something other than a sword?"
"..."
The abomination spirit.
Her blank eyes darted around, scanning Rishir's body.
Searching for other objects he always carried, besides a sword.
"Ah."
Had she gotten the knack?
Reading her intent, Rishir said,
"How about this?"
Rishir went to the wardrobe and pulled out one garment stored there.
A gray robe proving affiliation with the Gray Tower.
"I don't wear it all the time, but it's my favorite."
"..."
His favorite garment.
At those words, the abomination spirit's tiny ears perked up.
She shook her head excitedly.
"Nah, sully? It's fine. No need to refuse."
The abomination spirit gazed blankly at Rishir.
Soon—
"..."
Nod.
She nodded vigorously (by her standards).
"Great, then— shall we start right now?"
"..."
Nod.
"Really? Then why'd she agree?"
Rishir roughly ruffled her head in mild scolding.
"..."
"Nah, no such thing."
Rishir bent down to meet her eyes and said,
"We're... what now... comrades in utility, right?"
Inside his inner world.
The baby spirit snoring on a bed of sand snapped her eyes open.
"Ah, nothing, Bel. Keep sleeping."
Snore.
Having quelled the great evil's awakening(?), Rishir continued to the abomination spirit.
"Above all, if you got hurt because of me, I'd be really upset."
"..."
"So from now on, if something's uncomfortable or you need anything, don't hold back— just tell me. Got it?"
"..."
The abomination stared at Rishir with her blank face.
For a long while.
Finally, she bowed to him.
A motion on the line between nod and bow.
Afterward.
With her permission, Rishir moved the cloth from the desk to the bed.
"..."
She no longer huddled on the desk.
Now she huddled on the bed.
"Is this how it works?"
Rishir let out a hollow chuckle.
At any rate, she looked far more comfortable than on the cramped desk.
With a lighter heart, he passed the time until she was ready.
By afternoon.
Knock knock knock.
A mansion servant arrived with a message.
"Young master Rishir. You have visitors."
"Jane and Felix?"
They were the guests awaiting Rishir in the drawing room.
And one more.
"..."
A stern-faced woman in white robes sat with hands folded on her lap.
As Rishir's gaze turned to her, Jane spoke.
"Rishir. Let me introduce her. This is Lady Dwen, our and Felix's mentor."
"..."
The heroes' master?
And that presence.
One man came to Rishir's mind.
Outer Sword.
Swordmaster Rodan.
The woman possessed a presence rivaling even that swordmaster.
Rishir's posture naturally grew respectful.
"Lady Dwen. A pleasure. I'm Rishir."
As Rishir bowed politely, she returned a courteous nod.
"A pleasure, Rishir. I've heard the stories. Seems Jane and Felix owe you a great debt."
Before Rishir could reply, Dwen continued.
"So, I must say this clearly. We can't leave our benefactor in peril."
"Pardon? Peril?"
Thud.
As Dwen placed her left hand on the table before her and rolled up her sleeve...
"...!"
Rishir's eyes widened.
A red leather glove enveloped Dwen's hand.
No. It burrowed into her hand.
The boundary between glove and skin was blurry, veins bulging over the glove.
As Rishir stared at the bizarre sight...
Dwen spoke gravely.
"I once thought I could fully suppress an abomination, just like you."
Her expression held only pure concern for him.
"...Are you here to warn me?"
"Yes. To correct the grave mistake Jane and Felix made. That item—that abomination—is not something to give away as payment."
"..."
"Look here a moment."
As Rishir's face clouded with doubt, she extended her hand devoured by the red leather glove.
Twitch!
"..."
The red leather pulsed like breathing. Dwen's stern face wavered.
As Rishir showed concern, Dwen quickly continued.
"See? This abomination ceaselessly demands payment from me, even if I don't desire its power. To them, the master's will means nothing. Controlling them, let alone symbiosis, is futile. Handling abominations is no different from implanting a tumor in your body—one you can't remove at will once embedded."
"..."
Gazing at Dwen's hand, Rishir said,
"What if you transfer the abomination's core to a new vessel?"
Dwen looked at him, slightly surprised.
"You've researched abominations? Correct. The easiest way to control one is destroying its core vessel and transferring the power elsewhere."
But.
Emphasizing, Dwen continued.
"As I said, the master's will means nothing to abominations. How do you persuade them? Trick them? Transferring their core is practically impossible."
"Uh... is that so?"
Rishir asked, somewhat blankly.
Unsure how to take it.
Dwen grew more urgent.
"What of that abomination now?"
"It's resting after absorbing my energy."
Oh no.
Dwen closed her eyes, murmuring in despair.
"You yielded to its demand?"
"Yes."
"Why would you... No, no. It's not for me to scold you. I mustn't."
She stood.
"Take me to it at once."
"Here it is."
Back in the room, Rishir first approached the girl spirit huddled on the bed and patted her head.
"..."
The girl spirit rubbed against his hand, relishing the feel.
A gentle smile crossed Dwen's face at the sight.
But only briefly.
She quickly regained her stern expression.
"So. Where is the abomination, the Asking Left Hand?"
"Right here."
Dwen's eyes darted around.
No object resembling an abomination was in view.
"Here— where exactly?"
"Here. This kid."
"?"
"I mean, this is the abomination."
The heroes' master.
Her stern face crumbled.
"The Asking Left Hand is..."
"Ah, right now, that's the core of the Asking Left Hand."
Rishir pointed to the purple cloth.
At that moment.
The girl spirit stood, heading to the gray robe draped over a chair.
The girl's energy settled into the gray robe.
"Ah, now that's the core."
"..."