Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Name of the God - 1
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Everyone tilted their heads.
Serein asked,
"Are we seriously going to sleep? In this situation?"
"It's late. We left our carriage in Tetra Territory, so it'll be a rough night's sleep."
"But we were just having a serious discussion."
"The idea of heading to the starting line to reclaim Agril isn't bad in principle. But to face a heavenly god, we need advice."
Neril twitched her eyebrows.
"That Impellium gave you advice in a dream last time, right?"
"Yeah. So that's why we're sleeping. He might show up again."
"That's probably our only option."
Neril nodded but added one more thing.
"But I don't like that guy. Not sure if he's even human to begin with."
"Why?"
"Something about him feels like... he'll take you far away."
What was that supposed to mean?
I tilted my head.
But the rest of the party looked a bit serious.
Neril shook her head vigorously.
"Nah. Probably just my imagination. Don't mind it."
"You just said something super concerning."
"It's an age thing. You get more worries as you get older."
"......! You're admitting that, Neril? Are you feeling okay?"
"God, seriously."
In any case, we roughly set up camp.
As I lit the fire, Risel pulled ingredients from her backpack.
"Thanks, as always. For handling our meals."
"......"
"Risel?"
"Yes! Oh."
Risel startled and dropped the bread she was holding.
Did I say something weird?
Serein picked up the bread, dusted it off, and handed it to Ophense.
"Here."
"You're giving it to me like it's nothing."
"I did dust it off."
"Is that supposed to make me grateful?"
"More importantly, Risel, what's wrong? You don't look so good."
Risel hesitated, then smiled brightly.
It looked pretty forced, even to me, who prided myself on sharp senses.
"I guess I was scared of heights like Adwin. My strength just gave out."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Everyone must be starving, right? I'll get it ready quick, so hang on."
She left as if fleeing.
She was heading to the stream to fetch water.
What was that about?
Neril whispered to me.
"Talk to Risel later, on your own."
"Huh?"
"She seems bothered by something. She won't open up easily, but maybe with you."
She lowered her voice even more.
"You're good at that stuff."
Unfortunately, Impellium didn't appear in my dreams.
Not the next day, nor the day after.
With things like this, some suggested heading to the starting line without advice, but I shook my head.
"We can't face the guy who nearly killed us with one step without a plan."
"That's true, but."
"Let's wait a bit longer."
With that, I glanced at Risel.
She flinched and averted her eyes.
I kept asking if there was something she wanted to say, but she just shook her head.
[*Sigh. No helping it. My turn?*]
'No. Back off.'
[*......*]
'The Eye of Omniscience needs a target. Whose secret am I supposed to peek at to read her mind?'
*True.*
Even if I could use the Eye somehow, I had no intention of prying.
It was the same with Neril and May Enerica's secret.
Same with Serein and her parents' story.
Forcing secrets without consent can shut people off for good.
'My gut says this is one of those cases.'
[Wow. Is your real talent physiognomy?]
'Well......'
[Kidding. Don't take it seriously.]
Time passed like that.
But we still hadn't figured out a counter to Idria's speed blitz.
Meanwhile, Kaild was racking up fame across the continent.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 307,200]
[Kaild Wake Cumulative Fame: 420,830]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 296,600]
[Kaild Wake Cumulative Fame: 430,430]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 285,900]
[Kaild Wake Cumulative Fame: 440,270]
Ugh.
My mouth went dry.
All that fame I'd closed in on at Gavril was for nothing.
"Water."
"You always hear bad news whenever you ask for water lately. Here."
Sharp as ever.
I gulped it down and said,
"Kaild gained more fame."
"Sigh."
Neril canceled her flight magic with a sigh.
The moment we landed, Adwin jumped off Ophense's back.
"Thanks, mister. Wasn't scary or anything."
"You were trembling nonstop on my back. Felt like an earthquake in the sky."
"Ahem. Anyway, bro. Isn't it really dangerous now? We need to decide."
I had to nod at Adwin's words.
Were we really going to face the heavenly god with no countermeasures?
Taking everyone would be risky, so maybe just me...... No, then Idria might target the others.
That's when it happened.
"Ahem."
"......"
"Ahem."
"......?"
"Ah! I just remembered. How did I forget this?"
It was Risel.
She put on an awkwardly pitiful act.
"Me and my absentmindedness. This is bad."
"What's up?"
"There's a way to fly even faster."
"What? How?"
"The wind spirit."
Neril tilted her head.
"You've been supporting us with wind spirits this whole time."
"Those were regular spirits."
"Regular? What's that mean? Spirits have ranks?"
"Yes, of course."
Risel clasped her hands neatly.
"You all know this already, but my other name, Magna Neros, means 'king' in spirit tongue, right? If there's a king, that means there are ranks."
"True, but...... last time, it didn't seem like they treated you like royalty."
When the second earthquake hit Tetra Territory, Risel had been attacked by spirits.
Her eyes burst, she lost her sight.
Because, mid-conversation with them, she'd thought of Grade.
Risel blushed slightly.
"I'm not a full spirit king yet."
"What do you mean?"
"My goal is to become human. So I've been ignoring the spirits' desperate wish to crown me."
"......"
"I'm a king refusing her throne, and on top of that, distracted by thoughts of Grade. No wonder they got mad. Don't blame them too much."
Defending the spirits that burst her eyes.
Her compassion was already kingly.
Ophense asked,
"Anyway, so?"
"Spirits have many ranks...... To make it easy, think of noble titles: baron, viscount, earl, marquis, duke. And king."
"......"
"The higher up, the fewer there are. Excluding the king, there's only one strongest: the 'duke spirit.' And it's a wind spirit."
I could guess where this was going.
"With the duke spirit's help, we can fly faster?"
"Yes, definitely."
"How much?"
"Next time, no matter where we are on the continent, we'll arrive at the territory before Kaild, guaranteed."
That meant even faster than Agril.
Incredible.
But I felt more suspicion than joy.
In a speed race with Idria, speed was everything.
Revealing a game-changer now?
Neril voiced the same doubt.
"Why tell us now?"
"W-Well, I forgot......"
"Really?"
"Of course. You don't think I hid it on purpose?"
"I don't doubt that. I doubt you're telling us everything."
Risel looked guilty.
Adwin spoke cautiously.
"There's a penalty, right?"
"......"
"Even you, bro, get wrecked using 'Ultimate Gray Slash.' Doesn't sis have one too?"
Was that his Adwin-style name for tying up and slicing?
Risel shook her head vigorously.
"No! It's not?"
"This isn't suspicion—it's certainty. Grade's poking your side again right now."
"......!"
"I'll call him. Don't run...... Already gone."
Risel spiritized and vanished in an instant.
I shrugged and said,
"Call him."
"Yeah. One sec."
Soon Adwin's eyes changed.
It was Grade.
Instead of a greeting, he shouted,
"Risel! I know you can hear me."
"......"
"Don't ever call that so-called 'duke spirit.' Not that!"
Naturally, no reply from spiritized Risel.
I first calmed the fuming Grade.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of putting Risel in danger."
"Sigh. Yeah. Sorry for the outburst."
"It's fine. Not the first time."
"You really have zero respect for me. Not even a grain of rice worth."
"No respect, but I admire you. Like all other heroes."
Except Padania Brookman.
Grade smirked, mood improved.
"Hearing that from the hero of the toughest era? An honor."
"Anyway, about that......"
"Yeah, the duke spirit."
His expression darkened.
"I've met it."
"Huh? Spirits are invisible, right?"
"I didn't say I saw it. Just met."
"What do you mean......"
"Ten-odd years after slaying the Demon King and founding the Empire, a massive typhoon hit the capital."
According to Grade, it was a disaster that even shattered the palace.
The palace, tougher than most buildings with magic reinforcement.
If that flew away......
"Civilian homes didn't stand a chance."
"Total devastation."
"......"
"As I said before, after slaying the Demon King, I investigated the Forgotten Era alone. That's how I knew the typhoon was a spirit's doing."
Ah. That's when he met Velosian too.
Speaking of, I need Velosian's info from Grade.
But first, the story.
"So I asked Risel to appease the spirit."
"......"
"Truth be told, I was puzzled. She should've known before me, and normally she'd calm it without asking."
"Right."
"Risel made an excuse about forgetting and hurried to appease it. The typhoon stopped soon after."
Forgot?
Serein rubbed her forehead.
"Risel...... no progress in 1,500 years. At least in acting."
"Consistency is Risel's virtue."
"You can spin it like that, huh."
"I watched Risel appease the spirit closer than anyone. Her conversing in spirit tongue I couldn't understand looked... deeply sad."
Sad?
Why?
"When the typhoon stopped, Risel vanished."
"Huh?"
"Not even I...... no, no one in the palace could find her. She gained some 'ability' that evaded even hero and legend senses."
I knew exactly what.
The ability Risel was using right now.
Neril muttered with a groan.
"Spiritization......"
"Yeah. Risel learned spiritization to calm the typhoon."
"She couldn't before?"
"Correct. And stop the casual talk. Even your lover uses honorifics."
Neril ignored him.
Still salty about him treating me like a subordinate.
Jenia asked,
"But how's that a condition for calming the typhoon? She gained spiritization—sounds good."
"You think fooling a hero's senses is just 'good'?"
"Then......"
"Yeah. Spiritization means becoming a spirit, as the name says. One step closer to spirit from half-human, half-spirit."
Chills ran down my spine.
I got it.
"Risel reappeared a week later. She was happy about gaining spiritization."
"......"
"But as you saw, her acting is terrible."
"......"
"Risel was crying. Pretending to smile through tears."
Risel, striving to become human.
She must've realized becoming a full spirit meant parting with Grade someday.
But seeing the capital crumbling in the typhoon, she had no choice but compromise.
She couldn't let them die, even if it meant becoming a spirit.
"That typhoon on the capital? Definitely the duke spirit Risel mentioned."
"......"
"For some reason, the duke spirit wants to make Risel a 'full spirit.' It half-succeeded with that typhoon 1,500 years ago."
"......"
"If she borrows its power once more, Risel can never become human."
Silence fell.
Much later, Ophense cautiously spoke.
"Not sure how this sounds, but isn't Risel already a spirit? That's why she's lived 1,500 years."
"No. Half-spirit. Her lifespan mimics spirits, sure."
"......"
"But everything else mimics humans."
"What do you......"
"You really don't get it?"
Grade raised his voice.
"She converses with you all. Eats with you. Laughs, cries, chats endlessly!"
"......!"
"All because she's still half-human."
"Th-That means?"
"Yeah."
Grade let out a deep sigh.
"If Risel becomes a full spirit, you'll never see or hear her again. She'll vanish from you forever."