Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Name of the God - 3
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Risel turned her head toward me.
"The spirits are asking if you've finally made up your mind. If you've resolved to become a full spirit."
"Ignore them. And relay what I say in spirit tongue."
"Ah, sure."
"So, first off..."
"There's no need for that. Magna Neros. Our king."
Huh?
An unfamiliar voice slammed into our eardrums.
No, wait. I had heard it before.
Through the Eye of Omniscience, in the secrets from 1,500 years ago.
But that was in spirit tongue? This is plain Imperial now.
"On that day of the typhoon, the first hero Grade was by your side. If he'd overheard us, he'd have foamed at the mouth to stop it, so we used spirit tongue."
"......!"
"No need to hide from them this time. You've called me knowing everything."
Our jaws dropped.
Spirits were beings you couldn't see or hear.
After Magna Neros, they hadn't appeared in any history books—rare as they were.
And yet, they could hold a conversation?
Reading something in our expressions, Mime continued.
"Don't misunderstand. Among all spirits, I'm the only one who can mimic human speech."
"Is it because you're a duke spirit?"
"Duke? Ha. Attaching such a petty title to us. That's humans for you..."
"Risel gave you that one."
"As expected of our king. A brilliant expression that hits the mark instantly."
This guy's got a bit of that Iori vibe, the way he looks at Repia.
That's when Serein spoke up.
"Good that we can talk, then. I had something to say too."
"What is it?"
"Don't force someone who says no into becoming a spirit. Trying to bonsai people into the shape you want is the worst."
It seemed her parents' attempt to mold her into an "older sister" had come to mind.
Her voice was unusually serious, icy cold.
But it didn't faze Mime one bit.
"Our thirst for vengeance isn't so shallow that we'd heed such sob stories."
"Risel's the king, right? Shouldn't a king handle his own circumstances before we even bring them up?"
"Magna Neros..."
"Call her Risel. That's her real name."
Mime fell silent for a moment, but surprisingly complied.
"Risel has always used our power. Both 1,500 years ago and now."
"......"
"Shouldn't she fulfill the duties that come with it? Calling on us when needed but shirking obligations isn't kingly. Even a king needs someone like me to speak bitter truths."
Mime addressed Risel directly.
"I've drilled this into you 1,500 years ago already. My king."
"......"
"If you want to borrow my power, come fully to our side. Honestly, if you did, you wouldn't even need my help."
"What do you mean?"
"If you become the true spirit king, you'll gain power beyond all other spirits on the continent combined."
What?
I felt a bit dizzy.
Even as the king of spirits, that much?
I was pretty shocked, but there was something else to focus on now.
I spoke up.
"Hey. Enough."
"What?"
"Tell me who you want revenge on."
"What good would that do?"
"I'll avenge you instead."
Everyone stared at me in shock.
Even Mime tilted his hazy form's head.
"You're joking, right? Human senses are hard to grasp."
"One hundred percent serious."
"Then I'll just laugh it off."
"Why laugh? You think I can't?"
"Maide Mohan. You know nothing. Who it is we all gnash our teeth over."
I smirked and replied.
"You haven't told me, so of course. So tell me."
"A nature sorcerer."
"Huh?"
I glanced at Risel.
She shook her head, reading my intent.
"I've never heard anything like that. Not from Mime, or any other spirits."
"Risel rejects us so desperately. That's why I didn't tell you. I thought the time wasn't right yet."
"I...?"
"Yes. The other spirits have their reasons for silence too. I wasn't going to reveal it until you became our king, but since things have come this far, no choice."
The wind calmed a little.
Like a person taking a deep breath to steady themselves.
He set me as his audience and spoke.
"In ancient times long past, we lived among humans. Back then, there were so many what you call spirit sorcerers, you tripped over them. They were known as nature sorcerers in that era."
A forgotten age.
Grade had mentioned it.
Before the Empire, the continent was littered with petty states.
And even further back...
'Humans were familiar with spirits back then.'
Mime continued.
"Among them was one truly special nature sorcerer. He was exceptionally gifted in communing with us. Innate talent, you might say."
"......"
"Better than you now, Risel. So we planned to crown him spirit king."
I cocked my head.
"Both you and him... Couldn't you just pick a spirit king from among yourselves?"
"Our king can't be chosen from spirits. Only a nature sorcerer who communes with us—a spirit sorcerer—can be king."
"Why?"
"Why indeed... I don't know. Probably the laws of the world."
Laws again.
Seems the world has many hidden rules I don't know.
One of those bound beings is the heavenly god.
"So? Go on."
"We kept persuading him to become our king. But he refused every time."
"That's the usual reaction. Risel did too."
"No. His reason was clearly different from Risel's."
"......?"
"He said the vessel of spirit king couldn't contain him."
......
What a fresh, arrogant idea.
Mime said becoming spirit king grants power beyond all continental spirits combined.
Even that was too small a vessel for him.
And that's why he refused.
"But the nature sorcerer didn't stop there."
"What do you mean?"
"One day, he 'commanded' us. To vanish from humans forever, never to show ourselves again."
"......?"
"Using that horn."
Mime pointed at the horn Risel held.
Unconsciously, she tucked it away and said,
"You're saying this belonged to that nature sorcerer?"
"Yes. More precisely, it's a weapon."
"Weapon? He used you to fight someone?"
"Yes. But I don't know who. I can't remember."
Mime seemed to sigh.
"The nature sorcerer commanded us to 'vanish,' then 'forget.' So we know nothing of what happened in that era."
"......"
"Even a spirit of my caliber can only tell you this much. By the title you gave, anything below marquis spirit remembers nothing."
I clicked my tongue lightly.
Vanish.
Forget.
No matter how great a nature sorcerer or spirit king candidate, for all spirits to obey such words...
'What a guy.'
Mime went on.
"Thanks to that unreasonable command, we vanished from the world and were forgotten. Humans dug up the rivers, trees, and earth we inhabited, set them ablaze."
"......"
"We rebelled with floods and earthquakes in turn. The nature sorcerer might as well have pitted humans and spirits against each other. But!"
Heat crept into his voice.
"Risel Bindt. You are the one who can break the shackles that nature sorcerer placed on us."
"How could I..."
"You're already making us visible to these humans, aren't you?"
"......!"
"The nature sorcerer's command back then was absolute. For countless ages after, we never showed ourselves to humanity. Not until you, Magna Neros."
Right.
Risel had already shown us spirits multiple times.
She'd brushed it off as "asking the spirits nicely."
But that was no small feat.
It overrode a command from the previous spirit king candidate.
"I-I didn't realize it meant that much..."
"From the start, you've tracked us down after we faithfully obeyed and vanished from the world. You're speaking spirit tongue without ever being taught."
"......"
"This proves you're qualified to be our king. Only you can do it."
Now I get why Mime fixates on Risel like a sunflower.
Spirits can't crown a king from among themselves. That's the world's law.
But due to some past nature sorcerer's scheme, no human can see or speak to spirits.
Except Risel, the only one who can.
Mime had no choice but to cling to her.
'But understanding and agreeing are two different things.'
Risel looked at me, lost.
I said,
"Do you remember that nature sorcerer's name, by chance?"
"Shut it. I'm waiting for Risel's answer."
"Risel won't answer. I'll stop her."
"You..."
"Tell me straight. I'm trying to help."
Mime spoke in a tone like he was snorting.
"Adin. Adin Press."
"Hmm."
"And in this era, he plays heavenly god."
"Hmm."
......
Hmm?
A brief silence fell.
Offense was first to shout.
"The god's true nature is a nature sorcerer? You expect us to buy that?"
"No intention of forcing belief. Humans betrayed our expectations long ago."
"......"
"Humanity now praises the one who erased us as an absolute being. How long do you think we've watched that farce?"
He spoke cynically, but that wasn't what mattered to us.
Serein and Jenia chimed in together.
"Fuck. I knew that bastard wasn't a real god!"
"So he was human. The god we believed in so devoutly."
"I never believed to begin with."
"I'd have gotten mad before. Now I'm almost envious of you, Serein."
Adwin cut in.
"But a mere human... No, a spirit king candidate must've been impressive, but how could a human become a god?"
His question hit the core.
Neril crossed her arms, pondering, then muttered.
"Probably some law behind that too."
"Huh?"
"The heavenly god can't act freely from the start. He had to answer an unbeliever like Serein's prayers. Couldn't handle the Demon King himself, sent a hero instead."
"......"
"Each one's a disadvantage for the heavenly god. No way he chose those restrictions voluntarily. The world runs on unseen laws."
She glanced skyward briefly.
As if the heavenly god were up there.
"He must've figured out one such rule and cleverly exploited it to become a god."
"Makes sense. Your instincts never fail, as always."
"You're no slouch yourself."
"Anyway, listen up, Mime."
I spoke to the duke spirit like I was soothing him.
"You're picking a fight with an absurd foe. Even if Risel becomes spirit king, you think you can avenge yourselves on the heavenly god?"
"......Without trying, who knows."
"No, we know without trying. The heavenly god, Adin—he was a previous spirit king candidate, right? And he ditched even that role as too small a vessel to play god."
"......"
"I get you're clinging to Risel as your only option, but at best, it's a desperate last resort."
That's when it happened.
Boom. Crack.
Nearby rocks crumbled.
The cliff face sheared off.
At the same time, Jenia and Serein's faces fell.
"The barrier spell's shaking."
"Better not rile him up too much..."
Then Mime spoke.
"Right. You should heed your party members."
"Yeah?"
"I'm not expressing anger right now. Just mildly annoyed."
"......"
"And already their spells are wavering. If I got truly furious, do you think you'd come out unscathed?"
I shrugged.
"You should be grateful too."
"What?"
"That I'm not genuinely pissed at you yet. That my temper's forgiving."
"Ha."
"I'm this lenient because I get your side. Out of pity and consolation, I'll give you one more option."
Mime stayed silent, asking what I meant.
I grinned and said,
"I told you earlier, right? I'll avenge you instead."
"......"
"I'll kill the heavenly god."
It wasn't Mime who was shocked.
My comrades gaped at me in horror.
Neril voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Maide. I get pissed at that guy too... but like it or not, he's a god now. Fake god or not, still a god."
"Hmm."
"Even beating Idria was touch-and-go with our full strength, wasn't it?"
"Who said that?"
Neril probably didn't know.
The others didn't either.
Our party's skills and abilities had already surpassed the final battle before my regression by multiples.
Just as I'd grown stronger, so had they.
"You're the strongest heroes in history."
"H-How do you know?"
"Don't believe me? Call Repia later and ask. Though she might not admit it honestly."
"......Even so, killing a god?"
"I've got the lead. I have his name now."
Everyone's jaws dropped in that instant.
Right. The Eye of Omniscience.
It needs a name to reveal secrets.
And right now, I'd learned the god's name.