Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Indirect Reunion - 2
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That was when Risel's voice rang out.
“Lebora. Tail. Gojeoar. Fame.”
Neril tilted her head.
“What's she saying?”
“It's spirit language.”
“You can understand that too?”
“They say Magna Neros commanded spirits in their own tongue. Since Risel is Magna herself, it figures.”
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, Risel's voice grew a touch urgent.
“Draen! Become!”
“......”
“Ashirar Boeum Cummerni!”
Something was off.
Before the regression, Risel's voice when summoning spirits had been relatively calm.
Gentle at times, even.
But the tone now felt entirely different.
Adwin seemed to think the same, rolling his eyes around.
“Uh, that spirit. She's super flustered right now.”
“I can tell that without seeing the spirit.”
“Neril sis hates just me.”
“It's not like that, so don't misunderstand. I hate everyone.”
“That's some unique comfort.”
Offense spoke up.
“Maide. This is?”
“Yeah.”
No doubt about it—she'd lost control.
And sure enough, just as predicted.
-Crack. Rumble rumble boom!
A vibration so intense it made our skulls ring suddenly engulfed us.
Even for me, who'd rolled through countless crises before and after the regression, this was a first.
“Argh!”
“Watch out!”
The ground split with deep cracks, trees crumbling helplessly.
It felt like the sky and earth had flipped.
If even I was losing my balance, the others must have been in worse shape.
“Damn it.”
Neril hurriedly wove her hands, erecting a defensive spell.
Whiiing.
A wall of mana rose around all sides of us.
She let out a sigh of relief and shouted at Risel.
“Hey! Get it together.”
“Shut your mouth!”
For Risel to use such foul language. Something had seriously gone wrong.
Neril's magic was quite meager compared to Jenia's spellwork.
It only blocked the physical force bearing down on us—no trace of the cozy warmth in Jenia's.
“Sorry. Maide. Defense isn't really my strong suit......”
“It's fine. You're doing plenty.”
“Why's she suddenly like this? She blocked everything fine during the day.”
I soothed her.
“Calm down. Jenia will be back soon. Then we can hop on Agril and......”
“She's not coming back.”
“Huh?”
“This quake is way bigger than the one during the day. Enough to reach the shelter.”
“......”
“Jenia would obviously trust us with the quake and focus on shielding the territory folk with her spells.”
Hearing that, I was convinced she'd do exactly that.
Neril had a sharper read on Jenia's personality than I did.
I remarked anew.
“You two have gotten way closer than I thought.”
“You saying bullshit like that in a time like this?”
“Anyway, mind hitting us with a flight spell or something?”
“The second I drop the mana barrier, we're all toast.”
Fair point.
Adwin forced words through gritted teeth.
“Whatever it is, we need to get off the ground. It's dangerous, and I'm gonna puke.”
“If you're gonna puke, aim at Offense.”
Offense spoke in disbelief.
“Why me?”
“Can't have you puking on me or Maide.”
“Puking on the floor's an option too...... Whatever. Point is, we need to move.”
“What? Whoa.”
Suddenly, our bodies were pulled toward the ground.
More precisely, into our shadows.
When my vision cleared again, we were at the top of the mage tower.
The very spot where Kaild had posed to stop the quake before.
I gaped.
“You sure it's okay using that on us?”
“You already know everything. Long as Risel doesn't snitch to Kaild.”
Fortunately for Offense, Risel wasn't in any state to focus on that.
“Why? Why. Guys, why won't you listen.”
“......”
“You've never ignored me like this before.”
Was she pretending she couldn't control them just to screw me over?
'No. No way.'
Risel wasn't that vicious.
Not before the regression, nor now.
I hurried to ask her.
“Was there anything different from usual?”
“No! Of course not.”
“I'm not asking if the spirits were different.”
“......”
“Risel, I mean was there anything different about you.”
She bit her lip hard.
Her face said she had a hunch.
Offense, ever perceptive with expressions, read her easily.
“Doesn't seem like you botched the spirit tongue...... Guess you lost focus?”
“You always this much of a jerk, Offense?”
“Lately I feel like I'm catching flak everywhere.”
He kinda did.
I pressed urgently.
“Be honest. This isn't the time for games.”
“......For a split second, I zoned out.”
“What were you thinking?”
“What if I'd never met the spirits.”
Her unexpected words made me tilt my head.
Tears were already welling in Risel's eyes.
She continued, almost shouting.
“I probably wouldn't have become a hero. Couldn't have helped Grade.”
“......”
“But instead, I could've lived and died in the same era as him. Not agonizing between two heroes 1,500 years later like this...... Ah!”
She clamped her mouth shut.
Ah.
'She thought I might be a hero too.'
Two heroes reunited after generations.
Both Kaild and I had promised to make her human.
Which one to believe?
Which one was real?
That turmoil had led her to think:
-If only I'd never known spirits from the start.
I clicked my tongue.
“Grade's records mentioned it. Spirits are intensely jealous.”
“......Yeah. This is all my fault.”
Calmer now, Risel quickly wiped her tears.
She turned her back to us again.
“I'll try to soothe them somehow.”
She began chanting spirit tongue once more.
“Alderaman. Gavra. Bris......”
Tick.
Something popped.
I caught a faint whiff of blood in the air.
Rushing over, I saw thick bloody tears streaming from her eyes.
[What's wrong with her?]
'Dunno exactly, but the spirits must've pulled some shit.'
[But she's their queen, right?]
'Can't judge spirits by human standards. They lack true intellect.'
[Anyway, you just gonna let her go blind like that?]
I had no answer.
-Rumble rumble boom. Crackle!
The quake showed no signs of stopping.
Getting anxious now, when Adwin's voice piped up.
“B-bro. Hold on.”
“Huh?”
“Hold on.”
He glanced warily at Risel as he called me over.
Then whispered in my ear.
“Grade says call him one more time?”
“What? How do you know?”
“I heard a voice, choppy but clear.”
“Wait, isn't he in the afterlife? A spirit calling a necromancer first? Not the other way around?”
I nodded like I got what Adwin meant.
“That's exactly it. First time for me too. Even Lepia couldn't do this.”
“Fitting for the first hero's spirit.”
“So what do we do?”
“Call him. Gotta try something.”
“Got it. Oh, he said to call into your body.”
“What? Hey, wait......”
But Adwin was already chanting.
His arm glowed bright, and soon a voice reached me.
[Hey! Relay what I say to Risel starting now.]
[Whoa! What the—!]
[Who're you? What a clown. Dragging weird spirits around without being a necromancer?]
[Uh, you two chat. I'll bow out.]
Felt like Trail scampered off in a huff.
I said,
'To what do I owe the honor? As you see, we're kinda busy.'
[That's why I'm here, punk.]
'Sorry to say, but how's a message from 1,500 years ago gonna help Risel?'
[If you were really my subject, I'd have lopped your head off already.]
His voice deepened suddenly.
[If my beloved became spirit queen, I'd research it.]
'......Pardon?'
[Spirits were unknown to humanity until Magna...... until Risel. At least that's how history records it. But it ain't true.]
He continued slowly.
[Before the Empire, in the era of petty states. Go further back, and spirits were familiar to humans.]
'First I'm hearing of it.'
[I dug it up after slaying the Demon King, using my hero cred for every investigation. Back then, spirits were closer to humanity than those lofty heavenly gods. Or rather.]
I swallowed hard without realizing.
[The heavenly gods were the unknown ones.]
'......'
[They were called nature mages. Same work as spirit mages. But once heavenly gods became known, nature mages vanished, spirits too.]
I'd forgotten our crisis, sucked into his tale.
[I noticed before Risel did. That she'd long been chosen by spirits, no longer human.]
'......'
[After slaying the Demon King, I scoured the continent behind her back. Didn't wanna worry her.]
'......'
[And found the tongue to calm spirits.]
He sighed softly.
[I was scared. Afraid half-spirit Risel might up and leave someday. Records said some nature mages vanished without trace.]
'......'
[The spirit tongue I found is a spell to prevent that. Stops spirits attacking their mage, empowers the mage's voice instead. That'll stop this quake.]
I swallowed and asked.
'Grade. You promised to make Risel human.'
[Yes.]
'The meaning of those words back then......'
[Heh.]
He affirmed with a wry chuckle.
[Double meaning. Free her from slavery, and......'
'Free her from being a spirit too.'
[Yeah. But I only half-succeeded. That's why she's struggling now.]
No.
Who else could do what Grade did?
Who else would scour lost eras for knowledge, unearth forgotten spirit tongue, all for his love?
He gave everything for Risel.
His one mistake? Giving up.
He'd invested too many years trying to make her human.
Aged out, Grade ultimately gave up.
Sent her away.
[Enough gloomy old tales. Hurry, tell Risel this: Koedar. Gavrea. Ohisaa. Gear. Beirat. Geariearche.]
'Why not say it yourself through my body?'
[Nah. What use possessing some dark-skinned dude?]
'You're scared of her reaction.'
[Watch your mouth. Keep forgetting—I'm the first hero and Emperor?]
'Understood. As you command. Your Majesty.'
He laughed at my teasing tone.
[Good. Do it quick. That's an imperial decree.]
Risel was barely sane anymore.
'Why, why. Guys. Listen to me!'
Her chants were reflexive now.
Her mind exhausted, muddled.
'Grade. Guess I'm no good.'
Not slave, not human.
Not even spirit queen.
How could she be queen to kids who ignored her?
'Might as well give up.'
Forget becoming human. What if she just turned full spirit?
A fleeting thought at first, but it soon filled her.
'Right. I was never human anyway. Just a slave.'
Wishing to be human now was pointless......
Rustle.
That was when.
She sensed someone beside her.
Eyes open, but spirits had burst her vessels—world all red.
“Repeat after me from now. Koedar. Gavrea. Ohisaa.”
“Wh-who?”
“Gear. Beirat. Geariearche.”
Risel recognized it as spirit tongue.
And the meaning, power within.
“How? How do you know a tongue even I didn't? No way......”
“......”
“Grade? Is that you, Grade?”
“No, it's Maide. But Grade was just borrowing my body.”
“Grade was......”
“That chant he just gave us. So trust me and calm the spirits.”
Risel nodded.
“Yes. Of course. Sorry for the disgrace.”
She chanted again.
“Koedar. Gavrea. Ohisaa!”
Woooong.
The quake that upended earth and toppled buildings began to subside.
“Gear. Beirat. Geariearche!”
No. It didn't stop there.
The ground 'returned to its original state.'
Not just stopping.
Reverting as if no quake ever happened.
Five minutes.
All devastation vanished.
Two things left.
One: a territory so still, you'd never believe a quake just hit.
The other: Risel clutching her necklace, gazing skyward.
“Even after 1,500 years. I'm still just receiving your help.”
I miss you.
Thought the bond was over. It wasn't.
This indirect reunion made it clear.
'Kaild can never replace Grade. No one can.'
She turned her gaze.
Through blurry, injured eyes, she looked at Maide.
“Sorry for everything, and thank you so...... Huh?”
“What's wrong?”
Maide's face was faintly visible.
An expression utterly familiar to Risel.
Pride of 'I protected them.'
Relief that all were safe.
And the unique sense of duty only one bearing the continent's fate could wear: a 'hero.'
Identical to the look Grade wore after quests.
Rustle.
Risel rubbed her eyes without thinking.
Then cried out.
“It hurts!”