Chapter 43
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: I Intend to Respond Definitely
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Sitting in place, I just turned my head to search for the star.
A star that once only I could see, but now everyone in Eaar could behold.
‘Wanderer’s Star, Cold Star, the star that bestowed divinity upon me, Mad Star.’
Twinkle twinkle! Litt-le Sil-ver Star!
Said it’d stay quiet, but this punk’s acting up again.
‘Where were we up to?’
Mad Star!
Ah, right.
My origin, my foundation.
The guy I’d forgotten about while trapped in the mines, just swinging a pickaxe.
I received its starlight with my eyes, my mind, my heart.
Hoping the divinity within me would grow stronger, hoping this Insight Ability reeking of foolhardiness would get its act together.
‘Not easy. I put so much focus into containing Silver Star.’
We gotta do it! Or who knows when the crows and owls will tear us apart in the name of justice!
That chilling warning sharpened my focus even more.
Emptying mind and heart to concentrate the spirit—what a paradox of spiritification.
‘If I can draw water out from my body, I can pull in external water too. Like tree roots.’
That was how the delusion began.
My breathing seemed to stop, the rise and fall of my chest vanished.
Roots sprouted from my body, stretching into the earth.
Once they took root in the ground, my body trembled faintly.
Droplets of water, fooled by the fake roots, rose into the air.
‘Life sprouts from the fake tree that drinks that water.’
Aaah—! Luke Seid has become a tree like that!
Branches grew from my shoulders, leaves sprouted from my slowly raised arms.
Moist air rippled softly, scattering droplets everywhere.
‘I am a tree. I am a tree.’
I’m a tree! I’m a tree!
Hey, shut it.
Said it’d stay still, now it’s going wilder.
I furrowed my brow, and the branches shivered faintly.
The tree’s ears caught the sound.
“Are you practicing imagery training...?”
Requiya Lance’s mutter passed by like the wind.
I am a tree.
A tree rooted in the earth, brimming with water.
An earth spirit that hatches no birds but provides them shelter.
A great tree unbowed by wind or wave.
The flap of wings reached me, and as I rolled my eyes, I felt the vibrations and opened them.
With Blue Eye, I sharply scanned the nearby trees.
My gaze met a yellow bird peering down from the opposite tree.
Lower your eyes, punk!
I could see its spirit essence.
That yellow one was a bird just like a limb of the Saintess, serving as her ears and eyes.
But the leader of the birds was elsewhere.
The blue one tilting its head from the highest perch.
The tree opened its mouth.
“I command thee—”
I extended my arm, palm facing upward.
God, this is cringy as hell, but come to me.
Flap flap flap—.
Meat! Meat! Blue meat! Grill it! Fry it! Chicken! One leg’s mine!
Calm down, Silver Star.
Let me calm down too.
I slowly organized the technique for summoning birds.
Spiritification is deploying imagery where an emptied mind and heart are replaced by divinity, becoming one with nature.
‘What an amazing world.’
Luke’s the amazing one!
No need to learn it formally; realization comes through practice.
Just like what I’d pulled off moments ago.
‘Humans are spirits too.’
Spirits that make the sky their roof, the earth their bed, becoming pillars and doors to complete their home.
Wanderers.
Turning myself into a tree and hypnotizing myself to call the birds was one such spiritification technique.
I’ve always preferred self-teaching over formal exercise or study. It suited me better, brought greater achievement.
Of course, I drew inspiration from Luke Seid wielding forest spirits with the power of the earth.
Anyway, Divine Power meshed with my quirky nature, maximizing its effects.
Endlessly creative, unbound by templates, pursuing truth—
Aaah, so sleeeepy—.
This punk?
Finally trying some quiet contemplation, and it trips me up.
Luke’s head is hot! Meditation style!
‘Just organizing my thoughts. Gotta nail down the method properly if I want to do it again.’
Got it! How long you planning to keep that one?
Ah, the blue bird looked up at me, tilting its head.
It occasionally pecked at my palm with its beak.
‘Asking for food? Or just get to the point and let it go?’
First time conversing with a bird—what should I say first?
“Eaten yet?”
Kieek—.
This little shit just mocked me, didn’t it?
“Were you watching me?”
Kieek—.
No clue what it’s saying.
I’m not a bird, after all.
Not some big-vessel Holy Knight like Luke Seid.
No power to talk with animals.
Can’t say!
Instead, I have the Insight Ability that never sleeps unless nothing’s up.
Thanks to Silver Star translating, I could chat with it.
“You can speak.”
Can’t say!
“Mad at me for calling you?”
No!
Just Silver Star’s translation making it sound like Angry Birds.
“If you plan to harm me, I’ll attack you birds.”
Don’t attack! We won’t harm!
“Can you help me out a bit?”
Catch bugs for you?
What’s it saying.
These things gorged on nuts and fruits in the sanctuary, now pretending to cooperate.
“Answering ‘can’t say’ to whether you’re watching means you are watching.”
Can’t say!
“Whatever. You’ll see I don’t fit in Hellite. I’ll live my way, so tell them not to chase me out. Luke said the same. Follow my own justice. Got it?”
Birdbrain’s a birdbrain.
The blue bird kept blinking and tilting its head.
“Too hard to understand?”
Not hard! Saving it!
“Good.”
No idea what or where it’s saving it, but I’ll trust it for now.
I stroked its head with my index finger.
Small, firm, soft.
Warmed my heart.
“Can you warn me if someone approaches?”
That’s easy! Like eating dead bugs!
Well, alright then... Impressive.
“Don’t all stick around me—scatter out and watch wide. One to watch me is enough, right?”
It didn’t answer, just tilted its head again.
Seemed to be pondering if it should follow my orders.
“Not an order—a request.”
First human making a request!
It was an order dressed as a request, but birdbrain made it easy to fool.
“Once we leave here, I’ll head north along the ridgeline to Brad Kingdom. Scout my path through Fiore Kingdom and Brad ahead of time. People’s talk, what other beasts see and hear, scents carried on the wind. Anything useful I can learn or reference.”
Got it!
Does it really get it?
Doesn’t matter.
What counts is resetting our awkward relationship on smoother terms.
“You can go.”
I pulled dried corn from my pocket.
The blue bird speared one kernel with its beak and flapped off.
The others followed, swooping in to snatch corn.
‘Wait, what did these punks do to deserve treats...?’
Even the big-winged ones stirred gusts as they snatched corn.
The owls, crows, eagles were so huge I was inwardly spooked.
‘Do raptors even eat corn?’
Just following the boss!
‘Are you the blue bird or Silver Star?’
Can’t say!
Bullshit.
Requiya Lance, who’d been watching with mouth agape, crawled over on all fours.
Too shocked to remember how to stand and walk, apparently.
“Boss, were you just talking to the birds? How do you do that?”
“Hm...”
How to explain.
I scratched my cheek, pondering.
“Like I turned myself into a tree and hypnotized myself? Spiritification or whatever...”
“Haha—. Must be a skill that needs divinity.”
Might be.
Never crossed my mind before gaining divinity.
“Try it like mana cultivation. Entering an imagery realm like when cursing works too.”
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Requiya Lance sat cross-legged.
The forest night stretched long.
I jabbed at stars with my spear, slashed constellations with my sword.
Thrust! Strike! Block! Counter! Stab! Stab!
Lying down, I activated Blue Eye and picked off stars one by one.
Stars that seemed eternal lost their light one after another.
Starlight faded, but the night couldn’t fill the void.
When one star remained, dawn broke.
‘That star won’t go out no matter how much I attack.’
Hellite’s Star, after all.
It used to torment me, but now it lets me exist.
“Kruk, you thieves get some shut-eye.”
“But boss, what if the Fiore army shows up?”
“I’ll let you know if they do. But remember—no matter who comes, I fight alone.”
“You’ll really fight solo?”
Dealing with this guy who wouldn’t get it after one explanation pissed me off.
“Can you take on cavalry with your skills? Fuck—”
“Y-Yes, as ordered.”
I shooed Kruk away like a fly and headed to the villagers gathered in the clearing for breakfast.
A boy approached with a wide wooden bowl. Sweat-streaked, dark face beaming an angelic smile.
“Holy Knight sir, eat this. A big sis made it—super tasty.”
“Thanks.”
I’d gone to say something to them, but ended up getting fed instead.
I scooped a spoonful of the corn soup from the wooden bowl with a wooden spoon.
Corn! Cream! Butter! Milk! Flour! Tasty!
‘Damn, this is good. Better than at Suhesne Inn.’
Requiya Lance gulped his bowl beside me, while Hama plunged his snout into a huge tub, slurping soup.
“Eat slow and listen up.”
Eyes turned to me, but I ignored it and rattled off what I’d prepared.
“Stay here three days, then head to the western border town. No trails—take the main road. Antalada, with her experience leading groups, takes point. Men protect the women and kids from the sides and rear.”
Affirmatives came from all around.
“While here, no matter what noises from outside, don’t panic or peek out.”
Finally, to Requiya Lance.
“Requiya, watch over the villagers.”
“Don’t need my help?”
“I’ll call if I do.”
A sigh slipped out unbidden.
I set down my bowl and muttered under my breath.
To Requiya Lance.
“I said it before. Naive. Still am. I was too dumb to chase the fleeing cavalry. Put the villagers at risk.”
“We didn’t expect this then. Not your fault, boss.”
I shook my head at his comfort.
“To fix that mistake, this time I’ll respond properly. Not sure if I can change.”
Killing those who don’t resist is harder for me than fierce foes.
Villagers murmured.
They thought I couldn’t hear, but I did.
The Holy Knight plans to fight alone to protect us. Their uniform reaction.
Embarrassed inwardly, I shot back at them.
“Not some noble intent—don’t think well of me. It’s for my survival.”
I brushed off my butt and stood as a fruit bat appeared overhead.
Piiiieee—.
A fox-headed one let out a shrill cry.
Sound no ordinary person could hear.
Dismounted horses! Walking slow! Resting in dark! Dawn broke! Coming!
Fiore cavalry approaching.
Numbers, position—nice if it told me, but what more can you expect from a bat.
This info alone helps.
“Requiya, any progress with yesterday’s spiritification?”
“Ha ha—. Didn’t work for me.”
“I see.”
I offered hollow sympathy.
Pulled out the planned topic.
“Need you to write a letter.”
“What should it say?”