CHAPTER 192. …Would You Look at This Guy?
Deep within Baharmut.
The spirits could not hide their agitation at an unprecedented situation.
[Infernal? Defeated? How? Amazing! Good guys? But, scary.]
Interpreted, they were marveling at Aster’s strength in having defeated(?) Infernal, while also reconsidering the judgment they’d made at first.
Infernal.
It protected the ruins from external enemies and, at the same time, was the very existence that had kept them imprisoned.
In truth, “protecting the ruins” sounded nice, but from the spirits’ perspective, Infernal was even more terrifying than the barrier that bound them.
Maybe that was why.
The spirits conferred again.
[Three, not risk factor? Good? Savior scary. But, different from what saw. If different, not risk factor?]
The situation was this.
Originally, the savior the spirits had envisioned was only Aster alone. But when Aster brought along as many as three humans, they judged them to be a “risk factor.” Mycelln was among them, but to the spirits, that wasn’t particularly important.
Only the fact that it differed from their “prediction” mattered.
Also, the spirits’ “Hate—!” had actually been a scream not because of Aster, but because Infernal was awakening due to Aster’s commotion, and yet…
Seeing those they’d considered a “risk factor” facing that Infernal, they were reassessing their evaluation.
In the midst of that—
Fyureureung—
One spirit suddenly expanded its presence and slipped out of the crystal orb.
[You! Risk!]
The spirits expressed concern at that behavior.
If it left the crystal orb, Infernal would awaken and come charging over…
But Spirit 1, who had acted abruptly, instead expanded its presence further and snorted(?) in contempt.
‘These guys, cowards.’
Even after seeing Infernal get beaten down badly just now, they were still worrying like this. How ridiculous. With that level of injury, isn’t it obvious it won’t be able to move for a while?
And their hasty judgment of Aster’s group was also enough to make one sigh.
Still.
Whatever its true feelings, Spirit 1 thought:
[I, representative.]
[You, representative?]
[Savior, go meet.]
[Risk!]
The spirits tried to stop it, but Spirit 1 didn’t care.
Because staying put like this wouldn’t make things any better.
From the savior’s perspective, they would think the spirits had messed up the paths and set Infernal in motion, and if the savior got angry and left the ruins, what then?
So—
‘I, smart.’
Among the spirits, it was the smartest.
‘Me, brave.’
And the bravest, so it had no choice but to step forward.
Ah, and personally, it also had something it was curious about with the savior.
…And so, taking advantage of the gap while Infernal entered recovery, Spirit 1 left the crystal orb.
For the spirits’ freedom.
Meanwhile, Aster woke up early in the morning, filled his stomach with tough jerky and dry bread, and was looking around the space.
The space lined with books of an era impossible to determine was clean, despite the fact that there seemed to be no one managing it.
It was so clean that it looked as though someone had been maintaining it until just recently, and Aster let out admiration at its state of preservation.
‘It doesn’t seem like there’s magic on it… is it spirits?’
Approaching a bookshelf, Aster pulled out a book that caught his hand and opened it. The inside condition was perfect, too.
If it were a book left unattended for a long time, the edges would usually be faded, but there wasn’t even a hint of that.
As he checked the condition of the books—one after another—a voice reached him.
“Anything interesting?”
It was Demian.
The guy had gotten up at some point and was shoving down a macaron—
“Macaron?”
“Yeah, macaron. I brought it in my subspace. Why?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Even though Ransi told him not to eat much in the morning, he still dragged it all the way here and ate it.
Aster looked at Demian with pity, then turned his gaze back. It was then that Demian asked.
“So what are you looking at? Interesting?”
“It’s not interesting. It just looks like it’s been well maintained.”
“Looks like we could sell it for a lot?”
“…Huh?”
“…Why?”
“You’re smart.”
At Demian’s words, Aster’s eyes lit up as if he’d realized something he hadn’t thought of, and he looked around.
Originally, he’d only been curious what method had been used because the condition was so good.
If it wasn’t magic and they’d used spirits to manage it, then learning that method would be convenient later when he built a tower.
But—
‘Sell this?’
Why didn’t I think of that?
Of course, he wasn’t going to sell it—he was going to stick it in his tower—but Aster was ashamed that he hadn’t even thought of such basic looting.
Maybe yesterday’s mental shock had hit him harder than it had Demian or Chenbi? …Well, of course not.
Anyway.
Aster took the space in with eyes different from before. He looked as though he were estimating how much he could carry into subspace, and after some time passed like that—
A voice reached his ear.
“…Aster?”
At that voice, Aster wiped the greed from his gaze and turned.
There stood Chenbi, his complexion pale as if from internal injuries, and it wasn’t long before his mouth opened.
“So it really… wasn’t a dream.”
A smile spreading over his lips. His body condition couldn’t be very good, but the smile on Chenbi’s face was truly bright.
Looking at him, Aster nodded.
“You think this looks like a dream?”
“…Huh?”
“I’m kidding.”
Chenbi, brow furrowed, quietly took Aster in.
Maybe he knew he’d crossed a line. Aster cleared his throat awkwardly—“Ahem, ahem”—and stared into a book.
But at that sight, Chenbi laughed pleasantly.
Right, they say if someone suddenly changes, they die—so seeing Aster stay consistently rude like that was, in its own way, very Aster-like.
And through that rudeness, Chenbi could feel it.
“…Thank goodness.”
Because it wasn’t a dream.
Perhaps understanding that feeling, Demian nodded along.
‘Yeah, friend is total trash, right, Chenbi?’
‘Yeah, he probably won’t even burn.’
Warm, beautiful looks passed between them. In the old-fashioned stacks, a peaceful scent of trash drifted softly.
Aster, Demian, Chenbi.
It really was a beautiful reunion.
Anyway, after finishing that brief but deep reunion following separation, we gathered in the center of the stacks and started an emergency strategy meeting.
What was on the agenda?
- How do we get out of the ancient ruins?
For reference, the ones who proposed it were Demian, Chenbi, and Sunbae Mycelln.
For some reason, I had my right to speak revoked.
Anyway, the meeting dragged on for a full three hours, but regrettably, not a single plausible method was presented.
And yet whenever I tried to say something—
- I think it’d be better if you stayed quiet, friend.
- You should shut— no. Anyway, do you understand?
‘Seriously….’
Why do they flinch and freak out like that whenever I try to say anything?
It wasn’t like I was trying to say something all that special.
For example, it was something like this.
The art of knocking has already been proven.
If we just smash everything in this area at random, wouldn’t the spirits react somehow?
If we’re lucky, we might find where the spirits are while breaking things, or we might find a passage leading outside.
“Hoo, I’m tired. Let’s eat first and talk again.”
“It’s truly a difficult problem. To think no answer comes.”
In the end, the three of them wrapped things up without any gains.
My mouth itched as I looked at the two of them, but for now I held back. It seemed like I wouldn’t hear anything good even if I spoke.
Anyway, after we finished eating and plunged into the second meeting session—
Demian and Chenbi and Sunbae Mycelln were still blossoming their three-person conversation, and as I listened, a thought suddenly occurred.
“Chenbi, don’t you think this is a bit too much?”
“Aster, I heard people should know shame.”
[That statement, agree.]
At Chenbi’s cold words, I let out a long sigh. Seriously, there isn’t a single person on my side. Not even the spirits, even—
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Chenbi and I sensed something strange and snapped our gazes over.
A spirit? A real spirit?
Wait.
Rubbing my dry eyes, I quietly took the space in. For now, the people in this room were as follows.
Chenbi, wrapped up in a blanket with me, watching the discussion. And Demian and Sunbae Mycelln, still engaged in heated debate.
“Master, maybe we’ll have to think about self-sufficiency in this place.”
“Demian, stop saying insane things.”
And as the two of them traded that worthless conversation, in between them floated a single lump of light.
[That thought, not bad.]
Seeing the lump of light offer an opinion naturally, I narrowed my eyes.
Around then, Demian and Sunbae Mycelln also noticed something was off.
“Master, I think I’ve gone crazy. I’m seeing something weird.”
“Nothing new for you, is there? But… huh, what is this? A spirit is talking?”
Sunbae Mycelln, more shocked than anyone, fixed his gaze on the spirit. In his eyes lay astonishment and surprise he couldn’t hide.
And after staring at it with trembling eyes for a while—
Sunbae Mycelln swallowed hard and opened his mouth.
“…This isn’t an ordinary spirit. For now, I’ll step in.”
Saying that, Sunbae Mycelln stared pointedly at me. The look somehow felt unfair, but I nodded to show agreement anyway.
And when we were all holding our breaths—
Sunbae Mycelln looked at the spirit and asked.
“Are you a spirit of the ruins? Do you perhaps know me? I’m one of the humans you spoke to… not long ago, I even communicated with my own spirit.”
[Old human, remember.]
It meant it remembered him.
Confirming that the spirit knew him, Sunbae Mycelln nodded and asked again.
And that question was the doubt we all shared.
“I have something I want to ask. Clearly, we came at your request, and yet… why are you hostile toward us?”
He was asking the full story of how they’d thrown the paths of the ruins into chaos and moved Infernal.
To be honest, who cared about the paths of the ruins. What Sunbae Mycelln was taking issue with was probably Infernal. They’d almost been in serious danger.
But—
The spirit paid no mind to Sunbae Mycelln’s words and zip-zip-zipped up onto the only table among the stacks, settling there.
And then it said—
[Question, I first.]
It said it would ask first.
At that, I let out a “Ha” of laughter without thinking.
‘A spirit… negotiating?!’
No matter how you looked at it, it was behavior meant to seize the initiative.
At that seemingly impudent sight, my eye twitched.
Sunbae Mycelln was equally surprised by that worldly demeanor.
In the midst of that—
I could feel it.
‘Justice… is crying.’
But how, exactly, do you give a spirit a taste of justice? According to Sunbae Mycelln, Infernal’s flames were a direct hit on spirits…
As my worries deepened—
The spirit’s voice(?) rang in my ear right then.
[Savior, I know your secret.]
…It knows my secret?
At that one line, everyone’s gaze turned to me. If the spirit knew my secret, of course they’d be interested.
Under those stares, I twisted the corner of my mouth upward.
Because… the spirit was secretly whispering into my head.
[Cursed magic book, I know. Fist, relax your strength.]
…Would you look at this guy?
