Chapter 51 : Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Meeting the Spirit Creature (1)

After everything was settled, Artier and his companions gathered in the reception room of the lord's castle.

It was to receive their reward from Ropin.

“Thank you for guiding me this far. I know this isn't nearly enough to repay my debt to you, but this is all I have, so I can only apologize.”

[You have acquired 2 Silver coins.]

[Ropin's affinity has greatly increased.]

Among the rewards I had received so far, this was meager enough to be counted on one hand.

It wasn't even enough to recover the money I had spent preparing for this quest.

However, Artier received the silver coins with a satisfied expression.

“If you ever need help, please call on us anytime.”

It was always good to build up affinity with a holy mage.

Hadn't Gerard already mentioned that?

“Where will you be going now?”

“I think I'll be heading north. The existence of the Hellmorphs I saw here has been weighing on my mind.”

Ropin said as he looked up at the faintly cloudy sky.

“Besides, I had a strange dream last night.”

“A dream?”

“It was a dream where a figure in a black robe appeared in the northern sky and split the continent in half with a large scythe. Something is clearly happening in the northern part of the empire.”

Holy Mages often had prophetic dreams.

Therefore, it was not something I could take lightly.

‘A black robe and a large scythe? That's totally the Grim Reaper.’

Artier unconsciously pictured the being and gulped.

In this world, there was no concept of heaven or hell. That was why Ropin had described it not as the Grim Reaper, but as a figure wearing a robe and holding a scythe.

“Do you all have any plans to come north?”

“We plan to go there soon.”

“If fate allows, we may meet again. May the stars' blessings be with you.”

Ropin bid a light farewell and left Gigas Hall.

There was no hesitation in the steps of a man who believed in the power of destiny.

“So, where should we go now?”

When Jeina asked, Artier looked at Collie.

“Collie and I have a place to visit before we leave.”

Unfortunately, I couldn't tell my companions about the place we were going to.

The only ones permitted to approach the Spirit Creatures were the parties to the contract.

“I don't know where you're going, but go ahead.”

“Don't go anywhere too dangerous, and if anything happens, be sure to send a communication.”

Like true mercenaries, the companions didn't pry and gave them space.

Only Tersion looked at him with a sullen expression.

“You're not up to anything strange, are you? Don't cause any harm to the forest.”

“What do you take me for?”

“It's a very common worry when a human says they're going into the forest. Humans don't know how angry a tree gets when even a single branch is broken, do you?”

“……”

I didn't know. Only elves who communicated with plants would know.

Receiving a barrage of worried gazes, Artier left the castle gates.

“Which way should we go?”

“The energy is coming from the east.”

Following Collie's guidance, Artier walked through the dense forest where there was no path.

“What are the senior Spirit Creatures like?”

“They aren't people, you know?”

“No, I mean……”

“To be honest, I don't know either. We've only ever exchanged voices through our connection.”

The first time he received a communication was in Dorman, in the northern part of the continent.

But to attempt communication from here, at the southern tip, it was a remarkable feat just to have heard a voice.

“They didn't call themselves seniors. But they told me I was the first new Spirit Creature they've met in 100 years.”

“100 years?”

“They said that's considered a short time. Because humans keep expanding their territory these days, areas full of pure mana are disappearing.”

They began to climb a rough mountain path that could be called treacherous terrain.

While climbing the mountain path, Artier slipped on the sticky mud floor and almost fell flat on his face.

“Is it okay to go this way?”

“We are going the right way.”

Collie said in a firm tone.

“The more difficult the terrain is for humans to access, the more likely it is to be a Spirit Creature's habitat.”

“You have a point, but……”

Thump, thump.

Just then, footsteps began to be heard from somewhere.

The two of them, who had fallen silent at the same time, exchanged glances and shared their thoughts.

Aren't those human footsteps?

I think so.

Why would a person be in a place like this?

I wondered if it was an elf, but elves don't make footsteps in the forest.

Let's hide for now.

Artier and Collie hid themselves in a nearby bush.

But a moment later, Artier could read Collie's terrified thoughts.

Master, it's no use. I can smell them, and they are coming straight for us.

The mysterious footsteps, far from fading away, were actually getting clearer.

‘An assassin?’

Artier placed his hand on his sword.

However, a short while later, Artier stopped his hand from reaching for the sword due to an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Collie, let's go out.”

“Will it be alright?”

“Assassins don't reveal their presence like that when they appear.”

A clanking sound and heavy footsteps. It was far from the behavior of someone attempting an assassination.

As soon as they stepped out of the bushes, they saw a giant wolf and several people approaching from the opposite direction in the distance.

‘Beastmen?’

Artier could see the face of a beast atop a human torso.

However, unlike the civilized people he had seen in Gigas Hall, the beastmen before him were wearing clothes made of crudely patched leather, like primitives.

Collie, pale with fright, clung to Artier's side.

“Are you the master of the new Spirit Creature?”

And it was the giant wolf, not the beastman, whose mouth opened.

“Judging by your dumbfounded expression, I guess not? This can't be the first time you've seen a talking animal.”

“No, Lord Kerr. I can feel the scent of nature from the child next to him.”

When one of the beastmen pointed at Collie, the wolf Spirit Creature called Kerr stared intently at Collie.

[Lv.35 Kerr (Medium)]

“……It is him.”

The wolf turned its body elegantly and spoke in a low voice.

“Follow me, human. I will guide you to our home.”

Before Artier could even answer, Kerr was already walking ahead.

Artier and Collie looked at each other, and as the beastmen began to move, they hurried to follow them.

***

The path to the Spirit Creatures' home was even more arduous than I had imagined.

A rocky valley full of thorns, a mud pit hidden by moss, and so on; even Artier couldn't be sure if he could have reached this place without Kerr's help.

“We've arrived.”

“F-finally……”

“Do Spirit Creatures live in hell…?”

By the time they arrived at the village, Artier and Collie were covered in cold sweat and dust.

‘I want to wash up!’

‘I've never craved a bath so much in my life…….’

It was so bad that both of them were thinking this.

Watching the two of them, Kerr clicked his tongue and hardened his expression.

“To think the descendants are this pathetic.”

I felt something boil up inside me at those words, but there was nothing I could do.

The beastmen who had come with us and Kerr himself, who had spoken, looked perfectly fine.

“Our leader is waiting for you, but it would be impossible for you to go in this state. Go and wash up first.”

“Where?”

“Wash with magic.”

“Excuse me…?”

What was I supposed to do when he suddenly told me to use magic?

When I looked at Kerr with a puzzled expression, he tilted his head with a look of incomprehension.

“Don't tell me you can't use it. Water Bolt should be a basic magic.”

“I am a warrior, not a mage.”

“Hmm? Weren't humans, even warriors, supposed to know some magic?”

“……”

He wasn't wrong.

The problem was that the earliest that point could be was after level 30.

Artier couldn't come to his senses between the beastmen and Kerr, who were staring at him with strange eyes.

“Is my common sense wrong?”

“You have to understand, Master. Even the youngest among them is likely over 100 years old.”

It was a relief that at least I had Collie, who shared my common sense.

“The beastmen too?”

“That's right. Beastmen have a lifespan of over 300 years. Moreover, all the beastmen staying in this village are guardians chosen by the Spirit Creatures.”

“I see……”

After hearing the conversation between Artier and Collie, Kerr seemed to realize he had overestimated me.

“Then, can the junior use it?”

“I can.”

Fortunately, Collie had learned Water Bolt through a skill book.

“Then that's settled. Go wash up and come back. We will be waiting.”

Kerr pointed to a space enclosed on all sides and disappeared somewhere with the beastmen.

The gust of wind that erupted immediately after they disappeared made it clear that it was not magic, but a feat born from their formidable physical abilities.

“That's scary……”

“I know, right?”

Swoosh!

The feeling of clean water after so long was truly refreshing.

Artier gathered water in both hands and rubbed it on his face, grimacing at the grime that washed away.

“I can't believe I was this dirty.”

“We haven't had a proper chance to wash for two weeks, have we?”

In this world, clean water became scarcer the further inland one went.

Moreover, Gigas Hall was close to a tropical rainforest. Even if the water looked clean, if it was stagnant on the ground, I couldn't use it carelessly.

I might have ended up suffering from parasites or leeches.

“Hoo……”

After roughly combing back his damp hair and putting his armor back on, his disheveled appearance from traversing the rough terrain had completely vanished.

“Master, you look like a completely different person.”

“Is it that much of a difference?”

Artier's appearance was quite handsome, thanks to the protagonist's correction.

However, Artier couldn't bring himself to smile brightly.

It felt as if he were boasting about someone else's looks.

“Then, let's go.”

“Understood.”

Artier and Collie crossed the center of the village.

Doing so, they could naturally see what the village looked like.

‘Are all Spirit Creatures this big?’

Rabbits, deer, wild boars, tigers.

There were various types of animals, from herbivores to carnivores.

If they had one thing in common, it was that they were all enormous. Even the smallest-looking rabbit was the size of a donkey.

‘How fascinating.’

It was Artier's first time seeing so many Spirit Creatures, so everything felt amazing.

But it seemed the Spirit Creatures felt much the same way.

“That human is the new summoner of this generation……”

“The new child is fascinating as well. A junior born outside of this mountain range.”

Interested gazes were being shot from all directions.

“Is there still a future left for us?”

“New child and your contractor, may you live freely to the very end.”

After exchanging a few more words, the Spirit Creatures fell silent at the same time, as if by agreement.

“They're a quiet bunch.”

“Indeed, they are.”

Before long, they arrived in front of the largest and most conspicuous cave in the village.

Kerr, who had arrived first, checked their condition and then stepped aside, clearing the path.

“Go on. Our leader is waiting.”

The inside of the cave was obscured by darkness and could not be seen.

Likewise, I couldn't see who was inside either.

‘From this point on, it's an event I've never experienced before.’

Artier and Collie took a deep breath and then cautiously stepped forward.

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