Episode 236. The Strongest Spirit (1)
The spirit that was trying to swallow us suddenly stopped moving.
A spirit that doesn’t even have a contract with a human is nothing more than a wild and raging beast.
Or, more precisely, it is closer to a monster that is active and persistently aims to take human life.
Unlike spirits, evil spirits are made up of negative emotions including resentment and hatred, so it is a natural instinct for them to attack others.
Therefore, it is easy to infer the area where the spirit appears.
It mainly covers conflict zones, battlefields, accident sites, and other places where bloodshed has occurred.
If people get sick of that huge storm and leave… that area will definitely become a ghost town.
That was the reason why this place, once the land of the elves, became a land of death.
The spirits that live here will naturally be made up of the resentment of the elves that died back then.
“Please. Let go of my Master.”
Aisha strokes the dragon-shaped spirit’s head and makes a desperate request.
This was the first time she had transformed into a human form and expressed her emotions through her voice.
But the opponent is the highest ranking lord.
There is a hierarchy among the guys, and what Aisha is doing now is like a dog touching a wolf’s face and asking for a favor.
_________________
Race: Ju-ryeong (Special)
Rating: Top
Main: 280/280
Tendency: —
Feelings towards users: —
_________________
The highest spirit Diora.
It boasts a magical power level that is on par with, or even higher than, that of Sprite, the left arm of the Spirit King Shaikar.
Unlike the spirit world, which is a sunny stance, there is no such thing as communication between spirits, which are a shady stance.
Therefore, based on the law of the jungle, it would not be strange if Aisha were to be eaten right now.
In addition, it would be normal for not only us but also the surrounding knights to become prey to the guy’s reduction.
It is the law of the universe that it must happen that way.
however….
『Kururur…』
Diora’s mouth, which had been like a tunnel of appetite, was tightly shut. And the guy’s body seemed to have frozen and he couldn’t move.
Ruska and I used our last bit of strength to break the tentacles and escape.
The moment I landed on the ground, I immediately fell into a state of sleep. It seemed to be a hypnosis caused by my main force, but I immediately incapacitated it by consuming Man-young’s raindrops.
He also gave Ruska raindrops to blow away her hypnosis.
“are you okay?”
“Thank you. By the way… why did you stop?”
The highest ranking lord would never accept the request of a lord of a lower rank than himself.
However, the spirit called Diora trembled and stopped as soon as he saw Aisha’s human form.
There’s no way the guy would feel fear from just Aisha. It’s more likely that he’s panicking due to an unexpected factor.
“I don’t know for sure… but let’s jump in anyway!”
Now that the guy was paused, this was my chance.
Of course, it’s only a chance to run away, not a chance to attack.
I quickly dragged Aisha in and forcibly left the place with the knights.
In the hollow in front of the cliff, Diora was still watching this way.
It didn’t seem to be my imagination that the guy’s purple eyes were staring intently at me.
* * * * *
We returned to the entrance of the forest road, running hard.
We sat down in the same spot where I had been flirting with the knights a moment ago.
A situation where one’s life is miraculously saved despite being struck by a natural disaster.
It felt as if my life had been shortened by more than ten years.
“Thank you so much. I survived thanks to you!”
“If it weren’t for you, I would have….”
The knights all thanked me because they too had survived.
To be exact, you should tell Aisha, not me.
“By the way, you were a shaman.”
“Your spirit is truly amazing.”
I feel a bit embarrassed to receive compliments, but it’s not exactly wrong.
In fact, Aisha and Muto are incredibly strong spirits who have reached the highest level.
The spirit Diora from just a little while ago was just a monster.
“But why are you suddenly like that?”
『… .』
Aisha appeared in human form in response to my question.
It was a gloomy expression that contained human emotions, not the usual expressionless doll-like look.
“Memories of the past… came to mind.”
“If it’s a memory from the past, maybe….”
“Yes, this is none other than my hometown where I was alive.”
Aisha ran her hand through her black hair, revealing her pointed ears.
In her lifetime, she was the daughter of Grisha, the chieftain of the forest elves, and her real name was Aisha Highend.
Before this forest was destroyed, she was nothing more than a princess of a certain race.
『Just a moment ago, the ominous aura of that spirit seeped into my body… and my head was stimulated. It was a very strong aura that brought back my memories.』
“Then that spirit is the grudge of your own people?”
Even if it weren’t for that Diora, most of the spirits here are made up of elven grudges.
Among the spirits that held that much grudge, Dio seemed special. Especially towards Aisha.
『I once picked up a hatchling that was abandoned in the forest and raised it. I always raised it with sincerity, so the child regarded me as its master.』
Hatchling…? Then it’s obvious what that spirit’s true identity is without even looking.
It’s like that because it has the shape of a dragon.
『Dragons that have been tamed by humans since hatchling times often recognize those humans as their soul comrades. It is only natural that their resentment would grow if that comrade were killed.』
Are all well-educated dragons like that?
In the end, it is said that the reason Diora became like that was the death of her owner, Aisha.
“And I wasn’t the only one who raised that hatchling.”
“…?”
“I was raised with a girl named Scylla Crowler.”
Now that I think about it, my mother also lived in this elf village.
If Aisha was close enough to take a picture there, there’s a good chance she raised the hatchling too.
“I was able to stop that spirit because I spoke out based on my memories of raising hatchlings in my lifetime.”
“So if I do the same thing as before, I can just ignore him and pass by?”
“I can’t guarantee that. He’s probably back to his original violent self by now.”
Even though I ran away, the guy didn’t follow me here.
It seems like they’re just moving around to thoroughly guard the entrance to those ruins.
If it weren’t for that, this village would have been destroyed by that guy long ago.
“Anyway, to enter those ruins, you have to get through that dungeon. Then shouldn’t we use Jenny and Mary’s powers to get in tomorrow?”
When Ruska suggested that, I nodded.
As of now, there is no way to do anything. It is impossible to defeat that monster unless we borrow the power of Mary’s Demon King.
Anyway, it seemed like the guy couldn’t leave the area around the ruins.
Perhaps Grisha put him here to guard important information.
It would be difficult for him to control the highest level spirit with his power…, so it is highly likely that Machia has intervened.
In that case, it seemed even more necessary to investigate those ruins.
“uh?”
That was it. For a moment, my spine felt as if it had become a sheet of ice.
The knights standing in front collapsed in fear, their legs giving out.
Ruska also stepped back and fell into great despair.
And the villagers who had been loitering in front were busy screaming and running away.
『Kururur…』
Just now, that unpleasant feeling came from behind me.
As a master, I could tell just by sensing the slightest hint of the energy.
That’s why I felt such goosebumps and my whole body froze.
I looked back with stiff movements. There, as if mocking our expectations, was Diora, the highest ranking leader.
『Uh… How did you get out of there?』
Muto happened to say what I wanted to say.
Now my eyes, nose, and mouth were stiff and I couldn’t move any part of them.
The knights were also trembling, saying that this could never happen. They had encountered the guy many times, but he had never moved here on his own.
In other words, this was the first time that he had left the ruins entrance.
『Krrrr…』
Diora lowered his head and met my eye level. I couldn’t move carelessly as I met his eyes directly.
Even if we attack the guy with all our might, it is questionable whether we can penetrate its tough scales.
If we fail and are left stranded, our very existence may be erased along with this village.
“calm down!”
『Cre… .』
“Calm down, Diora. I’m okay. Don’t hurt anyone anymore.”
Aisha quickly jumped out and patted Diora’s head again, saying:
The crow’s fluttering wings transformed into human arms, causing black feathers to flutter.
Diora didn’t make any movements as he looked at Aisha, as if he still had memories of the past.
It was unexpected for him to come out of the ruins like this.
This was a situation where I had to deal with him right away without even having time to make a plan.
“Please. I understand how you feel. So, would you please do me a favor?”
『… .』
Diora quietly turns her head towards me.
Then he rolled his eyes at Aisha and looked at us in turns.
From a distance, it looks like a strong man at the top of the pyramid is contemplating what to eat.
But Diora wasn’t looking at me like that right now.
It was around the time when I was thinking, “Can I just leave this situation to fate?”
──────────────────
– The top lord Diora is very interested in you. Exchange hearts with him and prove your existence to Diora. It is a rare opportunity for the top lord, the pinnacle of the law of the jungle, to hesitate to attack. Use this crisis as an opportunity to gain his recognition.
[When cleared: Obtain “Last Chance”]
──────────────────
How long has it been since this came up?
I stuck my tongue out at the Secret Mission window I saw after about a year.
He was the type of guy who only showed up in times of crisis or when he was forgotten.
‘Turn a crisis into an opportunity… .’
It was a perfect expression for the current situation. Although it may be a crisis on the surface, it is not without a key to overcome it.
There’s also Aisha, who’s currently calming Diora down, and I’m the bloodline of Scylla Crowler, who was once Aisha’s childhood friend.
If Diora had a connection with them, she would have been interested enough to look at me.
And you absolutely must not avoid dealing with such nonsensical spirits.
“It comes out like this… Is this it?”
A smile appeared on my face, which had been filled with fear.
I approached the guy, looking straight ahead, and Diora’s eyes widened when she saw me.
And then he put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the guy as if he was leisurely.
“You…, what are you trying to do?”
“Just watch carefully.”
Ruska narrowed her eyes as if to ask what she wanted me to do.
It was natural to be worried, since my actions right now were no different from putting my hand in the tiger’s mouth.
Yes, this is an opportunity.
Even though it was an opportunity created through my mother’s connections, it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.
There was no guarantee that if you missed it in the first place, you would survive.
『Kururur…』
“….”
Diora started to show her teeth at my changed attitude.
And Diora, with his purple eyes shining, raised his head.
Snap-
Things happened suddenly.
The knights who had held their ground until the end were distorted with fear.
Diora’s still mouth moved at incredible speed and swallowed me.
Gulp-
“uh…?”
Ruska, who had been watching it until the end, immediately lost the strength in his eyes.
* * * * *
“How long has it been since I emptied it? Why is dust accumulating again?”
In Silvertown, the Duchy of Chain Silver, a housewife was wiping the floor with a mop.
Bending over was a problem, but cleaning was a breeze.
Because before she became a housewife, she was a spirit sorcerer who could command multiple spirits.
“I guess I’ll have to ban Amy from practicing magic inside the house now.”
The wind spirit takes the dust she has gathered in one place and blows it out the window.
The contractor, Skilla Crowler, stretched his bent back and stretched.
The wind spirit, having finished cleaning up, approaches and shows off his skills.
The appearance of the lower spirit, which looked like a small lizard, was cuter the more I looked at it.
“Seeing you reminds me of the old days.”
『…?』
When I lived in the Elven Forest, there was a hatchling that I raised with my friend.
I have a memory of my friend naming me Diora and playing with me a lot.
At that time, Skilla was Diora’s food shuttle.
The longing doubled as it was a sight I could never see again.
Knock knock knock-
A knock on the door brought Scylla to her feet.
She opened the door, prepared to say, “I don’t want to buy anything,” if it was a passing merchant.
“Who are you….”
Fortunately, he wasn’t a merchant.
She wasn’t even a villager who occasionally came to visit because her daughter had an accident.
“It’s been a while.”
A middle-aged man with blond hair and pointy ears.
His face was one that was well remembered in Scylla’s memory.
The father of a dear friend who once lived in the elf village.
Grisha Highend, father of Aisha Highend.
“I came to see your face. I can tell you how peaceful and well you live.”
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
