Ossan Saikyō Chapter 8 Part 18
The next day, Hofena and Shizuna joined us in front of the village chief's mansion, and after being seen off by the chief and his wife, we departed from the elven village of Marlo.
I was surprised to see around ten villagers gathered at the gate to send us off, but according to Sphenia,
“There are quite a few people who are grateful to us. Some were deeply moved after seeing your battle, Soushi-san.”
All we had done was defeat monsters as an adventurer, but I decided that kind of thing wasn't so bad.
After leaving the village, we immediately turned west from the main road and crossed the mountain pass the same way we had come.
Naturally, it wasn't practical to keep someone's hands tied while walking through mountain trails, so we removed Shizuna's ropes.
Hofena rode in the carrying frame from the start, and we crossed the pass in a single day, making our way as far from the mountains as possible.
Since we walked until just before sunset, we ended up camping in an area without any nearby farming villages.
However, with someone who possessed an【Item Box】, someone who could use【Barrier Magic】, and someone with【Water Magic】, camping itself was easy for this party.
Seated in a circle around the campfire on the roadside in the middle of nowhere, we enjoyed the soup Hofena had prepared.
Gathering around a fire naturally brought people closer together, and Shizuna seemed to have relaxed considerably, chatting with us about various things.
“I met those fellows in the capital of Ozu. They had a respectable reputation among adventurers within Ozu, so I agreed to form a party with them. Never did I imagine things would end up like this.”
“You never found out what country they were actually from?”
“All three claimed to be natives of this kingdom. That was why I followed their suggestion and came here in the first place...”
The village chief had probably already asked similar questions, but Shizuna showed no reluctance in talking about it.
“They never acted suspiciously before?”
“They properly supported me until I reached E-Rank. If anything, they seemed like decent companions as adventurers.”
“So they were preparing to deceive you all along? Isn't that awful?”
Rani's comment was blunt as always, but her lack of malice was obvious, and Shizuna merely nodded.
“In the end, that is likely the truth. Looking at it that way, they were remarkably thorough. I am not very perceptive about such things. I should have listened more carefully to Mother when she spoke... no, never mind.”
Ignoring the unfinished remark, Sphenia asked,
“By the way, Shizuna-san, do you know anything about skills that summon zombies or control golems?”
“Hmm. It seems Ozu is called the 'Nation of Sorcery' around these parts. However, what we command are spirits. They are entirely different from undead or golems.”
“Spirits?”
“Forgive me, but our techniques are secret arts, so I cannot explain them in detail. At the very least, however, they are nothing like the methods used to control corpses such as those golems. Though I can understand why people might make that mistake.”
It was certainly an interesting subject.
Ozu maintained no diplomatic relations with other nations, but adventurers apparently could enter and leave freely.
Perhaps it would be worth visiting someday, both out of curiosity and for the possibility of obtaining new skills.
As I considered that, Freynil spoke up with interest.
“Um, Shizuna-sama, can you actually command these 'spirits'?”
“Of course. Let us see... perhaps tonight I shall have them stand watch. It will be easier than assigning a night watch among ourselves.”
“So we'll be able to see spirits? I'm looking forward to it.”
“Indeed. Though they are not quite as exciting as thou imaginest. Well then, let me show thee.”
With that, Shizuna stood up.
She formed a series of signs with her fingers and began chanting a spell.
To my ears, it sounded something like a Shinto prayer, almost like she was reciting,
“With reverence~ with reverence~ I humbly speak~”
The moment her chant ended, the ground in two places suddenly swelled upward.
The raised earth gradually took on human shapes.
That said, they were only about fifty centimeters tall, making them closer to clay dolls than actual people.
The two figures swayed gently for a few moments before beginning to move on their own as if they possessed wills of their own.
Even though I had become accustomed to the fantasy world and its monsters, it was still a fascinating sight.
“This is our art. We summon and command spirits. The spirits themselves possess no physical form, so we create vessels for them. This time, I simply used earthen dolls.”
“Amazing... They look alive...”
“The vessels themselves are merely dirt. The spirits within, however, are alive. That is the decisive difference between them and golems or undead.”
“I see. So this is the Sorcery of Ozu. It feels very mystical. I sense none of the wickedness that accompanies undead. If anything, it feels almost divine.”
At Sphenia's words, Shizuna nodded.
“Indeed. Spirits may well be closer to gods than humans. Now then, Fray-sama, wouldst thou lower the barrier slightly? I wish to send them out to watch the surroundings.”
“Yes, of course.”
When Freynil lowered the barrier, the two spirit dolls immediately ran off in different directions.
“With this, they shall notify me should they discover anything. Tonight, thou mayest sleep peacefully.”
Shizuna looked slightly proud.
Well, it seemed to be a unique technique developed by her people, so her pride was understandable.
If spirits could perform reconnaissance as well, that would make them an exceptionally valuable ability for an adventurer.
And so, we settled down to sleep for the night.
Freynil's『Barrier』had grown considerably stronger as its level increased, and combined with the spirits standing watch, our campsite was probably more secure than many ordinary houses.
It certainly made one question the very concept of camping, but for now, I was happy to enjoy its benefits.
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E/N:
Freynil is probably loved by spirits is what Shizuna perceived. Anyway, cliche Spirit magic found!
Stay tuned!
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