第１３３２堀：精霊とは何か (Part1)
Chapter 1332: What is a Spirit?
What is a Spirit?
Side: Yuki
As usual, Narjia, who is hopelessly enamored with metallurgy and smithing, is staring at a sword with a look of pure enchantment.
Honestly, I’ve been cycling through various weapons and armor to verify the technological prowess of the Zurabl Empire... but in the end, the Japanese katana takes the prize, leaving her completely captivated.
Even I, knowing the reason why, feel a bit of a cringe. From an outsider’s perspective, she’s just a woman smiling while clutching a blade. It’s the kind of thing that gets you reported to the authorities immediately.
As I’m thinking this, she speaks up.
"So, I take it you’ve come to ask me about spirits?"
"Yeah, that’s the first thing. And if you know any spirits personally, I’d like an introduction. Also, I need you to go to the Saint’s Spring with Queen Miyabi and the others at a later date. Apparently, there’s a water spirit there."
I reiterate what I said earlier. Up until now, the atmosphere had been casual, as if we were just here for a chat. I notice the empty ice cream containers on the table have already been cleared away. When it comes to business, one must set the stage properly. That’s just basic etiquette.
"Regarding the spirit matter, as for the accompaniment, if it’s within the Rogari Continent, I have no objections. We of the Fairy Tribe have already entrusted our lives to you, Yuki-san, and we are allowed to live on this land. I won’t begrudge my cooperation for something of that scale."
"I appreciate you saying that. But, would it really be better to avoid the other continents?"
The If Continent suffers from such a severe lack of mana that the birth rate of demi-humans is plummeting, and the mana concentration is so thin that even slimes cannot exist. As for the Haiden region, it has been confirmed that due to the Great Barrier of Hairen, life forms that compose and maintain their bodies through mana have their mana solidification undone, causing them to cease existing almost instantly.
Of course, we’ve developed countermeasures—carrying mana canisters allows for activity, and thanks to Zargis’s research, we’ve even developed formulas to mitigate the Great Barrier of Hairen without the need for canisters—but it’s still not perfectly safe.
Because of this, the Fairy Tribe and the Demon race are hesitant to visit other continents. Narjia seems to share this sentiment, despite being fully aware of the circumstances.
"Indeed. I would prefer to avoid it if possible. Well, if it were absolutely necessary, I suppose I could accompany you..."
"I won’t force you. Besides, there’s no talk of going to other continents just yet, so rest easy. By the time that happens, Zargis will have surely thought of or created a perfect countermeasure."
"No, no, that’s impossible. Do you have any idea how many projects I’m currently juggling?"
"True enough. Let’s put our faith in Zargis-san. After all, if I could go to other continents without worry, there would be nothing better."
"Narjia-san, please don’t egg him on. *Sigh*, can we just get back to the talk about spirits?"
Zargis, having been teased, quickly steers the conversation back on track.
"Right. Narjia-san, can we return to the topic of spirits?"
"Certainly. Though, I’m afraid I can’t tell you all that much in detail."
"Just tell me what you know for now."
There is no doubt she knows more about spirits than I do. Listening to her is the most important step. However, Narjia wears a more troubled expression than I expected.
"Well now... perhaps it would be better to simply show you."
As she murmurs this, small, firefly-like lights begin to float around us—red, blue, and yellow, like a traffic signal.
"What are these?"
"Er, these are spirits incapable of communication."
"..."
We are all so stunned that we can’t even find our voices.
"…Er, are they really that easy to summon? And what do you mean by 'incapable of communication'?"
I suppress my agitation and ask for an explanation.
"It’s not so much that they are 'summoned.' It’s more accurate to say they were invisible until now. Come to think of it, Yuki-san, can’t you acquire skills related to spirits using the power of the Dungeon Core?"
"Ah, I have acquired them, but even then, the most I could do was see the spirits that were already in the Weed Forest."
Yes, I had acquired the skills I thought necessary for negotiation, yet I still couldn’t see them. I wonder what the cause could be, and Narjia tilts her head.
"Hmm. Perhaps the issue is intent? As I said, these have no will. They are merely drifting masses of mana. That said, at this size, their power is negligible. At most, if you were to apply firepower like a Fireball, they would simply dissipate."
As she says this, Narjia draws the red light toward her hand, whispers something, and it instantly flares into a fireball before vanishing.
"Like this, they are merely existences that 'are.' To put it in terms easier for you to understand, Yuki-san, think of them as substances like oxygen or carbon dioxide."
"Ah, I see. They are just one of the substances that compose this world."
I begin to grasp what she’s getting at.
"Yes. You could call these the fragments of a spirit. When they gather, they gain a will and begin to act independently. That, I believe, is what we call a 'spirit.'"
"Wait a moment."
As Narjia says this, Zargis, who had been listening, interjects.
"If you put it that way, aren’t spirits just masses of elemental mana? Doesn't that make them no different from monsters?"
Indeed, while the definition of a monster often hinges on the presence of a magic stone, a being formed from solidified mana is, by definition, a monster. In terms of their origin, there is no difference.
"That is true. I’ve never considered the boundary, but if we go by that logic, wouldn't we—and even you, Zargis-san, who possess a magic stone—be classified as monsters?"
"…That is true, but spirits are seen even less frequently than the Fairy Tribe. Is that because they lack a physical form?"
"Perhaps. I just realized this now, but we of the Fairy Tribe do not possess a core. Our bodies are composed almost entirely of mana. This is indeed remarkably similar to a spirit. Or perhaps, are we simply spirits whose manifestation has stabilized?"
She tilts her head, voicing her speculation. I take this opportunity to ask:
"The way the Fairy Tribe increases their numbers... it involved raising one's mana and splitting, didn't it?"