『Haa, haa, haa…』 [Monster]
Despite not needing to breathe, he was hard of breathing, and his non-existent heart pounded as though it would burst. Soon, his form as an old man crumbled, and in its place appeared a black mist, yet just when the blade was about to sever his neck, it stopped.
Ryouma’s hand that was gripping the hilt burnt and blistered, and bite marks from a beast surfaced on the rest of the arm, exposing the raw bone underneath. A three-fingered claw tore at him from the shoulder to his side, while his head was crushed with a blunt force. Various wounds of all sizes and countless bleeding appeared on him, and soon Ryouma was turned into a corpse.
『Why? 』 [Monster]
The monster asked, unable to understand why he didn’t finish the job.
“That hurt a lot. I thought for sure I was going to die.” [Ryouma]
As the corpse-transformed Ryouma complained like that and put away his sword, the monster realizing that his life had been spared. He slumped in relief, and Ryouma’s fatal wounds vanished.
“Oh, the pain is gone. So it really was an illusion. As expected, those must be the memories of the people that died here.” [Ryouma]
『Why? 』[Monster]
“Is that the only word you know? You can’t talk?” [Ryouma]
『Talk? But the gods ordered you to kill me. 』
The monster asked again, and look of doubt surfaced on Ryouma. The monster realized that Ryouma was being sincere, but that only served to confuse the monster even more. Seconds passed as they stared at each other without saying anything until Ryouma finally broke it.
“I have a few things I want to say, but first of all, since you know about the job I received from the gods, then you must’ve read my memories. However, I wasn’t specifically asked to kill you. Rather, I was asked to do something about your ability.” [Ryouma]
『The gods said they wanted you to get rid of me.』
“No, that’s just if they were to do it themselves. Their power is too great, and they don’t know how to hold back. If they fought, the whole Great Forest would get caught in their attack. That’s why they spoke to me. They’re trying to minimize the damage as much as possible. I’d also considered just getting rid of you if there were no other options, but I never thought of killing you senselessly. If you’re willing to release the souls of the dead and promise never to use that power again, I can let you off.” [Ryouma]
『B-But why? You came here to kill me! You were definitely serious!』
The monster could read Ryouma’s mind, so the monster knew that Ryouma was being serious now, but Ryouma had also been serious earlier. That’s why the monster was so confused, but Ryouma’s response was remarkably straightforward.
“I didn’t think it would be possible to negotiate without securing a position where I could take you out at anytime. The illusions you showed me earlier also pissed me off.” [Ryouma]
Moreover, Ryouma didn’t even know if it was possible to speak with the monster. Even if communication was possible, it was possible that negotiating wouldn’t lead anywhere. This was also a monster than an entire army couldn’t subjugate, so he decided to come at the monster with full power first, then if he could afford to be leisurely enough against the monster, he would negotiate. However, it was unlikely that the gods would simply accept it if he were to tell them that the monster promised not to use the soul-binding power anymore, so Ryouma needed to be thorough about this negotiation; otherwise, neither the cautious Fernoberia nor the Meltrize, whom he barely knew, would be satisfied.
『So that’s why you came at me seriously earlier? Then what about subjugating the undead?』
“I do intend to wipe them all out. If you’re willing to help, then I’d like for you to release them. It was by accumulating mana from the residents all these years that you were able to be born, right, artifact spirit? I believe you would be classified as a fairy.” [Ryouma]
As he said that, Ryouma used Monster Identify to confirm his theory.
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“Fairies are born either from the mana of nature or from the mana infused into objects by humans. You seem to belong more to the latter category, but due to the influence of the Great Forest while you were accumulating mana, you ended up somewhere in between. Anyway, you’re not an undead, but a fairy. And from what I’ve heard, your main body is supposed to be this mansion.” [Ryouma]
『You entered me knowing that? 』 [Monster]
Upon hearing the words of the monster, which seemed part resignation and part exasperation, Ryouma furrowed his brows.
“Since your true identity has been revealed, how about you stop using that old man’s voice as well? You’re a kid, right?” [Ryouma]
『…How did you find out?』 [Monster]
Despite having only a silhouette for a face, it was evident from the tone of the monster’s voice that he was shocked.
“I more or less figured it out after fighting you. As your situation grew more dire and your composure began to wane, I noticed traces of a child’s voice slipping through. Looking back now, the way you kept repeating ‘why’ was just like that of a child.” [Ryouma]
『I see… 』[Monster]
Upon muttering that, the monster’s form changed, transforming the adult silhouette into a 3 to 4 year old sized silhouette. Its form also became clearer, becoming like that of a black mannequin.
“Is that your real form?” [Ryouma]
『This size sits best with me. I don’t have an actual human form.』
“Well, you are a mansion. Anyway, I’ve told you what I plan to do. I won’t take your life as long as you release the souls of the dead and promise never use Soul Bind again. If you can promise that, I can promise to leave right away.” [Ryouma]
The monster curiously responded with a question of their own.
『You really won’t kill me. 』
“Provided you release the souls of the dead. The illusions you showed me were annoying, sure, but that’s no reason to kill a child. I am trespassing, after all. It’s only normal to defend yourself. I’m also more pissed at the guys in my previous life than you personally, though it was definitely annoying being shown all that.” [Ryouma]
As Ryouma said that, he looked around the room. Marks of the blades of wind could be seen everywhere.
“This part of the mansion is crucial to you, right? It’s like a slime’s core, and it should also where you abilities are strongest. The last trick you pulled was quite painful, but I endured it, so it’s not something that can stop me. If a problem occurs again in the future, I can come back here much more efficiently too.” [Ryouma]
『…What if I’m stronger then? 』[Monster]
“I’ll take responsibility and kill you even if it means killing myself.” [Ryouma]
『Are you not afraid of dying?』[Monster]
The monster asked in surprise, and Ryouma looked up at the ceiling.
“I’ve already died once.” [Ryouma]
『Ah. 』
“Even just being alive like this is a miracle to me, so if I die, it’ll just feel like me returning to my rightful form. Well, I guess a part of it might be that in my past life, I was dead before I knew it. I didn’t have that sense of impending death like the memories I saw earlier. I just don’t really think about it much. Besides, even if I were conscious of it, if I were attacked by a monster and froze up in fear, wouldn’t I die all the same?
My dad always taught me to move and kill when it seemed like I was about to die. Honestly, I can’t believe a modern person would think like that. In the first place, even if it’s for martial arts, is that really something you should be teaching a child?” [Ryouma]
Ryouma started questioning his father’s teachings midway through, but regardless, the monster could understand that picking a fight with him again would only result in a bloody fight. Moreover, even if he won, the gods would likely just take action on their own to take him out. In other words, winning against Ryouma would only prolong his life at best. If he really wanted to survive, the only thing he could do was to release the souls of the residents and seal off his own powers. Despite understanding that, the monster found it hard to respond.
“Do you not know how to release their souls? Or is there a reason why you can’t? I’ve given you my demands, so it’s about time you tell me yours. I’m sure you must have your own reasons, so I’ll hear you out. Of course, there’s a chance neither of us might be able to take a step back, but first, let’s talk.” [Ryouma]
『…It’s lonely. 』[Monster]
Before the monster knew it, he had formed an ego, but by then, the residents of the manor have already died, and all that was left was the memories from before the village was devoured by the Great Forest.
『Everyone used to laugh. They didn’t have money, but they were still happy. However, that gradually changed. The villagers, the people, everything…』
Just as Ryouma heard from the first base, there was a period of prosperity after the colonization of the Great Forest began; however, as the situation worsened, so did people’s relationships. As the situation became worse, the smiles vanished from people’s faces, trivial matters escalated into conflicts, and incidents of violence became increasingly common. As Ryouma listened to the events leading up to the village’s demise, he pondered deeply.
（A fairy born from the mana of humans is influenced by the personality and environment of the owner of the object they originated from. If the object is cherished in a happy environment, they can become guardians that watch over people and bring happiness. Conversely, if treated poorly, they could become entities that harbor resentment and cause harm… From what I’ve heard, it seems like this one spent more time in a good environment, becoming the kind of fairy that watches over people. But the people this fairy was supposed to watch over passed away before he could even be born. Maybe that’s why he feels lonely. That’s probably why he learned the skill of Soul Binding.)
The monster continued.
The monster would spend his time by remembering memories, occasionally peeking out of the manor’s windows in hopes of there being survivors. Alas, there were no survivors, only the undead and the souls. Even before the monster absorbed them, there were already souls wandering the village and unable to go to the gods. However, they gradually faded away and disappeared.
Don’t leave. Stay with me.
When the monster knew it, before he knew it, he’d learned the ability to bind the remaining residents to himself.
“Ah, so the combination of that wish and your mana resulted in a curse that bound souls. As Remilie-nee-san likes to say, you can do anything with magic as long as you have a concept and mana. The ability to absorb mana that the gods talked about is probably ‘Absorb Mana.’ By being in such a mana dense environment as the Great Forest, it’s no wonder that you were able to do that.” [Ryouma]
『I don’t know any of that. I just didn’t want to be alone. 』
The monster spoke tearfully, so Ryouma became thoughtful.
“In that case, how about becoming my familiar?” [Ryouma]
『Familiar?』
“I plan to occasionally drop by the forest from here on out, partly to gather materials and partly for my experiments. This place also makes for a great vacation spot. It’d be great if I could have a base for those cases. Also, I can combine my Dimension Magic with my Monster Taming to teleport to where my familiars are, so I should be able to drop by more frequently than other humans. I was also hoping to get my goblins to be active here. It’s still fine for now, but as their numbers increase, my neighbors might start to grow anxious. So having a place to keep them away from other people would be a huge help. If I ask the duke’s family, we might even be able to find some oddballs who’d willingly move here. Well, how about it?” [Ryouma]
『…I’ve never thought about it. No one’s ever come, so I thought it would stay that way forever.』
“It’s certainly a tough environment for ordinary people, but that doesn’t have anything to do with me. Anyway, I know it’s abrupt for me to push all of this onto you, but I think the conditions I’m giving are quite favorable.” [Ryouma]
『I’ll release everyone.』[Monster]
“Wonderful.” [Ryouma]
『I’ll release them, but can you first return the ones stored in your slimes? I can’t release them or respawn them unless their souls are in the manor. Also, there are souls that want some time before being released.』
“I can give them back to you right away, but as for the time, it’ll be problematic if you ask for a hundred years or something, but I can wait if it’s just for a short while. Let’s agree on the release for now, and perhaps we can enter into a familiar contract. That way, our intentions can be conveyed to some extent.” [Ryouma]
『Okay. In that case, come here. 』
The monster reached out a hand, inviting Ryouma to the desk behind.
“You’ve always been standing in front of it, so I figured it must’ve been the most important part of this area.” [Ryouma]
『Yes. People have laughed, cried, and grown angry here, a desk that all the masters of this manor used. This room was once a meeting room, you see.』
“No wonder the history of Cormi Village and the mana of the people dwelling here influenced you so much. Anyway, let’s start. 『Familiar Contract』!” [Ryouma]
Ryouma activated the contract spell, and right away, he felt that his mana was accepted.
（Was it because he consented before hand? It went smoothly.）
After the mana connection was established, the contract was complete.
“Does your body feel weird anywhere?” [Ryouma]
『Hmm… No.』
“Well, that settles it for now. Up next, I guess you need a name?” [Ryouma]
『A name!? You’re giving me one!?』[Monster]
“I can’t keep calling you a monster forever if we’re to get along. I’m not good at giving names, so don’t expect so much.” [Ryouma]
The sparkling eyes on the mannequin’s head turned out to be a huge pressure for Ryouma, but he nonetheless did his best to come up with a name, and upon staring at the desk, a fitting name suddenly came to mind.
“What about Cormi?” [Ryouma]
“The same name as the village?” [Monster]
“You’re a fairy born from watching over the history of Cormi Village and the people. In a sense, you’re the last survivor of this village. Well, we can change the name if you don’t like it――”
“Oh, no, I love it! Alright, from now on, I’m Cormi!” [Cormi]
“――Woah!?” [Ryouma]
Cormi suddenly cheered and then started running around. Ryouma could sense his joy through the contract. The whole room even creaked everywhere. Really, it was a scene straight out of a haunted house.
“Well, I’m glad that you like it. Above all, I’m glad I didn’t have to do anything that would leave a bad taste afterwards.” [Ryouma]
Upon seeing Cormi’s new attitude and knowing that he’s finally completed the job given by the gods, Ryouma was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
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