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#233. Spirit Island (1)
Ray was rarely flustered.
“Honey, isn’t that person speaking?”
“It looks like he was really shocked that his shoes were broken. He said he wanted compensation for the damage. This is a big deal.”
“The fox is talking.”
“Oh, here you go again.”
“Dear Human, I once again express my deep regret for the chewed-up toe of your shoe.”
Ray realized something important.
What I was feeling right now was not confusion, but absurdity.
There was silence again, and the fox couple looked at each other and said.
“Isn’t this how it’s done? If I remember correctly, this is how humans should present an apology.”
“I remember it that way too. The method seems correct, but is it possible that I chose the wrong word?”
Ray summoned the jewel and released the fox cub he was holding onto.
The guy circled around the bridge with a pitiful cry, as if he wanted to absorb more mana.
WHACK! WHACK! UGH! SYING!
“… … .”
Ray picked up the puppy again, cupped its snout in his hand, and continued talking to the couple.
“You guys, how do you speak?”
“Are you talking about words? Well, you need to move your mouth, or to borrow a human expression, the snout you are holding right now.”
That’s not what I asked.
I had a feeling that the conversation with them would be long.
“Are you spirits too?”
“If it means a being that accumulates mana in its body and seeks to advance to a better realm, then yes.”
As if to support what they just said, the fox couple’s bodies shimmered with orange mana.
“Excuse me, are you really human?”
“That’s probably right.”
The fox couple began to murmur in a serious tone at Ray’s answer.
“Honey, they really are humans. If I remember correctly, they are a very greedy species.”
“But he doesn’t look like that at all. He says he’ll get compensation, but that’s because of something our child did wrong.”
“There is no need for compensation.”
The fox couple turned their heads at Ray’s voice that interrupted.
“Are you saying that there is no need for compensation for damages?”
“No need. I was just saying. They are expensive shoes, but they are perfectly fine to use.”
“As expected, you are a kind-hearted person!”
The fox couple came closer, wagging their tails.
“What are your names?”
“Your name? Before that, just a moment.”
The fox, who appeared to be Ray’s husband, glared at the cub in Ray’s arms.
I could tell that some kind of conversation was going on in the thick silence.
“Urrrr…!”
The fox cub, who seemed to be rebelling, soon came down from the couple’s arms with a dead look on his face and returned to the couple’s side.
After that, the fox cub looked at Ray and buried its nose in the ground.
“Would you please accept our child’s apology?”
“I’ll accept it.”
As soon as the fox cub finished speaking, he came back and circled around the ledge.
Ray looked down at the sight and asked his fox husband.
“You just had a conversation with him, right? Not by speaking, but in some other way.”
“Oh, do you know anything about how spirits communicate?”
“No, that’s not it. I just have a feeling.”
“You have a good sense.”
The husband, the fox, nodded and explained in a calm voice.
He said that he imagined a scene of him apologizing while picking his nose and conveyed it directly into the puppy’s head.
“Directly in your head?”
“Yes, then there is no need to express your intention out loud.”
“Is that possible?”
“I remember that other species, including humans, do not use this method, and judging by your reaction, I think that is correct.”
The wife, who had been listening, added:
“If you don’t have any knowledge about our spirits, this might feel a little unfamiliar.”
“It’s not just you. Do ordinary spirits communicate in this way too?”
“As far as I know?”
Ray’s curiosity was piqued.
Even Gwendel didn’t know how the spirits communicated with each other.
Then the husband fox took the wife fox’s words and continued to explain.
“So, I can’t answer the question you asked me about a name a little while ago. We don’t feel the need to name objects. If we want to refer to an object, we can just picture it in our head and convey it.”
“Are you saying you don’t have names?”
“That’s right. Unless someone insists on it.”
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The fox couple approached Ray with curious gestures and sniffed him.
“Interesting. This is the item of clothing I remember. The piece of leather you are wearing appears to be a bag. Hmm? It smells really good… Can I open it for a moment?”
“This is my first time seeing a human in real life. I thought only spirits were allowed to enter the island, so how did you get in?”
This is my first time seeing a talking fox.
Ray thought about it and said the point that struck him.
“I have a contract with Lacria.”
“Lacria?”
“It’s a spirit.”
“Then, when crossing the island’s barrier, it could be that they were recognized as one entity, bound to the spirit. The specific name is Blue Horn, oh, this is a human-style name that is easy to understand. Anyway, I think we’ll know the specific details when Blue Horn returns.”
“Blue horn?”
The fox husband took the words instead.
“He is the master of the island. He is the most powerful spirit on the island, and the only one who can travel between the island and the surface.”
“hmm.”
From what the foxes said, it seemed like there were quite a few spirits living on this island.
“I was talking about compensation earlier.”
“Yes. I still feel sorry.”
“Instead of compensation, could you possibly give me a tour of the island?”
“Ah! That’s not difficult. It’s actually a welcome thing. It’ll satisfy my curiosity about humans.”
So Ray hired a local guide and packed his luggage, including his sketchbook.
Before entering the forest.
“… … .”
I remembered one of the most important reasons I came to the island.
It was a matter of checking the sky spread out above the black clouds.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“for a moment.”
Ray looked up and around, and for a moment he felt his breath catch in his throat.
A clear, cloudless sky.
The endless blue sea seemed so deep that one could fall into it and suffocate.
But soon I felt something strange.
It was because I couldn’t shake the impression that the sky was dark somewhere.
‘The sunlight seems weak.’
Ray looked around and was puzzled to find a white dot on the blue sea.
The sun was clearly shining.
But the century was too weak.
It was hazy, gloomy, and gave off a strong impression that it was unable to exert its original power due to some constraints.
…the exact reason was unknown.
‘And they said there was a rainbow in the sky.’
No matter where I turned my head, I couldn’t find a rainbow in the sky.
Then, my gaze stopped at one place.
Far away, above the black clouds.
A ring cut in half was sticking out.
Even though the ring had no physical substance, its presence was clearly revealed.
Because no mana in the air could invade there.
It was a sight that looked like a transparent rainbow was floating.
“Are you looking for something in the sky?”
“…over there at the end of the clouds.”
“Yes. At the end of the clouds.”
“Wasn’t there something there originally?”
“Well? It’s just empty space. I’ve never heard of anything happening there… but maybe the older spirits know something.”
The boy stared blankly at the end of the clouds, then nodded.
*
Ray followed the foxes’ guidance into the forest.
The plants in all directions changed into mana and then returned to their original state, and between them, large and small spirits moved busily.
I felt a strong curiosity towards this side… but perhaps because of their wariness, no one approached me directly.
‘Considering the size of the island and its distribution, there must be at least a thousand.’
Ray thought so and spoke to his fox husband.
“Are you the only ones who can talk?”
“Yes, the only one on the island. It is the result of blood, sweat, and tears, practicing with reference to the knowledge in our memories. My husband and I are spirits with a strong desire to explore. The other spirits criticized it as a useless effort, but isn’t it thanks to that that we are able to talk to you, human?”
“I am not a human, I am Raya.”
“Ah, I know that each human has a name. I guess I can call you Ray-nim.”
“I think I need a name to call you too.”
“Is that convenient for you? You can call me whatever you want.”
The fox husband had black patterns around his eyes in the shape of glasses.
I unconsciously muttered the name of a person that came to mind.
“…Philip.”
“It’s a human-like name. I like it because it has a very scholarly feel to it.”
Oh, I didn’t mean to say I would build it with that.
My husband, the fox, was so excited that he missed the right moment to bring up the subject.
“Can you give me a human name too?”
“… … .”
On the way out, the calm-tempered wife fox was named Ailara, and the nagging baby fox was named Ain.
‘Anyway, these fox spirits won’t meet the children of the mansion.’
As I was thinking that, I heard my wife Fox’s voice.
“But it’s strange. There’s no way our child would be this quiet. Usually, wherever we go, he runs around looking for delicious mana. But now, he’s right next to Ray.”
“… … .”
Ray knew why.
It was because of the two gems that he had left inactive next to the ring.
Could it be because the distance was far?
The fox couple seemed unaware that this one had given the cub the jewel’s mana.
‘I guess there’s no need to talk about it.’
Ray remembered Gwendel’s words.
「Spirit is a being that desires to accumulate mana in its body and be reborn as a stronger being. Regardless of the species of the spirit, it instinctively and endlessly, throughout its life. That is why it makes a contract with a magician who holds a ring. The mana in the air is of low quality, and there is a limit to the amount it can absorb. Of course, due to its picky nature, it does not choose just any magician.」
Gwendel didn’t know why the spirits sought strength.
It’s just the spirit’s instinct.
‘Anyway, the mana here in the forest is of good quality.’
It is woefully inadequate compared to the mana of a jewel.
There was no reason to activate the jewel and attract the spirits’ attention.
Ray continued asking questions.
“Is there any such place on the island?”
“What place are you talking about?”
“There is a stone tablet with writing on it. Or a wall with pictures on it.”
“I don’t remember, but I heard there was a place that only blue horns could enter.”
“If it’s the blue horn, then it’s the owner of the island I mentioned earlier?”
“you’re right.”
While we were chatting about this and that, the guide led us deep into the forest.
While the concentration of mana gradually increased, the spirits’ presence rapidly decreased.
Ray said, looking at the claw marks carved into the tree.
“It seems like the structure becomes more plentiful as you get closer to the center of the island.”
“That’s correct. You’re sharp.”
“It seems like the strong spirits have taken over the entire interior, so the weak spirits cannot enter without permission.”
“Have you figured it out yet? Your mind is working like a fox’s.”
Husband Fox explained.
Currently, the island is divided between three forces, and the leaders of each force are busy absorbing mana to increase their strength for the upcoming duel.
“Everyone is desperate to secure high-quality mana. The spirits of weaker forces are keeping a close eye on things and are unable to come near them. Oh, of course, our foxes are an exception. They can enter and exit anywhere. They are a very special species that acts as the mediator of the island.”
Husband Fox added.
The duel is an annual event to determine who is the strongest on the island, and the winner gets the chance to challenge the Blue Horn.
“However, no spirit has yet defeated the Blue Horn.”
Deep excitement and curiosity seethed in the boy’s heart.
“By any chance, what species of animal is the blue horn─”
At that moment, the two jewels next to the ring resonated with the boy’s emotions.
Brilliant yellow and green.
Two colored mana flashed and erupted from the boy’s body.
──────!
The vision flashed with light.
Gugugugugugu──!
Countless footsteps, filled with heat, came closer, shaking the forest.
Birds flew up and down, and trees shook their branches and leaves.
The boy could sense it.
The attention of the entire island began to focus on him.