Chapter 198 The True Identity of the Head
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Upon receiving a report that a talking child’s head emerged from the field, I hurriedly headed to the field with Lewya. I brought Lewya along because if something happened in the field, the earth spirits would be aware of it, and I wanted Lewya to find out about it.
As I ran towards the field, avoiding the waves of people passing through the settlement, I couldn’t help but attract the attention of the people. Faced with the countless gazes of people wondering what was going on, I continued to run, thinking that it would have been better to use the secret underground passage if it had been available. Eventually, I saw a wooden wall that was nearly three meters high in my field of vision.
That wall surrounded the field, and the reason why it was surrounded by a wall within the already walled settlement for pest control was because it had been publicly announced that they were borrowing the power of the spirits in the flow of revealing the existence of the elves. However, when people researching the spirits who heard about it rushed to the field and intruded without permission, disputes arose with the enslaved people, leading to the decision to surround the field with a wall as a countermeasure.
On the outer perimeter of the wall, there were several enslaved people walking around, seemingly on guard to prevent people from approaching. The atmosphere was tense.
I entered the enclosed area with a sidelong glance and surveyed the field, searching for Diana. Diana’s figure was quickly found, and I could see slaves observing her from a slightly distant position.
”Diana!”
”Master Neil”
In response to my voice, Diana turned towards me with a perplexed expression, immediately returning her gaze to her own feet. As I rushed towards Diana, when I directed my gaze to where she was looking, my thoughts momentarily came to a halt.
There was a genuine child’s head, only the upper part emerging from the soil. A short-haired child with a lazy gaze fixed on me. Although I had heard about it in advance and knew what to expect, seeing it in person left me momentarily speechless. As I stared at the child’s head with a dumbfounded expression, the head-only child spoke.
”What are you gawking at? If you’ve come, get rid of this noisy woman for me. She’s been incessantly noisy and unbearable. This woman will only listen to what you say, right?”
”Huh? No… uh, well…”
I was taken aback by the arrogant attitude that didn’t match his appearance, but I gathered my composure and spoke to the child with only a head.
”Who are you? What are you doing here?”
”Huh… Do I have to explain to you the same thing I gave to that woman? If you want to know, ask her or Lewya.”
”Lewya?”
It’s strange that they’re telling me to ask Lewya, who just arrived here and probably doesn’t know the situation yet, instead of Diana, who seems to have already been explained to. While thinking that, I turn to Lewya, who opens his mouth with a troubled expression.
”Neil, that child is likely an earth spirit.”
”Huh, an earth spirit? This child?”
”I’ve never seen it in this form before, but judging from the quality of the magic it emits, it’s almost certainly an earth spirit.”
”Yeah, in human terms, I’m what you would call an earth spirit. So it’s not strange for me to be here.”
Indeed, if it’s an earth spirit, it wouldn’t be strange for it to be in a field. It wouldn’t be strange, but…
”Why are you materialized and buried in the ground?”
So, the two things that are most concerning are those.
Until now, the spirits other than Wen have never materialized and shown themselves in front of people.
Why did they suddenly start appearing at this timing?
And why is only the lower part of their bodies buried in the ground while they are in a materialized state? That part remains a mystery.
”Earth spirit, haven’t you and water spirit complained to wind spirit, who has materialized and interacts excessively with people, that it is deviating from its role as a spirit? So why…”
”The situation has changed, that’s all.”
”The situation has changed? What does that mean?”
”…Lewya, you should understand us well. We are not wise men who answer anything when asked.”
”Are you asking for compensation? Fine, what do you desire?”
”The fertilizer that humans spread on this land, that’s what we desire.”
”Fertilizer? …Neil, do you mind?”
”No, it’s fine if it’s just that.”
Lewya gives instructions to the slaves who are observing our situation from a distance, and they start carrying the alchemical fertilizer.
The slaves who had finished transporting the alchemical fertilizer moved away to a distance where they couldn’t hear the voice over here. Lewya handed the alchemical fertilizer to the earth spirits.
”Here, the desired product. Will you speak now?”
”Well, wait, first let me ‘test it’”
”Test it?”
In front of us, who had question marks floating in our heads wondering what it meant to test, the earth spirit extended its arm from the field and grabbed the edge of the sack filled with alchemical fertilizer, then suddenly stuck its head inside the sack.
”Ah… this is it, the magic medicine that instantly enriches the withered and deteriorated land just by spreading it… *inhale*… *exhale*…”
In the face of the earth spirit’s sudden strange behavior, we stood there dumbfounded. As we watched the earth spirit stick its face into the sack for a while and repeat rough breathing, the earth spirit emerged from the sack, looking ecstatic and looking up at the empty sky with vacant eyes. That appearance was clearly that of a person who had taken a dangerous drug and was tripping.
”This is amazing. Now that it has become a reality, I can understand more than ever why plants take root in the earth and why they spread their leaves toward the sky. Good, really good.”
”Um, is it okay if I listen now?”
When I timidly call out to the earth spirit who is tripping, its expression completely changes to a cold one.
”…What an unsophisticated person. Don’t you understand that I’m still enjoying the afterglow?”
”Um, um, sorry…?”
”Well, whatever. An exchange is an exchange, and since I’ve received it, I will answer. The situation has changed because I received instructions from the mother entity.”
”The mother entity?”
”The entity you call the ‘Divine Spirit Tree.’”
”So, does that mean the spirits are the children of the Divine Spirit Tree?”
”The term ‘children’ is somewhat inappropriate. Ah, I see, you misunderstood because I used the word ‘mother entity.’ If I were to describe it more accurately in human terms, it would be like ‘creator’ and ‘tool.’ We are born from the creator and return to the creator in the end. That’s how we perpetuate our existence forever.”
”I don’t understand complicated things, but for now, I understand that you’re doing things based on instructions from the Divine Spirit Tree. But what are those instructions? It’s not like you were instructed to materialize and bury yourself in a field, right?”
”Surveillance of your surroundings” and “caution of those with crimson souls,” those were the instructions bestowed by the Creator.”
As I listened to the instructions that flew out of the mouth of the earth spirit, my heart leaped in excitement.
”Why would the Divine Tree command the surveillance of Master Neil’s surroundings?”
”Speaking of crimson souls… I remember Neil’s soul being described as crimson.”
I shouldn’t have asked this question in front of both of them. Diana doesn’t know anything about me or the Divine Tree, and while Lewya knows that I had a personal conversation with the Divine Tree, she doesn’t know the details.
I realized that I couldn’t continue discussing this topic in public, so I decided to somehow move the earth spirit away from this place.
”Earth spirit, why don’t we continue this conversation at the mansion? This isn’t the place for such discussions, is it?”
”Continue? I have answered the questions in exchange for my compensation. I have no obligation to engage in further dialogue with you. I have no intention of moving from here.”
”I’ll add another bag of alchemical fertilizer.”
In an attempt to entice the earth spirit to move from this place with the fertilizer as bait, the earth spirit firmly burrowed itself into the ground, indicating its refusal.
”Well, what about two bags?”
Upon hearing “two bags,” the head of the earth spirit, which had been completely buried, pops up above the eyes, as if it became interested in the conversation.
”…What about three bags?”
”One more.”
”Then, I’ll give you four bags, no, five bags.”
”Deal.”
As if rising from below like a stage prop, the entire body of the earth spirit jumps out of the ground while maintaining an upright posture, revealing not only its face but its whole body. Although the clothing has a brownish color, it closely resembles the attire worn by Diana and Lewya’s servants, indicating that it was likely based on our clothing.
”Now, where are we going? Hurry up and take me there.”
”Ah, yes, this way.”
Having successfully moved the earth spirit from this location, I reflect on the words of the earth spirit from earlier while leading another earth spirit behind me.
”‘Surveillance of your surroundings’ and ‘vigilance of those with crimson souls’—those were the instructions given by the creator.”
Is it my vigilance and the surveillance of my surroundings, or is it an instruction from the divine tree? However, even that divine tree is nothing more than a recipient of instructions from the gods.
If they brought me to this world and then kept me under surveillance, if they’re so wary of this “crimson” thing, then why not from the beginning… No, wait.
As that possibility crossed my mind, a chill slowly crawled up my body from my feet. Why did the divine tree, no, why did God give instructions for “monitoring around me” and “being cautious of those with crimson souls”?
If that’s the case, it would have been enough to instruct “being cautious of those with crimson souls and monitoring around them.” I don’t understand the meaning of separating the instructions between me and those with crimson souls. If there is a reason behind these two instructions, there can only be one possibility.
There are others, besides me, who possess crimson souls in this world. And it seems that person is around me, in this settlement.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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