What a Strange Being (3)
Ghislain interjected softly and asked,
"Is it really something like a Spirit King?"
It wasn't a question born from true belief—just idle curiosity. She didn't really think it was possible.
Still, just maybe—if it was something like a Spirit King… wouldn't that be amazing?
Iraniel looked at Ghislain with a baffled expression.
"How could that possibly be?"
"…Right?"
"And this, uh… spirit-like thing, how did you come to know of it?"
Ghislain shrugged his shoulders and answered,
"I just happened upon it by chance. It doesn't live in the spirit realm, it lives inside my consciousness. The way it uses power is similar to a spirit. It also lost its memory and doesn't know what kind of being it is."
Iraniel stared intently at Dark. Dark briefly locked eyes with her, then turned his head away.
"How insolent… how dare you lift me like some mere ornament."
Dark grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear, but no one paid attention.
Iraniel placed a hand on top of Dark's head and murmured softly,
"Spirits of sleep and dreams, hear my call. Open the gates of the hidden world, and drift between eternity and the fleeting moment."
Paaaah…
Sparkling light briefly circled Iraniel's hand, then seeped into Dark's body.
Dark strongly resisted the force that tried to pierce into his consciousness.
Being a being composed purely of will, Dark had a particularly strong resistance to mental interference.
He could shatter even the illusion magic of a 7th-circle mage.
"How dare you try to pry into me!"
Even though he lived inside Ghislain, they were completely separate entities. Just as Ghislain could block Dark from seeing his own mind, Dark could do the same.
Without mutual consent, neither could see into the other's consciousness. Even with permission, a mere glimpse would be all they could manage.
Two entirely different beings could never become truly one. If they did, it would no longer be the original being.
"Hoo…"
Iraniel showed an intrigued expression. The mental barrier of her target was incredibly strong. If she tried to force her way through, both of them would take heavy damage.
Iraniel spoke gently.
"You said you don't know what you are. If you'll allow it, I'd like to take a brief look into your unconscious."
"Hmph…"
Dark turned his head away with a sulky attitude. That was his way of granting permission. In truth, he was curious about his own origins too.
Paaaah…
Only then did the spirit of dreams descend deep into Dark's unconscious. It was the same method Iraniel used when she examined Ghislain's consciousness after Erenes collapsed.
The difference was, this time Iraniel ventured even deeper into the unconscious.
The unconscious usually contains the unique "world" of the being.
Ghislain had once shown Dark his world as well.
Though it had been a blood-stained, desolate wasteland, it was still a landscape only Ghislain could hold.
But—
'This can't be…'
Iraniel furrowed her brows.
Inside Dark, there was nothing.
Even silence was gone—complete void.
No light, no color, no memories, no emotions. Literally, nothingness.
Iraniel looked around several times. Even a beast wouldn't be this devoid of a world.
Even if one had lost their memories, the unconscious world should still remain.
But this unconscious space was sealed off. A thoroughly blocked world.
Not just to the outside—even its owner couldn't enter it.
Only then did Iraniel understand.
'His memories have been sealed. And quite meticulously, too.'
A subtle wariness crept into Iraniel's eyes.
Who on earth would go to such lengths, and what were they trying to hide?
Crack!
The spirits of dreams summoned by Iraniel struck the wall of darkness. But the barrier was much tougher than expected.
It was like a perfectly sealed gate, not letting even a sliver of light through.
Iraniel narrowed her eyes and channeled more power into her fingertips.
Thud!
In an instant, the darkness warped and a faint crack appeared. Through the sliver, a dim light seeped in.
"Keheeeeeeek!"
Dark's eyes snapped open and he let out a sharp scream.
"Damn…"
Iraniel immediately withdrew her hand. If she had gone further, Dark's consciousness could have been seriously harmed.
"…To think it was this intense."
She let out a small breath and closed her eyes. But she had learned a few things.
For the briefest moment, she had sensed the scent of a spirit. And within it…
A sorrow and pain so immense it defied description.
Iraniel opened her eyes and spoke.
"This child… unbelievable as it is, is a spirit."
Ghislain showed a mildly surprised expression.
"Really? He's actually a spirit?"
He had only used the word "spirit" because he had nothing better to call him. He never truly believed it.
He thought of Dark as something strange that was only like a spirit.
But Iraniel had officially confirmed Dark was indeed a spirit.
"Yes. I don't know what kind of spirit he is, but faintly, I sensed the fragrance that only spirits possess. And not just one—"
She paused.
"—I sensed the presence of countless spirits."
"Countless… what do you mean?"
"It felt as though every elemental spirit was intermingled. Fire and water, wind and earth, light and shadow. All layered on top of each other."
"But Dark is just one being."
"That's why it's so hard to identify. It seems like he's a spirit that's been tainted or transformed. The wall within his consciousness is too thick—I couldn't learn anything more."
Iraniel gently shook her head and continued.
"It'll be hard to know what he really is for now. It looks like his memories have been sealed."
"Hmm…"
"I only saw a glimpse, but I felt an immense sorrow and pain. He must have gone through something terrible."
Ghislain looked at Dark and asked,
"Hey, do you have any sad memories?"
"Nope."
"Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Not hurt."
"…"
Ghislain sighed. As expected, emotions like sorrow just didn't seem to suit Dark. But now that he knew Dark's unconscious was sealed, who could say what might be revealed later?
Iraniel looked at Dark with a gentle smile.
"If this child ever regains his memories, he might become something incredible. It's no coincidence that he carries the energy of so many spirits."
At those words, Dark spread his wings and declared proudly,
"See! That proves I'm the Spirit King! Once I get my memories back, everyone's doomed!"
Iraniel added calmly,
"Of course… there's also the chance that even with his memories, he might turn out to be nothing at all. He could be just the remnants… of a once-great spirit."
"…"
At this new hypothesis, Dark fell silent. Being the Spirit King was fine—but being someone's discarded residue? That was a bit much.
Dark refused to accept that theory.
"I was definitely something amazing! I must have been the king of all spirits with every attribute!"
Ghislain asked Iraniel quietly,
"Are there really any spirits like that? Ones with all the elements?"
"I don't know of any such spirit. But who knows. There may be mysterious beings yet to be discovered. After all, not even I can claim to know everything about the Spirit Realm."
"I see. But you're certain that it's a spirit?"
"Yes, at least... its origin is unmistakably that of a spirit."
Ghislain nodded. When it came to spirits, Iraniel was the foremost authority on the continent.
If she said so with certainty, there was no more reason to doubt.
'Would I have been able to figure out more, if I had seen Dark's original aura?'
Iraniel, unlike the future Erenes, didn't react sensitively to Dark's aura.
That was because Dark no longer had his original energy—his current form was made of Astion's mana.
So, even though Dark's aura resembled that of the Salvation Church, it was still different enough that Iraniel couldn't recognize it.
While Ghislain was pondering this, the spirits around Yulian quietly approached Dark.
The spirits carefully observed him from all angles, clearly intrigued. Their interest was unlike what they showed others.
It was as if they longed to become one with him, getting closer and trying to merge their energies.
Feeling uncomfortable, Dark suddenly snapped.
"Back off! How dare lowly spirits act friendly with the Spirit King!"
Startled by Dark's outburst, the spirits quickly hid behind Yulian. But even then, their curiosity got the better of them—they kept sneaking glances at Dark.
Ghislain noticed that Dark was unusually edgy today.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so sensitive today?"
"I don't know. I just feel uncomfortable. I'm going back in."
Dark didn't know why either.
This forest, the elves, the spirits—they all seemed to make him feel down. Especially when the spirits got close, he felt even gloomier.
So he fled, slipping back into Ghislain's consciousness.
Iraniel, who had been watching, spoke up.
"For a spirit, he certainly has a strange personality. Spirits usually take after the personality of their summoner, but…"
"...He's been like that since the day I met him."
"Memories that are sealed can't be forcibly broken. But one day, a trigger might appear that unlocks them. Until then, all you can do is wait. Is there anything else you need or are curious about?"
"This is more than enough. Thanks to your help, I got the holy stone, and my friend gained a spirit. I've cleared up a lot of what I was wondering. Truly, thank you."
Ghislain bowed deeply in gratitude.
Having gained everything they came for, Ghislain's party rested for the day.
The elves shared rare fruits and herbs from the forest. While they didn't suit the taste of the meat-loving mercenaries, everyone still had a pleasant time.
The next day, when Ghislain's group packed up to leave, all the elves came out to send them off.
Iraniel smiled at Ghislain.
"I hope your journey ends in success."
"Thank you. I'll come visit again sometime."
Seeing Ghislain speak as if this were a friend's house, Iraniel smiled warmly.
Among all the humans she had met, none were as honest and bold as Ghislain.
Unlike the others, he had not a trace of deceit or cunning. It was impossible not to like him.
Iraniel turned her gaze toward Deneb.
"You have tremendous potential. I hope you use that power wisely. I entrusted the protection stone to you because I believe in you."
"Yes! I'll do my best so you won't be disappointed, Grand Chieftain!"
Deneb replied energetically. Though her divine power had only just returned to normal, this experience had given her a little more confidence.
Just as they were about to leave, Ghislain noticed Erenes looking downcast.
'Hmm, when did she start traveling with us?'
He clearly remembered fighting beside her during the Great War. He had seen that in his dreams.
But he didn't know when Erenes had joined the hero's party.
So he simply said what his heart told him.
"Erenes, do you want to come with us?"
"What, me? Me too?"
"Yeah, you said you wanted to leave the forest, right? The grand chieftain entrusted the protection stone to us, so you have more than enough reason to come along. Don't you think?"
At that, Erenes glanced at Iraniel. She needed Iraniel's permission to leave.
Iraniel shot a sidelong glance at Ghislain. To think he'd make such an offer, knowing full well what Erenes was feeling.
Iraniel gave a wry smile, shook her head, and said,
"Erenes, you should go with them."
"N-no, I…"
"It's all right. I know how you feel. I can't keep you in this small forest any longer."
"Lady Iraniel…"
"Go see the world, and learn much. Those friends will guide you well."
In truth, Iraniel had always known.
Erenes would have left the forest eventually—if not now, then one day in secret.
Better she go with someone trustworthy like the Yulian Mercenaries than risk going alone.
Eyes glistening with tears, Erenes bowed deeply.
"I'll grow stronger and return, so I can fight in the war against the Demon Realm."
Iraniel, with a slightly sad smile, replied,
"Yes, I'm sure you will."
Now that the Demon Realm had begun to rise again, it meant the world needed powerful elves.
And the one most suited to that role, with unmatched talent in battle, was undoubtedly Erenes.
Ghislain grinned brightly at Iraniel's approval.
"Welcome to the mercenary band, rookie."
"Hmph, I know what that word means among humans. But I am a noble elf—I won't be doing any menial labor."
So different from the future Erenes—haughty and fiery. Ghislain found it quite amusing.
He shrugged and replied,
"Yeah, yeah. All right then, shall we go find the next holy stone?"
With Erenes now part of the Yulian Mercenaries, the group once again set off toward their next destination.
Iraniel watched them leave for a very long time.
Once their figures disappeared, she looked down at her hands.
They had far more wrinkles than they had not long ago.
Iraniel murmured softly,
"It seems it's time to pass the World Tree on to the next generation."
And the elf who would carry that great responsibility…
She had a feeling it would be that child—the one who would return, stronger than anyone, after braving the storms of the world.
[You can buy paid chapters or support me on any platform below:
☕ Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/punisher87
💎 Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/reaper87
🔥 Patreon: patreon.com/Punisher87translation
📘 Payhip Store: payhip.com/revengerscans
For latest Updates Visit Official Website: https://revengernovel.com/
Choose the platform that works best for your country. Thank you for your support!]