Ch.150Remaking the NPC (5)

The beautiful woman made of water frowned as if she had heard something terrible.

What? Why are you looking at me like that?

[To compare me to a high-level spirit, you truly are dim-witted, befitting a human chosen by that fire chicken.]

“……”

I’m slightly startled by the voice echoing through the cave, clearly produced in a manner different from human speech.

Piyaki at least chirped like a real bird, but this spirit’s voice feels like it’s being hammered directly into my head?

Well, I admit my poor intelligence is a fact. But I wonder if this is really appropriate for a first meeting. I don’t hide my irritation and frown back at her. The translucent beautiful woman made of water—presumably a supreme-level spirit since she referred to high-level spirits as “children”—brushes back her watery hair(?) with a seductive smile, as if finding me amusing.

[Hmm, but for a human chosen by that fire chicken, you have good courage.]

“…Pleased to meet you. I’m Jack, currently working as an adventurer.”

[Hmm. Yes, your manners are quite proper too.]

After saying that, the water spirit emerges from the water and approaches me.

…She looks beautiful, but her size. This is almost like a 3-meter giant Gor! Is this what they call an 8-foot ghost or whatever?

I had to crane my neck to see the spirit’s face. She seemed amused by my behavior, smiled, then folded her leg parts to crouch down(?) and spoke while looking directly at me.

[Hoho. I’ll kindly overlook your earlier slip of calling me a high-level spirit. My name is Naiad. I am a supreme-level spirit like that fire chicken Phoenix you met first, a being favored by the Spirit King, and the chief of the beastkin.]

…A spirit is the chief of the beastkin? And a supreme water spirit? Wait, this is different from the game again?

It seems my confusion is only going to increase.

[Water Supreme Spirit Level: 2,100]

‘…Judging by the level, she is indeed a supreme spirit.’

[Hmm. Those eyes that seem to see through me, you truly are a being with sight.]

“……”

I wasn’t really trying to see through anything. It wasn’t even a long text, so I just skimmed it, but she noticed that?

I unconsciously swallow and quietly look at her. She smiles, making her eyes curve like crescent moons, then continues speaking.

[First, let me hear why you’ve come here.]

“What?”

I blurt out in genuine disbelief, and the supreme water spirit tilts her head as if wondering what’s strange.

Wait. I did plan to come here, but you’re the one who created this mystical situation by bypassing all the procedures I expected and acting like you already know everything!

I’m worried whether I’ll even understand half of what’s going on if you explain everything, and you want me to state my purpose first? This is driving me crazy!

[Hmm, human thinking is difficult. Didn’t the elder tell you why I summoned you here?]

“Ah, yes. I heard, but what exactly…?”

[Yes, there are exactly two reasons why I summoned you here at this time. One is because I received a [revelation] about ‘the mountain keeper dying,’ and the other… I will tell you after hearing your actions and words. I know nothing beyond that, so speak.]

So she summoned me here because she received a [revelation] that I would come here and that I’m about to die? Is she saying she doesn’t know much else herself?

I organize the thoughts in my poor brain as concisely as possible, then nod and begin speaking.

“Currently, the elves…”

I explain how the elven leadership has begun to openly show hatred toward humans, how they’ve been kidnapping and trafficking beastkin, and even plotting rape.

I tell her that the mayor of Aigram is personally “protecting” the beastkin victims, and plans to buy time until I come to Siltra to resolve the situation.

And that Miho, one of the victims, is here now, so if she wants testimony, she should ask her.

After I finish explaining, the reaction of the supreme spirit who calls herself the beastkin chief is:

[Those rotten elves. They seemed to be dying of illness recently, but they’re still causing trouble. Perna.]

“Yes, Chief.”

[Has the elven council ever summoned you?]

“No. There has been almost no interaction with the elves in recent years.”

[Hmm, I didn’t think time would solve issues with long-lived races, but I thought he was nearing the end of his lifespan… Was I wrong?]

The elder’s name is Perna? First time I’ve heard it.

The spirit speaks as if she knew the incident would happen, but didn’t expect the current leadership to act to this extent. I voice the question on my mind.

“Did you know the elves would cause an incident?”

[It’s not a matter of knowing or not knowing. It’s like a seizure that happens every few years.]

“…What?”

“Chief, let me explain.”

[Mm.]

The beastkin elder, an old woman called Perna, briefly explained.

The elves have been continuously spreading their anti-human ideology not only among themselves but also to the beastkin and demon races. The beastkin generally respond with “there they go again,” while the demon race reacts with “humans are scary, shudder.”

However, the beastkin inherently desire to mix with humans—specifically, they have a tribal instinct that asks, “What’s the difference between humans and beastkin? Isn’t befriending a strong race always beneficial?” Many beastkin ignore the elves’ rhetoric and venture outside Siltra to experience humans firsthand.

Because of this, whether elf or beastkin, they’ve come to believe that people are people, reaching a point where they disregard the elves’ hateful ideology.

As this situation continued, the elves became increasingly harsh toward the beastkin—specifically, whenever something terrible happened to beastkin at the hands of humans outside, they would quickly spread the news to the beastkin.

And when humans seemed quiet for a while…

“The elves would sometimes fabricate incidents and blame them on humans. Of course, they never created incidents as big as this one.”

“…But wouldn’t that make living together irritating? If someone did that to me, I’d be ready to fight by now.”

“That’s…”

[During the Age of Chaos, when beastkin were oppressed by humans, it was the elves who brought them to Siltra and protected them. Beastkin are affectionate and live according to their instincts; they cannot completely turn their backs on their benefactors who protected them.]

…It reminds me of Err Jim’s sister’s story. An elven woman who worked hard to build good relationships with humans and to protect persecuted elves and beastkin.

Even though it was clearly thousands of years ago, the beastkin can’t turn their backs on her, or the elves who acted like her. Understanding it this way, the beastkin seem somewhat like the crow repaying kindness in the old tale.

Well, whether they’re actually repaying kindness or not, I’m not sure.

[However, this is no longer something we can just observe. If it were the deviation of one or two individuals, that would be just people being people. It would be right to let the parties involved handle it. But this time, the leadership tried to escalate matters by targeting an entire ‘race.’ I should hear from Miho as well, but I don’t think you’re lying.]

…Is it just me experiencing cognitive dissonance when a spirit talks about “people being people”?

Oh, but why is this person… no, this spirit the chief of the beastkin? Even if they “targeted a race,” isn’t your race spirit, not beastkin?

[Hmm? What are you talking about?]

“What?”

[Originally, elves, demon races, and beastkin all trace back to spirits as their ancestors. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that either?]

“WHAT?!”

I can’t help but shout in surprise. She looks at the elder as if genuinely questioning whether I really didn’t know this outrageous fact, and the elder just shrugs as if to say, “He really doesn’t know?”

What the hell?! This is the discovery of the century! Spirits are the progenitors of beastkin, elves, and demon races?! I’m hearing this setting for the first time…!!

[By your human time standards, it would be a little over 20,000 years ago. There was a time when humans, spirits, and beasts were all intermingled and shared their seed…]

“W-wait?! What are you saying…!!”

[Don’t interrupt. It’s exactly as I said. Humans fell for beasts and spirits and mated with them, or spirits fell for humans or beasts, or beasts violated humans or were violated by them, and they simply mixed their skin, their blood. What was born afterward were the three races. Well, even among humans at that time, when beings were born that were completely different from them—long-lived, with different appearances and strong beast characteristics—instinctively rejecting beings increased, and the races divided.]

Argh, damn it!! I didn’t want to know this!! I didn’t want to know about Eight’s deep dark historical aspects!!

Wait, then what about humans?! Are humans properly human?!

[Well, I understand some humans still desire that kind of sexual gratification. In the last few decades, there was an incident where a high-level spirit was violated by a human and declared it would never materialize again…]

“Are you insane!! Stop!! I’m getting dizzy!! That’s enough!!”

It’s communion, right?! Damn it, that’s talking about that Native communion bastard!

I just came to resolve the situation in Siltra, but the world is becoming increasingly repulsive.

Ah, ah. Damn. There’s no answer except escaping to the celestial realm… Wait a minute.

“Chief.”

[Yes?]

“Do you, perhaps, know about the celestial realm?”

[Ah. You mean those bird-humans that fire chicken created?]

Damn it! I shouldn’t have asked!!

Then, what about Ray?! Is Ray a descendant of that Phoenix?! A bird-human?! So Ray isn’t actually a celestial being but some kind of spirit descendant similar to beastkin?!

And I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while. When the supreme water spirit talks about “that fire chicken,” that woman who smells like a chicken coop, could it be…

[Hmm? What is it? I thought I smelled that chicken coop woman strongly on you, haven’t you spoken with her? The name given by the Spirit King is Phoenix. She’s the chicken-headed fire supreme spirit who is my natural enemy.]

Heavenly Father. Is this right? The Piyaki next to Ira is being called a chicken coop?

Wow, I just want to go home.