Chapter 18: The Power of the Written Word

“Do you feel inclined to leave that child behind? Shall I hear your answer?”

“No, take this.”

Rejecting the blacksmith’s question calmly, my father took out a letter from his pocket.

The moment the blacksmith saw the slightly grayish envelope, his face stiffened.

“…Akane’s nee-san, huh? Bringing something troublesome.”

Reluctantly receiving the envelope from my father, the blacksmith began to read the letter.

As he read, his expression gradually turned more bitter. It seemed to have more effect than he had anticipated.

I hope the conversation goes smoothly from here… While thinking this, the blacksmith raised his face after finishing reading the letter.

The moment he raised his face, he tore the letter to shreds with a bitter expression still on his face.

“Eh!?”

As I exclaimed, the blacksmith spoke at the same time.

“No, no. No matter who Akane nee-san is, I can’t listen to her this time. We’re human. Without humans remaining, what’s the point?”

My father immediately seized on his words.

“Sensei, then please tell us the reason. If you do, Kamiriazuki can take action.”

“No, Akane knows. There’s no way that person doesn’t know.”

The old man vigorously shook his head, his face devoid of laughter, leaving behind a weary expression.

“No matter how much you say, humans are here. Without them, there’s no limit.”

“What do you mean by ‘limit’?”

“… “

The blacksmith said nothing. He just sweated profusely on his face.

So, thinking I could insert words into that silence, I opened my mouth.

“Hey, does that have anything to do with the fairyland?”

The moment I said that, the blacksmith’s face turned pale with horror.

It was clearly a different reaction from before. It was a reaction indicating he knew about the existence of the fairyland. So, it was the moment I opened my mouth to pursue that.

The sound of clattering came from the well.

As I turned around reflexively, a pale hand extended straight out from the well.

It touched the ground. The dry leaves were pushed aside with a rustling sound.

An overwhelming amount of dark magic overflowed from the well, enough to be visible through the ‘magic-blocking’ lens I had crafted to maintain my field of vision.

…What is this?

Before I could fully comprehend the eerie scene, a monster emerged from the well.

“One…one life. Two…two eyes.”

“—’Wind Blade ‘!”

Tension filled my arm as the monster’s body appeared from the bottom of the well.

Its face looked like that of a bloated baby, yet its body was thin and withered like that of an old man. Its long, frail arms, which seemed unnaturally long, were probably about three meters in length.

The monster’s face had four eyes.

So, two eyes was a lie.

With a swoosh, the monster’s body was sliced in half. Its pale arm was severed, and its head and body were split apart, yet my magic didn’t lose its power and even cut down the tree behind it.

The tree creaked and began to fall behind us.

Nina, noticing the monster, reflexively gripped my arm tightly.

“A monster!? But there’s no one here!!?”

Aya-chan cried out in shock at the sight.

She seemed convinced that the monster was dead, so I stepped forward and addressed her.

“No, Aya-chan. It’s not dead yet.”

As soon as I finished weaving the ‘Guiding Thread Silvate,’ the monster’s right arm extended greatly and gripped the surrounding trees tightly. The monster’s body then took flight, soaring high into the air. Meanwhile, the left arm and head I had cut off fused together.

A grotesque arm, with a baby-like head attached to its withered end, slithered toward us like a snake.

“Four…four eyes. Then…two lives.”

Huh, is that how it works?

Unable to fully grasp the monster’s anatomy, I focused my aim solely on its head. Not just my aim, but I also refined the ‘Guiding Thread Silvate’ thinly and precisely.

“Heaven Pierce!”

The high-pressure stream of water shot through the refined ‘Guiding Thread Silvate.’

A beat later, with a loud pop, a hole was blasted through the monster’s head. As soon as the hole formed, it collapsed inward, crushing the head into itself.

Huh? Is my magic stronger?

The momentary surprise was quickly replaced by the realization that we were in a place with an exceptionally high concentration of magic energy, which was enhancing the power of my spells.

As I exorcised the monster creeping on the ground, my father simultaneously shot down the monster flying above us.

My father, who usually fought at close range, almost made me forget he could use long-distance magic just as well.

As I pondered this, I checked for any signs of the monster’s death.

“…Huh?”

However, the monster’s body did not turn into black mist.

From the cut areas, small bubbles began to overflow, reminiscent of the sight when starting to cook pancakes. If you had trypophobia, this would be a disturbing sight. As the bubbles continued to grow and swell, they began to cover the monster’s body.

Wasn’t it supposed to have only two lives…?

As I wondered this, the blacksmith standing at the entrance of the hut shouted.

“Burn it! If you don’t burn it, it won’t die!!”

The moment I heard those words, I extended two ‘Guiding Thread Silvates’ and tightly wrapped them around the monster’s body. As soon as it was encircled, I activated ‘Attribute Change.’

“Flame Cocoon!”

With a roar, rotating flames erupted around the bound monster. Instantly, the monster’s body was engulfed in intense flames, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into black mist.

Seeing this, I finally let out a sigh of relief. It was finally exorcised.

Just as I felt a sense of relief, I quickly turned to the elderly blacksmith.

“How did you know that burning it would work? Could it be that you’re keeping a monster…?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Taming those things is impossible.”

The old man spat out his words.

“Then, what was that just now…?”

As soon as I asked, the old man quickly closed the half-open door.

“Shut up. Shut up! There’s nothing to tell you. Get out of here! If you can’t leave that girl here, then get anyone. Ask Akane nee-san to bring someone!”

The old man shouted as he shut the door completely.

“If that’s not possible, then leave! There’s nothing more to talk about with you!!”

The old man’s shout echoed through the mountains.

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