Chapter 148: The Ancestral Demon God

Under the star-filled sky, I was sending enthusiastic cheers for Tsubaki’s fire-blowing performance while sitting on a fallen tree, when Hiyori returned normally. She didn’t seem particularly injured, nor did she seem tired.

“Welcome back. What kind of person was the mastermind?”

“I’m home. Just a small fry not worth talking about. The Chengdu Concession is at peace now, and Arthur and Ainsel are safe. I received an invitation to the coronation ceremony, but…”

“Eh, no way.”

“Right? I declined.”

I smiled at her telepathic answer. She understands me, doesn’t she? I’m grateful, so grateful.

For my part, I’d be happy if the Scepter Beifang is used by the new king’s side for a long time, gains fame, and becomes well-known. But I want no part of being dragged into the mess of thrones and family strife.

But if the scepter needs maintenance, don’t hesitate to call me!

With the disturbance in the Chengdu Concession settled, we once again began crossing the Hengduan Mountains.

The Hengduan Mountains are a mountainous region lying between China and India. While the terrain is rugged and movement takes time, the magical beasts inhabiting the area are weak and it’s safe.

The main trade route between China and India is a detour via Hanoi and Bangkok in the south, where there is more flat land, roads are maintained, and there are many post towns. On the other hand, bandits, pirates, and dragon bandits appear frequently and it’s dangerous. Safe passage requires considerable bribes.

If you don’t mind camping outdoors and mountain paths, the Hengduan Mountains crossing route is more secure and safe.

One miscalculation was that Tsubaki was troubled by insects.

Since the first night entering the mountains, red beetle-like insects gathered around her day and night, and Tsubaki wilted listlessly.

“Mimi… I hate this place. The worst. Bugs keep sticking to me.”

“This is bad. Even insect repellent doesn’t work.”

Tsubaki waved both arms annoyingly to brush away the insects as she walked with teetering steps. While I killed the fire-loving insects attacking Tsubaki with silent ice magic, Hiyori also had a troubled expression.

They don’t come near me, Hiyori, or the tiger Monsters that we’re riding at all. Tsubaki is completely the only one being targeted.

Fire-loving insects are insects native to China, monsters used as ingredients in Chinese medicine. Classified as C-4. They have a habit of parasitizing fire-type monster and stealing heat, and when you make a campfire, they gather and jump into the fire.

Normally, there’s no particular need to pay attention to them when just crossing the Hengduan Mountains, but Tsubaki’s constantly burning flames must have appeared extremely attractive to the fire-loving insects.

No matter how many times we drove them away, they swarmed like moths drawn to flame.

After trying various countermeasures for several days to no avail, and with no other options, Tsubaki used suspended animation magic to cut off her presence, and Hiyori carried her on her back as we proceeded.

Since fire-loving insects are magical beasts too, if suspended animation magic is used, they can no longer recognize Tsubaki. Though it becomes a cramped and boring journey since she can’t move during the magic’s effect, it can’t be helped.

“Looking at it this way, being a Transcendent or a demon isn’t all good stuff. Seriously. To me, it just looks like you’re giving her a normal piggyback ride.”

“I feel strangely like I’m carrying nothingness.”

Suspended animation magic only works on things of magic nature. It’s a meaningless spell for humans who can’t control magic power, or for ordinary animals native to Earth that existed before the gremlin disaster.

It’s a difference in common sense with magic civilization. In magic civilization, a gentle sleep spell that seemed to be used as a lullaby instead wielded fierce power as a vicious sleep spell against ordinary people, while suspended animation magic effective even against A-1 class magical beasts doesn’t work on ordinary humans. There are pros and cons.

Though we were hit by unexpected insect damage, everything else went smoothly, and with the map received from the Chengdu Concession in hand, we walked along the riverbed following the mountain stream.

The mountain trees were beautifully autumn-colored, and the river wind carried a fluffy, caramel-like sweet scent along with fallen leaves.

In the clear river, mop-like, fluffy, incomprehensible magical beasts poked their noses at the water surface to breathe and catch fish. When they saw us, they startled and dived to hide, stirring up mud from the river bottom.

It’s peaceful. Of course it is, since we’re choosing to travel a peaceful route.

Since Hiyori got off the tiger and is walking in front carrying Tsubaki on her back, I scratched the tiger magical beast’s back while looking at the map with one hand to give route directions.

“We’re about to reach a fork. The river branches… what’s this? Let’s go toward the mark that looks like a horned Jizo statue.”

“Ah. That’s Yui-chan’s, the Hell Witch’s mark. You see them often when traveling in frontier areas.”

“Huh?”

“It’s faster to see. Look, you can already see it, right?”

Looking where Hiyori pointed with her chin, I understood what she meant.

Slightly elevated above the riverbank, several dilapidated, moss-covered hermitages stood.

Near those hermitages was another crumbling shrine, and through the half-open double doors, a stone statue of a woman holding a khakkhara and bearing horns could be seen.

“Huh? It’s the Hell Witch. Why in a place like this?”

“People living in secluded places like this are often helped by the wandering Hell Witch. The more rural you go, the more you’ll find handprints and stone statues of the Hell Witch enshrined. It’s not unusual for them to be in old tales. There must have been people living around here long ago.”

Approaching the shrine, I got off the tiger and carefully examined the stone statue.

The roughly half-scale stone statue sat in a Buddha-like cross-legged pose with a serene face. Though completely aged with lichen crawling over it and mottled patterns floating from dirt, a faded, moth-eaten haori was carefully draped over it, giving the impression that it must have been greatly cherished in its day.

Running my hand along the statue’s outline and observing it thoroughly from corner to corner, I could somehow sense the creator’s intent. There was something that struck me deeply in the chest.

“Hiyori, let’s clean it up. It’s pitiful to leave it in such a dilapidated state.”

“Right. Yui-chan probably wouldn’t feel good about it either.”

“That’s not what I mean. The guy who made this Buddha statue, though terribly unskilled, had extraordinary passion. They put so much soul into making this, it must be frustrating to have to leave it to weather away like this.”

Looking at the worn-down hand not holding the khakkhara, when people lived in the hermitages, they must have held that hand and prayed every day.

Anyone could understand without being told.

The Hell Witch to whom I had granted the Chain Doxahedron Hariti had traveled long and far, secretly saving people in small villages and settlements throughout the world that were disappearing unknown.

She must have given such deep salvation that she made amateurs who had probably never held tools in their lives want to pour this much passion into making a stone statue.

To the nameless, completely amateur, yet more than anyone else strongly and powerfully expressing their feelings, stone craftsman from long ago, I wanted to pay my respects.

I fetched water from the riverbed to wash away the statue’s dirt, and scrubbed it clean with a brush made from bamboo growing nearby.

Hiyori dismantled the hermitage and brought wood to repair the broken double doors, and I received a bit of Tsubaki’s Abyss Gold to improve the shrine roof’s durability.

Now it’s stronger against wind and rain. It should last several more decades.

Tsubaki, who had been staring intently at the cleaned shrine and the Hell Witch’s statue for a while, disappeared briefly and returned with still-hot charcoal.

“I offer this. May good things happen. Mi-mi-mi!”

As Tsubaki cheerfully clapped her hands three times after rolling charcoal at the base of the stone statue, Hiyori smiled and also took out several coins from her bosom to offer. But she didn’t pray.

Noticing my gaze, Hiyori gave a wry smile.

“I’ll convey my words directly to the person. We’ll have chances to meet again.”

“Then don’t you need offerings? Give them directly to her.”

“No, offerings to the Hell Witch’s statue can be taken by anyone. Someday, a traveler in need of money will pass by and take this money. And that traveler will leave what they can give.”

“Hmm…”

Like an unmanned exchange, I suppose. Though the word “exchange” is too crude to use for something a bit too kind.

I sense the state of mind that charity and prayer should be like this.

The Hell Witch has been spreading this kind of heartwarming feeling all over the world this whole time? I made a staff for a much more amazing witch than I thought. I’m proud.

Since we were here, I decided to contribute too, and made a magic staff from available materials as an offering.

I didn’t engrave a name, nor did I include the salamander mark that is the proof of the 0933 brand magic staff.

This offering isn’t about that. I just hope someone finds the staff and is happy to have it. Since I want it to reach someone who truly needs a staff, I don’t include a brand mark to reduce the possibility of it being sold off as goods.

When we finished tending to the shrine and set off, one good thing happened.

Even without using suspended animation magic, fire-loving insects no longer gathered around Tsubaki.

Tsubaki innocently rejoiced that her prayer worked, but we probably just passed out of the fire-loving insects’ habitat. Bugs don’t scatter because of prayers.

When I tried to correct her misunderstanding, Hiyori quickly covered my mouth, and I was shown her smiling and patting her daughter, saying “That’s wonderful, Tsubaki.”

I’m not convinced, but since the pet and my girlfriend seem happy, well, good enough!

You know, I don’t need any more of this scheming noble mess.

From now on, may it always be this kind of carefree journey filled with these small, enjoyable happenings.