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Chapter 377 – Confession, Repentance, and the Things Left Behind
The ‘Sword of the Blood Oath’ that Surz mentioned. It seems to be something like the ‘Oath Medallion’ I got from McKin-dono… a dagger with a function that lists connections, like ‘I will provide the owner of this with all possible comforts.’ It seems to be a magical version of that.
“This is… cumbersome. It’s even more cumbersome because the intent is not malicious.”
When I first saw it in the underground storehouse, Myrril told me with a slightly troubled expression. From the type of magic stone and the patterns and words engraved on it, she was able to guess the general mechanism.
“Do you understand how it works?”
“I’m not a mage, so I can only read the general outline.”
Even dwarves who work as technicians with magic tools have a basic knowledge of the level required to construct circuits.
“Protection, reflection, transfer, conversion, replacement, and state maintenance.”
Myrril’s fingers point to the two magic stones and the pattern that spreads between them.
“It contains a large number of things, but the composition itself is simple. Judging by the state of the magic light, the current state is probably ‘state maintenance.'”
“State?”
Myrril’s finger points to the upper floor.
“It’s a ghost state. As long as this command is not canceled, Mead will remain bound to this place.”
“So does that mean it’s the root of all evil… a cursed magic sword or something?”
“We won’t know until we ask the people in the study. The first half of the spell is meant to protect the owner. If that doesn’t work, it tries to let them escape. If that doesn’t work either, it at least tries to preserve their soul. It’s strange to call it a curse.”
Her finger stops between the stones. There is a small magic circle-like relief that resembles a yin-yang symbol.
“Also, the ‘replacement’ in the middle of it bothers me.”
“If it’s a transfer of location information, it’s not hard to understand that he was thrown into the mansion as an emergency measure. Maybe there was an accident or a mistake, and only his spirit or soul was attached to the mansion.”
“No, if it was a transfer, it would have been enough to ‘transfer’ him before. The ‘replacement’ is surely…”
◇ ◇
“If it came to it, we should use the shrine maiden of Surz as a vessel to receive the spirit of Mead-sama…”
“”Hey!””
A voice echoes in the study. It’s Mead and I reacting to Lui’s words. It seems like I’m the only one who can hear the ghost’s voice.
“Hey, that shrine maiden, surely you don’t think…”
“It’s me.”
Lui tells me with a defiant look on her face. I can’t quite tell if she’s blushing or crying.
“You’ve got to be kidding. Go ahead, tell her, brother. I don’t think I’d survive if I had to take over a girl’s body.”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course not.”
“Demon King, is there anything Mead-sama wants to say?”
In Lui’s eyes, I could see a mixture of anxiety, expectation, fear, and a kind of frustration that I couldn’t quite understand. Somehow, I think she already understands the situation and the reason why Mead is here.
“He said to stop doing that.”
“It is our collective will to protect Mead-sama. The shrine maiden is not a sacrifice but is acting of her own free will.”
“Do not try to change how other people live or die. Do you think Mead would be happy if he entered Lui’s body?”
“We don’t know what Mead-sama wants. But we didn’t want him to die. We did everything we could…”
“I understand that. I’m grateful for that. But…”
Mead, who was floating near the ceiling, spoke to me with a troubled expression on his face.
Well, as an interpreter, I’m going to ask you this. I think you’re both trying to be considerate of each other, but you’re confusing things and making things more complicated than they need to be.
“I’ve told them my wishes many times, and I thought they understood in the end. Besides, I’m no saint, and it’s not out of the goodness of my heart. I…”
The ghost of the middle-aged man, stuttering and hanging his head, and the Surz, hanging their heads with faces like dogs that have been scolded. And Yeld, who, this time, is about to pass out from blood loss and hypothermia. I can only watch in confusion, wondering what to do.
“…I used the Surz, brother. I’m the lowest kind of scum who tried to use them for my own selfish ends.”
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