The current time is after dinner, some time after that test.
This world is enveloped in darkness at night, so the concept of evening is not just faint, but nonexistent. Therefore, I don’t know if I can call the meal at this timing “dinner,” but this is the time after the entire Nordis family had dinner together, including Nord-kun, who was in a sorry state, and Mura-kun, who we welcomed as a guest.
After being welcomed with a lavish meal and feeling quite full, one would usually feel sleepy after a relaxing soak in a large bath. However, we wouldn’t just go to sleep without talking about anything.
“…And so it was decided.”
I was reporting my exchange with Kaden-san before dinner to Evia in the guest room I was given.
“Hmm, using Nord as a stepping stone, you say? Well, I can understand Father’s concerns.”
“From my perspective, I think it’s realistically possible.”
“I suppose so. It’s only possible because you’ve made a connection with that being.”
At that moment, when I explained about Nord-kun’s tutor, who could be considered my trump card, Evia’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Well, it’s just that interacting with Valse-san…”
“What ‘just that’? In reality, it’s a being that ordinary people would find extremely difficult to even glimpse.”
“…I think it’s easier to meet than God?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Your comparison is absurd.”
Evia, sitting with me on the sofa in the guest room, was enjoying the after-dinner wine that had been prepared on the table, a troubled smile on her face as she picked up a bite of convenience store sweets she had brought from the company.
She then wryly smiled at my peculiar social circle.
The words “Eating at this hour will make you fat,” which could be considered a taboo for women, don’t apply to her. She has no shortage of exercise to maintain her outstanding figure, so calorie management is a piece of cake for her.
She subscribes to the theory that what you consume, you must also expend, and thus she eats quite a variety of things.
It was in such a situation that my social circle was pointed out.
Well, it has certainly become quite fantastical, starting with a Demon Lord, then demons, ogres, Dark Elves, vampires, ghosts, giants, dragons, and even gods and spirits.
“Even for us long-lived races, the opportunity to meet a High-ranking Spirit is not common. Even if we could, it would be limited to one. Two would still be within the realm of miracles. But the High-ranking Spirits you’ve met…”
“Five.”
“Don’t be absurd, why are you saying it so calmly, as if it’s someone else’s business? You should be aware that your sensibility is strange. That alone is enough military strength to unilaterally annihilate an entire army.”
“How rude, I didn’t know either.”
Evia placed a hand on her forehead, as if suffering from a headache. I felt bad for causing her such mental strain.
I am aware that I presented something of that magnitude. However, if I may make an excuse, the fact that I was able to meet them was purely a product of chance.
The trigger for this goes back to when I desperately asked Valse-san for help in setting up a Dungeon.
Valse-san, along with the nostalgia, became quite enthusiastic about designing the Dungeon. But it would have been fine if he had just become enthusiastic.
Valse-san, on top of that, due to the Nostalgia, did something incredible. It was when we stepped away to do some other work, not wanting to disturb Valse-san while he was concentrating. Just because Valse-san agreed to take on the Dungeon design, it didn’t mean all our work was finished. I felt I had to do what I could, and without minding the drain on my magic power, I worked until one task was done. When I returned, I found…
“They just increased on their own.”
“They don’t usually increase.”
The office was unexpectedly noisy, and when I went to see what was happening, I saw Valse-san and “them” gathered in a circle, making a commotion. Yes, “them.” He was diligently looking at documents and working alone at first, but when I was briefly distracted, they had increased all at once. And not just High-ranking Spirits, but five High-ranking Spirits of the same caliber.
“You, didn’t you notice the magic consumption?”
“No, I thought he was just doing some work.”
“Did you mistake the magic consumption for an error because it was so enhanced?”
“No, the magic consumption was less than during combat?”
“It’s an anomaly if it’s comparable to magic consumption during combat, you fool!”
As I was lectured by Evia, being called a fool repeatedly, I recalled that moment. I had heard they were spirits that governed space and time, but I never imagined they could directly communicate with the spaces inhabited by other High-ranking Spirits and summon them. I still clearly remember the event when Muil-san, Keiri-san, and I stood there stunned, and were then introduced. According to Valse-san, they were companions he had worked with when creating the Dungeon.
“Well, I just missed them and called them over.”
“Hellooooo!!”
The encounter was so shocking that Keiri-san, Muil-san, and I thought it was a dream.
“Muil-san was rubbing his eyes, thinking it was a hallucination.”
My fatigue was overwhelming, and for a moment, I also considered the possibility, but no, it was, unfortunately, reality.
“Even I would doubt it if more High-ranking Spirits appeared. Not the High-ranking Spirits of the four elements, but the spirits that came to you are not elemental spirits of origin, are they?”
Moreover, the spirits that appeared were not of famous attributes, but of attributes that are considered minor, some even doubted their existence, or were only spoken of in legends.
“Yeah, they seem to be rare spirits.”
To me, it felt like pulling an SSR in a gacha.
“They are not beings that can be dismissed with the word ‘rare’.”
To Evia, it was apparently as shocking as revealing the truths of a forgotten history. In fact, when I reported this to the President, he laughed so hard that he held his stomach. Seeing Evia, who was listening nearby, hold her stomach, I felt truly sorry and pushed myself despite my fatigue to go buy a limited-edition cake.
“Well, Valse-san also seemed to find it unusual that he had made a contract, and he said it was like a reunion.”
“A reunion of legendary-class spirits.”
“It almost started a mushroom versus bamboo shoot war, though.”
“I won’t let my Dungeon be destroyed for such a trivial reason.”
I didn’t quite know how to entertain spirits, so I prepared some tea and sweets with whatever I had on hand, apologizing for their lack of variety. They happily ate them, which was good, but when I told them about what happened during that time, Evia, with a furrowed brow, gave me a sidelong glance, telling me that the Dungeon was on the brink of collapse. High-ranking spirits, to a greater or lesser extent, are spirits that hold the supreme position in their respective fields. Even spirits whose attributes are not suited for combat have accumulated experience over their long lives, which is universally applicable.
“There are even cases in ancient literature where a High-ranking household spirit went berserk, leading to the subjugation of the Demon Lord at that time. Six High-ranking spirits running amok would be nothing short of a nightmare.”
Indeed, as Evia mentioned in her reminiscing, such cases exist, and therefore, contact with spirits must be handled with extreme caution.
“However, it could also be said that it is a golden opportunity for my foolish younger brother to receive guidance from spirits with such power.”
Spirits that can cause considerable damage if handled incorrectly. However, spirits will also respond appropriately if treated with proper etiquette. Evia, who had been looking at me with disapproval, let out a big sigh, but upon hearing that Nord-kun’s tutor was a High-ranking Spirit, she seemed to accept the past troubles. She swirled the wine around her tongue, tasting it. She wore a wry smile, anticipating the hardships that lay ahead. It was a look of weakness that the old Evia would never have shown. Since only she and I were in the room, she was showing this side of herself only to me. Thinking it was a man’s privilege, I gently moved the wine bottle towards Evia’s empty glass.
“However, my foolish younger brother’s teacher is a High-ranking Spirit of ‘Guidance’… One truly never knows how fate will twist and turn.”
“I’m still not entirely clear on that… In my knowledge of this otherworld, I’ve never heard of such a peculiar spirit.”
“It’s the same as human history. You teach what you’ve learned and pass it on to future generations, guiding them. If that process exists, a concept is born, and spirits are born by feeding on that concept. Once living beings gain wisdom, the foundation for that spirit’s birth is laid. It’s an ancient spirit, understandable that it holds the rank of High-ranking.”
She brought her glass towards me as if to receive my pour. At this opportunity, while pouring the wine, I decided to pose a question about the concept of attributes. After all, the High-ranking Spirits I had met, who were at the center of this topic, all had attributes that greatly deviated from my concept of spirits.
“Even so, it’s strange, isn’t it? Tris, the spirit of guidance; Tenda, the spirit of recording; Billioli, the spirit of expression; Jacke, the spirit of houses; and…”
Spirits that govern concepts rather than attributes. Spirits that govern attributes based on who claims them first. High-ranking Spirits that make the spirits governing earth, water, fire, and wind seem somehow ordinary. As I counted four of them on my fingers, Evia’s slightly alluring voice uttered the name of the last High-ranking Spirit I had met.
“And the spirit of circulation, Mile.”
“Valse-san mentioned that it seems to be an indispensable spirit for Dungeon generation. But he wasn’t wrong. While we now have the basic systems for creating Dungeons, in the past, the foundation of Dungeons was said to have been created by the hands of gods. However, there are many aspects that cannot be explained by that alone.”
“Valse-san says that we created them?”
“The system and concepts were undoubtedly created by spirits. If I summarize your story and infer, perhaps the gods only provided the vessel, and the spirits created the contents within that vessel. That explanation makes many things clear.”
I see, so basically, the gods made the hardware of the Dungeon, and Valse-san and the spirits created the OS and other programs.
“I see.”
For me, the structure of Dungeons is a field I’ve only recently started studying, so this knowledge is fresh and enjoyable. It might be common knowledge to Evia. Well, it’s certainly not a conversation full of romance for a man and a woman. For Evia, the fact that Nord-kun’s tutor is a spirit of guidance is satisfying. This kind of talk, she seems to treat it as casual small talk. She shows no sign of showing off her knowledge, nor does she seem to be teaching me. It feels as if she’s just conversing with me naturally. A High-ranking Spirit, which can be said to be the highest existence in teaching and guidance. The plan is to use Valse-san’s space-time, which can be considered to have unlimited time and space for teaching, so in a way, it’s the best educational environment. I briefly wondered what would happen if that didn’t work, but she narrowed her eyes and rebuked me with her gaze, as if asking how long I intended to keep having these unromantic conversations.
“Well, it’s up to Nord-kun now.”
This topic ends here. Whether Nord-kun makes the most of this best environment or not depends on his efforts. For now, I should focus on cheering up Evia, who is starting to get a little displeased.
Today’s Word:
What is decided without one’s knowledge can still be considered a decision.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic: Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, but we are fighting back with various things in our secret base!!
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