The rain has stopped falling, and a bright red sunset is peeking through the thick black clouds. The walls of the house are stained red in the sunlight. It is almost dusk.
Despite this, May has not returned. May has never been away from home until this time without any notice. Everyone is gathered in the dining room of the house, their faces full of worry.
I rest my elbows on the table in a prayerful pose, thinking. May will come back... I want to believe that. But what if she had an accident? No, she would have called me with a telegram... I'll check the map, but I can only track her within a 50-kilometer radius. There's no May in the area. I try to calm down, close my eyes and take a deep breath. However, the anxiety and a bad feeling that welled up in my chest like a fountain had reached its limit.
"...Let's go look for May..."
He mutters to no one in particular. I slowly open my eyes and notice that everyone in the dining room is looking at me. I look at them all and slowly stand up.
"Let's all split up and look for May.
Everyone nodded silently. Immediately after that, everyone discusses where they are going and what they are going to do. The roles were quickly determined.
"Wait!
It was Soleil who raised her voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Just a moment, please..."
Soleil then began to pray to something. This pose is the one in which she is chanting an incantation to invoke the god Ryu-sama. Everyone looked at Soleil silently. After a while, Soleil exhaled slowly.
"...Please wait a moment. She should be here shortly.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...You're as slow as ever, Shenlong-sama."
"Really? But it's getting faster, isn't it?"
A voice right next to me made me jump in surprise. There stood a white-haired child. It was Master Shenlong. Soleil rushes over to him.
"I am so sorry, Master Shenlong. I don't know the whereabouts of our family member Mei-sama. Could you please ask the spirits to help me find her?
"Hmm? That's a tough one.
"I guess it's difficult even for Shenlong-sama.... Then we'll have to resort to manpower. I'll just use the map while shifting...
"You said it was difficult. You mean the Sheep-Beast Woman? It looks like they're going down the river, huh?"
"What? Have you checked it out already?"
Soleil rolls her eyes in surprise.
"I got an immediate response from the forest spirits. They seem to be heading for a town on top of the mountain."
"Master Linos! It's Garvey!"
Matkal raises his voice.
"The river in Agartha empties into the Irbezi. If you go down the Irbezi, you will reach Garbee. If we leave the capital of Agartha early in the morning, we will reach Garbee at about this time at the earliest.
"Garbee... You're not with Klimiana's messenger, are you? When you said you were going to investigate the cause of the disease and its countermeasures, did you really mean you were going to go to the Church of Klimiana to investigate? . ..then it's dangerous. They're going to kill the Seelenguter. Mei's in danger... I'm going."
I immediately go to the wards I'm building in the backyard to get to Garvey.
"Wait, Linos! I'm coming with you!"
Rico chases after me with Eryl in his arms.
"Rico, you stay in the house. Protect Elyr and Allyria.
But...
Please.
"Linos... Take care of Mei... Take care of Mei...
I know.
Master Linos, wait a minute!
What is it, Mato?
Matkal comes to my side.
"If Rinos-sama goes to Garbee now, there is a risk that the secret of the transferring wards will be revealed to Klimiana. Even if you do go, it would be better to change the way you go."
"Ts..."
I make a face like I'm chewing a bitter bug. Surely, they would be suspicious of me showing up in Garvey, where I had just arrived. I look at the ceiling and ponder for a while. Then I slowly turn my gaze to the whole family.
"Maybe Mat is right. We'll go to Garbee tomorrow."
Then I look at Peris and ask her to warm up the zenzai and serve it to Shenlong-sama. She readily agrees and begins to build a fire.
"Ooooh! It's zenzai! I'm looking forward to it!
Shenryu-sama is sitting on a chair and waiting for the zenzai in a good mood. In this tense atmosphere, he is the only one who seems to be at ease. I sat down next to him and spoke boldly to him.
"Excuse me, Mr. Shenlong. May I ask you a few questions?
"...Could it be, however, that Kaminryu-sama is the Creator God who created this world?"
"I am not the god the Lord says I am."
"With all due respect, Master Shenlong, who are you?"
Master Shengyu closes his eyes and thinks. Then he slowly opens his eyes.
"I am only a being who has lived longer than other spirits and has more abilities than other spirits.
"You mean you're not a god?"
I am sure that I am not the creator of this world. The world has existed since I was born into it. At that time, however, the human race was a weak and feeble existence. I never thought that I would be able to create such delicious food.
Shenlong-sama laughs.
"Well, do you know a god called Klimiana?"
"Klimiana?"
Master Shenlong is thinking with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, there was a woman who saved the human race. That was her name, as I recall.
"It is said that the woman became a god..."
I don't know. But the woman named Klimiana is dead. That much I know for sure.
Finally, a bowl of warmed zenzai is placed in front of Shenryu-sama. He happily downs it and asks for a refill. Then, Shenlong begins to speak again.
"The gods the Lords speak of are all things that human beings have put on their heads.
"What do you mean?"
"There are many gods in this world: the dragon god, the fox god, the monkey god, the dog god, the cat god, the deer god, the bird god, the bird god, and so on. They all live the longest and have the greatest abilities in their families. Humans have called those with abilities superior to their own gods, and have worshipped them with tribute. And those who were called gods returned the favor to humans in some way. That's all there is to it. I, too, have been fed by the Lord with delicious food. That's why I made a contract with him in return. That's how it is.
"You mean... there is no God?"
I have never met or spoken to any god other than the one I just mentioned.
The zenzai is brought again. Shenryu-sama happily devours it.
"In the past, the human race was weak. They had to be protected by those called gods to survive. Perhaps that is why there are so many gods called by humans..."
"I see. ....... I have one more question. Have you ever heard of criminal slavery? It was established by the Klimiana cult, but it seems to be more effective than slave magic, and can even make slaves choose death."
"Criminal slaves? Hmmm, what kind of people are they?"
"Uh, ....... Slave magic is what it's called. ......"
I'll tell you more about the slave magic I was put under. Shenlong-sama nodded his head and listened to my story in a good mood.
"Then, we dragon people also have such magic. If one has a certain amount of recovery magic and blessing skills, he or she should be able to release it. Like this..."
My body glows slightly as Shenryu-sama holds up his index finger. I see. ...... It's hard to explain with words, but I know the feeling. I mean, the image of removing the curse, and the image of applying restoration magic not to my body, but to my whole soul. It is the flow of activating the healing magic while activating the blessing. Okay, I got it.
"It's easy to do, isn't it Lord?"
"Yes, thank you. Please enjoy as much zenzai as you like tonight, Master Shenlong."
"Oh, I'll eat!"
After saying these words, Shenlong-sama enjoyed the zenzai to his heart's content and disappeared, leaving behind a sound of laughter that seemed to indicate that he was in a good mood.
The next day in the early afternoon, I moved to the town of Garbee. When I unfolded the map, I found that May had indeed responded. I called out to May with telepathy, but she did not respond. I head for the place indicated on the map, and find that it is a place that makes me cluck my tongue.
"A church..."
Indeed, there was a church in this city that was larger than those in other cities. Its gates were so tightly closed that it looked as if it refused to let anyone in or out. I grabbed the gate and shook it, but it did not budge. If I put all my strength into it, it would work, but what to do...? While I was thinking about that, a man who looked like a bishop came out from inside.
"Who is it?
"This is Linos, King of Agartha."
Please leave us.
What?
"Since yesterday, for several days, no one is allowed to enter or leave the church except those who are related to the Church of Crimiana."
Whose orders are those?
Excuse me.
Without answering my question, the bishop left and entered the church.
"I see. You mean you're not going to give May to me...? Excellent. I'll do whatever it takes to get it back. I don't know if they're the source of the disease or what, but I don't like the idea of taking sheep-beastmen lives for the sake of the human race. They're people too! Who the hell do you think you are? I'm gonna get May back..."
I whisper to the church. Then I send a telegram to May.
<
I hear a faint, fading reminder. I slowly turn on my heel and walk away, staring at the church. I leave the city of Garbee and return to my residence in the capital.