Chapter 32: The Spirit User and the Hero of Infernal Flame

"Long time no see, Hero of Infernal Flame—Aldebaran. How's the search for the demons going?"

"Mm-hmm... Well, not so great, honestly."

"Chin up, Al."

It had been a few days since we last ran into Aldebaran.

Because she was surrounded by spirits, I didn’t realize it was her—and ended up making her cry out of nowhere.

"I'm truly sorry. You startled me when you suddenly spoke to me, that's all."

"You were really spooked, miss. What scared you that badly?"

"...Well, about that—"

A middle-aged adventurer, likely one of Aldebaran's companions, turned and spoke to me.

He was clearly a bit miffed that I made their leader cry, and understandably so. I should give a proper apology.

Still, technically speaking, these guys aren't exactly on friendly terms with Karl.

How much should I even tell them...?

"Um, I have this... trait, where I can see things others usually can't. And around Aldebaran, I saw, well... something pretty intense."

"...What the hell? Are you one of those quirky mystic types or something?"

"No, not exactly. According to Yuri—"

I should probably stick to just the spirit stuff for now. It’s going to come out eventually anyway.

And no need to mention I’m part of Karl’s crew.

"Irine is a spirit user! I never thought a real one would show up in our time!"

Ah, and there goes Yuri, jumping into the conversation all excited.

Still running high on energy, it seems.

"...Spirits? Didn't you say before those don't exist?"

"They do! I’ve finally confirmed traces of them with my own eyes! Spirits are real, I tell you!"

"...Huh."

The tiny genius was bouncing up and down, waving her arms like crazy.

Glad to see she's feeling better, at least.

"...Yeah, they probably exist. The Goddess mentioned them too, after all."

Aldebaran, overhearing Yuri’s claim, chimed in.

Looks like her mood’s recovering too.

"Oh? Then maybe the goddess you spoke of wasn’t a hallucination after all."

"Wait—you didn’t believe me!?"

"I was skeptical, to say the least. You didn’t seem to be lying, but I did consider the possibility you were just some kind of lunatic."

Well, yeah. If someone suddenly started claiming "the Demon King has returned," you wouldn’t take them seriously either.

Even my dad only half believed me when he called me in.

"Anyway—hey, noble lady, is it true you’re a spirit user?"

"Oh my? Well, I think so, probably."

"...Probably?"

"I can see spirits, that’s all. I’m not sure if that alone makes me a 'spirit user' per se."

A boy with medium-length hair, curious after hearing Yuri’s explanation, stepped forward and spoke.

Flowing blond hair, snow-white robe, porcelain skin. With that outfit and build, he seemed more like a mage than anything else.

"If that’s true, then you’re incredible. Hey Al, wasn’t it really rare to see spirits these days?"

"Yeah. According to the Goddess, as non-magical technology advanced, humans lost their affinity with spirits. These days, it's extremely rare for anyone to even perceive them."

Hmm. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard of anyone claiming to see spirits lately.

"So, if technology advances, we can’t see spirits anymore?"

"In the old days, when humans struggled with things beyond their means, they’d rely on spirits for help. They were grateful, and in turn, the spirits formed deep bonds with them."

"I see..."

Aldebaran answered my question fluidly and without hesitation.

"But as technology progressed, humans stopped needing spirits. Nowadays, almost no one can sense them. You’d have to be unbelievably cherished by the spirits to even have a chance."

"...I understand."

"Let me ask again, you who claim to be a spirit user—can you truly see them?"

"I can see them, and speak with them too."

So I’m... popular with spirits, huh?

...Or maybe it’s more about compatibility? Unlike Aldebaran, spirits don’t exactly cling to me.

If anything, Aldebaran’s the one they seem to absolutely adore.

"In fact, about earlier... I saw an enormous number of spirits clustered around Aldebaran."

"What?"

"At a glance, it looked like a terrifying beast was charging straight at me. If we’re talking about who’s more loved by spirits, I’d say Aldebaran’s on a whole other level."

"I—I am?"

Right? The way those spirits cling to her, they’re all basically drooling over her.

Wait, let’s just ask the spirits directly.

"Hey, spirit-san, spirit-san. Do you like Aldebaran?"

"...You just talked to my spirits...?"

Now then—what’s the response?

---

……Nnghhoo—. This mana… feels too damn good…

……The mana’s swirling in my belly, feels amazin’…

……Damn it. My body’s already addicted—can’t live without this mana now…

……Pretty sure you’re already dead, man.

Seriously, all these spirits act like junkies. Dangerous bunch.

"It seems Lady Aldebaran’s mana is exceptionally delicious."

"Hah, is that so?"

"They’re writhing in pleasure, going ‘Nnghhoo, so damn good~’."

"Spirits are like that!?"

Apparently so. I only started seeing them recently, so I dunno if all of them are like this.

"It seems spirits have preferences for certain types of mana."

"I see… Kinda ruins the dreamy image of spirits, huh."

Yeah, they’ve got this gross old-man vibe.

But Aldebaran’s got the chops to call herself a hero, alright. If the spirits love her this much, she must be packing some insane magic.

……We’re not gross old men!

Huh?

One of the spirits that had been messing with Yuri just puffed up its cheeks and jabbed at me, apparently offended by my thoughts. Cute.

"My, what a mischievous little spirit. Aren’t you going to Lady Aldebaran?"

……Ugh, no way. That kinda thick, heavy mana’s nasty. Only fire spirits like that crap.

This spirit clearly has no interest in Aldebaran.

So, tastes vary by spirit type. "Fire spirits," huh? Must be the ones governing fire magic.

"Hey, what’s the spirit saying?"

"…The fire spirits love Lady Aldebaran’s mana. But other types don’t seem as fond."

"Makes sense—I’ve only got an affinity for fire magic. Any spirits clinging to me would be fire-aligned."

Ah.

So that’s what magic affinity means. It’s about whether the spirits governing that element like your mana.

"Still, you really can see them, huh? Uh… what was your name again?"

"Ah, my apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I am Irine. Irine von Wermund."

"Right, Irine. Hmm. I like you. How about joining my party?"

Aldebaran must’ve realized I wasn’t lying.

She eyed me appraisingly, like she was sizing me up.

"As a comrade?"

"Yeah, a comrade. But… hrm. ‘Wermund’? Uh, sorry—mind repeating your name?"

"Certainly. I am Irine von Wermund."

"Wermund… Wait, isn’t that my—"

"Called forth, I leap out—Jya-jya-jya-jaaan!!"

A suspicious figure in a rabbit mask cut off Aldebaran mid-realization.

Wh—what the hell is this guy?

"I am Rabbit Warrior No. 1! Nothing more, nothing less!"

"Uh… sure?"

Did no one teach you not to interrupt people mid-conversation?

I’d love to meet your parents.

"Ahem. ‘Rabbit Warrior No. 1’?"

"Indeed! I am Rabbit Warrior No. 1!"

"Uh… should I, like, pretend I didn’t hear this?"

"Your sharp intuition is why I admire you, Leader!"

The weirdo struck a dramatic pose.

God, this guy’s so cringe.

"Um… who are you? What’s a ‘Rabbit Warrior’?"

"You ask? Then I shall recount the tragic fate of the rabbit!!"

Oh no, don’t drag this out.

"This rabbit was deceived by humans it trusted! Betrayed! Skinned alive and left to die in agony!"

"O…kay?"

"Should such hatred go unavenged?! No! The rabbit’s blood-soaked cries in the dark night became curses, and its wrath possessed this mask—and now, it controls me! That is Rabbit Warrior No. 1!"

"That’s… an intensely dark backstory."

Bruh, you’re literally being puppeteered by a vengeful spirit-rabbit.

"The mask’s one of our party’s top eccentrics. Don’t mind him."

"So it seems."

"Who’re you calling an eccentric?!"

Dude, you wear a mask. You’re peak eccentric.

"A-anyway, Lady Aldebaran, I’m sorry—I already have travel companions."

"Oh, is that so? …Still, we’re a justice-seeking party risen to slay the Demon King. If you’re a true spirit mage, we need you."

"Even so…"

Our party’s also aiming to defeat the Demon King…

How do I smooth this over without exposing Karl—

"Ah, right. Aldebaran, I didn’t mention—her party’s leader also claims to be a ‘hero’."

"…What?"

"A young man named Karl. Didn’t press him, but he didn’t seem like a liar."

"Karl. Karl… Oh. Him."

Ah, dammit. I forgot to tell Yuri to keep quiet.

"I see. So you're that... fake hero's—"

"Fake? Karl didn't seem like the type to lie."

"He is a fake hero. ...Well, not that he himself is lying, I suppose."

Aldebaran crossed her arms and nodded, as if everything now made sense.

Apparently, she knew something about Karl that we didn’t.

"'He himself isn’t lying'—what do you mean?"

"I heard it from my goddess. The one granting Karl—your party’s leader—his power is an evil god."

"An evil god?"

"A sinful goddess who committed crimes in ancient times, was judged by the gods, and cast down to the earth. After centuries, she seems to have regained her power and reclaimed her divine authority, but..."

An evil god, huh? So gods have good and evil among them?

And wait—there’s more than one god?

"The Sinful Goddess—her mind is childish. Though she possesses divine power, she lacks the dignity of a true god."

"...Hah."

"This time, too, it seems Karl is just being dragged along by that evil god’s whim—'send a hero to the surface and gain fame.' Technically, since she’s still a god, she’s on humanity’s side... but her essence is 'sin.' Sooner or later, you’ll suffer the consequences."

...What the hell? Is that true?

If so, it would explain why Karl isn’t lying...

"Right. What did your leader's goddess say about the demon attack on this city?"

"Eh? An attack on this city?"

"Yeah. You came here knowing it was being targeted, didn’t you?"

...Oh, now that she mentions it, Yuri did say something like that.

The Hero of Demonic Flames had been ranting about how "this city will be attacked by demons."

"My apologies. We just happened to come to this city."

"What?"

"Our oracle was more like, 'We don’t know where the next attack will be, so just travel around for now.' So we came here to investigate the hero legends."

"...Hey now, is your goddess okay?"

How should I know? I’ve never actually met her.

"An attack from the demons is coming soon. But since we don’t know the details, we’re struggling to prepare."

"Ooh! Aldebaran, question! Did you get that prophecy from your goddess?"

"Yeah, Yuri. What about it?"

"Go ask her for the spell formula of that prophecy magic! She does exist, right?!"

"...Sure, next time I see her, I’ll ask."

Yuri seemed very interested in divine prophecy magic.

...Honestly, that’s the least of our concerns.

"...Thank you again for the information. We’ll discuss this with Karl."

"I’ll keep casting prophecy magic every morning. If anything comes up, I’ll let Aldebaran know too."

"Appreciate it."

With that, the Hero of Demonic Flames stared at me with a bitter expression.

"You should ask your goddess about it too. ...Though she’ll probably call my goddess an evil god."

"...Oh?"

"After all, centuries ago—when your goddess committed her 'sin,' it was my patron god who judged her and cast her down. From her perspective, my goddess must be utterly detestable."

Aldebaran’s expression was unreadable, filled with complex emotions.

"I don’t know what power you’ve been granted. But chances are, Karl and I will never fight side by side."

"...Is that so?"

"Besides, a mere pawn of a childish evil god couldn’t even match half my strength. You’d just be dead weight."

Aldebaran seemed to have her own thoughts on the matter.

She probably didn’t want to badmouth the goddess she worshipped, but deep down, she must’ve been thinking, "This is no time for petty godly squabbles—humanity’s in danger!"

"Irine, if you ever run into trouble, flee to my party. I am the true hero. I’ll never abandon those who beg for help."

"...Thank you for that."

"Mm. Until next time."

The crimson hero left those words behind, flashing a fearless grin as she walked away.

...Huh. So that’s Aldebaran’s true nature. Arrogant and condescending, but I didn’t get a bad impression.

If anything, she had more of a hero’s aura than Karl.

"Thanks for the interesting story, noble lady~!"

"If you ever need anything, just ask! Our party are allies to all people!"

"Or if you’re not in trouble but wanna have a wild night, come find me. I may not look it, but I know how to treat a noble lady right~! You’re cute, so I’ll give you a thorough—"

"THE RABBIT IN MY SOUL CRAVES BLOOD!! IT SCREAMS FOR ME TO SLAUGHTER THE LEWD!!"

"GYAAAAHHH?!"

The rabbit-masked man dropkicked the bearded creep.

Aldebaran’s party seemed full of eccentric, interesting people.

Especially that rabbit guy—where the hell was he headed? Rabbits don’t drink blood, do they?

"Shall we head back, Yuri? We need to tell Karl about this."

"Yeah."

And so, we parted ways with Aldebaran on good terms.

We’d started off hostile, but maybe we could build a decent relationship from here. They might actually be good people.

"TASTE MY RABBIT HUNDRED-STRIKE CLAWS!!"

"Claws sprouting from the ground?! The hell?! Never seen that before!"

"Eek! Milady, I’m caught in the crossfire! Your loyal, obedient servant is being hit by magic!!"

"Number Two, you dared to sneak into my bed last night—CLAW BARRAGE!"

"Eeek! YOU KNEW?!"

And damn, their party was way more over-the-top than ours. Kinda jealous—their journey seemed way more fun.

"Yo, ho—whoa!"

"Stop dodging, old man!"

"HYIEEEE?!"

After splitting from Aldebaran’s rowdy crew, I sighed in relief, glad I hadn’t joined that party.

No way I could travel with a pervert in a rabbit mask.