"Haa... haa... haa..."
My breaths were ragged and unnecessary. My non-existent heart hammered against my ribs as if it were about to burst. The old man’s form had collapsed, and my blade had stopped just inches from beheading the monster—now nothing more than a humanoid cloud of black mist.
Beyond the tip of my blade was the guard. My hand, white-knuckled on the hilt, was a blistered, scorched mess. The arm holding it had been chewed down to the bone by some phantom beast. My torso was carved with three deep claw marks that tore from my shoulder to my flank, and my skull had been caved in by a heavy, blunt impact. Covered in a patchwork of countless other lacerations and bleeding out from every inch of my skin, I had been transformed into a living corpse.
"Wh... why?"
The monster asked, its voice trembling with bewilderment. It looked as though it couldn't believe its own head was still attached to its shoulders.
"Ow... I really thought I was a goner for a second."
Despite looking like a dead man, I moved. I let out a groan-like mutter and pulled back my katana. Realizing that its life was safe for the moment, the monster slumped in relief. At that same moment, my fatal injuries melted away, my flesh knitting back together into a healthy body.
"Ah, the pain is gone. Just as I suspected—an illusion. These were the death throes of the people who actually died here. Their final, agonizing memories."
"How...?"
"You’re full of questions today, aren't you? Well, I suppose we can finally have a real conversation now."
"Talk...? Were you not commanded by the gods to kill me?"
The monster questioned me again, its expression—if a cloud of mist could have one—radiating doubt even as I remained on my guard. Seeing that my reaction was sincere, the creature seemed even more perplexed. A heavy silence fell over the room for a few seconds as we stared each other down. Finally, I realized where the misunderstanding lay and spoke up.
"Look, I have a lot to say, but first things first. You probably judged the request from the gods by reading my memories. But strictly speaking, they asked me to 'do something' about you—specifically, your ability. I wasn't explicitly ordered to kill you."
"Wh—But the gods said they would eliminate me!"
"Wasn't that only if they had to do it themselves? They mentioned they're so powerful that even if they held back, they’d likely vaporize the entire Sea of Trees along with you. That’s why they asked me to step in. They wanted the collateral damage kept to a minimum.
I also considered elimination as an option if there were no other way, but I didn't intend to kill you without question. If you release the souls of the dead and promise to never use that power again, I don't see any reason to take your life."
"T-Then why did you come here with such murderous intent?! I know for a fact that you were serious!"
The monster had felt my genuine bloodlust until just a moment ago. Because it possessed the ability to read hearts, it knew that neither my previous intent nor my current words were lies. That only deepened its confusion, causing it to cry out in desperation. My answer, however, was perfectly nonchalant.
"Because I felt I couldn't even stand at the negotiating table unless I was certain I could suppress you and eliminate you at a moment’s notice. Though, I'll admit I was also just plain ticked off after seeing those illusions."
I continued, elaborating on my reasoning.
First, before I broke into the annex, it was unclear if I could even communicate with the monster. Even if we spoke the same language, it’s common enough for conversations to go nowhere. When facing a monster that an entire army couldn't defeat, I had to strike with everything I had. My plan was to prove I could win, then capture it or negotiate a contract.
Furthermore, if I reported back on a major request where the gods were prepared for the worst by saying, 'I don't have any evidence or countermeasures, but it says it's sorry, so let's forgive it!' they wouldn't exactly be satisfied. It would be irresponsible of me, and I needed to confirm that I could clean up the mess if things went sideways.
I knew Fernobelia, cautious as he is, and Meltrize—since we’ve only just met—would never have accepted a half-hearted result.
"So that's why you came here to kill me... Then, what about your claim that you would subjugate the undead?"
"I intend to subjugate all the undead, though if I can get your cooperation, I'd rather have you release them. You’re a Tsukumogami, born from the accumulation of mana emitted by the residents over many years, aren't you? Classification-wise, you’re a fairy."
Saying that, I used Monster Appraisal to confirm.
House Fairy (Tsukumogami)
Skills: Mimicry Lv10, Regeneration Lv7, Illusion Lv10, Necromancy Lv6, Corpse Deposition Lv9, Parallel Thought Lv5, Mana Absorption Lv6, Soul Bind Lv※※
"Some fairies are born from the mana of nature, and some are born from human mana that has stained an object. You're the latter. Though, considering you were swallowed by the Sea of Trees while that mana was accumulating, you're likely a hybrid of the two... regardless, you’re a fairy, not an undead. And I’ve heard that your true body is this mansion."
"To think you entered my interior knowing all that. For a human, it is the equivalent of leaping into a predator's stomach."
Hearing the monster’s words, which were caught between amazement and resignation, I furrowed my brows slightly.
"Now that your true identity is out, how about you stop using that old man's voice? I have a feeling that, on the inside, you're just a child."
"...How did you know?"
Its face was nothing more than a hazy outline now, but I could tell from its tone and the shift in the air that it was stunned.
"Just a hunch I got while we were fighting. Once you started losing your cool, a child’s voice started leaking through. Thinking back on it, all those 'whys' you kept asking sounded exactly like a toddler questioning everything."
"I see..."
The monster muttered, and its form shifted. Its silhouette remained humanoid, but it shrank from the size of an adult to that of a three- or four-year-old. As it did, its flickering outline became distinct. It looked like a black mannequin of a small child.
"Is that your true form?"
"This size feels most comfortable. I have no true human appearance."
"Well, your true body is the mansion, after all... I guess it’s fine. I’ve already told you my goal, but regarding that Soul Bind skill... if you release the souls of the dead and promise not to use that power from now on, I won't take your life. I'll leave here immediately. What do you say?"
In response to my question, the monster timidly asked back, like a child approaching a stranger for the first time.
"You really... won't kill me?"
"As long as you release the souls. Personally, the illusions you showed me made me angry, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kill a child for no reason. I basically broke into your house, so I can't really blame you for fighting back.
Besides, those illusions made me more angry at the people from my past life than at you—though being forced to see them was plenty unpleasant."
As I spoke, I looked around the room. Scars from my wind blades were carved into every surface.
"This is the most important area for you. It’s the equivalent of a core for a Slime. This isn't just your stomach; it's your heart, the space where your abilities are at their peak, right? That last illusion was pretty tough, but I endured it. It wasn't enough to stop me. Next time, I'll be able to get here even faster."
"...And what if I have become stronger by then?"
"Then that’ll be my responsibility too. I’ll come back to finish the job, even if I have to blow myself up to do it."
"Are you not afraid to die?"
The monster asked, sounding genuinely shocked. I looked up at the ceiling.
"It's not so much that I'm afraid... I've already died once, after all."
"Ah."
"If anything, the fact that I'm living like this now is a miracle. I feel like dying would just be returning to how I'm supposed to be, so it doesn't really 'click' with me. Maybe it’s because I died in my past life before I even realized it, so I never had the sensation of death approaching like the people here, but I don't really think about it.
Besides, worrying about it won't help. If I’m attacked by a monster and get too scared to move, I’ll just die for real, right? My father taught me that the closer you are to death, the more you have to move and strike down your opponent... Honestly, no matter how many times I think back on it, that man didn't seem like he belonged in the modern world. Who teaches a kid that as martial arts training?"
By the end, I was just grumbling about my father and my childhood, but the monster understood. If it remained my enemy, I would attack again without hesitation. And even if it were to repel me, it would eventually be erased by the gods.
Whether it won or lost against me was only a matter of how much longer it could delay the inevitable. If the monster truly wanted to survive, it had no choice but to promise to release the souls and seal its ability. Even realizing that, the monster hesitated to answer.
"Do you not know how to do it, or is there some reason you can't release them? I've stated my demands, but I’m sure you have your own reasons. If there are conditions, I'm willing to listen. We might have things we can't compromise on, but why don't we just talk?"
"...It’s lonely."
And then, the monster began to tell its story in fragments.
How it had gained self-awareness long after the residents of the mansion had died.
How it only possessed memories from before the village was swallowed by the Sea of Trees.
"In the old days... everyone was smiling. They didn't have money, but they still seemed happy... But then, everything started to change. The village, the people, all of it..."
After the reclamation of the Sea of Trees began, a period of prosperity arrived, just as I’d heard at the base. However, once the boom ended and things turned for the worse, human relationships soured as well. People lost their peace of mind, smiles vanished, and they began to fight over trivial things. Violent brawls and stabbings became common.
As I listened to the story of the village's fall, I considered the situation.
The nature of a fairy born from human mana is influenced by the environment and the owner of the original object. If they are cherished in a happy home, they become like guardian deities that watch over people. Conversely, if they are treated poorly, they become beings that hate and harm humans.
From what I was hearing, this one had spent a long time in a positive environment; it was a fairy meant to watch over people. But the residents had vanished before it was fully 'born.' That’s why it was so lonely. That loneliness was likely the catalyst for gaining a skill like Soul Bind.
The monster continued, confirming my suspicion.
It would pass the time by recalling memories and looking out the mansion windows to see if there were any survivors. It never found any, but it did find undead and wandering souls—spirits that had been unable to pass on to the gods and were simply drifting through the ruins.
But even those spirits would eventually fade and disappear. It didn't want them to leave. It wanted them to stay, if possible.
It said that while it was wishing for that, it had gained the ability before it even realized what was happening.
"I see... That wish combined with your mana, and it unconsciously manifested as Necromancy or a curse. Big Sis Remily always said that magic is a concept, and as long as you have the mana to back it up, you can theoretically do anything...
The ability the gods mentioned—absorbing nature’s mana—must be your Mana Absorption. Given that the Sea of Trees is an endless well of mana, it seems like the stars just aligned to create this result."
"I don't know... but, I don't want to be alone..."
The monster appealed to me with a voice that sounded on the verge of tears. I thought for a moment and made a proposal.
"In that case, do you want to become my tamed monster?"
"Tamed monster?"
"I plan to come to the Sea of Trees quite often in the future. It’s convenient for gathering materials, experiments, and even just for vacations. It would be a huge help to have a base I could stay at, and I can use Taming Magic combined with Space Magic to teleport to wherever my monsters are. I can drop by much more easily than other humans.
Plus, I'd like to have some of my tamed Goblins live here. It’ll keep them out of the way of the townspeople in Gimul, who might get anxious if my numbers keep growing. It would be a relief to have a place where I don't have to worry about the neighbors. And if I ask the Duke, we might even find some eccentrics who would want to move here. What do you think?"
"...I've never thought about it. No one came here anymore... I thought no one ever would again."
"I'll admit it's a harsh environment for most, but that doesn't matter to me. I know it's a lot to take in after I just broke into your home, but I think it's a pretty good deal."
The monster fell silent, taking several minutes to reach an answer.
"I will... release everyone."
"Really?"
"I'll release them, but first I need you to return everyone who is inside the Slimes. Release and resurrection can only happen while the souls are inside the mansion. Also, there are souls I want to spend a little more time with before they go."
"I can call the Slimes back immediately. As for time... I'd be in trouble if you said a hundred years, but I can wait a little while. We can work out the details later, but since we’ve agreed on the release, let’s go ahead and form the Taming Contract. It’ll make it easier for us to understand each other."
"Then, over here."
The monster reached out its hand and led me to the desk it had been guarding.
"I suspected as much, but is this desk the most important part of the room?"
"Yes. It was used by the masters of this mansion—the ones who rejoiced, laughed, got angry, and cried. This room was the heart of the village."
"So it’s soaked in the history of Kormi Village and the mana of its people. Here I go. Taming Contract!"
As I activated the magic, I felt the sensation of my mana being accepted. Because there was prior consent, the process was smooth. I felt the connection snap into place.
"Do you feel any abnormalities in your body?"
"Hmm... no."
"Then that's good. Next is a name."
"A name?! You're giving me one?!"
"I can't just keep calling you 'the monster' forever, especially if we're going to be working together. I don't have much sense for this, so don't expect anything fancy..."
I felt as if I could see eyes shining on the mannequin's head. At a loss, I looked around the room. My gaze stopped on the desk I had just used to anchor the contract.
"How about 'Kormi'?"
"Kormi? Like the village?"
"You're a fairy born from the mansion that watched over the village’s history and its people. In a way, you're the last one left. If you don't like it, we can think of something else—"
"I love it! Kormi is Kormi!"
"—Whoa!?"
Kormi suddenly threw its hands up and began to sprint around the room at high speed. Through the contract, I could feel its pure, unadulterated joy. At the same time, the mansion began to creak and rattle, as if the building itself were laughing. To any observer, it was a terrifying paranormal event in a haunted house, but...
"It seems happy, so I guess it's fine. I'm just glad this didn't turn into a job that left a bitter taste in my mouth."
Watching Kormi—the entity formerly known as the monster—race around, and knowing I had finally cleared the climax of the gods' request, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.