Chapter 89

“Kyahaaak! Kyaak!”

It was crying out vigorously today too.

Winte watched Quilbion’s main body crawling through the forest before shrugging his shoulders.

When it got tired, it would rest on its own.

It was when he stretched out his legs and opened the novel he’d brought from outside. The mental entity that had approached hesitantly spoke to him.

“Is it okay to leave it like that? It’s been like that for several days now.”

“It’s a body that won’t break. The only thing that can scratch that body in this space is me, and I have no intention of doing so, so it’s fine.”

“Ah, yes.”

The mental entity nodded while offering coffee.

“How long has it been since you came here?”

“I think it’s been about ten days.”

“I see.”

Winte drank the coffee.

“To produce this much flavor in such a short time. It seems the entity called Quilbion brews coffee well wherever he is.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I’m the grateful one. I almost couldn’t drink coffee because that fool arbitrarily left his post.”

Winte pointed to the soft chair.

“Sit. Don’t stand there uncomfortably.”

“Yes.”

The mental entity sat in the chair cautiously.

“It seems you’ve adapted completely. Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“Thanks to your help, Sir Winte, there’s nothing uncomfortable. However, when I’ll be able to return…… that’s my only worry.”

“That’s a realm I can’t resolve for you. You’ll have to pray that the Quilbion who’s crossed over there wraps things up well.”

“That friend who crossed over in my place—he’s trustworthy, right? He’ll do it properly, right?”

Winte stared blankly at the mental entity.

“He’s not a reliable guy. But he’s tenacious.”

“I see.”

“Still, he’s much better compared to you. At least when a knife comes under his chin, he reacts.”

“……I just trusted my friend.”

“Do humans these days express that kind of thing as trust? Isn’t it ignorance?”

The guy who’d been frozen and couldn’t speak when they first met could now express emotions. Though it was timid defiance, just sticking out his lips slightly.

“Things I don’t know are increasing. Cracks are truly interesting places. Moreover, souls arbitrarily crossing over. As expected, a precious experimental subject.”

Life that had been tedious for a while after discovering the surface realm had gained pleasure. It was thanks to Quilbion.

A toy too valuable to let go.

He’d have to live long without breaking, hopefully.

Winte was leisurely reading his book when he sighed.

“Stay still.”

He spoke to the mental entity.

“Pardon?”

Explanation was a bothersome task. He gestured toward the forest. In the distance, Quilbion’s main body flew over caught by mana.

“Kaaaak!”

After sealing the noisy mouth, he placed it beside the mental entity.

“Hold that down well. Just in case.”

“Understood.”

He liked that it didn’t ask back. Passive humans were easy to handle.

He looked up at the sky.

It was about time for it to come.

FWAAANG!

Beams of light poured down and struck the defense barrier he’d set up.

“Uaaaah!”

The mental entity screamed and curled up its body.

“Don’t make a fuss. If you’re beside me, you won’t die. That one didn’t come with its main body either.”

That thing.

He looked at the goblin floating in the sky.

“You made the avatar quite well.”

“It’s thanks to Teacher.”

“That can’t be. It must be thanks to you all acquiring spirituality.”

Attacks poured down along with the compliment.

Abstruse incantations lashed the defense barrier like whips.

Erosion occurred in the defense barrier made of mana. He smiled faintly while watching the nark seeping in gradually.

“You’ve become skilled.”

“I’m still far from Teacher.”

Playing around with sorcery seemed impossible now. Looking at just sorcery, incantations, and curses, those things had now surpassed him.

Winte blew wind from his mouth with a “Hoo.”

The wind that swept across the rooftop gradually became powerful. The wind that advanced while adding mass struck the goblin floating in the sky.

The goblin caught between the wind and the sky-barrier writhed before bursting. Red stuff scattered in all directions.

“Like ketchup.”

The blood that had been dripping down clumped together again and formed a shape.

The goblin stepped on empty air while slowly descending and stood before Winte.

“Is that your taste?”

Winte pointed at the goblin’s face.

“Yes. Like Sheryl, I also love humans.”

The goblin glanced at Quilbion’s main body and mental entity before swinging their hand.

The hand that had become thorns stopped before Quilbion’s main body.

“Why? Finish it.”

“I cannot do that. I also covet this human. A sacrifice that will lead me to a higher realm. So I must handle it preciously.”

A human hand protruded from the tip of the thorns and stroked Quilbion’s main body. When the goblin’s touch reached it, the antennae on the main body’s head shook mercilessly.

“It says it doesn’t like it?”

“So it seems.”

“If you came to observe, go now. You’ve seen everything.”

The goblin looked at Winte with their mouth closed.

They must be making an estimate. Whether they could handle him if they brought their main body, or couldn’t.

“I’m certain now. Teacher’s mental entity can no longer stop us.”

“I had no intention of stopping you to begin with. So you’re going to bring your main body?”

“Subduing a mental entity is meaningless. I’ll visit Teacher directly at your cradle someday. When that time comes, I’ll taste the world’s only delicacy with my own mouth……”

The goblin smiled while pulling up the corntheirs of its mouth tremendously.

“The face you worked hard to make is ruined. Human facial muscles don’t stretch that far.”

“I see. I’m ashamed to show such an immature appearance.”

The goblin touched their torn mouth and reshaped it.

“You must have decided on a name too. Like Sheryl.”

“Yes. I thought it would be proper to inform Teacher first, who bestowed light upon us, so I came.”

“If you came to show courtesy, you must have a gift? I’m looking forward to it.”

The goblin clapped their hands. The space between their hands distorted, and a box protruded from inside.

A gift box decorated with ribbons.

“Please accept it.”

The goblin bent one knee while offering the box. He accepted it and tore off the cover.

What was inside were coffee beans covered in sticky bodily fluid.

“I made them with improved carnivorous plants.”

“This is quite interesting.”

He stood up the mental entity that had been prostrate and trembling. The mental entity groaned as if about to faint when its eyes met the goblin’s.

“It seems the original owner is elsewhere now.”

“Did you hear about it from Sheryl?”

“No. That child hides many things. But because we’re connected, she cannot hide everything. It’s a fact Teacher knows well too.”

“When you’re grown, you should be independent. You all are the same. Only when you’re independent and know how to enjoy solitude can you be called an adult.”

“I’ll engrave those meaningful words in my heart. However, we’re tied too strongly, so it seems difficult to sever for the time being.”

“It’s something you all will handle, so it’s not for me to worry about.”

He created a chair and placed it before the goblin.

“Thank you.”

While sitting in the chair, the goblin looked at Quilbion’s main body.

“It’s sorcery made by another sibling. It looks close to Blue Form. Are there other existences you’ve raised besides us?”

“No, there aren’t. I happened to pick that up.”

“I see.”

The goblin smoothed out the wrinkles in their pants before opening their mouth.

“Corsa.”

“Name?”

“Yes.”

“Did you receive it? Or did you make it yourself?”

“I have no talent for naming, so I asked a human I was raising and received it. They said it’s an old word meaning blessing.”

“It suits you, blessing. That human’s name must have been Corsa.”

“Yes. I received it very well.”

They smiled with their eyes, but this time the corners of their eyes stretched long enough to touch their lips.

“You seem to have no talent for plastic surgery.”

The moment he spoke, they returned to an expressionless face.

“I’ll make an effort.”

“Do as you please. Make efforts, do whatever.”

Corsa spoke while keeping their gaze on Quilbion’s main body.

“Teacher seems very fond of this toy.”

“It has a troubled life, so it brings around strange incidents. The fun of watching from the side is quite worthwhile.”

“I see. Does it brew coffee well?”

“Of course. Second place……”

Corsa tore at their face before swinging their arm toward the main body. Not only the arms attached to their shoulders but four pairs of arms that protruded from their torso lunged toward Quilbion’s main body.

The defense barrier he’d set up in advance was scratched mercilessly and began breaking bit by bit.

“Didn’t you say it was a necessary sacrifice?”

After casually tossing out those words, Corsa withdrew their arms and placed them docilely on their knees as if nothing had happened.

They smiled gently with their tattered face.

“I apologize. I got excited.”

“It can happen.”

“I was second place. I always offered coffee to teacher.”

“You did.”

“I always desired change, but now that I’m experiencing change, I’m becoming sad. Emotions really are……”

“You’re smiling right now.”

Corsa corrected their expression. It was a blank-looking face.

“Since you’re here, let me ask one thing. Do you know where this guy is now and what he’s doing?”

“There’s no clear information I can verbalize. However, there are things I feel because we’re connected.”

Corsa gently brought both hands together.

A cricket emerged from between them. Corsa carefully offered the cricket whose entire body was red.

“It’s here.”

Winte grasped the cricket and brought it to his ear. The cricket burrowed into his ear and whispered chattily.

An indescribable form of information was transmitted.

“It’s certain he’s with Sheryl.”

“That’s correct.”

“There’s one more.”

“The greedy sibling probably couldn’t resist. They must have remembered the arm Sheryl tore off too.”

While saying that, Corsa slyly extended their hand toward Quilbion’s main body. Of course, it couldn’t reach because it was blocked by the defense barrier.

“I want it.”

“I can’t give it to you. It needs to brew my coffee.”

“That’s unfortunate. Then next time I’ll annihilate Teacher and take it.”

“I’ll wait with a joyful heart.”

Corsa stood up. It walked toward the sky-barrier while stepping on stairs made of nark.

When it reached about halfway, Corsa stopped.

“Teacher.”

“What.”

“Why did you abandon us? If we’d stayed together, it surely would have been enjoyable.”

“How should I put it…… right.”

Winte spoke while opening the novel he’d folded again.

“I became bored.”

“I understand.”

After Corsa bowed deeply in greeting, they disappeared beyond the barrier.

Winte clicked his tongue softly while looking at the main body still writhing.

“Part-timer, you’re screwed from living comfortably in the future too.”

Tsk tsk.

He’d have to find someone who brews coffee well before this guy dies.

Winte thought it was truly a difficult task while turning the page.

*

“What’s wrong?”

The Saint asked while looking at Quilbion.

“I suddenly feel terrible.”

“D-did I do something wrong?”

“It’s not that. It’s not a problem here……”

Quilbion looked at the prayer room ceiling.

Beyond the crack, it seemed something was happening in reality. He didn’t know why he felt this way, but it was a sensation difficult to ignore.

“Anyway, you understood all my explanation, right?”

Quilbion asked the extremely tense Saint one last time.

The Saint made an “Uh” sound and trailed off before smiling awkwardly.

“First, deceive the High Priest?”

“Wow, what should I do with this stupid human?”

“Stop calling me stupid. I’m nervous, that’s why. How can I deceive people? I really can’t do that kind of thing.”

Quilbion laughed hollowly.

“While acting as a saint until now, deceiving the believers—was that done by someone else? No, was it done?”

The Saint clamped her mouth shut while lowering her eyes.