Abundant resources can be plundered, but the chance to subdue a fierce spirit is a rare occurrence, even throughout a lifetime.
“Why do you press on so persistently?”
Lamar averted his gaze when he saw the young Duke leisurely conversing with the spirit he had managed to subdue. His conventional wisdom seemed to be crumbling before his very eyes.
Everything from treating the giants like children to subduing the spirit with brute force.
“You only say that because you have no need of it.”
“Although I understand that the opportunity to control a spirit is extremely rare, do I not already possess a spirit?”
The reason Johan felt indifferent was that he had little desire for spirits in the first place.
Wizards like Suetlg or Caenerna would treasure an opportunity like this, as having more spirits under their control would allow them to respond to a wide range of situations, but Johan had no real need for one unless their abilities were truly exceptional.
I already have spirits like Valkalmur and Teshuka, but I rarely have any use for them—wouldn’t treasure be a better choice?
“You weren’t really interested in luxuries to begin with! What would you do with all that treasure anyway? You already have more than enough gold coins, even now!”“There is some truth to that as well.”
The subdued spirit let out a growl, transforming into a beast.
If it were a greedy spirit, it would no doubt have offered its freedom in exchange for treasure, but if it was not a greedy spirit, no more options remained.
None of the spirits harbored any fondness for their lack of freedom. Mountain spirits in particular abhorred such a fate. Being held captive by a wizard and confined within the narrow confines of a magical artifact was a horrifying prospect.
“Duke. . . I did not attack the Duke first. I did not attack your subordinates first, and I have not been excessively cruel or vile during my time dwelling on this mountain. Why. . . are you treating me so harshly?”
“Do not heed the words of the spirit, Your Highness.”
Caenerna protested vehemently. Whatever honor a spirit may claim, it was laughable when they failed to abide by the rules and laws of humans.
As if Johan would be swayed so easily by such words. . .
“Hmm.”
“. . .Are you actually falling for that?!”
Caenerna exclaimed in a shrill voice, utterly astounded.
“But it makes sense when you consider it objectively.”
The spirits had not captured or obstructed Johan’s army. Johan and his party had been the ones to approach first, seeking to learn the true identity of the spirit.
It was true that they had nothing to say given their desperate pleas.
“Honor and customs only exist between people! Spirits have no such concept of honor or customs. They recognize nothing but contracts and submission!”
“Enough. Let His Highness decide as he sees fit.”
When Suetlg forcibly interrupted Caenerna’s outburst, she shot him a look of betrayal. Yet, Suetlg remained unwavering.
“I, too, am reluctant to let go of the spirit, but this is a decision that Your Highness must make. If Your Highness wishes to extend mercy to the spirit, then I shall respect that.”
“Granting mercy to a spirit is like throwing gold coins off a cliff. . .”
Caenerna looked on with pity, as if watching someone offering alms to a wandering minstrel. What was the point of showing mercy if nothing would be gained in return? Spirits were not a race known for remembering acts of kindness.
“If you are not a malevolent spirit, if you pledge not to harm the people of this region, and if you hand over the treasure you promised me, then I shall extend my mercy and spare you.”
“. . .!!”
The spirit was taken aback by Johan’s words. The desperate words uttered in a dire situation had actually borne fruit.
“A. . . are you serious?”
“If you are not interested, then you may as well endure until your neck snaps and you are forced into a contract.”
“Considering it’s not all that bad a deal, maybe I should think about it. . .”
Caenerna spoke regretfully, but the spirit hurriedly replied.
“I shall do as you say. I accept your terms!”
The spirit shouted in a rush, as if fearing that Johan would change his mind at any moment. A rusted chest materialized in front of Johan, accompanied by a cloud of smoke. It contained stacks of old gold and silver coins, yet it somehow fell short of being called a real treasure.
“?”
“Among these, the most precious treasure is this crown right here!”
The spirit hastily spoke up, sensing Johan’s thoughts.
“. . .???”
Johan frowned at the sight of the dull, tarnished, ancient crown. Caenerna whispered from beside him.
“You don’t have to keep a promise made with a spirit, you know. . .”
“It is the most precious treasure, I swear on my true name!”
The spirit bellowed in a booming voice. Johan tilted his head and examined it again. It did not exude any mystical aura, so it was clearly not a magical item. . .
Was it perhaps an object of historical significance?
“Duke, I have kept my promise. Please, honor. . .”
“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been tricked.”
“!”
“Fine. I shall keep my promise as well.”
“T-Thank you!”
The spirit, who had been doubtful until the very end, was astonished by Johan’s words. Not many people would be willing to give up the chance to control a spirit. Even more so for a noble to willingly forfeit such an opportunity without any greed.
“Duke, I would like to know your name.”
“It is Johan of House Yeats.”
“I shall remember that noble name.”
With a gust of wind and smoke, the spirit retreated back into the cave and vanished. Johan shrugged apologetically to the wizards, the rusted crown still in hand.
“My apologies. It seemed like you were eager to capture the spirit.”
“It is your choice to make. If not for your power, we wouldn’t have even made it this far.”
“. . .This line of reasoning is extremely disadvantageous for me. Even if I wanted to complain, there’s no way I could.”
Caenerna protested in a voice laden with discontent. If Johan and Suetlg had already settled the matter amicably between themselves, Caenerna knew that anything she said would only sound like petty grumbling.
“My apologies, Caenerna-gong. I shall make it up to you somehow.”
“It’s fine. I don’t want to be known as the narrow-minded wizard.”
Suetlg spoke up to appease her.
“And besides, it’s not like it would have been all that useful even if we had captured it. We have no need for the powers to heal wounds or transform into monsters, do we?”
“. . .I do need a spirit that can heal wounds, though?”
“Oh. You can’t. . . without a spirit? . . .My apologies.”
“. . . . . .”
Caenerna sulked. Johan put his arm around Caenerna’s shoulders and said,
“I will reward you handsomely once we reach the city in the east. I hope you won’t hold this against me for too long.”
“Your Highness, I clearly stated that I had no need for it. . .”
“Yes, Caenerna-gong, I am sure you have no need for it.”
Caenerna’s expression turned slightly hurt at Johan’s words.
“However, I simply wish to express my gratitude for your devotion to justice. Would you refuse such a gift? Surely you would not do so, unless I had wronged you greatly?”
Caenerna’s expression faltered before she gave a wry smile and nodded.
“. . .Sometimes, your Highness, you can be lethally charming. I shall accept it gratefully.”
“It may be lacking in comparison to a spirit, but these gold and silver coins are not worthless either. Considering how short our mountain journey was, this is quite fortunate.”
At Suetlg’s words, Johan held up the old crown and asked,
“Do you know what kind of crown this is?”
“My apologies, but I’m not sure. The spirit must not have been lying, so it may very well be a valuable crown. . .”
“Even Suetlg-nim does not know?”
“For someone of Suetlg-nim’s experience to not know.”
Suetlg bowed his head apologetically at Johan’s words, but glared at Caenerna’s remark. He had picked up on the hidden implication.
“Don’t be like that, Caenerna-gong.”
“My apologies. My behavior was unbecoming.”
“I accept your apology. Shall we have the dwarves polish and clean it for now? That way, we might be able to learn something more about it. It does seem to be something quite old. . .”
“Excuse me, Your Highness?”
“?”
One of the soldiers called out to Johan.
“A giant has come?”
“??”
The soldiers tensed up slightly when they saw the giant, whom they had thought had left to see them off, had returned. Lamar also felt tense.
Was this the giant finally revealing its true nature?
“What is it? Are you hungry, perhaps?”
“I am hungry. But giants are not beggars. Giants are not vagabonds. Giants are not rogues. We do not steal, nor do we beg.”
“. . . . . .”
Johan stared intently at Lamar. For some reason, Lamar felt like he was being mocked.
“Then what business do you have here?”
“Friends caught a brazen thief. They say he is a friend of yours. They were going to eat him, but I came to ask just in case.”
“I have no friends. Just eat. . .”
“You have no friends? Poor traveler.”
“. . .That is not what I meant, but hold on a moment.”
Johan fell into thought. Could it be that some of the pilgrims or paladins who had been at the fort had followed them and been captured, using Johan’s name?
If that was the case, then it would make sense for them to impersonate his friend.
“Just in case, can you let me see them? They might actually be my friends.”
“Very well. Traveler, friends are important. We giants have many friends.”
“. . . . . .”
Iselia, Caenerna, Suetlg, and the others behind Johan had to carefully manage their expressions to suppress the laughter threatening to burst forth.
“If the traveler is alright, then I will become his friend. I am Mahema’niu.”
“. . .It is Johan of House Yeats.”
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
Johan’s prediction was wrong. They were neither pilgrims nor paladins. They were foreigners from the east whom he had never seen before.
“He is not a friend. It is fine to eat him.”
“Your Highness!! Your Highness!!”
Ohmal cried out anxiously. The sight of the giant staring at them with drool dripping from its mouth sent shivers down his spine.
“Your Highness, surely you do not remember me! But I have come here as an envoy, representing the tribes of the Black Mountains! I humbly request that you recognize my rights as a duly appointed envoy!”
Ohmal, fluent in the language of the Empire, recited his entitlements with an air of erudition and intelligence. Under normal circumstances, he would have appeared more dignified.
. . .That is, if he wasn’t currently hanging upside down, completely naked, having been captured by the giant.
One of the centaurs exclaimed in admiration,
“To be able to shout like that in such a state. He must be incredibly thick-skinned.”
“They were sent by the rogues?”
“Yes!”
“Then they should be at the fort. Why were you captured by the giants? Were you following me?”
Johan’s tone was cold. It was then that Ohmal realized what misunderstanding he had caused.
“Oh. . . no! No!”
“I can’t think of any other reason why you would bring your men and follow me like that?”
“We followed you to warn you when we saw Your Highness entering the giants’ lair! To warn you of the danger!”
The giant, Mahema’niu, who had been listening, became furious.
“The audacity of these rogues! Insulting us!”
“Lamar! What are you doing, standing there watching? Speak up!”
“I. . . Your Highness, he really did come as an envoy. Ohmal holds a high position in the mountain range.”
“Hmm. . . Very well. I understand. It’s not that difficult to release them.”
Johan had a discussion with the giants. Since they had brought along a generous number of sheep and cows, paying the ransom was not an issue.
The giants were overjoyed at the unexpected feast of rich food. To them, sheep and cows were far more delicious than humans.
“I will add the price of the sheep and cows to the ransom you must pay.”
“. . . . . .”
It was only natural, but the fact that even a duke would mention it separately like this was indeed quite disconcerting. Lamar could hardly believe that this was the same man who had subdued the spirit earlier.
“A. . . Amazing.”
“To negotiate with giants. That’s quite a skill.”
Lamar replied as he helped Ohmal and his men, who had been released from the giant’s grasp. Being able to talk to giants and negotiate with them was truly an astonishing ability. Lamar himself had been amazed when he first saw it.
“No. That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m talking about the duke. Not only can he negotiate with giants, but he also had a whole group of giants under his command.”
The figure of Johan appearing with the giants in tow was so awe-inspiring, like a mountain king from an old legend, that even Ohmal, who had been hanging upside down, had forgotten his own predicament and felt a sense of awe.
That vivid image remained strongly imprinted in his mind even after he was released.
“. . .Mister Ohmal, it’s not to that extent.”
“Lamar. No matter how captured you were, it’s cowardly to belittle your opponent.”
“. . . . . .”
Lamar was speechless.
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