Volume 7 Chapter 6 On The Traveling - Geas Play
I'm flying lightly with my gravity magic, peeking out of the window of Ridge's horse-drawn carriage as we move forward.
"Whoa...!? I'm so surprised! What are you doing, Wade-sama?!"
"Ridge! Windy! Let's play Geas!"
"Huh?"
I open the carriage door with a "click" and cast [Weight Reduce] on the 2 of them, pulling them towards the luggage carriage. "This is dangerous It's really dangerous, desuwa?" Ridge panics, while Windy smiles, saying "It reminds me of something from the past."
...Windy, are you maybe thinking of the time I hit you on the head? Why are you making such a nostalgic face?
If I keep pushing the issue, things won't move forward, so I decide to release the magic and take the 2 of them with me on the running luggage carriage.
"Wade, you're quite forceful in your methods, aren't you...?"
"He's of the same noble status now. There's no need to be respectful or anything. It's enviable."
"Brother's being enviable is simply scary."
I caution them, saying "Hey, siblings Don't start a comedy routine!" and somehow guide everyone to sit in a circle.
After that, I sit between Moruru and Roman, saying "Alright, Roman, let's get started."
"I accept. Then, everyone, let's play a simple game of Geas."
"It's started without any explanation, hasn't it?"
"Please be careful, young lady."
"Windy's way of comforting is weird, isn't it?"
Is this some kind of extra activity or something?
"I'll explain the rules."
Roman's way of proceeding is quite forceful, isn't it? Not that I can say anything about it.
"Geas play is a game that uses Geas, a vow with God. You make a simple contract with God, and if you can't keep it, you'll receive a slight divine punishment. The one who receives the divine punishment loses."
"The explanation is already interesting, isn't it?"
"The idea of playing with divine punishment is the most deserving of divine punishment, isn't it?"
Sylvia is firing off straight fireballs.
"The rules are simple. First, the person who becomes the parent says, 'We all have a word that must not be said in this place. The person to their right will decide what that word is. The person themselves must not know what that word is,' and they make a Geas."
This time, I'll be the parent, Roman said.
"Each of you will decide on a 'forbidden word' for the person next to you using a gesture. The person who gets decided on, please don't listen and cover your ears. If you find out, you'll get divine punishment."
And with that, Roman concluded.
"After that, let's have a free conversation. If you say something that sounds like what that person would say, it'll go smoothly."
"Hmm, I see..."
I thought to myself.
This is a total NG word game.... Completely an NG word game....
"Hmm, sounds pretty interesting."
"Yeah, it looks fun! Let's do it quickly!"
Even Sylvia, who was initially hesitant, got hooked, and Moruru's tension was skyrocketing.
"In the gesture game, this is one of the simplest ones. It's called the 'forbidden word.' So, let's quickly decide on the forbidden word for the person next to you."
As Roman said that, the game began.
The NG words that were decided at the start were as follows.
Moruru, "papa."
Roman, "god."
Ridge, "~desuwa."
Windy, "Young lady."
Sylvia, "rune."
Gold, none.
And of course, I was the only one who didn't know my own NG word, which was a weird feeling.
By the way, why didn't Gold have one? It was because Gold only heard half of the rules and got divine punishment for saying their own NG word.
"Ahhhh!"
The moment Gold declared his NG word to Sylvia, he lets out a strange scream and started shaking, so everyone was shocked with their eyes wide open.
"This is what happens when you break the gesture rule. You can't deceive god."
As we looked at Gold, who had fainted with a pale face, everyone's face turned pale. Roman, worried, said, "Don't worry too much about it."
"It's not just about saying the NG word. You broke the most important rule, 'don't know,' so that's what happened."
"So, what happens if you say it?"
"It'll be a bit painful, I suppose. Shall we start then?"
As I smiled at Roman, who was beaming with excitement, I felt a sense of tension building up inside me like a horse-drawn carriage. It seemed like we were going to have a really fun game, and I couldn't help but curl up the corners of my mouth.
"So, what shall we talk about? Should we take turns sharing what we're into lately?"
As I said that, I got a sharp glare from Sylvia.
"You're being too obvious, Wade. You're definitely trying to get someone to spill their secrets."
"That's just how the game is."
While saying that, I thought Sylvia was pretty perceptive. I had tried to aim for her NG word "Rune" with a clever remark, but it seemed she had dodged it.
Just then, Ridge jumped into the conversation.
"Let me start, then. Lately, I've been really into chess."
Ridge skillfully avoided using the NG word "~desuwa" and did a great job. Was it luck or skill? Either way, it was impressive.
Just as I thought that, Windy spoke up with a suspicious look on their face.
"'Young lady', you're not playing fair since you lost to Moruru-sama..."
"I took you, Windy."
Ridge's sly smile caught everyone's attention. That was a masterful move.
"As a noble, I have more opportunities to exercise my wit than ordinary people. This kind of game is my specialty."
Ridge chuckled and casually patted Windy's head, who had fallen into a trap. But didn't she just say she lost to Moruru? Was I just being paranoid?
Anyway, this was... intense. And that phrase "As a noble" was quite roundabout, probably avoiding the NG word "~desuwa" on purpose. This guy was seriously strong.
"I got caught... but I guess it's okay."
Windy looked dejected, corrected their posture, and subtly backed away. The remaining participants formed a circle, sensing something.
Sylvia spoke up.
"I'm also really into something. 'Rune' is magic, but I want to learn more about druids too!"
"Sylvia... you were doing so well until you changed the subject..."
I looked at Sylvia with tears in my eyes, saying "Oh dear..." She had tried to trap someone but ended up self-destructing. Delicious, Sylvia.
"Zzzt... I lost..."
"You'll fall if you lose, Sylvia," Gold said.
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it from a cheater like you, big brother!"
That's true.
Sylvia left, and the circle got even smaller. Only 4 of us remained: me, Moruru, Ridge, and Roman.
Everyone's gaze naturally fell on Roman, who was questioned about the Druid. With a smirk, Roman began to speak.
"Well, I guess I did lose. What do you want to ask about?"
Roman's words made Moruru tilt her head, saying "Huh?" She's sharp, and she can sense something's off.
Roman's current story is a reverse trap, implying that the main topic we want to ask about is her NG word.
But unfortunately, she's aware of it, and Ridge is too, narrowing her eyes as she looks at Roman.
Then, Moruru looked up at me and asked,
"Papa, what do you want to ask, hyaaa?"
―――Oh no! Moruru just tried to take me and Roman down together! But she's the one who buried the NG word "papa"!
"Zzzt..."
Moruru's face contorted in an extremely unpleasant expression, like she had stepped on something disgusting, and she backed off.
"That was a clever forbidden setting. I don't know the rules of this game, but Wade-kun is indeed clever."
"Thanks."
"Oh, Wade-sama, you've changed your vocabulary, haven't you? The atmosphere is a bit different from usual."
"Stop trying to read people's guards."
The remaining 3 of us, me, Ridge, and Roman, glared at each other, each with a hint of a smile. These guys are tough. I still have no idea where my NG word is.
"Well, let's continue the conversation."
I said.
"So, about the Druid... You said it's loved by God, but I don't get how to do it concretely. It seems like the method varies from person to person, or something."
Roman made a difficult face at my question, saying "Mm..."
That's because I didn't get any hints. To be precise, I'm just listening to what I want to hear.
So, I don't need any hints. Sylvia's already giving me plenty, and I don't need to squeeze out any more from her.
Roman thought for a moment, then opened his mouth.
"There are many ways to do it. It's like poetry recitation, or singing. In some countries, there's even a style of chanting Druid magic like hymns."
"Whoa, that's interesting."
"Isn't it? Druids are really deep. It's all about words and messages. Whether it's songs, poems, or crazy talk, it's all good. As long as the message gets to the 'God', that's all that matters."
"Got it."
For a moment, Roman twitched, his body shaking. He had stepped on his own NG word, "god". He laughed, saying...
"You did it, huh? Well, it's a big risk. Wade-kun didn't give me any hints because it was already over."
"Good job reading the situation... but your reaction is pretty weak."
"This level of tension is nothing for someone who's used to fighting."
I nodded in agreement. Roman's not the type to die easily, after all.
I watched as Roman backed down, and then Ridge appeared, her knees locked with mine.
"―――Alright, it's just us now, Ridge and me."
"Yeah, this is getting fun."
Ridge and I exchanged a fearless smile. But the fact that Ridge had skillfully avoided it until now meant that she probably had the NG word "~desuwa" on her forbidden list.
On the other hand, I still didn't know what my own NG word was. How was I going to overcome this disadvantage―――
"Then, let's get started for real, desu~wa. You'd better be readwwwyy! Zzzt."
"Ah, I won."
I raised my hands in victory, declaring my win. It was just a coincidence, but I really did win.
I saw the weak Ridge tremble with a "kyuu..." as she was electrocuted by the faint, weak divine punishment (electrocute).
"No way, I won! So, what was my NG word again?"
"Uh, Papa's forbidden word is 'Moruru'!"
Roman said this in a flustered tone.
"Ah, Moruru-chan, you're saying that now?"
"Aaaaahhh!"
For some reason, I also got hit with divine punishment, and my body started shaking violently. It hurt, it really hurt, but I could bear it. However, my body felt numb and couldn't function normally.
Thud, I fell over, and I muttered "Why..." Roman let out a bitter laugh, saying "Well, you see..."
"We still haven't declared the winner, and we haven't ended the game, so you touched the forbidden 'knowing the forbidden word'..."
"I got too careless..."
Everyone burst out laughing at my pitiful voice. For now, I thought I'd managed to ease the tension, so I patted Moruru, who was apologizing with a "Papa, I'm sorry..."
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