Chapter 129 Water Spirit Stone
――The next day. I was brought to the location of The Drinking Water of the Spirits by Lukas and the others.
The familiar scenery. I've been here many times. However, I felt a sense of discomfort for some reason――before I could even realize what that discomfort was, Wentle-sama asked me a question.
'Do you remember seeing a spirit stone here?'
"Even if you ask me that... what's a spirit stone, anyway?"
"Well, it varies depending on the spirit, but usually, it's a small, sparkling stone...."
Come to think of it, the spirit stone Marta showed me a while back was like that too, I recall.
A sparkling stone, something people don't see often in daily life. If I found it in a natural, abundant forest like this, it would definitely leave an impression.
'According to my intuition, Fontapuune is a water spirit, so it's probably a blue stone.'
Haha, Wentle-sama's words made me freeze in place.
A water spirit stone, a blue stone that's fitting. I've seen it before in this place. Not only that, but I also picked it up and gave it to Lukas――
"...impossible"
After I first arrived at The Drinking Water of the Spirits, Lukas and I came to this place alone. Back then, the Spirit-sama who lived here taught us about the spirits――and found a shining stone in the water.
I hesitated, but I picked up the stone and gave it to my childhood friend as a birthday present. That beautiful stone, which looked like it was cut out from the water's surface. Maybe, that was――
My face turned pale. I might have done something terrible. Not only did I take the spirit stone without permission, but I also processed it a bit and attached it to a clothes.
I rushed to Lukas in a panic. And then,
"Luka, do you still have the charm I gave you as a birthday present here?!"
My desperate expression seemed to have a slight effect on Lukas, who firmly nodded and said "Of course!" Then, he showed me the thing attached to his belt, and I turned to Wentle-sama.
"Is this... it?"
Wentle-sama looked around the stone Lukas was holding with great interest, circling around it. It was indeed a very beautiful stone. I could understand why it would be called a Spirit Stone.
However, Wentle-sama didn't seem too convinced, and let out a "Hmm...".
"It's similar, but it doesn't feel like Fontapuune!"
"I see..."
I felt a mix of relief and disappointment at Wentle-sama's judgment. If this really was a Spirit Stone, I would have made a huge mistake.
(It's not like that's a simple story, anyway)
It's not like I picked up a stone that would save the world, like some kind of Key Item, and it's not something that would happen in a game.
I apologized to Lukas for suddenly getting close to him, and touched the stone with a mix of excitement and guilt. At that moment,
'Ah!'
Wentle-sama let out a loud voice. I accidentally let out a weird "Huh?!" but Wentle-sama didn't mind and continued.
'Just now, I felt Fontapuune's power When Laura holds it, I can feel a bit of Fontapuune's power!'
I can feel Fontapuune's power when I hold it.
I couldn't understand Wentle-sama's words, which shook my eardrums. Why did he feel it only when I touched it? Was this stone really a Spirit Stone?
Without thinking, I turned to Wentle-sama and tilted my head, saying "...So?" But it wasn't Wentle-sama who answered me ―― it was Arnold, who had been standing behind me with his arms crossed.
"This stone is undoubtedly a Spirit Stone, and the one who received permission from the Spirit is not us, but Ampère, right?"
Arnold's simple question to Wentle-sama finally made me understand the current situation. Along with that, I turned pale again.
Could it be that this stone is a Spirit Stone after all? If so, is the processing I did to this stone okay? It's impossible for a mere human like me to interfere with Spirit-sama's power, but I still can't help but worry.
I looked at Wentle-sama. He was motionless, lost in thought, and floating in mid-air.
'Hmm, it's probably like that... but it's not complete I feel like something's missing... no, it's weak.'
"Weak?"
'I can definitely feel Fontapuune's power, but it's weak.'
I exchanged glances with Lukas at Wentle-sama's words, and then we stared intently at the Spirit Stone.
Compared to when I picked it up, it didn't seem to have changed at all. However, I thought that maybe something had changed, and I desperately tried to recall my memories.
That day, I didn't receive an invitation from the Great Spirit-sama, but from other Spirit-sama living in this land, and I took this stone in my hand... and then I realized. I looked up and gazed around.
(...they're not here. Not a single other Spirit.)
Just like Wentle-sama now, there were many Spirits in this land that took the form of glowing orbs. Although I didn't understand their language, they guided me to the stone.
Why didn't I notice? When I came to this place through the narrow gap in time yesterday, were they already gone? If so, why did they disappear? Were they just hiding from the sudden arrival of people, or...
"...what about the other Spirit?"
"Other Spirit?"
Lukas tilted his head at my words, and I asked again, seeking his agreement.
"You see, when we came here before, weren't there a lot of Spirit-sama like glowing orbs floating around?"
Lukas's eyes widened in surprise, and then he looked around. However, he seemed to have judged that they were no longer visible, and he closed his eyes, trying to sense their presence around us.
Lukas should have been able to hear Spirit's voice. He's more sensitive to Spirit's presence than I am.
A few seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes and then shook his head sideways.
"Looks like they're not here. They won't respond even if I call out to them."
I got a bad feeling from Lukas's words.
Wentle-sama and the other Spirit-sama's dwellings were also attacked by monsters once. If that's the case, then this place too...
"When I was attacked by monsters in Flaria, maybe they were here in this forest too...?"
A creepy atmosphere started spreading between us, little by little.
Suddenly, Marta, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, approached us.
"Is that about when we met?"
"Yeah. I thought I was the target back then, but maybe the real target was something else...."
The monster that attacked Flaria clearly had me as its target. It didn't even glance at the others, so there's no doubt about that.
However, maybe I was just a "bonus" target. The real target might not have been me, but this place ―― the Spirit Stone.
If the Demon King knew about the existence of the Holy Sword and the Spirit Stone, he would try to interfere with the Hero getting that power. That's why the Demon King has taken over the dwellings of the Spirits in various places. It makes sense when you think about it.
Marta nodded in agreement with my muttering.
"Yeah, that makes sense. We couldn't defeat the monster back then, and we retreated pretty quickly, so it's possible."
Marta nodded while looking around, and then asked in a lower tone than usual.
"So, does that mean the monster came here too? Did the monster destroy the place and make the Water Spirit lose its power?"
In response to Marta's question, Wentle-sama immediately replied, "I think that's different."
'The barrier of Fontapuune is quite strong. Even among us, it's one of the strongest. And there's no sign of the barrier being broken here.'
As Wentle-sama said, there's no change in this place, except that we can't see the other Spirit. There's no sign of destruction or monster footprints either.
Spirit, among whom Fontapuune-sama is extremely powerful, has the ability to create a strong barrier. So, it's likely that the monsters couldn't break through this barrier. However, Fontapuune-sama's power is weakening.
I look up at the large tree in the center. According to what Lukas heard from other Spirit in the past, this tree is the withered Fontapuune-sama who returned to the earth. Then, the monsters must have had some kind of negative influence on this tree.
I think about it. What method did the monsters use to affect the tree without breaking through the barrier?
"There must be something outside the barrier that can affect Fontapuune-sama through the tree..."
I gaze up at the tree, which looks majestic, but its branches seem weak.
I shift my gaze from the branches to the thick trunk and then to the roots, which spread deep into the earth. ――Ah, I thought.
"That's it, the soil!"
I unintentionally shout out loud. Lukas and Wentle-sama, who were standing next to me, were startled and let out a "Wow!"
While thinking I'm sorry for startling them, I continue speaking quickly, not wanting to waste a single second. In reality, there's a high possibility that Fontapuune-sama's power is weakening at this very moment.
"Maybe the monsters mixed toxins into the soil of this forest. This place is protected by the barrier, but the soil is connected to another place ―― not in a different dimension, but physically connected, right? Then, the toxins could have seeped into Fontapuune-sama's tree roots from the soil..."
Even if the barrier protects it from view, the soil is still connected. If that's the case, it's possible to interfere with the inside of the barrier by using the soil from the outside. This toxin alone might not be enough to defeat Fontapuune-sama, but it could weaken and loosen the powerful barrier. And then, the demon king could break through the weakened barrier and deliver the final blow. ——The demon king might have thought of such a plan.
The barrier can't block the toxins spreading through the soil, I think, but in reality, Fontapuune-sama's power is weakening. It's a possibility worth considering.
Arnold was the first to nod in agreement with my sudden words.
"That's a plausible story. Let's take some soil from the tree and outside the barrier to test if it contains toxins."
I nodded vigorously at his words. Then, we decided to quickly gather soil from around the big tree and outside the barrier.
If Fontapuune-sama's spirit stone loses its power, Lukas and the others won't be able to obtain the holy sword. If that happens, it will have a huge impact on the battle against the demon king.
I must avoid that at all costs, I thought, clenching my fist tightly.
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