LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 24
Chapter 24: The First Spirit (1)
It was an enormous feast.
Giant figures, over 3 meters tall, were downing drinks from cups larger than human heads and tearing into chunks of meat thicker than human torsos, their bodies swaying rhythmically with joy.
Doom.
Doom-doom.
Doom-doom-doom.
Drumbeats made from animal skins echoed all around. In the darkness, the sound felt almost grand and majestic, though why they were playing a marching rhythm at a festival, I had no idea.
Anyway, for the ogres, this was undoubtedly one of the happiest days in recent memory.
But for a guest like me, it was pure torture.
None of it mattered, though. The smell was unbearable!
The indescribable stench from the ogres’ bodies, combined with the slowly spoiling scent of sea serpent meat, created a biological disaster zone.
Please, stop moving! I beg you!
“Whew…”
I was tempted to cast Tempest and burn all of this away, purifying the air and everything around me.
But no, I couldn’t. I had to endure. I survived chemical warfare training back home, so surely I could handle this.
“Then again, this feels worse than gas training…”
“Your Highness? Did you say something?”
Meredith, sitting beside me, had her hand over her nose and mouth as she spoke. I mirrored her, covering my own nose and mouth.
“No, I was just saying the smell is awful.”
“It’s hard to keep my eyes open. You don’t look well, Your Highness. Perhaps we should leave now.”
“We can’t.”
I shook my head, forcing myself to endure.
“It hasn’t even been an hour since we got here. We need to stick it out a little longer.”
“I don’t mind, but I’m more concerned about you, Your Highness. Would it help if you used this?”
Meredith pulled a slender vial from her robes and handed it to me. Wait, where did she pull that from? The vial felt oddly warm in my hand.
“This is… night vision elixir?”
“Yes, I thought we might need it later. You don’t need to drink it—just sniff it. The scent might help you forget the smell for a while.”
How thoughtful.
Without a word, I opened the vial and inhaled deeply through my nose.
Sniiiiiif…
It smelled like strong mint, mixed with the scent of decaying tree roots and damp earth.
It wasn’t pleasant, not by a long shot. But compared to the stench surrounding me, it was like the scent of paradise.
Sniiiiiif… snifffff… haaaa…
This must be what it feels like to get addicted to something.
As I cleared my senses, I noticed Didi sitting across from me. Feeling sorry for him, I held out the vial.
“Didi.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“The smell here is awful, right? I’m sorry for dragging you into this. Here, take a whiff of this.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine. It’s not as bad as the place I used to live.”
“Really? There’s a place worse than this?”
“Yes.”
Didi nodded, his face calm as if this was normal.
It was true that he came from Zagra, the largest slum in the empire, but could it really have been worse than this?
“Hoho! What are you doing? Drink! Here, I’ve brought more booze!”
Three-Eyes returned, carrying a massive mug of ale. I sighed as I buried my face in the mug, though I didn’t drink.
“This… is exactly what I needed…”
“Your Highness, it would be best not to drink while you’re still on the detoxification potion. The head maid specifically warned against it.”
“I’m not drinking it. Just smelling it. It smells amazing.”
The ale Three-Eyes brought was honey mead, fragrant and sweet. Meredith, realizing this, finally nodded and sipped from her own mug.
“It’s made with honey, yet it’s not sweet. Interesting.”
“But the scent is good, right? Ogres use a lot of aromatic herbs when they brew their ale.”
“I haven’t had much alcohol before, but I must say, this is quite good. I think others would like it too.”
Meredith nodded and took a few more sips. Back in the 9th regression, I had imported this in bulk and it caused a sensation in the empire’s liquor industry. I made quite a fortune back then.
There are many benefits to befriending the Mar ogres.
Most importantly, during the Anti-Empire War, they sided with the empire, and in the war against the Otherworld, they sent warriors who played a crucial role.
That alone makes hauling 30 sea serpents all the way here worthwhile.
But looking back at all nine of my regressions, I fought and exterminated the ogres more often than I allied with them.
Why, you ask?
Because the smell was so unbearable… no, not really.
In the beginning, I didn’t understand their strengths, and there were considerable benefits to wiping them out.
If I eliminated the ogres, I could freely mine the vast mineral resources of the Zairut Mountains.
Additionally, relations with the Alveas Kingdom beyond the mountains would improve, and Alveas could potentially send reinforcements in the Otherworld War.
However, the mines in this region are dangerous. Mishandling them releases toxins, which leads to high casualties among human miners.
Ogres, on the other hand, are immune to the toxins. And Alveas’ forces, while useful, are no better than ogre warriors in battle.
The biggest perk of befriending the Mar ogres is gaining access to something unique that can’t be found anywhere else.
That’s why I made the trip here. But… When are they going to start?
“Oh! Looks like they’re getting started over there! Hahaha! Good, good!”
At that moment, Three-Eyes began laughing as he pointed toward a distant, shaking hut.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
The entire house shook as though an earthquake had struck…
Ah, damn it.
The ogres, excited by the festival, had retreated to their homes to… consummate their excitement.
I suppose fresh sea serpent meat has some sort of aphrodisiac effect on ogres?
Back in the previous regression, when the meat wasn’t as fresh, we didn’t see this kind of chaos on the first night of the festival…
Creak, creak!
Bang! Crash!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
This is too much.
It feels like being unable to sleep because your newlywed neighbors are making too much noise next door.
“Three-Eyes, I’m stepping away with my mate for a bit…”
“Chief, we’ll be gone for a while.”
“Yeah, yeah! Go ahead!”
Two nearby ogres bowed to Three-Eyes and quietly slipped into the house behind them.
In less than ten seconds, the rhythmic pounding of what could only be described as a wild frenzy began.
Meredith, oblivious to the nature of it all, glanced at the shaking house and asked innocently.
“Your Highness, why are those houses shaking so violently?”
“Well…”
I took another sip of honey mead and shook my head.
“Maybe they’re doing some house repairs? I have no idea.”
No clue. This small, innocent Prince Claude knows nothing about such things.
In any case, the last thing I wanted was to join in the ogres’ thunderous clapping. How much longer do I have to endure this?
“An oracle!”
Just then, a four-armed ogre came rushing from the village’s sacred sanctuary, shouting frantically.
“The oracle has spoken from the sanctuary!”
Finally, it’s starting.
“What’s going on? Why is that ogre acting like that?”
I pretended not to know and asked Three-Eyes. His face turned serious as he jumped to his feet.
“That’s Nepali! Nepali is the shaman who oversees our sacred ground!”
“A shaman?”
“Yes! He guards the sanctuary and listens for the voice of our lord. But why would he be acting like this? Could it be because he wasn’t included in the festival?”
“Shamans can’t participate in the festival?”
“No. Shamans must always guard the entrance to the sanctuary because they never know when our lord will speak.”
“Sounds like a tough job. But who’s this ‘lord’ you’re talking about?”
“Our lord is the ruler of this mountain range.”
Three-Eyes lowered his voice and spoke gravely.
“He is the great Earth Spirit. Our protector.”
“An Earth Spirit, huh…”
“Yes. Do humans not know about spirits?”
“I’ve heard stories. I didn’t realize there was one here.”
“Yes. The spirit always dwells in the sanctuary. That’s why our tribe is the leader among all the ogres of the Zairut Mountains.”
“Three-Eyes! There you are!”
The shaman came running toward us, shouting urgently.
“The lord just spoke from the sanctuary! He said to bring the human who helped us to the sanctuary!”
“A human to the sanctuary? Are you serious?”
“It’s true! If we don’t bring him quickly, the lord will be angered! Hurry!”
The shaman anxiously scanned the group of humans, his eyes settling on me. I glanced at Three-Eyes with a calm expression and asked.
“What’s this about? Is it dangerous?”
“Uh… it shouldn’t be. Our lord wouldn’t harm an ogre. And you’re a friend of the ogres, so he won’t harm you either.”
It’s strange logic, but not entirely incorrect. I nodded and stood up
.
“Alright then, I’ll go. This is just some sort of ogre-style welcoming ceremony, right?”
“Your Highness, they’re talking about a massive Earth Spirit. Could this be dangerous?”
Meredith, quick to her feet, asked worriedly. I waved it off casually.
“The ogres say he’s their guardian. Maybe he just wants to congratulate us. If you’re worried, you can come along.”
“Of course I’ll go with you. I can’t let you go alone.”
“Suit yourself. Didi, you want to come too? It’s not every day you get to experience something like this.”
“…I’ll come.”
Didi, who had been quietly observing the situation, stood up as well. The shaman looked alarmed and quickly protested.
“Wait! Why are all three of you coming? Only one person should go!”
“Didn’t you say the lord called for the humans who helped the ogres? All three of us helped, so all three of us should go, right?”
“Uh… I suppose that’s true. Alright then.”
Scratching his head, the shaman turned and resumed his march. These simple-minded ogres… He’s going to get scolded by the lord later for sure.
But it can’t be helped. Someone has to witness the grand trick I’m about to pull in the sanctuary.
It’s the first time I’ve chosen this method in the Ogre Rebellion Route, but I’m not doing anything wrong, so there shouldn’t be a problem.
—
After walking deep into the village, a large cave decorated with branches and flowers came into view.
“This is where I stop.”
The shaman halted in front of a large stone marker at the cave’s entrance.
“The lord called for you, so only you may enter.”
He pulled a torch from the ground and offered it to us, but I shook my head and cast a small Light spell in my palm.
“No need for the torch. Is it dark inside?”
“The tunnel is dark, but the deepest chamber is bright. Hurry, or I’ll be in trouble with the lord.”
Sorry, but you’re definitely going to get in trouble later. Don’t worry, though—I’ll put in a good word for you.
With a hidden smirk, I took the lead and entered the cave. Didi, walking behind me, spoke up in a quiet voice.
“Your Highness, I didn’t actually do anything for this. Is it okay for me to come?”
“I feel the same way. This accomplishment is entirely yours, Your Highness. What if the Earth Spirit gets angry at us for intruding?”
Meredith added. I chuckled and shook my head.
“It’ll be fine. They wouldn’t summon us just to get angry, right?”
“That may be true, but spirits are said to be beyond human reasoning.”
“Whatever happens, we’ll just apologize. But an Earth Spirit, huh… So the ogres are protected by an Earth Spirit.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you know that other races are often protected by specific spirits?”
Meredith and Didi both nodded. It was common knowledge, after all, that elves are protected by the spirits of the forest, and creatures like ancient seals on distant islands are said to be protected by fire spirits.
Humans, however, need to enter the sacred grounds of other races if they want to use spirit magic.
Forcing entry only results in conflict with the spirit, so the best way is to gain the trust of the tribe and form a mutual relationship. That’s the ideal method.
“Your Highness, I think we’ve reached the sanctuary.”
Meredith pointed to a bright light at the end of the cave. Nodding, I stepped forward into the spacious chamber.